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APPENDIX E
DESCRIPTIONS OF RELATED RESEARCH AND
DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS
As part of its information-gathering activities, the committee
considered research and development (R&D) programs in other federal
agencies, such as the Department of Defense (DOD) and the
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The committee also considered
a number of relevant international R&D programs. Although the
committee did not conduct a comprehensive examination of national and
international R&D programs, it did identify a number of programs that
support R&D relevant to the Department of Energy's (DOE's)
Environmental Quality (EQ) mission.
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
The Strategic Environmental Research and Development
Program is DOD's environmental R&D program, operated jointly with
DOE and EPA, with participation by numerous other federal
organizations. The program focuses on cleanup, compliance,
conservation, and pollution prevention technologies. The development
and application of innovative environmental technologies is intended to
reduce costs, environmental risks, and/or the time required to resolve
environmental problems in these areas while enhancing safety and
health. Equally important, the development and application of innovative
pollution prevention technologies serves to reduce or eliminate waste
problems before they occur. Examples of research emphases are the
areas of site characterization and monitoring, remediation, and risk
assessment. The total fiscal year 2001 budget is $59.6 million.
The Environmental Security Technology Certification Program
demonstrates and validates promising, innovative technologies that
target DOD's most urgent environmental needs. These technologies are
intended to provide a return on investment through cost savings and
. . . . . _. . · · .
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A Strategic Vision for DOE Environmental Quality R&D
improved efficiency. Projects are selected in the areas of cleanup,
compliance, pollution prevention, and detection and remediation of
unexploded ordinances. Technologies are demonstrated and evaluated
at DOD sites and effective and affordable technologies are transferred
across DOD.
The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, the central
R&D organization for DOD, manages and directs basic and applied R&D
projects, and pursues research and technology where risk and payoff are
both high and where success may provide advances for traditional
military roles and missions. Its mission is to develop imaginative,
innovative, and often high-risk research ideas offering a significant
technological impact that will go well beyond the normal evolutionary
developmental approaches and to pursue these ideas from the
demonstration of technical feasibility through the development of
prototype systems.
The Toxic Biological Interactions program of the U.S. Air Force
Office of Scientific Research supports basic research that endeavors to
understand how such toxic agents as heavy metals (chromium and
cadmium) and various chemicals that constitute fuels, propellants, and
lubricants may interact with biological systems at the subcellular and
molecular levels to produce toxic effects. The Air Force also supports
studies that explore novel experimental and computational techniques for
assessing the potential health risks of these agents.
The Surface and Interfacial Chemistry Program of the Army
Research Office supports research on the decomposition of hazardous
molecules on well-characterized surfaces and in organized media (e.g.,
micelles, microemulsions, vesicles, and monolayer films) at liquid-liquid
and liquid-solid interfaces. The development of new experimental probes
of these reactions is also of interest. The most important species are
organo-phosphorus, -sulfur, and -nitrogen molecules and reactions of
organic functional groups on surfaces and in these organized media. The
principle reactions of interest are hydrolysis and oxidation, and catalysis
is a strongly desired goal of these studies; however, new concepts are
encouraged.
The Mechanical and Environmental Sciences Division of the
Army Research Office supports basic research related to the remediation
and restoration of sites contaminated by Army actions and the use of
military training lands. The Army Research Office also supports the
Research and Technology Integration Directorate, which integrates
scientific research and technology.
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Appendix E Descriptions of Related R&D Programs
151
The Office of Naval Research sponsors an Environmental Quality
Program that is aimed at developing technology leading to affordable
environmental compliance and pollution prevention.
. . . . .. . . . .
The program
supports basic research, applied research, and advanced technology
development. Program areas include environmental chemistry (basic
research), applied research, and environmental requirements advanced
technology. The program focuses on technologies directed toward
environmentally sound ships, shore-related facilities, and sediment
issues, and specific research interests include sensors and improved
cleaning methods.
U.S. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
EPA's R&D is funded primarily through its Office of Research and
Development (ORD). ORD conducts leading-edge research and fosters
the use of science and technology in fulfilling EPA's mission to protect
human health and safeguard the environment. It operates several
research laboratories across the country that specialize in specific areas
of R&D.
The National Exposure Research Laboratory, conducts R&D that
leads to improved methods, measurements, and models to assess and
predict exposures of humans and ecosystems to harmful pollutants and
other conditions in air, water, soil, and food.
The National Risk Management Research Laboratory conducts
research into ways to prevent and reduce risks from pollution that
threaten human health and the environment. The laboratory investigates
methods and their cost-effectiveness for prevention and control of
pollution to air, land, water, and subsurface resources; protection of
water quality in public water systems; remediation of contaminated sites,
sediments and groundwater; prevention and control of indoor air
pollution; and restoration of ecosystems. The goal of this research is to
provide solutions to environmental problems by developing and
promoting effective environmental technologies; developing scientific and
engineering information to support regulatory and policy decisions; and
providing the technical support and information transfer to ensure
implementation of environmental regulations and strategies at the
national and community levels.
The Superfund Innovative Technology Evaluation Program was
established by EPA's Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response
and ORD in response to the 1986 Superfund Amendments and
Reauthorization Act, which recognized a need for an alternative or
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A Strategic Vision for DOE Environmental Quality R&D
innovative treatment technology research and demonstration program.
The program is administered by ORD's National Risk Management
Research Laboratory.
The National Center for Environmental Research sponsors
environmental research grants under the Science to Achieve Results
Program. Included are fellowships for graduate environmental study and
minority academic institutions fellowships for graduate environmental
study.
The Environmental Technology Verification Program was
instituted to verify the performance of innovative technical solutions to
problems that threaten human health or the environment. The program
was created to substantially accelerate the entrance of new
environmental technologies into the domestic and international
marketplace. It verifies commercial-ready, private sector technologies
through 12 pilots.
The Subsurface Protection and Remediation Division of the
National Risk Management Research Laboratory conducts research and
engages in technical assistance and technology transfer on the
chemical, physical and biological structure and processes of the
subsurface environment, the biogeochemical interactions in that
environment, and fluxes to other environmental media.
-
The Waste Research Strategy covers research necessary to
support both the proper management of solid and hazardous wastes and
the effective remediation of contaminated waste sites. This research
includes methods to improve the assessment of existing environmental
risks and to develop more cost-effective ways to reduce those risks. This
strategy focuses on the following research areas: contaminated
groundwater, contaminated soils and the vadose zone, emissionsfrom
waste combustion facilities, and active waste management facilities.
The National Center for Clean Industrial and Treatment
Technologies is a research consortium dedicated to advancing science,
engineering, and pollution prevention, established through a base grant
from EPA's Centers Program. Since its establishment, the center has
initiated 57 projects involving 51 principal investigators, 57 companies,
33 government and other organizations, and well over 100 students.
Targeted industry sectors have included chemical processing, metals,
manufacturing, energy, and forest products. Participating disciplines
have included environmental, chemical, civil, mechanical, metallurgical
and geological engineering; chemistry; biology; social science; business;
and forestry.
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Appendix E Descriptions of Related R&D Programs
153
One of the programs sponsored by EPA's National Center for
Environmental Research and Quality Assurance is the Hazardous
Substance Research Centers Program. The mission of the program is
to conduct research to develop and demonstrate new methods to assess
and remediate sites contaminated with hazardous substances, improve
existing treatment technologies, decrease the production and use of
hazardous substances, educate hazardous substance management
professionals, and improve community public awareness. The program
provides basic and applied research, technology transfer, and training
and encourages integrated research projects. The program consists of
five multi-university centers, which are located in different regions and
focus on different aspects of hazardous substance management. EPA,
DOE, DOD, academia, and other federal agencies fund the centers. A
description of these centers is found in Sidebar E.1.
DOE's Office of Science and Technology and EPA's Office of Solid
Waste recently signed a memorandum of understanding (MOW) to
improve cooperation on the development of technical solutions to
problems associated with mixed wastes. The main objective of the MOU
is to provide the Office of Solid Waste with performance and cost data
from the demonstration and field testing of mixed waste treatment and
control technologies, which is expected to help EPA develop sound and
cost-effective regulations and standards for mixed wastes. The effort
also is intended to facilitate cooperation in budgetary planning for OST's
R&D efforts and EPA's regulatory activities.
U.S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission's Radiation Protection,
Environmental Risk and Waste Management Branch develops, plans,
and manages research programs related to the movement of
radionuclides in the environment and consequent dose and health
effects to the public and workers as a result of nuclear power plant
operation, facility decommissioning, cleanup of contaminated sites, and
disposal of radioactive waste.
U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY
The Toxic Substances Hydrology Program provides scientific
information needed to improve characterization and management of
contaminated sites, to protect human and environmental health, and to
reduce potential future contamination problems. The goal of the program
is to provide scientific information on the behavior of toxic substances in
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754
~ Saga ~~n fir DOE Ames/ Offs R&D
hydrologic environments, including surface water, groundwater, soH
sediment and the atmosphere.
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Appendix E Descriptions of Related R&D Programs
155
The National Water-Quality Assessment Program is designed to
describe the status and trends in the quality of ground- and surface-
water resources and to provide a sound understanding of the natural and
human factors that affect the quality of these resources. Regional and
national syntheses of information provide summaries on volatile organic
compounds, trace elements, and surface water-quality monitoring.
The Ground-Water Resources Program encompasses regional
studies of groundwater systems, multidisciplinary studies of critical
groundwater issues, access to groundwater data, and research and
methods development. The program provides unbiased scientific
information and many of the tools that are used by federal, state, and
local management and regulatory agencies to make important decisions
about groundwater resources.
The Biomonitoring of Environmental Status and Trends
evaluates environmental contaminants and their effects on species and
lands under the stewardship of the Department of Interior to provide
scientific information and guide management actions. The program is
designed to identify and understand the effects of environmental
contaminants on biological resources, particularly those resources under
the stewardship of the Department of the Interior. The program provides
sound scientific information to be used proactively to prevent or limit
contaminant-related effects on biological resources. The primary goals
are to (1 ) determine the status and trends of environmental contaminants
and their effects on biological resources; (2) identify, assess, and predict
the effects of contaminants on ecosystems and biological populations;
and (3) provide summary information in a timely manner to managers
and the public for guiding conservation efforts. To address these goals,
the program will use different approaches, involving a combination of
field biomonitoring methods and information assessment tools, for
examining contaminant issues at the national, regional, and local levels.
In addition, the U.S. Geological Survey has MOUs with a number of
federal agencies. For example, an MOU with the U.S. Nuclear
Regulatory Commission explored R&D in the earth sciences related to
the management, disposal, and environmental remediation of nuclear
and mixed wastes; site decommissioning reviews; uranium in situ mining;
and uranium mill tailings at existing and future sites in the United States.
An MOU with EPA addressed activities related to the protection of
groundwater quality.
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A Strategic Vision for DOE Environmental Quality R&D
NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION
The Division of Environmental Biology supports fundamental
research on the origins, functions, relationships, interactions, and
evolutionary history of populations, species, communities, and
ecosystems. The division also supports a network of long-term ecological
research sites, doctoral dissertation research, and research conferences
and workshops. Funding for fiscal year 2000 was $89.8 million.
Basic research in the Directorate for Geosciences advances
scientific knowledge of Earth's environment, including resources such as
water, energy, minerals, and biological diversity. The funding level for
earth sciences was $102 million for fiscal year 2000. The directorate also
supports the Biocomplexity in the Environment Program, a set of
coordinated activities in environmental science, engineering, and
education, which advance scientific knowledge about the connection
between the living and non-living Earth system. The Directorate of
Geosciences will provide $39.50 million in fiscal year 2001 for focused
biocomplexity studies, which will enable the initiation and/or
enhancement of several interdisciplinary activities.
The Environmental Engineering Program in the Division of
Bioengineering and Environmental Systems supports sustainable
development research with the goal of applying engineering principles to
reduce adverse effects of solid, liquid, and gaseous discharges into land,
fresh and ocean waters, and air that result from human activity and
impair the value of those resources. This program also supports
research on innovative biological, chemical, and physical processes
used alone or as components or engineered systems to restore the
usefulness of polluted land, water, and air resources. Research may be
directed toward improving the cost-effectiveness of pollution avoidance
and developing fresh principles for pollution avoidance technologies.
The Division of Chemical and Transport Systems supports
research that involves the development of fundamental engineering
principles, process control and optimization strategies, mathematical
models, and experimental techniques, with an emphasis on projects that
have the potential for innovation and broad application in such areas as
the environment, materials, and chemical processing. Special emphasis
is on environmentally benign chemical and material processing.
Research support is available in through the following activities: chemical
reaction processes; interracial, transport, and separation processes; fluid
and particle processes; and thermal systems. Funding for fiscal year
2000 was $44.3 million.
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Appendix E Descriptions of Related R&D Programs
157
The Division of Civil and Mechanical Systems funds research that
contributes to the knowledge base and intellectual growth in the areas of
infrastructure construction and management, geotechnology, structures,
dynamics and control, mechanics, and materials; sensing for civil and
mechanical systems; and the reduction of risks induced by earthquakes
and other natural and technological hazards. The division encourages
cross-disciplinary partnerships. These partnerships promote discoveries
using technologies such as autoadaptive systems, nanotechnology, and
simulation to enable revolutionary advances in civil and mechanical
systems. Funding for fiscal year 2000 was $48.2 million.
The Inorganic, Bioinorganic, and Organometallic Chemistry
Program in the Chemistry Division supports research on synthesis,
structure, and reaction mechanisms of molecules containing metals,
metalloids, and nonmetals encompassing the entire periodic table of the
elements. Included are studies of stoichiometric and homogeneous
catalytic chemical reaction; bioinorganic and organometallic reagents
and reaction; and the synthesis of new inorganic substances with
predictable chemical, physical, and biological properties. Such research
provides the basis for understanding the function of metal ions in
biological systems, for understanding the synthesis of new inorganic
materials and new industrial catalysts, and for systematic understanding
of the chemistry of most of the elements in the environment.
.
. .. .. ..
The Organic Chemical Dynamics Program also in the Chemistry
Division supports research on the structures and reaction dynamics of
carbon-based molecules, metallo-organic systems, and organized
molecular assemblies. Research includes studies of reactivity, reaction
mechanisms, and reactive intermediates, and characterization and
investigation of new organic materials. Such research provides the basis
for understanding and modeling biological processes and for developing
new or improved theories relating chemical structures and properties.
Funding for the Chemistry Division was $139 million for fiscal year 2000.
NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH
The Superfund Basic Research Program is focused on acquiring
new scientific and engineering knowledge that advances both society's
understanding of the human and ecological risks from hazardous
substances and the development of new environmental technologies for
the cleanup of Superfund sites. The knowledge acquired in this program
not only serves as the basis for subsequent basic or applied research in
these areas but also provides a foundation for such practical benefits as
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lower cleanup costs on hazardous waste sites and improvements in
human and ecological health risk assessment. The program, created and
administered by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences,
receives funding from EPA through an interagency agreement using
Superfund trust monies. The research efforts undertaken by this program
complement activities in EPA and the Agency for Toxic Substances and
Disease Registry.
NON-FEDERAL U.S. R&D
The Electric Power Research Institute Decommissioning
Technology Program assists utilities to minimize the cost of
decommissioning through enhanced planning, determining optimum
financial fund set-aside, applying lessons learned by other utilities with
retired plants, and use of advanced technology. For decommissioned
power plants, site characterization and final site survey have also been
costly elements of their decommissioning activities. Several technical
areas have been identified where improved technology could be of
considerable benefit to utilities with shutdown plants by reducing labor
costs, personnel exposures, and radioactive waste. Chemical
decontamination developments are discussed below. Other topics under
study include site characterization, fuel pool cleanup, concrete
decontamination and other remediation techniques. In conjunction with
the Federal Energy Technology Center, evaluation of the applicability to
U.S. power plants of technology developed in DOE programs and those
in other countries is being carried out, including status reports on
appropriate techniques. The Strategic Science and Technology Program
addresses priority needs and opportunities by integrating scientific
developments and emerging technologies with strategic industry issues
and the public good.
INTERNATIONAL R&D PROGRAMS
The committee also considered a number of international programs
that support R&D related to DOE's EQ mission. They cover a wide range
of issues, such as chemical processes, soil remediation, hydrology, and
migration of radionuclides. Some of these programs are described
below.
The Belgian Nuclear Research Centre is a federal organization for
scientific research in the field of safe and peaceful applications of nuclear
energy for industrial and medical use.
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Appendix E Descriptions of Related R&D Programs
159
Atomic Energy of Canada Limited is a leading vendor of nuclear
power reactors, engages in a wide range of R&D activities, and provides
nuclear engineering products and services worldwide to customers in
nuclear and related industries.
The National Cooperative for the Disposal of Radioactive Waste
(Nagra) in Switzerland provides the technical and scientific basis for safe
management of radioactive waste. Nagra has a number of cooperative
agreements with other countries, including the United States.
The Paul Scherrer Institut in Switzerland is the federal institute for
reactor and nuclear R&D. It covers the areas of incineration of wastes;
modeling of radionuclide migration through heterogeneous geologic
media; chemical behavior of radionuclides during migration; transport of
radionuclides through the biosphere;
. . . . . . . - . - . .
natural analogue studies;
hydrological studies; sorption constants on different rocks; immobilization
of low-level waste and intermediate-level waste in cement; leaching rates
on low-level and intermediate-level waste forms; and long-term corrosion
tests on waste-packaging materials.
Nirex, in the United Kingdom, examines safety, environmental, and
economic aspects of deep geological disposal. It deals with intermediate-
level waste, which accounts for the majority of radioactive waste
currently in storage, and with some low-level waste.
The Canadian National Research Council's Institute for Chemical
Process and Environmental Technology funds research in the
following areas: environmental management; chemical sensors; soil
remediation, computational fluid dynamics and reactive flow modeling;
and chemical process simulation, design, and economics. Chemical
process simulation techniques are being investigated as tools for
improving process design and developing clean technology for pollution
prevention and waste reduction.
The Geological Survey of Canada funds research in environmental
geology, such as the distribution and concentration of heavy metals near
mines, in its Terrain Sciences Division.
The Environmental Agency of England and Wales sponsors
research in several areas, including waste management. Research
projects cover such topics as the effects of substances in groundwater
on the migration of radionuclides, national recovery and recycling
database for waste management, life-cycle cost of waste management
options, radionuclide migration processes in geological media, and
environmental impact of old landfills.
Representative terms from entire chapter:
environmental quality
