The National Academies' National Research Council undertook this study in response to a request from the Under Secretary of Energy to provide strategic advice on how the Department of Energy could improve its Environmental Quality R&D portfolio. The committee recommends that DOE develop strategic goals and objectives for its EQ business line that explicitly incorporate a more comprehensive, long-term view of its EQ responsibilities. For example, these goals and objectives should emphasize long-term stewardship and the importance of limiting contamination and materials management problems, including the generation of wastes and contaminated media, in ongoing and future DOE operations.
- A STRATEGIC VISION
- Copyright
- Preface
- Contents
- EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
- SCOPE OF DOE’S EQ MISSION
- ADDRESSING LONG-TERM, CURRENTLY INTRACTABLE6 EQ PROBLEMS
- ADVANCING MORE INFORMED DECISION MAKING
- CRITERIA TO EVALUATE THE ADEQUACY OF THE EQ R&D PORTFOLIO
- PRINCIPAL ELEMENTS OF THE EQ R&D PORTFOLIO
- PORTFOLIO MANAGEMENT PROCESS
- Generating an Improved Set of R&D Project Ideas
- Measuring the Magnitude of the Benefit
- R&D Centers
- DETERMINING AN APPROPRIATE LEVEL OF R&D INVESTMENT
- CONCLUSION
- 1 INTRODUCTION
- DOE’S R&D PORTFOLIO PROCESS
- STATEMENT OF TASK
- STUDY PROCESS
- ORGANIZATION OF REPORT
- 2 THE DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY’S ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY MISSION
- DOE’S EQ RESPONSIBILITIES
- Addressing Environmental Contamination at DOE Sites
- Managing DOE Wastes, Spent Nuclear Fuels, and Nuclear Materials
- Disposing of DOE Wastes, Spent Nuclear Fuels, and Nuclear Materials
- DOE’s EQ Challenges
- EQ BUDGET AND R&D FUNDING
- SCOPE OF DOE’S EQ MISSION
- Topical Breadth of DOE’s EQ Mission
- Temporal Breadth of DOE’s EQ Mission
- 3 A LONG-TERM VISION FOR DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT
- IMPORTANT FUNCTIONS OF AN EFFECTIVE EQ R&D PORTFOLIO
- Addressing Long-Term, Currently Intractable EQ Problems
- Improving Performance, Reducing Risks to Human Health and the Environment, Decreasing Cost, and Advancing Schedules
- Advancing More Informed EQ Decision Making
- Making Informed Decisions on Nuclear Energy
- Promoting National Security
- Helping to Bridge the Gap Between R&D and Application
- Supporting Research and Training in Relevant Fields of Science and Engineering
- Leveraging Results from DOE’s Office of Science
- Leveraging and Supporting Relevant R&D Programs Outside of DOE
- CRITERIA TO EVALUATE THE ADEQUACY OF THE EQ R&D PORTFOLIO
- PRINCIPAL ELEMENTS OF AN EFFECTIVE EQ R&D PORTFOLIO
- Development and Evaluation of Approaches that Reduce the Impacts of Wastes on Human Health and the Environment
- Generation Minimization
- Waste Processing Improvements
- Disposal
- Development of Methods and Techniques for Cutting-Edge Characterization and Remediation of Contaminated Media
- Improvement in Understanding the Movement and Behavior of Contaminants through the Environment
- Development of Mechanisms for Effective Long-Term Stewardship
- Determination of the Risks of DOE Wastes and Contaminated Media to Human Health and the Environment
- EXTENDING THE EQ R&D PORTFOLIO BEYOND DOE
- MEETING DOE’S LONG-TERM EQ R&D NEEDS
- 4 ACHIEVING AND MAINTAINING THE LONG-TERM VISION FOR ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT
- R&D PORTFOLIO MANAGEMENT PROCESS
- Alignment: Generating Improved Project Ideas
- Value: Measuring the Magnitude of the Benefit
- Balance: Ensuring Adequate Attention to Diverse Objectives
- INSTITUTIONAL MECHANISMS
- Broadening and Deepening the EQ R&D Portfolio
- Technical Qualifications of Staff
- An Approach to Addressing DOE’s Most Challenging, Long-Term EQ Problems
- Need for Coordination of EQ R&D
- 5 THE LEVEL OF INVESTMENT IN DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT
- DEFINING THE GOALS AND OBJECTIVES OF THE EQ MISSION
- BALANCING R&D INVESTMENTS WITH OTHER IMPORTANT EQ NEEDS
- DETERMINING AN APPROPRIATE LEVEL OF R&D INVESTMENT
- Benchmarking Against Other Mission-Driven R&D Efforts
- Benchmarking Total R&D Funding
- Benchmarking the Balance of R&D Funding
- Indicators of an Adequately Funded R&D Portfolio
- CONCLUSION
- REFERENCES
- APPENDIX A BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES OF COMMITTEE MEMBERS
- APPENDIX B PARTICIPANTS LIST AND AGENDA FOR AUGUST WORKSHOP
- COMMITTEE MEMBERS
- SPEAKERS
- OTHER PARTICIPANTS
- PUBLIC AGENDA
- APPENDIX C SUMMARY OF PREVIOUS REVIEWS OF DOE’S ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT PORTFOLIO
- ADEQUACY ANALYSIS OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT PORTFOLIO (DOE, 2000G)
- BACKGROUND
- CHARGE TO THE TD&T COMMITTEE
- TD&T REVIEW PROCESS
- FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
- Charge 1: Adequacy of the process used to develop the analysis.
- Charge 2: Opinion on results of the adequacy analysis.
- “Finding 1: The EQ Portfolio has significant gaps and, as a whole, is underinvested.”
- “Finding 2: The R&D portfolio does not include a longer-term vision and ‘strategic’ elements such as alternative…
- “Finding 3: The funding distribution across the technology maturity spectrum is unbalanced.”
- “Finding 4: Significant life-cycle costs and corresponding R&D hinge on highly uncertain end-states.”
- Charge 3: Recommendations about the adequacy analysis.
- APPENDIX D DESCRIPTIONS OF DOE’S ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY TECHNICAL CATEGORIES
- MANAGE HIGH-LEVEL WASTE
- MANAGE MIXED LOW-LEVEL/TRANSURANIC WASTE
- MANAGE SPENT NUCLEAR FUEL
- MANAGE NUCLEAR MATERIALS
- DISPOSE OF HIGH-LEVEL RADIOACTIVE WASTES, SPENT NUCLEAR FUELS, AND NUCLEAR MATERIALS
- ENVIRONMENTAL REMEDIATION OF CONTAMINATED SITES (LANDS AND WATERS)
- DEACTIVATION AND DECOMMISSIONING OF CONTAMINATED FACILITIES
- LONG-TERM STEWARDSHIP
- MINIMIZATION OF THE RISK OF NEWLY GENERATED RADIOACTIVE AND HAZARDOUS WASTE
- APPENDIX E DESCRIPTIONS OF RELATED RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS
- U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
- U.S. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
- U.S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
- U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY
- NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION
- NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH
- NON-FEDERAL U.S. R&D
- INTERNATIONAL R&D PROGRAMS
- APPENDIX F ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY OF SELECTED RECENT NATIONAL RESEARCH COUNCIL REPORTS
- NUCLEAR WASTES: TECHNOLOGIES FOR SEPARATIONS AND TRANSMUTATION (NRC, 1995)
- THE WASTE ISOLATION PILOT PLANT: A POTENTIAL SOLUTION FOR THE DISPOSAL OF TRANSURANIC WASTE (NRC, 1996A)
- THE HANFORD TANKS: ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS AND POLICY CHOICES (NRC, 1996B)
- BUILDING AN EFFECTIVE ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT SCIENCE PROGRAM: FINAL ASSESSMENT (NRC, 1997)
- PEER REVIEW IN ENVIRONMENTAL TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS: THE DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY’S OFFICE OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY…
- DECISION MAKING IN THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY’S ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT OFFICE OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY (NRC, 1999A)
- GROUNDWATER AND SOIL CLEANUP: IMPROVING MANAGEMENT OF PERSISTENT CONTAMINANTS (NRC, 1999B)
- AN END STATE METHODOLOGY FOR IDENTIFYING TECHNOLOGY NEEDS FOR ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT, WITH AN EXAMPLE FROM THE HANFORD…
- ALTERNATIVE HIGH-LEVEL WASTE TREATMENTS AT THE IDAHO NATIONAL ENGINEERING AND ENVIRONMENTAL LABORATORY (NRC, 1999D)
- LONG-TERM INSTITUTIONAL MANAGEMENT OF U.S. DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY LEGACY WASTE SITES (NRC, 2000A)
- RESEARCH NEEDS IN SUBSURFACE SCIENCE: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY’S ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT SCIENCE PROGRAM (NRC, 2000C)
- LONG-TERM RESEARCH NEEDS ON RADIOACTIVE HIGH-LEVEL WASTE AT DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY SITES: INTERIM REPORT (NRC, 2000D)
- LONG-TERM RESEARCH NEEDS FOR DEACTIVATION AND DECOMMISSIONING AT DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY SITES: INTERIM REPORT (NRC, 2000E)
- ALTERNATIVES FOR HIGH-LEVEL WASTE SALT PROCESSING AT THE SAVANNAH RIVER SITE (NRC, 2000F)
- NATURAL ATTENTUATION FOR GROUNDWATER REMEDIATION (NRC, 2000H)
- IMPROVING OPERATIONS AND LONG-TERM SAFETY OF THE WASTE ISOLATION PILOT PLANT: INTERIM REPORT (NRC, 2001)
- DISPOSITION OF HIGH-LEVEL WASTE AND SPENT NUCLEAR FUEL: THE CONTINUING SOCIETAL AND TECHNICAL CHALLENGES (NRC, 2001)
- APPENDIX G LIST OF ACRONYMS AND ABBREVIATIONS
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