Appropriations are one part of a complex federal budget process that includes budget resolutions, appropriations (regular, supplemental, and continuing) bills, rescissions, and budget reconciliation bills. This Report is a guide to one of the 13 regular appropriations bills that Congress passes each year. It is designed to supplement the information provided by the House and Senate Appropriations Subcommittees on Energy and Water.

A laser ablation/ionization mass spectrometer system is described for the direct analysis of solids, particles, and fibers. The system uses a quadrupole ion trap operated in an ion-storage (IS) mode, coupled with a reflectron time-of-flight mass spectrometer (TOF-MS). The sample is inserted radially into the ring electrode and an imaging system allows direct viewing and selected analysis of the sample. Measurements identified trace contaminants of Ag, Sn, and Sb in a Pb target with single laser-shot experiments. Resolution (m/{micro}m) of 1500 and detection limits of approximately 10 pg have been achieved with a single laser pulse. The system configuration and related operating principles for accurately measuring low concentrations of isotopes are described.

This report summarizes the provisions affecting charitable contribution deductions of individuals, and then analyzes the incentive such a deduction would create for increased charitable giving beginning with the original proposal for a relatively low cap and then considering other approaches including the current one. It does not attempt to estimate other types of societal impacts. The non-itemizer’s charitable deduction was the single most important tax provision in the original version of H.R. 7. In S. 1924, S. 476, and the current version of H.R. 7, the nonitemizer provision was temporary and had a higher cap (and a floor). The provision affecting rollovers from IRAs, which can also function as a deduction for nonitemizers, is also discussed briefly.

The objective of this research program is to improve high temperature piezoelectric aluminum nitride (AlN) sensor technology to make it useful for instrumentation and health monitoring of current and future electrical power generation equipment. The program will extend the temperature range of the sensor from approximately 700 C to above 1000 C, and ultrasonic coupling to objects at these temperatures will be investigated and tailored for use with the sensor. The chemical vapor deposition (CVD) AlN deposition process was successfully transferred from film production on tungsten carbide substrates to titanium alloy and silicon carbide (SiC) substrates. Further evaluation of the piezoelectric films on titanium caused it to be discarded as a candidate material due to an excessive thermal expansion coefficient mismatch, causing film failure upon reheating from room temperature. Deposition on SiC is proceeding well, with a highly conductive grade of silicon carbide required for practical use. Additional substrate materials, including refractory metals and conductive ceramics, have been considered but are generally not promising in light of the experience with titanium. Pulsed laser deposition (PLD) was investigated as an alternate means of creating the films as an alternative to CVD. A concurrent effort has focused on investigation of means of …

This report discusses issues debated in the 107th Congress while is considering various proposals to amend the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (ESA). Major issues in recent years have included changing the role of science in decision-making, changing the role of critical habitat, reducing conflicts with Department of Defense activities, incorporating further protection for property owners, and increasing protection of listed species, among others. In addition, many have advocated including significant changes to ESA regulations made during the Clinton Administration in the law itself.

The objective of this project is to design, construct and field demonstrate a membrane system to recover natural gas liquids (NGLs) and remove water from raw natural gas. To convince industry users of the efficiency and reliability of the process, we plan to conduct an extended field test to demonstrate system performance under real-world conditions. The membrane system has been designed and fabricated by Membrane Technology and Research, Inc. (MTR). The MTR membrane system and the compressor are now onsite at BP's Pascagoula, MS plant. The plant is undergoing a very significant expansion and the installation of the membrane unit into the test location is being implemented, albeit at a slower rate than we expected. The startup of the system and conducting of tests will occur in the next six months, depending on the availability of the remaining budget. In the interim, significant commercial progress has been made regarding the introduction of the NGL membrane and systems into the natural gas market.

This report provides background information and policy analysis pertinent to proposals to restructure first responder assistance programs. Specifically, this report provides information on existing programs, appropriations, legislation in the 108th Congress, and selected policy issues. This report does not discuss all relevant policy issues, but, rather, those issues that may be germane to any significant restructuring of existing programs.

This report summarizes the arbitration procedure used when an investor from one NAFTA party believes that another NAFTA party has breached an obligation under Chapter 11, and the investor suffered loss as a result. This report also examines one of the two most-debated Chapter 11 obligations imposed on the parties: the "fair and equitable treatment" of foreign investors. Additionally, it describes the roughly 20 claims filed so far under NAFTA Chapter 11, including the six against the U.S.

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This report covers the first year of this three-year research grant under the University Coal Research program. The overall objective of this project is to develop a comprehensive kinetic model for slurry phase Fischer-Tropsch synthesis on iron catalysts. This model will be validated with experimental data obtained in a stirred tank slurry reactor (STSR) over a wide range of process conditions. The model will be able to predict concentrations of all reactants and major product species (H{sup 2}O, CO{sub 2}, linear 1- and 2-olefins, and linear paraffins) as a function of reaction conditions in the STSR. During the reporting period we have completed one STSR test with precipitated iron catalyst obtained from Ruhrchemie AG (Oberhausen-Holten, Germany). This catalyst was initially in commercial fixed bed reactors at Sasol in South Africa. The catalyst was tested at 13 different sets of process conditions, and had experienced a moderate deactivation during the first 500 h of testing (decrease in conversion from 56% to 50% at baseline process conditions). The second STSR test has been initiated and after 270 h on stream, the catalyst was tested at 6 different sets of process conditions.

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A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "Appellants and others have been concerned about the length of time it takes for a decision on the appeal of a denied Medicare claim. In December 2000, the Medicare, Medicaid, and SCHIP Benefits Improvement and Protection Act of 2000 (BIPA), required, among other things, shorter decision time frames. BIPA's provisions related to Medicare appeals were to be applied to claims denied after October 1, 2002, but many of the changes have not yet been implemented. GAO was asked to evaluate whether the current Medicare appeals process is operating consistent with BIPA's requirements and to identify any barriers to meeting the law's requirements."

A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "Military lands provide habitat for more than 300 species that must be protected under the Endangered Species Act and many other species that may become endangered. In some cases, military installations provide some of the finest remaining habitat for these species. However, Department of Defense (DOD) officials stated that protection of endangered species may result in land-use restrictions that reduce the military's flexibility to use land for training. GAO was asked to examine the (1) extent to which DOD and other nearby federal land managers in the region are managing cooperatively for endangered species affecting military training ranges and (2) factors that can limit cooperative management for endangered species on military training ranges."

This plan provides updates the ongoing RCRA interim status groundwater monitoring program for the U-12 crib and provides a proposed RCRA final status post-closure groundwater monitoring program.

Atomistic computer simulations of small clusters of self-interstitials have revealed that these clusters are highly mobile along certain crystallographic directions. Their thermal mobility and Brownian motion along these directions rapidly decreases, however, as the size of the cluster increases. A review of these computer simulations has been provided by Osetsky et al. [1], and more recent studies are given by Marian et al. [2]. All these studies have shown that the activation energy for cluster diffusion reaches a saturation value, while the pre-exponential factor continues to decline with the cluster or loop size. The diffusion of loops containing more than one hundred interstitials becomes too slow to be quantified with molecular dynamics simulations. Nevertheless, since the activation energy for migration becomes nearly independent of the loop size, they remain very mobile if forces act on them, even though their Brownian motion becomes insignificant. Such forces naturally exist in real crystal due to internal stress fields originating from other defects, in particular from dislocations. Small clusters of self-interstitials, when no longer subject to rapid Brownian migration, are of course synonymous with small prismatic dislocation loops. When their Burgers vectors are aligned along one of the possible glide directions, they can move …

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Experiments were conducted by Pacific Northwest National Laboratory to evaluate potential incorporation of radionuclides in secondary mineral phases that form from weathering vitrified nuclear waste glasses. These experiments were conducted as part of the Immobilized Low-Activity Waste-Performance Assessment (ILAW-PA) to generate data on radionuclide mobilization and transport in a near-field environment of disposed vitrified wastes. The results of these experiments demonstrated that radionuclide sequestration can be significantly enhanced by promoting the formation of cage structured minerals such as sodalite from weathering glasses. These results have important implications regarding radionuclide sequestration/mobilization aspects that are not currently accounted for in the ILAW PA. Additional studies are required to confirm the results and to develop an improved understanding of the mechanisms of sequestration of radionuclides into the secondary and tertiary weathering products of the ILAW glass to help refine how contaminants are released from the near-field disposal region out into the accessible environment. Of particular interest is to determine whether the contaminants remain sequestered in the glass weathering products for hundreds to thousands of years. If the sequestration can be shown to continue for long periods, another immobilization process can be added to the PA analysis and predicted risks should be lower than …

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For many years now, spin physics has played a very prominent role in QCD. The field has been carried by the hugely successful experimental program of polarized deeply-inelastic lepton-nucleon scattering (DIS), and by a simultaneous tremendous progress in theory. This talk summarizes some of the interesting new developments in spin physics in the past roughly two years. As we will see, there have yet again been exciting new data from polarized lepton-nucleon scattering, but also from the world's first polarized pp collider, RHIC. There have been very significant advances in theory as well. It will not be possible to cover all developments. The author will select those topics that may be of particular interest to the attendees of a conference in the ''DIS'' series. The author briefly reviews some of the recent developments in QCD spin physics.

Ultra-wideband (UWB) array signal processing has the distinct advantage in that it is possible to illuminate or focus on ''spots'' at distant points in space, as opposed to just illuminating or steering at certain directions for narrowband array processing. The term ''spotforming'' is used to emphasize the property that point-focusing techniques with UWB waveforms can be viewed as a generalization of the well-known narrowband beamforming techniques. Because methods in spotforming can lead to powerful applications for UWB systems, in this paper we derive, simulate and experimentally verify UWB spot size as a function of frequency, bandwidth and array aperture.

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, Greg Abbott, regarding a legal question submitted for clarification; Redistricting of trustee districts for the Dallas Independent School District (RQ-0042-GA)

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, Greg Abbott, regarding a legal question submitted for clarification; Meaning of the phrase "in the custody of a peace officer" for the purposes of article 49.18, Code of Criminal Procedure (RQ-0047-GA)