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State-of-the-art for evaluating the potential impact of tectonism and volcanism on a radioactive waste repository
Most estimates of the time required for safe isolation of radioactive wastes from the biosphere range from 100,000 to 1,000,000 years. For such long time spans, it is necessary to assess the potential effects of geologic processes such as volcanism and tectonic activity on the integrity of geologic repositories. Predictions of geologic phenomena can be based on probabilistic models, which assume a random distribution of events. The necessary historic and geologic records are rarely available to provide an adequate data base for such predictions. The observed distribution of volcanic and tectonic activity is not random, and appears to be controlled by extremely complex deterministic processes. The advent of global plate tectonic theory in the past two decades has been a giant step toward understanding these processes. At each potential repository site, volcanic and tectonic processes should be evaluated to provide the most thorough possible understanding of those deterministic processes. Based on this knowledge, judgements will have to be made as to whether or not the volcanic and tectonic processes pose unacceptable risk to the integrity of the repository. This report describes the potential hazards associated with volcanism and tectonism, and the means for evaluating these processes.
Date:
July 16, 1980
Creator:
unknown
Object Type:
Report
System:
The UNT Digital Library
State-of-the-art for evaluating the potential impact of flooding on a radioactive waste repository
This report is a review of the state-of-the-art for evaluating the potential impact of flooding on a deep radioactive-waste repository, namely, for predicting the future occurrence of catastrophic flooding and for estimating the effect of such flooding on waste containment characteristics. Several detrimental effects are identified: flooding can increase groundwater seepage velocities through a repository within the framework of the existing hydrologic system and thus increase the rate of radioactive-waste leakage to the biosphere; flooding may alter repository hydrology by reversing flow gradients, relocating sources of groundwater recharge and discharge, or shortening seepage paths, thereby producing unpredictable leakage; saturation of a vadose-zone repository during flooding can increase groundwater seepage velocities by several orders of magnitude; and flooding can damage repository-media containment properties by inducing seismic or chemical instability or increasing fracture permeability in relatively shallow repository rock as a result of redistributing in-situ stresses. Short-term flooding frequency and magnitude can be predicted statistically by analyzing historical records of flooding. However, long-term flooding events that could damage a permanent repository cannot be predicted with confidence because the geologic record is neither unique nor sufficienly complete for statistical analysis. It is more important to identify parameters characterizing containment properties (such as permeability, …
Date:
July 16, 1980
Creator:
unknown
Object Type:
Report
System:
The UNT Digital Library
State-of-the-art for evaluating the potential effects of erosion and deposition on a radioactive waste repository. Final report
The potential impact of future geologic processes on the integrity of a deep, high-level radioactive-waste repository is evaluated. The following study identifies the potential consequences of surface erosion and deposition on sub-surface repository containment characteristics and assesses the ability to measure and predict quantitatively the rates and corresponding extent of these processes in the long term. Numerous studies of the magnitudes and rates of surficial erosion and deposition that have been used to determine the minimum allowable depth for a geologic repository (300 m - NRC Code of Federal Regulations, Part 60.122, Draft 10) are cited in this report. Measurement and interpretation of potential rates and extent of surficial processes in these studies involved considerable uncertainty, and the implications of this uncertainty on presently proposed repository siting criteria are addressed herein. Important concepts that should be considered when developing siting criteria to protect against deleterious effects arising from future erosion or deposition are highlighted. Erosion agents that could affect deep repositories are distinguished in this report so that their individual and combined impacts may be examined. This approach is recommended when evaluating potential repository sites in diverse environments that are susceptible to different agents of erosion. In contrast, agents of …
Date:
July 16, 1980
Creator:
unknown
Object Type:
Report
System:
The UNT Digital Library
Tests of Bearing Materials for the Experimental Through-Tubes in the Egcr
The four experimental through-tubes provided in the Experimental Gas Cooled Reactor will extend directly through the core of the reactor and penetrate both the upper and lower pressure vessel heads. Each tube is anchored in an upper head nozzle and the bottom end is allowed to slide in a lower head nozzle. This lower nozzle is basically a T'' section that provides bottom access to the through-tube and a side access for the piping which connects the throughtube to the experimenter's cell. Due to differential thermal expansion of the through- tubes relative to the reactor pressure vessel, vertical movement of the through- tube within the T'' section will be experienced. At the same time a horizontal thrust applied to each tube by thermal expansion of the piping to the experimental cell will result in metalto-metal contact between each tube and the lower T'' section. Tests were conducted on three types of bearing material proposed for use on the through-tubes and T'' sections to minimize galling which can be expected to occur. Stellite No. 12 has been demonstrated to be an adequate bearing material for the intended application. (auth)
Date:
July 16, 1962
Creator:
MacPherson, R. E. & Smith, A. M.
Object Type:
Report
System:
The UNT Digital Library
GAS-COOLED REACTOR PROGRAM QUARTERLY PROGRESS REPORT FOR PERIOD ENDING MARCH 31, 1962
Progress on the gas-cooled reactor program is reported. Separate abstracts were prepared for each of the 14 sections. (M.C.G.)
Date:
July 16, 1962
Creator:
unknown
Object Type:
Report
System:
The UNT Digital Library
An IFE development strategy
The development of inertial fusion as a power source will require achieving four principal milestones: ignition and propagating burn; high gain at low drive energy for the reactor driver; pulse repetition rates of a few Hz; and long-term reliability and economics of a reactor. To keep development time and costs to a minimum, these should be accomplished with as few major facilities as possible. A viable scenario for the Inertial Fusion Energy (IFE) Program would include establishing the first milestone in a Nova Upgrade for ignition and gain and the latter three in an upgradable, low-power Engineering Test Facility (ETF)/Demonstration Power Plant (DPP), i.e. two major facilities. To be successful in as short a time as possible operations at the major facilities would have to be supported by off-line reactor driver and other reactor technology development efforts. These efforts would evaluate and prioritize the myriad of options available at present for power plant and subsystem concepts. This paper describes the elements of such a program that could make the first commercial power available in the decade of the 2020s and estimates the resources needed. This program would be carried out in phases with major go/no-go decision points before each large …
Date:
July 16, 1991
Creator:
Hogan, W.J.; Storm, E. & Lindl, J.D.
Object Type:
Article
System:
The UNT Digital Library
Carbon Capture and Sequestration (CCS): A Primer
Report describing Carbon Capture and Sequestration (CCS), how it is supposed to work, why it has gained the interest and support of some members of Congress, and what some of the challenges are to its implementation and deployment across the United States.
Date:
July 16, 2013
Creator:
Folger, Peter
Object Type:
Report
System:
The UNT Digital Library
The Lacey Act: Protecting the Environment by Restricting Trade
Report that looks at the history and applications of the Lacey Act, which allows the U.S. to enforce the laws of other countries.
Date:
July 16, 2013
Creator:
Alexander, Kristina
Object Type:
Report
System:
The UNT Digital Library
Bahrain: Reform, Security, and U.S. Policy
This report discusses the current state of Bahrain, which has undergone substantial political reforms since the late 1990s, but which still suffers from tension between the Shiite majority and the Sunni-led government. This report focuses particularly on Bahrain's relationship with Iran and with the United States.
Date:
July 16, 2013
Creator:
Katzman, Kenneth
Object Type:
Report
System:
The UNT Digital Library
Air Force F-22 Fighter Program: Background and Issues for Congress
The Air Force F-22 fighter, also known as the Raptor, is the world's most capable air-to-air combat aircraft. The administration wants to end F-22 procurement at 187 aircraft, and the administration's proposed FY2010 budget does not request funding for the procurement of additional F-22s in FY2010. The administration argues, among other things, that 187 F-22s will be sufficient in conjunction with other U.S. tactical aircraft. The issue of F-22 procurement has emerged as one of the highest-profile items of debate on the FY2010 defense budget. This report discusses both sides of the debate in detail.
Date:
July 16, 2009
Creator:
O'Rourke, Ronald
Object Type:
Report
System:
The UNT Digital Library
Guinea's 2008 Military Coup and Relations with the United States
This report analyzes developments in the Francophone West African country of Guinea since the military's seizure of power in December 2008, Guinea's relations with the United States, and U.S. policy in the wake of the coup. It also provides background on Guinean history and politics.
Date:
July 16, 2009
Creator:
Arieff, Alexis & Cook, Nicolas
Object Type:
Report
System:
The UNT Digital Library
GAO's Congressional Protocols (Supersedes GAO-01-145G)
Guidance issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "This publication supersedes GAO-01-145G, GAO's Congressional Protocols, November 2000. This report supersedes GAO-01-145G, GAO's Congressional Protocols November 2000, and GAO-03-198G, GAO's Congressional Protocols: Addendum I, November 2002. This document contains updated protocols governing GAO's work for the Congress. Since we implemented the original protocols in November 2000, we have monitored their application, and several areas were identified as needing additional clarity to enhance our ability to better serve the Congress. The refinements in this edition reflect feedback from Members of Congress and their staffs since the original implementation and, more specifically, comments received between November 2003 and June 2004 on proposed revisions to the protocols. These protocols continue to provide a means of holding GAO accountable for commitments made to the Congress and ensuring that GAO is consistent in dealing with all committees and Members. In order to address existing and growing workload imbalances and provide more transparency about our decision-making criteria, these revised protocols clarify our authority to conduct work, delineate our priorities for initiating work, and identify the factors we consider before accepting congressional requests for work."
Date:
July 16, 2004
Creator:
United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type:
Text
System:
The UNT Digital Library
Biosurveillance: Preliminary Observations on Department of Homeland Security's Biosurveillance Initiatives
Testimony issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "The United States faces potentially dangerous biological threats that occur naturally or may be the result of a terrorist attack. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is developing two major initiatives to provide early detection and warning of biological threats: the National Biosurveillance Integration Center (NBIC), a center for integrating and coordinating information on biological events of national significance, and the BioWatch program that operates systems used to test the air for biological agents. The Implementing Recommendations of the 9/11 Commission Act of 2007 requires DHS to establish a fully operational NBIC by September 30, 2008. This statement discusses the status of DHS's efforts to (1) make NBIC fully operational by the mandated deadline, and (2) improve the BioWatch program's technology. GAO's preliminary observations of these two programs are based on our ongoing work mandated by the Implementing Recommendations of the 9/11 Commission Act of 2007 to review U.S. biosurveillance efforts. To conduct this work, GAO reviewed related statutes; federal directives; and DHS planning, development, and implementation documents on these two initiatives. We also interviewed DHS program officials to obtain additional information about NBIC and BioWatch. DHS reviewed …
Date:
July 16, 2008
Creator:
United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type:
Text
System:
The UNT Digital Library
Equal Employment Opportunity: SSA Region X's Changes to Its EEO Process Illustrate Need for Agencywide Procedures
A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "Employees at the Social Security Administration's (SSA) Region X--which covers Alaska, Idaho, Oregon, and Washington--expressed concern about the Region's equal employment opportunity (EEO) process for employment discrimination complaints. GAO was asked to (1) provide information for fiscal years 1997 through 2001 on the composition of the Region X workforce and for personnel actions such as promotions, awards, and adverse actions by EEO group; (2) describe the EEO complaint process in Region X and any changes to it; (3) assess whether the Region's process is consistent with federal regulations and related guidance; and (4) assess the familiarity with the EEO process of the Region's employees and their attitude toward it."
Date:
July 16, 2003
Creator:
United States. General Accounting Office.
Object Type:
Report
System:
The UNT Digital Library
Homeland Security: DHS's Actions to Recruit and Retain Staff and Comply with the Vacancies Reform Act
A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "Since its inception in 2003, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has faced numerous human capital challenges related to recruiting, retaining, and managing its workforce of nearly 171,000 employees. As requested, this report analyzes DHS's attrition, efforts to recruit and retain staff, use of external employees, and compliance with certain provisions of the Vacancies Reform Act, which requires agencies to report to Congress and the Comptroller General vacancies in certain presidentially-appointed positions requiring Senate confirmation. To conduct its work, GAO surveyed human capital personnel from DHS and its component agencies; analyzed federal personnel data files, Office of Personnel Management (OPM) human capital documentation, and relevant legislation; and interviewed key DHS officials."
Date:
July 16, 2007
Creator:
United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type:
Report
System:
The UNT Digital Library
Private Pensions: Fulfilling Fiduciary Obligations Can Present Challenges for 401(k) Plan Sponsors
A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "American workers increasingly rely on 401(k) plans for their retirement security, and sponsors of 401(k) plans--typically employers--have critical obligations under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA). When acting as fiduciaries, they must act prudently and solely in the interest of plan participants and beneficiaries. The Department of Labor (Labor) is responsible for protecting private pension plan participants and beneficiaries by enforcing ERISA. GAO examined: (1) common 401(k) plan features, which typically have important fiduciary implications, and factors affecting these decisions; (2) challenges sponsors face in fulfilling their fiduciary obligations when overseeing plan operations; and (3) actions Labor takes to ensure that sponsors fulfill their fiduciary obligations, and the progress Labor has made on its regulatory initiatives. To address these objectives, GAO administered a survey asking sponsors how they select plan features and oversee operations, reviewed industry research, conducted interviews, and reviewed related documents."
Date:
July 16, 2008
Creator:
United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type:
Report
System:
The UNT Digital Library
Nursing Home Fire Safety: Recent Fires Highlight Weaknesses in Federal Standards and Oversight
A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "In 2003, 31 residents died in nursing home fires in Hartford, Connecticut, and Nashville, Tennessee. Federal fire safety standards enforced by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) did not require either home to have automatic sprinklers even though they have proven very effective in reducing the number of multiple deaths from fires. GAO was asked to report on (1) the rationale for not requiring all homes to be sprinklered, (2) the adequacy of federal fire safety standards for nursing homes that lack automatic sprinklers, and (3) the effectiveness of state and federal oversight of nursing home fire safety."
Date:
July 16, 2004
Creator:
United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type:
Report
System:
The UNT Digital Library
Information Technology: OMB's Dashboard Has Increased Transparency and Oversight, but Improvements Needed
A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "Federal IT spending has risen to an estimated $79 billion for fiscal year 2011. To improve transparency and oversight of this spending, in June 2009 the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) deployed a public website, known as the IT Dashboard, which provides information on federal agencies' major IT investments, including assessments of actual performance against cost and schedule targets (referred to as ratings). According to OMB, these data are intended to provide both a near real-time and historical perspective of the performance of these investments. GAO was asked to (1) examine the accuracy of the cost and schedule performance ratings on the Dashboard for selected investments and (2) determine whether the data on the Dashboard are used as a management tool to make improvements to IT investments. To do so, GAO selected 8 major investments from 5 agencies with large IT budgets, compared its analyses of the selected investments' performance to the ratings on the Dashboard, and interviewed agency officials about their use of the Dashboard to manage investments."
Date:
July 16, 2010
Creator:
United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type:
Report
System:
The UNT Digital Library
Retirement Security: Challenges and Prospects for Employees of Small Businesses
Testimony issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "About 14 percent of small employers sponsor some type of plan for their employees to save for retirement and these employers in general can face numerous challenges establishing and maintaining a plan. GAO's March 2012 report found that many of the small employers who were contacted said they felt overwhelmed by the number of plan options, plan administration requirements, and fiduciary responsibilities. For example, some small employers found it challenging to select investment funds for their plans. Small employers also cited other challenges in sponsoring a plan, including a lack of financial resources, time, and personnel. GAO's April 2012 review of select 401(k) plans--the most common type of plan sponsored by small employers--found that some smaller plan sponsors did not know about or fully understand fees they and their participants were charged, such as fees associated with group annuity contracts. In addition to these fees, participants in small plans often pay higher recordkeeping and investment management fees than participants in larger plans. GAO's work demonstrates the need for plan sponsors, particularly small sponsors, to understand fees in order to help participants secure adequate retirement savings. Any fees paid …
Date:
July 16, 2013
Creator:
United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type:
Text
System:
The UNT Digital Library
Human Capital: DOD Needs Better Internal Controls and Visibility over Costs for Implementing Its National Security Personnel System
A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "Given a large-scale organizational change initiative, such as the Department of Defense's (DOD) National Security Personnel System (NSPS), is a substantial commitment that will take years to complete, it is important that DOD and Congress be kept informed of the full cost of implementing NSPS. Under the Comptroller General's authority to conduct evaluations on his own initiative, GAO analyzed the extent to which DOD has (1) fully estimated total costs associated with the implementation of NSPS and (2) expended or obligated funds to design and implement NSPS through fiscal year 2006. GAO interviewed department officials and analyzed the NSPS Program Executive Office's (PEO), and the military services' and the Washington Headquarters Services' (hereafter referred to as the components) cost estimates and reports of expended and obligated funds."
Date:
July 16, 2007
Creator:
United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type:
Report
System:
The UNT Digital Library
Homeland Security: New Department Could Improve Coordination but Transferring Control of Certain Public Health Programs Raises Concerns
A statement of record issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "Federal, state, and local governments share responsibility for terrorist attacks. However, local government, including police and fire departments, emergency medical personnel, and public health agencies, is typically the first responder to an incident. The federal government historically has provided leadership, training, and funding assistance. In the aftermath of September 11, for instance, one-quarter of the $40 billion Emergency Response Fund was earmarked for homeland security, including enhancing state and local government preparedness. Because the national security threat is diffuse and the challenge is highly intergovernmental, national policymakers must formulate strategies with a firm understanding of the interests, capacity, and challenges facing those governments. The development of a national strategy will improve national preparedness and enhance partnerships between federal, state, and local governments. The creation of the Office of Homeland Security is an important and potentially significant first step. The Office of Homeland Security's strategic plan should (1) define and clarify the appropriate roles and responsibilities of federal, state, and local entities; (2) establish goals and performance measures to guide the nation's preparedness efforts; and (3) carefully choose the most appropriate tools of government to implement …
Date:
July 16, 2002
Creator:
United States. General Accounting Office.
Object Type:
Text
System:
The UNT Digital Library
International Taxation: Information on Foreign-Owned but Essentially U.S.-Based Corporate Groups Is Limited
A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins ""
Date:
July 16, 2012
Creator:
United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type:
Report
System:
The UNT Digital Library
Federal Highway Funding by Program and Type of Roadway, With Related Safety Data
Correspondence issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "The National Association of Counties contends that rural roads do not receive the level of funding needed to make these roads safer. Rural local roads, which account for more than half of the 8.2 million miles of roadways in the United States, had the highest rate of fatalities per vehicle mile traveled of all types of roadways--over six times that of urban interstates. This report reviews federal highway funding on a state-by-state basis for fiscal years 1992 through 2000 by individual federal highway program and type of roadway. GAO found that about 59 percent of all federal highway funds available to states during fiscal years 1992 through 2000 were spent on urban roads; the rest went to rural roads. Although only about 40 percent of all vehicle miles were traveled on rural roads, about 60 percent of the traffic accident fatalities in 1999 took place on rural roads. The four largest federal highway aid programs that provided funding were the Surface Transportation, National Highway System, Interstate Maintenance, and Bridge Replacement Programs."
Date:
July 16, 2001
Creator:
United States. General Accounting Office.
Object Type:
Text
System:
The UNT Digital Library
Conflict Minerals Disclosure Rule: SEC's Actions and Stakeholder-Developed Initiatives
A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has taken some steps toward developing a conflict minerals disclosure rule, but it has not issued a final rule. For example, SEC published a proposed rule in December 2010 and has gathered and reviewed extensive input from external stakeholders through comment letters and meetings. SEC has also announced, on several occasions, new target dates for the publication of a final rule. In July 2012, SEC announced that the Commission will hold an open meeting in August 2012 to consider whether to adopt a final rule. According to SEC officials, various factors have caused delays in finalizing the rule beyond the April 2011 deadline stipulated in the act, including the intensity of input from stakeholders and the public; the amount of time required to review this input; and the need to conduct a thorough economic analysis for rule making."
Date:
July 16, 2012
Creator:
United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type:
Report
System:
The UNT Digital Library