May 9, 2002: GoldSim Software Helps Build Trust with Regulatory Agencies

Redmond, WA (USA) - May 9, 2002 – Representatives from industry and radioactive waste management programs around the world had the opportunity to share perspectives with regulatory officials at the recent GoldSim International User Conference held in Seattle, Washington. Several presentations at the conference illustrated the advantage of using GoldSim software to build technically defensible and transparent environmental models.

Representatives from regulatory agencies identified three elements that need to be part of environmental models:

  • Transparency and Traceability: Models must be clearly documented and well referenced and the structure of the model should facilitate review.
  • Appropriate Complexity: The model should be only as complex as it needs to be and the level of complexity should be consistent with the level of information available to support the model.
  • Process Integration: First-order physical processes should be well integrated into the model and the model must yield results consistent with the physics of the problem.

Attendees at the conference included representatives from radioactive waste management programs in the United States, Japan, France, Spain, Taiwan, Germany, and Hungary. Abraham Van Luik, Senior Policy Advisor for the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) gave a general overview of the Yucca Mountain Project and summarized the ten-year history of GoldSim software and its predecessor, RIP, at the site. Dr. Van Luik indicated that: “From DOE’s perspective, GoldSim’s use by both the Department and the regulators has become a very important contributor to the productivity of the technical dialogue between the Department and the regulatory agencies.”

Other topics addressed at the User Conference included business dynamics, portfolio analysis, mining applications, and infrastructure modeling. Attendees came from 15 countries (the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Sweden, France, Germany, Spain, Hungary, South Africa, Japan, Taiwan, Australia, Peru, Brazil, and Chile), reflecting the geographic diversity of GoldSim’s user base.

Development of the GoldSim technology has been funded in part by the U.S. Department of Energy. The software has been used for over 10 years by government agencies and private companies around the world to address issues related to risk assessment, hazardous site remediation, and performance of disposal facilities. In recent years, users have discovered that GoldSim is well suited for simulating a broad range of systems. Examples of problems that have been addressed using GoldSim include evaluation of wastewater treatment alternatives, risk mitigation for petroleum storage and distribution systems, supply chain simulation, and evaluation of mine closure alternatives.

ABOUT THE GOLDSIM TECHNOLOGY GROUP:
The GoldSim Technology Group is dedicated to delivering software and services to help people understand complex systems and make better decisions. Our flagship GoldSim software package is based on technology developed over the past ten years servicing such clients as the U.S. Department of Energy, Bechtel, Booz Allen & Hamilton, IT Corporation, Japan Nuclear Cycle Corporation, Phelps Dodge, Shell Global Solutions, Petrobras (Brazil), and Taisei Corporation (Japan). The GoldSim Technology Group is a division of Golder Associates Inc., an international consulting firm with over 2,700 employees.

CONTACT:
Scott Kindred, Director of Marketing
GoldSim Technology Group
E-mail: skindred@goldsim.com
Phone: 425-883-0777
Fax: 425-882-5498
18300 NE Union Hill Road Suite 200
Redmond, WA 98052 (USA)
www.goldsim.com