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At least 1,027 records · Page 57
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2017

U.S. EPA Superfund Counts Per Minute (CPM) Electronic Calculator - 17305

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Superfund program is developing a new Counts Per Minute (CPM) calculator to correlate real-time survey results, which are often expressed as counts per minute, to contaminant concentrations that are more typically provided in risk assessments or for cleanup levels, usually expressed in pCi/g or pCi/m{sup 2}. Currently there is no EPA guidance for Superfund sites on correlating count per minute field survey readings back to risk, dose, or other Applicable or Relevant and Appropriate Requirements (ARAR) based concentrations. The CPM calculator is a web-based model that estimates a gamma detector response for a given level of contamination. The intent of the CPM calculator is to facilitate more real-time measurements within a Superfund response framework. (authors)

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗
DOE OSTI2017

Development of a Regional Groundwater Flow Model for the U.S. Department of Energy Oak Ridge Reservation: EarthVision{sup R} Conceptual Site Model - 17367

A regional scale groundwater flow model (GFM) has been developed for the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Oak Ridge Reservation (ORR). Development of the model implements a key recommendation of the ORR Groundwater Strategy. The model will be used as the calibrated flow model for the ORR and as the framework for future, smaller scale, modeling efforts to support cleanup actions and decisions under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980 (CERCLA). The Oak Ridge site is located in a geologically complex region and encompasses three large government facilities, including the Y-12 National Security Complex (Y-12), Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), and the East Tennessee Technology Park (ETTP). An interagency approach for addressing legacy groundwater contamination from past operations at these facilities has been developed, resulting in an ORR Groundwater Strategy that was agreed to by DOE, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC) in fiscal year (FY) 2014. The ORR Groundwater Strategy provides a comprehensive approach to addressing and prioritizing groundwater issues across the DOE reservation. Implementation of key recommendations from the strategy began in FY 2014, including the recommendation to 'develop and maintain an ORR-wide regional groundwater flow model to ensure a single, regional, calibrated model to support groundwater characterization, decision-making, and remediation.' As part of the cleanup plans for the Oak Ridge site under CERCLA and the Federal Facility Agreement (FFA), there are six final watershed-scale groundwater Records of Decision (RODs) currently planned. In preparation for future projects, the regional GFM has been constructed to serve as the single, calibrated regional flow model to be used as the hydrologic base for the groundwater plume-specific modeling developed for the RODs. (authors)

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗
DOE OSTI2017

Development of a Regional Groundwater Flow Model for the U.S. Department of Energy Oak Ridge Reservation: Numerical Model using MODFLOW-USG - 17368

A regional scale groundwater flow model (GFM) has been developed for the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Oak Ridge Reservation (ORR). Development of the model implements a key recommendation of the ORR Groundwater Strategy. The model will be used as the single calibrated flow model for the ORR and as the framework for future, smaller scale, modeling efforts to support cleanup actions and decisions under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980 (CERCLA). The Oak Ridge site is located in a geologically complex region and encompasses three large government facilities, including the Y-12 National Security Complex (Y-12), Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), and the East Tennessee Technology Park (ETTP). An interagency approach for addressing legacy groundwater contamination from past operations at these facilities has been developed, resulting in an ORR Groundwater Strategy that was agreed to by DOE, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC). The ORR Groundwater Strategy provides a comprehensive approach to addressing and prioritizing groundwater issues across the DOE reservation. One component of the strategy is to 'develop and maintain an ORR-wide regional groundwater flow model to ensure a single, regional, calibrated model to support groundwater characterization, decision-making, and remediation.' As part of the cleanup plans for the Oak Ridge site under CERCLA and the Federal Facility Agreement (FFA), there are six final watershed-scale groundwater Records of Decision (RODs) currently planned. In preparation for future projects, the regional GFM has been constructed to serve as the single, calibrated regional flow model to be used as the hydrologic base for the groundwater plume-specific modeling developed for the RODs. (authors)

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗
DOE OSTI2017

A Comparison of Select USDOE and USEPA Risk and Dose Assessment Tools Utilized at Two FUSRAP Projects - 17388

The US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) utilizes several computer programs and models to conduct risk and dose assessments at Formerly Utilized Sites Remedial Action Program (FUSRAP) projects. In the past, the USACE has primarily relied on the US Department of Energy (USDOE)'s Argonne National Lab (ANL) RESidual Radioactivity (RESRAD) computer code for performing dose and risk assessments involving radiological contamination in onsite soils and the US Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) Preliminary Remediation Goal (PRG) and Dose Compliance Calculator (DCC) for radiological contamination in ground water. Recent USEPA guidance requires use of USEPA calculators for all media at National Priority List sites, which includes some FUSRAP sites. The USACE recently utilized both RESRAD and the USEPA PRG and DCC calculators in assessments at two FUSRAP projects for all media in order to evaluate differences in the models and determine adjustments to potentially resolve differences. The two projects involve soil and groundwater assessments and address typical FUSRAP contaminants such as uranium, radium, thorium and their progeny. This paper discusses differences between the models, lessons learned, and methods used to address stakeholder and other concerns regarding these assessments. The paper's discussions are useful for anyone performing risk or dose assessments for radiological contamination and especially those using RESRAD and the PRG and DCC calculators. (authors)

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗
DOE OSTI2017

Evaluating the Impacts of Reactive Gas (Carbon Dioxide and Oxygen) Ingress on Leaching from Cementitious Waste Forms - 17482

Cementitious materials are currently being used as the waste forms for low-activity waste disposal (Saltstone) at the Savannah River Site. In addition, cementitious materials have been selected as the waste form (Cast Stone) for secondary wastes and are being investigated for use for supplemental low-activity waste treatment (Cast Stone) at the Hanford Site. These materials are subjected to numerous aging and degradation phenomena in the disposal environment that potentially impact their long-term durability and performance. One important phenomenon is the ingress of reactive gases (i.e., carbon dioxide and oxygen) that can react with and change the chemistry and pore structure and thus mass transport properties of the waste forms. The reaction of carbon dioxide (i.e., carbonation) reduces the pH of the waste form pore solution impacting the solubility of constituents of potential concern (COPCs). In Cast Stone and Saltstone, the reaction of oxygen (i.e., oxidation) impacts the solubility of redox-sensitive COPCs, notably the technetium-99 (Tc-99) and chromium. The objective of this research is to experimentally characterize the carbonation and oxidation impacts on chemistry and leaching behavior in cementitious waste forms using experimental techniques including United States Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA) Method 1313 and U.S. EPA Method 1315. Results of experimental characterization will be used to parameterize reactive mass transport models to project leaching under a range of field scenarios in future applications. (authors)

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗
DOE OSTI2017

Uranium and Beryllium Decontamination and Decommissioning in a Developed Neighborhood - 17494

In September 2008, the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Region 1, issued an Administrative Order by Consent (AOC) that required the completion of a Non-Time-Critical Removal Action for the Nuclear Metals, Inc. Site (Site), which is located in Concord, Massachusetts. The AOC required decontamination and demolition of the site buildings and structures. The Site was originally used for radiological research and production, and included foundry equipment for melting metals, extrusion presses and metal working equipment, pickling and etching tanks, and electroplating equipment. In the 1970's, Nuclear Metals, Inc. developed a large scale depleted uranium manufacturing, operation, which included the manufacturing of penetrators, or bullets, from depleted uranium (DU) as a defense contractor for the U.S. Army. Later operations included production of beryllium alloy materials. The Site included a two-story, five-section interconnected building, a tank house, a hydrogen peroxide tank house, two gas cylinder storage huts, and four 'Butler' metal storage buildings, which had a combined footprint of approximately 17,000 square meters (185,000 square feet). The buildings were principally contaminated with DU and beryllium dust, along with asbestos, PCBs, lead and other constituents. The required removal action at the Site consisted of building stabilization activities to remove flammable materials, install temporary utilities and control dust to create a safe work environment within the buildings for site workers; removal of hazardous materials; demolition of all structures and equipment; and off-site disposal of waste materials. The Decontamination and Decommissioning (D and D) activities and highlights of some of the public involvement work required to complete building D and D work in a residential community are discussed. (authors)

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗
DOE OSTI2017

Formerly Utilized Sites Remedial Action Program - Program Update - 17530

The legacy of the United States' early atomic energy program is an important piece of our Nation's history. That legacy however, left low-level radiological contamination at properties now owned and operated by commercial, private and/or local government entities. Although many of these contaminated sites were identified by the Government in the past, additional properties continue to be identified. The United States Government, thru the US Department of Energy (USDOE) and the US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), is addressing these sites with the Formerly Utilized Sites Remedial Action Program (FUSRAP) and has been doing so since the 1970's. The USDOE and the USACE both have roles in the Program. The USACE FUSRAP Program has an important task but faces many challenges to achieve a success conclusion. Since the implementation of 'sequestration cap' budgeting by Congress in 2012, the annual budget for the Program has decreased significantly compared to the funding levels in prior years. The Program complies with USACE Civil Works budgetary reprogramming rules that requires close coordination between the project and program teams to appropriately and efficiently obligate and expend Program funding. The very nature of environmental remediation work results in consistently finding additional unknowns during each phase of a project. The Program is required to follow Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) guidance and conduct cost recovery activities but does not have authorities such as those held by the US Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA). In order to pursue cost recovery actions, conclude a settlement agreement or file an administrative order, USACE must engage the US Department of Justice or USEPA to act on their behalf as USACE does not have the authority to do so themselves. Twenty years later, USACE continues to carry out the FUSRAP mission and work in coordination with the USDOE Office of Legacy Management (DOE-LM) to ensure that the Government's responsibilities are addressed. Success is measured by finishing each site cleanup so they can be turned back to their property owner and stakeholders for safe use. USACE continues to seek new technologies and methods of approach to improve and expedite site investigations and clean ups. (authors)

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗
DOE OSTI2016

Waste Estimation from a Wide-Area Radiological Incident: The Impact of Geography and Urban Footprint - 16256

In the planning and preparedness stages for a response to a radiological incident, it is important to include waste management considerations when developing the decontamination/demolition/cleanup approach because waste management can be a driver for time and cost for return to normalcy. Waste management is also inextricably linked to the geography and urban footprint of the impacted area. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA's) Waste Estimation Support Tool (WEST) is a novel application based on the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Hazus-MH software. WEST enables users to estimate the characteristics, amount, and residual radioactivity of waste generated from remediation and cleanup activities after a radiological incident, including incidents caused by radiological dispersal devices and improvised nuclear devices, as well as nuclear power plant accidents. These waste estimates are generated as a function of user-defined decontamination strategies and are specific to a geographic location. This paper will describe the recently released version 3 update to WEST, and how differences in geography and urban footprints can impact the waste that is generated. (authors)

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗
DOE OSTI2016

US EPA Superfund Radiation Risk Assessment Update: New, Revised, and Upcoming Tools - 16308

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Superfund remedial program is finishing up a significant number of revisions to its guidance for the risk assessment process at radioactively contaminated Superfund sites. The six Preliminary Remediation Goal (PRG) and Dose Compliance Concentration (DCC) internet based calculators for risk and dose assessment at Superfund sites are being revised to reflect better science, revisions to existing exposure scenarios and new scenarios, and changes to match up more closely with the EPA chemical regional screening level calculator. A comprehensive set of revisions to the PRG calculator was finished in November 2014. Additional revisions to the other 5 calculators were made in 2015 and are discussed in this paper. Further revisions are expected prior to WM and will be presented if finished or discussed in more general terms if still underway. (authors)

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗
DOE OSTI2018

Enhanced removal of aqueous hexavalent chromium (Cr(VI)) as a nuclear industry water contaminant by a polymer-modified activated carbon - 18354

Cr (VI) is produced through industrial processes including nuclear activities. It is one of the highly toxic pollutants defined by US EPA, classified as a know human carcinogen. Some of the health effects caused by Cr (VI) exposure are: severe skin and eye damage, nose, throat and lung irritations, damage to the mucous membranes results in ulcers. At Hanford and Savannah River nuclear sites in the United States, the chromium concentration vary from 20 - 30,000 μg/L in water. The maximum level of Cr(VI) for drinking water has been regulated by California Environmental Protection Agency (Cal/EPA) at 0.01 mg/L. Activated carbon (AC) is a widely-used adsorbent for water treatment. However, AC has a limited selectivity for chromium species. Thiol compounds (R-S-H) have also been reported to reduce Cr(VI) to Cr(III) which is harmless. To enhance the removal efficiency of chromium, polysulfide rubber polymer containing thiol was synthesized and coated on Activated Carbon (AC-PSR). Polymer coating on activated carbon enhances its sorption capacity by increasing the chromium binding sites. Conclusions: Polysulfide rubber polymer successfully coated on granular activated carbon. AC-PSR provided greater Cr(VI) removal capacity, due to the reduction of Cr(VI) to Cr(III) by thiol compounds in PSR, as well as physical adsorption onto AC. Future Work: Investigating intra-particle diffusion mechanism of of Cr(VI) in AC-PSR. Evaluating reusability of AC-PSR. Investigating the competition of mercury and chromium ions to be adsorbed onto AC-PSR.

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗
DOE OSTI2018

Evaluation of the Waste Streams from Management of Reprocessing Off-Gas Streams - 18483

Nuclear fuel reprocessing is being considered in the United States as part of an effort to help meet US energy needs and as a means to improve waste management. During the chemical processing of UNF to recover the valuable components for reuse, a number of volatile radionuclides will be released into the off-gas streams of the reprocessing plant. These volatile radionuclides include H-3, C-14, Kr-85, and I-129. Off-gas abatement systems for the volatile radionuclides will be required to ensure that air emissions from a UNF reprocessing facility can meet or exceed emission requirements set forth by the US Environmental Protection Agency and the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission. An initial engineering evaluation of offgas abatement systems was completed recently. The evaluation addressed the designs of the head-end offgas treatment system, which typically includes both the shear off-gas and the dissolver off-gas and vessel off-gas treatment system. Based on this study, the waste volumes for each of the four primary volatile radionuclides (H-3, C-14, Kr-85, and I-129) were estimated. Included in these estimates were the nonradioactive isotopes and the 'tramp' elements found in air (e.g., Kr and C-12 as CO{sub 2}) and process chemicals (e.g., I and Cl). Because the final waste form for these radionuclides has not been selected, estimated volumes were calculated for various alternative waste forms as appropriate. The resulting waste volume for I was found to be highly dependent on the final waste form selected and increased by a factor of 2 to 4 by tramp halogens that would be released into the off-gas stream from the process chemicals. The volume of tritiated water from the fuel was quite small, but the estimated volume of the final waste form depended on the tritium management approach employed within the reprocessing plant. The Kr waste volume was calculated assuming pure Kr (i.e., assuming complete separation of Xe and Ar). For the case of no Xe separation, the estimated waste volume increased by factor of ∼10. Argon from the air, if not removed, increased the estimated volume by a factor of 425. The estimated volume of C-14 waste was dominated by the CO{sub 2} from the air leaking into the processing cell. (authors)

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗
DOE OSTI2024

Generating Emissions Inventory for Carbon Capture and Storage Analysis for Carbon-Intensive Industrial Sectors

Decarbonizing the industrial sector is critical to achieve carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions reductions goals of the Biden Administration. Currently available decarbonization options include electrification, fuel switching to zero carbon fuels like green hydrogen (H2) and carbon capture and storage (CCS). Application of post-combustion carbon capture (PCCC) technology in the power sector, as well as research at the U.S. Department of Energy's Fossil Energy and Carbon Management (FECM) Office has shown that its application in the industrial sector could have co-benefits in the form of emissions reductions of non-CO2 regulated pollutants. For example, solvent based PCCC systems require pre-conditioning of flue gas to remove sulfur and particulate matter (PM) upstream of the CO2 absorber. However, there is a lack of understanding about the type of non-CO2 pollutants which can be captured and the amount of reduction possible. PCCC application differs across industrial sectors as it depends on the availability of decarbonization options, characteristics of industrial processes and the amount and composition of pollutant flows. Certain facilities can also have multiple effluent flows with or without a CO2 stream. As such, understanding industrial processes and their effluent flows in detail is required to quantify the co-benefits opportunities presented by PCCC. Considering this requirement, the goal of this analysis is to develop a high-resolution inventory of effluent flows from facilities of 8 industrial sectors in the U.S. These industrial sectors - ethanol, ammonia, cement, steel, natural gas processing, hydrogen, petroleum refining and wood and pulp products - have carbon-intensive effluent flows, and thus are prime candidates for PCCC applications. In this study, we map the composition of pollutant flow from flue stacks across the identified facilities. Using data available in three Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) databases - the Green House Gas Reporting Program (GHGRP), the National Emissions Inventory (NEI) and the Toxic Release Inventory (TRI), we create a combined inventory which lists the type, amount, and concentration of pollutant flows. Using total weight of the pollutant flow back calculated from observed data for CO2 concentrations in flue gas for individual sectors, we calculate the concentration of each pollutant in the flue gas stream. Thus, the resultant emissions inventory includes the following details for each facility in the sector: facility-level and if possible, process-level pollutant flows, concentrations of pollutants in the flue gas, and geographical coordinates of the facilities. A detailed statistical analysis and summary allows us to search for erroneous data and remove them from the final inventory. The generation of the inventory is achieved using a python-based framework which can recreate this inventory for other industrial sectors as well as using newer releases of emission inventories from EPA. The statistical analysis performed on the inventory is also calibrated and automated to identify outliers efficiently.

air pollutants↗
DOE OSTI2024

Multi-functional Sorbent Technology (MUST) for the Recovery/Removal of Critical/Heavy Metals from Fossil-Related Wastewater

A collection of remediation and recovery technologies like those predicated on photocatalytic-, electric-, chemical-, membrane-, and adsorptive-based processes currently exists in different stages of development or deployment between these methods of water management. Among these technologies, solid sorbent processes embody an optimal balance between cost-effectiveness, environmental friendliness, and technological maturity. The U.S. Department of Energy’s National Energy Technology Laboratory developed a suit of cross-linked, functionalized silica sorbents tailored to eliminate the most toxic metals regulated by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA); critical metals identified by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS); and harmful organics like the infamous perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). An array of laboratory and field tests proved that the MUST sorbents removed ppb-level lead from drinking water, selenium from FGD wastewater below EPA limits, aqueous dyes and PFAS; and fractionated low ppm-level critical metals (CM) from AMD and simulated produced water. Proof-of-concept for commercial CM recovery was verified through obtaining milligram-quantities of purified Al solids from a sorbent multi-bed AMD field-site test. Commercial efficacy was further supported by achieving purified fractions of adsorbed Mn upon treating both the AMD and synthetic produced water with the laboratory multi-bed test unit.

Wilfong, Walter C.↗
DOE OSTI2024

Risk Considerations of Transitioning CO2-EOR Field to CO2 storage Field: Case Study

In the United States (U.S.), carbon dioxide (CO2) injection wells at EOR sites are currently regulated as Class II wells under the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Underground Injection Control (UIC) program while dedicated geological CO2 storage (GCS) wells are considered Class VI wells. A CO2-EOR facility considering a transitioning from tertiary oil recovery to injecting CO2 for the primary purpose of long-term storage is required to obtain a Class VI permit where this transition poses an increased risk to underground sources of drinking water. This study considers how transitioning operations from CO2-EOR to storage can impact reservoir plume and pressure transient in the storage envelope, and how these changes could impact area of review and potential unwanted fluid migration. We developed a case study to assess subsurface response and leakage risks associated with a representative, hypothetical operation in a carbonate reservoir. This reservoir transitions from tertiary hydrocarbon recovery to dedicated GCS. Reservoir simulations were run for a set of credible CO2-EOR scenarios to estimate distributions of fluids phases and pressures throughout the model domain after CO2 flooding as well as forecasting the behavior of the reservoir after the transition to a dedicated storage phase. The evolutions from all simulated scenarios were used as the basis for leakage risk quantification using the National Risk Assessment Partnership’s Open-Source Integrated Assessment Model (NRAP-Open-IAM) with a novel reduced-order model to estimate time-dependent leakage of CO2, brine, and hydrocarbon fluids through potentially leaky wells. Results include a description of reservoir response, an estimate of the areal extent that could potentially be impacted by leakage to underground sources of drinking water, and estimates of the magnitude of potential leakage. Considerations for dedicated storage injection well selection, injectivity, and injection scheme performance and potential leakage risk are presented, with implications for risk assessment of well transition discussed. This study presents a risk-based workflow for the Class II to Class VI well transition. Integrating credible numerical simulation of viable CO2-EOR to dedicated CO2 storage with quantitative risk assessment tools, such as the NRAP-Open-IAM, will provide a valuable means to devise operational scenarios and inform decision-making related to storage benefit, leakage risk, and liability. Presented at the SPE/AAPG/SEG Carbon Capture Utilization and Storage Conference in Houston, TX, March 11-13, 2024.

Liu, Guoxiang↗
DOE OSTI2024

Human Health Risk Assessment for Improper Landfill Disposal of End-of-Life CdTe Modules

The present work is a continuation of the 2020 IEA PVPS Task 12 Human Health Risk Assessment Methods for PV Part 3: Module Disposal Risks. The 2020 report performed a human health risk assessment (HHRA) for disposal of a cadmium telluride (CdTe) PV module in an unlined landfill, focusing solely on risks from cadmium. This study extends the 2020 HHRA on CdTe PV, analyzing eleven constituent elements: Cd, Se, Te, Cu, Si, Cr(III), Mo, Sn, Zn, Ni, and Al. The present HHRA was performed through two methods: utilization of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (USEPA) Delisting Risk Assessment Software (DRAS V.4.0) on eight exposure pathways for cancer risk and non-cancer hazards; and comparison of exposure point concentrations to federal standards for groundwater, surface water, air, and soil exposure pathways. Cancer risks and non-cancer hazards posed by elemental leaching through all evaluated exposure pathways, using both methods, were found to be several orders of magnitude below USEPA health-protective thresholds. Cadmium exhibited both the highest risks and lowest uncertainty considering data availability on chemical content, leachate, and federal screening levels.

CdTe↗
DOE OSTI2024

Transportation Electrification Impact Study (TEIS)

Recent U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) notices of proposed rulemakings for GHG emissions standards for light-, medium-, and heavy-duty on-road vehicles would accelerate ongoing advancements already happening in the industry because of private investment, consumer demand, state-level policies, and federal incentives. As the EPA finalizes these regulations, questions persist regarding the cost of the requisite charging infrastructure and associated upgrades to the nation's electric grid. With support from the U.S. Department of Energy, U.S. Joint Office of Energy and Transportation, and the EPA, a multidisciplinary team conducted a Multi-State Transportation Electrification Impact Study that quantitatively assesses the incremental investment necessary to enable the levels of vehicle electrification expected to be induced by pending EPA regulations and to estimate the potential value of deferred investments in electric distribution infrastructure stemming from proactive vehicle-grid integration planning and deployment. This study finds the simulated incremental capital cost of charging infrastructure (including grid upgrades) to be at least 2.5 times smaller than the lifetime net benefits of vehicle electrification (including fuel savings but excluding the value of avoided emissions). Additionally, the incremental distribution grid upgrade cost of the EPA Action-Unmanaged scenario was found to be approximately 3% of existing utility distribution system investments (on an annual basis). Finally, the potential for managed charging to defer distribution grid upgrades was found to be significant with costs found to decrease from $2.3 billion to an incremental cost of $1 billion across five states in the Action-Managed scenario (relative to the No Action-Unmanaged scenario).

ADVANCED PROPULSION SYSTEMS,POWER TRANSMISSION AND↗
DOE OSTI2023

Methane Emissions Produced by Pneumatic Devices and Produced Water Tanks on Natural Gas Wellsites

In recent years, more scrutiny has been placed on the release of greenhouse gasses (GHGs) by the oil and gas industry in North America as climate concerns increase. In the coming years, stricter regulations proposed by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) concerning the release of GHGs will further direct attention to GHG emissions quantification, modeling, and overall reduction. Active natural gas wellsites employ production equipment that routinely emits methane during normal operation. Production equipment often includes, but is not limited to, gas production units (GPUs), pneumatic controllers (PCs) and actuators powered by produced natural gas, and produced water storage tanks. This work details direct methane emission measurements taken at active natural gas wellsites originating from intermittent pneumatic controllers and produced water storage tanks. Efforts to model methane flows originating from these sources are also detailed, and those results are compared to direct measurement. The direct methane emissions measurement campaign collected flow data from two active dry wellsites in the Marcellus shale region. These measurement campaigns captured, in total, several weeks of continuous data from these sites. Data included multiple pneumatic device vent flowrate channels, a single channel monitoring total emissions vented from the produced water storage tanks, and corresponding site weather data. Periodic composition measurements were taken from flows vented from produced water tanks. Computational modeling efforts attempted to mimic a given site’s methane emissions behavior given limited input parameters. Direct measurement data and simulation data yielded, through reduction and analysis, apparent methane emissions factors, statistics on pneumatic device actuation events, important relationships between GPU parameters and pneumatic device actuation events, produced water storage tank vent flows and flow compositions, and parameters most contributing to the magnitude and frequency of these fugitive methane emissions. Measurements, considering data from a 72hr period, produced PC emissions factors from 0.008 to 0.03 SCFH per device with an average device emitting 0.026 SCFH at the first site. The second site produced PC emissions factors spanning from 0.05 to 25.47 SCFH with an average device emitting 1.93 SCFH not including the 25.47 SCFH device, which was assumed to be malfunctioning. Two unique water tank emission measurements were made, 618 g CH4 per hour and 32.6 g CH4 per hour. On a water basis, the water tank emissions factors were 0.66 and 0.042 kg CH4 per bbl of water, respectively.

03 NATURAL GAS↗
DOE OSTI2026

Affinity and Treatment of LDR Organics in Low Activity Waste by Cementitious Materials – 26109

The physiochemical interactions between organic contaminants, minerals, and polymer additives in grout/cementitious materials are being identified. This research supports a proposed Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) treatment variance relevant to the Land Disposal Restriction (LDR) organics present in Hanford tank waste. It provides the technical basis to address the aspects documented by the Environmental Protection Agency in a draft memo necessary to establish that organics can be immobilized/stabilized in a cementitious matrix. The organic species may interact with cementitious minerals, including slag, fly ash, cement, and other components/dopants like activated carbon. A list of 132 reasonably expected LDR organics associated with Hanford tank waste (RPP-RPT-63493, Rev 1a) was screened by functional groups, octanol-water partitioning coefficients, and detection frequency in Hanford tank waste samples. A subset of 15 compounds spanning the identified properties was tested using sorption and leachate tests. These compounds were subjected to traditional batch sorption tests and leaching tests on/from Cast Stone cementitious material with and without activated carbon (a potential organic adsorption additive). The interactions between organic compounds were observed in traditional batch sorption and modified TCLP leachate tests for surrogate Cast Stone material with and without activated carbon addition. Specifically, phthalic acid (negatively charged) and 4-chloroaniline (polar) sorbed strongly to unmodified Cast Stone, while a group of three phenolic compounds (2,4,6-Trichlorophenol, Pentachlorophenol, o-Cresol) sorbed to and were retained by Cast Stone with a 1% activated carbon amendment. Mixtures of these compounds demonstrated visible retention of the organics within the matrix with a quantifiable affinity of the organics to the cement. This novel testing supports the notion that organics within Hanford tank waste would be retained onto the cement phase with the addition of simple materials easily added to the formulation as part of the treatment process. To further provide additional support to this claim, models employing Flory-Huggins theory in conjunction with macromolecular and organic molecule solubility parameters and species activity coefficients are being utilized to better understand these interactions. Within this context, Van Krevelen (VK) and Hansen organic and polymer solubility parameters were used to inform the Flory-Huggins interaction parameter, allowing for a quantifiable method of evaluating polymer-solvent compatibility and, by extension, interactions with proposed binding additives (e.g., activated carbon). These models and measurement should test the hypothesis for our systems understanding and applicability of Flory-Huggins theory, and whether the prediction of organics in the polymer phase versus the aqueous phase can be confidently made using this strategy. The estimation of the organic molecular activity coefficient in these high salt-saturated aqueous systems is another factor that will be assessed. This project aims to predict and understand complicated organic interactions in these heterogenous systems, guiding optimal treatment and stabilization methodologies.

Jolin, Will [Savannah River National Laboratory (S↗