The Challenge of Science Communication
This presentation presents a case for scientists and the burden of communicating research to the public.
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SEARCH · Engineering Papers
Results for “Environmental Protection”
Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.
Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.
Naturally Occurring Radionuclides for EIM and Intellus
The purpose of this note is to explain the designation “Naturally Occurring Radionuclide" in the LANL environmental database.
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Fiscal Year 2015 Site Sustainability Plan
Los Alamos National Laboratory is taking action to operate as a living laboratory for sustainable solutions in buildings, climate, energy, purchasing, transportation, waste, and water. LANL prepared the fiscal year (FY) 2015 Site Sustainability Plan (SSP) to describe progress towards the goals established in the SSPP. In addition, per the requirements of DOE Order 436.1, Departmental Sustainability, Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) uses its International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 14001:2004 certified Environmental Management System (EMS) to establish objectives to improve compliance, reduce environmental impacts, increase operational capacity, and meet long-term sustainability goals. The goals of the 2015 SSP are fully integrated into LANL’s institutional environmental objectives under the EMS and its Long-Term Strategy for Environmental Stewardship & Sustainability (LTSESS).
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Fiscal Year 2013 Trails Management Program Mitigation Action Plan Annual Report, October 2013
This Trails Management Program Mitigation Action Plan Annual Report (Trails MAPAR) has been prepared for the Department of Energy (DOE)/National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) as part of implementing the 2003 Final Environmental Assessment for the Proposed Los Alamos National Laboratory Trails Management Program (DOE 2003). The Trails Mitigation Action Plan (MAP) is now a part of the Site-Wide Environmental Impact Statement for the Continued Operation of Los Alamos National Laboratory (DOE/EIS 0380) Mitigation Action Plan (2008 SWEIS MAP) (DOE 2008). The MAP provides guidance for the continued implementation of the Trails Management Program at Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) and integration of future mitigation actions into the 2008 SWEIS MAP to decrease impacts associated with recreational trails use at LANL. This eighth MAPAR includes a summary of Trails Management Program activities and actions during Fiscal Year (FY) 2013, from October 2012 through September 2013.
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Guidance for Developing Principal Design Criteria for Advanced (Non-Light Water) Reactors
In July 2013, the US Department of Energy (DOE) and US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) established a joint initiative to address a key portion of the licensing framework essential to advanced (non-light water) reactor technologies. The initiative addressed the “General Design Criteria for Nuclear Power Plants,” Appendix A to10 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) 50, which were developed primarily for light water reactors (LWRs), specific to the needs of advanced reactor design and licensing. The need for General Design Criteria (GDC) clarifications in non-LWR applications has been consistently identified as a concern by the industry and varied stakeholders and was acknowledged by the NRC staff in their 2012 Report to Congress1 as an area for enhancement. The initiative to adapt GDC requirements for non-light water advanced reactor applications is being accomplished in two phases. Phase 1, managed by DOE, consisted of reviews, analyses and evaluations resulting in recommendations and deliverables to NRC as input for NRC staff development of regulatory guidance. Idaho National Laboratory (INL) developed this technical report using technical and reactor technology stakeholder inputs coupled with analysis and evaluations provided by a team of knowledgeable DOE national laboratory personnel with input from individual industry licensing consultants. The DOE national laboratory team reviewed six different classes of emerging commercial reactor technologies against 10 CFR 50 Appendix A GDC requirements and proposed guidance for their adapted use in non-LWR applications. The results of the Phase 1 analysis are contained in this report. A set of draft Advanced Reactor Design Criteria (ARDC) has been proposed for consideration by the NRC in the establishment of guidance for use by non-LWR designers and NRC staff. The proposed criteria were developed to preserve the underlying safety bases expressed by the original GDC, and recognizing that advanced reactors may take advantage of various new passive and inherent safety features different from those associated with LWRs.
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Summary of New Los Alamos National Laboratory Groundwater Data Loaded in July 2012
This report provides information concerning groundwater monitoring data obtained by the Los Alamos National Laboratory under its interim monitoring plan and contains results for chemical constituents that meet seven screening criteria laid out in the Compliance Order on Consent. Tables are included in the report to organize the findings from the samples. The report covers groundwater samples taken from wells or springs that provide surveillance of the groundwater zones indicated in the table.
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Response to Notice of Disapproval TA-63 Transuranic Waste Facility Permit Modification Request, Rev. 2, Los Alamos National Laboratory
This document responds to the August 30, 2012, New Mexico Environment Department- Hazardous Waste Bureau (NMED-HWB) Disapproval notice referenced above. The notice was issued for the Permit Modification Request for Technical Area 63, Transuranic Waste Facility, Hazardous Waste Container Storage Unit (PMR), Revision 2.0, submitted to NMED-HWB on July 13, 2012, by the United States Department of Energy (DOE) and Los Alamos National Security, LLC, collectively the Permittees. The Permittees are seeking to modify the Hazardous Waste Facility Permit (Permit) for Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) for approval of the construction of the Transuranic Waste Facility (TWF) at Technical Area 63 (TA-63) and permission to store hazardous waste there. This response may contain information regarding the management of radioactive materials, including source, special nuclear, and byproduct material. Information on radioactive materials and radionuclides, including the results of sampling and analysis of radioactive constituents, is voluntarily provided to NMED-HWB in accordance with DOE policy.
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Notification of General Class 1 Permit Modification for the Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) Hazardous Waste Facility Permit, EPA ID # NM0890010515
This document contains a notification for a Class 1 Permit Modification to modify the Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) Hazardous Waste Facility Permit (Permit). The text modifications are provided herein and have been made to the Permit by the Department of Energy (DOE) and Los Alamos National Security, LLC (LANS), collectively the Permittees. The modifications to the text of the Permit have been identified using red text and red lines through the texts for deletions. Description: This modification includes three changes. One change includes an address change within the Attachment D, Contingency Plan, and the remaining changes correct two typographical errors in Permit Section 2.
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Notification of Class 1 Permit Modification to Attachment B, Part A Application for the Los Alamos National Laboratory Hazardous Waste Facility Permit, EPA ID # NM0890010515
This document contains a notification for a Class 1 Permit Modification to modify the Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) Hazardous Waste Facility Permit (Permit) issued to the Department of Energy and the Los Alamos National Security, LLC, collectively known as the Permittees, in November 2010. All changes have been made to Attachment B, Part A Application, and a full, updated form, Revision 10.0, is enclosed. The modification updates the facility contact and address information, and the process codes and design capacity section for Technical Area (TA) 14; TA-16; TA-39; TA-54 West; TA-54, Area G; and TA-55 within the Attachment B, Part A Application. The process codes and design capacity section for TA-14, TA-16, and TA-39 was updated to incorporate a statement that the Permittees have notified of the intent to close units at these locations. The process design capacity for TA-54, Area G has been updated from 3,664,150 gallons to 4,346,590 gallons to account for the TA-54, Area G Pad 11 container storage unit that was added when the Permit was issued in 2010 but at the time did not previously store hazardous waste. The number of units at TA-54, Area G was also updated to 9 units to include this new unit. The process design capacity for TA-55 has also been updated from 178,500 gallons to 207,600 gallons to incorporate the addition of the TA-55-185 container storage unit that was also added when the Permit was issued. The number of storage units at TA-55 was updated to 7 to include the unit. The process design capacity at TA-54 West was changed to 11,660 gallons to correct a typographical error in previous versions of the form.
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The Climate at Los Alamos; Are we measuring changes?
A new report shows graphic displays of the weather trends in Los Alamos, New Mexico, and at the Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL). The graphs show trends of average, minimum average, and maximum average temperature for summer and winter months going back decades. Records of summer and winter precipitation are also included in the report. Resources for climate change adaptation are provided.
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2012 Update to the Site Discharge Pollution Prevention Plan (Rev. 1): Los Alamos/Pueblo Watershed (Vol. 1)
One historical industrial activity area is associated with R001, R-SMA-0.5: Site C-00-020. Area of Concern (AOC) C-00-020 is a suspected mortar impact area located along the north valley wall of Rendija Canyon on General Services Administration (GSA) and U.S. Forest Service (USFS) land. The 30-acre site also includes a tributary of Rendija Canyon. Most of the site lies within the Santa Fe National Forest, except for a small area on the southeastern edge that is private property. AOC C-00-020 was suspected to be a former mortar-impact area because of a “U.S. Property—No Trespassing” sign and a nearly illegible bilingual sign posted in the area. The signs no longer remain. Extensive archival searches have revealed no documentation regarding the use of this site as a munitions impact area. In addition, no field evidence of operations (e.g., munitions debris [MD], munitions and explosives of concern [MEC], unexploded ordnance [UXO], or impact scars) has ever been found at AOC C-00-020. Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) facility investigation (RFI) activities conducted in 1993 included conducting an ordnance sweep followed by a geophysical sweep. No ordnance, MD, MEC, or UXO was located. In addition, no ordnance was found during the 2007 investigation or during the 2009 ordnance survey. The site is located within an area burned by the 2000 Cerro Grande fire. The stream channel that runs through the center of the site has been widened by flooding. Currently, there are burned and live trees on the steep slopes next to the stream. Ordnance surveys at the site resulted in no findings except for scrap metal such as bailing wire. The complete absence of ordnance and explosives waste (OEW) confirmed that the site was never used as an ordnance-impact area. In accordance with the approved investigation work plan, no further investigation was conducted at AOC C-00-020. The New Mexico Environment Department (NMED) concurred with the conclusion that no additional ordnance surveys need to be conducted at this site and issued a corrective action complete without controls for AOC C-00-020 on May 16, 2012. No industrial materials were historically managed at this Site; therefore, no potential contaminants are associated with the Site.
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ERM 593_Guidance for Reviewing and Approving a Waste Stream Profile in the Waste Compliance and Tracking System_ PPT_Final_05-05-2015
Abstract not provided.
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ERM 593 Applied Project_Guidance for Reviewing and Approving a Waste Stream Profile in the Waste Compliance and Tracking System_Final_05-05-15
My ERM 593 applied project will provide guidance for the Los Alamos National Laboratory Waste Stream Profile reviewer (i.e. RCRA reviewer) in regards to Reviewing and Approving a Waste Stream Profile in the Waste Compliance and Tracking System. The Waste Compliance and Tracking system is called WCATS. WCATS is a web-based application that “supports the generation, characterization, processing and shipment of LANL radioactive, hazardous, and industrial waste.” The LANL generator must characterize their waste via electronically by filling out a waste stream profile (WSP) in WCATS. Once this process is completed, the designated waste management coordinator (WMC) will perform a review of the waste stream profile to ensure the generator has completed their waste stream characterization in accordance with applicable state, federal and LANL directives particularly P930-1, “LANL Waste Acceptance Criteria,” and the “Waste Compliance and Tracking System User's Manual, MAN-5004, R2,” as applicable. My guidance/applied project will describe the purpose, scope, acronyms, definitions, responsibilities, assumptions and guidance for the WSP reviewer as it pertains to each panel and subpanel of a waste stream profile.
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Trails Management at LANL - A Presentation to the Los Alamos County Parks and Recreation Board
Los Alamos National Laboratory’s (LANL) trail management program goals include reduce risk of damage and injury to property, human life, and health, and sensitive natural and cultural resources from social trail use at LANL, facilitate the establishment of a safe viable network of linked trails, maintain security of LANL operations, and many more, respect the wishes of local Pueblos, adapt trail use to changing conditions in a responsive manner, and maintain the recreational functionality of the DOE lands. There are approximately 30 miles of LANL trails. Some are open to the public and allow bicycles, horses, hikers, and runners. Know the rules of the trails to stay safe.
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MS4 & IP Connection [Slides]
An overview of Los Alamos National Lab’s (LANL) storm sewer system, the presentation includes information on the management storm sewer permit and environmental programs and projects of LANL institutions.
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Environmental Data Flow Six Sigma Process Improvement Savings Overview
An overview of the Environmental Data Flow Six Sigma improvement project covers LANL’s environmental data processing following receipt from the analytical laboratories. The Six Sigma project identified thirty-three process improvements, many of which focused on cutting costs or reducing the time it took to deliver data to clients.
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Moisture Monitoring at Area G, Technical Area 54, Los Alamos National Laboratory
Hydrological characterization and moisture monitoring activities provide data required for evaluating the transport of subsurface contaminants in the unsaturated and saturated zones beneath Area G, and for the Area G Performance Assessment and Composite Analysis. These activities have been ongoing at Area G, Technical Area 54 of the Los Alamos National Laboratory since waste disposal operations began in 1957. This report summarizes the hydrological characterization and moisture monitoring activities conducted at Area G. It includes moisture monitoring data collected from 1986 through 2014 from numerous boreholes and access tubes with neutron moisture meters, as well as data collected by automated dataloggers for water content measurement sensors installed in a waste disposal pit cover, and buried beneath the floor of a waste disposal pit. This report is an update of the Jennings and French (2009) moisture monitoring report and includes all data from Jennings and French (2009) and the Draft 2010 Addendum moisture monitoring report (Jennings and French, 2010). For this updated report, all neutron logging data, including neutron probe calibrations, were investigated for quality and pedigree. Some data have been recalculated using more defensible calibration data. Therefore, some water content profiles are different from those in the Jennings and French (2009) report. Monitoring and characterization data generally indicate that some areas of the Area G vadose zone are consistent with undisturbed conditions, with water contents of less than five percent by volume in the top two layers of the Bandelier tuff at Area G. These data also indicate that other areas of the vadose zone are affected by waste disposal activities that have been ongoing at Area G since 1957, a period of nearly 60 years. In some areas, water content profiles indicate increases in water content to depths of tens of meters, especially in areas covered by asphalt and structures.
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