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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 . . . . . _. . · · . 149
150 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.
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
152 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.
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
754 ~ Saga ~~n fir DOE Ames/ Offs R&D hydrologic environments, including surface water, groundwater, soH sediment and the atmosphere.
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.
156 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.
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
158 A Strategic Vision for DOE Environmental Quality R&D 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.
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.
