This report provides a hazard categorization of the 105 K East and 105 K West in-basin activities associated with the fuel sampling and transport preparations. It is limited to those characterization activities performed in the 105 KE and 105 KW fuel storage basin structures. The methodology of DOE standard DOE-STD-10227-92 is used. The report documents the determination that the in-basin activities associated with the fuel characterization program are classified as Hazard Category 3 (hazard analysis shows the potential for only significant localized consequences).

The Regulatory Facility Guide (RFG) has been developed for the DOE and contractor facilities located in the state of Ohio. It provides detailed compilations of international, federal, and state transportation-related regulations applicable to shipments originating at destined to Ohio facilities. This RFG was developed as an additional resource tool for use both by traffic managers who must ensure that transportation operations are in full compliance with all applicable regulatory requirements and by oversight personnel who must verify compliance activities.

This guide provides detailed compilations of international, federal, and state transportation related regulations applicable to shipments originating at or destined to Tennessee facilities. Information on preferred routes is also given.

The Genetic Privacy Act is a proposal for federal legislation. The Act is based on the premise that genetic information is different from other types of personal information in ways that require special protection. Therefore, to effectively protect genetic privacy unauthorized collection and analysis of individually identifiable DNA must be prohibited. As a result, the premise of the Act is that no stranger should have or control identifiable DNA samples or genetic information about an individual unless that individual specifically authorizes the collection of DNA samples for the purpose of genetic analysis, authorized the creation of that private information, and has access to and control over the dissemination of that information.

The Genetic Privacy Act is a proposal for federal legislation. The Act is based on the premise that genetic information is different from other types of personal information in ways that require special protection. The DNA molecule holds an extensive amount of currently indecipherable information. The major goal of the Human Genome Project is to decipher this code so that the information it contains is accessible. The privacy question is, accessible to whom? The highly personal nature of the information contained in DNA can be illustrated by thinking of DNA as containing an individual`s {open_quotes}future diary.{close_quotes} A diary is perhaps the most personal and private document a person can create. It contains a person`s innermost thoughts and perceptions, and is usually hidden and locked to assure its secrecy. Diaries describe the past. The information in one`s genetic code can be thought of as a coded probabilistic future diary because it describes an important part of a unique and personal future. This document presents an introduction to the proposal for federal legislation `the Genetic Privacy Act`; a copy of the proposed act; and comment.

This report is a highlights of some of the research being conducted at the Oak Ridge Y-12 Plant. The areas of research being Metal Processing, Conduit Fabrication, Materials Science, and Instrumentation and Evaluation Technology.

Oxide inclusions form in welds because of deoxidation reactions in the weld pool. These inclusions control the weld microstructure development. Thermodynamic and kinetic calculation of oxidation reaction can describe inclusion characteristics such as number density, size, and composition. Experimental work has shown that fluid-flow velocity gradients in the weld pool can accelerate inclusion growth by collision and coalescence. Moreover, fluid flow in welds can transport inclusions to different temperature regions that may lead to repeated dissolution and growth of inclusions. These phenomena are being studied with the help of computational coupled heat transfer, fluid-flow, thermodynamic, and kinetic models. The results show that the inclusion formation in steel welds can be described as a function of the welding processes, process parameters, and steel composition.

As part of an overall effort to upgrade and streamline methodologies for safety analyses of nonreactor nuclear facilities at the Savannah River Site (SRS), a human error data base has been developed and is presented in this report. The data base fulfills several needs of risk analysts supporting safety analysis report (SAR) development. First, it provides a single source for probabilities or rates for a wide variety of human errors associated with the SRS nonreactor nuclear facilities. Second, it provides a documented basis for human error probabilities or rates. And finally, it provides actual SRS-specific human error data to support many of the error probabilities or rates. Use of a single, documented reference source for human errors, supported by SRS-specific human error data, will improve the consistency and accuracy of human error modeling by SRS risk analysts. It is envisioned that SRS risk analysts will use this report as both a guide to identifying the types of human errors that may need to be included in risk models such as fault and event trees, and as a source for human error probabilities or rates. For each human error in this report, ffime different mean probabilities or rates are presented to …

This paper describes a life cycle analysis system (LCAS) developed to support US Department of Energy (DOE) decision-making regarding deactivation and decommissioning (D and D), pollution prevention (P2), and asset recovery, and its deployment to analyze the disposition of facilities and capital assets. Originally developed for use at the Oak Ridge East Tennessee Technology Park, this approach has been refined through application at Ohio Operations Office sites and is now being deployed at a number of DOE sites. Programs such as National Metals Recycle, the D and D Focus Area, P2, and Asset Utilization are successfully using the system to make better decisions resulting in lower cost to the taxpayer and improved environmental quality. The LCAS consists of a user-friendly, cost-effective, and analytically-sound decision-aiding process and a complementary suite of automated tools to handle data administration and multiple criteria life cycle analysis (LCA). LCA is a systematic and comprehensive process for identifying, assessing, and comparing alternatives for D and D, P2, and asset recovery at government sites, and for selecting and documenting a preferred alternative. An LCA includes all of the impacts (benefits and costs) that result from a course of action over the entire period of time affected by …

The life cycle analysis toolbox is a valuable integration of decision-making tools and supporting materials developed by Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) to help Department of Energy managers improve environmental quality, reduce costs, and minimize risk. The toolbox provides decision-makers access to a wide variety of proven tools for pollution prevention (P2) and waste minimization (WMin), as well as ORNL expertise to select from this toolbox exactly the right tool to solve any given P2/WMin problem. The central element of the toolbox is a multiple criteria approach to life cycle analysis developed specifically to aid P2/WMin decision-making. ORNL has developed numerous tools that support this life cycle analysis approach. Tools are available to help model P2/WMin processes, estimate human health risks, estimate costs, and represent and manipulate uncertainties. Tools are available to help document P2/WMin decision-making and implement programs. Tools are also available to help track potential future environmental regulations that could impact P2/WMin programs and current regulations that must be followed. An Internet-site will provide broad access to the tools.

''The Murmansk Initiative - RF'' is a tri-lateral project developed to support Russia's ability to meet the London Convention's prohibition on ocean disposal of radioactive waste. The Initiative, under a tripartite agreement, has upgraded an existing low-level liquid radioactive waste treatment facility, increasing capacity from 1,200 m{sup 3}/year to 5,000 m{sup 3}/year, and expanded capability to treat liquids containing salt (up to 10 g/L). The three parties to the agreement, the Russian Federation, Norway, and the United States, have all contributed the project. All construction has been provided by Russia. Construction of mechanical systems (piping and valves, pumps, sorbent columns, settling tanks, and surge tanks) is nearing completion, with instrumentation and control (I&C) systems currently being installed. Delays to the I&C installation have occurred because changes in system specifications required additional U.S. supplied computer control equipment to be purchased, and clearance through customs (both U.S. and Russian) has been slow. Start-up testing has been limited to testing of isolated sub-systems because of the delays in the I&C installation. The current state of the Russian economy and completion of a cementation unit, which was not part of the original tri-partite agreement, have hampered final construction activities. Russian regulatory authorities have stated …

Despite the current worldwide oil glut, the United States will ultimately require large-scale production of liquid (transportation) fuels from coal. Slurry phase Fischer Tropsch (FT) technology, with its versatile product slate, may be expected to play a major role in production of transportation fuels via indirect coal liquefaction. Texas A&M University (TAMU) with sponsorship from the US Department of Energy, Center for Energy and Mineral Resources at TAMU, Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, and Air Products and Chemicals, Inc., has been working on development of improved iron FT catalysts and characterization of hydrodynamic parameters in two- and three-phase bubble columns with FT derived waxes. Our previous studies have provided an improved understanding of the role of promoters (Cu and K), binders (silica) and pretreatment procedures on catalyst activity, selectivity and longevity (deactivation). The objective of the present contract was to develop improved catalysts with enhanced slurry phase activity and higher selectivity to liquid fuels and wax. This was accomplished through systematic studies of the effects of pretreatment procedures and variations in catalyst composition (promoters and binders). The major accomplishments and results in each of these two main areas of research are summarized here.

The adiabatic Born-Oppenheimer potential energy surface approximation is not valid for reaction of a wide variety of energetic materials and organic fuels; coupling between electronic states of reacting species plays a key role in determining the selectivity of the chemical reactions induced. This research program initially studies this coupling in (1) selective C-Br bond fission in 1,3- bromoiodopropane, (2) C-S:S-H bond fission branching in CH[sub 3]SH, and (3) competition between bond fission channels and H[sub 2] elimination in CH[sub 3]NH[sub 2].

The adiabatic Born-Oppenheimer potential energy surface approximation is not valid for reaction of a wide variety of energetic materials and organic fuels; coupling between electronic states of reacting species plays a key role in determining the selectivity of the chemical reactions induced. This research program initially studies this coupling in (1) selective C-Br bond fission in 1,3- bromoiodopropane, (2) C-S:S-H bond fission branching in CH{sub 3}SH, and (3) competition between bond fission channels and H{sub 2} elimination in CH{sub 3}NH{sub 2}.

The U.S. Department of Energy will present an update and review of its programs in aluminum and magnesium for automotive and heavy-duty vehicle applications. While the main programs focused on vehicle materials are in the Office of Transportation Technologies, contributing efforts will be described in the DOE Office of Industrial Technologies and the DOE Office of Energy Research. The presentation will discuss materials for body/chassis and power train, and will highlight the considerable synergy among the efforts. The bulk of the effort is on castings, sheet, and alloys with a smaller focus on metal matrix composites. Cost reduction and energy savings are the overriding themes of the programs.

The adhesion of alumina scales to aluminide bond coats is a life-limiting factor for some advanced thermal barrier coating systems. This study investigated the effects of aluminide bond coat sulfur and platinum contents on alumina scale adhesion and coating microstructural evolution during isothermal and cyclic oxidation testing at 1150 C. Low-sulfur NiAl and NiPtAl bond coats were fabricated by chemical vapor deposition (CVD). Lowering the sulfur contents of CVD NiAl bond coatings significantly improved scale adhesion, but localized scale spallation eventually initiated along coating grain boundaries. Further improvements in scale adhesion were obtained with Pt additions. The observed influences of Pt additions included: (1) mitigation of the detrimental effects of high sulfur levels, (2) drastic reductions in void growth along the scale-metal interface, (3) alteration of the oxide-metal interface morphology, and (4) elimination of Ta-rich oxides in the Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} scales during thermal cycling. The results of this study also suggested that the microstructure (especially the grain size) of CVD aluminide bond coatings plays a significant role in scale adhesion.

This project was aimed at furthering understanding of the latent effects of ionizing radiation. The underlying premise was that such latent (i.e., delayed) effects stemmed from radiation-induced genetic instability. As model system to investigate certain aspects of genomic instability, they proposed to look at chromosomal instability involving quasi-targeted radiation-induced breakpoints in the vicinity of the HPRT gene in EJ30 human epithelial cells. Using whole chromosome painting of the X chromosome, the authors were able to show that about 15% of randomly selected 6-thioguanine resistant (6TG{prime}) mutants involved translocations in the terminal portion of Xq. Subsequent analysis, using human genomic YAC probes confirmed that all the translocations were either within (or near Xq26.1), the cytogenetic location of HPRT, whereas none were found elsewhere involving the X chromosome.

The Idaho National Engineering Laboratory (INEL) has been involved in nuclear reactor research and development for over 40 years. One of the earliest major projects involved the development of a nuclear powered aircraft engine, a long-term venture which used mercury as a shielding medium. Over the course of several years, a significant amount of mercury was spilled along the railroad tracks where the test engines were transported and stored. In addition, experiments with volume reduction of waste through a calcine process employing mercury as a catalyst resulted in mercury contaminated calcine waste. Both the calcine and Test Area North wastes have been identified in Department of Energy Action Memorandums to be retorted, thereby separating the mercury from the various contaminated media. Lockheed Idaho Technologies Company awarded the Mercury Retort contract to ETAS Corporation and assigned Parsons Engineering Science, Inc. to manage the treatment field activities. The mercury retort process entails a mobile unit which consists of four trailer-mounted subsystems requiring electricity, propane, and a water supply. This mobile system demonstrates an effective strategy for retorting waste and generating minimal secondary waste.

A series of bench-scale experiments were conducted to determine the optimum reaction conditions for destruction of styrene-divinyl benzene based cation resin and methylene chloride by the mediated electrochemical oxidation (MEO) process. Reaction parameters examined include choice of electron transfer mediator, reaction temperature and solvent system. For the cation exchange resins, maximum destruction efficiencies were obtained using cerium (IV) as mediator in nitric acid at a temperature of 70 C. Reasonable efficiencies were also realized with silver(II) and cobalt (III) at ambient temperature in the same solvent. Use of sulfuric acid as the solvent yielded much lower efficiencies under equivalent conditions. Methylene chloride was found to react only with silver (II) at ambient temperature in nitric acid media, cobalt (III) and cerium (IV) were totally ineffective. These results demonstrate a need to perform bench-scale experiments to determine optimum operating conditions for each organic substrate targeted for treatment by the MEO process.

Mercury was effectively removed from the oil via sorption using SAMMS.The method was demonstrated on a large scale using ORNL waste oil contaminated with mercury. This technology is ready for further demonstration and implementation when the SAMMS material is available in large quantities.

The hydrosilation chemistry involving manganese acyl complexes (L)(CO){sub 4}MnC(O)R (L = CO, PPh{sub 3}; R = CH{sub 3}, Ph) as substrates and as precatalysts has been developed. Results of a kinetics study on the (CO){sub 5}Mn(p-toluoyl)-catalyzed SiH/SiD exchange between DSiMe{sub 2}Ph and HSiMe{sub 2}Et established that coordinatively unsaturated (CO){sub 4}MnSiR{sub 3}, the active catalyst, sequentially adds one substrate silane and then releases a product silane. Results of this mechanistic study afforded the working hypothesis for much of our current research: manganese acyl-hydrosilane mixtures generate unsaturated silyl complexes, which are active catalysts for the hydrosilation of a variety of substrates. These active catalysts, (CO){sub 4}MnSiR{sub 3}, also were generated through photolysis of (CO){sub 5}MnSiR{sub 3}.

The objective of this research is to develop a mechanistic understanding of the oxidation of coal and coal pyrite, and to correlate the intrinsic physical and chemical properties of these minerals, along with changes resulting from oxidation, with those surface properties that influence the behavior in physical cleaning processes. Work during the eighteenth quarter has focused on severe oxidation of coal by thermal and chemical treatment, and on investigating the partition of metal ions between such strongly oxidized coal samples and aqueous solutions. This partitioning behavior is being followed to obtain further information on the chemistry of the coal surfaces after different oxidation treatments, for example, whether partition occurs by an ion-exchange mechanism, or whether the surface is capable of changing the oxidation state of metallic species, with concurrent surface or bulk precipitation.

This report discusses: Cryogenic technology; polymer shell fabrication; glass shell fabrication and characterization; coating technology; development of characterization techniques; laser technology; and plasma research and instrumentation.

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