A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "Pursuant to a legislative requirement, GAO provided information on the Navy's best practices implementation schedule for the acquisition and distribution of secondary inventory items, which the Navy submitted to Congress on June 16, 1999, focusing on: (1) the extent to which the schedule responds to the provisions of the Strom Thurmond National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 1999; and (2) identifying specific elements of a management framework needed for effective implementation and oversight of the Navy's best practice initiative."

The overall strategy for this project is to allow for the earliest startup with a minimum of up front costs attributed to plant modifications. The plan is to implement only those modifications that are required in order that the plant can be operated in an integrated continuous manner and defer other modifications that will improve plant operation until needed. The necessary modifications are those affecting the operation of the vacuum filters and the evaporator that are critical to integrated operation. Analysis of the data from the one week of continuous around-the-clock testing plant showed 87% SO{sub 2} reduction and 93% ash removal while retaining 30% volatiles content. However, problems with filtration during the June test run (high level of coal fines) indicated that there was evidence that the Pittsburgh coal in our inventory might be weathered. Coal sample analysis showed an increase in sulfate sulfur and a decrease in heating value, also indicative weathering. TRW is proceeding with obtaining fresh coal to avoiding the problems associated with weathering. Approximately 4420 gallons of liquid wastes were shipped off-site for disposal during this reporting period. TRW is making plans to dispose of the remaining liquids and coal/caustic solids from the previous program. …

Radian Corporation was contracted to investigate duct injection and ESP phenomena in a 1.7 MW pilot plant constructed for this test program. This study was an attempt to resolve problems found in previous studies and answer remaining questions for the technology using an approach which concentrates on the fundamental mechanisms of the process. The goal of the study was to obtain a better understanding of the basic physical and chemical phenomena that control: (1) the desulfurization of flue gas by calcium-based reagent, and (2) the coupling of an existing ESP particulate collection device to the duct injection process. Process economics are being studied by others. (VC)

This project is designed to develop methods for precombustion coal remediation by implementing recent advances in enzyme biochemistry. The novel approach of this study is incorporation of hydrophilic oxidative enzymes in reverse micelles in an organic solvent. Enzymes from commercial sources or microbial extracts are being investigated for their capacity to remove organic sulfur from coal by oxidation of the sulfur groups, splitting of C-S bonds and loss of sulfur as sulfuric acid (Figure 1). Dibenzothiophene (DBT) and ethylphenylsulfide (EPS) are serving as models of organic sulfur-containing components of coal in initial studies. A goal of this project is to define a reverse micelle system that optimizes the catalytic activity of enzymes toward desulfurization of model compounds and ultimately coal samples. 12 refs., 2 figs., 7 tabs.

The Coal Distribution report provides information on coal production, distribution, and stocks in the United States to a wide audience including Congress, Federal and State agencies, the coal industry, and the general public. The data in this report are collected and published by the Energy Information Administration (EIA) to fulfill its data collection and dissemination responsibilities as specified in the Federal Energy Administration Act of 1974 (Public Law 93-275, Sections 5 and 13, as amended). This issue presents information for January through June 1991. Coal distribution data are shown (in Tables 1--34) by coal-producing Sate of origin, consumer use, method of transportation, and State of destination. All data in this report were collected by the EIA on Form EIA-6, Coal Distribution Report.'' A copy of the form and the instructions for filing appear in Appendix B. All data in this report for 1991 are preliminary. Data for previous years are final. 6 figs., 34 tabs.

This talk is about how to avoid turning swords into Superfund sites. The problem we address is the potential conflict between the desire to take advantage of the greater international security brought by the end of the Cold War by entering arms control agreements requiring various military weapons to be dismantled, and the desire to avoid further degrading the environment in the process of destroying them. We will use as an illustration of these issues the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC), which is intended to cause the destruction of all chemical weapons in the world. First, we will provide a brief overview of the CWC, then we will focus in on its environmental provisions, and, finally, we will discuss potential conflicts with United States law and how they might be resolved.

An ion exchange unit has been manufactured for WSRC by British Nuclear Fuels, Ltd. This unit consists of three columns, ancillary valving, pumps, lines, and computer controls. It has been delivered to TNX for use in testing a cesium-specific ion exchange resin, developed at WSRC as a potential second generation process for the decontamination of Defense Waste Processing Facility (DWPF) supernate. This resin also has Department of Energy applications at both Oak Ridge and Hanford. Oak Ridge is interested in decontaminating the Melton Valley storage tank supernate, while Hanford is interested in decontaminating the 101-AW and 101-SY supernate streams. Another potential developmental interest is the Savannah River Site (SRS) DWPF recycle stream. The three primary waste streams of interest are the Oak Ridge, Hanford, and SRS, SWPF supernate streams. For these three waste streams, the cesium decontamination factor (DF) will be measured for a non-radioactive, simulated, high-level waste solution. The test objectives, process outlines, and broad characterization of the waste streams are described.

To identify, document, and maintain the Uranium Mill Tailings Remedial Action (UMTRA) Project`s environment, safety, and health (ES&H) regulatory requirements, the US Department of Energy (DOE) UMTRA Project Office tasked the Technical Assistance Contractor (TAC) to develop a regulatory operating envelope for the UMTRA Project. The system selected for managing the UMTRA regulatory operating envelope data bass is based on the Integrated Project Control/Regulatory Compliance System (IPC/RCS) developed by WASTREN, Inc. (WASTREN, 1993). The IPC/RCS is a tool used for identifying regulatory and institutional requirements and indexing them to hardware, personnel, and program systems on a project. The IPC/RCS will be customized for the UMTRA Project surface remedial action and groundwater restoration programs. The purpose of this plan is to establish the process for implementing and maintaining the UMTRA Project`s regulatory operating envelope, which involves identifying all applicable regulatory and institutional requirements and determining compliance status. The plan describes how the Project will identify ES&H regulatory requirements, analyze applicability to the UMTRA Project, and evaluate UMTRA Project compliance status.

This document is a plan which serves as the contractual agreement between the Characterization Program, Sampling Operations, WHC 222-S Laboratory, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, and PNL 329 Laboratory. The scope of this plan is to provide guidance for the sampling and analysis of vapor samples from tank 241-BY-103.

The overall objective of the project is to develop and optimize a two-stage fermentation process for the conversion of coal derived synthesis gas in an mixture of alcohols. The goals include the development of superior strains with high product tolerance and productivity, optimization of process conditions for high volumetric productivity and product concentrations, integration and optimization of two stage syngas fermentation, evaluation of bioreactor configurations for enhanced mass transfer, evaluation of syngas conversion by a culture of Butyribacterium methyltrophicum and Clostridium acetobutylicum, development of a membrane based pervaporation system for in situ removal of alcohols, and development of a process for reduction of carbon and electron loss. The specific goals for year one (September 1992 - September 1993) were (1) development of a project work plan, (2) development of superior CO-utilizing strains, (3) optimization of process conditions for conversion of synthesis gas to a mixture of acids in a continuously stirred reactor (CSTR), (4) evaluation of different bioreactor configurations for maximization of mass transfer of synthesis gas, (5) development of a membrane based pervaporation system, and (6) reduction of carbon and electron loss via H{sub 2}CO{sub 2} fermentation. Experimentation and progress toward these goals are described in this report.

This analysis examines activities associated with the installation of isolation barriers in the K Basins at the Hanford Reservation. This revision adds evaluation of barrier drops on stored fuel and basin floor, identifies fuel which will be moved and addresses criticality issues with sludge. The safety assessment is made for the activities for the preparation and installation of the discharge chute isolation barriers. The safety assessment includes a hazard assessment and comparisons of potential accidents/events to those addressed by the current safety basis documentation. No significant hazards were identified. An evaluation against the USQ evaluation questions was made and the determination made that the activities do not represent a USQ. Hazard categorization techniques were used to provide a basis for readiness review classifications.

None

Structural analyses of large precision cathode strip chambers performed up to the date of this publication are documented. Mechanical property data for typical chamber materials are included. This information, originally intended to be an appendix to the {open_quotes}CSC Structural Design Bible,{close_quotes} is presented as a guide for future designers of large chambers.

This Operating Test Report (OTR) documents the performance results of the Operating Test Procedure HNF-SD-W417-OTP-001 that provides steps to test the waste transfer system installed in the 221-T Canyon under project W-417. Recent modifications have been performed on the T Plant Rail Car Waste Transfer System. This Operating Test Procedure (OTP) will document the satisfactory operation of the 221-T Rail Car Waste Transfer System modified by project W-417. Project W-417 installed a pump in Tank 5-7 to replace the steam jets used for transferring liquid waste. This testing is required to verify that operational requirements of the modified transfer system have been met. Figure 2 and 3 shows the new and existing system to be tested. The scope of this testing includes the submersible air driven pump operation in Tank 5-7, liquid waste transfer operation from Tank 5-7 to rail car (HO-IOH-3663 or HO-IOH-3664), associated line flushing, and the operation of the flow meter. This testing is designed to demonstrate the satisfactory operation-of the transfer line at normal operating conditions and proper functioning of instruments. Favorable results will support continued use of this system for liquid waste transfer. The Functional Design Criteria for this system requires a transfer flow rate …

A FORTRAN subroutine for the calculation of the ac electrical conductivity in two-temperature, strongly coupled, overdense plasma is presented. The routine is the result of a model calculation based on classical transport theory with application to plasmas created by the interaction of short pulse lasers and solids. The formulation is analytic and the routine is self-contained.

Calculations have been performed to determine the reactivity worth of various partial rod movements to be performed in the K-14 Startup and Power Ascension Test Program. Some tests have been revised since the issuance of the predictions and acceptance criteria for the startup/power ascension testing procedure, RSP 90-007. The tests were modified to account for changes in the Technical Specifications concerning control rod positioning. This addendum describes the changes to the test configurations and documents the revised expectation values for the partial rod insertion tests. Additional calculations were performed to cover the complete range of possible full rod positions at the zero power testing level.

An assessment was performed to show the impact on airborne release fraction, respirable fraction, dose conversion factor and dose consequences of postulated accidents at the Plutonium Finishing Plant involving uranium dioxide rather than plutonium dioxide.

The following Acceptance Test Procedure was written to test the ENRAF series 854 ATG with SPU II card prior to installation in the Tank Farms. The procedure sets various parameters and verifies the gauge and alarms functionality.

Analytical chemistry plays a key role in nuclear material control and accounting (MC and A). A large part of Special Nuclear Material (SNM) inventories and virtually all of the highly attractive SNM inventories are based on sampling bulk materials followed by destructive assay (DA) of these materials. These measurements support MC and A in process control, physical inventory verification, evaluation of the effects of process changes, detecting and resolving shipper-receiver differences, and the resolution of inspector-facility differences. When evaluating these important functions, US Project Teams need to carefully assess the existing Russian analytical chemistry capabilities and to specify appropriate upgrades where needed. This evaluation and the specification of upgrades have proven difficult, in part, because of the highly specialized and technical nature of DA and because of the wide variety of methods and applications. In addition, providing a DA capability to a Russian analytical laboratory requires much more than simply supplying new instrumentation. Experience has shown that DA upgrades at Russian analytical facilities require more support equipment than was originally anticipated by US Teams. The purpose of this guidance document is to: (1) recommend criteria for US Projects Teams to use in their evaluation of Russian DA capabilities; (2) provide …

SRTC is developing technology for direct disposal of aluminum spent nuclear fuel (SNF). The development program includes analyses and tests to support design and safe operation of a facility for ''road ready'' dry storage of SNF-filled canisters. The current technology development plan includes review of available SNF drying methods and recommendation of a drying method for aluminum SNF.

This report provides an evaluation of the corrosion behavior of aluminum cladding alloys and aluminum-uranium alloys at conditions relevant to dry storage. The details of the corrosion program are described and the results to date are discussed.

Radian Corporation was contracted to investigate duct injection and ESP phenomena in a 1.7 MW pilot plant constructed for this test program. This study was an attempt to resolve problems found in previous studies and answer remaining questions for the technology using an approach which concentrates on the fundamental mechanisms of the process. The goal of the study was to obtain a better understanding of the basic physical and chemical phenomena that control: (1) the desulfurization of flue gas by calcium-based reagent, and (2) the coupling of an existing ESP particulate collection device to the duct injection process. Process economics are being studied by others. (VC)

The Advisory Committee on Human Radiation Experiments was created by President Clinton to advise the Human Radiation Interagency Working Group on the ethical and scientific criteria applicable to human radiation experiments carried out or sponsored by the U.S. Government. The Committee seeks to answer several fundamental question: What ethics criteria should be used to evaluate human radiation experiments? What was the Federal Government`s role in human radiation experiments? What are the criteria for determining appropriate Federal responses where wrongs or harms have occurred? What lessons learned from studying past and present research standards and practices should be applied to the future? The Committee has been gathering vast amounts of information and working to render it orderly and accessible. In the next six months, the Committee will continue with the tasks of data gathering and organizing. The focus of the work, however, will be developing criteria for judging historical and contemporary experiments, policies, and procedures, as well as criteria for remedies that may be appropriate where harms or wrongs have ocurred. Based on findings, the Committee will make specific recommendations regarding policies for the future.

The S-Area Defense Waste Processing Facility (DWPF) can process all of the high level radioactive wastes currently stored at the Savannah River Site with negligible risk of nuclear criticality. The characteristics which make the DWPF critically safe are: (1) abundance of neutron absorbers in the waste feeds; (2) and low concentration of fissionable material. This report documents the criticality safety arguments for the S-Area DWPF process as required by DOE orders to characterize and to justify the low potential for criticality. It documents that the nature of the waste feeds and the nature of the DWPF process chemistry preclude criticality.