Presenters’ Biographies

Thanks to the following individuals who gave their time and expertise to our October 10th, 2019 Regional Nuclear Decommissioning Forum at the Hendrick Hudson Free Library, Montrose, NY

Robert Alvarez is a Senior Scholar at the Institute for Policy Studies in Washington, D.C., where he focuses on nuclear disarmament and environmental and energy policies. Between 1993 and 1999, Mr. Alvarez served as senior policy adviser to the US Energy Department for national security and the environment. During his tenure, he led teams in North Korea to establish control of nuclear weapons materials. He previously served as a senior investigator for the US Senate Committee on Governmental Affairs, chaired by Sen. John Glenn, and as one of the Senate’s primary staff experts on the U.S. nuclear weapons program. In 1975, he helped found and direct the Environmental Policy Institute, a national public interest organization. He also organized a successful lawsuit on behalf of the family of Karen Silkwood, a nuclear worker and union member who was killed under mysterious circumstances in 1974, and has published many articles on this topic.

Westchester County Legislator Catherine Borgia represents District 9, part of the Town of Cortlandt and the City of Peekskill, as well as Croton-on-Hudson, Ossining, and Briarcliff. She chairs the Board’s Budget & Appropriations Committee, serves on the Appointments, Environment, Health & Energy, Intergovernmental Services, Labor & Housing, and Legislation Committees was the Board’s Majority Leader from 2014-17. Catherine has attended NRC meetings since 2002, when she began a seven-year career as Chief of Staff to New York State Assemblywoman Sandy Galef. She has closely followed issues relating to Indian Point as a County Legislator, as well as in her prior capacities as Ossining Town Supervisor and Ossining Village Trustee. A long-time community volunteer, Catherine co-founded the Ossining Microfund, and serves on many community organizations. She is also the proud mom of two daughters and one rambunctious dog.

Diane D’Arrigo is NIRS Radioactive Waste Project Director. Her main area of expertise is radioactive waste and radiation issues. In addition, she has considerable international experience. She has closely followed so-called “low-level” nuclear waste issues for decades, the national and international moves to deregulate nuclear waste that would allow it to be made into everyday household items and be dumped as regular trash. She has also worked on issues related to the West Valley Demonstration Project for nuclear waste reprocessing. She has been with NIRS since 1986, has a degree in chemistry and environmental studies and work experience in analytical chemistry and biological research.

Eric Epstein, Chairperson of TMIA’s Planning Council and has been involved with research into decommissioning, decontamination, emergency planning, and nuclear safety at the Peach Bottom, Three Mile Island, and Susquehanna nuclear power plants for 35 years. He has written numerous professional papers, and provided testimony regarding utility rates, electric power competition, and radioactive waste isolation. In 1992, EFMR Monitoring Group reached a settlement with GPU Nuclear to build a radiation monitoring system around Three Mile Island, which resulted in some significant environmental guarantees from the utilities, and in a significant investment in robotic research by the utilities which has increased worker safety at the plants. Based on studies of population concentrations, prevailing wind currents and Three Mile Island’s technical specifications, EFMR installed real-time ST-10 radiation monitors around the Three Mile Island nuclear power station, which are connected to a central computer and send counts back every minute. The data is cryptographically signed by the radiation monitor and a receipt is kept for each transmission to prove its place and time of origin. The data is stored in a database on the server and can be accessed by any authorized computer.

Manna Jo Greene has been the Hudson River Sloop Clearwater’s Environmental Action Director since 2000. Formerly the Recycling Coordinator/Educator for the Ulster County Resource Recovery Agency for 10 years and a registered Critical Care Nurse for 22 years, Ms. Greene holds an AAS in Nursing, a BA in biology (pre-med) from SUNY/New Paltz, and completed course work toward a Masters in Environmental Sciences at Bard College. A lifelong environmental professional and community activist, Greene avidly supports collaborative land use planning and problem solving. Working to promote the transition to a renewable energy economy, she teaches communities how to integrate environmental protection, economic prosperity (based on quality of life indicators), and social equity using effective communication. Greene also serves as Ulster County Legislator from District 19, the Towns of Rosendale and Marbletown.

Rear Admiral Leendert “Len” Hering Sr., United States Navy (Retired) is a prominent military and civilian sustainability leader with a broad background in energy and environmental issues. While in the Navy, Hering instigated wind, thermal, photovoltaic, conversion technology and alternative fuel use at all levels in Navy facilities. President Bush awarded Hering a 2005 Presidential Award for Leadership in Federal Energy Management. From 2009-12, he joined the University of San Diego, where he initiated numerous sustainability measures on campus. From 2012-18 Hering was Executive Director of the Center for Sustainable Energy™ (CSE) which works with policy makers, public agencies, local governments, utilities, business and civic leaders and individuals to transform the nation’s energy marketplace. Today, Hering serves as Executive Director of “I love a Clean San Diego” a non-profit focused on making San Diego America’s cleanest, most environmentally conscious city. He also proudly serves on a number of non-profit boards and is an active military advisor to the Center for Climate and National Security.

Deb Katz is a founding member and executive director of the Citizens Awareness Network, an organization that was instrumental in the closure of four New England nuclear reactors, including Vermont Yankee. The organization intervened in the decommissioning of the Yankee Rowe and Connecticut Yankee reactors and won a lawsuit against the Nuclear Regulatory Commission for the illegal decommissioning of the Rowe reactor. The group also won a lawsuit against Boston Edison in its attempt to transfer its high-level waste to the Skull Valley Goshute Reservation in Utah. Katz, a resident of Rowe, Massachusetts, has organized decommissioning forums throughout New England and was instrumental in the creation of a Citizens Advisory Panel for the decommissioning of the Vermont Yankee reactor.

Mary Lampert is the executive director of Pilgrim Watch, a non- profit that serves the public interest on health and safety issues regarding the Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station in Plymouth MA and other U.S. commercial nuclear reactors. Mary currently is representing Pilgrim Watch in Pilgrim’s License Transfer Application. Mary has represented Pilgrim Watch in past cases regarding Entergy’s License Renewal Application for Pilgrim Station (2006-2012), and regarding NRC’s Post Fukushima Orders. Mary has been involved with many NRC public proceedings, has participated on NRC panels, and has served as a panelist on the US Department of Energy Consent Based Siting effort for the long-term management of spent nuclear fuel and high-level radioactive waste; on the President’s Blue- Ribbon Commission on America’s Nuclear Future, and as Chairman and Co-Chair of the Town of Duxbury Nuclear Advisory Committee.

Mayor Billy McKinney: Living in Zion, IL since 1962, Mayor McKinney played football, basketball, and baseball, ran cross-country, and was an Honor Roll at Zion-Benton High School. He then accepted an athletic scholarship to play basketball and baseball at Northwestern University in Evanston. Following a highly successful college career, he was with the National Basketball Association 39 years. He played in the NBA for seven seasons, and using the skills of leadership, 100% effort, and positive mental attitude, then transitioned into several leadership roles as a front office executive for 32 years. In 2013, he moved back to Zion and served on the Township’s School Board. In 2015, he was appointed City Commissioner, where he was instrumental in implementing the rental house certification inspection program, which ensures that life and safety issues are monitored and repaired and he revived the City Clean Up Days, partnering with residents and volunteers to restore civic pride and the natural beauty of the city’s diverse neighborhoods.

Marvin Resnikoff, Ph.D. is an international consultant on radioactive waste management issues. He is Senior Associate at Radioactive Waste Management Associates (RWMA) and Principal Manager for dose reconstruction and risk assessment studies of radioactive waste facilities and transportation of radioactive materials. A nuclear physicist and a graduate of the University of Michigan, Dr. Resnikoff has worked on radioactive issues since his first project at West Valley, NY in 1974. His recent research focus has been on the risk of transporting and storing radioactive nuclear reactor fuel, decommissioning nuclear facilities and the health impact of radioactive waste from oil and uranium production. Throughout his career, he has assisted public interest groups and state and local governments across the US, Canada, Germany and England on radioactive waste storage and transportation issues. He has authored or co-authored four books on radioactive waste issues including The Next Nuclear Gamble, regarding transportation of radioactive waste.

Janet Tauro works with Clean Water Action and is the New Jersey Environmental Federation’s board chair. Her work as activist helped persuade Governor Chris Christie to close the Oyster Creek plant by 2019, and she continues to advocate for more substantial health and safety standards by the NRC and Congress.