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DOE OSTI2015

Modeling to Support the Development of Habitat Targets for Piping Plovers on the Missouri River

This report describes analyses done in support of the establishment of quantitative targets for piping plovers on the Missouri River using predictive numerical models for emergent sandbar habitat and piping plovers developed for the Missouri River Effects Analysis. Several approaches were considered and modeled: current operations of the reservoirs to serve as a reference (Existing Conditions), an unregulated hydrograph to simulate historical conditions (Unregulated), a scenario where dams were present but not operated (No-Operations), and a scenario where the amount of habitat necessary to provide a desired level of population viability (5% risk of extinction in 50 years) was constructed (Calibrated Target). These scenarios were compared in terms of the distribution of standardized habitat produced, the proportion of time available habitat exceeded a given acreage, and the risk of quasi-extinction for plover populations. Sensitivity analyses were also conducted to demonstrate the effects of initial population size and target habitat acreage on extinction risk and the effects of viability criteria on habitat targets. Limitations and uncertainties in the modeling, including caveats on the use of these models to estimate historical conditions and the availability of information to build a metapopulation model are discussed. The challenges inherent in setting population targets and a possible alternative approach to assessing management alternatives in terms of population effects are also included.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

DOE OSTI2015

Geochronology and Geomorphology of the Pioneer Archaeological Site (10BT676), Upper Snake River Plain, Idaho

The Pioneer site in southeastern Idaho, an open-air, stratified, multi-component archaeological locality on the upper Snake River Plain, provides an ideal situation for understanding the geomorphic history of the Big Lost River drainage system. We conducted a block excavation with the goal of understanding the geochronological context of both cultural and geomorphological components at the site. The results of this study show a sequence of five soil formation episodes forming three terraces beginning prior to 7200 cal yr BP and lasting until the historic period, preserving one cultural component dated to ~3800 cal yr BP and multiple components dating to the last 800 cal yr BP. In addition, periods of deposition and stability at Pioneer indicate climate fluctuation during the middle Holocene (~7200-3800 cal yr BP), minimal deposition during the late Holocene, and a period of increased deposition potentially linked to the Little Ice Age. In addition, evidence for a high-energy erosion event dated to ~3800 cal yr BP suggest a catastrophic flood event during the middle Holocene that may correlate with volcanic activity at the Craters of the Moon lava fields to the northwest. This study provides a model for the study of alluvial terrace formations in arid environments and their potential to preserve stratified archaeological deposits.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

DOE OSTI2014

Hood River Passive House

The Hood River Passive Project was developed by Root Design Build of Hood River Oregon using the Passive House Planning Package (PHPP) to meet all of the requirements for certification under the European Passive House standards. The Passive House design approach has been gaining momentum among residential designers for custom homes and BEopt modeling indicates that these designs may actually exceed the goal of the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Building America program to "reduce home energy use by 30%-50% (compared to 2009 energy codes for new homes). This report documents the short term test results of the Shift House and compares the results of PHPP and BEopt modeling of the project. The design includes high R-Value assemblies, extremely tight construction, high performance doors and windows, solar thermal DHW, heat recovery ventilation, moveable external shutters and a high performance ductless mini-split heat pump. Cost analysis indicates that many of the measures implemented in this project did not meet the BA standard for cost neutrality. The ductless mini-split heat pump, lighting and advanced air leakage control were the most cost effective measures. The future challenge will be to value engineer the performance levels indicated here in modeling using production based practices at a significantly lower cost.

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗

DOE OSTI2015

Office of River Protection Advanced Low-Activity Waste Glass Research and Development Plan

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗

DOE OSTI2015

Office of River Protection Advanced Low-Activity Waste Glass Research and Development Plan

The U.S. Department of Energy Office of River Protection (ORP) has initiated and leads an integrated Advanced Waste Glass (AWG) program to increase the loading of Hanford tank wastes in glass while meeting melter lifetime expectancies and process, regulatory, and product performance requirements. The integrated ORP program is focused on providing a technical, science-based foundation for making key decisions regarding the successful operation of the Hanford Tank Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant (WTP) facilities in the context of an optimized River Protection Project (RPP) flowsheet. The fundamental data stemming from this program will support development of advanced glass formulations, key product performance and process control models, and tactical processing strategies to ensure safe and successful operations for both the low-activity waste (LAW) and high-level waste vitrification facilities. These activities will be conducted with the objective of improving the overall RPP mission by enhancing flexibility and reducing cost and schedule. The purpose of this advanced LAW glass research and development plan is to identify the near-term, mid-term, and longer-term research and development activities required to develop and validate advanced LAW glasses, property-composition models and their uncertainties, and an advanced glass algorithm to support WTP facility operations, including both Direct Feed LAW and full pretreatment flowsheets. Data are needed to develop, validate, and implement 1) new glass property-composition models and 2) a new glass formulation algorithm. Hence, this plan integrates specific studies associated with increasing the Na2O and SO3/halide concentrations in glass, because these components will ultimately dictate waste loadings for LAW vitrification. Of equal importance is the development of an efficient and economic strategy for 99Tc management. Specific and detailed studies are being implemented to understand the fate of Tc throughout the WTP flowsheet and the underlying mechanisms that dictate its partitioning between streams within the LAW vitrification facility. These studies are aimed at increasing the single-pass Tc retention in glass and the potential use of high-temperature mineral phases to capture Tc. The Tc-bearing mineral phases would be thermally stable and resistant to Tc release during feed melting reactions or they could serve as alternative waste forms. The LAW glass research and development is focused on reducing the total volume of LAW glass produced and minimizing the impact of (or potentially eliminating) the need for recycle.

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗

DOE OSTI2016

2012 Reassessment of Floodplain Wetland Connections in the Middle Green River, Utah

This report presents the results of floodplain wetland connection surveys conducted in 2012 at eight priority floodplain wetlands along the middle Green River between Jensen and Ouray, Utah. Surveys were conducted at levee breaches and within channels leading from the breaches to the wetlands (referred to here as connection channels) to characterize the flows needed to connect the river's main channel with the floodplain wetlands.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

DOE OSTI2016

2014 Reassessment of Floodplain Wetland Connections in the Middle Green River, Utah

This report presents the results of floodplain wetland connection surveys conducted in 2014 at six priority floodplain wetland sites along the middle Green River between Jensen and Ouray, Utah. Surveys were conducted at levee breaches and within channels leading from the breaches to the wetlands (referred to here as connection channels) to characterize the flows needed to connect the river’s main channel with the floodplain wetlands.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

DOE OSTI2016

Data Validation Package - June 2016 Groundwater and Surface Water Sampling at the Green River, Utah, Disposal Site

This event included annual sampling of groundwater and surface water locations at the Green River, Utah, Disposal Site. Sampling and analyses were conducted as specified in Sampling and Analysis Plan for US. Department of Energy Office of Legacy Management Sites (LMS/PRO/S04351, continually updated, http://energy.gov/lrnldownloads/sampling-and- analysis-plan-us-department-energy-office-legacy-management-sites). Samples were collected from 15 monitoring wells and two surface locations at the disposal site as specified in the draft 2011 Ground Water Compliance Action Plan for the Green River, Utah, Disposal Site. Planned monitoring locations are shown in Attachment 1, Sampling and Analysis Work Order. A duplicate sample was collected from location 0179. One equipment blank was collected during this sampling event. Water levels were measured at all monitoring wells that were sampled. See Attachment 2, Trip Reports for additional details. The analytical data and associated qualifiers can be viewed in environmental database reports and are also available for viewing with dynamic mapping via the GEMS (Geospatial Environmental Mapping System) website at http://gems.lm.doe.gov/#. No issues were identified during the data validation process that requires additional action or follow-up.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

DOE OSTI2015

Data Validation Package - June 2015 Groundwater and Surface Water Sampling at the Green River, Utah, Disposal Site

Groundwater samples were collected during the 2015 sampling event from point-of-compliance (POC) wells 0171, 0173, 0176, 0179, 0181, and 0813 to monitor the disposition of contaminants in the middle sandstone unit of the Cedar Mountain Formation. Groundwater samples also were collected from alluvium monitoring wells 0188, 0189, 0192, 0194, and 0707, and basal sandstone monitoring wells 0182, 0184, 0185, and 0588 as a best management practice. Surface locations 0846 and 0847 were sampled to monitor for degradation of water quality in the backwater area of Brown’s Wash and in the Green River immediately downstream of Brown’s Wash. The Green River location 0801 is upstream from the site and is sampled to determine background-threshold values (BTVs). Sampling and analyses were conducted as specified in Sampling and Analysis Plan for U.S. Department of Energy Office of Legacy Management Sites (LMS/PRO/S04351, continually updated, http://energy.gov/lm/downloads/sampling-and- analysis-plan-us-department-energy-office-legacy-management-sites). Water levels were measured at each sampled well. The analytical data and associated qualifiers can be viewed in environmental database reports and are also available for viewing with dynamic mapping via the GEMS (Geospatial Environmental Mapping System) website at http://gems.lm.doe.gov/#. All six POC wells are completed in the middle sandstone unit of the Cedar Mountain Formation and are monitored to measure contaminant concentrations for comparison to proposed alternate concentration limits (ACLs), as provided in Table 1. Contaminant concentrations in the POC wells remain below their respective ACLs.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

DOE OSTI2017

Feasibility of processing the experimental breeder reactor-II driver fuel from the Idaho National Laboratory through Savannah River Site's H-Canyon facility

Savannah River National Laboratory (SRNL) was requested to evaluate the potential to receive and process the Idaho National Laboratory (INL) uranium (U) recovered from the Experimental Breeder Reactor II (EBR-II) driver fuel through the Savannah River Site’s (SRS) H-Canyon as a way to disposition the material. INL recovers the uranium from the sodium bonded metallic fuel irradiated in the EBR-II reactor using an electrorefining process. There were two compositions of EBR-II driver fuel. The early generation fuel was U-5Fs, which consisted of 95% U metal alloyed with 5% noble metal elements “fissium” (2.5% molybdenum, 2.0% ruthenium, 0.3% rhodium, 0.1% palladium, and 0.1% zirconium), while the later generation was U-10Zr which was 90% U metal alloyed with 10% zirconium. A potential concern during the H-Canyon nitric acid dissolution process of the U metal containing zirconium (Zr) is the explosive behavior that has been reported for alloys of these materials. For this reason, this evaluation was focused on the ability to process the lower Zr content materials, the U-5Fs material.

21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS↗

DOE OSTI2016

Status Report and Research Plan for Cables Harvested from Crystal River Unit 3 Nuclear Generating Plant

Harvested cables from operating or decommissioned nuclear power plants present an important opportunity to validate models, understanding material aging behavior, and validate characterization techniques. Crystal River Unit 3 Nuclear Generating Plant is a pressurized water reactor that was licensed to operate from 1976 to 2013. Cable segments were harvested and made available to the Light Water Reactor Sustainability research program through the Electric Power Research Institute. Information on the locations and circuits within the reactor from whence the cable segments came, cable construction, sourcing and installation information, and photographs of the cable locations prior to harvesting were provided. The cable variations provided represent six of the ten most common cable insulations in the nuclear industry and experienced service usage for periods from 15 to 42 years. Subsequently, these cables constitute a valuable asset for research to understand aging behavior and measurement of nuclear cables. Received cables harvested from Crystal River Unit 3 Nuclear Generating Plant consist of low voltage, insulated conductor surrounded by jackets in lengths from 24 to 100 feet each. Cable materials will primarily be used to investigate aging under simultaneous thermal and gamma radiation exposure. Each cable insulation and jacket material will be characterized in its as-received condition, including determination of the temperatures associated with endothermic transitions in the material using differential scanning calorimetry and dynamic mechanical analysis. Temperatures for additional thermal exposure aging will be selected following the thermal analysis to avoid transitions in accelerated laboratory aging that do not occur in field conditions. Aging temperatures above thermal transitions may also be targeted to investigate the potential for artifacts in lifetime prediction from rapid accelerated aging. Total gamma doses and dose rates targeted for each material will be determined based on filling gaps in prior work, known limits of material classes and resource constraints. Experimental plans will be developed in the context of existing data for the insulation and jacket materials available in published Department of Energy and Electric Power Research Institute reports toward addressing identified knowledge gaps.

21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS↗

DOE OSTI2018

Climate Change Resilience Planning at the Savannah River Site, Part 2

In June of 2016, the Savannah River National Laboratory (SRNL) submitted a climate vulnerability screening and assessment (V S/A) (Johnson and Werth, 2016, henceforth JW2016) for the Savannah River Site (SRS) in response to a request from the Department of Energy's (DOE) Office of Environmental Management (EM). That report comprised an analysis of the effect of future climate change on energy use for heating and cooling site facilities and the health and safety of outdoor workers exposed to hot weather.

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗

DOE OSTI2019

Instruction Manual: River Function Questionnaire

The River Function Questionnaire (Questionnaire) is a series of questions designed to help stakeholders determine the impacts of hydropower on a series of environmental indicators, i.e. river functions, that may need to be understood or addressed through additional field studies or environmental assessments. In order to provide a platform accessible to many users, the questionnaire was developed in Microsoft Excel with convenient macro-enabled interactive features. The Questionnaire was developed under the Department of Energy (DOE)-funded Environmental Metrics for Hydropower (EMH) project in FY 2018. This document provides an instruction manual that provides overall guidance and step-by-step instructions for use.

13 HYDRO ENERGY↗

DOE OSTI2019

Exploratory Project: A vegetative facies-based multiscale approach to modeling nutrient transport in the Columbia river Basin

The exploratory project titled “A vegetative facies-based multiscale approach to modeling nutrient transport in the Columbia river Basin” was a collaborative effort between Stanford University (PI: Ilenia Battiato) and University of Southern California (co-PI: Felipe de Barros). The primary objective of this project was to develop a predictive understanding of the impact that submerged vegetation has on flow and transport in riverine systems. This is based on the recognition that vegetation-mediated transport and its temporal and spatial coupling with hydrological and ecological responses is a critical component in achieving a predictive understanding of the future impact of, and the risks associated to, anthropogenic and climate change stressors on nutrient cycling in the Subsurface Interaction Zone (SIZ). Although the full project framework was focused on developing top-down and bottom-up coupling between processes at different scales as outlined in Figure 1, its exploratory counterpart was organized in two major thrusts: the first related to quantifying flow resistance in vegetated rivers (Level II) and the second connected to quantifying and predicting the coupling between vegetation growth and hydrodynamics in riverine systems (Level III). In this regard, we successfully used porous media theory to model flow and transport in vegetated channels at the canopy scale (Level II) and have demonstrated that the aforementioned models have predictive capabilities to model both mean flow and transport at the canopy scale. At Level III, we have developed a computational framework in OpenFOAM, CladoFOAM, that is able to model and predict submerged vegetation growth at the km-scale and to study the impact that climate stressors can have on algae blooms from basic conservation laws at the appropriate scale. In Section 2, we briefly outline the project objectives; in Section 3, we present our scientific findings of all manuscripts already published and in preparation. We conclude in Section 4 with comments about future lines of investigation that may be pursued in the context of a larger-scope project.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

DOE OSTI2019

Dose Calculation Methodology and Data for Solid Waste Performance Assessment and Composite Analysis at the Savannah River Site

This report provides a detailed description of the methodology developed to perform dose calculations for E-Area Low Level Waste Facility Performance Assessments and Savannah River Site Composite Analyses. Chapters 2 – 8 give a complete set of equations to be used to calculate dose for individual exposure pathways. The first set of dose scenarios assume that a member of the public establishes residence near the waste site and uses contaminated groundwater or contaminated surface water for personal consumption and to irrigate a garden and pasture where produce and farm animals are raised. Products from the garden and farm animals are used for personal consumption. This scenario applies to both E-Area Performance Assessments and Savannah River Site Composite Analyses. General dose exposure pathways for the resident farmer scenario are: 1. Ingestion pathways described in Chapter 2, 2. Inhalation pathways described in Chapter 3, 3. External exposure pathways described in Chapter 4, and 4. Recreational pathways described in Chapter 5 (Composite Analysis only). Doses from all of the above pathways are directly related to the contaminant concentration in the water. Additional dose scenarios considered for E-Area Performance Assessment assume that an inadvertent intruder encroaches on the waste disposal site after loss of institutional control. General dose exposure pathways considered for the inadvertent intruder are: 1. Ingestion pathways described in Chapter 6, 2. Inhalation pathways described in Chapter 7, and 3. External exposure pathways described in Chapter 8. Doses from all of the intruder pathways are directly related to the contaminant concentration in the buried waste. Special dose considerations related to human consumption of meat and dairy, and treatment of tritium in dose calculations are discussed in Chapter 9. Chapter 10 describes an Excel database named “Radionuclide, Element and Dose Parameter Data Package” that has been created to provide a system for maintaining the data required to perform radionuclide transport and dose calculations. This data includes: Isotope physical parameters and radioactive decay data needed for both transport and dose calculations, Isotope-specific dose coefficients and soil shielding factors associated with exposure pathways, Radionuclide drinking water concentration limits either published by the Environmental Protection Agency or derived from internal dose coefficients to meet the groundwater protection requirements in Department of Energy Order 435.1, Element-specific bio-transfer factors used in dose calculations, Dose equations and values of physical parameters and human factors used in dose calculations, and Key physical constants used in dose calculations. Revision 1 incorporates updated information developed since this report was issued for use in the next revision of the E-Area Low-Level Waste Facility Performance Assessment.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

DOE OSTI2019

Soluble and Particulate Mercury Deployment of Analytical Method for the Savannah River Site Liquid Waste System

Savannah River National Laboratory (SRNL) developed, tested, and deployed in a radiological containment unit (CU) an analytical method for quantifying particulate total mercury and soluble total mercury in radioactive samples such as the those generated by the dilution of Savannah River Site (SRS) High-Level Waste. This method relies on direct mercury analysis and other associated capabilities for matrix independent quantification of total mercury in solids or liquids (i.e., any sample that can be introduced into the instrument oven for pyrolysis to release all mercury for measurement). The matrix independence allows for discreet measurements of the starting sample, the collected particulates and the filtrate liquid, thus enabling a mass balance quality check. For example, an analysis of a diluted sample from the SRS liquid waste system (LWS) resulted in a measured total mercury value of 55.0 mg Hg/L and a nearly matching calculated total mercury value of 55.1 mg Hg/L (± 20% 2σ) from the summation of measured soluble mercury (47.8 mg Hg/L ± 20% 2σ) and measured particulate mercury (7.26 mg Hg/L ± 20% 2σ). The advantages of the particulate-soluble mercury analysis method are: waste minimization using small radioactive liquid volumes, minimal radiological sample processing and reduced handling steps protective of workers (ALARA) and improved data quality, syringe filter technology which eliminates vacuum filtration and the potential loss of volatile species, small diameter filters (13 mm nominal to 25 mm if needed to avoid clogging) and small disposable poly filter holders (no need to clean) which minimize waste, flexibility provided for a range of starting concentrations, particulate-soluble ratios, and sample matrix conditions, soluble and particulate are measured results that, when summed, and are in good agreement with the total mercury measurement.

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗

DOE OSTI2020

Savannah River Site Composite Analysis (FY2019 Annual Review)

The Savannah River Site (SRS) is a Department of Energy (DOE) site encompassing approximately 310 square miles in South Carolina. It is bounded on the southwest by the Savannah River (SR) and is situated approximately 12 miles south of Aiken, South Carolina, and 15 miles southeast of Augusta, Georgia. Construction of and subsequent operations at the SRS began in 1951 under the direction of the Atomic Energy Commission. The primary mission of the SRS was to produce tritium and plutonium for the national nuclear weapons complex. Between 1953 and 1955, SRS brought five reactors and various support facilities into operation in support of its primary mission. Support facilities included two chemical separations plants, a heavy water extraction plant, a nuclear fuel and target fabrication facility, a tritium extraction facility and waste management facilities. With the declining need for a large nuclear weapons stockpile since the end of the Cold War, many SRS facilities no longer produce or process nuclear materials. All reactors were shut down by 1993. However, the SRS Tritium Extraction Facility continues to supply DOE with tritium. Additionally, operations at the K-Area Complex currently provide interim safe storage for much of DOE’s excess plutonium (Pu) and high enriched uranium, in a building which formerly housed K Reactor. As the SRS mission has changed, many surplus facilities are being dispositioned safely and economically. SRS has completed extensive decommissioning activities in D-Area, M-Area, P-Area, R-Area, and T-Area, with groundwater (GW) remediation ongoing. High-level waste tanks continue to be emptied and closed.

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗

DOE OSTI2018

Atmospheric River Tracking Method Intercomparison Project (ARTMIP): Report of the Second ARTMIP Workshop

Atmospheric rivers (ARs) have for the last decade been broadly recognized for their global and regional significance in mediating energy and water cycles. As a distinct large-scale circulation feature, ARs can be characterized by long, narrow bands of atmospheric moisture transport from the tropics to higher latitudes. They are both an important source of water supply to coastal regions as well as a hazard because of their predisposition to increase flood risk. However, predicting ARs poses a significant challenge to the scientific community, as they exhibit large variability from subseasonal-to-interannual time scales. On multi-decadal and longer time scales, it is unclear how the frequency and intensity of ARs will change with a warming climate. Hence ARs play a significant role in understanding predictability of water cycle variability and extremes as well as becoming a factor in assessing risks to future infrastructures. There is a large body of literature that has explored ARs from both global and regional perspectives and from timescales spanning hourly to centennial. Despite significant progress in understanding ARs, significant gaps remain, e.g., in characterizing the dynamical and thermodynamical processes associated with ARs, improving predictions of ARs at weather and subseasonal-to-seasonal timescales, and understanding and quantifying the impacts of ARs on the design and management of built infrastructures. Furthermore, the consensus definition of ARs remains essentially qualitative, and investigators have had to rely on heuristic definitions of ARs for quantitative studies. In the First Atmospheric River Tracking Method Intercomparison Project (ARTMIP) workshop held in May 2017, it was recognized that (1) there are many heuristic AR tracking algorithms employed in the literature, (2) our quantitative—and possibly qualitative— understanding of ARs and their impacts may depend on the details of the algorithm used, (3) no data set yet exists to systematically explore the impact of AR tracking algorithm choice on scientific results, and (4) the broader scientific community therefore lacks any formal guidance on the advantages and disadvantages of different AR tracking methods. The First ARTMIP workshop defined and launched a multi-tiered intercomparison experiment designed to fill this community need. The first tier of ARTMIP was aimed at understanding the impact of AR algorithms on quantitative baseline statistics and characteristics of ARs, and the second tier includes sensitivity studies designed around specific science questions, such as reanalysis uncertainty and influences associated with climate change. The Second ARTMIP workshop was convened on April 23-24, 2018, as a two-day event, and following the completion of Tier 1 of the ARTMIP effort: an experiment in which most existing AR tracking algorithms were run on a standardized data set of reanalyzed weather conditions.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗