The Vermont Radiological Health program invites you to join us in scenic Waterbury, Vermont for the 56th annual New England Radiological Health Compact (NERHC) conference! This year's conference will take place from November 17 to 21 at the Waterbury State Office Complex.
Registration is free and open to all NEHRC members and federal partners. Please register by October 17, 2025.
This year's conference will focus on partnerships, reactors, x-ray, radioactive materials and emergency response. Sessions begin at 1:00 p.m. Monday, November 17 and will wrap up by 12:00 p.m. Friday, November 21.
Moderator: Bill Irwin, ScD, CHP, Vermont
| Time | session | Speaker |
|---|---|---|
| 1300 - 1315 | Welcome from our Commissioner | Bill Irwin, ScD, CHP - Vermont Radiation Control Program Director |
| 1315 - 1330 | NERHC Update | Jeff Semancik |
| 1330 - 1345 | New England Chapter of Health Physics Society | Andrew Najjar |
| 1445 - 1515 | Break | |
| 1515 - 1630 | Federal Reports | EPA, NRC, DOE, DHHS, FEMA, FBI, FDA |
| 1630 - 1650 | Welcome to Vermont | |
| 1650 - 1700 | Wrap up and door prize from Vermont |
Moderator: Jeff Semancik, Connecticut
| Time | session | Speaker |
|---|---|---|
| 0800 - 0830 | Secure the Cities - Boston | Tony Rizzo (Boston Police) |
| 0830 - 0900 | National Transportation Stakeholders Forum | Uldis Vanags (CGS) |
| 0900 - 1000 | Normal Transportation of Radioactive Materials with Case Studies | Jeff Semancik (CT) |
| 1000 - 1015 | Decommissioning Waste Transport and Authorities for Response, Cleanup and Disposal | Bill Irwin with help from VHMRT, ANR, AOT, LEA |
| 1015 - 1100 | Day in the Life of Radioactive Materials Usage in a State | Mike Firsick (CT) |
| 1100 - 1130 | Aspect/Ground Survey of Niagara and Erie Counties for Radioactivity | Tony Honnellio |
| Presentation by PRND vendors | ||
| 1200 - 1300 | Lunch | |
| 1300 -1400 | Vermont's PRND program | Bill Irwin, ScD, CHP |
| 1400 - 1430 | Break with vendors | |
| 1430 - 1700 | PRND tabletop exercise | Moderated by Bill Irwin |
| 1700 | Wrap up and door prizes | |
| 1700 - 1800 | NERHC Executive Committee Meeting |
Moderator: Catherine Perham, Rhode Island
| Time | session | Speaker |
|---|---|---|
| 0830 - 0900 | Low Level Radioactive Waste Forum | Mario Iannaccone |
| 0900 - 0930 | Emerging Medical Technologies | |
| 0930 - 1000 | Connecticut Agreement State Update | Jeff Semancik |
| 1000 - 1030 | Medical Physics Issue from Healthcare | Jessica Clements |
| 1030 - 1100 | Regional issues with X-Ray and Materials | Brennan Bruner |
| 1100 - 1130 | Changes in use of Linear No Threshold and ALARA as Radiation Protection Bases | Argo Banerjee |
| 1130 - 1200 | Impacts From Budget Cutting | Panel of state and federal agencies |
| 1200 - 1300 | Lunch | |
| 1300 - 1345 | Disaster Fatality Management for Radiologically Contaminated Deceased | Vermont OCME |
| 1345 - 1445 | TBD | |
| 1400 - 1500 | Break to travel to Burlington | |
| 1500 - 1700 | Tour of Vermont Department of Health Laboratory in Colchester, Vermont | Ashton McCuin, Vermont Department of Health |
| 1700 | Wrap up and door prizes from Rhode Island | |
| 1700 - 1830 | Dinner and pub crawl on Burlington's Church St Marketplace |
Moderator: Jay Hyland, Maine
| Time | session | Speaker |
|---|---|---|
| 0830 - 0900 | Vermont’s Radiological and Nuclear Emergency Plan | Bill Irwin |
| 0900 - 0930 | Vermont Experience with Drones and Radiological Surveillance | VHMRT |
| 0930 - 1000 | Break and vendor visit | |
| 1000 - 1030 | Laboratory Planning and Response to Nuclear or Radiological Emergencies | Panel discussion |
| 1030 - 1100 | Disaster Fatality Management for Radiologically Contaminated Deceased | OCME |
| 1100 - 1200 | RadResponder Data Validation Activity | Brennan Brunner |
| 1200 - 1300 | Lunch | |
| 1300 - 1700 | Consequence Management Tabletop Exercise | Moderated by Bill Irwin |
| 1700 | Wrap up and door prize from Maine | |
| Evening | Night out at the Vermont Ski Museum or TBD venue |
Moderator: Arghya Banerjee, New Hampshire
| Time | session | Speaker |
|---|---|---|
| 0900 - 1115 | Vermont’s Radiological and Nuclear Emergency Plan | Bill Irwin |
| 1115 - 1145 | Vermont Experience with Drones and Radiological Surveillance | VHMRT |
| 1150 - 1200 | Wrap up and door prize from New Hampshire |
The Waterbury State Office Complex is located at 280 State Drive in Waterbury, Vermont. We will hold conference sessions in the Sally Fox room on the 2nd floor of the building. You can follow signage in the lobby to check in and find your session.
There are two parking lots on either side of the complex's main entrance. Accessible parking spaces are available in the designated lot directly in front of the main entrance.
Breakfast and lunch will be provided during the conference. Please let us know about any dietary restrictions on your registration form.
There are vending machines in the State Office Complex with drinks and snacks available for purchase all day.
Fall is a busy time for visitors in Vermont! We recommend booking your stay in advance. The following options are close by in Waterbury or about 30 minutes away in the Burlington area.
Late fall is a beautiful time to visit Waterbury! In between conference sessions, we hope you explore some of Vermont's most scenic views, great local food options, and the variety of small businesses that make up downtown Waterbury. The following are some of our favorites.
