A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "In 1982 the Supreme Court ruled that states and school districts cannot deny education to illegal alien children residing here. Issues in estimating the costs of providing education to them are of interest because (1) policy discussions concerning illegal immigration often focus on cost impacts; (2) potential costs are borne mostly at the state and local levels; and (3) the Congress could authorize federal reimbursement for benefits provided to illegal aliens, based on estimated state costs or numbers of illegal aliens. The foreign-born population is growing and is concentrated in certain states; the illegal immigrant component is thought to be substantial. Concerns about education costs may reflect "squeezed" state and local budgets, rising school enrollments, and overcrowded schools. To address the potential for estimating the costs of educating illegal alien schoolchildren, this report (1) identifies major government sources of relevant data, (2) describes a Census Bureau plan for developing new information, and (3) outlines costestimation approaches. GAO provided a draft of this report to the National Center for Education Statistics, the Department of Homeland Security, and the Census Bureau. The agencies informed GAO they had no …

None

Total System Performance Assessment (TSPA) is the use of numerical models representing natural processes to evaluate the future performance of natural and engineered components of the repository system. Future performance, in this context, means performance after the operational period and the emplacement of final seals. The basis for developing a TSPA is data collected during surface-based, underground, and laboratory tests and studies; measurements and interpretations by scientific experts; selected information from documented studies; and information related to the engineered barriers and the repository design. The numerical models are developed based on the laws and principles of chemistry and physics, where possible, augmented by empirical studies where necessary, and represent processes relevant to the system using data from field investigations and laboratory studies. The TSPA is a key component of the License Application being submitted by the US Department of Energy (DOE) to the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC). The NRC must be able to find, on the basis of DOE's demonstration, that there is reasonable expectation that nuclear waste can be disposed of safely for many thousands of years without posing an unacceptable risk to public health and safety. TSPA results include an evaluation of uncertainties inherent in assessing long-term …

A high-resolution aeromagnetic survey was recently flown to collect data for geologic investigations in the Southwest Nevada Volcanic Field. This survey represents a marked improvement over previous (1999) surveys. The survey includes over 860 km{sup 2} covered by nearly 16,000 km of flightline with 60-m spacing and an instrument altitude of 30 m above the ground surface. Features of interest visible in the dataset include magnetic banding in the volcanic tuffs that form the faulted terrain and sharp delineation of Quaternary basalt cinder cones and lava flows. This 1:100,000-scale map includes a shaded-relief map base and a semi-transparent overlay of the aeromagnetic data, with inset maps illustrating (1) comparisons of detail between the 1999 and 2004 datasets, (2) polarity reversal banding in the volcanic tuff ridges, (3) details of the morphology of Quaternary basalt centers enhanced by aeromagnetic data, and (4) use of GIS in planning the survey.

In the original Generalized Geometry Holdup (GGH) model, all holdup deposits were modeled as points, lines, and areas[1, 5]. Two improvements[4] were recently made to the GGH model and are currently in use at the Y-12 National Security Complex. These two improvements are the finite-source correction CF{sub g} and the self-attenuation correction. The finite-source correction corrects the average detector response for the width of point and line geometries which in effect, converts points and lines into areas. The result of a holdup measurement of an area deposit is a density-thickness which is converted to mass by multiplying it by the area of the deposit. From the measured density-thickness, the true density-thickness can be calculated by correcting for the material self-attenuation. Therefore the self-attenuation correction is applied to finite point and line deposits as well as areas. This report demonstrates that the finite-source and self-attenuation corrections also provide a means to better separate the gamma rays emitted by the material from the gamma rays emitted by background sources for an improved background correction. Currently, the measured background radiation is attenuated for equipment walls in the case of area deposits but not for line and point sources. The measured background radiation is …

The DOE Office of Fossil Energy had maintained a web site that was meant to provide useful business- and energy-related information about countries and regions of the world for exporters, project developers, and researchers. The site consisted of more than 130 country pages (organized into seven different world regions), with each country page having its own set of links to information sources about that country. There were also more than 30 Country Energy Overviews at the web site -- each of these was a comprehensive review of a specific country's entire energy situation, including sections on Energy Policy, Oil, Natural Gas, Coal, Hydroelectric/Renewables, Nuclear Power, Energy Transmission Infrastructure, Electricity, Electric Industry Overview, Environmental Activities, Privatization, Trade, and Economic Situation. The specific country highlighted in this Country Energy Overview is Azerbaijan.

This report discusses the sponsorship and co-sponsorship of Senate bills. A Senator who introduces a bill or other measure in the Senate is called its sponsor. Senators may together submit a bill, but the first-named Senator is considered the chief sponsor; the others are considered cosponsors.

None

This report provides background information and analysis of key issues to serve as a resource document for the reauthorization debate. This report provides background information on activities intended to help mitigate pollution resulting from highway construction and travel, and analyzes key issues for Congress.

None

Ernest Orlando Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) is a multiprogram scientific facility operated by the University of California for the Department of Energy (DOE). The Laboratory's research is directed toward the physical, biological, environmental, and computational sciences--in order to deliver the scientific knowledge and discoveries pertinent to DOE's missions. To provide the highest degree of protection for its workers, the public, and the environment, Berkeley Lab employs a system called Integrated Safety Management (ISM). ISM is a comprehensive DOE management system that involves five core functions: work planning, hazard and risk analysis, establishment of controls, work performance in accordance with the controls, and feedback and improvement. These five core functions are applied to all activities at Berkeley Lab. Laboratory activities are planned and conducted with full regard to protecting the public and the environment and complying with appropriate environmental laws and regulations. Both radiological and nonradiological activities are thoroughly monitored to assess their potential impacts on public health and the environment. Berkeley Lab has committed to developing a focused Environmental Management System (EMS), which will be integrated with the Lab's ISM System. When practical, ISM processes will be used to support environmental performance improvement and compliance management. In calendar …

This report describes and discusses changes to the list of recipients of the Medal since the release of the committee print, Medal of Honor Recipients: 1863-1978, which lists recipients and provides the full text of the citations describing the actions that resulted in the awarding of the Medal.

This report will discuss in detail the Supreme Court case and the lower court decisions that preceded it, providing only so much information on the background and history of the issue as us necessary to an appreciation of the litigation.

None