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Founded by India’s Kris Singh, Holtec appears to have a virtual monopoly on the storage of high level nuclear waste, aka spent nuclear fuel, in the USA, and be rapidly gaining ground abroad. It is linked to both Trump and the Dem. Party through Holtec board member George Norcross III, whose brother is Congressman Donald Norcross.

When dealing with lethal spent nuclear fuel or the development of nuclear reactors, whether small or large, wouldn’t you want the best? Holtec apparently doesn’t. Based on the examples examined below (and cases examined a few years ago), they appear to have made no real effort to find talent. They advertise two or three weeks on internet job sites and a couple of days in a local newspaper or two. They seem to like to advertise in late July and in fact they have job ads online right now. There appears no recruiting of talent. Did they hire a recruiter? Apparently not. Rather, they are choosing foreigners to bring in on H1B visas, whose qualifications appear iffy. For most, the qualifications aren’t even listed. One can’t get more iffy than that! Where qualifications are listed, they generally don’t come from either the best universities in India or the United States, based on the examples, below. And, don’t be fooled – even the best ranked engineering schools in India are not very well-ranked internationally. Their job experience is blotted out. Holtec has applied for around 119 foreign workers since July of 2011. Some are repeats, but how many? The only details given are for those listed as permanent, who also seem to be H1B. He is paying the going wage or sometimes more – even much more, adding to the mystery (fishiness):

https://lcr-pjr.doleta.gov/index.cfm?event=ehLCJRExternal.dspQuickCertSearch

Holtec apparently isn’t doing their best to find the best. The question of “Why not?” remains. Is it an attempt to make liability fall upon foreigners who will disappear into the multitudes in their home countries? One is left with the suspicion that Holtec is running an immigration scam – to get people into the country, or let them stay, on H1B visas, which is dual intent, meaning that they can start applying for citizenship.

Jimmy Carter wrote, “Why Not the Best?“: “The title comes from a question Admiral Rickover asked him during a job interview, following his graduation from the Naval Academy. “Did you do your best?” Rickover asked. Carter initially answered “yes sir” but after some thought said, “no sir, I didn’t always do my best.” Describing the scene years later, Carter writes, “He asked one final question which I have never been able to forget-or to answer. He said, “Why not?” https://estore.archives.gov/carter/product/why-not-the-best-green Rickover “directed the original development of naval nuclear propulsion and controlled its operations for three decades as director of Naval Reactors“https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Hyman_G._Rickover

Here are a few examples of those Holtec engineers for whom info is available. These are excerpts from more lengthy documents, which can be found at the given links. Additional ones can be examined at the Department of Labor web site, given above. Holtec’s owner, Kris Singh, was born in India and only came to the USA for grad school.

Country of citizenship Turkey, Country of birth, Turkey:
“3. Occupation Title
Mechanical Engineers 
4. Skill Level
Level II 
5. Prevailing Wage
$ 74,942.00 ….
Offered Wage From $ 75,100.00     To (optional) -Job Duties – If submitting by mail, add attachment if necessary. Job duties description must begin in this space.
Adjunct Project Manager for Holtec International (Marlton, NJ) to manage review of product design for transfer and storage overpacks for dry fuel storage projects and/or multiple mechanical systems including but not limited to transporters, lift yokes, forced helium dehydration systems, and mating devices for compliance with engineering principles, contract requirement and applicable standards. Manage review of design specification and purchase/technical specifications and operations and maintenance manuals for company/project line. Provide technical resolutions for manufacturing deviations requested by the fabricators. Manage review of engineering change orders and drawings as well as analysis and calculation packages (such as thermal, structural analysis reports). Manage preparation and review of technical bid/proposal documents….
14. Specific skills or other requirements – If submitting by mail, add attachment if necessary. Skills description must begin in this space.
Position requires a master’s degree or equivalent in mechanical engineering or related field and two years of experience in the nuclear field or bachelor’s degree or equivalent in mechanical engineering or a related field and five years of experience in the nuclear field. Experience must include preparing and reviewing numerous product packages including loading procedures for spent fuel, design reports for dry storage equipment, and purchasing specifications for dry storage system and ancillary.
https://lcr-pjr.doleta.gov/index.cfm?event=ehLCJRExternal.dspCert&doc_id=3&visa_class_id=6&id=1173528
It would be nice to know if this person is a secular Turk, or an extremist.

Attended Drexler, which is ranked the highest in Philadelphia for having the most international students; tuition and fees are approx. $52,000 per year; co-op program; Niche ranks it at around 77 in the US in engineering; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drexel_University_College_of_Engineering In other words, this person seems to come from a wealthy family, but was not bright enough to get into a top university or didn’t try to.

BS Mechanical Engineering 1987 – “Regional Eng. College” Durgapur India via Canada (Country of Birth, India but Canadian Citizenship):
“11. Job Duties – If submitting by mail, add attachment if necessary. Job duties description must begin in this space.
Project Engineer for Holtec International (Camden, NJ) to perform integrated product development and engineering services for spent nuclear fuels using Math CAD, Microsoft Office, and SolidWorks. Prepare and review licensing evaluations, and maintain compliance with strict quality assurance standards and on time delivery. Review product designs for compliance with engineering principles, contract requirements, and applicable standards. Author and review design changes, specifications, analyses and drawings. Provide technical resolution for manufacturing deviations and implement requirements of U.S. Codes, and Standards and NRC’s Regulations in fabrication and testing….
14. Specific skills or other requirements – If submitting by mail, add attachment if necessary. Skills description must begin in this space.
Position requires a master’s degree or equivalent in mechanical engineering or a related field and two years of experience in the nuclear field or a bachelor’s degree or equivalent in mechanical engineering or a related field and 5 years of experience in the nuclear field. Experience must include MathCAD, Microsoft Office, SolidWorks and use of U.S. Codes, Standards, and U.S. NRC’s (Nuclear Regulatory Commission) requirements on spent nuclear fuel storage….”
https://lcr-pjr.doleta.gov/index.cfm?event=ehLCJRExternal.dspCert&doc_id=3&visa_class_id=6&id=1204742
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Institute_of_Technology,_Durgapur

Born in India; Citizen of India
“3. Job Title
Senior Structural Analyst… 
4-B. Major field of study
Mechanical Engineering 
11. Job Duties – If submitting by mail, add attachment if necessary. Job duties description must begin in this space.
Analyze metallic weldments, reinforced concrete and soil-subgrade supported structures. Typical types of analyses includes: Static and dynamic finite element modeling and analysis using ANSYS. Modeling and analysis of structural impacts and target response using LS-DYNA, simulation of the responses of freestanding structures in air or submerged in water, Static and dynamic analysis of large reinforce concrete structures, Soil-structure analysis with freestanding structures….
14. Specific skills or other requirements – If submitting by mail, add attachment if necessary. Skills description must begin in this space.
Must be highly proficient in ANSYS and LS-DYNA, and static and dynamic analysis of systems and structures….”
Masters from the University of Utah, 2010, Born in India; Citizen of India, H1B Visa
https://lcr-pjr.doleta.gov/index.cfm?event=ehLCJRExternal.dspCert&doc_id=3&visa_class_id=6&id=1090109
No 39: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/University_of_Utah_College_of_Engineering#Mechanical_Engineering

Born in India; Citizen of India, Masters in Mechanical Engineering, University of Penn, 2014 (Holtec owner Singh has given a lot of money to U of Penn, and it could be a relative of his):
“11. Job Duties – If submitting by mail, add attachment if necessary. Job duties description must begin in this space.
Perform stress analysis of existing structures, using strength of materials based approach and/or numerical analysis method (e.g., ANSYS, LS-DYNA). Perform kinematic stability analysis of freestanding structures under various load conditions…
14. Specific skills or other requirements – If submitting by mail, add attachment if necessary. Skills description must begin in this space.
Must possess any knowledge and understanding of the finite element
method and the latest stress analysis codes.”
https://lcr-pjr.doleta.gov/index.cfm?event=ehLCJRExternal.dspCert&doc_id=3&visa_class_id=6&id=1279926

Country of Citizenship and Birth: Mongolia; Masters from Virginia Commonwealth University-
“11. Job Duties – If submitting by mail, add attachment if necessary. Job duties description must begin in this space.
Mechanical Design Engineer for Holtec International (Marlton, NJ) to prepare and review technical studies, alternative analyses, engineering calculations, technical reports, system design descriptions, design specifications and other engineering work products. Design components/structures using Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) Tools and develop and recommend the best method to experimentally verify CFD results. Perform full spectrum of design engineering activities for power plant pressure vessels and prepare, review and approve design-for-manufacturing, specifications and drawings…
14. Specific skills or other requirements – If submitting by mail, add attachment if necessary. Skills description must begin in this space.
Position requires a master’s degree in mechanical engineering, nuclear engineering or related field, or bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering, nuclear engineering or related field and two years of experience. Must have strong academic background or at least one year of experience in computational fluid dynamics (CFD) analysis using ANSYS Fluent, and advanced fluid dynamics….” https://lcr-pjr.doleta.gov/index.cfm?event=ehLCJRExternal.dspCert&doc_id=3&visa_class_id=6&id=1171279

When Holtec says MIT, they apparently will mean:
MANIPAL INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY 
Born and Citizen of India, Grad of Manipal Institute of Tech:
“11. Job Duties – If submitting by mail, add attachment if necessary. Job duties description must begin in this space.
Instrumentation & Control (I&C) Engineer II for Holtec International (Camden, NJ) to be responsible for the design and analysis of safety and non-safety related I&C systems for the Holtec Small Modular Reactor (SMR) under the direction of a senior I&C Engineer and regularly interfacing with the mechanical, nuclear, and electrical engineering teams for I&C design and consultation. Lead the development effort for the SMR-160 Plant Emulator…
14. Specific skills or other requirements – If submitting by mail, add attachment if necessary. Skills description must begin in this space.
Position requires a bachelor’s degree or equivalent in electrical or electronics engineering, or a related field and five years of experience in fossil and nuclear power plants or a master’s degree or equivalent in electrical or electronics engineering, or a related field and two years of experience in fossil and nuclear power plants. Experience must include design of I&C and electrical systems, applicable (including nuclear specific) IEEE, EPRI, ISA, and ANSI codes and standards, and DCSs, PLCs, and HMIs and their requirements in a nuclear setting.
3. Occupation Title
Instrumentation and Control Engineer II 
4. Skill Level
Level IV 
5. Prevailing Wage
$ 73,403.00 …
    1. Offered Wage
From $ 94,000.00     To (optional) –” https://lcr-pjr.doleta.gov/index.cfm?event=ehLCJRExternal.dspCert&doc_id=3&visa_class_id=6&id=1288078

IT Programmer, 2002 graduate in Computer Science from the University of Pune; born in India; citizen of India; Uni of Pune ranked 3095th in world and 37th in India
“Programmer Analyst 
11. Job Duties – If submitting by mail, add attachment if necessary. Job duties description must begin in this space.
Design, compile, deploy and maintain enterprise software applications using C/C++/C# ASP.NETMVC/VB/SQL and web technologies including HTML5, CSS, JavaScript, jQuery etc. to achieve automation and operational efficiency in inventory, sales, finance, project management etc. departments. Reverse engineer application and refactor codes build on C/C++/VB.NET/MFC/ODBC/OCI/Oracle to modern technologies and methodologies. Design and develop new application using proven OOD methodologies SOLID design principles. Compile extensible Codes that are maintainable, testable, are loosely coupled and that implements separation of concern….
14. Specific skills or other requirements – If submitting by mail, add attachment if necessary. Skills description must begin in this space.
Must be proficient in C/C++/C#, ASP.Net MVC, WCF, WebAPI, XML, VB.NET, HTML5, CSS3, JavaScript, Ajax, AngularJS, MS-Test, MS Office, MS SQL, Pro*C, ODBC, and Oracle. Must possess excellent written and verbal communication skills. Any suitable combination of education, training, or experience is acceptable.
https://lcr-pjr.doleta.gov/index.cfm?event=ehLCJRExternal.dspCert&doc_id=3&visa_class_id=6&id=1126178

Go to the web site; read the documents and judge for yourselves. How can it be acceptable for something as dangerous as nuclear waste; something which could destroy the country for an eternity, to depend upon foreign nationals, with no apparent ties to the country, and who do not appear to be the best in their fields – or there is no evidence presented to suggest that they are. Once designed and approved these nuclear waste cans are being exported abroad, to the UK, to Switzerland, to China, to the Ukraine, etc.