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NASA Hydrogen Research at Florida Universities, Program Year 2003

This document presents the final report for the NASA Hydrogen Research at Florida Universities project for program year 2003. This multiyear hydrogen research program has positioned Florida to become a major player in future NASA space and space launch projects. The program is funded by grants from NASA Glenn Research Center with the objective of supporting NASA's hydrogen-related space, space launch and aeronautical research activities. The program conducts over 40 individual projects covering the areas of cryogenics, storage, production, sensors, fuel cells, power and education. At the agency side, this program is managed by NASA Glenn Research Center and at the university side, co-managed by FSEC and the University of Florida with research being conducted by FSEC and seven Florida universities: Florida International University, Florida State University, Florida A&M University, University of Central Florida, University of South Florida, University of West Florida and University of Florida. For detailed information, see the documents section of www.hydrogenresearch.org. This program has teamed these universities with the nation's premier space research center, NASA Glenn, and the nation's premier space launch facility, NASA Kennedy Space Center. It should be noted that the NASA Hydrogen Research at Florida Universities program has provided a shining example and a conduit for seven Florida universities within the SUS to work collaboratively to address a major problem of national interest, hydrogen energy and the future of energy supply in the U.S.

Block, David L.↗

Resourcing Strategies for the NRU Reactor Shutdown Planning and Execution - 19218

The National Research Universal Reactor (NRU) was commissioned in 1957. The NRU was fundamental for the development of the Candu reactors and, until 2016, quietly responsible for producing 40 percent of the world's supply of medical isotopes for diagnosis and cancer therapy. The Government of Canada decided in 2015 to discontinue operation as of March 31, 2018 due to challenges associated with running a 60-year old nuclear reactor. Anticipating this closing date allowed the Permanent Safe Shutdown Project (PSSP) to transition the NRU from an operating reactor to a state suitable for Storage with Surveillance. One of the biggest challenges to address was human resource management, which was rightly identified as the key to keeping the project within schedule and budget. The dilemma was, how to keep the work force motivated to contribute with the preparation of the shutdown while addressing job security concerns. This paper summarises Canadian Nuclear Laboratories (CNL) challenges and strategies to secure specialized subject matter experts, trades and operators for planning and executing the NRU reactor shutdown Project. The discussion also includes the solutions and lessons learned to date. (author)

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CSA, the French LILW Disposal Facility: Taking Stock of the 30 years' Operating Experience - 20009

French Andra's currently operational LILW repository, Aube disposal facility, is almost 30 years old. From the beginning, the repository has benefited from the lessons learned from the first disposal facility, the CSM. It has nevertheless continued to evolve, to improve and to adapt, seeking to gain in efficiency, safety and cost optimization. This is a look at what has changed at the CSA since 1992 - and the effect these changes had on its operating practices, construction principles and the entire management organization. (authors)

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Cold Commissioning Simulant Selection for the Hanford Tank Waste Treatment Plant LAW Facility - 18465

Commissioning the Low-Activity Waste (LAW) Facility of the Hanford Tank Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant (WTP) will require large volumes (∼2,000,000 liters) of a non-radioactive, chemically analogous waste simulant. Cold commissioning will provide for operator training in an integrated facility, demonstration of mechanical process equipment capacity, environmental performance demonstration of emissions control systems, and process control systems shakedown and tuning. Selection of the cold commissioning simulant is following a structured four-phase process to arrive at the preferred composition and recipe. Phases I, II and III are complete. Phase I laid the framework for decision making with preparation of a Project Management Plan, an update to the Simulant Development, Approval, Validation, and Documentation procedure, and a kickoff meeting to gather stakeholder input into the simulant definition and selection criteria. Phase II consisted of a comprehensive literature search and compilation of LAW simulant recipes, followed by initial screening against the selection criteria identified in Phase I. This process identified 72 candidate simulant recipes and down-selected 9 for further study. Phase III studies involved a) statistical comparisons of the similarity of candidate simulant compositions to the tank waste feed vector, b) process modelling of the commissioning sequence with each simulant to estimate glass former and simulant material consumption, offgas and effluent volumes and compositions, and product glass volumes and compositions, and c) evaluation of simulants against the immobilized LAW glass composition algorithm to determine allo able waste loading to ensure compliance with product specifications and process constraints. The results of these studies identified two of the candidate recipes to be carried forward to full-scale testing. Phase IV consists of testing these two recipes at vendor facilities to determine scalability, fabricability, and stability of the simulants when produced at industrial scale. Scalability is the ability to take a recipe from bench scale (1 to 40 liters) batch size to full scale (>35,000 liters) batch size. Fabricability is the ability of a recipe to be prepared in large batches without the need for complex or expensive mechanical equipment, heating, or cooling systems. Stability is the ability of a simulant to withstand long term storage and variations in environmental conditions without unacceptable changes in key characteristics (the set of chemical, physical, and rheological parameters that the simulant is intended to exhibit during cold commissioning tests). Simulants will also be tested for compatibility with other startup material (i.e., frit), tuning simulants, and environmental performance demonstration test spiking solutions to ensure against unexpected situations. Using a structured process is essential when making high impact decisions such as waste simulant selection. Proper planning and a clear explanation of how the decision process will unfold is key to obtaining stakeholder buy-in as more information is gathered. The documentation resulting from this structured selection process will be compiled and summarized in a Cold Commissioning Simulant Definition deliverable due to the Department of Energy 24 months before the start of Cold Commissioning. (authors)

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Using Unit-Cost Indices in the Management of Innovative Projects

With effective investment of financial resources, industrial innovations are key aspects of macroeconomic strategy. The authors propose the use of unit characteristics of capital investments, operational costs, and profits in project management. The fundamentals of using unit-cost indices are outlined for gate and kinetic approaches, Gantt charts, and assessments of investment effectiveness.

29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY↗

Implementing a Direct-Feed Low-Activity Waste Capability in the Hanford Waste Treatment Plant - 18332

The original design of the Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant (WTP) requires that all waste be processed through the Pretreatment (PT) Facility in order to separate the low-activity waste and high-level waste streams. The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has developed a sequenced approach to completing the WTP Project, beginning with feeding some liquid waste directly to the Low-Activity Waste (LAW) Facility, bypassing the PT Facility. Sending low-activity waste from the tank farms to the LAW Facility is referred to as direct-feed LAW (DFLAW). Under this plan, low-activity waste will be pretreated in the Hanford tank farms for cesium and solids separation to meet LAW Facility waste acceptance criteria and produce an acceptable low-activity waste product. The waste feed will then be transferred to the LAW Facility where it will be immobilized in glass, poured into stainless steel containers, and then transported by truck to the Integrated Disposal Facility, a mixed low-level waste disposal site located in the Hanford 200 East Area. The DFLAW operation will deliver about 1 million gallons of double-shell tank waste for treatment each year of operation, and nominally produce 21 metric tons of immobilized low-activity waste glass per day. The resultant freed space in the double-shell tanks will support safe tank farm operations and staging of additional waste for treatment. In December 2016 DOE executed a contract modification and approved a change to the project's performance baseline to complete the LAW Facility, Balance of Facilities (BOF), and Analytical Laboratory (LAB) and incorporate modifications needed to allow direct feed of low-activity waste to the LAW Facility. The contract modification and revised performance baseline support completion and hot commissioning of WTP facilities needed for DFLAW operations is as early as January 2022. DOE has made significant progress on design, equipment procurements, and civil construction of modifications required to implement the DFLAW capability in the WTP, including progress on civil construction of a new effluent management facility, which will process secondary liquid waste resulting from LAW Facility vitrification operations. (authors)

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An approach for management of geometry data

The strategies for managing Integrated Programs for Aerospace Design (IPAD) computer-based geometry are described. The computer model of geometry is the basis for communication, manipulation, and analysis of shape information. IPAD's data base system makes this information available to all authorized departments in a company. A discussion of the data structures and algorithms required to support geometry in IPIP (IPAD's data base management system) is presented. Through the use of IPIP's data definition language, the structure of the geometry components is defined. The data manipulation language is the vehicle by which a user defines an instance of the geometry. The manipulation language also allows a user to edit, query, and manage the geometry. The selection of canonical forms is a very important part of the IPAD geometry. IPAD has a canonical form for each entity and provides transformations to alternate forms; in particular, IPAD will provide a transformation to the ANSI standard. The DBMS schemas required to support IPAD geometry are explained.

Dube, R. P.↗

Nevada National Security Site 2014 Data Report: Groundwater Monitoring Program Area 5 Radioactive Waste Management Site

This report is a compilation of the groundwater sampling results from the Area 5 Radioactive Waste Management Site (RWMS) at the Nevada National Security Site, Nye County, Nevada. Groundwater samples from the aquifer immediately below the Area 5 RWMS have been collected and analyzed and static water levels have been measured in this aquifer since 1993. This report updates these data to include the 2014 results. Analysis results for leachate contaminants collected from the mixed-waste cell at the Area 5 RWMS (Cell 18) are also included. During 2014, groundwater samples were collected and static water levels were measured at three wells surrounding the Area 5 RWMS. Groundwater samples were collected at wells UE5PW-1, UE5PW-2, and UE5PW-3 on March 11 and August 12, 2014, and static water levels were measured at each of these wells on March 10, June 2, August 11, and October 14, 2014. Groundwater samples were analyzed for the following indicators of contamination: pH, specific conductance, total organic carbon, total organic halides, and tritium. General water chemistry (cations and anions) was also measured. Results from samples collected in 2014 are within the limits established by agreement with the Nevada Division of Environmental Protection for each analyte. The data from the shallow aquifer indicate that there has been no measurable impact to the uppermost aquifer from the Area 5 RWMS, and there were no significant changes in measured groundwater parameters compared to previous years. Leachate from above the primary liner of Cell 18 drains into a sump and is collected in a tank at the ground surface. Cell 18 began receiving waste in January 2011. Samples were collected from the tank when the leachate volume approached the 3,000-gallon tank capacity. Leachate samples have been collected 16 times since January 2011. During 2014, samples were collected on February 25, March 5, May 20, August 12, September 16, November 11, and December 16. Each leachate sample was analyzed for toxicity characteristic contaminants and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB). Beginning with the sample from July 31, 2013, pH and specific conductance were also measured. Leachate analysis results show no evidence of contamination. Results for toxicity characteristic contaminants are all below regulatory levels and analysis quantification limits. No quantifiable PCB levels were detected in any sample. Results for pH and specific conductance are also within expected ranges. After analysis, leachate was pumped from the collection tank and used in Cell 18 for dust control. The report contains an updated cumulative chronology for the Area 5 RWMS Groundwater Monitoring Program and a brief description of the site hydrogeology.

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Greater Efficiency in the Management of Low-Level Radioactive Material - 18305

The World Nuclear Association is the international organization representing the global nuclear industry. Its mission is to promote a wider understanding of nuclear energy among key international influencers by producing authoritative information, developing common industry positions, and contributing to the energy debate. Membership encompasses companies from the whole fuel cycle (from uranium mining through to decommissioning) as well as support services. Through discussions and survey of the Association's Waste Management and Decommissioning Working Group, it is clear that there is an issue relating to the management of cleared and/or low level radioactive material, particularly during decommissioning where it represents more than 90% of all wastes generated. The group has found that the status quo on the reuse, recycling and disposal of cleared and/or low-level radioactive material arising from the civil nuclear industry (all successfully tested and implemented options) is untenable, and believes that this message should be conveyed to relevant influencers internationally. This message is key and features prominently in a methodological guide being prepared by the group's experts on managing waste from decommissioning which will work through case studies (relating to both technical and financial management) and showcase good practice to support the development of a successful decommissioning strategy. There are currently nearly 450 operating civil nuclear power reactors in the world with many associated nuclear fuel cycle and nuclear research facilities. During the operation and subsequent decommissioning of nuclear facilities, cleared and low-level radioactive material is routinely generated from normal activities, including clothes, rags, metal equipment, concrete structures, etc. For low-level radioactive material, most of this material can be freed from its added radioactivity through survey and simple cleanup (decontamination if necessary). When properly managed and regulated these activities pose no real health issues for people or the environment. It is understandable that there are increasing public demands and expectations for the reuse and recycling of valuable resources, which nuclear - like many other sectors - can no longer ignore. There are efficiencies to be found through technical solutions (resulting in waste volume reductions, better sorting of waste, etc.), which would enable mitigation of environmental impacts and increased preservation of these natural resources. In addition, it will reduce volumes for storage and disposal which are rare resources. There must be a balance struck between the availability of disposal, and recycling and reuse, depending on the outcomes of assessments. Both the advantages in terms of preserving natural resources and disposal capacity should enable the industry to gain credibility with stakeholders. Taking Europe as an example, excellence in the implementation of the reuse and recycling of metals and of disposal of very-low waste, would, if widely shared between countries, no doubt lead to greater efficiency. International and national leaders from industry, regulators and governments should enable the concurrent availability of these three safe management options in each country, worldwide. Whenever an option considered is supported by a solid industrial business case, operators and regulators can (and must) concurrently deploy and operate safe reuse, recycling and disposal. This flexible approach should be deployed; the Association is of the firm conviction that the exclusive commitment to a single option cannot be sound on any grounds. (authors)

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Regulatory Consideration on Decommissioning Facilitation of Nuclear Power Plants In Korea

As the number of decommissioning NPPs worldwide increases, the necessity of decommissioning feasibility design at the initial design/construction stage of NPP is emphasized. Also as demand for NPP decommissioning increase, the generation of large amount of radioactive waste and environment contamination are expected. Based on the decommissioning experiences of nuclear facilities, it is recognized that the specific design and operational procedure are essentially required to minimize the radioactive waste generation and radiation exposure during decommissioning. Recently the legal framework of decommissioning in Korea was enhanced through the revision of Nuclear Safety Act (NSA) and its subordinate status in 2015. On the other hand, the Korean first NPP, Kori unit 1, will be scheduled permanently shut-down in mid-2017. The Korean regulatory body have experience for decommissioning of small-sized nuclear facilities like research reactors and nuclear fuel cycle facility. However we have no experience on decommissioning of NPP in Korea. Therefore the comprehensive and systematic technical standards and guidelines on safety review and inspection should be required for the Korean first case on decommissioning of NPP. According to the revised NSA, NPP operators in Korea should submit the decommissioning plan (DP) for the permanent shut-down NPP as well as the existing operating NPPs. The operator shall prepare and submit the design features and measures for decommissioning facilitation as one of DP items and regulatory body shall review the feasibility of decommissioning. Therefore the safety review guideline for those decommissioning facilitation should be required. In this paper, we studied the overseas safety requirements, design features and operational procedures for decommissioning facilitation. Through the overseas survey results, the regulatory position and major management plan were proposed for development of detailed implementation guideline on decommissioning facilitation of NPPs in Korea.

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The transition from resistance to acceptance: Managing a marine invasive species in a changing world

Abstract Marine invasive species can transform coastal ecosystems, yet mitigating their effects can be difficult, and even impractical. Often, marine invasive species are managed at poorly matched spatial scales, and at the same time, rates of spread and establishment are increasing under climate change and can outpace resources available for population suppression. These circumstances challenge traditional conservation goals of maintaining a historic environmental state, especially for a species like the European green crab ( Carcinus maenas ), a formidable invader with few examples of successful long‐term removal programs. A management paradigm where decision alternatives include resisting or accepting a new ecological trajectory may be needed. We apply mathematical concepts from decision theory to develop a quantitative framework for navigating management decisions in this new resist‐accept paradigm. We develop a model of European green crab growth, removal and colonization, and we find optimal levels of removal effort that minimize both ecological change and removal cost. We establish a benchmark of colonization pressure at which green crab density becomes decoupled from a decision maker's actions, such that population control can no longer shape the invasion trajectory. For informing the decision boundary between resistance and acceptance, our results highlight that a decision maker's understanding of how removal cost scales with removal effort is more important than understanding the density‐impact relationship. We show that assuming stationary system dynamics can result in sub‐optimal levels of species removal effort, highlighting the importance of developing anticipatory management strategies by accounting for non‐stationary dynamics. Policy implications . For marine invasive species that can disperse across long distances and recolonize rapidly after removal, the focus of conservation policy should shift away from understanding how to resist change to understanding when to stop resisting change. Navigating this decision problem involves trade‐offs among competing objectives, highlighting the need for structured approaches to elicit objective weights that reflect the values of the decision maker. For natural resource managers facing possible ecosystem transformation, this decision framework can enable proactive and strategic decisions made under uncertainty in a changing world.

Keller, Abigail G. [Department of Environment Scie↗

Improving Operational Efficiency, Compliance and Community Perception with Real-time Data - 19260

The nuclear and medical radiation industry has always faced a significant burden in effectively balancing exposure and productivity. Maintenance operations and development of new techniques require significant staffing resources to monitor and review personnel exposures and changes in operational radiation levels. Currently utilised monitoring technology and review techniques remain unchanged since the 1950's, relying upon mostly analogue instrumentation and paper reporting. After utilising isolated-area monitoring during a reactor decommissioning project it became apparent that current systems created false assurance as the units continually failed without warning due to 'dirty' power. These instrument failures could have easily led to an unnecessary exposure while operators continued to assume they were being safely monitored. This paper is a philosophical discussion on how current shortcomings could be addressed, security increased, and exposure risks minimised, by utilising real-time monitoring and automated reporting. The community and media expectations of reported data and nuclear monitoring systems continue to be coloured by sensational technology seen in movies and emerging technology available through smart homes and smart cities initiatives. For the general public to be more engaged with real radiation levels and effects, the nuclear industry needs to more effectively communicate safe levels. Organisations can have regain control of exposure levels discussions through the controlled release of background and expected exposure level data. An increase in real world monitoring data communicated in a controlled and more effective way will aid in the general public accepting, and being educated about, the minimal increase above natural background levels of the nuclear industry and other radiation facilities. This is particularly as Australia is in the process of implementing its Nuclear Waste Facility, with community acceptance the number one inhibitor of being able to move forward. Storage, mobile assets, and processing all present unique management, security, exposure, and telemetry challenges for a facility operations manager. Active monitoring and automated review of the monitoring data can alert operators to any unexpected events before any resultant increases in radiation levels cause an unplanned exposure to operators or the environment. Integration of radiation monitoring data with global positioning telemetry enables better organisational awareness of mobile asset location and early detection of any potential shifting and reduction in shielding integrity of sources and encapsulated waste during transport. Additionally, the real-time monitoring can be set-up to enhance an organisations' or nation's security capabilities. For instance, the real time monitor will send an automated alert in the case of an unexpected movement of a source through a monitored facility or for an unscheduled movement of a monitored vehicle. There are further benefits to be gained in control, ALARA principles and effluent management by increasing real-time monitoring capabilities through the stages of the waste cycle. Increasing operational effectiveness while delivering operational cost savings sounds like an attractive proposition. With increased access to operational area radiation data comes drastically improved real-time management of exposures for new, and experimental practices. Increased live data can be utilised to identify optimum practices for reducing operational and environmental exposures or releases. This increased operational data effectively comes with the added benefit of a reduction in the required health physics personnel resources for general operations. By reducing exposure and the detachment of required health physics resources from routine operations, there is greater availability for these resources to support maintenance operations and project-based work. The review of this increased data will create internal capability to identify low-- and high-risk activities, resulting in the ability to reduce the number of highly skilled workers in an industry where the availability of this talent is declining. During my time as the Radiation Safety and Nuclear Security Manager at a research facility, I implemented a real-time monitoring system. The system identified a secondary risk that had previously been unidentified and posed a higher exposure and security risk than the radiation practice being monitored. What stops industry from implementing technology that encourages agile work practices, while minimising security risks and personnel exposure? (authors)

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FRMAC Assessment Manual Volume 1 - Assessment Division Operations

In the event of a major radiological incident or accident, the Federal Radiological Monitoring and Assessment Center (FRMAC) will coordinate the federal agencies that have various statutory responsibilities and/or capabilities for responding to such incidents (Ref. FRMAC10). The FRMAC is responsible for coordinating all environmental radiological monitoring, sampling, and assessment activities for the response. For less severe radiological incidents, elements of the Department of Energy (DOE) Consequence Management (CM) program, such as the CM Response Team (CMRT) or CM Home Team (CMHT) may be activated to provide similar support activities to regional or local response assets. This manual describes the roles and responsibilities of the Assessment Division of the FRMAC during a response to a radiological incident. Every effort will be made in this manual in accordance with the Implementation of the National Incident Management System (NIMS)/Incident Command System (ICS) in the Federal Radiological Monitoring and Assessment Center (FRMAC) – Emergency Phase (Ref. RSL07) to use terminology consistent with the National Incident Management System (NIMS) for Incident Command System (ICS) organizations, planning processes, and leadership positions (Ref. FEMA17). This manual also applies to smaller scale CM responses that may involve the CMRT or CMHT elements without the formation of a FRMAC. It details the concept of operations for the Assessment Division, including common tasks performed by the Division. This manual also describes the organizational structure of the Assessment Division and roles of the personnel within the Division.

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Space Program Advocacy Can Distort Project Management and Damage Systems Engineering

Over-optimistic project advocacy often causes exaggerated performance claims and underestimated costs and schedules. This can distort project management and damage systems engineering. NASA projects such as the space shuttle and Hubble are extreme examples. NASA's spectacular success in the Apollo moon landings seems to have produced overconfidence and carelessness, but also to have gained tolerance for unrealistic claims and forgiveness when they were proven wrong. Apollo risk analysis predicted many astronaut fatalities. This was believed but was potentially damaging to the Apollo program, so risk analysis was discontinued. The moon landings beat bad odds because Apollo obsessively reduced risk. Its success seemed to confirm that risk analysis was unreasonably pessimistic and that risk could be overcome by good engineering. This understanding caused risk to be increased during space shuttle engineering and led to an unnecessarily dangerous approach. The shuttle design placed a fragile spacecraft next to the fuel tanks and failed to provide crew escape or launch abort. These design decisions directly caused the Challenger and Columbia tragedies. After Challenger, risk analysis was re-established. The current rocket and capsule design does consider risk and the result strongly resembles Apollo. Apollo advocacy led NASA to abandon risk analysis and this was ultimate cause of the Shuttle tragedies. Excessive advocacy that distorts risk, cost, and schedule could be prevented in an ideal organization that used systems engineering to make rational and fair decisions. However, most real organizations accommodate human and group needs using informal methods often described as "the system." Humans have biases, use innate decision making heuristics, instinctively rely on "gut feel," and establish deviant groups through groupthink. Expecting organizations to become totally rational is impractical, but specific problems such as neglecting risk and underestimating cost and schedule can be directly challenged with some hope of success.

Jones, Harry W.↗

Configuration Aerodynamics: Past - Present - Future

The Configuration Aerodynamics (CA) element of the High Speed Research (HSR) program is managed by a joint NASA and Industry team, referred to as the Technology Integration Development (ITD) team. This team is responsible for the development of a broad range of technologies for improved aerodynamic performance and stability and control characteristics at subsonic to supersonic flight conditions. These objectives are pursued through the aggressive use of advanced experimental test techniques and state of the art computational methods. As the HSR program matures and transitions into the next phase the objectives of the Configuration Aerodynamics ITD are being refined to address the drag reduction needs and stability and control requirements of High Speed Civil Transport (HSCT) aircraft. In addition, the experimental and computational tools are being refined and improved to meet these challenges. The presentation will review the work performed within the Configuration Aerodynamics element in 1994 and 1995 and then discuss the plans for the 1996-1998 time period. The final portion of the presentation will review several observations of the HSR program and the design activity within Configuration Aerodynamics.

Wood, Richard M.↗

Bridging the gap between sustainable technology adoption and protecting natural resources: Predicting intentions to adopt energy management technologies in California

To achieve energy savings, emerging energy management technologies and programs require customer adoption. Although a variety of models can be used to explain the adoption of energy management technologies and programs, they overlook the seemingly unconventional element of level of affiliation with nature. In fact, connectedness to nature has been identified as an important driver of many pro-environmental behaviors, but its role in pro-environmental technology adoption is also not well understood. Can affiliation with nature help to bridge the apparent gap—and complex chain of events—between sustainable technology adoption and protecting natural resources? Based on survey data from 856 southern California residents, this study investigated the influence of connectedness to nature and other factors on intentions to adopt five energy management technologies and programs: using three platforms to monitor home energy use (website, mobile phone application, in-home display); signing up for a time-of-use pricing plan; and participating in demand response events. Regression results showed that nature connectedness was the strongest predictor of all outcomes such that higher nature connectedness predicted greater likelihood of technology and program adoption. In conclusion, these findings suggest that connectedness to nature may facilitate “bridging the logic gap” between sustainable innovation adoption and environmental protection.

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗

Development of a Waste Management Organization for the Whiteshell Laboratories Closure Project - 18317

Whiteshell Laboratories (WL) has been generating and managing radioactive waste for over fifty years in support of a wide variety of research and operational applications. The current mission of the WL site, located in Manitoba, Canada, is to fully decommission the site to an approved end-state criterion and to disposition the waste in compliance with national and provincial regulations. To expedite the decommissioning schedule from over thirty years to nine years, which was a contractual commitment for the site operating company, Canadian Nuclear Laboratories (CNL), it became apparent that a centralized and optimized organization be established to coordinate all waste management activities and to fulfill the mission to process, condition, transport and disposition all radioactive wastes, which include Low-Level Waste (LLW), Intermediate-Level Waste (ILW) and High-Level Waste (HLW). The WL Waste Management Division was effectively established as a two-person operation in 2016 and has rapidly expanded to fulfill the mandate of managing nearly 30,000 cubic meters of LLW, ILW and HLW. This paper outlines the early lessons learned from managing important organizational changes without disrupting ongoing work practices; developing executive-level waste management strategies based on options studies and cost-benefit analysis comparisons; selection of storage vs. disposal disposition strategies; evaluation and selection of transportation methods and packages for LLW, ILW and HLW; and the need to develop an entire suite of programmatic documentation and procedures to support and instill a strong conduct of operations culture. The waste management strategy, which now focuses on transporting the waste to another province (Ontario) in a disposal ready form, represents the first large-scale radioactive waste transportation campaign in Canada that includes all three classes of waste. This paper provides additional insight on the overall waste management strategies for the WL Closure Project. (authors)

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Monitoring Potential Transport of Radioactive Contaminants in Shallow Ephemeral Channels: FY2017

The Desert Research Institute (DRI) is conducting a field assessment of the potential for contaminated soil to be transported from the Smoky Site Contamination Area (CA) as a result of storm runoff. This activity supports U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Environmental Management Nevada Program (EM-NV) efforts to establish post-closure monitoring plans for the Smoky Site Soils Corrective Action Unit (CAU) 550. The work is intended to confirm the likely mechanism of transport and determine the meteorological conditions that might cause the movement of contaminated soils, as well as determine the particle size fraction that is most closely associated with transported radionuclide-contaminated soils. These data will facilitate the design of the appropriate post-closure monitoring program. In 2011, DRI installed a meteorological monitoring station on the west side of the Smoky Site CA and a hydrologic (runoff) monitoring station within the CA, near the east side. Air temperature, wind speed, wind direction, relative humidity, precipitation, solar radiation, barometric pressure, soil temperature, and soil water content are collected at the meteorological station. The maximum, minimum, and average or total values (as appropriate) for each of these parameters are recorded for each 10-minute interval. The maximum, minimum, and average water depth in the flume installed at the hydrology station are also recorded for every 10-minute interval. This report presents data collected from these stations during fiscal year (FY) 2017.

(CA)↗