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 Information published in the Texas Register includes proposed, adopted, withdrawn and emergency rule actions, notices of state agency review of agency rules, governor's appointments, attorney general opinions, and miscellaneous documents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 Information published in the Texas Register includes proposed, adopted, withdrawn and emergency rule actions, notices of state agency review of agency rules, governor's appointments, attorney general opinions, and miscellaneous documents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 Information published in the Texas Register includes proposed, adopted, withdrawn and emergency rule actions, notices of state agency review of agency rules, governor's appointments, attorney general opinions, and miscellaneous documents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 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 Information published in the Texas Register includes proposed, adopted, withdrawn and emergency rule actions, notices of state agency review of agency rules, governor's appointments, attorney general opinions, and miscellaneous documents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.

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 there would be any illegality involved in a married couple’s concurrent service in office as county commissioner and county auditor in Austin County (ID# 17955)

This thesis showed that it is possible to achieve well ordered growth at low temperatures when chaing fluxes during the course of the deposition. It was also demonstrated that nucleation theory fails to predict or explain at least part of the results, in particular when deposition takes place at an initially low rate, with presumably a relatively low nucleation density, followed by a change to a high flux rate. This points to an inherent lack of nucleation theory; alternative explanations are presented based on flux-independent growth as reported by Roos (Surf. Sci. 302 (1994) 37).

Capillary zone electrophoresis (CZE), a powerful separation method based on the differential migration of charged species under the influence of an electric field, has been widely used for separations covering from small ions to big biomolecules. Chapter 1 describes the method, then discusses detection of the separated analytes by laser induced fluorescence and by chemical derivatization, and the use of O-phthaldialdehyde (OPA) as a post-column reagent. Chapter 2 describes a post-column reactor which uses two narrow bore capillaries connected coaxially. This reactor differs from other coaxial reactors in terms of capillary dimensions, reagent flow control, ease of construction and most importantly, better limits of detection. The derivatization reagent is electroosmotically driven into the reaction capillary and the reagent flow rate is independently controlled by a high voltage power supply. Amino acids, amines and proteins, derivatized by OPA/2-mercaptoethanol using this post-column reactor coupled with LIF detection, show low attomole mass limits of detection, and for the first time, the authors demonstrate single cell capability with a post-column derivatization scheme. The single cell capability shows that this reactor could find applications in assaying non-fluorescent or electrochemically inactive components in individual biological cells in the future.

To address growing concerns in the areas of arms control, control of fissile materials, waste management, and environment and health, the US Department of Energy is studying and evaluating various options for the control and disposal of surplus fissile materials (SFMs). One of the options under consideration is the Glass Material Oxidation and Dissolution System (GMODS) which directly converts plutonium-bearing materials such as metals, ceramics, and organics into a durable-high-quality glass for long-term storage or a waste form for disposal. This study undertook the development of a computer simulation of the GMODS process using FLOW. That computer simulation was used to perform an assessment of how GMODS would handle the treatment of plutonium, rich scrap (RS) and lead scrap (LS), and identify critical process parameters. Among the key process parameters affecting the glass formation were processing temperatures, additives, and the effects of varying them on the final product. This assessment looked at the quantity of glass produced, the quality of the final glass form, and the effect of blending different groups of the feed streams on the glass produced. The model also provided a way to study the current process assumptions and determine in which areas more experimental studies are …

In the first part of the thesis, the electric resistivity, Seebeck coefficient, and Hall effect were measured in X{sub y}(Y{sub 2}S{sub 3}){sub 1-y} (X = Cu, B, or Al), for y = 0.05 (Cu, B) or 0.025-0.075 for Al, in order to determine their potential as high- temperature (HT)(300-1000 C) thermoelectrics. Results indicate that Cu, B, Al- doped Y{sub 2}S{sub 3} are not useful as HT thermoelectrics. In the second part, phase stability of {gamma}-cubic LaSe{sub 1.47-1.48} and NdSe{sub 1.47} was measured periodically during annealing at 800 or 1000 C for the same purpose. In the Nd selenide, {beta} phase increased with time, while the Nd selenide showed no sign of this second phase. It is concluded that the La selenide is not promising for use as HT thermoelectric due to the {gamma}-to-{beta} transformation, whereas the Nd selenide is promising.

The Process Vacuum Liquid Detection interlock systems prevent intrusion of process liquids into the HEPA filters downstream of demisters {number_sign}6 and {number_sign}7 during Process Vacuum System operation. This prevents liquid intrusion into the filters which could cause a criticality. The Safety Envelope (SE) includes the equipment which detects the presence of liquids in the vacuum headers; isolates the filters; shuts down the vacuum pumps; and alarms the condition. The presence of liquid in the HC-4, HC-7, and HC-227S glovebox vacuum traps or a high level of liquid in the 236-Z Tank 50 will isolate these portions of the vacuum system from the main headers. This report identifies the equipment in the SE; operating, maintenance, and surveillance procedures needed to maintain the SE equipment; and rationale for exclusion of some equipment and testing from the SE.

Due to the complex issues surrounding Investigation Derived Waste (IDW) at SRS, the Environmental Restoration Division has been exploring new technologies to deal with the purge water generated during monitoring well sampling. Standard procedures for sampling generates copious amounts of purge water that must be managed as hazardous waste, when containing hazardous and/or radiological contaminants exceeding certain threshold levels. SRS has obtained Regulator approval to field test an innovative surface release prevention mechanism to manage purge water. This mechanism is referred to as the Purge Water Management System (PWMS) and consists of a collapsible bladder situated within a rigid metal tank.

Machos (Massive Compact Halo Objects) might be a significant constituent of the dark matter that dominates the Milky Way. (Machos are a form of baryonic dark matter.) This article describes the experimental searches for Machos that exploit the gravitational microlens magnification of extragalactic stars. These surveys monitor millions of stars, in some cases every night, looking for magnification events. The early results from the surveys have yielded some spectacular events. It appears that Machos do comprise a significant fraction of the galactic dark matter. It also appears that the central bar of the Milky Way is very massive.

The MINOS (Main Injector Neutrino Oscillation Search) long-baseline experiment will search for neutrino oscillations by measuring an intense {nu}{sub {mu}} beam at the end of a 730 km flight path. The 10,000 ton MINOS far detector will utilize magnetized steel plates interleaved with track chambers to reconstruct event topologies and to measure the energies of the muons, hadrons and electromagnetic showers produced by neutrino interactions. The experiment is designed to detect {nu}{sub {mu}} {r_arrow} {nu}{sub {tau}} and {nu}{sub {mu}} {r_arrow} {nu}{sub e} oscillations with {Delta}m{sup 2} {ge} 0.001 eV{sup 2} and sin{sup 2} (2{theta}) {ge} 0.01. Any oscillation signal observed can be verified and studied by several independent tests: a near/far rate comparison, the NC/CC event ratio, the CC and NC event energy spectra, and the identification of electrons and {tau} leptons. The neutrino beam can be operated in both wide-band and narrow-band configurations, allowing the detailed study oscillation phenomena. The experiment is scheduled to begin operation in 2001.

Compilation of monthly reports from departments in the city of San Antonio, Texas providing statistics, project updates, and other information about services and activities.

Compilation of monthly reports from departments in the city of San Antonio, Texas providing statistics, project updates, and other information about services and activities.

The U.S. Interagency Geothermal Coordinating Council was a multi-agency group charged with identifying and reducing barriers to geothermal energy development in the U.S. Many of the issues covered related to regulations for and progress in the leasing of Federal lands in the West for power development. The IGCC reports are important sources of historical information. Table 1 lists significant events in the history of use of geothermal energy in the U.S., starting in1884. That is useful for tracking which Federal departments and agencies managed aspects of this work over time. Table 2 gives a complete accounting for all Federal outlays for geothermal energy development for FY 1979 - 1989, including non-DOE outlays. Table 3 shows the status of the U.S. Geothermal Loan Guarantee Program at end of FY 1989: of the $500 million authorized, $285 million was committed to eight projects, and about $40 million had been paid out on project defaults. An additional $101 million had been repaid by the borrowers. (DJE 2005)

A pilot-scale field experiment has been conducted since 1990 to test the effectiveness of microbial volatilization in removing selenium (Se) from soils contaminated with agricultural drainage water. The experiment, in which only irrigation and aeration were employed to enhance microbial processes, was designed to measure all major Se fluxes, including not only selenium loss via volatilization, but also advection with infiltrating rainwater, evapotranspirative transport, and plant uptake. The goal was to account for the total Se mass balance and address questions as to the significance of microbial volatilization relative to other fluxes. Although data collected from 1990 to 1994 showed decreases of Se concentrations in the top soil, subsequent data demonstrated that advective Se fluxes due to rainwater infiltration and evapotranspiration are largely responsible for the observed changes. Se volatilization was measured to account for an annual loss of only about 1%, with volatilization rates decreasing significantly with time, presumably due to the depletion of soil organic carbon. The integrated results of this project demonstrate the advantages and even necessity of an inter-disciplinary and multi-phase approach to evaluating the effectiveness of bioremediation strategies. Extreme caution needs to be taken in interpreting early results; long-term data collection and follow-up are indispensable.

The data acquired in the Parkfield, California experiment are unique and they are producing results that force a new look at some conventional concepts and models for earthquake occurrence and fault-zone dynamics. No fault-zone drilling project can afford to neglect installation of such a network early enough in advance of the fault-zone penetration to have a well-defined picture of the seismicity details (probably at least 1000 microearthquakes--an easy 2-3 year goal for the M<0 detection of a borehole network). Analyses of nine years of Parkfield monitoring data have revealed significant and unambiguous departures from stationarity both in the seismicity characteristics and in wave propagation details within the S-wave coda for paths within the presumed M6 nucleation zone where we also have found a high Vp/Vs anomaly at depth, and where the three recent M4.7-5.0 sequences have occurred. Synchronous changes well above noise levels have also been seen among several independent parameters, including seismicity rate, average focal depth, S-wave coda velocities, characteristic sequence recurrence intervals, fault creep and water levels in monitoring wells. The significance of these findings lies in their apparent coupling and inter-relationships, from which models for fault-zone process can be fabricated and tested with time. The more general …

The hydrologic properties of selected aquifer systems underlying the Milhaven and Girard sites in Georgia were determined through a series of aquifer performance tests performed from October, 1994 to January, 1995. At the Milhaven site, the systems under investigation consisted of the upper, middle and lower components of the Upper Floridan, the lower Dublin, and the lower Midville aquifers. At the Dublin site, only the lower Dublin and lower Midville aquifers were tested. In addition, the hydrologic properties of the lower Midville aquifer underlying the P, B and D Areas at the Savannah River Site were determined by a series of aquifer tests conducted in 1993 and 1994. The tests generally consisted of collecting water level and atmospheric data for 24 hours followed by a 72 hour pump test and a subsequent 72 hour recovery period. These tests were designed to determine the aquifer properties over a large area, to determine whether any hydrologic boundaries existed in the area, and to find out if leakance could be induced through the confining units which separated the aquifer units.

A comprehensive site characterization study has been conducted for the unsaturated zone (UZ) of Yucca Mountain to investigate its suitability as a potential high-level nuclear waste repository. Numerical modeling of moisture, gas, chemicals and heat flow, and their influence on the repository performance has been proven to be essential in understanding unsaturated-zone fluid movement, and the effects of hydrogeologic, geochemical and thermal conditions on various aspects of the overall waste disposal system. In these studies, the TOUGH2 code has been used extensively as a main modeling tool because of its flexibility and robustness in handling multiphase, multi-component fluid and heat flow and chemical transport in porous/fractured rocks. As part of the UZ modeling efforts at LBNL, several new modules of the TOUGH2 code have been developed to meet different needs of the site characterization studies. In this paper they will summarize some of these new TOUGH2 modules and their specific features in application to the Yucca Mountain project. These new TOUGH2 modules include (1) the effective continuum model (ECM) for treating fracture/matrix flow; (2) single-phase gas flow (EOS1G) in a water-air two phase flow system; and (3) a 3-D radionuclide transport module (T2R3D) for 3-D radionuclide or tracer transport in …

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The purpose of this analysis is to calculate the number densities and isotopic weight percentages of the standard materials to be used in the neutronics (criticality and radiation shielding) evaluations by the Waste Package Development Department. The objective of this analysis is to provide material number density information which can be referenced by future neutronics design analyses, such as for those supporting the Conceptual Design Report.

Yucca Mountain, Nevada is being investigated as the proposed site for geologic disposal of high level nuclear waste. A massive data collection effort for characterization of the unsaturated zone is being carried out at the site. The USGS is monitoring the subsurface pressure variations due to barometric pumping in several boreholes. Numerical models are used to simulate the observed subsurface pressure variations. Data inversion is used to characterize the unsaturated system and estimate the pneumatic diffusivity of important geologic features. Blind predictions of subsurface response and subsequent comparison to recorded data have built confidence in the models of Yucca Mountain.

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