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At least 1,495 records · Page 83
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2015

Office of Biological and Environmental Research Molecular Science Challenges, Workshop Report, Germantown, Maryland, May 27-29, 2014

In its Global Risks 2014 report, the World Economic Forum (WEF; WEF 2014) lists 10 current global risks of highest concern. Of these, four are science-related and all are central to the mission scope of the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Biological and Environmental Research (BER): (1) water crises, (2) failure of climate change mitigation and adaptation, (3) greater incidence of extreme weather events, and (4) food crises tightly linked to the use of biomass for sustainable fuel production. The WEF report also notes the interdependencies between environmental and societal risks that make solutions to these stresses ever more important for global stability. These solutions will hinge on understanding the underlying processes of entire systems—from molecular to global scales—and will range from redesigning microbes and plants to understanding the roles of Earth’s biogeochemical systems in determining climate and contaminant transport and transformation. Clearly, however, the success of these endeavors critically depends on understanding the reliable coupling between molecular and mesoscale phenomena.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2018

Workshop to Identify Opportunities in Biological and Environmental Research Uniquely Enabled by the APS Upgrade

The development of synchrotron-based x-ray science has enabled tremendous scientific advances, driven both by discoveries of new fundamental ways to derive insight from the interaction of x-rays with matter and by the evolution of x-ray light sources themselves. Over the last 20-plus years, the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) Advanced Photon Source (APS) at Argonne has yielded a multitude of transformational insights into science questions across numerous areas relevant to the biological, geological, geochemical, biogeochemical, and environmental sciences. Recent developments in accelerator technology, particularly the multi-bend achromat lattice, have led to plans to dramatically upgrade the APS, allowing an upgraded APS to offer orders-of-magnitude improvements in key parameters such as coherence and brightness, while retaining high-energy capabilities. These enhanced parameters are directly relevant to almost all hard x-ray imaging, scattering, and spectroscopy experiments (Eriksson et al., 2014). The APS Upgrade Project exceeds the capabilities of today’s synchrotrons by 2 to 3 orders of magnitude in brightness and coherent flux in the hard x-ray range, enabling a transformational range of new probes for the structure, properties, and functionality of matter. With vastly improved coherent flux, nearly all techniques can become microscopies. For example, frontiers inaccessible today will be opened by x-ray instruments that provide three-dimensional (3-D) real-space resolution down to nanometers across, up to millimeters of field of view, providing the ability to follow in real time relevant processes and trace element sensitivity down to a few atoms. In addition to the unprecedented spatial resolution across a large field of view, and with appropriate time resolution, the ability for high-throughput, four-dimension/five-dimension data collection enables unprecedented statistical analysis of complex biological and environmental systems in changing environments.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2016

Environmental Restoration Operations (Consolidated Quarterly Report, January-March 2015)

This Sandia National Laboratories, New Mexico Environmental Restoration Operations (ER) Consolidated Quarterly Report (ER Quarterly Report) fulfills all quarterly reporting requirements set forth in the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act Facility Operating Permit, and the Compliance Order on Consent. The 13 sites in the corrective action process are listed in Table I-1. This ER Quarterly Report presents activities and data in sections as follows: SECTION I: Environmental Restoration Operations Consolidated Quarterly Report, January – March 2016. Semiannual sampling at the Burn Site Groundwater Area of Concern currently includes perchlorate analyses at one groundwater monitoring well. Due to the semiannual nature of the sampling, no groundwater samples were collected for perchlorate analyses during this reporting period. Therefore, this edition of the ER Quarterly Report does not include Section II “Perchlorate Screening Quarterly Groundwater Monitoring Report.”

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2019

Nuclear Risk Assessment 2019 Update for the Mars 2020 Mission Environmental Impact Statement

In the summer of 2020, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) plans to launch a spacecraft as part of the Mars 2020 mission. The rover on the proposed spacecraft will use a Multi-Mission Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generator (MMRTG) to provide continuous electrical and thermal power for the mission. The MMRTG uses radioactive plutonium dioxide. NASA is preparing a Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (SEIS) for the mission in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act. This Nuclear Risk Assessment addresses the responses of the MMRTG option to potential accident and abort conditions during the launch opportunity for the Mars 2020 mission and the associated consequences. This information provides the technical basis for the radiological risks discussed in the SEIS.

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗
DOE OSTI2024

FIU Project 2: Environmental Remediation Science & Technology [Slides]

FIU’s research under this project involves conducting basic and applied science to fill knowledge gaps and validate potential remediation technologies for contaminated soil and groundwater and the assessment of the fate and transport of contaminants in the environment. The aim of FIU’s research is to reduce the potential for contaminant mobility or toxicity in the surface and subsurface through the development and application of state-of-the-art scientific and environmental remediation technologies at the Hanford Site, Savannah River Site (SRS), and the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP), which is the Nation’s only mined geologic repository for permanent disposal of transuranic waste. FIU collaborates with scientists from Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), Savannah River National Laboratory (SRNL), Savannah River Ecology Laboratory (SREL), Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) and the DOE Carlsbad Field Office (CBFO) in order to plan and execute research that is synergistic with the work being conducted at the sites, and that supports the resolution of critical science and engineering needs which leads to a better understanding of the long-term behavior of subsurface contaminants. The knowledge gained through this research will be used to transform experimental and modeling innovations into practical applications deployed at the sites to support EM’s primary goal of expediting the closure of major contaminated soil and groundwater sites and waste units. Collaborative relationships between FIU and the national laboratories have provided large benefits over the years to FIU, the national laboratories, the DOE complex, and the DOE EM mission. By working closely with the national laboratories, FIU’s research is not only closely aligned with the cleanup mission priorities at the DOE sites, but complements and supports ongoing work at the national laboratories for screening of new remedial technologies. This coordination and leveraging of research efforts results in time- and cost-savings, and will accelerate progress of the DOE EM environmental restoration mission.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2020

Machine Learning in Environmental Chemistry: Application to Surface Complexation Modeling

Environmental chemistry – or biogeochemistry – is the scientific discipline typically invoked when examining and quantifying groundwater or surface water contamination, and nutrient cycling in the environment. Over the last three decades, there have been significant advances in mechanistic model development to describe and predict these complex biogeochemical processes. In particular, surface complexation models (SCMs) have been developed to describe the rock/soil surface reactions of metals and radionuclides, and their partitioning between various mobile species in the aqueous phase or immobile species sorbed on solid surfaces. Often represented by a simplified linear isotherm constant – Kd – in reactive transport models, these reactions play a critical role in many environmental science applications; particularly in contamination risk assessments and nuclear waste disposal performance assessments. In the past several decades, efforts by various institutions across the world have focused on developing SCMs based on datasets from laboratory measurements, including the identification of key parameters such as equilibrium constants.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2020

Site Environmental Report for 2019

This report, prepared by Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL) for the U.S. Department of Energy, Bay Area Site Office (DOE!BASO), provides a comprehensive summary of the environmental program activities at LBNL for calendar year 2019. SERs are prepared annually for all DOE sites with significant environmental activities, and distributed to relevant external regulatory agencies and other interested organizations or individuals.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2019

Environmental Restoration Operations: Consolidated Quarterly Report, October - December 2018

This Sandia National Laboratories, New Mexico Environmental Restoration Operations (ER) Consolidated Quarterly Report (ER Quarterly Report) fulfills all quarterly reporting requirements set forth in the Compliance Order on Consent. Sections included are the Environmental Restoration Consolidated Report, the Perchlorate Screening Quarterly Groundwater Monitoring Report, and the Technical Area-V in-Situ Bioremediation Treatability Study Full Scale Operation Results.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2019

Environmental Restoration Operations, Consolidated Quarterly Report, January - March 2019

This Sandia National Laboratories, New Mexico Environmental Restoration Operations (ER) Consolidated Quarterly Report (ER Quarterly Report) fulfills all quarterly reporting requirements set forth in the Compliance Order on Consent. Table I-1 lists the six sites remaining in the corrective action process. This ER Quarterly Report presents activities and data as follows: SECTION I: Environmental Restoration Operations Consolidated Quarterly Report, January — March 2019 SECTION II: Because there is no perchlorate sampling collection to report this quarter, this edition of the ER Quarterly Report does not include any analysis of data in Section II "Perchlorate Screening Quarterly Groundwater Monitoring Report." SECTION III: Technical Area-V In-Situ Bioremediation Treatability Study Full-Scale Operation, January — March 2019.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2021

Annual Site Environmental Report (ASER) 2019 Summary

In order to maintain human and environmental health, Los Alamos National Laboratory follows state and federal environmental regulations, including compliance with permits, limits, and inspections. These regulations are in place to maintain radiation protection, waste management, and air and water quality.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2020

Sitewide Environmental Impact Statement Site 300 and Arroyo Mocho Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory Alameda and San Joaquin Counties, California (Mid-Term Report)

At the request of Lawrence Livermore National Security (LLNS), Nomad Ecology (Nomad) conducted sensitive botanical resource surveys, and vegetation mapping and classification of the 7,000-acre Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) Experimental Test Site (Site 300) and 17 acres surrounding the Arroyo Mocho pumping station and the access road to the pumping station (Arroyo Mocho). In addition to surveying for sensitive botanical resources, Nomad also compiled existing rare plant and vegetation data provided by LLNL from past monitoring and environmental impact evaluations. The results of these efforts will provide supporting information for a Site-wide Environmental Impact Statement (SWEIS). These surveys were conducted during the months of April – June, and August 2020. Rare plant surveys were scheduled for February and March 2020; however, February surveys were not initiated because the contract for this work was not finalized, and March surveys were cut short due to the timing of the Covid-19 shelter in place. February and March rare plant surveys are scheduled for 2021; therefore, the rare plant survey results in this report should be considered incomplete until the 2021 surveys are conducted. A total of 10 special status plant species were recorded within Site 300 and Arroyo Mocho. Of these 10, three were not previously recorded within the study areas, and include Hospital Canyon larkspur (Delphinium californicum subsp. interius), Jepson’s woolly sunflower (Eriophyllum jepsonii), and Michael’s rein orchid (Piperia michaelii), which all occur at Arroyo Mocho. Special status plant species known from these two sites total 23 rare plant occurrences (populations), which represent an estimated 50,929 rare plant individuals. This total of all special status plant species breaks down to one occurrence of a federally and/or state listed plant species (98 individuals), six occurrences of California Rare Plant Rank (CRPR) 1 & 2 species (49,010 individuals), and 16 occurrences of CRPR 3 & 4 species (1,821 individuals). A total of 35 vegetation communities were mapped at Site 300, of which 20 are considered Sensitive Natural Communities. A total of nine vegetation communities were mapped at Arroyo Mocho, of which two are considered Sensitive Natural Communities.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2021

2020 Annual Site Environmental Report for Sandia National Laboratories, New Mexico

Sandia National Laboratories, hereinafter referred to as Sandia, is a multimission laboratory managed and operated by National Technology & Engineering Solutions of Sandia, LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Honeywell International Inc., for the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration. This Annual Site Environmental Report was prepared in accordance with and as required by DOE O 231.1B, Admin Change 1, Environment, Safety and Health Reporting , and is approved for public release. The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and its management and operating contractor for Sandia are committed to safeguarding the environment, continually assessing sustainability practices, and ensuring the validity and accuracy of the monitoring data presented here. This report summarizes the environmental protection, restoration, and monitoring programs in place for Sandia National Laboratories, New Mexico (SNL/NM), during calendar year 2020.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2021

Environmental Protection Agency Drinking Water Protective Action Guides Implementation Recommendations

This report documents the analysis conducted by Sandia National Laboratories on the effect of various alterations to published methodologies to calculate Derived Response Levels for Environmental Protection Agency Drinking Water Protective Action Guides. Specifically, this study sought to assess and provide recommendations on calculation of the Derived Response Level accounting for decay during the consumption period, assess the impact of decay on laboratory Minimal Detectable Concentration in water samples as compared to the Derived Response Level, make a recommendation on the calculation of Derived Response Level consistent with existing Public Protection Methods, and make a recommendation on the use of six age groups versus eight age groups based on available dose coefficients for calculation of the Derived Response Level. The authors analyzed these various factors using nominal radionuclide mixes from four scenarios and compared calculation of the Derived Response Level accounting for decay and no decay and then compared those results to the laboratory Minimal Detectable Concentrations. The authors concluded that decay should be included in the calculation of the Derived Response Level, existing Public Protection Methods should be employed to calculate the Derived Response Level, six age groups should be used versus eight, and the use of both decay and Public Protection Methods result in little to no concern for water samples meeting the Minimum Detectable Concentration requirements. The results of this study may be used in further developing and implementing a method for the Environmental Protection Agency Water Derived Response Level calculation in the Federal Radiological Monitoring and Assessment Center Assessment Manual.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2022

ASER Annual Site Environmental Report 2020 Summary

We are committed to act as stewards of our environment to achieve our mission in accordance with all applicable environmental requirements. We set continual improvement objectives and targets, measure and document our progress, and share ourresults with our workforce, sponsors, and public. We reduce our environmental risk through legacy cleanup, pollution prevention, and long-term sustainability programs.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2022

Environmental and Circular Economy Implications of Solar Energy in a Decarbonized U.S. Grid

This report addresses environmental and circular economy (CE) considerations related to solar technologies via novel analysis of the three Solar Futures core scenarios as well as synthesis of published research. We organize these issues into the three basic life cycle phases of a solar technology: manufacturing, operation (including site selection and construction), and EOL. Related environmental justice issues are also explored. Finally, we recommend research and development (R&D) activities that could help clarify challenges and identify solutions. Because PV deployment is projected to be much larger than CSP deployment, we offer a more detailed analysis of PV-related issues.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2021

Streamlined Approach for Environmental Restoration (SAFER) Plan for Corrective Action Unit 114: Area 25 EMAD Facility Nevada National Security Site, Nevada, (Rev.0, with ROTC 1)

This Streamlined Approach for Environmental Restoration (SAFER) Plan addresses the actions needed to achieve closure for Corrective Action Unit (CAU) 114, Area 25 EMAD Facility, identified in the Federal Facility Agreement and Consent Order (FFACO). CAU 114 comprises the following corrective action sites (CASs) located in Area 25 of the Nevada National Security Site (formerly, the Nevada Test Site): 25-41-03, EMAD Facility; 25-99-23, Manned Control Car (MCC) and Engine Installation Vehicle (EIV); and 25-33-05, Building 3901, Engine Transport System Maintenance Building. This plan provides the methodology for field activities needed to gather the necessary information for closing CAU 114. There is sufficient information and process knowledge from historical documentation and investigations of similar sites regarding the expected nature and extent of potential contaminants to recommend closure of CAU 114 using the SAFER process. Additional information will be obtained by conducting a field investigation before selecting the appropriate corrective actions for CAU 114. It is anticipated that the results of the field investigation and implementation of corrective actions will support a defensible recommendation that no further corrective action is necessary. The purpose of the corrective action investigation will be to document and verify the adequacy of existing information; to affirm the decision for either clean closure, closure in place, or no further action; and to provide sufficient data to implement the corrective action. The actual corrective action selected will be based on characterization activities implemented under this SAFER Plan. If specific conditions or findings fall outside the bounds of the SAFER Plan, the Nevada Division of Environmental Protection (NDEP) will be consulted to determine the path forward before proceeding. Upon completion of SAFER activities, a closure report will be prepared and submitted to NDEP for review and approval. The schedule for completion of the closure report will be established at the FFACO annual meeting.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2022

2021 Site Environmental Report (SER) for the Ernest Orlando Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL)

Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL, Berkeley Lab) is a multiprogram scientific facility operated by the University of California (UC) for the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). Berkeley Lab’s research is focused on the physical, biological, environmental, and computational sciences, with the objective of delivering scientific knowledge and discoveries pertinent to DOE’s mission. This annual report describes environmental protection activities and potential impacts resulting from operations conducted in calendar year 2021, unless otherwise indicated. The format and content of this report satisfy the requirements of both DOE Order 231.1B, Administrative Change 1 (Environment, Safety, and Health Reporting) (DOE, 2012) and the operating contract between UC and DOE (DOE Contract No. DE-AC02-05CH11231, also known as Contract 31).

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗