Technologies for Environmental Management : The Department of Energy's Office of Science and Technology

The Department of Energy's Environmental Management Program (DOEEM) is one of the largest environmental clean up efforts in world history. The EM division charged with developing or finding technologies to accomplish this massive task, its Office of Science and Technology (OST), has been reviewed extensively, including six reports from committees of the National Research Council's (NRC's) Board on Radioactive Waste Management (BRWM) that have been released since December 1998. These committees examined different components of OST's technology development program, including its decision-making and peer review processes and its efforts to develop technologies in the areas of decontamination and decommissioning, waste forms for mixed waste, tank waste, and subsurface contamination. Gerald Boyd, head of OST, asked the Board on Radioactive Waste Management (BRWM) to summarize the major findings and recommendations of the six reports and synthesize any common issues into a number of overarching recommendations.

The Department of Energy's Environmental Management Program (DOEEM) is one of the largest environmental clean up efforts in world history. The EM division charged with developing or finding technologies to accomplish this massive task, its Office of Science and Technology (OST), has been reviewed extensively, including six reports from committees of the National Research Council's (NRC's) Board on Radioactive Waste Management (BRWM) that have been released since December 1998. These committees examined different components of OST's technology development program, including its decision-making and peer review processes and its efforts to develop technologies in the areas of decontamination and decommissioning, waste forms for mixed waste, tank waste, and subsurface contamination. Gerald Boyd, head of OST, asked the Board on Radioactive Waste Management (BRWM) to summarize the major findings and recommendations of the six reports and synthesize any common issues into a number of overarching recommendations. Table of ContentsFront MatterSummaryIntroductionClarify the Role and Mission of OSTPut Dicipline into Decision MakingExpand OST's Reach Outside DOEAddress Constraints to Technology ImplementationReferencesAppendix A: List of Recommendations from A Review of Decontamination and Decommissioning Technology Development Programs at the Department of EnergyAppendix B: List of Recommendations from Peer Review in Environmental Technology Development Programs: The Department of Energy's Office of Science and TechnologyAppendix C: List of Recommendations from An End State Methodology for Identifying Technology Needs for Environmental Management, with an Example from the Hanford Site TanksAppendix D: List of Recommendations from The State of Development of Waste Forms for Mixed Wastes: U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Environmental ManagementAppendix E: List of Recommendations from Groundwater and Soil Cleanup: Improving Management of Persistent ContaminatesAppendix F: List of Recommendations from Decision Making in the U.S. Department of Energy's Environmental Management Office of Science and TechnologyAppendix G: Acronyms and AbbreviationsAppendix H: Organizational Structure of Relevant Parts of the Department of Energy's Office of Environmental Management as of August 1999