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Environmental Remediation and Waste Processing and Disposal

Program Information

Popular name

Environmental Management

Program Number

81.104

Sub-agency

N/A

Program objective

The Environmental Management Research and Development Program provides for the development of technologies to safely expedite tank waste processing and tank closure, remediation of contaminated groundwater and soil, disposition of nuclear materials and spent (used) nuclear fuel, and deactivation and decommissioning of contaminated excess facilities. The Environmental Management Research and Development program transforms science and innovation into practical solutions for environmental cleanup. The new technologies will transform the Environmental Management cleanup effort by reducing risk (technological, environmental, safety, and health), schedule, and cost. The Environmental Management Research and Development program focuses on resolving technical challenges with an overall emphasis on transformational technical solutions in response to the highest priority needs of Environmental Management sites. Applied engineering and research demonstrating the technical feasibility of high-risk, high-payoff technologies are included. The Environmental Management Research and Development program matures technologies from concept/basic science through feasibility assessment and technology development (bench scale and scale-up testing and flow-sheet evaluation), then production-level demonstration, and finally to full deployment.

Program expenditures, by FY (2023 - 2025)

This chart shows obligations for the program by fiscal year. All data for this chart was provided by the administering agency and sourced from SAM.gov, USASpending.gov, and Treasury.gov.

For more information on each of these data sources, please see the About the data page.

Additional program information

  1. 2016

    Tank Waste • Develop the technical basis to identify, evaluate, and recommend cost-effective and environmentally-acceptable strategies and technologies to characterize, mitigate, and manage Technetium-99 in tank waste, including removal of Technetium-99 processing recycle streams. • Develop predictive tools to predict and demonstrate the performance of alternate waste forms, support the Cementitious Barrier’s Partnership, continue long-term glass studies, and develop improved capabilities such as computational fluid dynamic tools to optimize slurry mixing and transport waste loading including investigation and development of novel mixing methods. • Pursue technical efforts to develop strategies and technologies to understand, evaluate, optimize scale, and accelerate tank waste characterization and continue development of targeted cleaning methods thus enabling waste processing and tank closure schedules to be accelerated and costs reduced. • Identify, develop, evaluate, and demonstrate near-source tank separations, treatment and removal technologies for mercury and radionuclides of interest for possible development at the Hanford and/ or Savannah River Sites. • Begin efforts to demonstrate that a commercially available ion exchange technology for removing Cs-137 can be technically modified to treat the Savannah River Site highly radioactive waste tanks. Use of the technology will accelerate tank closure.

    Nuclear Waste Management and Disposition • Build on previous aging management efforts to monitor safe storage of Spent Nuclear Fuel. New Technology will support requirements for NRC license. • Conduct deep borehole field test.

    Soil and Groundwater Remediation • Support the utilization of Advanced Simulation Capability for Environmental Management initially at the Los Alamos National Laboratory, the Savannah River Site, and the Nevada National Security Site. • Test and demonstrate the multi-agency exit strategy for pump and treat systems. • Complete pilot demonstration of a new paradigm for a long-term monitoring using master geochemical variables. • Complete the initial laboratory-scale evaluations of in-situ stabilization methods for elemental mercury in soil. • Complete the update of the conceptual model for mercury contamination at the Oak Ridge Reservation.

    Deactivation and Decommissioning • Develop the prerequisite level of project plans to facilitate and initiate development of next generation remote and robotic platforms and smart tooling systems to improve efficiency of decontamination and demolition operations. • Continue development/testing of the GrayQb 3-D Radiation Mapping Device to validate and provide real time intensity and location readouts. Develop and test automated digital non-destructive assay methods optimization resulting in near-real time defensible data. • Develop and test advanced coatings and materials to significantly reduce/eliminate radiolysis effects in radiological waste containment bags. • Conduct final testing and seek commercialization of incombustible agents and fixatives with delivery systems for remote decontamination operations. • Develop, test and conduct a pilot project, installing reliable sensors and remote network systems for long-term monitoring of containment release and movement from permanently entombed D&D facilities. • Continue with further application of the ISD Sensor Network at entombed and/or facilities awaiting entombment to establish data to augment the existing compliance monitoring network.

    Tank Waste • Develop the technical basis to identify, evaluate, and recommend cost-effective and environmentally-acceptable strategies and technologies to characterize, mitigate, and manage Technetium-99 in tank waste, including removal of Technetium-99 processing recycle streams. • Develop predictive tools to predict and demonstrate the performance of alternate waste forms, support the Cementitious Barrier’s Partnership, continue long-term glass studies, and develop improved capabilities such as computational fluid dynamic tools to optimize slurry mixing and transport waste loading including investigation and development of novel mixing methods. • Pursue technical efforts to develop strategies and technologies to understand, evaluate, optimize scale, and accelerate tank waste characterization and continue development of targeted cleaning methods thus enabling waste processing and tank closure schedules to be accelerated and costs reduced. • Identify, develop, evaluate, and demonstrate near-source tank separations, treatment and removal technologies for mercury and radionuclides of interest for possible development at the Hanford and/ or Savannah River Sites. • Begin efforts to demonstrate that a commercially available ion exchange technology for removing Cs-137 can be technically modified to treat the Savannah River Site highly radioactive waste tanks. Use of the technology will accelerate tank closure.

    Nuclear Waste Management and Disposition • Build on previous aging management efforts to monitor safe storage of Spent Nuclear Fuel. New Technology will support requirements for NRC license. • Conduct deep borehole field test.

    Soil and Groundwater Remediation • Support the utilization of Advanced Simulation Capability for Environmental Management initially at the Los Alamos National Laboratory, the Savannah River Site, and the Nevada National Security Site. • Test and demonstrate the multi-agency exit strategy for pump and treat systems. • Complete pilot demonstration of a new paradigm for a long-term monitoring using master geochemical variables. • Complete the initial laboratory-scale evaluations of in-situ stabilization methods for elemental mercury in soil. • Complete the update of the conceptual model for mercury contamination at the Oak Ridge Reservation.

    Deactivation and Decommissioning • Develop the prerequisite level of project plans to facilitate and initiate development of next generation remote and robotic platforms and smart tooling systems to improve efficiency of decontamination and demolition operations. • Continue development/testing of the GrayQb 3-D Radiation Mapping Device to validate and provide real time intensity and location readouts. Develop and test automated digital non-destructive assay methods optimization resulting in near-real time defensible data. • Develop and test advanced coatings and materials to significantly reduce/eliminate radiolysis effects in radiological waste containment bags. • Conduct final testing and seek commercialization of incombustible agents and fixatives with delivery systems for remote decontamination operations. • Develop, test and conduct a pilot project, installing reliable sensors and remote network systems for long-term monitoring of containment release and movement from permanently entombed D&D facilities. • Continue with further application of the ISD Sensor Network at entombed and/or facilities awaiting entombment to establish data to augment the existing compliance monitoring network.

  2. 2019

    Tank Waste • Continue projects that support innovations and enhancements in the areas of tank waste and nuclear waste management, soil and groundwater remediation, and deactivation and decommissioning activities.
    • Continue activities in the areas of Technetium-99, mercury, Cesium-137 and Strontium-90, the creation and operation of test beds, and integration of advanced tooling for enhanced worker safety and productivity, as outlined below: Technetium-99 • Validate technetium-99 mass balance for integrated disposal facility acceptance • Complete development of non-pertechnetate sensor • Develop technetium-99 biogeochemical remediation approaches Mercury • Complete pre-demolition and demolition assessment for efficacy of debris sorting to segregate mercury-bearing waste • Complete development of caps, reactive liners, and chemical amendments for mercury disposal cells Vitrification • Continue to improve on glass formulations (complex-wide) and optimize processing (Savannah River) Test Bed: Low Activity Tank Waste Disposition • Complete test bed for low activity waste at Hanford Enhanced Worker Safety (Science of Safety) • Complete test bed to demonstrate robotics at Portsmouth for pipe inspection and other critical decommissioning work activities • Conduct robotic test bed demonstration at Savannah River Site H-Canyon air exhaust tunnel inspection • Continue federal agency collaboration to facilitate knowledge and technology transfer Mission Enablers • Continue research and technology development in the deployment of state-of-the-art tooling, address persistent challenges in soil and water remediation, and improve the use of the sustainable concrete and grouts

  3. 2020

    •Continue projects that support innovations and enhancements for DOE-EM sites highest priority needs in the areas of tank waste and nuclear waste management, soil and groundwater remediation, and deactivation and decommissioning activities.
    •Continue activities in the areas of Technetium-99, Mercury, Cesium-137 and Strontium-90, the creation and operation of test beds, and integration of advanced tooling for enhanced worker safety and productivity. •Continue projects that support innovations and enhancements in the areas of tank waste and nuclear waste management, soil and groundwater remediation, and deactivation and decommissioning activities.

  4. 2021

    • Continue to establish test bed programs at various sites, across the EM complex, which will allow innovative technologies and approaches to be evaluated to determine their usefulness for clean-up.
    • Continue to provide technical assistance for the sites utilizing the technical subject matter experts that reside at DOE’s national laboratories, academia, private industry, and other Federal agencies.
    • Continue to enhance and deploy technologies and workforce advancements in areas of worker safety, tank waste cleanup, soil/groundwater remediation, and facility decommissioning and decontamination.

  5. 2022

    • Continue to establish test beds programs at various sites, across the EM complex, that will allow evaluation of innovative technologies and approaches addressing the highest site priority needs. • Provides technical assistance for the sites to address unique challenges for which there is currently no solution or a proposed solution which needs improvement. These technical subject matter experts reside at DOE’s national laboratories, academia, private industry, international facilities, and other Federal agencies.
    • Continue to enhance and deploy technologies and workforce advancements in areas of worker safety, tank waste cleanup, soil/groundwater remediation, and facility decommissioning and decontamination.

  6. 2023

    • Continue to establish test bed programs at various sites, across the EM complex, which will allow innovative technologies and approaches to be evaluated to determine their usefulness for clean-up.
    • Continue to provide technical assistance for the sites utilizing the technical subject matter experts that reside at DOE’s national laboratories, academia, private industry, and other Federal agencies. • Continue to enhance and deploy technologies and workforce advancements in areas of worker safety, tank waste cleanup, soil/groundwater remediation, and facility decommissioning and decontamination.
    • Continue to support the National Spent Nuclear Fuel Program to address issues related to storing, transporting, processing, and disposing of Department-owned and managed spent nuclear fuel. • Continue to support work associated with qualification, testing and research to advance the state-of-the-art containment ventilation systems.

  7. 2024

    • Continue established test beds programs at various sites, across the EM complex, that will allow evaluation of innovative technologies and approaches addressing the highest site priority needs. • Continue to provide technical assistance for the sites utilizing the technical subject matter experts reside at DOE’s national laboratories, academia, private industry, and other Federal agencies. • Continue to enhance and deploy technologies and workforce advancements in areas of worker safety, tank waste cleanup, soil/groundwater remediation, and facility decommissioning and decontamination.

  8. 2025

    • Continue incremental technology development activities and applied research to enhance the safety and security posture, enhance the efficiency of operations, and improve overall mission performance. • Continue high-impact and disruptive technology development activities, including alternatives to baseline technologies that leverage advancements in the current state of the art and capitalize on the availability of new solutions. • Continue EM test beds program activities to test and evaluate new technologies and novel approaches. • Continue providing technical assistance to EM field sites utilizing the technical subject matter experts in DOE’s national laboratories, academia, private industry, and other Federal agencies. • Continue supporting the National Spent Nuclear Fuel Program to address issues related to storing, transporting, processing, and disposing of Department-owned and managed spend nuclear fuel. • Continue the qualification, testing, and research to advance state-of-the-art containment ventilation systems and related technologies.

Single Audit Applies (2 CFR Part 200 Subpart F):

For additional information on single audit requirements for this program, review the current Compliance Supplement.

OMB is working with the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) and agency offices of inspectors general to include links to relevant oversight reports. This section will be updated once this information is made available.