U.S. Department of Energy Office of Science

Office of Biological & Environmental Research

Biological and Environmental Research Advisory Committee

Roland F. HirschApril 30, 2003

Environmental Management Science Program

Office of Science

U.S. Department of Energy

EMSP Goals

•Provide scientific knowledge that will revolutionize technologies and clean-up approaches to significantly reduce future costs, schedules, and risks

•“Bridge the gap” between broad fundamental research that has wide-ranging applicability such as that performed in DOE’s Office of Science and needs-driven applied technology development that is conducted in other parts of the agency and in the private sector

•Focus the Nation’s science infrastructure on critical DOE environmental management problems

Office of Science

U.S. Department of Energy

Brief History of the EMSP

A response to an early recommendation to EM (Galvin Report, 1995)

Implemented in Fiscal Year 1996, first grants awarded August 1996 Initial annual budget of $50 million Jointly managed by SC and EM since its inception Since 1998 Notices targeted at EM needs (e.g., HLW, subsurface,

D&D) To date has supported:

361 research projects at 97 universities and 33 laboratories In 40 States and 7 countries Over 550 university students at all levels Over 1100 peer-reviewed articles and presentations More than 30 projects that were deployed or commercialized

Current budget is $30 million

Office of Science

U.S. Department of Energy From the 1995 Galvin Commission Report

On the Department of Energy Laboratories

There is a particular need for long term, basic

research in disciplines related to environmental

cleanup … Adopting a science-based approach that

includes supporting development of technologies

and expertise … could lead to both reduced cleanup

costs and smaller environmental impacts at existing

sites and to the development of a scientific

foundation for advances in environmental

technologies.

Office of Science

U.S. Department of Energy

What Congress said in the FY 1997 Energy &

Water Development Appropriation Report

The conferees are pleased with the progress to date in implementing the environmental basic research program. In a recent review by the National Research Council, the Council endorsed this program and acknowledged ‘… establishment of this mission-directed, basic research program as both an urgent and a prudent investment for the nation.’ The National Research Council report further notes that the ‘… long-term success of this program is highly dependent on the continuing partnership between EM, which understands the cleanup problems and research needs, and ER, which, through its mission to manage the department’s basic research programs, understands how to select and manage research.’ The committee endorses the efforts by EM and ER staff to work together and encourages them to continue their efforts to build an effective Environmental Management Science Program.

Office of Science

U.S. Department of Energy

EMSP Projects by Discipline, FY 2002

Chemistry42%

Geosciences30%

Materials Science

9%

Engineering & Robotics

9%

Biosciences9%

Other1%

Office of Science

U.S. Department of Energy

EMSP Projects by Environmental Topic, FY 2002

HLW33%

Mixed Wastes3%

D&D16%Health/Risk

8%

Nuclear Wasteforms &

SNF6%

Subsurface Contaminants

34%

Office of Science

U.S. Department of Energy

Some EMSP Accomplishments

Collaborative research a reality: a majority of EMSP

projects are collaborations between scientists at two or

more institutions, usually a DOE laboratory and a

university or company

Collaboration between EM and SC working well

Improved communication between scientists and site

managers

Many of the most prominent researchers in key disciplines

are leading research directed at solving EM cleanup

problems

At the same time, many young researchers are becoming

involved: in 2001-2002 about 20% of lead PIs were in the

first ten years after their Ph.D.

Office of Science

U.S. Department of Energy

Personnel Monitor for Radon and Thoron

Deployed at the Fernald Site

Naomi Harley, New York University Medical School

Office of Science

U.S. Department of Energy

Replacing a failed cesium separation process

For use at Savannah River Site

Bruce Moyer, Oak Ridge National Laboratory

O OH

OCH2CF2CF2H

Extractant Calix[4]arene-bis( tert-octylbenzo-crown-6)

"BoBCalixC6"Present at 0.01 M

O

O

OO

O

O

O

O

OO

O O

Modifier: 1-(2,2,3,3-tetrafluoropropoxy)-

3-(4-sec-butylphenoxy)-2-propanol "Cs-7SB"

Present at 0.50 M

Suppressor Tri-n-octylamine

"TOA"Present at 0.001 M

Diluent Isopar® L

(a blend of C10-C12 branched alkanes)

N

Office of Science

U.S. Department of Energy

X-ray microscopy defines where and how Cs+ and how Cs+ reacts with the mineral phase

SX-108 sediment was placed in KNO3 electrolyte and the desorption rate measured

Measurements and models of 137Cs+ desorption kinetics and extent showed that 137Cs+ would not migrate to groundwater in Hanford’s S-SX

tank farm in a 10 half-life period.

John Zachara, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory

A slab diffusion ion exchange model describes 137Cs+ release kinetics to water

Contaminated mica particles were removed from sediment cross sectioned and imaged at 2 µm resolution

sample placed in K+ electrolyte (0.5 mol/L)

electrolyte increased to 2 mol/L

A scientific basis for predicting migration of cesium-137 leaked from high level waste

tanks

Office of Science

U.S. Department of Energy

National Research Council Reports

Building an Effective Environmental Management Science Program, 1997

Letter Report on Subsurface Contamination Research, 1998

Seeing into the Earth: Noninvasive Characterization of the Shallow Subsurface for Environmental and Engineering Applications, 2000

Research Needs in Subsurface Science, 2000

Long-Term Research Needs for High-Level Waste at Department of Energy Sites: Interim Report, 2000

Long-Term Research Needs on Deactivation and Decommissioning at DOE Sites, 2000

Research Opportunities for Deactivating and Decommissioning Department of Energy Facilities, 2001

Research Needs for High-Level Waste Stored in Tanks and Bins at U.S. Department of Energy Sites, 2001

A Strategic Vision for Department of Energy Environmental Quality Research and Development, 2001

Research Opportunities for Managing DOE's Transuranic and Mixed Wastes, 2002

Office of Science

U.S. Department of Energy

The EMSP Web Site

http://emsp.em.doe.gov/

Links to:

Funding, contacts, interim and final reports for every project, easily searchable

Accomplishments

Research needs and solicitations

Internal and external reports