This report outlines the agency's organization, project development process, civil works appropriations, and evolution of its responsibilities.

This report discusses the victory of Ilkham Aliyev in Azerbaijan's 2003 presidential election.

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This report includes information regarding North Korea's nuclear weapons program. This information includes background, development, and analysis

This report provides an overview of the major exceptions to the First Amendment — of the ways that the Supreme Court has interpreted the guarantee of freedom of speech and press to provide no protection or only limited protection for some types of speech.

From Summary: This report briefly summarizes the events that occurred and the issues, they raised in regards to violations of state laws, against Marsh & McClennan Companies and Marsh, Inc, which the Attorney General of the Sate of New York filling a civil law suit.

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This report briefly discusses procedures regarding conference reports in the House of Representatives.

This report briefly discusses procedure regarding conference reports in the Senate.

A corrosion engineering information system was created to manage, correlate and predict corrosion of alloys and also to use thermochemical calculations to predict the occurrence of dominant corrosion mechanisms in hot gases found in many different chemical processes and other related industrial processes.

Nozzle geomtry, pilot injection and post injection effects were studied.

In September 2005, the Commodity Credit Corporation of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (CCC/USDA) initiated periodic sampling of groundwater in the vicinity of a grain storage facility formerly operated by the CCC/USDA at Morrill, Kansas. The sampling at Morrill is being performed on behalf of the CCC/USDA by Argonne National Laboratory, in accord with a monitoring program approved by the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE), to monitor levels of carbon tetrachloride contamination identified in the groundwater at this site (Argonne 2004, 2005a). Under the KDHE-approved Monitoring Plan (Argonne 2005b), the groundwater is being sampled twice yearly for a recommended period of two years. The samples are analyzed for volatile organic compounds (VOCs), as well as for selected geochemical parameters to aid in the evaluation of possible natural contaminant degradation (reductive dechlorination) processes in the subsurface environment. The sampling is presently conducted in a network of 12 monitoring wells and 3 private wells (Argonne 2006a; Figure 1.1), at locations approved by the KDHE.

The results of the 2006 investigation of contaminant sources at Navarre, Kansas, clearly demonstrate the following: {sm_bullet} Sources of carbon tetrachloride contamination were found on the Navarre Co-op property. These sources are the locations of the highest concentrations of carbon tetrachloride found in soil and groundwater at Navarre. The ongoing groundwater contamination at Navarre originates from these sources. {sm_bullet} The sources on the Co-op property are in locations where the Commodity Credit Corporation of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (CCC/USDA) never conducted grain storage operations. {sm_bullet} No definitive sources of carbon tetrachloride were identified on the portion of the current Co-op property formerly used by the CCC/USDA. {sm_bullet} The source areas on the Co-op property are consistent with the locations of the most intense Co-op operations, both historically and at present. The Co-op historically stored carbon tetrachloride for retail sale and used it as a grain fumigant in these locations. {sm_bullet} The distribution patterns of other contaminants (tetrachloroethene and nitrate) originating from sources on the Co-op property mimic the carbon tetrachloride plume. These other contaminants are not associated with CCC/USDA operations. {sm_bullet} The distribution of carbon tetrachloride at the Co-op source areas, particularly the absence of contamination in soils at …

In 1997, low levels of carbon tetrachloride (below the maximum contaminant level [MCL] of 5 {micro}g/L) were detected in groundwater at Inman, Kansas, by the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE). The 1997 KDHE sampling was conducted under the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) private well sampling program. The Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC), a USDA agency, operated a grain storage facility in Inman from 1954 to 1965. Carbon tetrachloride is the contaminant of primary concern at sites associated with former CCC/USDA grain storage operations. Inman is located in southwest McPherson County, approximately 10 mi southwest of the city of McPherson (Figure 1.1). To determine whether the former CCC/USDA facility at Inman is a potential contaminant source and its possible relationship to the contamination in groundwater, the CCC/USDA has agreed to conduct an investigation at Inman, in accordance with the Intergovernmental Agreement between the KDHE and the Farm Service Agency of the USDA. For this work plan, Argonne compiled historical data related to the previous investigations and grain storage operations at Inman. Through a review of documents acquired from all available sources, other potential contaminant source areas (in addition to the former CCC/USDA facility) have been identified as (1) the …

This report deals with the impact of fabrication processes on the localized corrosion behavior of Alloy 22 (N06022). The four fabrication processes that were analyzed are: (1) Surface stress mitigation of final closure weld, (2) Manufacturing of the mockup container, (3) Black annealing of the container and (4) Use of different heats of Alloy 22 for container fabrication. Immersion and Electrochemical tests performed in the laboratory are generally aggressive and do not represent actual repository environments in Yucca Mountain. For example, to determine the intergranular attack in the heat affected zone of a weldment, tests are conducted in boiling acidic and oxidizing solutions according to ASTM standards. These solutions are used to compare the behavior of differently treated metallic coupons. Similarly for electrochemical tests many times pure sodium chloride or calcium chloride solutions are used. Pure chloride solutions are not representative of the repository environment. (1) Surface Stress Mitigation: When metallic plates are welded, for example using the Gas Tungsten Arc Welding (GTAW) method, residual tensile stresses may develop in the vicinity of the weld seam. Processes such as Low Plasticity Burnishing (LPB) and Laser Shock Peening (LSP) could be applied locally to eliminate the residual stresses produced by welding. …

In the first phase of the REML project, major assets were acquired for a manufacturing line for follow-on installation, capability studies and optimization. That activity has been documented in the DE-FC36-99ID13819 final report. In this the second phase of the REML project, most of the major assets have been installed in a manufacturing line arrangement featuring a green cell, a thermal treatment cell and a finishing cell. Most of the secondary and support assets have been acquired and installed. Assets have been integrated with a commercial, machine-tending gantry robot in the thermal treatment cell and with a low-mass, high-speed gantry robot in the finish cell. Capabilities for masterless gauging of product’s dimensional and form characteristics were advanced. Trial production runs across the entire REML line have been undertaken. Discrete event simulation modeling has aided in line balancing and reduction of flow time. Energy, productivity and cost, and environmental comparisons to baselines have been made. Energy The REML line in its current state of development has been measured to be about 22% (338,000 kVA-hrs) less energy intensive than the baseline conventional low volume line assuming equivalent annual production volume of approximately 51,000 races. The reduction in energy consumption is largely attributable …

Groundwater beneath much of Hanford's 100 Areas is contaminated with hexavalent chromium (Cr{sup +6}) as a consequence of treating reactor cooling water to prevent corrosion. Several treatment systems are in place to remove Cr{sup +6} from the groundwater; however, these systems currently do not reduce Cr{sup +6} to concentrations below aquatic standards. Of concern is the transport of Cr{sup +6} to areas within the channel of the river, as sensitive species inhabit the river and its associated transition zone. The aquatic standard for Cr{sup +6} is currently 11 ug/l under the Record of Decision (ROD) for Interim Action and Department of Energy (DOE) currently plans to pursue remediation of the groundwater to achieve the 11 ug/l standard. Because the compliance wells used to monitor the current remediation systems are located some distance from the river, they may not provide an accurate indication of Cr{sup +6} concentrations in the water that reaches the riverbed. In addition, because salmon spawning areas are considered a high priority for protection from Hanford contaminants, it would be advantageous to understand (1) to what extent Cr{sup +6} discharged to the near-shore or river ecosystems is diluted or attenuated and (2) mechanisms that could mitigate the exposure …

The F-area pump tanks are used to transfer supernate, sludge, and other materials. In any transfer, the solution must stay well mixed without allowing particulate matter to settle out of the liquid and, thus, accumulate in the bottom of the pump tank. Recently, the pulse jet mixing in F-area Pump Tank 1 (FPT1) has been decommissioned. An analysis of the liquid transfer through FPT1 has been performed using computational fluid dynamics (CFD) methods to assess whether or not the velocities throughout the tank will remain high enough to keep all particulate suspended using only transfer and recirculation pumps. The following paragraph is an abbreviated synopsis of the transfer procedure for FPT1 [1, 2]. Prior to a transfer, FPT1 begins to be filled with inhibited water through the inlet transfer line (TI). When the tank liquid level reaches 52.5 inches above the absolute tank bottom, the recirculation pump (RI and RO) is activated. At a tank liquid level of 72.5 inches above the absolute tank bottom, the outlet transfer line (TO) is activated to reduce the liquid level in FPT1 and transfer inhibited water to H-area Pump Tank 7 (HPT7). The liquid level is reduced down to 39.5 inches, with an …

The model of two-fluid, axisymmetric, ambipolar magnetized plasma detachment from thruster guide fields is extended to include plasmas with non-zero injection angular velocity profiles. Certain plasma injection angular velocity profiles are shown to narrow the plasma plume, thereby increasing exhaust efficiency. As an example, we consider a magnetic guide field arising from a simple current ring and demonstrate plasma injection schemes that more than double the fraction of useful exhaust aperture area, more than halve the exhaust plume angle, and enhance magnetized plasma detachment.

Nuclear technologies have important distinctions and potential advantages for large-scale generation of hydrogen for U.S. energy services. Nuclear hydrogen requires no imported fossil fuels, results in lower greenhouse-gas emissions and other pollutants, lends itself to large-scale production, and is sustainable. The technical uncertainties in nuclear hydrogen processes and the reactor technologies needed to enable these processes, as well waste, proliferation, and economic issues must be successfully addressed before nuclear energy can be a major contributor to the nation's energy future. In order to address technical issues in the time frame needed to provide optimized hydrogen production choices, the Nuclear Hydrogen Initiative (NHI) must examine a wide range of new technologies, make the best use of research funding, and make early decisions on which technology options to pursue. For these reasons, it is important that system integration studies be performed to help guide the decisions made in the NHI. In framing the scope of system integration analyses, there is a hierarchy of questions that should be addressed: What hydrogen markets will exist and what are their characteristics? Which markets are most consistent with nuclear hydrogen? What nuclear power and production process configurations are optimal? What requirements are placed on the nuclear …

The STAR Silicon Strip Detector (SSD) was built by a collaboration of Nantes, Strasbourg and Warsaw collaborators. It is a beautiful detector; it can provide 500 mu m scale pointing resolution at the vertex when working in combination with the TPC. It was first used in Run 4, when half the SSD was installed in an engineering run. The full detector was installed for Run 5 (the Cu-Cu run) and the operation and performance of the detector was very successful. However, in preparation for Run 6, two noisy ladders (out of 20) were replaced and this required that the SSD be removed from the STAR detector. The re-installation of the SSD was not fully successful and so for the next two Runs, 6 and 7, the SSD suffered a cooling system failure that allowed a large fraction of the ladders to overheat and become noisy, or fail. (The cause of the SSD cooling failure was rather trivial but the SSD could not be removed betweens Runs 6 and 7 due to the inability of the STAR detector to roll along its tracks at that time.)