Office of Science

U.S. Department of Energy U.S. Department of Energy’s

Office of Science

The Office of ScienceRole in Environmental

Cleanup

Dr. James F. DeckerPrincipal Deputy DirectorOffice of ScienceNovember 5, 2003

Dr. Milton JohnsonChief Operating Officer

Office of ScienceNovember 5, 2003

Office of Science

U.S. Department of Energy

The Office of Science manages long term, high risk, multidisciplinary science programs to support DOE missions- Manages over 40% of Nation’s research in the physical

sciences (e.g. 90% of High Energy & Nuclear Physics, 60% of Catalysis, 25% of Nanoscience, etc.)

- Provides sole support to select sub-fields (e.g. nuclear medicine, heavy element chemistry, magnetic fusion, etc.)

- Directly supports the research of 15,000 PhDs, PostDocs and Graduate Students.

Constructs and operates large scientific facilities for the U.S. scientific community.

Is the steward of 10 National Laboratories

Office of Science Overview

Office of Science

Office of Science Laboratories, User Facilities and Supported Research InstitutionsPacific NorthwestPacific Northwest

National LaboratoryNational Laboratory Ames Ames LaboratoryLaboratory

Argonne Argonne National National

LaboratoryLaboratory BrookhavenBrookhavenNationalNational

LaboratoryLaboratory

Oak RidgeOak RidgeNational National

LaboratoryLaboratoryLos AlamosNational Laboratory

Lawrence LivermoreNational

Laboratory

LawrenceLawrenceBerkeley Berkeley NationalNationalLaboratoryLaboratory

SandiaNational

Laboratories

FermiFermiNationalNational

Accelerator Accelerator LaboratoryLaboratory

PrincetonPrincetonPlasmaPlasmaPhysicsPhysics

LaboratoryLaboratory

Thomas Jefferson Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator National Accelerator

FacilityFacility

NationalRenewable Energy

Laboratory

StanfordStanfordLinearLinearAccelerator Accelerator CenterCenter

Idaho National Environmental & Engineering Laboratory

General Atomics

SC Supported Research Institution (Universities, Colleges, Medical Centers)

User Facilities

SC Multiprogram Laboratory

SC Program Dedicated Laboratory

Other DOE Laboratory

National Energy Technology Laboratories

Office of Science

U.S. Department of Energy

Programmatic Goals

Provide science to inform decisions about environmental remediation and stewardship

Advance scientific foundations that enable innovative remediation technologies and methodologies

Synthesize and integrate across disciplines to foster new scientific approaches that match the complexity of the problems

Office of Science

U.S. Department of Energy

Scientific Goals

1. Provide the scientific foundation for the development of robust tools for in situ characterization and long-term monitoring.

2. Develop an improved understanding of contaminant fate and transport in subsurface and surface environments.

3. Provide the scientific foundation to enable in situ remediation of hazardous materials in the environment.

4. Support basic research leading to safe management, treatment, and disposal of complex radioactive wastes

Office of Science

U.S. Department of Energy Cleanup at Office of Science Laboratories

Long term remedial actions resulting from EM cleanup Maintenance of current infrastructure, including excess

facilities Cleanup of environmental issues resulting from on-going

activities Excess facility removals where there is little or no

contamination, e.g., old/unuseful facilities, trailers Currently identifying and evaluating future cleanup activates

into long term, including 2010 to 2025 Includes active facilities that may be shut down in future,

excess materials, and contaminated media Current estimates range over $2 billion throughout 2025

Office of Science

U.S. Department of Energy Cleanup at Office of Science Laboratories (cont)

EM Scope of Work coming to completion at 5 Office of Science Laboratories

Argonne National Laboratory – East, ILL• Brookhaven National Laboratory, NY• Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, CA• Oak Ridge National Laboratory, TN• Stanford Linear Accelerator Center, CA

Office of Science Continuing Responsibilities• Operating ground water monitoring systems, post closure

care of closed landfills, soil/sediment monitoring, etc.• Agreement on completion and turnover of long-term

activities formalized for each lab site

Office of Science

U.S. Department of Energy

BACKUP

Office of Science

U.S. Department of Energy

High Level Waste Tank Farms

Will leaked contaminants migrate to the groundwater?? (Cs, Sr, U)

EXAMPLE: Hanford Vadose Zone/Groundwater Integration Project: Targeted science in support of Hanford decision-making and site closure

Partnership between Integration Project (IP), EMSP, and Hanford SiteInvolves 5 National Labs and UniversitiesProvides direct scientific support to the site on major issues. Has resulted in huge cost avoidance through understanding of contaminant transport

Office of Science

U.S. Department of Energy

Understanding 137Cs+ Migration from Hanford’s S-SX Tank Farm

X-ray microscopy defines where and how Cs+ reacts with the mineral phase

EM Need: Predict future migration and risks from 137Cs+ migration from S-SX Tank Farm

SX-108 sediment was placed in KNO3 electrolyte and the desorption rate measured

Impacts: Measurements and models of 137Cs+ desorption kinetics and extent showed that 137Cs+ would not migrate to groundwater in Hanford’s S-SX tank farm in a 10 half-life period, by which time it would no longer be radioactive.

A slab diffusion ion exchange model describes 137Cs+ release kinetics to water

Contaminated mica particles were removed from sediment cross sectioned and imaged at 2 µm resolution

sample placed in K+ electrolyte (0.5 mol/L)

electrolyte increased to 2 mol/L

EMSL, SREL, Chicago, PSU