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At least 487 records · Page 27

Pacific Northwest National Laboratory Annual Site Environmental Report for Calendar Year 2013

Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), one of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Science’s 10 national laboratories, provides innovative science and technology development in the areas of energy and the environment, fundamental and computational science, and national security. DOE’s Pacific Northwest Site Office (PNSO) is responsible for oversight of PNNL at its Campus in Richland, Washington, as well as its facilities in Sequim, Seattle, and North Bonneville, Washington, and Corvallis and Portland, Oregon.

99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS↗

Hydrodynamic Modeling Analysis for Leque Island and zis a ba Restoration Feasibility Study

Ducks Unlimited, Inc. in collaboration with Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW), and Stillaguamish Tribe of Indians have proposed the restoration of Leque Island and zis a ba (formerly Matterand) sites near the mouth of Old Stillaguamish River Channel in Port Susan Bay, Washington. The Leque Island site, which is owned by WDFW, consists of nearly 253 acres of land south of Highway 532 that is currently behind a perimeter dike. The 90-acres zis a ba site, also shielded by dikes along the shoreline, is located just upstream of Leque Island and is owned by Stillaguamish Tribes. The proposed actions consider the removal or modification of perimeter dikes at both locations to allow estuarine functions to be restored. The overall objective of the proposed projects is to remove the dike barriers to 1) provide connectivity and access between the tidal river channel and the restoration site for use by juvenile migrating salmon and 2) create a self-sustaining tidal marsh habitat. Ducks Unlimited engaged Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) to develop a three-dimensional hydrodynamic model of the Port Susan Bay, Skagit Bay, and the interconnecting Leque Island region for use in support of the feasibility assessment for the Leque Island and zis a ba restoration projects. The objective of this modeling-based feasibility assessment is to evaluate the performance of proposed restoration actions in terms of achieving habitat goals while assessing the potential hydraulic and sediment transport impacts to the site and surrounding parcels of land.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

Partial Support of the Committee of Atomic, Molecular, and Optical Sciences (Final Report, September 30, 2008 to June 30, 2014)

This report is the final report for the 2008-2014 cycle of DOE support for the Committee on Atomic, Molecular, and Optical Sciences. Highlights of the committee’s activities over this period included: Meetings of the committee were held semiannually (Washington, DC in April and Irvine, CA in October) for four of the six years and annually the last two years (Washington, DC in April). Committee meetings included half-day focus sessions on each of the areas identified in the last AMO decadal survey as having great scientific promise and short summaries of the focus session were prepared and delivered to sponsoring agencies. CAMOS initiated a study that has been funded on high intensity lasers. DOE support for CAMOS has been of central importance to the committee’s ability to continue to fulfill its mandate to the Board on Physics and Astronomy and to the wider atomic, molecular, and optical sciences research community.

74 ATOMIC AND MOLECULAR PHYSICS↗

Particle Release Experiment (PRex) (Final Report)

An experiment to release radioactive particles representative of small-scale venting from an underground nuclear test was conducted to gather data in support of treaty verification and monitoring activities. For this experiment, a CO 2 -driven “air cannon” was used to release La-140 at ambient temperatures. Lanthanum-140 was chosen to represent the fission fragments because of its short half-life and prominent gamma-ray emissions; the choice was also influenced by the successful production and use of La-140 with low levels of radioactive contaminants in a Defence Research and Development Canada Field Trial. The source was created through activation of high-purity natural lanthanum oxide at the reactor of Washington State University, Pullman, Washington. Multiple varieties of witness plates and air samplers were laid in an irregular grid covering the area over which the plume was modeled to deposit. Aerial survey, a NaI(Tl) mobile spectrometer, and handheld and backpack instruments ranging from polyvinyl toluene to high-purity germanium were used to survey the plume. Additionally, three varieties of soil sampling were investigated. The relative sensitivity and utility of sampling and survey methods are discussed in the context of On-Site Inspection. The measurements and samples show a high degree of correlation and form a valuable set of test data.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

Integrated research training program of excellence in radiochemistry

The overall goal of this “Integrated Research Training Program of Excellence in Radiochemistry” is to provide a rich and deep research experience in state-of-the-art radiochemistry and in the fundamentals of radioisotopic labeling and tracer methodology to develop researchers who are capable of meeting the challenges of designing and preparing radiotracers of broad applicability for monitoring and imaging diverse biological systems and environmental processes. This program was based in the Departments of Radiology and Radiation Oncology at Washington University Medical School and the Department of Chemistry at the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign, and it was initially directed by Professor Michael J. Welch as Principal Investigator. After his passing in 2012, the program was led by Professor Suzanne E. Lapi. Programmatic content and participant progress was overseen by an Internal Advisory Committee of senior investigators consisting of the PIs, Professor Mach from the Department of Radiology at Washington University and Professor John A. Katzenellenbogen of the Department of Chemistry at the University of Illinois. A small External Advisory Committee to give overall program guidance was also constituted of experts in radiolabeled compounds and in their applications in environmental and plant science.

18F↗

Evaluation of Modeled and Measured Energy Savings in Existing All Electric Public Housing in the Pacific Northwest

This project analyzes the cost effectiveness of energy savings measures installed by a large public housing authority in Salishan, a community in Tacoma Washington. Research focuses on the modeled and measured energy usage of the first six phases of construction, and compares the energy usage of those phases to phase 7. Market-ready energy solutions were also evaluated to improve the efficiency of affordable housing for new and existing (built since 2001) affordable housing in the marine climate of Washington State.

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗

Fluidized bed steam reformed mineral waste form performance testing to support Hanford Supplemental Low Activity Waste Immobilization Technology Selection

This report describes the benchscale testing with simulant and radioactive Hanford Tank Blends, mineral product characterization and testing, and monolith testing and characterization. These projects were funded by DOE EM-31 Technology Development & Deployment (TDD) Program Technical Task Plan WP-5.2.1-2010-001 and are entitled “Fluidized Bed Steam Reformer Low-Level Waste Form Qualification”, Inter-Entity Work Order (IEWO) M0SRV00054 with Washington River Protection Solutions (WRPS) entitled “Fluidized Bed Steam Reforming Treatability Studies Using Savannah River Site (SRS) Low Activity Waste and Hanford Low Activity Waste Tank Samples”, and IEWO M0SRV00080, “Fluidized Bed Steam Reforming Waste Form Qualification Testing Using SRS Low Activity Waste and Hanford Low Activity Waste Tank Samples”. This was a multi-organizational program that included Savannah River National Laboratory (SRNL), THOR® Treatment Technologies (TTT), Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Office of River Protection (ORP), and Washington River Protection Solutions (WRPS). The SRNL testing of the non-radioactive pilot-scale Fluidized Bed Steam Reformer (FBSR) products made by TTT, subsequent SRNL monolith formulation and testing and studies of these products, and SRNL Waste Treatment Plant Secondary Waste (WTP-SW) radioactive campaign were funded by DOE Advanced Remediation Technologies (ART) Phase 2 Project in connection with a Work-For-Others (WFO) between SRNL and TTT.

Jantzen, C. M.↗

Micro Climate Assessment of Grid-Connected Electric Drive Vehicles and Charging Infrastructure. Final Report

Battelle Energy Alliance, LLC, managing and operating contractor for the U.S. Department of Energy’s Idaho National Laboratory, is the lead laboratory for the U.S. Department of Energy’s advanced vehicle testing. Battelle Energy Alliance, LLC contracted with Intertek Testing Services, North America to conduct several U.S. Department of Defense-based micro-climate studies to identify potential U.S. Department of Defense transportation systems that are strong candidates for introduction or expansion of plug-in electric vehicles (PEVs). The study included Joint Base Lewis McChord, located in Washington State; Naval Air Station Whidbey Island, located in Washington State; and United States Marine Corp Base Camp Lejeune, located in North Carolina. The project was divided into four tasks for each of the three bases studied. Task 1 consisted of surveying the non-tactical fleet of vehicles to begin review of vehicle mission assignments and types of vehicles in service. In Task 2, the daily operational characteristics of the vehicles were identified to select vehicles for further monitoring and attachment of data loggers. Task 3 recorded vehicle movements in order to characterize the vehicles’ missions. Results of the data analysis and observations were provided. Individual observations of these selected vehicles provided the basis for recommendations related to PEV adoption (i.e., whether a battery electric vehicle or plug-in hybrid electric vehicle [collectively referred to as PEVs] can fulfill the mission requirements). It also provided the basis for recommendations related to placement of PEV charging infrastructure. In Task 4, an implementation approach was provided for near-term adoption of PEVs into the respective fleets. Each facility was provided detailed reports on each of these tasks. This paper summarizes and provides observations on the project and completes Intertek’s required actions.

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗

Report on the Sixth International Symposium on Isotopomers

The ISI 2012 met in Washington, DC, 18-22 June 2012, bringing together researchers and their students spanning an unusually wide range of disciplines including quantum and physical chemistry, cosmochemistry, atmospheric chemistry, chemical oceanography, biogeochemistry, organic and inorganic geochemistry. The diversity of subject matter was matched geographically with 92 attendees hailing from Canada, China, Finland, France, Germany, India, Israel, Japan, the Netherlands, Russia, Switzerland, Taiwan, the United Kingdom, and the USA. Although diverse, the group was united in its commitment to use the light stable isotopes of H, C, N, O, and S, with their equilibrium, kinetic, and intramolecular fractionations, to understand the material cycles and their dynamics between atmosphere, biosphere, hydrosphere, and lithosphere that make life possible on Earth. A distinct benefit of a small meeting like ISI 2012 is the opportunity for everyone to talk to each other. The historic rooms of the Carnegie Institution of Washington offered a cozy and warm atmosphere for participants in ISI 2012 to talk science and life in a casual, relaxed, and in-depth fashion. Graduate students and postdoctoral researchers were particularly appreciative of being able to spend five days together with old and new colleagues in comfortable quarters. Many commented that they had gained a lot more in building their life-long working relationships with colleagues at this meeting than at larger meetings.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗

2015 Peer Review Report

In the spring and summer of 2015, the Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO or the Office) of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) implemented an external peer review of the projects in its research, development and demonstration (RD&D) portfolio. The Office manages a diverse portfolio of technologies across the spectrum of applied RD&D within the dynamic context of changing budgets and Administration priorities. The Office portfolio is organized according to the biomass-to-bioenergy supply chain—from the feedstock source to the end user (see Figure 1)—with major focus on feedstock supply and biomass conversion. The 2015 Project Peer Review took place March 23-27, 2015, outside of Washington, D.C., in Alexandria, Virginia, and evaluated most of the publicly funded projects in BETO’s portfolio. The subsequent Program Management Review took place on June 25, 2015, in Washington, D.C., and provided an Office- level assessment of strategic planning and programmatic initiatives. The peer review process enables external stakeholders to provide feedback on the responsible use of taxpayer funding and develop recommendations for the most efficient and effective ways to accelerate the development of an advanced bioenergy industry. The planning and execution of these reviews was completed over the course of 10 months, and this report includes the results of both events.

09 BIOMASS FUELS↗

Dual Microwave Radiometer Experiment Field Campaign Report

Passive microwave radiometers (MWRs) are the most commonly used and accurate instruments the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) Research Facility has to retrieve cloud liquid water path (LWP). The MWR measurements (microwave radiances or brightness temperatures) are often used to derive LWP using climatological constraints, but are frequently also combined with measurements from radar and other instruments for cloud microphysical retrievals. Nominally this latter approach improves the retrieval of LWP and other cloud microphysical quantities (such as effective radius or number concentration), but this also means that when MWR data are poor, other cloud microphysical quantities are also negatively affected. Unfortunately, current MWR data is often contaminated by water on the MWR radome. This water makes a substantial contribution to the measured radiance and typically results in retrievals of cloud liquid water and column water vapor that are biased high. While it is obvious when the contamination by standing water is large (and retrieval biases are large), much of the time it is difficult to know with confidence that there is no contamination. At present there is no attempt to estimate or correct for this source of error, and identification of problems is largely left to users. Typically users are advised to simply throw out all data when the MWR “wet-window” resistance-based sensor indicates water is present, but this sensor is adjusted by hand and is known to be temperamental. In order to address this problem, a pair of ARM microwave radiometers was deployed to the University of Washington (UW) in Seattle, Washington, USA. The radiometers were operated such that one radiometer was scanned under a cover that (nominally) prevents this radiometer radome from gathering water and permits measurements away from zenith; while the other radiometer is operated normally – open or uncovered - with the radome exposed to the sky. The idea is that (1) the covered radiometer data can provide LWP (and water vapor) along the off-zenith slant path and (2) the two sets of measurements can be compared to identify when wet-radome contamination is occurring.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗

Data Quality Objectives Supporting Radiological Air Emissions Monitoring for the PNNL Richland Campus

This is the second revision of the DQO Supporting Radiological Air Emissions Monitoring for the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory Richland Campus. In January 2017, the PNNL Richland Campus expanded to the north by 0.35 km 2 (85.6 acres). Under the requirements of Washington State Department of Health Radioactive Air Emissions License (RAEL)-005, the PNNL Campus operates and maintains a radiological air monitoring program. This revision documents and evaluates the newly acquired acreage while also removing recreational land at the southwest, and also re-examines all active radioactive emission units on the PNNL Campus. No buildings are located on this new Campus land, which was transferred from the U.S. DOE Hanford Site. Additionally, this revision includes information regarding the background monitoring station PNL-5 in Benton City, Washington, which became active in October 2016. The key purpose of this revision is to determine the adequacy of the existing environmental surveillance stations to monitor radiological air emissions in light of this northern boundary change.

40 CFR 61 Subpart H↗

Managing Risks Associated with Global Nuclear Energy Expansion: Emerging Challenges and Cooperative Solutions Workshop Summary Report.

Global nuclear energy has reached a critical juncture. The footprint of nuclear energy is growing and will continue to grow in coming decades to meet increasing global energy demands, desires for energy security, and mounting concerns about climate change. This growth includes construction of reactors in countries new to the nuclear energy enterprise, in addition to expansion of existing programs. The lack of operational experience coupled with weak regulatory systems in some countries raises the potential of a nuclear accident. The expansion of nuclear energy is also met with an increasingly complex threat environment, with threats to nuclear security from non-state actors as well as the continued risks of state proliferation. The trend towards increasingly digitized and networked nuclear facilities significantly expands operational uncertainty and adds complexity to implementing safeguards and security. These factors merit fresh consideration of potential safety, safeguards, security, and cyber (3SC) risks, as well as approaches for managing those risks in an integrated, sustainable, and internationally cooperative manner. In an effort to explore the emerging challenges and cooperative solutions to the global expansion of nuclear energy The George Washington University Elliott School of International Affairs and Sandia National Laboratories convened a group of more than thirty experts from government, national laboratories, non-government organizations, and academia on May 5th, 2016 at George Washington University to discuss these issues in a not-for-attribution environment.

29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY↗

High-resolution time-resolved experiments on mixing and entrainment of buoyant jets in stratified environments

Fluid jets interacting with a stratified layer play an important role in the safety of several reactor designs. In the containment of nuclear power plants, fluid jets dominate the transport and mixing of gaseous species and consequent hydrogen distribution in case of a severe accident. The mixing phenomena in the containment are driven by buoyant high-momentum injections (jets) and low momentum injection plumes. Mixing near the postulated break is initially dominated by high flow velocities. Plumes with moderate flow velocities are instead relevant in the break compartment during the long-term pressurization phase, or in any of the apertures between two connected compartments if the mass flows are sufficiently high and the density differences between efflux and ambient are sufficiently low. Phenomena of interest include free plumes (as produced by the efflux from the break compartment in a larger room or directly from a break flow), wall plumes (such those produced by low mass flows through inter-compartment apertures), and propagating stratification fronts in the ambient (for any stably stratified conditions). These phenomena have been highly ranked about nuclear reactor design, especially regarding of safety protocols. During a Pressurized Thermal Shock (PTS) scenario, the interaction between the cold ECCS injection plume and the stratified fluid present in the cold (or hot) leg is important in order to determine the temperature at the time-dependent temperature at the inlet of the reactor pressure vessel (RPV) and the potential to cause a thermal shock on the RPV wall. In sodium-cooled fast reactors (SFRs), core channels are typically hydro-dynamically isolated so that there exists a considerable temperature variation at the exit of adjacent fuel assemblies. All the above phenomena are characterized by the interaction of buoyant jets with the stratified flow. In stratified layers baroclinic forces create significant redistribution of turbulent kinetic energy and scales, which leads to anisotropy. This important physical phenomenon is highly three dimensional and is challenging to capture even with high-fidelity CFD simulations, due in part to lack of sufficiently resolved validation data. Furthermore, the experimental data available in the open literature do not feature the level of fidelity needed for an extensive validation of turbulence models in lower order CFD. To shed new lights into the crucial phenomena object of the present research project, it was proposed to conduct coordinated experiments and simulations at the University of Michigan and the George Washington University. The project has resulted in an experimental database of high-resolution time-resolved measurements of jets in uniform and stratified environments. The novel experimental data will be used to validate computational fluid dynamic (CFD) codes, including both Large Eddy Simulations (LES) and unsteady Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes equations (URANS) methodologies. In the Experimental and Multiphase flow (ECMF) laboratory at Univerisity of Michigan, we built two experimental facilities to investigate also the effect of scaling. The first facility, DESTROJER (DEnsity Stratified Turbulent ROund free Jet ExpeRiment), featuring a contoured jet nozzle with a diameter of D=12.7mm and a 1m×1m×1m cubic tank, which is made of acrylic glass for optical access. The ratio between the tank width and the nozzle diameter is equal to 78, which ensures that there is no direct interaction between the jet and the side walls. A second, modular experimental facility, features three different tank sizes of size 10×10×30, 20×20×30, 30×30×30 cm3 respectively (all tanks have the same height of 30 cm), and a jet diameter of 2mm. For the modular facility, tank-to-nozzle ratio of 50, 100, and 150 are obtained respectively. Experiments with different-density jet impactions and sharp interface with a density difference of 3.16% In the Laboratory at George Washington University, complementary experiments have been carried out at a facility featuring the same dimensions as DESTROYER. Experiments with different jet diameters have been carried out as well. High-resolution time-resolved measurements have been performed at all facilities using high-speed particle image velocimetry (PIV) and planar laser-induced fluorescence (PLIF). In this way, simultaneous measurements of velocity and density fields have been carried out. At the University of Michigan, wire-mesh sensors have been designed and built to gather high-resolution, time-dependent data of the stratified front in the tank. These measurements are important to provide accurate initial conditions for the CFD simulations. An important outcome of the project has been the development of novel techniques to achieve refractive index matching (RIM) of acqueous solutions with high density differences. RIM is crucial if optical techniques such as PIV are used to measure velocity fields. Previous to this project, experiments up to 3% density difference had been reported in the literature. With the methodology developed in this project, we have been able to push the envelop to density differences up to 9%. The experiments have been used to validate Reynolds Averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS) turbulence models and Large Eddy Simulations (LES) models. Both NEK5000 and the commercial CFD code STAR-CCM+ have been used. The experimental data will be made available to the community through the NE-KAMS databasehave been successfully conducted in the scaled facility.

22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS↗

Pacific Northwest National Laboratory Annual Site Environmental Report for Calendar Year 2016

This report provides a synopsis of ongoing environmental management performance and compliance activities conducted during 2016, to meet the requirements of DOE Order 231.1B, Admin Chg 1, Environmental, Safety and Health Reporting, and DOE Order 458.1, Radiation Protection of the Public and the Environment. The report addresses the operations that occur on the PNNL Richland Campus in Richland, Washington, and at the PNNL Marine Sciences Laboratory (MSL) near Sequim, Washington. It describes the location of and background for each facility; addresses compliance with all applicable DOE, federal, state, and local regulations and site-specific permits; documents environmental monitoring efforts and their status; presents potential radiation doses to staff and the public in the surrounding areas; and describes DOE-required data quality assurance methods used for data verification.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

Pacific Northwest National Laboratory Annual Site Environmental Report for Calendar Year 2015

This report provides a synopsis of ongoing environmental management performance and compliance activities conducted during 2015, meeting the requirements DOE Order 231.1B, Admin Chg 1, Environmental, Safety and Health Reporting, and DOE Order 458.1, Radiation Protection of the Public and the Environment. The report addresses the operations occurring on the PNNL Campus in Richland, Washington, and at the PNNL Marine Sciences Laboratory (MSL) in Sequim, Washington. It describes the location and background for each facility; addresses compliance with all applicable DOE, federal, state, and local regulations and site-specific permits; documents environmental monitoring efforts and their status; presents potential radiation doses to staff and the public in the surrounding areas; and describes DOE-required data quality assurance methods used for data verification.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

Tank 241-AY-102 Monthly Monitoring Report October 2017

Monthly monitoring reports are generated for Tank 241-AY-102 pursuant to Section II.B.13 of the Settlement Agreement in Washington River Protection Solutions and U.S. Department of Energy, Office of River Protection v. State of Washington, Department of Ecology PCHB No. 14-041c, effective on October 2, 2014.

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗

Vitrification of Hanford Tank Waste 241-AP-105 in a Continuous Laboratory-Scale Melter

Low-activity waste (LAW) stored in underground tanks on the Hanford site in Washington State is planned to be filtered for solids removal and processed through ion exchange columns for cesium removal at the Low-Activity Waste Pretreatment System facility. These pretreatment steps will allow the waste to be transferred to the Hanford Tank Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant LAW facility for immobilization into glass. The liquid waste will be combined with glass-forming chemicals (GFCs) to form a waste feed slurry that can be fed to electric melters for vitrification. The process of continuously converting the aqueous feed slurry into a melt is dynamic and includes multiple reactions, degassing, and dissolution processes that depend on heat from the melt below. In this conversion process, waste components are partitioned into one of two streams: glass and off-gas. Processing information and chemical information associated with these waste product streams has been requested by Washington River Protection Solutions for actual tank waste from tank 241-AP-105 (referred to as AP-105). To acquire this type of information, a small-scale melter system was desired that would not require high volumes of input waste or the large resource commitment of a full-scale melter system, while also providing dynamic information that would be difficult to determine from batch reactions in a crucible system. A continuous laboratory-scale melter (CLSM), has been designed to operate with a continuous feeding process, while periodically pouring glass product and collecting off-gas. The CLSM vessel has been sized to collect the relevant process and chemical information from obtainable volumes of AP-105 waste samples. Two CLSMs were constructed: one in a non-radioactive environment for processing waste simulants and another in a fume hood capable of handling radioactive material for processing actual Hanford tank waste. This dual-system setup allowed for comparison between simulated and real tank waste with essentially identical test equipment. AP-105 waste simulant was first tested in the non-radioactive CLSM to determine the processability and desired operating window for the actual tank waste. Rhenium (Re) was added to the simulant to act as a surrogate for technetium-99 ( 99 Tc), a key waste component found in the actual tank waste. The partitioning of Re into the glass and off-gas products during the continuous feeding of simulant was determined, which allowed the Re retention, the mass flow rate of Re out of the CLSM via the glass product with respect to the mass flow rate of Re into the CLSM via the feed slurry, to be calculated. Key processing results and the average Re retention, from the CLSM test run with AP-105 simulant feed slurry are shown in Table ES.1.

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗