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OCR for page 1
Summary
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In the spring of 1998, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) request-
ed that the National Academies convene a committee of experts to pro-
vide recommendations on the formulation of a long-term basic research
program to address subsurface contamination problems at DOE sites
(see Sidebar 1.1 in Chapter 1~. In response to this request, a committee
with expertise in basic research and research management was formed
under the joint auspices of the National Research Council's Board on
Radioactive Waste Management and Water Science and Technology
Board. A summary of the committee's information-gathering activities
and its conclusions and recommendations are presented in this report.
The report provides an overview of the subsurface contamination
problems across the DOE complex and shows by examples from the six
largest DOE sites (Hanford Site, Idaho Engineering and Environmental
Laboratory, Nevada Test Site, Oak Ridge Reservation, Rocky Flats
Environmental Technology Site, and Savannah River Site) how advances
in scientific and engineering knowledge can improve the effectiveness
of the cleanup effort (see Chapter 2~. The committee analyzed the cur-
rent Environmental Management (EM) Science Program portfolio of sub-
surface research projects (see Chapter 3) to assess the extent to which
the program is focused on DOE's contamination problems. This analysis
employs an organizing scheme that provides a direct linkage between
basic research in the EM Science Program and applied technology
development in DOE's Subsurface Contaminants Focus Area. The com-
mittee also reviewed related research programs in other DOE offices
and other federal agencies (see Chapter 4) to determine the extent to
which they are focused on DOE's subsurface contamination problems.
On the basis of these analyses, the report singles out the highly signifi-
cant subsurface contamination knowledge gaps and research needs that
the EM Science Program must address if the DOE cleanup program is to
succeed.
S u m m a r y
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Significant amounts . Subsurface Contamination at DOE Sites
of subsurface contam.-
nants are likely to
Nuclear weapons production has resulted in the contamination of
remain even after DOE's
the large DOE sites. This contamination exists today in a wide range of
cleanup program is forms and locations—including contaminated waste burial grounds;
contaminated soil, sediment, and rock; and contaminated groundwa-
ter and is frequently difficult to locate, characterize, and remediate.
Significant amounts of subsurface contaminants are likely to remain
even after DOE's cleanup program is completed.
The committee concluded that subsurface contamination is an enor-
mously difficult cleanup problem that represents a potentially large
future mortgage for the nation. This mortgage could, however, be
v v
reduced significantly through the development and application of new
and improved technologies. The development of such technologies will
require advances in basic understanding of the complex natural systems
at DOE sites and the nature of the contaminants there. Given the long-
Given the long-term term nature of the cleanup mission and its projected cost the program
nature of the cleanup is planned to last until 2070 and cost on the order of $200 billion the
mission and its project- committee believes that DOE has sufficient time to do the basic
ed cost...the commit- research required to support the development and deployment of new
tee believes that DOE cleanup technologies.
has sufficient time to
do the basic research
required to support EM Science Program Research Portfolio
the development and
deployment of new Since its establ ishment by Congress, the program has held four pro-
cleanuptechnologies. posal competitions and has awarded about $225 million in funding,
which puts it among the largest environmental research efforts in the
federal government. The program has supported research projects rele-
vant to many aspects of DOE's cleanup Program. including subsurface
, , , , O O
contamination, high-level waste, and deactivation and decommission-
ing. The committee reviewed the research portfolio for fiscal years 1996
and 1997 and identified 91 projects that were relevant to DOE's subsur-
face contamination problems. The committee's review revealed some
significant areas of strength. Fifty projects address organic contamina-
tion problems and 38 projects use a combination of field-, laboratory-,
and modeling-based approaches. There appears to be a critical mass of
projects covering remediation of subsurface contamination, especially
treatment and destruction of organic contaminants through physical,
chemical, and biological processes.
S U B S U R F A C E S C ~ E N C E
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The most notable gaps in the current portfolio concern containment
and validation. These are two of the most significant problem areas in
the DOE complex, because it is inevitable that DOE will have to man-
age much of its subsurface contamination in place. There also appear to
be relatively few projects that address radionuclide and metal contami-
nation problems.
Research Programs in Other
Government Agencies
The committee gathered information on research programs in other
DOE offices and other federal agencies to assess how they might con-
tribute to solving DOE's subsurface contamination problems. The com-
mittee made the following observations in Chapter 4:
· The federal government is a major sponsor of basic research that
is related either directly or indirectly to environmental problems.
The committee identified almost 50 such programs in its survey
(see Table 4.1~.
A large number and variety of programs across the federal gov-
ernment support research of direct relevance to the EM Science
Program and DOE cleanup. The committee identified 18 such
programs, many of which are focused on hazardous chemicals,
especially volatile organic contaminants and non-aqueous phase
liquids, and to a lesser extent on heavy metals. Many of these pro-
grams are also focused on remediation, especially bioremediation.
· With some notable exceptions, there appears to be significant
overlap in scope among these 18 programs. It does not appear to
the committee that these programs are being coordinated effec-
tivelv among the agencies.
.
The committee concluded that there would be value-added to the
EM Science Program and, ultimately, to DOE's cleanup efforts if there
were better interagency coordination among these 18 research pro-
grams. The committee sees an opportunity for EM Science Program
managers to promote and foster such coordination.
The term "validation" is used to describe processes for testing a conceptual or
predictive model to determine whether it adequately represents the system behavior
of interest, and it is also applied to monitoring and testing to confirm the effective-
ness of remediation actions. See Chapter 5.
S u m m a r y
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Formulation of a Long-Term Research
Program
The committee's recommendations for a long-term basic research
program on subsurface contamination address the following issues:
. .
program vision,
research emphases, and
implementation.
The principal conclusions and recommendations are summarized
below. Additional details can be found in Chapters 5 and 6.
Program Vision
The EM Science Program has been in existence for almost four
years, but there does not annear to be a clear and aureed-unon vision
for th is program with ~ n Cot
. . .
. . ~ .
' Am-. If the program is to remain viable over the
long term and to nave a significant impact on the DOE cleanup mis-
sion, program managers must articulate a vision for the program that is
supported both programmatically and financially by DOE upper man-
agement. The committee recommends that this vision include the fol-
lowing four elements:
1. The program objective should be to generate new knowledge to
support DOE's mission to clean up its contaminated sites.
2. The program should be well connected to DOE's difficult
cleanup problems.
3. A major focus of the program should continue to be on research
to resolve DOE's subsurface contamination problems.
4. The program should have a long-term, multidisciplinary basic
research2 focus.
The committee defines "long term" as long enough to set ambitious
goals to fill the knowledge gaps identified in Chapter 5 and to have rea-
sonable expectations that those goals can be attained. In the commit-
tee's judgment, a time horizon on the order of a decade will be
required to make cumulative progress on the knowledge gaps identified
in Chapter 5, although shorter-term results of use to DOE's cleanup pro-
gram will almost certainly be obtained over the lifetimes of individual
research projects.
2Basic research creates new generic knowledge and is focused on long-term,
rather than short-term, problems. See Sidebar 1.1 in Chapter 1.
S U B S U R F A C E S C ~ E N C E
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Research Emphases
There are significant impediments to the successful completion of
DOE's cleanup mission that can be removed through a focused, sus-
tained, and adequately funded basic research program. Based on the
analysis of DOE's subsurface contamination problems in Chapters 2
and 5, the committee recommends that the subsurface component of
the EM Science Program have the following four research emphases:
Location and characterization of subsurface contaminants and
characterization of the subsurface. Basic research that supports
advances in capabilities to locate and characterize subsurface
contamination and elucidate relevant subsurface conditions wi 11
help DOE to better assess the potential hazards of its contamina-
tion problems and to design and implement appropriate correc-
tive action strategies. Moreover, research on subsurface hetero-
geneity in geology, geochemistry, hydrology, and microbiology
will provide a framework for assessing the fate and transport of
contaminants. The committee believes that basic research is
needed to support the development of the following capabilities:
it
mp roved capabilities for characterizing the physical, chemi-
cal, 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;
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 subsur-
face properties and processes; and
methods to integrate such data into conceptual models.
2. Conceptualmodeling.3 Basic research on thefundamental
approaches and assumptions underlying conceptual model
development could produce a "tool box" of methodologies that
can be applied to contaminated sites both inside and outside
the DOE complex. This research should focus on the following
topics:
3A conceptual model is a description of the subsurface as estimated from
knowledge of the known site geology and hydrology and the physical, chemical,
and biological processes that govern contaminant behavior. See Chapter 5.
S u m m a r y
The committee recom-
mends that the subsur-
face component of the
EM Science Program
have the following four
research emphases: 1.
Location and character-
ization of subsurface
contaminants and
characterization of
the subsurface....
2.Conceptual model-
ing.... 3. Containment
and stabilization....
4. Monitoring and vali-
dation.
OCR for page 6
new observational and experimental approaches and tools
for developing conceptual models that aoolv to complex sub-
su rface envi ran meets;
.
,, ,
new approaches for incorporating geological, hydrological,
chemical, and biological subsurface heterogeneity into con-
ceptual model formulations at scales that dominate flow and
transport behavior;
development of coupled-process models through experimen-
tal studies at variable scales and complexities that account
for the interacting physical, chemical, and biological process-
es that govern contaminant fate and transport behavior;
methods to integrate process knowledge from small-scale
tests and observations into model formulations;
methods to measure and predict the scale dependency of
parameter values; and
approaches for establishing bounds on the accuracy of para-
meters and conceptual model estimates from field and exper-
imental data.
3. Containment and stabilization. Increasing reliance is being
placed on containment and stabilization because DOE recog-
nizes that cleanup at some sites is technically infeasible, or that
contamination at some sites does not pose a high risk to humans
or the environment. Basic research that supports the develop-
ment of new waste containment and stabilization technologies
cou Id lower the cost, accelerate regu latory approvals, and
increase public confidence in solving subsurface contamination
problems. Research focused on the following topics is especially
needed:
.
.
mechanisms and kinetics of chemically and biologically
mediated reactions that can be applied to new stabilization
and containment approaches or that can be used to under-
stand the long-term reversibility of chemical and biological
stabi I ization methods;
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;
fluid transport behavior in conventional barrier systems; and
development of methods for assessing the long-term durabili-
ty of containment and stabilization systems.
S U B S U R F A C E S C ~ E N C E
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4. Monitoring and validation. Basic research leading to improve-
ments in capabilities to monitor and validate contaminant loca-
tions and perform remedial actions will greatly enhance the
technical success of DOE's efforts to remediate or contain and
stabi I ize contami nation. Many of the research opportun ities for
monitoring and validation have been covered in the research
emphases discussed above. In addition, the committee believes
that basic research is needed on the following topics:
development of methods for designing monitoring systems to
detect both current conditions and changes in system behav-
iors;
development of validation processes.
determining the key measurements that are required to vali-
date models and system behaviors, the spatial and temporal
resolutions at which such measurements must be obtained,
and the extent to which surrogate data can be used in valida-
tion efforts; and
· 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.
Within these four emphases, the committee further recom-
mends that the EM Science Program encourage research on met-
als and radionuclides, which is generally not receiving much
attention in other federal research programs. There should, how-
ever, be sufficient flexibility in the program so that support can
be provided for high-risk but potentially high-payoff research
ideas that intersect with these recommended research emphases.
The committee's recommendation of these four research
emphases does not mean that the subsurface research in the cur-
rent program portfolio is inappropriate or misdirected. Rather,
the recommended emphases represent areas where more
research clearly is needed.
Implementation
The EM Science Program is a basic research program focused on
very real DOE problems. The program's success will be measured both
by its impact on advancing the science needed for site remediation and
its impact on DOE site cleanup. To be successful, the program must not
only be focused on the right problems but it also must encourage
researchers to do the right work; and it must be structured so that
S u m m a r y
OCR for page 8
research results can be handed off to technology developers and prob-
lem holders at DOE sites. The committee concluded that the following
actions would help ensure the long-term success of the program in
meeting the first two of these objectives:4
1. Program Integration. Program managers must encourage and
support program-wide integration activities to optimize impacts
of advances in subsurface science on DOE site cleanup. To this
end, the program's implementation strategy should contain the
following integrative elements:
Continue to reach beyond the usual group of DOE researchers
to pull in new and novel ideas to address DOE-specific
problems.
Continue to encourage multidisciplinary research and
university-national laboratory-industry col laborations that wi 11
promote new insights into the very complex subsurface
problems at DOE sites.
Integrate existing data and ideas both from DOE sites and
basic research programs outside DOE to promote advance-
ments in subsurface science and improvements in capabilities
for addressing DOE's subsurface contamination problems.
2. Field Sites. The committee recommends that program managers
examine the feasibility of developing field research sites as one
program component. Such sites could attract new researchers to
the program, encourage both formal and informal multidiscipli-
nary collaborations among the researchers, and facilitate the
transfer of research results into application. These field sites
could include contaminated or uncontaminated areas at major
DOE sites; analog uncontaminated sites that have subsurface
characteristics similar to those at contaminated DOE sites; and
even vi rtual sites comprised of data on h istorical and contempo-
rary contamination problems. These sites could be established by
the program itself or in cooperation with other research pro-
grams.
The establishment of field research sites is potentially expen-
sive, especially if the sites are located in contaminated areas.
Consequently, the establishment of such sites will require addi-
tional budget support beyond that required to fund individual
4The third objective on moving science into application, although extremely
important, is beyond the statement of task for the present study.
S U B S U R F A C E S C ~ E N C E
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research projects, and well beyond the amount of funding avail-
able to the program for new starts in fiscal year 1999. Moreover,
the use of such sites will have to be evaluated periodically to
determine whether they are adding value to the research effort,
particularly given the cost of such sites relative to the total size
of the program budget.
3. Program Funding. The issue of program funding has received a
~ ~ . ~
great deal of attention from a previous NRC committee (NRC,
1 997b), which concluded that the "program must be large
enough to support a significant number of 'new starts' (i.e., new
projects or competitive renewals) each year if it is to be success-
fu I i n attract) ng i n novative proposals from outstand i ng
researchers ...." New starts will help establish a cadre of knowl-
edgeable and committed investigators undergraduates, gradu-
ates, postdocs, and professionals who can be called on by
DOE in the years ahead for help with its most difficult contami-
nation problems. New starts also are needed to maintain conti-
nuity in the research effort since the advancement of scientific
knowledge is a cumulative effort involving many scientists over
long periods of time. This effort is set back significantly each
time program funding is interrupted.
It is the committee's strong impression that the current level
of program funding is not sufficient to support the research
emphases outlined in this report, especially since subsurface
research is just one of many research areas supported by the
program. The committee has no basis on which to recommend a
specific funding level, and such a recommendation would be
well beyond the committee's statement of task. The committee
believes that it is the responsibility of program managers to
estimate the amount of funding required to provide adequate
support for a research program focused on the knowledge gaps
presented in Chapter 5. One approach for estimating the annual
budget needed to support the recommended research is to esti-
mate the number of projects needed to attain a critical mass of
research on each technical challenge area discussed earlier, and
then to multiply that number by the average annual grant size.
Such estimates could be used to justify future and possibly larger
budget requests to upper DOE management and Congress, espe-
cially if the estimates are reviewed and validated by DOE's
internal and external advisory committees. Future budget
requests are likely to be seen in an increasingly more favorable
light as the program becomes more firmly connected to EM's
cleanup problems.
S u m m a r y
It is the committee's
strong impression that
the current level of
program funding is
not sufficient to sup-
port the research
emphases outlined in
this report....
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Concluding Remarks
There must be strong The basic research supported by the EM Science Program and other
scientific, technical, and relevant federal research programs wi I I have I ittle if any impact on DOE
management ieacler- cleanup unless research results are transferred into technology develop-
ship at all levels ...if sig- ment programs in EM and to problem holders at DOE sites. Program
nificant progress on managers have a responsibility to ensure that the handoff from research
closing the knowiecige to development is timely and effective, both for research results devel-
gaps is to be made in aped in its programs and from other relevant federal programs.
the next decade and There must be strong scientific, technical, and management leader-
the research results are ship at all levels, from the EM Science Program up to and including the
to be appliecl effective- assistant secretary for environmental management if significant progress
iy to the DOE cleanup on closing knowledge gaps is to be made in the next decade and the
program. research results are to be applied effectively to the DOE cleanup pro-
gram. The development of this leadership is a continuing challenge-
and a significant opportunity for the EM Science Program and DOE.
S U B S U R F A C E S C ~ E N C E
10
Representative terms from entire chapter:
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