A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "In 1967, the Congress created the National Park Foundation (Foundation)--a nonprofit organization with the sole purpose of providing private support to the National Park Service (Park Service). However, some Park Service officials have raised concerns that the Foundation's support is not meeting parks' priority needs. In this context, congressional requesters asked GAO to review the activities of the Foundation by determining the (1) Foundation's roles and responsibilities for raising funds to support the Park Service, (2) amount and kinds of donations the Foundation has raised between fiscal years 1999 and 2003, and (3) extent to which the contributions obtained by the Foundation assisted the Park Service in addressing park priorities."

A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "The nation's roads, highways, and bridges are essential to mobility but can have negative effects on plants, animals, and the habitats that support them (collectively called ecosystems in this report). Federally funded transportation projects progress through three planning phases: long range (20 or more years), short range (3 to 5 years), and early project development, (collectively defined as planning in this report) before undergoing environmental review (which includes assessing air and water quality, ecosystems, and other impacts) required under the National Environmental Policy Act. Federal law requires planners to consider protecting and enhancing the environment in the first two phases, but does not specify how and does not require such consideration in the third phase. GAO reported on (1) the extent to which transportation planners consider ecosystem conservation in planning, (2) the effects of such consideration, and (3) the factors that encourage or discourage such consideration. GAO contacted 36 planning agencies (24 states and 12 of approximately 380 metropolitan planning organizations), as well as officials in 22 resource agencies that maintain ecological data and administer environmental laws. The Department of Transportation and U.S. Army Corps of …

Correspondence issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "The Department of Defense's (DOD) long-standing business systems problems adversely affect the economy, effectiveness, and efficiency of its business operations and have resulted in a lack of adequate transparency and appropriate accountability across all of its major business areas. In July 2001, DOD initiated a program to, among other things, develop a DOD business enterprise architecture (architecture). This effort is an essential part of the Secretary of Defense's broad initiative to "transform the way the department works and what it works on." Because DOD is one of the largest and most complex organizations in the world, overhauling its business operations and supporting systems represents a huge management challenge. In fiscal year 2003, DOD reported that its operations involved over $1 trillion in assets, nearly $1.6 trillion in liabilities, approximately 3.3 million military and civilian personnel, and disbursements of over $416 billion. To support its business operations, DOD reported that it relies on about 2,300 business systems, including accounting, acquisition, logistics, and personnel systems. The department requested about $19 billion--about $4.8 billion for business systems modernization and about $14 billion for operation and maintenance of these systems--in fiscal year …

A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "Recent cost increases in renovation projects to general and flag officer quarters raised questions about the services' management of the programs. GAO was asked to determine (1) how actual costs of renovation projects for general and flag officer housing compare to service budget estimates provided to Congress and (2) the primary reasons for any increases and the services' procedures to control cost increases. Additionally, GAO is presenting observations about the services' accountability over gifts provided to help renovate some general and flag officer quarters and the extent to which Department of Defense (DOD) guidance provides visibility and control over costs associated with renovation projects for privatized general and flag officer quarters."

Correspondence issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "In 1996, the Air Force launched an acquisition program to develop and produce a revolutionary laser weapon system, the Airborne Laser (ABL), capable of defeating an enemy ballistic missile during the boost phase of its flight. Over the last 8 years, the program's efforts to develop this technology have resulted in significant cost growth and schedule delays. These events led Senate Members to request that we answer the following questions: (1) how much and why has the ABL's cost increased since the program's inception; (2) what is the expected military utility of the initial ABL aircraft; (3) what support systems will be required when the ABL is fielded and what is the likely cost of those systems; and (4) have recent program changes resulted in a more cost effective strategy for developing the weapon?"

A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "The Postal Service is on the cusp of a major transformation to improve its fiscal outlook. One part of this transformation involves procurement. The Postal Service is homing in on supply chain management, a process that has helped successful private-sector companies leverage their buying power and identify more efficient ways to procure goods and services. To assist congressional efforts to enact fundamental postal reform, GAO was asked to determine (1) the extent to which the Postal Service has been successful in implementing and realizing savings from its supply chain management initiatives and (2) whether these initiatives have had an effect on small businesses."

A chapter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "Starting in the mid-1990s, the U.S. petroleum industry experienced a wave of mergers, acquisitions, and joint ventures, several of them between large oil companies that had previously competed with each other. For example, Exxon, the largest U.S. oil company, acquired Mobil, the second largest, thus forming ExxonMobil. GAO was asked to examine the effects of the mergers on the U.S. petroleum industry since the 1990s. For this period, GAO examined (1) mergers in the U.S. petroleum industry and why they occurred, (2) the extent to which market concentration (the distribution of market shares among competing firms) and other aspects of market structure in the U.S. petroleum industry have changed as a result of mergers, (3) major changes that have occurred in U.S. gasoline marketing, and (4) how mergers and market concentration in the U.S. petroleum industry have affected U.S. gasoline prices at the wholesale level. Commenting on a draft of GAO's report, FTC asserted that the models were flawed and the analyses unreliable. GAO used state-of-the-art econometric models to examine the effects of mergers and market concentration on wholesale gasoline prices. The models used in GAO's …

A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "In March 2002, the most serious safety issue confronting the nation's commercial nuclear power industry since Three Mile Island in 1979 was identified at the Davis- Besse plant in Ohio. After the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) allowed Davis-Besse to delay shutting down to inspect its reactor vessel for cracked tubing, the plant found that leakage from these tubes had caused extensive corrosion on the vessel head--a vital barrier preventing a radioactive release. GAO determined (1) why NRC did not identify and prevent the corrosion, (2) whether the process NRC used in deciding to delay the shutdown was credible, and (3) whether NRC is taking sufficient action in the wake of the incident to prevent similar problems from developing at other plants."

A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "The Defense Base Realignment and Closure Act of 1990, as amended, required the Department of Defense (DOD) to address several base realignment and closure (BRAC) issues in 2004 for the 2005 BRAC round to proceed. The requirements included reporting on a 20-year force structure plan, an inventory of military installations, and separately adopting selection criteria for the upcoming round. The legislation also required DOD to certify whether an additional BRAC round was needed, and, if so, that annual net savings would be realized not later than fiscal year 2011. If the certifications were provided, GAO was required to evaluate DOD's submissions and report to Congress. DOD reported on March 23, 2004, and provided the certifications. In this report GAO evaluates (1) DOD's responsiveness to legislative requirements; (2) the force structure plan, infrastructure inventory, and selection criteria; (3) other key issues included in DOD's report; and (4) DOD's certification regarding the need for an additional BRAC round."

Memorandum in reference to Air Force data collection teams in accordance with 2005 Base Realignment and Closure.

Recently, studies of the Platte River watershed have gained significant attention from federal and Nebraska, USA, state agencies due to the importance of groundwater/surface-water interactions under drought conditions. Using archive data from a 1983 pumping test, Chen and Chen (2003) interpret the hydraulic properties of the alluvium and a streambed of the Platte River near Kearney, Nebraska, and compare their data with results of other studies performed over the past several years. Three important inconsistencies of this article will be highlighted here: (1) misuse of the analytical model of Hunt (1999), (2) departure of their results from previously published data, and (3) unsatisfactory explanation of these anomalous results.

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Video footage from the KXAS-TV/NBC station in Fort Worth, Texas, to accompany a news story.

JET plasmas with reverse magnetic field feature a different SOL flow than those with normal field. The observed carbon fueling efficiency from injecting methane gas was similar in reverse and normal field. EDGE2D modeling used an externally applied force to create the SOL flows, without specifying the origin of the force. The resulting flow agreed reasonably with the experimental values between the separatrix and 4 cm mid-plane depth in the SOL. The effect of the flow on the calculated carbon screening was 5 to 15% higher carbon fueling efficiency for the low flow velocity with reverse field.

This report summarizes the work done during the sixth quarter of the project. Effort was directed in three areas: (1) Further development of the model on the role of connectivity on ionic conductivity of porous bodies, including the role of grain boundaries and space charge region. (2) Calculation of the effect of space charge and morphology of porous bodies on the effective charge transfer resistance of porous composite cathodes. (3) The investigation of the three electrode system for the measurement of cathodic polarization using amperometric sensors.

A salt supernate waste (Tank 48H) generated at the Savannah River Site (SRS) during demonstration of In Tank Precipitation (ITP) process for Cs removal contains nitrates, nitrites, and sodium tetraphenyl borate (NaTPB). This slurry must be pre-processed in order to reduce the impacts of the nitrate and organic species on subsequent vitrification in the Defense Waste Processing Facility (DWPF). Fluidized Bed Steam Reforming (FBSR) is a candidate technology for destroying the nitrates, nitrites, and organics (NaTPB) prior to melting. Bench scale tests were designed and conducted at the Savannah River National Laboratory (SRNL) to demonstrate that bench scale testing can adequately reproduce the CO/CO2 and H2/H2O fugacities representative of the FBSR process and form the appropriate product phases. Carbonate and silicate product phases that were compatible with DWPF vitrification were achieved in the bench scale testing and test parameters were optimized for a pilot scale FBSR demonstration.

The results of the environmental surveillance program conducted at Site A/Plot M in the Palos Forest Preserve area for Calendar Year 2003 are presented. Based on the results of the 1976-1978 radiological characterization of the site, a determination was made that a surveillance program be established. The characterization study determined that very low levels of hydrogen-3 (as tritiated water) had migrated from the burial ground and were present in two nearby hand-pumped picnic wells. The current surveillance program began in 1980 and consists of sample collection and analysis of surface and subsurface water. The results of the analyses are used to (1) monitor the migration pathway of water from the burial ground (Plot M) to the handpumped picnic wells, (2) establish if buried radionuclides other than hydrogen-3 have migrated, and (3) monitor the presence of radioactive and chemically hazardous materials in the environment of the area. Hydrogen-3 in the Red Gate Woods picnic wells was still detected this year, but the average and maximum concentrations were significantly less than found earlier. Hydrogen-3 continues to be detected in a number of wells, boreholes, dolomite holes, and a surface stream. Analyses since 1984 have indicated the presence of low levels of strontium-90 …

Envelope 'C' high-level waste simulants were prepared to represent the chemical composition of the supernates of two tanks located at the Hanford Site in Washington State. Experiments were conducted with these simulants to determine the impact of several chemical and physical parameters on the phenomena of post-filtration precipitation. Baseline experiments were conducted for flow sheet conditions, which involved a reaction of each simulant with 0.075 M strontium nitrate, 0.05 M sodium permanganate, and 1.0 M added sodium hydroxide at 50 degrees Celsius for four hours. Simulants were filtered and stored in the dark under a nitrogen blanket. Chemical and physical parameters investigated were categorized as either reaction or filtrate variables. Reaction variables examined the effect of reaction temperature, free sodium hydroxide concentration, reagent concentrations, and shear level during the precipitation reaction on post-filtration solids formation. Filtrate variables examined the effects of light intensity, temperature of the filtrate, filtration at 50 degrees Celsius, filter pore size, and oxidation-reduction potential (ORP) on post-filtration solids formation. Experiments were designed to study both primary effects and secondary effects of the parameters. Data presented for the primary effects study indicated that post-filtration solids formed with all treatments examined given sufficient time. However, in the short …

Over 1,200 hectares (3,000 acres) of wetlands such as L-Lake; Par Pond; Ponds A, 2, 4, 5, and B; canals; and several creeks (e.g. Steel Creek, Lower Three Runs, and Pen Branch) on the Savannah River Site (SRS) are contaminated with 560 Ci of 137Cs. These environmentally sensitive wetlands pose a significant remediation challenge to the Department of Energy (DOE). A new technology is needed to avoid environmentally destructive remediation. Current muck and truck technologies destroy the sensitive ecosystems, and may increase dose to workers. Because of relatively low amount of clay and weak 137Cs retention capabilities of kaolinite dominant sediments on the SRS, 137Cs has a greater bioavailability here than at any other DOE site. We have previously shown that naturally occurring illite minerals, with a high complexing capability for 137Cs, can sequester 137Cs and reduce its bioavailability when applied to 137Cs contaminated wetlands. Previous research showed that an in situ remediation method using illite minerals reduced 137Cs concentrations in the water 25- to 30-fold, in aquatic plants 3- to 5-fold, and in fish 2- to 3-fold. During this funding period (Fy03) we re-sampled study sites in Pond A and R-Canal that had been treated in 2001 with illite …

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The Pennsylvania State University, under contract to the U.S. Department of Energy, National Energy Technology Laboratory will establish, promote, and manage a national industry-driven Stripper Well Consortium (SWC) that will be focused on improving the production performance of domestic petroleum and/or natural gas stripper wells. The consortium creates a partnership with the U.S. petroleum and natural gas industries and trade associations, state funding agencies, academia, and the National Energy Technology Laboratory. This report serves as the thirteenth quarterly technical progress report for the SWC. Key activities for this reporting period included: (1) hosting three fall technology transfer meetings in Wyoming, Texas, and Pennsylvania, (2) releasing the 2004 SWC request-for-proposal (RFP), and (3) initial planning of the SWC spring meeting in Golden Colorado for selecting the 2004 SWC projects. The Fall technology transfer meetings attracted 100+ attendees between the three workshops. The SWC membership which attended the Casper, Wyoming workshop was able to see several SWC-funded projects operating in the field at the Rocky Mountain Oilfield Testing Center. The SWC is nearing the end of its initial funding cycle. The Consortium has a solid membership foundation and a demonstrated ability to review and select projects that have relevancy to meet the …

Hydrological and geochemical monitoring are key components of site characterization and CO2 plume monitoring for a pilot test to inject CO2 into a brine-bearing sand of the fluvial-deltaic Frio formation in the upper Texas Gulf Coast. In situ, injected CO2 forms a supercritical phase that has gas-like properties (low density and viscosity) compared to the surrounding brine, while some CO2 dissolves in the brine. The pilot test employs one injection well and one monitor well, with continuous pressure and flow-rate monitoring in both wells, and continuous surface fluid sampling and periodic down-hole fluid sampling from the monitor well. Pre-injection site-characterization includes pump tests with pressure-transient analysis to estimate single-phase flow properties, establish hydraulic connectivity between the wells, determine appropriate boundary conditions, and analyze ambient phase conditions within the formation. Additionally, a pre-injection tracer test furnishes estimates of kinematic porosity and the geometry of flow paths between injection and monitor wells under single-phase conditions. Pre-injection geochemical sampling provides a baseline for subsequent geochemical monitoring and helps determine the optimal tracers to accompany CO2 injection. During CO2 injection, hydrological monitoring enables estimation of two-phase flow properties and helps track the movement of the injected CO2 plume, while geochemical sampling provides direct evidence …

The Pennsylvania State University, under contract to the U.S. Department of Energy, National Energy Technology Laboratory will establish, promote, and manage a national industry-driven Stripper Well Consortium (SWC) that will be focused on improving the production performance of domestic petroleum and/or natural gas stripper wells. The consortium creates a partnership with the U.S. petroleum and natural gas industries and trade associations, state funding agencies, academia, and the National Energy Technology Laboratory. This report serves as the twelfth quarterly technical progress report for the SWC. Key activities for this reporting period focused on organizing and hosting three fall technology transfer meetings that will be held in Wyoming, Texas, and Pennsylvania. In addition, work has started on developing the 2004 SWC request-for-proposals which will be released during the next reporting period. During this reporting period, the efforts were focused primarily on the organizing the SWC fall technology transfer meetings.

Efficacy of stabilizing Ce, Co, and Pb by adding apatite and zero-valent Fe (Fe(0)) to contaminated wetland sediments was quantified under oxidizing and reducing conditions. The redox status and the general water chemistry of the oxidized and reduced treatments differed greatly, yet the influences of the amendments on contaminant stabilization were quite similar; both amendments significantly (p less than or equal to 0.05) reduced aqueous contaminant concentrations. Based on resin sorption studies and thermodynamic calculations, Ce existed primarily as cationic and to a smaller extent, anionic species, and Co existed almost as cationic, neutral, and organically complexed species. Based on a series of varying selective extractions, almost 50 wt-percentage of the Co and Pb were already strongly bound to the sediment, thereby limiting the potential (and need) of affecting additional immobilization through the use of amendments.