If the 103rd Congress embarks upon an effort to reauthorize the Endangered Species Act (ESA), it will run into an old acquaintance: the property rights issue. As now written, the ESA has at least the potential to curtail property rights (whatever its actual impact as implemented may be). This report explores the legal repercussions of those impacts, especially whether they constitute takings of property under the fifth amendment of the U.S. Constitution.

Two types of fast bolometers are described for the plasma energy transport study in the Madison Symmetric Torus plasma confinement device. Both types use pyrocrystals of LiTaO[sub 3] or LiNbO[sub 3] as the sensors. One type is used for measurements of the radiated heat losses and is situated at the vacuum shell inner surface. Another type is insertable in the plasma and measures the plasma particle heat flux. The frequency response of the bolometers is measured to be in the 150--200 kHz range. The range of the measured power fluxes is 0.1 W/cm[sup 2] 10 kW/cm[sup 2] and can be adjusted by changing the size of the entrance aperture. The lower limit is determined by the amplifier noise and the frequency bandwidth, the higher limit by destruction of the bolometer sensor.

This report gives a general overview of the EGS[underscore]Windows2 program. The program is intended to be used to display individual particle histories of electrons, photons, and positrons generated by the EGS4 Code System. Much of this work is based on the earlier version of EGS[underscore]Windows2 from the Institute for National Measurement Standards at the National Research Council of Canada (NRCC). No attempt is made to modify their EGS subroutine WATCH, which is used to output the particle vectors to be read by EGS-Windows, or duplicate any of the documentation describing the subroutine. EGS[underscore]Windows2 reads data in the same format as produced by WATCH. Users of EGS[underscore]Windows2 are encouraged to obtain the original EGS[underscore]Windows report from the NRCC in addition to this report as complete documentation of EGS[underscore]Windows2. As in the original report, two levels of information are covered in this report: the user level, and the programmer level. The user level should be read by all users. It describes execution, operation, and capabilities. The programmer level should be read by those users who may want to modify the program or who would like a more detailed understanding. It describes briefly the routines and there function, as well as the major …

Objective is to understand the mechanisms governing nonequilibrium plasma atomistic or molecular deposition of hard face coatings. Laser diagnostic methods include coherent anti-Stokes Raman spectroscopy (CARS) and laser-induced fluorescence. TiB[sub 2] and diamonds were used as the hard face coating materials. Diborane was used as precursor to TiB[sub 2].

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.

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.

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.

A variety of silyl- and alkyl-germylene precursors have been synthesized and subsequently pyrolyzed in the gas phase. Arrhenius parameters were obtained employing a pulsed-stirred flow reactor for these unimolecular decompositions. These precursors are divided into two major categories by mechanism of germylene extrusion: {alpha}-elimination precursors and germylacetylenes. The extrusion of germylenes from germylacetylene precursors is of primary interest. A mechanism is proposed employing a germacyclopropene intermediate. Evidence supporting this mechanism is presented. In the process of exploring germylacetylenes as germylene precursors, an apparent dyatropic rearrangement between germanium and silicon was observed. This rearrangement was subsequently explored.

This document is the fourth quarterly technical progress report under Contract No. DE-AC22-92PC92110, {open_quotes}Development of Vanadium-Phosphate Catalysts for Methanol Production by Selective Oxidation of Methane.{close_quotes} During this quarter, the authors focused primarily on catalyst activity testing in the microreactor. Additional blank runs using methane and methanol were performed. Initial attempts at preparing a silica supported catalyst are described. These results are discussed in detail and plans for the coming quarter are outlined.

The roughly 0.5-km{sup 2} (0.2-mi{sup 2}) Hanford Waste Vitrification Plant (WHVP) site is located in the Pasco Basin in south-central Washington State at the US Department of Energy`s Hanford Site. The HWVP site is planned for use as a waste treatment facility for treating the high-activity fraction of waste currently stored in underground storage tanks on the Hanford Site. In order to determine the pre-construction chemical properties of the proposed construction site soils and to enable the HWVP to segregate these, as necessary, from any impact of HWVP operations, a soil baseline sampling plan was written and implemented. The report describes the baseline sampling plan.

Element-specific magnetic hysteresis measurements on heteromagnetic materials have been achieved by using circularly polarized soft-x- rays. Dramatically different Fe and Co hysteresis curves of Fe/Cu/Co trilayers were obtained by recording the magnetic circular dichroism (MCD) at their respective L{sub 3} white lines as a function of applied magnetic field. The data resolve the complicated hysteresis curves, observed by conventional magnetometry, and determine the individual magnetic moments for the Fe and Co layers. Fine hysteresis features, imperceptible in the conventional curves, were also observed, demonstrating a new application of circularly polarized soft-x-rays in the investigation of magnetic systems.

Since its beginning, the Atmospheric Release Advisory Capability (ARAC), an emergency radiological dose assessment service of the US Government, has been called on to do consequence assessments for releases into the atmosphere of radionuclides and a variety of other substances. Some of the more noteworthy emergency responses have been for the Three Mile Island and Chernobyl nuclear power reactor accidents, and more recently, for a cloud of gases from a rail-car spill into the Sacramento river of the herbicide metam sodium, smoke from hundreds of burning oil wells in Kuwait, and ash clouds from the eruption of Mt. Pinatubo. The spatial scales of these responses range from local, to regional, to global, and the response periods from hours, to weeks, to months. Because of the variety of requirements of each unique assessment, ARAC has developed and maintains a flexible system of people, computer software and hardware.

Objective is to understand the mechanisms governing nonequilibrium plasma atomistic or molecular deposition of hard face coatings. Laser diagnostic methods include coherent anti-Stokes Raman spectroscopy (CARS) and laser-induced fluorescence. TiB{sub 2} and diamonds were used as the hard face coating materials. Diborane was used as precursor to TiB{sub 2}.

The Energy Information Administration (EIA), in cooperation with the US Geological Survey (USGS), has assessed 13 major petroleum producing regions outside of the United States. This series of assessments has been performed under EIA`s Foreign Energy Supply Assessment Program (FESAP). The basic approach used in these assessments was to combine historical drilling, discovery, and production data with EIA reserve estimates and USGS undiscovered resource estimates. Field-level data for discovered oil were used for these previous assessments. In FESAP, supply projections through depletion were typically formulated for the country or major producing region. Until now, EIA has not prepared an assessment of oil and gas provinces in the former Soviet Union (FSU). Before breakup of the Soviet Union in 1991, the Fergana basin was selected for a trial assessment of its discovered and undiscovered oil and gas. The object was to see if enough data could be collected and estimated to perform reasonable field-level estimates of oil and gas in this basin. If so, then assessments of other basins in the FSU could be considered. The objective was met and assessments of other basins can be considered. Collected data for this assessment cover discoveries through 1987. Compared to most other oil …

This program includes six tasks, including (1) a project measuring the performance of unique solar system components, (2) a project to develop a methodology for determining annual performance ratings of solar domestic hot water systems, (3) a project that will identify, analyze, design, build, and experimentally evaluate SDHW systems incorporating advanced concepts and components, (4) a liquid desiccant cooling system development project, (5) a project that will perform TRNSYS simulations to determine potential energy savings for desiccant cooling systems, especially in humid climates, and (6) a management task. The objectives and progress in each task are described.

Available thermodynamic data for volatilization of U and Pu gaseous species under oxidizing conditions are tabulated: UO{sub 3}, UO{sub 2}(OH){sub 2}, UO{sub 2}F{sub 2}, PuO{sub 3}, PuO{sub 2}(OH){sub 2}. Results of a thermodynamic analysis of U, Pu, and Am volatilities in the secondary combustor, plasma arc process, and vitrifier are given.

We have measured solute trapping of Sn in Al over a wide enough range of velocities to make a quantitative test of theory. The Continuous Growth Model of Aziz is the only one-parameter model that fits the data. We have also measured the diffusive speed - the growth rate at which interfacial partitioning is in mid-transition between equilibrium partitioning and complete solute trapping - for several solutes in A1. We have found an inverse correlation between the equilibrium partition coefficient and the diffusive speed. Taken together, these results give us heretofore unprecedented predictive capability in modeling rapid solidification processing. We have also examined theoretically short-range diffusion-limited growth, characteristic of incomplete solute trapping, and interface-limited growth, characteristic of complete solute trapping, in alloy solidification and have shown that the two regimes fall naturally out of a single unified theory of solidification.

Two types of fast bolometers are described for the plasma energy transport study in the Madison Symmetric Torus plasma confinement device. Both types use pyrocrystals of LiTaO{sub 3} or LiNbO{sub 3} as the sensors. One type is used for measurements of the radiated heat losses and is situated at the vacuum shell inner surface. Another type is insertable in the plasma and measures the plasma particle heat flux. The frequency response of the bolometers is measured to be in the 150--200 kHz range. The range of the measured power fluxes is 0.1 W/cm{sup 2} 10 kW/cm{sup 2} and can be adjusted by changing the size of the entrance aperture. The lower limit is determined by the amplifier noise and the frequency bandwidth, the higher limit by destruction of the bolometer sensor.

Research and development in support of the DWPF began during the 1970`s at the Savannah River Technology Center (formerly the Savannah River Laboratory). A large amount of data relevant to compliance with the Waste Acceptance Product Specifications (WAPS) was generated prior to the preparation and issue of the WAPS. Thus, most of this data was not generated under a quality assurance program which meets the Office of Civilian Radioactive Waste Management`s requirements. The DWPF has developed a plan for qualification of existing data sets which will be used to establish compliance with the WAPS, which is reported here. In this document, the existing data sets which will be used for compliance are identified, and the method(s) of qualification of each data set for use in the Waste Form Qualification Report is defined. This document thus provides a link between the detailed descriptions of all of the compliance activities in the Waste Form Compliance Plans (WCP), and the requirements for qualification of existing data sets used for compliance purposes. All of these data sets will be qualified by the end of Qualification Runs in the DWPF.

The investigations with the anion exchange resin Reillex{trademark}-HPQ is continuing along several different paths. The topics of current investigations that are reported here are: The sorption behavior of chromium(VI) on Reillex{trademark}-HPQ from nitric acid solutions and from sodium hydroxide/sodium nitrate solutions; sorption behavior of F{sup {minus}} on Reillex{trademark}-HPQ resin in acidic sodium nitrate solution; sorption behavior of Cl{sup {minus}} on Reillex{trademark}-HPQ resin in acidic sodium nitrate solution; sorption behavior of Br{sup {minus}} on Reillex{trademark}-HPQ resin in acidic sodium nitrate solution; and the Honors thesis by one of the students is attached as Appendix II (on ion exchange properties of a new macroperous resin using bromide as the model ion in aqueous nitrate solutions).

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, Dan Morales, regarding a legal question submitted for clarification; Whether a member of an appraisal review board may appear before the board either in a capacity as a court-appointed receiver or a registered property tax consultant without violating conflict-of-interest laws and related questions (RQ-507, ID# 18811)

Letter opinion 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, Dan Morales, regarding a legal question submitted for clarification;Whether the Harris county flood County District may engage in wetland mitigation programs pursuant to the Wetlands Mitigation Act,V.T.C.S art,5421u (RQ-377).

Letter opinion 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, Dan Morales, regarding a legal question submitted for clarification;Whether a county clerk may collect a records management and preservation fee on a document filed in an adverse probate action(ID# 20909)

Letter opinion 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, Dan Morales, regarding a legal question submitted for clarification: Removal of criminal record subject to expunction order from agency files (ID# 18550)