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At least 217 records · Page 12
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2025

Air, surface, and wastewater surveillance of SARS-CoV-2; a multimodal evaluation of COVID-19 detection in a built environment

Environmental surveillance of infectious organisms holds tremendous promise to reduce human-to-human transmission in indoor spaces through early detection. In this study we determined the applicability and limitations of wastewater, indoor high-touch surfaces, in-room air, and rooftop exhaust air sampling methods for detecting SARS-CoV-2 in a real world building occupied by residents recently diagnosed with COVID-19. We concurrently examined the results of three 24-hour environmental surveillance techniques, indoor surface sampling, exhaust air sampling and wastewater surveillance, to the known daily census fluctuations in a COVID-19 isolation dormitory. Additionally, we assessed the ability of aerosol samplers placed in the large volume lobby to detect SARS-CoV-2 multiple times per day. Our research reveals an increase in the number of individuals confirmed positive with COVID-19 as well as their estimated human viral load to be associated with statistically significant increases in viral loads detected in rooftop exhaust aerosol samples (p = 0.0413), wastewater samples (p = 0.0323,), and indoor high-touch surfaces (p < 0.001)). We also report that the viral load detected in lobby aerosol samples was statistically higher in samples collected during presence of occupants whose COVID-19 diagnostic tests were confirmed positive via qPCR compared to periods when the lobby was occupied by either contact-traced (suspected positive) individuals or during unoccupied periods (p = 0.0314 and <2e–16). We conclude that each daily (24h) surveillance method, rooftop exhaust air, indoor high-touch surfaces, and wastewater, provide useful detection signals for building owner/operator(s). Furthermore, we demonstrate that exhaust air sampling can provide spatially resolved signals based upon ventilation exhaust zones. Additionally, we find that indoor lobby air sampling can provide temporally resolved signals useful during short duration sampling periods (e.g., 2-4 hours) even with intermittent occupancy by occupants diagnosed with COVID-19.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2025

CSAC observations from 2025 CHEDAR review [Slides]

Overall, the CSAC is impressed by the strong start of CHEDAR, a multi-institutional center with broader scope than its predecessor. The CSAC was impressed and energized by discussions with center students and staff; the enthusiasm for science is universal and the sense of the contribution in context to the NNSA mission is mostly understood. The Center is well positioned to build on a strong start and (1) enhance integration of code-development targeted to, and numerical design in on-going experimental campaigns, (2) focus and better tell the story of the astrophysical connection for on-going experimental campaigns, and (3) expand and deepen ties between Center students (and faculty) and the NNSA National Laboratories. Overall, the CSAC was encouraged and energized by the materials presented. Now, the Center has to recognize the need to continue growing strategically. There is abundant access to experimental facilities – is that a challenge to focused effort? The PIs will need to balance the pace of experimental campaigns and analysis and simulation so that informed progress and focused investigation can develop in each campaign. There was a clear need to connect simulations to the goals of experimental campaigns – what is the best way to cultivate that connection? Are there adequate resources in the near term to develop code capability? What is the balance between close personal mentorship and collaboration across the separate institutions that compose the Center? The CSAC feels confident that the team leading CHEDAR will find creative solution to these challenges.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗
DOE OSTI2026

Transformative Efficiency and Automation in Modular Homes (TEAMH)

This report documents the Transformative Efficiency and Automation in Modular Homes (TEAMH) project, which evaluates the integration of advanced building envelope technologies and automation-assisted modular construction to improve residential energy performance and construction efficiency. The study investigates high-performance insulation systems, including vacuum insulation panels (VIPs), combined with light gauge steel (LGS) modular construction and factory automation. Laboratory testing, whole-building energy modeling across multiple climate zones, and factory demonstrations were conducted to assess thermal performance, energy savings, and production efficiency. Results indicate that upgraded envelope assemblies can achieve up to ~50% heating and ~34% cooling energy savings relative to IECC 2018 code-compliant homes, while automation-assisted construction can reduce wall assembly time by 24%–46% compared to conventional wood framing. The findings demonstrate the potential for scalable, high-performance modular homes that deliver significant energy savings with competitive projected costs.

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗
DOE OSTI2025

String membrane nets from higher-form gauging: An alternate route to 𝑝-string condensation

We present a new perspective on the $p$-string condensation procedure for constructing 3+1D fracton phases by implementing this process via the gauging of higher-form symmetries. Specifically, we show that gauging a 1-form symmetry in 3+1D that is generated by Abelian anyons in isotropic stacks of 2+1D topological orders naturally results in a 3+1D $p$-string condensed phase, providing a controlled non-perturbative construction that realizes fracton orders. This approach clarifies the symmetry principles underlying $p$-string condensation and generalizes the familiar connection between anyon condensation and one-form gauging in two spatial dimensions. We demonstrate this correspondence explicitly in both field theories and lattice models: in field theory, we derive the foliated field theory description of the $\mathbb{Z}_N$ X-Cube model by gauging a higher-form symmetry in stacks of 2+1D $\mathbb{Z}_N$ gauge theories; on the lattice, we show how gauging a diagonal 1-form symmetry in isotropic stacks of $G$-graded string-net models leads to string-membrane-nets hosting restricted mobility excitations. This perspective naturally generalizes to spatial dimensions $d \geq 2$ and provides a step towards building an algebraic theory of $p$-string condensation.

Anyons↗
DOE OSTI2021

Of Actors, Cities and Energy Systems: Advancing the Transformative Potential of Urban Electrification

The electrification of transportation and the integration of electric vehicles (EVs) with buildings connected to clean grids has been touted as one of the key solutions to the global decarbonization challenge. Cities are on the frontlines of current and future electrification, as they depend on and drive electricity generation, distribution, and use. City actors also occupy a central role in the actions to enable electrification to support energy transitions in efficient, equitable, environmentally sound, and resilient ways. Currently, however, research and development on the interactions between actors, cities and energy systems is predominantly conducted in disciplinary siloes. This topical review analyzes the transformational potential of urban electrification. It focuses on efforts to electrify transportation and integrate EVs with buildings connected to a clean grid. We find that actions in these area are driving change; they are adopted by wealthier populations and on an experimental basis by specific communities. Their larger-scale growth is constrained by institutional, behavioral, and infrastructural factors. We also find that existing siloed disciplinary approaches are often incompatible with advancing holistic research. To achieve that, divergent communities of scholars need to come together to integrate their research and create broader perspectives. Through incorporation of the social sciences, these perspectives need to consider the societal limits and potentials brought to bear by human behavior and decision making. Only then can urban electrification be understood as the empirically rich and socially complex topic that it is. And only with this understanding will innovations and smart policy actions be able to tap into the transformational potential of urban electrification.

cities↗
DOE OSTI2020

Long-Term Monitoring & Stewardship at Los Alamos National Laboratory [Slides]

Development and implementation of the Institutional Control Evaluation Project will include: Evaluate institutional surface water controls and infrastructure installed by LANL. Implement pilot project in the Los Alamos Canyon Watershed Spring, 2020. Initial evaluations will include canyon bottom controls with plan to expand program as funding allows. This will be a building block for successful Long-Term Monitoring and Stewardship (LTM&S) Program.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2022

Need for research and training reactors for advanced reactor designs

Full text of publication follows. Research and training reactors have served a valuable role in helping train workforce for currently operating fleet of light water reactors. These research and training reactors have been used in reactor laboratory classes to familiarize the students with such vital concepts as approach to criticality, reactor period, neutron moderation, reactivity, flux distribution and leakage, etc. As the industry moves toward advanced non-light-water reactor designs, it is critical that research and training reactors be developed and deployed at university campuses to help train the new generation of nuclear and non-nuclear engineers who are likely to design, build, and operate these advanced reactors. Among the designs currently being pursued for nuclear power generation include molten salt, sodium cooled, and gas cooled designs, with options for various fuel forms. Thus, industry and DOE in collaboration with academic institutions should devise plans on how to familiarize the next generation of nuclear workforce with hands-on experience necessary for such designs. These research and training reactors will play a vital role in familiarizing the future workforce with hands-on experience with concepts associated with fast spectrum reactors, gas cooled reactors, and other features not associated with light water reactors. In addition to classical nuclear engineering concepts, these advanced research and training reactors can also be used for hands-on training as well as for research on features being considered in the design of GEN-IV reactors: cyber security for digital control room operations, hybrid energy system, hydrogen generation, district heating, autonomous control... (author)

21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS↗
DOE OSTI2022

Report Series: Evaluation, Finding Of Effect, And Mitigation Documentation For Building 23-113, Mercury, Area 23, Nevada National Security Site, Nye County, Nevada

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) National Nuclear Security Administration Nevada Field Office (NNSA/NFO) plans to demolish Building 23-113 in Mercury (Nevada State Historic Preservation Office [SHPO] Resource No. B15236), which is on the Nevada National Security Site (NNSS) in Nye County, Nevada. Demolition of Building 23-113 is part of the long-term project to modernize the town of Mercury on the NNSS for future mission needs. The project is considered an undertaking subject to review under Title 54 of United States Code (USC) § 306108, commonly known as Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act, Title 54 USC § 300101, et seq., and its implementing regulations, Title 36 of the Code of Federal Regulations (36 CFR) Part 800. In 2018, Desert Research Institute (DRI) completed an architectural survey of the town of Mercury. This effort resulted in the identification, recordation, and evaluation of the Mercury Historic District (MHD, SHPO Resource No. D230), including the identification of its contributing elements (Reno et al. 2018). The MHD was recommended eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP, National Register) under the Secretary of the Interior’s (SOI) Significance Criteria A and C, as defined in 36 CFR Part 60.4, as a significant concentration of buildings and structures with a direct and important association with Cold War-era nuclear testing from 1951 through 1992. It has not been evaluated under Criteria B and D to date. As part of a larger modernization program for Mercury, the NNSA/NFO and the SHPO executed the 2018 Programmatic Agreement between the National Nuclear Security Administration Nevada Field Office and the Nevada State Historic Preservation Officer regarding Modernization and Operational Maintenance of the Nevada National Security Site, at Mercury in Nye County, Nevada (the Mercury PA). The Mercury PA includes streamlined Section 106 procedures for undertakings in the MHD based on contributing element categories. Building 23-113 is identified in Appendix C of the Mercury PA as a Category I contributing element, indicating that it might be individually eligible for the NRHP. It is a historic property for the purposes of Section 106 compliance and subject to the stipulations of the Mercury PA. Per Stipulation VI of the Mercury PA, when the Area of Potential Effect (APE) for an undertaking includes Category I elements, the NNSA/NFO must evaluate the Category I elements for individual NRHP eligibility under all of the SOI Significance Criteria prior to initiating any activity that may affect the elements. Therefore, the purpose of this report is to evaluate Building 23-113 as a potential individually eligible historic property in fulfillment of Stipulation VI of the Mercury PA. The evaluation detailed herein concludes that although Building 23-113 is significant at the local level for its important role as a recreational facility on the NNSS, the building lacks sufficient integrity to convey its significance. It is not individually eligible for listing in the NRHP at any level. The building remains eligible as a contributing element to the MHD.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2025

Techno-Economic Analysis for the Addition of Thermal Energy Storage to a Campus With Existing Battery Storage

Rising global temperatures and increasing energy demands pose significant challenges for energy management, particularly in institutional and commercial settings. As cooling needs grow, campuses must balance operational efficiency, cost control, and grid stability. Energy storage solutions, such as thermal energy storage (TES) systems, offer a promising approach to shifting energy consumption from peak to off-peak periods, alleviating peak demand, reducing utility costs, and enhancing grid resilience. When integrated with existing battery energy storage systems (BESS), TES can further optimize load management and improve energy savings, especially in buildings with diverse energy needs. This article presents a techno-economic analysis of integrating a chilled water TES system into the central plant at California State University, Dominguez Hills, which already operates a BESS. We assess three TES sizing strategies—full storage, load leveling, and peak demand limiting—by modeling and simulations based on historical energy loads. Our findings show that we can control TES systems to complement BESS operation, with campus-level load leveling providing the greatest cost savings by reducing peak demands. Furthermore, the study also evaluates the long-term economic viability of TES, considering installation costs, energy savings, and payback periods under varying tariffs. This research offers practical guidance for institutions seeking to enhance energy resilience and reduce operational costs through energy storage solutions.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗
DOE OSTI2023

Very High Efficiency Dedicated Outdoor Air System Field Site Re-Evaluation

The study reported here evaluated the long-term performance of Very High Efficiency (VHE) Dedicated Outside Air Systems (DOASs) installed at eight sites that participated in field evaluation studies performed by the Northwest Energy Efficiency Alliance (NEEA) and Institute for Market Transformation (IMT) from 2015 through 2020. The study compared the energy performance of the systems in 2021-2022 to the findings of the original evaluation. It also evaluated the indoor environmental quality (IEQ) as perceived by occupants and building operator feedback before and after the system conversion. The findings of the study are important for building owners and managers who are considering adopting VHE DOASs. The study found that the systems: (1) consistently saved energy over the long term, (2) improved occupant comfort, and (3) received positive feedback from building operators. All of the sites had similar or improved energy savings over the pre-conversion system compared to the original evaluation savings, and only one site had a small reduction in energy savings. The sites averaged 48 percent whole site energy savings compared to the pre-conversion system. The continued energy performance of these sites provides strong evidence that the energy savings achieved by VHE DOAS retrofits will be sustained long term. The study also investigated the changes in occupant comfort resulting from the VHE DOAS retrofit. Responses to a survey sent to the sites’ occupants revealed that the conversion resulted in a better indoor environment for the occupants. Most respondents reported that their satisfaction increased, and dissatisfaction decreased post-conversion. Overall occupants were 43 percent more satisfied and 30 percent less dissatisfied post-conversion compared to pre-conversion. The study's findings suggest that a VHE DOAS can be a solution to improve the energy efficiency, reduce energy costs, and increase occupant comfort in buildings.

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗
DOE OSTI2025

Model America - 2022 Arizona Building Energy Simulation Results from ORNL's AutoBEM

This dataset contains energy simulation outputs using ORNL's AutoBEM, covering the summer months (June 1st to August 31st) (named by "county_name.csv") and full-year periods (in output_all_year.zip) for each county in Arizona, USA. The data package includes simulation results such as basic energy metrics and anthropogenic emissions estimates. Files are provided in .csv. These data were generated to analyze the impact of weather conditions on energy use and emissions across urban and rural environments in Arizona, aiming to support research on urban heat islands, energy efficiency, and building retrofitting strategies. The source data for this work include NASA POWER weather datasets and computational models run using AutoBEM (i.e., an automated, large-scale energy simulation tool leveraging OpenStudio/EnergyPlus). This dataset can assist researchers, urban planners, and policymakers in developing climate-resilient energy systems and understanding anthropogenic contributions to local environments.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2020

Seismic Isolation of Major Advanced Reactor Systems for Economic Improvement and Safety Assurance

Advanced reactor concepts currently under development in the United States [e.g., the High-Temperature Gas Reactor (HTGR) of X-Energy and the Molten Chloride Fast Reactor (MCFR) of TerraPower] are striving to improve the economics of nuclear power primarily by using passively and ‘walk-away’ safe technologies in the reactor. The recently published report, ‘Future of Nuclear Energy in a Carbon-Constrained World’ by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Energy Institute (MIT EI) has shown that a significant contributor to the capital cost of NPPs is the ‘civil works’ i.e., the construction of the balance of plant (BoP: all SSCs except those involved in power generation, e.g., reactor vessel) such as the buildings, containment dome, foundation, etc., which amount to almost half of the overnight capital cost. The report suggests that using advanced construction technologies such as seismic isolation and high-performance concrete to significantly reduce the capital costs of advanced reactors. This report demonstrates the application of two cost-cutting solutions on advanced reactor designs that are currently under development. These solutions include, (1) seismic base isolation, and (2) risk- and cost-based seismic design optimization including seismic isolation of individual components.

42 ENGINEERING↗
DOE OSTI2020

Seismology in the Cloud: A New Streaming Workflow

Data-intensive research in seismology is experiencing a recent boom, driven in part by large volumes of available data and advances in the growing field of data science. However, there are significant barriers to processing large data volumes, such as long retrieval times from data repositories, complex data management, and limited computational resources. New tools and platforms have reduced the barriers to entry for scientific cluster computing, including the maturation of the commercial cloud as an accessible instrument for research. Here, we build a customized research cluster in the cloud to test a new workflow for large-scale seismic analysis, in which data are processed as a stream (retrieved on-the-fly and acted upon without storing), with data from the Incorporated Research Institutions for Seismology Data Management Center. We use this workflow to deploy a spectral peak detection algorithm over 5.6 TB of compressed continuous seismic data from 2074 stations of the USArray Transportable Array EarthScope network. Using a 50-node cluster in the cloud, we completed the noise survey in 80 hr, with an average data throughput of 1.7 GB per minute. By varying cluster sizes, we find the scaling of our analysis to be sublinear, due to a combination of algorithmic limitations and data center response times. The cloud-based streaming workflow represents an order-of-magnitude increase in acquisition and processing speed compared to a traditional download-store-process workflow, and offers the additional benefits of employing a flexible, accessible, and widely used computing architecture. It is limited, however, due to its reliance on Internet transfer speeds and data center service capacity, and may not work well for repeated analyses or those for which even higher data throughputs are needed. These research applications will require a new class of cloud-native approaches in which both data and analysis are in the cloud.

58 GEOSCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2023

Scale-up Testing of Advanced Polaris Membrane in CO2 Capture Technology

This final technical report describes work conducted by Membrane Technology and Research, Inc. (MTR) for the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), National Energy Technology Lab (NETL) on the scale-up and testing of advanced Polaris™ membrane CO2 capture technology at the Technology Centre Mongstad (TCM) under award number DE-FE0031591. The work was performed from August 1, 2018 through January 31, 2023. The overall goal of this project was to design, build and operate an advanced Polaris membrane CO2 capture system at TCM. MTR was assisted in this project by Trimeric Corporation (Trimeric), an engineering design services company, the Carbon Capture Simulation for Industry Impact (CCSI2), a partnership among national laboratories, industry, and academic institutions, and the Technology Centre Mongstad (TCM), who provided the host site for the slipstream field test. This report details the work conducted to scale-up MTR’s second-generation (Gen-2) Polaris membrane and advanced planar membrane modules to a final form factor optimized for commercial use; validate their performance in an engineering-scale field test at TCM; and to show the potential of the MTR process to meet DOE CO2 capture targets from large source point emitters. Work for this project included membrane optimization and scale-up, advanced planar module design and fabrication, design and fabrication of an engineering-scale field test membrane skid, operation of the field test skid processing Residue Fluid Catalytic Cracker (RFCC) industrial flue gas at TCM, and a detailed techno-economic analysis (TEA) of the MTR membrane post-combustion process for CO2 capture. This project validated recent membrane technology advancements at the engineering-scale, moves the MTR advanced post-combustion capture technology to TRL-6, and mitigates risk in future Large Pilot or Demonstration scale-up activities.

20 FOSSIL-FUELED POWER PLANTS↗
DOE OSTI2025

Development of novel techniques for non-invasive air leakage and moisture detection in building envelopes

Unwanted air leakage and moisture in building envelopes can cause high energy consumption, detrimental indoor air quality, poor occupant comfort, and reduction in building material durability. High moisture can cause rot and mold, leading to costly and time-consuming repairs that add to the carbon burden of the building envelope. Novel detection techniques for locating and measuring air leakage flow and areas of high moisture in building envelopes will be presented. The techniques are easy, fast, and non-destructive which can enable quick building envelope assessment, foster retrofits, and lead to energy savings and carbon emission reduction.

Boudreaux, Philip [ORNL] (ORCID:0000000229564665)↗
DOE OSTI2025

X-ray thermal diffuse scattering as a texture-robust temperature diagnostic for dynamically compressed solids

We present a model of x-ray thermal diffuse scattering (TDS) from a cubic polycrystal with an arbitrary crystallographic texture, based on the classic approach of Warren [B. E. Warren, Acta Crystallogr. 6, 803 (1953)]. We compare the predictions of our model with femtosecond x-ray diffraction patterns gathered from ambient and dynamically compressed rolled copper foils obtained at the High Energy Density instrument of the European X-Ray Free-Electron Laser facility and find that the texture-aware TDS model yields more accurate results than does the conventional powder model owed to Warren. Nevertheless, we further show: with sufficient angular detector coverage, the TDS signal is largely unchanged by sample orientation and in all cases strongly resembles the signal from a perfectly random powder; shot-to-shot fluctuations in the TDS signal resulting from grain-sampling statistics are at the percent level, in stark contrast to the fluctuations in the Bragg-peak intensities (which are over an order of magnitude greater); and TDS is largely unchanged even following texture evolution caused by compression-induced plastic deformation. We conclude that TDS is robust against texture variation, making it a flexible temperature diagnostic applicable just as well to off-the-shelf commercial foils as to ideal powders.

Crystal lattices↗
DOE OSTI2022

Evaluation of Building 23-620, Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory J-3 Office, Nevada National Security Site, Nye County, Nevada

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) National Nuclear Security Administration Nevada Field Office (NNSA/NFO) plans to demolish Building 23-620, the Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory (LASL) J-3 Office Building (Nevada State Historic Preservation Office [SHPO] Resource No. B15283) at the Nevada National Security Site (NNSS) in Nye County, Nevada. The NNSA/NFO is implementing a long-term project to modernize the town of Mercury for future mission needs. The project is considered an undertaking subject to review under Title 54 of United States Code (USC) § 306108, commonly known as Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act, Title 54 USC § 300101, et seq., and its implementing regulations, Title 36 of the Code of Federal Regulations (36 CFR) Part 800. In 2018, Desert Research Institute (DRI) completed an architectural survey of the town of Mercury. This effort resulted in the identification, recordation, and evaluation of the Mercury Historic District (MHD, SHPO Resource No. D230), including the identification of its contributing elements (Reno et al. 2018). The MHD was recommended eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP, National Register) under the Secretary of the Interior’s (SOI) Significance Criteria A and C, as defined in 36 CFR Part 60.4, as a significant concentration of buildings and structures with a direct and important association with Cold War-era nuclear testing from 1951 through 1992. It has not been evaluated under Criteria B and D to date. As part of a larger modernization program for Mercury, the NNSA/NFO and the SHPO executed the 2018 Programmatic Agreement between the National Nuclear Security Administration Nevada Field Office and the Nevada State Historic Preservation Officer regarding Modernization and Operational Maintenance of the Nevada National Security Site, at Mercury in Nye County, Nevada (Mercury PA). The Mercury PA includes streamlined Section 106 procedures for undertakings in the MHD based on contributing element categories. Building 23-620 is identified in Appendix C of the Mercury PA as a Category I contributing element, indicating that it might be individually eligible for the NRHP. It is a historic property for the purposes of Section 106 compliance and subject to the stipulations of the Mercury PA. Per Stipulation VI of the Mercury PA, when the Area of Potential Effect (APE) for an undertaking includes Category I elements, the NNSA/NFO must evaluate the Category I elements for individual NRHP eligibility under all of the SOI Significance Criteria prior to initiating any activity that may affect the elements. The purpose of this report is to evaluate Building 23-620 as a potential individually eligible historic property in fulfillment of Stipulation VI of the Mercury PA. The evaluation detailed herein concludes that Building 23-620 is not individually eligible for listing in the NRHP. Although it retains aspects of integrity and continues to contribute to the MHD, it is not individually significant under any of the SOI Significance Criteria.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2023

Evaluation of Building 23-702, Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory H-8 Foil Handling Building, Mercury, Area 23, Nevada National Security Site, Nye County, Nevada

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) National Nuclear Security Administration Nevada Field Office (NNSA/NFO) plans to demolish Building 23-702, the Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory (LASL) H-8 Foil Handling Building (Nevada State Historic Preservation Office [SHPO] Resource No. B15278) at the Nevada National Security Site (NNSS) in Nye County, Nevada. The NNSA/NFO is implementing a long-term project to modernize the town of Mercury for future mission needs. The project is considered an undertaking subject to review under Title 54 of United States Code (USC) § 306108, commonly known as Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act, Title 54 USC § 300101, et seq., and its implementing regulations, Title 36 of the Code of Federal Regulations (36 CFR) Part 800. In 2018, Desert Research Institute (DRI) completed an architectural survey of the town of Mercury. This effort resulted in the identification, recordation, and evaluation of the Mercury Historic District (MHD, SHPO Resource No. D230), including the identification of its contributing elements (Reno et al. 2018). The MHD was recommended eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP, National Register) under the Secretary of the Interior’s (SOI) Significance Criteria A and C, as defined in 36 CFR Part 60.4, as a significant concentration of buildings and structures with a direct and important association with Cold War-era nuclear testing from 1951 through 1992. As part of the modernization program for Mercury, the NNSA/NFO and the SHPO executed the 2018 Programmatic Agreement Between the National Nuclear Security Administration Nevada Field Office and the Nevada State Historic Preservation Officer Regarding Modernization and Operational Maintenance of the Nevada National Security Site, at Mercury in Nye County, Nevada (Mercury PA). The Mercury PA includes streamlined Section 106 procedures for undertakings in the MHD based on contributing element categories. Building 23-702 is identified in Appendix C of the Mercury PA as a Category I contributing element, indicating that it might be individually eligible for the NRHP. It is a historic property for the purposes of Section 106 compliance and subject to the stipulations of the Mercury PA. Per Stipulation VI of the Mercury PA, when the Area of Potential Effect (APE) for an undertaking includes Category I elements, the NNSA/NFO must evaluate the Category I elements for individual NRHP eligibility under all of the SOI Significance Criteria prior to initiating any activity that may affect the elements. The purpose of this report is to evaluate Building 23-702 as a potential individually eligible historic property in fulfillment of Stipulation VI of the Mercury PA. The evaluation detailed herein concludes that Building 23-702 is not individually eligible for listing in the NRHP. Although it retains aspects of integrity and continues to contribute to the MHD, it is not individually significant under any of the SOI Significance Criteria.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗