The total system performance assessment (TSPA) for the proposed repository at Yucca Mountain, NV, includes a wide variety of processes to evaluate the potential release of radionuclides from the Engineered Barrier System into the unsaturated zone of the geosphere. The principal processes controlling radionuclide release and mobilization from the waste forms are captured in the model to assess the dissolved concentrations of radionuclides in the source-term. The TSPA model of the source-term incorporates the far-from-equilibrium dissolution of, for example, spent nuclear fuel (SNF) to capture bounding rates of radionuclide availability as the SNF degrades. In addition, for individual radionuclides, the source-term model evaluates solubility constraints that are more indicative of longer-term, equilibrium processes that can limit the potential mass transport from the source term in those cases. These solubility limits represent phase saturation and precipitation processes that can occur either at the waste form as it alters, or at other locations in the near-field environment (e.g., within the invert) if chemical conditions are different. Identification and selection of applicable constraints for solubility-limited radionuclide concentrations is a primary focus in formulating the source-term model for the TSPA. Neptunium is a long-lived radionuclide that becomes a larger fraction of the potential dose …

Daily newspaper from Altus, Oklahoma that includes local, state, and national news along with advertising.

Animal identification refers to marking individual or groups of farm animals so that they can be tracked from birth to slaughter. Animal identification is one segment of meat traceability, generally the tracking of identifiable products through the entire marketing chain to the ultimate consumer. This report details an overview of animal identification in the U.S., current programs to enforce animal identification, development of a National Identification Plan, the Foreign Trade Commission, and other selected issues.

The B-515 WAA is located in the southeast quadrant of the LLNL Main Site (see Figure D-1) along the west side of Building 515 (B-515). Hazardous wastes may be stored at the B-515 WAA for 90 days or less, until transferred to the appropriate Radioactive and Hazardous Waste Management (RHWM) facility or other permitted treatment, storage or disposal facility (TSDF). The design storage capacity of this WAA is 4,840 gallons. This appendix is designed to provide information specific to the Building 515 Waste Accumulation Area (B-515 WAA), a waste storage area. This appendix is not designed to be used as a sole source of information. All general information that is not specific to the B-515 WAA is included in the Contingency Plan for Waste Accumulation Areas, dated July 2004, and should be referenced.

This project is concerned with the kinetics and mechanisms of aromatics oxidation and the growth process to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) of increasing size, soot and fullerenes formation in flames. The overall objective of the experimental aromatics oxidation work is to extend the set of available data by measuring concentration profiles for decomposition intermediates such as phenyl, cyclopentadienyl, phenoxy or indenyl radicals which could not be measured with molecular-beam mass spectrometry to permit further refinement and testing of benzene oxidation mechanisms. The focus includes PAH radicals which are thought to play a major role in the soot formation process while their concentrations are in many cases too low to permit measurement with conventional mass spectrometry. The radical species measurements are used in critical testing and improvement of a kinetic model describing benzene oxidation and PAH growth. Thermodynamic property data of selected species are determined computationally, for instance using density functional theory (DFT). Potential energy surfaces are explored in order to identify additional reaction pathways. The ultimate goal is to understand the conversion of high molecular weight compounds to nascent soot particles, to assess the roles of planar and curved PAH and relationships between soot and fullerenes formation. The specific aims …

Daily newspaper from Baytown, Texas that includes local, state, and national news along with advertising.

Semiweekly newspaper from Boerne, Texas that includes local, state, and national news along with advertising.

There is consensus that Border and Transportation Security (BTS) is a pivotal function in protecting the American people from terrorists and their instruments of destruction. The issue for Congress is how to achieve desired levels of security, while not compromising other important values in the process. This report addresses possible new approaches and policy options that might be explored by Congress to attain these goals. It is one of three CRS reports in a series that make use of analytical frameworks to better understand complex problems in BTS and to facilitate consideration of alternative policies and practices.

Border and Transportation Security (BTS) is a pivotal function in protecting the American people from terrorists and their instruments of destruction. This report addresses selected programs and policies now in place that seek to attain higher levels of BTS. It is the second in a three-part series of CRS reports that make use of analytical frameworks to better understand complex phenomena and cast them in terms that facilitate consideration of alternative policies and practices.

This report uses a series of graphical presentations to form one possible framework that might assist policy makers in understanding the complex nature of border and transportation security. It is the first in a three-part series of CRS reports that make use of analytical frameworks to better understand complex problems in border and transportation security and cast them in terms that facilitate the consideration of alternative policies and practices.

Semiweekly newspaper from Brady, Texas that includes local, state, and national news along with advertising.

The concepts of international control over technologies and materials in the proliferation sensitive parts of the nuclear fuel cycle, specifically those related to enrichment and reprocessing, have been the subject of many studies and initiatives over the years. For examples: the International Fissionable Material Storage proposal in President Eisenhower's Speech on Atoms for Peace, and in the Charter of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) when the organization was formed in 1957; the regional nuclear fuel cycle center centers proposed by INFCE in the 80's; and most recently and notably, proposals by Dr. ElBaradei, the Director General of IAEA to limit production and processing of nuclear weapons usable materials to facilities under multinational control; and by U.S. President George W. Bush, to limit enrichment and reprocessing to States that have already full scale, functioning plants. There are other recent proposals on this subject as well. In this paper, the similarities and differences, as well as the effectiveness and challenges in proliferation prevention of these proposals and concepts will be discussed. The intent is to articulate a ''new nuclear regime'' and to develop concrete steps to implement such regime for future nuclear energy and deployment.

This report provides an overview of the current Title IV-E Foster Care Eligibility Review process and a discussion of state performance on available reviews conducted after the January 25,2000 rule's effective date.

Competitive sourcing is a government-wide initiative that subjects commercial activities performed by federal government employees to public-private competition. As a federal government policy, competitive sourcing debuted in 1966 with the publication of Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Circular A-76. Under the circular, commercial activities performed by federal employees are subjected to public-private competition.

The primary purpose of this technical report is to present concepts for retrieval operations, equipment to be used, scenarios under which waste retrieval operations will take place, methods for responding to potential retrieval problems, and compliance with the preclosure performance objectives of 10 CFR 63.111(a) and (b) [DIRS 156605] during the retrieval of waste packages from the subsurface repository. If a decision for retrieval is made for any or all of the waste, the waste to be retrieved would be dispositioned in accordance with the regulations applicable at the time.

The programmatic, facility and criticality safety support staffs at the LLNL Plutonium Facility worked together to successfully develop and implement a project to process legacy (DNFSB Recommendation 94-1 and non-Environmental, Safety, and Health (ES&H) labeled) materials in storage. Over many years, material had accumulated in storage that lacked information to adequately characterize the material for current criticality safety controls used in the facility. Generally, the fissionable material mass information was well known, but other information such as form, impurities, internal packaging, and presence of internal moderating or reflecting materials were not well documented. In many cases, the material was excess to programmatic need, but such a determination was difficult with the little information given on MC&A labels and in the MC&A database. The material was not packaged as efficiently as possible, so it also occupied much more valuable storage space than was necessary. Although safe as stored, the inadequately characterized material posed a risk for criticality safety noncompliances if moved within the facility under current criticality safety controls. A Legacy Item Implementation Plan was developed and implemented to deal with this problem. Reasonable bounding conditions were determined for the material involved, and criticality safety evaluations were completed. Two appropriately designated …

Electrokinetic (EK) phenomena in sediments arise from relative fluid motion in the pore space, which perturbs the electrostatic equilibrium of the double layer at the grain surface. We have developed EK techniques in the laboratory to monitor acoustic wave propagation in electrolyte-saturated, unconsolidated sediments. Our experimental results indicate that as an acoustic wave travels through electrolyte-saturated sand, it can generate electric potentials greater than 1 mV. A careful study of these potentials was performed using medium-grain sand and loose glass microspheres for a range of pore fluid salinities and ultrasonic frequencies. Experimental results are also shown to compare well with numerical and analytical modeling based on the coupled electrokinetic-Biot theory developed by Pride (1994).

Recital featuring new compositions performed at the UNT College of Music Recital Hall.

Over time, the Senate has developed a series of procedures to deal with the concerns of its Members on nominations. First is the custom of senatorial courtesy, whereby Senators from the same party as the President might influence a nomination or kill it by objecting to it. This tradition has not always been absolute, but it has allowed Senators to play a fairly large role, particularly in the selection of nominees within a Senator’s home state, such as for district court judgeships.

Daily newspaper from Chickasha, Oklahoma that includes local, state, and national news along with advertising.

This report discusses price support for wool and mohair, which became mandatory through legislation enacted in 1947 and in 1949. The National Wool Act of 1954 (P.L. 83-690) established direct payments for wool and mohair producers. The act’s stated purpose was to encourage production of wool because it was considered an essential and strategic commodity.

The goals of the St. Croix Tribe are to develop economically viable energy production facilities using readily available renewable biomass fuel sources at an acceptable cost per kilowatt hour ($/kWh), to provide new and meaningful permanent employment, retain and expand existing employment (logging) and provide revenues for both producers and sellers of the finished product. This is a feasibility study including an assessment of available biomass fuel, technology assessment, site selection, economics viability given the foreseeable fuel and generation costs, as well as an assessment of the potential markets for renewable energy.

Free weekly newspaper that includes business and classified advertising.

Free weekly newspaper that includes business and classified advertising.