[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 221 (Monday, November 17, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Pages 61307-61313]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-30121]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Office of Energy Research


Office of Environmental Management; Energy Research Financial 
Assistance Program Notice 98-04; Environmental Management Science 
Program: Research Related to Decontamination and Decommissioning of 
Facilities

AGENCY: U.S. Department of Energy (DOE).

ACTION: Notice inviting grant applications.

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SUMMARY: The Offices of Energy Research (ER) and Environmental 
Management (EM), U.S. Department of Energy, hereby announce their 
interest in receiving grant applications for performance of innovative, 
fundamental research to support specifically activities for facility 
decontamination and decommissioning (D&D); which include, but are not 
limited to, the characterization, monitoring, and certification of 
contaminated equipment and facilities; contaminant removal, contaminant 
control of various treatment processes; the treatment, removal, and 
stabilization of DOE D&D-derived radioactive, hazardous chemical, and 
mixed wastes.

DATES: Potential applicants are strongly encouraged to submit a brief 
preapplication. All preapplications, referencing Program Notice 98-04, 
should be received by DOE by 4:30 P.M. E.S.T., December 16, 1997. A 
response encouraging or discouraging a formal application generally 
will be communicated to the applicant within three weeks of receipt. 
The deadline for receipt of formal applications is 4:30 P.M., E.S.T., 
March 17, 1998, in order to be accepted for merit review and to permit 
timely consideration for award in Fiscal Year 1998.

ADDRESSES: All preapplications, referencing Program Notice 98-04, 
should be sent to Dr. Roland F. Hirsch, ER-73, Mail Stop F-240, Office 
of Biological and Environmental Research, U.S. Department of Energy, 
19901 Germantown Road, Germantown, MD 20874-1290. Preapplications will 
be accepted if submitted by U. S. Postal Service, including Express 
Mail, commercial mail delivery service, or hand delivery, but will not 
be accepted by fax, electronic mail, or other means.
    After receiving notification from DOE concerning successful 
preapplications, applicants may prepare and submit formal applications. 
Applications must be sent to: U.S. Department of Energy, Office of 
Energy Research, Grants and Contracts Division, ER-64, 19901 Germantown 
Road, Germantown, MD 20874-1290, Attn: Program Notice 98-04. The above 
address for formal applications must also be used when submitting 
formal 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, ER-73, Mail Stop 
F-240, Office of Biological and Environmental Research, Office of 
Energy Research, U.S. Department of Energy, 19901 Germantown Road, 
Germantown, MD 20874-1290, telephone: (301) 903-5349, fax: (301) 903-
0567, E-mail: <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#a5d7cac9c4cbc18bcdccd7d6c6cde5cac0d78bc1cac08bc2cad3"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="0b7964676a656f256362797868634b646e79256f646e256c647d">[email protected]</span></a>, or Mr. Mark Gilbertson, Office 
of Science and Risk Policy, Office of Science and Technology, Office of 
Environmental Management, 1000 Independence

[[Page 61308]]

Avenue, SW, Washington, D.C. 20585, telephone: (202) 586-7150, E-mail: 
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#8de0ecffe6a3eae4e1efe8fff9fee2e3cde8e0a3e9e2e8a3eae2fb"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="e28f839089cc858b8e80879096918d8ca2878fcc868d87cc858d94">[email protected]</span></a>.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Office of Environmental Management, in 
partnership with the Office of Energy Research, 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.
    The DOE Environmental Management program currently has ongoing 
applied research and engineering efforts under its Technology 
Development Program. These efforts must be supplemented with basic 
research to address long-term technical issues crucial to the EM 
mission. Basic research can also provide EM with near-term fundamental 
data that may be 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 ER. ER's well-established procedures, as set forth in 
the Energy Research 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. This information is also available on the World Wide Web at 
http://www.er.doe.gov/production/grants/merit.html.
    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 at <a href="http://
www.em.doe.gov/science">http://
www.em.doe.gov/science</a>.
    Additional Notices for the Environmental Management Science Program 
may be issued during Fiscal Year 1998 covering other areas within the 
scope of the EM program.

Purpose

    The need to build a stronger scientific basis for the Environmental 
Management effort has been established in a number of recent studies 
and reports. The Galvin Commission report (``Alternative Futures for 
the Department of Energy National Laboratories,'' February 1995) also 
provided the following observations and recommendations:

    There is a particular need for long term, basic research in 
disciplines related to environmental cleanup'' * * * ``Adopting a 
science-based approach that includes supporting development of 
technologies and expertise'' * * * ``could lead to both reduced 
cleanup costs and smaller environmental impacts at existing sites 
and to the development of a scientific foundation for advances in 
environmental technologies.''
    The Environmental Management Advisory Board Science Committee 
(Resolution on the Environmental Management Science Program, May 2, 
1997) made the following observations:

    ``EMSP results are likely to be of significant value to EM'' * * 
* ``Early program benefits, include: improved understanding of EM 
science needs, linkage with technology needs, and expansion of the 
cadre of scientific personnel working on EM problems' * * * 
``Science program has the potential to lead to significant 
improvement in future risk reduction and cost and time savings.''

    The objectives of the Environmental Management Science Program are 
to:
    <bullet> Provide scientific knowledge that will revolutionize 
technologies and clean-up approaches to significantly reduce future 
costs, schedules, and risks;
    <bullet> ``Bridge the gap'' between broad fundamental research that 
has wide-ranging applicability such as that performed in DOE's Office 
of Energy Research and needs-driven applied technology development that 
is conducted in EM's Office of Science and Technology; and
    <bullet> Focus the Nation's science infrastructure on critical DOE 
environmental management problems.

Representative Research Areas

    Basic research is solicited in all areas of science with the 
potential for addressing problems in decontamination and 
decommissioning of nuclear facilities, an important subject of concern 
to the Department's Environmental Management Program. The relevant 
scientific disciplines include, but are not limited to, bioremediation, 
chemistry (including analytical chemistry and instrumentation, surface 
chemistry, and separations chemistry), computational sciences 
(including research and development of digital control algorithms for 
robotics, communication procedures and software technology for remote 
control of processing equipment), engineering sciences (including 
control systems and optimization, diagnostics, transport processes, 
fracture mechanics, and bioengineering), materials science (including 
alternate materials processing routes for waste minimization, welding 
and joining, degradation mechanisms, including corrosion and 
irradiation damage in radioactive waste forms, and remote sensing and 
monitoring), and physics (including optical, surface, and fluid 
physics).

Program Funding

    Up to a total of $4,000,000 of Fiscal Year 1998 Federal funds is 
expected to be available for new Environmental Management Science 
Program awards resulting from this Notice. Multiple-year funding of 
grant awards is anticipated, contingent upon the availability of 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. All projects will be evaluated using the same criteria, 
regardless of the submitting institution.

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 Federally Funded 
Research and Development Centers (FFRDCs), including the DOE National 
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 the 
program.
    Collaborative research applications may be submitted in several 
ways:
    (1) When multiple private sector or academic organizations intend 
to propose collaborative or joint research projects, the lead 
organization may submit a single application which includes another 
organization as a lower-tier participant (subcontract) who

[[Page 61309]]

will be responsible for a smaller portion of the overall project. If 
approved for funding, DOE may provide the total project funds to the 
lead organization who will provide funding to the other participant via 
a subcontract arrangement. The application should clearly describe the 
role to be played by each organization, specify the managerial 
arrangements and explain the advantages of the multi-organizational 
effort.
    (2) Alternatively, multiple private sector or academic 
organizations who intend to propose collaborative or joint research 
projects may each prepare a portion of the application, then combine 
each portion into a single, integrated scientific application. A 
separate Face Page and Budget Pages must be included for each 
organization participating in the collaborative project. The joint 
application must be submitted to DOE as one package. If approved for 
funding, DOE will award a separate grant to each collaborating 
organization.
    (3) Private sector or academic applicants who wish to form a 
collaborative project with a DOE FFRDC may not include the DOE FFRDC in 
their application as a lower-tier participant (subcontract). Rather 
each collaborator may prepare a portion of the proposal, then combine 
each portion into a single, integrated scientific proposal. The private 
sector or academic organization must include a Face Page and Budget 
Pages for their portion of the project. The FFRDC must include separate 
Budget Pages for their portion of the project. The joint proposal must 
be submitted to DOE as one package. If approved for funding, DOE will 
award a grant to the private sector or academic organization. The FFRDC 
will be funded, through existing DOE contracts, from funds specifically 
designated for new FFRDC projects. DOE FFRDCs will not compete for 
funding already designated for private sector or academic 
organizations. Other Federal laboratories who wish to form 
collaborative projects may also follow guidelines outlined in this 
section.

Preapplications

    A brief preapplication may be submitted. The original and five 
copies must be received by December 16, 1997, to be considered. The 
preapplication should identify on the cover sheet the institution, PI 
name, address, telephone, fax and E-mail address for the principal 
investigator, title of the project, and the field of scientific 
research (using the list in the Application Categories section). The 
preapplication should consist of up to three pages of narrative 
describing the research objectives and the plan for accomplishing them, 
and should also include a paragraph describing the research background 
of the principal investigator and key collaborators if any.
    Preapplications will be evaluated relative to the scope and 
research needs of the DOE's Environmental Management Science Program by 
qualified DOE program managers from both ER and EM. Preapplications are 
strongly encouraged but not required prior to submission of a full 
application. Please note that notification of a successful 
preapplication is not an indication that an award will be made in 
response to the formal application.

Application Format

    Applicants are expected to use the following format in addition to 
following instructions in the Office of Energy Research Application 
Guide. Applications must be written in English, with all budgets in 
U.S. dollars.
    <bullet> ER Face Page (DOE F 4650.2 (10-91))
    <bullet> Application classification sheet (a plain sheet of paper 
with one selection from the list of scientific fields listed in the 
Application Categories Section)
    <bullet> Table of Contents
    <bullet> Project Abstract (no more than one page)
    <bullet> Budgets for each year and a summary budget page for the 
entire project period (using DOE F 4620.1)
    <bullet> Budget Explanation
    <bullet> Budgets and Budget explanation for each collaborative 
subproject, if any
    <bullet> 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 EMSP
Background
Research Plan
    Preliminary Studies (if applicable)
    Research Design and Methodologies

    <bullet> Literature Cited
    <bullet> Collaborative Arrangements (if applicable)
    <bullet> Biographical Sketches (limit 2 pages per senior 
investigator)
    <bullet> Description of Facilities and Resources
    <bullet> Current and Pending Support for each senior investigator

Application Categories

    In order to properly classify each preapplication and 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. Bioremediation
2. Analytical Chemistry and Instrumentation
3. Separations Chemistry
4. Surface Chemistry
5. Computer and Mathematical Sciences
6. Engineering Sciences
7. Materials Science
8. Physics
9. 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

    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 the Environmental Management 
Science Program. These objectives were established in the Conference 
Report for the Fiscal Year 1996 Energy and Water Development 
Appropriations Act, and are published in the Congressional Record--
House, October 26, 1995, page H10956.
    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. Research funded in the 
Environmental Management Science Program in Fiscal Year 1996 and Fiscal 
Year 1997 can be viewed at http://www.doe.gov/em52/science-grants.html.

Application Guide and Forms

    Information about the development, submission of applications, 
eligibility,

[[Page 61310]]

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 Energy Research Financial Assistance Program. 
Electronic access to the Guide and required forms is made available via 
the World Wide Web at <a href="http://www.er.doe.gov/production/grants/
grants.html">http://www.er.doe.gov/production/grants/
grants.html</a>.

Major Environmental Management Challenges

    This research announcement has been developed for Fiscal Year 1998, 
along with a development process for a long-term program within 
Environmental Management, with the objective of providing continuity in 
scientific knowledge that will revolutionize technologies and clean-up 
approaches for solving DOE's most complex environmental problems. The 
following is an overview of the technical challenge facing the 
Environmental Management Program in the area of Decontamination and 
Decommissioning which is the focus of this announcement. More detailed 
descriptions of the specific technical needs and areas of emphasis 
associated with this problem area can be found in the background 
section of this Notice.
    Deactivation refers to ceasing facility operations and placing the 
facility in a safe and stable condition to prevent unacceptable 
exposure of people or the environment to radioactive or other hazardous 
materials until the facility can be decommissioned. Typically, 
deactivation involves removal of stored radioactive and other hazardous 
materials and the draining of systems. Decommissioning is the process 
of decontaminating or removing contaminated equipment and structures to 
achieve the desired end state for the facility. Desired end states 
include complete removal and remediation of the facility, release of 
the facility for unrestricted use, or release of facility for 
restricted use. Decontamination is the removal of unwanted radioactive 
or hazardous contamination by a chemical or mechanical process.
    DOE must decontaminate and decommission a large number of aging, 
surplus facilities. The nature and magnitude of the facility 
decontamination, decommissioning, and material disposition problems 
require Environmental Management to address these problems quickly and 
cost-effectively. In Facility Decontamination and Decommissioning, 
Environmental Management is attempting to solve the problems of 7,000 
contaminated buildings that require deactivation, and 900 contaminated 
buildings including their contents that require decommissioning. DOE is 
also responsible for decontaminating the metal and concrete within 
those buildings and disposing of 180,000 metric tons of scrap metal.
    Several themes in the area of Facility Decontamination and 
Decommissioning were identified from research needs statements. These 
are summarized below:
    <bullet> Characterization: Improved characterization and monitoring 
and certification of contaminated equipment and facilities with 
emphasis on real time characterization in the field.
    <bullet> Contaminant removal: Advances in the removal of 
contamination from equipment and facilities, particularly metallic 
structures and equipment, and concrete structures. Other gaps in the 
knowledge base exist in containment technologies to prevent radioactive 
emissions and spread of contamination during deactivation and 
decommissioning; improved knowledge for safe removal of hazardous 
materials, including asbestos and lead; and remote handling and 
operations and ideas that could increase worker safety and 
productivity.
    <bullet> Reduction of waste: Methods for reduction of waste volume 
produced by decontamination and decommissioning.
    The aforementioned areas of emphasis does not preclude, and DOE 
strongly encourages, any innovative or creative ideas contributing to 
solving EM D&D challenges mentioned throughout this Notice.

Background

    The United States involvement in nuclear weapons development for 
the last 50 years has resulted in the development of a vast research, 
production, and testing network known as the nuclear weapons complex. 
The Department has the challenge of deactivating 7,000 contaminated 
buildings and decommissioning 900 contaminated buildings that are 
currently on DOE's list of surplus facilities. It is also responsible 
for decontaminating the metal and concrete within those buildings and 
disposing of 180,000 metric tons of scrap metal. As stated earlier, 
deactivation refers to ceasing facility operations and placing the 
facility in a safe and stable condition to prevent unacceptable 
exposure of people or the environment to radioactive or other hazardous 
materials until the facility can be decommissioned. Typically, 
deactivation involves removal of fuel and stored radioactive and other 
hazardous materials and draining of systems. Decommissioning is the 
process of decontaminating or removing contaminated equipment and 
structures to achieve the desired end state for the facility. Desired 
end states include complete removal and remediation of the facility, 
release of facility for unrestricted use, or release of facility for 
restricted use. Decontamination is the removal of unwanted radioactive 
or hazardous contamination by a chemical or mechanical process.
    Decontamination and Decommissioning (D&D) is centered around four 
main areas of surplus facilities. These are Reactor Facilities, 
Processing Facilities, Laboratory Facilities, and Infrastructure and 
Supporting Activities that pertain to all types of surplus facilities.
    Reactor facilities include production, test, and research reactors 
and their associated buildings. These facilities represent a 
significant portion of DOE's D&D mortgage. The decontamination and 
decommissioning of these reactors could expose workers to high levels 
of radiation and hazardous material using currently-available, labor-
intensive technologies.
    Processing facilities includes plutonium, uranium, tritium, lithium 
processing facilities, and gaseous diffusion plants. Decommissioning of 
these facilities could benefit from innovative science in the areas of 
in-situ characterization and analysis, less costly waste disposal 
options, automated systems for containment and dismantlement, and 
material recycling.
    Laboratory facilities include hot cells, gloveboxes, and analytical 
laboratories. Hot cells and gloveboxes have a high-radiation 
environment with highly-contaminated equipment. Decommissioning of 
these facilities could benefit from innovative science in the areas of 
debris removal, wet and dry decontamination methods, waste segregation 
and volume reduction, and remote and robotic dismantlement techniques.
    Infrastructure and Supporting Activities includes innovative 
science in the areas of worker safety and protection; concrete and 
metal recycle; pollution prevention; and final waste forms.
    This research agenda has been developed for Fiscal Year 1998, along 
with a development process for a long term program within EM, with the 
objective of providing continuity in scientific knowledge that will 
revolutionize technologies and clean-up approaches for solving DOE's 
most complex environmental problems. The following are descriptions of 
the Facility Decontamination and Decommissioning challenges which are 
intended to help

[[Page 61311]]

align research and researchers in these efforts. Also included in 
bullet form are the specific science research challenges.

Characterization

Improvement of Characterization, Monitoring, and Certification of 
Contaminated Equipment and Facilities

    Improvements are needed in the area of remote characterization and 
remote surveying, including improved means to obtain samples remotely 
from difficult-to-access places such as underground tanks and piping 
systems and in areas having high radiation fields or other hazardous 
situations. Rapid automated characterization and certification of 
levels of surface radioactive contamination on scrap metal is needed; 
that is, systems which can differentiate between contaminated and non-
contaminated equipment and methods to aid in material segregation. 
Also, advances in engineering sciences associated with development of 
miniaturized and micro-equipment, robotics, and control theories are 
needed to support remote inspection needs. A method is needed to trace 
and plot the exact spatial location of underground piping and unknown 
buried or embedded objects. Improved remote and non-intrusive methods 
are needed to verify the existence or absence of contamination in 
drains, pipes, and associated equipment. Non-destructive 
characterization mapping methods are needed. Improved radiological 
characterization and certification of contaminated equipment and 
facilities are also needed. Improved methods and techniques are needed 
to detect the presence of asbestos-containing materials in the field in 
real-time or near real-time. Improved methods and ideas are needed to 
detect and quantify contaminants that have penetrated below the surface 
of porous materials such as concrete and transite.
    Some examples of specific science research challenges include but 
are not limited to:
    <bullet> Research to advance the state-of-the-art for radiation-
hardened microelectronics, sensors, sample-collection systems, and 
controls in robotics for remote characterizations in difficult-to-
access places and in areas having high radiation fields or other 
hazardous situations.
    <bullet> Applications of new principles and innovations to support 
the development of sensors, detectors, or monitors for rapid automated 
characterization and certification of levels of radionuclides, 
asbestos, lead, dioxin, or other toxic substances that may exist on the 
surface of scrap metal, equipment, and facilities, or be introduced 
into the atmosphere during cleanup operations.
    <bullet> Research to expand knowledge of the principles of energy 
beam-material interactions, including energy coupling, mass removal by 
vaporization and ablation, particle generation, gas dynamics, solid 
vapor entrainment, and transport processes, for characterizing and 
removing contamination from surfaces.

Deactivation.

    Improved methods and ideas to reduce the cost to survey and 
maintain facilities awaiting deactivation or decommissioning, including 
automated, non-intrusive monitoring of facilities for structural 
integrity and contaminant migration. Improved methods and ideas should 
minimize labor and cost to survey and maintain facilities.
    Some examples of specific science research challenges include but 
are not limited to:
    <bullet> Exploration of computational and artificial intelligence 
approaches for robotics technology to enhance material packing, 
disposition, or recycling and thereby help reduce the health risks to 
workers, as well as the costs and time associated with decontamination 
and decommissioning.

Contaminant Removal

Improved Methods for Removing Contamination from Surfaces, including 
Metals, Concrete, and Non-Porous Surfaces

    In contaminated facilities, much of the concrete, paint, or similar 
materials are contaminated only on the surface or to a relatively 
shallow depth (for concrete, typically less than one inch). Fundamental 
studies associated with diffusion of species into and out of porous 
materials are needed to design innovative approaches to cleaning of 
porous materials. Historically, such materials have been handled by 
mechanically removing the paint by sanding/blasting on the surface 
layers of concrete through a scrabbling operation. These processes are 
slow and costly and directly expose the workers to radiation fields. 
Dust control is also a problem. In addition to surface contamination, 
concrete often contains expansion joints or cracks where contamination 
may have penetrated deeper. Jackhammers are typically used to remove 
concrete from these cracks or seams in an attempt to remove the 
contamination. This is a labor intensive operation. It is desired that 
new or significantly improved ideas be developed to decontaminate these 
concrete structures and painted areas, and reduce the amount of 
secondary waste. In addition, improved methods and ideas are needed to 
remove greater than one-inch depth of concrete surface.
    Improved understanding of radionuclide and heavy metal adhesion and 
adsorption to material surfaces is needed. Fundamental studies 
associated with structure bonding of materials is advantageous to 
develop new or improved removal methods. Steel or other metals are 
often encountered in a variety of shapes and sizes in contaminated 
nuclear facilities. Since the decontamination of metal often results in 
the generation of large volumes of secondary waste, the metal is 
disposed of as radioactive waste rather than expend funds on 
decontaminating and surveying the metal. New or significantly improved 
decontamination techniques are needed for stainless steel, copper, 
nickel, iron, carbon steel structural members, and galvanized siding 
that could lead to recycling the metal into products for use within 
DOE, or free releasing the metal to the commercial scrap metal market. 
The decontamination process should be cost effective and safe and 
should not generate large volumes of a secondary waste, which would be 
difficult or expensive to dispose of. Improved methods and ideas are 
needed for in-situ decontamination of contaminated pipes.
    Some examples of specific science research challenges include but 
are not limited to:
    <bullet> Research to develop understanding of the formation and 
dissolution of surface films, including structure, speciation, 
composition and energetics.
    <bullet> Elucidation of the mechanisms of radionuclide and metal 
adhesion, adsorption, and structural bonding to material surfaces, 
including work specific to Pu and other actinides.
    <bullet> Exploration of principles of ultrasonic irradiation and 
cavitation to evaluate potential for destroying organic contaminants, 
accelerating reaction rates, enhancing catalysis, and cleaning 
surfaces.
    <bullet> Research on the nature and design of ligands that can 
photo-release radionuclides, metals, and contaminants from surfaces.
    <bullet> Elucidation of the principles of biological approaches to 
surface cleaning and diagnostics.
    Containment Methods/Techniques to Prevent spread of Contamination.
    Cleanup, decommissioning, dismantling, and construction activities 
will require containment methods to prevent the spread of contamination 
offsite or to uncontaminated areas on-site. Containment of the airborne 
contamination during disassembly and

[[Page 61312]]

demolition activities is also a problem. Fundamental chemical research 
is desired for development of fixatives and auto-forming barriers to 
support development of cost effective containment technology. 
Fundamental chemical research is needed in the development of cost 
effective reactant or binding agents. Improved and easily portable 
containment systems are also needed. Research is needed to improve 
personal protective equipment to improve the level of worker 
protection, productivity, and comfort with emphasis on reducing heat 
stress to workers and ability to safely and comfortably work at heights 
and in confined or restricted spaces.
    Some examples of specific science research challenges include but 
are not limited to:
    <bullet> Research to support the development of fixatives, binding 
agents, and auto-forming barriers for effective containment on 
surfaces.
    <bullet> Scientific and engineering research to support development 
of easily portable systems for containing environmental contaminants.
Remote Decontamination and Decommissioning Handling and Operations, 
including Demolition
     Improved methods of remote demolition are needed: fast, cost-
effective ways of dismantling metal structures, piping, machinery, and 
concrete structures. The goal is to reduce the requirement of hands-on 
dismantlement by D&D workers while reducing the cost of such 
operations. Basic science is needed to improve the ability of robotic 
devices to function in harsh environments such as high radiation, high 
temperature, and/or abrasive environments.
    Some examples of specific science research challenges include but 
are not limited to:
    <bullet> Work to improve the ability of robotic devices to function 
in harsh environments such as high radiation, high temperature, and/or 
abrasive environments.

Improvement of Decontamination Techniques for Process Equipment and 
Facilities Dismantlement

    Research into ways to decontaminate complex process equipment and 
techniques to recycle materials or reduce waste are needed. Improved 
methods and ideas are needed to dismantle or cut metallic and other 
materials in the form of metallic equipment and piping, concrete 
structures, asbestos-containing materials, and other construction 
materials.
    Some examples of specific science research challenges include but 
are not limited to:
    <bullet> Research to remove limitations on achievable power levels 
in, and ease of control of, remotely operable focused heat sources, 
such as electron and laser beams.
    <bullet> Research to establish criteria and methods for the 
identification and isolation of components which require further 
treatment.

Reduction of Waste

Reduction of Wastes Produced by Decontamination and Decommissioning

    Many wastes are generated in the process of decommissioning a 
contaminated nuclear facility. Typically, large amounts of concrete, 
metal, and construction materials (e.g., roofing, asphalt, asbestos, 
lumber, tile, siding, and sometimes electronic equipment) are 
encountered as waste. Improved methods are needed for volume reduction 
of decommissioning waste such as metallic equipment, piping, conduit, 
concrete structures, metallic support structures, and asbestos-
containing materials. Recycling or reuse of these materials would 
result in significant reductions in the volume of waste. Improved 
techniques or ideas are needed that could dismantle or decontaminate 
equipment and structures while minimizing the generation of secondary 
waste.
    Some examples of specific science research challenges include but 
are not limited to:
    <bullet> Research on fracture mechanisms in various types of 
materials.
    <bullet> Elucidation of the principles of the diffusive and 
advective transport of chemical species in porous or fractured 
material.
    <bullet> Engineering research to couple existing surface 
decontamination methods with diagnostic and control technologies to 
discriminate between contaminated and non-contaminated areas on 
heterogeneous surfaces.
    <bullet> Research to support development of computational and 
artificial intelligence approaches for robotics technology to enhance 
material packing, disposition, or recycling and reduce the risks, costs 
and time associated with decontamination and decommissioning.
    Details of the programs of the Office of Environmental Management 
and the technologies currently under development or in use by 
Environmental Management Program can be found on the World Wide Web at 
http://www.em.doe.gov and at the extensive links contained therein. 
These 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.

References for Background Information

    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. 1997. Accelerating Cleanup: Focus on 2006, Discussion Draft
     http://www.em.doe.gov/acc2006
DOE. 1997. Research Needs Collected for the EM Science Program--June 
1997.
    http://www.doe.gov/em52/needs.html
DOE. 1997. U. S. Department of Energy Strategic Plan
    http://www.doe.gov/policy/doeplan.htm
DOE. 1996. Decontamination and Decommissioning Focus Area Rainbow Book
    http://em-52.em.doe.gov/ifd/rbbooks/D&D/ddrb.htm
DOE. 1996. Decontamination and Decommissioning Focus Area Annual Report
DOE. 1996. Estimating the Cold War Mortgage: The 1996 Baseline 
Environmental Management Report. March 1996. U.S. Department of Energy 
Office of Environmental Management, Washington, D.C.
    http://www.em.doe.gov/bemr96/index.html
DOE. 1996. Office of Environmental Restoration EM-40.
    http://www.em.doe.gov/er/index.html
DOE. 1996. Office of Nuclear Material and Facility Stabilization EM-60.
    http://www.em.doe.gov/menu/?nucmat.html
DOE. 1996. Office of Science and Risk Policy EM-52 and Environmental 
Management Science Program.
     <a href="http://www.em.doe.gov/science/
DOE">http://www.em.doe.gov/science/
DOE</a>. 1996. Office of Science and Technology EM-50.
    <a href="http://em-50.em.doe.gov/
DOE">http://em-50.em.doe.gov/
DOE</a>. 1996. Office of Waste Management EM-30.
    http://www.em.doe.gov/menu/?wstmgmt.html
DOE. 1996. Spent Nuclear Fuel. DOE-Owned SNF Technology Integration 
Plan U.S. Department of Energy, Washington, DC. DOE/SNF-PP-002, May 
1996.
    http://tikal.inel.gov/tip_int.htm
DOE. 1996. Taking Stock: A Look at the Opportunities and Challenges 
Posed by Inventories from the Cold War Era. The U.S. Department of

[[Page 61313]]

Energy, Office of Environmental Management, Washington, DC.
    http://www.em.doe.gov/takstock/index.html
DOE. 1995. 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, D.C.
    http://www.em.doe.gov/circle/index.html
National Research Council. 1997. Building an Environmental Management 
Science Program: Final Assessment. National Academy Press, Washington, 
DC.
    <a href="http://www.nap.edu/readingroom/books/envmanage/
National">http://www.nap.edu/readingroom/books/envmanage/
National</a> Research Council. 1995. Improving the Environment: An 
Evaluation of DOE's Environmental Management Program. National Academy 
Press, Washington, D.C.
    <a href="http://www.nap.edu/readingroom/books/doeemp/
Secretary">http://www.nap.edu/readingroom/books/doeemp/
Secretary</a> of Energy Advisory Board. Alternative Futures for the 
Department of Energy National Laboratories. February 1995. Task Force 
on alternative Futures for the Department of Energy National 
Laboratories, Washington, D.C.
    http://www.doe.gov/html/doe/whatsnew/galvin/tf-rpt.html
U.S. Congress, Office of Technology Assessment. Complex Cleanup: The 
Environmental Legacy of Nuclear Weapons Production, February 1991. U.S. 
Government Printing Office, Washington, D.C. NTIS Order number: 
PB91143743. To order, call the NTIS sales desk at (703) 487-4650.
    http://www.wws.princeton.edu:80/<difference>ota/disk1/1991/9113--
n.html
National Science and Technology Council. 1996. Assessing Fundamental 
Science, Council on Fundamental Science.
    <a href="http://www.nsf.gov/sbe/srs/ostp/assess/

">http://www.nsf.gov/sbe/srs/ostp/assess/

</a> 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 November 12, 1997.
John Rodney Clark,
Associate Director for Resource Management, Office of Energy Research.
[FR Doc. 97-30121 Filed 11-14-97; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6450-01-P


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