This document assesses the performance of the Grout Disposal Facility after closure. The facility and disposal environment are modeled to predict the long-term impacts of the disposal action. The document concludes that the disposal system provides reasonable assurance that doses to the public will remain within the performance objectives. This document is required for DOC Order 5820.2A.

The objective of this work was to provide data and methodology assisting the transfer and acceptance of composting technology for the remediation of explosives-contaminated soils and sediments. Issues and activities addressed included: (a) chemical and toxicological characterization of compost samples from new field composting experiments, and the environmental availability of composting efficiency by isolation of bacterial consortia and natural surfactants from highly efficient composts, and (c) improved assessment of compost product suitability for land application.

The site of a 0.75-kiloton underground nuclear explosion, the Cambric event, was selected for the study of radionuclide transport in the hydrologic environment. Water samples from RNM-2S, a well located 91 m from Cambric, have been analyzed for tritium and other radionuclides since the initiation of pumping. Water from RNM-2S flows to Frenchman Lake via an unlined canal. Flume data indicate canal transmission losses of approximately 2m{sup 3}/day/meter of canal. To determine if infiltrating canal water might be recirculated by RNM-2S, and therefore provide an additional radionuclide input to water samples collected at RNM-2S, a two-dimensional variably saturated solute transport computer model (SATURN, Huyakorn et al., 1983) was used to simulate the movement of tritium from the canal to the water table. Results indicate that recirculated canal water has not had a significant effect on the breakthrough of tritium at RNM-2S.

The development of advanced engines has resulted in the need for new ceramic compositions which exhibit thermo-mechanical properties suitable for the engine environment, e.g., low thermal expansion, stability to 1,200 C, and thermal shock resistance. To meet these goals, a two phase research program was instituted. In the first phase, new oxide ceramics were identified in the AlPO{sub 4}-{beta}-eucryptite, {beta}-cristobalite, mullite and zircon systems. This research focused on screening and property characterization of ceramics in the four systems. The most promising compositions in the AlPO{sub 4}-{beta}-eucryptite and zircon systems were then further evaluated and developed in the second phase with the goal of being ready for prototype testing in actual engines. Of the compositions, calcium magnesium zirconium phosphate (zircon system) exhibits the most desirable properties and is presently being developed for commercialization.

Guidelines are given for using abbreviations, acronyms, and initialisms (AAIs) in documents prepared by US Department of Energy facilities managed by Martin Marietta Energy Systems, Inc., in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. The more than 10,000 AAIs listed represent only a small portion of those found in recent documents prepared by contributing editors of the Information Management Services organization of Oak Ridge National Laboratory, the Oak Ridge K-25 Site, and the Oak Ridge Y-12 Plant. This document expands on AAIs listed in the Document Preparation Guide and is intended as a companion document

This report describes the development of Si{sub 3}N{sub 4}material compositions in the Si{sub 3}N{sub 4}-Y{sub 2}O{sub 3}-SiO{sub 2}-Mo{sub 2}C system with good high temperature stress rupture properties which could be used in engine components. Two distinct processing routes were examined in the course of the program: SSN and SRBSN. SRBSN was chosen for material property optimization. After characterization of two optimized compositions in the above system, demonstration engine components (exhaust valve blanks) were manufactured using the established processing procedures. Dimensional tolerance capabilities of the process were established and material properties of the components were shown to be comparable to those established during material development.

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Monitoring and surveillance on and around the Nevada Test Site (NTS) by DOE contractors and NTS user organizations during 1993 indicated that operations on the NTS were conducted in compliance with applicable federal and DOE guidelines, i.e., the dose the maximally exposed offsite individual could have received was less than 0.04 percent of the 10 mrem per year guide for air exposure. No nuclear tests were conducted due to the moratorium. All discharges of radioactive liquids remained onsite in containment ponds, and there was no indication of potential migration of radioactivity to the offsite area through groundwater. Surveillance around the NTS indicated that airborne radioactivity from diffusion, evaporation of effluents, or resuspension was not detectable offsite, and no measurable net exposure to members of the offsite population was detected through the offsite dosimetry program. Using the CAP88-PC model and NTS radionuclide emissions data, the calculated effective dose equivalent to the maximally exposed individual offsite would have been 0.004 mrem. Any person receiving this dose would also have received 97 mrem from natural background radiation. There were no nonradiological releases to the offsite area. Hazardous wastes were shipped offsite to approved disposal facilities. Compliance with the various regulations stemming from the …

This report is comprised of appendices which support monitoring and surveillance on and around the Nevada Test Site (NTS) during 1993. Appendix A contains onsite Pu-238, gross beta, and gamma-emitting radionuclides in air. Appendix B contains onsite tritium in air. Appendix C contains onsite Pu-238, Sr-90, gross alpha and beta, gamma-emitting radionuclides, Ra-226, Ra-228 and tritium in water. A summary of 1993 results of offsite radiological monitoring is included in Appendix D. Appendix E contains radioactive noble gases in air onsite. Appendix F contains onsite thermoluminescent dosimeter data. Historical trends in onsite thermoluminescent dosimeter data are contained in Appendix G. Appendix H summarizes 1993 compliance at the DOE/NV NTS and non-NTS facilities. Appendix I summarizes the 1993 results of non radiological monitoring.

This report presents the results of the Ground-Water Surveillance Project monitoring for calendar year 1993 on the Hanford Site, Washington. Hanford Site operations from 1943 onward produced large quantities of radiological and chemical waste that have impacted ground-water quality on the Site. Monitoring of water levels and ground-water chemistry is performed to track the extent of contamination and trends in contaminant concentrations. The 1993 monitoring was also designed to identify emerging ground-water quality problems. The information obtained is used to verify compliance with applicable environmental regulations and to evaluate remedial actions. Data from other monitoring and characterization programs were incorporated to provide an integrated assessment of Site ground-water quality. Additional characterization of the Site`s geologic setting and hydrology was performed to support the interpretation of contaminant distributions. Numerical modeling of sitewide ground-water flow also supported the overall project goals. Water-level monitoring was performed to evaluate ground-water flow directions, to track changes in water levels, and to relate such changes to changes in site disposal practices. Water levels over most of the Hanford Site continued to decline between June 1992 and June 1993. The greatest declines occurred in the 200-West Area. These declines are part of the continued response to the …

The agreement between the US DOE and the EC established the specific objectives of the study: (a) to develop a methodological framework that uses existing data and models to quantify the external costs and benefits of energy; (b) to demonstrate the application of the framework to estimate the externalities of the coal, biomass, oil, natural gas, hydro, nuclear, photovoltaic, and wind fuel cycles (by agreement with the EC, the US addressed the first six of these); and (c) to identify major gaps in the availability of information to quantify impacts, damages, benefits, and externalities of fuel cycles; and to suggest priorities for future research. The main consideration in defining these objectives was a desire to have more information about externalities, and a better method for estimating them.

The ICF Quarterly continues with six articles in this issue describing recent developments in the Inertial Confinement Fusion (ICF) Program at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. The topics include plasma characterization, production of millimeter scale-length plasmas for studying laser-plasma instabilities, hohlraum physics, three-dimensional hydrodynamic modeling, crystal growth, and laser-beam smoothing.

A literature review of the existing rules, regulations, and guidelines pertaining to the decontamination and decommissioning of nuclear facilities has been updated. Included in the survey are US Government documents, national (industrial) standards, international standards and guidelines, and the regulations issued by various national governments, such as the United Kingdom, Canada, and Germany. The Department of Energy (DOE) complex contains within it almost 1,000 nuclear facilities which will require decommissioning in the coming years. This action will entail activities in many different areas, one of which will involve the development of the basic safety principles to be applied to the process as a whole. These principles will be used to guide personnel in the development of safety assessment procedures for decontamination and decommissioning (D and D) activities and in conducting safety assessments of such activities at the facilities themselves. The present report represents an updating of the original report. It retains all the information that appeared in the original report with the new material integrated into the applicable sections. Future revisions will be made as additional information becomes available.

The Pinellas Plant was built in 1956 to manufacture neutron generators, a principal component in nuclear weapons. In September 1990, the Department of Health and Rehabilitative Services (HRS) entered into an agreement with DOE to independently examine environmental monitoring data from the plant and health data from Pinellas County to determine if an epidemiological study is technically feasible to measure possible off-site health effects from ionizing radiation. Through normal plant operations, some radioactive materials have been released to the environment. Eighty percent of the total plant releases of 107,707 curies occurred in the early years of plant operation (1957--1960). The primary materials released were tritium gas, tritium oxide and krypton-85. Environmental monitoring for radioactive releases from the plant has been done regularly since 1975. The US Public Health Service Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), in assisting HRS, has determined that sufficient radiological data exist by which a dose reconstruction can be done. A dose reconstruction can provide an estimate of how much radiological exposure someone living in the vicinity of the Pinellas Plant may have suffered from environmental releases.

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The amount and rate at which water may penetrate a protective barrier and come into contact with buried radioactive waste is a major concern. Because burrowing animals eventually will reside on the surface of any protective barrier, the effect these burrow systems may have on the loss or retention of water needs to be determined. The first section of this document summarizes the known literature relative to small mammals and the effects that burrowing activities have on water distribution, infiltration, and the overall impact of burrows on the ecosystem. Topics that are summarized include burrow air pressures, airflow, burrow humidity, microtopography, mounding, infiltration, climate, soil evaporation, and discussions of large pores relative to water distribution. The second section of this document provides the results of the study that was conducted at the Hanford Site to determine what effect small mammal burrows have on water storage. This Biointrusion task is identified in the Permanent Isolation Surface Barrier Development Plan in support of protective barriers. This particular animal intrusion task is one part of the overall animal intrusion task identified in Animal Intrusion Test Plan.

This report documents the search strategies and results for available technologies and developers to develop tank waste depth profiling/physical parameter sensors. Sources searched include worldwide research reports, technical papers, journals, private industries, and work at Westinghouse Hanford Company (WHC) at Richland site. Tank waste physical parameters of interest are: abrasiveness, compressive strength, corrosiveness, density, pH, particle size/shape, porosity, radiation, settling velocity, shear strength, shear wave velocity, tensile strength, temperature, viscosity, and viscoelasticity. A list of related articles or sources for each physical parameters is provided.

This document contains information concerning the RCRA and Operational Monitoring Program at Hanford Reservation. Information presented includes: Schedules for ground water monitoring activities, program cost baseline, program technical baseline, and a program milestone list.

Monolithic and three-layered Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} -- 15 vol % ZrO{sub 2} composites were fabricated by slip casting aqueous slurries. The outer and inner layers of three-layer composites contained unstabilized and partially stabilized ZrO{sub 2}, respectively. Transformation of part of the unstabilized ZrO{sub 2} led to surface compressive stresses in the outer layers. Strain gage, x-ray, indentation crack length, and strength measurements were used to determine the magnitude of residual stresses in the composites. The strength of the three-layer composites ({approx}1200 MPa) was 500--700 MPa higher than that of the monolithic outer layer composites at room temperature and 350 MPa higher at 750{degree}C. The strength differential decreased rapidly above the m {yields} t transformation temperature. Three-layered composites showed excellent damage resistance and improved reliability. Cam follower rollers were fabricated to demonstrate the applicability of this technique for making automotive components.

HEXOLOY{reg_sign} SX-SiC, fabricated with Y and Al containing compounds as sintering aids, has been shown to possess significantly improved strength and toughness over HEXOLOY{reg_sign}SA-SiC. This study was undertaken to establish and benchmark the complete mechanical property database of a first generation material, followed by a process optimization task to further improve the properties. Mechanical characterization on the first generation material indicated that silicon-rich pools, presumably formed as a reaction product during sintering, controlled the strength from room temperature to 1,232 C. At 1,370 C in air, the material was failing due to a glass-phase formation at the surface. This glass-phase formation was attributed to the reaction of yttrium aluminates, which exist as a second phase in the material, with the ambient. This process was determined to be a time-dependent one that leads to slow crack growth. Fatigue experiments clearly indicated that the slow crack growth driven by the reaction occurred only at temperatures >1,300 C, above the melting point of the glass phase. Process optimization tasks conducted included the selection of the best SiC powder source, studies on mixing/milling conditions for SiC powder with the sintering aids, and a designed experiment involving a range of sintering and post-treatment conditions. The …

This document has been prepared by the DOE Environmental Management (EM) Office of Technology Development (OTD) to highlight its research, development, demonstration, testing, and evaluation activities funded through the Western Environmental Technology Office (WETO) in Butte, Montana. Technologies and processes described have the potential to enhance DOE`s cleanup and waste management efforts, as well as improve US industry`s competitiveness in global environmental markets. WETO`s environmental technology research and testing activities focus on the recovery of useable resources from waste. Environmental technology development and commercialization activities will focus on mine cleanup, waste treatment, resource recovery, and water resource management. Since the site has no record of radioactive material use and no history of environmental contamination/remediation activities, DOE-EM can concentrate on performing developmental and demonstration activities without the demands of regulatory requirements and schedules. Thus, WETO will serve as a national resource for the development of new and innovative environmental technologies.

This 1994 report reviews the various applications of slimhole technology including for exploration in remote areas, low-cost development wells, reentering existing wells, and horizontal and multilateral drilling. Advantages of slimholes to regular holes are presented. Limitations and disadvantages of slimholes are also discussed. In 1994, slimhole drilling was still an ongoing development technology. (DJE 2005)

This plan defines how the Grout Facilities will be deactivated to meet the intent of the recently renegotiated Tri-Party Agreement (TPA). The TPA calls for the use of the grout process as an emergency option only in the event that tank space is not available to resolve tank safety issues. The availability of new tanks is expected by 1997. Since a grout startup effort would take an estimated two years, a complete termination of the Grout Disposal Program is expected in December 1995. The former Tank Waste Remediation (TWRS) Strategy, adopted in 1988, called for the contents of Hanford`s 28 newer double-shell waste tanks to be separated into high-level radioactive material to be vitrified and disposed of in a geologic repository; low-level wastes were to be sent to the Grout Facility to be made into a cement-like-mixture and poured into underground vaults at Hanford for disposal. The waste in the 149 older single-shell tanks (SST) were to undergo further study and analysis before a disposal decision was made.

This volume consists of the Technology Logic Diagrams (TLDs) for the decontamination, robotics/automation, and waste management areas.