A continuous, cascade dissolver systems, using an air-lift pump for circulation and suspension of solid particles has been developed. This dissolver system has been used to dissolve plutonium oxide, incinerator ash and other residues generated during the chemical processing of plutonium. An integral part of the dissolver system development involved the design and fabrication of a reliable continuous feed system for the dissolver.

Monsanto Research Corporation operates Mound Facility, a government-owned facility of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) in Miamisburg, Ohio. Mound Facility is an integrated research, development, and production facility performing work in support of DOE weapon and nonweapon programs with emphasis on explosive and nuclear technology. This report provides information on the environmental monitoring of the Mound plant for 1977.

Many human vigilance experiments are summarized and principles are extracted which should be useful in designing and evaluating a nuclear material safeguard system. A human is a poor observer and is not a dependable part of any man-machine system when required to function as an observer. There are a few techniques which improve his performance by providing feedback. A conceptual model is presented which is helpful in design and evaluation of systems. There is some slight experimental support for the model. Finally, some techniques of time study and statistical control charting will be useful as a means of detecting nuclear diversion attempts.

Design and assessment of the material control aspect of nuclear safeguard systems requires consideration of three types of functional elements: (1) material handling or processing, (2) actions of adversaries in their attempt to divert nuclear materials from their normal containment, and (3) components of material control and accounting and physical security systems that detect and respond to stimuli generated by the adversary actions. This paper describes a Material Control System Simulator (MCSS) program that simplifies computer simulation of safeguard systems by providing predefined functional models of these three types of elements. Specification of model systems requires only data pertaining to the performance characterization of these functional elements, so users with no prior computer simulation or programming experience can model and study the dynamic performance of safeguard systems. The paper presents an overview of MCSS and an example diversion attempt simulation that illustrates some of the features of the program.

The current status of the LLL program for MC and A system assessment is reviewed. Particular emphasis is given to the assessment procedure and results. The integrated approach we have taken includes many of the functions normally assigned to physical security. Deceit and tampering are explicitly considered. The results of such a detailed assessment include a systematic identification of adversary targets; the most vulnerable portions of the safeguards system; the number and type of adversaries required, in collusion, to fail the system; and the conditional probabilities of safeguard system failure for a variety of assumptions. The assessment procedure was demonstrated by analyzing a prototype fuel cycle facility, the Test Bed. We believe our methodology will be useful to the NRC as a means of performing detailed, objective assessments. The nuclear industry also should find it valuable as a design tool.

An assessment of the effectiveness of the Material Control and Accounting System (MC and A) in a hypothetical nuclear facility, the TEST BED is presented. The key in assessing the TEST BED is the generation of adversary event sets. The adversary event sets are generated and analyzed by a directed graph (digraph) and fault tree procedure. Although the TEST BED is a system hardened against SNM theft, the assessment of the TEST BED finds several major weaknesses, and also indicates possible modifications to correct these weaknesses.

Document issued by the Office of the Attorney General of Texas in Austin, Texas, providing an interpretation of Texas law. It provides the opinion of the Texas Attorney General, John L. Hill, regarding a legal question submitted for clarification; May the Polygraph Examiners Board accept gifts of money from a private source to supplement its operating budget.

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 technical status report covering the period April 24 through June 3, 1978 dealing with the study on potential for conserving energy by shifting some shipments of manufactured products from motor trucking to railroads is presented. The work activities for the period comprise eight subtasks, consisting of the identification of shippers relevent to the study, three rounds of interviews and analysis, preparation of interim and final reports, and discussions with railroads. Some transport data on 24 commodities are tabulated in an Appendix, Analysis of the Energy Savings Implications of Shifts in Shippers' Modal Choice from Truck to Rail Freight Services.