Dr. Russell Alexander C.V.

 

Geoscientist with two decades experience in the field of geological disposal of radioactive waste. Demonstrated abilities in international project management (in over 20 countries worldwide) entailing close collaboration with a wide variety of organisations (commercial, governmental, research labs, mining companies etc.) and the co-ordination and direction of a wide range of personnel in the office, field and laboratory.

Co-author/editor of 3 books and over 100 technical papers, reports etc. on waste disposal, radionuclide retardation, natural analogues and communication.

 

2006-present                    Bedrock Geosciences

• Established in August 2006 as an independent consultancy offering wide range of services in the field of radioactive waste disposal         
• Current and past clients include ITC (CH), MCM (CH), NDA (UK), Obayashi (J), Posiva (SF), RWMC (J), Serco (UK) and SKB (S)

 

• 1998-2006 International consultancy division of Nagra (Swiss National Co-operative for the Disposal of Radioactive Waste)

• Direct project management of and/or technical support for a wide range of international projects in the fields of geochemistry, geology, hydrogeology, performance assessment, radiochemistry, natural analogues and communications.
• Project initiater/developer of multi-national projects at Nagra’s URL, the Grimsel Test Site (www.grimsel.com)
• Technical reviewer of geosphere disposal programmes in several national programmes (eg H12, TRU-2 in Japan)
• Advisor to JAEA’s Tono Analogue Project (TAP)
• Co-ordination of all Nagra work (commercial and non-commercial) in Japan, Taiwan and the UK.
• Head of marketing for Nagra’s international consultancy division from 2004

 

1993-present                    NAWG

• Member and, since 1997, Chairman of the thirty nation strong Natural Analogue Working Group (www.natural-analogues.com)
• Ad hoc group co-ordinates international collaboration in the analogues field and communication of issues of relevance to the use of natural analogues in waste disposal (radioactive, chemo-toxic and carbon dioxide wastes)
• Organises occasional workshops on natural analogues
• Publishes position statements, papers etc on natural analogues

 

1990-1998                            Rock-Water Interaction Group, University of Berne

• Consultant on a wide range of projects in the fields of radioactive waste disposal and geosciences
• Project manager of multi-national projects on radionuclide retardation in the geosphere at the Grimsel Test Site, including design and construction of the Level B radiation controlled zone
• Technical advisor on projects in the Mont Terri URL (www.mont-terri.ch)
• Technical advisor on projects in the Kamaishi and Tono URLs
• Technical advisor/presenter on the ‘Traces of the Future’ international video project (http://www.nagra.ch/sh_index.tpl?&sku=36&a=detail&lang=3&iid=l112a1b18c2d60e&iid2=101&str=a101b112c&cart=115633878012762094)

 

1987-1990                        Paul Scherrer Institute

• Technical project manager/radiochemist in the Hot Laboratory
• Responsible for design and construction of two, controlled atmosphere laboratories within the Hot Laboratory
• Design and execution of two mini drilling campaigns to recover rock samples from potential repository host rocks in Switzerland
• 1986-1987                        Scottish Universities Research and Reactor Centre (now SUERC)

• Post-doctorate, examining radionuclide retardation in the geosphere

1985                                   MIT

• Post-doctorate in stable isotope geochemistry in marine systems

 

1984                                   UKDoE

• Technician on a North Atlantic cruise, studying deep ocean disposal of radioactive waste.

 

Education/Professional Qualifications

B.Sc.(Hons), Geology, University of Edinburgh, 1980
Ph.D., Marine Chemistry, University of Leeds/Marine Biological Association, 1985
CGeol, EurGeol, Csci

Member Association of Geochemists and the Swiss Society of Mineralogy and Petrology.

 

Personal

UK citizen, Swiss residence permit.
Native English speaker with fluent German and some French.
Married with four children.

Hobbies? Don’t have the time, but messing around with classic cars, renovating old houses and walking all help the blood pressure.