Focused on the future

摘要

The 2020 Waste Management Conference, held March 8-12 in Phoenix, Ariz., kicked off just days before the World Health Organization declared the spread of the novel coronavirus a pandemic. When the conference began, it was still unclear how extensive the coronavirus outbreak would be, and meeting organizers later learned that two attendees were tested for COVID-19, the disease caused by the virus, in the days following the meeting. Fortunately, neither of the attendees tested positive. During the meeting's opening plenary session, with the pandemic unfolding, James Fiore, president of WM Symposia, began by thanking those in attendance and congratulating them for their commitment to the annual conference, which provides an open forum for discussing the management of radioactive waste and other topics. He noted that, regrettably, a number of conference regulars who have consistently attended the event for years chose to err on the side of caution and forego the trip to Phoenix this year.