Nuclear waste dumps require careful handling. To avoid incidences of nuclear material leaking into the surrounding soil and water, the Department of Energy must monitor the 80 sites in the U.S. regularly and do its best to adjust conditions if warranted. Issaquah, WA-based consulting firm Predicus has used mathematical modeling software developed by fellow Issaquah company GoldSim Technology Group to create a software program to help the DOE do just that.
According to a news release today, the DOE will use the Prioritization Risk Integration Simulation Model (PRISM) created by Predicus and GoldSim to evaluate the Hanford, WA, nuclear waste facility. If the evaluation goes well, the program may be used at the other American nuclear waste sites as well. Financial details of the DOE contract were not disclosed.
PRISM will run data provided by Predicus and the DOE on the facilities’ capabilities, the environment, and other factors so Predicus can recommend appropriate management plans. PRISM takes into account not only environmental issues, but budgetary and legal considerations in its calculations. It will then simulate different possibilities so the DOE can figure out what, if anything, needs to be done to improve the nuclear waste sites and prioritize those projects based on things like immediate need and available money.
GoldSim’s software was originally released in 1999, although the company was founded in its current form in 2004. The software has been adapted for risk management and planning for businesses, academic institutions, and government agencies around the world.