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396 records · Page 22

Improving Post-Hurricane Katrina Forest Management with MODIS Time Series Products

Hurricane damage to forests can be severe, causing millions of dollars of timber damage and loss. To help mitigate loss, state agencies require information on location, intensity, and extent of damaged forests. NASA's MODerate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) time series data products offers a potential means for state agencies to monitor hurricane-induced forest damage and recovery across a broad region. In response, a project was conducted to produce and assess 250 meter forest disturbance and recovery maps for areas in southern Mississippi impacted by Hurricane Katrina. The products and capabilities from the project were compiled to aid work of the Mississippi Institute for Forest Inventory (MIFI). A series of NDVI change detection products were computed to assess hurricane induced damage and recovery. Hurricane-induced forest damage maps were derived by computing percent change between MODIS MOD13 16-day composited NDVI pre-hurricane "baseline" products (2003 and 2004) and post-hurricane NDVI products (2005). Recovery products were then computed in which post storm 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2009 NDVI data was each singularly compared to the historical baseline NDVI. All percent NDVI change considered the 16-day composite period of August 29 to September 13 for each year in the study. This provided percent change in the maximum NDVI for the 2 week period just after the hurricane event and for each subsequent anniversary through 2009, resulting in forest disturbance products for 2005 and recovery products for the following 4 years. These disturbance and recovery products were produced for the Mississippi Institute for Forest Inventory's (MIFI) Southeast Inventory District and also for the entire hurricane impact zone. MIFI forest inventory products were used as ground truth information for the project. Each NDVI percent change product was classified into 6 categories of forest disturbance intensity. Stand age and stand type raster data, also provided by MIFI, were used along with the forest disturbance/recovery products to create forest damage stratification products integrating 3 stand type classes, 6 stand age classes, and 6 forest disturbance intensity classes. This stratification product will be used to aid MIFI timber inventory planning and to prepare for damage assessments due to future hurricane events. Validation of MODIS percent NDVI change products was performed by comparing the MODIS percent NDVI change products to those from Landsat data for the same time and MIFI inventory district area.

Lewis, Mark David↗

Soil and groundwater environmental sensor data, Wax Lake Delta, Louisiana, March 2023 - March 2024

This study evaluates how environmental parameters that integrate biogeochemical processes vary with water table fluctuations in the freshwater Wax Lake Delta (WLD) in Louisiana, U.S.A. This data package contains seven *.csv files and one Excel file that compiles all the data from the individual .csv files. This dataset reports high frequency (15-min) observations of water level, soil redox potential, specific conductance, and pH made for one year along elevation transects located on the older, proximal (OT) and younger, distal (YT) ends of a deltaic island. Water depth relative to the ground surface (cm; HOBO U20L-04; error ± 0.4 cm), water pH and temperature (HOBO MX2501), and specific conductance and temperature (HOBO U24-001) sensors were installed in March 2023. Water depth was corrected for barometric pressure recorded by a separate logger secured to a platform above the highest water level. Soil redox probes (SWAP ORP-40-4-B) were also installed in March 2023. Each probe had four Pt sensors (2 mm width) placed at 10 cm, 20 cm, 30 cm, and 40 cm below the ground surface. Redox data were referenced to an external Ag0/AgCl (3M KCl) reference probe placed in saturated ground and recorded on CR1000X dataloggers (Campbell Scientific) powered by solar panels. A second reference probe was positioned near the primary reference probe for backup and data correction. The tops of the soil redox probes and soil moisture probes were flush with the soil surface so that sensors are reported at their indicated depths below ground surface. Here, we report data collected between 15 March 2023 to 15 March 2024 for all sensors, with some differences due to exact dates of sensor placement or data gaps associated with sensor malfunction. For example, water depth at OT4 was not recorded between March to November 2023. Data flags indicate whether a value is valid (1) or was excluded from data analysis in the associated manuscript (-1).

EARTH SCIENCE > LAND SURFACE > SOILS↗

Determination of β -decay feeding patterns of 88 Rb and 88 Kr using the Modular Total Absorption Spectrometer at ORNL HRIBF

We report precise determination of ground-state feeding in the β decay of fission products is an important but challenging component in modeling reactor antineutrino flux and reactor decay heat. The Modular Total Absorption Spectrometer (MTAS) is a versatile NaI(Tl) detector array that determines the true β-decay pattern free from the pandemonium effect, including precise ground-state feeding intensities. In this paper, we report MTAS results of the β feeding intensities of 88 Rb and 88 Kr, fission products with large cumulative yields in nuclear reactors. By comparing MTAS results with previous measurements, 88 Rb provides a validation of MTAS's ability to determine ground-state feedings in β decays, while the precision of 88 Kr ground-state feeding is improved when compared with the Evaluated Nuclear Structure Data File (ENSDF). The investigation of sources that contribute to β feeding branching uncertainties in MTAS experiments is discussed in detail. Lastly, the deconvolution of 88 Rb decay spectra suggests that MTAS can distinguish an allowed β spectral shape from a first forbidden unique β spectral shape.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗

Security Vulnerability Profiles of NASA Mission Software: Empirical Analysis of Security Related Bug Reports

NASA develops, runs, and maintains software systems for which security is of vital importance. Therefore, it is becoming an imperative to develop secure systems and extend the current software assurance capabilities to cover information assurance and cybersecurity concerns of NASA missions. The results presented in this report are based on the information provided in the issue tracking systems of one ground mission and one flight mission. The extracted data were used to create three datasets: Ground mission IVV issues, Flight mission IVV issues, and Flight mission Developers issues. In each dataset, we identified the software bugs that are security related and classified them in specific security classes. This information was then used to create the security vulnerability profiles (i.e., to determine how, why, where, and when the security vulnerabilities were introduced) and explore the existence of common trends. The main findings of our work include:- Code related security issues dominated both the Ground and Flight mission IVV security issues, with 95 and 92, respectively. Therefore, enforcing secure coding practices and verification and validation focused on coding errors would be cost effective ways to improve mission's security. (Flight mission Developers issues dataset did not contain data in the Issue Category.)- In both the Ground and Flight mission IVV issues datasets, the majority of security issues (i.e., 91 and 85, respectively) were introduced in the Implementation phase. In most cases, the phase in which the issues were found was the same as the phase in which they were introduced. The most security related issues of the Flight mission Developers issues dataset were found during Code Implementation, Build Integration, and Build Verification; the data on the phase in which these issues were introduced were not available for this dataset.- The location of security related issues, as the location of software issues in general, followed the Pareto principle. Specifically, for all three datasets, from 86 to 88 the security related issues were located in two to four subsystems.- The severity levels of most security issues were moderate, in all three datasets.- Out of 21 primary security classes, five dominated: Exception Management, Memory Access, Other, Risky Values, and Unused Entities. Together, these classes contributed from around 80 to 90 of all security issues in each dataset. This again proves the Pareto principle of uneven distribution of security issues, in this case across CWE classes, and supports the fact that addressing these dominant security classes provides the most cost efficient way to improve missions' security. The findings presented in this report uncovered the security vulnerability profiles and identified the common trends and dominant classes of security issues, which in turn can be used to select the most efficient secure design and coding best practices compiled by the part of the SARP project team associated with the NASA's Johnson Space Center. In addition, these findings provide valuable input to the NASA IVV initiative aimed at identification of the two 25 CWEs of ground and flight missions.

vulnerability↗

MARVEL Reactor Fuel Performance Report (Rev.2)

The Microreactor Applications Research Validation and EvaLuation (MARVEL) project is producing a high temperature liquid metal-cooled nuclear test bed at Idaho National Laboratory (INL) to ultimately improve the integration of microreactors to end-user applications. This ambitious effort seeks to design, authorize, construct, test, and operate the reactor within five years. In order to construct and operate the MARVEL reactor in a timely manner, the system will utilize materials and component designs which have already been used, qualified, or licensed from previous reactors. The MARVEL reactor will be located at the INL Transient Reactor Test (TREAT) facility in the north high-bay equipment pit and will use the existing 304 stainless steel-clad U-ZrH1.6 pin-type fuel system developed by General Atomics and purchased from TRIGA International. This fuel has been previously qualified under the United States Department of Energy’s (US DOE) Reduced Enrichment for Research and Test Reactors (RERTR) Program. Even though the regulator of the MARVEL reactor is the US DOE, the standards and overall approach recommended by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission is well-defined and utilized here. Following NUREG-1537 regulatory guidance, this report documents the authorization case for the MARVEL fuel system’s application to MARVEL and establishes stable and predictable fuel performance during the most thermophysically unfavorable conditions achievable in the MARVEL reactor. To that end, this report provides a comprehensive survey of the known thermophysical properties, performance, and quantitative relationships associated with the MARVEL reactor fuel element and uses this information to determine its mechanical integrity and risk of reaching unacceptable conditions during the most extreme accident scenarios predicted for the reactor using the most conservative assumptions available. The information contained herein is compiled from a combination of historical reports and peer reviewed scientific publication manuscripts. Known mechanisms under which the fuel is susceptible to failure are highlighted and compared to conditions that could exist in the MARVEL reactor during an unanticipated transient or accident scenario. The two scenarios considered for analysis in this report are (1) an unprotected loss of flow accident and (2) a hypothetical unprotected loss of coolant accident during the loss of flow accident. Preliminary 2D steady-state analyses herein indicate that both fuel-cladding chemical interactions and fuel-cladding mechanical interactions are negligible throughout the fuel’s operational cycle under both normal and high temperature accident scenario conditions. Although higher fidelity 3D time-dependent modeling and simulations are planned, the following may be concluded presently. The MARVEL fuel element maintains its geometric stability and structural integrity during the most extreme accident scenarios predicted for the MARVEL reactor. The hoop stress during the unprotected loss of flow accident reaches about -1.27 MPa; this negative stress indicates that it is compressive rather than tensile. The compressive stress is a result of the NaK pressure on the outside of the fuel element, caused by the restricted thermal expansion of the NaK coolant, exceeding the internal pressures generated inside of the fuel element. The hoop stress generated in the cladding during the unprotected loss of coolant accident reaches a maximum of about approximately 10 MPa, which is nearly an order of magnitude less than the predicted yield strength of the cladding under high-temperature accident scenario conditions. Calculations were compared with results from high performance computational simulations using BISON and are in very close agreement. A conservative MARVEL fuel meat peak temperature limit of 900 °C is recommended presently, which is about 180 °C higher than the peak fuel temperature predicted to occur during the most extreme accident. Based on the known properties and behavior of the MARVEL fuel element, the fuel successfully meets its design and safety requirements under normal and most extreme accident conditions with a large safety margin.

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗

MARVEL Reactor Fuel Performance Report

The Microreactor Applications Research Validation and EvaLuation (MARVEL) project is producing a high temperature liquid metal-cooled nuclear test bed at Idaho National Laboratory (INL) to ultimately improve the integration of microreactors to end-user applications. This ambitious effort seeks to design, authorize, construct, test, and operate the reactor within five years. In order to construct and operate the MARVEL reactor in a timely manner, the system will utilize materials and component designs which have already been used, qualified, or licensed from previous reactors. The MARVEL reactor will be located at the INL Transient Reactor Test (TREAT) facility in the north high-bay equipment pit and will use the existing 304 stainless steel-clad U-ZrH1.6 pin-type fuel system developed by General Atomics and purchased from TRIGA International. This fuel has been previously qualified under the United States Department of Energy’s (US DOE) Reduced Enrichment for Research and Test Reactors (RERTR) Program. Even though the regulator of the MARVEL reactor is the US DOE, the standards and overall approach recommended by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission is well-defined and utilized here. Following NUREG-1537 regulatory guidance, this report documents the authorization case for the MARVEL fuel system’s application to MARVEL and establishes stable and predictable fuel performance during the most thermophysically unfavorable conditions achievable in the MARVEL reactor. To that end, this report provides a comprehensive survey of the known thermophysical properties, performance, and quantitative relationships associated with the MARVEL reactor fuel element and uses this information to determine its mechanical integrity and risk of reaching unacceptable conditions during the most extreme accident scenarios predicted for the reactor using the most conservative assumptions available. The information contained herein is compiled from a combination of historical reports and peer reviewed scientific publication manuscripts. Known mechanisms under which the fuel is susceptible to failure are highlighted and compared to conditions that could exist in the MARVEL reactor during an unanticipated transient or accident scenario. The two scenarios considered for analysis in this report are (1) an unprotected loss of flow accident and (2) a hypothetical unprotected loss of coolant accident during the loss of flow accident. Preliminary 2D steady-state analyses herein indicate that both fuel-cladding chemical interactions and fuel-cladding mechanical interactions are negligible throughout the fuel’s operational cycle under both normal and high temperature accident scenario conditions. Although higher fidelity 3D time-dependent modeling and simulations are planned, the following may be concluded presently. The MARVEL fuel element maintains its geometric stability and structural integrity during the most extreme accident scenarios predicted for the MARVEL reactor. The hoop stress during the unprotected loss of flow accident reaches about -1.27 MPa; this negative stress indicates that it is compressive rather than tensile. The compressive stress is a result of the NaK pressure on the outside of the fuel element, caused by the restricted thermal expansion of the NaK coolant, exceeding the internal pressures generated inside of the fuel element. The hoop stress generated in the cladding during the unprotected loss of coolant accident reaches a maximum of about approximately 10 MPa, which is nearly an order of magnitude less than the predicted yield strength of the cladding under high-temperature accident scenario conditions. Calculations were compared with results from high performance computational simulations using BISON and are in very close agreement. A conservative MARVEL fuel meat peak temperature limit of 900 °C is recommended presently, which is about 180 °C higher than the peak fuel temperature predicted to occur during the most extreme accident. Based on the known properties and behavior of the MARVEL fuel element, the fuel successfully meets its design and safety requirements under normal and most extreme accident conditions with a large safety margin.

11 - NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗

SPACEFLIGHT ASSOCIATED NEURO-OCULAR SYNDROME (SANS): 2023 CLINICAL UPDATE

INTRODUCTION Spaceflight Associated Neuro-ocular Syndrome (SANS) is a condition unique to long-duration spaceflight, with an unclear pathogenesis and pathophysiology, and no perfect terrestrial analog. Approximately 66% of long duration spaceflight (LDSF) astronauts present with the earliest indication of SANS, which is defined as development of any of the following signs in at least one eye during or immediately following spaceflight: 1) optic disc edema (ODE; represented by an increase of ≥ 20 microns in peripapillary total retinal thickness [ΔTRT]); 2) chorioretinal folds; 3) globe flattening; and 4) excessive shift in refractive error (≥ +0.75D). Each of these signs presents potential risk to a crewmember’s vision and mission effectiveness, with ODE posing the highest risk overall. It is not yet known what severity and/or duration of these signs might lead to acute or permanent impacts to ocular anatomy or visual performance. Brain anatomical changes also occur during long-duration spaceflight and are being monitored in the astronaut population; however, these changes have not yet been associated with functional decrements or with SANS. An update will be provided on the latest SANS clinical analyses, diagnostics, and program initiatives. METHODS Data were obtained from clinical records and SANS subject matter experts (SMEs) to compile a SANS clinical update. Areas of interest include: 1) prevalence of SANS signs, 2) defining clinical thresholds for SANS, and 3) an overview of current and planned SANS clinical efforts. DISCUSSION SANS Sign Prevalence: Analysis at the time of this abstract submission indicates that the approximate prevalence of primary SANS findings in USOS LDSF crewmembers is: 64% for ODE (≥ 20-micron ΔTRT), 15% for chorioretinal folds, 26% for globe flattening, and 14% for hyperopic shifts in refractive error (≥ +0.75D). Clinical Thresholds:  The Earliest Indication of SANS was presented publicly for the first time at the 2020 NASA Human Research Program Investigators’ Workshop. See definition in Introduction section (above).  Clinically Concerning SANS – Development of any of the following signs during or immediately following spaceflight: 1) ODE (≥ 55-micron ΔTRT* and/or Frisèn grade ≥1*), 2) sharp chorioretinal folds in the vicinity of the macula, or 3) moderate globe flattening.  Pathological SANS with an Acute Functional Impact – Development of any of the following signs/symptoms during or immediately following spaceflight: 1) visual field loss (e.g., enlarged blindspot), 2) distorted centralvision, or 3) shift in refractive error beyond power of available correction (e.g., “space anticipation glasses”).  Pathological SANS affecting Long-Term Health – Development of any of the following signs/symptoms during or following spaceflight: 1) permanent visual field loss, 2) reduced retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) thickness, 3) permanently distorted central vision, 4) atrophy of retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) or photoreceptors, or 5) choroidal neovascularization. Current & Planned Clinical Efforts (accurate at time of abstract submission): All SANS diagnostic hardware are performing nominally onboard the International Space Station: vision screening, fundoscope, optical coherence tomography (OCT) device, ultrasound, and tonometer. The Goggle-Based Visual Field (GBVF) device is nearing completion of its clinical validation study at Ohio State University and is planned for parabolic flight testing in fiscal year 2023 (FY23); pending positive results, this sequence may pave the way towards an ISS technology demonstration in FY24.

T J Brunstetter↗

Another look at the UBV variability of T Tauri stars

The UBV variability of classical T Tauri stars is investigated using a large data set compiled by Herbst et al. (1994). The analysis is based on the covariance of the UBV colors, which is independent of the obscuration and the temporal sampling, and is a powerful tool for finding trends that otherwise would be hidden in the complex time-dependence of the data. I find that there are two types of UBV variability and introduce the nomenclature 'ortho-' and 'para-UBV' variations, or in short 'type-O' and 'type-P' variations. Objects with a predominance of ortho-UBV variability show strong variability in both the Balmer and Paschen continua, whereas objects dominated by para-UBV changes vary mostly in the Paschen continuum. I show that type-O variations can be explained in terms of rotating spots, variable obscuration, or changes intrinsic to the source that obey the law Delta T(sub S)/T(sub S) varies as Delta n(sub H)/n(sub H), where T(sub S) and n(sub H) are, respectively, the gas temperature and the number density of hydrogen nuclei. Type-P variations can be explained only by changes intrinsic to the source with Delta T(sub S)/T(sub S) varies as - Delta n(sub H)/n(sub H), and I speculate on a possible origin for these changes. The covariance ellipse of the UBV colors is a versatile tool for studying the connection between variability and other spectral signatures of classical T Tauri stars; its use for this purpose is illustrated by studying the correlation between the presence of CO first-overtone bands in emission and the type of variability. I find that objects with CO band emission are also those with type-P variability and propose an observational test to validate this conclusion.

Safier, Pedro N.↗

Modeling and Simulation of Fuel Dispersal During the Loss-of-Coolant Accident

This document is the compilation of the milestone portion to a larger end of project NEUP report. The executive summary of the modeling portion is provided below: In the event of cladding rupture during a postulated LOCA in a pressurized water reactor, fuel particles, along with fission gases, can be expelled into the reactor core from the fractured fuel rod, a phenomenon referred to as fuel dispersal. The initial stage of fuel dispersal is strongly influenced by the high-pressure ejection of fuel fragments, the size and geometry of the ruptured cladding, and the depressurization history of the fuel rod during the postulated LOCA transient. Depending on the location of the burst orifice relative to the quench front, the dispersal event represents an intricate three-phase flow and heat transfer phenomenon, where high-temperature fuel particles carried by the fission gases interact with the coolant within the narrow subchannels of the fuel assemblies, inducing localized phase change. Given the unique multiphysics nature of this phenomena, the current study develops a dedicated computational framework to predict the mass distribution and cooling of dispersing fuel particles, facilitating post-accident assessment and management of the fuel assemblies. Considering the scale of nuclear reactor applications, a continuum three-fluid model is proposed for simulating the transport of solids within the reactor core. With high-temperature fuel fragments within the liquid media, nucleation sites inducing phase changes are dispersed within the flow domain. Coupled with the fact that the transient dispersal event occurs on different time scales than other three-phase flow applications, this study derives a time-averaged three-fluid flow model without losing generality. The assumptions regarding the continuum treatment of the solid phase and the modeling of fuel dispersal behavior are incorporated to simplify the governing equations and derive applicable closure relations. The computational validation of the model was conducted using adiabatic experimental results obtained from ongoing research at Oregon State University, focusing on characterizing fuel dispersal behavior during simulated LOCA conditions. Settlement characteristics of the solids, quantified by the probability distribution of equivalent particles, closely matched the probability density functions reported in experimental studies. The transport of fuel particles within a scaled 5 × 5 lattice of a pressurized-water reactor rod bundle geometry was modeled through a two-fluid Eulerian framework. The required boundary conditions were evaluated from the fuel performance code BISON in a postulated large-break LOCA scenario. The modeling framework considered solid fuel particles as granular matter, interacting with the gaseous dry steam phase and fission gases through the governing interfacial momentum exchange between the participating fluids. The simulation results provided the volume fraction of the solids obtained at the bottom surface of the enclosing tank geometry. Postulated LOCA leading to fuel dispersal phenomena involves the strong coupling between fuel thermomechanics, cladding deformation, thermal-hydraulics, and fuel particle transport. Incorporation of such a strong coupling in numerical simulation is performed by coupling the multiphysics solvers. In the case of fuel dispersal, a strong coupled simulation can be performed by coupling the BISON code for fuel performance, the TRACE code for system-level thermal hydraulics, and fuel particle transport in Multiphysics Object-Oriented Simulation Environment (MOOSE). For such intricate infrastructure, the MOOSE Framework eases the data transfer between codes. The recent version of MOOSE has incorporated the Navier-Stokes module for the fluid flow. An exploratory exercise was done to gain familiarity with finite volume capabilities in the MOOSE framework to incorporate the Spalart-Allmaras (SA) turbulence model. New finite-volume and auxiliary kernels were introduced to assemble the SA transport equation, compute turbulent viscosity, and evaluate wall distance and diagnostic turbulence terms, fully integrated with existing Navier-Stokes modules. A turbulent lid-driven cavity at a Reynolds number of approximately 10,000 is used for verification. MOOSE shows the robust solver convergence and produces the turbulent features. But it underpredicts the velocity profile and turbulent quantities, emphasizing the need to develop improved SA near-wall treatments (e.g., low-Re corrections or wall functions) as a key direction for future work.

11 - NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗

SISTec: Mathematical Calibration of Large Clearance Monitors - 18265

One major path for clearance of large amount of waste arising from the decommission of nuclear power plants is based on measurement with large clearance monitors (also known as free release measurement facilities). These devices utilize multi-detector plastic scintillator arrays (large clearance monitors can consist of up to 24 plastic scintillators) to offer both, extremely low minimum detectable activities (MDA) and short measurement times for waste packages weighing up to one metric ton. However, a major problem with these devices is to obtain nuclide specific efficiencies, especially for geometrically complex large waste packages. Normal procedure for estimating the efficiency is to device dummy waste packages and attach point sources with well-known activities to unfavourable positions in these packages. In accordance with this procedure, calibration factors can be derived in a radiological conservative way. Devising such test dummies is not always possible and the procedure is prone to generating large measurement uncertainties. In this publication, we propose a new method to derive calibration factors by means of the Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) simulation tool Monte Carlo N-Particle (MCNP) and a statistical-phenomenological model for the detector characterization. In a multi-step approach, first the detector response for a distribution of activity in a waste package is calculated and subsequently the detectors are mathematically characterized. Applying state of the art statistical and optimizing procedures, parameters for the detector response are derived in a self-consistent way. This also allows to rigorously propagate the uncertainties to the final calculated calibration factors according to the Guide to the Expression of Uncertainty in Measurement (GUM supplement 1). To validate the derived parameters for the detector characterization a minimally invasive experimental setup was devised and installed into the large clearance monitor. It consisted of an aluminum swivel arm which could position point sources to the relevant coordinates. The so collected measurement data not only allowed to investigate the precision of the calculated calibration factors, but also to probe the location of concentrated activity sources in the waste package. Furthermore, data on measurements with dummy waste packages were collected to test the reproducibility of well-known calibration factors. We present the software tool SIStec, which will provide an intuitive user-interface to generate and simulate waste package models and execute the above-mentioned method. Using SIStec, different scenarios for the distribution of activity in the waste package can be probed. This will also allow to optimize the clearance process on various levels. For example, measurement time for pre-measurements can be reduced in exchange for unfavourable calibration factors, which would still allow to meet the regulator limits for clearance. (authors)

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗

FUSRAP Case Study - Benefits and Lessons Learned from Implementation of a Modern Data Solution at Maywood - 18399

This paper focuses on data production and management practices dating back to 1999 that continue to evolve to support the project today. In 2000, the FUSRAP Maywood Project began using a software environmental data management system and laboratory information management system, developed by a single database administrator (DA) and authored in Microsoft Access{sup TM} (MS Access). The original databases included basic functionality including sample number assignment and label generation, tracking of LIMS gamma spec QC and assignment of basic qualifiers and basic database queries. The DA continued over the next fifteen years to refine the EDMS/LIMS by integrating project-specific data evaluation guidance document processes and Quality Assurance/Quality Control (QA/QC) charting and excursion warning tools. With the retirement of the original DA, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE)-Cabrera Team procured and implemented a commercial-leaning solution using modern database tools and an established EDMS vendor. For the database transition process, the project team established and configured the new EDMS/LIMS with basic architecture and accessibility; evaluated existing workflows; established/revised LIMS and EDMS-related documentation (manuals and procedures); and conducted dry runs and validation testing. The overall team coordinated closely to facilitate a seamless transition from initial assessment and authoring, to data migration, and finally to resumption of normal ongoing operations. Key features of the new EDMS Subcontractor's software included lookup tables, an import wizard, data checking options and unique indexes. Since the database systems became operational, the technical staff gathered useful feedback from end users (e.g., lab staff, field engineers, task managers, and the third-party data validator) to refine the EDMS/LIMS operation. This feedback triggered improvements in the performance of onsite laboratory qualification forms, promoted consistency in sample ID numbers between the database sample planning screens and field chain-of-custodies, corrected bugs in the LIMS Duplicate Evaluation Report, eliminated data import issues such as blank, inconsistent or missing data from key fields. One of the advantages of the commercial database solution was that it allowed the project to cut cost over time due to the lower cost of database maintenance provided by the commercial database vendor versus the cost of an on-staff DA. Cost savings are estimated at $40,000 per year. There were also indirect cost savings resulting from implementation of the new database since it allowed better integration of the LIMS and EDMS. While there will always be challenges associated with long term records/data management for any old remediation site, the Maywood Team's approach to an upgraded EDMS/LIMS implementation serves as one element of the overall effort to enhance the integrity and reproducibility of critical data that supports the remediation program while at the same time, more effectively using available resources. These lessons-learned will enhance implementation of cost-effective solutions for similar environmental remediation sites. (authors)

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗

Calcium Phosphate Constraints in HLW Glasses: Phosphate Liquidus Model

About 50 million gallons of high-level mixed waste is currently stored in underground tanks at the United States Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) Hanford site in the State of Washington. The Hanford Tank Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant (WTP) will provide DOE’s Office of River Protection (ORP) with a means of treating this waste by vitrification for subsequent disposal. The tank waste will be separated into low- and high-activity waste fractions, which will then be vitrified respectively into Immobilized Low Activity Waste (ILAW) and Immobilized High Level Waste (IHLW) products. The ILAW product will be disposed in an engineered facility on the Hanford site while the IHLW product is designed for acceptance into a national geological disposal facility for high-level nuclear waste. The ILAW and IHLW products must meet a variety of requirements before they can be accepted for disposal. Glass property-composition models will be used to control the vitrification process at the WTP to ensure that the glass meets product quality and processability requirements. The quality and the validity ranges of the property-composition models and the supporting database will greatly influence waste treatment operations, including the waste loading that is achievable in the glass for each waste composition. The current baseline models for operation of the WTP were developed under the Bechtel National, Inc. (BNI) WTP contract. These models were based on LAW and HLW glass property data over a range of compositions that was guided primarily by the WTP contract and the set of tanks specified therein. The HLW testing was directed towards waste streams from the then-planned early feed tanks for the WTP (i.e., AZ-101, AZ-102, C-106/AY-102, and C-104/AY-101). These wastes are high in iron (AZ-101, AZ-102, and C-106/AY-102) or thorium (C-104/AY-101). While the baseline models may be adequate for commissioning of the facility and processing of the specified tanks, refinements and extensions or augmentations of these models will be required to process the balance of the tank waste inventory. The overall mission of the WTP will require the immobilization of tank waste compositions that are variously dominated by mixtures of aluminum, chromium, bismuth, iron, phosphorous, zirconium, and sulfur compounds as waste-loading-limiting components. Further, the WTP contract includes minimum waste loading requirements that are generally rather modest while loadings significantly higher than those in the current baseline are likely achievable. In order to achieve these higher waste loadings and to expand the applicable composition regions, new models will be needed to support the optimized operation of the WTP. Since the development of the baseline WTP models, ORP directed a program of work at the Vitreous State Laboratory (VSL) to examine various approaches for optimization of the performance of the WTP, including increasing the waste loadings in the LAW and HLW glass products. That work involved HLW rich in Al, Al+Na, Cr, Bi, S, Zr, Sr, P and Fe, in contrast to old baseline models that were based mostly on HLW tanks that were high in Fe, with one other that was also high in Th. Glass property data collected under the ORP program were compiled and combined with data collected to develop the WTP models. The combined databases have been used to update pre-existing HLW composition models or to develop new models for properties such as Product Consistency Test (PCT) responses, spinel crystallization (one-percent crystal fraction temperature, T 1% ), melt viscosity, melt electrical conductivity, nepheline formation upon slow cooling (i.e., Canister Centerline Cooling [CCC]), and Toxicity Characteristic Leach Procedure (TCLP) Cd response. While spinel is typically the most commonly occurring phase in HLW glasses, other phases can be limiting depending on the waste and glass composition. For example, various phosphate phases can become important as the phosphorus content increases. Lithium phosphate crystallization can impact PCT releases of HLW glasses, while calcium phosphate phases forming in the cold-cap can deleteriously impact feed processing in the melter. At present, however, no models exist that relate glass composition and crystallization of phosphate phases in general and calcium phosphate in particular. The present work was therefore directed towards the initial development of such models. Future work may be directed at studying amorphous phase separation in high phosphate HLW glasses. Within the River Protection Project, feed compositions are projected using the Hanford Tank Waste Operations Simulator (HTWOS), a dynamic computer model that tracks the waste through storage, retrieval, feed staging, and treatment processes. A review of the HTWOS data shows that WTP will process 4106 batches of HLW glass for the overall mission (System Plan Rev. 6, ORP-11242), each with its own waste feed and glass composition. Some of the projected HTWOS feed batches are expected to have relatively high concentrations of phosphorous compared to typical HLW streams. In the 4106 batches of HLW for the overall WTP mission P 2 O 5 varies from 0.59 wt% to 13.00 wt%, with 95 batches containing at least 10 wt% P 2 O 5 . Occurrences of phosphate crystals have commonly been noted in glasses with high bismuth and phosphorus contents. In addition, recently collected data from a set of statistically designed HLW matrix glasses prepared and characterized to support enhancement of the HLW glass property-composition models identified apatite in a number of glass samples. However, the current HLW model for crystallization (one-percent crystal fraction temperature) is applicable only to spinel crystallization in glasses. Previous projections of waste loadings and glass volume (such as those in System Plan Rev. 6, ORP-11242) have used preliminary constraints for calcium phosphate crystallization that are based on the limited available data. Additional data and improved constraints or, preferably, models that relate glass composition to crystallization of phosphate-containing phases, are therefore needed to support HLW vitrification at the WTP. The present study focuses on the development of such a model based on data from previously characterized glasses and a set of newly fabricated glasses.

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗

Energy Intensity Baselining and Tracking Guidance

Each company joining the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) Better Buildings, Better Plants Program (Better Plants) commits to establishing an energy consumption and energy intensity (EI) baseline and to tracking its energy performance over a 10-year period against that baseline. The baseline must reflect a company’s energy consumption over a 12-month period, covering all its U.S.-based operations. Energy consumption is calculated by fuel type in terms of primary energy (also known as source energy). EI is broadly defined as the amount of energy consumed per unit of output produced. For this guidance document and for the program, the term energy performance represents an evaluation of a facility’s capacity to use energy efficiently. Metrics used to assess a facility’s energy performance can include EI, energy consumption, improvements in EI, etc. Establishing an energy baseline and tracking system is a critical first step in effectively managing energy use. Developing a baseline can help a company understand energy use within the corporation and give it a point of comparison to evaluate future efforts to improve energy performance. It can also support efforts to validate a company’s energy management activities, improve comparative analyses when using benchmarks, and help in predicting future energy needs. In addition, a company that normalizes its performance data can determine highly defensible measures of energy savings generated through implemented energy efficiency projects. Establishing a baseline and tracking energy performance is also a requirement for ISO 50001 certification. Although basic energy data can be collected through utility bills, most manufacturers will have to perform additional analyses to develop accurate and robust energy baselines and tracking systems. Energy is consumed in many ways within the manufacturing sector and can come from multiple sources. Energy is sometimes generated and sold to other parties or captured and reused on-site. External events can exert a significant impact on a facility or company’s energy use independent of any purposeful efforts to improve energy efficiency. Operational changes, such as production shifts—which may be inevitable for some companies over the 10-year period covered by the program—can also make a big difference in energy use. Since Better Plants asks companies to account for all their U.S.-based operations, mergers, acquisitions, and divestitures can also have significant implications for a company’s energy metrics. This document aims to demystify the sometimes complex baselining process. It devotes special attention to the task of normalizing and adjusting energy consumption to account for external factors, such as weather and production changes. A key recommendation is that companies use regression analysis to normalize their energy consumption data whenever possible. Regression analysis is a statistical technique that estimates the dependence of a variable (i.e., energy use in the context of Better Plants) on one or more independent variables such as ambient temperature, while controlling for the influence of other variables at the same time. A properly developed regression analysis can provide a reliable estimate of energy savings resulting from energy improvement strategies and projects by accounting for the effects of variables such as annual production levels and weather. DOE has developed a companion Energy Performance Indicator software tool (EnPI) to simplify the baselining process. This tool can run regression models, calculate changes in EI at the facility level, and automatically compile facility-level data into a corporate-wide metric. Note that although the relevant equations used to calculate EI are provided in this document, the EnPI tool will automatically perform most calculations for the user. Additionally, Better Plants Partners (Partners) can call on their Technical Account Manager (TAM) to help them establish a baseline and assist with the necessary calculations to track progress.

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗

The Transition of High-Resolution NASA MODIS Sea Surface Temperatures into the WRF Environmental Modeling System

The NASA Short-term Prediction Research and Transition (SPoRT) Center has developed a Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) sea surface temperature (SST) composite at 2-km resolution that has been implemented in version 3 of the National Weather Service (NWS) Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) Environmental Modeling System (EMS). The WRF EMS is a complete, full physics numerical weather prediction package that incorporates dynamical cores from both the Advanced Research WRF (ARW) and the Non-hydrostatic Mesoscale Model (NMM). The installation, configuration, and execution of either the ARW or NMM models is greatly simplified by the WRF EMS to encourage its use by NWS Weather Forecast Offices (WFOs) and the university community. The WRF EMS is easy to run on most Linux workstations and clusters without the need for compilers. Version 3 of the WRF EMS contains the most recent public release of the WRF-NMM and ARW modeling system (version 3 of the ARW is described in Skamarock et al. 2008), the WRF Pre-processing System (WPS) utilities, and the WRF Post-Processing program. The system is developed and maintained by the NWS National Science Operations Officer Science and Training Resource Coordinator. To initialize the WRF EMS with high-resolution MODIS SSTs, SPoRT developed the composite product consisting of MODIS SSTs over oceans and large lakes with the NCEP Real-Time Global (RTG) filling data over land points. Filling the land points is required due to minor inconsistencies between the WRF land-sea mask and that used to generate the MODIS SST composites. This methodology ensures a continuous field that adequately initializes all appropriate arrays in WRF. MODIS composites covering the Gulf of Mexico, western Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean are generated daily at 0400, 0700, 1600, and 1900 UTC corresponding to overpass times of the NASA Aqua and Terra polar orbiting satellites. The MODIS SST product is output in gridded binary-1 (GRIB-1) data format for a seamless incorporation into WRF via the WPS utilities. The full-resolution, 1-km MODIS product is sub-sampled to 2-km grid spacing due to limitations in handling very large dimensions in the GRIB-1 data format. The GRIB-1 files are posted online at ftp://ftp.nsstc.org/sstcomp/WRF/, which is directly accessed by the WRF EMS scripts. The MODIS SST composites are also downloaded to the EMS data server, which is accessible by the WRF EMS users and NWS WFOs. The SPoRT MODIS SST composite provides the model with superior detail of the ocean gradients around Florida and surrounding waters, whereas the operational RTG SST typically depicts a relatively smooth field and is not able to capture sharp horizontal gradients in SST. Differences of 2-3 C are common over small horizontal distances, leading to enhanced SST gradients on either side of the Gulf Stream and along the edges of the cooler shelf waters. These sharper gradients can in turn produce atmospheric responses in simulated temperature and wind fields as depicted in LaCasse et al. Differences in atmospheric verification statistics over a several month study were generally small in the vicinity of south Florida; however, the validation of SSTs at specific buoy locations revealed important improvements in the biases and RMS errors, especially in the vicinity of the cooler shelf waters off the east-central Florida coast. A current weakness in the MODIS SST product is the occurrence of occasional discontinuities caused by high latency in SST coverage due to persistent cloud cover. An enhanced method developed by Jedlovec et al. (2009, GHRSST User Symposium) reduces the occurrence of these problems by adding Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer -- EOS (AMSR-E) SST data to the compositing process. Enhanced SST composites are produced over the ocean regions surrounding the Continental U.S. at four times each day corresponding to Terra and Aqua equator crossing times. For a given day and overpass time, both MODInd AMSR-E data from the previous seven days form a collection used in the compositing. At each MODIS pixel, cloud-free SST values from the collection are used to form a weighted average based on their latency (number of days from the current day). In this way, recent SST data are given more weight than older data. One of the primary issues involved in incorporating the AMSR-E microwave data in the composites is the tradeoff between the decreased spatial resolution of the AMSR-E data (25 km) and the increased coverage due to its near all-weather capability. Currently, the AMSR-E is given a weight of 20% compared to MODIS data, thereby preserving the spatial structure observed in the MODIS data. Day-time (night-time) AMSR-E SST data from Aqua are used with both Terra and Aqua MODIS day-time (night-time) SST data sets.

Case, Jonathan L.↗

Deviations from the Porter-Thomas Distribution due to Nonstatistical 𝛾 Decay below the 150 Nd Neutron Separation Threshold

We introduce a new method for the study of fluctuations of partial transition widths based on nuclear resonance fluorescence experiments with quasimonochromatic linearly polarized photon beams below particle separation thresholds. It is based on the average branching of decays of 𝐽=1 states of an even-even nucleus to the 2$^{+}_{1}$ state in comparison to the ground state. Between 5 and 7 MeV, a constant average branching ratio for 𝛾 decays from 1 − states of 0.490(16) is observed for the nuclide 150 Nd. Assuming 𝜒 2 -distributed partial transition widths, this average branching ratio is related to a degree of freedom of 𝜈 = 1.93⁢(12), rejecting the validity of the Porter-Thomas distribution, requiring 𝜈 = 1. The observed deviation can be explained by nonstatistical effects in the 𝛾-decay behavior with contributions in the range of 9.4(10)% up to 94(10)%.

150 ≤ A ≤ 189↗

Additions to the ICSBEP and IRPHEP handbooks since NCSD 2013

Innumerable experiments have been performed worldwide to support criticality safety activities. Those experiments represent significant investments in cost, expertise, and infrastructure; as such, they represent valuable assets as the basis for recording, development, and validation of methods and nuclear data vital for modern and future criticality safety needs. Preservation and evaluation of these experimental data as benchmarks serves to provide for the best interest of the nuclear criticality safety community. High-quality integral benchmark experiments have always been a priority. There is ever growing interest in developing integral benchmark data to increasingly quantify and reduce calculational uncertainties to meet the demands of future criticality safety needs supporting next generation reactors and advanced fuel cycle concepts. The importance of drawing upon existing benchmark data is becoming more apparent because of dwindling availability of critical facilities worldwide and the high cost of performing new experiments. Integral benchmark data from the International Handbook of Evaluated Criticality Safety Benchmark Experiments (ICSBEP Handbook) and the International Handbook of Reactor Physics Benchmark Experiments (IRPhEP Handbook) are widely utilized. Significant benchmark data have been added to those two handbooks since the last Nuclear Criticality Safety Division Topical Meeting in Wilmington, North Carolina (September-October 2013). This paper highlights those additions. The 2016 edition of the ICSBEP Handbook now includes data for 570 evaluations containing benchmark specifications for 4913 critical, subcritical, or near-critical configurations, representing contributions from over 20 countries. There are a total of seven criticality-alarm-placement/shielding evaluations containing a total of 45 benchmark configurations, and eight fundamental physics benchmark evaluations containing a total of 215 measurements relevant to criticality safety applications. The IRPhEP Handbook now includes data from 151 experimental series (representing 50 reactor facilities) and also represents contributions from over 20 countries. Of the 151 benchmarks, five are draft contributions. Both the ICSBEP and IRPhEP are collaborative efforts that involve numerous scientists, engineers, and administrative support personnel worldwide. Continued contribution to these handbooks is expected to further provide the high-quality benchmark data necessary to compliment criticality safety activities going forward. (authors)

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗

Mid-Atlantic U.S. Offshore Carbon Storage Resource Assessment Project (Final Technical Report)

The greatest potential for carbon storage in the northeastern United States lies in the offshore geologic formations comprising the outer continental shelf (Monteverde et al., 2011). Offshore storage can be linked to large point-sources of carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) while avoiding many of the logistical difficulties and potential risks encountered when siting onshore projects, especially in densely populated areas of the East Coast. Offshore CO 2 storage assessment and research in the United States is underway to address uncertainty in potential storage resources, particularly in the mid- and north-Atlantic offshore area. Given the current knowledge base and access to publicly available data, the objectives of the Mid-Atlantic U.S. Offshore Carbon Storage Resource Assessment Project (MAOCSRAP) were fourfold: (1) complete a systematic carbon storage resource assessment of the mid-Atlantic offshore coastal region from the Georges Bank Basin (GBB) through the Long Island Platform (LIP) to the southern Baltimore Canyon Trough (BCT); (2) define key input parameters to reduce uncertainty for offshore storage resource and efficiency estimates; (3) perform a preliminary assessment of risk factors, uncertainties, and data gaps; and (4) engage industry and regulatory stakeholders through development of a Road Map to assist future project planning and implementation. The MAOCSRAP project has compiled, inventoried, and assimilated various publicly available data sets to provide a strong technical basis on which future carbon storage studies and applications can be built. The knowledge infrastructure necessary to support the development of full-scale offshore carbon storage include: Defining the geologic characteristics of candidate storage sites (Chapter 2). Using existing seismic data to better define the continuity of the storage zones and seals (Chapter 3). Cataloguing the hydrogeologic properties of mid-Atlantic offshore storage sites (Chapter 4). Calculating prospective CO 2 storage resources using net effective pore volumes and fluid displacement properties specific to offshore lithologies (Chapter 5). Examining risk factors related to offshore storage (Chapter 6). Communicating with industry and other stakeholders about the future prospects for offshore storage (Chapter 7). Ensuring technology transfer to industry and other stakeholders (Chapter 8). Led by Battelle, this project was conducted by public and private entities with expertise in offshore geology and resources for the study region, including state geological surveys of Delaware, Maryland, and Pennsylvania; United States Geological Survey-Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center and Haifa University; Rutgers University; Harvard University; and Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory (LDEO) at Columbia University. The storage resource assessment was completed for a broad region offshore of the U.S. East Coast, from Massachusetts to Virginia. The results include high-level storage resource estimates for areas not previously characterized and improved storage resource estimates for geographically expansive portions of offshore geologic units. Results of the project provide a foundation for developing CO 2 storage along offshore areas of the mid-Atlantic United States. A combination of information was used to provide confidence in project results. Key findings of the major project tasks are summarized as follows. Subsurface Data Analysis: Legacy seismic, well-log, core, and biostratigraphic data were digitized, reprocessed, and analyzed using modern techniques, augmenting previous characterization efforts. The sequence stratigraphic framework for the Cretaceous and Jurassic strata was developed by correlating well-log depositional sequences to seismic reflectors identified in the BCT, LIP, and GBB. The integration of well-log stratigraphy with seismic stratigraphy and petrophysical analysis helped to identify and map potential storage zones within sequences of the Logan Canyon (LC), Missisauga, and Mohawk formations, as well as the regionally extensive caprock comprised of the Dawson Canyon shale. Approximately 4,000 kilometers (km) of seismic data was reprocessed to create a structural framework that was used to tie together all available well data, constrain sequence stratigraphic interpretations, and make regional assessments of offshore carbon storage resources. Prospective storage resource estimates were 150 to 1136 megatons (Mt) for the combined storage zones. This suggests mid-Atlantic U.S. offshore formations can store decades of CO 2 from industrial sources in the region. Preliminary local reservoir simulations suggest that injection rates of 1 Mt CO 2 /year may be sustained for 30 years in single injection wells in the BCT. Advanced geologic modeling and new data acquisition are needed to address data gaps and advance carbon capture and storage (CCS) in key offshore areas selected for further investigation. Offshore Risk Factors: Offshore geologic risk factors include soft sediment deformation, unit continuity, sedimentological and structural features, seismicity and hydrates. CO 2 storage risks include inadequate seals, migration/leakage, and chemical interactions leading to decreased storage. Sensitive habitats, environmental impacts, disturbance to seafloor, and other risks need to be identified in advance of project activities and integrated into detailed mitigation plans for all project phases. Stakeholder Engagement: Input and participation from government, industry, and environmental groups provided input into the Road Map and address next steps needed for project deployment. Early engagement and ongoing communication, as well as policy framework development, is key to large-scale deployment of CCS. Next Steps: This project represents an important first step by completing a high-level CO 2 storage resource assessment and building the knowledge infrastructure necessary to improve quantitative storage resource estimates. The data sets that have been curated under this project provide an opportunity to conduct research and development (R&D) needed to address data gaps and reduce risk and uncertainty. Offshore characterization and validation strategies that are systematically designed to provide data and infrastructure that can be upscaled to meet commercial requirements could be developed off of this foundation.

29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY↗

Evaluation of Pre- and Post- Redevelopment Groundwater Chemical Analyses from LM Monitoring Wells

This report documents the efforts and analyses conducted for the Applied Studies and Technology (AS&T) Ancillary Work Plan (AWP) project titled Evaluation of Pre- and Post- Redevelopment Groundwater Sample Laboratory Analyses from Selected LM Groundwater Monitoring Wells. This effort entailed compiling an inventory of nearly 500 previous well redevelopment events at 16 U.S. Department of Energy Office of Legacy Management (LM) sites, searching the literature for impacts of well redevelopment on groundwater sample quality, and—the focus of this report—evaluating the impacts of well redevelopment on field measurements and sample analytical results. Study Catalyst Monitoring well redevelopment, the surging or high-volume pumping of a well to loosen and remove accumulated sediment and biological build-up from a well, is considered an element of monitoring well maintenance that is implemented periodically during the lifetime of the well to mitigate its gradual deterioration. Well redevelopment has been conducted fairly routinely at a few LM sites in the western United States (e.g., the Grand Junction office site and the Gunnison processing site in Colorado), but at most other sites in this region it is not a routine practice. Also, until recently (2014–2015), there had been no specific criteria for implementing well redevelopment, and documentation of redevelopment events has been inconsistent. A catalyst for this evaluation was the self-identification of these inconsistencies by the Legacy Management Support contractor. As a result, in early 2015 Environmental Monitoring Operations (EMO) staff began collecting and documenting additional field measurements during well redevelopment events. In late 2015, AS&T staff undertook an independent internal evaluation of EMO's well redevelopment records and corresponding pre- and post-well-redevelopment groundwater analytical results. Study Findings Although literature discussions parallel the prevailing industry-wide assumption that well redevelopment is necessary to increase production or to extend the life of a well, no data in the literature indicate that redevelopment affects chemical signatures in monitoring wells. The comprehensive evaluation undertaken for this study also yielded no evidence that redevelopment has any quantifiable or predictable effect on groundwater sample quality. Both short-term and long-term changes in groundwater chemistry were assessed relative to preceding and subsequent well redevelopment events. Although short-term changes in specific conductance or contaminant concentrations likely attributable to well redevelopment were found at some sites, these cases were limited to a small subset of wells in which chemical stratification had been observed. Redevelopment causes mixing of the well water, resulting in short-term impacts, but not in a consistent direction. Long-term groundwater concentration trends of uranium, the primary contaminant of concern at most LM Uranium Mill Tailings Radiation Control Act (UMTRCA) sites, were evaluated for all 16 sites addressed in this study. Based on the data evaluated, there are no apparent impacts of well redevelopment on uranium trends. In most cases where deviations in trends were found, these could be attributed to water level fluctuations or other factors. A few exceptions were found where spikes or marked decreases in uranium concentrations could potentially be related to the preceding well redevelopment, but apparent impacts were neither predictable nor quantifiable. Summary and Recommendations A catalyst for this project was a concern that there was a need for strict criteria for a program-wide approach to well redevelopment at LM sites. There was also an implicit question as to whether well redevelopment was a necessary practice that was being overlooked at some sites. The primary objective of this study was to determine if there are significant differences in laboratory analytical results between pre- and post-redevelopment groundwater samples. Results of this evaluation indicate that this is not the case—groundwater concentrations of uranium, the primary contaminant of concern at most LM UMTRCA sites, generally remained unchanged pre- and post-well-redevelopment. The literature supports redevelopment of monitoring and municipal wells if signs of reduced productivity, biofouling, sediment buildup, or other conditions potentially affecting long-term well integrity are observed. In these cases, use of a downhole camera to examine the condition of the well screen and casing may be useful. However, based on the data sets examined for this study, there is no evidence that well redevelopment is needed in order to obtain samples that have the same chemical concentrations as those in the groundwater. To conclusively demonstrate that point—that is, to define chemical effects—the underlying mechanisms have to be understood. For example, if biofouling is observed in a well and is considered a potential cause of spurious or invalid chemical data, appropriate hypothesis-testing ethodology should be used to test the validity of this claim. Until late 2014, the onset of this project, there was no standard procedure for documenting well redevelopment events; some (perhaps many) had not been captured in the historical record. EMO has made notable progress in this regard since 2015, having established a format for documenting well redevelopment events and associated field measurements, as well as a data repository for capturing those records. This policy should be continued to ensure that all well redevelopment events and associated field observations are recorded and easily tracked.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗