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Louisiana Energy Services Hires Plant Manager for the National Enrichment Facility

Posted on: Monday, 6 February 2006, 15:00 CST

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M., Feb. 6 /PRNewswire/ -- John Swailes will serve as Vice President and Plant Manager for the National Enrichment Facility (NEF) outside Eunice, New Mexico, according to an announcement by Louisiana Energy Services (LES) President Jim Ferland today.

"Hiring John is another important step for us as we get closer to construction," stated Ferland. "He has a wealth of experience with nuclear power and nuclear facilities and will make a great addition to our team."

Swailes will be responsible for hiring and training the initial NEF staff, fulfilling the responsibilities of the plant owner throughout the design and construction process, accepting ownership of the plant from the construction organization, initial startup and testing of the plant, and all operations of the facility.

Swailes' prior experience includes work for the US Department of Energy; as Vice President of Nuclear and Chief Nuclear Officer for Nebraska Public Power District at the Cooper Nuclear Station; as Engineering General Manager for Energy Northwest at Columbia Nuclear Generating Station; and as Plant Manager of Columbia Generating Station.

He earned his Bachelor of Science degree from the US Naval Academy in 1972 and his Masters of Science in Nuclear Engineering from Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1973.

"This project is important to LES, to the economy of New Mexico, and to America's energy independence," said Swailes. "I am looking forward to getting the NEF built and operating and to living and working in Lea County, New Mexico."

If LES receives an operating license from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) -- a decision is expected this spring -- construction of the NEF will begin this fall. LES submitted a license application to the NRC in December, 2003.

The NEF will provide more than 200 permanent jobs and more than 400 multi-year construction jobs in southeast New Mexico. It will use a proven technology that has operated safely in Europe for 30 years. When the license application is approved, the NEF will introduce the world's most advanced uranium enrichment technology into the U.S. and provide an alternative, domestic enrichment supply source to U.S. nuclear energy companies. LES is a partnership of major nuclear energy companies. Partners include Urenco, Westinghouse and U.S. energy companies Duke Power, Entergy and Exelon.

Biography of John Swailes

As Vice President and Plant Manager for the National Enrichment Facility, John Swailes is responsible for hiring and training the initial plant staff, fulfilling the responsibilities of the plant owner throughout the design and construction process, accepting ownership of the plant from the construction organization, initial startup and testing of the plant, and all operations of the facility.

Swailes joins LES from the West Valley Demonstration Project in Springville, New York -- a US Department of Energy project. While at the West Valley Demonstration Project, Swailes led the DOE workforce in its mission to manage the performance of all work and construction required to safely store vitrified high level nuclear waste, to construct new facilities to process the waste for onsite disposal or transportation to Yucca Mountain, to conduct processing of the waste for final disposition, and to decontaminate and demolish current facilities on site. He oversaw 20 federal employees and 600 contracted employees.

Prior to that, he filled several other positions overseeing nuclear technologies and waste management programs. He has served as Assistant Manager for Tank Farms in DOE's Office of River Protection leading a team to manage the performance of all work and construction required to safely store 53 million gallons of high level nuclear weapons waste; as Vice President of Nuclear and Chief Nuclear Officer for Nebraska Public Power District at the Cooper Nuclear Station; as Engineering General Manager for Energy Northwest at Columbia Nuclear Generating Station leading 160 personnel responsible for all system engineering, site and plant equipment or building modification design and construction projects, and as Plant Manager of Columbia Generating Station leading about 600 people responsible for all operations, maintenance, radiation protection, chemistry, systems engineering, plant safety review committees, and security. Prior to these executive positions he held numerous technical, operational, training, and support positions at Monticello Nuclear Plant, Arkansas Nuclear One, and several US Navy nuclear submarines and facilities.

John earned his Bachelor of Science degree from the US Naval Academy in 1972 and his Masters of Science in Nuclear Engineering from Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1973. In addition, he has completed coursework and training courses in Public Administration, Hazardous Waste Operations and Shipping, Nuclear Plant Management, Radioactive and Mixed Waste Disposal, and Harvard School of Public Health courses on Occupational and Environmental Radiation Protection and Planning for Nuclear Emergencies.

In his free time, he is an FCC licensed amateur radio operator and enjoys bicycling, canoeing, and backpacking, as well as water and snow skiing.

Louisiana Energy Services (LES)

CONTACT: Marshall Cohen, +1-505-417-2395, or April Wade,+1-505-440-9441, both of Louisiana Energy Services

Source: PRNewswire

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