In the first quarter of calendar year 1996, 9 days of combust-boiler tests were performed. Between these tests, modifications and improvements that were indicated by these tests were implemented. In January and early February, the modifications and installations indicated by the 6 days of testing in December 1995 were implemented. This was followed by 6 additional consecutive test days in mid- February. This was in turn followed by additional modifications, followed by a series of 3 one day, coal fired tests at end of March. These latter tests were the first ones in which slagging conditions were achieved in the combustor. The maximum thermal input was 13 MMBtu/hr, which equals two-thirds of the rated boiler heat input. The measured thermal, combustion, and slagging performance achieved in the combustor was superior to that achieved in the final series of tests conducted in Williamsport in 1993. The combustor-boiler facility is now ready for implementation of the task 5 site demonstration.