[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 4 (Monday, January 7, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Pages 719-725]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-284]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY


Office of Science Financial Assistance Program Notice 02-03; 
Environmental Management Science Program (EMSP): Research Related to 
Subsurface Contamination in the Vadose and Saturated Zones

AGENCY: Department of Energy.

ACTION: Notice inviting grant applications.

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SUMMARY: The Offices of Science (SC) and Environmental Management (EM), 
U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), hereby announce their interest in 
receiving grant applications to support specifically innovative, 
fundamental research to investigate DOE subsurface contamination in the 
vadose and saturated zones.

DATES: The deadline for receipt of formal applications is 4:30 P.M., 
E.S.T., Wednesday, March 27, 2002, in order to be accepted for merit 
review and to permit timely consideration for award in Fiscal Year 
2002.

ADDRESSES: Applications must be sent to: U.S. Department of Energy, 
Office of Science, Grants and Contracts Division, SC-64, 19901 
Germantown Road, Germantown, MD 20874-1290, Attn: Program Notice 02-03. 
This address must be used when submitting applications by U.S. Postal 
Service Express Mail, any commercial mail delivery service, or when 
hand carried by the applicant.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr. Roland F. Hirsch, SC-73, Mail Stop 
F-237, Medical Sciences Division, Office of Biological and 
Environmental Research, Office of Science, U.S. Department of Energy, 
19901 Germantown Road, Germantown, MD 20874-1290, telephone: (301) 903-
9009, facsimile: (301) 903-0567, e-mail: [email protected], 
or Mr. Mark Gilbertson, Office of Science and Technology, Office of 
Environmental Management, 1000 Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, 
D.C. 20585, telephone: (202) 586-7150, facsimile: (202) 596-1492, e-
mail: [email protected]. The full text of Program Notice 02-03 
is available via the Internet using the following Web site address: 
http://

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www.science.doe.gov/production/grants/grants.html.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Office of Environmental Management, in 
partnership with the Office of Science, sponsors the Environmental 
Management Science Program (EMSP) to fulfill DOE's continuing 
commitment to the cleanup of DOE's environmental legacy. The program 
was initiated in Fiscal Year 1996, to (1) address long-term technical 
issues crucial to the EM mission, and (2) provide EM with near-term 
fundamental data critical to the advancement of technologies that are 
under development, but not yet at full scale nor implemented. Proposed 
basic research under this notice should contribute to environmental 
management activities that would decrease risk for the public and 
workers, provide opportunities for major cost reductions, reduce time 
required to achieve EM's mission goals, and, in general, should address 
problems that are considered intractable without new knowledge.
    This program is designed to inspire breakthroughs in areas critical 
to the EM mission through basic research and will be managed in 
partnership with SC. The Office of Science's procedures, as set forth 
in the Office of Science Merit Review System, as published in the 
Federal Register, March 11, 1991, Vol. 56, No. 47, pages 10244-10246, 
will be used for merit review of applications submitted in response to 
this notice.
    Subsequent to the formal scientific merit review, applications that 
are judged to be scientifically meritorious will be evaluated by DOE 
for relevance to the objectives of the Environmental Management Science 
Program. Additional information can be obtained about the general 
program at: http://emsp.em.doe.gov.

Purpose

    Over the past 50 years, the United States created an industrial 
complex to develop, test, manufacture, and maintain nuclear weapons for 
national security purposes. The production and testing of nuclear 
weapons created a legacy of significant environmental contamination, 
ranging from uranium mining and milling, waste disposal, and 
radionuclide migration in ground water and soil. In 1995, the 104th 
Congress authorized creation of the Environmental Management Science 
Program (EMSP) to develop a long term, basic science infrastructure to 
focus on the environmental cleanup effort DOE began formally in 1989. 
To address the largest environmental cleanup program in the world, from 
a cost perspective, EMSP has the following objectives:
     Provide scientific knowledge that will revolutionize 
technologies and cleanup 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 EM's Office of Science and Technology.
     Focus the Nation's science infrastructure on critical DOE 
environmental management problems.
    Since 1996, the Program has held six competitions and has awarded 
over $290 million in funding to 361 research projects. A breakdown of 
the EMSP awards by year is as follows:
     1996 and 1997: 202 awards totaling $160 million targeted 
at a broad spectrum of basic science cleanup and waste management 
issues.
     1998: 33 awards totaling $30 million focused on high-level 
radioactive waste and decontamination and decommissioning issues.
     1999: 39 awards totaling $30 million fostered basic 
research in the areas of vadose zone contamination and low dose 
radiation.
     2000: 42 awards totaling $30 million in research renewals 
for 1996 and 1997 funded projects.
     2001: 45 awards totaling $39 million focused on additional 
high-level radioactive waste and decontamination and decommissioning 
issues.

Representative Research Areas

    Basic research is solicited in all areas of science with the 
potential for addressing problems in subsurface contamination and 
transport processes in the vadose and saturated zones. Processes and 
problems in the vadose zone constitute important subjects of concern to 
the Department's Environmental Management Program. Relevant scientific 
disciplines include, but are not limited to: geological sciences 
(including geochemistry, geophysics, hydrogeologic flow and transport 
modeling, process modeling, and hydrologic field-studies), plant 
sciences (including mechanisms of contaminant uptake, concentration, 
sequestration, and phytoremediation), chemical sciences(including 
fundamental interfacial chemistry, computational chemistry, actinide 
chemistry, and analytical chemistry and instrumentation), engineering 
sciences (including control systems and optimization, diagnostics, 
transport processes, fracture mechanics, and bioengineering), materials 
science (including other novel materials-related strategies), and 
bioremediation (including biogeochemistry; microbial science related to 
ex situ treatment of metals, radionuclides, and organics; and in situ 
treatment of organics). The Natural and Accelerated Bioremediation 
Research (NABIR) program in the Office of Biological and Environmental 
Research, Office of Science, may issue a Notice related to in situ 
treatment of metals and radionuclides during FY 2002. Research projects 
relating to this area should be submitted to NABIR rather than to EMSP. 
Additional information about the NABIR program can be found at: http://www.lbl.gov/NABIR/.

Project Renewals

    Lead Principal Investigators of record for Projects funded under 
Office of Science Notice 99-06, Environmental Management Science 
Program: Research Related to Subsurface Contamination, are eligible to 
submit renewal applications under this solicitation.

Program Funding

    It is anticipated that up to a total of $4,000,000 of Fiscal Year 
2002, funds will be available for new and renewal EMSP awards resulting 
from this Notice. Multiple-year funding of grant awards is anticipated, 
contingent upon the availability of appropriated funds. Award sizes are 
expected to be on the order of $100,000-$300,000 per year for total 
project costs for a typical three-year grant. Collaborative projects 
involving several research groups or more than one institution may 
receive larger awards if merited. The program will be competitive and 
offered to investigators in universities or other institutions of 
higher education, other non-profit or for-profit organizations, non-
Federal agencies or entities, or unaffiliated individuals. DOE reserves 
the right to fund in whole or part any or none of the applications 
received in response to this Notice. A parallel announcement with a 
similar potential total amount of funds will be issued to DOE Federally 
Funded Research and Development Centers (FFRDCs). All projects will be 
evaluated using the same criteria, regardless of the submitting 
institution. Additionally, relevant innovative basic research 
pertaining to other sites will be considered.

Collaboration and Training

    Applicants to the EMSP are strongly encouraged to collaborate with 
researchers in other institutions, such as universities, industry, non-
profit organizations, federal laboratories and FFRDCs, including the 
DOE National

[[Page 721]]

Laboratories, where appropriate, and to incorporate cost sharing and/or 
consortia wherever feasible.
    Applicants are also encouraged to provide training opportunities, 
including student involvement, in applications submitted to EMSP.

Application Format

    Applicants are expected to use the following format in addition to 
following instructions in the Office of Science Application Guide. 
Applications must be written in English, with all budgets in U.S. 
dollars.
     Office of Science Face Page (DOE F 4650.2 (10-91)).
     Application classification sheet (a plain sheet of paper 
with one selection from the list of scientific fields listed in the 
Application Categories Section).
     Table of Contents.
     Project Abstract (no more than one page).
     Budgets for each year and a summary budget page for the 
entire project period (using DOE F-4620.1).
     Budget Explanation. Applicants are requested to include in 
the travel budget funds to attend: (1) An initial research kick-off 
meeting; (2) for each year, to attend either the National EMSP 
Workshop, or a Focus Area-specific Mid-Year Review; and (3) one or more 
extended visits (1 to 2 weeks in duration) to a cleanup site by either 
the Principal Investigator, or a senior staff member, or collaborator.
     Budgets and Budget explanation for each collaborative 
subproject, if any.
     Project Narrative (recommended length is no more than 20 
pages; multi-investigator collaborative projects may use more pages if 
necessary up to a total of 40 pages).
     Goals.
     Significance of Project to the EM Mission.
     Background.
     Research Plan.
     Preliminary Studies (if applicable).
     Research Design and Methodologies.
     Literature Cited.
     Collaborative Arrangements (if applicable).
     Biographical Sketches (limit 2 pages per senior 
investigator).
     Description of Facilities and Resources.
     Current and Pending Support for each senior investigator.

Application Categories

    In order to properly classify each application for evaluation and 
review, the documents must indicate the applicant's preferred 
scientific research field, selected from the following list.
    Field of Scientific Research:
    1. Actinide Chemistry.
    2. Analytical Chemistry and Instrumentation.
    3. Bioremediation.
    4. Engineering Sciences.
    5. Geochemistry.
    6. Geophysics.
    7. Hydrogeology.
    8. Interfacial Chemistry.
    9. Materials Science.
    10. Plant Science.
    11. Other.

Application Evaluation and Selection

Scientific Merit

    The program will support the most scientifically meritorious and 
relevant work, regardless of the institution. Formal applications will 
be subjected to scientific merit review (peer review) and will be 
evaluated against the following evaluation criteria listed in 
descending order of importance as codified at 10 CFR 605.10(d).
    1. Scientific and/or Technical Merit of the Project.
    2. Appropriateness of the Proposed Method or Approach.
    3. Competency of Applicant's Personnel and Adequacy of Proposed 
Resources.
    4. Reasonableness and Appropriateness of the Proposed Budget.
    External peer reviewers are selected with regard to both their 
scientific expertise and the absence of conflict-of-interest issues. 
Non-federal reviewers may be used, and submission of an application 
constitutes agreement that this is acceptable to the investigator(s) 
and the submitting institution.

Relevance to Mission

    Researchers are encouraged to demonstrate a linkage between their 
research projects and significant contamination problems at DOE sites. 
Researchers can establish this linkage in a variety of ways, for 
example, by elucidating the scientific problems to be addressed by the 
proposed research and explaining how the solution of these problems 
could improve remediation capabilities. Of course, given the nature of 
basic research, there will not always be a clear pathway between 
research results and application to site remediation.
    Subsequent to the formal scientific merit review, applications 
which are judged to be scientifically meritorious will be evaluated by 
DOE for relevance to the objectives of EMSP. DOE shall also consider, 
as part of the evaluation, program policy factors such as an 
appropriate balance among the program areas, including research already 
in progress. Past research solicitations, abstracts, and research 
reports of projects funded under EMSP can be viewed at: http://emsp.em.doe.gov/researcher.htm.

Application Guide and Forms

    Information about the development, submission of applications, 
eligibility, limitations, evaluation, the selection process, and other 
policies and procedures may be found in 10 CFR Part 605, and in the 
Application Guide for the Office of Science Financial Assistance 
Program. Electronic access to the Guide and required forms is made 
available via the World Wide Web at: http://www.science.doe.gov/production/grants/grants.html. DOE is under no obligation to pay for 
any costs associated with the preparation or submission of applications 
if an award is made.

Subsurface Contamination Research Needs

    This research Notice has been developed for Fiscal Year 2002, with 
the primary objective of providing continuity in scientific knowledge 
that will revolutionize technologies and clean-up approaches for 
solving DOE's most complex environmental problems. An overview of EMSP 
vadose and saturated zone research needs is summarized in this section 
based on the National Academy of Sciences, National Research Council 
(NRC) report published in 2000 titled ``Research Needs in Subsurface 
Science.'' NRC recommendations for basic research focus in four areas:
     Location and characterization of subsurface contaminants 
and characterization of the subsurface.
     Conceptual modeling.
     Containment and stabilization.
     Monitoring and validation.
    More detailed explanations of the nature and extent of 
environmental contamination throughout the DOE Complex, particularly at 
the six largest Field Offices, and reference web sites, can be found in 
the background section of this Notice. Interested investigators are 
referred to three web sites that provide information regarding 
subsurface contamination across the DOE Complex:
     Subsurface Contamination Focus Area (SCFA) at: http://www.envnet.org/scfa/ provides new science technologies, approaches, and 
technical assistance to address soil and water pollution, reducing the 
risk and cost of cleanup and stewardship. Researchers are invited to 
review the SCFA Product Lines and Technical Targets; the later is

[[Page 722]]

under development to strategically guide research and technology 
products to end-users. A few of the critical research areas included in 
the Technical Targets are: characterizing and monitoring the lateral 
and vertical extent of dense nonaqueous phase liquids (DNAPLs) 
transport; reactive materials for barrier systems that maintain 
permeability over time; biogeochemical processes leading to the 
mobilization/immobilization of the contaminants in soils and sediments, 
as well as the those factors controlling their bioavailability; and 
monitored natural attenuation processes and validation strategies.
     Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory 
lead an effort to develop a National Roadmap for Vadose Zone Science 
and Technology described at: http://www.inel.gov/vadosezone/ to improve 
vadose zone characterization and to monitor and simulate subsurface 
contamination fate and transport, integrating the saturated zone.
     Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory's 
(INEEL) role as EM's Lead Lab is to ensure the integration of critical 
new science, technology, and programmatic solutions for cleanup and 
long term stewardship, described at: http://www.inel.gov/environment/em-lead.shtml.
    There are about 6.4 billion cubic meters of contaminated soil, 
groundwater, and other environmental media at the DOE sites. 
Contaminants of concern across the Complex broadly include: 
radionuclides, metals, and dense nonaqueous phase liquids (DNAPLs). 
More specifically, key chemicals by group are:
     Radionuclides: plutonium, strontium-90, cesium-137, 
isotopes of uranium, trituim, thorium, technecium-99, radium, and 
iodine-129.
     Metals: lead, chromium VI, mercury, zinc, beryllium, 
arsenic, cadmium, and copper.
     DNAPLs: carbon tetrachloride, trichloroethylene, 
dichloroethylene, tetrachloroethylene, chloroform, dichloromethane, and 
polychlorinated biphenyls.
    The life cycle costs for the Office of Environmental Management 
cleanup program have been estimated to be $147 billion between 1997 and 
2070 (DOE 1998a). During this period of time, the EMSP research results 
can make a significant impact on reducing risks, costs, and cleanup 
schedules.
    Details of the programs of the Office of Environmental Management 
and the technologies currently under development or in use by the 
Environmental Management Program can be found at: http://www.em.doe.gov 
and at the extensive links contained therein. The programs and 
technologies should be used to obtain a better understanding of the 
missions and challenges in environmental management in DOE when 
considering areas of research to be proposed.

Location and Characterization of Subsurface Contaminants and 
Characterization of the Subsurface

    The challenges of locating and characterizing subsurface 
contamination are magnified by the wide range of contaminant types; the 
wide variety of geological and hydrological conditions across the DOE 
complex; and the wide range of spatial resolutions at which this 
contamination must be located and characterized, from widely dispersed 
contamination in groundwater plumes to small isolated hot spots in 
waste burial grounds. Basic research is needed to support the 
development of the following capabilities to locate and characterize 
contamination in the subsurface and to characterize subsurface 
properties at the scales that control contaminant fate and transport 
behavior:
     Improved capabilities for characterizing the physical, 
chemical, and biological properties of the subsurface.
     Improved capabilities for characterizing physical, 
chemical, and biological heterogeneity, especially at the scales that 
control contaminant fate and transport behavior. Approaches that allow 
the identification and measurement of the heterogeneity features that 
control contaminant fate and transport to be obtained directly (i.e., 
without having to perform a detailed characterization of the 
subsurface) are especially needed.
     Improved capabilities for measuring contaminant migration 
and system properties that control contaminant movement.
     Methods to integrate data collected at different spatial 
and temporal scales to better estimate contaminant and subsurface 
properties and processes.
     Methods to integrate such data into conceptual models.

Conceptual Modeling

    Existing conceptual and predictive models have often proven 
ineffective for understanding and predicting contaminant movement, 
especially at sites that have thick vadose (unsaturated) zones or 
complex subsurface characteristics. Accurate conceptualizations are 
essential for understanding the long-term fate of contaminants in the 
subsurface and the selection and application of appropriate corrective 
actions. Basic research explicitly focused on fundamental approaches 
and assumptions underlying conceptual model development could produce a 
toolbox of methodologies that are applicable to contaminated sites both 
inside and outside the DOE complex. This research should focus on the 
following topics:
     New observational and experimental approaches and tools 
for developing conceptual models that apply to complex subsurface 
environments, including such phenomena as colloidal transport and 
biologic activity.
     New approaches for incorporating geological, hydrological, 
chemical, and biological subsurface heterogeneity into conceptual model 
formulations at scales that dominate flow and transport behavior.
     Development of coupled-process models through experimental 
studies at variable scales and complexities that account for the 
interacting physical, chemical, and biological processes that govern 
contaminant fate and transport behavior.
     Methods to integrate process knowledge from small-scale 
tests and observations into model formulations, including methods for 
incorporating qualitative geological information from surface and near-
surface observations into conceptual model formulations.
     Methods to measure and predict the scale dependency of 
parameter values.
     Approaches for establishing bounds on the accuracy of 
parameters and conceptual model estimates from field and experimental 
data.
    The research needs outlined above call for more hypothesis-driven 
experimental approaches that address how to integrate the understanding 
of system behavior. This research will require expertise from a wide 
range of disciplines and must be conducted at scales ranging from the 
laboratory bench top to contaminated field sites. Moreover, to have 
long-term relevance to the DOE cleanup mission, this research must be 
focused on the kinds of subsurface environments and contamination 
problems commonly encountered at major DOE sites.

Containment and Stabilization

    There has been an increasing emphasis on, and acceptance of, waste 
containment and stabilization in recent years, both in DOE and by 
regulatory agencies. Decreasing cleanup budgets, evaluations that show 
containment is a low-risk choice for some problems, and recognition 
that some contamination cannot be remediated either with

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current technologies or conceivable new technologies are responsible 
for this change in philosophy. However, at some sites, containment and 
stabilization may be an interim measure and has its own set of 
associated technical problems. There is little understanding of the 
long-term performance of containment and stabilization systems, and 
there is a general absence of robust and cost-effective methods to 
validate that such systems are installed properly or that they can 
provide effective long-term protection.
    The construction of stabilization and containment systems is 
properly within the province of applied technology development. 
However, basic research focused on the following topics will be needed 
to support this technology development effort:
     The mechanisms and kinetics of chemically and biologically 
mediated reactions that can be applied to new stabilization and 
containment approaches (e.g., reactions that can extend the use of 
reactive barriers to a greater range of contaminant types found at DOE 
sites) or that can be used to understand the long-term reversibility of 
chemical and biological stabilization methods.
     The physical, chemical, and biological reactions that 
occur among contaminants, soils, and barrier components so that more 
compatible and durable materials for containment and stabilization 
systems can be developed.
     The fluid transport behavior in conventional barrier 
systems, for example, understanding water infiltration into layered 
systems, including infiltration under partially saturated conditions 
and under the influences of capillary, chemical, electrical, and 
thermal gradients can be used to support the design of more effective 
infiltration barrier systems.
     The development of methods for assessing the long-term 
durability of containment and stabilization systems.

Monitoring and Validation

    Monitoring and validation are necessary at both the front and the 
back ends of the site remediation process. At the front end, monitoring 
and validation are used to support the development of conceptual and 
predictive models of subsurface and contaminant behavior. At the back 
end, monitoring and validation are used to demonstrate the 
effectiveness of efforts to remove, treat, or especially to contain 
contamination and to gain regulatory acceptance for such corrective 
actions. Moreover, such monitoring and validation efforts can also 
improve the understanding of the contaminant fate and transport 
processes and can be used to recalibrate and revise conceptual and 
predictive models-important elements of the model building process.
    The ability to monitor and validate is essential to the successful 
application of any corrective action to a subsurface contamination 
problem and regulatory acceptance of that action. However, the 
knowledge and technology bases to support these activities are not 
fully developed and are receiving little attention in EM's science and 
technology programs.
    Many of the research opportunities for monitoring and validation 
have been covered in the research emphases discussed above. Basic 
research is needed on the following topics:
     Development of methods for designing monitoring systems to 
detect both current conditions and changes in system behaviors. These 
methods may involve the application of conceptual, mathematical, and 
statistical models to determine the types and locations of observation 
systems and prediction of the spatial and temporal resolutions at which 
observations need to be made.
     Development of validation processes. The research 
questions include (1) understanding what a representation of system 
behavior means and how to judge when a model provides an accurate 
representation of a system behavior--the model may give the right 
answers for the wrong reasons and thus may not be a good predictive 
tool; and (2) how to validate the future performance of the model or 
system behavior based on present-day measurements.
     Data for model validation. Determining the key 
measurements that are required to validate models and system behaviors, 
the spatial and temporal resolutions at which such measurements must be 
obtained, and the extent to which surrogate data (e.g., data from lab-
scale testing facilities) can be used in validation efforts.
     Research to support the development of methods to monitor 
fluid and gaseous fluxes through the unsaturated zone, and for 
differentiating diurnal and seasonal changes from longer-term secular 
changes. These methods may involve both direct (e.g., in situ sensors) 
and indirect (e.g., using plants and animals) measurements over long 
time periods, particularly for harsh chemical environments 
characteristic of some DOE sites. This research should support the 
development of both the physical instrumentation and measurement 
techniques. The latter includes measurement strategies and data 
analysis (including statistical) approaches.

Background

    The DOE has a 50-year legacy of environmental problems resulting 
from the production of nuclear weapons. Migration of some groundwater 
plumes threaten local and regional water sources, and in some cases, 
have adversely impacted off-site resources. The Department is 
responsible for the remediation of numerous landfills at facilities. 
These landfills are estimated to contain over three million cubic 
meters of radioactive and hazardous buried waste, some of which has 
migrated to the surrounding soils and groundwater. Currently available 
cleanup technologies are inadequate or unacceptable due to excessive 
costs, increased risks, long schedules, or the production of secondary 
waste streams.
    Much of the defense-related contamination within the Department 
(the Complex has over 100 sites) occurs at six of the largest sites, as 
summarized below: Hanford, Washington; Idaho National Engineering and 
Environmental Laboratory (INEEL); Nevada Test Site (NTS); Oak Ridge 
Reservation (ORR), Tennessee; Rocky Flats Environmental Technology 
Site, Colorado, and Savannah River Site (SRS), South Carolina.

Hanford Site, Washington

    Located in southeastern Washington State, Hanford encompasses 1450 
square kilometers (km\2\). From 1940 to 1989, nuclear weapons 
production took place, leaving several production reactors, chemical 
separations plants, and solid and liquid storage sites. The 
unsaturated, or vadose zone, on the central plateau area is 60-90 
meters (m) thick. Here, several trillion liters of contaminated water 
and supernatant liquid were discharged or gravity-settled via, basins, 
cribs, trenches, tanks, etc., causing ground water and soil 
contamination from radionuclides (primarily, tritium, uranium, cesium-
137, strontium-90, technecium-99, and iodine-129), metals (e.g. 
chromium), and DNAPLs (e.g. carbon tetrachloride). Prior to the 1990s, 
it was thought that the sorption capabilities of the soil in the vadose 
zone would limit migration of radionuclides; however, recent conceptual 
and mathematical models indicate more rapid migration potential to the 
groundwater.
    The DOE created the Groundwater/Vadose Zone Integration Project, 
described at: http://www.bhi-erc.com/projects/vadose to coordinate 
cleanup activities at Hanford. A number of projects were awarded in the 
1999

[[Page 724]]

EMSP Vadose Zone research call that were highly relevant to science 
needs at the Hanford site. DOE/Richland has identified important, 
current scientific issues for research that are not being addressed by 
others at the Hanford site, or within the current EMSP program. 
Resolution of these issues would advance the state of remediation and 
site closure at Hanford and other DOE sites as well. These scientific 
issues may be found in a briefing document at: http://www.bhi-erc.com/projects/vadose/sandt/stdocs.htm. A 2001 report by the National Academy 
of Sciences and the National Research Council, titled ``Science and 
Technology for Environmental Cleanup at Hanford'' presents the 
successes and improvement areas of the science and technology program 
in the Hanford cleanup. Interested investigators are also referred to 
the Fiscal Year 2001, Subsurface Contaminations Technology Needs list 
at: http://www.pnl.gov/stcg/fy01needs/ss/index.stm for a detailed 
description of site research needs.

Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory

    Located west of Idaho Falls, Idaho, INEEL occupies 2,300 km\2\ of 
semi-arid desert along the northern margin of the Eastern Snake River 
Plain. The site was established as a building, testing, and operating 
station for various types of nuclear reactors and propulsion systems. 
Spent fuel from the naval reactor program is also managed there. Low 
levels of plutonium have been found in ground water beneath the 
Radioactive Waste Management Complex (RWMC)--a disposal site that 
received low-level and transuranic waste beginning in 1952. Pit 9, a 
trench within the RWMC, received an estimated 7,100 m\3\ of sludge and 
solids contaminated with plutonium and americium. Similar to Hanford, 
at the time, the thick (60-240 m) unsaturated zone of volcanic strata 
was thought to impede contaminant migration to the underlying aquifers. 
Estimates today indicate travel times of tens of years, as opposed to 
estimates made in the 1950s and 1960s of thousand-year travel times. 
Interested investigators are referred to the INEEL Science and 
Technology Needs list at: http://www.inel.gov/st-needs for a detailed 
description of fundamental science studies that will assist, 
accelerate, or reduce the cost of cleanup.

Nevada Test Site

    The NTS became the primary location for atmospheric and underground 
nuclear testing in 1951. The Test Site occupies 3,500 km\2\ of land in 
southern Nevada, north of Las Vegas about 143 km. Surface and shallow 
soil are contaminated with americium, plutonium and depleted uranium, 
and with metals from nuclear detonations, safety test shots, and rocket 
engine testing. Underground nuclear testing resulted in over 300 
million curies of subsurface contamination including, tritium, 
plutonium, uranium, cesium, strontium, and other fission products. 
Tritium plumes have been detected from testing locations because this 
radionuclide is very mobile in the water phase. Plutonium, once thought 
to be relatively immobile in groundwater due to low solubilities and 
strong sorption on mineral surfaces, was detected 1.3 km down gradient 
of the Benham test on Pahute Mesa, in a 600-m-deep monitoring well. The 
plutonium was detected on colloids, leaving open the question of the 
contribution of colloidal transport of plutonium versus the prompt 
injection effects of the detonation blast. Basic research in the 
mechanical and geochemical transport of plutonium is warranted. Other 
site-specific technology needs can be found at: http://www.nv.doe.gov/programs/envmgmt/blackmtn/TDSTCGTechnologyNeeds.htm.

Oak Ridge Reservation

    Located about 10 km west of Knoxville, Tennessee, ORR was built 
originally to produce and chemically separate plutonium. Later, ORR 
produced isotopes and conducted isotopic and hazardous constituents 
research. ORR has three main facilities: the Oak Ridge National 
Laboratory supported plutonium production research and development, and 
the Y-12 and K-25 Plants produced highly enriched uranium via magnetic 
separation and gaseous diffusion, respectively. Wastes from these 
activities were placed in burial grounds, that have subsequently caused 
soil and water contamination in the Melton Valley Watershed, including 
strontium-90, tritium, cesium-137, and cobalt-60. Seepage from flooding 
of the waste trenches caused downgradient migration of radionuclides. 
The sediments behind White Oak Dam are significantly contaminated with 
radionuclides; White Oak Creek drains Melton Valley and the surface 
water contains tritium. Basic research is needed to better locate and 
characterize contamination hot spots in the burial grounds, as well as 
to improve the site conceptual and mathematical models, which include 
fractured-bedrock flow and karst hydrology. Containment systems, such 
as caps and barriers, and performance monitoring of engineered systems 
will be constructed under the cleanup program to verify and validate 
long-term performance and model results. Investigators are referred to 
the Technology Needs Database at: http://www.em.doe.gov/techneed to 
review Oak Ridge's needs list in the areas of characterization, 
treatment, storage, and disposal of hazardous and radioactive wastes.

Rocky Flats

    Rocky Flats Environmental Technology Site is located on the western 
side of Denver, Colorado, and encompasses 140 hectares. Operations 
ceased in 1989 after years of fabrication and components assembly for 
nuclear weapons production. Materials used in these activities included 
plutonium and enriched uranium metals and oxides. Poor storage and 
disposal practices resulted in surface and groundwater contamination on 
and offsite, principally, soil contamination with americium, plutonium, 
and uranium. Cleanup and closure actions include removal and 
stabilization of contaminated media, construction of caps and barriers, 
and long term monitoring and surveillance. Investigators are referred 
to the Rocky flats website at: http://www.aimsi.com/rockyflats/ to 
review science and technology needs, as well as related information.

Savannah River Site

    The SRS was established in 1950 near Aiken, South Carolina, to 
produce radioactive isotopes for use in nuclear weapons production. 
Encompassing 800 km\2\, the Site contains production reactors, chemical 
processing plants, and solid and liquid waste storage facilities. The 
Burial Ground Complex in the central part of SRS received low- and 
intermediate-level radioactive and mixed waste from 1952-1995. The 
source term of the waste is somewhat uncertain, and has leaked to 
groundwater creating plumes of hazardous chemicals, metals, and 
radionuclides. Closure of the Complex will include removal or 
stabilization of highly contaminated zones, an engineered and layered 
cover, possibly consisting of synthetic material, and long term 
monitoring and surveillance.
    A persistent DNAPL plume of 140 hectares is associated with a 
manufacturing area in the northern portion of the site. From the 1950s 
to the 1980s, wastewater from fuel and target manufacturing seeped into 
the ground via an overflow basin, releasing solvents and heavy metals 
to the environment. A pump and treat system at the down gradient end of 
the plume

[[Page 725]]

controls spreading, 400 monitoring wells are used to collect data for 
surveillance and modeling. Site engineers and scientists continue to 
look for new technologies and methods to better characterize, describe, 
and remediate the plume and its source(s). Investigators are referred 
to the SRS website at: http://www.srs.gov/general/scitech/scitech.htm 
to review science and technology needs, as well as related information.

References

    Note: World Wide Web locations of these documents are provided 
where possible. For those without access to the World Wide Web, hard 
copies of these references may be obtained by writing Mark A. 
Gilbertson at the address listed in the FOR FURTHER INFORMATION 
CONTACT section.

DOE. 2001. A National Roadmap for the Vadose Zone Science & Technology. 
http://www.inel.gov/vadosezone/ 
DOE. 1998a. Accelerating Cleanup: Paths to Closure--June 1998. http://www.em.doe.gov/closure
DOE. 1998b. Report to Congress on the U.S. Department of Energy's 
Environmental Management Science Program--April 1998. http://emsp.em.doe.gov/products.htm#rep
DOE. 1996. Closing the Circle on the Splitting of the Atom: The 
Environmental Legacy of Nuclear Weapons Production in the United States 
and What the Department of Energy is Doing About It. The U.S. 
Department of Energy, Office of Environmental Management, Office of 
Strategic Planning and Analysis, Washington, DC. http://www.energy.gov/library/sub/pubcenter.html
National Research Council. 2001a. A Strategic Vision for Department of 
Energy Quality of Research and Development. National Academy Press, 
Washington, DC. http://www.nap.edu/browse.html
National Research Council. 2001b. Science and Technology for 
Environmental Cleanup at Hanford. National Academy Press, Washington, 
DC. http://www.nap.edu/browse.html
National Research Council. 2000. Research Needs in Subsurface Science, 
U.S. Department of Energy's Environmental Management Science Program. 
National Academy Press, Washington, DC. http://www.nap.edu/browse.html
National Research Council. 1997. Building an Environmental Management 
Science Program: Final Assessment. National Academy Press, Washington, 
DC. http://www.nap.edu/browse.html
National Research Council. 1995. Improving the Environment: An 
Evaluation of DOE's Environmental Management Program. National Academy 
Press, Washington, DC. http://www.nap.edu/browse.html
Richland Environmental Restoration Project, Groundwater/Vadose Zone 
Integration Project. http://www.bhi-erc.com/projects/vadose/

    The Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Number for this 
program is 81.049, and the solicitation control number is ERFAP 10 
CFR part 605.
    Issued in Washington, DC, on December 18, 2001.
John Rodney Clark,
Associate Director of Science for Resource Management.
[FR Doc. 02-284 Filed 1-4-02; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6450-02-U