PNNL

For over 30 years, Mr. Bruce McDowell has managed complex and controversial environmental review and regulatory projects for the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), and other federal agencies. Currently, Mr. McDowell is a senior advisor at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) supporting NRC’s advanced reactor infrastructure development. Mr. McDowell was the PNNL lead in the national laboratory consortium that assisted the NRC in developing their regulatory infrastructure for licensing new Small Modular Reactor designs, including the design-specific review standards and guidance for environmental review. Recently, Mr. McDowell has been the team lead for NRC’s environmental review of the Tennessee Valley Authority’s application for an early site permit for two or more Small Modular Reactors at the Clinch River site in Tennessee, as well as the National Nuclear Security Administration’s environmental review of their program to disposition surplus weapons-grade plutonium. Mr. McDowell is also the team lead for support of the National Reactor Innovation Center at the Idaho National Laboratory and the team lead for PNNL’s support of the U.S. Army Reactor Office’s Mobile Nuclear Power Plant Program.

From 1991 to 2008, Mr. McDowell held numerous positions at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, including program manager supporting NRC’s environmental reviews for operating reactor license renewal applications, project manager for the first Biosafety Level III Facility in the DOE complex, and environmental manager for the Decontamination and Waste Treatment Facility.

• Global Dust Phenomenon and Climate Change Feedback Mechanisms
• Advanced Reactor Designs and Applications

• MS Atmospheric Science, University of California, Davis 2014
• MS Resource Economics, University of California, Davis 1998
• MBA, University of San Francisco 1985
• BS Land Use Affairs, California State University Sacramento 1980

• Directorate Award 2005: For achieving the first certification of a Biosafety Level III facility in the DOE complex.
• Secretary’s Award of Achievement 2006: Presented to the National Security Administration’s Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Terascale Simulation Facility Project for demonstrating significant results in completing a project within cost and schedule.
• Directorate Award, 2007: For successful start-up of the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory Biosafety Level III Facility.
• 2011 Energy and Environment Directorate OTY Award: For contributions to the PNNL Nuclear Regulatory New Reactor Licensing Program project.
• 2016 Outstanding Performance Award for leading the PNNL Biosafety Level III Environmental Assessment.
• 2017 Outstanding Performance Award for leading the PNNL Campus Future Development Environmental Assessment.

2021

McDowell B.K., and D. Goodman. 2021. Advanced Nuclear Reactor Plant Parameter Envelope and Guidance. PNNL-30992. Richland, WA: Pacific Northwest National Laboratory.

Chen, S.H., B. McDowell, C.C. Huang and T. R. Nathan. 2021. Formation of a Low-Level Barrier Jet under the Influence of Dust-Radiative Forcing over the Hexi Corridor in Central China on 17 March 2010. Quarterly Journal of the Royal Meteorological Society. https://rmets.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/qj.4000

Holdmann, G., G. Roe, S. Colt, H. Merkel, K. Mayo, B.K. McDowell, W. Simon-Pearson, R. Johnson, D. Vaught, D. Lockard, M. Lefton, B. Rogers, C. McDaniel and J. DeWitte. 2021. Small Scale Nuclear Power: An Option for Alaska? Prepared by the Alaska Center for Energy and Power, University of Alaska, Fairbanks. 

2020

Elizondo M.A., B.K. McDowell, J.E. Cabe, U. Agrawal, S.H. Davis, M. Ghosal, and D. Bhatnagar, et al. 2020. DRAFT Grid Connectivity Characteristics in Puerto Rico for Siting Small Modular and Micro Nuclear Reactors. PNNL-29458. Richland, WA: Pacific Northwest National Laboratory.

Dulloo A., A. Elnashai, A. Reyes, B.K. McDowell, C. Fernandez, C. Galvez, D. Bhatnagar, D. Sledzik, D. Hoffman, E.M. Guerra, E. Teplinsky, J.E. Cabe, J. Harper, J. Merrifield, J.I. Rivera, J.M. Nunez, J.J. Garcia, J. Reyes, J. Cajigas, L. Reyes, M. Ghosal, M.A. Elizondo, M. Nichols, M.C. Hammond, M. Libby, N. Samaan, P. Murphy, R. Beatty, R.B. Ross, S.J. Martinez, S.H. Davis, S. Barber, U. Agrawal and V. Lugo. 2020. Preliminary Feasibility Study for Small Modular Reactors and Microreactors for Puerto Rico. Prepared for the U.S. Department of Energy.

2018

McDowell B.K., K.D. Leigh, R.H. Krieg, D.M. Anderson, J.M. Becker, E.P. Kennedy, and P.D. Meyer, et al. 2018. Draft Environmental Impact Statement for an Early Site Permit (ESP) for the Clinch River Nuclear Site. PNNL-27254. Richland, WA: Pacific Northwest National Laboratory.

2017

McDowell B.K., C.D. Ross, D.M. Anderson, J.M. Becker, J.P. Duncan, D.L. Edwards, and E.P. Kennedy, et al. 2017. Pacific Northwest National Laboratory: Environmental Assessment. PNNL-26488. Richland, WA: Pacific Northwest National Laboratory.

McDowell B.K., D.M. Anderson, J.M. Becker, J.P. Duncan, D.J. Edwards, D.L. Edwards, and E.P. Kennedy, et al. 2017. Richland Campus Future Development EA. PNNL-26288 Rev. 1. Richland, WA: Pacific Northwest National Laboratory.

Ross C.D., B.K. McDowell, D.M. Anderson, J.M. Becker, J.P. Duncan, D.L. Edwards, and E.P. Kennedy, et al. 2017. Richland Campus Future Development EA. PNNL-26288. Richland, WA: Pacific Northwest National Laboratory.

2016

McDowell B.K., R. Prasad, J.P. Rishel, L.W. Vail, E.E. Hickey, and P.D. Royer. 2016. Extreme Weather Event Impacts on Nuclear Power Plant Safety:  Hurricane Andrew and the Turkey Point Nuclear Power Plant. PNNL-25463. Richland, WA: Pacific Northwest National Laboratory.

2011

McDowell B.K., J.R. Nickolaus, M.R. Mitchell, G.L. Swearingen, and R. Pugh. 2011. High Temperature Gas Reactors: Assessment of Applicable Codes and Standards. PNNL-20869. Richland, WA: Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. High Temperature Gas Reactors: Assessment of Applicable Codes and Standards