A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO provided information on the Food and Nutrition Service's (FNS) efforts to maintain the integrity of the Food Stamp Program, focusing on the: (1) dollar amount of the financial penalties, collections, and debt reductions (waivers, adjustments, or write-offs) affecting storeowners violating program regulations during fiscal year (FY) 1993 through FY 1998; (2) effectiveness of the FNS' procedures and practices for assessing financial penalties against storeowners for program violations; and (3) effectiveness of FNS' procedures and practices for collecting financial penalties levied against storeowners."

A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO provided information on the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Superfund Program expenditures, focusing on: (1) the relative shares of Superfund expenditures for contractor cleanup work, site-specific support, and non-site-specific support; (2) the activities carried out with the EPA's cleanup support spending, particularly its non-site-specific spending; and (3) EPA's efforts to monitor and analyze how its regions and headquarters units spend Superfund resources, particularly the distribution of expenditures among contractor cleanup work, site-specific support, and non-site-specific support."

This report tracks the efforts to restore to office President Aristide of Haiti between the years 1991-1994. During this period, the main U.S. foreign policy concern was the restoration of the democratic process to Haiti. Closely related to this was the issue of Haitians attempting to flee to the United States by boat. Congressional concerns focused on human rights, Haitian migration, socioeconomic conditions, and drug trafficking.

Object-Oriented Technology (OOT), although not a new paradigm, has recently been prominently featured in the trade press and even general business publications. Indeed, the promises of object technology are alluring: the ability to handle complex design and engineering information through the full manufacturing production life cycle or to manipulate multimedia information, and the ability to improve programmer productivity in creating and maintaining high quality software. Groups at a number of the DOE facilities have been exploring the use of object technology for engineering, business, and other applications. In this white paper, the technology is explored thoroughly and compared with previous means of developing software and storing databases of information. Several specific projects within the DOE Complex are described, and the state of the commercial marketplace is indicated.

The Low-NO{sub x} Cell{trademark} Burner operates on the principle of staged combustion. The lower burner of each two-nozzle cell is modified to accommodate all the fuel input previously handled by two nozzles. Secondary air, less than theoretically required for complete combustion, is introduced to the lower burner. The remainder of secondary air is directed to the upper port'' of each cell to complete the combustion process. B W/EPRI have thoroughly tested the LNCB{trademark} at two pilot scales (6 million Btu per hour and 100 million Btu per hour), and tested a single full-scale burner in a utility boiler. Combustion tests at two scales have confirmed NO{sub x} reduction with the low-NO{sub x} cell on the order of 50% relative to the standard cell burner at optimum operating conditions. The technology is now ready for full unit, full-scale demonstration.

The principal objective of this research is to determine the role that host petroleum-derived oils (1000 [degree]F[sup +]), as that of catalytically treated host oils, play when used as liquefaction solvents in coprocessing with coal. The host oils will be extensively characterized and then pretreated in a number of ways which involve catalytic reactions such as hydrogenation, hydrocracking, and isomerization. The pretreated oils will then be characterized by elemental analysis, catalytic dehydrogenation, and NMR. The effects of the host oil on coprocessing with coal will be compared to those obtained using catalytically modified heavy oils. When appropriate, model compounds will be used to study specific reactions brought about by the pretreatments. A total of 18 pretreatment runs have been made on an AMOCO vacuum tower residuum, VTR, in an attempt to increase its hydrogen content from 10.2 wt % to a level of about 11.5%. This pretreatment resulted in a significant increase in the hydrogen content of the starting oil (10.2 wt % to 11.2%).

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.

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 nonprofit water supply corporation that is not exempt from ad valorem taxation is subject to the Open Meetings Act (RQ-1071)

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; Authority of a home-rule city to increases the statutory penatly for failure to restrict access to aerosol paint (RQ-1074)

The Internal Dosimetry Department at the Y-12 Plant maintains a state-of-the-art bioassay program managed under the guidance and regulations of the Department of Energy. The two major bioassay techniques currently used at Y-12 are the in vitro (urinalysis) and in vivo (lung counting) programs. Fecal analysis (as part of the in vitro program) is another alternative; however, since both urine and fecal analysis provide essentially the same capabilities for detecting exposures to uranium, the urinalysis is the main choice primarily for aesthetic reasons. The bioassay frequency is based on meeting NCRP 87 objectives which are to monitor the accumulation of radioactive material in exposed individuals, and to ensure that significant depositions are detected.

This Environmental Radiation Monitoring Plan (ERM) discusses sampling soils, vegetation, and biota for depleted uranium (DU) and beryllium (Be) at Yuma Proving Ground (YPG). The existing ERM plan was used and modified to more adequately assess the potential of DU and Be migration through the YPG ecosystem. The potential pathways for DU and Be migration are discussed and include soil to vegetation, soil to animals, vegetation to animals, animals to animals, and animals to man. Sample collection will show DU deposition and will be used to estimate DU migration. The number of samples from each area varies and depends on if the firing range of interest is currently used for DU testing (GP 17A) or if the range is not used currently for DU testing (GP 20). Twenty to thirty-five individual mammals or lizards will be sampled from each transect. Air samples and samples of dust in the air fall will be collected in three locations in the active ranges. Thirty to forty-five sediment samples will be collected from different locations in the arroys near the impact areas. DU and Be sampling in the Hard Impact and Soft Impact areas changed only slightly from the existing ERM. The modifications are …

This project plan establishes the management framework for conduct of the TWRS Single-Shell Tank Interim Stabilization completion program. Specifically, this plan defines the mission needs and requirements; technical objectives and approach; organizational structure, roles, responsibilities, and interfaces; and operational methods. This plan serves as the project executional baseline.

The principal objective of this research is to determine the role that host petroleum-derived oils (1000 {degree}F{sup +}), as that of catalytically treated host oils, play when used as liquefaction solvents in coprocessing with coal. The host oils will be extensively characterized and then pretreated in a number of ways which involve catalytic reactions such as hydrogenation, hydrocracking, and isomerization. The pretreated oils will then be characterized by elemental analysis, catalytic dehydrogenation, and NMR. The effects of the host oil on coprocessing with coal will be compared to those obtained using catalytically modified heavy oils. When appropriate, model compounds will be used to study specific reactions brought about by the pretreatments. A total of 18 pretreatment runs have been made on an AMOCO vacuum tower residuum, VTR, in an attempt to increase its hydrogen content from 10.2 wt % to a level of about 11.5%. This pretreatment resulted in a significant increase in the hydrogen content of the starting oil (10.2 wt % to 11.2%).

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, John Cornyn, regarding a legal question submitted for clarification: Whether the notification requirements in 12 U. S. C. 4903(a)(3), (b) will supersede the notification requirements in Texas Insurance Code article 21.50, section 1B(a) when the federal law becomes effective in July 1999 (RQ-1185)

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, John Cornyn, regarding a legal question submitted for clarification: Authority of charitable organization to conduct raffle that offers prize valued in excess of $50,000, and related questions (RQ-0013)

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: Validity of a rider to the current appropriation to the Texas Department on Aging which requires the department, under certain circumstances, to use the service standards, systems, billing, audit procedures, and provider bases used by the Department of Human Services (RQ-288)

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 article III, section 18 of the Texas Constitution prohibits the granting of an option to purchase and subsequent sale of a tract of land by a corporation, the stock of which is owned by the spouse of a legislator, to an optionee/purchaser who intends to submit a bid to the state to construct improvements on the tract and lease them to the state (ID# 33425)

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, Jim Mattox, regarding a legal question submitted for clarification.

The Low-NO{sub x} Cell{trademark} Burner operates on the principle of staged combustion. The lower burner of each two-nozzle cell is modified to accommodate all the fuel input previously handled by two nozzles. Secondary air, less than theoretically required for complete combustion, is introduced to the lower burner. The remainder of secondary air is directed to the upper ``port`` of each cell to complete the combustion process. B&W/EPRI have thoroughly tested the LNCB{trademark} at two pilot scales (6 million Btu per hour and 100 million Btu per hour), and tested a single full-scale burner in a utility boiler. Combustion tests at two scales have confirmed NO{sub x} reduction with the low-NO{sub x} cell on the order of 50% relative to the standard cell burner at optimum operating conditions. The technology is now ready for full unit, full-scale demonstration.

During the second quarter, we initiated Task 2 (Process and Catalyst Variable Study). This task involves an investigation of methods for vanadium phosphate (VPO) catalyst synthesis and activation as well as detailed testing of the catalysts produced for activity and selectivity in methane selective oxidation. As we initiated work on Task 2, three problem areas were identified: Preparation of catalysts with P:V ratio greater than 1. Activation of the precursor to produce the B-phase described in the patent literature. Achieving high (>95 percent) carbon balances in the bench-scale test unit. Each of these problems has been addressed and overcome during this quarter. Several catalysts with P:V ratios ranging from 0.95 to 1.1 have been prepared. Activation procedures are continuing to be investigated. We have found several procedures which yield catalysts having the desired X-ray diffraction pattern. The reactor system was modified and analytical procedures improved so that in a 7-day run using V{sub 2}O{sub 5} as the catalyst, carbon balances ranged from 95 to 105 percent.

A fast-running time-dependent one-dimensional particle code has been developed to simulate transients in both electrostatic quadrupole and electrostatic column heavy-ion injectors. Two-dimensional effects are incorporated through the use of an approximation to the transverse part of the Laplacian operator. Longitudinal electric fields are solved on a mesh. An external circuit is coupled to the column, and the effect of the beam on the circuit is modeled. Transients such as initial current spikes, space-charge de-bunching, and beam loading of the circuit, are simulated. Future directions for the code include introduction of envelope and centroid equations to provide beam radius and displacement information and the modeling of secondary electron currents arising from beam-spill.

A Fire Hazards Analysis was performed to assess the risk from fire and other related perils and the capability of the facility to withstand these hazards. This analysis will be used to support design of the facility.

This Operability Test Procedure (OTP) provides instructions for testing the Closed Loop Cooling System interface with the MICON Terminal at the Plutonium Finishing Plant located at the 200 West Area of the Hanford Site. The Closed Loop Cooling System consists of several primary loops and a single secondary cooling loop. The test objectives are to functionally prove the interlocks and instruments of the closed loop cooling system with the MICON and to show operability of the system from the MICON Terminal. Any out of tolerance readings during the test will be adjusted immediately or with a new calibration package at a later time per cognizant engineers direction.