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DOE OSTI2012

River Corridor Closure at DOE's Hanford Site - 12503

The discussion of Hanford's River Corridor will cover work that has already been completed plus the work remaining to be done. This includes the buildings, waste sites, and groundwater plumes in the 300 Area; large-scale burial ground remediation in the 600 Area; plutonium production reactor dismantling and 'cocooning' along the river; preservation of the world's first full-scale plutonium production reactor; removal of more than 14 million tons of contaminated soil and debris along the Columbia River shoreline and throughout the River Corridor; and the excavation of buried waste sites in the river shore area. It also includes operating an EPA-permitted low-level waste disposal facility in the central portion of the site. At the completions of cleanup in 2015, Hanford's River Corridor will be the largest closure project ever completed by the Department of Energy. Cleanup of the River Corridor has been one of Hanford's top priorities since the early 1990's. This urgency has been due to the proximity of hundreds of waste sites to the Columbia River. In addition, removal of the sludge from K West Basin, near the river, remains a high priority. This 220-square-mile area of the Hanford Site sits on the edge of the last free-flowing stretch of the Columbia River. The River Corridor portion of the Hanford Site includes the 100 and 300 Areas along the south shore of the Columbia River. The 100 Areas contain nine retired plutonium production reactors. These areas are also the location of numerous support facilities and solid and liquid waste disposal sites that have contaminated groundwater and soil. The 300 Area, located just north of the city of Richland, contains fuel fabrication facilities, nuclear research and development facilities, and their associated solid and liquid waste disposal sites that have contaminated groundwater and soil. In order to ensure that cleanup actions address all threats to human health and the environment, the River Corridor includes the adjacent areas that extend from the 100 Area and 300 Area to the Central Plateau. For sites in the River Corridor, remedial actions are expected to restore groundwater to drinking water standards and ensure that aquatic life in the Columbia River is protected by achieving ambient water quality standards. It is intended that these objectives be achieved, unless technically impracticable, within a reasonable timeframe. In those instances where remedial action objectives are not achievable in a reasonable time frame, or are determined to be technically impracticable, programs are being implemented to contain the plume, prevent exposure to contaminated groundwater, and evaluate further risk reduction opportunities as new technologies become available. River Corridor cleanup work also removes potential sources of contamination, which are close to the Columbia River, and places them on the Central Plateau for final disposal. The intent is to shrink the footprint of active cleanup to within the 75-square- mile area of the Central Plateau by removing excess facilities and remediating waste sites. Cleanup actions are supporting anticipated future land uses consistent with the Hanford Reach National Monument, where applicable, and the Hanford Comprehensive Land- Use Plan (DOE 1999). The River Corridor has been divided into six geographic decision areas to achieve source and groundwater remedy decisions. These decisions will provide comprehensive coverage for all areas within the River Corridor and will incorporate ongoing interim action cleanup activities. Cleanup levels will be achieved in order to support anticipated future land uses of conservation and preservation for most of this area and industrial use for the 300 Area. At the conclusion of cleanup actions, the federal government will implement long-term stewardship activities to ensure protection of human health and the environment. (authors)

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗

DOE OSTI2012

Closure End States for Facilities, Waste Sites, and Subsurface Contamination - 12543

The United States (U.S.) Department of Energy (DOE) manages the largest groundwater and soil cleanup effort in the world. DOE's Office of Environmental Management (EM) has made significant progress in its restoration efforts at sites such as Fernald and Rocky Flats. However, remaining sites, such as Savannah River Site, Oak Ridge Site, Hanford Site, Los Alamos, Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant, Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plant, and West Valley Demonstration Project possess the most complex challenges ever encountered by the technical community and represent a challenge that will face DOE for the next decade. Closure of the remaining 18 sites in the DOE EM Program requires remediation of 75 million cubic yards of contaminated soil and 1.7 trillion gallons of contaminated groundwater, deactivation and decommissioning (D and D) of over 3000 contaminated facilities and thousands of miles of contaminated piping, removal and disposition of millions of cubic yards of legacy materials, treatment of millions of gallons of high level tank waste and disposition of hundreds of contaminated tanks. The financial obligation required to remediate this volume of contaminated environment is estimated to cost more than 7% of the to-go life-cycle cost. Critical in meeting this goal within the current life-cycle cost projections is defining technically achievable end states that formally acknowledge that remedial goals will not be achieved for a long time and that residual contamination will be managed in the interim in ways that are protective of human health and environment. Formally acknowledging the long timeframe needed for remediation can be a basis for establishing common expectations for remedy performance, thereby minimizing the risk of re-evaluating the selected remedy at a later time. Once the expectations for long-term management are in place, remedial efforts can be directed towards near-term objectives (e.g., reducing the risk of exposure to residual contamination) instead of focusing on long-term cleanup requirements. An acknowledgement of the long timeframe for complete restoration and the need for long-term management can also help a site transition from the process of pilot testing different remedial strategies to selecting a final remedy and establishing a long-term management and monitoring approach. This approach has led to cost savings and the more efficient use of resources across the Department of Defense complex and at numerous industrial sites across the U.S. Defensible end states provide numerous benefits for the DOE environmental remediation programs including cost-effective, sustainable long-term monitoring strategies, remediation and site transition decision support, and long-term management of closure sites. (authors)

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗

DOE OSTI2015

Success in commissioning a key U.S. radioactive waste burial site through the technical support of Dufrane Nuclear Shielding Incorporated (DNSI) - 15476

With the -phase out- of the South Carolina based Barnwell Radioactive Waste Burial Site, and the stockpile and storage of radioactive waste and irradiated components throughout the U.S. Nuclear Industry for decades, the opening of the Texas Low-Level Radioactive Waste Disposal Compact Facility by Waste Control Specialists (WCS), is a game changer in solving this industry-wide issue. For the first time in decades, generators now have the opportunity to send their waste to a site specifically designed to permanently sequester the waste in a licensed facility that will protect public health and the environment, better than any built to date. As history has shown through the many decades of the U.S. Commercial and Federal Nuclear Industry, site operators and management have relied heavily on contractors and vendors with exceptional expertise and decades of experience to achieve success and meet their goals. The commissioning of WCS was no exception as DNSI was contracted to design, develop, build and deploy a major component required for the opening and successful operation of the WCS site. This component, being the Modular Concrete Canister (MCC), is the -work horse- of the site. With its enormous size, weight and strength, it provides many functions that meet and comply with the site performance assessment (PA) under 10 CFR Part 61, the site WAC, and Texas Low-Level Radioactive Waste Disposal Authority. Offsite contracting the production and delivery of this critical component was a major step toward success in meeting schedule and cost for the much needed opening of the Texas Compact and Federal site. In selecting a shielding vendor, WCS partnered with a U.S. Nuclear Service company with over 30 years of experience which spans the entire U.S. Commercial, Federal, and Nuclear Industry. The task given DNSI was not a simple one, it involved every aspect from start to finish of the design, production and delivery of rectangular, cylindrical and -irradiated hardware- (IH) MCCs, that could accept waste up to 100 Sv /Hr contact dose rates. The enormity of this project was quite clear and required extensive quality control, construction of batch plants, purchase of huge quantities of raw materials, setting up a production site in a neighboring city, relocation of personnel from company headquarters, and safely transporting 8,000 Tons of MCC components 75 miles one-way on West Texas highways daily. Most important of all, this was accomplished safely with no incidents, no component failures or rejects, and on schedule. The start of receipt, of -in-compact waste- and -out-of-compact waste- was conducted virtually in a 3 month period time span. To help guarantee success and quality of product, all forms had surfaces machined, heavy duty elastomer coatings were applied to concrete surfaces, only galvanized anchors were used, and the batch plant was run to strict ASME standards thus testing every 50 cubic yards of concrete poured. With significant teamwork and success from Vendors such as DNSI, WCS and the Texas Compact has evolved as one of the leading radioactive waste sites in the U.S. and the world, providing safe, secure and compliant permanent waste disposal services by using technical expertise and innovation of the highest standards. (authors)

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗

DOE OSTI2018

Nuclear, Land marker for a Waste Isolation Site: International Architecture Competition - 18240

The design and construction of a nuclear waste marker must include many architectural considerations. Very little research has been conducted by architects to address this issue to date. Historically, the task of designating a nuclear waste site has been a discussion predominantly contained within the scientific and engineering communities. In an effort to engage architects within this dialogue, arch out loud hosted the NUCLEAR competition as an international, architectural investigation into the design of a nuclear waste site marker. The NUCLEAR competition asks participants to design a marker to designate the site of the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) located near Carlsbad, New Mexico. The marker will be meant to be a means of passive institutional controls (PICs) to deter inadvertent human intrusion upon the site and should last 10,000 years. The NUCLEAR competition defined the purpose of the nuclear waste site marker as a means to communicate the danger of inadvertent intrusion from future generations. The competition requires that entries must be both legible in communication and durable in their construction. The competition brief challenged participants to consider how customs and languages will evolve over time and to predict what motivations future generations might have for digging at the site. Other background information was provided about the site such as how waste was stored and how the unique geology of the site seals the waste. The 1993 Sandia National Laboratories report titled Expert Judgment on Markers to Deter Inadvertent Human Intrusion into the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant [1] was referenced along with the 1992 WIPP Land Withdrawal Act [2], interviews with WIPP scientists [3] involved with the WIPP PICs program and the Nuclear Energy Agency Records Knowledge and Memory working group. Competition participants were given digital 3-D Computer-Aided Design models for reference that included the underground storage portion of the site, existing buildings and the 16-square-mile site boundary identified in the 1992 WIPP Land Withdrawal Act [2]. This paper will: - Provide a detailed description of the submitted proposals including graphic analysis of the visualizations, diagrams, technical drawings, jury comments and statements. - Catalogue and identify the consistent themes within all submissions with possible categories including: 1) overall architectural form and language, 2) integration of written language and symbols within architecture, 3) use of technology and robotics, 4) construction methods and materials. (authors)

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗

DOE OSTI2018

Multi-Faceted Approach to Evaluate Discharge Locations at a FUSRAP Site - 18421

Following the completion of a Soil and Groundwater Remedial Investigation by USACE at a FUSRAP site located in Nassau County, New York, groundwater data indicated the presence of contaminant source(s) that had not been identified. As a result, a targeted investigation was undertaken to understand how materials were handled and disposed of at a site located in Nassau County, Long Island, New York. The FUSRAP site is a 4.3-hectare (10.5-acre) site encompassing three parcels which had historically been utilized as a nuclear materials manufacturing facility (e.g., cores, slug, and fuel elements) for reactors used in both research and electric power generation in early 1950's until late 1960's; however, the targeted investigation was on the southern-most parcel known as the '70 Property' (the Site). The 70 Property contained a building that was used for atomic fuel-element manufacturing from 1958 until 1966 under license to the Atomic Energy Commission (AEC), and involved the use of natural, enriched, and depleted uranium as well as lesser amounts of thorium. The major contaminants of concern are tetrachloroethene, nickel, uranium and thorium. During the RI, significant sources of contamination were not found in Site soils despite records indicating that chemicals and radionuclides had been disposed of on the property. In addition, downgradient groundwater data indicated a source(s) on the 70 Property that could not be identified by known sources on other the other FUSRAP parcels or from adjacent sites. This conclusion was further supported following development of groundwater contaminant transport and flow models. The main objective of the targeted investigation was to evaluate the potential discharge points on the 70 Property that may have been utilized for liquids waste disposal. However, several challenges existed including 1) lack of building construction details; 2) historical changes to Site building and property; 3) the use of the Site by various tenants; and 4) the commingling of Site contaminants with impacts from multiple sources. To overcome these challenges, historic documents/reports with information about the handling and disposal of liquid wastes were reviewed to evaluate quantities, contents and locations of waste disposal. Thereafter, an investigation was undertaken that included geophysical surveys; pipe tracing and video inspection; in-situ smoke and water testing; installation of test trenches and soil borings; and, sampling sludge residuals, soils and water within the various drainage structures that were located. This paper describes the multi-faceted investigation approach that was utilized to overcome the challenges faced during the investigation as well as insights into the waste disposal practices of the time period and the findings of the investigation. (authors)

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗

DOE OSTI2020

Distribution Development for Residual Inventory at the New York West Valley Site - 20400

The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) is the owner of the Western New York Nuclear Service Center (WNYNSC), a 1,351 ha site located approximately 48 km south of Buffalo, New York. In 1962, Nuclear Fuel Services, Inc. (NFS) entered into Agreements with the Atomic Energy Commission and New York State to construct the first commercial reprocessing plant of nuclear fuel in the United States. NFS, a private company, built and operated the spent fuel reprocessing plant and waste disposal facilities, processing 640 Mg of spent nuclear fuel from 1966 to 1972 under an Atomic Energy Commission license. Nuclear fuel reprocessing operations ended in 1972 and never reopened, leaving behind radioactive and chemical wastes. Operations led to contamination in a number of facilities and locations. Some of that contamination has migrated from waste disposal zones to other layers, formations, and features on and off the WNYNSC. Phase I decommissioning activities are ongoing and involve the removal of a number of areas and structures that have been associated with contamination. The purpose of this work is to outline the approach for characterizing contamination not associated with disposed wastes, contaminated structures, or specific releases. In this work, the term, residual radiological activity, is used to describe environmental contamination that exists subsequent to the completion of Phase I decommissioning activities, that is not associated with disposed wastes, contaminated structures, or specific releases. Contamination from the Site was quantified relative to data that characterize the concentrations of radionuclides that exist in background. Background concentrations are those present in the area but having no influence from Site related activities. The existence of residual radiological activity that is elevated relative to background has the potential to contribute to future risks to human health and the environment. As a consequence, the residual inventory information is used to inform the West Valley Probabilistic Performance Assessment (PPA) model to characterize potential future risks to human health and the environment. The centralized West Valley Data Management System (DMS) was the source of information for the data assembled in this analysis. The DMS is a fairly large compilation consisting of thousands of records from investigation studies, with sample dates ranging from 1990 to present. Samples from monitoring wells, boreholes, geoprobe studies, surface water, surface soils, storm water outfalls, ventilation stack filters, plant and animal tissues, and more are included in the DMS. Results are typically reported in units of activity per unit volume. For the purpose of the analyses presented here, all results were converted into consistent units of pCi per unit volume. Since 1990, data have been collected from various locations across the WNYNSC at different times with varying frequency over the course of several decades. As a consequence, a number of potential issues can arise with respect to the assembly of a dataset that is deemed adequate for the characterization of residual radiological activity. These issues were assessed and resolved to the extent possible through careful consideration of the properties of the distributions. The intent was to use data which characterize the current state of the Site. Radionuclides can be designated to one of several groups depending on their origin. In this work the groups considered were 1) Naturally Occurring Radioactive Material (NORM), 2) fallout, and 3) Other (including power plant, medical research, etc). This grouping is a useful construct with respect to the interpretation of fixed laboratory results. For example, NORM radionuclides that exist within a decay chain should have approximately equivalent distributions of concentrations if they are representative of background conditions. Insights such as these can be used as a check to identify sample results that need to be further investigated or omitted due to issues associated with reported results from fixed laboratory analyses. This type of analysis provided a foundation for the assessment of the adequacy of sample results for use in subsequent components of an assessment. The general process for the assessment of residual radiological contamination at the Site consists of a sequence of several steps. First, for each analyte, several statistical tests were performed to assess the weight of evidence against the null hypothesis that the mean of the distribution of concentrations was equal to zero. If the mean of the distribution of concentrations for a given radionuclide was not found to be greater than zero, then it was removed from consideration as a component of the residual radiological contamination. If there was significant evidence to reject the hypothesis of the mean being equal to zero, the second step was to compare the distribution of the data from the Site to that of the corresponding background. A suite of tests was used to compare the distributions of the site and background data. The results of these tests were collectively used to determine if site data are elevated relative to background. The third step was to develop distributions using a Bayesian framework to characterize the distribution of mean of the increment present above background for each of the radionuclides. The Bayesian model implemented allowed for the comparison of site-specific records to background concentrations to better approximate contamination attributed to the Site. A final screening step was employed for radionuclides that exceed background. This screening step compared 95% upper confidence limits (UCLs) from the increment distribution developed in the previous step to the risk screening levels. This approach yields a list of analytes that were determined to be elevated relative to background.

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗

DOE OSTI2025

Determination of Site Occupancy in the M–Pd–Zn (M = Cu, Ag, and Au) γ-Brass Phase by CALculation of PHAse Diagrams Modeling and Rietveld Refinement

The Pd–Zn γ-brass phase provides exciting opportunities for synthesizing site-isolated catalysts with precisely controlled Pd active site ensembles. Introducing a third metallic element into the γ-brass lattice further perturbs the catalytic active site ensembles. Here, in this work, we introduce coinage metallic elements M (M = Cu, Ag, and Au) into the Pd–Zn γ-brass phase and investigate the site occupation factors of each element in the γ-brass lattice. The CALculation of PHAse Diagrams (CALPHAD) modeling approach supported by energetics predicted by the density functional theory and X-ray and neutron diffraction with Rietveld refinement were used to identify the SOF on each Wyckoff site for various M amounts alloyed into the Pd–Zn γ-brass phase. The present analysis unveils the strong preference for Pd occupying the outer tetrahedral (OT) site in the γ-brass lattice, while the coinage metallic elements tend to substitute for Zn on the octahedral (OH) site. The determination of site occupancy in the bulk M–Pd–Zn γ-brass phase provides opportunities to investigate and tailor potential catalytically active site ensembles in the γ-brass phase materials.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

DOE OSTI2021

Identifying the Catalytic Active Site for Propylene Metathesis by Supported ReO x Catalysts

A series of supported ReO x catalysts were investigated that allowed identifying the unique surface anchoring sites on oxide supports responsible for activating the surface ReO 4 sites for propylene metathesis (the catalytic active site). The catalysts were synthesized by incipient-wetness impregnation of aqueous HReO 4 onto the oxide supports (Al 2 O 3 , ZrO 2 , TiO 2 , SiO 2 and CeO 2 ), characterized under dehydrated and propylene metathesis reaction conditions with in situ spectroscopy (Raman, DRIFTS, UV-Vis and NAP-XPS), and chemically probed (CH 3 CH=CH 2 -TPSR, CH 2 =CH 2 /CH 3 CH=CHCH 3 titration and steady-state self-metathesis of propylene to ethylene and 2-butene). The initially calcined supported rhenia species anchor as isolated surface Re 7+ O 4 sites on the oxide supports by reacting with the surface hydroxyls (terminal S-OH, bridged S-OH-S and tricoordinated S 3 -OH) of the oxide supports. The specific oxide support was found to control the number of activated sites (Al 2 O 3 >> ZrO 2 > CeO 2 > TiO 2 > SiO 2 ) and propylene metathesis activity (Al 2 O 3 >> ZrO 2 >> TiO 2 ~ CeO 2 ~ SiO 2 ) revealing that the oxide support action is a potent ligand for the surface ReO x sites. The activation and specific activity of the surface ReO x sites depend on several factors (nature of surface hydroxyls (S 3 -OH > S-OH-S > S-OH), coordination of the oxide support surface cation (ZrO 7 , AlO 6 , CeO 4 ) and electronegativity of the oxide support cation (SiO 2 > Al 2 O 3 > TiO 2 > ZrO 2 > CeO 2 ). No relationships exist between olefin metathesis activity and acid strength of surface Lewis and Brønsted sites. Here, prior studies primarily focused on supported ReO x /Al 2 O 3 and the lack of examination of non-Al 2 O 3 supported rhenia catalysts precluded comparison between efficient and inefficient olefin metathesis catalysts, which prevented identifying the catalytic active site for olefin metathesis by supported ReO x catalysts.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

DOE OSTI2016

Data Validation Package June 2016 Groundwater and Surface Water Sampling at the Old and New Rifle, Colorado, Processing Sites September 2016

Sampling Period: June 14–17 and July 7, 2016. Water samples were collected from 36 locations at New Rifle and Old Rifle, Colorado, Disposal/Processing Sites. Planned monitoring locations are shown in Attachment 1, Sampling and Analysis Work Order. Duplicate samples were collected from New Rifle locations 0216 and 0855, and Old Rifle location 0655. One equipment blank was collected after decontamination of non-dedicated equipment used to collect one surface water sample. See Attachment 2, Trip Report for additional details. Sampling and analyses were conducted as specified in the 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). New Rifle Site Samples were collected at the New Rifle site from 16 monitoring wells and 7 surface locations in compliance with the December 2008 Groundwater Compliance Action Plan [GCAP] for the New Rifle, Colorado, Processing Site (LMS/RFN/S01920). Monitoring well 0216 could not be sampled in June because it was surrounded by standing water due to the high river stage from spring runoff, it was later sampled in July. Monitoring well 0635 and surface location 0322 could not be sampled because access through the elk fence along Interstate 70 has not been completed at this time. Old Rifle Site Samples were collected at the Old Rifle site from eight monitoring wells and five surface locations in compliance with the December 2001 Ground Water Compliance Action Plan for the Old Rifle, Colorado, UMTRA Project Site (GJ0-2000-177-TAR).

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

DOE OSTI2024

Siting Analysis of a Solar-Nuclear-Desalination Integrated Energy System

Nuclear power is typically deployed as a baseload generator. Increased penetration of variable renewables motivates combining nuclear and renewable technologies into Integrated Energy Systems (IES) to improve dispatchability, component synergies and, through cogeneration, address multiple markets. However, combining multiple energy resources heavily depends on the proper selection of each system’s location and design limitations. In this paper, co-siting options for IES that couple nuclear and concentrating solar power (CSP) with thermal desalination are investigated. A comprehensive siting analysis is performed that utilizes global information survey data to determine possible co-siting options for nuclear and solar thermal generation in the United States. Viable co-siting options are distributed across the Southwestern U.S., with the greatest concentration of siting options in the southern Great Plains, although siting with higher solar direct normal irradiance is possible in other states such as Arizona and New Mexico. Brackish water desalination is also attractive across the southwest U.S. due to high water stress, but for brackish water desalination reverse osmosis (an electricity driven process) is most cost- and energy-efficient, which does not require co-siting with the thermal generator. The most attractive state for nuclear and thermal desalination (which is more attractive when using seawater) is Texas, although other areas may become attractive as water stress increases over the coming decades. Co-siting of all CSP and thermal desalination is challenging as attractive CSP sites are not coastal.

29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY↗

DOE OSTI2017

A Classification of Commercial Nuclear Reactor Sites and the Subsequent Impacts on Preparing Spent Nuclear Fuel for Shipment - 17355

The US Department of Energy is conducting analyses to inform future decisions regarding an integrated waste management system for the acceptance of spent nuclear fuel (SNF) from commercial nuclear reactor sites. The ability to prepare SNF for shipment from reactor sites is likely to be restricted by ongoing operations at those sites. This report examines the extent to which those operations will restrict the reactor sites' availability to prepare SNF for shipment. Specifically, the analysis focuses on the impact and frequency of refueling operations within the commercial reactor sites in the US. In this report, a characterization of reactor sites into families is described. This characterization is based on the number of operating reactors on site, the length of refueling cycles for those reactors, and the configuration of spent fuel pools on site. Each reactor family is analyzed to estimate the amount of time for which each reactor site in the family would be available to prepare SNF shipments. This analysis is a work in progress, and the results are used to inform the development of new models of an integrated waste management system for commercial SNF. (authors)

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗

DOE OSTI2015

Challenges in obtaining property access: The FUSRAP Maywood site experience - 15550

The Formerly Utilized Sites Remedial Action Program (FUSRAP) is the US government program started in 1974 to identify, investigate and clean up or control sites that became contaminated as a result of the nation's early atomic programs. Many of these sites are not owned by the federal government and therefore require owner permission to enter. The experience in pursuing such access at the FUSRAP Maywood Superfund Site (the Maywood Site or the Site) in Bergen County, New Jersey, is extensive. Since the US Army Corps of Engineers (the Corps) assumed responsibility for the Maywood Site from the US Department of Energy in 1997, over 200 separate property access agreements (known in FUSRAP as a Real Estate Right-of-Entry or ROE) have been executed between the Corps and approximately 75 different land owners and tenant occupants at the Maywood Site (agreement renewals with the same owners over time account for the difference). Maywood's experience during the Corps' tenure, reflected here in three case studies of representative property access efforts, offers some lessons and best practices that may apply to other remedial programs. While the Site Community Relations Manager (the author of this paper) managed the property access task, multi-disciplinary support from across the project was also critical to success in this endeavor. (authors)

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗

DOE OSTI2023

The Role of Lewis Acid Sites in γ-Al 2 O 3 Oligomerization

Olefin oligomerization by γ-Al 2 O 3 has recently been reported, and it was suggested that Lewis acid sites are catalytic. The goal of this study is to determine the number of active sites per gram of alumina to confirm that Lewis acid sites are indeed catalytic. Addition of an inorganic Sr oxide base resulted in a linear decrease in the propylene oligomerization conversion at loadings up to 0.3 wt %; while, there is a >95 % loss in conversion above 1 wt % Sr. Additionally, there was a linear decrease in the intensity of the Lewis acid peaks of absorbed pyridine in the IR spectra with an increase in Sr loading, which correlates with the loss in propylene conversion, suggesting that Lewis acid sites are catalytic. Characterization of the Sr structure by XAS and STEM indicates that single Sr 2+ ions are bound to the γ-Al 2 O 3 surface and poison one catalytic site per Sr ion. The maximum loading needed to poison all catalytic sites, assuming uniform surface coverage, was ~0.4 wt % Sr, giving an acid site density of ~0.2 sites per nm2 of γ-Al 2 O 3 , or approximately 3 % of the alumina surface.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

DOE OSTI2016

Evaluation of the Community Land Model simulated carbon and water fluxes against observations over ChinaFLUX sites

The Community Land Model (CLM) is an advanced process-based land surface model that simulates carbon, nitrogen, water vapor and energy exchanges between terrestrial ecosystems and the atmosphere at various spatial and temporal scales. We use observed carbon and water fluxes from five representative Chinese Terrestrial Ecosystem Flux Research Network (ChinaFLUX) eddy covariance tower sites to systematically evaluate the new version CLM4.5 and old version CLM4.0, and to generate insights that may inform future model developments. CLM4.5 underestimates the annual carbon sink at three forest sites and one alpine grassland site but overestimates the carbon sink of a semi-arid grassland site. The annual carbon sink underestimation for the deciduous-dominated forest site results from underestimated daytime carbon sequestration during summer and overestimated nighttime carbon emission during spring and autumn. Compared to CLM4.0, the bias of annual gross primary production (GPP) is reduced by 24% and 28% in CLM4.5 at two subtropical forest sites. However, CLM4.5 still presents a large positive bias in annual GPP. The improvement in net ecosystem exchange (NEE) is limited, although soil respiration bias decreases by 16%–43% at three forest sites. CLM4.5 simulates lower soil water content in the dry season than CLM4.0 at two grassland sites. Drier soils produce a significant drop in the leaf area index and in GPP and an increase in respiration for CLM4.5. The new fire parameterization approach in CLM4.5 causes excessive burning at the Changbaishan forest site, resulting in an unexpected underestimation of NEE, vegetation carbon, and soil organic carbon by 46%, 95%, and 87%, respectively. Altogether, our study reveals significant improvements achieved by CLM4.5 compared to CLM4.0, and suggests further developments on the parameterization of seasonal GPP and respiration, which will require a more effective representation of seasonal water conditions and the partitioning of net radiation between sensible and heat fluxes.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

DOE OSTI2011

Accumulation of p21 proteins at DNA damage sites independent of p53 and core NHEJ factors following irradiation

Highlights: {yields} p21 accumulated rapidly at laser-irradiated sites via its C-terminal region. {yields} p21 colocalized with the DSB marker {gamma}-H2AX and the DSB sensor Ku80. {yields} Accumulation of p21 is dependent on PCNA, but not p53 and the NHEJ core factors. {yields} Accumulation activity of p21 was conserved among human and animal cells. {yields} p21 is a useful tool as a detection marker of DNA damaged sites. -- Abstract: The cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK) inhibitor p21 plays key roles in p53-dependent DNA-damage responses, i.e., cell cycle checkpoints, senescence, or apoptosis. p21 might also play a role in DNA repair. p21 foci arise at heavy-ion-irradiated DNA-double-strand break (DSB) sites, which are mainly repaired by nonhomologous DNA-end-joining (NHEJ). However, no mechanisms of p21 accumulation at double-strand break (DSB) sites have been clarified in detail. Recent works indicate that Ku70 and Ku80 are essential for the accumulation of other NHEJ core factors, e.g., DNA-PKcs, XRCC4 and XLF, and other DNA damage response factors, e.g., BRCA1. Here, we show that p21 foci arise at laser-irradiated sites in cells from various tissues from various species. The accumulation of EGFP-p21 was detected in not only normal cells, but also transformed or cancer cells. Our results also showed that EGFP-p21 accumulated rapidly at irradiated sites, and colocalized with the DSB marker {gamma}-H2AX and with the DSB sensor protein Ku80. On the other hand, the accumulation occurred in Ku70-, Ku80-, or DNA-PKcs-deficient cell lines and in human papillomavirus 18-positive cells, whereas the p21 mutant without the PCNA-binding region (EGFP-p21(1-146)) failed to accumulate at the irradiated sites. These findings suggest that the accumulation of p21, but not functional p53 and the NHEJ core factors, is dependent on PCNA. These findings also suggest that the accumulation activity of p21 at DNA damaged sites is conserved among human and animal cells, and p21 is a useful tool as a detection marker of DNA damaged sites.

63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTAN↗

DOE OSTI2018

Growth performance and stability of hybrid poplar clones in simultaneous tests on six sites

Growth, stability, and genotype x environment (GxE) interaction were investigated for 69 clones after five years at six sites in Minnesota. Fifty-three clones were Populus deltoides x Populus nigra (DxN) crosses, nine were P. deltoides x P. maximowiczi, ten other crosses. Most clones were previously screened for growth and disease resistance in Minnesota. Five-year diameter (DBH) and basal area (BA) at 1.38 m averaged 93.5 mm and 72.11 cm 2 , respectively, over the six sites. DBH site means varied from 109.0 to 79.4 mm. The fastest-growing clone BA was 64% and 49% larger than the mean of the two commercial standards and the mean of the population, respectively. Site, clone, and clone x site effects were highly significant in the ANOVA. The variance component for clone was over twice that of clone x site (GxE), indicating a relatively small reduction in genetic gain due to GxE. Clonal rank did not change between sites. GxE interaction was dominated by relative performance differences of clones on the different sites. Twenty-six percent of clones were stable (little change in growth between sites), 74% unstable. Stability coefficients of the unstable clones varied over a 99% range, indicating the population had high and variable phenotypic plasticity. Only 15% of clones were both stable and fast growing. Seven putatively superior clones, all DxN, were selected for future testing under near-commercial conditions. The results, if representative of other inter-specific Populus populations, indicate it will be difficult, and probably impractical, to reduce GxE with standard quantitative genetics methods in hybrid poplar tree improvement programs without sacrificing productivity gains.

09 BIOMASS FUELS↗

DOE OSTI2024

Quantification of active sites in yttrium containing dealuminated Beta zeolites during conversion of ethanol and acetaldehyde to butadiene

Here, in this work, yttrium containing dealuminated Beta zeolites (Y/deAlBeta) were synthesized and characterized by various spectroscopic techniques to improve understanding of ethanol upgrading over these materials. Characterization results indicate yttrium atoms partially condense with framework silanol nests formed during dealumination of parent Al-Beta supports. Active sites for conversion of ethanol and acetaldehyde to butadiene were quantified on a series of Y/deAlBeta catalysts (0.1–10 wt% yttrium) via ex situ chemisorption and transmission Fourier transformed infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy measurements by first measuring the integrated molar extinction coefficient (IMEC) for pyridine bound to Lewis acidic yttrium sites. In situ titrations with pyridine demonstrate that the number of sites quantified by ex situ chemisorption IR is quantitatively similar to the number of sites that catalyze butadiene formation, which varies (from 0.05 to 0.35) across the series of catalysts. In situ pyridine titrations impact butadiene site time yields (STY), but not crotonaldehyde STY, indicating that a distribution of yttrium sites is present, and that discrete yttrium site types participate in distinct steps in the pathway from ethanol to butadiene. Apparent kinetic parameters including activation energies and reaction orders were measured, these suggest differences in reactant (or reactant-derived intermediate) surface coverages result in higher STYs (per mol Y or per Lewis acidic Y site) for samples with low Y loadings relative to those with higher Y loadings. Isotopic labeling experiments evince the existence of other kinetically relevant steps in addition to the crotonaldehyde transformation to crotyl alcohol. Together, these findings provide further guidance into the heterogeneities in site structures in yttrium-containing zeolites and their relevance for the various steps in the pathway from ethanol to C 4 products useful for production of sustainable aviation fuel and renewable butadiene.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

DOE OSTI2015

Site specific modification of the human plasma proteome by methylglyoxal

Increasing evidence identifies dicarbonyl stress from reactive glucose metabolites, such as methylglyoxal (MG), as a major pathogenic link between hyperglycemia and complications of diabetes. MG covalently modifies arginine residues, yet the site specificity of this modification has not been thoroughly investigated. Sites of MG adduction in the plasma proteome were identified using LC–MS/MS analysis in vitro following incubation of plasma proteins with MG. Treatment of plasma proteins with MG yielded 14 putative MG hotspots from five plasma proteins (albumin [nine hotspots], serotransferrin, haptoglobin [2 hotspots], hemopexin, and Ig lambda-2 chain C regions). The search results revealed two versions of MG-arginine modification, dihydroxyimidazolidine (R + 72) and hydroimidazolone (R + 54) adducts. One of the sites identified was R257 in human serum albumin, which is a critical residue located in drug binding site I. This site was validated as a target for MG modification by a fluorescent probe displacement assay, which revealed significant drug dissociation at 300 μM MG from a prodan–HSA complex (75 μM). Moreover, twelve human plasma samples (six male, six female, with two type 2 diabetic subjects from both genders) were analyzed using multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) tandem mass spectrometry and revealed the presence of the MG-modified albumin R257 peptide. These data provide insights into the nature of the site-specificity of MG modification of arginine, which may be useful for therapeutic treatments that aim to prevent MG-mediated adverse responses in patients. - Highlights: • Methylglyoxal (MG) selectively modifies arginine sites in human plasma proteome. • Dihydroxyimidazolidine and hydroimidazolone adducts on serum albumin identified • MG modification on albumin R257 associated with loss of drug site I binding capacity • MRM-tandem mass spectrometry enables sensitive detection of albumin MG-R257. • Site-specific MG modification may represent a useful monitor of effective therapy of T2DM.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗