WorldWideScience

Sample records for environmental restoration effort

  1. Basic research for environmental restoration

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1990-12-01

    The Department of Energy (DOE) is in the midst of a major environmental restoration effort to reduce the health and environmental risks resulting from past waste management and disposal practices at DOE sites. This report describes research needs in environmental restoration and complements a previously published document, DOE/ER-0419, Evaluation of Mid-to-Long Term Basic Research for Environmental Restoration. Basic research needs have been grouped into five major categories patterned after those identified in DOE/ER-0419: (1) environmental transport and transformations; (2) advanced sampling, characterization, and monitoring methods; (3) new remediation technologies; (4) performance assessment; and (5) health and environmental effects. In addition to basic research, this document deals with education and training needs for environmental restoration. 2 figs., 6 tabs

  2. Basic research for environmental restoration

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    1990-12-01

    The Department of Energy (DOE) is in the midst of a major environmental restoration effort to reduce the health and environmental risks resulting from past waste management and disposal practices at DOE sites. This report describes research needs in environmental restoration and complements a previously published document, DOE/ER-0419, Evaluation of Mid-to-Long Term Basic Research for Environmental Restoration. Basic research needs have been grouped into five major categories patterned after those identified in DOE/ER-0419: (1) environmental transport and transformations; (2) advanced sampling, characterization, and monitoring methods; (3) new remediation technologies; (4) performance assessment; and (5) health and environmental effects. In addition to basic research, this document deals with education and training needs for environmental restoration. 2 figs., 6 tabs.

  3. The observational approach in environmental restoration

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Smyth, J.D.; Quinn, R.D.

    1991-07-01

    The US Department of Energy (DOE) has committed to completing environmental restoration of its facilities within the next 28 years (DOE 1990b). In order to achieve this, DOE must ensure that its restoration activities are both effective and efficient. A key aspect of fulfilling this commitment is the recognition and management of uncertainty that is inherent in waste-site clean-up actions. The DOE Office of Environmental Restoration (DOE-ER) requested Pacific Northwest Laboratory (PNL) to investigate the applicability and implementation of what is known as the ''observational approach'' to better address these needs. PNL's initial investigation resulted in the positive conclusion that the observational approach had potential benefit to DOE during environmental restoration. In a follow-on effort, PNL supported by CH2M HILL, has been providing guidance to DOE field-offices on observational approach fundamentals, implementation, and application to waste-site remediation. This paper outlines the fundamentals of the observational approach and discusses the progress in integrating the observational approach in DOE's environmental restoration efforts. 9 refs., 2 figs

  4. The Missouri River Floodplain: History of Oak Forest & Current Restoration Efforts

    Science.gov (United States)

    Daniel C. Dey; Dirk Burhans; John Kabrick; Brain Root; Jennifer Grabner; Mike Gold

    2000-01-01

    Efforts to restore floodplains are complicated by our variable understanding of history and ecology; our lack of knowledge of past environmental and vegetative conditions; and our differing viewpoints of what natural, what the role of humans is in the ecosystem, and what the desirable restored state is. Managers are challenged to decide how to restore native vegetation...

  5. Environmental Restoration 1997 annual report

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cosper, M.B.

    1997-01-01

    During 1997, the Environmental Restoration Program at the Savannah River Site achieved all of the ''Breakthrough Goals'' that were established with the regulatory agencies in 1995 to advance their cleanup efforts. Effective focus on field remediation was demonstrated by the allocation of 75% of program funding to remediation activities. The Remediation Phase is complete or has begun on sixty-nine waste sites that represent approximately 80% of the known environmental and health risk. The average time required for the assessment phase of active projects was reduced by 50%, from 49 to less than 24 months, which allows cleanup actions to start twice as fast as before. Breakthrough performance has tangible results. During 1997, all of the funding allocation was used effectively to accomplish environmental restoration scope worth over $123 million. That represents a validated cost efficiency of over 20% for the third straight year. Over half of the 500 contaminated acres at SRS have been cleaned up or are currently in the remediation phase. Almost 3 billion gallons of groundwater have been restored by removing over half a million pounds of organic solvents

  6. Environmental Restoration Disposal Facility Waste Acceptance Criteria

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dronen, V.R.

    1998-06-01

    The Hanford Site is operated by the U. S. Department of Energy (DOE) with a primary mission of environmental cleanup and restoration. The Environmental Restoration Disposal Facility (ERDF) is an integral part of the DOE environmental restoration effort at the Hanford Site. The purpose of this document is to establish the ERDF waste acceptance criteria for disposal of materials resulting from Hanford Site cleanup activities. Definition of and compliance with the requirements of this document will enable implementation of appropriate measures to protect human health and the environment, ensure the integrity of the ERDF liner system, facilitate efficient use of the available space in the ERDF, and comply with applicable environmental regulations and DOE orders. To serve this purpose, the document defines responsibilities, identifies the waste acceptance process, and provides the primary acceptance criteria and regulatory citations to guide ERDF users. The information contained in this document is not intended to repeat or summarize the contents of all applicable regulations

  7. Minimizing waste in environmental restoration

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Moos, L.; Thuot, J.R.

    1996-01-01

    Environmental restoration, decontamination and decommissioning and facility dismantelment projects are not typically known for their waste minimization and pollution prevention efforts. Typical projects are driven by schedules and milestones with little attention given to cost or waste minimization. Conventional wisdom in these projects is that the waste already exists and cannot be reduced or minimized. In fact, however, there are three significant areas where waste and cost can be reduced. Waste reduction can occur in three ways: beneficial reuse or recycling; segregation of waste types; and reducing generation of secondary waste. This paper will discuss several examples of reuse, recycle, segregation, and secondary waste reduction at ANL restoration programs

  8. HEIS: An integrated information system for environmental restoration and monitoring at Hanford

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Tzemos, S.; Kissinger, B.

    1991-11-01

    The US Department of Energy`s Hanford Site has about 1500 waste sites that contain a complex mixture of chemical and radioactive contaminants. After many years of environmental monitoring to assess the impact of Hanford operations to the environment, the Site`s mission is shifting to environmental restoration. The Hanford Environmental Information System (HEIS) is being developed to provide advanced tools to (1) support environmental restoration and routine site-wide monitoring, and (2) aid the scientists in understanding and conducting the restoration efforts. This paper describes some of the highlights and distinctive features of HEIS.

  9. Impact of occupational issues on DOE's environmental restoration program

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Siegel, M.R.; Lesperance, A.M.; Smith, D.

    1992-01-01

    The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) is in the midst of a 30-yr, multi-billion-dollar environmental restoration program for most of the facilities included in its nuclear weapons complex. Long-term planning efforts are under way to identify strategies and approaches for carrying out this extraordinarily complicated task. The DOE has already entered into interagency agreements with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and states for many of its environmental restoration sites. These agreements set legally enforceable deadlines for cleanup activities at these sites. In addition, DOE has made other commitments to Congress and the public regarding its environmental restoration schedule. Thousands of workers will be directly involved in environmental restoration activities at DOE sites. Cleanup activity will be carried out in environments involving potential exposure to highly toxic chemical substances and radionuclides. It is inevitable that occupational safety and health (OSH) issues will become both critical and highly visible to DOE. The OSH issues associated with cleanup activities will likely attract the attention of workers, unions, the media, regulators, and the public. This paper reviews three case studies describing OSH activities in DOE's environmental restoration program. These case studies will help alert DOE officials to ways that various OSH issues should be considered when planning environmental restoration activities. This activity is being coordinated with other DOE work to identify occupational requirements that are applicable to DOE cleanup work

  10. HEIS: An integrated information system for environmental restoration and monitoring at Hanford

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Tzemos, S.; Kissinger, B.

    1991-11-01

    The US Department of Energy's Hanford Site has about 1500 waste sites that contain a complex mixture of chemical and radioactive contaminants. After many years of environmental monitoring to assess the impact of Hanford operations to the environment, the Site's mission is shifting to environmental restoration. The Hanford Environmental Information System (HEIS) is being developed to provide advanced tools to (1) support environmental restoration and routine site-wide monitoring, and (2) aid the scientists in understanding and conducting the restoration efforts. This paper describes some of the highlights and distinctive features of HEIS.

  11. Environment, Environmental Restoration, and Waste Management Field Organization Directory

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1993-07-01

    This directory was developed by the Office of Environmental Guidance, RCRA/CERCLA Division (EH-231) from an outgrowth of the Departments efforts to identify and establish the regulatory response lead persons in the Field Organizations. The directory was developed for intemal EH-231 use to identify both the DOE and DOE contractor Field Organizations in the Environment, Environmental Restoration and Waste Management areas. The Field Organization directory is divided into three substantive sections: (1) Environment; (2) Environmental Restoration; and (3) Waste Management which are organized to correspond to the management hierarchy at each Field Organization. The information provided includes the facility name and address, individual managers name, and telephone/fax numbers

  12. Risk-based priority scoring for Brookhaven National Laboratory environmental restoration programs

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Morris, S.C.; Meinhold, A.F.

    1995-05-01

    This report describes the process of estimating the risk associated with environmental restoration programs under the Brookhaven National Laboratory Office of Environmental Restoration. The process was part of an effort across all Department of Energy facilities to provide a consistent framework to communicate risk information about the facilities to senior managers in the DOE Office of Environmental Management to foster understanding of risk activities across programs. the risk evaluation was a qualitative exercise. Categories considered included: Public health and safety; site personnel safety and health; compliance; mission impact; cost-effective risk management; environmental protection; inherent worker risk; environmental effects of clean-up; and social, cultural, political, and economic impacts

  13. Assessment and evaluation of technologies for environmental restoration. Progress report

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Uzochukwu, G. A. [North Carolina A and T State Univ., Greensboro, NC (United States)

    2000-06-30

    Nuclear and commercial non-nuclear technologies that have the potential of meeting the environmental restoration objectives of the Department of Energy are being evaluated. A detailed comparison of innovative technologies available will be performed to determine the safest and most economical technology for meeting these objectives. Information derived from this effort will be matched with the multi-objective of the environmental restoration effort to ensure that the best, most economical, and the safest technologies are used in decision making at USDOE-SRS. Technology-related variables will be developed and the resulting data formatted and computerized for multimedia systems. The multimedia system will be made available to technology developers and evaluators to ensure that the safest and most economical technologies are developed for use at SRS and other DOE sites.

  14. Assessment and evaluation of technologies for environmental restoration. Progress report

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Uzochukwu, G. A.

    2000-01-01

    Nuclear and commercial non-nuclear technologies that have the potential of meeting the environmental restoration objectives of the Department of Energy are being evaluated. A detailed comparison of innovative technologies available will be performed to determine the safest and most economical technology for meeting these objectives. Information derived from this effort will be matched with the multi-objective of the environmental restoration effort to ensure that the best, most economical, and the safest technologies are used in decision making at USDOE-SRS. Technology-related variables will be developed and the resulting data formatted and computerized for multimedia systems. The multimedia system will be made available to technology developers and evaluators to ensure that the safest and most economical technologies are developed for use at SRS and other DOE sites.

  15. Assessment and evaluation of technologies for environmental restoration. Progress report

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Uzochukwu, G.A.

    1999-01-01

    Nuclear and commercial non-nuclear technologies that have the potential of meeting the environmental restoration objectives of the Department of Energy are being evaluated. A detailed comparison of innovative technologies available will be performed to determine the safest and most economical technology for meeting these objectives. Information derived from this effort will be matched with the multi-objective of the environmental restoration effort to ensure that the best, most economical, and the safest technologies are used in decision making at USDOE-SRS. Technology-related variables will be developed and the resulting data formatted and computerized for multimedia systems. The multimedia system will be made available to technology developers and evaluators to ensure that the safest and most economical technologies are developed for use at SRS and other DOE sites

  16. Quality Assurance Program Plan for the Environmental Restoration Program

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1992-01-01

    The United States Department of Energy (USDOE) has initiated the Environmental Restoration Program (ERP) in an effort to manage, control and remediate existing hazardous, toxic and radioactive wastes generated at the Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plant (PORTS). This ERP Quality Assurance Program Plan (QAPP) is responsive to the PORTS ESH Division QAPP and the ES Environmental Restoration Division (ERD) QAPP. This QAPP establishes the policies, requirements and responsibilities by which an appropriate level of QA shall be implemented within the PORTS-ERP. All PORTS-ERP activities shall be conducted in accordance with the requirements of this document and/or of a project level document which is derivative of this document

  17. Development of educational programs for environmental restoration/waste management at two Department of Energy sites

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Harrison, R.J.; Toth, W.J.; Smith, T.H.

    1991-01-01

    Availability of appropriately educated personnel is perhaps the greatest obstacle faced by the nation in addressing its waste management and environmental restoration activities. The US Department of Energy (DOE) Idaho National Engineering Laboratory (INEL) and the DOE Grand Junction, Colorado, Projects Office (GJPO) have developed two educational degree programs that respond to the human resource needs of the environmental restoration/waste management effort in ways that reflect the programmatic and cultural diversity at the two sites. The INEL has worked with the University of Idaho and Idaho States University to develop a set of master's degree programs focusing on waste management and environmental restoration. GJPO has developed an associate degree program and is developing a baccalaureate program in environmental restoration with Mesa State College. The development of these two programs was coordinated through the INEL University Relations Committee. They were conceived as parts of an overall effort to provide the human resources for environmental restoration and waste management. The background, need, and development of these two programs are presented, as well as information on associated industry parternships, employee scholarship programs, and plans for integration and articulation of curricula. 3 refs

  18. Environmental restoration at the KCP: Quality science with a view toward the future

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Brown, D.

    1992-07-01

    The Kansas City Plan-E (KCP), built in 1942, is currently operated by Allied-Signal for the Department of Energy (DOE). The KCP manufactures non-nuclear components for nuclear weapons. Throughout the production history of the KCP, waste material has been generated and hazardous spills have occurred. In 1983, the DOE and Allied-Signal began a concerted effort to clean-up all hazardous waste sites at the KCP. This paper briefly discusses the history of the environmental restoration effort at the KCP before and after a RCRA order on Consent Agreement was signed with the Environmental Protection Agency, the successes of the program, problems encountered, and a vision for the future of environmental restoration at the KCP

  19. Factors for formulating strategies for environmental restoration

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1998-07-01

    This publication focusses on factors which are important for formulating a strategy for environmental restoration. In parallel to this effort, the IAEA has conducted activities in related areas which have been reported in companion reports dealing with (1) the characterization of radioactively contaminated sites for remediation purposes and (2) available technology for cleanup and remediation of radioactively contaminated sites. Additionally, follow-up activities will focus on two other areas, viz. planning and management options for cleanup of contaminated groundwater, and post-restoration monitoring of decommissioned sites. In a separate initiative the IAEA has developed preliminary guidance on radiological criteria for determining when cleanup action is needed and for deciding on when areas have been cleaned up to a sufficient extent. It is also concerned with radioactive contamination of soils, groundwaters, structures and biota which may have the potential for harm to people. It is intended that it will serve as an important source of information and data on the key factors to be considered in the formulation of an environmental restoration strategy

  20. Minimizing waste in environmental restoration

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Thuot, J.R.; Moos, L.

    1996-01-01

    Environmental restoration, decontamination and decommissioning, and facility dismantlement projects are not typically known for their waste minimization and pollution prevention efforts. Typical projects are driven by schedules and milestones with little attention given to cost or waste minimization. Conventional wisdom in these projects is that the waste already exists and cannot be reduced or minimized; however, there are significant areas where waste and cost can be reduced by careful planning and execution. Waste reduction can occur in three ways: beneficial reuse or recycling, segregation of waste types, and reducing generation of secondary waste

  1. Strategic plan for Hanford Site Environmental Restoration Information Management

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cowley, P.J.; Beck, J.E.; Gephart, R.E.

    1994-06-01

    This strategic plan addresses information management for the Environmental Restoration (ER) Program at the Hanford Site. This Program leads the cleanup of the Hanford Site's soil, groundwater, buried waste, and the decontamination and decommissioning of facilities. The vision that drives this strategic plan is to ensure that quality information is available to the people who need it, when they need it, at a convenient location, in a usable form, and at an acceptable cost. Although investments are being made in managing the vast amounts of information, which include data, records and documents associated with the Hanford Site's production history and new cleanup mission, it is widely recognized that efforts to date have not accomplished the vision. Effective information management involves more than the compilation of massive amounts of electronic and non-electronic information. It also involves integrating information management into business processes that support user's needs and decisionmaking. Only then can information management complement and enable environmental restoration priorities and practices, help identify environmental restoration requirements, and enable communication within the Environmental Restoration Program and between the Program and its stakeholders. Successfully accomplishing the Hanford Site mission requires an integrated approach to information management that crosses organizational boundaries, streamlines existing systems, and builds new systems that support the needs of the future. This plan outlines that approach

  2. Environmental Restoration

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Zeevaert, T.; Vanmarcke, H

    1998-07-01

    The objectives of SCK-CEN's programme on environmental restoration are (1) to optimize and validate models for the impact assessment from environmental, radioactive contaminations, including waste disposal or discharge; (2) to support the policy of national authorities for public health and radioactive waste management. Progress and achievements in 1997 are reported.

  3. Environmental guidance for public participation in environmental restoration activities

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    1991-11-01

    The US Department of Energy (DOE) is issuing this document, entitled Guidance on Public Participation for US Department of Energy Environmental Restoration Activities, to summarize policy and provide guidance for public participation in environmental restoration activities at DOE Headquarters, Field Offices, facilities, and laboratories. While the Office of Environmental Restoration and Waste Management (EM) has environmental restoration responsibility for the majority of DOE sites and facilities, other DOE Project Offices have similar responsibilities at their sites and facilities. This guidance is applicable to all environment restoration activities conducted by or for DOE under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980 (CERCLA) as amended by the Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act of 1986 (SARA); the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act of 1976 (RCRA) as amended by the Hazardous and Solid Waste Amendments of 1984 (HSWA) (corrective actions only); and the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA). This guidance also is applicable to CERCLA remedial action programs under the Uranium Mill Tailings Radiation Control Act of 1978 and the Formerly Utilized Sites Remedial Action Program, where DOE is the designated lead. The primary objectives of this guidance document are as follows: acclimate DOE staff to a changing culture that emphasizes the importance of public participation activities; provide direction on implementing these public participation activities; and, provide consistent guidance for all DOE Field Offices and facilities. The purpose of this document is to provide guidance on conducting effective public participation activities for environmental restoration activities under CERCLA; RCRA corrective actions under sections 3004(u), 3004(v), and 3008(h); and NEPA public participation activities.

  4. The optimized baseline project: Reinventing environmental restoration at Hanford

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Goodenough, J.D.; Janaskie, M.T.; Kleinen, P.J.

    1994-01-01

    The U.S. Department of Energy Richland Operations Office (DOE-RL) is using a strategic planning effort (termed the Optimized Baseline Project) to develop a new approach to the Hanford Environmental Restoration program. This effort seeks to achieve a quantum leap improvement in performance through results oriented prioritization of activities. This effort was conducted in parallel with the renegotiation of the Tri-Party Agreement and provided DOE with an opportunity to propose innovative initiatives to promote cost effectiveness, accelerate progress in the Hanford Environmental Restoration Program and involve stakeholders in the decision-making process. The Optimized Baseline project is an innovative approach to program planning and decision-making in several respects. First, the process is a top down, value driven effort that responds to values held by DOE, the regulatory community and the public. Second, planning is conducted in a way that reinforces the technical management process at Richland, involves the regulatory community in substantive decisions, and includes the public. Third, the Optimized Baseline Project is being conducted as part of a sitewide Hanford initiative to reinvent Government. The planning process used for the Optimized Baseline Project has many potential applications at other sites and in other programs where there is a need to build consensus among diverse, independent groups of stakeholders and decisionmakers. The project has successfully developed and demonstrated an innovative approach to program planning that accelerates the pace of cleanup, involves the regulators as partners with DOE in priority setting, and builds public understanding and support for the program through meaningful opportunities for involvement

  5. Technology integration project: Environmental Restoration Technologies Department Sandia National Laboratories

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Williams, C.V.; Burford, T.D.

    1996-08-01

    Sandia National Laboratories Environmental Restoration Technologies Department is developing environmental restoration technologies through funding form the US Department of Energy's (DOE's) Office of Science and Technology. Initially, this technology development has been through the Mixed Waste Landfill Integrated Demonstration (MWLID). It is currently being developed through the Contaminant Plume containment and Remediation Focus Area, the Landfill Stabilization Focus Area, and the Characterization, Monitoring, and Sensor Cross-Cutting Program. This Technology Integration Project (TIP) was responsible for transferring MWLID-developed technologies for routine use by environmental restoration groups throughout the DOE complex and commercializing these technologies to the private sector. The MWLID's technology transfer/commercialization successes were achieved by involving private industry in development, demonstration, and technology transfer/commercialization activities; gathering and disseminating information about MWLID activities and technologies; and promoting stakeholder and regulatory involvement. From FY91 through FY95, 30 Technical Task Plans (TTPs) were funded. From these TTPs, the MWLID can claim 15 technology transfer/commercialization successes. Another seven technology transfer/commercialization successes are expected. With the changeover to the focus areas, the TIP continued the technology transfer/commercialization efforts begun under the MWLID

  6. Technology integration project: Environmental Restoration Technologies Department Sandia National Laboratories

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Williams, C.V.; Burford, T.D. [Sandia National Labs., Albuquerque, NM (United States). Environmental Restoration Technologies; Allen, C.A. [Tech Reps, Inc., Albuquerque, NM (United States)

    1996-08-01

    Sandia National Laboratories Environmental Restoration Technologies Department is developing environmental restoration technologies through funding form the US Department of Energy`s (DOE`s) Office of Science and Technology. Initially, this technology development has been through the Mixed Waste Landfill Integrated Demonstration (MWLID). It is currently being developed through the Contaminant Plume containment and Remediation Focus Area, the Landfill Stabilization Focus Area, and the Characterization, Monitoring, and Sensor Cross-Cutting Program. This Technology Integration Project (TIP) was responsible for transferring MWLID-developed technologies for routine use by environmental restoration groups throughout the DOE complex and commercializing these technologies to the private sector. The MWLID`s technology transfer/commercialization successes were achieved by involving private industry in development, demonstration, and technology transfer/commercialization activities; gathering and disseminating information about MWLID activities and technologies; and promoting stakeholder and regulatory involvement. From FY91 through FY95, 30 Technical Task Plans (TTPs) were funded. From these TTPs, the MWLID can claim 15 technology transfer/commercialization successes. Another seven technology transfer/commercialization successes are expected. With the changeover to the focus areas, the TIP continued the technology transfer/commercialization efforts begun under the MWLID.

  7. Environmental restoration value engineering guidance document

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1995-07-01

    This document provides guidance on Value Engineering (VE). VE is an organized team effort led by a person trained in the methodology to analyze the functions of projects, systems, equipment, facilities, services, and processes for achieving the essential functions at the lowest life cycle cost while maintaining required performance, reliability, availability, quality, and safety. VE has proven to be a superior tool to improve up-front project planning, cut costs, and create a better value for each dollar spent. This document forms the basis for the Environmental Restoration VE Program, describes the VE process, and provides recommendations on when it can be most useful on ER projects

  8. Technology needs assessment for DOE environmental restoration programs

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Duray, J.R.; Carlson, T.J.; Carpenter, C.E.; Cummins, L.E.; Daub, G.J.

    1992-01-01

    The 'Technology Needs Assessment Final Report' describes current and planned environmental restoration activity, identifies technologies intended to be used or under consideration, and ranks technology deficiencies in the U.S. Department of Energy's environmental restoration program. Included in the ranking are treatment technologies, characterization technologies, and non-technology issues that affect environmental restoration. Data used for the assessment was gathered during interviews in the spring of 1991 with DOE site personnel responsible for the environmental restoration work. (author)

  9. Environmental Restoration Remedial Action Program records management plan

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Michael, L.E.

    1991-07-01

    The US Department of Energy-Richland Operations Office (DOE-RL) Environmental Restoration Field Office Management Plan [(FOMP) DOE-RL 1989] describes the plans, organization, and control systems to be used for management of the Hanford Site environmental restoration remedial action program. The FOMP, in conjunction with the Environmental Restoration Remedial Action Quality Assurance Requirements document [(QARD) DOE-RL 1991], provides all the environmental restoration remedial action program requirements governing environmental restoration work on the Hanford Site. The FOMP requires a records management plan be written. The Westinghouse Hanford Company (Westinghouse Hanford) Environmental Restoration Remedial Action (ERRA) Program Office has developed this ERRA Records Management Plan to fulfill the requirements of the FOMP. This records management plan will enable the program office to identify, control, and maintain the quality assurance, decisional, or regulatory prescribed records generated and used in support of the ERRA Program. 8 refs., 1 fig

  10. University of Tennessee and Oak Ridge environmental restoration education program

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yalcintas, M.G.; Swindle, D.W. Jr.

    1992-01-01

    A joint program of the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) and the University of Tennessee at Knoxville (UTK) has been initiated to provide education and research on environmental restoration and waste management. The program will provide opportunity for formal education and research for area businesses, while integrating their efforts in mixed-waste management with those of UTK and ORNL. Following successful results demonstrated at ORNL and UTK, the program will be integrated with other universities and research institutions in the country. During this presentation, the programs's objective, scope, and goals will be described, and details of the program structure will be explained. Also, it will be demonstrated how experience gained in environmental restoration technology transfer activities could be applied in an educational program, providing a focal point for technology transfer and information exchange. Expected accomplishments and industry benefits will also be discussed

  11. Educational understanding of pollution prevention in decontamination and decommissioning/environmental restoration activities

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Betsch, M.D.; Lewis, R.A.

    1995-05-01

    Demolishing outdated structures from the US Department of Energy Hanford Site in Washington, generates large quantities of waste which can be minimized. The Hanford cleanup is one of the world's largest and most complex environmental restoration efforts. Approximately 280 square miles of ground water and soil are contaminated; there are more than 80 surplus facilities, including nine shut-down nuclear reactors in various stages of decay; and there are 177 underground waste storage tanks containing highly radioactive waste. In all, 1,500 cleanup sites have been identified and the Environmental Restoration Contractor (ERC) is currently responsible for surveillance and maintenance of 170 structures. A two hour orientation training in pollution prevention was developed by the Westinghouse Hanford Company to provide all Decontamination and Decommissioning/Environmental Restoration (D ampersand D/ER) personnel with the knowledge to apply waste minimization principles during their cleanup activities. The ERC Team Pollution Prevention Workshop serves to communicate pollution prevention philosophies and influences the way D ampersand D/ER projects are conducted at the Hanford Site

  12. Electronic document management meets environmental restoration recordkeeping requirements: A case study

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Burnham, S.L.

    1995-01-01

    Efforts at migrating records management at five Department of Energy sites operated under management by Lockheed Martin Energy Systems, Inc. for Environmental Restoration (ER) business activities are described. The corporate environment, project definition, records keeping requirements are described first. Then an evaluation of electronic document management technologies and of internal and commercially available systems are provided. Finally adopted incremental implementation strategy and lessons learned are discussed

  13. Environmental restoration remedial action quality assurance requirements document

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cote, R.F.

    1991-01-01

    The environmental Restoration Remedial Action Quality Assurance Requirements Document (DOE/RL 90-28) defines the quality assurance program requirements for the US Department of Energy-Richland Field Office Environmental Restoration Remedial Action Program at the Hanford Site, Richland, Washington. This paper describes the objectives outlined in DOE/RL 90-28. The Environmental Restoration Remedial Action Program implements significant commitments made by the US Department of Energy in the Hanford Federal Facility Agreement and Consent Order entered into with the Washington State Department of Ecology and the US Environmental Protection Agency

  14. Environmental restoration and biological contamination: ecological and legal aspects

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ademir Reis

    2005-05-01

    Full Text Available Environmental restoration is a pressing current need. However, protected areas have been exposed to biological contamination risks because the traditional techniques of restoration frequently use exotic species. This causes some concern, since biological contamination is the second major cause of species extinction in the world. It is important to use only native species in restoration projects in order to promote an effective environmental restoration without the risk of contamination. This paper discusses some issues concerning environmental restoration, biological contamination and the need for clearer laws.

  15. Clinch River Environmental Restoration Program

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cook, R.B.

    1992-01-01

    This report consists of tables and listings from the results of the Phase I data gathering activities of the Clinch River Environmental Restoration Program (CR-ERP). The table of contents outlines the presentation of the material and has been annotated to indicate the key fields used to order the printing of each data table. Definitions of selected column headings are provided. Sample collection information is shown first and then more specific information for each matrix type is presented. The analytical results have been reviewed by independent validators and the qualifiers shown are the results of their efforts. No data that were rejected by the validation process are included in this listing. Only results of routine samples are listed; quality control sample results were excluded. All data, both detected and nondetected values, were used to calculated the summary table values. However, only Detected values are given on the analyte specific listings

  16. Environmental Restoration Program Management Control Plan

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1991-09-01

    This Management Control Plan has been prepared to define the Energy Systems approach to managing its participation in the US DOE's Environmental Restoration (ER) Program in a manner consistent with DOE/ORO 931: Management Plan for the DOE Field Office, Oak Ridge, Decontamination and Decommissioning Program; and the Energy Systems Environmental Restoration Contract Management Plan (CMP). This plan discusses the systems, procedures, methodology, and controls to be used by the program management team to attain these objectives

  17. Cost Estimating Handbook for Environmental Restoration

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1993-01-01

    Environmental restoration (ER) projects have presented the DOE and cost estimators with a number of properties that are not comparable to the normal estimating climate within DOE. These properties include: An entirely new set of specialized expressions and terminology. A higher than normal exposure to cost and schedule risk, as compared to most other DOE projects, due to changing regulations, public involvement, resource shortages, and scope of work. A higher than normal percentage of indirect costs to the total estimated cost due primarily to record keeping, special training, liability, and indemnification. More than one estimate for a project, particularly in the assessment phase, in order to provide input into the evaluation of alternatives for the cleanup action. While some aspects of existing guidance for cost estimators will be applicable to environmental restoration projects, some components of the present guidelines will have to be modified to reflect the unique elements of these projects. The purpose of this Handbook is to assist cost estimators in the preparation of environmental restoration estimates for Environmental Restoration and Waste Management (EM) projects undertaken by DOE. The DOE has, in recent years, seen a significant increase in the number, size, and frequency of environmental restoration projects that must be costed by the various DOE offices. The coming years will show the EM program to be the largest non-weapons program undertaken by DOE. These projects create new and unique estimating requirements since historical cost and estimating precedents are meager at best. It is anticipated that this Handbook will enhance the quality of cost data within DOE in several ways by providing: The basis for accurate, consistent, and traceable baselines. Sound methodologies, guidelines, and estimating formats. Sources of cost data/databases and estimating tools and techniques available at DOE cost professionals

  18. Environmental Restoration Program Roadmap: Strategic program plan

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1992-01-01

    This document is a strategic plan for accomplishing environmental restoration objectives at the Department of Energy's (DOE) Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plant (PORTS). Waste Management (WM) for environmental restoration activities and integration of these activities into the PORTS WM operations is addressed in this document. The document provides detailed information concerning specific assumptions and activities required to meet DOE's environmental restoration objectives at this site. Environmental contamination at PORTS consists mainly of spent solvents and low level radionuclides. Solvents were used for industrial metal cleaning operations required to maintain the process during operations. Plumes of groundwater contamination resulting from past disposal of these spent solvents in landfills and impoundments extend from several locations within the site. Also, two sludge impoundments associated with a chromate reduction facility were characterized as having soil and groundwater contaminated with hexavalent chromium

  19. Development of decontamination, decommissioning and environmental restoration technology

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lee, Byung Jik; Kwon, H S; Kim, G N. and others

    1999-03-01

    Through the project of 'Development of decontamination, decommissioning and environmental restoration technology', the followings were studied. 1. Development of decontamination and repair technology for nuclear fuel cycle facilities 2. Development of dismantling technology 3. Development of environmental restoration technology. (author)

  20. Development of decontamination, decommissioning and environmental restoration technology

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lee, Byung Jik; Kwon, H. S.; Kim, G. N. and others

    1999-03-01

    Through the project of D evelopment of decontamination, decommissioning and environmental restoration technology , the followings were studied. 1. Development of decontamination and repair technology for nuclear fuel cycle facilities 2. Development of dismantling technology 3. Development of environmental restoration technology. (author)

  1. Environmental Awareness and Public Support for Protecting and Restoring Puget Sound

    Science.gov (United States)

    Safford, Thomas G.; Norman, Karma C.; Henly, Megan; Mills, Katherine E.; Levin, Phillip S.

    2014-04-01

    In an effort to garner consensus around environmental programs, practitioners have attempted to increase awareness about environmental threats and demonstrate the need for action. Nonetheless, how beliefs about the scope and severity of different types of environmental concerns shape support for management interventions are less clear. Using data from a telephone survey of residents of the Puget Sound region of Washington, we investigate how perceptions of the severity of different coastal environmental problems, along with other social factors, affect attitudes about policy options. We find that self-assessed environmental understanding and views about the seriousness of pollution, habitat loss, and salmon declines are only weakly related. Among survey respondents, women, young people, and those who believe pollution threatens Puget Sound are more likely to support policy measures such as increased enforcement and spending on restoration. Conversely, self-identified Republicans and individuals who view current regulations as ineffective tend to oppose governmental actions aimed at protecting and restoring Puget Sound. Support for one policy measure—tax credits for environmentally-friendly business practices—is not significantly affected by political party affiliation. These findings demonstrate that environmental awareness can influence public support for environmental policy tools. However, the nature of particular management interventions and other social forces can have important mitigating effects and need to be considered by practitioners attempting to develop environment-related social indicators and generate consensus around the need for action to address environmental problems.

  2. Development of decontamination, decommissioning and environmental restoration technology

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lee, Byung Jik; Kwon, H. S.; Kim, G. N. and others

    1999-03-01

    Through the project of 'Development of decontamination, decommissioning and environmental restoration technology', the followings were studied. 1. Development of decontamination and repair technology for nuclear fuel cycle facilities 2. Development of dismantling technology 3. Development of environmental restoration technology. (author)

  3. Poplar Island Environmental Restoration Project Nekton Data

    Data.gov (United States)

    National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — The Poplar Island Environmental Restoration Project (PIERP) is a large scale 1,800 acres restoration project located in mid Chesapeake Bay. Fishery collections are...

  4. Technology needs for environmental restoration remedial action. Environmental Restoration Program

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Watson, J.S.

    1992-11-01

    This report summarizes the current view of the most important technology needs for the US Department of Energy (DOE) facilities operated by Martin Marietta Energy Systems, Inc. These facilities are the Oak Ridge National Laboratory, the Oak Ridge K-25 Site, the Oak Ridge Y-12 Plant, the Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant, and the Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plant. The sources of information used in this assessment were a survey of selected representatives of the Environmental Restoration (ER) programs at each facility, results from a questionnaire distributed by Geotech CWM, Inc., for DOE, and associated discussions with individuals from each facility. This is not a final assessment, but a brief look at an ongoing assessment; the needs will change as the plans for restoration change and, it is hoped, as some technical problems are solved through successful development programs.

  5. Information management systems for integrating the technical data and regulatory requirements of environmental restoration activities

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Geffen, C.A.; Garrett, B.A.; Walter, M.B.

    1990-03-01

    Current environmental regulations require that comprehensive planning be conducted before remediating a hazardous waste site to characterize the nature and extent of site contamination, calculate the risk to the public, and assess the effectiveness of various remediation technologies. Remediation of Department of Energy (DOE) sites contaminated with hazardous or mixed wastes will require the effective integration of scientific and engineering data with regulatory and institutional requirements. The information management challenge presented by waste site cleanup activities goes beyond merely dealing with the large quantity of data that will be generated. The information must be stored, managed, and presented in a way that provides some consistency in approach across sites, avoids duplication of effort, and facilitates responses to requests for information from the regulators and the public. This paper provides background information on the regulatory requirements for data gathering and analysis for environmental restoration activities, and outlines the data and information management requirements for completing the pre-remediation phases of an environmental restoration project. Information management systems for integrating the regulatory and institutional requirements of the environmental restoration process with the technical data and analysis requirements are also described. 7 refs

  6. Environmental Restoration Remedial Action quality assurance requirements document

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1991-01-01

    This document defines the quality assurance requirements for the US Department of Energy-Richland Operations Office Environmental Restoration Remedial Action program at the Hanford Site. The Environmental Restoration Remedial Action program implements significant commitments made by the US Department of Energy in the Hanford Federal Facility Agreement and Consent Order entered into with the Washington State Department of Ecology and the US Environmental Protection Agency. This document combines quality assurance requirements from various source documents into one set of requirements for use by the US Department of Energy-Richland Operations Office and other Environmental Restoration Remedial Action program participants. This document will serve as the basis for developing Quality Assurance Program Plans and implementing procedures by the participants. The requirements of this document will be applied to activities affecting quality, using a graded approach based on the importance of the item, service, or activity to the program objectives. The Quality Assurance Program that will be established using this document as the basis, together with other program and technical documents, form an integrated management control system for conducting the Environmental Restoration Remedial Action program activities in a manner that provides safety and protects the environment and public health

  7. Environmental Restoration Program Control Management System

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Duke, R.T.

    1992-01-01

    Environmental Restoration managers need to demonstrate that their programs are under control. Unlike most industrial programs, the public is heavily involved in Environmental Restoration activities. The public is demanding that the country prove that real progress is being made towards cleaning up the environment. A Program Control Management System can fill this need. It provides a structure for planning, work authorization, data accumulation, data analysis and change control. But it takes time to implement a control system and the public is losing its patience. This paper describes critical items essential to the quick development and implementation of a successful control system

  8. A cost/schedule and control system for the environmental restoration program Albuquerque Field Office

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fiske, Wanda S.; Bischoff, Edward L.; Rea, Kenneth H.; Dwain Farley, P.; Biedermann, Charles A.

    1992-01-01

    The Department of Energy (DOE) Field Office Albuquerque (AL), Environmental Restoration Project Office (ERPO), has developed a project management system used to plan, document, and control Environmental Restoration (ER) work at eight installations and one superfund site managed by AL. This system emphasizes control of the cost, schedule, and technical elements of the Program. It supports programmatic documentation such as the Environmental Restoration/Waste Management Five-Year Plan, Site Specific Plan, and budget requests. The System provides information used to manage the ER Program at all levels of management (i.e., from low-level day-to-day activities to high-level upper management). The System requires substantial effort to ensure reliability; however, the benefit to ERPO is an effective, proactive project management tool. This paper provides an overview of the ERPO System, an explanation of how it is implemented, and lessons learned from this process. Application of the System to cost estimating, annual and five-year budget preparation, resource projections, scheduling, and cost/schedule performance measurement is discussed. Also discussed are cost/schedule review procedures, along with variance identification and resolution. Examples are taken from the Pinellas ER Program. (author)

  9. Hanford Site waste management and environmental restoration integration plan

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Merrick, D.L.

    1990-01-01

    The ''Hanford Site Waste Management and Environmental Restoration Integration Plan'' describes major actions leading to waste disposal and site remediation. The primary purpose of this document is to provide a management tool for use by executives who need to quickly comprehend the waste management and environmental restoration programs. The Waste Management and Environmental Restoration Programs have been divided into missions. Waste Management consists of five missions: double-shell tank (DST) wastes; single-shell tank (SST) wastes (surveillance and interim storage, stabilization, and isolation); encapsulated cesium and strontium; solid wastes; and liquid effluents. Environmental Restoration consists of two missions: past practice units (PPU) (including characterization and assessment of SST wastes) and surplus facilities. For convenience, both aspects of SST wastes are discussed in one place. A general category of supporting activities is also included. 20 refs., 14 figs., 7 tabs

  10. Environmental restoration project configuration control

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hutterman, L.L.

    1991-01-01

    This paper provides an overview of the approach that Westinghouse Idaho Nuclear Company, Inc. (WINCO) is using for the implementation of the configuration control requirements for a major system acquisition under the guidance of US Department of Energy (DOE) Order 4700.1, open-quotes Project Management System,close quotes for environmental restoration. The two major features of the WINCO environmental restoration approach relate to (1) the product and (2) the maintenance of the baseline for many sites in different phases at the same time. Historically, a project has typically produced a product. Environmental restoration in some ways produces no typical project product. Essentially, what is produced and what configuration control management is exercised on is one of the following: (1) the development of clean dirt, (2) the documentation to support clean dirt, or (3) the track record of each of the sites. It is the latter approach that this paper deals with. This approach is unique in that there are four baselines [cost, schedule, scope, and technical (the track record product)] rather than the typical three. This is essential in configuration management due to the lack of a uniquely identifiable product for each site. Essentially, the philosophy behind the four-part configuration controls allows the technical baseline to fulfill the function typically met by the identifiable product

  11. Environmental Restoration Program pollution prevention performance measures for FY 1993 and 1994 remedial investigations: Generator training manual

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1993-03-01

    This computer-based program is designed to help waste generators in the Environmental Restoration (ER) Program prevent pollution at the DOE Oak Ridge Field Office (DOE-OR) facilities in Oak Ridge, Paducah, and Portsmouth. The Numerical Scoring System (NSS) is an interactive system designed to maintain data on ER Program pollution prevention efforts and to measure the success of these efforts through the ER Program life cycle

  12. Environmental Restoration Program pollution prevention performance measures for FY 1993 and 1994 remedial investigations: Management training manual

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1993-03-01

    This computer-based program is designed to help waste generators in the Environmental Restoration (ER) Program prevent pollution at the DOE Oak Ridge Field Office (DOE-OR) facilities in Oak Ridge, Paducah, and Portsmouth. The Numerical Scoring System (NSS) is an interactive system designed to maintain data on ER Program pollution prevention efforts and to measure the success of these efforts through the ER Program life cycle

  13. Strategic alliance for environmental restoration - results of the Chicago Pile 5 large scale demonstration project

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Aker, R.E.; Bradley, T.L.; Bhattacharyya, S.

    1998-01-01

    The world's largest environmental cleanup effort is focused upon the DOE weapons complex. These cleanup efforts parallel those which will be required as the commercial nuclear industry reaches the end of licensed life. The strategic Alliance for Environmental Restoration (Strategic Alliance), reflects the cooperative interest of industry, commercial nuclear utilities, university and national laboratory team members to bring a collaborative best-in-class approach to finding, and providing effective delivery of innovative environmental remediation technologies to the DOE Complex and subsequently to industry. The Strategic Alliance is comprised of team members from ComEd, Duke Engineering and Services, 3M, ICF Kaiser, Florida International University, and Argonne National Laboratory in concert with DOE. This team tested and evaluated over twenty innovative technologies in an effort to help provide cost effective technology solutions to DOE/Industry needs for decontamination and decommissioning. This paper summarizes the approach used by the Strategic Alliance and describes the results of this DOE funded project

  14. Implementation Plan. Environmental Restoration and Waste Management Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    1994-01-01

    In accordance with the Department of Energy`s National Environmental Policy Act implementing procedures in Volume 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations, Section 1021,312, the Environmental Restoration and Waste Management Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement Implementation Plan has two primary purposes: to provide guidance for the preparation of the Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement and to record the issues resulting from the scoping and the extended public participation process. The Implementation Plan identifies and discusses the following: background of Environmental Restoration and Waste Management activities, the purpose of the Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement, and the relationship of the Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement to other Departmental initiatives (Chapter 1); need and purposes for action (Chapter 2); scoping process and results of the public participation program in defining the scope of the Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement, including a summary of the comments received and their disposition (Chapter 3); planned scope and content of the Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (Chapter 4); consultations with other agencies and the role of cooperating agencies (Chapter 5); planned schedule of major Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement milestones (Chapter 6); and responsibilities for preparation of the Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (Chapter 7).

  15. Strategies for environmental restoration in an evolving regulatory environment

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Keller, J.F.; Geffen, C.A.

    1990-03-01

    The US Department of Energy (DOE) is faced with the immense challenge of effectively implementing a program to mitigate and manage the environmental impacts created by past and current operations at its facilities. Such a program must be developed and administered in accordance with the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act and the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act. These regulations are extremely complex, burdening the environmental restoration process with a number of planning and public interaction requirements that must be met before remediation of a site may begin. Existing regulatory and institutional requirements for environmental restoration dictate that extensive planning, characterization and assessment activities be conducted. An important part of the process is the involvement of regulators and the public in the site characterization and assessment activities and in developing reasonable solutions for cleanup. This paper identifies the regulatory requirements and highlights implementation strategies for key aspects of the environmental restoration process for DOE. Trends in legislation and policy relevant to the DOE environmental restoration process are highlighted, with strategies identified for dealing with the evolution of the regulations while maintaining continuity in the technical activities required for cleaning up the DOE hazardous and mixed waste sites. 10 refs

  16. Initial robotics research for environmental restoration and waste management

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hamel, W.R.; Mann, R.C.

    1990-01-01

    This paper describes the initial research and development activities at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) that will support the technology development component of the overall National Robotics Technology Development Program (NRTDP). The NRTDP is a subelement of the US Department of Energy's (DOE's) Environmental Restoration and Waste Management (ER and WM) 5-Year Applied Research, Development, Demonstration, Testing, and Evaluation Plan and of overall efforts at DOE operational sites around the country. ORNL research will focus on fundamental improvement of remote manipulation through enhancements of the human man/machine interface, integration of automated functions, and the incorporation of machine intelligence to increase productivity. Background and goals for these activities are presented in this paper

  17. Richland Environmental Restoration Project management action process document

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    1996-04-01

    This document is the prescribed means for providing direct input to the US Department of Energy Headquarters regarding the status, accomplishments, strategy, and issues of the Richland Environmental Restoration Project. The project mission, organizational interfaces, and operational history of the Hanford Site are provided. Remediation strategies are analyzed in detail. The document includes a status of Richland Environmental Restoration project activities and accomplishments, and it presents current cost summaries, schedules, and technical baselines.

  18. Richland Environmental Restoration Project management action process document

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1996-04-01

    This document is the prescribed means for providing direct input to the US Department of Energy Headquarters regarding the status, accomplishments, strategy, and issues of the Richland Environmental Restoration Project. The project mission, organizational interfaces, and operational history of the Hanford Site are provided. Remediation strategies are analyzed in detail. The document includes a status of Richland Environmental Restoration project activities and accomplishments, and it presents current cost summaries, schedules, and technical baselines

  19. Measuring the success of public participation efforts associated with the U.S. Department of energy's environmental management activities

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Schweitzer, M.; Carnes, S.A.; Peelle, E.B.; Wolfe, A.K.; Munro, J.F.

    1996-01-01

    For the last several years, US DOE's Office of Environmental Restoration and Waste Management (EM) has actively pursued a policy of involving local stakeholders in the planning and implementation of environmental management activities at contaminated sites throughout the DOE complex. An ongoing ORNL study is focusing on how to measure the success of the public participation efforts. Five DOE facilities were selected for intensive site visits; 4 or 5 additional sites were covered by telephone interviews. Key stakeholder groups were interviewed. Based on the data collection and preliminary analysis, 17 definitions of success were developed for public participation programs. Objective and subjective indicators of the success of the public participation efforts are discussed

  20. Environmental Restoration Information Resource Management Program Plan

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1994-09-01

    The Environmental Restoration Information Resources Management (ER IRM) Program Plan defines program requirements, organizational structures and responsibilities, and work breakdown structure and to establish an approved baseline against which overall progress of the program as well as the effectiveness of its management will be measured. This plan will guide ER IRM Program execution and define the program's essential elements. This plan will be routinely updated to incorporate key decisions and programmatic changes and will serve as the project baseline document. Environmental Restoration Waste Management Program intersite procedures and work instructions will be developed to facilitate the implementation of this plan

  1. Environmental Restoration Information Resource Management Program Plan

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    1994-09-01

    The Environmental Restoration Information Resources Management (ER IRM) Program Plan defines program requirements, organizational structures and responsibilities, and work breakdown structure and to establish an approved baseline against which overall progress of the program as well as the effectiveness of its management will be measured. This plan will guide ER IRM Program execution and define the program`s essential elements. This plan will be routinely updated to incorporate key decisions and programmatic changes and will serve as the project baseline document. Environmental Restoration Waste Management Program intersite procedures and work instructions will be developed to facilitate the implementation of this plan.

  2. Using management action plans to integrate program improvement efforts

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Meador, S.W.; Kidwell, R.J.; Shangraw, W.R.; Cardamone, E.N. [Project Performance Corporation, Sterling, VA (United States)

    1994-12-31

    The Department of Energy`s (DOE`s) Environmental Management Program is the country`s largest and most sophisticated environmental program to date. The rapid expansion of the DOE`s environmental restoration efforts has led to increased scrutiny of its management processes and systems. As the program continues to grow and mature, maintaining adequate accountability for resources and clearly communicating progress will be essential to sustaining public confidence. The Office of Environmental Management must ensure that adequate processes and systems are in place at Headquarters, Operation Offices, and contractor organizations. These systems must provide the basis for sound management, cost control, and reporting. To meet this challenge, the Office of Environmental Restoration introduced the Management Action Plan process. This process was designed to serve three primary functions: (1) define the program`s management capabilities at Headquarters and Operations Offices; (2) describe how management initiatives address identified program deficiencies; and (3) identify any duplication of efforts or program deficiencies. The Environmental Restoration Management Action Plan is a tracking, reporting, and statusing tool, used primarily at the Headquarters level, for assessing performance in key areas of project management and control. BY DOE to communicate to oversight agencies and stakeholders a clearer picture of the current status of the environmental restoration project management system. This paper will discuss how Management Action Plans are used to provide a program-wide assessment of management capabilities.

  3. Using management action plans to integrate program improvement efforts

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Meador, S.W.; Kidwell, R.J.; Shangraw, W.R.; Cardamone, E.N.

    1994-01-01

    The Department of Energy's (DOE's) Environmental Management Program is the country's largest and most sophisticated environmental program to date. The rapid expansion of the DOE's environmental restoration efforts has led to increased scrutiny of its management processes and systems. As the program continues to grow and mature, maintaining adequate accountability for resources and clearly communicating progress will be essential to sustaining public confidence. The Office of Environmental Management must ensure that adequate processes and systems are in place at Headquarters, Operation Offices, and contractor organizations. These systems must provide the basis for sound management, cost control, and reporting. To meet this challenge, the Office of Environmental Restoration introduced the Management Action Plan process. This process was designed to serve three primary functions: (1) define the program's management capabilities at Headquarters and Operations Offices; (2) describe how management initiatives address identified program deficiencies; and (3) identify any duplication of efforts or program deficiencies. The Environmental Restoration Management Action Plan is a tracking, reporting, and statusing tool, used primarily at the Headquarters level, for assessing performance in key areas of project management and control. BY DOE to communicate to oversight agencies and stakeholders a clearer picture of the current status of the environmental restoration project management system. This paper will discuss how Management Action Plans are used to provide a program-wide assessment of management capabilities

  4. Decommissioning and environmental restoration of nuclear facilities in China

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pan Ziqiang

    2000-01-01

    In the beginning of the 1980s, the Scientific and Technological Commission (STC) began the study on the environmental impact of the nuclear industry in China. At the end of the 1980s, the STC initiated the study on the decommissioning of nuclear facilities and environmental restoration. In 1989 the STC completed the project entitled ''Radiological and Environmental Quality Assessment of the Nuclear Industry in China Over the Past Thirty Years''. The status of the environmental pollution of various nuclear facility sites was subsequently analysed. In 1994, the decommissioning and environmental restoration of the first research and manufacture complex for nuclear weapons was completed. The complex is now accessible to the public without restriction and the site has become a town. Some nuclear related facilities, such as uranium mines, are currently being decommissioned. Although uranium mining and milling has a more serious impact on the environment, the technology for decommissioning and environmental restoration in mining and milling installations is not much more complicated than that used for reactor and reprocessing facilities: much has been achieved in the area of mining and milling. (author)

  5. Lower Yakima Valley Wetlands and Riparian Restoration Project. Final environmental assessment

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1994-01-01

    Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) proposes to fund that portion of the Washington Wildlife Mitigation Agreement pertaining to the Lower Yakima Valley Wetlands and Riparian Restoration Project (Project) in a cooperative effort with the Yakama Indian Nation and the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA). The proposed action would allow the sponsors to secure property and conduct wildlife management activities for the Project within the boundaries of the Yakama Indian Reservation. This Environmental Assessment examines the potential environmental effects of acquiring and managing property for wildlife and wildlife habitat within a large 20, 340 hectare (50, 308 acre) project area. As individual properties are secured for the Project, three site-specific activities (habitat enhancement, operation and maintenance, and monitoring and evaluation) may be subject to further site-specific environmental review. All required Federal/Tribal coordination, permits and/or approvals would be obtained prior to ground disturbing activities

  6. Lower Yakima Valley Wetlands and Riparian Restoration Project. Final Environmental Assessment.

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    United States. Bonneville Power Administration

    1994-10-01

    Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) proposes to fund that portion of the Washington Wildlife Mitigation Agreement pertaining to the Lower Yakima Valley Wetlands and Riparian Restoration Project (Project) in a cooperative effort with the Yakama Indian Nation and the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA). The proposed action would allow the sponsors to secure property and conduct wildlife management activities for the Project within the boundaries of the Yakama Indian Reservation. This Environmental Assessment examines the potential environmental effects of acquiring and managing property for wildlife and wildlife habitat within a large 20, 340 hectare (50, 308 acre) project area. As individual properties are secured for the Project, three site-specific activities (habitat enhancement, operation and maintenance, and monitoring and evaluation) may be subject to further site-specific environmental review. All required Federal/Tribal coordination, permits and/or approvals would be obtained prior to ground disturbing activities.

  7. Environmental restoration using horizontal wells

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Looney, B.B.; Kaback, D.S.; Hazen, T.C.; Corey, J.C.

    1992-01-01

    This paper reports that under sponsorship from the U.S. Department of Energy, technical personnel from the Savannah River Laboratory and other DOE laboratories, universities and private industry have completed a full scale demonstration of environmental remediation using horizontal wells. The test successfully removed approximately 7250 kg of contaminants. A large amount of characterization and monitoring data was collected to aid in interpretation of the test and to provide the information needed for future environmental restorations that employ directionally drilled wells as extraction or delivery systems

  8. Involving stakeholders in evaluating environmental restoration technologies

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    McCabe, G.H.; Serie, P.J.

    1993-02-01

    Involving citizens, interest groups, and regulators in environmental restoration and waste management programs is a challenge for government agencies and the organizations that support them. To be effective, such involvement activities must identify all individuals and groups who have a stake in the cleanup. Their participation must be early, substantive, and meaningful. Stockholders must be able to see how their input was considered and used, and feel that a good- faith effort was made to reconcile conflicting objectives. The Integrated Demonstration for Cleanup of Volatile Organic Compounds at Arid Sites (VOC-Arid ID) is a Department of Energy Office of Technology Development project located at Hanford. Along with technical evaluation of innovative cleanup technologies, the program is conducting an institutional assessment of regulatory and public acceptance of new technologies. Through a series of interviews and workshops, and use of a computerized information management tool, stakeholders are having a voice in the evaluation. Public and regulatory reaction has been positive

  9. DOE model conference on waste management and environmental restoration

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1990-01-01

    Reports dealing with current topics in waste management and environmental restoration were presented at this conference in six sessions. Session 1 covered the ''Hot Topics'' including regulations and risk assessment. Session 2 dealt with waste reduction and minimization; session 3 dealt with waste treatment and disposal. Session 4 covered site characterization and analysis. Environmental restoration and associated technologies wee discussed in session 5 and 6. Individual papers have been cataloged separately

  10. EnviroTRADE: An International Environmental Restoration and Waste Management Information System

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Johnson, S.W.; Harlan, C.P.; Harrington, M.W.; Bergeron, K.D.; Rehorn, A.S.

    1993-01-01

    The US Department of Energy (DOE) has collected, and will continue to collect, large amounts of information on its environmental waste sites and associated technology development efforts. This information is being gathered in a variety of formats for various purposes. Integration and delivery of this information WW benefit decision makers, waste site managers, technology developers, regulators, and the private sector. No computer system currently exists that acts as an easy-to-use computer umbrella over all of the DOE's environmental information. The EnviroTRADE Information System, currently under development for the DOE's Environmental Restoration and Waste Management's (EM's) Office of Technology Development, provides access to a wide variety of information within a single architecture. Ongoing system development is expected to result in an extensive, networked interface to EM's diverse data benefiting a variety of users. This paper discusses the present status of the EnviroTRADE Information System as well as current and future development activities

  11. Environmental Restoration Project - Systems Engineering Management Plan

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Anderson, T.D.

    1998-06-01

    This Environmental Restoration (ER) Project Systems Engineering Management Plan (SEMP) describes relevant Environmental Restoration Contractor (ERC) management processes and shows how they implement systems engineering. The objective of this SEMP is to explain and demonstrate how systems engineering is being approached and implemented in the ER Project. The application of systems engineering appropriate to the general nature and scope of the project is summarized in Section 2.0. The basic ER Project management approach is described in Section 3.0. The interrelation and integration of project practices and systems engineering are outlined in Section 4.0. Integration with sitewide systems engineering under the Project Hanford Management Contract is described in Section 5.0

  12. Environmental Restoration Strategic Plan. Remediating the nuclear weapons complex

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1995-08-01

    With the end of the cold war, the US has a reduced need for nuclear weapons production. In response, the Department of Energy has redirected resources from weapons production to weapons dismantlement and environmental remediation. To this end, in November 1989, the US Department of Energy (DOE) established the Office of Environmental Restoration and Waste Management (renamed the Office of Environmental Management in 1994). It was created to bring under a central authority the management of radioactive and hazardous wastes at DOE sites and inactive or shut down facilities. The Environmental Restoration Program, a major component of DOE's Environmental Management Program, is responsible for the remediation and management of contaminated environmental media (e.g., soil, groundwater, sediments) and the decommissioning of facilities and structures at 130 sites in over 30 states and territories

  13. DOE model conference on waste management and environmental restoration

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    1990-01-01

    Reports dealing with current topics in waste management and environmental restoration were presented at this conference in six sessions. Session 1 covered the Hot Topics'' including regulations and risk assessment. Session 2 dealt with waste reduction and minimization; session 3 dealt with waste treatment and disposal. Session 4 covered site characterization and analysis. Environmental restoration and associated technologies wee discussed in session 5 and 6. Individual papers have been cataloged separately.

  14. Educational initiatives in environmental restoration and waste management

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Prestwich, S.M.

    1990-01-01

    Policy-makers responding to the urgency of the demands for a clean environment are finding that America lacks the technical know-how and the pool of technicians, scientists, and engineers to meet the environmental challenges. In response to the need for a technically skilled work force, government agencies and the private sector have worked to assess the probable effect of shortages and have sought ways to prevent the problem. The US Department of Energy (DOE) and its predecessor agencies have historically supported strong linkages between the academic community - the providers of scientists and engineers - and the department - the users of those workers - to assure an adequate supply of appropriately educated technicians, scientists, and engineers to conduct basic and applied research in support of the DOE's mission and to implement that mission. One of the department's challenges is the minimization, management, and cleanup of waste materials generated from departmental operations. The recently published Environmental Restoration and Waste Management Five-Year Plan for fiscal years 1992 through 1996 reaffirms DOE's policy of compliance with environmental laws and regulations. It also maps out the newly created Office of Environmental Restoration and Waste Management's aggressive programs to improve training and education, to arouse interest in pursuit of science/engineering careers, and to place special emphasis on recruiting minorities and women to technical fields vital to the environmental restoration/waste management mission

  15. Richland Environmental Restoration Project management action process document

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    1996-04-01

    A critical mission of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) is the planning, implementation, and completion of environmental restoration programs at DOE facilities. An integral part of this mission involves the safe and cost-effective environmental restoration of the Hanford Site. For over 40 years the Hanford Site supported United States national defense programs, largely through the production of nuclear materials. One legacy of historical Hanford Site operations is a significant waste inventory of radioactive and/or regulated chemical materials. Releases of these materials have, in some cases, contaminated the Hanford Site environment. The DOE Richland Operations Office (RL) is responsible for protecting human health and the environment from potential Hanford Site environmental hazards by identifying, assessing, and mitigating risks posed by contaminated sites.

  16. Richland Environmental Restoration Project management action process document

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1996-04-01

    A critical mission of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) is the planning, implementation, and completion of environmental restoration programs at DOE facilities. An integral part of this mission involves the safe and cost-effective environmental restoration of the Hanford Site. For over 40 years the Hanford Site supported United States national defense programs, largely through the production of nuclear materials. One legacy of historical Hanford Site operations is a significant waste inventory of radioactive and/or regulated chemical materials. Releases of these materials have, in some cases, contaminated the Hanford Site environment. The DOE Richland Operations Office (RL) is responsible for protecting human health and the environment from potential Hanford Site environmental hazards by identifying, assessing, and mitigating risks posed by contaminated sites

  17. Environmental restoration and waste management five-year plan, Fiscal years 1994--1998

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1993-01-01

    The US Department of Energy (DOE) understands that cleaning up the Nation's nuclear-related sites and facilities affects many different segments of the public, ranging from communities near DOE facilities to engineers concerned with developing new technologies to clean up the environment. In an effort to make the Environmental Restoration and Waste Management Five-Year Plan for Fiscal Years (FY) 1994--1998 more responsive to your concerns, DOE invites your comments on the plan. Volume II contains 37 Installation Summaries that provide a synopsis of past, present and future activities of each major installation, and Progress Charts

  18. Human health and ecological risks from environmental restoration and waste management activities

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pehlman, P.A.; Wollert, D.A.; Phillippi, R.H.

    1994-01-01

    This paper summarizes the methodologies for estimating human health and ecological risks resulting from Environmental Restoration and Waste Management activities across the Department of Energy (DOE) complex. DOE is currently assessing these activities as part of the Environmental Restoration and Waste Management Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (EM-PEIS)

  19. Cumulative effects of restoration efforts on ecological characteristics of an open water area within the Upper Mississippi River

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gray, B.R.; Shi, W.; Houser, J.N.; Rogala, J.T.; Guan, Z.; Cochran-Biederman, J. L.

    2011-01-01

    Ecological restoration efforts in large rivers generally aim to ameliorate ecological effects associated with large-scale modification of those rivers. This study examined whether the effects of restoration efforts-specifically those of island construction-within a largely open water restoration area of the Upper Mississippi River (UMR) might be seen at the spatial scale of that 3476ha area. The cumulative effects of island construction, when observed over multiple years, were postulated to have made the restoration area increasingly similar to a positive reference area (a proximate area comprising contiguous backwater areas) and increasingly different from two negative reference areas. The negative reference areas represented the Mississippi River main channel in an area proximate to the restoration area and an open water area in a related Mississippi River reach that has seen relatively little restoration effort. Inferences on the effects of restoration were made by comparing constrained and unconstrained models of summer chlorophyll a (CHL), summer inorganic suspended solids (ISS) and counts of benthic mayfly larvae. Constrained models forced trends in means or in both means and sampling variances to become, over time, increasingly similar to those in the positive reference area and increasingly dissimilar to those in the negative reference areas. Trends were estimated over 12- (mayflies) or 14-year sampling periods, and were evaluated using model information criteria. Based on these methods, restoration effects were observed for CHL and mayflies while evidence in favour of restoration effects on ISS was equivocal. These findings suggest that the cumulative effects of island building at relatively large spatial scales within large rivers may be estimated using data from large-scale surveillance monitoring programs. Published in 2010 by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  20. Environmental restoration/waste management-applied technology semiannual report, January--June 1992

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Adamson, M.; Kline-Simon, K.

    1992-01-01

    This is the first issue from the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory of The Environmental Restoration/Waste Management-Applied Technology (ER/WM-AT) Semiannual Report, a continuation of the Advanced Processing Technology (APT) Semiannual Report. The name change reflects the consolidation of the APT Program with the Environmental Restoration and Waste Management Program to form the Environmental Restoration/Waste Management-Applied Technology (ER/WM-AT) Program. The Livermore site mirrors, on a small scale, many of the environmental and waste management problems of the DOE Complex. The six articles in this issue cover incineration- alternative technologies, process development for waste minimization, the proposed Mixed Waste Management Facility, dynamic underground stripping, electrical resistance tomography, and Raman spectroscopy for remote characterization of underground tanks

  1. 1998 Annual Report - Environmental Restoration Division

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Davis, L.B.

    1998-01-01

    This is a 1998 annual report for Environmental Restoration. Environmental Restoration's accomplishments were significant in 1998. The division, including its support organizations, completed one year without a lost time accident. It also met 111 enforceable agreement milestones on time, with more than 80% ahead of schedule. Funds used to meet these milestones were effectively utilized and $9.63 million in regulatory scope was added. Twelve new, innovative technologies were deployed, enabling ER to achieve significant progress on major field remediation projects, including: Remediation of 25 acres of radioactive burial ground; Removal of 1,300 batteries for recycling; Removal and safe storage of a radioactive underground tank; Extraction of 115,000 pounds of solvent; and Installation of 9 new recirculation wells and a second GeoSiphon Cell for additional removal of solvent Final Records of Decision were made for 9 base unit sites. No Further Action decisions were made for 61 additional sites

  2. Tiger team findings related to DOE environmental restoration activities

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Levitan, W.M.

    1991-01-01

    Tiger Team Assessments were implemented in June 1989 as part of a strategy to ensure that DOE facilities fully comply with Federal, state, local and DOE environment, safety, and health (ES ampersand H) requirements. The Tiger Teams provide the Secretary of Energy with information on current ES ampersand H compliance status of each DOE facility and causes for noncompliance. To date, Tiger Team Assessments have been completed at 25 DOE facilities. With regard to assessments of environmental restoration activities, the performance of DOE facilities was evaluated against the requirements of the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA), as amended, the National Contingency Plan (NCP), and DOE Order 5400.4, CERCLA Requirements, among others. Five major categories of environmental restoration-related findings were identified: (1) environmental restoration program planning and management (found at 60 percent of the sites assessed); (2) community relations/administrative record (60 percent); (3) characterization of extent of contamination (56 percent); (4) identification and evaluation of inactive waste sites (56 percent); and (5) DOE and NCP requirements for response action studies (44 percent). Primary causal factors for these findings were inadequate procedures, resources, supervision, and policy implementation

  3. Environmental Restoration and Waste Management: An Introduction. Student Edition.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Department of Energy, Washington, DC.

    This technical document focuses on the Department of Energy's (DOE) efforts to restore the environment and manage nuclear waste. This student edition was rewritten and edited by a team of high school students in order to make it "user-friendly" for high school students and the general public. The document focuses on the efforts of the…

  4. Environmental Restoration Progam Waste Minimization and Pollution Prevention Awareness Program Plan

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Grumski, J. T.; Swindle, D. W.; Bates, L. D.; DeLozier, M. F.P.; Frye, C. E.; Mitchell, M. E.

    1991-09-30

    In response to DOE Order 5400.1 this plan outlines the requirements for a Waste Minimization and Pollution Prevention Awareness Program for the Environmental Restoration (ER) Program at Martin Marietta Energy System, Inc. Statements of the national, Department of Energy, Energy Systems, and Energy Systems ER Program policies on waste minimization are included and reflect the attitudes of these organizations and their commitment to the waste minimization effort. Organizational responsibilities for the waste minimization effort are clearly defined and discussed, and the program objectives and goals are set forth. Waste assessment is addressed as being a key element in developing the waste generation baseline. There are discussions on the scope of ER-specific waste minimization techniques and approaches to employee awareness and training. There is also a discussion on the process for continual evaluation of the Waste Minimization Program. Appendixes present an implementation schedule for the Waste Minimization and Pollution Prevention Program, the program budget, an organization chart, and the ER waste minimization policy.

  5. Environmental Restoration Progam Waste Minimization and Pollution Prevention Awareness Program Plan

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1991-01-01

    In response to DOE Order 5400.1 this plan outlines the requirements for a Waste Minimization and Pollution Prevention Awareness Program for the Environmental Restoration (ER) Program at Martin Marietta Energy System, Inc. Statements of the national, Department of Energy, Energy Systems, and Energy Systems ER Program policies on waste minimization are included and reflect the attitudes of these organizations and their commitment to the waste minimization effort. Organizational responsibilities for the waste minimization effort are clearly defined and discussed, and the program objectives and goals are set forth. Waste assessment is addressed as being a key element in developing the waste generation baseline. There are discussions on the scope of ER-specific waste minimization techniques and approaches to employee awareness and training. There is also a discussion on the process for continual evaluation of the Waste Minimization Program. Appendixes present an implementation schedule for the Waste Minimization and Pollution Prevention Program, the program budget, an organization chart, and the ER waste minimization policy

  6. 75 FR 21650 - Coral Reef Restoration Plan, Draft Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement, Biscayne National...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-04-26

    ... DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR National Park Service Coral Reef Restoration Plan, Draft Programmatic... Coral Reef Restoration Plan, Biscayne National Park. SUMMARY: Pursuant to the National Environmental... availability of a Draft Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) for the Coral Reef Restoration Plan...

  7. Lower Red River Meadow Stream Restoration Project

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1996-05-01

    As part of a continuing effort to restore anadromous fish populations in the South Fork Clearwater River basin of Idaho, Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) proposes to fund the Lower Red River Meadow Restoration Project (Project). The Project is a cooperative effort with the Idaho Soil and Water Conservation District, Nez Perce National Forest, Idaho Department of Fish and Game (IDFG), and the Nez Perce Tribe of Idaho. The proposed action would allow the sponsors to perform stream bank stabilization, aquatic and riparian habitat improvement activities on IDFG's Red River Management Area and to secure long-term conservation contracts or agreements for conducting streambank and habitat improvement activities with participating private landowners located in the Idaho County, Idaho, study area. This preliminary Environmental Assessment (EA) examines the potential environmental effects of stabilizing the stream channel, restoring juvenile fish rearing habitat and reestablishing a riparian shrub community along the stream

  8. The United States Department of Energy's Environmental Restoration Program

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Whitfield, P.; Lehr, J.C.

    1993-01-01

    The Department of Energy (DOE) operates a large industrial complex which includes various production, processing, testing, and research and development installations across the country. This complex has generated, and continues to generate, significant quantities of radioactive, hazardous, and mixtures of radioactive and hazardous (mixed) waste. Over the past 40 + years of operation, the waste generated by this complex has been managed to then-current standards of technology and regulation. However, some of these waste management practices have subsequently been proven to be inadequate for long-term environmental protection. To improve these practices, DOE must first manage the tasks of characterizing and remediating waste sites and facilities at more than 120 locations in 34 states and one location in Puerto Rico. To accomplish this mission, DOE's Environmental Restoration (ER) Program within the Office of Environmental Restoration and Waste Management (EM) was established in 1989, when DOE's top priority changed from nuclear weapons production to environmental cleanup. The ER Program was created to ensure that risks to human health and the environment posed by DOE's past operations are eliminated or reduced to prescribed, safe levels. This paper gives details on the philosophy of the Environmental Restoration Program. It includes information on how the Department is managing this Program to assure cost efficiency and good stewardship of the taxpayer's dollars

  9. Site specific plan. [Environmental Restoration and Waste Management, Savannah River Site

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hutchison, J.; Jernigan, G.

    1989-12-01

    The Environmental Restoration and Waste Management Five-Year Plan (FYP) covers the period for FY 1989 through FY 1995. The plan establishes a Department of Energy -- Headquarters (DOE-HQ) agenda for cleanup and compliance against which overall progress can be measured. The FYP covers three areas: Corrective Activities, Environmental Restoration, and Waste Management Operations. Corrective Activities are those activities necessary to bring active or standby facilities into compliance with local, state, and federal environmental regulations. Environmental restoration activities include the assessment and cleanup of surplus facilities and inactive waste sites. Waste management operations includes the treatment, storage, and disposal of wastes which are generated as a result of ongoing operations. This Site Specific Plan (SSP) has been prepared by the Savannah River Site (SRS) in order to show how environmental restoration and waste management activities that were identified during the preparation of the FYP will be implemented, tracked, and reported. The SSP describes DOE Savannah River (DOE-SR) and operating contractor, Westinghouse Savannah River Company (WSRC), organizations that are responsible, for undertaking the activities identified in this plan. The SSP has been prepared in accordance with guidance received from DOE-HQ. DOE-SR is accountable to DOE-HQ for the implementation of this plan. 8 refs., 46 figs., 23 tabs.

  10. The remediation process: Approach and elements of the Department of Energy's environmental restoration program in a Superfund environment

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lehr, J.C.

    1993-01-01

    The Department of Energy (DOE) operates a large industrial complex located at various production, processing, testing, and research and development installations across the country. During the 40+ years of operation, this complex generated and managed waste to then-current standards. However, some of these waste management practices have subsequently been proven to be inadequate for long-term environmental protection. The Office of Environmental Restoration and Waste Management (EM) was established in 1989, when DOE's top priority changed from nuclear weapons production to environmental cleanup. The Environmental Restoration (ER) Program within EM was tasked to ensure that risks to human health and the environment posed by DOE's past operations at its nuclear facilities and sites are eliminated or reduced to prescribed, safe levels. Since its creation, the ER Program has been one of the fastest growing programs in the Department, demonstrating the Secretary's commitment to the new clean-up priority. (The 1989 budget was $400 million, while the 1993 budget is $1.8 billion.) As new technologies are developed and new management strategies implemented, the program will continue to expand. This paper describes the environmental remediation process from its early assessment phase to the final compliance effort

  11. Environmental restoration plans and activities in France: 1995-1996 progress report

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Roussel, V.

    1997-01-01

    In 50 years, more than 200 mining sites and 11 processing plants have contributed to French uranium production. At present only two mines are still in production. The others have already been restored or are in the final phase of restoration. This report gives a retrospective account of developments and statutory actions currently in progress, with examples of sites at various stages of restoration. The importance of research and development studies as well as efforts being put in to communicate with all the parties concerned in these restoration projects are specially emphasized. (author)

  12. Manager’s Dilemma: Stockholders’ and Consumers’ Responses to Corporate Environmental Efforts

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Prayag Lal Yadav

    2017-06-01

    Full Text Available This study aims to reveal that different stakeholders have different environmental preferences by demonstrating the managers’ dilemma of selecting an appropriate environmental strategy to achieve firms’ corporate goals. It analyzes the effects of firms’ efforts in environmental impact through actual environmental practices and environmental considerations in environmental management on stockholders’ and consumers’ responses by using the Newsweek Green Rankings 2012 for large US-based firms. The study uses the event study methodology and the ordinary least squares multivariate regression model conditioned with relevant firm and industry-specific characteristics. The results indicate that both stockholders and consumers appreciate corporate efforts in reducing environmental damage; however, consumers exhibit a significant and negative response against firms’ environmental management efforts. The conflicting results provide valuable insights into the alignment of environmental efforts for developing core competencies that lead firms toward sustainability. Further, this research makes a valuable contribution to the existing literature and provides guidelines for the formulation of public policies that encourage corporate environmental efforts to ensure simultaneous development of business and society.

  13. Environmental restoration and waste management site-specific plan for Richland Operations Office

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1991-09-01

    This document was prepared to implement and support the US Department of Energy-Headquarters (DOE-HQ) national plan. The national plan, entitled Environmental Restoration and Waste Management Five-Year Plan (DOE 1990b) (hereinafter referred to as the DOE-HQ Five-Year Plan) is the cornerstone of the US Department of Energy's (DOE) long-term strategy in environmental restoration and waste management. The DOE-HQ Five-Year Plan addresses overall philosophy and environmental and waste-related activities under the responsibilities of the DOE Office of Environmental Restoration and Waste Management. The plan also reaffirms DOE-HQ goals to bring its nuclear sites into environmental compliance in cooperation with its regulators and the public, and to clean up and restore the environment by 2019 (the commitment for the Hanford Site is for one year sooner, or 2018). This document is part of the site-specific plan for the US Department of Energy-Richland Operations Office (DOE-RL). It is the first revision of the original plan, which was dated December 1989 (DOE-RL 1989a). This document is a companion document to the Overview of the Hanford Cleanup Five-Year Plan (DOE-RL 1989d) and The Hanford Site Environmental Restoration and Waste Management Five-Year Plan Activity Data Sheets (DOE-RL 1991). Although there are three documents that make up the complete DOE-RL plan, this detailed information volume was prepared so it could be used as a standalone document. 71 refs., 40 figs., 28 tabs

  14. Environmental Restoration and Waste Management Site-Specific Plan (SSP) for fiscal year 1992 (FY92)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1991-09-01

    The FY-92 Site-Specific Plan (FY-92 SSP) for environmental restoration and waste management at the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory (INEL) is designed to provide the reader with easy access to the status of environmental restoration and waste management activities at INEL. The first chapter provides background on INIEL's physical environment, site history and mission, and general information about the site and its facilities. In addition, this chapter discusses the inter-relationships between the Site Specific Plan, the Environmental Restoration and Waste Management Five-Year Plan, the environmental restoration and waste management prioritization systems, and the Activity Data Sheets (ADSs) for environmental restoration and waste management. This discussion should help readers understand what the SSP is and how it fits into the environmental restoration and waste management process at INEL. This understanding should provide the reader with a better context for understanding the discussions in the SSP as well as a better feel for how and what to comment on during the public comment period that will be held from the first of September through the end of October 1991

  15. Potential CERCLA reauthorization issues relevant to US DOE's Environmental Restoration Program

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Siegel, M.R.; McKinney, M.D.; Jaksch, J.A.; Dailey, R.L.

    1993-02-01

    The Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) is currently scheduled to be reauthorized in 1994. The US Department of Energy (DOE) has a significant stake in CERCLA reauthorization. CERCLA, along with its implementing regulation, the National Contingency Plan (NCP), is the principal legal authority governing DOE's environmental restoration program. The manner in which CERCLA-related issues are identified, evaluated, and dispatched may have a substantial impact on DOE's ability to conduct its environmental restoration program. A number of issues that impact DOE's environmental restoration program could be addressed through CERCLA reauthorization. These issues include the need to (1) address how the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) should be integrated into DOE CERCLA actions, (2) facilitate the streamlining of the Superfund process at DOE sites, (3) address the conflicts between the requirements of CERCLA and the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) that are especially relevant to DOE, (4) examine the criteria for waiving applicable or relevant and appropriate requirements (ARARs) at DOE sites, and (5) delineate the appropriate use of institutional controls at DOE sites

  16. Identifying environmental safety and health requirements for an Environmental Restoration Management Contractor

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Beckman, W.H.; Cossel, S.C.; Alhadeff, N.; Lindamood, S.B.; Beers, J.A.

    1993-10-01

    The purpose of the Standards/Requirements Identification Program, developed partially in response to the Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board Recommendation 90-2, was to identify applicable requirements that established the Environmental Restoration Management Contractor's (ERMC) responsibilities and authorities under the Environmental Restoration Management Contract, determine the adequacy of these requirements, ascertain a baseline level of compliance with them, and implement a maintenance program that would keep the program current as requirements or compliance levels change. The resultant Standards/Requirements Identification Documents (S/RIDs) consolidate the applicable requirements. These documents govern the development of procedures and manuals to ensure compliance with the requirements. Twenty-four such documents, corresponding with each functional area identified at the site, are to be issued. These requirements are included in the contractor's management plan

  17. Assessment, evaluation, and testing of technologies for environmental restoration, decontamination, and decommissioning and high level waste management. Progress report

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Uzochukwu, G.A.

    1997-01-01

    Nuclear and commercial non-nuclear technologies that have the potential of meeting the environmental restoration, decontamination and decommissioning, and high-level waste management objectives are being assessed and evaluated. A detailed comparison of innovative technologies available will be performed to determine the safest and most economical technology for meeting these objectives. Information derived from this effort will be matched with the multi-objectives of the environmental restoration, decontamination and decommissioning, and high-level waste management effort to ensure that the best, most economical, and the safest technologies are used in decision making at USDOE-SRS. Technology-related variables will be developed and the resulting data formatted and computerized for multimedia systems. The multimedia system will be made available to technology developers and evaluators to ensure that the best, most economical, and the safest technologies are used in decision making at USDOE-SRS. Technology-related variables will be developed and the resulting data formatted and computerized for multimedia systems. The multimedia system will be made available to technology developers and evaluators to ensure that the safest and most economical technologies are developed for use at SRS and other DOE sites

  18. Assessment, evaluation, and testing of technologies for environmental restoration, decontamination, and decommissioning and high level waste management. Progress report

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Uzochukwu, G.A.

    1997-12-31

    Nuclear and commercial non-nuclear technologies that have the potential of meeting the environmental restoration, decontamination and decommissioning, and high-level waste management objectives are being assessed and evaluated. A detailed comparison of innovative technologies available will be performed to determine the safest and most economical technology for meeting these objectives. Information derived from this effort will be matched with the multi-objectives of the environmental restoration, decontamination and decommissioning, and high-level waste management effort to ensure that the best, most economical, and the safest technologies are used in decision making at USDOE-SRS. Technology-related variables will be developed and the resulting data formatted and computerized for multimedia systems. The multimedia system will be made available to technology developers and evaluators to ensure that the best, most economical, and the safest technologies are used in decision making at USDOE-SRS. Technology-related variables will be developed and the resulting data formatted and computerized for multimedia systems. The multimedia system will be made available to technology developers and evaluators to ensure that the safest and most economical technologies are developed for use at SRS and other DOE sites.

  19. Predicting environmental restoration activities through static simulation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ross, T.L.; King, D.A.; Wilkins, M.L.; Forward, M.F.

    1994-12-01

    This paper discusses a static simulation model that predicts several performance measures of environmental restoration activities over different remedial strategies. Basic model operation consists of manipulating and processing waste streams via selecting and applying remedial technologies according to the strategy. Performance measure prediction is possible for contaminated soil, solid waste, surface water, groundwater, storage tank, and facility sites. Simulations are performed for the U.S. Department of Energy in support of its Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement

  20. Origin and evolution of the Office of Environmental Restoration and Waste Management programmatic environmental impact statement

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Strider, P.; Huizenga, D.

    1993-01-01

    Prior to November 1989, the diverse environmental restoration and waste management activities of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) were the responsibility of the various line organizations, which had the primary missions of weapons production, research, and related departmental activities. At that time, Secretary of Energy Admiral James Watkins saw the need to establish the Office of Environmental Restoration and Waste Management (EM), which consolidated those activities under a single management structure

  1. Process benchmarking for improvement of environmental restoration activities

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Celorie, J.A.; Selman, J.R.; Larson, N.B.

    1995-01-01

    A process benchmarking study was initiated by the Office of Environmental Management (EM) of the US Department of Energy (DOE) to analyze and improve the department's environmental assessment and environmental restoration (ER) processes. The purpose of this study was to identify specific differences in the processes and implementation procedures used at comparable remediation sites to determine best practices which had the greatest potential to minimize the cost and time required to conduct remedial investigation/ feasibility study (RI/FS) activities. Technical criteria were identified and used to select four DOE, two Department of Defense (DOD), and two Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) restoration sites that exhibited comparable characteristics and regulatory environments. By comparing the process elements and activities executed at the different sites for similar endpoints, best practices were identified for streamlining process elements and minimizing non-value-added activities. Critical measures that influenced process performance were identified and characterized for the sites. This benchmarking study focused on two processes and the internal/external review of documents and the development of the initial evaluation and data collection plan (IEDCP)--since these had a great potential for savings, a high impact on other processes, and a high probability for implementation

  2. Environmental Restoration and Waste Management (EM) program: An introduction

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1990-12-01

    This booklet introduces the reader to the mission and functions of a major new unit within the US Department of Energy (DOE): the Office of Environmental Restoration and Waste Management (EM). The Secretary of Energy established EM in November 1989, implementing a central purpose of DOE's first annual Environmental Restoration and Waste Management Five-Year Plan, which had appeared three months earlier. The contents of this booklet, and their arrangement, reflect the annual update of the Five-Year Plan. The Five-Year Plan supports DOE's strategy for meeting its 30-year compliance and cleanup goal. This strategy involves: focusing DOE's activities on eliminating or reducing known or recognized potential risks to worker and public health and the environment, containing or isolating, removing, or detoxifying onsite and offsite contamination, and developing technology to achieve DOE's environmental goals

  3. Fiscal year 1990 Rocky Flats Plant environmental restoration program current-year work plan

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nielsen, T.; Waage, E.; Miller, D.

    1990-01-01

    This paper reports on the FY90 Current Year Work Plan (CYWP), intended to serve as a guiding document with which the Environmental Restoration and RCRA Compliance programs will be implemented at the Rocky Flats Plant, The Current Year Work Plan document serves to provide in one single document any cross-references necessary to understand how the DOE Five Year Plan, Site Specific Plan, or any other related documents fit into the Current Year Work Plan for the Rocky Flats Environmental Restoration. The scope of this paper will compare the planned Fiscal Year 1990 environmental restoration activities to those actually achieved at the end of the fiscal year. The DOE Headquarters (HQ) issued the Environmental Restoration and Waste Management (ER/WM) Five-Year Plan (FYP). The purpose of the FYP is to establish an agenda for compliance and cleanup against which progress will be measured. The Five Year Plan has been updated to include the Colorado Department of Health (CDH), Evironmental Protection Agency (EPA), and Department of Energy (DOE) Inter Agency Agreement Environmental Restoration activities. It addresses hazardous wastes, radioactive wastes, mixed wastes (radioactive and hazardous), and sanitary wastes. It also addresses facilities and sites contaminated with or used in the management of those wastes

  4. Identifying environmental safety and health requirements for the Fernald Environmental Restoration Management Corporation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Beckman, W.H.; Cossel, S.C.; Alhadeff, N.; Lindamood, S.B.; Beers, J.A.

    1994-01-01

    This presentation will describe the Fernald Environmental Restoration Management Corporation's (FERMCO) Standards/Requirements Identification Documents (S/RlDs) Program, the unique process used to implement it, and the status of the program. We will also discuss the lessons learned as the program was implemented. The Department of Energy (DOE) established the Fernald site to produce uranium metals for the nation's defense programs in 1953. In 1989, DOE suspended production and, in 1991, the mission of the site was formally changed to one of environmental cleanup and restoration. The site was renamed the Fernald Environmental Management Project (FEMP). FERMCO's mission is to provide safe, early, and least-cost final clean-up of the site in compliance with all regulations and commitments. DOE has managed nuclear facilities primarily through its oversight of Management and Operating contractors. Comprehensive nuclear industry standards were absent when most DOE sites were first established, Management and Operating contractors had to apply existing non-nuclear industry standards and, in many cases, formulate new technical standards. Because it was satisfied with the operation of its facilities, DOE did not incorporate modern practices and standards as they became available. In March 1990, the Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board issued Recommendation 90-2, which called for DOE to identify relevant standards and requirements, conduct adequacy assessments of requirements in protecting environmental, public, and worker health and safety, and determine the extent to which the requirements are being implemented. The Environmental Restoration and Waste Management Office of DOE embraced the recommendation for facilities under its control. Strict accountability requirements made it essential that FERMCO and DOE clearly identify applicable requirements necessary, determine the requirements' adequacy, and assess FERMCO's level of compliance

  5. Uranium mining environmental restoration project (PRAMU)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Asenjo, A.

    2002-01-01

    The National Atomic Energy Commission (CNEA) started its activities 50 years ago and obtained significant results. At the present time, the CNEA is defined as an Institution of research and development in the nuclear field. It is also responsible for the management of radioactive wastes and the dismantling of nuclear and radioactive facilities. Mining and milling activities have been carried out during the past 40 years and at present the CNEA is undertaking the Uranium Mining Environmental Restoration Project (PRAMU). The aim of this project is to restore the environment as much as is possible in all places where uranium mining and milling activities were developed when taking into consideration both economic and technical reality. First, the characteristics of the problems in each site are determined through appropriate studies which identify the existing or potential impacts, the possible pathways of contamination, etc. The sites being studied are: MALARGUE (Mendoza Province), CORDOBA (Cordoba Province), LOS GIGANTES (Cordoba Province), HUEMUL (Mendoza Province), PICHINAN (Chubut Province), TONCO (Salta Province), LA ESTELA (San Luis Province), LOS COLORADOS (La Rioja Province). PRAMU seeks to improve the current conditions of the tailings deposits and mines and to ensure the long term protection of people and the environment. The CNEA is required to comply with all legislation that is in force and is under the control of various national, provincial and local State institutions. The main objectives of the project for the various sites are: (a) Malargue site: to implement the actions necessary for environmental restoration and management of the tailings derived from the uranium ores processed in the industrial plant; (b) Cordoba and Los Gigantes sites: to design, engineer and execute the activities required for closure of the sites; (c) Other sites (Huemul, Pichinan, Tonco, La Estela, Los Colorados): to develop an environmental evaluation and, on the basis of

  6. Environmental Restoration Site-Specific Plan for the Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plant, FY 93

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1993-01-01

    The purpose of this Site-Specific Plan (SSP) is to describe past, present, and future activities undertaken to implement Environmental Restoration and Waste Management goals at the Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plant (PORTS). The SSP is presented in sections emphasizing Environmental Restoration description of activities, resources, and milestones

  7. Environmental monitoring, restoration and assessment: What have we learned

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Gray, R.H. (ed.)

    1990-01-01

    The Twenty-Eighth Hanford Symposium on Health and the Environment was held in Richland, Washington, October 16--19, 1989. The symposium was sponsored by the US Department of Energy and the Pacific Northwest Laboratory, operated by Battelle Memorial Institute. The symposium was organized to review and evaluate some of the monitoring and assessment programs that have been conducted or are currently in place. Potential health and environmental effects of energy-related and other industrial activities have been monitored and assessed at various government and private facilities for over three decades. Most monitoring is required under government regulations; some monitoring is implemented because facility operators consider it prudent practice. As a result of these activities, there is now a substantial radiological, physical, and chemical data base for various environmental components, both in the United States and abroad. Symposium participants, both platform and poster presenters, were asked to consider, among other topics, the following: Has the expenditure of millions of dollars for radiological monitoring and assessment activities been worth the effort How do we decide when enough monitoring is enough Can we adequately assess the impacts of nonradiological components -- both inorganic and organic -- of wastes Are current regulatory requirements too restrictive or too lenient Can monitoring and assessment be made more cost effective Papers were solicited in the areas of environmental monitoring; environmental regulations; remediation, restoration, and decommissioning; modeling and dose assessment; uncertainty, design, and data analysis; and data management and quality assurance. Individual reports are processed separately for the databases.

  8. Environmental monitoring, restoration and assessment: What have we learned?

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gray, R.H.

    1990-01-01

    The Twenty-Eighth Hanford Symposium on Health and the Environment was held in Richland, Washington, October 16--19, 1989. The symposium was sponsored by the US Department of Energy and the Pacific Northwest Laboratory, operated by Battelle Memorial Institute. The symposium was organized to review and evaluate some of the monitoring and assessment programs that have been conducted or are currently in place. Potential health and environmental effects of energy-related and other industrial activities have been monitored and assessed at various government and private facilities for over three decades. Most monitoring is required under government regulations; some monitoring is implemented because facility operators consider it prudent practice. As a result of these activities, there is now a substantial radiological, physical, and chemical data base for various environmental components, both in the United States and abroad. Symposium participants, both platform and poster presenters, were asked to consider, among other topics, the following: Has the expenditure of millions of dollars for radiological monitoring and assessment activities been worth the effort? How do we decide when enough monitoring is enough? Can we adequately assess the impacts of nonradiological components -- both inorganic and organic -- of wastes? Are current regulatory requirements too restrictive or too lenient? Can monitoring and assessment be made more cost effective? Papers were solicited in the areas of environmental monitoring; environmental regulations; remediation, restoration, and decommissioning; modeling and dose assessment; uncertainty, design, and data analysis; and data management and quality assurance. Individual reports are processed separately for the databases

  9. Water Awareness Through Environmental Restoration

    Science.gov (United States)

    Davis-Caldwell, K.

    2012-04-01

    and negative effects of human presence on the local and global water supply. Student research scientifically tested ways to slow down the effects of run-off contaminants. Students also revisit water analysis and plant trees as buffers as part of their stream preservation efforts in a culminating activity. Oyster Reef Restoration Project: As a result of changes in climate, pollution and human consumption, the oyster population in the Chesapeake Bay had previously been on a rapid decline. The Oyster Reef Restoration Project allows students to understand the creatures of the bay and the cause of this decline. They explore the domino effect this has had on the quality of the water in the bay and future implications on the environment when the oyster population fluctuates significantly. Students construct concrete reefs and study the components of its contents and the reef's impact on the bay. Students are responsible for mixing, pouring and preparing the reef for its eventual drop in the bay. Wetlands Recovery: Following the elimination of a substantial amount of the natural wetlands behind the elementary and middle schools, a wetlands area was erected on the school grounds. This pond has been used to learn about habitats and the role humans, plants and organisms play in the preservation of the earth soil and water supply. This wetland is used by both the elementary and middle schools as a place for hands-on inquiry based learning. Students maintain the upkeep of the pond and teach other students at lower grades.

  10. Opportunities for health and safety professionals in environmental restoration work

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Norris, A.E.

    1991-01-01

    The safety of workers in waste management and in environmental restoration work is regulated in large part by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). Many of the OSHA rules are given in Part 1910, Occupational Safety and Health Standards, of Title 29 of the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR). Section 120 of 29 CFR 1910 specifically addresses hazardous waste operations and emergency response operations. The remainder of this discussion focuses on clean-up operations. The purpose of this paper is to review areas of employment opportunity in environmental restoration work for health and safety professionals. Safety and health risk analyses are mentioned as one area of opportunity, and these analyses are required by the standards. Site safety and health supervisors will be needed during field operations. Those who enjoy teaching might consider helping to meet the training needs that are mandated. Finally, engineering help both to separate workers from hazards and to improve personal protective equipment, when it must be worn, would benefit those actively involved in environmental restoration activities

  11. Standard Review Plan for Environmental Restoration Program Quality Management Plans

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1993-12-01

    The Department of Energy, Richland Operations Office (RL) Manual Environmental Restoration Program Quality System Requirements (QSR) for the Hanford Site, defines all quality requirements governing Hanford Environmental Restoration (ER) Program activities. The QSR requires that ER Program participants develop Quality Management Plans (QMPs) that describe how the QSR requirements will be implemented for their assigned scopes of work. This standard review plan (SRP) describes the ER program participant responsibilities for submittal of QMPs to the RL Environmental Restoration Division for review and the RL methodology for performing the reviews of participant QMPS. The SRP serves the following functions: acts as a guide in the development or revision of QMPs to assure that the content is complete and adequate; acts as a checklist to be used by the RL staff in their review of participant QMPs; acts as an index or matrix between the requirements of the QSR and implementing methodologies described in the QMPs; decreases the time and subjectivity of document reviews; and provides a formal, documented method for describing exceptions, modifications, or waivers to established ER Program quality requirements

  12. Environmental Restoration Program waste minimization and pollution prevention self-assessment

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1994-10-01

    The Environmental Restoration (ER) Program within Martin Marietta Energy Systems, Inc. is currently developing a more active waste minimization and pollution prevention program. To determine areas of programmatic improvements within the ER Waste Minimization and Pollution Prevention Awareness Program, the ER Program required an evaluation of the program across the Oak Ridge K-25 Site, the Oak Ridge National Laboratory, the Oak Ridge Y-12 Plant, the Paducah Environmental Restoration and Waste Minimization Site, and the Portsmouth Environmental Restoration and Waste Minimization Site. This document presents the status of the overall program as of fourth quarter FY 1994, presents pollution prevention cost avoidance data associated with FY 1994 activities, and identifies areas for improvement. Results of this assessment indicate that the ER Waste Minimization and Pollution Prevention Awareness Program is firmly established and is developing rapidly. Several procedural goals were met in FY 1994 and many of the sites implemented ER waste minimization options. Additional growth is needed, however, for the ER Waste Minimization and Pollution Prevention Awareness Program

  13. Richland Environmental Restoration Project Baseline Multi Year Work Plan Volume 1 Richland Environmental Restoration Project Plan

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wintczak, T.M.

    2001-01-01

    The purpose of this project specification is to provide an overall scoping and document for the Environmental Restoration project, and to provide a link between the overall Hanford Site scope and the ER project. The purpose of this project specification is to provide an overall scoping document for the ER Project, and to provide a link between the overall Hanford Site scope and the ER Project. Additionally, this specification provides an integrated and consolidated source of information for the Richland ER Project. It identifies the ER Project vision, mission, and goals, as well as the operational history of the Hanford Site, along with environmental setting and hazards. This ER Project Specification is part of the overall ER Project baseline

  14. Monitoring Urban Stream Restoration Efforts in Relation to Flood Behavior Along Minebank Run, Towson, MD

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, G.; Miller, A. J.

    2017-12-01

    Urban stream restoration efforts are commonly undertaken to combat channel degradation and restore natural stream hydrology. We examine changes in flood patterns along an approximately 1.5-mile reach of Minebank Run, located in Towson, MD, by comparing pre-restoration morphology from surveys conducted in 2001, post-restoration morphology in 2007, and current conditions in 2017 following damage to the restoration project from persistent flooding. Hydraulic modeling was conducted in HEC-RAS 2D using three alternative scenarios: 1) topographic contours from a 2001 survey of pre-restoration topography combined with 2005 LiDAR, 2) 2007 survey combined with 2005 LiDAR data representing the post-restoration channel morphology, and 3) a March 2017 DEM of current channel conditions. The 2017 DEM was created using Structure from Motion (SfM) from high resolution 4K video collected via Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) flights at a resolution of 0.05 meters. Flood hydrographs from a USGS stream gage located within the study reach as well as a simulated hydrograph of the 100-year storm event were routed through the pre-restoration, post-restoration, and current modeled terrain and analyzed for changes in water-surface elevation and depth, inundation extent, 2-d velocity fields, and translation vs. attenuation of the flood wave to assess the net impact on potential flood hazards. In addition, our study demonstrates that SfM is a quick and inexpensive method for collecting topographic data for hydrologic modeling, assessing stream characteristics including channel bed roughness, and for examining short term changes of channel morphology at a very fine scale.

  15. Strategic plan for the utilization of remote sensing technologies in the environmental restoration program

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    King, A.D.; Doll, W.E.; Durfee, R.C.; Luxmoore, R.J.; Conder, S.R.; Nyquist, J.E.

    1993-12-01

    The objectives of the Environmental Restoration (ER) Remote Sensing and Special Surveys Program are to apply state-of-the-art remote sensing and geophysical technologies and to manage routine and remotely-sensed examinations of the Oak Ridge Reservation (ORR), the Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant (PGDP), the Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plant (PORTS), and their adjacent off-site areas. Repeated multispectral scanner (MSS) imagery, gamma, and photographic surveys will allow monitoring of the degradation that might occur in waste containment vessels and monitoring (at a later stage in the remediation life cycle) of improvements from restoration efforts and cleanup. These technologies, in combination with geophysical surveys, will provide an effective means for identifying unknown waste sites and contaminant transport pathways. All of the data will be maintained in a data base that will be accessible to site managers in the ER Program. The complete analysis of collected data will provide site-specific data to the ER Program for characterizing and monitoring ER Program hazardous waste sites

  16. Strategic plan for the utilization of remote sensing technologies in the Environmental Restoration Program

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    King, A.D.; Doll, W.E.; Durfee, R.C.; Luxmoore, R.J.; Conder, S.R.; Nyquist, J.E.

    1994-03-01

    The objectives of the Environmental Restoration (ER) Remote Sensing and Special Surveys Program are to apply state-of-the-art remote sensing and geophysical technologies and to manage routine and remotely-sensed examinations of the Oak Ridge Reservation (ORR), the Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant (PGDP), the Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plant (PORTS), and their adjacent off-site areas. Repeated multispectral scanner (MSS) imagery, gamma, and photographic surveys will allow monitoring of the degradation that might occur in waste containment vessels and monitoring (at a later stage in the remediation life cycle) of improvements from restoration efforts and cleanup. These technologies, in combination with geophysical surveys, will provide an effective means for identifying unknown waste sites and contaminant transport pathways. All of the data will be maintained in a data base that will be accessible to site managers in the ER Program. The complete analysis of collected data will provide site-specific data to the ER Program for characterizing and monitoring ER Program hazardous waste sites

  17. Second annual report of the Environmental Restoration Monitoring and Assessment Program at Oak Ridge National Laboratory

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Clapp, R.B.; Watts, J.A.

    1993-09-01

    This report summarizes the salient features of the annual efforts of environmental monitoring and field investigations conducted to support the Environmental Restoration (ER) Program at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL). This report focuses on the watershed scale, striving to provide an ORNL site-wide perspective on types, distribution, and transport of contamination. Results are used to enhance the conceptual understanding of the key contaminants and the sources, fluxes, and processes affecting their distribution and movement. This report summarizes the efforts of the Waste Area Grouping (WAG) 2 and Site Investigations (SI) program. WAG 2 is the lower portion of the White Oak Creek (WOC) system which drains the major contaminated sites at ORNL and discharges to the Clinch River where public access is allowed. The remedial investigation for WAG 2 includes a long-term multimedia environmental monitoring effort that takes advantage of WAG 2's role as an integrator and conduit of contaminants from the ORNL site. This report also includes information from other site-specific remedial investigations and feasibility studies (RI/FS) for contaminated sites at ORNL and data from other ongoing monitoring programs conducted by other organizations [e.g., the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) compliance monitoring conducted by the Environmental Surveillance and Protection Section]. This information is included to provide an integrated basis to support ER decision making. This report summarizes information gathered through early 1993. Annual data, such as annual discharges of contaminants, are reported for calendar year 1992

  18. Environmental Restoration and Waste Management (EM) program: An introduction

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    1990-12-01

    This booklet introduces the reader to the mission and functions of a major new unit within the US Department of Energy (DOE): the Office of Environmental Restoration and Waste Management (EM). The Secretary of Energy established EM in November 1989, implementing a central purpose of DOE's first annual Environmental Restoration and Waste Management Five-Year Plan, which had appeared three months earlier. The contents of this booklet, and their arrangement, reflect the annual update of the Five-Year Plan. The Five-Year Plan supports DOE's strategy for meeting its 30-year compliance and cleanup goal. This strategy involves: focusing DOE's activities on eliminating or reducing known or recognized potential risks to worker and public health and the environment, containing or isolating, removing, or detoxifying onsite and offsite contamination, and developing technology to achieve DOE's environmental goals.

  19. Modeling the impacts of wetland restoration in former cranberry farms on nitrogen removal

    Science.gov (United States)

    In population-dense Massachusetts (USA) acquiring historical wetlands for ecological restoration efforts can be difficult and expensive. Retiring cranberry bogs create a rare opportunity to restore historical wetlands. Environmental managers face important decisions about how to ...

  20. Environmental Restoration and Waste Management (EM) program: An introduction

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1991-06-01

    This booklet introduces the reader to the mission and functions of a major unit within the US Department of Energy (DOE): the Office of Environmental Restoration and Waste Management (EM). The Secretary of Energy established EM in November 198, implementing the first step in fulfilling the central purpose of DOE's annually updated Environmental Restoration and Waste Management Five-Year Plan (FYP). The first FYP had been developed three months earlier. The contents of this booklet, and their arrangement, reflect (and will, it is hoped, serve as a kind of appetizer for) the annual update of the Five-Year Plan. The Five-Year Plan supports DOE's strategy for meeting its 30-year compliance and cleanup goal. This strategy involves: (1) focusing DOE's activities on eliminating or reducing known or recognized potential risks to workers, the public, and the environment; (2) containing or isolating, removing, or detoxifying onsite and offsite contamination; and (3) developing technology to achieve DOE's environmental goals. 101 refs

  1. Hazard classification of environmental restoration activities at the INEL

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Peatross, R.G.

    1996-04-01

    The following documents require that a hazard classification be prepared for all activities for which US Department of Energy (DOE) has assumed environmental, safety, and health responsibility: the DOE Order 5481.1B, Safety Analysis and Review System and DOE Order 5480.23, Nuclear Safety Analysis Reports. A hazard classification defines the level of hazard posed by an operation or activity, assuming an unmitigated release of radioactive and nonradioactive hazardous material. For environmental restoration activities, the release threshold criteria presented in Hazard Baseline Documentation (DOE-EM-STD-5502-94) are used to determine classifications, such as Radiological, Nonnuclear, and Other Industrial facilities. Based upon DOE-EM-STD-5502-94, environmental restoration activities in all but one of the sites addressed by the scope of this classification (see Section 2) can be classified as ''Other Industrial Facility''. DOE-EM-STD-5502-94 states that a Health and Safety Plan and compliance with the applicable Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) standards are sufficient safety controls for this classification

  2. Code of accounts. Management overview volume: Environmental restoration

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fox, M.B.; Birkholz, H.L.

    1997-10-01

    The purpose of this procedure is to provide the requirement for assigning cost collection codes and the structure of these codes for all costs incurred for the Environmental Restoration Contract. The coding structure will be used in the budgeting and control of project costs

  3. Strategic alliance for environmental restoration -- An innovative approach to government and industry collaboration for decontamination and decommissioning technology

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Aker, R.E.

    1997-01-01

    The world's largest environmental cleanup effort is focused upon the DOE weapons complex. These cleanup efforts parallel those which will be required as the commercial nuclear industry reaches the end of licensed life. The Strategic Alliance for Environmental Restoration (Strategic Alliance), reflects the cooperative interest of industry, commercial nuclear utilities, university and national laboratory team members to bring a collaborative best-in-class approach to finding, and providing effective delivery of innovative environmental remediation technologies to the DOE Complex and subsequently to industry. The collaborative team of the Strategic Alliance includes ComEd, Duke Engineering and Services, 3M, ICF Kaiser, Florida International University, Argonne National Laboratory in concert with DOE. The Strategic Alliance approach to technology qualification and deployment provides DOE, through a Cooperative Agreement, with a new way of bringing industry principles to technology research and developed activities. This paper will describe the approach and activities the Strategic Alliance is taking to provide cost effective technology solutions to DOE/Industry needs for decontamination and decommissioning needs

  4. Restoring rocky intertidal communities: Lessons from a benthic macroalgal ecosystem engineer

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bellgrove, Alecia; McKenzie, Prudence F.; Cameron, Hayley; Pocklington, Jacqueline B.

    2017-01-01

    As coastal population growth increases globally, effective waste management practices are required to protect biodiversity. Water authorities are under increasing pressure to reduce the impact of sewage effluent discharged into the coastal environment and restore disturbed ecosystems. We review the role of benthic macroalgae as ecosystem engineers and focus particularly on the temperate Australasian fucoid Hormosira banksii as a case study for rocky intertidal restoration efforts. Research focussing on the roles of ecosystem engineers is lagging behind restoration research of ecosystem engineers. As such, management decisions are being made without a sound understanding of the ecology of ecosystem engineers. For successful restoration of rocky intertidal shores it is important that we assess the thresholds of engineering traits (discussed herein) and the environmental conditions under which they are important. - Highlights: • Fucoid algae can be important ecosystem engineers in rocky reef ecosystems • Sewage-effluent disposal negatively affects fucoids and associated communities • Restoring fucoid populations can improve biodiversity of degraded systems • Clarifying the roles of fucoids in ecosystem function can improve restoration efforts • Thresholds of engineering traits and associated environmental conditions important

  5. Environmental Restoration Contractor Waste Minimization and Pollution Prevention Plan

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Duvon, D. K.

    1998-01-01

    This plan contains the Pollution Prevention (P2) Program for the Environmental Restoration Contractor (ERC). The plan outlines the activities and schedules developed by the Bechtel Hanford, Inc.(BHI) to reduce the quantity and toxicity of waste dispositioned as a result of restoration and remediation activities. The purpose of this plan is to guide ERC projects in meeting and documenting compliance with requirements for pollution prevention. This plan contains the objectives, strategy, and support activities of the ERC P2 Program

  6. Environmental restoration plans and activities in the Russian Federation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Boldyrev, V.; Komarov, A.; Kuzin, R.; Shatalov, V.

    1997-01-01

    The report deals with the status of environmental restoration of uranium-contaminated sites and the methods to reduce radionuclides concentration in the solid and liquid wastes as well as their utilization potential. Attention is given to the waste utilization in agriculture and civil engineering construction. With this in view, the paper deals with waste water purification and applicable standards for natural radionuclides content in solid waste for utilization in construction activities. All works are carried out in accordance with the Special Complex Programme for environmental restoration of contaminated uranium mining and milling sites caused by the activities of the industries engaged in nuclear materials production for the Ministry of Atomic Energy of the Russian Federation. The Programme is an integral part of the Federal Programme ''Conversion of Russian Defense Industries in 1993-2000''. (author)

  7. Stakeholder Interaction in Participatory Land Restoration in Iceland: Environmental Officers' Challenges and Strategies

    Science.gov (United States)

    Berglund, Brita; Hallgren, Lars; Aradóttir, Ása L.

    2015-08-01

    Participatory approaches involve stakeholder interaction but environmental agency employees engaged in participatory undertakings often lack training for interaction tasks. This study explored how district officers at the Soil Conservation Service of Iceland (SCSI) experienced and dealt with stakeholder interaction in participatory land restoration. We made semi-structured interviews with all district officers with at least 1-year experience; seven in total. A thematic content analysis revealed five challenges facing the officers in their interaction activities and seven strategies that they used to deal with these challenges. The core challenge was to establish and maintain contacts with farmers and other stakeholders as it enabled the SCSI to support and influence their land restoration practices. Other challenges were to: accomplish SCSI's objectives; represent the SCSI and the government; have adequate skills, knowledge, and background; and deal with one's own emotions. Four of the strategies seemed to promote collaboration: create win-win scenarios; "go local"; direct and positive communication; and motivation and knowledge sharing. The other strategies: supportive district officer team; self-reliance and personal background; and self-control supported the officers in their interaction tasks. Factors undermining their collaboration efforts included insufficient time and other resources, an unsupportive organizational culture and a legal duty to assess the condition of vegetation cover on farmland. Increased resource allocation to the SCSI's local operations, more attention to emotional issues, and efforts to develop a more flexible and learning organizational culture that supports collaboration could counteract these factors.

  8. Stakeholder Interaction in Participatory Land Restoration in Iceland: Environmental Officers' Challenges and Strategies.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Berglund, Brita; Hallgren, Lars; Aradóttir, Ása L

    2015-08-01

    Participatory approaches involve stakeholder interaction but environmental agency employees engaged in participatory undertakings often lack training for interaction tasks. This study explored how district officers at the Soil Conservation Service of Iceland (SCSI) experienced and dealt with stakeholder interaction in participatory land restoration. We made semi-structured interviews with all district officers with at least 1-year experience; seven in total. A thematic content analysis revealed five challenges facing the officers in their interaction activities and seven strategies that they used to deal with these challenges. The core challenge was to establish and maintain contacts with farmers and other stakeholders as it enabled the SCSI to support and influence their land restoration practices. Other challenges were to: accomplish SCSI's objectives; represent the SCSI and the government; have adequate skills, knowledge, and background; and deal with one's own emotions. Four of the strategies seemed to promote collaboration: create win-win scenarios; "go local"; direct and positive communication; and motivation and knowledge sharing. The other strategies: supportive district officer team; self-reliance and personal background; and self-control supported the officers in their interaction tasks. Factors undermining their collaboration efforts included insufficient time and other resources, an unsupportive organizational culture and a legal duty to assess the condition of vegetation cover on farmland. Increased resource allocation to the SCSI's local operations, more attention to emotional issues, and efforts to develop a more flexible and learning organizational culture that supports collaboration could counteract these factors.

  9. US - Former Soviet Union environmental restoration and waste management activities, March 1994

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1994-03-01

    The Peaceful Uses of Atomic Energy Agreement was signed between DOE and the Ministry of Atomic Energy for the Russian Federation and provides a mechanism for cooperation in research, development, and safe utilization of nuclear energy. Under the umbrella of this agreement, DOE and the former Ministry of Atomic Power and Industry signed a Memorandum of Cooperation in the areas of environmental restoration and waste management in September 1990. This document discusses the environmental situation, science and technology process, technical projects (separations, contaminant transport, waste treatment, environmental restoration), scientist exchanges, enhanced data transfer, the US-Russia industry partnership (conference, centers), and future actions

  10. Community Relations Plan for Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory. Environmental Restoration Program

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    1993-07-01

    The Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory (LBL) has applied to the California Environmental Protection Agency, Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC), for renewal of its Hazardous Waste Handling Facility Permit. A permit is required under Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) regulations. The permit will allow LBL to continue using its current hazardous waste handling facility, upgrade the existing facility, and construct a replacement facility. The new facility is scheduled for completion in 1995. The existing facility will be closed under RCRA guidelines by 1996. As part of the permitting process, LBL is required to investigate areas of soil and groundwater contamination at its main site in the Berkeley Hills. The investigations are being conducted by LBL`s Environmental Restoration Program and are overseen by a number of regulatory agencies. The regulatory agencies working with LBL include the California Environmental Protection Agency`s Department of Toxic Substances Control, the California Regional Water Quality Control Board, the Bay Area Air Quality Management District, the East Bay Municipal Utilities District, and the Berkeley Department of Environmental Health. RCRA requires that the public be informed of LBL`s investigations and site cleanup, and that opportunities be available for the public to participate in making decisions about how LBL will address contamination issues. LBL has prepared this Community Relations Plan (CRP) to describe activities that LBL will use to keep the community informed of environmental restoration progress and to provide for an open dialogue with the public on issues of importance. The CRP documents the community`s current concerns about LBL`s Environmental Restoration Program. Interviews conducted between February and April 1993 with elected officials, agency staff, environmental organizations, businesses, site neighbors, and LBL employees form the basis for the information contained in this document.

  11. Annual report of the Environmental Restoration Monitoring and Assessment Program at Oak Ridge National Laboratory for FY 1992

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Clapp, R.B.

    1992-09-01

    This report summarizes the salient features of the annual efforts of the investigations and monitoring, conducted to support the Environmental Restoration (ER) Program at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL). The results presented can be used to develop a conceptual understanding of the key contaminants and the sources, fluxes, and processes affecting their distribution and movement. This information forms a basis for prioritizing sites and for selecting, implementing, and evaluating remedial actions. Groundwater, soils, sediments, and surface water monitoring results are described

  12. Photosynthetic performance of restored and natural mangroves under different environmental constraints

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rovai, André Scarlate; Barufi, José Bonomi; Pagliosa, Paulo Roberto; Scherner, Fernando; Torres, Moacir Aluísio; Horta, Paulo Antunes

    2013-01-01

    We hypothesized that the photosynthetic performance of mangrove stands restored by the single planting of mangroves species would be lowered due to residual stressors. The photosynthetic parameters of the vegetation of three planted mangrove stands, each with a different disturbance history, were compared to reference sites and correlated with edaphic environmental variables. A permutational analysis of variance showed significant interaction when the factors were compared, indicating that the photosynthetic parameters of the restoration areas differed from the reference sites. A univariate analysis of variance showed that all the photosynthetic parameters differed between sites and treatments, except for photosynthetic efficiency (α ETR ). The combination of environmental variables that best explained the variations observed in the photosynthetic performance indicators were Cu, Pb and elevation disruptions. Fluorescence techniques proved efficient in revealing important physiological differences, representing a powerful tool for rapid analysis of the effectiveness of initiatives aimed at restoring coastal environments. -- Highlights: •Photosynthetic efficiency of natural and restored mangroves are compared. •Natural stands present higher photosynthetic performance. •Photosynthetic performance of mangroves is reduced due to Cu and Pb contamination. •Chlorophyll a fluorescence is a useful indicator to assess short-term restoration. -- Photosynthetic performance of mangroves is reduced due to Cu and Pb contamination

  13. Photosynthetic performance of restored and natural mangroves under different environmental constraints

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Rovai, André Scarlate, E-mail: rovaias@hotmail.com [Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Departamento de Ecologia e Zoologia, Campus Universitário, Trindade, 88040-900 Florianópolis, SC (Brazil); Barufi, José Bonomi, E-mail: jose.bonomi@gmail.com [Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Departamento de Botânica, Campus Universitário, Trindade, 88040-900 Florianópolis, SC (Brazil); Pagliosa, Paulo Roberto, E-mail: paulo.pagliosa@ufsc.br [Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Departamento de Geociências, Campus Universitário, Trindade, 88040-900 Florianópolis, SC (Brazil); Scherner, Fernando [Universidade Federal Rural de Pernambuco, Laboratório de Ficologia, Campus Universitário, Dois Irmãos, 52171-900 Recife, PE (Brazil); Torres, Moacir Aluísio, E-mail: moatorres@cav.udesc.br [Universidade do Estado de Santa Catarina, Departamento de Engenharia Ambiental, Centro de Ciências Agroveterinárias, Av Luiz de Camões 2090, Conta Dinheiro, 88520-000 Lages, SC (Brazil); Horta, Paulo Antunes, E-mail: pahorta@ccb.ufsc.br [Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Departamento de Botânica, Campus Universitário, Trindade, 88040-900 Florianópolis, SC (Brazil); others, and

    2013-10-15

    We hypothesized that the photosynthetic performance of mangrove stands restored by the single planting of mangroves species would be lowered due to residual stressors. The photosynthetic parameters of the vegetation of three planted mangrove stands, each with a different disturbance history, were compared to reference sites and correlated with edaphic environmental variables. A permutational analysis of variance showed significant interaction when the factors were compared, indicating that the photosynthetic parameters of the restoration areas differed from the reference sites. A univariate analysis of variance showed that all the photosynthetic parameters differed between sites and treatments, except for photosynthetic efficiency (α{sub ETR}). The combination of environmental variables that best explained the variations observed in the photosynthetic performance indicators were Cu, Pb and elevation disruptions. Fluorescence techniques proved efficient in revealing important physiological differences, representing a powerful tool for rapid analysis of the effectiveness of initiatives aimed at restoring coastal environments. -- Highlights: •Photosynthetic efficiency of natural and restored mangroves are compared. •Natural stands present higher photosynthetic performance. •Photosynthetic performance of mangroves is reduced due to Cu and Pb contamination. •Chlorophyll a fluorescence is a useful indicator to assess short-term restoration. -- Photosynthetic performance of mangroves is reduced due to Cu and Pb contamination.

  14. Health and safety plan for the Environmental Restoration Program at Oak Ridge National Laboratory

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Clark, C. Jr.; Burman, S.N.; Cipriano, D.J. Jr.; Uziel, M.S.; Kleinhans, K.R.; Tiner, P.F.

    1994-08-01

    This Programmatic Health and Safety plan (PHASP) is prepared for the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) Environmental Restoration (ER) Program. This plan follows the format recommended by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for remedial investigations and feasibility studies and that recommended by the EM40 Health and Safety Plan (HASP) Guidelines (DOE February 1994). This plan complies with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) requirements found in 29 CFR 1910.120 and EM-40 guidelines for any activities dealing with hazardous waste operations and emergency response efforts and with OSHA requirements found in 29 CFR 1926.65. The policies and procedures in this plan apply to all Environmental Restoration sites and activities including employees of Energy Systems, subcontractors, and prime contractors performing work for the DOE ORNL ER Program. The provisions of this plan are to be carried out whenever activities are initiated that could be a threat to human health or the environment. This plan implements a policy and establishes criteria for the development of procedures for day-to-day operations to prevent or minimize any adverse impact to the environment and personnel safety and health and to meet standards that define acceptable management of hazardous and radioactive materials and wastes. The plan is written to utilize past experience and best management practices to minimize hazards to human health and safety and to the environment from event such as fires, explosions, falls, mechanical hazards, or any unplanned release of hazardous or radioactive materials to air, soil, or surface water

  15. Health and safety plan for the Environmental Restoration Program at Oak Ridge National Laboratory

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Clark, C. Jr.; Burman, S.N.; Cipriano, D.J. Jr.; Uziel, M.S.; Kleinhans, K.R.; Tiner, P.F.

    1994-08-01

    This Programmatic Health and Safety plan (PHASP) is prepared for the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) Environmental Restoration (ER) Program. This plan follows the format recommended by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for remedial investigations and feasibility studies and that recommended by the EM40 Health and Safety Plan (HASP) Guidelines (DOE February 1994). This plan complies with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) requirements found in 29 CFR 1910.120 and EM-40 guidelines for any activities dealing with hazardous waste operations and emergency response efforts and with OSHA requirements found in 29 CFR 1926.65. The policies and procedures in this plan apply to all Environmental Restoration sites and activities including employees of Energy Systems, subcontractors, and prime contractors performing work for the DOE ORNL ER Program. The provisions of this plan are to be carried out whenever activities are initiated that could be a threat to human health or the environment. This plan implements a policy and establishes criteria for the development of procedures for day-to-day operations to prevent or minimize any adverse impact to the environment and personnel safety and health and to meet standards that define acceptable management of hazardous and radioactive materials and wastes. The plan is written to utilize past experience and best management practices to minimize hazards to human health and safety and to the environment from event such as fires, explosions, falls, mechanical hazards, or any unplanned release of hazardous or radioactive materials to air, soil, or surface water.

  16. Idaho National Engineering Laboratory (INEL) Environmental Restoration Program (ERP), Baseline Safety Analysis File (BSAF). Revision 1

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    1994-06-20

    This document was prepared to take the place of a Safety Evaluation Report since the Baseline Safety Analysis File (BSAF)and associated Baseline Technical Safety Requirements (TSR) File do not meet the requirements of a complete safety analysis documentation. Its purpose is to present in summary form the background of how the BSAF and Baseline TSR originated and a description of the process by which it was produced and approved for use in the Environmental Restoration Program.The BSAF is a facility safety reference document for INEL environmental restoration activities including environmental remediation of inactive waste sites and decontamination and decommissioning (D&D) of surplus facilities. The BSAF contains safety bases common to environmental restoration activities and guidelines for performing and documenting safety analysis. The common safety bases can be incorporated by reference into the safety analysis documentation prepared for individual environmental restoration activities with justification and any necessary revisions. The safety analysis guidelines in BSAF provide an accepted method for hazard analysis; analysis of normal, abnormal, and accident conditions; human factors analysis; and derivation of TSRS. The BSAF safety bases and guidelines are graded for environmental restoration activities.

  17. Idaho National Engineering Laboratory (INEL) Environmental Restoration Program (ERP), Baseline Safety Analysis File (BSAF). Revision 1

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1994-01-01

    This document was prepared to take the place of a Safety Evaluation Report since the Baseline Safety Analysis File (BSAF)and associated Baseline Technical Safety Requirements (TSR) File do not meet the requirements of a complete safety analysis documentation. Its purpose is to present in summary form the background of how the BSAF and Baseline TSR originated and a description of the process by which it was produced and approved for use in the Environmental Restoration Program.The BSAF is a facility safety reference document for INEL environmental restoration activities including environmental remediation of inactive waste sites and decontamination and decommissioning (D ampersand D) of surplus facilities. The BSAF contains safety bases common to environmental restoration activities and guidelines for performing and documenting safety analysis. The common safety bases can be incorporated by reference into the safety analysis documentation prepared for individual environmental restoration activities with justification and any necessary revisions. The safety analysis guidelines in BSAF provide an accepted method for hazard analysis; analysis of normal, abnormal, and accident conditions; human factors analysis; and derivation of TSRS. The BSAF safety bases and guidelines are graded for environmental restoration activities

  18. 76 FR 24050 - Coral Reef Restoration Plan, Final Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement, Biscayne National...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2011-04-29

    ... DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR National Park Service [2310-0003-422] Coral Reef Restoration Plan... for the Coral Reef Restoration Plan, Biscayne National Park. SUMMARY: Pursuant to the National... availability of a Final Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement for the Coral Reef Restoration Plan (Plan...

  19. Environmental restoration and waste management site-specific plan for Richland Operations Office. [Contains glossary

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    1991-09-01

    This document was prepared to implement and support the US Department of Energy-Headquarters (DOE-HQ) national plan. The national plan, entitled Environmental Restoration and Waste Management Five-Year Plan (DOE 1990b) (hereinafter referred to as the DOE-HQ Five-Year Plan) is the cornerstone of the US Department of Energy's (DOE) long-term strategy in environmental restoration and waste management. The DOE-HQ Five-Year Plan addresses overall philosophy and environmental and waste-related activities under the responsibilities of the DOE Office of Environmental Restoration and Waste Management. The plan also reaffirms DOE-HQ goals to bring its nuclear sites into environmental compliance in cooperation with its regulators and the public, and to clean up and restore the environment by 2019 (the commitment for the Hanford Site is for one year sooner, or 2018). This document is part of the site-specific plan for the US Department of Energy-Richland Operations Office (DOE-RL). It is the first revision of the original plan, which was dated December 1989 (DOE-RL 1989a). This document is a companion document to the Overview of the Hanford Cleanup Five-Year Plan (DOE-RL 1989d) and The Hanford Site Environmental Restoration and Waste Management Five-Year Plan Activity Data Sheets (DOE-RL 1991). Although there are three documents that make up the complete DOE-RL plan, this detailed information volume was prepared so it could be used as a standalone document. 71 refs., 40 figs., 28 tabs.

  20. Management systems for environmental restoration projects

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Harbert, R.R.

    1990-01-01

    This paper reports that the success fo large environmental restoration projects depends on sound management systems to guide the team of organizations and individuals responsible for the project. Public concern about and scrutiny of these environmental projects increase the stakes for those involved in the management of projects. The Department of Energy (DOE) Formerly Utilized Sites Remedial Action Program (FUSRAP) uses a system approach to performing and improving the work necessary to meet FUSRAP objectives. This approach to preforming and improving the work necessary to meet FUSRAP objectives. This approach is based upon management criteria embodied in DOE cost and schedule control system and the quality assurance requirements. The project team used complementary criteria to develop a system of related parts and processes working together to accomplish the goals of the project

  1. DOE's efforts to correct environmental problems of the nuclear weapons complex

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rezendes, V.S.

    1990-03-01

    This report focuses on four main issues: the environmental problems at DOE's nuclear weapons complex, recent changes in DOE's organizational structure, DOE's 1991 budget request, and the need for effective management systems. This report concludes that the environmental problems are enormous and will take decades to resolve. Widespread contamination can be found at many DOE sites, and the full extent of the environmental problems is unknown. DOE has taken several steps during the past year to better deal with these problems, including making organizational improvements and requesting additional funds for environmental restoration and waste management activities

  2. Long-term competence restoration.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Morris, Douglas R; DeYoung, Nathaniel J

    2014-01-01

    While the United States Supreme Court's Jackson v. Indiana decision and most state statutes mandate determinations of incompetent defendants' restoration probabilities, courts and forensic clinicians continue to lack empirical evidence to guide these determinations and do not yet have a consensus regarding whether and under what circumstances incompetent defendants are restorable. The evidence base concerning the restoration likelihood of those defendants who fail initial restoration efforts is even further diminished and has largely gone unstudied. In this study, we examined the disposition of a cohort of defendants who underwent long-term competence restoration efforts (greater than six months) and identified factors related to whether these defendants were able to attain restoration and adjudicative success. Approximately two-thirds (n = 52) of the 81 individuals undergoing extended restoration efforts were eventually deemed restored to competence. Lengths of hospitalization until successful restoration are presented with implications for the reasonable length of time that restoration efforts should persist. Older individuals were less likely to be restored and successfully adjudicated, and individuals with more severe charges and greater factual legal understanding were more likely to be restored and adjudicated. The significance of these findings for courts and forensic clinicians is discussed.

  3. Restoring Environmental Flows by Modifying Dam Operations

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Brian D. Richter

    2007-06-01

    Full Text Available The construction of new dams has become one of the most controversial issues in global efforts to alleviate poverty, improve human health, and strengthen regional economies. Unfortunately, this controversy has overshadowed the tremendous opportunity that exists for modifying the operations of existing dams to recover many of the environmental and social benefits of healthy ecosystems that have been compromised by present modes of dam operation. The potential benefits of dam "re-operation" include recovery of fish, shellfish, and other wildlife populations valued both commercially and recreationally, including estuarine species; reactivation of the flood storage and water purification benefits that occur when floods are allowed to flow into floodplain forests and wetlands; regaining some semblance of the naturally dynamic balance between river erosion and sedimentation that shapes physical habitat complexity, and arresting problems associated with geomorphic imbalances; cultural and spiritual uses of rivers; and many other socially valued products and services. This paper describes an assessment framework that can be used to evaluate the benefits that might be restored through dam re-operation. Assessing the potential benefits of dam re-operation begins by characterizing the dam's effects on the river flow regime, and formulating hypotheses about the ecological and social benefits that might be restored by releasing water from the dam in a manner that more closely resembles natural flow patterns. These hypotheses can be tested by implementing a re-operation plan, tracking the response of the ecosystem, and continually refining dam operations through adaptive management. The paper highlights a number of land and water management strategies useful in implementing a dam re-operation plan, with reference to a variety of management contexts ranging from individual dams to cascades of dams along a river to regional energy grids. Because many of the

  4. 200 Areas Remedial Investigation/Feasibility Study Implementation Plan - Environmental Restoration Program

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Knepp, A. J.

    1999-01-01

    The 200 Areas Remedial Investigation/Feasibility Study Implementation Plan - Environmental Restoration Program (Implementation Plan) addresses approximately 700 soil waste sites (and associated structures such as pipelines) resulting from the discharge of liquids and solids from processing facilities to the ground (e.g., ponds, ditches, cribs,burial grounds) in the 200 Areas and assigned to the Environmental Restoration Program. The Implementation Plan outlines the framework for implementing assessment activities in the 200 Areas to ensure consistency in documentation, level of characterization, and decision making. The Implementation Plan also consolidates background information and other typical work plan materials, to serve as a single referenceable source for this type of information

  5. Technology needs for environmental restoration remedial action

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Watson, J.S.

    1992-11-01

    This report summarizes the current view of the most important technology needs for the US Department of Energy (DOE) facilities operated by Martin Marietta Energy Systems, Inc. These facilities are the Oak Ridge National Laboratory, the Oak Ridge K-25 Site, the Oak Ridge Y-12 Plant, the Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant, and the Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plant. The sources of information used in this assessment were a survey of selected representatives of the Environmental Restoration (ER) programs at each facility, results from a questionnaire distributed by Geotech CWM, Inc., for DOE, and associated discussions with individuals from each facility. This is not a final assessment, but a brief look at an ongoing assessment; the needs will change as the plans for restoration change and, it is hoped, as some technical problems are solved through successful development programs.

  6. Technology needs for environmental restoration remedial action

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Watson, J.S.

    1992-11-01

    This report summarizes the current view of the most important technology needs for the US Department of Energy (DOE) facilities operated by Martin Marietta Energy Systems, Inc. These facilities are the Oak Ridge National Laboratory, the Oak Ridge K-25 Site, the Oak Ridge Y-12 Plant, the Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant, and the Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plant. The sources of information used in this assessment were a survey of selected representatives of the Environmental Restoration (ER) programs at each facility, results from a questionnaire distributed by Geotech CWM, Inc., for DOE, and associated discussions with individuals from each facility. This is not a final assessment, but a brief look at an ongoing assessment; the needs will change as the plans for restoration change and, it is hoped, as some technical problems are solved through successful development programs

  7. Photosynthetic performance of restored and natural mangroves under different environmental constraints.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rovai, André Scarlate; Barufi, José Bonomi; Pagliosa, Paulo Roberto; Scherner, Fernando; Torres, Moacir Aluísio; Horta, Paulo Antunes; Simonassi, José Carlos; Quadros, Daiane Paula Cunha; Borges, Daniel Lázaro Gallindo; Soriano-Sierra, Eduardo Juan

    2013-10-01

    We hypothesized that the photosynthetic performance of mangrove stands restored by the single planting of mangroves species would be lowered due to residual stressors. The photosynthetic parameters of the vegetation of three planted mangrove stands, each with a different disturbance history, were compared to reference sites and correlated with edaphic environmental variables. A permutational analysis of variance showed significant interaction when the factors were compared, indicating that the photosynthetic parameters of the restoration areas differed from the reference sites. A univariate analysis of variance showed that all the photosynthetic parameters differed between sites and treatments, except for photosynthetic efficiency (αETR). The combination of environmental variables that best explained the variations observed in the photosynthetic performance indicators were Cu, Pb and elevation disruptions. Fluorescence techniques proved efficient in revealing important physiological differences, representing a powerful tool for rapid analysis of the effectiveness of initiatives aimed at restoring coastal environments. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  8. Techniques and management strategies for environmental restoration and their ecological consequences

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gutierrez, J.; Vazquez, C.; Meckbach, R.; Wilkins, B.; Rafferty, B.; Holm, E.; Badie, M.; Burton, O.

    2000-01-01

    The intervention is one of the targeted situations of concern for radiological protection. One of the aspects of the intervention deals with the environmental restoration. In fact, the emergency measures taken immediately or shortly after an accident, in order to avoid unnecessary increases of radiological risks, shoul not be prolonged for long periods because of their elevated cost for society. Hence restoration of the contaminated areas could be needed and therefore researches are required for theevelopmet of obust d optimised restoration strategies. The experimental work carried out after the Chernobyl accident provided large amount of information about the environmental behaviour of radionuclides and their exposure pathways to man. Additionally, some advance on the setting up of intervention methodologies was produced, concluding that the postaccident environmental restoration is possible and desirable. However, for restoration purpose, some limitations remained concerning the capacity to predict the transfer and fluxes of radionuclides (strongly dependent on the local specificity and no directly exchangeable from one place to another) and the correct assessment of the performance of the applicable countermeasures. In the first case, a possible approach to solve the problem would be the identification and further use of some local characteristics (of the scenario of contamination), to predict, using adequate radioecological models, the behaviour of the radionuclides (and their radiological consequences) for places and times different than those experimental sites where information exists. Concerning the second problem, one must identify the features of the scenario having influence on the performance of the countermeasures and to consider those factors (not only radiological) related to their applicability, cost and secondary effects, including the management and disporadiological impact and the countermeasures performance , are unavoidable to face the

  9. Flow Restoration in the Columbia River Basin: An Evaluation of a Flow Restoration Accounting Framework.

    Science.gov (United States)

    McCoy, Amy L; Holmes, S Rankin; Boisjolie, Brett A

    2018-03-01

    Securing environmental flows in support of freshwater biodiversity is an evolving field of practice. An example of a large-scale program dedicated to restoring environmental flows is the Columbia Basin Water Transactions Program in the Pacific Northwest region of North America, which has been restoring flows in dewatered tributary habitats for imperiled salmon species over the past decade. This paper discusses a four-tiered flow restoration accounting framework for tracking the implementation and impacts of water transactions as an effective tool for adaptive management. The flow restoration accounting framework provides compliance and flow accounting information to monitor transaction efficacy. We review the implementation of the flow restoration accounting framework monitoring framework to demonstrate (a) the extent of water transactions that have been implemented over the past decade, (b) the volumes of restored flow in meeting flow targets for restoring habitat for anadromous fish species, and (c) an example of aquatic habitat enhancement that resulted from Columbia Basin Water Transactions Program investments. Project results show that from 2002 to 2015, the Columbia Basin Water Transactions Program has completed more than 450 water rights transactions, restoring approximately 1.59 million megaliters to date, with an additional 10.98 million megaliters of flow protected for use over the next 100 years. This has resulted in the watering of over 2414 stream kilometers within the Columbia Basin. We conclude with a discussion of the insights gained through the implementation of the flow restoration accounting framework. Understanding the approach and efficacy of a monitoring framework applied across a large river basin can be informative to emerging flow-restoration and adaptive management efforts in areas of conservation concern.

  10. Flow Restoration in the Columbia River Basin: An Evaluation of a Flow Restoration Accounting Framework

    Science.gov (United States)

    McCoy, Amy L.; Holmes, S. Rankin; Boisjolie, Brett A.

    2018-03-01

    Securing environmental flows in support of freshwater biodiversity is an evolving field of practice. An example of a large-scale program dedicated to restoring environmental flows is the Columbia Basin Water Transactions Program in the Pacific Northwest region of North America, which has been restoring flows in dewatered tributary habitats for imperiled salmon species over the past decade. This paper discusses a four-tiered flow restoration accounting framework for tracking the implementation and impacts of water transactions as an effective tool for adaptive management. The flow restoration accounting framework provides compliance and flow accounting information to monitor transaction efficacy. We review the implementation of the flow restoration accounting framework monitoring framework to demonstrate (a) the extent of water transactions that have been implemented over the past decade, (b) the volumes of restored flow in meeting flow targets for restoring habitat for anadromous fish species, and (c) an example of aquatic habitat enhancement that resulted from Columbia Basin Water Transactions Program investments. Project results show that from 2002 to 2015, the Columbia Basin Water Transactions Program has completed more than 450 water rights transactions, restoring approximately 1.59 million megaliters to date, with an additional 10.98 million megaliters of flow protected for use over the next 100 years. This has resulted in the watering of over 2414 stream kilometers within the Columbia Basin. We conclude with a discussion of the insights gained through the implementation of the flow restoration accounting framework. Understanding the approach and efficacy of a monitoring framework applied across a large river basin can be informative to emerging flow-restoration and adaptive management efforts in areas of conservation concern.

  11. Achieving ecological restoration by working with local people: a Chinese scholar seeks win-win paths

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Heran Zheng

    2014-09-01

    Full Text Available Environmental degradation and poverty are linked, and this means that conservation and poverty reduction must be tackled together. However, finding a successful integrated strategy has been an elusive goal. We describe the career of a Chinese scholar, Shixiong Cao, whose persistent efforts to find and follow win-win paths have led to ecological restoration accompanied by long-term benefits for local residents. Cao's story illustrates how development that combines environmental and economic perspectives can both help people to escape the poverty trap and restore degraded environments. His experience demonstrates that when environmental managers find solutions that can mitigate or eliminate poverty through the development of green enterprises, they can combine them with environmental restoration efforts to produce long-term sustainable solutions. In this paper, we share Cao's 28 years of experience because we believe that his scientific and practical spirit, and his belief that it is necessary to work directly with the people affected by environmental projects, will inspire other scholars and practitioners to achieve similar successes.

  12. Third annual environmental restoration monitoring and assessment report for FY 1994 of the Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Clapp, R.B.; Watts, J.A.; Guth, M.A.S. [eds.

    1994-09-01

    This report summarizes the salient features of the annual efforts of environmental monitoring, field investigations, and assessments conducted to support the Environmental Restoration (ER) Program at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL). This report focuses on the watershed scale, providing an ORNL site-wide perspective on types, distribution, and transport of contamination. The results presented are used to enhance the conceptual understanding of the key contaminants and the sources, fluxes, and processes affecting their distribution and movement. This information forms a basis for prioritizing sites and for selecting, implementing, and evaluating remedial actions. This report summarizes the efforts of the Waste Area Grouping (WAG) 2 and Site Investigations (SI) Project. WAG 2 is the lower portion of the White Oak Creek system which drains the major contaminated sites at ORNL and discharges to the Clinch River where public access is allowed. The Remedial Investigation Plan (DOE 1992) for WAG 2 includes a long-term multimedia environmental monitoring effort that takes advantage of WAG 2`s role as an integrator and the major conduit of contaminants from the ORNL site. During FY 1992, the remedial investigation activities were integrated with a series of environmental monitoring and SI activities at ORNL that address pathways and processes important for contaminant movement to gain a more integrated perspective of contamination movement at the watershed scale.

  13. Third annual environmental restoration monitoring and assessment report for FY 1994 of the Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Clapp, R.B.; Watts, J.A.; Guth, M.A.S.

    1994-09-01

    This report summarizes the salient features of the annual efforts of environmental monitoring, field investigations, and assessments conducted to support the Environmental Restoration (ER) Program at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL). This report focuses on the watershed scale, providing an ORNL site-wide perspective on types, distribution, and transport of contamination. The results presented are used to enhance the conceptual understanding of the key contaminants and the sources, fluxes, and processes affecting their distribution and movement. This information forms a basis for prioritizing sites and for selecting, implementing, and evaluating remedial actions. This report summarizes the efforts of the Waste Area Grouping (WAG) 2 and Site Investigations (SI) Project. WAG 2 is the lower portion of the White Oak Creek system which drains the major contaminated sites at ORNL and discharges to the Clinch River where public access is allowed. The Remedial Investigation Plan (DOE 1992) for WAG 2 includes a long-term multimedia environmental monitoring effort that takes advantage of WAG 2's role as an integrator and the major conduit of contaminants from the ORNL site. During FY 1992, the remedial investigation activities were integrated with a series of environmental monitoring and SI activities at ORNL that address pathways and processes important for contaminant movement to gain a more integrated perspective of contamination movement at the watershed scale

  14. Environmental Restoration Remedial Actions Program Field Office Work Plan

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1989-02-01

    The Environmental Restoration Remedial Actions (ERRA) Program was established by DP to comply with regulations for characterization and cleanup of inactive waste sites. The program specifically includes inactive site identification and characterization, technology development and demonstration, remedial design and cleanup action, and postclosure activities of inactive radioactive, chemically hazardous, and mixed waste sites. It does not include facility decontamination and decommissioning activities; these are included in a parallel program, Environmental Restoration Decontamination and Decommissioning (ERD and D), also managed by DP. The ERRA program was formally established in fiscal year (FY) 1988 at the Hanford Site to characterize and remediate inactive waste sites at Hanford. The objectives, planned implementation activities, and management planning for the ERRA Program are contained in several planning documents. These documents include planning for the national program and for the Hanford Program. This summary describes the major documents and the role and purpose of this Field Office Work Plan (FOWP) within the overall hierarchy of planning documents. 4 refs., 7 figs., 8 tabs

  15. Issues related to uncertainty in projections of hazardous and mixed waste volumes in the U.S. Department of Energy's environmental restoration program

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Picel, K.C.

    1995-01-01

    Projected volumes of contaminated media and debris at US Department of Energy (DOE) environmental restoration sites that are potentially subject to the hazardous waste provisions of the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act are needed to support programmatic planning. Such projections have been gathered in various surveys conducted under DOE's environmental restoration and waste management programs. It is expected that reducing uncertainty in the projections through review of existing site data and process knowledge and through further site characterization will result in substantially lowered projections. If promulgated, the US Environmental Protection Agency's Hazardous Waste Identification Rule would result in potentially even greater reductions in the projections when site conditions are reviewed under the provisions of the new rule. Reducing uncertainty in projections under current and future waste identification rules may be necessary to support effective remediation planning. Further characterization efforts that may be conducted should be designed to limit uncertainty in identifying volumes of wastes to the extent needed to support alternative selection and to minimize costs of remediation

  16. Project Management Support and Services for the Environmental Restoration and Waste Management. Final report

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1995-01-01

    The Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) Environmental Restoration Technical Support Office (ERTSO) contracted Project Time ampersand Cost, Inc. (PT ampersand C) on 16 November 1992 to provide support services to the US Department of Energy (DOE). ERTSO had traditionally supported the DOE Albuquerque office in the Environmental Restoration and Waste Management Programs and had also supported the Office of Waste Management (EM-30) at DOE Headquarters in Germantown, Maryland. PT ampersand C was requested to provide project management and support services for the DOE as well as liaison and coordination of responses and efforts between various agencies. The primary objective of this work was to continue LANL's technical support role to EM-30 and assist in the development of the COE Cost and Schedule Estimating (CASE) Guide for EM-30. PT ampersand C's objectives, as specified in Section B of the contract, were well met during the duration of the project through the review and comment of various draft documents, trips to DOE sites providing program management support and participating in the training for the EM-30 Cost and Schedule Estimating Guide, drafting memos and scheduling future projects, attending numerous meetings with LANL, DOE and other subcontractors, and providing written observations and recommendations.he results obtained were determined to be satisfactory by both the LANL ERTSO and DOE EM-30 organizations. The objective to further the support from LANL and their associated subcontractor (PT ampersand C) was met. The contract concluded with no outstanding issues

  17. 1999 Environmental Restoration Contractor Revegetation Monitoring Report; TOPICAL

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    K. A. Gano

    1999-01-01

    This report documents the results of revegetation monitoring conducted in early May through early July 1999. Fourth-year monitoring was conducted at the Horn Rapids Landfill, Horseshoe Landfill, and Nike Landfill. Third-year monitoring was conducted on the Bridge Overlook, PSN 72/82, PSN 12/14, and the North Slope Cheatgrass Area. Second-year monitoring was conducted at the 600-104 waste site (2,4-D cleanup site); the 300-FF-1 sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata) and bitterbrush (Purshia tridentata) transplant areas, 2 16-A-25 emergency extension site; and the 200-ZP-1 pipeline. First-year monitoring was conducted at the 300 Area North Process Trench, Environmental Restoration Disposal Facility (ERDF) Mitigation sites, and the 116-C-l Restoration site

  18. ITEP: A survey of innovative environmental restoration technologies in the Netherlands and France

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Roberds, W.J.; Voss, C.F.; Hitchcock, S.A.

    1995-05-01

    The International Technology Exchange Program (ITEP) of the Department of Energy's (DOE's) Office of Environmental Management (EM) is responsible for promoting the import of innovative technologies to better address EM's needs and the export of US services into foreign markets to enhance US competitiveness. Under this program, potentially innovative environmental restoration technologies, either commercially available or under development in the Netherlands and France, were identified, described, and evaluated. It was found that 12 innovative environmental restoration technologies, which are either commercially available or under development in the Netherlands and France, may have some benefit for the DOE EM program and should be considered for transfer to the United States

  19. Environmental restoration[1997 Scientific Report of the Belgian Nuclear Research Centre

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Zeevaert, T.; Vanmaercke, H.

    1998-07-01

    The objectives of the research activities in the field of environmental restoration are: (1) to optimize and validate models for the impact assessment from environmental, radioactive contaminations, including waste disposal or discharges; (2) to support the policy of national authorities for public health and radioactive waste management. The main achievements for 1997 are given.

  20. Challenges in waste management and environmental restoration in the uranium mining industry

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jarrell, J.

    2011-01-01

    Two components dominate the waste management efforts at conventional Canadian uranium mining and milling operations. These are the waste rock generated in the mining of ore as well as the mill tailings -- which are the residue solids remaining after uranium extraction. Much has changed in the management of these wastes over the years. Visually, current sites are generally more compact than those developed earlier, due to higher grade ores and less land disturbance. However, the more significant strides being made to better manage uranium mining wastes deal more with improved chemical and physical controls rather than those changes which are visible. Segregation of waste rock to separate out potentially problematic material within the more weakly mineralized halo surrounding the ore is now a core strategy. This segregation is based on both the waste rock's chemical and radiological characteristics. Better controls have also been introduced on tailings physical properties to minimize their permeability, along with better chemical controls to minimize tailings contaminant solubility. Efforts to engineer tailings properties are coupled with contrasting hydraulic conductivity between the consolidated tailings mass and surrounding geologic materials. This creates the necessary long-term containment controls built into modern tailings management facilities. Current challenges include selecting the correct decommissioning assumptions such as future land use and required environmental acceptance criteria, along with decisions as to when to carry out reclamation work in the life cycle of the mine and mill. Public discussion of restoration plans throughout the life of the facility is essential to build acceptable solutions. Along with challenges come successes. Most recently, improvements have been made in reducing treated water molybdenum and selenium levels. Other successes include the application of reverse osmosis technology on a large scale, recycling of uranium

  1. Challenges in waste management and environmental restoration in the uranium mining industry

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Jarrell, J. [Cameco Corp., Saskatoon, SK (Canada)

    2011-07-01

    Two components dominate the waste management efforts at conventional Canadian uranium mining and milling operations. These are the waste rock generated in the mining of ore as well as the mill tailings -- which are the residue solids remaining after uranium extraction. Much has changed in the management of these wastes over the years. Visually, current sites are generally more compact than those developed earlier, due to higher grade ores and less land disturbance. However, the more significant strides being made to better manage uranium mining wastes deal more with improved chemical and physical controls rather than those changes which are visible. Segregation of waste rock to separate out potentially problematic material within the more weakly mineralized halo surrounding the ore is now a core strategy. This segregation is based on both the waste rock's chemical and radiological characteristics. Better controls have also been introduced on tailings physical properties to minimize their permeability, along with better chemical controls to minimize tailings contaminant solubility. Efforts to engineer tailings properties are coupled with contrasting hydraulic conductivity between the consolidated tailings mass and surrounding geologic materials. This creates the necessary long-term containment controls built into modern tailings management facilities. Current challenges include selecting the correct decommissioning assumptions such as future land use and required environmental acceptance criteria, along with decisions as to when to carry out reclamation work in the life cycle of the mine and mill. Public discussion of restoration plans throughout the life of the facility is essential to build acceptable solutions. Along with challenges come successes. Most recently, improvements have been made in reducing treated water molybdenum and selenium levels. Other successes include the application of reverse osmosis technology on a large scale, recycling of uranium

  2. Meeting the requirements for a DOE environmental restoration project. The Fernald strategy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Vanoss, R.L.; Risenhoover, G.M.

    1994-01-01

    Environmental Restoration (ER) of five Operable Units (OU) at Fernald Environmental Management Project (FEMP) includes compliance with the requirements of Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA), Resource Conservation Recovery Act (RCRA), National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), and DOE Orders. Each regulatory driver has differing procedural requirements for documenting calculations, decisions, and actions involved in site cleanup. Integration of documentation and avoidance of duplication can save time and money. Such savings are being achieved by OU specific application of supporting studies, revised procedures, and guidance documents. Each OU is seeking appropriate opportunities to produce single documents that simultaneously fulfill the important requirements of the other regulations and DOE orders. These opportunities are evaluated at all phases of decision making, remedial design, and remedial action. Three essential processes precede environmental restoration/remedial action at a DOE site/project: 1. Completion of decision-making documents required by governing or applicable statutes. 2. Completion of important scientific and engineering analyses of remedial alternatives, and design and implementation of the remedial solution established in the CERCLA Record of Decision (ROD). 3. Preparation of DOE-mandated documentation to record engineering evaluations and cost estimates required for budgeting, decision making, and project management. Methodology and requirements for each process have developed from long, successful practice, but independently of each other. FERMCO, as new DOE contractor at Fernald and first Environmental Restoration Management Contractor (ERMC), is committed to a process of Continuous Performance Improvement (CPI). A major reevaluation of documentation and processes for support of environmental decision-making and design of cleanup activities to remediate the five OUs at the FEMP is being undertaken

  3. Exxon Valdez -- Framework for natural resource restoration

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    O'Connor, C.R.

    1993-01-01

    Once the task of evaluating the nature and extent of natural resource injuries caused by the Exxon Valdez oil spill neared completion, the equally daunting task of formulating proper restorative measures began. The essence of the natural resource restoration effort is to determine how to utilize the monies received from the criminal and civil settlements to fulfill the natural resource trustees' responsibilities to restore Prince William Sound and the Gulf of Alaska to their condition prior to the spill. Given the magnitude and variety of environmental impact, i.e., natural resource injuries ranging from the death of thousands of sea birds and marine mammals to the persistent sublethal affects of hydrocarbon contamination in intertidal sediments, the field of restorative endeavor is as broad and perplexing as was responding to the spill itself. This paper discusses the policy and legal parameters which give structure to the scientific and technical decisions the natural resource trustees must make in the years to come as they engage in their restoration responsibilities. The discussed policy and legal parameters translate generally to natural resource restoration under such statutes as the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act, the Clean Water Act and the Oil Pollution Act of 1990

  4. Environmental Restoration Disposal Facility waste acceptance criteria. Revision 1

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Corriveau, C.E.

    1996-01-01

    The Environmental Restoration Disposal Facility (ERDF) is designed to be an isolation structure for low-level radioactive remediation waste, chemically contaminated remediation waste, and remediation waste that contains both chemical and radioactive constituents (i.e., mixed remediation waste) produced during environmental remediation of Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980 (CERCLA) past-practice units at the Hanford Site. Remedial action wastes, which will become a structural component of the ERDF, include bulk soil, demolition debris, and miscellaneous wastes from burial grounds. These wastes may originate from CERCLA past-practice sites (i.e., operable units) in the 100 Areas, the 200 Areas, and the 300 Area of the Hanford Site

  5. Preoperational baseline and site characterization report for the Environmental Restoration Disposal Facility: Volume 1. Revision 1

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Weekes, D.C.; Ford, B.H.; Jaeger, G.K.

    1996-09-01

    This site characterization report provides the results of the field data collection activities for the Environmental Restoration Disposal Facility site. Information gathered on the geology, hydrology, ecology, chemistry, and cultural resources of the area is presented. The Environmental Restoration Disposal Facility is located at the Hanford Site in Richland, Washington

  6. Westinghouse Savannah River Site Supplier Environmental Restoration and Waste Management Information Exchange Forum

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sturm, H.F. Jr.; Hottel, R.E.; Christoper, N.

    1994-01-01

    The Savannah River Site conducted its first Supplier Information Exchange in September 1993. The intent of the conference was to inform potential suppliers of the Savannah River Sites mission and research and development program objectives in the areas of environmental restoration and waste management, and to solicit proposals for innovative research in those areas. Major areas addressed were Solid Waste, Environmental Restoration, Environmental Monitoring, Transition/Decontamination and Decommissioning, and the Savannah River Technology Center. A total of 1062 proposals were received addressing the 89 abstracts presented. This paper will describe the forum the process for solicitation, the process for proposal review and selection, and review the overall results and benefits to Savannah River

  7. Environmental restoration technology programs at Mesa State College: A strategic look at manpower needs

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Harrison, R.J.; Emilia, D.A.

    1991-01-01

    The environmental cleanup of Department of Energy (DOE) sites within the next 30 years requires strategic planning to ensure adequate manpower is available when needed. Manpower needs projections within DOE have been based on analyses of current industry trends that indicate a substantial shortage of scientists and engineers. This paper explores the idea that the manpower requirements of DOE's environmental restoration program are not yet fully realized by most sites, which are currently in the predecisional work phase. Experience at the Grand Junction Projects Office (GJPO), which has had environmental restoration as it primary mission for about 10 years, shows that in the postdecisional phases the manpower need for scientists and engineers decreases while the manpower need for technologists in technical, management, and support roles increases. The GJPO, with Mesa State College in Grand Junction, Colorado, has developed an Environmental Restoration Associate degree program based on a strategic look at its manpower needs. This program receives start-up funding from DOE and has received donations in the million dollar range from various industry and state government partners

  8. Savannah River Site environmental restoration lessons learned program

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Plunkett, R.A.; Leibfarth, E.C.; Treger, T.M.; Blackmon, A.M.

    1993-01-01

    For the past three years environmental restoration has been formally consolidated at Savannah River Site. Accomplishments include waste site investigations to closure activities. Positive, as well as negatively impacting, events have occurred. Until recently, lessons learned were captured on a less than formal basis. Now, a program based upon critiques, evaluations and corrective actions is being used. This presentation reviews the development, implementation and use of that program

  9. Waste management/waste certification plan for the Oak Ridge National Laboratory Environmental Restoration Program

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Clark, C. Jr.; Hunt-Davenport, L.D.; Cofer, G.H.

    1995-03-01

    This Waste Management/Waste Certification (C) Plan, written for the Environmental Restoration (ER) Program at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), outlines the criteria and methodologies to be used in the management of waste generated during ORNL ER field activities. Other agreed upon methods may be used in the management of waste with consultation with ER and Waste Management Organization. The intent of this plan is to provide information for the minimization, handling, and disposal of waste generated by ER activities. This plan contains provisions for the safe and effective management of waste consistent with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA's) guidance. Components of this plan have been designed to protect the environment and the health and safety of workers and the public. It, therefore, stresses that investigation derived waste (IDW) and other waste be managed to ensure that (1) all efforts be made to minimize the amount of waste generated; (2) costs associated with sampling storage, analysis, transportation, and disposal are minimized; (3) the potential for public and worker exposure is not increased; and (4) additional contaminated areas are not created

  10. Proceedings of Workshop on Uranium Production Environmental Restoration: An exchange between the United States and Germany

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    1993-12-31

    Scientists, engineers, elected officials, and industry regulators from the United, States and Germany met in Albuquerque, New Mexico, August 16--20, 1993, in the first joint international workshop to discuss uranium tailings remediation. Entitled ``Workshop on Uranium Production Environmental Restoration: An Exchange between the US and Germany,`` the meeting was hosted by the US Department of Energy`s (DOE) Uranium Mill Tailings Remedial Action (UMTRA) Project. The goal of the workshop was to further understanding and communication on the uranium tailings cleanup projects in the US and Germany. Many communities around the world are faced with an environmental legacy -- enormous quantities of hazardous and low-level radioactive materials from the production of uranium used for energy and nuclear weapons. In 1978, the US Congress passed the Uranium Mill Tailings Radiation Control Act. Title I of the law established a program to assess the tailings at inactive uranium processing sites and provide a means for joint federal and state funding of the cleanup efforts at sites where all or substantially all of the uranium was produced for sale to a federal agency. The UMTRA Project is responsible for the cleanup of 24 sites in 10 states. Germany is facing nearly identical uranium cleanup problems and has established a cleanup project. At the workshop, participants had an opportunity to interact with a broad cross section of the environmental restoration and waste disposal community, discuss common concerns and problems, and develop a broader understanding of the issues. Abstracts are catalogued individually for the data base.

  11. Proceedings of Workshop on Uranium Production Environmental Restoration: An exchange between the United States and Germany

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1993-01-01

    Scientists, engineers, elected officials, and industry regulators from the United, States and Germany met in Albuquerque, New Mexico, August 16--20, 1993, in the first joint international workshop to discuss uranium tailings remediation. Entitled ''Workshop on Uranium Production Environmental Restoration: An Exchange between the US and Germany,'' the meeting was hosted by the US Department of Energy's (DOE) Uranium Mill Tailings Remedial Action (UMTRA) Project. The goal of the workshop was to further understanding and communication on the uranium tailings cleanup projects in the US and Germany. Many communities around the world are faced with an environmental legacy -- enormous quantities of hazardous and low-level radioactive materials from the production of uranium used for energy and nuclear weapons. In 1978, the US Congress passed the Uranium Mill Tailings Radiation Control Act. Title I of the law established a program to assess the tailings at inactive uranium processing sites and provide a means for joint federal and state funding of the cleanup efforts at sites where all or substantially all of the uranium was produced for sale to a federal agency. The UMTRA Project is responsible for the cleanup of 24 sites in 10 states. Germany is facing nearly identical uranium cleanup problems and has established a cleanup project. At the workshop, participants had an opportunity to interact with a broad cross section of the environmental restoration and waste disposal community, discuss common concerns and problems, and develop a broader understanding of the issues. Abstracts are catalogued individually for the data base

  12. Planning for and managing environmental restoration waste

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Miller, J.Q.

    1993-01-01

    This paper describes the approach used to support the management of environmental restoration (ER) waste. A general description is provided of the tools and techniques that have been developed and applied to produce waste generation forecast data and treatment, storage, and disposal capacity needs. The ER Program can now consistently manage ER waste streams from initial generation through ultimate disposal. Utilizing the valuable information that results from application of strategically planned systems and techniques demonstrates the ability to provide the necessary waste management support for the ER cleanup process

  13. Quantifying the "So what?" of Restoration: A Framework for Evaluating the Ecological and Socio-economic Outcomes of Restoration Activities in the Gulf of Mexico

    Science.gov (United States)

    Henkel, J. R.; Dausman, A.; Cowan, J.; Sutter, B.

    2017-12-01

    Healthy and sustainable ecosystems are essential for thriving and resilient coastal communities. As a result of settlements following the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, the Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Council (Council) and other funding entities, will receive billions of dollars over the next 15 years for restoration projects and programs. These and future restoration efforts present an opportunity to improve the function of coastal wetlands in the Gulf of Mexico, and potentially address long-standing barriers to ecosystem health and resilience in the region. In its Comprehensive Plans, the Council has committed to science-based decision-making, collaboration among its eleven state and federal members, and close coordination with other Gulf restoration and conservation funding efforts including NRDA, NFWF and other federal programs to leverage resources and integrate complementary restoration efforts. To help fulfill these commitments the Council is exploring methods and tools to collect and assess data to evaluate and report on both ecological and socio-economic outcomes of restoration projects. Application of these tools in coordination with restoration partners, will demonstrate the cascading benefits of ecosystem restoration in a quantifiable way, and can help decision-makers increase investments in ecosystem restoration that will support the long-term sustainability of coastal systems. An understanding of ecosystem function and services can also provide a transparent lens for communicating the results of successful ecosystem restoration projects to the public (helping answer the "So what?" of ecosystem restoration). As the Council moves forward making decisions based on the best available science, improving ecosystem functioning and services will play a role in project and program selection and will result in more resilient ecosystems. This will enable the Council to help communities enhance their ability to recover from natural and manmade disasters and

  14. Flood protection as a key-component of the environmental restoration of Canal del Dique, Colombia

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sokolewicz Marius

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available Canal del Dique is a man-made distributary of Rio Magdalena. After its widening in 1980’s environmental degradation caused by abundant sediment load and changes to hydrology took a catastrophic form. In 2010, the Canal’s dike breached and 35,000 ha of land were flooded. In 2013 a huge effort to restore the environment in the Canal del Dique system and to flood-proof the villages was started. An integrated approach was adopted to provide an optimal solution for flood control, environment, fresh water supply and navigation. In order to prepare restoration plans, an extensive hydrologic and hydraulic assessment was carried out. 1D, 2D and 3D numerical models were developed to answer different questions, to evaluate different alternatives and to enable selection of optimal solutions. To assess the flood risk, a hindcast of 2010 flood was carried out. A solution was designed in which the inlet of water from the Magdalena River is regulated by a control structure, managed by an automated system based on SCADA and Delft-FEWS flood forecasting software and advanced statistics.

  15. The U.S. Department of Energy Environmental Restoration and Waste Management Five-Year Plan

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Grimm, P.

    1990-01-01

    Within the first month after being confirmed as this country's sixth secretary of energy, Admiral James D. Watkins (US Navy, Retired) promised Congress that he would deliver a comprehensive plan that outlines specific actions to undertake over the next 5 yr to achieve compliance with US environmental laws and to begin to clean up and restore those sites that we have contaminated over the past 40 yr. The Environmental Restoration and Waste Management Five-Year Plan was published in August 1989. As the admiral committed, the plan established and documented an agenda for compliance and cleanup against which progress in the area of environmental restoration and waste management would be measured and specifically identified actions and commitments to achieve this progress. In November 1989, an additional chapter identifying the applied research, development, demonstration, testing, and evaluation (RDDT and E) activities that would support the implementation of the plan was published. Last June, the US Department of Energy (DOE) issued the first annual update of the 5-yr plan. This update covers the years 1992-1996, notes the progress achieved during the past year, and incorporates the scope of both the original plan and the RDDT and E plan. The plan is divided into five sections: corrective activities, environmental restoration, waste operations, technology development, and transportation. Each section explains DOE's overall policies and plans for achieving compliance and cleanup at DOE's nuclear-related facilities

  16. Mining in New Caledonia: environmental stakes and restoration opportunities.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Losfeld, Guillaume; L'Huillier, Laurent; Fogliani, Bruno; Jaffré, Tanguy; Grison, Claude

    2015-04-01

    New Caledonia is a widely recognised marine and terrestrial biodiversity hot spot. However, this unique environment is under increasing anthropogenic pressure. Major threats are related to land cover change and include fire, urban sprawling and mining. Resulting habitat loss and fragmentation end up in serious erosion of the local biodiversity. Mining is of particular concern due to its economic significance for the island. Open cast mines were exploited there since 1873, and scraping out soil to access ores wipes out flora. Resulting perturbations on water flows and dramatic soil erosion lead to metal-rich sediment transport downstream into rivers and the lagoon. Conflicting environmental and economic aspects of mining are discussed in this paper. However, mining practices are also improving, and where impacts are inescapable ecological restoration is now considered. Past and ongoing experiences in the restoration of New Caledonian terrestrial ecosystems are presented and discussed here. Economic use of the local floristic diversity could also promote conservation and restoration, while providing alternative incomes. In this regard, Ecocatalysis, an innovative approach to make use of metal hyperaccumulating plants, is of particular interest.

  17. A review of occupational safety and health issues relevant to the Environmental Restoration Program: Selected case histories and associated issues

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lesperance, A.M.; Siegel, M.R.; McKinney, M.C.

    1994-08-01

    Since the 1940s, US Department of Energy (DOE) sites have been used for nuclear materials processing and production, warhead testing, and weapons research and development. These activities have resulted in extensive environmental contamination. DOE has established a goal to cleanup and restore the groundwater, soils, sediments, and surface water at its facilities across the nation. To achieve this goal, many workers will be needed to conduct the cleanup. These workers will need training and will be required to follow occupational safety and health (OSH) regulations and guidelines. Compliance with the OSH regulations and guidelines will have an anomous influence on the schedule, money, and technology needed for environmental restoration. Therefore, one area that must be considered in the early stages of long-term planning is the impact of OSH issues on the environmental restoration process. The DOE Office of Environmental Restoration and Waste Management has requested that the Pacific Northwest Laboratory (PNL) investigate the impact of these issues on the environmental restoration process

  18. RESTORATION PLUS: A COLLABORATIVE ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY RESEARCH PROGRAM TO DEVELOP AND EVALUATE ECOSYSTEM RESTORATION AND MANAGEMENT OPTIONS TO ACHIEVE ECOLOGICALLY AND ECONOMICALLY SUSTAINABLE SOLUTIONS

    Science.gov (United States)

    The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA) is evaluating ecosystem restoration and management techniques to ensure they create sustainable solutions for degraded watersheds. The ORD/NRMRL initiated the Restoration Plus (RePlus) program in 2002, which emphasizes collabora...

  19. Savannah River Site`s Site Specific Plan. Environmental restoration and waste management, fiscal year 1992

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    1991-08-01

    This Site Specific Plan (SSP) has been prepared by the Savannah River Site (SRS) in order to show the Environmental Restoration and Waste Management activities that were identified during the preparation of the Department of Energy-Headquarters (DOE-HQ) Environmental Restoration and Waste Management Five-Year Plan (FYP) for FY 1992--1996. The SSP has been prepared in accordance with guidance received from DOE-HQ. DOE-SR is accountable to DOE-HQ for the implementation of this plan. The purpose of the SSP is to develop a baseline for policy, budget, and schedules for the DOE Environmental Restoration and Waste Management activities. The plan explains accomplishments since the Fiscal Year (FY) 1990 plan, demonstrates how present and future activities are prioritized, identifies currently funded activities and activities that are planned to be funded in the upcoming fiscal year, and describes future activities that SRS is considering.

  20. Waste management, decommissioning and environmental restoration for Canada's nuclear activities: 'Current practices and future needs'

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    2006-01-01

    The Canadian Nuclear Society conference on Waste Management, Decommissioning and Environmental Restoration for Canada's Nuclear Activities was held on May 8-11, 2005 in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. The objective of this Conference was to provide a forum for discussion and exchange of views on the technical, regulatory and social challenges and opportunities in radioactive waste management, nuclear facility decommissioning and environmental restoration activities in Canada. The Conference was organized into several plenary sessions and eight technical tracks: Low- and intermediate-level wastes; Uranium mining and milling wastes; Used nuclear fuel; Decommissioning; Environmental restoration; Policy, economics and social issues; Licensing and regulatory issues; and, Radioactive materials transportation. The three-day Conference involved waste management, decommissioning and environmental technology practitioners; delegates from industry, academia, and government agencies and regulators; consulting engineers; financial and legal experts; and other specialists working in the field. While the Conference had a primarily Canadian focus, about 10 per cent of the submissions received came from foreign and international organizations, which provided insights into how other countries are dealing with similar issues

  1. Leadership success within disaster restoration projects.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rapp, Randy R; Baroudi, Bassam

    2014-01-01

    Successful project managers draw their performance from essential leadership traits, as guided by their core values.Within disaster recovery, contractors who mitigate, repair, and reconstruct the built environment are often faced with challenges exceeding the norm. The effective leader is commonly expected to consider stakeholder motivations within distressing situations as well as other external and environmental factors when seeking to lead the project team to successful outcomes. This research is most concerned with leadership within the context of disaster restoration of the built environment. Its stimulus comes from the Restoration Industry Association (RIA)'s efforts to highlight leadership traits and core values for its Certified Restorer Body of Knowledge but would be of value to others associated with disaster recovery operations. Among organizations whose membership includes thousands of practitioners who restore and reconstruct the built environment after disasters, the RIA is the only one yet to formally and substantially research which core values and leader traits are deemed critical for the success of efforts to manage the means and methods applied on recovery job sites. Forty-six seasoned disaster restoration industry project professionals voluntarily responded to a survey questionnaire that sought their opinions about the traits and core values that they consider most important for successful disaster restoration project leadership. The most important leader traits were effective communication, professional competence, and leadership by example. The most important restoration industry values were integrity, compassion, and trustworthiness. The recognized imperative of compassion was unexpected in light of stereotypes often associated with construction-related contractors. This and other findings permit disaster response and recovery stakeholders to better understand qualities they should wish to see in leaders of contractor organizations, which

  2. 77 FR 14418 - Grand Ditch Breach Restoration Draft Environmental Impact Statement, Rocky Mountain National Park...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2012-03-09

    ... natural conditions and processes in park units (NPS Management Policies 2006, section 4.1.5). The... environmental impact statement: restore appropriate stream and groundwater processes, restore appropriate native.... Management activities would be conducted using hand tools to reduce impact on wilderness character. This...

  3. 78 FR 2685 - Central Utah Project Completion Act; East Hobble Creek Restoration Project Draft Environmental...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2013-01-14

    ... DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR Office of the Secretary Central Utah Project Completion Act; East Hobble Creek Restoration Project Draft Environmental Assessment AGENCY: Office of the Assistant Secretary... assessment for the East Hobble Creek Restoration Project is available for public review and comment. The...

  4. Structural and functional loss in restored wetland ecosystems.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    David Moreno-Mateos

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available Wetlands are among the most productive and economically valuable ecosystems in the world. However, because of human activities, over half of the wetland ecosystems existing in North America, Europe, Australia, and China in the early 20th century have been lost. Ecological restoration to recover critical ecosystem services has been widely attempted, but the degree of actual recovery of ecosystem functioning and structure from these efforts remains uncertain. Our results from a meta-analysis of 621 wetland sites from throughout the world show that even a century after restoration efforts, biological structure (driven mostly by plant assemblages, and biogeochemical functioning (driven primarily by the storage of carbon in wetland soils, remained on average 26% and 23% lower, respectively, than in reference sites. Either recovery has been very slow, or postdisturbance systems have moved towards alternative states that differ from reference conditions. We also found significant effects of environmental settings on the rate and degree of recovery. Large wetland areas (>100 ha and wetlands restored in warm (temperate and tropical climates recovered more rapidly than smaller wetlands and wetlands restored in cold climates. Also, wetlands experiencing more (riverine and tidal hydrologic exchange recovered more rapidly than depressional wetlands. Restoration performance is limited: current restoration practice fails to recover original levels of wetland ecosystem functions, even after many decades. If restoration as currently practiced is used to justify further degradation, global loss of wetland ecosystem function and structure will spread.

  5. Public participation in environmental decision-making: a case study of ecosystem restoration in South FloridaPublic participation in environmental decision-making: a case study of ecosystem restoration in South Florida

    OpenAIRE

    Ogden, Laura

    2006-01-01

    The “ecosystem” is the conceptual model guiding environmental restoration projects in the Florida Everglades, a large wetlands region in the southern United States. According to applied ecological frameworks, ecosystems are geographies (of various temporal and spatial scales) where systemic interrelationships of organisms and habitat occur. With current project estimates at 14.8 billion dollars, ecosystem restoration in South Florida represents one of the largest and most expensive environmen...

  6. Oak Ridge Reservation Site Management Plan for the Environmental Restoration Program

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1991-09-01

    This site management for the Environmental Restoration (ER) Program implements the Oak Ridge Reservation (ORR) Federal Facility Agreement (FFA) (EPA 1990), also known as an Interagency Agreement (IAG), hereafter referred to as ''the Agreement.'' The Department of Energy (DOE), the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC), hereafter known as ''the Parties,'' entered into this Agreement for the purpose of coordinating remediation activities undertaken on the ORR to comply with the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) as amended by the Superfund Amendments, the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA), and the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). 7 refs., 17 figs

  7. Climate change in the four corners and adjacent regions: Implications for environmental restoration and land-use planning

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Waugh, W.J. [ed.

    1995-09-01

    This document contains the workshop proceedings on Climate Change in the Four Corners and Adjacent Regions: Implications for Environmental Restoration and Land-Use Planning which took place September 12-14, 1994 in Grand Junction, Colorado. The workshop addressed three ways we can use paleoenvironmental data to gain a better understanding of climate change and its effects. (1) To serve as a retrospective baseline for interpreting past and projecting future climate-induced environmental change, (2) To differentiate the influences of climate and humans on past environmental change, and (3) To improve ecosystem management and restoration practices in the future. The papers presented at this workshop contained information on the following subjects: Paleoclimatic data from the Pleistocene and Holocene epochs, climate change and past cultures, and ecological resources and environmental restoration. Selected papers are indexed separately for inclusion in the Energy Science and Technology Database.

  8. 77 FR 23740 - Sears Point Wetland and Watershed Restoration Project, Sonoma County, CA; Final Environmental...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2012-04-20

    ...-FF08RSFC00] Sears Point Wetland and Watershed Restoration Project, Sonoma County, CA; Final Environmental... environmental impact report and environmental impact statement (EIR/EIS) for the Sears Point Wetland and..., while providing public access and recreational and educational opportunities compatible with ecological...

  9. Site descriptions of environmental restoration units at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kuhaida, A.J. Jr.; Parker, A.F.

    1997-02-01

    This report provides summary information on Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) Environmental Restoration (ER) sites as listed in the Oak Ridge Reservation Federal Facility Agreement (FFA), dated January 1, 1992, Appendix C. The Oak Ridge National Laboratory was built in 1943 as part of the World War II Manhattan Project. The original mission of ORNL was to produce and chemically separate the first gram-quantities of plutonium as part of the national effort to produce the atomic bomb. The current mission of ORNL is to provide applied research and development in support of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) programs in nuclear fusion and fission, energy conservation, fossil fuels, and other energy technologies and to perform basic scientific research in selected areas of the physical, life, and environmental sciences. ER is also tasked with clean up or mitigation of environmental impacts resulting from past waste management practices on portions of the approximately 37,000 acres within the Oak Ridge Reservation (ORR). Other installations located within the ORR are the Gaseous Diffusion Plant (K-25) and the Y-12 plant. The remedial action strategy currently integrates state and federal regulations for efficient compliance and approaches for both investigations and remediation efforts on a Waste Area Grouping (WAG) basis. As defined in the ORR FFA Quarterly Report July - September 1995, a WAG is a grouping of potentially contaminated sites based on drainage area and similar waste characteristics. These contaminated sites are further divided into four categories based on existing information concerning whether the data are generated for scoping or remedial investigation (RI) purposes. These areas are as follows: (1) Operable Units (OU); (2) Characterization Areas (CA); (3) Remedial Site Evaluation (RSE) Areas; and (4) Removal Site Evaluation (RmSE) Areas.

  10. Environmental restoration and decontamination and decommissioning safety documentation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hansen, J.L.; Frauenholz, L.H.; Kerr, N.R.

    1993-01-01

    This document presents recommendations of a working group designated by the Environmental Restoration and Remediation (ER) and Decontamination and Decommissioning (D ampersand D) subcommittees of the Westinghouse M ampersand O (Management and Operation) Nuclear Facility Safety Committee. A commonalty of approach to safety documentation specific to ER and D ampersand D activities was developed and is summarized below. Allowance for interpretative tolerance and documentation flexibility appropriate to the activity, graded for hazard category, duration, and complexity, was a primary consideration in development of this guidance

  11. Comprehensive work plan and health and safety plan for the 7500 Area Contamination Site sampling at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee. Environmental Restoration Program

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Burman, S.N.; Landguth, D.C.; Uziel, M.S.; Hatmaker, T.L.; Tiner, P.F.

    1992-05-01

    As part of the Environmental Restoration Program sponsored by the US Department of Energy`s Office of Environmental Restoration and Waste Management, this plan has been developed for the environmental sampling efforts at the 7500 Area Contamination Site, Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Oak Ridge, Tennessee. This plan was developed by the Measurement Applications and Development Group (MAD) of the Health and Safety Research Division of ORNL and will be implemented by ORNL/MAD. Major components of the plan include (1) a quality assurance project plan that describes the scope and objectives of ORNL/MAD activities at the 7500 Area Contamination Site, assigns responsibilities, and provides emergency information for contingencies that may arise during field operations; (2) sampling and analysis sections; (3) a site-specific health and safety section that describes general site hazards, hazards associated with specific tasks, personnel protection requirements, and mandatory safety procedures; (4) procedures and requirements for equipment decontamination and responsibilities for generated wastes, waste management, and contamination control; and (5) a discussion of form completion and reporting required to document activities at the 7500 Area Contamination Site.

  12. The environmental restoration program of the United States Department of Energy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mitchell, S.J.; Schneider, K.J.; Lakey, L.T.; Luik, A.E. van

    1991-01-01

    The Office of Environmental Restoration and Waste Management of the U.S. Department of Energy (U.S. DOE) is responsible for the cleanup of hazardous waste sites and the disposal of nuclear and hazardous wastes from U.S. DOE operations. Operation of DOE facilities has resulted in the creation of burial grounds, storage facilities, underground tanks and pipes, surface impoundments, treatment facilities, and accumulation areas that have the potential for releasing radionuclides and hazardous chemicals into the environment. The primary contaminants at major DOE sites are summarized. As the standards for safe and environmentally sensitive management of wastes have become more stringent the old practices were, in some cases, found to be inadequate. The US Government is committed to effective waste management and the correction of past inadequacies at its facilities and the major initiative to restore its contaminated sites to satisfactory conditions and improve the management of current wastes is explained. (Author)

  13. Assessing data quality for a federal environmental restoration project: Rationalizing the requirements of multiple clients

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kiszka, V.R.; Carlsen, T.M.

    1994-07-01

    Most environmental restoration projects at federal facilities face the difficult task of melding the quality assurance (QA) requirements of multiple clients, as well as dealing with historical data that are often of unknown quality. At Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), we have successfully integrated the requirements of our multiple clients by carefully developing a QA program that efficiently meets our clients' needs. The Site 300 Experimental Test Site is operated by LLNL in support of its national defense program. The responsibility for conducting environmental contaminant investigations and restoration at Site 300 is vested in the Site 300 Environmental Restoration Project (Site 300 ERP) of LLNL's Environmental Restoration Division. LLNL Site 300 ERP must comply with the QA requirements of several clients, which include: the LLNL Environmental Protection Department, the DOE, the US Environmental Protection Agency-Region IX (EPA), the California Regional Water Quality Control Board -- Central Valley Region, and the California Department of Toxic Substances Control. This comprehensive QA program was used to determine the acceptability of historical data. The Site 300 ERP began soil and ground water investigations in 1982. However, we did not begin receiving analytical quality assurance/quality control (QA/QC) data until 1989; therefore, the pre-1989 data that were collected are of unknown quality. The US EPA QAMS-005/80 defines data quality as the totality of features and characteristics of data that bears on its ability to satisfy a given purpose. In the current context, the characteristics of major importance are accuracy, precision, completeness, representativeness, and comparability. Using our established QA program, we determined the quality of this historical data based on its comparability to the post-1989 data. By accepting this historical data, we were able to save a considerable amount of money in recharacterization costs

  14. Oak Ridge Reservation Site Management Plan for the Environmental Restoration Program

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    1991-09-01

    This site management for the Environmental Restoration (ER) Program implements the Oak Ridge Reservation (ORR) Federal Facility Agreement (FFA) (EPA 1990), also known as an Interagency Agreement (IAG), hereafter referred to as the Agreement.'' The Department of Energy (DOE), the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC), hereafter known as the Parties,'' entered into this Agreement for the purpose of coordinating remediation activities undertaken on the ORR to comply with the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) as amended by the Superfund Amendments, the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA), and the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). 7 refs., 17 figs.

  15. Technology development for nuclear fuel cycle waste treatment - Decontamination, decommissioning and environmental restoration (1)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lee, Byung Jik; Won, Hui Jun; Yoon, Ji Sup and others

    1997-12-01

    Through the project of D econtamination, decommissioning and environmental restoration technology development , the following were studied. 1. Development of decontamination and repair technology for nuclear fuel cycle facilities 2. Development of dismantling technology 3. Environmental remediation technology development. (author). 95 refs., 45 tabs., 163 figs

  16. Waste management, decommissioning and environmental restoration for Canada's nuclear activities. Proceedings

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    2011-01-01

    The Canadian Nuclear Society conference on Waste Management, Decommissioning and Environmental Restoration for Canada's Nuclear Activities was held in Toronto, Ontario, Canada on September 11-14, 2011. The conference provided a forum for discussion of the status and proposed future directions of technical, regularly, environmental, social and economic aspects of radioactive waste management, nuclear facility decommissioning, and environmental restoration activities for Canadian nuclear facilities. The conference included both plenary sessions and sessions devoted to more detailed technical issues. The plenary sessions were focussed on three broad themes: the overall Canadian program; low and intermediate waste; and, international perspectives. Topics of the technical sessions included: OPG's deep geologic repository for low and intermediate level waste; stakeholder interactions; decommissioning projects; uranium mine waste management; used fuel repository - design and safety assessment; federal policies, programs and oversight; regulatory considerations; aboriginal traditional knowledge; geological disposal - CRL site classification; geological disposal - modelling and engineered barriers; Port Hope Area Initiative; waste characterization; LILWM - treatment and processing; decommissioning projects and information management; international experience; environmental remediation; fuel cycles and waste processing.

  17. Nuclear facility decommissioning and site remedial actions: A selected bibliography, Volume 13: Part 1, Main text. Environmental Restoration Program

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Goins, L.F.; Webb, J.R.; Cravens, C.D.; Mallory, P.K.

    1992-09-01

    This publication contains 1035 abstracted references on environmental restoration, nuclear facility decommissioning, uranium mill tailings management, and site remedial actions. These citations constitute the thirteenth in a series of reports prepared annually for the US Department of Energy (DOE) Environmental Restoration programs. Citations to foreign and domestic literature of all types. There are 13 major sections of the publication, including: (1) DOE Decontamination and Decommissioning Program; (2) Nuclear Facilities Decommissioning; (3) DOE Formerly Utilized Sites Remedial Action Program; (4) DOE Uranium Mill Tailings Remedial Action Project; (5) Uranium Mill Tailings Management; (6) DOE Environmental Restoration Program; (7) DOE Site-Specific Remedial Actions; (8) Contaminated Site Restoration; (9) Remediation of Contaminated Soil and Groundwater; (10) Environmental Data Measurements, Management, and Evaluation; (11) Remedial Action Assessment and Decision-Making; (12) Technology Development and Evaluation; and (13) Environmental and Waste Management Issues. Bibliographic references are arranged in nine subject categories by geographic location and then alphabetically by first author, corporate affiliation, or publication title. Indexes are provided for author, corporate affiliation, title word, publication description, geographic location, subject category, and key word.

  18. Endangered river fish: factors hindering conservation and restoration

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cooke, Steven J.; Paukert, Craig P.; Hogan, Zeb

    2012-01-01

    Globally, riverine fish face many anthropogenic threats including riparian and flood plain habitat degradation, altered hydrology, migration barriers, fisheries exploitation, environmental (climate) change, and introduction of invasive species. Collectively, these threats have made riverine fishes some of the most threatened taxa on the planet. Although much effort has been devoted to identifying the threats faced by river fish, there has been less effort devoted to identifying the factors that may hinder our ability to conserve and restore river fish populations and their watersheds. Therefore, we focus our efforts on identifying and discussing 10 general factors (can also be viewed as research and implementation needs) that constrain or hinder effective conservation action for endangered river fish: (1) limited basic natural history information; (2) limited appreciation for the scale/extent of migrations and the level of connectivity needed to sustain populations; (3) limited understanding of fish/river-flow relationships; (4) limited understanding of the seasonal aspects of river fish biology, particularly during winter and/or wet seasons; (5) challenges in predicting the response of river fish and river ecosystems to both environmental change and various restoration or management actions; (6) limited understanding of the ecosystem services provided by river fish; (7) the inherent difficulty in studying river fish; (8) limited understanding of the human dimension of river fish conservation and management; (9) limitations of single species approaches that often fail to address the broader-scale problems; and (10) limited effectiveness of governance structures that address endangered river fish populations and rivers that cross multiple jurisdictions. We suggest that these issues may need to be addressed to help protect, restore, or conserve river fish globally, particularly those that are endangered.

  19. Environmental restoration and waste management five-year plan, Fiscal years 1994--1998

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1993-01-01

    In March 1989, Secretary of Energy James D. Watkins outlined his vision for a changed Department of Energy (DOE) culture. This culture is one of environmental responsibility, increased knowledge and involvement in environmental management, a new openness to public input, and overall accountability to the Nation for its actions. Over the past three years, the Five Year Plan has evolved into the primary planning tool for the DOE Environmental Restoration and Waste Management Program, looking beyond the current three-year Federal budget horizon. The FY 1994--1998 Five-Year Plan demonstrates DOE's commitment to a culture based on the principles of openness, responsiveness, and accountability; reports on the progress made in carrying out DOE's environmental mission; identifies what must be accomplished during a five-year planning period; and describes strategies for achieving critical program objectives. The Five-Year Plan is not exclusively focused on near-term activities. It also expresses the DOE commitment to a 30-year goal for the cleanup of the 1989 inventory of inactive sites. This goal was established in response to recommendations from the State and Tribal Government Working Group (STGWG) that DOE define a specific end point for completing necessary remediation and restoration activities. The FY 1994--1998 Five-Year Plan reiterates the DOE commitment to meeting this and other important environmental goals

  20. China’s Bureaucracy Hinders Environmental Recovery

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lixin Guan; Ge Sun; Shixiong Cao

    2010-01-01

    Ecosystem restoration efforts have become a booming business in China. Billions of dollars are being spent annually to restore polluted waterways and ecosystems that have been degraded, fragmented, or paved over (Fu et al. 2007; Wang et al. 2007). However, China’s environmental sustainability index remains among the lowest in the world (World Bank 2009; Liu 2010). For...

  1. The INEL approach: Environmental Restoration Program management and implementation methodology

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1996-01-01

    The overall objectives of the INEL Environmental Restoration (ER) Program management approach are to facilitate meeting mission needs through the successful implementation of a sound, and effective project management philosophy. This paper outlines the steps taken to develop the ER program, and explains further the implementing tools and processes used to achieve what can be viewed as fundamental to a successful program. The various examples provided will demonstrate how the strategies for implementing these operating philosophies are actually present and at work throughout the program, in spite of budget drills and organizational changes within DOE and the implementing contractor. A few of the challenges and successes of the INEL Environmental Restoration Program have included: a) completion of all enforceable milestones to date, b) acceleration of enforceable milestones, c) managing funds to reduce uncosted obligations at year end by utilizing greater than 99% of FY-95 budget, d) an exemplary safety record, e) developing a strategy for partial Delisting of the INEL by the year 2000, f) actively dealing with Natural Resource Damages Assessment issues, g) the achievement of significant project cost reductions, h) and implementation of a partnering charter and application of front end quality principles

  2. Environmental Restoration Program quality system requirements for the Hanford Site

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cote, R.F.

    1993-11-01

    This document defines the quality system requirements for the US Department of Energy, Richland Operations Office, Environmental Restoration Program at the Hanford Site. The Quality System Requirements (OSR) for the Hanford Site integrates quality assurance requirements from the US Department of Energy Orders, the Hanford Federal Facility Agreement and Consent Order (Tri-Party Agreement), and applicable industry standards into a single source document for the development of quality systems applicable to the Environmental Restoration Program activities. This document, based on fifteen criteria and divided intro three parts, provides user organizations with the flexibility to incorporate only those criteria and parts applicable to their specific scopes of work. The requirements of this document shall be applied to activities that affect quality based on a graded approach that takes into consideration the risk inherent in, as well as the importance of, specific items, services, and activities in terms of meeting ER Program objectives and customer expectations. The individual quality systems developed in accordance with this document are intended to provide an integrated management control system that assures the conduct of ER Program activities in a manner that protects human health and the environment

  3. Application of the observational approach to environmental restoration at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Garland, S.B. II; Holm, L.A.; Riddle, S.P.

    1992-07-01

    Martin Marietta Energy Systems, Inc., (Energy Systems) manages the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) for the US Department of Energy (DOE). Since ORNL's beginning in the 1940's, a variety of solid and liquid low-level radioactive waste, hazardous waste, and mixed waste has been generated. These wastes primarily have been disposed of on-site by shallow land burial, which has caused the contamination of soil, surface water, sediments, and groundwater. The Environmental Restoration Program (ERP) was initiated to remediate this legacy of contamination and to eliminate the associated risk to the public and the environment. In an effort to streamline the process and accelerate remediation activities, DOE, EPA, and TDEC agreed to utilize the Observational Approach in order to reduce time and cost and to use limited resources more effectively and efficiently. This paper briefly explains the Observational Approach, discusses its use in long-range planning and Remedial Investigations, and describes several specific applications

  4. Using cost/risk uncertainty spheres to make better environmental restoration decisions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Shangraw, R.F.; Cheney, C.S.; Shangraw, W.R.

    1994-01-01

    The process of balancing cost expenditures and risk reductions during environmental restoration (ER) activities (and as part of other environmental programs such as waste management and facility transition) is the critical policy decision facing DOE site decisionmakers and associated stakeholders (including regulators). The ground rules for this process are specified formally in the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA), as amended, the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, as amended, the subsequent regulations (e.g., National Contingency Plan) and policies that EPA and State agencies have issued to implement these programs, and (increasingly) interagency agreements and orders. Clearly, as Federal resources to meet environmental commitments become more constrained, cost and risk management tradeoffs will become even more needed and their results pronounced

  5. Analysis of documentary support for environmental restoration programs in Russia

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nechaev, A.F.; Projaev, V.V.

    1995-01-01

    Taking into account an importance of an adequate regulations for ensuring of radiological safety of the biosphere and for successful implementation of environmental restoration projects, contents of legislative and methodical documents as well as their comprehensitivity and substantiation are subjected to critical analysis. It is shown that there is much scope for further optimization of and improvements in regulatory basis both on Federal and regional levels

  6. Waste Generation Forecast for DOE-ORO's Environmental Restoration OR-1 Project: FY 1994--FY 2001

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1993-12-01

    This Waste Generation Forecast for DOE-ORO's Environmental Restoration OR-1 Project. FY 1994--FY 2001 is the third in a series of documents that report current estimates of the waste volumes expected to be generated as a result of Environmental Restoration activities at Department of Energy, Oak Ridge Operations Office (DOE-ORO), sites. Considered in the scope of this document are volumes of waste expected to be generated as a result of remedial action and decontamination and decommissioning activities taking place at these sites. Sites contributing to the total estimates make up the DOE-ORO Environmental Restoration OR-1 Project: the Oak Ridge K-25 Site, the Oak Ridge National Laboratory, the Y-12 Plant, the Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant, the Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plant, and the off-site contaminated areas adjacent to the Oak Ridge facilities (collectively referred to as the Oak Ridge Reservation Off-Site area). Estimates are available for the entire fife of all waste generating activities. This document summarizes waste estimates forecasted for the 8-year period of FY 1994-FY 2001. Updates with varying degrees of change are expected throughout the refinement of restoration strategies currently in progress at each of the sites. Waste forecast data are relatively fluid, and this document represents remediation plans only as reported through September 1993

  7. 75 FR 41881 - Notice of Intent To Prepare a Shoreline Restoration and Management Plan/Environmental Impact...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-07-19

    ... lakeshore; and improved water quality. DATES: Any comments on the scope of issues to be addressed in the EIS... Restoration and Management Plan/Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore... impact statement (EIS) for a Shoreline Restoration and Management Plan (SRMP) for Indiana Dunes National...

  8. Technology development and transfer in environmental management

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Katz, J.; Karnovitz, A.; Yarbrough, M.

    1994-01-01

    Federal efforts to develop and employ the innovative technologies needed to clean up contaminated facilities would greatly benefit from a greater degree of interaction and integration with the energies and resources of the private sector. Yet there are numerous institutional, economic, and regulatory obstacles to the transfer and commercialization of environmental restoration and waste management technologies. These obstacles discourage private sector involvement and investment in Federal efforts to develop and use innovative technologies. A further effect is to impede market development even where private sector interest is high. Lowering these market barriers will facilitate the commercialization of innovative environmental cleanup technologies and expedite the cleanup of contaminated Federal and private facilities. This paper identifies the major barriers to transfer and commercialization of innovative technologies and suggests possible strategies to overcome them. Emphasis is placed on issues particularly relevant to the Department of Energy's Environmental Restoration and Waste Management (EM) program, but which are applicable to other Federal agencies confronting complex environmental cleanup problems

  9. Environmental restoration in regions of uranium mining and milling in Ukraine: Progress, problems and perspectives

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rudy, C.

    1997-01-01

    Uranium exploration activities in Ukraine were initiated in 1946. So far 21 uranium reserves have been identified in the Southern regions of Ukraine. Industrial scale mining has been undertaken in two main areas -ZhovtiVody (Dnipropetrovsk region) and more recently - near the city of Kirovograd. Uranium milling capabilities were created in ZhovtiVody and Dniprodzerzhinsk. At Dniprodzerzhinsk Prydniprovsky Chemical Plant uranium milling started in the late 40's, initially using ores from the countries of Central Europe. Lack of relevant environmental standards and appropriate technologies for uranium extraction contributed to contamination of both industrial and residential areas. As a result, about 1340 ha of industrial areas were contaminated and ecologically affected. Extensive utilization of waste rock pile for road and building construction in the 50's and 60's resulted in contamination of residential areas in the region. To provide a comprehensive solution to the radioecological problems of the ZhovtiVody area a State Programme of Actions up to the year 2005 was adopted by the Ukrainian government in 1995. A timely methodological and information support for national activities on environmental restoration in Ukraine was provided by IAEA regional project RER/9/022. In April 1996 under the framework of the RER/9/022 project, seminar on environmental restoration in regions of uranium mining and milling took place in the town of Zhovti Vody, that allowed involvement of local experts and organizations into the project activities directly. The proposed paper is based on the vast amount of data accumulated in Ukraine during RER/9/022 covering the period 1993-1996. Severe lack of finance adversely affected all activities within the nuclear sector, environmental restoration implementation being the most affected. In such circumstances RER/9/022 remained as one of the most valuable contributing factors in the development of regulations, guidance and practices in the

  10. 200 Areas soil remediation strategy -- Environmental Restoration Program

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1996-09-01

    The remediation and waste management activities in the 200 Areas of the Hanford Site (located in Richland, Washington) currently range from remediating groundwater, remediating source units (contaminated soils), decontaminating and decommissioning of buildings and structures, maintaining facilities, managing transuranic, low-level and mixed waste, and operating tank farms that store high-level waste. This strategy focuses on the assessment and remediation of soil that resulted from the discharge of liquids and solids from processing facilities to the ground (e.g., ponds, ditches, cribs, burial grounds) in the 200 Areas and addresses only those waste sites assigned to the Environmental Restoration Program

  11. Ecological risks of DOE's programmatic environmental restoration alternatives

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1994-06-01

    This report assesses the ecological risks of the Department of Energy's (DOE) Environmental Restoration Program. The assessment is programmatic in that it is directed at evaluation of the broad programmatic alternatives outlined in the DOE Implementation Plan. It attempts to (1) characterize the ecological resources present on DOE facilities, (2) describe the occurrence and importance of ecologically significant contamination at major DOE facilities, (3) evaluate the adverse ecological impacts of habitat disturbance caused by remedial activities, and (4) determine whether one or another of the programmatic alternatives is clearly ecologically superior to the others. The assessment focuses on six representative facilities: the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory (INEL); the Fernald Environmental Management Project (FEMP); the Oak Ridge Reservation (ORR), including the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Y-12 plant, and K-25 plant; the Rocky Flats Plant; the Hanford Reservation; and the Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plant

  12. The middle manager role in energy company environmental efforts

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fischhoff, Maya E.

    2005-12-01

    This research examines the internal organizational processes determining corporate environmental action. Corporations have a tremendous environmental impact, yet relatively little is known about how employees within them view and work on these issues. The research focused on middle managers, a level of the company whose value is often questioned. Interviews were conducted with 70 middle managers at two energy companies (comprising utilities and unregulated businesses). Interviews examined the shape and significance of middle manager involvement in environmental issues, looking specifically at what issues middle managers deal with, what goals they pursue, and what approaches they use. The research finds middle managers' roles with respect to environmental issues to be far-reaching and complex. Much of their effort is focused on meeting regulatory requirements ("complying"). They are committed to compliance, in part for ethical reasons, but often find regulations frustrating and costly. Compliance is more challenging than commonly thought; it demands time, knowledge, and substantial creativity. In pursuing it, interviewees work with employees throughout the organization. This research shows middle managers interacting with those hierarchically above and below them in ways that greatly modify earlier portrayals of middle managers. Earlier portrayals often emphasized struggles for power within the organization. Here, middle managers work in ways best characterized as collaborative and supportive. Middle managers also have extensive involvement laterally within the company and with groups outside the company. These links have received modest attention in literature, yet are found to be terribly important. Middle managers' lateral efforts inside the company, often on teams, allow diverse expertise (e.g., from people in different functions) to be applied to environmental issues. Documenting middle managers' involvement externally, with governmental officials and sectors

  13. 78 FR 60309 - Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the Restoration of Native Species in High Elevation...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2013-10-01

    ... must be postmarked or transmitted not later than 60 days from the date of publication in the Federal... environmental modifications such as nonnative fish, disease, and unprecedented climate change. The overall goal of the Restoration Plan/DEIS is to restore clusters of water bodies to a fishless state in strategic...

  14. Dam Removals and River Restoration in International Perspective

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Chris S. Sneddon

    2017-10-01

    Full Text Available In the Anthropocene era, questions over institutions, economics, culture and politics are central to the promotion of water-society relations that enhance biophysical resilience and democratic modes of environmental governance. The removal of dams and weirs from river systems may well signal an important shift in how human actors value and utilize rivers. Yet the removal of water infrastructure is often lengthy, institutionally complex, and characterized by social conflict. This Special Issue draws insights from case studies of recent efforts in North America and Europe to restore river systems through dam and weir removal. These cases include both instances where removal has come to fruition in conjunction with efforts to rehabilitate aquatic systems and instances where removal has been stymied by a constellation of institutional, political and cultural factors. Drawing from diverse theoretical frames and methodological approaches, the authors present novel ways to conceptualize water-society relations using the lens of dam removal and river restoration, as well as crucial reminders of the multiple biophysical and social dimensions of restoration initiatives for water resource practitioners interested in the rehabilitation of socioecological systems.

  15. Mineral exploitation by surface mining and environmental restoration. Explotacion minera a cielo abierto y restauracion ambiental

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    1992-09-01

    The subject of environmental restoration of zones affected by the opencast exploitation of coal, is one of the most interesting for mineral zones since at the end of the industrial process the reclaimed land is appropriate for subsequent use. In all, HUNOSA has restored more than 1000 Ha of pasture. 1 fig.

  16. Pollution prevention and waste minimization opportunity assessment in environmental restoration

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Roybal, J.A.; Willison, C.P.

    1997-01-01

    The Environmental Restoration (ER) Project at Sandia National Laboratories implicitly subscribed to the philosophy of pollution prevention and waste minimization. As a result of a Department of Energy (DOE) offer, Pollution Prevention Opportunity Assessments (PPOA) were conducted at two ER sites and a decontamination and Demolition (D and D) site. The purpose of one of the PPOAs was to identify pollution prevention (P2) opportunities during environmental remediation at the Classified Waste Landfill located at Sandia National Laboratories, New Mexico (SNL/NM). The remediation activities at this site are scheduled to begin in the fall of 1997. The PPOA included presentations by the team members, a tour of the site, and a brainstorming session to list the waste streams, identify P2 opportunities and rank them in order of priority. Twenty-five P2 opportunities were identified during the brainstorming session of which twenty-two opportunities were selected for further investigation. Those twenty-two opportunities are discussed in this paper. A cost benefit analysis was performed for each P2 opportunity based on the estimated waste volume, feasibility, and cost. Pollution Prevention by Design (P2D) was incorporated into the PPOA to introduce waste minimization techniques that can be used during the planning phase of restoration projects

  17. Transitioning from operations to environmental restoration: Startup of the Fernald Environmental Restoration Management Contract

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Little, C.C.; Kozlowski, D.R.

    1993-10-01

    This paper will present a description of the program undertaken by the Fernald Environmental Restoration Management Contractor (ERMC) to effect a transition from operation of the Fernald site by the past M ampersand O contractor, WEMCO, to DOE's new mission and contractual approach focussed on site remediation. This transition, on a first of its kind contract, represented a significant, proactive approach on the part of DOE to pursue the clean up of its weapon's production facilities in a faster, more cost-effective manner. The paper will discuss the formal transition readiness review process and the lessons teamed by DOE and the contractor during transition. The oral presentation will be shared by both authors with one half of the time allocated to the transition readiness demonstration process and one half to the lessons learned. The objective of having a Department of Energy (DOE) Headquarters representative participate in the transition to the first ERMC was to develop a handbook to assist other sites proceeding with the ERMC concept, such as the Richland Operations Office, and to develop a lessons learned document. Because a lessons learned report is available separately, only those more significant lessons learned are highlighted in this paper

  18. Developing a GIS to facilitate data analysis for environmental restoration of a large waste site

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tzemos, S.; Evans, B.J.; White, M.E.

    1991-05-01

    The Hanford Site area located southeastern Washington State and is a US Department of Energy Superfund cleanup site. The site contains a complex mixture of chemical and radioactive pollutants, which makes environmental monitoring, analysis, and restoration a complicated task. The Hanford Environmental Information System (HEIS) has been developed to manage the data generated from the characterization and environmental monitoring of the Hanford Site. The Geographic Information Systems (GIS) component of HEIS, known as HEISGIS, is being developed to help scientists spatially analyze the environmental data stored in the HEIS database and provide an integrated system for environmental restoration. HEISGIS is in its second stage of development. The first stage produced a working prototype. The second stage focuses on improvements in data accuracy, data standardization, analytical modeling capabilities, interfaces between the various software packages, and the graphical user interface. This paper describes the development of the HEISGIS and summarizes the considerations and difficulties encountered in the integration of the GIS with a large relational database. 1 ref., 1 fig., 3 tabs

  19. Restoration of mires - the question of ethics, aesthetics and environmental awareness. 2. part

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lode, Elve

    1999-01-01

    Restoration of mires is an issue of environmental awareness. This part of the paper has been divided into two sections: (i) description of international scientific experiments, and (ii) description of Estonian practice to restore or reclaim old peat cuttings. The presentations of the International Symposium on Peatland Restoration and Reclamation held in US in July 1998, and the IPS Jubilee Conference in Finland in September 1998 review the most common international scientific directions and practical results concerning peatland restoration and reclamation. The recolonising of the Sphagnum species and decreasing of gas emissions in old peat cuttings are a popular scientific task in the peatland restoration of today. In Estonia the area of old peat cuttings is currently about 3,000 ha to probably increase by 18,000 ha (Ramst, 1997). This means that Estonia should have its own program for sustainable peatland management, restoration and reclamation included. As an example of sustainable nature management the Summary considers the development of the US Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977. This part is illustrated with photos demonstrating this law in practice in the Pennsylvania Coal Mining Region in summer 1997. Although regional institutions have been given priority to using mineral resources, the State should also be responsible for the restoration and reclamation of a exhausted mining area. (author)

  20. Evaluation of mid-to-long term basic research for environmental restoration

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1989-09-01

    This document describes a long-term basic research program for the US Department of Energy (DOE) that complements departmental initiatives in waste management and site cleanup. The most important problems faced by DOE are environmental restoration of waste sites and cleanup of inactive facilities. Environmental restoration is defined in this report as characterization, assessment, remediation, and post-closure verification within the waste/environmental system at DOE sites. Remediation of inactive, contaminated waste-disposal sites is the largest and most expensive task facing DOE. Immobilization, isolation, separation, and destruction of waste, either aboveground or in situ, are difficult and costly tasks. Technologies for these tasks are primitive or do not exist. Departmental problems in the long term are being analyzed scientifically and research needs are being identified. When completed, the Office of Energy Research's (OER's) basis research plan will describe potential scientific research needs for universities, national laboratories, and others as a basis for research proposals to DOE. Extensive interaction with the scientific community is planned to further refine and prioritize research needs. Basic research within DOE is directed toward fundamental knowledge leading to the discovery of new scientific or engineering concepts and principles that may or may not have immediate specific technological applications. However, because DOE is a mission-oriented agency, basic research in DOE is strongly influenced by national energy and environmental policy and may be multidisciplinary in nature. Basic research will provide innovative concepts and the fundamental knowledge base that facilitates the development and application of new and emerging technologies. 41 refs., 5 figs., 9 tabs

  1. The summary of national environmental restoration needs

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1993-07-01

    The Office of Technology Development of the US Department of Energy (DOE) has directed the Savannah River Technology Center to implement an Integrated Demonstration Program at Savannah River Site to assess new environmental remediation systems and technologies and transfer them to other DOE sites and private industry for use in full-scale remediation efforts. The first phase of the Integrated Demonstration Program is coming to a successful conclusion and the Savannah River Technology Center has asked a panel of environmental experts to prioritize national, DOE, and Savannah River Site environmental problems and make programmatic recommendations for future technology research and demonstrations. This document is a summary of national and DOE environmental problems that are common to Savannah River Site and was created as a decision making tool for the expert panel. There are many diverse environmental problems, therefore the summary has been limited to environmental problems that are significant to the Savannah River Site. National environmental problems identified in the summary are soil and water contaminated with organic compounds. Specifically, groundwater contaminated with dense non-aqueous phase liquid hydrocarbons was found to be a significant national environmental problem. The DOE environmental problems identified in the summary are soil and water contaminated with fuel and chlorinated hydrocarbon compounds, metal compounds, and radioactive elements. Savannah River Site environmental problems identified in the summary are soil and groundwater contaminated with chlorinated hydrocarbons, metal compounds, tritiated water, and other radioactive elements. Technology deficiencies that were identified in the summary were deficiencies in in situ remediation technologies, in situ characterization technologies, and in situ isolation and containment technologies

  2. Environmental restoration by natural effects - Advantages and limits

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mueck, K.

    2002-01-01

    After a major contamination of a territory due to fallout from a reactor accident, a reprocessing plant accident or a weapon's detonation one of the important questions to be addressed is the time period required for the countermeasures to be applied. This is particularly important for countermeasures with high costs and consequences to the involved population such as relocation. Therefore, the time period required for a contamination with long-lived fission products to decrease below established intervention levels by natural processes of decay and removal from the soil layer relevant to the exposure is investigated. Natural processes which result in a decrease in activity concentrations in foodstuffs and external exposure, are the least detrimental to a territory as compared to other long-term countermeasures and therefore, the most favorable in that respect. The influence of the contribution of different foodstuffs on the time-span required until a resettlement of a dislocated population is feasible, is assessed and the advantages and limits of natural restoration effects on the required intervention periods are discussed. It is shown that natural restoration effects may contribute substantially to an environmentally safe and sustainable resettlement of an area substantially contaminated with fission products. (author)

  3. Mississippi Coastal Improvements Program; Evaluation of Barrier Island Restoration Efforts

    Science.gov (United States)

    2013-09-01

    451   ERDC TR-13-12 xx Figure G-14. Alternative #1 Restored conditions for Storm #2; Template C; Without borrow pits. ......... 451   Figure G-15...0.02831685 cubic meters cubic yards 0.7645549 cubic meters degrees Fahrenheit (F-32)/1.8 degrees Celsius feet 0.3048 meters inches 0.0254 meters...conditions for Storm #2; Template A; Without borrow pits. ERDC TR-13-12 451 Figure G-13. Alternative #1 Restored conditions for Storm #2; Template B

  4. Adaptive Long-Term Monitoring at Environmental Restoration Sites (ER-0629)

    Science.gov (United States)

    2009-05-01

    Printed on recycled paper TECHNICAL REPORT TR-2317-ENV ADAPTIVE LONG-TERM MONITORING AT ENVIRONMENTAL RESTORATION SITES (ER-0629...nondetect values. One curiosity is that the typical recent RL for TCE has been 0.5, whereas that for PCE has been 1.4. As a consequence, and due to...Spring 2000 makes little difference, however. A curiosity is that the anomalous value from Spring 2006 is actually quite similar to the early

  5. Protocols for Monitoring Habitat Restoration Projects in the Lower Columbia River and Estuary

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Roegner, G. Curtis; Diefenderfer, Heida L.; Borde, Amy B.; Thom, Ronald M.; Dawley, Earl M.; Whiting, Allan H.; Zimmerman, Shon A.; Johnson, Gary E.

    2008-04-25

    Protocols for monitoring salmon habitat restoration projects are essential for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' environmental efforts in the Columbia River estuary. This manual provides state-of-the science data collection and analysis methods for landscape features, water quality, and fish species composition, among others.

  6. Methodology for decision making in environmental restoration after nuclear accidents: temas system (version 2.1)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Montero, M.; Moraleda, M.; Claver, F.; Vazquez, C.; Gutierrez, J.

    2001-01-01

    TEMAS is an user-friendly decision aiding computerised system to help in the selection of the best local strategy of restoration when a post-accidental environmental contamination with long lived radionuclides (''137 Cs and ''90 Sr) must be faced TEMAS provides answer for complex scenarios on whichever place of the European Community territory ( urban agricultural and forest) with different specific levels of contamination, uses and dimensions. The initial version was the result of the TEMAS project (Techniques and Management Strategies for Environmental Restoration) supported by the EU during the 4th Framework Program. Some Aspects of the methodology are at present being improved. This document applies to the computerised version 2.1 (VAZ01). (Author)

  7. Bechtel Hanford, Inc./ERC team health and safety plan Environmental Restoration Disposal Facility operations

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Turney, S.R.

    1996-02-01

    A comprehensive safety and health program is essential for reducing work-related injuries and illnesses while maintaining a safe and health work environment. This document establishes Bechtel Hanford, Inc. (BHI)/Environmental Restoration Contractor (ERC) team requirements, policies, and procedures and provides preliminary guidance to the Environmental Restoration Disposal Facility (ERDF) subcontractor for use in preparing essential safety and health documents. This health and safety plan (HASP) defines potential safety and health issues associated with operating and maintaining the ERDF. A site-specific HASP shall be developed by the ERDF subcontractor and shall be implemented before operations and maintenance work can proceed. An activity hazard analysis (AHA) shall also be developed to provide procedures to identify, assess, and control hazards or potential incidents associated with specific operations and maintenance activities

  8. Forward-looking farmers owning multiple potential wetland restoration sites: implications for efficient restoration

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schroder (Kushch), Svetlana; Lang, Zhengxin; Rabotyagov, Sergey

    2018-04-01

    Wetland restoration can increase the provision of multiple non-market ecosystem services. Environmental and socio-economic factors need to be accounted for when land is withdrawn from agriculture and wetlands are restored. We build multi-objective optimization models to provide decision support for wetland restoration in the Le Sueur river watershed in Southern Minnesota. We integrate environmental objectives of sediment reduction and habitat protection with socio-economic factors associated with the overlap of private land with potential wetland restoration sites in the watershed and the costs representing forward-looking farmers voluntarily taking land out of agricultural production in favor of wetland restoration. Our results demonstrate that the inclusion of these factors early on in the restoration planning process affects both the total costs of the restoration project and the spatial distribution of optimally selected wetland restoration sites.

  9. Restoration planning to guide Aichi targets in a megadiverse country.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tobón, Wolke; Urquiza-Haas, Tania; Koleff, Patricia; Schröter, Matthias; Ortega-Álvarez, Rubén; Campo, Julio; Lindig-Cisneros, Roberto; Sarukhán, José; Bonn, Aletta

    2017-10-01

    Ecological restoration has become an important strategy to conserve biodiversity and ecosystems services. To restore 15% of degraded ecosystems as stipulated by the Convention on Biological Diversity Aichi target 15, we developed a prioritization framework to identify potential priority sites for restoration in Mexico, a megadiverse country. We used the most current biological and environmental data on Mexico to assess areas of biological importance and restoration feasibility at national scale and engaged stakeholders and experts throughout the process. We integrated 8 criteria into 2 components (i.e., biological importance and restoration feasibility) in a spatial multicriteria analysis and generated 11 scenarios to test the effect of assigning different component weights. The priority restoration sites were distributed across all terrestrial ecosystems of Mexico; 64.1% were in degraded natural vegetation and 6% were in protected areas. Our results provide a spatial guide to where restoration could enhance the persistence of species of conservation concern and vulnerable ecosystems while maximizing the likelihood of restoration success. Such spatial prioritization is a first step in informing policy makers and restoration planners where to focus local and large-scale restoration efforts, which should additionally incorporate social and monetary cost-benefit considerations. © 2017 The Authors. Conservation Biology published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of Society for Conservation Biology.

  10. International Environmental Institute

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    DiSibio, R.R.

    1992-01-01

    The International Environmental Institute is being established at the Hanford Site to provide training and education in environmental restoration and waste management technologies and to serve as an interface for exchange of information among government laboratories, regional and federal governments, universities, and US industries. Recognized as the flagship of the nation's environmental management effort, the Hanford Site provides a unique living environmental laboratory that represents the most extensive, complex, and diverse cleanup challenges anywhere. An Environmental Institute director has been selected, the organizational structure has been established, and initial phases of operation have begun. The combined resources of the Hanford Site and the Environmental Institute offer unprecedented technological capabilities for dealing with the nation's environmental issues

  11. Environmental restoration and waste management

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Middleman, L.I.

    1989-01-01

    The purpose of this Five-Year Plan is to establish an agenda for compliance and cleanup against which progress will be measured. DOE is committed to an open and participatory process for developing a national priority system for expenditure of funds. This system will be based on scientific principles and risk reduction in terms that are understandable to the public. The Plan will be revised annually, with a five-year planning horizon. For FY 1991--1995, this Plan encompasses total program activities and costs for DOE Corrective Activities, Environmental Restoration, Waste Management Operations, and Applied R ampersand D. It addresses hazardous wastes, radioactive wastes, mixed wastes (radioactive and hazardous), and sanitary wastes. It also addresses facilities and sites contaminated with or used in the management of those wastes. The Plan does not include the Safety and Health Program (Office of the Assistant Secretary for Environment, Safety, and Health) or programs of the Office of Civilian Radioactive Waste Management. It does include the annual Defense Programs contribution to the Nuclear Waste Fund for disposal of defense high-level waste and research toward characterizing the defense waste form for repository disposal

  12. Restoring rocky intertidal communities: Lessons from a benthic macroalgal ecosystem engineer.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bellgrove, Alecia; McKenzie, Prudence F; Cameron, Hayley; Pocklington, Jacqueline B

    2017-04-15

    As coastal population growth increases globally, effective waste management practices are required to protect biodiversity. Water authorities are under increasing pressure to reduce the impact of sewage effluent discharged into the coastal environment and restore disturbed ecosystems. We review the role of benthic macroalgae as ecosystem engineers and focus particularly on the temperate Australasian fucoid Hormosira banksii as a case study for rocky intertidal restoration efforts. Research focussing on the roles of ecosystem engineers is lagging behind restoration research of ecosystem engineers. As such, management decisions are being made without a sound understanding of the ecology of ecosystem engineers. For successful restoration of rocky intertidal shores it is important that we assess the thresholds of engineering traits (discussed herein) and the environmental conditions under which they are important. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  13. Cost-time management for environmental restoration activities at the Department of Energy's Idaho National Engineering Laboratory, Idaho Chemical Processing Plant

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fourr, B.R.; Owen, A.H.; Williamson, D.J.; Nash, C.L.

    1992-01-01

    Cost-time management methods have been developed by Westinghouse to examine business applications from a cost-time perspective. The initial application of cost-time management within Westinghouse was targeted at reducing cycle time in the manufacturing sector. As a result of the tremendous success of reduced cycle time in manufacturing, Westinghouse initiated application of the management technique to Environmental Restoration activities at its Government Owned Contractor Operated facilities. The Westinghouse initiative was proposed in support of the Department of Energy's goals for cost effective Environmental Restoration activities. This paper describes the application of the cost-time method to Environmental Restoration work currently being performed at the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory (INEL) for the Department of Energy (DOE) by Westinghouse Idaho Nuclear Company (WINCO)

  14. Environmental Restoration Operations: Consolidated Quarterly Report January -March 2017

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Cochran, John R. [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States)

    2017-07-01

    This Environmental Restoration Operations (ER) Consolidated Quarterly Report (ER Quarterly Report) provides the status of ongoing corrective action activities being implemented at Sandia National Laboratories, New Mexico (SNL/NM) during the January, February, and March 2017 quarterly reporting period. Table I-1 lists the Solid Waste Management Units (SWMUs) and Areas of Concern (AOCs) identified for corrective action at SNL/NM. Sections I.2.1 and I.2.2 summarize the work completed during this quarter. Section I.2.1 summarizes the quarterly activities at sites undergoing corrective action field activities. Field activities are conducted at the three groundwater AOCs (Burn Site Groundwater [BSG AOC], Technical Area [TA]-V Groundwater [TAVG AOC], and Tijeras Arroyo Groundwater [TAG AOC]). Section I.2.2 summarizes quarterly activities at sites where the New Mexico Environment Department (NMED) Hazardous Waste Bureau (HWB) issued a certificate of completion and the sites are in the corrective action complete (CAC) regulatory process. Currently, SWMUs 8 and 58, 68, 149, 154, and 502 are in the CAC regulatory process. Corrective action activities are deferred at the Long Sled Track (SWMU 83), the Gun Facilities (SWMU 84), and the Short Sled Track (SWMU 240) because these three sites are active mission facilities. These three active mission sites are located in TA-III. This Sandia National Laboratories, New Mexico Environmental Restoration Operations (ER) Consolidated Quarterly Report (ER Quarterly Report) fulfills all quarterly reporting requirements set forth in the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act Facility Operating Permit and the Compliance Order on Consent.

  15. A systematic review of ecological attributes that confer resilience to climate change in environmental restoration.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Britta L Timpane-Padgham

    Full Text Available Ecological restoration is widely practiced as a means of rehabilitating ecosystems and habitats that have been degraded or impaired through human use or other causes. Restoration practices now are confronted by climate change, which has the potential to influence long-term restoration outcomes. Concepts and attributes from the resilience literature can help improve restoration and monitoring efforts under changing climate conditions. We systematically examined the published literature on ecological resilience to identify biological, chemical, and physical attributes that confer resilience to climate change. We identified 45 attributes explicitly related to climate change and classified them as individual- (9, population- (6, community- (7, ecosystem- (7, or process-level attributes (16. Individual studies defined resilience as resistance to change or recovery from disturbance, and only a few studies explicitly included both concepts in their definition of resilience. We found that individual and population attributes generally are suited to species- or habitat-specific restoration actions and applicable at the population scale. Community attributes are better suited to habitat-specific restoration at the site scale, or system-wide restoration at the ecosystem scale. Ecosystem and process attributes vary considerably in their type and applicability. We summarize these relationships in a decision support table and provide three example applications to illustrate how these classifications can be used to prioritize climate change resilience attributes for specific restoration actions. We suggest that (1 including resilience as an explicit planning objective could increase the success of restoration projects, (2 considering the ecological context and focal scale of a restoration action is essential in choosing appropriate resilience attributes, and (3 certain ecological attributes, such as diversity and connectivity, are more commonly considered to

  16. A systematic review of ecological attributes that confer resilience to climate change in environmental restoration.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Timpane-Padgham, Britta L; Beechie, Tim; Klinger, Terrie

    2017-01-01

    Ecological restoration is widely practiced as a means of rehabilitating ecosystems and habitats that have been degraded or impaired through human use or other causes. Restoration practices now are confronted by climate change, which has the potential to influence long-term restoration outcomes. Concepts and attributes from the resilience literature can help improve restoration and monitoring efforts under changing climate conditions. We systematically examined the published literature on ecological resilience to identify biological, chemical, and physical attributes that confer resilience to climate change. We identified 45 attributes explicitly related to climate change and classified them as individual- (9), population- (6), community- (7), ecosystem- (7), or process-level attributes (16). Individual studies defined resilience as resistance to change or recovery from disturbance, and only a few studies explicitly included both concepts in their definition of resilience. We found that individual and population attributes generally are suited to species- or habitat-specific restoration actions and applicable at the population scale. Community attributes are better suited to habitat-specific restoration at the site scale, or system-wide restoration at the ecosystem scale. Ecosystem and process attributes vary considerably in their type and applicability. We summarize these relationships in a decision support table and provide three example applications to illustrate how these classifications can be used to prioritize climate change resilience attributes for specific restoration actions. We suggest that (1) including resilience as an explicit planning objective could increase the success of restoration projects, (2) considering the ecological context and focal scale of a restoration action is essential in choosing appropriate resilience attributes, and (3) certain ecological attributes, such as diversity and connectivity, are more commonly considered to confer

  17. Ecological risks of DOE`s programmatic environmental restoration alternatives

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    1994-06-01

    This report assesses the ecological risks of the Department of Energy`s (DOE) Environmental Restoration Program. The assessment is programmatic in that it is directed at evaluation of the broad programmatic alternatives outlined in the DOE Implementation Plan. It attempts to (1) characterize the ecological resources present on DOE facilities, (2) describe the occurrence and importance of ecologically significant contamination at major DOE facilities, (3) evaluate the adverse ecological impacts of habitat disturbance caused by remedial activities, and (4) determine whether one or another of the programmatic alternatives is clearly ecologically superior to the others. The assessment focuses on six representative facilities: the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory (INEL); the Fernald Environmental Management Project (FEMP); the Oak Ridge Reservation (ORR), including the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Y-12 plant, and K-25 plant; the Rocky Flats Plant; the Hanford Reservation; and the Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plant.

  18. The Los Alamos National Laboratory Environmental Restoration Program

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Krueger, J.W.

    1990-01-01

    The LANL Environmental Restoration (ER) Program Office, established in October 1989, is faced with the challenge of assessing and cleaning up nearly 1,8000 potentially hazardous waste sites according to an aggressive corrective action schedule that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) mandated on May 23, 1990, in a Resource, Conservation, and Recovery Act (RCRA) Part B Permit. To maximize program efficiency, the ER Program Office will implement a unique management approach designed to maximize the use of laboratory technical expertise. The Installation Work Plan, which provides a blueprint for the program, has been submitted to EPA for review and approval. A work plan for characterization of Technical Area 21, an early plutonium processing facility, is also nearing completion. The feasibility of an expedited cleanup of the Laboratory's worst hazardous waste release has been modelled using a computer code originally developed by LANL to assist the nuclear weapons testing program. A sophisticated Geographic Information System has been implemented to assist in data management and presentation, and the design of a Mixed Waste Disposal Facility is underway. 6 refs., 2 figs

  19. Nuclear criticality safety program for environmental restoration projects

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Marble, R.C.; Brown, T.D.

    1994-05-01

    The Fernald Environmental Management Project (FEMP), formerly known as the Feed Materials Production Center (FMPC), is located on a 1050 acre site approximately twenty miles northwest of Cincinnati, Ohio. The production area of the site covers approximately 136 acres in the central portion of the site. Surrounding the core production area is a buffer consisting of leased grazing land, reforested land, and unused areas. The uranium processing facility was designed and constructed in the early 1950s. During the period from 1952 to 1989 the site produced uranium feed material and uranium products used in the United States weapons complex. Production at the site ended in 1989, when the site was shut down for what was expected to be a short period of time. However, the FUTC was permanently shut down in 1991, and the site's mission was changed from production to environmental restoration. The objective of this paper is to give an update on activities at the Fernald Site and to describe the Nuclear Criticality Safety issues that are currently being addressed

  20. Joint analysis of stressors and ecosystem services to enhance restoration effectiveness.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Allan, J David; McIntyre, Peter B; Smith, Sigrid D P; Halpern, Benjamin S; Boyer, Gregory L; Buchsbaum, Andy; Burton, G A; Campbell, Linda M; Chadderton, W Lindsay; Ciborowski, Jan J H; Doran, Patrick J; Eder, Tim; Infante, Dana M; Johnson, Lucinda B; Joseph, Christine A; Marino, Adrienne L; Prusevich, Alexander; Read, Jennifer G; Rose, Joan B; Rutherford, Edward S; Sowa, Scott P; Steinman, Alan D

    2013-01-02

    With increasing pressure placed on natural systems by growing human populations, both scientists and resource managers need a better understanding of the relationships between cumulative stress from human activities and valued ecosystem services. Societies often seek to mitigate threats to these services through large-scale, costly restoration projects, such as the over one billion dollar Great Lakes Restoration Initiative currently underway. To help inform these efforts, we merged high-resolution spatial analyses of environmental stressors with mapping of ecosystem services for all five Great Lakes. Cumulative ecosystem stress is highest in near-shore habitats, but also extends offshore in Lakes Erie, Ontario, and Michigan. Variation in cumulative stress is driven largely by spatial concordance among multiple stressors, indicating the importance of considering all stressors when planning restoration activities. In addition, highly stressed areas reflect numerous different combinations of stressors rather than a single suite of problems, suggesting that a detailed understanding of the stressors needing alleviation could improve restoration planning. We also find that many important areas for fisheries and recreation are subject to high stress, indicating that ecosystem degradation could be threatening key services. Current restoration efforts have targeted high-stress sites almost exclusively, but generally without knowledge of the full range of stressors affecting these locations or differences among sites in service provisioning. Our results demonstrate that joint spatial analysis of stressors and ecosystem services can provide a critical foundation for maximizing social and ecological benefits from restoration investments.

  1. Restoration of Gooseberry Creek

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jonathan W. Long

    2000-01-01

    Grazing exclusion and channel modifications were used to restore wet meadows along a stream on the Fort Apache Indian Reservation. The efforts are reestablishing functional processes to promote long-term restoration of wetland health and species conservation.

  2. Development and use of innovative approaches to waste management and environmental restoration: Potential liability and its implications

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Owens, W.L.

    1990-12-01

    The US Department of Energy (DOE) has established as its goal to have all of its facilities cleaned up and in compliance with all applicable environmental laws by the year 2019. As part of its plan to achieve that goal, DOE created, in November 1989, an Office of Environmental Restoration and Waste Management (EM) and, within EM, an Office of Technology Development (OTD). Since the achievement of DOE's long-term objective in the area of waste management and environmental restoration is not possible utilizing only existing technology, the importance of OTD's mission is clear. A question has been raised regarding the nature of the potential liability associated with development, testing, and use of new technologies for waste management and environmental restoration; and the impact it may have on the ability or willingness of other parties to participate in DOE's technology development program. This report is intended to provide at least a preliminary answer to the question. Given the range of activities involved in the technology development process, there are many circumstances that could result in liability. Therefore, the discussion here is somewhat general. It may, however, provide a base for more detailed analysis, at a later time, of liability issues raised by specific circumstances.

  3. Development and use of innovative approaches to waste management and environmental restoration: Potential liability and its implications

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Owens, W.L.

    1990-12-01

    The US Department of Energy (DOE) has established as its goal to have all of its facilities cleaned up and in compliance with all applicable environmental laws by the year 2019. As part of its plan to achieve that goal, DOE created, in November 1989, an Office of Environmental Restoration and Waste Management (EM) and, within EM, an Office of Technology Development (OTD). Since the achievement of DOE`s long-term objective in the area of waste management and environmental restoration is not possible utilizing only existing technology, the importance of OTD`s mission is clear. A question has been raised regarding the nature of the potential liability associated with development, testing, and use of new technologies for waste management and environmental restoration; and the impact it may have on the ability or willingness of other parties to participate in DOE`s technology development program. This report is intended to provide at least a preliminary answer to the question. Given the range of activities involved in the technology development process, there are many circumstances that could result in liability. Therefore, the discussion here is somewhat general. It may, however, provide a base for more detailed analysis, at a later time, of liability issues raised by specific circumstances.

  4. Nuclear facility decommissioning and site remedial actions: A selected bibliography, Volume 12. Environmental Restoration Program

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    1991-09-01

    The 664 abstracted references on environmental restoration, nuclear facility decommissioning, uranium mill tailings management, and site remedial actions constitute the twelfth in a series of reports prepared annually for the US Department of Energy Remedial Action Programs. Citations to foreign and domestic literature of all types -- technical reports, progress reports, journal articles, symposia proceedings, theses, books, patents, legislation, and research project descriptions -- have been included. The bibliography contains scientific, technical, economic, regulatory, and legal information pertinent to the US Department of Energy Remedial Action Programs. Major sections are (1) Decontamination and Decommissioning Program, (2) Nuclear Facilities Decommissioning, (3) Formerly Utilized Sites Remedial Action Program, (4) Facilities Contaminated with Naturally Occurring Radionuclides, (5) Uranium Mill Tailings Remedial Action Program, (6) Uranium Mill Tailings Management, (7) Technical Measurements Center, and (8) Environmental Restoration Program. Within these categories, references are arranged alphabetically by first author. Those references having no individual author are listed by corporate affiliation or by publication title. Indexes are provided for author, corporate affiliation, title word, publication description, geographic location, subject category, and key word. This report is a product of the Remedial Action Program Information Center (RAPIC), which selects, analyzes, and disseminates information on environmental restoration and remedial actions. RAPIC staff and resources are available to meet a variety of information needs. Contact the center at FTS 624-7764 or (615) 574-7764.

  5. Hanford Site Environmental Restoration Program 1994 fiscal year work plan

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1993-01-01

    Site Management System (SMS) guidance requires a Fiscal Year Work Plan (FYWP) to be prepared for the Environmental Restoration (ER) Mission Area and all related programs. This revision is a complete update to cover the FY 1994 time period. This document describes the overall ER Missions Area and provides FYWP appendices for each of the following five program areas: Remedial Action (RA); Decontamination and Decommissioning (D ampersand D); Project Management and Support (PM ampersand S); Surveillance and Maintenance (S ampersand M); and Disposal Facilities (DF)

  6. Preoperational baseline and site characterization report for the Environmental Restoration Disposal Facility. Volume 2, Revision 2

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Weekes, D.C.; Lindsey, K.A.; Ford, B.H.; Jaeger, G.K.

    1996-12-01

    This document is Volume 2 in a two-volume series that comprise the site characterization report, the Preoperational Baseline and Site Characterization Report for the Environmental Restoration Disposal Facility. Volume 1 contains data interpretation and information supporting the conclusions in the main text. This document presents original data in support of Volume 1 of the report. The following types of data are presented: well construction reports; borehole logs; borehole geophysical data; well development and pump installation; survey reports; preoperational baseline chemical data and aquifer test data. Five groundwater monitoring wells, six deep characterization boreholes, and two shallow characterization boreholes were drilled at the Environmental Restoration Disposal Facility (ERDF) site to directly investigate site-specific hydrogeologic conditions

  7. The Hanford Site Environmental Restoration Program 1993 fiscal year work plan

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1992-09-01

    Site Management System (SMS) guidance requires a Fiscal Year Work Plan (FYWP) be prepared for the Environmental Restoration (ER) Mission Area and all related programs. This document describes the overall ER Mission Area and provides FYWP appendixes for each of the five program areas: Remedial Action (RA); Decontamination and Decommissioning (D ampersand D); Project Management and Support (PM ampersand S); Surveillance and Maintenance (S ampersand M); and Treatment, Storage, and/or Disposal (TSD)

  8. Department of Energy Programmatic Spent Nuclear Fuel Management and Idaho National Engineering Laboratory Environmental Restoration and Waste Management Programs Draft Environmental Impact Statement

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1994-06-01

    The US Department of Energy (DOE) is currently deciding the direction of its environmental restoration and waste management programs at the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory (INEL) for the next 10 years. Pertinent to this decision is establishing policies for the environmentally sensitive and safe transport, storage, and management of spent nuclear fuels. To develop these policies, it is necessary to revisit or examine the available options. As a part of the DOE complex, the Hanford Site not only has a large portion of the nationwide DOE-owned inventory of spent nuclear fuel, but also is a participant in the DOE decision for management and ultimate disposition of spent nuclear fuel. Efforts in this process at Hanford include assessment of several options for stabilizing, transporting, and storing all or portions of DOE-owned spent nuclear fuel at the Hanford Site. Such storage and management of spent nuclear fuel will be in a safe and suitable manner until a final decision is made for ultimate disposition of spent nuclear fuel. Five alternatives involving the Hanford Site are being considered for management of the spent nuclear fuel inventory: (1) the No Action Alternative, (2) the Decentralization Alternative, (3) the 1992/1993 Planning Basis Alternative, (4) the Regionalization Alternative, and (5) the Centralization Alternative. AU alternatives will be carefully designed to avoid environmental degradation and to provide protection to human health and safety at the Hanford Site and surrounding region

  9. Environmental Restoration Contractor Waste Minimization and Pollution Prevention Plan

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lewis, R.A.

    1994-11-01

    The purpose of this plan is to establish the Environmental Restoration Contractor (ERC) Waste Minimization and Pollution Prevention (WMin/P2) Program and outline the activities and schedules that will be employed to reduce the quantity and toxicity of wastes generated as a result of restoration and remediation activities. It is intended to satisfy the US Department of Energy (DOE) and other legal requirements. As such, the Pollution Prevention Awareness program required by DOE Order 5400.1 is included with the Pollution Prevention Program. This plan is also intended to aid projects in meeting and documenting compliance with the various requirements for WMin/P2, and contains the policy, objectives, strategy, and support activities of the WMin/P2 program. The basic elements of the plan are pollution prevention goals, waste assessments of major waste streams, implementation of feasible waste minimization opportunities, and a process for reporting achievements. Various pollution prevention techniques will be implemented with the support of employee training and awareness programs to reduce waste and still meet applicable requirements. Information about the Hanford Site is in the Hanford Site Waste Minimization and Pollution Prevention Awareness Program Plan

  10. Composition, phenology and restoration of campo rupestre mountain grasslands - Brazil

    OpenAIRE

    Le Stradic, Soizig

    2012-01-01

    Global environmental changes, especially land-use changes, have profound effects on both ecosystem functioning and biodiversity, having already altered many ecosystem services. These losses emphasize the need to preserve what remains; however when conservation programs are not sufficient, restoring areas that have been destroyed or disturbed can improve conservation efforts and mitigate damages. This work focuses on campos rupestres, Neotropical grasslands found at altitudes, which are part o...

  11. Environmental management: Integrating ecological evaluation, remediation, restoration, natural resource damage assessment and long-term stewardship on contaminated lands

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Burger, Joanna

    2008-01-01

    Ecological evaluation is essential for remediation, restoration, and Natural Resource Damage Assessment (NRDA), and forms the basis for many management practices. These include determining status and trends of biological, physical, or chemical/radiological conditions, conducting environmental impact assessments, performing remedial actions should remediation fail, managing ecosystems and wildlife, and assessing the efficacy of remediation, restoration, and long-term stewardship. The objective of this paper is to explore the meanings of these assessments, examine the relationships among them, and suggest methods of integration that will move environmental management forward. While remediation, restoration, and NRDA, among others, are often conducted separately, it is important to integrate them for contaminated land where the risks to ecoreceptors (including humans) can be high, and the potential damage to functioning ecosystems great. Ecological evaluations can range from inventories of local plants and animals, determinations of reproductive success of particular species, levels of contaminants in organisms, kinds and levels of effects, and environmental impact assessments, to very formal ecological risk assessments for a chemical or other stressor. Such evaluations can range from the individual species to populations, communities, ecosystems or the landscape scale. Ecological evaluations serve as the basis for making decisions about the levels and kinds of remediation, the levels and kinds of restoration possible, and the degree and kinds of natural resource injuries that have occurred because of contamination. Many different disciplines are involved in ecological evaluation, including biologists, conservationists, foresters, restoration ecologists, ecological engineers, economists, hydrologist, and geologists. Since ecological evaluation forms the basis for so many different types of environmental management, it seems reasonable to integrate management options

  12. Cost-time management for environmental restoration activities at the Department of Energy`s Idaho National Engineering Laboratory, Idaho Chemical Processing Plant

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Fourr, B.R.; Owen, A.H.; Williamson, D.J. [Westinghouse Idaho Nuclear Co., Inc., Idaho Falls, ID (United States); Nash, C.L. [USDOE Idaho Field Office, Idaho Falls, ID (United States)

    1992-05-22

    Cost-time management methods have been developed by Westinghouse to examine business applications from a cost-time perspective. The initial application of cost-time management within Westinghouse was targeted at reducing cycle time in the manufacturing sector. As a result of the tremendous success of reduced cycle time in manufacturing, Westinghouse initiated application of the management technique to Environmental Restoration activities at its Government Owned Contractor Operated facilities. The Westinghouse initiative was proposed in support of the Department of Energy`s goals for cost effective Environmental Restoration activities. This paper describes the application of the cost-time method to Environmental Restoration work currently being performed at the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory (INEL) for the Department of Energy (DOE) by Westinghouse Idaho Nuclear Company (WINCO).

  13. IMPACTS OF SAFETY and QUALITY IN ENVIRONMENTAL RESTORATION AT HANFORD

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    PREVETTE, S.S.

    2004-01-01

    The aim of this paper is to demonstrate the integration of safety methodology, quality tools, leadership, and teamwork at Hanford and their significant positive impact on safe performance of work. Control charts, Pareto Charts, Dr. W. Edward Deming's Red Bead Experiment, and Dr. Deming's System of Profound Knowledge have been the principal tools and theory of an integrated management system. Coupled with involved leadership and teamwork they have led to significant improvements in worker safety and protection, and environmental restoration at one of the nation's largest nuclear cleanup sites

  14. Public values, opinions, and emotions in restoration controversies

    Science.gov (United States)

    Joanne Vining; Elizabeth Tyler; Byoung-Suk Kweon

    2000-01-01

    Ecosystem restoration efforts are increasing throughout the United States and in many places around the world. Many of these efforts are undertaken with the support and cooperation of local residents, interest groups, and government agencies. However, some restoration efforts are meeting with public resistance, and conflicts between various individuals and groups are...

  15. Progress in the environmental restoration at the Savannah River Site (SRS)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pope, J.M.; McClain, L.

    1992-01-01

    The Environmental Restoration (ER) Program has continued to achieve significant accomplishments important to the mission of cleaning up inactive waste sites, performing corrective actions on contaminated groundwater, planning for decontaminating/decommissioning surplus facilities and ensuring that the environment and the health and safety of people are protected. The multifaceted cleanup at SRS represents noteworthy milestones across the DOE complex. The associated lessons learned and key elements of the progress will be presented in the course of the paper

  16. Joint Coordinating Committee on environmental restoration and waste management (JCCEM) support, technology transfer, and special projects

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Edgar, D.E.

    1993-01-01

    Argonne National Laboratory (ANL) assisted in identifying and evaluating foreign technologies to meet EM needs; supported the evaluation, removal, and/or revision of barriers to international technology and information transfer/exchange; facilitated the integration and coordination of U.S. government international environmental restoration and waste management activities; and enhanced U.S. industry's competitiveness in the international environmental technology market

  17. Provisional Restorations – A Permanent Problem?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Keys, William F; Keirby, Naomi; Ricketts, David N J

    2016-12-01

    Provisional restorations play an important role when providing indirect restorations. There are a number of materials and techniques available for their construction. Careful planning and construction can protect the prepared tooth surface, improve the periodontal condition and help plan for the definitive restoration. A good provisional restoration can save time, money and effort. Clinical relevance: Provisional restoration construction is an integral part of the indirect restorative process for inlays, onlays, crowns and bridges.

  18. Ecological restoration [book review

    Science.gov (United States)

    Eric J. Gustafson

    2010-01-01

    Ecological restoration has increased in prominence in recent years as environmental policies have slowed the rate of environmental degradation in many parts of the world and practitioners have looked for active ways to reverse the damage. Because of the vast number of types and contexts of degraded ecological systems, the field of ecological restoration is still very...

  19. Environmental Restoration Program pollution prevention performance measures for FY 1993 and 1994 remedial investigations

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1993-03-01

    The Martin Marietta Energy Systems, Inc., Environmental Restoration (ER) Program adopted a Pollution Prevention Program in March 1991. The program's mission is to minimize waste and prevent pollution in remedial investigations (RI), feasibility studies (FS), decontamination and decommissioning (D ampersand D), and surveillance and maintenance (S ampersand M) site program activities. Mission success will result in volume and/or toxicity reduction of generated waste. Energy Systems is producing a fully developed a Numerical Scoring System (NSS) and actually scoring the generators of Investigation Derived Waste (IDW) at six ER sites: Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), the Oak Ridge Y-12 Plant, the Oak Ridge K-25 site, Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant (Paducah), and Portsmouth Uranium Enrichment Complex (Portsmouth). This report summarizes the findings of this initial numerical scoring evaluation and shows where improvements in the overall ER Pollution prevention program may be required. This report identifies a number of recommendations that, if implemented, would help to improve site-performance measures. The continued development of the NSS will support generators in maximizing their Pollution Prevention/Waste Minimization efforts. Further refinements of the NSS, as applicable suggest comments and/or recommendations for improvement

  20. The Charles River, Eastern Massachusetts: Scientific Information in Support of Environmental Restoration

    Science.gov (United States)

    Weiskel, Peter K.

    2007-01-01

    Human activity has profoundly altered the Charles River and its watershed over the past 375 years. Restoration of environmental quality in the watershed has become a high priority for private- and public-sector organizations across the region. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Massachusetts Executive Office of Environmental Affairs worked together to coordinate the efforts of the various organizations. One result of this initiative has been a series of scientific studies that provide critical information concerning some of the major hydrologic and ecological concerns in the watershed. These studies have focused upon: * Streamflows - Limited aquifer storage, growing water demands, and the spread of impervious surfaces are some of the factors exacerbating low summer streamflows in headwater areas of the watershed. Coordinated management of withdrawals, wastewater returns, and stormwater runoff could substantially increase low streamflows in the summer. Innovative approaches to flood control, including preservation of upstream wetland storage capacity and construction of a specially designed dam at the river mouth, have greatly reduced flooding in the lower part of the watershed in recent decades. * Water quality - Since the mid-1990s, the bacterial quality of the Charles River has improved markedly, because discharges from combined sewer overflows and the number of illicit sewer connections to municipal storm drains have been reduced. Improved management of stormwater runoff will likely be required, however, for full attainment of State and Federal water-quality standards. Phosphorus inputs from a variety of sources remain an important water-quality problem. * Fish communities and habitat quality - The Charles River watershed supports a varied fish community of about 20 resident and migratory species. Habitat conditions for fish and other aquatic species have improved in many parts of the river system in recent years. However, serious challenges remain

  1. GIS environmental information analysis of the Darro River basin as the key for the management and hydrological forest restoration.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fernandez, Paz; Delgado, Expectación; Lopez-Alonso, Mónica; Poyatos, José Manuel

    2018-02-01

    This article presents analyses of soil and environmental information for the Darro River basin (Granada-Spain) preliminary to its hydrological and forestry restoration. These analyses were carried out using a geographical information system (GIS) and employing a new procedure that adapts hydrological forest-restoration methods. The complete analysis encompasses morphological conditions, soil and climate characteristics as well as vegetation and land use. The study investigates soil erosion in the basin by using Universal Soil Loss Equation (USLE) and by mapping erosion fragility units. The results are presented in a set of maps and their analysis, providing the starting point for river basin management and the hydrological and forestry-restoration project that was approved at the end of 2015. The presence of soft substrates (e.g. gravel and sand) indicates that the area is susceptible to erosion, particularly the areas that are dominated by human activity and have little soil protection. Finally, land use and vegetation cover were identified as key factors in the soil erosion in the basin. According to the results, river authorities have included several measures in the restoration project aimed at reducing the erosion and helping to recover the environmental value of this river basin and to include it in recreation possibilities for the community of Granada. The presented analytical approach, designed by the authors, would be useful as a tool for environmental restoration in other small Mediterranean river basins. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  2. Do PES Improve the Governance of Forest Restoration?

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Romain Pirard

    2014-03-01

    Full Text Available Payments for Environmental Services (PES are praised as innovative policy instruments and they influence the governance of forest restoration efforts in two major ways. The first is the establishment of multi-stakeholder agencies as intermediary bodies between funders and planters to manage the funds and to distribute incentives to planters. The second implication is that specific contracts assign objectives to land users in the form of conditions for payments that are believed to increase the chances for sustained impacts on the ground. These implications are important in the assessment of the potential of PES to operate as new and effective funding schemes for forest restoration. They are analyzed by looking at two prominent payments for watershed service programs in Indonesia—Cidanau (Banten province in Java and West Lombok (Eastern Indonesia—with combined economic and political science approaches. We derive lessons for the governance of funding efforts (e.g., multi-stakeholder agencies are not a guarantee of success; mixed results are obtained from a reliance on mandatory funding with ad hoc regulations, as opposed to voluntary contributions by the service beneficiary and for the governance of financial expenditure (e.g., absolute need for evaluation procedures for the internal governance of farmer groups. Furthermore, we observe that these governance features provide no guarantee that restoration plots with the highest relevance for ecosystem services are targeted by the PES.

  3. Evaluation of ground freezing for environmental restoration at waste area grouping 5, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gates, D.D.

    1995-09-01

    A study to evaluate the feasibility of using ground freezing technology to immobilize tritium contaminants was performed as part of the Waste Area Grouping (WAG) 6 Technology Demonstrations initiated by the WAG 6 Record of Agreement. The study included a review of ground freezing technology, evaluation of this technology for environmental restoration, and identification of key technical issues. A proposed ground freezing demonstration for containment of tritium at a candidate Oak Ridge National Laboratory site was developed. The planning requirements for the demonstration were organized into seven tasks including site selection, site characterization, conceptual design, laboratory evaluation, demonstration design, field implementation, and monitoring design. A brief discussion of each of these tasks is provided. Additional effort beyond the scope of this study is currently being directed to the selection of a demonstration site and the identification of funding

  4. Poverty Alleviation and Environmental Restoration Using the Clean Development Mechanism: A Case Study from Humbo, Ethiopia

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brown, Douglas R.; Dettmann, Paul; Rinaudo, Tony; Tefera, Hailu; Tofu, Assefa

    2011-08-01

    Poverty, hunger and demand for agricultural land have driven local communities to overexploit forest resources throughout Ethiopia. Forests surrounding the township of Humbo were largely destroyed by the late 1960s. In 2004, World Vision Australia and World Vision Ethiopia identified forestry-based carbon sequestration as a potential means to stimulate community development while engaging in environmental restoration. After two years of consultation, planning and negotiations, the Humbo Community-based Natural Regeneration Project began implementation—the Ethiopian organization's first carbon sequestration initiative. The Humbo Project assists communities affected by environmental degradation including loss of biodiversity, soil erosion and flooding with an opportunity to benefit from carbon markets while reducing poverty and restoring the local agroecosystem. Involving the regeneration of 2,728 ha of degraded native forests, it brings social, economic and ecological benefits—facilitating adaptation to a changing climate and generating temporary certified emissions reductions (tCERs) under the Clean Development Mechanism. A key feature of the project has been facilitating communities to embrace new techniques and take responsibility for large-scale environmental change, most importantly involving Farmer Managed Natural Regeneration (FMNR). This technique is low-cost, replicable, and provides direct benefits within a short time. Communities were able to harvest fodder and firewood within a year of project initiation and wild fruits and other non-timber forest products within three years. Farmers are using agroforestry for both environmental restoration and income generation. Establishment of user rights and local cooperatives has generated community ownership and enthusiasm for this project—empowering the community to more sustainably manage their communal lands.

  5. US Department of Energy Environmental Cleanup Technology Development program: Business and research opportunities guide

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    1993-12-31

    The US Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Environmental Restoration and Waste Management (EM) is charged with overseeing a multi-billion dollar environmental cleanup effort. EM leads an aggressive national research, development, demonstration, testing, and evaluation program to provide environmental restoration and waste management technologies to DOE sites, and to manage DOE-generated waste. DOE is firmly committed to working with industry to effectuate this cleanup effort. We recognize that private industry, university, and other research and development programs are valuable sources of technology innovation. The primary purpose of this document is to provide you with information on potential business opportunities in the following technical program areas: Remediation of High-Level Waste Tanks; Characterization, Treatment, and Disposal of Mixed Waste; Migration of Contaminants; Containment of Existing Landfills; Decommissioning and Final Disposition, and Robotics.

  6. Cost-time management for environmental restoration activities at the Department of Energy's Idaho National Engineering Laboratory, Idaho Chemical Processing Plant

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Fourr, B.R.; Owen, A.H.; Williamson, D.J. (Westinghouse Idaho Nuclear Co., Inc., Idaho Falls, ID (United States)); Nash, C.L. (USDOE Idaho Field Office, Idaho Falls, ID (United States))

    1992-05-22

    Cost-time management methods have been developed by Westinghouse to examine business applications from a cost-time perspective. The initial application of cost-time management within Westinghouse was targeted at reducing cycle time in the manufacturing sector. As a result of the tremendous success of reduced cycle time in manufacturing, Westinghouse initiated application of the management technique to Environmental Restoration activities at its Government Owned Contractor Operated facilities. The Westinghouse initiative was proposed in support of the Department of Energy's goals for cost effective Environmental Restoration activities. This paper describes the application of the cost-time method to Environmental Restoration work currently being performed at the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory (INEL) for the Department of Energy (DOE) by Westinghouse Idaho Nuclear Company (WINCO).

  7. Planning for environmental restoration of uranium mining and milling sites in Central and Eastern Europe. Proceedings of a workshop held under the technical co-operation project RER/9/022 on environmental restoration in Central and Eastern Europe

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    1997-11-01

    An IAEA Regional Technical Co-operation (TC) project RER/9/022 on ``Environmental Restoration`` for central and eastern Europe and the former USSR was launched in 1992 and concluded at the end of 1996. The first phase of this project had the primary purpose of identifying and characterizing radioactively contaminated sites in the region, including evaluation of doses to the general public and other environmental impacts. The main result of this phase of the project were published in IAEA-TECDOC-865. A new 1995-1996 phase of the project focused on the radioactive contamination of uranium mining and milling sites and the development of plans for environmental restoration of these sites. While the 1993-1994 phase aimed at attracting the attention of Member States in the region to a long neglected problem, the second phase served as a stimulus to initiate concrete planning activities that would lead to corrective actions in highly contaminated areas in those countries. As a consequence, the project emphasis shifted from scientific discussions to the identification of responsibilities, planning activities, and the assessment of existing and required resources for the eventual implementation of restoration plans. The 1995-1996 phase of the project consisted of a planning meeting and three workshops that addressed different topical themes. The papers compiled in this publication were presented at the last workshop, held in Felix, Romania, 4-8 November 1996. They summarize national situations in environmental contamination as of the end of 1996 and ongoing or planned actions for remediation. Refs, figs, tabs.

  8. Planning for environmental restoration of uranium mining and milling sites in Central and Eastern Europe. Proceedings of a workshop held under the technical co-operation project RER/9/022 on environmental restoration in Central and Eastern Europe

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1997-11-01

    An IAEA Regional Technical Co-operation (TC) project RER/9/022 on ''Environmental Restoration'' for central and eastern Europe and the former USSR was launched in 1992 and concluded at the end of 1996. The first phase of this project had the primary purpose of identifying and characterizing radioactively contaminated sites in the region, including evaluation of doses to the general public and other environmental impacts. The main result of this phase of the project were published in IAEA-TECDOC-865. A new 1995-1996 phase of the project focused on the radioactive contamination of uranium mining and milling sites and the development of plans for environmental restoration of these sites. While the 1993-1994 phase aimed at attracting the attention of Member States in the region to a long neglected problem, the second phase served as a stimulus to initiate concrete planning activities that would lead to corrective actions in highly contaminated areas in those countries. As a consequence, the project emphasis shifted from scientific discussions to the identification of responsibilities, planning activities, and the assessment of existing and required resources for the eventual implementation of restoration plans. The 1995-1996 phase of the project consisted of a planning meeting and three workshops that addressed different topical themes. The papers compiled in this publication were presented at the last workshop, held in Felix, Romania, 4-8 November 1996. They summarize national situations in environmental contamination as of the end of 1996 and ongoing or planned actions for remediation

  9. Environmental Restoration Disposal Facility (Project W-296) Safety Assessment

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Armstrong, D.L.

    1994-08-01

    This Safety Assessment is based on information derived from the Conceptual Design Report for the Environmental Restoration Disposal Facility (DOE/RL 1994) and ancillary documentation developed during the conceptual design phase of Project W-296. The Safety Assessment has been prepared to support the Solid Waste Burial Ground Interim Safety Basis document. The purpose of the Safety Assessment is to provide an evaluation of the design to determine if the process, as proposed, will comply with US Department of Energy (DOE) Limits for radioactive and hazardous material exposures and be acceptable from an overall health and safety standpoint. The evaluation considered affects on the worker, onsite personnel, the public, and the environment

  10. Environmental Restoration Disposal Facility (Project W-296) Safety Assessment

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Armstrong, D.L.

    1994-08-01

    This Safety Assessment is based on information derived from the Conceptual Design Report for the Environmental Restoration Disposal Facility (DOE/RL 1994) and ancillary documentation developed during the conceptual design phase of Project W-296. The Safety Assessment has been prepared to support the Solid Waste Burial Ground Interim Safety Basis document. The purpose of the Safety Assessment is to provide an evaluation of the design to determine if the process, as proposed, will comply with US Department of Energy (DOE) Limits for radioactive and hazardous material exposures and be acceptable from an overall health and safety standpoint. The evaluation considered affects on the worker, onsite personnel, the public, and the environment.

  11. Restoring forests

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Jacobs, Douglass F.; Oliet, Juan A.; Aronson, James

    2015-01-01

    of land requiring restoration implies the need for spatial prioritization of restoration efforts according to cost-benefit analyses that include ecological risks. To design resistant and resilient ecosystems that can adapt to emerging circumstances, an adaptive management approach is needed. Global change......, in particular, imparts a high degree of uncertainty about the future ecological and societal conditions of forest ecosystems to be restored, as well as their desired goods and services. We must also reconsider the suite of species incorporated into restoration with the aim of moving toward more stress resistant...... and competitive combinations in the longer term. Non-native species may serve an important role under some circumstances, e.g., to facilitate reintroduction of native species. Propagation and field establishment techniques must promote survival through seedling stress resistance and site preparation. An improved...

  12. Preoperational baseline and site characterization report for the Environmental Restoration Disposal Facility

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Weekes, D.C.; Ford, B.H.; Jaeger, G.K.

    1996-09-01

    This document Volume 2 in a two-volume series that comprise the site characterization report for the Environmental Restoration Disposal Facility. Volume 1 contains data interpretation and information supporting the conclusions in the main text. This document presents original data in support of Volume 1 of the report. The following types of data are presented: well construction reports; borehole logs; borehole geophysical data; well development and pump installation; survey reports; and preoperational baseline chemical data and aquifer test data. This does not represent the entire body of data available. Other types of information are archived at BHI Document Control. Five ground water monitoring wells were drilled at the Environmental Restoration Disposal Facility site to directly investigate site- specific hydrogeologic conditions. Well and borehole activity summaries are presented in Volume 1. Field borehole logs and geophysical data from the drilling are presented in this document. Well development and pump installation sheets are presented for the groundwater monitoring wells. Other data presented in this document include borehole geophysical logs from existing wells; chemical data from the sampling of soil, vegetation, and mammals from the ERDF to support the preoperational baseline; ERDF surface radiation surveys;a nd aquifer testing data for well 699-32-72B

  13. Temas (Version 2.1): Decision Tool for Environmental Restoration: After Nuclear Accidents

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Vazquez, C.; Moraleda, M.; Montero, M.; Claver, F.

    2001-01-01

    TEMAS (Techniques and Management Strategies for Environmental Restoration) is a user friendly decision aiding computerised system to help in th e selection of the best local strategy of restoration when a post-accidental environmental contamination with long lived radionuclides (''137 Cs, ''134 Cs and ''90 Sr) must be faced. TEMAS provides answer for complex scenarios (urban, agricultural and forest) with different specific levels of contamination, uses and dimensions. The computerized system is structured in three main modules: Databases containing those parameters required to identify and to provide results for typical potential cases of intervention (elemental cases); the evaluation module that uses a limited number of inputs to compose a virtual representation of the real contaminated scenario, in terms of elemental cases, and then calculates the required decision factors (residual individual doses, averted collective doses, costs and other secondary effects after each applicable intervention options); and the decision module which manages these factors according to a certain criteria to select and rank interventions as the recommended strategy. This document describes the contain of the databases, the main calculations of the different procedures and its correlation with databases, schematic draws of the fluxes of calculations, and one simulation of intervention to exemplify inputs and outputs of the system. (Author)

  14. A Collaborative Effort to Assess Environmental Health in ...

    Science.gov (United States)

    The Region 3 “Making a Visible Difference in Communities” (MVD) initiative for Southeast Newport News, VA has taken a community-centric, place-based approach to identifying and delivering service to the area’s residents and the city as a whole. Beginning with a CARE (Community Action for a Renewed Environment) Level 1 cooperative agreement (a grant with substantial government involvement and required outputs) in 2011, Region 3 funding helped to establish the Southeast CARE Coalition (“the Coalition”), and quickly formed a bond with the organization. Two years later, Region 3, the US EPA Office of Research and Development (ORD) and the Coalition embarked on a scientific, socio-demographic Regional Sustainable Environmental Science (RESES) research project to assess local pollutant sources and their potential impacts to the community. These efforts helped EPA select Newport News as an MVD community, resulting in an expanded partnership that now includes the City of Newport News. Through this association and the MVD designation, the partners have identified and prioritized environmental and other concerns (e.g., improving air and water quality, adapting to extreme weather, promoting equitable development, improving transportation). Newport News has recently held workshops and training on topics such as environmental health, asthma, weather events, and equitable development, and continues to improve the community’s health, its knowledge of the relevant e

  15. Innovative environmental restoration and waste management technologies at Argonne National Laboratory

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Helt, J.E.

    1993-01-01

    Cleanup of contaminated sites and management of wastes have become major efforts of the US Department of Energy. Argonne National Laboratory (ANL) is developing several new technologies to meet the needs of this national effort. Some of these efforts are being done in collaboration with private sector firms. An overview of the ANL and private sector efforts will be presented. The following four specific technologies will be discussed in detail: (1) a minimum additive waste stabilization (MAWS) system for treating actinide-contaminated soil and groundwater; (2) a magnetic separation system, also for cleanup of actinide-contaminated soil and groundwater; (3) a mobile evaporator/concentrator system for processing aqueous radioactive and mixed waste; and (4) a continuous emission monitor for ensuring that waste incineration meets environmental goals

  16. Biomarkers of dissolved oxygen stress in oysters: a tool for restoration and management efforts.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Patterson, Heather K; Boettcher, Anne; Carmichael, Ruth H

    2014-01-01

    The frequency and intensity of anoxic and hypoxic events are increasing worldwide, creating stress on the organisms that inhabit affected waters. To understand the effects of low dissolved oxygen stress on oysters, hatchery-reared oysters were placed in cages and deployed along with continuously recording environmental data sondes at a reef site in Mobile Bay, AL that typically experiences low oxygen conditions. To detect and measure sublethal stress, we measured growth and survival of oysters as well as expression of three biomarkers, heat shock protein 70 (HSP70), hypoxia inducible factor (HIF) and phospho-p38 MAP kinase, in tissues from juvenile and adult oysters. Survival rates were high for both juvenile and adult oysters. Expression levels of each of the 3 isoforms of HSP 70 were negatively correlated to dissolved oxygen (DO) concentrations, suggesting that HSP 70 is useful to quantify sublethal effects of DO stress. Results for HIF and phospho-p38 MAP kinase were inconclusive. Test deployments of oysters to assess expression of HSP 70 relative to environmental conditions will be useful, in addition to measuring abiotic factors, to identify appropriate sites for restoration, particularly to capture negative effects of habitat quality on biota before lethal impacts are incurred.

  17. Planning for environmental restoration of radioactively contaminated sites in central and eastern Europe. V. 3: Technologies for, and the implementation of, environmental restoration of contaminated sites. Proceedings of a workshop held within the technical co-operation project

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    1996-05-01

    The radioactive contaminant materials resulting from diverse activities in relation to the nuclear fuel cycle, defence related operations, and various industries in addition to medical and research facilities represent perhaps the most severe and immense pollution left from a past era. The political changes in central and eastern Europe (CEE) not only brought some disclosure of the radioactively contaminated sites, but also resulted in a political condition in which this region became receptive to co-operation from a range of outside countries. The subjects of the first workshop held in Budapest, 4-8 October 1993, was the identification and characterization of radioactively contaminated sites in the region. The second part of the project and the second workshop (Piestany, Slovak Republic, 12-16 April 1994) involved planning and preparing the identified sites for restoration. This included items such as the restoration objectives, dose and environmental assessment, cost analysis, strategy and prioritization. Eventually, the third part of the project covered technologies for, and the implementation of, environmental restoration. The third and final workshop was held in Rez, Czech Republic, 12-16 December 1994. Refs, figs, tabs.

  18. Planning for environmental restoration of radioactively contaminated sites in central and eastern Europe. V. 3: Technologies for, and the implementation of, environmental restoration of contaminated sites. Proceedings of a workshop held within the technical co-operation project

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1996-05-01

    The radioactive contaminant materials resulting from diverse activities in relation to the nuclear fuel cycle, defence related operations, and various industries in addition to medical and research facilities represent perhaps the most severe and immense pollution left from a past era. The political changes in central and eastern Europe (CEE) not only brought some disclosure of the radioactively contaminated sites, but also resulted in a political condition in which this region became receptive to co-operation from a range of outside countries. The subjects of the first workshop held in Budapest, 4-8 October 1993, was the identification and characterization of radioactively contaminated sites in the region. The second part of the project and the second workshop (Piestany, Slovak Republic, 12-16 April 1994) involved planning and preparing the identified sites for restoration. This included items such as the restoration objectives, dose and environmental assessment, cost analysis, strategy and prioritization. Eventually, the third part of the project covered technologies for, and the implementation of, environmental restoration. The third and final workshop was held in Rez, Czech Republic, 12-16 December 1994. Refs, figs, tabs

  19. U.S., Russia join efforts to clean up nuclear sites

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Richard Seltzer.

    1993-01-01

    U.S. and Russian scientists are stepping up their cooperative efforts to deal with a vexing and controversial problem in both nations--cleanup of radioactive wastes at former nuclear weapons production sites. Last month, a top-level delegation of Russian officials and scientists came to the U.S. for two weeks. They visited Washington, D.C., and the Department of Energy's (DOE) Hanford site in Washington State, studying U.S. cleanup activities and providing information on Russian problems and efforts. The visit was part of a program of exchanges in the areas of environmental restoration and waste management called for by a 1990 memorandum of cooperation between DOE and the Russian Ministry of Atomic Energy. The memo helps implement a U.S.-Russian collaborative agreement on peaceful uses of atomic energy. Currently, cooperation under the memo exists in four areas: vitrification, waste separation, contaminant transport modeling, and student-scientist exchanges. The paper summarizes the visit to the Hanford Reservation and describes the cleanup efforts there

  20. Microbial Communities as Environmental Indicators of Ecological Disturbance in Restored Carbonate Fen-Results of 10 Years of Studies.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mieczan, Tomasz; Tarkowska-Kukuryk, Monika

    2017-08-01

    Interactions between bacteria and protists are essential to the ecosystem ecology of fens. Until now, however, there has been almost no information on how restoration procedures in carbonate fens affect the functioning of microbial food webs. Changes in vegetation patterns resulting from restoration may take years to be observed, whereas microbial processes display effects even after short-term exposure to changes in environmental conditions caused by restoration. Therefore, microbial processes and patterns can be used as sensitive indicators of changes in environmental conditions. The present study attempts to verify the hypothesis that the species richness and abundance of microbial loop components would differ substantially before and after restoration. The effect of restoration processes on the functioning of the food web was investigated for a 10 years in a carbonate-rich fen, before and after restoration. The restoration procedure (particularly the improvement in hydrological conditions) distinctly modified the taxonomic composition and functioning of microbial food webs. This is reflected in the increased abundance and diversity of testate amoeba, i.e. top predators, within the microbial food web and in the pronounced increase in the abundance of bacteria. This study suggests potential use of microbial loop components as bio-indicators and bio-monitoring tools for hydrological status of fens and concentrations of nutrients. Better understanding of what regulates microbial populations and activity in fens and unravelling of these fundamental mechanisms are particularly critical in order to more accurately predict how fens will respond to global change or anthropogenic disturbances.

  1. Psycholegal abilities and restoration of competence to stand trial.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Morris, Douglas R; Deyoung, Nathaniel J

    2012-01-01

    Criminal defendants adjudicated incompetent to stand trial are typically hospitalized for competence restoration in state institutions. Prolonged restoration hospitalizations involve civil rights concerns and increasing financial costs, and there remains interest in determining which individuals are likely to be successfully restored. We retrospectively reviewed hospital records of 455 male defendants admitted to a forensic treatment center for competence restoration in an effort to determine whether psychiatric diagnoses, demographic factors, or psycholegal abilities were predictive of successful or failed restoration. At varying stages of restoration efforts, psychotic disorder, mental retardation, and previous state hospitalization predicted unsuccessful restoration, while substance use and personality disorders were predictive of successful restoration. Psycholegal abilities were predictive of successful restoration and appeared to form a continuum, with basic behavior and outlook, factual legal understanding, and rational attorney assistance factors demonstrating progressively increased importance in successful restoration. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  2. Setting priorities for environmental restoration at the DOE Nuclear Weapons Complex

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ton, My K.; Morgan, Robert P.

    1992-01-01

    This paper provides an evaluation of the computerized methodologies and approaches that the Department of Energy (DOE) has developed to assist in setting cleanup priorities and in allocating Environmental Restoration funds to various activities within the DOE Nuclear Weapons Complex. Issues examined include the appropriateness of the methodologies for priority setting or budget planning, their strengths and weaknesses; the limitations to the use of such systems to aid decision making; public acceptance of these systems; and the level of participation by affected or interested parties and the public in the development and implementation processes. (author)

  3. A systematic approach to evaluate erosion potential at environmental restoration sites

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Veenis, S.J.; Mays, D.C.

    1998-01-01

    The Environmental Restoration (ER) Project at the Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) is responsible for investigation and remediation of solid waste management units (SWMUs) under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act and area of concerns (AOCs) under the direction of the Department of Energy. During the investigation and remediation phases, information may be gathered that indicates that conditions may be present at the site which may effect surface water quality. Depending on the constituent found, its concentration, and erosion/sediment transport potential, it may be necessary to implement temporary or permanent mitigative measures

  4. Lacandon Maya ecosystem management: sustainable design for subsistence and environmental restoration.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Diemont, Stewart A W; Martin, Jay F

    2009-01-01

    Indigenous groups have designed and managed their ecosystems for generations, resulting in biodiversity protection while producing for their family's needs. Here we describe the agroecosystem of the Lacandon Maya, an indigenous group who live in Chiapas, Mexico. The Lacandon practice a form of swidden agriculture that conserves the surrounding rain forest ecosystem while cycling the majority of their land through five successional stages. These stages include an herbaceous stage, two shrub stages, and two forest stages. A portion of their land is kept in primary forest. This study presents the Lacandon traditional ecological knowledge (TEK) for agroforestry and quantitatively describes the plant community and the associated soil ecology of each successional stage. Also documented is the knowledge of the Lacandon regarding the immediate use of plant species and plant species useful for soil fertility enhancement. Woody plant diversity increases during the successional stages of the Lacandon system, and by the beginning of the first forest stage, the diversity is similar to that of the primary forest. In all stages, Lacandon use 60% of the available plant species for food, medicine, and raw materials. Approximately 45% of the woody plant species present in each fallow stage were thought by the Lacandon to enhance soil fertility. Total soil nitrogen and soil organic matter increased with successional stage and with time from intentional burn. Nutrient and soil nematode dynamics in shrub stages related to the presence of introduced and managed plants, indicating engineered soil enhancement by the Lacandon. The effects on biodiversity and soil ecology coupled with productivity for agricultural subsistence indicate that Lacandon TEK may offer tools for environmental conservation that would provide for a family's basic needs while maintaining a biodiverse rain forest ecosystem. Tools such as these may offer options for regional restoration and conservation efforts such as

  5. Aquifer restoration at uranium in situ leach sites

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Anastasi, F.S.; Williams, R.E.

    1985-01-01

    In situ mining of uranium involves injection of a leaching solution (lixiviant) into an ore-bearing aquifer. Frequently, the ground water in the mined aquifer is a domestic or livestock water supply. As the lixiviant migrates through the ore body, uranium and various associated elements such as arsenic, selenium, molybdenum, vanadium and radium-226 are mobilized in the ground water. Aquifer restoration after in situ mining is not fully understood. Several methods have been developed to restore mined aquifers to pre-mining (baseline) quality. Commonly used methods include ground water sweeping, clean water injection, and treatment by ion exchange and reverse osmosis technologies. Ammonium carbonate lixiviant was used at one RandD in situ mine. Attempts were made to restore the aquifer using a variety of methods. Efforts were successful in reducing concentrations of the majority of contaminants to baseline levels. Concentrations of certain parameters, however, remained at levels above baseline six months after restoration ceased. Relatively large quantities of ground water were processed in the restoration attempt considering the small size of the project (1.25 acre). More thorough characterization of the hydrogeology of the site may have enhanced the effectiveness of restoration and reduced potential environmental impacts associated with the project. This paper presents some of the findings of a research project conducted by the Mineral Resources Waste Management Team at the University of Idaho in Moscow, Idaho. Views contained herein do not reflect U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission policy

  6. The Environmental Restoration Contractor Publication and Graphic Services style and resources guide. Revision 1

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Forbes, C.J.

    1997-06-01

    The Environmental Restoration Contractor (ERC) Publication and Graphic Services (P ampersand GS) Style and Resources Guide (Rev. 1) presents instructions, uniform conventions, guidelines, specifications, requirements, and detailed process steps that will increase efficiency and reduce costs for ERC organizations, including subcontractors. This Guide also identifies P ampersand GS capabilities that can be provided to support ERC multimedia needs

  7. Uranium production and environmental restoration at Priargunsky Centre (Russian Federation)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Shatalov, V.V.; Boitsov, A.V.; Nikolsky, A.L.; Chernigov, V.G.; Ovseichuk, V.A.

    2002-01-01

    The state enterprise 'Priargunsky Mining and Chemical Production Association' (PPGHO) is the only active uranium production centre in Russia in last decade. Mining has been operated since 1968 by two open pits and four underground mines. It is based on resources of 19 volcanic-type deposits of Streltsovsk U-ore region situated at the area of 150 km 2 . Milling and processing has been carried out since 1974 at the local hydrometallurgical plant. Since the mid 1980s, limited amount of uranium is produced by heap and block leaching methods. High level of total production marks PPGHO as one of the outstanding uranium production centers worldwide. Significant amount of solid, liquid and gas wastes have been generated for more than 30 years. The principal environmental contamination comes from waste rock piles, mine water and tailing ponds. Liquid waste seepage through tailing pond bed can essentially contaminate underground waters. The principal environmental remediation activities are: waste rock dumps and open pits rehabilitation; waste rock utilization for industrial needs; heap and block leaching mining development, strengthening dam bodies and construction intercepting wells below the tailing pond dam, hydrogeological monitoring, upgrade of mine water treatment unit. Waste is being managed by the environmental service team of PPGHO. Environmental restoration activities, including rehabilitation of the territories and waste utilization, are implemented gradually in line with decommissioning of enterprise's particular facilities. (author)

  8. Environmentally Sensitive Areas Surveys Program threatened and endangered species survey: Progress report. Environmental Restoration Program

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    King, A.L.; Awl, D.J.; Gabrielsen, C.A.

    1994-09-01

    The Endangered Species Act (originally passed in 1973) is a Federal statute that protects both animal and plant species. The Endangered Species Act identifies species which are, without careful management, in danger of becoming extinct and species that are considered threatened. Along with the designation of threatened or endangered, the Endangered Species Act provides for the identification of appropriate habitat for these species. Since 1993, the United States Department of Energy`s (DOE) Environmental Restoration (ER) Program has supported a program to survey the Oak Ridge Reservation (ORR) for threatened and endangered species. The Environmentally Sensitive Areas Surveys Program initiated vascular plant surveys during fiscal year 1993 and vertebrate animal surveys during fiscal year 1994 to determine the baseline condition of threatened and endangered species on the ORR at the present time. Data collected during these surveys are currently aiding Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) Remedial Investigations on the ORR. They also provide data for ER and Waste Management decision documents, ensure that decisions have technical and legal defensibility, provide a baseline for ensuring compliance with principal legal requirements and will increase public confidence in DOE`s adherence to all related environmental resources rules, laws, regulations, and instructions. This report discusses the progress to date of the threatened and endangered species surveys of the ORR.

  9. Environmental restoration and waste management Site-Specific Plan for the Oak Ridge Reservation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1993-01-01

    The United States Department of Energy (DOE) is committed to achieving and maintaining environmental regulatory compliance while responding to public concerns and emphasizing waste minimization. DOE publishes the Environmental Restoration and Waste Management Five-Year Plan (FYP) annually to document its progress towards these goals. The purpose of this Site-Specific Plan (SSP) is to describe the activities undertaken to implement the FYP goals at the DOE Oak Ridge Field Office (DOE/OR) installations and programs specifically for the Oak Ridge Reservation (ORR) and surrounding areas. This SSP addresses activities and goals to be accomplished during FY93 even through the FYP focuses on FY94

  10. Oak Ridge Reservation Federal Facility Agreement for the Environmental Restoration Program. Volume 4

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1993-10-01

    This quarterly progress report satisfies requirements for the Environmental Restoration (ER) Program that are specified in the Oak Ridge Reservation (ORR) Federal Facility Agreement (FFA) established between the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), the U.S. Environmental protection Agency (EPA), and the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC). The reporting period covered is July through September 1993 (fourth quarter of FY 1993). Sections 1.1 and 1.2 provide respectively the milestones scheduled for completion during the reporting period and a list of documents that have been proposed for transmittal during the following quarter but have not been approved as FY 1994 commitments

  11. CEER 2014 Dedicated Session Proposal: Restoring Water Quality along with Restoring the Gulf of Mexico

    Science.gov (United States)

    This session focuses on the importance of restoring water quality as part of the larger Gulf of Mexico restoration efforts. Water quality has been identified as a significant indicator of water body condition, and Gulf waters have been impacted by increased urban development, agr...

  12. Identifying Challenges to Building an Evidence Base for Restoration Practice

    CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

    Ntshotsho, P

    2015-11-01

    Full Text Available Global acknowledgement of ecological restoration, as an important tool to complement conservation efforts, requires an effort to increase the effectiveness of restoration interventions. Evidence-based practice is purported to promote effectiveness...

  13. Environmental restoration plans and activities in Kazakhstan

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kim, A.

    1997-01-01

    During the period of uranium mining activities in the Republic of Kazakhstan so far more gm 200 million tonnes of radioactive waste with a total activity of about 250,000 Ci has accumulated. The problem of environmental restoration of contaminated uranium mining and milling sites is very topical and important for Kazakhstan. This paper presents the radiological status of the situation in Kazakhstan, the characteristics of the uranium mining and mill tailings and the approach to the tailings management for stabilization and isolation from the human environment. Legislation in the field of atomic energy including radwaste management has been established in Kazakhstan through a structure of State Bodies such as Ministries of Science, Ecology, Bioresources, Health and Atomic Energy Agency. An organization for radiation safety regulation has also been created. Studies regarding stabilization of radiological situation have been started in Kazakhstan with the support of IAEA and EU. This paper deals with the regional project for assessment of immediate measures to be taken for remediation of uranium mining and mill tailings sites. (author)

  14. Description of work for routine groundwater sampling at the Environmental Restoration Disposal Facility

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ford, B.H.

    1996-09-01

    This document provides a description of work and field implementation guidance for routine (post-baseline) groundwater monitoring sampling program at the Environmental Restoration Disposal Facility. The purpose of this program is to (1) meet the intent of the applicable or relevant and appropriate requirements; (2) document baseline groundwater conditions; (3) monitor those conditions for change; and (4) allow for modifications to groundwater sampling if required by the leachate management program

  15. Bioassay criteria for environmental restoration workers

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Carbaugh, E.H.; Bihl, D.E.

    1993-01-01

    Environmental restoration (ER) work at the U. S. Department of Energy Hanford Site posed questions concerning when to perform bioassay monitoring of workers for potential intakes of radioactivity. Application of criteria originally developed for use inside radionuclide processing facilities to ER work resulted in overly restrictive bioassay requirements. ER work typically involves site characterization or, excavating large quantities of potentially contaminated soil, rather than working with concentrated quantities of radioactivity as in a processing facility. An improved approach, tailored to ER work, provided soil contamination concentrations above which worker bioassay would be required. Soil concentrations were derived assuming acute or chronic intakes of 2% of an Annual Limit on Intake (ALI), or a potential committed effective dose equivalent of 100 mrem, and conservative dust loading of air from the work. When planning ER work, the anticipated soil concentration and corresponding need for bioassay could be estimated from work-site historical records. Once site work commenced, soil sampling and work-place surveys could be used to determine bioassay needs. This approach substantially reduced the required number of bioassay samples with corresponding reductions in analytical costs, schedules, and more flexible work-force management. (Work supported by the US Department of Energy under contract DOE-AC06-76RLO 1830.)

  16. US Department of Energy Oak Ridge Field Office Environmental Restoration Program review

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1992-05-01

    This document summarizes the baselined FY 1993 Department of Energy Oak Ridge Field Office (DOE-OR) Environmental Restoration Program task priorities, budgets, and associated abbreviated task descriptions. Also included is a description of the approach utilized to establish priorities for the FY 1993 and FY 1994 budget process. Abbreviated task descriptions for FY 1994 are also included in priority listing. These FY 1994 tasks form the basis for the Activity Data Sheets prepared for DOE-OR that were submitted in May 1992

  17. Environmental partnerships: Leveraging resources to meet environmental challenges

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sink, C.; Berg, T.; Booth, F.; Easley, K.

    1992-01-01

    Over 40 years of defense production activities have left behind a serious environmental legacy. Federal and State mandates require the remediation of defense production sites. To ensure an appropriate and timely response to these enormous environmental restoration and waste management challenges, the Secretary of Energy, Admiral James D. Watkins, authorized the establishment of the Office of Environmental Restoration and Waste Management (EM). EM is actively seeking collaborative opportunities with other government agencies and the private sector to identify, adapt, and develop new and consistent site restoration and consistent waste management practices, throughout the DOE Complex. The Technology Integration Division (TID) of the EM Office of Technology Development (TD) is charged with promoting the movement of innovative technology and 'lessons learned' into, out of, and across the Complex to enhance public, private, domestic, and international cleanup capabilities and bolster U.S. competitiveness. Secretary Watkins recently set a new course for DOE in technology transfer, and TID is responding to this new mission requirement by expanding and enhancing cooperative work with public and private sector partners. Consistent with this new philosophy of operations, TID acts as a facilitator to ensure other government agencies, industry, and universities work in partnership with EM to find more efficient and cost-effective technological solutions to mutual environmental management problems. In addition, TID leverages the technical and financial resources of public and private participants to share the costs associated with technology research, development, demonstration, testing, and evaluation (RDDT and E). This paper provides an overview of the OTD technology integration effort, the importance of public participation, and a discussion of technology integration models currently being developed in conjunction with TID support and oversight. (author)

  18. United States Department of Energy Richland Operations Office Environmental Protection Implementation Plan: November 9, 1993, to November 9, 1994

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1993-11-01

    The hub of today's programs at the Hanford Site are activities dedicated to managing stored and new wastes and cleanup of waste sites. To ensure focused planning and implementing efforts for these programs, management of the site is assigned to DOE's Office of Environmental Restoration and Waste Management. This report describes policies and procedures in the following areas: Compliance activities; Environmental restoration; Waste management; and Technology development. Procedures for notification of environmental occurrences, long-range environmental protection planning and reporting, waste management programs; environmental monitoring programs, and quality assurance and data verification are also described and discussed

  19. Environmental restoration and statistics: Issues and needs

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gilbert, R.O.

    1991-10-01

    Statisticians have a vital role to play in environmental restoration (ER) activities. One facet of that role is to point out where additional work is needed to develop statistical sampling plans and data analyses that meet the needs of ER. This paper is an attempt to show where statistics fits into the ER process. The statistician, as member of the ER planning team, works collaboratively with the team to develop the site characterization sampling design, so that data of the quality and quantity required by the specified data quality objectives (DQOs) are obtained. At the same time, the statistician works with the rest of the planning team to design and implement, when appropriate, the observational approach to streamline the ER process and reduce costs. The statistician will also provide the expertise needed to select or develop appropriate tools for statistical analysis that are suited for problems that are common to waste-site data. These data problems include highly heterogeneous waste forms, large variability in concentrations over space, correlated data, data that do not have a normal (Gaussian) distribution, and measurements below detection limits. Other problems include environmental transport and risk models that yield highly uncertain predictions, and the need to effectively communicate to the public highly technical information, such as sampling plans, site characterization data, statistical analysis results, and risk estimates. Even though some statistical analysis methods are available ''off the shelf'' for use in ER, these problems require the development of additional statistical tools, as discussed in this paper. 29 refs

  20. 2014 Annual Site Environmental Report Summary Pamphlet for Sandia National Laboratories New Mexico.

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Griffith, Stacy Rene

    2016-02-01

    This ASER Summary Pamphlet presents the environmental protection, restoration, and monitoring programs in place at SNL/NM during calendar year 2014. It also discusses Sandia’s compliance with environmental regulations, and it highlights significant environmental program efforts and accomplishments. The environmental programs and waste management activities at SNL/NM meet or exceed the requirements of federal, state, and local environmental regulations, as well as DOE directives in the contract between Sandia and DOE. This document, prepared in accordance with and as required by DOE Order 231.1B, Environment, Safety, and Health Reporting, is a key component of DOE’s efforts to keep the public informed about environmental conditions throughout the DOE/NNSA nuclear weapons complex.

  1. Use of hydrologic and hydrodynamic modeling for ecosystem restoration

    Science.gov (United States)

    Obeysekera, J.; Kuebler, L.; Ahmed, S.; Chang, M.-L.; Engel, V.; Langevin, C.; Swain, E.; Wan, Y.

    2011-01-01

    Planning and implementation of unprecedented projects for restoring the greater Everglades ecosystem are underway and the hydrologic and hydrodynamic modeling of restoration alternatives has become essential for success of restoration efforts. In view of the complex nature of the South Florida water resources system, regional-scale (system-wide) hydrologic models have been developed and used extensively for the development of the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan. In addition, numerous subregional-scale hydrologic and hydrodynamic models have been developed and are being used for evaluating project-scale water management plans associated with urban, agricultural, and inland costal ecosystems. The authors provide a comprehensive summary of models of all scales, as well as the next generation models under development to meet the future needs of ecosystem restoration efforts in South Florida. The multiagency efforts to develop and apply models have allowed the agencies to understand the complex hydrologic interactions, quantify appropriate performance measures, and use new technologies in simulation algorithms, software development, and GIS/database techniques to meet the future modeling needs of the ecosystem restoration programs. Copyright ?? 2011 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.

  2. A general theory to explain the relatively high cost of environmental restoration at DOE facilities

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sullivan, W.H.

    1995-01-01

    Environmental Restoration costs for Department of Energy (DOE) facilities have been the subject of much scrutiny and concern for several years. General opinion is that DOE clean-up costs are as much as three times higher than costs for similar clean-up projects in the private sector. Consequently, DOE Environmental Restoration professionals are continually under pressure to do more with less, which, ironically, can lead to additional inefficiencies in the system. This paper proposes a general theory as to why DOE costs are higher, explains the reasons why current conditions will make it difficult to realize any pervasive or significant decreases in clean-up costs, and presents some general changes that need to take place in the DOE system in order to bring about conditions that will allow more efficient clean-up to occur. The theory is based on a simple economic model that describes the balance between the resources spent for risk avoidance and the corresponding changes in overall productivity as a function of risk. The elementary concepts illustrated with the economic model, when refined and specifically applied, have the potential to become the catalyst for significant change-change that is absolutely necessary if we truly intend to conduct environmental clean-up with the same efficiencies as private industry

  3. Genetic and environmental effects on seed weight in subspecies of big sagebrush: Applications for restoration

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bryce A. Richardson; Hector G. Ortiz; Stephanie L. Carlson; Deidre M. Jaeger; Nancy L. Shaw

    2015-01-01

    The sagebrush steppe is a patchwork of species and subspecies occupying distinct environmental niches across the intermountain regions of western North America. These ecosystems face degradation from disturbances and exotic weeds. Using sagebrush seed that is matched to its appropriate niche is a critical component to successful restoration, improving habitat for the...

  4. 78 FR 16294 - Draft Environmental Impact Statement for Restoration of the Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoias...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2013-03-14

    ... Environmental Impact Statement for Restoration of the Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoias, Yosemite National Park, Madera, and Mariposa Counties, CA AGENCY: National Park Service, Interior. ACTION: Notice of availability... the Mariposa Grove of giant sequoias in Yosemite National Park. This Draft EIS presents three...

  5. Integrated Safety Management System Phase 1 and 2 Verification for the Environmental Restoration Contractor Volumes 1 and 2

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    CARTER, R.P.

    2000-04-04

    DOE Policy 450.4 mandates that safety be integrated into all aspects of the management and operations of its facilities. The goal of an institutionalized Integrated Safety Management System (ISMS) is to have a single integrated system that includes Environment, Safety, and Health requirements in the work planning and execution processes to ensure the protection of the worker, public, environment, and the federal property over the life cycle of the Environmental Restoration (ER) Project. The purpose of this Environmental Restoration Contractor (ERC) ISMS Phase MI Verification was to determine whether ISMS programs and processes were institutionalized within the ER Project, whether these programs and processes were implemented, and whether the system had promoted the development of a safety conscious work culture.

  6. Spatial and stage-structured population model of the American crocodile for comparison of comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan (CERP) alternatives

    Science.gov (United States)

    Green, Timothy W.; Slone, Daniel H.; Swain, Eric D.; Cherkiss, Michael S.; Lohmann, Melinda; Mazzotti, Frank J.; Rice, Kenneth G.

    2010-01-01

    As part of the U.S. Geological Survey Priority Ecosystems Science (PES) initiative to provide the ecological science required during Everglades restoration, we have integrated current regional hydrologic models with American crocodile (Crocodylus acutus) research and monitoring data to create a model that assesses the potential impact of Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan (CERP) efforts on the American crocodile. A list of indicators was created by the Restoration Coordination and Verification (RECOVER) component of CERP to help determine the success of interim restoration goals. The American crocodile was established as an indicator of the ecological condition of mangrove estuaries due to its reliance upon estuarine environments characterized by low salinity and adequate freshwater inflow. To gain a better understanding of the potential impact of CERP restoration efforts on the American crocodile, a spatially explicit crocodile population model has been created that has the ability to simulate the response of crocodiles to various management strategies for the South Florida ecosystem. The crocodile model uses output from the Tides and Inflows in the Mangroves of the Everglades (TIME) model, an application of the Flow and Transport in a Linked Overland/Aquifer Density Dependent System (FTLOADDS) simulator. TIME has the capability to link to the South Florida Water Management Model (SFWMM), which is the primary regional tool used to assess CERP restoration scenarios. A crocodile habitat suitability index and spatial parameter maps that reflect salinity, water depth, habitat, and nesting locations are used as driving functions to construct crocodile finite rate of increase maps under different management scenarios. Local stage-structured models are integrated with a spatial landscape grid to display crocodile movement behavior in response to changing environmental conditions. Restoration efforts are expected to affect salinity levels throughout the habitat of

  7. Ecological Restoration: Guidance from Theory

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Joy Zedler

    2005-09-01

    Full Text Available A review of the science and practice of ecosystem restoration led me to identify key ecological theories and concepts that are relevant to planning, implementing, and sustaining restoration efforts. From experience with actual restoration projects, I provide guidance for improving the restoration process. Despite an abundance of theory and guidance, restoration goals are not always achieved, and pathways toward targets are not highly predictable. This is understandable, since each restoration project has many constraints and unique challenges. To improve restoration progress, I advise that sites be designed as experiments to allow learning while doing. At least the larger projects can be restored in phases, each designed as experimental treatments to test alternative restoration approaches. Subsequent phases can then adopt one or more of the treatments that best achieved goals in earlier phases while applying new tests of other restoration measures. Both science and restoration can progress simultaneously. This phased, experimental approach (called “adaptive restoration” is an effective tool for improving restoration when monitoring, assessment, interpretation and research are integrated into the process.

  8. Planning for Environmental Restoration in Slovak Republic

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Slavik, O.; Moravek, J.

    1995-01-01

    The restoration in the Slovak Republic concerns to the contaminated banks of the waste water recipient of the Bohunice Nuclear Power Plant. The identified contamination, consisting mainly of 137 Cs, is a result of two accidents on the CO 2 -cooled and heavy water moderated NPP Bohunice-A1 unit of NPP Bohunice complex. Two type of radiation risk scenarios, namely the bank use and contaminated soil (from bank) use scenario were investigated in relation to decision making on the planning for restoration of the contaminated banks. Results of dose assessments and the approach to planning for restoration of contaminated banks are summarized in the paper. Some details from the worked out technical design of the contaminated soil removal from the banks and its safe disposal in a near surface isolated basin are introduced in the paper too

  9. Draft Waste Management Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement for managing treatment, storage, and disposal of radioactive and hazardous waste. Volume 3, Appendix A: Public response to revised NOI, Appendix B: Environmental restoration, Appendix C, Environmental impact analysis methods, Appendix D, Risk

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1995-08-01

    Volume three contains appendices for the following: Public comments do DOE's proposed revisions to the scope of the waste management programmatic environmental impact statement; Environmental restoration sensitivity analysis; Environmental impacts analysis methods; and Waste management facility human health risk estimates

  10. Draft Waste Management Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement for managing treatment, storage, and disposal of radioactive and hazardous waste. Volume 3, Appendix A: Public response to revised NOI, Appendix B: Environmental restoration, Appendix C, Environmental impact analysis methods, Appendix D, Risk

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    1995-08-01

    Volume three contains appendices for the following: Public comments do DOE`s proposed revisions to the scope of the waste management programmatic environmental impact statement; Environmental restoration sensitivity analysis; Environmental impacts analysis methods; and Waste management facility human health risk estimates.

  11. Environmental restoration contractor facility safety plan -- MO-561 100-D site remediation project

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Donahoe, R.L.

    1996-11-01

    This safety plan is applicable to Environmental Restoration Contractor personnel who are permanently assigned to MO-561 or regularly work in the facility. The MO-561 Facility is located in the 100-D Area at the Hanford Site in Richland, Washington. This plan will: (a) identify hazards potentially to be encountered by occupants of MO-561; (b) provide requirements and safeguards to ensure personnel safety and regulatory compliance; (c) provide information and actions necessary for proper emergency response

  12. Environmental Restoration Site-Specific Plan for the Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant, FY 93

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1993-01-01

    This report provides an overview of the major Environmental Restoration (ER) concerns at Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant (PGDP). The identified solid waste management units at PGDP are listed. In the Department of Energy (DOE) Five Year Plan development process, one or more waste management units are addressed in a series of activity data sheets (ADSs) which identify planned scope, schedule, and cost objectives that are representative of the current state of planned technical development for individual or multiple sites

  13. Radiation legacy of the 20th century: Environmental restoration

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    2002-04-01

    As a result of events in the twentieth century, mainly related to the development of nuclear energy, mankind has been forced to deal with the restoration of the environments which contain radioactive residues. The International Conference RADLEG-200 was particularly focused on the radioactive legacy of the countries of the former Soviet Union and eastern Europe. By means of reviews and case studies the conference assessed the overall situation with respect to the contaminated sites and sources of potential environmental contamination and evaluated the achievements of rehabilitation and remediation programmes as well as identifying future needs in this field. The Conference was attended by 266 participants from 16 countries and 6 international organizations with 49 papers presented orally and 64 presented as posters. This publication contains the 49 orally presented papers, each of them was indexed separately.

  14. Radiation legacy of the 20th century: Environmental restoration

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    2002-04-01

    As a result of events in the twentieth century, mainly related to the development of nuclear energy, mankind has been forced to deal with the restoration of the environments which contain radioactive residues. The International Conference RADLEG-200 was particularly focused on the radioactive legacy of the countries of the former Soviet Union and eastern Europe. By means of reviews and case studies the conference assessed the overall situation with respect to the contaminated sites and sources of potential environmental contamination and evaluated the achievements of rehabilitation and remediation programmes as well as identifying future needs in this field. The Conference was attended by 266 participants from 16 countries and 6 international organizations with 49 papers presented orally and 64 presented as posters. This publication contains the 49 orally presented papers, each of them was indexed separately

  15. Using SaudiVeg Ecoinformatics in assessment, monitoring and proposing environmental restoration tools in central Saudi Arabia

    Science.gov (United States)

    El-Sheikh, Mohamed; Hennekens, Stephan; Alfarhan, Ahmed; Thomas, Jacob; Schaminee, Joop; El-Keblawy, Ali

    2017-04-01

    Successful restoration of degraded habitats requires information about the history and factors led to the deterioration of these habitats. This study analyzed SaudiVeg Ecoinformatics, which is a big phytosociological database about plant communities and other environmental factors affecting them in the Najd-Central Region of Saudi Arabia. A phytosociological survey with more than 3000 vegetation relevés was conducted during 2013. The data were used to correlate the plant community attributes, such as abundance and species diversity in natural and ruderal habitats with environmental factors, such as human impacts, soil physical and chemical properties, and land uses. The data were subjected to multivariate analyses using programs, such as TWINSPAN, DCA and CCA, via Juice package. Fourteen vegetation associations were described under provisional classification of the Central Saudi Arabia deserts. These associations were broadly grouped into desert vegetation types. One alliance group, Haloxylonion salicornici, is the most widespread and contains four associations on the wadis and desert plains. Three associations are dominant on the depression habitats (raudhas) and two associations of Tamarixidetum spp. on the wetland and salt pan habitats. Four associations inhabit the man-made habitat and abandoned field habitats and one association, the Neurado procumbentis-Heliotropietum digyni, dominates the overgrazed sandy dunes. As human impact is huge and increasing, the vegetation ecoinformatics of the present study would form a baseline description that could be used as a vital tool for future monitoring and for proposing environmental restoration processes in central Saudi Arabia. It could also help both Governmental and Non-governmental organizations (NGO) in formulating strategies and on-ground plans for protection, management and restoration of the natural vegetation.

  16. Assess Current and Potential Salmonid Production in Rattlesnake Creek Associated with Restoration Efforts; US Geological Survey Reports, 2002-2003 Annual Report.

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Connolly, Patrick J. (US Geological Survey, Columbia River Research Laboratory, Western Fisheries Research Center, Cook, WA)

    2003-12-01

    This project was designed to document existing habitat conditions and fish populations within the Rattlesnake Creek watershed (White Salmon River subbasin, Washington) before major habitat restoration activities are implemented and prior to the reintroduction of salmon and steelhead above Condit Dam. Returning adult salmon Oncorhynchus spp. and steelhead O. mykiss have not had access to Rattlesnake Creek since 1913. An assessment of resident trout populations should serve as a good surrogate for evaluation of factors that would limit salmon and steelhead production in the watershed. Personnel from United States Geological Survey's Columbia River Research Laboratory (USGS-CRRL) attend to three main objectives of the Rattlesnake Creek project. The first is to characterize stream and riparian habitat conditions. This effort includes measures of water quality, water quantity, stream habitat, and riparian conditions. The second objective is to determine the status of fish populations in the Rattlesnake Creek drainage. To accomplish this, we derived estimates of salmonid population abundance, determined fish species composition, assessed distribution and life history attributes, obtained tissue samples for genetic analysis, and assessed fish diseases in the watershed. The third objective is to use the collected habitat and fisheries information to help identify and prioritize areas in need of restoration. As this report covers the second year of at least a three-year study, it is largely restricted to describing our efforts and findings for the first two objectives.

  17. Environmental data management at Fernald

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jones, B.W.; Williams, J.

    1994-01-01

    FERMCO supports DOE's ongoing initiatives for the continuous improvement of site restoration through the development and application of innovative technologies. A major thrust of FERMCO's efforts has been the enhancement of environmental data management technology for the site. The understanding of environmental data is the fundamental basis for determining the need for environmental restoration, developing and comparing remedial alternatives, and reaching a decision on how to clean up a site. Environmental data management at Fernald is being focused on two major objectives: to improve the efficiency of the data management process, and to provide a better understanding of the meaning of the data at the earliest possible time. Environmental data at Fernald is typically a soil or groundwater sample collected by one of the field geologists. These samples are then shipped to one or more laboratories for analysis. After the analyses are returned from the laboratories the data are reviewed and qualified for usability. The data are then used by environmental professionals for determining nature and extent of contamination. Additionally, hazardous waste materials whether generated during production or during cleanup, may be sampled to characterize the waste before shipment or treatment. The data management process, which uses four major software systems, is presented graphically

  18. Environmental Restoration and Waste Management Site-Specific Plan for Fiscal Year 1993

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1993-03-01

    The Idaho National Engineering Laboratory (INEL) is a US Department of Energy (DOE) multiprogram laboratory whose primary mission has been to research nuclear technologies. Working with these technologies and conducting other types of research generates waste, including radioactive and/or hazardous wastes. While most of the waste treatment, storage, and disposal practices have been effective, some practices have led to the release of contaminants to the environment. As a result, DOE has developed (1) an Environmental Restoration (ER) Program to identify and, where necessary, cleanup releases from inactive waste sites and (2) a Waste Management (WM) Program to safely treat, store, and dispose of DOE wastes generated from current and future activities in an environmentally sound manner. This document describes the plans for FY 1993 for the INEL's ER and WM programs as managed by DOE's Idaho Field Office (DOE-ID)

  19. Environmental Restoration and Waste Management Site-Specific Plan for Fiscal Year 1993

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    1993-03-01

    The Idaho National Engineering Laboratory (INEL) is a US Department of Energy (DOE) multiprogram laboratory whose primary mission has been to research nuclear technologies. Working with these technologies and conducting other types of research generates waste, including radioactive and/or hazardous wastes. While most of the waste treatment, storage, and disposal practices have been effective, some practices have led to the release of contaminants to the environment. As a result, DOE has developed (1) an Environmental Restoration (ER) Program to identify and, where necessary, cleanup releases from inactive waste sites and (2) a Waste Management (WM) Program to safely treat, store, and dispose of DOE wastes generated from current and future activities in an environmentally sound manner. This document describes the plans for FY 1993 for the INEL`s ER and WM programs as managed by DOE`s Idaho Field Office (DOE-ID).

  20. Annual Status Report (FY2016) Performance Assessment for the Environmental Restoration Disposal Facility

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Casbon, M. A. [CH2M HILL Plateau Remediation Company, Richland, WA (United States); Nichols, W. E. [CH2M HILL Plateau Remediation Company, Richland, WA (United States)

    2017-03-15

    DOE O 435.1, Radioactive Waste Management, and DOE M 435.1-1, Radioactive Waste Management Manual, require that a determination of continued adequacy of the performance assessment (PA), composite analysis (CA), and disposal authorization statement (DAS) be made on an annual basis, and it must consider the results of data collection and analysis from research, field studies, and monitoring. Annual summaries of low-level waste (LLW) disposal operations must be prepared with respect to the conclusions and recommendations of the PA and CA, and a determination of the need to revise the PA or CA must be made. The annual summary requirement provides a structured approach for demonstrating the continued adequacy of the PA and CA in demonstrating a reasonable expectation that the performance objectives will be met. This annual summary addresses only the status of the Environmental Restoration Disposal Facility (ERDF) PA (CP-60089, Performance Assessment for the Environmental Restoration Disposal Facility, Hanford Site, Washington, formerly WCH-520 Rev. 1)1. The CA for ERDF is supported by DOE/RL-2016-62, Annual Status Report (FY 2016): Composite Analysis of Low Level Waste Disposal in the Central Plateau at the Hanford Site. The ERDF PA portion of the CA document is found in Section 3.1.4, and the ERDF operations portion is found in Section 3.3.3.2 of that document.

  1. How public issues shape environmental restoration plans - experiences with Colorado UMTRA projects

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hunt, B.; Monaghan, J.

    1991-01-01

    Federal environmental restoration plans are being significantly impacted by open-quotes grassrootsclose quotes public pressure and by community demands, some of which have little relation to the technical standards of remediation and which go well beyond authorizing legislation. These demands often represent significant additional project costs. A review of Uranium Mill Tailings Remedial Action (UMTRA) Program experiences in Colorado suggests that the more serious open-quotes grassrootsclose quotes issues associated with remediation rarely diminish and, in fact, will intensify over time. This presents program administrators with the dilemma of attempting to adhere to program mandates and keep projects within budget, while at the same time trying to be responsive to community concerns. Such high-profiled community debates have the ability to delay remediation and even jeopardize important projects. After prolonged public debate, when it becomes clear an issue will not dissipate, project officials may be forced to meet certain community demands. Often, this results in not only increased costs, but a loss of public confidence in clean-up efforts. Evidence also suggests, however, that when critical public issues can be identified and addressed before they become overly contentious, significant problems and controversy can be avoided; but, the situation is made difficult because project officials often lack the policy guidance to determine which, if any, community demands should be addressed and to what extent they should be met. The adoption of several key public policy principles by program administrators will provide a greater ability to address community demands in a timely and successful manner

  2. Quality data validation: Comprehensive approach to environmental data validation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Matejka, L.A. Jr.

    1993-01-01

    Environmental data validation consists of an assessment of three major areas: analytical method validation; field procedures and documentation review; evaluation of the level of achievement of data quality objectives based in part on PARCC parameters analysis and expected applications of data. A program utilizing matrix association of required levels of validation effort and analytical levels versus applications of this environmental data was developed in conjunction with DOE-ID guidance documents to implement actions under the Federal Facilities Agreement and Consent Order in effect at the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory. This was an effort to bring consistent quality to the INEL-wide Environmental Restoration Program and database in an efficient and cost-effective manner. This program, documenting all phases of the review process, is described here

  3. Characterization of hazardous waste residuals from Environmental Restoration Program activities at DOE installations: Waste management implications

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lazaro, M.A.; Esposito, M.P.

    1995-01-01

    Investigators at Argonne National Laboratory (ANL), with support from associates at the Pacific Northwest Laboratory (PNL), have assembled an inventory of the types and volumes of radioactive, toxic or hazardous, and mixed waste likely to be generated over the next 30 years as the US Department of Energy (DOE) implements its nationwide Environmental Restoration (ER) Program. The inventory and related analyses are being considered for integration into DOE's Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (PEIS) covering the potential environmental impacts and risks associated with alternative management practices and programs for wastes generated from routine operations. If this happens, the ER-generated waste could be managed under a set of alternatives considered under the PEIS and selected at the end of the current National Environmental Policy Act process

  4. An appraisal of adaptive management planning and implementation in ecological restoration

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Nagarkar, Mita; Raulund-Rasmussen, Karsten

    2016-01-01

    Adaptive management has been defined and redefined in the context of natural resource management, yet there are few examples of its successful application in ecological restoration. Although the 2009 Delta Reform Act now legally requires adaptive management for all restoration efforts in the Sacr......Adaptive management has been defined and redefined in the context of natural resource management, yet there are few examples of its successful application in ecological restoration. Although the 2009 Delta Reform Act now legally requires adaptive management for all restoration efforts...

  5. Summary of the landfill remediation problems and technology needs of the Oak Ridge Reservation Environmental Restoration Programs

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1991-01-01

    This report discusses the following topics: brief description of the Oak Ridge Reservation Environmental Restoration Program; descriptions of representative waste burials at each site; ongoing, planned, or potential remediation; known or anticipated remediation problems; potential applications for robotics in the remediation of Oak Ridge Reservation landfills

  6. Landscape genetic approaches to guide native plant restoration in the Mojave Desert

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shryock, Daniel F.; Havrilla, Caroline A.; DeFalco, Lesley; Esque, Todd C.; Custer, Nathan; Wood, Troy E.

    2016-01-01

    Restoring dryland ecosystems is a global challenge due to synergistic drivers of disturbance coupled with unpredictable environmental conditions. Dryland plant species have evolved complex life-history strategies to cope with fluctuating resources and climatic extremes. Although rarely quantified, local adaptation is likely widespread among these species and potentially influences restoration outcomes. The common practice of reintroducing propagules to restore dryland ecosystems, often across large spatial scales, compels evaluation of adaptive divergence within these species. Such evaluations are critical to understanding the consequences of large-scale manipulation of gene flow and to predicting success of restoration efforts. However, genetic information for species of interest can be difficult and expensive to obtain through traditional common garden experiments. Recent advances in landscape genetics offer marker-based approaches for identifying environmental drivers of adaptive genetic variability in non-model species, but tools are still needed to link these approaches with practical aspects of ecological restoration. Here, we combine spatially-explicit landscape genetics models with flexible visualization tools to demonstrate how cost-effective evaluations of adaptive genetic divergence can facilitate implementation of different seed sourcing strategies in ecological restoration. We apply these methods to Amplified Fragment Length Polymorphism (AFLP) markers genotyped in two Mojave Desert shrub species of high restoration importance: the long-lived, wind-pollinated gymnosperm Ephedra nevadensis, and the short-lived, insect-pollinated angiosperm Sphaeralcea ambigua. Mean annual temperature was identified as an important driver of adaptive genetic divergence for both species. Ephedra showed stronger adaptive divergence with respect to precipitation variability, while temperature variability and precipitation averages explained a larger fraction of adaptive

  7. Restoration of the Golden Horn Estuary (Halic).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Coleman, Heather M; Kanat, Gurdal; Aydinol Turkdogan, F Ilter

    2009-12-01

    Restoration of the iconic Golden Horn Estuary in Istanbul, Turkey was a substantial political, logistical, ecological, and social challenge. Forty years of uncontrolled industrial and urban growth resulted in thick layers of anoxic sediment, toxic bacteria, strong hydrogen sulfide odor, and ecologically unlivable conditions. The major components of restoration, spanning two decades, have included (1) demolition and relocation of industries and homes along the shore, (2) creation of wastewater infrastructure, (3) removal of anoxic sludge from the estuary, (4) removal of a floating bridge that impeded circulation, and (5) creation of cultural and social facilities. Although Turkey is not known as an environmental leader in pollution control, the sum of these efforts was largely successful in revitalizing the area through dramatic water quality improvement. Consequently, the estuary is once again inhabitable for aquatic life as well as amenable to local resource users and foreign visitors, and Istanbul has regained a lost sense of cultural identity. This paper focuses on literature review and personal interviews to discuss the causes of degradation, solutions employed to rehabilitate the estuary, and subsequent physicochemical, ecological, and social changes.

  8. Economic barriers and incentives for biodiversity restoration

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Garcia Frapolli, Eduardo; Lindigcisneros, Roberto

    2011-01-01

    Costs related with restoration efforts, as well as the economic incentives, are fundamental issues that have not been fully considered from a formal standpoint. Through the analysis of restoration trials in collaboration with an indigenous community in western Mexico, we analyzed economic issues related with the restoration trials themselves, and with the economic context that gives incentives for ecological restoration. We reach to the conclusion that the cost-benefit relationship of the restoration process by itself can be straightforward calculated in some cases, calculating economic benefits accrued from the diversity restored to ecosystem is more difficult. In terms of the incentives for biodiversity restoration, we concluded that in many cases, economic variables out of the control of those involved in restoration are determinant.

  9. Contrasts between the environmental restoration challenges posed by uranium mining and milling in the United States and the former German Democratic Republic

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nelson, R.A.; Chernoff, A.R.; Mager, D.; Goldammer, W.

    1993-01-01

    The former Soviet Union demands for uranium feed materials were primarily met by the East German Republic. A small area 200 km long and 50 km wide in the provinces of Saxony and Thuringia provided more than half of the uranium concentrate processed by the Soviet Union, and used for nuclear weapons development and power generation. With the majority of the ore processed in Germany of an average lower grade than a number of deposits found around the world, the mining and milling resulted in an enormous scale of surface disturbance and quantities of mill tailings concentrated in a relatively small densely populated geographical area. As a result of the re-unification of the two Germanies, all uranium extraction and processing activities were suddenly brought to a halt for economic reasons. The former soviet-East German corporation responsible for the uranium concentrate production was changed into a German state-operated company tasked with the facility decommissioning and environmental restoration. Code-named WISMUT (the German word for Bismuth) during the cold war, this organization was literally changed overnight from a self-sufficient, autonomously operating and state controlled effort into a public works, environmentally conscious corporation

  10. Shifting paradigms in restoration of the world's coral reefs.

    Science.gov (United States)

    van Oppen, Madeleine J H; Gates, Ruth D; Blackall, Linda L; Cantin, Neal; Chakravarti, Leela J; Chan, Wing Y; Cormick, Craig; Crean, Angela; Damjanovic, Katarina; Epstein, Hannah; Harrison, Peter L; Jones, Thomas A; Miller, Margaret; Pears, Rachel J; Peplow, Lesa M; Raftos, David A; Schaffelke, Britta; Stewart, Kristen; Torda, Gergely; Wachenfeld, David; Weeks, Andrew R; Putnam, Hollie M

    2017-09-01

    Many ecosystems around the world are rapidly deteriorating due to both local and global pressures, and perhaps none so precipitously as coral reefs. Management of coral reefs through maintenance (e.g., marine-protected areas, catchment management to improve water quality), restoration, as well as global and national governmental agreements to reduce greenhouse gas emissions (e.g., the 2015 Paris Agreement) is critical for the persistence of coral reefs. Despite these initiatives, the health and abundance of corals reefs are rapidly declining and other solutions will soon be required. We have recently discussed options for using assisted evolution (i.e., selective breeding, assisted gene flow, conditioning or epigenetic programming, and the manipulation of the coral microbiome) as a means to enhance environmental stress tolerance of corals and the success of coral reef restoration efforts. The 2014-2016 global coral bleaching event has sharpened the focus on such interventionist approaches. We highlight the necessity for consideration of alternative (e.g., hybrid) ecosystem states, discuss traits of resilient corals and coral reef ecosystems, and propose a decision tree for incorporating assisted evolution into restoration initiatives to enhance climate resilience of coral reefs. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  11. Protecting the Green Behind the Gold: Catchment-Wide Restoration Efforts Necessary to Achieve Nutrient and Sediment Load Reduction Targets in Gold Coast City, Australia

    Science.gov (United States)

    Waltham, Nathan J.; Barry, Michael; McAlister, Tony; Weber, Tony; Groth, Dominic

    2014-10-01

    The Gold Coast City is the tourist center of Australia and has undergone rapid and massive urban expansion over the past few decades. The Broadwater estuary, in the heart of the City, not only offers an array of ecosystems services for many important aquatic wildlife species, but also supports the livelihood and lifestyles of residents. Not surprisingly, there have been signs of imbalance between these two major services. This study combined a waterway hydraulic and pollutant transport model to simulate diffuse nutrient and sediment loads under past and future proposed land-use changes. A series of catchment restoration initiatives were modeled in an attempt to define optimal catchment scale restoration efforts necessary to protect and enhance the City's waterways. The modeling revealed that for future proposed development, a business as usual approach to catchment management will not reduce nutrient and sediment loading sufficiently to protect the community values. Considerable restoration of upper catchment tributaries is imperative, combined with treatment of stormwater flow from intensively developed sub-catchment areas. Collectively, initiatives undertaken by regulatory authorities to date have successfully reduced nutrient and sediment loading reaching adjoining waterways, although these programs have been ad hoc without strategic systematic planning and vision. Future conservation requires integration of multidisciplinary science and proactive management driven by the high ecological, economical, and community values placed on the City's waterways. Long-term catchment restoration and conservation planning requires an extensive budget (including political and societal support) to handle ongoing maintenance issues associated with scale of restoration determined here.

  12. Establishment of review groups on US Department of Energy Environmental Restoration and Waste Management Program

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Eyman, L.D.

    1992-12-01

    A primary purpose of this grant was the establishment of expert research review groups to help facilitate expanded and improved communications and information among states, public, federal agencies, contractors, and DOE, relative to national environmental and waste management issues/problems. The general objectives of this grant were: Research on the further participation avenues of industry and academia and provide appropriate research documentation concerning the implementation of multi-party agreements; Analysis of the impediments that delay the accomplishment of agreements between states and the federal government for environmental compliance, as well as an assessment of the public need for research because of the above agreements; Analysis of the impact of environmental actions on states, industry, academia, public and other federal agencies; Provide research to help facilitate an interactive system that provides the various involved parties the capability and capacity to strengthen their commitment to national environmental and waste management goals and objectives; and Furthering research of public education in the environmental arena and research of needed national education resources in scientific and technical areas related to environmental restoration and waste management

  13. Assess Current and Potential Salmonid Production in Rattlesnake Creek in Association with Restoration Efforts, US Geological Survey Report, 2004-2005 Annual Report.

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Allen, M. Brady; Connolly, Patrick J.; Jezorek, Ian G. (US Geological Survey, Western Fisheries Research Center, Columbia River Research Laboratory, Cook, WA)

    2006-06-01

    This project was designed to document existing habitat conditions and fish populations within the Rattlesnake Creek watershed (White Salmon River subbasin, Washington) before major habitat restoration activities are implemented and prior to the reintroduction of salmon and steelhead above Condit Dam. Returning adult salmon Oncorhynchus spp. and steelhead O. mykiss have not had access to Rattlesnake Creek since 1913. An assessment of resident trout populations should serve as a good surrogate for evaluation of factors that would limit salmon and steelhead production in the watershed. Personnel from United States Geological Survey's Columbia River Research Laboratory (USGS-CRRL) attended to three main objectives of the Rattlesnake Creek project. The first objective was to characterize stream and riparian habitat conditions. This effort included measures of water quality, water quantity, stream habitat, and riparian conditions. The second objective was to determine the status of fish populations in the Rattlesnake Creek drainage. To accomplish this, we derived estimates of salmonid population abundance, determined fish species composition, assessed distribution and life history attributes, obtained tissue samples for genetic analysis, and assessed fish diseases in the watershed. The third objective was to use the collected habitat and fisheries information to help identify and prioritize areas in need of restoration. As this report covers the fourth year of a five-year study, it is largely restricted to describing our efforts and findings for the first two objectives.

  14. Site environmental report for calendar year 1994, Yucca Mountain Site, Nye County, Nevada

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1995-06-01

    The Yucca Mountain Site Characterization office has established an environmental program to ensure that facilities are operated in order to protect, maintain, and restore environmental quality, minimize potential threats to the environment and the public, and comply with environmental policies and US DOE orders. The status of the environmental program has been summarized in this annual report to characterize performance, confirm compliance with environmental requirements, and highlight significant programs and efforts during CY 1994. Monitoring, archaeology, groundwater, ecosystems, tortoise conservation, waste minimization, etc., are covered

  15. Site environmental report for calendar year 1994, Yucca Mountain Site, Nye County, Nevada.

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    1995-06-01

    The Yucca Mountain Site Characterization office has established an environmental program to ensure that facilities are operated in order to protect, maintain, and restore environmental quality, minimize potential threats to the environment and the public, and comply with environmental policies and US DOE orders. The status of the environmental program has been summarized in this annual report to characterize performance, confirm compliance with environmental requirements, and highlight significant programs and efforts during CY 1994. Monitoring, archaeology, groundwater, ecosystems, tortoise conservation, waste minimization, etc., are covered.

  16. 3-D subsurface modeling within the framework of an environmental restoration information system: Prototype results using earthvision

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Goeltz, R.T.; Zondlo, T.F.

    1994-01-01

    As a result of the DOE Oak Ridge Reservation (DOE-ORR) placement on the EPA Superfund National Priorities List in December of 1989, all remedial activities, including characterization, remedial alternatives selection, and implementation of remedial measures, must meet the combined requirements of RCRA, CERCLA, and NEPA. The Environmental Restoration Program, therefore, was established with the mission of eliminating or reducing to prescribed safe levels the risks to the environment or to human health and safety posed by inactive and surplus DOE-ORR managed sites and facilities that have been contaminated by radioactive and surplus DOE-ORR managed sites and facilities that have been contaminated by radioactive, hazardous, or mixed wastes. In accordance with an established Federal Facilities Agreement (FFA), waste sites and facilities across the DOE-ORR have been inventoried, prioritized, and are being systematically investigated and remediated under the direction of Environmental Restoration. EarthVision, a product of Dynamic Graphics, Inc., that provides three-dimensional (3-D) modeling and visualization, was exercised within the framework of an environmental restoration (ER) decision support system. The goal of the prototype was to investigate framework integration issues including compatibility and value to decision making. This paper describes the ER program, study site, and information system framework; selected EarthVision results are shown and discussed. EarthVision proved effective in integrating complex data from disparate sources and in providing 3-D visualizations of the spatial relationships of the data, including contaminant plumes. Work is under way to expand the analysis to the full site, covering about 1600 acres, and to include data from new sources, particularly remote-sensing studies

  17. Using plant functional traits to restore Hawaiian rainforest

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rebecca Ostertag; Laura Warman; Susan Cordell; Peter M. Vitousek

    2015-01-01

    Ecosystem restoration efforts are carried out by a variety of individuals and organizations with an equally varied set of goals, priorities, resources and time-scales. Once restoration of a degraded landscape or community is recognized as necessary, choosing which species to include in a restoration programme can be a difficult and value-laden process (Fry, Power &...

  18. Department of Energy Programmatic Spent Nuclear Fuel Management and Idaho National Engineering Laboratory Environmental Restoration and Waste Management Programs draft environmental impact statement

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1994-06-01

    The US Department of Energy (DOE) has prepared this report to assist its management in making two decisions. The first decision, which is programmatic, is to determine the management program for DOE spent nuclear fuel. The second decision is on the future direction of environmental restoration, waste management, and spent nuclear fuel management activities at the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory. Volume 1 of the EIS, which supports the programmatic decision, considers the effects of spent nuclear fuel management on the quality of the human and natural environment for planning years 1995 through 2035. DOE has derived the information and analysis results in Volume 1 from several site-specific appendixes. Volume 2 of the EIS, which supports the INEL-specific decision, describes environmental impacts for various environmental restoration, waste management, and spent nuclear fuel management alternatives for planning years 1995 through 2005. This Appendix B to Volume 1 considers the impacts on the INEL environment of the implementation of various DOE-wide spent nuclear fuel management alternatives. The Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program, which is a joint Navy/DOE program, is responsible for spent naval nuclear fuel examination at the INEL. For this appendix, naval fuel that has been examined at the Naval Reactors Facility and turned over to DOE for storage is termed naval-type fuel. This appendix evaluates the management of DOE spent nuclear fuel including naval-type fuel

  19. Motorized Activity on Legacy Seismic Lines: A Predictive Modeling Approach to Prioritize Restoration Efforts.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hornseth, M L; Pigeon, K E; MacNearney, D; Larsen, T A; Stenhouse, G; Cranston, J; Finnegan, L

    2018-05-11

    Natural regeneration of seismic lines, cleared for hydrocarbon exploration, is slow and often hindered by vegetation damage, soil compaction, and motorized human activity. There is an extensive network of seismic lines in western Canada which is known to impact forest ecosystems, and seismic lines have been linked to declines in woodland caribou (Rangifer tarandus caribou). Seismic line restoration is costly, but necessary for caribou conservation to reduce cumulative disturbance. Understanding where motorized activity may be impeding regeneration of seismic lines will aid in prioritizing restoration. Our study area in west-central Alberta, encompassed five caribou ranges where restoration is required under federal species at risk recovery strategies, hence prioritizing seismic lines for restoration is of immediate conservation value. To understand patterns of motorized activity on seismic lines, we evaluated five a priori hypotheses using a predictive modeling framework and Geographic Information System variables across three landscapes in the foothills and northern boreal regions of Alberta. In the northern boreal landscape, motorized activity was most common in dry areas with a large industrial footprint. In highly disturbed areas of the foothills, motorized activity on seismic lines increased with low vegetation heights, relatively dry soils, and further from forest cutblocks, while in less disturbed areas of the foothills, motorized activity on seismic lines decreased proportional to seismic line density, slope steepness, and white-tailed deer abundance, and increased proportional with distance to roads. We generated predictive maps of high motorized activity, identifying 21,777 km of seismic lines where active restoration could expedite forest regeneration.

  20. Reengineering of Analytical Data Management for the Environmental Restoration Project at Los Alamos National Laboratory

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bolivar, S.; Dorries, A.; Nasser, K.; Scherma, S.

    2003-01-01

    The Environmental Restoration (ER) Project at Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) is responsible for the characterization, clean up, and monitoring of over 2,124 identified potential release sites (PRS). These PRSs have resulted from operations associated with weapons and energy related research which has been conducted at LANL since 1942. To accomplish mission goals, the ER Project conducts field sampling to determine possible types and levels of chemical contamination as well as their geographic extent. Last fiscal year, approximately 4000 samples were collected during ER Project field sampling campaigns. In the past, activities associated with field sampling such as sample campaign planning, paperwork, shipping and analytical laboratory tracking; verification and order fulfillment; validation and data quality assurance were performed by multiple groups working with a variety of software applications, databases and hard copy reports. This resulted in significant management and communication difficulties, data delivery delays, and inconsistent processes; it also represented a potential threat to overall data integrity. Creation of an organization, software applications and a data process that could provide for cost-effective management of the activities and data mentioned above became a management priority, resulting in a development of a reengineering task. This reengineering effort--currently nearing completion--has resulted in personnel reorganization, the development of a centralized data repository, and a powerful web-based sample management system that allows for an appreciably streamlined and more efficient data process. These changes have collectively cut data delivery times, allowed for larger volumes of samples and data to be handled with fewer personnel, and resulted in significant cost savings. This paper will provide a case study of the reengineering effort undertaken by the ER Project of its analytical data management process. It includes

  1. Reengineering of Analytical Data Management for the Environmental Restoration Project at Los Alamos National Laboratory

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Bolivar, S.; Dorries, A.; Nasser, K.; Scherma, S.

    2003-02-27

    The Environmental Restoration (ER) Project at Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) is responsible for the characterization, clean up, and monitoring of over 2,124 identified potential release sites (PRS). These PRSs have resulted from operations associated with weapons and energy related research which has been conducted at LANL since 1942. To accomplish mission goals, the ER Project conducts field sampling to determine possible types and levels of chemical contamination as well as their geographic extent. Last fiscal year, approximately 4000 samples were collected during ER Project field sampling campaigns. In the past, activities associated with field sampling such as sample campaign planning, paperwork, shipping and analytical laboratory tracking; verification and order fulfillment; validation and data quality assurance were performed by multiple groups working with a variety of software applications, databases and hard copy reports. This resulted in significant management and communication difficulties, data delivery delays, and inconsistent processes; it also represented a potential threat to overall data integrity. Creation of an organization, software applications and a data process that could provide for cost-effective management of the activities and data mentioned above became a management priority, resulting in a development of a reengineering task. This reengineering effort--currently nearing completion--has resulted in personnel reorganization, the development of a centralized data repository, and a powerful web-based sample management system that allows for an appreciably streamlined and more efficient data process. These changes have collectively cut data delivery times, allowed for larger volumes of samples and data to be handled with fewer personnel, and resulted in significant cost savings. This paper will provide a case study of the reengineering effort undertaken by the ER Project of its analytical data management process. It includes

  2. Environmental Stewardship at the Savannah River Site: Generations of Success - 13212

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Looney, Brian B.; Bergren, Christopher L.; Gaughan, Thomas F.; Aylward, Robert S.; Guevara, Karen C.; Whitaker, Wade C.; Hennessey, Brian T.; Mills, Gary L.; Blake, John I. [Savannah River Site, Aiken SC 29808, 773-42A (United States)

    2013-07-01

    Approximately sixty years ago, the Savannah River Site (SRS) was built to produce nuclear materials. SRS production operations impacted air, soil, groundwater, ecology, and the local environment. Throughout its history, SRS has addressed these contamination issues directly and has maintained a commitment to environmental stewardship. The Site boasts many environmental firsts. Notably, SRS was the first major Department of Energy (DOE) facility to perform a baseline ecological assessment. This pioneering effort, by Ruth Patrick and the Philadelphia Academy of Sciences, was performed during SRS planning and construction in the early 1950's. This unique early generation of work set the stage for subsequent efforts. Since that time, the scientists and engineers at SRS pro-actively identified environmental problems and developed and implemented effective and efficient environmental management and remediation solutions. This second generation, spanning the 1980's through the 2000's, is exemplified by numerous large and small cleanup actions to address metals and radionuclides, solvents and hydrocarbons, facility and area decommissioning, and ecological restoration. Recently, a third generation of environmental management was initiated as part of Enterprise SRS. This initiative to 'Develop and Deploy Next Generation Cleanup Technologies' formalizes and organizes the major technology matching, development, and implementation processes associated with historical SRS cleanup success as a resource to support future environmental management missions throughout DOE. The four elements of the current, third generation, effort relate to: 1) transition from active to passive cleanup, 2) in situ decommissioning of large nuclear facilities, 3) new long term monitoring paradigms, and 4) a major case study related to support for recovery and restoration of the Japanese Fukushima-Daiichi nuclear power plant and surrounding environment. (authors)

  3. Integrating Stakeholder Preferences and GIS-Based Multicriteria Analysis to Identify Forest Landscape Restoration Priorities

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    David Uribe

    2014-02-01

    Full Text Available A pressing question that arises during the planning of an ecological restoration process is: where to restore first? Answering this question is a complex task; it requires a multidimensional approach to consider economic constrains and the preferences of stakeholders. Being the problem of spatial nature, it may be explored effectively through Multicriteria Decision Analysis (MCDA performed in a Geographical Information System (GIS environment. The proposed approach is based on the definition and weighting of multiple criteria for evaluating land suitability. An MCDA-based methodology was used to identify priority areas for Forest Landscape Restoration in the Upper Mixtec region, Oaxaca (Mexico, one of the most degraded areas of Latin America. Socioeconomic and environmental criteria were selected and evaluated. The opinions of four different stakeholder groups were considered: general public, academic, Non-governmental organizations (NGOs and governmental officers. The preferences of these groups were spatially modeled to identify their priorities. The final result was a map that identifies the most preferable sites for restoration, where resources and efforts should be concentrated. MCDA proved to be a very useful tool in collective planning, when alternative sites have to be identified and prioritized to guide the restoration work.

  4. International technology catalogue: Foreign technologies to support the environmental restoration and waste management needs of the DOE complex

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Matalucci, R.V.

    1995-07-01

    This document represents a summary of 27 foreign-based environmental restoration and waste management technologies that have been screened and technically evaluated for application to the cleanup problems of the Department of Energy (DOE) nuclear weapons complex. The evaluation of these technologies was initiated in 1992 and completed in 1995 under the DOE's International Technology Coordination Program of the Office of Technology Development. A methodology was developed for conducting a country-by-country survey of several regions of the world where specific environmental technology capabilities and market potential were investigated. The countries that were selected from a rank-ordering process for the survey included: then West Germany, the Netherlands, France, Japan, Taiwan, the Czech and Slovak Republics, and the Former Soviet Union. The notably innovative foreign technologies included in this document were screened initially from a list of several hundred, and then evaluated based on criteria that examined for level of maturity, suitability to the DOE needs, and for potential cost effective application at a DOE site. Each of the selected foreign technologies that were evaluated in this effort for DOE application were subsequently matched with site-specific environmental problem units across the DOE complex using the Technology Needs Assessment CROSSWALK Report. For ease of tracking these technologies to site problem units, and to facilitate their input into the DOE EnviroTRADE Information System, they were categorized into the following three areas: (1) characterization, monitoring and sensors, (2) waste treatment and separations, and (3) waste containment. Technical data profiles regarding these technologies include title and description, performance information, development status, key regulatory considerations, intellectual property rights, institute and contact personnel, and references

  5. Health and safety plan for operations performed for the Environmental Restoration Program

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Trippet, W.A. II (IT Corp., (United States)); Reneau, M.; Morton, S.L. (EG and G Idaho, Inc., Idaho Falls, ID (United States))

    1992-04-01

    This document constitutes the generic health and safety plan for the Environmental Restoration Program (ERP). It addresses the health and safety requirements of the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA); Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) 29 CFR 1910.120 standard; and EG G Idaho, Inc. This plan is a guide to individuals who must complete a health and safety plan for a task performed for the EPR. It contains a task specific addendum that, when completed, specifically addresses task specific health and safety issues. This health and safety plan reduces the time it takes to write a task specific health and safety plan by providing discussions of requirements, guidance on where specific information is located, and specific topics in the Addendum that must be discussed at a task level. This format encourages a complete task specific health and safety plan and a standard for all health and safety plans written for ERP.

  6. Requirements for quality control of analytical data for the Environmental Restoration Program

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Engels, J.

    1992-12-01

    The Environmental Restoration (ER) Program was established for the investigation and remediation of inactive US Department of Energy (DOE) sites and facilities that have been declared surplus in terms of their previous uses. The purpose of this document is to Specify ER requirements for quality control (QC) of analytical data. Activities throughout all phases of the investigation may affect the quality of the final data product, thus are subject to control specifications. Laboratory control is emphasized in this document, and field concerns will be addressed in a companion document Energy Systems, in its role of technical coordinator and at the request of DOE-OR, extends the application of these requirements to all participants in ER activities. Because every instance and concern may not be addressed in this document, participants are encouraged to discuss any questions with the ER Quality Assurance (QA) Office, the Analytical Environmental Support Group (AESG), or the Analytical Project Office (APO)

  7. Health and safety plan for operations performed for the Environmental Restoration Program

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Trippet, W.A. II; Reneau, M.; Morton, S.L.

    1992-04-01

    This document constitutes the generic health and safety plan for the Environmental Restoration Program (ERP). It addresses the health and safety requirements of the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA); Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) 29 CFR 1910.120 standard; and EG ampersand G Idaho, Inc. This plan is a guide to individuals who must complete a health and safety plan for a task performed for the EPR. It contains a task specific addendum that, when completed, specifically addresses task specific health and safety issues. This health and safety plan reduces the time it takes to write a task specific health and safety plan by providing discussions of requirements, guidance on where specific information is located, and specific topics in the Addendum that must be discussed at a task level. This format encourages a complete task specific health and safety plan and a standard for all health and safety plans written for ERP

  8. Strategic Environmental Research and Development Project FY 1994: Assessing national remote sensing technologies for use in US Department of Energy Environmental Restoration Activities, Oak Ridge Solid Waste Storage Area 4 case study

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    King, A.L.; Smyre, J.L.; Evers, T.K.

    1995-02-01

    During FY 1994, the Oak Ridge Environmental Restoration (ER) Remote Sensing Program teamed with members of the Oak Ridge National Security Program Office (NSPO), the Environmental Research Institute of Michigan (ERIM) under contract to the National Exploitation Laboratory (NEL), the Oak Ridge Waste Area Group 4 (WAG 4) ER Program, and the US Department of Energy (DOE), Offices of Technology Development, Nonproliferation and National Security, and Environmental Restoration, to conduct a test and demonstration of the uses of national remote sensing technologies at DOE hazardous waste sites located in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. Objectives of the Oak Ridge study were to determine if national remote sensing technologies are useful in conducting prescreening, characterization, and/or monitoring activities to expedite the clean-up process at hazardous waste sites and to cut clean-up costs wherever possible. This project was sponsored by the Strategic Environmental Research and Development Project (SERDP)

  9. Clean Water Action Plan: Restoring and protecting America`s waters

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    1998-02-01

    On October 18, 1997, the 25th anniversary of the enactment of the Clean Water Act, the Vice President called for a renewed effort to restore and protect water quality. The Vice President asked that the Secretary of Agriculture and the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), working with other affected agencies, develop a Clean Water Action Plan that builds on clean water successes and addresses three major goals: (1) enhanced protection from public health threats posed by water pollution; (2) more effective control of polluted runoff; and (3) promotion of water quality protection on a watershed basis.

  10. Planning environmental restoration in the North Bohemian uranium district, Czech Republic: Progress report 1996

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tomas, J.

    1997-01-01

    Uranium ores have been mined in Bohemian Massif in different mining districts i.e. in West Bohemia, Pribram region and Middle Bohemia, Rozna district and in Straz pod Ralskem district. The latter is represented by stratiform sandstone type of deposit where acid in-situ leaching has been applied as mining method since 1968. More than 4 million tons of leaching acids have been injected into the ore bearing sandstones. The district falls in an area of natural water protection in North Bohemian Cretaceous platform. A complex evaluation of negative impact of uranium mining and milling in this area has been clearly articulated in Government Decrees Nos.:366/92, 429/93, 244/95 and 170/96. A special declining regime of mining has been ordered for the implementation of which together with the Government Commission of Experts a remediation programme has been designed and put into operation in 1996. The uranium producer DIAMO a.s. prepared a Concept of Restoration of the area affected by in-situ leaching and MEGA a.s. has prepared the Environmental Impact Assessment (E.I.A.) according to the law No.244/1992. The Ministry of the Environment issued an Environmental Impact Statement which included evaluation of the condition of mining and restoration programme because both activities will influence the environment of the district. (author)

  11. Gallery forest restoration by the attainment of carbon credit: a social-environmental proposal for low-income community

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Coelho, Maria Carolina Crisci

    2007-01-01

    Due to intensification in climate changes by anthropogenic causes, to the recognition of the environmental importance of the Gallery Forest and its intense degradation, this work presents an analysis of the possibilities of carbon credit attainment by low-income community, as part of an incentive program for the restoration of these areas. Two ways are demonstrated: projects of Clean Development Mechanism (CDM), in the scope of the Kyoto Protocol, that generate credits called certified emission reductions; and projects based on voluntary scheme, that generate voluntary emission reductions. Both are difficult to organize and implement. For example: the eligibility of an area, baseline study, monitoring, non-permanence risks of storage carbon, technical and operational structures, operational and business costs, regulated market in consolidation and guarantee of credit acquisition. Nevertheless, this second market presents greater flexibility and acceptance for the forest projects. The social-environmental benefits of these projects are significant and the valuation of their environmental services can revert in financial incentives for low-income community, since that adequately remunerated. The carbon credit can help in the implementation of these projects, contributing for local restoration of the areas and also for carbon capture by the atmosphere, which this is a global subject. (author)

  12. Dark diversity illuminates the dim side of restoration

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Moeslund, Jesper Erenskjold; Brunbjerg, Ane Kirstine; Clausen, Kevin Kuhlmann

    Dark diversity consists of the species that are absent from sites where they could potentially thrive despite the fact that they are actually in the regional species pool. Successful ecological restoration requires detailed knowledge of species that are less successful in (re)colonizing restored ...... in future restoration and conservation efforts.......Dark diversity consists of the species that are absent from sites where they could potentially thrive despite the fact that they are actually in the regional species pool. Successful ecological restoration requires detailed knowledge of species that are less successful in (re)colonizing restored...

  13. Payments for environmental services in Latin America as a tool for restoration and rural development.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Montagnini, Florencia; Finney, Christopher

    2011-05-01

    Payments for Environmental Services (PES) can encourage projects that enhance restoration, production, and rural development. When projects promote differentiated systems by paying farmers for the provision of services, the application of PES requires evaluation of the environmental services provided by each system. We present evaluations of carbon stocks and biodiversity in pure and mixed native tree plantations in Costa Rica. To illustrate how monetary values can be assigned, we discuss a project that awarded PES to silvopastoral systems in Costa Rica, Nicaragua, and Colombia based on carbon stocks and biodiversity. PES can promote positive environmental attitudes in farmers. Currently this project is being scaled up in Colombia based on their positive experiences with PES as a tool to promote adoption. Compared to PES systems that include only one environmental service, systems that incorporate bundling or layering of multiple services can make sustainable land uses more attractive to farmers and reduce perverse incentives.

  14. Regulatory and institutional issues impending cleanup at US Department of Energy sites: Perspectives gained from an office of environmental restoration workshop

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Fallon, W E; Gephart, J M; Gephart, R E; Quinn, R D; Stevenson, L A

    1991-05-01

    The US Department of Energy's (DOE) nuclear weapons and energy operations are conducted across a nation-wide industrial complex engaged in a variety of manufacturing, processing, testing, and research and development activities. The overall mission of DOE Office of Environmental Restoration and Waste Management (EM) is to protect workers, the public, and the environment from waste materials generated by past, current, and future DOE activities and to bring the DOE complex into compliance with all applicable laws, regulations, and agreements related to health, safety, and the environment. EM addresses this broad mandate through related and interdependent programs that include corrective actions, waste operations, environmental restoration, and technology development. The EM Office of Environmental Restoration (EM-40) recognizes the importance of implementing a complex-wide process to identify and resolve those issues that may impede progress towards site cleanup. As a first step in this process, FM-40 sponsored an exercise to identify and characterize major regulatory and institutional issues and to formulate integrated action steps towards their resolution. This report is the first product of that exercise. It is intended that the exercise described here will mark the beginning of an ongoing process of issue identification, tracking, and resolution that will benefit cleanup activities across the DOE complex.

  15. Drivers of Ecological Restoration: Lessons from a Century of Restoration in Iceland

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ása L. Aradóttir

    2013-12-01

    Full Text Available We analyzed the main drivers for ecological restoration in Iceland from 1907 to 2010 and assessed whether the drivers have changed over time and what factors might explain the changes, if any. Our study was based on a catalogue of 100 restoration projects, programs, and areas, representing 75% to 85% of all restoration activities in Iceland. Catastrophic erosion was an early driver for soil conservation and restoration efforts that still ranked high in the 2000s, reflecting the immense scale of soil erosion and desertification in Iceland. Socioeconomic drivers such as farming and the provision of wood products were strong motivators of ecological restoration over most of the 20th century, although their relative importance decreased with time as the number and diversity of drivers increased. In the 1960s and 1970s, the construction of hard infrastructure, and moral values such as improving the aesthetics of the countryside and "repaying the debt to the land" emerged as motivations for restoration actions. In the late 1990s, the United Nations Climate Change Convention became a driver for restoration, and the importance of nature conservation and recreation increased. Technological development and financial incentives did not show up as drivers of ecological restoration in our study, although there are some indications of their influence. Furthermore, policy was a minor driver, which might reflect weak policy instruments for ecological restoration and some counteractive policies.

  16. Protect and Restore Red River Watershed, 2007-2008 Annual Report.

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Bransford, Stephanie [Nez Perce Tribe Fisheries/Watershed Program

    2009-05-04

    The Nez Perce Tribe Department of Fisheries Resource Management, Watershed Division approaches watershed restoration with a ridge-top to ridge-top approach. The Nez Perce Tribe (NPT) and the Nez Perce National Forest (NPNF) have formed a partnership in completing watershed restoration activities, and through this partnership more work is accomplished by sharing funding and resources in our effort. The Nez Perce Tribe began watershed restoration projects within the Red River Watershed of the South Fork Clearwater River in 2001. Progress has been made in restoring the watershed through road decommissioning and culvert replacement. From completing a watershed assessment to two NEPA efforts and a final stream restoration design, we will begin the effort of restoring the mainstem channel of Red River to provide spawning and rearing habitat for anadromous and resident fish species. Roads have been surveyed and prioritized for removal or improvement as well as culverts being prioritized for replacement to accommodate fish passage throughout the watershed. Another major, and extremely, important component of this project is the Red River Meadow Conservation Easement. We have begun the process of pursuing a conservation easement on approximately 270 acres of prime meadow habitat (Red River runs through this meadow and is prime spawning and rearing habitat).

  17. Promoting compliance at DOE: Tiger team assessments and environmental audits

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Green, R.S.; Crawford, V.I.

    1993-01-01

    The Office of Environmental Audit, within the Department of Energy's Office of Environment, Safety and Health, has effected positive environmental results across the DOE complex. Beginning in the mid 1980's, a concerted effort was established by DOE upper management to achieve environmental consciousness and responsibility. The Office of Environmental Audit was established to conduct and Environmental survey to define environmental problems caused by 40 years of operation at DOE production and research facilities. The Office provided initial identification of DOE sites requiring environmental restoration and assured plans were developed to address these environmental problems. Initiated by massive problems in the environmental operations at DOE's Rocky Flats Plant in Colorado, Tiger Team Assessments (TTA) followed. TTAs established a compliance baseline and evaluated management with respect to environment, safety, and health. The Tiger Teams assured plans were established to correct deficiencies including root causes. As part of this comprehensive effort, the Office of Environmental Audit led the environmental component of the TTAs. With TTAs completed, the Office's future vision entails addressing new environmental regulations and world changes affecting DOE operations. To proactively continue its efforts to effect positive environmental change, the Office is headed toward a comprehensive cross-cutting program that conducts environmental management assessments, reassesses the environmental progress of formerly audited facilities, and evaluates special focuses environmental issues that span across the DOE complex. Through these efforts, the Office of Environmental Audit will determine the environmental activities which address environmental problems and identify environmental problems requiring resolution. Following trending analyses, the Office will disseminate information describing mechanisms to pursue and pitfalls to avoid to achieve environmental excellence

  18. The use of institutional controls at Department of Energy Oak Ridge Field Office environmental restoration sites

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    White, R.K.; Swindle, D.W.; Redfearn, A.; King, A.D.

    1992-01-01

    This report summarizes some of the major issues related to the use of institutional controls at hazardous waste sites under the auspices of the Department of Energy Field Office, Oak Ridge/Environmental Restoration (DOE-OR/ER) Division. In particular, the report addresses the impacts that assumptions regarding institutional controls have on the results and interpretation of the risk assessment, both in the Remedial Investigation (RI) and the Feasibility Study (FS). Environmental restoration activities at DOE-OR/ER sites are primarily driven by CERCLA. Therefore, the report focuses on the approaches and assumptions relating to institutional controls under CERCLA. Also the report briefly outlines approaches adopted under other authorities such as RCRA and radiation regulatory authorities (such as NRC regulations/guidance, DOE orders, and EPA standards) in order to contrast these approaches to those adopted under CERCLA. In order to demonstrate the implications of the use of institutional controls at DOE facilities, this report summarizes the approaches and results of the recent baseline risk assessment for Solid Waste Storage Area 6 at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. The report concludes with possible options on the use of institutional controls at DOE-OR/ER sites

  19. Ecological and social dimensions of ecosystem restoration in the Nordic countries

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hagen, Dagmar; Svavarsdottir, Kristin; Nilsson, Christer

    2013-01-01

    An international overview of the extent and type of ecological restoration can offer new perspectives for understanding, planning, and implementation. The Nordic countries, with a great range of natural conditions but historically similar social and political structures, provide an opportunity...... and among countries, both in the Nordic countries and internationally. An obvious advantage of such cooperation is that a wider range of experiences from different habitats and different socio-economic conditions becomes available and thus provides a more solid basis for developing practical solutions...... to compare restoration approaches and efforts across borders. The aim of this study was to explore variation in ecological restoration using the Nordic countries as an example. We used recent national assessments and expert evaluations of ecological restoration. Restoration efforts differed among countries...

  20. Analyzing Patterns of Community Interest at a Legacy Mining Waste Site to Assess and Inform Environmental Health Literacy Efforts

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ramirez-Andreotta, Monica D.; Lothrop, Nathan; Wilkinson, Sarah T.; Root, Robert A.; Artiola, Janick F.; Klimecki, Walter; Loh, Miranda

    2015-01-01

    Understanding a community’s concerns and informational needs is crucial to conducting and improving environmental health research and literacy initiatives. We hypothesized that analysis of community inquiries over time at a legacy mining site would be an effective method for assessing environmental health literacy efforts and determining whether community concerns were thoroughly addressed. Through a qualitative analysis, we determined community concerns at the time of being listed as a Superfund site. We analyzed how community concerns changed from this starting point over the subsequent years, and whether: 1) communication materials produced by the USEPA and other media were aligned with community concerns; and 2) these changes demonstrated a progression of the community’s understanding resulting from community involvement and engaged research efforts. We observed that when the Superfund site was first listed, community members were most concerned with USEPA management, remediation, site-specific issues, health effects, and environmental monitoring efforts related to air/dust and water. Over the next five years, community inquiries shifted significantly to include exposure assessment and reduction methods and issues unrelated to the site, particularly the local public water supply and home water treatment systems. Such documentation of community inquiries over time at contaminated sites is a novel method to assess environmental health literacy efforts and determine whether community concerns were thoroughly addressed. PMID:27595054

  1. Standard review plan for the review of environmental restoration remedial action quality assurance program plans

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1991-09-01

    This plan establishes both the scope of the review and the acceptance criteria to be utilized for the review of Quality Assurance Program Plans (QAPPs) developed in accordance with the requirements of DOE/RL-90-28. DOE/RL-90-28, the Environmental Restoration Remedial Action Quality Assurance Requirements Document (QARD) defines all quality assurance (QA) requirements governing activities that affect the quality of the Environmental Restoration Remedial Action (ERRA) program at the Hanford Site. These requirements are defined in three parts, Part 1 of Quality Management and Administration tasks, Part 2 for Environmental Data Operations, and Part 3 of the Design and Construction of items, systems, and facilities. The purpose of this document is to identify the scope of the review by the DOE Field Office, Richland staff, and establish the acceptance criteria (Parts 1, 2, and 3) that the DOE Field Office, Richland staff will utilize to evaluate the participant QAPPs. Use of the standard review plan will (1) help ensure that participant QAPPs contain the information required by DOE/RL-90-28, (2) aid program participant and DOE Field Office, Richland staff is ensuring that the information describing the participant's QAPP is complete, (3) help persons regarding DOE/RL- 90-28 to locate information, and (4) contribute to decreasing the time needed for the review process. In addition, the Standard Review Plan (SRP) ensures the quality and uniformity of the staff reviews and presents a well-defined base from which to evaluate compliance of participant quality programs against DOE/RL-90-28

  2. Environmental Restoration Contractor Waste Minimization and Pollution Prevention Plan. Revision 1

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lewis, R.A.

    1996-03-01

    This plan contains the Environmental Restoration Contractor (ERC) Waste Minimization and Pollution Prevention (WMin/P2) Program. The plan outlines the activities and schedules developed by the ERC to reduce the quantity and toxicity of waste dispositioned as a result of restoration and remediation activities. This plan satisfies US Department of Energy (DOE) requirements including the Pollution Prevention Awareness program required by DOE Order 5400.1 (DOE 1988). This plan is consistent with Executive Order 12856 and Secretary O'Leary's pollution prevention Policy Statement of December 27, 1994, which set US and DOE pollution prevention policies, respectively. It is also consistent with the DOE Pollution Prevention Crosscut Plan, 1994, which provides guidance in meeting the DOE goals in pollution prevention. The purpose of this plan is to aid ERC projects in meeting and documenting compliance with requirements for WMin/P2. This plan contains the objectives, strategy, and support activities of the ERC Team WMin/P2 program. The basic elements of the plan are pollution prevention goals, waste assessments of major waste streams, implementation of feasible waste minimization opportunities, and a process for reporting achievements. Wherever appropriate, the ERC will integrate the pollution prevention activities in this plan into regular program activities rather than establishing separate WMin/P2 activities. Moreover, wherever possible, existing documents, procedures, and activities will be used to meet WMin/P2 requirements

  3. 78 FR 14117 - Draft Environmental Impact Statement/Environmental Impact Report for Yolo Bypass Salmonid Habitat...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2013-03-04

    ...The Bureau of Reclamation and California Department of Water Resources intend to prepare an environmental impact statement/ environmental impact report (EIS/EIR) for the implementation of actions I.6.1 and I.7 identified in the National Marine Fisheries Service's 2009 Biological Opinion and Conference Opinion on the Long-term Operation of the Central Valley Project and State Water Project Reasonable and Prudent Alternative. These actions consist of salmonid habitat restoration efforts within the lower Sacramento River basin and fish passage through the Yolo Bypass. We are seeking suggestions and information on the alternatives and topics to be addressed and any other important issues related to the proposed action.

  4. Environmental restoration baselining as a means of successful performance

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fourr, B.R.; Pilo, M.A.; Hastings, K.R.

    1994-01-01

    The Idaho National Engineering Laboratory (INEL) Environmental Restoration (ER) Program is a success story for the U.S. Department of Energy Environmental Management Program (DOE-EM) with 9 Records of Decision (ROD's) signed, 5 CERCLA Interim Actions complete or in progress, 8 Expedited Removal Actions either planned, complete or in progress, and cleanup activity underway at over 60 percent of the 88 operable units. More than 50% of Idaho's budget for Fiscal Year (FY94) is targeted for cleanup activities, and starting in FY95, more than twice as much will be spent on cleanup as assessment. The INEL ER Program can serve as a model for other EM programs striving to meet the goals of the EM Strategic Plan. An important factor in the INEL success story is the work planning which takes place each year to integrate the DOE-EM budget process, the legal requirements of the Federal Facilities Agreement and Consent Order (FFA/CO), and the interests of stakeholders. This integration is no small task given that Activity Data Sheets (ADS), which are DOE-EM's primary budget document are prepared and submitted to DOE Headquarters (DOE-HQ) about 18 months prior to the start of the budget year. The ADS form the basis of budget negotiations between DOE-EM, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and Congress. Actual funding is not known until the start of the fiscal year

  5. Moisture, plant-plant interactions and herbivory as drivers of rangeland restoration success in the western US

    Science.gov (United States)

    Restoration efforts in the western US occur across a diverse array of plant communities and climatic conditions. Restoration is likely constrained by different factors in different locations, but few efforts have compared the outcomes of rangeland restoration experiments across broad spatial scales....

  6. Plant succession and approaches to community restoration

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bruce A. Roundy

    2005-01-01

    The processes of vegetation change over time, or plant succession, are also the processes involved in plant community restoration. Restoration efforts attempt to use designed disturbance, seedbed preparation and sowing methods, and selection of adapted and compatible native plant materials to enhance ecological function. The large scale of wildfires and weed invasion...

  7. Pacific Lamprey Research and Restoration Project : Annual Report 2001.

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Close, David A.

    2002-11-01

    Pacific lamprey (Lampetra tridentata) has significantly declined along the Oregon coast and in the Columbia River Basin (Downey et al. 1993; Close and Jackson 2001). Declines in adults can be partially attributed to hydroelectric dams, which have impeded passage of adult Pacific lamprey in the Columbia and Snake rivers, thus effecting larval recruitment in the basin. Adult pacific lamprey also declined in numbers in the Umatilla River, a tributary of the Columbia River. In addition to hydro power dams in the Columbia River, habitat alterations and chemical treatments have been involved in the collapse of Pacific lamprey populations in the Umatilla River. To initiate the restoration effort, CTUIR began developing a restoration plan in 1998. The goal of the lamprey research and restoration project is to restore natural production of Pacific lampreys in the Umatilla River to self-sustaining and harvestable level. This report is summarizing the studies and restoration efforts concluded in 2001.

  8. Hazardous waste database: Waste management policy implications for the US Department of Energy's Environmental Restoration and Waste Management Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lazaro, M.A.; Policastro, A.J.; Antonopoulos, A.A.; Hartmann, H.M.; Koebnick, B.; Dovel, M.; Stoll, P.W.

    1994-01-01

    The hazardous waste risk assessment modeling (HaWRAM) database is being developed to analyze the risk from treatment technology operations and potential transportation accidents associated with the hazardous waste management alternatives. These alternatives are being assessed in the Department of Energy's Environmental Restoration and Waste Management Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (EM PEIS). To support the risk analysis, the current database contains complexwide detailed information on hazardous waste shipments from 45 Department of Energy installations during FY 1992. The database is currently being supplemented with newly acquired data. This enhancement will improve database information on operational hazardous waste generation rates, and the level and type of current on-site treatment at Department of Energy installations

  9. Strategic plan and strategy of the Oak Ridge National Laboratory Environmental Restoration Program

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1995-06-01

    This report provides information about the use of an integrated strategic plan, strategy, and life-cycle baseline in the long range planning and risk process employed by the environmental restoration program at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL). Long-range planning is essential because the ER Program encompasses hundreds of sites; will last several decades; and requires complex technology, management, and policy. Long-range planning allows a focused, cost-effective approach to identify and meet Program objectives. This is accomplished through a strategic plan, a strategy, and a life-cycle baseline. This long-range methodology is illustrated below

  10. Environmental restoration and waste management five year plan, fiscal years 1994--1998

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1993-01-01

    In March 1989, Secretary of Energy James D. Watkins outlined his vision for a changed Department of Energy (DOE) culture. This culture is one of envirorunental responsibility, increased knowledge and involvement in environmental management, a new openness to public input, and overall accountability to the Nation for its actions. Secretary Watkins also requested all the near-term activities necessary to bring DOEactivities into compliance with all applicable environmental requirements to be detailed in one plan. The Five-Year Plan was to be based on a ''bottom up'' approach to planning by using Activity Data Sheets to collect financial and technical information at the installation level. Over the past three years, the Five-Year Plan has evolved into the primary planning tool for the DOE Environmental Restoration and Waste Management Program, looking beyond the current three-year Federal budget horizon. The FY 1994--1998 Five-Year Plan demonstrates DOE's commitment to a culture based on the principles of openness, responsiveness, and accountability; reports on the progress made in carrying out DOE's environmental mission; identifies what must be accomplished during a five-year planning period; and describes strategies for achieving critical program objectives. This plan represents another step towards the implementation of the culture change Secretary Watkins envisioned. The Five-Year Plan is not exclusively focused on near-term activities. Italso expresses the DOE commitment to a 30-year goal for the cleanup of the 1989 inventory of inactive sites. The FY 1994--1998 Five-Year Plan reiterates the DOE commitment to meeting this and other important environmental goals

  11. Environmental restoration: Integrating hydraulic control of groundwater, innovative contaminant removal technologies and wetlands restoration--A case study at SRS

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lewis, C.M.; Serkiz, S.M.; Adams, J.; Welty, M.

    1992-01-01

    The groundwater remediation program at the F and H Seepage Basins, Savannah River Sits (SRS) is a case study of the integration of various environmental restoration technologies at a single waste site. Hydraulic control measures are being designed to mitigate the discharge of groundwater plumes to surface water. One of the primary constituents of the plumes is tritium. An extraction and reinjection scenario is being designed to keep the tritium in circulation in the shallow groundwater, until it can naturally decay. This will be accomplished by extracting groundwater downgradient of the waste sites, treatment, and reinjection of the tritiated water into the water table upgradient of the basins. Innovative in-situ technologies, including electrolytic migration, are being field tested at the site to augment the pump-treat-reinject system. The in-situ technologies target removal of contaminants which are relatively immobile, yet represent long term risks to human health and the environment. Wetland restoration is an integral part of the F and H remediation program. Both in-situ treatment of the groundwater discharging the wetlands to adjust the pH, and replacement of water loss due to the groundwater extraction program ar being considered. Toxicity studies indicate that drought and the effects of low pH groundwater discharge have been factors in observed tree mortality in wetlands near the waste sites

  12. EnviroTRADE: A technical perspective on the development of an information system providing data on environmental technologies and needs worldwide

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Harrington, M.W.; Harlan, C.P.

    1992-01-01

    In support of the US Department of Energy's commitment to the remediation of waste sites throughout its complex, the DOE has recognized that it can accelerate its technology development efforts and leverage the expenditure of available funds through an international cooperation among government entities, private industry, and educational institutions. To support the technology transfer of environmental information, the DOE has sponsored the development of EnviroTRADE - an international information system that will facilitate the exchange of environmental restoration and waste management technologies worldwide. The system will contain profiles on both environmental restoration / waste management needs and foreign / domestic technologies. Users will be able to identify matches between worldwide needs and available or emerging technologies. Where matches between needs and existing technologies are not found, the system will identify the potential for development of new and innovative technologies to address environmental problems. EnviroTRADE will also provide general information on international environmental restoration and waste management organizations, sites, activities, and contacts

  13. 78 FR 13082 - Draft Environmental Impact Report/Environmental Impact Statement/Environmental Impact Statement...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2013-02-26

    ...The Bureau of Reclamation has made available for public review and comment the draft Environmental Impact Report/Environmental Impact Statement/Environmental Impact Statement (EIR/EIS/EIS) for the Upper Truckee River Restoration and Marsh Restoration Project (Project). The California Tahoe Conservancy and the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency, the other lead agencies for the Project, made the EIR/EIS/EIS available to the public on February 8, 2013.

  14. Restoration of ailing wetlands.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Oswald J Schmitz

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available It is widely held that humankind's destructive tendencies when exploiting natural resources leads to irreparable harm to the environment. Yet, this thinking runs counter to evidence that many ecological systems damaged by severe natural environmental disturbances (e.g., hurricanes can restore themselves via processes of natural recovery. The emerging field of restoration ecology is capitalizing on the natural restorative tendencies of ecological systems to build a science of repairing the harm inflicted by humans on natural environment. Evidence for this, for example, comes from a new meta-analysis of 124 studies that synthesizes recovery of impacted wetlands worldwide. While it may take up to two human generations to see full recovery, there is promise, given human will, to restore many damaged wetlands worldwide.

  15. Environmental Restoration/Waste Management - applied technology. Semiannual report, July 1992--June 1993, Volume 1, Number 2, and Volume 2, Number 1

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Murphy, P.W.; Bruner, J.M.; Price, M.E.; Talaber, C.J.

    1993-01-01

    The Environmental Restoration/Waste Management-Applied Technology (ER/WM-AT) Program is developing restoration and waste treatment technologies needed for the ongoing environmental cleanup of the Department of Energy (DOE) complex and treatment technologies for wastes generated in the nuclear weapons production complex. These technologies can find application to similar problems nationally and even worldwide. They can be demonstrated at the Livermore site, which mirrors (on a small scale) many of the environmental and waste management problems of the rest of the DOE complex. Their commercialization should speed cleanup, and the scope of the task should make it attractive to US industry. The articles in this semi-annual report cover the following areas: ceramic final forms for residues of mixed waste treatment; treatment of wastes containing sodium nitrate; actinide volatility in thermal oxidation processes; in situ microbial filters for remediating contaminated soils; collaboration with scientists in the former Soviet Union on new ER/WM technologies; and fiber-optic sensors for chlorinated organic solvents

  16. Restorative Justice: New Horizons in Juvenile Offender Counseling

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ryals, John S. Jr.

    2004-01-01

    Treatment strategies of the juvenile justice system focus singularly on rehabilitation of offenders, and victims and communities are excluded from the rehabilitative process. Restorative justice views victims and communities as essential components in rehabilitative efforts. In this article, the principles and practices of restorative justice,…

  17. RESTORATIVE JUSTICE DALAM UNDANG-UNDANG SPPA: IMPLIKASINYA BAGI PEKERJAAN SOSIAL

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Edi Suharto

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available Act No. 11 Year 2012 on the Juvenile Justice Systemthat now come into force, grounded in the concept of restorative justice. Restorative justice is the completion of the criminal case together relevant parties in order to seek a fair settlement with the emphasis on restoring back to its original state. To achieve this restorative justice efforts for settling disputes diversion or transfer of children from the criminal justice process to the outside of the criminal justice process. At this diversion efforts have implications for social work. If previously a social worker who has a small role for children in conflict with the law (ABH, it is now a greater role. So it is necessary to enhance the quality and quantity of social workers. Improved quality and quantity must be followed by efforts such as education and training. Institutional quality of social welfare services should also be strengthened because it is the institution that will hold ABH when diversion efforts agreed by the parties. Keyword: Restorative Justice; Diversion; Social Workers   ABSTRAK UU SPPA yang sekarang mulai berlaku, berpijak pada paradigma restorative justice. Restorative justice merupakan penyelesaian perkara tindak pidana bersama-sama pihak terkait dalam rangka mencari penyelesaian yang adil dengan menekankan pemulihan kembali pada keadaan semula. Untuk mencapai keadilan restoratif ini dilakukan upaya diversi atau pengalihan penyelesaian perkara anak dari proses peradilan pidana ke proses di luar peradilan pidana. Pada upaya diversi inilah memiliki dampak bagi pekerjaan sosial. Jika sebelumnya pekerja sosial mempunyai peranan yang kecil kepada anak yang berhadapan dengan hukum (ABH, maka kini peranannya lebih besar. Sehingga dibutuhkan peningkatan kualitas maupun kuantitas. Peningkatan kualitas maupun kuantitas harus diikuti dengan upaya seperti pendidikan dan pelatihan. Kualitas kelembagaan pelayanan kesejahteraan sosial juga harus diperkuat karena lembaga inilah yang

  18. Estimating the Size and Impact of the Ecological Restoration Economy.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Todd BenDor

    Full Text Available Domestic public debate continues over the economic impacts of environmental regulations that require environmental restoration. This debate has occurred in the absence of broad-scale empirical research on economic output and employment resulting from environmental restoration, restoration-related conservation, and mitigation actions - the activities that are part of what we term the "restoration economy." In this article, we provide a high-level accounting of the size and scope of the restoration economy in terms of employment, value added, and overall economic output on a national scale. We conducted a national survey of businesses that participate in restoration work in order to estimate the total sales and number of jobs directly associated with the restoration economy, and to provide a profile of this nascent sector in terms of type of restoration work, industrial classification, workforce needs, and growth potential. We use survey results as inputs into a national input-output model (IMPLAN 3.1 in order to estimate the indirect and induced economic impacts of restoration activities. Based on this analysis we conclude that the domestic ecological restoration sector directly employs ~ 126,000 workers and generates ~ $9.5 billion in economic output (sales annually. This activity supports an additional 95,000 jobs and $15 billion in economic output through indirect (business-to-business linkages and increased household spending.

  19. Independent technical review of the Sandia National Laboratories Environmental Restoration Project

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1994-11-01

    An Independent Technical Review was conducted of the Environmental Restoration Project. The objective of the review was recommendations, from a commercial perspective, on a systems level path forward to safe, minimum cost and schedule project completion. The work presented represents the consensus analysis and recommendations of thirteen individuals with varied backgrounds, expertise, and experience. The ITR team recommends that the barriers to the opportunity described in the diagnosis be eliminated using an integrated DOE-Sandia system approach. Piecemeal changes will not result in the desired commercial efficiency. DOE needs to operate as the contracting agency for a Major System Acquisition. If it does not, commercial performance will not be achieved regardless of the contractor. Likewise, Sandia needs to establish and implement the necessary project structure and management systems to operate with commercial contractor like efficiency

  20. Groundwater restoration of in-situ uranium mines

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Anon.

    1994-01-01

    In-situ leaching is a relatively new uranium production technology that is expected to account for a growing share of future output. Depending upon the leaching solution used, the process may have considerable impact on the ground water. Since restoration of ground water quality is required in most countries and since this restoration is by far the most costly aspect of reclamation of an in-situ mine, it is necessary to utilize a process that lends itself both to the efficiency of the leaching process and the restoration process. This article examines a number of techniques that may be used in the restoration efforts. These include: (1) groundwater sweep, (2) reverse osmosis, (3) chemical restoration, and (4) electrodialysis. The article also discusses disposal of the excess fluids used in the restoration process

  1. A summary of the environmental restoration program retrieval demonstration project at the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    McQuary, J.

    1991-02-01

    This report provides a summary of the Environmental Restoration Program's Retrieval Demonstration Project at the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory. This project developed concepts for demonstrating facilities and equipment for the retrieval of buried transuranic mixed waste at the INEL. Included is a brief assessment of the viability, cost effectiveness, and safety of retrieval based on the developed concept. Changes made in Revision 1 reflect editorial changes only. 31 refs., 1 fig

  2. Using MODIS-NDVI for the Modeling of Post-Wildfire Vegetation Response as a Function of Environmental Conditions and Pre-Fire Restoration Treatments

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Grant M. Casady

    2012-03-01

    Full Text Available Post-fire vegetation response is influenced by the interaction of natural and anthropogenic factors such as topography, climate, vegetation type and restoration practices. Previous research has analyzed the relationship of some of these factors to vegetation response, but few have taken into account the effects of pre-fire restoration practices. We selected three wildfires that occurred in Bandelier National Monument (New Mexico, USA between 1999 and 2007 and three adjacent unburned control areas. We used interannual trends in the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI time series data derived from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS to assess vegetation response, which we define as the average potential photosynthetic activity through the summer monsoon. Topography, fire severity and restoration treatment were obtained and used to explain post-fire vegetation response. We applied parametric (Multiple Linear Regressions-MLR and non-parametric tests (Classification and Regression Trees-CART to analyze effects of fire severity, terrain and pre-fire restoration treatments (variable used in CART on post-fire vegetation response. MLR results showed strong relationships between vegetation response and environmental factors (p < 0.1, however the explanatory factors changed among treatments. CART results showed that beside fire severity and topography, pre-fire treatments strongly impact post-fire vegetation response. Results for these three fires show that pre-fire restoration conditions along with local environmental factors constitute key processes that modify post-fire vegetation response.

  3. Holes: a novel method for promoting vegetation restoration (Macao)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shao-Lin Peng; Yi-Na Yu; Yu-Ping Hou; Long-Sheng Yu; Bao-Ming. Chen

    2009-01-01

    Restoration Notes have been a distinguishing feature of Ecological Restoration for more than 25 years. This section is geared toward introducing innovative research, tools, technologies, programs, and ideas, as well as providing short-term research results and updates on ongoing efforts.

  4. Estimating restorable wetland water storage at landscape scales

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jones, Charles Nathan; Evenson, Grey R.; McLaughlin, Daniel L.; Vanderhoof, Melanie; Lang, Megan W.; McCarty, Greg W.; Golden, Heather E.; Lane, Charles R.; Alexander, Laurie C.

    2018-01-01

    Globally, hydrologic modifications such as ditching and subsurface drainage have significantly reduced wetland water storage capacity (i.e., volume of surface water a wetland can retain) and consequent wetland functions. While wetland area has been well documented across many landscapes and used to guide restoration efforts, few studies have directly quantified the associated wetland storage capacity. Here, we present a novel raster-based approach to quantify both contemporary and potential (i.e., restorable) storage capacities of individual depressional basins across landscapes. We demonstrate the utility of this method by applying it to the Delmarva Peninsula, a region punctuated by both depressional wetlands and drainage ditches. Across the entire peninsula, we estimated that restoration (i.e., plugging ditches) could increase storage capacity by 80%. Focusing on an individual watershed, we found that over 59% of restorable storage capacity occurs within 20 m of the drainage network, and that 93% occurs within 1 m elevation of the drainage network. Our demonstration highlights widespread ditching in this landscape, spatial patterns of both contemporary and potential storage capacities, and clear opportunities for hydrologic restoration. In Delmarva and more broadly, our novel approach can inform targeted landscape-scale conservation and restoration efforts to optimize hydrologically mediated wetland functions.

  5. Guidance document for the preparation of waste management plans for the Environmental Restoration Program at Oak Ridge National Laboratory

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Clark, C. Jr.

    1993-07-01

    A project waste management (WM) plan is required for all Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) Environmental Restoration (ER) Program remedial investigation, decommission and decontamination (D ampersand D), and remedial action (RA) activities. The project WM plan describes the strategy for handling, packaging, treating, transporting, characterizing, storing, and/or disposing of waste produced as part of ORNL ER Program activities. The project WM plan also contains a strategy for ensuring worker and environmental protection during WM activities

  6. Environmental restoration activities at the US Department of Energy's Pinellas Plant

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Parker, M.W.

    1991-01-01

    The Pinellas Plant, located in Largo, Florida, is part of the US Department of Energy's (DOE) weapons complex. GE Neutron Devices (GEND) has initiated an extremely aggressive, proactive Environmental Restoration (ER) Program at the Pinellas Plant. The ER program was started by AL to investigate environmental concerns associated with past waste management practices and procedures at DOE weapons installations. The Pinellas Plant has been involved with ER activities since the mid 1980's when the DOE's Pinellas Area Office (PAO) entered a voluntary cleanup agreement with the Florida Department of Environmental Regulation (FDER). The agreement was for the remediation of an adjacent parcel of property previously owned, and used for disposal of drums containing waste solvents and resins. Remediation issues at the Pinellas Plant are equivalent to those experienced by many private industries; for example, limited volatile organic compound (VOC) and heavy metal contamination of the surficial aquifer system and heavy metal contamination of soils. ER activities in progress are aimed toward: confining, repositioning and remedying areas of heavy metal and VOC contaminants found within the surficial aquifer system; consistency with EPA's draft Corrective Action rules which state ''the corrective action program will be to expedite cleanup results by requiring (taking) sensible early action to control environmental problems;'' protection of a US Department of Interior (DOI) designated national wetland; and to ensure that risk to human health and safety and to the environment posed by the plants past, present and future operations are either eliminated or reduced to acceptable, safe levels. This paper will summarize the progress made and the strategies of the Pinellas Plant ER program as well as implementation of interim remedial actions

  7. 76 FR 9327 - Gulf Spill Restoration Planning; Notice of Intent To Begin Restoration Scoping and Prepare a...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2011-02-17

    ... to compensate the public and the environment for loss of natural resources and services from the... Florida, as well as human uses of these resources. Natural Resource Damage Assessment (NRDA) is the... Restoration Planning; Notice of Intent To Begin Restoration Scoping and Prepare a Programmatic Environmental...

  8. A comparison of radiological risk assessment methods for environmental restoration

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dunning, D.E. Jr.; Peterson, J.M.

    1993-01-01

    Evaluation of risks to human health from exposure to ionizing radiation at radioactively contaminated sites is an integral part of the decision-making process for determining the need for remediation and selecting remedial actions that may be required. At sites regulated under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA), a target risk range of 10 -4 to 10 -6 incremental cancer incidence over a lifetime is specified by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as generally acceptable, based on the reasonable maximum exposure to any individual under current and future land use scenarios. Two primary methods currently being used in conducting radiological risk assessments at CERCLA sites are compared in this analysis. Under the first method, the radiation dose equivalent (i.e., Sv or rem) to the receptors of interest over the appropriate period of exposure is estimated and multiplied by a risk factor (cancer risk/Sv). Alternatively, incremental cancer risk can be estimated by combining the EPA's cancer slope factors (previously termed potency factors) for radionuclides with estimates of radionuclide intake by ingestion and inhalation, as well as radionuclide concentrations in soil that contribute to external dose. The comparison of the two methods has demonstrated that resulting estimates of lifetime incremental cancer risk under these different methods may differ significantly, even when all other exposure assumptions are held constant, with the magnitude of the discrepancy depending upon the dominant radionuclides and exposure pathways for the site. The basis for these discrepancies, the advantages and disadvantages of each method, and the significance of the discrepant results for environmental restoration decisions are presented

  9. Site environmental report for calendar year 1996: Yucca Mountain site, Nye County, Nevada

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1997-11-01

    The environmental program established by the Yucca Mountain Site Characterization Office (YMSCO) has been designed and implemented to protect, maintain, and restore environmental quality, minimize potential threats to the environment and the public, and comply with environmental policies and US Department of Energy (DOE) Orders. In accordance with DOE Order 5400.1, General Environmental Protection Program (DOE, 1990a), to be superseded by DOE Order 231.1 (under review), the status of the Yucca Mountain Site Characterization Project (YMP) environmental program has been summarized in this annual Site Environmental Report (SER) to characterize performance, document compliance with environmental requirements, and highlight significant programs and efforts during calendar year 1996

  10. Developing innovative environmental technologies for DOE needs

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Devgun, J.S.; Sewell, I.O.; DeGregory, J.

    1995-01-01

    Environmental restoration and waste management activities at US Department of Energy (DOE) facilities are diverse and complex. Contamination at DOE sites and facilities includes radionuclides, chlorinated hydrocarbons, volatile organic compounds, non-aqueous phase liquids, and heavy metals, among others. Soil and groundwater contamination are major areas of concern and DOE has focused very significant efforts in these areas. Relevant technology development activities are being conducted at DOE's own national laboratories, as well as through collaborative efforts with other federal agencies and the private sector. These activities span research and development (R ampersand D) of new concepts and techniques to demonstration and commercialization of mature technologies. Since 1990, DOE has also supported R ampersand D of innovative technologies through interagency agreements with US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), US Department of Defense, the National Science Foundation, and others

  11. Uranium mills and mines environmental restoration in Spain

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Perez Estevez, C.; Lozano Martinez, F.

    2000-01-01

    ENRESA and ENUSA have dismantled and restored a uranium mill in Andujar (Andalucia), a uranium facility based on open pit mining and plant in La Haba (Extremadura) and 19 old uranium mines in Andalucia and Extremadura. The Andujar Uranium Mill was operated from 1959 to 1981 and has been restorated between 1991 and 1994. The site included the tailings pile and the processing plant. The Haba Uranium Site included the Plant (operating from 1976 to 1999), four open-pit mines (operating from 1966 to 1990), the heaps leaching and the tailings dam and has been restorated between 1992 and 1997. The 19 abandoned uranium mines were developed by underground mining with the exception of two sites, which were operated by open pit mining. Mining operations started around 1959 and were shutdown in 1981. There was a great diversity among the mines, in terms of site conditions. Whereas in some sites there was little trace of the mining works, in other sites large excavations, mining debris piles, abandoned shafs and galeries and remaining surface structures and equipment were encountered. (author)

  12. Final environmental assessment and Finding-of-No-Significant-Impact - drum storage facility for interim storage of materials generated by environmental restoration operations

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1994-09-01

    The Department of Energy (DOE) has prepared an Environmental Assessment (EA), DOE/EA-0995, for the construction and operation of a drum storage facility at Rocky Flats Environmental Technology Site, Golden, Colorado. The proposal for construction of the facility was generated in response to current and anticipated future needs for interim storage of waste materials generated by environmental restoration operations. A public meeting was held on July 20, 1994, at which the scope and analyses of the EA were presented. The scope of the EA included evaluation of alternative methods of storage, including no action. A comment period from July 5, 1994 through August 4, 1994, was provided to the public and the State of Colorado to submit written comment on the EA. No written comments were received regarding this proposed action, therefore no comment response is included in the Final EA. Based on the analyses in the EA, DOE has determined that the proposed action would not significantly affect the quality of the human environment within the meaning of the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA). Therefore, preparation of an Environmental Impact Statement is not required and the Department is issuing this Finding of No Significant Impact

  13. Status of environmental response efforts at radioactively contaminated sites in the united states air force installation restoration program

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rowe, W.D. Jr.; McEntee, T.E. Jr.; Johnson, B.; Manning, L.

    1995-01-01

    The United States Air Force has identified approximately 170 radioactively contaminated sites at its domestic installations. These sites contain a variety of low level radioactive and mixed wastes and are classified as burial sites, landfills, buildings, and other disposal sites. Of these 170, approximately 70 are presently being evaluated under the Air Force Installation Restoration Program (IRP) in accordance with applicable laws and regulations. Removal and/or remedial actions have been taken at specific sites using site-specific residual radioactivity criteria. The remaining sites are either under investigation to determine the need for possible action or have been classified as response complete based on restricted or unrestricted future use. This paper describes past Air Force operations that generated radioactive waste materials; examines the current inventory of resulting radioactively contaminated sites in the Air Force IRP; reviews criteria used to evaluate sites for removal and/or remedial actions; provides summary information on actions taken at sites; and focuses on response actions and cleanup levels at two completed sites. The paper concludes with an assessment of outstanding issues relevant to the remediation of radioactively contaminated sites. (author)

  14. Habitat Restoration as a Key Conservation Lever for Woodland Caribou: A review of restoration programs and key learnings from Alberta

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Paula Bentham

    2015-12-01

    Full Text Available The Recovery Strategy for the Woodland Caribou (Rangifer tarandus caribou, Boreal Population in Canada (EC, 2012, identifies coordinated actions to reclaim woodland caribou habitat as a key step to meeting current and future caribou population objectives. Actions include restoring industrial landscape features such as roads, seismic lines, pipelines, cut-lines, and cleared areas in an effort to reduce landscape fragmentation and the changes in caribou population dynamics associated with changing predator-prey dynamics in highly fragmented landscapes. Reliance on habitat restoration as a recovery action within the federal recovery strategy is high, considering all Alberta populations have less than 65% undisturbed habitat, which is identified in the recovery strategy as a threshold providing a 60% chance that a local population will be self-sustaining. Alberta’s Provincial Woodland Caribou Policy also identifies habitat restoration as a critical component of long-term caribou habitat management. We review and discuss the history of caribou habitat restoration programs in Alberta and present outcomes and highlights of a caribou habitat restoration workshop attended by over 80 representatives from oil and gas, forestry, provincial and federal regulators, academia and consulting who have worked on restoration programs. Restoration initiatives in Alberta began in 2001 and have generally focused on construction methods, revegetation treatments, access control programs, and limiting plant species favourable to alternate prey. Specific treatments include tree planting initiatives, coarse woody debris management along linear features, and efforts for multi-company and multi-stakeholder coordinated habitat restoration on caribou range. Lessons learned from these programs have been incorporated into large scale habitat restoration projects near Grande Prairie, Cold Lake, and Fort McMurray. A key outcome of our review is the opportunity to provide a

  15. INL Site Portion of the April 1995 Programmatic Spent Nuclear Fuel Management and Idaho National Engineering Laboratory Environmental Restoration and Waste Mamagement Programmatic Final Environmental Impact Statement

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    N/A

    2005-06-30

    In April 1995, the Department of Energy (DOE) and the Department of the Navy, as a cooperating agency, issued the Programmatic Spent Nuclear Fuel Management and Idaho National Engineering Laboratory Environmental Restoration and Waste Management Programs Final Environmental Impact Statement (1995 EIS). The 1995 EIS analyzed alternatives for managing The Department's existing and reasonably foreseeable inventories of spent nuclear fuel through the year 2035. It also included a detailed analysis of environmental restoration and waste management activities at the Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory (INEEL). The analysis supported facility-specific decisions regarding new, continued, or planned environmental restoration and waste management operations. The Record of Decision (ROD) was signed in June 1995 and amended in February 1996. It documented a number of projects or activities that would be implemented as a result of decisions regarding INL Site operations. In addition to the decisions that were made, decisions on a number of projects were deferred or projects have been canceled. DOE National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) implementing procedures (found in 10 CFR Part 1 021.330(d)) require that a Supplement Analysis of site-wide EISs be done every five years to determine whether the site-wide EIS remains adequate. While the 1995 EIS was not a true site-wide EIS in that several programs were not included, most notably reactor operations, this method was used to evaluate the adequacy of the 1995 EIS. The decision to perform a Supplement Analysis was supported by the multi-program aspect of the 1995 EIS in conjunction with the spirit of the requirement for periodic review. The purpose of the SA is to determine if there have been changes in the basis upon which an EIS was prepared. This provides input for an evaluation of the continued adequacy of the EIS in light of those changes (i.e., whether there are substantial changes in the proposed

  16. Pacific Lamprey Research and Restoration Project, Annual Report 2002.

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Close, David; Aronsuu, Kimmo; Jackson, Aaron

    2003-07-01

    Pacific lamprey (Lampetra tridentata) has significantly declined along the Oregon coast and in the Columbia River Basin (Downey et al. 1993, Close and Jackson 2001). Declines in adults can be partially attributed to hydroelectric dams, which have impeded passage of adult Pacific lamprey in the Columbia and Snake rivers (Moser et al. 2002), thus effecting larval recruitment in the basin (Moser and Close in press). Adult Pacific lamprey also declined in numbers in the Umatilla River, a tributary of the Columbia River (Close and Jackson 2001). In addition to hydro power dams in the Columbia River, habitat alterations and chemical treatments have been involved in the collapse of Pacific lamprey populations in the Umatilla River (Close 1999). To initiate the restoration effort, CTUIR began developing a restoration plan in 1998. The goal of the lamprey research and restoration project is to restore natural production of Pacific lampreys in the Umatilla River to self-sustaining and harvestable level. This report is summarizing the studies and restoration efforts concluded in 2002.

  17. Marine Ecosystem Restoration in Changing European Seas

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Ounanian, Kristen; Delaney, Alyne; Carballo Cárdenas, Eira

    2017-01-01

    and using different narratives of marine restoration, and being confronted with different forms of uncertainties. The paper’s overall contribution is the synthesis of these seemingly disparate components (narratives of restoration, uncertainty in decision making, and governance arrangements) to evaluate...... the impact of existing (maritime and environmental) policies, the governance setting, definitions of restoration and uncertainties on the effectiveness of marine restoration projects. Such a synthesis is a necessary move toward a systematic evaluation of ways to govern and formally institutionalize marine...

  18. Ecological and Social Dimensions of Ecosystem Restoration in the Nordic Countries

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Dagmar Hagen

    2013-12-01

    Full Text Available An international overview of the extent and type of ecological restoration can offer new perspectives for understanding, planning, and implementation. The Nordic countries, with a great range of natural conditions but historically similar social and political structures, provide an opportunity to compare restoration approaches and efforts across borders. The aim of this study was to explore variation in ecological restoration using the Nordic countries as an example. We used recent national assessments and expert evaluations of ecological restoration. Restoration efforts differed among countries: forest and peatland restoration was most common in Finland, freshwater restoration was most common in Sweden, restoration of natural heathlands and grasslands was most common in Iceland, restoration of natural and semi-cultural heathlands was most common in Norway, and restoration of cultural ecosystems, mainly abandoned agricultural land, was most common in Denmark. Ecological restoration currently does not occur on the Faroe Islands. Economic incentives influence ecological restoration and depend on laws and policies in each country. Our analyses suggest that habitat types determine the methods of ecological restoration, whereas socio-economic drivers are more important for the decisions concerning the timing and location of restoration. To improve the understanding, planning, and implementation of ecological restoration, we advocate increased cooperation and knowledge sharing across disciplines and among countries, both in the Nordic countries and internationally. An obvious advantage of such cooperation is that a wider range of experiences from different habitats and different socio-economic conditions becomes available and thus provides a more solid basis for developing practical solutions for restoration methods and policies.

  19. Designing Interventions that Last: A Classification of Environmental Behaviors in Relation to the Activities, Costs, and Effort Involved for Adoption and Maintenance

    Science.gov (United States)

    Moore, Harriet E.; Boldero, Jennifer

    2017-01-01

    Policy makers draw on behavioral research to design interventions that promote the voluntary adoption of environmental behavior in societies. Many environmental behaviors will only be effective if they are maintained over the long-term. In the context of climate change and concerns about future water security, behaviors that involve reducing energy consumption and improving water quality must be continued indefinitely to mitigate global warming and preserve scarce resources. Previous reviews of environmental behavior have focused exclusively on factors related to adoption. This review investigates the factors that influence both adoption and maintenance, and presents a classification of environmental behaviors in terms of the activities, costs, and effort required for both adoption and maintenance. Three categories of behavior are suggested. One-off behaviors involve performing an activity once, such as purchasing an energy efficient washing machine, or signing a petition. Continuous behaviors involve the performance of the same set of behaviors for adoption and for maintenance, such as curbside recycling. Dynamic behaviors involve the performance of different behaviors for adoption and maintenance, such as revegetation. Behaviors can also be classified into four categories related to cost and effort: those that involve little cost and effort for adoption and maintenance, those that involve moderate cost and effort for adoption and maintenance, those that involve a high cost or effort for adoption and less for maintenance, and those that involve less cost or effort for adoption and a higher amount for maintenance. In order to design interventions that last, policy makers should consider the factors that influence the maintenance as well as the adoption of environmental behaviors. PMID:29163265

  20. 2002 SITE ENVIRONMENTAL REPORT.

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    BROOKHAVEN NATIONAL LABORATORY

    2003-10-01

    The 2002 Site Environmental Report (SER) is prepared in accordance with DOE Order 231.1, ''Environment, Safety and Health Reporting'', and summarizes the status of Brookhaven National Laboratory's (BNL) environmental programs and performance and restoration efforts, as well as any impacts, both past and present, that Laboratory operations have had on the environment. The document is intended to be technical in nature. A summary of the report is also prepared as a separate document to provide a general overview and includes a CD version of the full report. Operated by Brookhaven Science Associates (BSA) for the Department of Energy (DOE), BNL manages its world-class scientific research with particular sensitivity to environmental and community issues. BNL's motto, ''Exploring Life's Mysteries...Protecting its Future'', reflects BNL's management philosophy to fully integrate environmental stewardship into all facets of its missions, with a health balance between science and the environment.

  1. The Imposition Environmental Cost-Loading Of Companies Investing In Coal Mining

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tomi Risman

    2015-08-01

    Full Text Available The instrument of environment is an effort to prevent environmental problems caused by mining activities both in forms and its nature. The aims of the study are to analyze and understanding the essence of environment cost-loading in order to restore the environment from coal mining activities both when mining taken place and post-mining. The type of research used is a normative-legal research. This research was conducted in the province of South Kalimantan with the consideration that the South Kalimantan is one of the largest coal-producing Provinces in Indonesia. In addition the environment cost-loading for investor in coal mining have the same properties in all coal mining sites in Indonesia. The results of the research indicated that the imposition and environment-cost in investment activity in the field of coal mining can be seen from the two approaches i.e the economic and legal approach. Economic approach is an approach that emphasizes the economic benefits gained by the owner of activities when they comply with the environmental requirements stipulated by laws and environmental regulations. Realizing the importance of environmental cost-loading for the company that manages the coal mining especially for the utilization of prevention of pollution caused by coal mining activity it is necessary to develop an institutional guarantee of recovery from the effects of pollution by establishing fund insurance for environmental restoration as a result of pollution. Thus in order to optimize the implementation of guarantee fund for environmental restoration are specifically utilized for post-mining reclamation then granting the status of Clean and Clear C amp C for coal mining investor must be presupposing the proof of guarantee fund has been placed for environmental restoration post-mining.

  2. Desirable forest structures for a restored Front Range

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yvette L. Dickinson; Rob Addington; Greg Aplet; Mike Babler; Mike Battaglia; Peter Brown; Tony Cheng; Casey Cooley; Dick Edwards; Jonas Feinstein; Paula Fornwalt; Hal Gibbs; Megan Matonis; Kristen Pelz; Claudia Regan

    2014-01-01

    As part of the federal Collaborative Forest Landscape Restoration Program administered by the US Forest Service, the Colorado Front Range Collaborative Forest Landscape Restoration Project (FR-CFLRP, a collaborative effort of the Front Range Roundtable1 and the US Forest Service) is required to define desired conditions for lower montane ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa...

  3. Bat response to carolina bays and wetland restoration in the southeastern U.S. Coastal Plain.

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Menzel, Jennifer M.; Michael A. Menzel; John C. Kilgo; W. Mark Ford; ; John W. Edwards.

    2005-09-01

    Abstract: Bat activity in the southeastern United States is concentrated over riparian areas and wetland habitats. The restoration and creation of wetlands for mitigation purposes is becoming common in the Southeast. Understanding the effects of these restoration efforts on wetland flora and fauna is thus becoming increasingly important. Because bats (Order: Chiroptera) consist of many species that are of conservation concern and are commonly associated with wetland and riparian habitats in the Southeast (making them a good general indicator for the condition of wetland habitats), we monitored bat activity over restored and reference Carolina bays surrounded by pine savanna (Pinus spp.) or mixed pine-hardwood habitat types at the Savannah River Site in South Carolina. In order to determine how wetland restoration efforts affected the bat community, we monitored bat activity above drained Carolina bays pre- and post-restoration. Our results indicate that bat activity was greater over reference (i.e., undrained) than drained bays prior to the restorative efforts. One year following combined hydrologic and vegetation treatment, however, bat activity was generally greater over restored than reference bays. Bat activity was also greater over both reference and restored bays than in random, forested interior locations. We found significantly more bat activity after restoration than prior to restoration for all but one species in the treatment bays, suggesting that Carolina bay restoration can have almost immediate positive impacts on bat activity.

  4. New model for public participation at Sandia National Laboratories: What comes after environmental restoration?

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    KEENER R, WILLIAM; BACA, STEPHEN S.; BACA, MAUREEN R.; STOTTS, AL; TOOPS, TAMI; WOLFF, THEODORE A.

    2000-01-01

    As the Sandia National Laboratories' Environmental Restoration (ER) project moves toward closure, the project's experiences--including a number of successes in the public participation arena--suggest it is time for a new, more interactive model for future government-citizen involvement. This model would strive to improve the quality of public interaction with the Department of Energy (DOE) and Sandia, by using subject-specific working groups and aiming for long-term trustful relationships with the community. It would make use of interactive techniques, fewer formal public forums, and a variety of polling and communication technologies to improve information gathering and exchange

  5. Oak Ridge Reservation Federal Facility Agreement for the Environmental Restoration Program. Volume 1, Quarterly report, October--December 1995

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    1996-01-01

    This Oak Ridge Reservation Federal Facility Agreement Quarterly Report for the Environmental Restoration Program was prepared to satisfy requirements for progress reporting on Environmental Restoration Program (ER) activities as specified in the Oak Ridge Reservation Federal Facility Agreement (FFA) established between the US Department of Energy (DOE), the US Environmental Protection Agency, and the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation. The reporting period covered in this document is October through December 1995. This work was performed under Work Breakdown Structure 1.4.12.2.3.04 (Activity Data Sheet 8304). Publication of this document meets two FFA milestones. The FFA Quarterly Report meets an FFA milestone defined as 30 days following the end of the applicable reporting period. Appendix A of this report meets the FFA milestone for the Annual Removal Action Report for the period FYs 1991--95. This document provides information about ER Program activities conducted on the Oak Ridge Reservation under the FFA. Specifically, it includes information on milestones scheduled for completion during the reporting period, as well as scheduled for completion during the next reporting period (quarter); accomplishments of the ER Program; concerns related to program work; and scheduled activities for the next quarter. It also provides a listing of the identity and assigned tasks of contractors performing ER Program work under the FFA.

  6. Building mindfulness bottom-up: Meditation in natural settings supports open monitoring and attention restoration.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lymeus, Freddie; Lindberg, Per; Hartig, Terry

    2018-03-01

    Mindfulness courses conventionally use effortful, focused meditation to train attention. In contrast, natural settings can effortlessly support state mindfulness and restore depleted attention resources, which could facilitate meditation. We performed two studies that compared conventional training with restoration skills training (ReST) that taught low-effort open monitoring meditation in a garden over five weeks. Assessments before and after meditation on multiple occasions showed that ReST meditation increasingly enhanced attention performance. Conventional meditation enhanced attention initially but increasingly incurred effort, reflected in performance decrements toward the course end. With both courses, attentional improvements generalized in the first weeks of training. Against established accounts, the generalized improvements thus occurred before any effort was incurred by the conventional exercises. We propose that restoration rather than attention training can account for early attentional improvements with meditation. ReST holds promise as an undemanding introduction to mindfulness and as a method to enhance restoration in nature contacts. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  7. Classical Ecological Restoration and its Current Challenges: Assisted Migration as an Adaptation Strategy to Climate Change

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Pilar A. Gómez-Ruiz

    2017-06-01

    Full Text Available Ecological restoration is a very active area in ecology and of great importance for ecosystems management. Despite of being a relatively young discipline, the classical concepts of restoration seem, at present, impractical considering the great challenges generated by modification and destruction of ecosystems. This is due to anthropic activities (deforestation, change of land use, pollution and global climate change. In the classic definition of restoration, the objective is to recover the degraded ecosystem to the same conditions of a historical reference state. However, nowadays the ecosystems return to a state prior to the disturbances seems unviable, because the thresholds of resilience have already been overcome. Additionally, climate change is causing environmental changes at an unprecedented rate. For this reason, ecological restoration needs to unite efforts of diverse actors to recover ecosystems that can be sustainable and functional in the future, where the species could be able to tolerate the environmental conditions that will exist in the long term. Assisted migration has been proposed as a conservation strategy; it is defined as the translocation of species to new locations outside their known range of distribution. In the current context of loss of diversity and ecosystems, this strategy could be fundamental for the formation of new communities that can later become novel ecosystems where species that are fundamental to the dynamics of ecosystems can persist and, at the same time, recover function, structure and resilience.

  8. Environmental Impact Assessment of reservoir construction: new perspectives for restoration economy, and development: the Belo Monte Power Plant case study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tundisi, J G; Matsumura-Tundisi, T; Tundisi, J E M

    2015-08-01

    The Environmental Impact Assessment of reservoir construction can be viewed as a new strategic perspective for the economic development of a region. Based on the principles of a watershed approach a interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary systemic view including biogeophysiographical, economic and socio environmental studies the new vision of a EIA provides a basic substratum for the restoration economy and an advanced model for the true development much well ahead of the modernization aspects of the project of a reservoir construction.

  9. Evolutionary conservation and neuronal mechanisms of auditory perceptual restoration.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Petkov, Christopher I; Sutter, Mitchell L

    2011-01-01

    Auditory perceptual 'restoration' occurs when the auditory system restores an occluded or masked sound of interest. Behavioral work on auditory restoration in humans began over 50 years ago using it to model a noisy environmental scene with competing sounds. It has become clear that not only humans experience auditory restoration: restoration has been broadly conserved in many species. Behavioral studies in humans and animals provide a necessary foundation to link the insights being obtained from human EEG and fMRI to those from animal neurophysiology. The aggregate of data resulting from multiple approaches across species has begun to clarify the neuronal bases of auditory restoration. Different types of neural responses supporting restoration have been found, supportive of multiple mechanisms working within a species. Yet a general principle has emerged that responses correlated with restoration mimic the response that would have been given to the uninterrupted sound of interest. Using the same technology to study different species will help us to better harness animal models of 'auditory scene analysis' to clarify the conserved neural mechanisms shaping the perceptual organization of sound and to advance strategies to improve hearing in natural environmental settings. © 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  10. Science, uncertainty and changing storylines in nature restoration

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    R. Floor, Judith; (Kris) van Koppen, C.S.A.; Tatenhove, Jan P.M van

    2018-01-01

    Marine areas have been heavily affected by human activities, resulting in current attempts to both conserve and restore nature. In decisions about nature restoration, ecological knowledge plays a crucial role and is closely linked to nature preferences and political views. In this study......, the empirical case of seagrass (Zostera marina) restoration in the Dutch Wadden Sea (1989–2017) is analysed. The impact of storylines and uncertainty perceptions, together with socio-political context factors, on decisions concerning restoration action and research are investigated. This case illustrates...... the difficulties of establishing seagrass fields and the dynamic process in which meaning is attributed to nature restoration. Two basic storylines – authenticity and the ecological function of ecosystem engineers – supported the restoration efforts. Three different episodes are distinguished based on different...

  11. Department of Energy Programmatic Spent Nuclear Fuel Management and Idaho National Engineering Laboratory Environmental Restoration and Waste Management Programs Draft Environmental Impact Statement

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1994-06-01

    Two types of projects in the spent nuclear fuel and environmental restoration and waste management activities at the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory (INEL) are described. These are: foreseeable proposed projects where some funding for preliminary planning and/or conceptual design may already be authorized, but detailed design or planning will not begin until the Department of Energy (DOE) has determined that the requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act process for the project have been completed; planned or ongoing projects not yet completed but whose National Environmental Policy Act documentation is already completed or is expected to be completed before the Record of Decision for this Envirorunental Impact Statement (EIS) is issued. The section on project summaries describe the projects (both foreseeable proposed and ongoing).They provide specific information necessary to analyze the environmental impacts of these projects. Chapter 3 describes which alternative(s) each project supports. Summaries are included for (a) spent nuclear fuel projects, (b) environmental remediation projects, (c) the decontamination and decommissioning of surplus INEL facilities, (d) the construction, upgrade, or replacement of existing waste management facilities, (e) infrastructure projects supporting waste management activities, and (f) research and development projects supporting waste management activities

  12. Groundwater protection plan for the Environmental Restoration Disposal Facility

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Weekes, D.C.; Jaeger, G.K.; McMahon, W.J.; Ford, B.H.

    1996-01-01

    This document is the groundwater protection plan for the Environmental Restoration Disposal Facility (ERDF) Project. This plan is prepared based on the assumption that the ERDF will receive waste containing hazardous/dangerous constituents, radioactive constituents, and combinations of both. The purpose of this plan is to establish a groundwater monitoring program that (1) meets the intent of the applicable or relevant and appropriate requirements, (2) documents baseline groundwater conditions, (3) monitors those conditions for change, and (4) allows for modifications to groundwater sampling if required by the leachate management program. Groundwater samples indicate the occurrence of preexisting groundwater contamination in the uppermost unconfined aquifer below the ERDF Project site, as a result of past waste-water discharges in the 200 West Area. Therefore, it is necessary for the ERDF to establish baseline groundwater quality conditions and to monitor changes in the baseline over time. The groundwater monitoring program presented in this plan will provide the means to assess onsite and offsite impacts to the groundwater. In addition, a separate leachate management program will provide an indication of whether the liners are performing within design standards

  13. Proposed Plan for an amendment to the Environmental Restoration Disposal Facility Record of Decision, Hanford Site, Richland, Washington

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1997-07-01

    The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the Washington State Department of Ecology, and the U.S. Department of Energy (Tri- Parties) are proposing an amendment to the Environmental Restoration Disposal Facility Record of Decision (ERDF ROD). EPA is the lead regulatory agency for the ERDF Project. This Proposed Plan includes two elements intended to promote Hanford Site cleanup activities by broadening utilization and operation of ERDF as follows: (1) Construct the planned Phase II of ERDF using the current disposal cell design and (2) enable centralized treatment of remediation waste at ERDF prior to disposal, as appropriate

  14. Mapping Ecological Processes and Ecosystem Services for Prioritizing Restoration Efforts in a Semi-arid Mediterranean River Basin

    Science.gov (United States)

    Trabucchi, Mattia; O'Farrell, Patrick J.; Notivol, Eduardo; Comín, Francisco A.

    2014-06-01

    Semi-arid Mediterranean regions are highly susceptible to desertification processes which can reduce the benefits that people obtain from healthy ecosystems and thus threaten human wellbeing. The European Union Biodiversity Strategy to 2020 recognizes the need to incorporate ecosystem services into land-use management, conservation, and restoration actions. The inclusion of ecosystem services into restoration actions and plans is an emerging area of research, and there are few documented approaches and guidelines on how to undertake such an exercise. This paper responds to this need, and we demonstrate an approach for identifying both key ecosystem services provisioning areas and the spatial relationship between ecological processes and services. A degraded semi-arid Mediterranean river basin in north east Spain was used as a case study area. We show that the quantification and mapping of services are the first step required for both optimizing and targeting of specific local areas for restoration. Additionally, we provide guidelines for restoration planning at a watershed scale; establishing priorities for improving the delivery of ecosystem services at this scale; and prioritizing the sub-watersheds for restoration based on their potential for delivering a combination of key ecosystem services for the entire basin.

  15. Mapping ecological processes and ecosystem services for prioritizing restoration efforts in a semi-arid Mediterranean river basin.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Trabucchi, Mattia; O'Farrell, Patrick J; Notivol, Eduardo; Comín, Francisco A

    2014-06-01

    Semi-arid Mediterranean regions are highly susceptible to desertification processes which can reduce the benefits that people obtain from healthy ecosystems and thus threaten human wellbeing. The European Union Biodiversity Strategy to 2020 recognizes the need to incorporate ecosystem services into land-use management, conservation, and restoration actions. The inclusion of ecosystem services into restoration actions and plans is an emerging area of research, and there are few documented approaches and guidelines on how to undertake such an exercise. This paper responds to this need, and we demonstrate an approach for identifying both key ecosystem services provisioning areas and the spatial relationship between ecological processes and services. A degraded semi-arid Mediterranean river basin in north east Spain was used as a case study area. We show that the quantification and mapping of services are the first step required for both optimizing and targeting of specific local areas for restoration. Additionally, we provide guidelines for restoration planning at a watershed scale; establishing priorities for improving the delivery of ecosystem services at this scale; and prioritizing the sub-watersheds for restoration based on their potential for delivering a combination of key ecosystem services for the entire basin.

  16. Cost-benefit analysis of wetland restoration

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Dubgaard, Alex

    2004-01-01

    The purpose of cost-benefit analysis (CBA) is to identify value for money solutions to government policies or projects. Environmental policy appraisal is typically complicated by the fact that thre are a number of feasible solutions to a decision problem - each yielding a different mix of environ...... is to illustrate the application of CBA within the field of river restoration. The Skjern River restoration project in Denmark is used as an empirical example of how these methods can be applied in the wetland restoration context....

  17. Site descriptions of environmental restoration units at the Oak Ridge K-25 Site, Oak Ridge, Tennessee

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Goddard, P.L.; Legeay, A.J.; Pesce, D.S.; Stanley, A.M.

    1995-11-01

    This report, Site Descriptions of Environmental Restoration Units at the Oak Ridge K-25 Site, Oak Ridge, Tennessee, is being prepared to assimilate information on sites included in the Environmental Restoration (ER) Program of the K-25 Site, one of three major installations on the Oak Ridge Reservation (ORR) built during World War III as part of the Manhattan Project. The information included in this report will be used to establish program priorities so that resources allotted to the K-25 ER Program can be best used to decrease any risk to humans or the environment, and to determine the sequence in which any remedial activities should be conducted. This document will be updated periodically in both paper and Internet versions. Units within this report are described in individual data sheets arranged alphanumerically. Each data sheet includes entries on project status, unit location, dimensions and capacity, dates operated, present function, lifecycle operation, waste characteristics, site status, media of concern, comments, and references. Each data sheet is accompanied by a photograph of the unit, and each unit is located on one of 13 area maps. These areas, along with the sub-area, unit, and sub-unit breakdowns within them, are outlined in Appendix A. Appendix B is a summary of information on remote aerial sensing and its applicability to the ER program

  18. Site descriptions of environmental restoration units at the Oak Ridge K-25 Site, Oak Ridge, Tennessee

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Goddard, P.L.; Legeay, A.J.; Pesce, D.S.; Stanley, A.M.

    1995-11-01

    This report, Site Descriptions of Environmental Restoration Units at the Oak Ridge K-25 Site, Oak Ridge, Tennessee, is being prepared to assimilate information on sites included in the Environmental Restoration (ER) Program of the K-25 Site, one of three major installations on the Oak Ridge Reservation (ORR) built during World War III as part of the Manhattan Project. The information included in this report will be used to establish program priorities so that resources allotted to the K-25 ER Program can be best used to decrease any risk to humans or the environment, and to determine the sequence in which any remedial activities should be conducted. This document will be updated periodically in both paper and Internet versions. Units within this report are described in individual data sheets arranged alphanumerically. Each data sheet includes entries on project status, unit location, dimensions and capacity, dates operated, present function, lifecycle operation, waste characteristics, site status, media of concern, comments, and references. Each data sheet is accompanied by a photograph of the unit, and each unit is located on one of 13 area maps. These areas, along with the sub-area, unit, and sub-unit breakdowns within them, are outlined in Appendix A. Appendix B is a summary of information on remote aerial sensing and its applicability to the ER program.

  19. Perceptions of environmental change and use of traditional knowledge to plan riparian forest restoration with relocated communities in Alcântara, Eastern Amazon.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Celentano, Danielle; Rousseau, Guillaume Xavier; Engel, Vera Lex; Façanha, Cristiane Lima; Oliveira, Elivaldo Moreira de; Moura, Emanoel Gomes de

    2014-01-27

    Riparian forests provide ecosystem services that are essential for human well-being. The Pepital River is the main water supply for Alcântara (Brazil) and its forests are disappearing. This is affecting water volume and distribution in the region. Promoting forest restoration is imperative. In deprived regions, restoration success depends on the integration of ecology, livelihoods and traditional knowledge (TEK). In this study, an interdisciplinary research framework is proposed to design riparian forest restoration strategies based on ecological data, TEK and social needs. This study takes place in a region presenting a complex history of human relocation and land tenure. Local populations from seven villages were surveyed to document livelihood (including 'free-listing' of agricultural crops and homegarden tree species). Additionally, their perceptions toward environmental changes were explored through semi-structured interviews (n = 79). Ethnobotanical information on forest species and their uses were assessed by local-specialists (n = 19). Remnants of conserved forests were surveyed to access ecological information on tree species (three plots of 1,000 m2). Results included descriptive statistics, frequency and Smith’s index of salience of the free-list results. The local population depends primarily on slash-and-burn subsistence agriculture to meet their needs. Interviewees showed a strong empirical knowledge about the environmental problems of the river, and of their causes, consequences and potential solutions. Twenty-four tree species (dbh > 10 cm) were found at the reference sites. Tree density averaged 510 individuals per hectare (stdv = 91.6); and 12 species were considered the most abundant (density > 10ind/ha). There was a strong consensus among plant-specialists about the most important trees. The species lists from reference sites and plant-specialists presented an important convergence. Slash-and-burn agriculture is the main source of livelihood

  20. Proceedings of the US Department of Energy, Office of Environmental Restoration and Waste Management: Waste Reduction Workshop 6

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1991-04-01

    The sixth of a series of waste reduction workshops was held at the Airport Hilton Hotel in Atlanta, Georgia, on February 6--7, 1991. These workshops are held under the auspices of the Department of Energy's (DOE's) Office of Environmental Restoration and Waste Management (EM). The focus of this workshop was the review of guidance and the status of conducting process waste assessments (PWAs). Other highlights of the workshop were the status of the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA's) Pollution Prevention Program, and presentations on budgeting for waste reduction and the impact of the toxic release inventory (TRI) reporting requirements on pollution prevention activities. Concurrent sessions on the second day included case studies of the experiences at various sites on the subjects of recycling, incentives, source reduction, volume and toxicity reduction, and material procurement. The impact of new state laws on waste reduction efforts at Oak Ridge, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, and Hanford were also reviewed by representatives from those sites. These workshops assist DOE waste-generating sites in implementing waste minimization (WMIN) plans and programs, thus providing for optimal waste reduction within the DOE complex. All wastes are considered liquid, solid, and airborne, within the categories of high-level waste, transuranic waste (TRU), low-level waste (LLW), hazardous waste, mixed waste, office waste, and sanitary wastes. Topics of discussion within workshops encompass a wide range of subjects, including any method or technical activity from waste generation to disposal, such as process design or improvement, substitution of materials, waste segregation and recycling/reuse, waste treatment and processing, and administrative controls (procurement and waste awareness training). Consideration is also given to activities for remedial action and for decontamination and disposal

  1. Infrastructure system restoration planning using evolutionary algorithms

    Science.gov (United States)

    Corns, Steven; Long, Suzanna K.; Shoberg, Thomas G.

    2016-01-01

    This paper presents an evolutionary algorithm to address restoration issues for supply chain interdependent critical infrastructure. Rapid restoration of infrastructure after a large-scale disaster is necessary to sustaining a nation's economy and security, but such long-term restoration has not been investigated as thoroughly as initial rescue and recovery efforts. A model of the Greater Saint Louis Missouri area was created and a disaster scenario simulated. An evolutionary algorithm is used to determine the order in which the bridges should be repaired based on indirect costs. Solutions were evaluated based on the reduction of indirect costs and the restoration of transportation capacity. When compared to a greedy algorithm, the evolutionary algorithm solution reduced indirect costs by approximately 12.4% by restoring automotive travel routes for workers and re-establishing the flow of commodities across the three rivers in the Saint Louis area.

  2. Streamlined approach for environmental restoration plan for corrective action unit 430, buried depleted uranium artillery round No. 1, Tonopah test range

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    1996-09-01

    This plan addresses actions necessary for the restoration and closure of Corrective Action Unit (CAU) No. 430, Buried Depleted Uranium (DU) Artillery Round No. 1 (Corrective Action Site No. TA-55-003-0960), a buried and unexploded W-79 Joint Test Assembly (JTA) artillery test projectile with high explosives (HE), at the U.S. Department of Energy, Nevada Operations Office (DOE/NV) Tonopah Test Range (TTR) in south-central Nevada. It describes activities that will occur at the site as well as the steps that will be taken to gather adequate data to obtain a notice of completion from Nevada Division of Environmental Protection (NDEP). This plan was prepared under the Streamlined Approach for Environmental Restoration (SAFER) concept, and it will be implemented in accordance with the Federal Facility Agreement and Consent Order (FFACO) and the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) Industrial Sites Quality Assurance Project Plan.

  3. Streamlined approach for environmental restoration plan for corrective action unit 430, buried depleted uranium artillery round No. 1, Tonopah test range

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1996-09-01

    This plan addresses actions necessary for the restoration and closure of Corrective Action Unit (CAU) No. 430, Buried Depleted Uranium (DU) Artillery Round No. 1 (Corrective Action Site No. TA-55-003-0960), a buried and unexploded W-79 Joint Test Assembly (JTA) artillery test projectile with high explosives (HE), at the U.S. Department of Energy, Nevada Operations Office (DOE/NV) Tonopah Test Range (TTR) in south-central Nevada. It describes activities that will occur at the site as well as the steps that will be taken to gather adequate data to obtain a notice of completion from Nevada Division of Environmental Protection (NDEP). This plan was prepared under the Streamlined Approach for Environmental Restoration (SAFER) concept, and it will be implemented in accordance with the Federal Facility Agreement and Consent Order (FFACO) and the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) Industrial Sites Quality Assurance Project Plan

  4. Electronic document management system analysis report and system plan for the Environmental Restoration Program

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Frappaolo, C.

    1995-09-01

    Lockheed Martin Energy Systems, Inc. (LMES) has established and maintains Document Management Centers (DMCs) to support Environmental Restoration Program (ER) activities undertaken at three Oak Ridge facilities: Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge K-25 Site, Oak Ridge Y-12 Plant; and two sister sites: Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plant in Portsmouth, Ohio, and Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant in Paducah, Kentucky. The role of the DMCs is to receive, store, retrieve, and properly dispose of records. In an effort to make the DMCs run more efficiently and to more proactively manage the records' life cycles from cradle to grave, ER has decided to investigate ways in which Electronic Document Management System (EDMS) technologies can be used to redefine the DMCs and their related processes. Specific goals of this study are tightening control over the ER documents, establishing and enforcing record creation and retention procedures, speeding up access to information, and increasing the accessibility of information. A working pilot of the solution is desired within the next six months. Based on a series of interviews conducted with personnel from each of the DMCs, key management, and individuals representing related projects, it is recommended that ER utilize document management, full-text retrieval, and workflow technologies to improve and automate records management for the ER program. A phased approach to solution implementation is suggested starting with the deployment of an automated storage and retrieval system at Portsmouth. This should be followed with a roll out of the system to the other DMCs, the deployment of a workflow-enabled authoring system at Portsmouth, and a subsequent roll out of this authoring system to the other sites

  5. Environmental Restoration Program pollution prevention checklist guide for the surveillance and maintenance project phase

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1993-09-01

    DOE Order 5820.2 mandates that a surveillance and maintenance program be established in all shut-down facilities to ensure adequate containment of contamination, provide physical safety and security, and reduce potential public and environmental hazards. A key consideration in this process is the prevention of any waste to be generated from these activities. The purpose of this checklist guide is to assist the user with incorporating pollution prevention/waste minimization (PP/WM) in all Surveillance and Maintenance (S ampersand M) phase projects of the Environmental Restoration (ER) Program. This guide will help users document their PP/WM activities for technology transfer and reporting requirements. Automated computer screens will be created from the checklist data to assist users with implementing and evaluating waste reduction. Users can then establish numerical performance measures to measure progress in planning, training, self-assessments, field implementation, documentation, and technology transfer. Cost savings result as users train and assess themselves and perform preliminary waste assessments

  6. Idaho National Engineering Laboratory (INEL) Environmental Restoration (ER) Program Baseline Safety Analysis File (BSAF)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1995-09-01

    The Baseline Safety Analysis File (BSAF) is a facility safety reference document for the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory (INEL) environmental restoration activities. The BSAF contains information and guidance for safety analysis documentation required by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) for environmental restoration (ER) activities, including: Characterization of potentially contaminated sites. Remedial investigations to identify and remedial actions to clean up existing and potential releases from inactive waste sites Decontamination and dismantlement of surplus facilities. The information is INEL-specific and is in the format required by DOE-EM-STD-3009-94, Preparation Guide for U.S. Department of Energy Nonreactor Nuclear Facility Safety Analysis Reports. An author of safety analysis documentation need only write information concerning that activity and refer to BSAF for further information or copy applicable chapters and sections. The information and guidance provided are suitable for: sm-bullet Nuclear facilities (DOE Order 5480-23, Nuclear Safety Analysis Reports) with hazards that meet the Category 3 threshold (DOE-STD-1027-92, Hazard Categorization and Accident Analysis Techniques for Compliance with DOE Order 5480.23, Nuclear Safety Analysis Reports) sm-bullet Radiological facilities (DOE-EM-STD-5502-94, Hazard Baseline Documentation) Nonnuclear facilities (DOE-EM-STD-5502-94) that are classified as open-quotes lowclose quotes hazard facilities (DOE Order 5481.1B, Safety Analysis and Review System). Additionally, the BSAF could be used as an information source for Health and Safety Plans and for Safety Analysis Reports (SARs) for nuclear facilities with hazards equal to or greater than the Category 2 thresholds, or for nonnuclear facilities with open-quotes moderateclose quotes or open-quotes highclose quotes hazard classifications

  7. Idaho National Engineering Laboratory (INEL) Environmental Restoration (ER) Program Baseline Safety Analysis File (BSAF)

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    1995-09-01

    The Baseline Safety Analysis File (BSAF) is a facility safety reference document for the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory (INEL) environmental restoration activities. The BSAF contains information and guidance for safety analysis documentation required by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) for environmental restoration (ER) activities, including: Characterization of potentially contaminated sites. Remedial investigations to identify and remedial actions to clean up existing and potential releases from inactive waste sites Decontamination and dismantlement of surplus facilities. The information is INEL-specific and is in the format required by DOE-EM-STD-3009-94, Preparation Guide for U.S. Department of Energy Nonreactor Nuclear Facility Safety Analysis Reports. An author of safety analysis documentation need only write information concerning that activity and refer to BSAF for further information or copy applicable chapters and sections. The information and guidance provided are suitable for: {sm_bullet} Nuclear facilities (DOE Order 5480-23, Nuclear Safety Analysis Reports) with hazards that meet the Category 3 threshold (DOE-STD-1027-92, Hazard Categorization and Accident Analysis Techniques for Compliance with DOE Order 5480.23, Nuclear Safety Analysis Reports) {sm_bullet} Radiological facilities (DOE-EM-STD-5502-94, Hazard Baseline Documentation) Nonnuclear facilities (DOE-EM-STD-5502-94) that are classified as {open_quotes}low{close_quotes} hazard facilities (DOE Order 5481.1B, Safety Analysis and Review System). Additionally, the BSAF could be used as an information source for Health and Safety Plans and for Safety Analysis Reports (SARs) for nuclear facilities with hazards equal to or greater than the Category 2 thresholds, or for nonnuclear facilities with {open_quotes}moderate{close_quotes} or {open_quotes}high{close_quotes} hazard classifications.

  8. Development of an Integrated Performance Evaluation Program (IPEP) for the Department of Energy's Office of Environmental Restoration and Waste Management

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Streets, W.E.; Ka; Lindahl, P.C.; Bottrell, D.; Newberry, R.; Morton, S.; Karp, K.

    1993-01-01

    Argonne National Laboratory (ANL), in collaboration with DOE's Radiological and Environmental Sciences Laboratory (RESL), Environmental Measurements Laboratory (EML), and Grand Junction Project Office (GJPO), is working with the Department of Energy (DOE) Headquarters and the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to develop the Integrated Performance Evaluation Program (IPEP). The purpose of IPEP is to integrate performance evaluation (PE) information from existing PE programs with expanded quality assurance (QA) activities to develop information about the quality of radiological, mixed waste, and hazardous environmental sample analyses provided by all laboratories supporting DOE Environmental Restoration and Waste Management (EM) programs. The IPEP plans to utilize existing PE programs when available and appropriate for use by DOE-EM; new PE programs will be developed only when no existing program meets DOE's needs

  9. Decrease of Environmental Radioactivity After Terminated Restoration of the Uranium Mine Site at Zirovski Vrh (Slovenia)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Krizman, M.J.; Rojc, J.

    2011-01-01

    The uranium mining and milling complex at Zirovski vrh, located 45 km NW from Ljubljana, was in operation in the period 1985 - 1990 and produced about 452 tonnes of yellow cake. In parallel, over 0.6 million tonnes of technological tailings and 2.6 million tonnes of mine waste rock were generated and deposited on separate disposal sites in close vicinity of the mining site, with the total area of 10 hectares. The disposal sites were completely restored, mostly in the last decade. The processing plant, located in the Brebovscica valley, was decommissioned in the nineties. All provisional facilities were removed from the central site at Todraz and transferred to the mine waste deposit. The restoration works were finished in 2010, twenty years after the cessation of uranium production. Radioactive discharges and radioactivity in the environment were monitored during operation of the uranium mine, continued during restoration phases and will be monitored a certain period afterwards. The aim of this paper is to present the radioactive discharges and enhanced levels of radioactivity in the nearby environment, monitored during the operation period of the U-mine and after terminated restoration works. The most significant decreases of radioactivity after the restoration of the site were identified. The results of environmental radioactivity monitoring showed that radioactivity steadily decreased according to the different phases of the mine decommission. After restoration, radioactivity levels on the site and in close vicinity are approaching to the background levels, except for radon in air and for waters. Consequently, radiation exposure to the reference groups of the population decreased from 0.3 - 0.4 mSv per year during operation to about 0.1 mSv per year after finalized restoration works. This figure is much lower than the authorised limit of 0.3 mSv per year, set by the Slovenian competent authority. Still enhanced levels of radioactivity were found in surface

  10. Department of Energy Programmatic Spent Nuclear Fuel Management and Idaho National Engineering Laboratory Environmental Restoration and Waste Management Programs Draft Environmental Impact Statement

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1994-06-01

    This document analyzes at a programmatic level the potential environmental consequences over the next 40 years of alternatives related to the transportation, receipt, processing, and storage of spent nuclear fuel under the responsibility of the US Department of Energy. It also analyzes the site-specific consequences of the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory sitewide actions anticipated over the next 10 years for waste and spent nuclear fuel management and environmental restoration. For programmatic spent nuclear fuel management this document analyzes alternatives of no action, decentralization, regionalization, centralization and the use of the plans that existed in 1992/1993 for the management of these materials. For the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory, this document analyzes alternatives of no action, ten-year plan, minimum and maximum and maximum treatment, storage, and disposal of US Department of Energy wastes

  11. Department of Energy Programmatic Spent Nuclear Fuel Management and Idaho National Engineering Laboratory Environmental Restoration and Waste Management Programs Draft Environmental Impact Statement

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1994-06-01

    This document analyzes at a pregrammatic level the potential environmental consequences over the next 40 years of alternatives related to the transportation, receipt, processing, and storage of spent nuclear fuel under the responsibility of the US Department of Energy. It also analyzes the site-specific consequences of the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory sitewide actions anticipated over the next 10 years for waste and spent nuclear fuel management and environmental restoration. For pregrammatic spent nuclear fuel management, this document analyzes alternatives of no action, decentralization, regionalization, centralization and the use of the plans that existed in 1992/1993 for the management of these materials. For the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory, this document analyzes alternatives of no action, ten-year plan, minimum and maximum treatment, storage, and disposal of US Department of Energy wastes

  12. Department of Energy Programmatic Spent Nuclear Fuel Management and Idaho National Engineering Laboratory Environmental Restoration and Waste Management Programs draft environmental impact statement

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1994-06-01

    This document analyzes at a programmatic level the potential environmental consequences over the next 40 years of alternatives related to the transportation, receipt, processing, and storage of spent nuclear fuel under the responsibility of the US Department of Energy. It also analyzes the site-specific consequences of the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory sitewide actions anticipated over the next 10 years for waste and spent nuclear fuel management and environmental restoration. For programmatic spent nuclear fuel management, this document analyzes alternatives of no action, decentralization, regionalization, centralization and the use of the plans that existed in 1992/1993 for the management of these materials. For the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory, this document analyzes alternatives of no action, ten-year plan, minimum and maximum treatment, storage, and disposal of US Department of Energy wastes

  13. The Environmental Protection Agency's Community-Focused Exposure and Risk Screening Tool (C-FERST) and its potential use for environmental justice efforts.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zartarian, Valerie G; Schultz, Bradley D; Barzyk, Timothy M; Smuts, Marybeth; Hammond, Davyda M; Medina-Vera, Myriam; Geller, Andrew M

    2011-12-01

    Our primary objective was to provide higher quality, more accessible science to address challenges of characterizing local-scale exposures and risks for enhanced community-based assessments and environmental decision-making. After identifying community needs, priority environmental issues, and current tools, we designed and populated the Community-Focused Exposure and Risk Screening Tool (C-FERST) in collaboration with stakeholders, following a set of defined principles, and considered it in the context of environmental justice. C-FERST is a geographic information system and resource access Web tool under development for supporting multimedia community assessments. Community-level exposure and risk research is being conducted to address specific local issues through case studies. C-FERST can be applied to support environmental justice efforts. It incorporates research to develop community-level data and modeled estimates for priority environmental issues, and other relevant information identified by communities. Initial case studies are under way to refine and test the tool to expand its applicability and transferability. Opportunities exist for scientists to address the many research needs in characterizing local cumulative exposures and risks and for community partners to apply and refine C-FERST.

  14. Innovative remote monitoring of plant health for environmental applications: A joint effort between EPCOT{reg_sign} and the DOE

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Robitaille, H. [Walt Disney World Resort, Lake Buena Vista, FL (United States); Capelle, G.; Di Benedetto, J. [Special Technologies Lab., Santa Barbara, CA (United States)] [and others

    1996-12-31

    In September of 1994, the US Department of Energy (DOE), Environmental Management, Office of Science and Technology for (OST) and Epcot{reg_sign} in the WALT DISNEY WORLD{reg_sign} Resort (Epcot) signed an agreement to cooperate on the research, development, and public communication and display of environmental technologies. Although Epcot and OST have distinctive missions, certain areas of their respective research and development efforts are common, including the integration of remote sensors with robotics platforms, airborne surveys for environmental characterization and monitoring, and ground based measurements of vegetation stress. The first area of cooperative R&D pursued under the agreement is the evaluation of laser-induced fluorescence imaging (LIFI), a technology developed by OST and proven effective for uranium detection. This paper describes the efforts being conducted under the Epcot-OST agreement and presents initial results. An appendix describing LIFI technology is also included.

  15. The application of GIS and remote sensing technologies for site characterization and environmental assessment

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Durfee, R.C.; McCord, R.A.; Dobson, J.E.

    1993-01-01

    Environmental cleanup and restoration of hazardous waste sites are major activities at federal facilities around the US. Geographic information systems (GIS) and remote sensing technologies are very useful computer tools to aid in site characterization, monitoring, assessment, and remediation efforts. Results from applying three technologies are presented to demonstrate examples of site characterization and environmental assessment for a federal facility. The first technology involves the development and use of GIS within the comprehensive Oak Ridge Environmental Information System (OREIS) to integrate facility data, terrain models, aerial and satellite imagery, demographics, waste area information, and geographic data bases. The second technology presents 3-D subsurface analyses and displays of groundwater and contaminant measurements within waste areas. In the third application, aerial survey information is being used to characterize land cover and vegetative patterns, detect change, and study areas of previous waste activities and possible transport pathways. These computer technologies are required to manage, analyze, and display the large amounts of environmental and geographic data that must be handled in carrying out effective environmental restoration

  16. ANL Technical Support Program for DOE Environmental Restoration and Waste Management

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bates, J.K.; Bradley, C.R.; Buck, E.C.; Cunnane, J.C.; Dietz, N.L.; Ebert, W.L.; Emery, J.W.; Feng, X.; Gerding, T.J.; Gong, M.; Hoh, J.C.; Mazer, J.J.; Wronkiewicz, D.J.; Bourcier, W.L.; Morgan, L.E.; Nielsen, J.K.; Steward, S.A.; Ewing, R.C.; Wang, L.M.; Han, W.T.; Tomozawa, M.

    1992-03-01

    This report provides an overview of progress during FY 1991 for the Technical Support Program that is part of the ANL Technology Support Activity for DOE, Environmental Restoration and Waste Management (EM). The purpose is to evaluate, before hot start-up of the Defenses Waste Processing Facility (DWPF) and the West Valley Demonstration Project (WVDP), factors that are likely to affect glass reaction in an unsaturated environment typical of what may be expected for the candidate Yucca Mountain repository site. Specific goals for the testing program include the following: (1) to review and evaluate available information on parameters that will be important in establishing the long-term performance of glass in a repository environment; (2) to perform testing to further quantify the effects of important variables where there are deficiencies in the available data; and (3) to initiate long-term testing that will bound glass performance under a range of conditions applicable to repository disposal

  17. Information Management Architecture for an Integrated Computing Environment for the Environmental Restoration Program. Volume 1, Introduction

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1994-09-01

    As part of the Environmental Restoration Program at Martin Marietta, IEM (Information Engineering Methodology) was developed as part of a complete and integrated approach to the progressive development and subsequent maintenance of automated data sharing systems. This approach is centered around the organization's objectives, inherent data relationships and business practices. IEM provides the Information Systems community with a tool kit of disciplined techniques supported by automated tools. It includes seven stages: Information Strategy Planning; Business Area Analysis; Business System Design; Technical Design; Construction; Transition; Production

  18. Characterizing light attenuation within Northwest Florida Estuaries: Implications for RESTORE Act water quality monitoring

    Science.gov (United States)

    Water Quality (WQ) condition is based on ecosystem stressor indicators (e.g. water clarity) which are biogeochemically important and critical when considering the Deepwater Horizon oil spill restoration efforts under the 2012 RESTORE Act. Nearly all of the proposed RESTORE proj...

  19. Hangman Restoration Project Year-End Report FY2008.

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Coeur d' Alene Tribe Department of Natural Resources.

    2008-11-12

    This report covers the main goals of FY2008 from which the Work Elements were derived. The goals and products are listed by heading and the associated work elements are referenced in the text. A list of the FY2008 Work Elements is included as Appendix A. FY2008 witnessed the completion of the hntkwipn Management Plan and the first substantive efforts to restore the important habitats encompassed by the mitigation properties in the Upper Hangman Watershed. Native grasses were planted and germination was evaluated. Also, drain tiles that greatly altered the hydrologic function of the Sheep and Hangman Creek Flood Plains were removed and/or disrupted. Preparation for future restoration efforts were also made in FY2008. Designs were produced for the realignment of Sheep Creek and the decommissioning of seven drainage ditches within hntkwipn. A prioritization plan was drafted that greatly expands the area of focus for restoring native fish population in Hangman Creek.

  20. STREAMLINED APPROACH FOR ENVIRONMENTAL RESTORATION PLAN FOR CORRECTIVE ACTION UNIT 116: AREA 25 TEST CELL C FACILITY NEVADA TEST SITE, NEVADA

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    2006-01-01

    This Streamlined Approach for Environmental Restoration Plan identifies the activities required for the closure of Corrective Action Unit 116, Area 25 Test Cell C Facility. The Test Cell C Facility is located in Area 25 of the Nevada Test Site approximately 25 miles northwest of Mercury, Nevada

  1. Los Alamos National Laboratory Environmental Restoration Project quarterly technical report, April--June 1994

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    1994-08-18

    This quarterly report describes the technical status of activities in the Los Alamos National Laboratory Environmental Restoration (ER) Project. Each activity is identified by an activity data sheet number, a brief title describing the activity or the technical area where the activity is located, and the name of the project leader. The Hazardous and Solid Waste Amendments (HSWA) portion of the facility operating permit requires the submission of a technical progress report on a quarterly basis. This report, submitted to fulfill the permit`s requirement, summarizes the work performed and the results of sampling and analysis in the ER Project. Suspect waste found include: Radionuclides, high explosives, metals, solvents and organics. The data provided in this report have not been validated. These data are considered ``reviewed data.``

  2. Restoring Nature: Human Actions, Interactions and reactions

    Science.gov (United States)

    Paul H. Gobster

    2000-01-01

    Regardless of one's viewpoint, the conflict that erupted in the spring of 1996 and became known as the Chicago restoration controversy has left an indelible mark on the region's environmental community and has forever changed the way those involved will think about restoration. Its implications extend far beyond Chicago; since its inception, the controversy...

  3. Technical Approach and Plan for Transitioning Spent Nuclear Fuel (SNF) Project Facilities to the Environmental Restoration Program

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    SKELLY, W.A.

    1999-01-01

    This document describes the approach and process in which the 100-K Area Facilities are to be deactivated and transitioned over to the Environmental Restoration Program after spent nuclear fuel has been removed from the K Basins. It describes the Transition Project's scope and objectives, work breakdown structure, activity planning, estimated cost, and schedule. This report will be utilized as a planning document for project management and control and to communicate details of project content and integration

  4. Environmental Restoration Operations Consolidated Quarterly Report: July-September 2016

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Cochran, John R. [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States)

    2017-01-01

    This Environmental Restoration Operations (ER) Consolidated Quarterly Report (ER Quarterly Report) provides the status of ongoing corrective action activities being implemented at Sandia National Laboratories, New Mexico (SNL/NM) during the July, August, and September 2016 quarterly reporting period. The Solid Waste Management Units (SWMUs) and Areas of Concern (AOCs) identified for corrective action at SNL/NM are listed in Table I-1. Sections I.2.1 and I.2.2 summarize the work completed during this quarter. Section I.2.1 summarizes the quarterly activities at sites undergoing corrective action field activities. Field activities are conducted at the three groundwater AOCs (Burn Site Groundwater [BSG AOC], Technical Area [TA]-V Groundwater [TAVG AOC], and Tijeras Arroyo Groundwater [TAG AOC]). Section I.2.2 summarizes quarterly activities at sites where the New Mexico Environment Department (NMED) issued a certificate of completion and the sites are in the corrective action complete (CAC) regulatory process. Currently, SWMUs 8 and 58, 68, 149, 154, and 502 are in the CAC regulatory process. Corrective action activities are deferred at the Long Sled Track (SWMU 83), the Gun Facilities (SWMU 84), and the Short Sled Track (SWMU 240) because these three sites are active mission facilities. These three active sites are located in TA-III.

  5. Overcoming regulatory barriers: DOE environmental technology development program

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kurtyka, B.M.; Clodfelter-Schumack, K.; Evans, T.T.

    1995-01-01

    The potential to improve environmental conditions via compliance or restoration is directly related to the ability to produce and apply innovative technological solutions. However, numerous organizations, including the US General Accounting Office (GAO), the EPA National Advisory Council for Environmental Policy and Technology (NACEPT), the DOE Environmental Management Advisory Board (EMAB), and the National Science and Technology Council (NSTC) have determined that significant regulatory barriers exist that inhibit the development and application of these technologies. They have noted the need for improved efforts in identifying and rectifying these barriers for the purpose of improving the technology development process, providing innovative alternatives, and enhancing the likelihood of technology acceptance by all. These barriers include, among others, regulator and user bias against ''unknown/unproven'' technologies; multi-level/multi-media permit disincentives; potential liability of developers and users for failed implementation; wrongly defined or inadequate data quality objectives: and lack of customer understanding and input. The ultimate goal of technology development is the utilization of technologies. This paper will present information on a number of regulatory barriers hindering DOE's environmental technology development program and describe DOE efforts to address these barriers

  6. Comparison of active and passive stream restoration

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Kristensen, Esben Astrup; Thodsen, Hans; Dehli, Bjarke

    2013-01-01

    Modification and channelization of streams and rivers have been conducted extensively throughout the world during the past century. Subsequently, much effort has been directed at re-creating the lost habitats and thereby improving living conditions for aquatic organisms. However, as restoration...... methods are plentiful, it is difficult to determine which one to use to get the anticipated result. The aim of this study was to compare two commonly used methods in small Danish streams to improve the physical condition: re-meandering and passive restoration through cease of maintenance. Our...... investigation included measurement of the physical conditions in 29 stream reaches covering four different groups: (1) re-meandered streams, (2) LDC streams (the least disturbed streams available), (3) passively restored streams (>10 years stop of aintenance) and (4) channelized and non-restored streams. The in...

  7. Dissolved organic matter in the Florida everglades: Implications for ecosystem restoration

    Science.gov (United States)

    Aiken, G.R.; Gilmour, C.C.; Krabbenhoft, D.P.; Orem, W.

    2011-01-01

    Dissolved organic matter (DOM) in the Florida Everglades controls a number of environmental processes important for ecosystem function including the absorption of light, mineral dissolution/precipitation, transport of hydrophobic compounds (e.g., pesticides), and the transport and reactivity of metals, such as mercury. Proposed attempts to return the Everglades to more natural flow conditions will result in changes to the present transport of DOM from the Everglades Agricultural Area and the northern conservation areas to Florida Bay. In part, the restoration plan calls for increasing water flow throughout the Everglades by removing some of the manmade barriers to flow in place today. The land- and water-use practices associated with the plan will likely result in changes in the quality, quantity, and reactivity of DOM throughout the greater Everglades ecosystem. The authors discuss the factors controlling DOM concentrations and chemistry, present distribution of DOM throughout the Everglades, the potential effects of DOM on key water-quality issues, and the potential utility of dissolved organic matter as an indicator of success of restoration efforts. Copyright ?? 2011 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.

  8. U.S. Department of energy worker health risk evaluation methodology for assessing risks associated with environmental restoration and waste management

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Blaylock, B.P.; Legg, J.; Travis, C.C.; Scofield, P.A.

    1995-06-01

    This document describes a worker health risk evaluation methodology for assessing risks associated with Environmental Restoration (ER) and Waste Management (WM). The methodology is appropriate for estimating worker risks across the Department of Energy (DOE) Complex at both programmatic and site-specific levels. This document supports the worker health risk methodology used to perform the human health risk assessment portion of the DOE Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (PEIS) although it has applications beyond the PEIS, such as installation-wide worker risk assessments, screening-level assessments, and site-specific assessments

  9. U.S. Department of Energy worker health risk evaluation methodology for assessing risks associated with environmental restoration and waste management

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Blaylock, B.P.; Legg, J.; Travis, C.C. [Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (United States). Center for Risk Management; Simek, M.A.; Sutherland, J. [Univ. of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN (United States); Scofield, P.A. [Office of Environmental Compliance and Documentation (United States)

    1995-06-01

    This document describes a worker health risk evaluation methodology for assessing risks associated with Environmental Restoration (ER) and Waste Management (WM). The methodology is appropriate for estimating worker risks across the Department of Energy (DOE) Complex at both programmatic and site-specific levels. This document supports the worker health risk methodology used to perform the human health risk assessment portion of the DOE Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (PEIS) although it has applications beyond the PEIS, such as installation-wide worker risk assessments, screening-level assessments, and site-specific assessments.

  10. Governing and Delivering a Biome-Wide Restoration Initiative: The Case of Atlantic Forest Restoration Pact in Brazil

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Severino R. Pinto

    2014-09-01

    Full Text Available In many human-modified tropical landscapes, biodiversity conservation and the provision of ecosystem services require large-scale restoration initiatives. Such initiatives must be able to augment the amount and the quality of remaining natural habitats. There is thus a growing need for long-term, multi-stakeholder and multi-purpose initiatives that result in multiple ecological and socioeconomic benefits at the biome scale. The Atlantic Forest Restoration Pact (AFRP is a coalition of 260+ stakeholders, including governmental agencies, private sector, NGOs and research institutions, aimed at restoring 15 million ha of degraded and deforested lands by 2050. By articulating, and then integrating common interests, this initiative has allowed different sectors of society to implement an ambitious vision and create a forum for public and private concerns regarding forest restoration. The AFRP adopts a set of governance tools so multiple actors can implement key processes to achieve long-term and visionary restoration goals. Having overcome some initial challenges, AFRP now has to incorporate underrepresented stakeholders and enhance its efforts to make forest restoration more economically viable, including cases where restoration could be less expensive and profitable. The AFRP experience has resulted in many lessons learned, which can be shared to foster similar initiatives across tropical regions.

  11. Knowledge, Attitudes and Preventive Efforts of Malaysian Medical Students Regarding Exposure to Environmental Tobacco and Cigarette Smoking.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Frisch, Ann Stirling; Kurtz, Margot; Shamsuddin, Khadijah

    1999-01-01

    Study examines changes in knowledge, attitudes, and preventive efforts of Malaysian students concerning cigarette smoking and environmental exposure to tobacco smoke from their first pre-clinical year in medical school until their final clinical year. Although there were significant improvements in knowledge about smoking and environmental…

  12. Relationships between environmental governance and water quality in a growing metropolitan area of the Pacific Northwest, USA

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chang, H.; Thiers, P.; Netusil, N. R.; Yeakley, J. A.; Rollwagen-Bollens, G.; Bollens, S. M.; Singh, S.

    2014-04-01

    We investigate relationships between environmental governance and water quality in two adjacent growing metropolitan areas in the western US. While the Portland, Oregon and Vancouver, Washington metro areas share many common biophysical characteristics, they have different land development histories and water governance structures, providing a unique opportunity for examining how differences in governance might affect environmental quality. We conceptualize possible linkages in which water quality influences governance directly, using monitoring efforts as a metric, and indirectly by using the change in the sale price of single-family residential properties. Governance may then influence water quality directly through riparian restoration resulting from monitoring results and indirectly through land use policy. We investigate evidence to substantiate these linkages. Our results showed that changes in monitoring regimes and land development patterns differed in response to differences in growth management policy and environmental governance systems. Our results also showed similarities in environmental quality responses to varying governance systems. For example, we found that sales prices responded positively to improved water quality (e.g., increases in DO and reductions in bacteria counts) in both cities. Furthermore, riparian restoration efforts improved over time for both cities, indicating the positive effect of governance on this land-based resource that may result in improved water quality. However, as of yet, there were no substantial differences across study areas in water temperature over time, despite an expansion of these urban areas of more than 20 % over 24 years. The mechanisms by which water quality was maintained was similar in the sense that both cities benefited from riparian restoration, but different in the sense that Portland benefited indirectly from land use policy. A combination of long-term legacy effects of land development, and a

  13. Achieving consensus in environmental programs

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kurstedt, H.A.; Jones, R.M.; Walker, J.A.; Middleman, L.I.

    1989-01-01

    In this paper, the authors describe a research effort on consensus tied to the Environmental Restoration Program (ERP) within the U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Defense Waste and Transportation Management (DWTM). They define consensus and explain why consensus decisions are not merely desirable but necessary in furthering ERP activities. As examples of their planned applied research, the authors first discuss nominal group technique as a representative consensus-generating tool, and conclude by describing the consensus-related mission of the Waste Management Review Group, established to conduct independent, third-party review of DWTM/ERP plans and activities

  14. Achieving consensus in environmental programs

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kurstedt, Jr., H. A.; Jones, R. M.; Walker, J. A.; Middleman, L. I.

    1989-01-01

    In this paper, we describe a new research effort on consensus tied to the Environmental Restoration Program (ERP) within the US Department of Energy's Office of Defense Waste and Transportation Management (DWTM). We define consensus and explain why consensus decisions are not merely desirable but necessary in furthering ERP activities. As examples of our planned applied research, we first discuss Nominal Group Technique as a representative consensus-generating tool, and we conclude by describing the consensus-related mission of the Waste Management Review Group, established at Virginia Tech to conduct independent, third-party review of DWTM/ERP plans and activities. 10 refs.

  15. Using performance measures to evaluate programmatic outputs and outcomes in the Department of Energy's environmental restoration program

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Turi, G.; Resch, R.; Shangraw, W.R.

    1994-01-01

    Over the last year, a revolution has occurred in the use of performance measures in the Department of Energy's (DOE) Office of Environmental Management (EM). The performance measures range from traditional cost and schedule performance criteria to strategic measures of program outcomes. Each area of performance measurement has resulted (or is resulting) in a different approach for evaluating performance using a different set of performance criteria. Although some data elements cross cut the groups, each of the approaches focuses on different data collection process. The Office of Environmental Restoration is attempting to link these groups together through a unified system of performance measurement. This paper will define and discuss each type of performance measurement and its supporting systems or approaches

  16. American social work, corrections and restorative justice: an appraisal.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gumz, Edward J

    2004-08-01

    Social work played an active role in American corrections until the 1980s when the ethic of rehabilitation began to give way to a more conservative doctrine of retribution. Changes in the field of social work, characterized by preference of social workers to work only with certain populations, contributed to social work's diminishment in corrections. Although efforts at rehabilitation continue in corrections, the concept of restorative justice that emphasizes assisting victims, communities, and offenders in dealing with the consequences of crime is gaining acceptance in the field of corrections in the United States and in other countries. This study explored social work's presence in corrections, the decline of that presence, and how the concept of restorative justice can invigorate social work within the field of corrections. Several examples of social work's contemporary efforts to use the concept of restorative justice in the United Kingdom are presented.

  17. Restoration ecology and invasive riparian plants: An introduction to the special section on Tamarix spp. in western North America

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shafroth, Patrick B.; Briggs, Mark K.

    2008-01-01

    River systems around the world are subject to various perturbations, including the colonization and spread of non-native species in riparian zones. Riparian resource managers are commonly engaged in efforts to control problematic non-native species and restore native habitats. In western North America, small Eurasian trees or shrubs in the genus Tamarixoccupy hundreds of thousands of hectares of riparian lands, and are the targets of substantial and costly control efforts and associated restoration activities. Still, significant information gaps exist regarding approaches used in control and restoration efforts and their effects on riparian ecosystems. In this special section of papers, eight articles address various aspects of control and restoration associated with Tamarix spp. These include articles focused on planning restoration and revegetation; a synthetic analysis of past restoration efforts; and several specific research endeavors examining plant responses, water use, and various wildlife responses (including birds, butterflies, and lizards). These articles represent important additions to the Tamarix spp. literature and contain many lessons and insights that should be transferable to other analogous situations in river systems globally.

  18. Information management architecture for an integrated computing environment for the Environmental Restoration Program. Environmental Restoration Program, Volume 3, Interim technical architecture

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1994-09-01

    This third volume of the Information Management Architecture for an Integrated Computing Environment for the Environmental Restoration Program--the Interim Technical Architecture (TA) (referred to throughout the remainder of this document as the ER TA)--represents a key milestone in establishing a coordinated information management environment in which information initiatives can be pursued with the confidence that redundancy and inconsistencies will be held to a minimum. This architecture is intended to be used as a reference by anyone whose responsibilities include the acquisition or development of information technology for use by the ER Program. The interim ER TA provides technical guidance at three levels. At the highest level, the technical architecture provides an overall computing philosophy or direction. At this level, the guidance does not address specific technologies or products but addresses more general concepts, such as the use of open systems, modular architectures, graphical user interfaces, and architecture-based development. At the next level, the technical architecture provides specific information technology recommendations regarding a wide variety of specific technologies. These technologies include computing hardware, operating systems, communications software, database management software, application development software, and personal productivity software, among others. These recommendations range from the adoption of specific industry or Martin Marietta Energy Systems, Inc. (Energy Systems) standards to the specification of individual products. At the third level, the architecture provides guidance regarding implementation strategies for the recommended technologies that can be applied to individual projects and to the ER Program as a whole

  19. Approach and Strategy for Performing Ecological Risk Assessments for the Department of Energy Oak Ridge Field Office Environmental Restoration Program

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Suter, G.W. II

    1992-01-01

    This technical memorandum provides guidance for planning and performing ecological risk assessments (ERAs) on the Oak Ridge Reservation (ORR). This work was performed under Work Breakdown Structure 1.4.12.2.3.04.07.02 (Activity Data Sheet 8304) and meets an Environmental Restoration Program milestone for FY 95. The strategy discussed in this report is consistent with the overall strategy for site management and Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) compliance developed for the ORR and relevant U.S. Environmental Protection Agency documents and guidance. The general approach and strategy presented herein was developed for the ORR, but it could be applicable to other complex CERCLA sites that possess significant ecological resources.

  20. Interagency Review of the Department of Energy Environmental Restoration and Waste Management Program

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1992-01-01

    This report presents the findings of the Interagency Requirements Review of the Department of Energy (DOE) Environmental Restoration and Waste Management (ERWM) Program. The review was requested by Admiral Watkins to help determine the FY 1993 funding levels necessary to meet all legal requirements. The review was undertaken by analysts from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and Army Corps of Engineers, reporting to an Interagency Group (IAG) of senior Administration officials concerned with environmental cleanup issues. The purpose of the study was to determine the level of finding needed in FY 1993 for each ERWM Field Office to comply with all Federal, State, and local government legal requirements; all DOE Orders that establish standards for environment, safety and health (ES and H) management; and for prudent investments in other discretionary and management activities such as upgrading administrative buildings, information systems, etc. The study also reviewed the cost estimates supporting the ERWM proposed budget, including direct costs (labor, equipment) and indirect costs (administrative, landlord services, contractor overhead). The study did not analyze whether the Federal/State legal requirements and DOE Orders were necessary or whether the proposed clean-up remedies represent the most cost effective alternatives available

  1. A Landscape-level Model for Ecosystem Restoration in the San Francisco Estuary and Its Watershed

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Wim Kimmerer

    2005-03-01

    Full Text Available The CALFED Bay-Delta Program is an ambitious effort to restore ecosystems and improve reliability of ecosystem services in California’s Central Valley. Key issues for CALFED and its Ecosystem Restoration Program (ERP include (1 meeting societal demand for multiple, potentially conflicting ecosystem services; (2 the tradeoff among more or less environmentally intrusive approaches to solving problems; (3 whether restoration should focus at the ecosystem level or on individual species; (4 the appropriate response to uncertainty; and (5 the tension between action and investigation. A long-term, landscape-scale perspective is essential for framing the scientific questions underlying these broad issues. We introduce a landscape-scale conceptual model that illustrates linkages, including material flows and animal migration, among the major ecosystem components being described in detail in a series of review papers. This model shows how linkages between ecosystem components result in remote consequences of locally applied restoration actions. The network of linkages is made more complicated by human interventions, which add components not previously a part of the landscape (e.g., salmonid hatcheries and alter or even reverse causal relations. A landscape perspective also helps identify conceptual gaps in CALFED’s restoration strategy, such as climate change and human population growth, which should be explicitly considered in forecasts of the long-term prospects for restoration. A landscape perspective is no panacea; in particular, the effects of restoration at this scale will be difficult to detect. Nevertheless, we advocate integrating investigations of processes at nested, smaller scales as an approach for evaluating effects of individual restoration actions and of the entire program. We believe CALFED and other large restoration programs will be most successful if they are able to integrate both societal expectations and scientific study at the

  2. Controls of vegetation structure and net primary production in restored grasslands

    Science.gov (United States)

    Munson, Seth M.; Lauenroth, William K.

    2014-01-01

    1. Vegetation structure and net primary production (NPP) are fundamental properties of ecosystems. Understanding how restoration practices following disturbance interact with environmental factors to control these properties can provide insight on how ecosystems recover and guide management efforts. 2. We assessed the relative contribution of environmental and restoration factors in controlling vegetation structure, above- and below-ground investment in production across a chronosequence of semiarid Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) fields recovering from dryland wheat cropping relative to undisturbed grassland. Importantly, we determined the role of plant diversity and how seeding either native or introduced perennial grasses influenced the recovery of vegetation properties. 3. Plant basal cover increased with field age and was highest in CRP fields seeded with native perennial grasses. In contrast, fields seeded with introduced perennial grasses had tall-growing plants with relatively low basal cover. These vegetation structural characteristics interacted with precipitation, but not soil characteristics, to influence above-ground NPP (ANPP). Fields enrolled in the CRP program for >7 years supported twice as much ANPP as undisturbed shortgrass steppe in the first wet year of the study, but all CRP fields converged on a common low amount of ANPP in the following dry year and invested less than half as much as the shortgrass steppe in below-ground biomass. 4. ANPP in CRP fields seeded with native perennial grasses for more than 7 years was positively related to species richness, whereas ANPP in CRP fields seeded with introduced perennial grasses were controlled more by dominant species. 5. Synthesis and applications. Seeding with introduced, instead of native, perennial grasses had a strong direct influence on vegetation structure, including species richness, which indirectly affected NPP through time. However, the effects of restoring either native or introduced

  3. Faces from the past: profiles of those who led restoration of the South’s forests

    Science.gov (United States)

    James P. Barnett

    2016-01-01

    Early in the 20th century, the forests in the South were devastated by aggressive harvesting and many millions of acres of forest land needed reforestation. Foresighted individuals began a committed effort to restore this land to a productive condition. This effort required dedication, cooperation, and leadership. A small cadre of individuals led the restoration of the...

  4. How is success or failure in river restoration projects evaluated? Feedback from French restoration projects.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Morandi, Bertrand; Piégay, Hervé; Lamouroux, Nicolas; Vaudor, Lise

    2014-05-01

    Since the 1990s, French operational managers and scientists have been involved in the environmental restoration of rivers. The European Water Framework Directive (2000) highlights the need for feedback from restoration projects and for evidence-based evaluation of success. Based on 44 French pilot projects that included such an evaluation, the present study includes: 1) an introduction to restoration projects based on their general characteristics 2) a description of evaluation strategies and authorities in charge of their implementation, and 3) a focus on the evaluation of results and the links between these results and evaluation strategies. The results show that: 1) the quality of an evaluation strategy often remains too poor to understand well the link between a restoration project and ecological changes; 2) in many cases, the conclusions drawn are contradictory, making it difficult to determine the success or failure of a restoration project; and 3) the projects with the poorest evaluation strategies generally have the most positive conclusions about the effects of restoration. Recommendations are that evaluation strategies should be designed early in the project planning process and be based on clearly-defined objectives. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  5. The DOE Office of Environmental Restoration and Waste Management comprehensive integrated planning process

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Aiken, R.J.; Draffin, C.W. Jr.; Pflock, K.T.

    1992-01-01

    This paper reports that comprehensive integrated planning is critical to the ultimate success of the DOE Office of Environmental Restoration and Waste Management's (EM) program because of the significant technical and institutional complexities, the tens of billions of dollars required, the regulatory and fiscal uncertainty, and the multitude of federal, state, and private sector organizations involved. Using the philosophy that sound and forward looking planning should guide budgetary and management decisionmaking, and that clear priorities are essential to program success, EM's comprehensive approach includes strategic planning, the annually updated EM Five-Year Plan, the EM Management Plan, and Site Specific Plans. Roadmaps (which facilitate issue identification and resolution), Activity Data Sheets, prioritization methodologies, and installation-specific Progress Charts are among the tools employed in support of the EM integrated planning process

  6. Environmental Restoration and Waste Management manpower needs assessment: US Department of Energy complex

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Holmes, C.W.; Lewis, R.E.; Hunt, S.T. (Pacific Northwest Lab., Richland, WA (United States)); Finn, M.G. (Oak Ridge Associated Universities, Inc., TN (United States))

    1992-06-01

    A study was conducted Pacific Northwest Laboratory and Oak Ridge Associated Universities, Inc. to assess the supply and demand for 53 scientific, engineering, and technical occupations relevant to the US Department of Energy's (DOE's) Office of Environmental Restoration and Waste management (EM). These assessments were made by examining budget projections and the input of program/project and human resources managers throughout the DOE complex. Quantitative projections of full-time equivalent employees slots for each occupation have been developed for the 1993--1997 time frame. Qualitative assessments of the factors that affect recruitment, staffing, and retention are also reported. The implications of the study are discussed within the likely skills mix of the future workforce and the education and organization interventions most likely to address the needs of the DOE complex.

  7. International technology transfer to support the environmental restoration needs of the DOE complex

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    DuCharme, A.R.; Jimenez, R.D.; Roberds, W.J.

    1992-01-01

    One of the principal objectives of the International Technology Exchange Program (ITEP) is the exchange of waste management and environmental restoration (WM/ER) technologies between the US and other nations. The current emphasis of ITEP is the transfer of technologies to the US that could provide better, faster, cheaper, or safer solutions to the needs of the DOE complex. The 10 candidate technologies that have been identified thus far by ITEP are discussed. The highlights of preliminary evaluations of these technologies through a systems approach are also described. The technologies have been evaluated by a screening process to determine their applicability to the leading WM/ER needs of the DOE complex. The technologies have been qualitatively compared with the known or anticipated capabilities of domestic, base case technologies

  8. Advanced Monitoring Systems Initiative Project Achievements for Environmental Restoration and Waste Management

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hohman, E.H.; Lohrstorfer, C.L.; Venedam, R.J.; Weeks, S.J.; Fannin, C.R.

    2006-01-01

    The Advanced Monitoring Systems Initiative (AMSI) project has been in existence since 2002. In this short time period, AMSI has successfully developed, tested and/or demonstrated over 30 advanced sensors and monitoring systems for applications in environmental restoration, waste management and other areas of national interest. This presentation summarizes the AMSI project, and gives examples of recent successes. The purpose of the presentation is to make Symposium attendees aware of AMSI's capabilities and experience, for possible use in the future. Example successes include the following: - Automated hexavalent chromium (Cr(VI)) monitoring in wells alongside the Columbia River; - Atmospheric chemical sensor array for remote, real-time plume tracking; - Wireless sensor platform for long-term monitoring of subsurface moisture; - Embedded piezo-resistive micro-cantilever (EPM) units for carbon tetrachloride (CCl 4 ) and hydrogen cyanide (HCN) detection; - 'iHistorian' for efficient, real-time data management of chemical releases. (authors)

  9. Modern comprehensive approach to monitor the morphodynamic evolution of restored river corridors

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Pasquale, N; Perona, P; Schneider, P.; Shrestha, J.; Wombacher, Andreas; Burlando, P

    2011-01-01

    River restoration has become a common measure to repair anthropogenically-induced alteration of fluvial ecosystems. The inherent complexity of ecohydrologic systems leads to limitations in understanding the response of such systems to restoration over time. Therefore, a significant effort has been

  10. EnviroAtlas - Potentially Restorable Wetlands on Agricultural Land - Contiguous United States

    Data.gov (United States)

    U.S. Environmental Protection Agency — The EnviroAtlas Potentially Restorable Wetlands on Agricultural Land (PRW-Ag) dataset shows potentially restorable wetlands at 30-meter resolution. Beginning two...

  11. Divison of Environmental Education and Development Fiscal Year 1992 annual report

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    1992-12-31

    Primary design criterion for this division`s education activities is directly related to meeting the goal of environmental compliance on an accelerated basis and cleanup of the 1989 inventory of inactive sites and facilities by the year 2019. Therefore, the division`s efforts are directed toward stimulating knowledge and capability to achieve the goals while contributing to DOE`s overall goal of increasing scientific, mathematical, and technical literacy and competency. This annual report is divided into: overview, workforce development, academic partnerships, scholarships/fellowships, environmental restoration and waste management employment program, community colleges, outreach, evaluation, and principal DOE contacts.

  12. Microbial diversity in restored wetlands of San Francisco Bay

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Theroux, Susanna [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Walnut Creek, CA (United States). Dept. of Energy Joint Genome Inst.; Hartman, Wyatt [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Walnut Creek, CA (United States). Dept. of Energy Joint Genome Inst.; He, Shaomei [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Walnut Creek, CA (United States). Dept. of Energy Joint Genome Inst.; Univ. of Wisconsin, Madison, WI (United States); Tringe, Susannah [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Walnut Creek, CA (United States). Dept. of Energy Joint Genome Inst.

    2013-12-09

    Wetland ecosystems may serve as either a source or a sink for atmospheric carbon and greenhouse gases. This delicate carbon balance is influenced by the activity of belowground microbial communities that return carbon dioxide and methane to the atmosphere. Wetland restoration efforts in the San Francisco Bay-Delta region may help to reverse land subsidence and possibly increase carbon storage in soils. However, the effects of wetland restoration on microbial communities, which mediate soil metabolic activity and carbon cycling, are poorly studied. In an effort to better understand the underlying factors which shape the balance of carbon flux in wetland soils, we targeted the microbial communities in a suite of restored and historic wetlands in the San Francisco Bay-Delta region. Using DNA and RNA sequencing, coupled with greenhouse gas monitoring, we profiled the diversity and metabolic potential of the wetland soil microbial communities along biogeochemical and wetland age gradients. Our results show relationships among geochemical gradients, availability of electron acceptors, and microbial community composition. Our study provides the first genomic glimpse into microbial populations in natural and restored wetlands of the San Francisco Bay-Delta region and provides a valuable benchmark for future studies.

  13. Application of Science-Based Restoration Planning to a Desert River System

    Science.gov (United States)

    Laub, Brian G.; Jimenez, Justin; Budy, Phaedra

    2015-06-01

    Persistence of many desert river species is threatened by a suite of impacts linked to water infrastructure projects that provide human water security where water is scarce. Many desert rivers have undergone regime shifts from spatially and temporally dynamic ecosystems to more stable systems dominated by homogenous physical habitat. Restoration of desert river systems could aid in biodiversity conservation, but poses formidable challenges due to multiple threats and the infeasibility of recovery to pre-development conditions. The challenges faced in restoring desert rivers can be addressed by incorporating scientific recommendations into restoration planning efforts at multiple stages, as demonstrated here through an example restoration project. In particular, use of a watershed-scale planning process can identify data gaps and irreversible constraints, which aid in developing achievable restoration goals and objectives. Site-prioritization focuses limited the resources for restoration on areas with the greatest potential to improve populations of target organisms. Investment in research to understand causes of degradation, coupled with adoption of a guiding vision is critical for identifying feasible restoration actions that can enhance river processes. Setting monitoring as a project goal, developing hypotheses for expected outcomes, and implementing restoration as an experimental design will facilitate adaptive management and learning from project implementation. Involvement of scientists and managers during all planning stages is critical for developing process-based restoration actions and an implementation plan to maximize learning. The planning process developed here provides a roadmap for use of scientific recommendations in future efforts to recover dynamic processes in imperiled riverine ecosystems.

  14. Application of science-based restoration planning to a desert river system

    Science.gov (United States)

    Laub, Brian G.; Jimenez, Justin; Budy, Phaedra

    2015-01-01

    Persistence of many desert river species is threatened by a suite of impacts linked to water infrastructure projects that provide human water security where water is scarce. Many desert rivers have undergone regime shifts from spatially and temporally dynamic ecosystems to more stable systems dominated by homogenous physical habitat. Restoration of desert river systems could aid in biodiversity conservation, but poses formidable challenges due to multiple threats and the infeasibility of recovery to pre-development conditions. The challenges faced in restoring desert rivers can be addressed by incorporating scientific recommendations into restoration planning efforts at multiple stages, as demonstrated here through an example restoration project. In particular, use of a watershed-scale planning process can identify data gaps and irreversible constraints, which aid in developing achievable restoration goals and objectives. Site-prioritization focuses limited the resources for restoration on areas with the greatest potential to improve populations of target organisms. Investment in research to understand causes of degradation, coupled with adoption of a guiding vision is critical for identifying feasible restoration actions that can enhance river processes. Setting monitoring as a project goal, developing hypotheses for expected outcomes, and implementing restoration as an experimental design will facilitate adaptive management and learning from project implementation. Involvement of scientists and managers during all planning stages is critical for developing process-based restoration actions and an implementation plan to maximize learning. The planning process developed here provides a roadmap for use of scientific recommendations in future efforts to recover dynamic processes in imperiled riverine ecosystems.

  15. Oak Ridge Reservation Federal Facility Agreement. Quarterly report for the Environmental Restoration Program. Volume 4, July 1995--September 1995

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1995-10-01

    This quarterly progress report satisfies requirements for the Environmental Restoration (ER) Program that are specified in the Oak Ridge Reservation Federal Facility Agreement (FFA) established between the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC). The reporting period covered herein is July through September 1995 (fourth quarter of FY 1995). Sections 1.1 and 1.2 provide respectively the milestones scheduled for completion during the reporting period and a list of documents that have been proposed for transmittal during the following quarter but have not been approved as FY 1995 commitments

  16. On-site laboratory support of Oak Ridge National Laboratory environmental restoration field activities

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Burn, J.L.E.

    1995-07-01

    A remedial investigation/feasibility study has been undertaken at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL). Bechtel National, Inc. and partners CH2M Hill, Ogden Environmental and Energy Services, and PEER Consultants are contracted to Lockheed Martin Energy Systems, performing this work for ORNL's Environmental Restoration (ER) Program. An on-site Close Support Laboratory (CSL) established at the ER Field Operations Facility has evolved into a laboratory where quality analytical screening results can be provided rapidly (e.g., within 24 hours of sampling). CSL capabilities include three basic areas: radiochemistry, chromatography, and wet chemistry. Radiochemical analyses include gamma spectroscopy, tritium and carbon-14 screens using liquid scintillation analysis, and gross alpha and beta counting. Cerenkov counting and crown-ether-based separation are the two rapid methods used for radiostrontium determination in water samples. By extending count times where appropriate, method detection limits can match those achieved by off-site contract laboratories. Volatile organic compounds are detected by means of gas chromatography using either headspace or purge and trap sample introduction (based on EPA 601/602). Ionic content of water samples is determined using ion chromatography and alkalinity measurement. Ion chromatography is used to quantify both anions (based on EPA 300) and cations. Wet chemistry procedures performed at the CSL include alkalinity, pH (water and soil), soil resistivity, and dissolved/suspended solids. Besides environmental samples, the CSL routinely screens health and safety and waste management samples. The cost savings of the CSL are both direct and indirect

  17. Environmental restoration at the Pantex Plant. Quarterly progress report, April 12, 1995--June 30, 1995

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Charbeneau, R.J.

    1995-01-01

    This report summarizes the Work Plans for activities associated with Environmental Restoration of the perched aquifer and contaminated soils at the Pantex Plant. The Higher Education Consortium/Pantex Research Laboratory is participating in the Consortium Grant to evaluate subsurface remediation alternatives for the perched aquifer at the Pantex Plant. Research activities will develop site characterization data and evaluate remediation alternatives for the perched aquifer and the overlying vadose zone. The work plans cover research activities for the remainder of FY95, and proposed activities for FY96 and thereafter. A separate document will present more detailed plans for FY96 activities and budget requirements

  18. Environmental restoration disposal facility applicable or relevant and appropriate requirements study report. Revision 00

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Roeck, F.V.; Vedder, B.L.; Rugg, J.E.

    1995-10-01

    The Environmental Restoration Disposal Facility (ERDF) will be a landfill authorized under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980 (CERCLA) and will comply with the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act of 1976 (RCRA) substantive requirements. The facility will also comply with applicable or relevant and appropriate requirements (ARAR), including portions of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulations, Washington Administrative Code (WAC), and to-be-considered (TBC) elements such as U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Orders. In considering the requirements of CERCLA, a detailed analysis of various alternatives for ERDF was completed using the nine CERCLA criteria, National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA), and public comments. The ERDF record of decision (ROD) selected an alternative that includes a RCRA-compliant double-lined trench for the disposal of radioactive, hazardous, and mixed wastes resulting from the remediation of operable units (OU) within the National Priorities List (NPL) sites in the 100, 200, and 300 Areas. Only wastes resulting from the remediation of Hanford NPL sites will be allowed in the ERDF. Of the various siting and design alternatives proposed for ERDF, the selected alternative provides the best combination of features by balancing the nine CERCLA criteria, ARAR compliance, environmentally protective site, and various stakeholder and public recommendations. The ERDF trench design, compliant with RCRA Subtitle C minimum technical requirements (MTR), will be double lined and equipped with a leachate collection system. This design provides a more reliable system to protect groundwater than other proposed alternatives. The ERDF is located on the Hanford Site Central Plateau, southeast of the 200 West Area

  19. Environmental emergency in Persian Gulf

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zanini, G.

    1991-01-01

    This paper gives an environmental damage report for the Kuwait-Persian Gulf area that has been affected by the Gulf War oil well fires and the release of oil into the sea. The report was prepared by members of an ENEA (Italian Commission for New Technologies, Energy and the Environment)/Friends of the Earth scientific mission whose aim was to assess the damage to terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems and to develop short and long terms programs of damage containment and environmental restoration. With regard to shore-line clean-up operations, the mission noted the scarce use of manpower, 500 versus 11,000 for the Exxon Valdez spill. Seventy-five per cent of the surface of Kuwait has been covered with a fine spray of petroleum and ashes borne by turbulent winds. Efforts are being made to establish a climate model, which would take into account the effects of the altered environmental conditions, to forecast the local transport of the pollutants

  20. Process-Based Ecological River Restoration: Visualizing Three-Dimensional Connectivity and Dynamic Vectors to Recover Lost Linkages

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    G. Mathias. Kondolf

    2006-12-01

    Full Text Available Human impacts to aquatic ecosystems often involve changes in hydrologic connectivity and flow regime. Drawing upon examples in the literature and from our experience, we developed conceptual models and used simple bivariate plots to visualize human impacts and restoration efforts in terms of connectivity and flow dynamics. Human-induced changes in longitudinal, lateral, and vertical connectivity are often accompanied by changes in flow dynamics, but in our experience restoration efforts to date have more often restored connectivity than flow dynamics. Restoration actions have included removing dams to restore fish passage, reconnecting flow through artificially cut-off side channels, setting back or breaching levees, and removing fine sediment deposits that block vertical exchange with the bed, thereby partially restoring hydrologic connectivity, i.e., longitudinal, lateral, or vertical. Restorations have less commonly affected flow dynamics, presumably because of the social and economic importance of water diversions or flood control. Thus, as illustrated in these bivariate plots, the trajectories of ecological restoration are rarely parallel with degradation trajectories because restoration is politically and economically easier along some axes more than others.

  1. Aging infrastructure creates opportunities for cost-efficient restoration of aquatic ecosystem connectivity.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Neeson, Thomas M; Moody, Allison T; O'Hanley, Jesse R; Diebel, Matthew; Doran, Patrick J; Ferris, Michael C; Colling, Timothy; McIntyre, Peter B

    2018-06-09

    A hallmark of industrialization is the construction of dams for water management and roads for transportation, leading to fragmentation of aquatic ecosystems. Many nations are striving to address both maintenance backlogs and mitigation of environmental impacts as their infrastructure ages. Here, we test whether accounting for road repair needs could offer opportunities to boost conservation efficiency by piggybacking connectivity restoration projects on infrastructure maintenance. Using optimization models to align fish passage restoration sites with likely road repair priorities, we find potential increases in conservation return-on-investment ranging from 17% to 25%. Importantly, these gains occur without compromising infrastructure or conservation priorities; simply communicating openly about objectives and candidate sites enables greater accomplishment at current funding levels. Society embraces both reliable roads and thriving fisheries, so overcoming this coordination challenge should be feasible. Given deferred maintenance crises for many types of infrastructure, there could be widespread opportunities to enhance the cost effectiveness of conservation investments by coordinating with infrastructure renewal efforts. © 2018 by the Ecological Society of America.

  2. A Synthesis of Environmental and Plant Community Data for Tidal Wetland Restoration Planning in the Lower Columbia River and Estuary

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Diefenderfer, Heida L.; Borde, Amy B.; Cullinan, Valerie I.

    2013-12-01

    This report reanalyzes and synthesizes previously existing environmental and plant community data collected by PNNL at 55 tidal wetlands and 3 newly restored sites in the lower Columbia River and estuary (LCRE) between 2005 and 2011. Whereas data were originally collected for various research or monitoring objectives of five studies, the intent of this report is to provide only information that will have direct utility in planning tidal wetland restoration projects. Therefore, for this report, all tidal wetland data on plants and the physical environment, which were originally developed and reported by separate studies, were tabulated and reanalyzed as a whole. The geographic scope of the data collected in this report is from Bonneville Lock and Dam to the mouth of the Columbia River

  3. A restoration genetics guide for coral reef conservation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Baums, Iliana B

    2008-06-01

    Worldwide degradation of coral reef communities has prompted a surge in restoration efforts. They proceed largely without considering genetic factors because traditionally, coral populations have been regarded as open over large areas with little potential for local adaptation. Since, biophysical and molecular studies indicated that most populations are closed over shorter time and smaller spatial scales. Thus, it is justified to re-examine the potential for site adaptation in corals. There is ample evidence for differentiated populations, inbreeding, asexual reproduction and the occurrence of ecotypes, factors that may facilitate local adaptation. Discovery of widespread local adaptation would influence coral restoration projects mainly with regard to the physical and evolutionary distance from the source wild and/or captive bred propagules may be moved without causing a loss of fitness in the restored population. Proposed causes for loss of fitness as a result of (plant) restoration efforts include founder effects, genetic swamping, inbreeding and/or outbreeding depression. Direct evidence for any of these processes is scarce in reef corals due to a lack of model species that allow for testing over multiple generations and the separation of the relative contributions of algal symbionts and their coral hosts to the overall performance of the coral colony. This gap in our knowledge may be closed by employing novel population genetic and genomics approaches. The use of molecular tools may aid managers in the selection of appropriate propagule sources, guide spatial arrangement of transplants, and help in assessing the success of coral restoration projects by tracking the performance of transplants, thereby generating important data for future coral reef conservation and restoration projects.

  4. Application of safeguards technology in DOE's environmental restoration program

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Eccleston, G.W.; Baker, M.P.; Hansen, W.R.; Lucas, M.C.; Markin, J.T.; Phillips, J.R.

    1990-01-01

    During the last two decades, the Department of Energy's Office of Safeguards and Security (DOE/OSS) has supported the research and development of safeguards systems analysis methodologies and nondestructive assay (NDS) technology for characterizing, monitoring, and accounting nuclear materials. This paper discusses methodologies and NDA instrumentation developed by the DOE/OSS program that could be applied in the Environmental Restoration Program. NDA instrumentation could be used for field measurements during site characterization and to monitor nuclear materials, heavy metals, and other hazardous materials during site remediation. Systems methodologies can minimize the expenditure of resources and help specify appropriate combinations of NDA instrumentation and chemical analyses to characterize a variety of materials quickly and reduce personnel exposure in hazardous environments. A training program is available to teach fundamental and advanced principles and approaches to characterize and quantify nuclear materials properly and to organize and analyze measurement information for decision making. The ability to characterize the overall volume and distribution of materials at a waste site is difficult because of the inhomogeneous distribution of materials, the requirement for extreme sensitivity, and the lack of resources to collect and chemically analyze a sufficient number of samples. Using a systems study approach based on statistical sampling, the resources necessary to characterize a site can be enhanced by appropriately combining in situ and field NDA measurements with laboratory analyses. 35 refs., 1 figs., 2 tabs

  5. Environmental Restoration Contractor Resource Conservation and Recovery Act Permit Implementation Plan

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lewis, R.A.

    1996-05-01

    This document contains the revised Environmental Restoration Contractor (ERC) Implementation Plan for compliance with the Dangerous Waste and Hazardous and Solid Waste Amendment portions of the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) Permit for the Treatment, Storage, and Disposal of Dangerous Waste (hereafter referred to as the open-quotes Permitclose quotes). The Permit became effective on September 28, 1994. The ERC has developed the Permit Implementation Plan to ensure that the Permit is properly implemented within the ERC project and functions. The plan contains a list of applicable permit conditions, descriptions, responsible organizations, and the status of compliance. The ERC's responsibilities for Permit implementation are identified within both project and functional organizations. Project Managers are responsible for complying with conditions specific to a particular treatment, storage, or disposal (TSD) unit. TSD-specific compliance in include items such as closure plan deliverables, reporting and record keeping requirements, or compliance with non-unit-specific tasks such as spill reporting and emergency response. Functional organizations are responsible for sitewide activities, such as coordinating Permit modifications and developing personnel training programs

  6. Pollution control and environmental monitoring efforts at DOE's Coal-Fired Flow Facility

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Attig, R.C.; Crawford, L.W.; Lynch, T.P.; Sheth, A.C.

    1991-01-01

    Proof-of-Concept (POC) scale demonstration of such technology is currently being carried out at the US Department of Energy's (DOE's) Coal-Fired Flow Facility (CFFF), located at The University of Tennessee Space Institute (UTSI) in Tullahoma, Tennessee and at the Component Development and Integration Facility in Butte, Montana. The CFFF is dedicated to the evaluation of downstream (steam cycle) components and technology that may be considered for a full-scale MHD system. The objectives of the CFFF testing include the demonstration of various pollution control devices and techniques at a scale sufficient for future scale-up. The CFFF offers a unique test environment in which emissions control techniques can be developed and evaluated through emissions and environmental monitoring. Results thus far have demonstrated the ability of sulfur oxide (SO x ), nitrogen oxide (NO x ) and particulate emissions well below the New Source Performance Standards (NSPS). Regeneration of the potassium sulfate to produce sulfur-free compounds also has been demonstrated. The experimental program at the CFFF is now aimed at determining the optimum conditions for future commercial scale designs. Because of increased interests in Air Toxics, measurements of nitrous oxide (N 2 O), a potential greenhouse gas, priority pollutants (inorganic as well as organics), and chlorine-containing species (Cl 2 and HCl) are also included in our ongoing efforts. Environmental monitoring activities are being pursued to develop an environmental impact assessment data base. These include the use of three ambient air sites to determine the impacts of gaseous and particulate emissions, five lake water sites to determine impacts due to process water discharges and seven sites to collect terrestrial data on possible soil contamination and tree growth. In this paper, we will summarize the status of our ongoing environmental program. 16 refs., 15 figs., 3 tabs

  7. Assessing regional environmental quality by integrated use of remote sensing, GIS, and spatial multi-criteria evaluation for prioritization of environmental restoration.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rahman, Md Rejaur; Shi, Z H; Chongfa, Cai

    2014-11-01

    This study was an attempt to analyse the regional environmental quality with the application of remote sensing, geographical information system, and spatial multiple criteria decision analysis and, to project a quantitative method applicable to identify the status of the regional environment of the study area. Using spatial multi-criteria evaluation (SMCE) approach with expert knowledge in this study, an integrated regional environmental quality index (REQI) was computed and classified into five levels of regional environment quality viz. worse, poor, moderate, good, and very good. During the process, a set of spatial criteria were selected (here, 15 criterions) together with the degree of importance of criteria in sustainability of the regional environment. Integrated remote sensing and GIS technique and models were applied to generate the necessary factors (criterions) maps for the SMCE approach. The ranking, along with expected value method, was used to standardize the factors and on the other hand, an analytical hierarchy process (AHP) was applied for calculating factor weights. The entire process was executed in the integrated land and water information system (ILWIS) software tool that supports SMCE. The analysis showed that the overall regional environmental quality of the area was at moderate level and was partly determined by elevation. Areas under worse and poor quality of environment indicated that the regional environmental status showed decline in these parts of the county. The study also revealed that the human activities, vegetation condition, soil erosion, topography, climate, and soil conditions have serious influence on the regional environment condition of the area. Considering the regional characteristics of environmental quality, priority, and practical needs for environmental restoration, the study area was further regionalized into four priority areas which may serve as base areas of decision making for the recovery, rebuilding, and

  8. On-site vs off-site management of environmental restoration waste: A cost effectiveness analysis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Morse, M.A.; Aamodt, P.L.; Cox, W.B.

    1996-01-01

    The Sandia National Laboratories Environmental Restoration Project is expected to generate relatively large volumes of hazardous waste as a result of cleanup operations. These volumes will exceed the Laboratories existing waste management capacity. This paper presents four options for managing remediation wastes, including three alternatives for on-site waste management utilizing a corrective action management unit (CAMU). Costs are estimated for each of the four options based on current volumetric estimates of hazardous waste. Cost equations are derived for each of the options with the variables being waste volumes, the major unknowns in the analysis. These equations provide a means to update cost estimates as volume estimates change. This approach may be helpful to others facing similar waste management decisions

  9. Resolving legal issues in the transfer of technologies in environmental restoration and waste management

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Katz, J.; Richards, F. III; Underwood, J.P.

    1994-01-01

    In reforming its contracting and procurement processes, the Department of Energy (DOE) should also make reforms to facilitate the transfer and commercialization of environmental restoration and waste management technologies between DOE laboratories and the private sector. These reforms would address the three related legal issues of patents, conflict of interest, and liability. This paper discusses each issue and considers possible solutions to them. These solutions include contractual clauses to specifically address the needs of all involved parties, improved definition of development and implementation rights, and increased protections for contractors. If DOE, or the Federal Government more generally, successfully resolves these issues and makes the appropriate changes to the DOE procurement system, transfer and commercialization will more efficiently, effectively, and easily occur

  10. An outline of the application of an environmental management system to the PRAMU (Uranium Mining Environmental Restitution Project)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Smetniansky de De Grande, Nelida; Avila Cadena, Guadalberto; Cardozo, Damian

    2000-01-01

    In Argentina the National Atomic Energy Commission (CNEA) has the responsibility to restore uranium mining facilities, when milling operations have been shut down. To carry out this clean up actions CNEA created the Project for Uranium Mining Environmental Restoration (PRAMU in Spanish). To take into account the environmental aspects of the restoration activities, the PRAMU includes in its management an Environmental Management System (SGA in Spanish), which is of central importance in determining the environmental policy, objectives and targets. In this work a general view of the Environmental Management System is presented and an example of one of the environmental programs to be implemented is detailed. (author)

  11. Sulimar Queen environmental restoration project closure package Sandia environmental stewardship exemplar.

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Tillman, Jack B.

    2008-09-01

    In March 2008, Sandia National Laboratories (Sandia), in partnership with the Bureau of Land Management, Roswell Field Office, completed its responsibilities to plug and abandon wells and restore the surface conditions for the Sulimar Queens Unit, a 2,500 acre oil field, in Chaves County, Southeast New Mexico. Sandia assumed this liability in an agreement to obtain property to create a field laboratory to perform extensive testing and experimentation on enhanced oil recovery techniques for shallow oil fields. In addition to plugging and abandoning 28 wells, the project included the removal of surface structures and surface reclamation of disturbed lands associated with all plugged and abandoned wells, access roads, and other auxiliary facilities within unit boundaries. A contracting strategy was implemented to mitigate risk and reduce cost. As the unit is an important wildlife habitat for prairie chickens, sand dune lizards, and mule deer, the criteria for the restoration and construction process were designed to protect and enhance the wildlife habitat. Lessons learned from this project include: (1) extreme caution should be exercised when entering agreements that include future liabilities, (2) partnering with the regulator has huge benefits, and (3) working with industry experts, who were familiar with the work, and subcontractors, who provided the network to complete the project cost effectively.

  12. Department of Energy Programmatic Spent Nuclear Fuel Management and Idaho National Engineering Laboratory Environmental Restoration and Waste Management Programs Draft Environmental Impact Statement. Volume 1

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    1994-06-01

    This document analyzes at a pregrammatic level the potential environmental consequences over the next 40 years of alternatives related to the transportation, receipt, processing, and storage of spent nuclear fuel under the responsibility of the US Department of Energy. It also analyzes the site-specific consequences of the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory sitewide actions anticipated over the next 10 years for waste and spent nuclear fuel management and environmental restoration. For pregrammatic spent nuclear fuel management, this document analyzes alternatives of no action, decentralization, regionalization, centralization and the use of the plans that existed in 1992/1993 for the management of these materials. For the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory, this document analyzes alternatives of no action, ten-year plan, minimum and maximum treatment, storage, and disposal of US Department of Energy wastes.

  13. Notification: Background Investigation Services EPA’s Efforts to Incorporate Environmental Justice Into Clean Air Act Inspections for Air Toxics

    Science.gov (United States)

    Project #OPE-FY14-0017, March 7, 2014. The OIG plans to begin the preliminary research phase of an evaluation of the EPA's efforts to incorporate environmental justice into Clean Air Act (CAA) inspections for air toxics.

  14. Environmental Education and Development Division (EM-522). Annual report, Fiscal year 1993

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    1993-12-31

    The Environmental Education and Development Division (EM-522) is one of three divisions within the Office of Technology Integration and Environmental Education and Development (EM-52) in Environmental Restoration and Waste Management`s (EM`s) Office of Technology Development (EM-50). The primary design criterion for EM-522 education activities is directly related to meeting EM`s goal of environmental compliance on an accelerated basis and cleanup of the 1989 inventory of inactive sites and facilities by the year 2019. Therefore, EM-522`s efforts are directed specifically toward stimulating knowledge and capabilities to achieve the goals of EM while contributing to DOE`s overall goal of increasing scientific, mathematical, and technical literacy and competency. This report discusses fiscal year 1993 activities.

  15. Quality assurance programs developed and implemented by the US Department of Energy's Analytical Services Program for environmental restoration and waste management activities

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lillian, D.; Bottrell, D.

    1993-01-01

    The U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE's) Office of Environmental Restoration and Waste Management (EM) has been tasked with addressing environmental contamination and waste problems facing the Department. A key element of any environmental restoration or waste management program is environmental data. An effective and efficient sampling and analysis program is required to generate credible environmental data. The bases for DOE's EM Analytical Services Program (ASP) are contained in the charter and commitments in Secretary of Energy Notice SEN-13-89, EM program policies and requirements, and commitments to Congress and the Office of Inspector General (IG). The Congressional commitment by DOE to develop and implement an ASP was in response to concerns raised by the Chairman of the Congressional Environment, Energy, and Natural Resources Subcommittee, and the Chairman of the Congressional Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee of the Committee on Energy and Commerce, regarding the production of analytical data. The development and implementation of an ASP also satisfies the IG's audit report recommendations on environmental analytical support, including development and implementation of a national strategy for acquisition of quality sampling and analytical services. These recommendations were endorsed in Departmental positions, which further emphasize the importance of the ASP to EM's programs. In September 1990, EM formed the Laboratory Management Division (LMD) in the Office of Technology Development to provide the programmatic direction needed to establish and operate an EM-wide ASP program. In January 1992, LMD issued the open-quotes Analytical Services Program Five-Year Plan.close quotes This document described LMD's strategy to ensure the production of timely, cost-effective, and credible environmental data. This presentation describes the overall LMD Analytical Services Program and, specifically, the various QA programs

  16. Restoration of a shady urban pond - The pros and cons.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jurczak, Tomasz; Wojtal-Frankiewicz, Adrianna; Kaczkowski, Zbigniew; Oleksińska, Zuzanna; Bednarek, Agnieszka; Zalewski, Maciej

    2018-07-01

    The Bzura-7 pond (Łódź, Poland) is a typical shallow and shady urban reservoir situated on the Bzura River that is exposed to pollutants introduced mainly by internal loads and the supply from the catchment. In 2010-2012, the following characteristics were observed in the pond: a high allochthonous input of organic matter, high concentration of ammonium, low concentration of dissolved oxygen and low diversity of zooplankton, dominated mainly by Daphnia spp. From January to June 2013, restoration measures were performed, including sediment removal, increasing light access to the pond and construction of a sequential sedimentation-biofiltration system (SSBS). The aim of the present study was to investigate how the water quality in the Bzura-7 pond was affected by the restoration process, which included reducing pollutant inflows and enhancing habitat potential, thus increasing the diversity of this ecosystem. Restoration efforts improved the chemical and physical parameters of the water. The oxygen concentration increased, and the concentrations of TN and ammonium significantly decreased. Despite the increase in pond lighting, the growth of cyanobacteria was limited. However, we observed increased abundance of green algae and diatoms but less than adequate changes in the zooplankton community structures. Although we observed a significant increase in the zooplankton species richness after restoration, this increase was related to the small-bodied groups of zooplankton, rotifers and bosminiids, characteristic of eutrophic ecosystems. In addition, a planktivorous fish - sunbleak (Leucaspius delineatus) - was identified as an unintended side effect of the restoration effort. Further conservation efforts in the Bzura-7 pond and monitoring of results are still needed. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  17. Assessing Genetic Diversity after Mangrove Restoration in Brazil: Why Is It So Important?

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Renan Granado

    2018-04-01

    Full Text Available Vital for many marine and terrestrial species, and several other environmental services, such as carbon sink areas, the mangrove ecosystem is highly threatened due to the proximity of large urban centers and climate change. The forced fragmentation of this ecosystem affects the genetic diversity distribution among natural populations. Moreover, while restoration efforts have increased, few studies have analyzed how recently-planted areas impact the original mangrove genetic diversity. We analyzed the genetic diversity of two mangroves species (Laguncularia racemosa and Avicennia schaueriana in three areas in Brazil, using inter-simple sequence repeat (ISSR markers. Using the local approach, we identified the genetic diversity pool of a restored area compared to nearby areas, including the remnant plants inside the restored area, one well-conserved population at the shore of Guanabara Bay, and one impacted population in Araçá Bay. The results for L. racemosa showed that the introduced population has lost genetic diversity by drift, but remnant plants with high genetic diversity or incoming propagules could help improve overall genetic diversity. Avicennia schaueriana showed similar genetic diversity, indicating an efficient gene flow. The principal component analysis showing different connections between both species indicate differences in gene flow and dispersal efficiencies, highlighting the needed for further studies. Our results emphasize that genetic diversity knowledge and monitoring associated with restoration actions can help avoid bottlenecks and other pitfalls, especially for the mangrove ecosystem.

  18. Digital collection of aerial photographs from the Common Murre Restoration Project, 1996 (NODC Accession 0015544)

    Data.gov (United States)

    National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — The Common Murre Restoration Project is a comprehensive seabird restoration effort aimed at enhancing depleted seabird populations in central California,...

  19. Digital collection of aerial photographs from the Common Murre Restoration Project, 1997 (NODC Accession 0037159)

    Data.gov (United States)

    National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — The Common Murre Restoration Project is a comprehensive seabird restoration effort aimed at enhancing depleted seabird populations in central California,...

  20. Digital collection of aerial photographs from the Common Murre Restoration Project, 2005 (NODC Accession 0057025)

    Data.gov (United States)

    National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — The Common Murre Restoration Project is a comprehensive seabird restoration effort aimed at enhancing depleted seabird populations in central California,...