Environmental Systems Research Candidates Program--FY2000 Annual report
The Environmental Systems Research Candidates (ESRC) Program, which is scheduled to end September 2001, was established in April 2000 as part of the Environmental Systems Research and Analysis Program at the Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory (INEEL) to provide key science and technology to meet the clean-up mission of the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Environmental Management, and perform research and development that will help solve current legacy problems and enhance the INEEL’s scientific and technical capability for solving longer-term challenges. This report documents the progress and accomplishments of the ESRC Program from April through September 2000. The ESRC Program consists of 24 tasks subdivided within four research areas: A. Environmental Characterization Science and Technology. This research explores new data acquisition, processing, and interpretation methods that support cleanup and long-term stewardship decisions. B. Subsurface Understanding. This research expands understanding of the biology, chemistry, physics, hydrology, and geology needed to improve models of contamination problems in the earth’s subsurface. C. Environmental Computational Modeling. This research develops INEEL computing capability for modeling subsurface contaminants and contaminated facilities. D. Environmental Systems Science and Technology. This research explores novel processes to treat waste and decontaminate facilities. Our accomplishments during FY 2000 include the following: • We determined, through analysis of samples taken in and around the INEEL site, that mercury emissions from the INEEL calciner have not raised regional off-INEEL mercury contamination levels above normal background. • We have initially demonstrated the use of x-ray fluorescence to image uranium and heavy metal concentrations in soil samples. • We increased our understanding of the subsurface environment; applying mathematical complexity theory to the problem of transport of subsurface contaminants. • We upgraded the INEEL’s high-speed computer link to offsite supercomputers from T1 (1.5 MB/s) to DS3 (45 MB/s). Procurements have initiated a further upgrade to OC3 (155 MB/s) with additional onsite computational power that should put the INEEL on the Top 500 Supercomputing Sites list. • We developed advanced decontamination, decommissioning, and dismantlement techniques, including the Decontamination, Decommissioning, and Remediation Optimal Planning System.
- Research Organization:
- Idaho National Lab. (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE
- DOE Contract Number:
- DE-AC07-99ID-13727
- OSTI ID:
- 910988
- Report Number(s):
- INEEL/EXT-00-01351; TRN: US200724%%363
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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