Estimating and coping with public response to radioactive waste repository siting (open access)

Estimating and coping with public response to radioactive waste repository siting

The siting and construction of a radioactive waste disposal operation is likely to be controversial in the communities being considered, and at the state and national levels as well. Public response can be conceptualized at two levels: individual, and group or organizational. At the individual level, public response is the behavior of people motivated by their attitudes, knowledge, and perceptions of radioactive waste and its hazards and risks. On the group or organizational level, public response is the organized activity of individuals. Organizations provide the ability to pool resources and talents, set up a division of labor, hire experts, develop a skilled leadership, take legal action, and so on. A broad range of organizations is possible: ad hoc, existing community groups with an added purpose, nationally-recognized organizations, or government offices and agencies. Two cases of response to radioactive waste disposal sites illustrate these sources and kinds of response and lead to indicators to estimate the nature and level of response. Finally, drawing from the theoretical discussion of the sources and levels of public response, on the estimation techniques, and on the examples, specific coping strategies are developed. These strategies take different forms, based on the nature and level of response …
Date: February 7, 1984
Creator: Payne, B.A.
Object Type: Article
System: The UNT Digital Library
Thin-thick quadrature frequency conversion (open access)

Thin-thick quadrature frequency conversion

The quadrature conversion scheme is a method of generating the second harmonic. The scheme, which uses two crystals in series, has several advantages over single-crystal or other two crystal schemes. The most important is that it is capable of high conversion efficiency over a large dynamic range of drive intensity and detuning angle.
Date: February 7, 1985
Creator: Eimerl, D.
Object Type: Article
System: The UNT Digital Library
Advanced direct coal liquefaction. Quarterly technical progress report No. 1, September-November 1983 (open access)

Advanced direct coal liquefaction. Quarterly technical progress report No. 1, September-November 1983

Wyoming subbituminous coal was liquefied using three different two-stage process configurations in bench-scale tests. These process configurations differed in the type of fractionated deashing resid being recycled to the individual stages. The objective of these runs was to determine whether, by recycle of specific resid streams to the thermal stage, the second stage catalyst life could be improved without detrimentally affecting distillate yield or hydrogen consumption. The results indicate that the two-stage process configuration consisting of hydrotreating the Light Deashed Resid and direct recycle of heavy Deashed Resid to the thermal stage produced the best results. This process configuration resulted in a distillate yield of 54 wt % (MAF coal basis) and overall coal conversion in the 93 to 95% range, as measured by pyridine-soluble analytical test while operating in a total distillate mode. These results are very encouraging from the lower rank Wyoming subbituminous coal. Among the three two-stage process configurations tested, the particular process configuration of hydrotreating Light Deashed Resid resulted in the least amount of catalyst deactivation. As a part of this research effort, a test procedure for quick evaluation of various resids and catalysts in terms of coke precursors was also developed. This procedure utilizing as-produced …
Date: February 7, 1984
Creator: Paranjape, A.S.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Multiyear Procurement (MYP) and Block Buy Contracting in Defense Acquisition: Background and Issues for Congress (open access)

Multiyear Procurement (MYP) and Block Buy Contracting in Defense Acquisition: Background and Issues for Congress

This report provides background information and issues for Congress on multiyear procurement (MYP) and block buy contracting (BBC), which are special contracting mechanisms that Congress permits the Department of Defense (DOD) to use for a limited number of defense acquisition programs. Compared to the standard or default approach of annual contracting, MYP and BBC have the potential for reducing weapon procurement costs by several percent.
Date: February 7, 2014
Creator: O'Rourke, Ronald & Schwartz, Moshe
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Navy Irregular Warfare and Counterterrorism Operations: Background and Issues for Congress (open access)

Navy Irregular Warfare and Counterterrorism Operations: Background and Issues for Congress

This report provides background information and potential issues for Congress on the Navy's irregular warfare (IW) and counterterrorism (CT) operations. The Navy's IW and CT activities pose a number of potential oversight issues for Congress, including the definition of Navy IW activities and how much emphasis to place on IW and CT activities in future Navy budgets.
Date: February 7, 2014
Creator: O'Rourke, Ronald
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Diesel Pollution: Fragmented Federal Programs That Reduce Mobile Source Emissions Could Be Improved (open access)

Diesel Pollution: Fragmented Federal Programs That Reduce Mobile Source Emissions Could Be Improved

A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "Federal grant and loan funding for activities that reduce mobile source diesel emissions is fragmented across 14 programs at the Department of Energy (DOE), the Department of Transportation (DOT), and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). From fiscal years 2007 through 2011, the programs obligated at least $1.4 billion for activities that have the effect of reducing mobile source diesel emissions. The programs have varying goals and purposes; nevertheless, each program allows or requires a portion of its funding to support activities that reduce mobile source diesel emissions, such as replacing fleets of older diesel trucks or school buses with natural gas vehicles. In addition, each of the 14 programs overlaps with at least one other program in the specific activities they fund, the program goals, or the eligible recipients of funding. GAO also identified several instances of duplication where more than one program provided grant funding to the same recipient for the same type of activities. However, GAO was unable to determine whether unnecessary duplication exists because of limited information on program administrative costs, among other things. GAO did not find any gaps among the programs, …
Date: February 7, 2012
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
K-12 Education: Characteristics of the Investing in Innovation Fund (open access)

K-12 Education: Characteristics of the Investing in Innovation Fund

Correspondence issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "From fiscal years 2010 to 2012, Education awarded over half ($493 million of $937 million) of Investing in Innovation (i3) grants funds as validation grants, and most awards went to partnerships involving nonprofit organizations. Nonprofit organizations partnering with school consortia accounted for a large portion of i3 funds largely because they have won four ($170 million) of the five scale-up grants that Education made in competitions through 2012."
Date: February 7, 2014
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Text
System: The UNT Digital Library
Bureau of Prisons: Eligibility and Capacity Impact Use of Flexibilities to Reduce Inmates' Time in Prison (open access)

Bureau of Prisons: Eligibility and Capacity Impact Use of Flexibilities to Reduce Inmates' Time in Prison

A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "BOP’s use of authorities to reduce a federal prisoner’s period of incarceration varies. BOP primarily utilizes three authorities—the Residential Drug Abuse Treatment Program (RDAP), community corrections, and good conduct time."
Date: February 7, 2012
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Sub-Saharan Africa: Case Studies of U.S and Chinese Economic Engagement in Angola, Ghana, and Kenya; a Supplement to GAO-13-199 (open access)

Sub-Saharan Africa: Case Studies of U.S and Chinese Economic Engagement in Angola, Ghana, and Kenya; a Supplement to GAO-13-199

A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "This supplemental report is a companion to Sub-Saharan Africa: Trends in U.S. and Chinese Economic Engagement (GAO-13-199). This supplement presents the results of our case studies of U.S. and Chinese economic engagement in three sub-Saharan African countries--Angola, Ghana, and Kenya. We conducted these case studies to compare the United States' and China's trade, grants and loans, and investment activities in sub-Saharan Africa. For contextual information about the three countries and additional information on U.S. and Chinese engagement in sub-Saharan Africa broadly, see GAO-13-199."
Date: February 7, 2013
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
DOD Business Systems Modernization: Air Force Business System Schedule and Cost Estimates (open access)

DOD Business Systems Modernization: Air Force Business System Schedule and Cost Estimates

A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "The Air Force's schedule that supported the February 2012 Milestone B decision for the Defense Enterprise Accounting and Management System (DEAMS) did not meet best practices. The cost estimate did meet best practices, but the issues associated with the schedule could negatively affect the cost estimate. GAO found that the schedule supporting the Air Force's decision to invest in DEAMS partially or minimally met the four characteristics for developing a high-quality and reliable schedule. For example, the schedule did not reflect all government and contractor activities, and resources were not assigned to specific activities. The schedule also lacked a valid critical path, preventing management from focusing on the activities most likely to cause critical program delays if they are not completed as planned. In addition, a schedule risk analysis was not conducted to predict a level of confidence in meeting the program's completion date."
Date: February 7, 2014
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Hurricanes Katrina and Rita: Federal Actions Could Enhance Preparedness of Certain State-Administered Federal Support Programs (open access)

Hurricanes Katrina and Rita: Federal Actions Could Enhance Preparedness of Certain State-Administered Federal Support Programs

A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "Hurricanes Katrina and Rita displaced over 1 million people and affected some of the poorest areas of the country. Many of those affected by the hurricanes received federal assistance from the Old Age, Survivors, and Disability Insurance (Social Security), Supplemental Security Income (SSI), Food Stamp, Unemployment Insurance (UI), and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) programs beforehand and others were newly eligible after the storms. Under the Comptroller General's authority, GAO assessed the (1) challenges the hurricanes created for programs to take applications and pay benefits, (2) factors that helped or hindered programs' efforts, and (3) areas that warrant further attention and actions being taken to improve programs' disaster response. To do this work, GAO reviewed policies, reports, and plans, and interviewed program officials at the federal level and in Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas."
Date: February 7, 2007
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Supply Chain Security: Container Security Programs Have Matured, but Uncertainty Persists over the Future of 100 Percent Scanning (open access)

Supply Chain Security: Container Security Programs Have Matured, but Uncertainty Persists over the Future of 100 Percent Scanning

Testimony issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "As part of its efforts to identify high-risk cargo for inspection, CBP uses various sources of information to screen containers in advance of their arrival in the United States. For example, in 2009, CBP implemented the Importer Security Filing and Additional Carrier Requirements to collect additional information for targeting. The additional cargo information required, such as country of origin, is to be provided to CBP in advance of arrival of the cargo containers at U.S. ports. In September 2010, GAO recommended that CBP establish milestones and time frames for updating its targeting criteria to include additional information. In response, CBP updated its targeting criteria in January 2011."
Date: February 7, 2012
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Text
System: The UNT Digital Library
U.S. Export-Import Bank: Actions Needed to Promote Competitiveness and International Cooperation (open access)

U.S. Export-Import Bank: Actions Needed to Promote Competitiveness and International Cooperation

A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "The United States and other G-7 countries have ECAs that support domestic exports, but Ex-Im differs from other ECAs in several important ways, including its explicit mission to promote domestic employment. The G-7 ECAs range from government agencies to private companies contracted by governments. Most of these ECAs, including Ex-Im, are expected to supplement, not compete with, the private market. Ex-Im offers direct loans, which were increasingly utilized during the recent financial crisis, while European ECAs do not."
Date: February 7, 2012
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Medicare: Nurse Anesthetists Billed for Few Chronic Pain Procedures; Implementation of CMS Payment Policy Inconsistent (open access)

Medicare: Nurse Anesthetists Billed for Few Chronic Pain Procedures; Implementation of CMS Payment Policy Inconsistent

A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "From 2009 through 2012, certified registered nurse anesthetists (CRNA)—a type of advanced-practice nurse specializing in anesthesia care—billed Medicare fee-for-service (FFS) for a minimal share of selected chronic pain procedures, less than ½ of 1 percent of these procedures in each year. Physicians without board certification in pain medicine billed for the majority of selected procedures each year, while pain physicians consistently billed for roughly 40 percent of selected procedures. Furthermore, although the number of chronic pain procedures billed by all rural providers increased from 2009 through 2012, the number of procedures billed by rural CRNAs declined over the period. Of all CRNA claims for selected procedures, the share billed by CRNAs in rural areas fell from 66 percent in 2009 to 39 percent in 2012."
Date: February 7, 2014
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Election Reform: Nine States' Experiences Implementing Federal Requirements for Computerized Statewide Voter Registration Lists (open access)

Election Reform: Nine States' Experiences Implementing Federal Requirements for Computerized Statewide Voter Registration Lists

A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "The Help America Vote Act of 2002 (HAVA) was enacted in part to help ensure that only eligible persons are registered to vote. Under HAVA, as of January 1, 2004, states were to create computerized statewide voter registration lists to serve as official rosters of legally registered voters for elections for federal office. States, however, were given the option to seek a waiver to postpone implementation of HAVA provisions until 2006. All but nine states did so. This report discusses the experiences of the nine states that were subject to the original HAVA deadline--Alaska, Arizona, Georgia, Hawaii, Kentucky, Minnesota, South Carolina, South Dakota, and West Virginia. The report describes actions election officials in these states reported taking to meet specific HAVA requirements--as applicable to their states--for (1) establishing computerized statewide voter registration lists and (2) verifying the accuracy of information on voter registration applications and maintaining accurate computerized voter lists. GAO is also reporting what states said about challenges they faced and lessons learned implementing the requirements. Draft sections of this report were reviewed by the nine states; the Election Assistance Commission, which was responsible for …
Date: February 7, 2006
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Fiscal Year 2013 Budget Request: U.S. Government Accountability Office (open access)

Fiscal Year 2013 Budget Request: U.S. Government Accountability Office

Testimony issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "This testimony discusses the U.S. Government Accountability Office’s (GAO) budget request for fiscal year (FY) 2013. GAO very much appreciates the confidence Congress has shown in the efforts to help support the Congress in carrying out its constitutional responsibilities and to help improve government performance and accountability for the benefit of the American people."
Date: February 7, 2012
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Text
System: The UNT Digital Library
Homeland Security Grants: Observations on Process DHS Used to Allocate Funds to Selected Urban Areas (open access)

Homeland Security Grants: Observations on Process DHS Used to Allocate Funds to Selected Urban Areas

Correspondence issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "In fiscal year 2006, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) provided approximately $1.7 billion in federal funding to states, localities, and territories through its Homeland Security Grant Program (HSGP) to prevent, protect against, respond to, and recover from acts of terrorism or other catastrophic events. The Urban Areas Security Initiative (UASI) is a discretionary grant under this program, and since fiscal year 2003, Congress has directed DHS to target UASI funding to high-threat, high-density urban areas to assist in building capacity. To meet this requirement and inform funding decisions, DHS developed a method to estimate the relative risk of terrorist attacks to urban areas. From fiscal year 2003 through 2005, DHS used a number of risk indicators such as population density and threat to allocate UASI funds. UASI funding increased during this period from about $96 million to $830 million, while the number of urban areas that received grants grew from 7 to 43. In fiscal year 2006, DHS awarded approximately $711 million in UASI grants--a 14 percent reduction in funds from the previous year--while the number of eligible urban areas identified by the risk assessment decreased to …
Date: February 7, 2007
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Text
System: The UNT Digital Library
Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act: Jurisdictions Face Challenges to Implementing the Act, and Stakeholders Report Positive and Negative Effects (open access)

Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act: Jurisdictions Face Challenges to Implementing the Act, and Stakeholders Report Positive and Negative Effects

A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "The Office of Sex Offender Sentencing, Monitoring, Apprehending, Registering, and Tracking (SMART Office) within the Department of Justice (DOJ) has determined that 19 of the 37 jurisdictions that have submitted packages for review have substantially implemented the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA). Although the SMART Office has determined that 17 of the jurisdictions that submitted packages have not yet substantially implemented SORNA, the office concluded that 15 of these 17 jurisdictions have implemented at least half of the SORNA requirements; the office has not yet made a determination for 1 jurisdiction that submitted a package. A majority of nonimplemented jurisdictions reported that generating the political will to incorporate the necessary changes to their state laws and related policies or reconciling legal conflicts are among the greatest challenges to implementation. For example, officials from 27 nonimplemented jurisdictions reported reconciling conflicts between SORNA and state laws--such as which offenses should require registration--as a challenge to implementing SORNA. Officials from 5 of 18 jurisdictions that responded to a survey question asking how DOJ could help address these challenges reported that the SMART Office could provide greater flexibilities; …
Date: February 7, 2013
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Community Services Block Grant Program: HHS Needs to Improve Monitoring of State Grantees (open access)

Community Services Block Grant Program: HHS Needs to Improve Monitoring of State Grantees

Correspondence issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "The House Committee on Education and the Workforce has asked GAO to review the administration of the Community Services Block Grant (CSBG) program. As part of this review, we are examining the Department of Health and Human Services' (HHS) efforts to monitor states' use of CSBG funds. Specifically, we have been reviewing efforts undertaken by HHS's Office of Community Services (OCS), which has primary responsibility for administering the CSBG program."
Date: February 7, 2006
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Text
System: The UNT Digital Library
Air Force and Interior Can Benefit from Additional Guidance When Deciding Whether to Lease or Purchase Equipment (open access)

Air Force and Interior Can Benefit from Additional Guidance When Deciding Whether to Lease or Purchase Equipment

Correspondence issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "Contracting officials from Air Force and Interior generally did not perform lease versus purchase analyses for selected contracts. Based on contract file reviews and discussions with contracting officials, we found that analyses were not performed and that contracting officials had not considered the alternative acquisition method for 24 of the 32 selected contracts. For the 8 contracts with lease versus purchase analyses, 5 were documented in the contract files and 3 were performed but were not documented, according to contracting officials. In most cases, contract files did not contain basic information to make lease or purchase decisions, such as the length of time the equipment would be used. Even files containing documentation of analyses generally did not address the full range of criteria specified in the FAR. For example, the analyses typically lacked a discussion of the financial and operating advantages of alternate approaches that would help contracting officials determine the appropriate acquisition method. Contracting officials noted that their decision to lease or purchase equipment often depends on the nature of the requirement, such as a short-term need for equipment, based on documents or other correspondence from the …
Date: February 7, 2012
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Text
System: The UNT Digital Library
Defense Acquisitions: DOD's Practices and Processes for Multiyear Procurement Should Be Improved (open access)

Defense Acquisitions: DOD's Practices and Processes for Multiyear Procurement Should Be Improved

A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "DOD spends $10 billion annually on multiyear procurement (MYP) contracts for weapons systems. MYPs may save money through more efficient relationships with suppliers and producers, but may also suffer losses if cancelled and can limit future budget flexibility. Recently, Congress has been concerned about DOD's management of the process and savings realized by MYPs. GAO was asked to evaluate DOD's review process for MYP candidates; examine MYP program outcomes; identify the impact of changes to MYP savings threshold guidance, and determine how much DOD validates MYP performance. To do this, GAO reviewed statutes and other guidance, held discussions with relevant officials, examined DOD budget justifications and contracts, and conducted limited case studies."
Date: February 7, 2008
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Launch Services New Entrant Certification Guide (open access)

Launch Services New Entrant Certification Guide

Correspondence issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "The Air Force based its Guide on existing NASA policy and procedures with respect to payload risk classification and launch vehicle certification. Payloads are classified based in part on factors such as national significance, payload complexity and cost, and are assigned a risk tolerance level accordingly. The Air Force, NASA, and NRO are working to coordinate and share information to facilitate launch vehicle certification efforts; however, each agency will determine for itself when certification has been achieved. As a result, some duplication and overlap of efforts could occur. The Air Force has also added other prerequisites to certification for new entrants that are not captured within the Guide, such as an approved implementation plan and a cooperative research and development agreement. According to the Air Force, these agreements are legal mechanisms intended to enable data sharing between the Air Force and new entrants, while protecting the interests of both."
Date: February 7, 2013
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Text
System: The UNT Digital Library
Sub-Saharan Africa: Trends in U.S. and Chinese Economic Engagement (open access)

Sub-Saharan Africa: Trends in U.S. and Chinese Economic Engagement

A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "View Chinese version of Highlights (PDF, 1 page)."
Date: February 7, 2013
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Improper Payments: Moving Forward with Governmentwide Reduction Strategies (open access)

Improper Payments: Moving Forward with Governmentwide Reduction Strategies

Testimony issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "Federal agencies reported an estimated $115.3 billion in improper payments in fiscal year 2011, a decrease of $5.3 billion from the prior year reported estimate of $120.6 billion. The $115.3 billion estimate was attributable to 79 programs spread among 17 agencies. Ten programs accounted for about $107 billion or 93 percent of the total estimated improper payments agencies reported for fiscal year 2011. The reported decrease in fiscal year 2011 was primarily related to three programs—decreases in program outlays for the Department of Labor’s Unemployment Insurance program, and decreases in reported error rates for the Earned Income Tax Credit program and the Medicare Advantage program. Further, the Office of Management and Budget reported that agencies recaptured $1.25 billion in improper payments to contractors, vendors, and healthcare providers in fiscal year 2011. Over half of this amount, $797 million, can be attributed to the Medicare Recovery Audit Contractor program which identifies Medicare overpayments and underpayments."
Date: February 7, 2012
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Text
System: The UNT Digital Library