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 Information published in the Texas Register includes proposed, adopted, withdrawn and emergency rule actions, notices of state agency review of agency rules, governor's appointments, attorney general opinions, and miscellaneous documents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 Information published in the Texas Register includes proposed, adopted, withdrawn and emergency rule actions, notices of state agency review of agency rules, governor's appointments, attorney general opinions, and miscellaneous documents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

None

This multidisciplinary study is designed to provide improvements in advanced reservoir characterization techniques. This goal is to be accomplished through: (1) an examination of the spatial variation and anisotropy of relative permeability in the Tensleep Sandstone reservoirs of Wyoming; (2) the placement of that variation and anisotropy into paleogeographic, depositional, and diagenetic frameworks; (3) the development of pore-system imagery techniques for the calculation of relative permeability; (4) reservoir simulations testing the impact of relative permeability anisotropy and spatial variation on Tensleep Sandstone reservoir enhanced oil recovery; and (5) a geochemical investigation of the spatial and dynamic alteration in sandstone reservoirs that is caused by rock-fluid interaction during CO{sub 2}-enhanced oil recovery processes.

The new capacitive deionization system (CDI) removes ions, contaminants impurities from water and other aqueous process streams, and further selectively places the removed ions back into solution during regeneration. It provides a separation process that does not utilize chemical regeneration processes, and thus significantly reduces or completely eliminates secondary wastes associated with the operation of ion exchange resins. In the CDI, electrolyte flows in open channels formed between adjacent electrodes, and consequently the pressure drop is much lower than conventional separation processes. The fluid flow can be gravity fed through these open channels, and does not require membranes. This feature represents a significant advantage over the conventional reverse osmosis systems which include water permeable cellulose acetate membranes, and over the electrodialysis systems which require expensive and exotic ion exchange membranes. The CDI is adaptable for use in a wide variety of commercial applications, including domestic water softening, industrial water softening, waste water purification, sea water desalination, treatment of nuclear and aqueous wastes, treatment of boiler water in nuclear and fossil power plants, production of high-purity water for semiconductor processing, and removal of salt from water for agricultural irrigation. CDI accomplishes this removal of impurities by a variety of mechanisms, but …

Effect of swirl settings on NO{sub x} for three firing rates were investigated. It was found that the variation of NO{sub x} concentrations with respect to the change in swirl numbers was significant. But, the variation of NO{sub x} Concentration with respect to firing rates was found to be consistent with the increase in firing rates. The flame stability was accessed by the visual observation of the flame with relation to the burner quarl.

The MACHO microlensing experiment's time-sampled photometry database contains blue and red lightcurves for nearly 9 million stars in the central bar region of the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC). We have identified known LMC Planetary Nebulae (PN) in the database and find one, Jacoby 5, to be variable. We additionally present data on the ``parent populations`` of LMC PN, and discuss the star formation history of the LMC bar. 14 refs., 1 fig.

None

None

This plan describes the program management principles and functions to be implemented in the Mixed Waste Focus Area (MWFA). The mission of the MWFA is to provide acceptable technologies that enable implementation of mixed waste treatment systems developed in partnership with end-users, stakeholders, tribal governments and regulators. The MWFA will develop, demonstrate and deliver implementable technologies for treatment of mixed waste within the DOE Complex. Treatment refers to all post waste-generation activities including sampling and analysis, characterization, storage, processing, packaging, transportation and disposal.

Identifying genes within large regions of uncharacterized DNA is a difficult undertaking and is currently the focus of many research efforts. We describe a gene localization and modeling system called GRAIL. GRAIL is a multiple sensor-neural network based system. It localizes genes in anonymous DNA sequence by recognizing gene features related to protein-coding slice sites, and then combines the recognized features using a neural network system. Localized coding regions are then optimally parsed into a gene mode. RNA polymerase II promoters can also be predicted. Through years of extensive testing, GRAIL consistently localizes about 90 percent of coding portions of test genes with a false positive rate of about 10 percent. A number of genes for major genetic diseases have been located through the use of GRAIL, and over 1000 research laboratories worldwide use GRAIL on regular bases for localization of genes on their newly sequenced DNA.

This study was undertaken to examine the hypothesis that prevalent and priority purgeable VOCs in properly preserved water samples are stable for at least 28 days. (VOCs are considered stable if concentrations do not change by more than 10%.) Surface water was spiked with 44 purgeable VOCs. Results showed that the measurement of 35 out of 44 purgeable VOCs in properly preserved water samples (4 C, 250 mg NaHSO{sub 4}, no headspace in 40 mL VOC vials with 0.010-in. Teflon-lined silicone septum caps) will not be affected by sample storage for 28 days. Larger changes (>10%) and low practical reporting times were observed for a few analytes, e.g. acrolein, CS{sub 2}, vinyl acetate, etc.; these also involve other analytical problems. Advantages of a 28-day (compared to 14-day) holding time are pointed out.

The new method for HRA, ATHEANA, has been developed based on a study of the operating history of serious accidents and an understanding of the reasons why people make errors. Previous publications associated with the project have dealt with the theoretical framework under which errors occur and the retrospective analysis of operational events. This is the first attempt to use ATHEANA in a prospective way, to select and evaluate human errors within the PSA context.

The field of inorganic mass spectrometry has seen substantial change in the author`s professional lifetime (over 30 years). Techniques in their infancy 30 years ago have matured; some have almost disappeared. New and previously unthought of techniques have come into being; some of these, such as ICP-MS, are reasonably mature now, while others have some distance to go before they can be so considered. Most of these new areas provide fertile fields for researchers, both in the development of new analytical techniques and by allowing fundamental studies to be undertaken that were previously difficult, impossible, or completely unforeseen. As full coverage of the field is manifestly impossible within the framework of this paper, only those areas with which the author has personal contact will be discussed. Most of the work originated in his own laboratory, but that of other laboratories is covered where it seemed appropriate.

The Risk Analysis - Modular System (RAMS) was developed to serve as a broad scope risk analysis tool for the Risk Assessment of the Hanford Mission (RAHM) studies. The RAHM element provides risk analysis support for Hanford Strategic Analysis and Mission Planning activities. The RAHM also provides risk analysis support for the Hanford 10-Year Plan development activities. The RAMS tool draws from a collection of specifically designed databases and modular risk analysis methodologies and models. RAMS is a flexible modular system that can be focused on targeted risk analysis needs. It is specifically designed to address risks associated with overall strategy, technical alternative, and `what if` questions regarding the Hanford cleanup mission. RAMS is set up to address both near-term and long-term risk issues. Consistency is very important for any comparative risk analysis, and RAMS is designed to efficiently and consistently compare risks and produce risk reduction estimates. There is a wide range of output information that can be generated by RAMS. These outputs can be detailed by individual contaminants, waste forms, transport pathways, exposure scenarios, individuals, populations, etc. However, they can also be in rolled-up form to support high-level strategy decisions.

This paper describes the analytical process for the application of ATHEANA, a new approach to the performance of human reliability analysis as part of a PRA. This new method, unlike existing methods, is based upon an understanding of the reasons why people make errors, and was developed primarily to address the analysis of errors of commission.

This paper describes the knowledge base for the application of the new human reliability analysis (HRA) method, a ``A Technique for Human Error Analysis`` (ATHEANA). Since application of ATHEANA requires the identification of previously unmodeled human failure events, especially errors of commission, and associated error-forcing contexts (i.e., combinations of plant conditions and performance shaping factors), this knowledge base is an essential aid for the HRA analyst.

The Radiochemical Engineering Development Center (REDC) at ORNL has petitioned to establish a Californium-252 User Facility for Neutron Science for academic, industrial, and governmental researchers. The REDC Californium Facility (CF) stores the national inventory of sealed {sup 252}Cf neutron source for university and research loans. Within the CF, the {sup 252}Cf storage pool and two uncontaminated hot cells currently in service for the Californium Program will form the physical basis for the User Facility. Relevant applications include dosimetry and experiments for neutron tumor therapy; fast and thermal neutron activation analysis of materials; experimental configurations for prompt gamma neutron activation analysis; neutron shielding and material damage studies; and hardness testing of radiation detectors, cameras, and electronics. A formal User Facility simplifies working arrangements and agreements between US DOE facilities, academia, and commercial interests.

Studies of global change and other regional issues depend on ecological data collected at multiple study areas or sites. An information system model is proposed for compiling diverse data from dispersed sources so that the data are consistent, complete, and readily available. The model includes investigators who collect and analyze field measurements, science teams that synthesize data, a project information system that collates data, a data archive center that distributes data to secondary users, and a master data directory that provides broader searching opportunities. Special attention to format consistency is required, such as units of measure, spatial coordinates, dates, and notation for missing values. Often data may need to be enhanced by estimating missing values, aggregating to common temporal units, or adding other related data such as climatic and soils data. Full documentation, an efficient data distribution mechanism, and an equitable way to acknowledge the original source of data are also required.

In our recent x-ray photon correlation spectroscopy (speckle) experiments at NSLS, one of the challenges is to increase the coherent photon flux through a pinhole, whose size is chosen to match the beam`s horizontal transverse coherence length {ital l{sub h}}. We adopted an approach to vertically focus the x-ray beam so as to match its vertical transverse coherence length {ital l{sub v}}, (at NSLS X13, {ital l{sub v}}{approximately} 50{ital l{sub h}}, {ital l{sub h}}{approximately} 12 {mu}m at 3 KeV) with {ital l{sub h}}. By demagnifying the vertical size by a factor of {ital l{sub v}/l{sub h}}, we expect to increase the intensity of the x-rays through the pin hole by the same factor while keeping the beam coherent. A piece of commercial 3/8 inch thick float glass, by virtue of its low surface roughness ({approximately}3{Angstrom} rms), good reflectivity in the low photon energy range of interest and low cost, was chosen as the mirror material. A computer controlled motorized bender with a four point bending mechanism was designed and built to bend the float glass to a continuously variable radius of curvature from {approximately}700 m (intrinsic curvature of the glass surface) to < 300 m, measured with the Long Trace …

The Gershenson Radiation Oncology Center of Wayne State University (WSU), Detroit, Michigan, is using {sup 252}Cf medical sources for neutron brachytherapy. These sources are based on a 20-year-old design containing {le} 30 {micro}g {sup 252}Cf in the form of a cermet wire of Cf{sub 2}O{sub 3} in a palladium matrix. The Radiochemical Engineering Development Center (REDC) of Oak Ridge National Laboratory has been asked to develop tiny high-activity {sup 252}Cf neutron sources for use with remote afterloading equipment to reduce treatment times and dose to clinical personnel and to expedite treatment of brain and other tumors. To date, the REDC has demonstrated that {sup 252}Cf loadings can be greatly increased in cermet wires much smaller than before. Equipment designed for hot cell fabrication of these wires is being tested. A parallel program is under way to relicense the existing source design for fabrication at the REDC.

The primary objective of this project is to use {sup 129}Xe NMR to characterize the microporous structure of coals. We will use direct information on pore size, as well as indirect information from adsorption rates and evidence for intra/extraparticle diffusion, to characterize the connectivity of the micropore network. A second objective is to use {sup 129}Xe NMR to describe the effect of controlled opening of the micropores in a microporous carbon by oxygen chemi-sorption/desorption. Our experimental focus in this quarter has been the low power presaturation of the NMR signal of {sup 129}Xe adsorbed in coal. Preliminary work on this experiment was reported in the last quarter. Low power presaturation of {sup 129}Xe adsorbed in two coals produces a hole-burning effect in the adsorbed xenon NMR signals, indicating that these signals are broad due to overlap of a series of chemical shifts. Saturation transfer to the entire adsorbed xenon signal and to the extraparticle gas is observed with increasing presaturation time. Differences in timing of saturation transfer to the external gas have implications for the nature of the connectivity of the pore structures in coal.

The objective of this project was to determine the savings in utility operating costs that could be obtained by installing a Battery Energy Storage System (BESS). The target utility was Kansas City Power and Light (KCPL), a typical Midwestern utility with a mix of generating plants and many interconnections. The following applications of battery energy storage were modeled using an Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) developed and supported program called DYNASTORE: (1) Spinning Reserve Only (2) Load Leveling with Spinning Reserve (3) Load Leveling Only (4) Frequency Control DYNASTORE commits energy storage units along with generating units and calculates operating costs with and without energy storage, so that savings can be estimated. Typical weeks of hourly load data are used to make up a yearly load profile. For this study, the BESS power ranged from ``small`` to 300 MW (greater than the spinning reserve requirement). BESS storage time ranged from 1 to 8 hours duration (to cover the time-width of most peaks). Savings in operating costs were calculated for each of many sizes of MW capacity and duration. Graphs were plotted to enable the reader to readily see what size of BESS affords the greatest savings in operating costs.

Much attention is currently given to risk-based approaches to managing natural resources and hazardous waste. In order to apply a risk-based approach, input from the various stakeholders needs to be obtained early and updated throughout the effort. Applying a risk-based approach allows decisionmakers to evaluate options based upon sound scientific data. This paper discusses two examples of how risk-based approaches have been used to evaluate remediation options for management of natural resources and hazardous material problems in the Intermountain West. These examples demonstrate that without stakeholder involvement and using a risk-based approach, time and effort would have been wasted and decisions made to correct perceived rather than actual problems. The paper also describes the role that natural attenuation plays in making both risk and remedial action decisions.