Muons that result from the collisions of protons in the ISABELLE beams with other nucleons introduce important background or signal for experiments. Their ability to pass through the conductors and steel of ISABELLE magnets results in complicated trajectories. Some oscillate about quasistable orbits and are called ''trapped.'' A number of typical trajectories were plotted, and flux estimates were made with a Monte Carlo program, HALO. Trapping tends to reduce shielding requirements somewhat, but the effect does not appear to be a very large one from these initial investigations. More aspects need to be studied, and HALO appears to be a useful tool for doing so.

Screening criteria and specifications are recommended to aid in the evaluation of sites proposed for nuclear waste disposal in basalt and domed salt. The recommended new criteria proposed in this report are intended to supplement existing repository-related criteria for nuclear waste disposal. The existing criteria are contained in 10 CFR 60 sections which define siting criteria of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), and ONWI 33(2) which defines siting criteria of the Office of Nuclear Waste Isolation (ONWI) for the Department of Energy. The specifications are conditions or parameter values that the authors recommend be applied in site acceptance evaluations. The siting concerns covered in this report include repository depth, host rock extent, seismic setting, structural and tectonic conditions, groundwater and rock geochemistry, volcanism, surface and subsurface hydrology, and socioeconomic issues, such as natural resources, land use, and population distribution.

ABS>The results are presented of critical water height measurements made on close-packed lattices of Spert III, highly enriched, plate-type, stainless- steel-clad fuel elements. Experiments were conducted with cores containing no control rods and with cores containing a single, fully-inserted control rod. The "clean critical" data obtained in these experiments were used to test the validity of various aspects of a four-group, diffusion theory analysis of the full scale Spert III reactor. The results of the analyses of the rod-free and single-rodded critical lattices show that for such stainless steel cores k/sub eff/ can be calculated to within 1% DELTA k and that the Spert III control rod worth is calculable to a few tenths % DELTA k. (auth)

Work proceeded this quarter mainly under three program tasks. Under Task 1.0, work was started on preparing a description of the reference Steam Injection System. It is planned to lay out the plant in power unit trains rated at a nominal 100 MW(e). Under Task 2.0, work continued on anode, cathode, current collector, and electrolyte tile develoment and stack design and analysis. Corrosion test results of various current collector materials after 3500 hours exposure are reported. Sintering data at 6000 hours were obtained on twelve different material samples tested to evaluate the effects of chromium and ceramic addition to state-of-the-art and in-house fabricated electrodes. The 6000 hour data showed no change in porosity or pore distribution from the 5000 hour data. The electroless-plated ceramic plaques demonstrated good stability and porosities. Two cells containing dual porosity anodes using all metal-plated-ceramic material, were tested. Although testing was terminated due to cracked tiles, the cell results are encouraging for the experimental anodes. Under Task 4.0, work continued on installation and debugging of the atmospheric bench scale single cell test facility, and operation of a cell started on April 20, 1982. Progress is detailed. (WHK)

A test has been performed at the Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant (PGDP) in connection with studies for the US Arms Control and Disarmament Agency on the possibility of utilizing measurements of the concentrations of the minor uranium isotopes in /sup 235/U enrichment cascade external streams as a safeguards technique (MIST). This is the fourth plant test that has been performed in connection with the MIST studies, the first three having been done at the Oak Ridge Gaseous Diffusion Plant (ORGDP). The main objectives of the test were to measure the isotopic composition and flow rates of the plant external streams over a period of time; to design an appropriate plant model in the manner an IAEA safeguards team might do it and calculate the isotopic compositions of the plant streams; and to compare the calculated isotopic values with the measured ones. The calculated /sup 235/U to /sup 234/U concentration ratios in the product and tails streams did not match the average measured values in the high-power period as well as they did for the low-power period, when the same isotopic composition for natural U was assumed at both power levels - the actual composition of the natural U fed to …

Brief descriptions of research papers in radiobiology, biochemistry, metabolism, and biophysics published during 1979 are presented. The research was conducted by investigators in the Dept. of Radiation Biology and Biophysics. (ACR)

This report provides background information relating to the Office of the Coordinator for Reconstruction and Stabilization (S/CRS) in the Office of the Secretary of State. This office was created in mid-2004 as part of the Bush Administration's efforts to develop adequate civilian organizational structures, procedures, and personnel to respond effectively to post-conflict, "stabilization and reconstruction" situations, most especially in Afghanistan and Iran. This report also discusses proposals and tracks related legislative action.

A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "Deteriorating financial conditions and declining mail volume have reinforced the need for the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) to increase operational efficiency and reduce expenses in its mail processing network. This network consists of interdependent functions in nearly 600 facilities. USPS developed several initiatives to reduce costs and increase efficiency; however, moving forward on some initiatives has been challenging because of the complexities involved in consolidating operations. In response to a conference report directive, GAO assessed (1) the overall status and results of USPS's efforts to realign its mail processing network and (2) the extent to which USPS has consistently followed its guidance and applied these criteria in reviewing Area Mail Processing (AMP) proposals for consolidation since the beginning of fiscal year 2009. To conduct this assessment, GAO reviewed USPS's Network Plan, area mail processing consolidation guidance and proposals as well as other documents; compared USPS's actions related to consolidation of area mail processing facilities with its guidance, and interviewed officials from USPS, the USPS Office of Inspector General, and employee organizations. GAO provided USPS with a draft of this report for comment. In response, USPS provided …

A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "The Weapon Systems Acquisition Reform Act of 2009 (WSARA) directed the Joint Requirements Oversight Council (JROC) to ensure trade-offs among cost, schedule, and performance objectives are considered as part of its requirements review process. WSARA also directed GAO to assess the implementation of these requirements. This report addresses (1) the extent to which the JROC has considered trade-offs within programs, (2) the quality of resource estimates presented to the JROC, and (3) the extent to which the JROC is prioritizing requirements and capability gaps. To do so, GAO analyzed requirement documents reviewed by the JROC in fiscal year 2010, which identified capability gaps or performance requirements for new major defense acquisition programs. GAO also assessed resource estimates presented to the JROC against best practices criteria in the GAO Cost Estimating and Assessment Guide."

A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "The African continent is important to U.S. economic, strategic, and foreign policy interests, and efforts have been made to improve commerce and connectivity to benefit the two regions. However, the continent has the highest aviation accident rate in the world, which has hindered progress. Recognizing the importance of improving aviation safety in Africa, the United States and the international aviation community have worked to improve aviation safety in Africa. This congressionally requested report discusses (1) challenges in improving aviation safety in Africa, (2) key U.S. efforts to improve aviation safety in Africa and the extent to which they address the identified challenges, and (3) international efforts to improve aviation safety in Africa. To address these issues, GAO synthesized literature and aviation safety data, interviewed federal officials, and visited four African countries."

A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO reviewed the performance of the information systems that the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) uses to process tax returns for individual taxpayers, focusing on: (1) IRS' tax processing systems performance in the 2000 filing season as reported by IRS compared to the 1999 filing season; and (2) whether IRS had taken actions to address problems affecting individual taxpayers."

A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "Since the early 1990s, growth in the use of the Internet has revolutionized the way that our nation communicates and conducts business. While the Internet was originally developed by the Department of Defense, the vast majority of its infrastructure is currently owned and operated by the private sector. Federal policy recognizes the need to prepare for debilitating Internet disruptions and tasks the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) with developing an integrated public/private plan for Internet recovery. GAO was asked to (1) identify examples of major disruptions to the Internet, (2) identify the primary laws and regulations governing recovery of the Internet in the event of a major disruption, (3) evaluate DHS plans for facilitating recovery from Internet disruptions, and (4) assess challenges to such efforts."

A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "The Congress passed Public Law 106-429 because it was concerned about the sufficiency of external audits of the financial operations of the World Bank Group, a set of multilateral development banks. This law provides that GAO report on the sufficiency of such audits of each Bank Group entity. GAO addressed (1) the extent that the external auditor was providing assurance on internal control over financial reporting, operations, and compliance with key provisions of bank charters and policies in conjunction with financial statement audits and (2) the role the Bank Group's audit committee plays in providing oversight of external financial statement audits and internal control."

A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "The 2010 Census will be the most expensive census in our nation's history, even after adjusting for inflation. The Census Bureau (Bureau) estimates that the life cycle cost of the 2010 Census will be from $13.7 billion to $14.5 billion. GAO was asked to (1) assess the extent to which the Bureau's 2010 Census life cycle cost estimate adheres to characteristics defined for high-quality cost estimation, (2) report on the relationship between the estimate and the Bureau's budget, and (3) assess whether the Bureau's existing policies and resources are sufficient to conduct cost estimation. To assess the reliability of the Bureau's cost estimate, GAO analyzed the Bureau's methods and approaches to determine if the estimate is well-documented, comprehensive, accurate, and credible."

A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "After the planned retirement of the space shuttle in 2010, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) will face a cargo resupply shortfall for the International Space Station of approximately 40 metric tons between 2010 and 2015. NASA budgeted $500 million in seed money to commercial partners to develop new cargo transport capabilities through its Commercial Orbital Transportation Services (COTS) project. NASA used its other transaction authority to award agreements to commercial partners. These agreements are not federal government contracts, and are therefore generally not subject to federal laws and regulations that apply to federal government contracts. GAO previously reported concerns about whether COTS vehicles would be developed in time to meet the shortfall. Subsequently, GAO was directed by the explanatory statement accompanying the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2008, to examine NASA's management of the COTS project and its expenditures. In addition, GAO was asked to examine (1) NASA's reliance on commercial partners to meet the space station's cargo resupply needs; and (2) progress or challenges in developing commercial space transport capabilities. GAO analyzed NASA reports, briefings, and other information and held interviews with NASA and commercial …

A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "Tax abuses by contractors working for the Department of Defense, on which GAO previously reported, have led to concerns about similar abuses by those hired by civilian agencies. GAO was asked to determine if similar problems exist at civilian agencies and, if so, to (1) quantify the amount of unpaid federal taxes owed by civilian agency contractors paid through the Financial Management Service (FMS), (2) identify any statutory or policy impediments and control weaknesses that impede tax collections under the Federal Payment Levy Program (FPLP), and (3) determine whether there are indications of abusive or potential criminal activity by contractors with unpaid tax debts."

A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "Coal power plants generate about half of the United States' electricity and are expected to remain a key energy source. Coal power plants also account for about one-third of the nation's emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2 ), the primary greenhouse gas that experts believe contributes to climate change. Current regulatory efforts and proposed legislation that seek to reduce CO2 emissions could affect coal power plants. Two key technologies show potential for reducing CO2 emissions: (1) carbon capture and storage (CCS), which involves capturing and storing CO2 in geologic formations, and (2) plant efficiency improvements that allow plants to use less coal. The Department of Energy (DOE) plays a key role in accelerating the commercial availability of these technologies and devoted more than $600 million to them in fiscal year 2009. Congress asked GAO to examine (1) the maturity of these technologies; (2) their potential for commercial use, and any challenges to their use; and (3) possible implications of deploying these technologies. To conduct this work, GAO reviewed reports and interviewed stakeholders with expertise in coal technologies."

A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "The Department of Energy (DOE) spends billions of dollars each year at its national laboratories on advanced science, energy, and other research. To maximize the public's investment and to foster economic growth, federal laws and policies have encouraged the transfer of federally developed technologies to private firms, universities, and others to use or commercialize. The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 further emphasized the role of such technologies for addressing the nation's energy, economic, and other challenges. Congress requested GAO to examine (1) the nature and extent of technology transfer at DOE's laboratories; (2) the extent to which DOE can measure the effectiveness of its technology transfer efforts; and (3) factors affecting, and approaches for improving, DOE's efforts. GAO analyzed documents and data and spoke with officials at DOE headquarters and all 17 DOE national laboratories."

A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "In 2006, Congress passed the Haitian Hemispheric Opportunity through Partnership Encouragement Act (HOPE), giving preferential access to U.S. imports of Haitian apparel. In 2008, Congress amended HOPE (now HOPE II), expanding existing trade preference provisions and creating new ones, including the Earned Import Allowance Program (EIAP). Under the EIAP, for every 3-square- meter equivalents (SME) of U.S. or other qualifying fabric a firm imports into Haiti, it earns a credit to export 1 SME of apparel produced in Haiti to the United States, duty-free, regardless of the fabric source. The Haiti Economic Lift Program (HELP) Act of 2010 amended the EIAP, reducing the qualifying fabric requirement from 3 to 2. HOPE II also mandated GAO to review the effectiveness of the EIAP and to look for potential improvements. GAO examined (1) the extent to which the program has been used, (2) how U.S. government agencies implemented it, and (3) how might the program be improved. To address these questions GAO reviewed data from the Department of Commerce's Office of Textiles and Apparel (OTEXA); interviewed U.S. agency officials, Haitian and Dominican apparel producers, U.S. apparel buyers, and …

A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "In April 2005 GAO reported on the EEO policy framework in the federal workplace and the roles of EEOC and OPM. This report, in response to a congressional request, provides information on (1) federal agency EEO and human capital managers' views of the EEO framework requirements; (2) their views on the usefulness of guidance and feedback from EEOC and OPM concerning these requirements; and (3) how and to what extent EEOC and OPM coordinate in developing policy, providing guidance, and exercising oversight."

A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "The Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments of 1988 (CLIA) strengthened and extended quality requirements for labs that perform tests to diagnose or treat disease. About 36,000 labs that perform certain complex tests must be surveyed biennially by either a state or one of six private accrediting organizations. CMS oversees implementation of CLIA requirements and the activities of survey organizations. GAO was asked to examine (1) the quality of lab testing; (2) the effectiveness of surveys, complaint investigations, and enforcement actions in detecting and addressing lab problems; and (3) the adequacy of CMS's CLIA oversight."

A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "Prior to the 1998 privatization of the U.S. Enrichment Corporation (USEC), the Department of Energy (DOE) transferred about 45,000 metric tons of natural uranium to USEC to, among other things, be enriched to fulfill USEC's nuclear fuel contracts. About 9,550 metric tons were subsequently discovered to be contaminated with technetium, a radioactive metal, at levels exceeding the specification for nuclear fuel. Although DOE has not admitted liability, DOE and USEC have entered into agreements under which USEC is decontaminating the uranium. DOE has compensated USEC for its decontamination costs in several ways, including using proceeds from sales of government-owned clean uranium. GAO was asked to examine (1) USEC's progress in decontaminating uranium and (2) DOE's oversight of USEC's decontamination activities. A forthcoming GAO legal opinion will address DOE's legal authority to transfer clean uranium to USEC for sale and use the proceeds to compensate USEC for its decontamination services."

A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Recovery Act) provided the General Services Administration (GSA) with $5.55 billion to invest in federal buildings and promote economic recovery. This funding includes $4.5 billion to convert buildings to high-performance green buildings (HPGB), which seek to reduce energy and water use, among other goals. GAO was asked to address the (1) steps GSA has taken to implement the program and make its Recovery Act projects transparent to the public, (2) extent to which GSA's Recovery Act projects are helping the agency convert buildings to HPGB and addressing federal energy and water conservation requirements and goals, and (3) extent to which GSA has identified potential risks to its Recovery Act program and developed strategies to mitigate those risks. GAO reviewed GSA documents and relevant laws and executive orders, and interviewed GSA officials at headquarters and staff for 12 projects, which varied in type, size, and location."

A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) needs up-to-date information on voluntary compliance in order to assess and improve its programs. IRS's last detailed study of voluntary compliance was done in the late 1980s, so the compliance information IRS is using today is not current. IRS is now carrying out the National Research Program (NRP), through which IRS auditors are reviewing about 47,000 randomly selected tax year 2001 individual tax returns. In June 2002, GAO reported that NRP was necessary, that its design was sound, and that it appeared to meet IRS's goals of acquiring useful compliance data while minimizing burden on taxpayers with returns in the sample. GAO was asked to review IRS's implementation of NRP. GAO reviewed IRS's method of gathering internal and third-party data (casebuilding) and IRS's process of reviewing casebuilding materials to determine if audits are necessary (classification) and assessed IRS's plans to ensure consistent data collection while minimizing burden on taxpayers."