The Commodity Credit Corporation of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (CCC/USDA) operated a grain storage facility at Barnes, Kansas, during most of the interval 1949-1974. Carbon tetrachloride contamination was initially detected in 1986 in the town's public water supply wells. In 2006-2007, the CCC/USDA conducted a comprehensive targeted investigation at and near its former property in Barnes to characterize this contamination. Those results were reported previously (Argonne 2008a). In November 2007, the CCC/USDA began quarterly groundwater monitoring at Barnes. The monitoring is being conducted on behalf of the CCC/USDA by Argonne National Laboratory, in accord with the recommendations made in the report for the 2006-2007 targeted investigation (Argonne 2008a). The objective is to monitor the carbon tetrachloride contamination identified in the groundwater at Barnes. The sampling is presently conducted in a network of 28 individual monitoring wells (at 19 distinct locations), 2 public water supply wells, and 1 private well (Figure 1.1). The results of the 2006-2007 targeted investigation and the subsequent monitoring events in November 2007 (Argonne 2008b) and March 2008 (Argonne 2008c) demonstrated the presence of carbon tetrachloride contamination in groundwater at levels slightly exceeding the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) Tier 2 risk-based screening level …

The purpose of this conservation assessment is to summarize existing knowledge regarding the biology and ecology of the Siskiyou Mountains salamander and Scott Bar salamander, identify threats to the two species, and identify conservation considerations to aid federal management for persistence of the species. The conservation assessment will serve as the basis for a conservation strategy for the species.

A phase 11 study has been initiated to investigate surfactant-assisted coal liquefaction, with the objective of, quantifying the enhancement in liquid yields and product quality. This report covers the third quarter of work. The major accomplishments were (1) completion of coal liquefaction autoclave reactor runs and related analysis with Illinois {number_sign}6 coal at a processing temperature of 375{degree}C, and pressures of 1800 and 1500 psig, (2) completion and analysis of two autoclave reactor runs to observe the synergistic effect of the surfactant and an iron catalyst, and (3) setting up a subcontract with HRI Inc. to test the surfactant enhanced liquefaction process in a continuous flow reactor.

Past operations at a grain storage facility formerly leased and operated by the Commodity Credit Corporation of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (CCC/USDA) in Ramona, Kansas, resulted in low concentrations of carbon tetrachloride in groundwater that slightly exceed the regulatory standard in only one location. As requested by the Kansas Department of Health and Environment, the CCC/USDA has prepared a Corrective Action Study (CAS) for the facility. The CAS examines corrective actions to address groundwater impacted by the former CCC/USDA facility but not releases caused by other potential groundwater contamination sources in Ramona. Four remedial alternatives were considered in the CAS. The recommended remedial alternative in the CAS consists of Environmental Use Control to prevent the inadvertent use of groundwater as a water supply source, coupled with groundwater monitoring to verify the continued natural improvement in groundwater quality. The Commodity Credit Corporation of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (CCC/USDA) has directed Argonne National Laboratory to prepare a Corrective Action Study (CAS), consistent with guidance from the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE 2001a), for the CCC/USDA grain storage facility formerly located in Ramona, Kansas. This effort is pursuant to a KDHE (2007a) request. Although carbon tetrachloride levels at the …

In this research project we have tightly integrate the use of level of detail with PC cluster-based rendering systems.

This study has been made to assess the needs, potential benefits and the applicability of early (circa year 2000) Nuclear Electric Propulsion (NEP) technology in conducting NASA science missions. The study goals are: to obtain the performance characteristics of near term NEP technologies; to measure the performance potential of NEP for important OSSA missions; to compare NEP performance with that of conventional chemical propulsion; to identify key NEP system requirements; to clarify and depict the degree of importance NEP might have in advancing NASA space science goals; and to disseminate the results in a format useful to both NEP users and technology developers. This is a mission performance study and precludes investigations of multitudes of new mission operation and systems design issues attendant in a NEP flight.

The smallmouth buffalo fish, Ictiobus bubalus (Rafinesque), population of Watts Bar Reservoir, of the Tennessee River down stream from Oak Ridge National Laboratory, was investigated in order to describe its age distribution, growth rates, dispersion, and importance as an accumulator of radionuclides. Measurements and scale samples were taken from commercially-caught fish and fish caught in the ORNL tagging operations. Scale impressions were anaiyzed for age and growth phenomena. Dispersion of smallmouth buffalo was investigated by conventional of ging methods and by autoradiographic analyses of scales. Stable and radiochemicsl composition of scales was examined by spectrographic analysis, flame spectrophotometer and radiometric surveys. Calcium was the most abundance element in fish scales with at lease twenty-three other elements present in varying quantities. Fish scaless and bone were found to contain radionuclides of ruthenium, cesium, zirconium, zinc, and cobalt. Radiometric surveys of scales revealed the Watts Bar Reservoir smallmouth buffalo population was a relatively minor accumulator of radionuclides with only 0.08 per cent showing the presence of artificially produced radionuclides. Approximately 6 per cent of the Clinch River fish and 77 per cent of the White Oak Creek fish had accumulations. Limited data on dispersion were determined from conventional tags. Much more dispersion …