A weekly publication, the Texas Register serves as the journal of state agency rulemaking for Texas. Information published in the Texas Register includes proposed, adopted, withdrawn and emergency rule actions, notices of state agency review of agency rules, governor's appointments, attorney general opinions, and miscellaneous documents such as requests for proposals. After adoption, these rulemaking actions are codified into the Texas Administrative Code.

The K East Basin contains open-top canisters with up to fourteen N Reactor fuel assemblies distributed between the two barrels of each canister. Each fuel assembly generally consists of inner and outer concentric elements fabricated from uranium metal with zirconium alloy cladding. The canisters also contain varying amounts of accumulated sludge. Retrieval of sample fuel elements and associated sludge for examination is scheduled to occur in the near future. The purpose of this document is to specify particular canisters and elements of interest as candidate sources of fuel and sludge to be shipped to laboratories.

This five year project is intended to ensure the availability of well- characterized high-quality coal samples for public and private coal research. It continues support of the DOE Coal Sample Bank and Database at the Pennsylvania State University. Eleven coal samples will be collected, processed, packaged, and analyzed, and a resulting database will be maintained. these samples and data, as well as 45 samples collected under previous contract, will be distributed to DOE contractors and others performing coal research. Samples will be chosen to maintain a sample bank of 56 coals representing the major U.S. coal fields and a variety of coal ranks and compositions. In addition to standard analyses, liquefaction tests and organic geochemical analyses will be performed. The samples will be stored to minimize deterioration and 10 samples will be monitored annually by proximate, sulfur forms, and gaseous oxygen analysis to evaluate their condition. This report describes the tasks performed during the period October 1, 1995 through December 31, 1995 including storage and inventory of samples, monitoring of sample quality and characterization of coal samples.

The Lockheed Martin Energy Systems plating group has decades of experience in electroless nickel plating. The group conceived of, established the validity of, and patented the ENVIRO-CP process for plating bath rejuvenation, which eliminates the generation of hazardous waste from plating processes. Fidelity Chemical Products Corporation supplies chemicals to and has knowledge of the plating industry. A second partner (CRADA identity protected) conducts production plating. The objective of this Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) project was to transfer the ENVIRO-CP process to the plating industry. Energy Systems personnel were to evaluate and modify the general process so that it could be used for a specific plating process, working in concert with the partner. Technical results/accomplishments: the plating solutions and the ENVIRO-CP process were analyzed and modified for direct use in the partner`s plating facility. An engineering flowsheet and pilot plant production-scale equipment were designed. Some pilot-scale equipment was fabricated; the balance will be procured and the system tested when the partner is able to budget for purchase of the remaining equipment.

The US Department of Energy (USDOE) has a program of research in the environmental aspects of oil and gas extraction. This sampling project will characterize the environmental impacts associated with the discharge of naturally occurring radioactive materials (NORM), metals and organics in produced water. This report is part of a series of studies of the health and ecological risks from discharges of produced water to the Gulf of Mexico, supported by the USDOE. These assessments are being coordinated with the field study, using the collected data to perform human health and ecological risk assessments. These assessments will provide input to regulators in the development of guidelines and permits, and to industry in the development and use of appropriate discharge practices. The initial human health and ecological risk assessments consist of conservative screening analyses meant to identify potentially important contaminants, and to eliminate others from further consideration. More quantitative assessments were done for contaminants identified, in the screening analysis, as being of potential concern. Section 2 gives an overview of human health and ecological risk assessment to help put the analyses presented here in perspective. Section 3 provides the hazard assessment portion of the risk assessment, and identifies the important receptors …

The US Department of Energy, Savannah River Operations Office (DOE-SR), has prepared the Site Treatment Plan (STP) for Savannah River Site (SRS) mixed wastes in accordance with RCRA Section 3021(b), and SCDHEC has approved the STP (except for certain offsite wastes) and issued an order enforcing the STP commitments in Volume 1. DOE-SR and SCDHEC agree that this STP fulfills the requirements contained in the FFCAct, RCRA Section 3021, and therefore, pursuant to Section 105(a) of the FFCAct (RCRA Section 3021(b)(5)), DOE`s requirements are to implement the plan for the development of treatment capacities and technologies pursuant to RCRA Section 3021. Emerging and new technologies not yet considered may be identified to manage waste more safely, effectively, and at lower cost than technologies currently identified in the plan. DOE will continue to evaluate and develop technologies that offer potential advantages in public acceptance, privatization, consolidation, risk abatement, performance, and life-cycle cost. Should technologies that offer such advantages be identified, DOE may request a revision/modification of the STP in accordance with the provisions of Consent Order 95-22-HW. The Compliance Plan Volume (Volume 1) identifies project activity schedule milestones for achieving compliance with Land Disposal Restrictions (LDR). Information regarding the technical evaluation …

In September 1990 the Office of Inspector General (OIG) issued the Department-wide Audit of Architect and Engineering Design Costs (DOE/IG-0289) which concluded that the Department`s A/E costs averaged more than twice that of private industry. The primary cause of the higher costs was the lack of Departmental A/E cost standards that would provide measurement criteria for controlling costs. Consistent with our prior Department-wide audit, the purpose of this audit was to determine whether A/E services performed at the Laboratory were economical. Specifically, we determined whether the costs for A/E services at the Laboratory were comparable to the cost standards for A/E services in industry and the State; and, whether A/E costs were reasonable.

The Analytical Development Section (ADS) has developed microelectrode methods for use with pH titrations and pH determinations. These microelectrode methods offer increased sensitivity and enable analyses to be done with smaller sample and buffer volumes than are used with standard size electrodes. This report establishes the technical validity of the methods and describes the application of these methods to decreased detection limits, decreased waste generation, and decreased radiation exposure.