Present concepts of disposal of low-level aqueous wastes (LLAW) that contain much of the fission-product tritium from light water reactors involve dispersal to the atmosphere or to surface streams at fuel reprocessing plants. These concepts have been challenged in recent years. Deep-well injection of low-level aqueous wastes, an alternative to biospheric dispersal, is the subject of this presentation. Many factors must be considered in assessing its feasibility, including technology, costs, environmental impact, legal and regulatory constraints, and siting. Examination of these factors indicates that the technology of deep-well injection, extensively developed for other industrial wastes, would require little innovation before application to low-level aqueous wastes. Costs would be low, of the order of magnitude of 10⁻⁴ mill/kWh. The environmental impact of normal deep-well disposal would be small, compared with dispersal to the atmosphere or to surface streams; abnormal operation would not be expected to produce catastrophic results. Geologically suitable sites are abundant in the U.S., but a well would best be co-located with the fuel-reprocessing plant where the LLAW is produced. Legal and regulatory constraints now being developed will be the most important determinants of the feasibility of applying the method.

Quarterly progress report summarizing work performed by the Argonne National Laboratory Light-Water-Reactor Safety Research Program. It includes sections discussing research and development in: (1) loss of-coolant accident research: heat transfer and fluid dynamics; (2) transient fuel response and fission-product release program; (3) mechanical properties of zircaloy containing oxygen; and (4) steam-explosion studies.

Annual report of the environmental monitoring program at Argonne National Laboratory, discussing activities and findings of the group.

Report on development of high-performance batteries including design study for stationary energy storage and electric-vehicle propulsion, and materials development studies on electrical feedthroughs and new types of separators.

This is a sequel to the paper ''A comparison of two ODE codes: GEAR and EPISODE,'' and is concerned with the testing of two superficially similar ODE packages, GEAR and EPISODE. Fourteen basic test problems, some with several cases, are the basis for the testing. These problems represent several types-nonlinear systems with real and complex eigenvalues, linear systems with varied diagonal dominance, linear scalar problems, stiff and non-stiff problems, chemical kinetics with and without diurnal effect, and systems arising from the use of the numerical method of lines. Some problems are included in order to examine the options and error returns. The test results are presented in two forms: raw output and a comparative display of operation counts and of timings for the best method in the GEAR package and the best method in the EPISODE package. This approach allows a comparison of the consequences of the fixed-step interpolate strategy (GEAR) for changing step size against the truly variable step size strategy (EPISODE). It is concluded that EPISODE is generally faster than GEAR for problems involving wave fronts or transients on the interior of the interval of integration. For linear or simply decaying problems, these roles are usually reversed.

Quarterly progress report summarizing work done in Argonne National Laboratory's Applied Physics Division including: reactor safety research and technical coordination of the Reactor Safety Research safety analysis program.

Final report documenting the statistical analysis of an aerial gamma-ray and magnetic survey of the Red River Area including the Ardmore, Sherman, Abilene, and Dallas quadrangles in north Texas and southern Oklahoma. Quadrangle-specific maps and data are published as separate volumes.

Second volume of a final report documenting aerial gamma-ray and magnetic survey maps of the Red River Area. This volume contains maps and statistical data for the Dallas Quadrangle located in northern Texas.

Second volume of a final report documenting aerial gamma-ray and magnetic survey maps of the Red River Area. This volume contains maps and statistical data for the Sherman Quadrangle including portions of northern Texas and southern Oklahoma.

From abstract: Results of an ERDA-sponsored, high-sensitivity, airborne gamma-ray spectrometer and magnetometer survey of a portion of the Delta, Utah, NTMS, 1:250,000 scale quadrangle, carried out under Bendix Field Engineering Corporation Subcontract 76-019-L are discussed. The objective of the survey was to evaluate the Delta area as a uraniferous province, i.e., a region showing surface indications of a generally higher uranium content, and evidence of geochemical uranium enrichment over the other natural radioactive elements, where detailed exploration for uranium would likely be successful. The known presence of late stage Tertiary rhyolites and granites associated with fluorite and uranium occurrences and one productive uranium mine strongly suggested that the area is such a uraniferous province. A DC-3 aircraft equipped with a gamma-ray spectrometer using nine large-volume NaI detectors, two 400 channel analyzers, and ancillary geophysical and electronic equipment was employed for data collection.

Second volume of a report on aerial gamma-ray and magnetic survey of the Delta area of Utah, containing illustrations such as histograms, anomaly maps at a reduced scale of 1:500,000, and magnetic profiles related to the survey.

Report and geographical survey. This report examines the distribution of nitrates in the Redland area's ground water and concludes that this distribution depends primarily upon depth below the water table and areal location. Includes several maps and figures.

Abstract: Lajas Valley is plagued with problems of salinity and waterlogging the soils. Use of brackish (500 milligrams per liter) irrigation compounded ground water for the problem until an irrigation-drainage system was constructed in 1955. Lajas is an alluvium-filled limestone highlands. The alluvium, mostly clay and as much 300 feet (90 meters) thick, contains brackish ground water except in the recharge areas located along the foothills...Results from a digital model show that a network of discharge wells could alleviate waterlogging of the soils in the artesian area.

From summary: The University of Colorado, under contract with the Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory (LASL), is currently performing an evaluation of geochemical relationships of water and sediments and seasonal variations to uranium for the South Platte drainage of northeastern Colorado. As a preliminary part of this study, samples were collected from 125 sites near Sterling and Fort Morgan, Colorado, during the period from December 20, 1976, to January 15, 1977. During this period the weather in the area was clear to partly cloudy, with daytime temperatures ranging from -12 to 12 C. Only a trace of precipitation, in the form of very light snow flurries, occurred during the sampling period. The sample site locations and numbers (the first two digits have been omitted) are shown on Plate I.

From introduction: The purpose of this report is to make available to the public the results of a hydrogeochemical survey for uranium in the stream and lake waters and sediments of the Susitna River basin, Alaska. This work was done by the Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory (LASL) for the US Energy Research and Development Administration (ERDA) as part of the National Uranium Resource Evaluation (NURE) program.

From introduction: The purpose of this study was twofold: (1) to compile Indiana stream-temperature data and (2) to develop an equation for estimating water-temperature characteristics, as represented by harmonic coefficients, at locations where historical temperature data may no be available.

From introduction: This report summarizes data currently available to obtain low-flow characteristics for Minnesota streams. The data include expected annual low-flows for specific recurrence intervals at 161 continuous-record gaging stations.

Appendix to accompany a report about aerial gamma-ray and magnetic survey maps of the Red River Area. It includes computer-generated single-record and averaged-record data listings for each of the surveyed quadrangles: Ardmore, Sherman, Abilene, and Dallas.

Appendix containing single-record and averaged record data listings to accompany a report on aerial radiometric and magnetic survey of the Delta area in Utah.

Abstract: A time-of-travel study was made on a 106-mile reach of the Tuscarawas River to determine average velocity and dispersion into five subreaches, and a fluorescent dye used as a tracer material. At about the 50-percent flow-duration level, time-of-travel of peak concentration was 137 hours.