William Shields, Ph.D., J.D. Email & Phone Number

Dr. William M. Shields is in his 48th year of work in the nuclear industry. As both a technical professional and attorney, he has served the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, private clients in the commercial and defense nuclear arenas, the Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board (DNFSB), and the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). His expertise spans all aspects of both NRC’s and DOE’s nuclear safety programs. In the field of fire protection for nuclear facilities, Dr. Shields has 38 years of experience, serving six years on the NFPA’s Code Committee for Nuclear Facilities. At NRC (1976-1987), Dr. Shields was a specialist in reactor safety rulemaking and guidance development, and worked on new requirements and guidance for fire protection, environmental qualification, pressurized thermal shock, anticipated transients without scram, station blackout, seismic qualification, leak before break, emergency planning and backfitting. In private consulting after leaving NRC (1987-1991), he served as technical and regulatory consultant to 22 nuclear utilities and major utility groups such as the Nuclear Utility Fire Protection Group, the Equipment Qualification Group, the Seismic Qualification Group, and the Station Blackout Group. At DNFSB (1991-2013), Dr. Shields fulfilled dual assignments as a fire protection expert and legal advisor, providing a wide range of technical, regulatory and legal services for the DNFSB’s safety oversight of nuclear weapons facilities. His current work for DOE’s Office of Nuclear Safety (2013-present) involves writing and editing of safety, design, and operational standards, guides, and handbooks. In 2021 he completed work on a new DOE air cleaning standard (STD-1269) and handbook (HDBK-1169). His most recent major project (underway in 2022) is the revision and update of DOE’s fire protection standard, DOE-STD-1066-2016. Dr. Shields holds a degree in astrophysics from MIT, a law degree from Columbia University, and a Ph.D. from Virginia Tech in Science and Technology Studies. His professional affiliations include the American Nuclear Society, the American Society of Mechanical Engineering, the Society of Fire Protection Engineers, and the National Fire Protection Association. As an attorney (1976-present), Dr. Shields is a member of the bar of the Supreme Court of the United States and the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals. He is nationally known as an expert on the history and interpretation of the Atomic Energy Act.

Listed skills include Technical Editor Of Complex Reports And Papers, College Professor, Engineering, Nuclear Safety, and 17 others.