Correspondence issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO provided information on the expenditures for the Office of Independent Counsel Kenneth W. Starr/Robert W. Ray, focusing on: (1) the office's responses to 46 questions; (2) whether the expenditures were incurred under Independent Counsel Starr's or Independent Counsel Ray's tenure; and (3) the total costs of the investigation to date."

Correspondence issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "Pursuant to a legislative requirement, GAO provided information on the Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Rural Development (RD) mission area's progress in improving its credit program cost estimates."

A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO provided information on the: (1) portion of the labor force without pension coverage and how that proportion has changed over the past decade; (2) characteristics of workers in that labor force; and (3) proportion and characteristics of retired people who lack pension income or pension assets."

A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO reviewed strategies for managing human capital management at selected public and private call centers, focusing on: (1) whether they identify human capital needs as part of developing management strategies and practices to meet missions and goals; (2) implement human capital strategies and practices; and (3) evaluating human capital strategies and practices to continuously improve their operations."

The subject of tritium production in the Antiproton Source Collection lens was raised in the mid-1980s during the design phase of the pbar source. Interest in it has recurred during development of the proton lens and in recent investigations to determine the feasibility of liquid lithium collection lenses for the pbar source and a muon collider project. Calculations for tritium and beryllium 7 production on lithium suffer from a lack of information on medium and high energy cross section data. In addition, knowledge of the energy spectrum within the target vault is based upon calculations. Knowledge of the low energy spectrum, important for tritium production on lithium, is limited, if not non-existent. For Collider Run II, effort is to be applied to improve the performance of the solid lithium lens. Historically, examination of failed lithium lenses has not been pursued because they have been fairly radioactive and because they are thought to contain significant quantities of the radionuclides tritium and beryllium 7. The development of methods to examine failed lithium lenses may be desirable so that the specific causes of failure can be discovered. From such studies, design improvements can be incorporated with the goal of achieving lens performances goals …

The purpose of this analysis is to describe the condition of commercial Zircaloy clad fuel as it is received at the Yucca Mountain Project (YMP) site. Most commercial nuclear fuel is encased in Zircaloy cladding. This analysis is developed to describe cladding degradation from the expected failure modes. This includes reactor operation impacts including incipient failures, potential degradation after reactor operation during spent fuel storage in pool and dry storage and impacts due to transportation. Degradation modes include cladding creep, and delayed hydride cracking during dry storage and transportation. Mechanical stresses from fuel handling and transportation vibrations are also included. This Analysis and Model Report (AMR) does not address any potential damage to assemblies that might occur at the YMP surface facilities. Ranges and uncertainties have been defined. This analysis will be the initial boundary condition for the analysis of cladding degradation inside the repository. In accordance with AP-2.13Q, ''Technical Product Development Planning'', a work plan (CRWMS M&O 2000c) was developed, issued, and utilized in the preparation of this document. There are constraints, caveats and limitations to this analysis. This cladding degradation analysis is based on commercial Pressurized Water Reactor (PWR) fuel with Zircaloy cladding but is applicable to Boiling …

As part of the Spent Nuclear Fuel (SNF) storage basin clean-up project, sludge that has accumulated in the K Basins due to corrosion of damaged irradiated N Reactor will be loaded into containers and placed in interim storage. The Hanford Site Treatment Complex (T Plant) has been identified as the location where the sludge will be stored until final disposition of the material occurs. Long term storage of sludge from the K Basin fuel storage facilities requires identification and analysis of potential accidents involving sludge storage in T Plant. This report is prepared as the initial step in the safety assurance process described in DOE Order 5480.23, Nuclear Safety Analysis Reports and HNF-PRO-704, Hazards and Accident Analysis Process. This report documents the evaluation of potential hazards and off-normal events associated with sludge storage activities. This information will be used in subsequent safety analyses, design, and operations procedure development to ensure safe storage. The hazards evaluation for the storage of SNF sludge in T-Plant used the Hazards and Operability Analysis (HazOp) method. The hazard evaluation identified 42 potential hazardous conditions. No hazardous conditions involving hazardous/toxic chemical concerns were identified. Of the 42 items identified in the HazOp study, eight were determined …

The goals of this paper are to (1) ascertain the ability of atmospheric GCMs to hindcast the summer monsoons of 1987, 1988, and 1993, (2) to determine how well the models represent the dominant modes of subseasonal variability of the 850hPa flow, (3) to determine if the models can represent the strong link between the subseasonal modes of variability and the rainfall, (4) to determine if the models properly project these modes onto interannual timescales, (5) to determine if it is possible to objectively discriminate among the ensemble members to ascertain which members are most reliable. The results are based upon contributions to the seasonal prediction model intercomparison project (SMIP), which was initiated by the CLIVAR Working Group on Seasonal to Interannual Prediction (WGSIP). For June-September, ensembles of integrations were performed using observed initial conditions, and observed sea surface temperatures. Here, the results from a 4-member ensemble from the United Kingdom Met Office (UKMO) model are presented for the sake of brevity. The conclusions based on the analysis of this model are consistent with the behavior of the other models.

This screening addresses the critical characteristics for food industry type cans and containers used for handling and storage of special nuclear materials at the Plutonium Finishing Plant (PFP). HNF-5460, Revision 0 specified a minimum tin plate of 0.50 Ib./base box. Since the food pack cans currently used and that have been tested have a listed tin plate of 0.20 lbs. per base box, Revision 1 reduced the tin plate to {ge} 0.20 Ib./base box (i.e., No. 20 tinned commercial steel or heavier). This revision lists Critical Characteristics for two (2) large filtered containers, and associated shielding over-packs. These new containers are called ''Nuclear Material Containers'' (NMCs). They are supplied in various sizes, which can be nested, one inside another. The PFP will use NMCs with volumes up to 8-quarts as needed to over-pack largely bulged containers.

This functional analysis identifies the hierarchy and describes the subsystem functions that support the Double-Shell Tank (DST) System described in HNF-SD-WM-TRD-007, System Specification for the Double-Shell Tank System. Because of the uncertainty associated with the need for upgrades of the existing catch tanks supporting the Waste Feed Delivery (WFD) mission, catch tank functions are not addressed in this document. The functions identified herein are applicable to the Phase 1 WFD mission only.

The experimental validation of first principals calculations of plutonium and its alloys is an important part of LLNL's science-based stockpile stewardship mission. This project has addressed this issue in the following ways. We have measured the electronic structure of U, Pu, and their alloys using valence band photoemission (PES), Soft X-Ray fluorescence (SXF), and X-Ray Absorption Spectroscopy (XAS). In the long term, this will allow a direct comparison between calculated and measured density of electronic states, identifying the degree of f-electron localization in the alloys, and thus, permit selection of the best modeling code.

In May 2000, the U.S. Department of Energy, Office of River Protection (DOE-ORP) and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) held meetings regarding the management of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in the Hanford tank waste. It was decided that the radioactive waste currently stored in the double-shell tanks (DSTs) contain waste which will become subject to the Toxic Substance Control Act (TSCA) (40 CFR 761). As a result, DOE-ORP directed the River Protection Project tank farm contractor (TFC) to prepare plans for managing the PCB inventory in the DSTs. Two components of the PCB management plans are this assessment of the operational impacts of TSCA regulation and the identifications of deviations from TSCA that are required to accommodate tank farm unique limitations. This plan provides ORP and CH2M HILL Hanford Group, Inc. (CHG) with an outline of TSCA PCB requirements and their applicability to tank farm activities, and recommends a compliance/implementation approach. Where strict compliance is not possible, the need for deviations from TSCA PCB requirements is identified. The purpose of assembling this information is to enhance the understanding of PCB management requirements, identify operational impacts and select impact mitigation strategies. This information should be useful in developing formal agreements with …

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This memorandum responds to the request for both quantitative and qualitative assessments of the assertion that the decline in timber harvesting from the national forests over the past 10 years is a significant factor contributing to the current severe fire season in the West. Table 1 and Figure 1, below, present 20 years of national forest timber harvest volumes and acres burned on Forest Service protected areas. (Because of several cooperative agreements, the Forest Service protects some non-federal lands, while other organizations protect some national forest lands. However, the total acres protected by the Forest Service roughly equals the National Forest System acres. Thus, the difference in lands seems likely to be insignificant.)

Using Van Kampen's normal mode expansion, we solve the initial value problem for a high-gain free-electron laser (FEL) described by the three-dimensional Maxwell-Klimontovich equations. An expression of the radiation spectrum is given for the process of coherent amplification and self-amplified spontaneous emission. It is noted that the input coupling coefficient for either process increases with the initial beam energy spread. The effective start-up noise is identified as the coherent fraction of the spontaneous undulator radiation in one field gain length, and is larger with increasing energy spread and emittance mainly because of the increase in gain length.

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We report high-resolution measurements of the linear thermal-expansion coefficient perpendicular to the conducting planes, {alpha}{perpendicular}(T), on single crystals of the superconductors {kappa}-(ET){sub 2}X with X=I{sub 3}, CU(NCS){sub 2} and Cu[N(CN){sub 2}]Br. For all three compounds we find pronounced negative phase-transition anomalies at {Tc}. Using the Ehrenfest relation, the uniaxial-pressure coefficients of {Tc} can be determined. We find that interlayer effects are of crucial importance for {Tc} in this class of materials. Regarding also interlayer effects we compare our results with recent theories addressing the p-T phase diagram.

A patented dynamic mechanical filter developed by InnovaTech was previously shown to remove fine particulate matter from industrial process gas streams at ambient temperatures and pressures. An all-metal, high-temperature version of this novel media-less filter was fabricated under this Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) with DOE/NETL-Morgantown for hot gas testing of the device. The technology is entirely different in both concept and design from conventional vortex separators, cyclones, or porous media filters. This new filtration concept is capable of separating heavy loading of fine particles without blinding, fouling or bridging, and would require minimal operational costs over its anticipated multi-year service life. The all-metal filter design eliminates thermal stress cracking and premature failure prevalent in conventional porous ceramic filters. In contrast, conventional porous media filters (i.e., ceramic cross-flow or candles) easily foul, require periodic cleaning (typically backpulsing), frequent replacement and subsequent disposal.

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Long-haul trucks idling overnight consume more than 838 million gallons (20 million barrels) of fuel annually. Idling also emits pollutants. Truck drivers idle their engines primarily to (1) heat or cool the cab and/or sleeper, (2) keep the fuel warm in winter, and (3) keep the engine warm in the winter so that the engine is easier to start. Alternatives to overnight idling could save much of this fuel, reduce emissions, and cut operating costs. Several fuel-efficient alternatives to idling are available to provide heating and cooling: (1) direct-fired heater for cab/sleeper heating, with or without storage cooling; (2) auxiliary power units; and (3) truck stop electrification. Many of these technologies have drawbacks that limit market acceptance. Options that supply electricity are economically viable for trucks that are idled for 1,000--3,000 or more hours a year, while heater units could be used across the board. Payback times for fleets, which would receive quantity discounts on the prices, would be somewhat shorter.

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Detailed studies of the magnetic field orientation on magnetic quantum oscillations in two charge transfer salts of the molecule ET have been carried out. .After all conventional mechanisms affecting quantum oscillations have been accounted for, we find that the amplitude of the oscillations has an underlying dependence exp({minus}{alpha} tan 0), where {theta} is the angle between the normal to the highly-conducting layers and the magnetic field, and a is a constant.

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