Research Engineer
Research Engineer

Biography

Laura Hay has 34 years of technical experience in the area of packaging and transportation of radioactive material. For 24 years she supported both the Hanford Site and then the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), mainly in the area of radioactive material packaging and transportation. During the last 10 years at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), she has supported the NNSA Packaging and Transportation Division (PTD) as a subject matter expert with independent technical review of safety basis documentation, and has also led the completion of the safety analysis report for packaging (SARP) for the NNSA-certified Defense Programs Package (DPP)‑3, where PNNL serves as the Design Authority and a transportation system risk assessment (TSRA) for plutonium air transport. Laura also supports the Idaho National Laboratory (INL) with their DOE-certified safety basis documentation, as well as working with the NNSA Tritium Modernization Program (TMP) in support of a Nuclear Regulatory Commission-certified transportation cask for transport of tritium-producing burnable absorber rods (TPBARs). Laura has recently been supporting the DOE Integrated Waste Management (IWM) program and is part of a team assisting DOE in considering options for conducting a Package Performance Demonstration (PPD) to help build public trust and confidence in the safety of spent nuclear fuel (SNF) transportation casks and SNF transportation by rail, heavy-haul truck, and barge.

Disciplines and Skills

  • Explosives Classification Tracking System Database
  • Federal Regulations and Guidance Related to Radioactive Material Packaging and Transportation
  • Independent Technical Regulatory Review
  • NNSA, DOE, and NRC certification
  • Packaging Engineering
  • Regulatory Requirements
  • Safety Analysis Reports/Safety Analysis Reports for Packaging
  • Spent Nuclear Fuel
  • Transportation System Risk Assessments
  • Tritium Transportation Packaging
  • Type B Packaging

Education

  • Bachelor of Science, Environmental Science, Washington State University

Awards and Recognitions

  • National Nuclear Security Administration Award of Excellence, Completion of Defense Programs Package (DPP)-3 Safety Analysis Report for Packaging (SARP) for Certification by NNSA OPT Team
  • National Nuclear Security Administration Award of Excellence, Development of the Transportation System Risk Assessment for Plutonium Air Transport in Support of the National Security Exemption Team
  • U.S. Department of Energy, Secretary’s Honor Award, Lovelace Biomedical Research Institute Material Removal Team
  • National Nuclear Security Administration Award of Excellence, PNNL Certification of the 9977 Package with Dual 3013 Pu Metal Content Team
  • DOE/NNSA Defense Programs Award of Excellence, Purpose-Built Cask Team for Significant Contributions to the Stockpile Stewardship Program

Publications

2024

  • “Development of a Functions and Requirements Document for a SNF Transportation Package Performance Demonstration,” L. M. Hay (PNNL), S. J. Maheras (PNNL), M. R. Juckett (PNNL), E. Bickford (DOE), and G. Jackson (DOE), PNNL-SA-194563, in International Conference on the Management of Spent Fuel from Nuclear Power Reactors: Meeting the Moment, 2024.
  • “Development of a Functions and Requirements Document for a SNF Transportation Package Performance Demonstration,” L. M. Hay (PNNL), S. J. Maheras (PNNL), M. R. Juckett (PNNL), H. E. Adkins, Jr. (PNNL), E. Bickford (DOE), G. Jackson (DOE), and D. J. Ammerman (SNL), PNNL‑SA‑191651, in Proceedings of the WM 2024 Conference, 2024.

2023

  • “Package Performance Study: A Historical Perspective and Planning for a Path Forward,” in Nuclear Technology, Laura Hay (PNNL), Steven Maheras (PNNL), Erica Bickford (DOE), Matthew Feldman (PNNL), and Douglas Ammerman (SNL), published online October 30, 2023.
  • Package Performance Demonstration Functions and Requirements Document, H. Adkins, Jr. (PNNL), E. Fairchild-Grant (PNNL), L. Hay (PNNL), M. Juckett (PNNL), S. Maheras (PNNL), Z. Chicketti (ORNL), K. Connolly (ORNL), M. Fialkoff (ORNL), R. Karkkainen (ORNL), B. Loftin (ORNL), O. Martinez (ORNL), D. Ammerman (SNL), S. Durbin (SNL), W. Housley (SRNL), W. Johnson (SRNL), and D. Leduc (SRNL), PNNL‑34988, 2023.
  • “A Historical Perspective and Preliminary Planning for a Spent Nuclear Fuel Transportation Package Performance Study,” L. M. Hay (PNNL), S. J. Maheras (PNNL), E. Bickford (DOE), S. Hogan (DOE), and D. J. Ammerman (SNL), PNNL‑SA‑184842, in Proceedings of the 20th International Symposium on the Packaging and Transportation of Radioactive Materials (PATRAM 22), 2023.
  • “Development and Application of a Risk-Informed Approach for Regulatory Approval for Shipment of a Microreactor Transportation Package,” S. M. Short, G. A. Coles, P. P. Lowry, T. A. Ikenberry, M. S. Taylor, C. A. Condon, J. R. Phillips, S. J. Maheras, H. E. Adkins, and L. Hay, PNNL-SA-184337, in Proceedings of the 20th International Symposium on the Packaging and Transportation of Radioactive Materials (PATRAM 22), 2023.
  • “Large-Scale Spent Nuclear Fuel Transportation System Gap Analysis,” D. J. Richmond, K. Kadooka, L. M. Hay, V. M. Wilson, D. Goodman, B. M. Hom, and S. J. Maheras, PNNL-SA-185460, in Proceedings of the 20th International Symposium on the Packaging and Transportation of Radioactive Materials (PATRAM 22), 2023.

2022

  • Transportation Baseline Project Plan Review, D. J. Richmond (PNNL), K. Kadooka (PNNL), L. M. Hay (PNNL), V. M. Wilson (PNNL), D. Goodman (PNNL), B. M. Hom (PNNL), B. M. Loftin (ORNL), M. Schultze (ORNL), B. Reich (ORNL), and E. Kalinina (SNL), PNNL-33222, 2022.
  • Package Performance Study Status Report, L. Hay (PNNL), S. Maheras (PNNL), M. Feldman (PNNL), and D. Ammerman (SNL), PNNL‑33422, 2022.
  • “Package Performance Study: A Historical Perspective and Planning for a Path Forward,” L. M. Hay (PNNL), S. J. Maheras (PNNL), E. Bickford (DOE), M. R. Feldman (PNNL), and D. J. Ammerman (SNL), PNNL‑SA‑174405, in 2022 International High Level Radioactive Waste Management Conference, 2022.
  • “Development and Application of a Risk-Informed Approach for Shipment of a Microreactor Transportation Package,” S. M. Short, G. A. Coles, P. P. Lowry, T. A. Ikenberry, M. S. Taylor, C. A. Condon, J. R. Phillips, S. J. Maheras, H. E. Adkins, and L. Hay, PNNL-SA-185258, in Proceedings of the International High Level Radioactive Waste Management Conference (IHLRWM 2022), 2022.

2018

  • Identification of Potential Waste Processing and Waste Form Options for Molten Salt Reactors, B. J. Riley, J. Mcfarlane, G. D. Delcul, J. D. Vienna, C. I. Contescu, L. M. Hay, A. V. Savino, et al., PNNL-27723, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, Washington, 2018.
  • Packaging and Transportation of Radioactive Material to Address Hanford Onsite and Offsite Needs, H. E. Adkins, P. C. Ferrell, B. J. Koeppel, J. A. Fort, A. V. Savino, and L. M. Hay, PNNL‑SA‑134302, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, Washington, 2018.

2017

  • Tritium Producing Burnable Absorber Rods (TPBARs) Transportation Study, H. E. Adkins, L. M. Hay, S. VanDyke, M. H. Sturges, S. Wach, R. Snyder, and S. Bellamy, et al., PNNL-26425, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, Washington, 2017.
  • DPP-3 Design Poster, N. P. Barrett, L. M. Hay, B. J. Koeppel, P. C. Ferrell, P. J. Sakalaukus, H. E. Adkins, and D. L. Love, et al., PNNL-SA-125608, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, Washington, 2017.
  • The Defense Programs Package (DPP)-3 Conceptual Design Report, H. E. Adkins, L. M. Hay, P. C. Ferrell, B. J. Koeppel, N. P. Barrett, P. J Sakalaukus, and J. A. Fort, et al., PNNL-26877, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, Washington, 2017.

2004

  • The State of Stress of Transportation Packages During Hypothetical Accident Free-Drop Impact, S. N. Huang, S. S. Shiraga, and L. M. Hay, 2004 ASME Pressure Vessels and Piping Division Conference, San Diego, California, July 25-29, 2004.
  • Computer Simulation of a Transportation Package Impacting Concrete and Soil Targets, S. N. Huang, S. S. Shiraga, and L. M. Hay, 2004 ASME Pressure Vessels and Piping Division Conference, San Diego, California, July 25-29, 2004.

2001

  • Cumulative Structural Damage Assessment of an Onsite Shipping Container, S. N. Huang, S. S. Shiraga, and L. M. Hay, 2001 ASME Pressure Vessels and Piping Division Conference, Atlanta, Georgia.
  • Demonstrating Onsite Safety for Radioactive Material Packaging and Transport Systems, R. J. Self, D. W. Bergmann, J. L. Boles, S. S. Shiraga, P. M. Daling, J. B. Woodbury, L. M. Hay, and D. L. McCall, 2001 International Symposium on Packaging and Transportation of Radioactive Materials (PATRAM).

2000

  • Evaluation of Spent Fuel Package Impacting Asphalt and Soil Target, S. N. Huang, S. S. Shiraga, and L. M. Hay, 2000 ASME Pressure Vessels and Piping Division Conference, Seattle, Washington, July 23-27, 2000.
  • Preoperational Environmental Survey for the Spent Nuclear Fuel Project Facilities, R. M. Mitchell, L. M. Hay, A. R. Johnson, B. M. Markes, and C. J. Perkins, HNF-6150, Waste Management Technical Services, prepared for Project Hanford Management Contractor (Fluor Hanford), Richland, Washington.
  • Utilization of Coyotes and Cryptogams as Biological Indicators of Radionuclide Uptake, R. M. Mitchell, A. R. Johnson, and L. M. Hay, HNF-5461.