Assessing Technical and Programmatic Viability of Nuclear Waste and Material Stream Disposition Plans

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), Office of Environmental Management (EM) has responsibility for cleanup and disposition of nuclear wastes and excess materials that are a legacy of the nuclear arms race. In fulfilling this responsibility, EM applies a systems engineering approach to identify baseline disposition plans for the wastes and materials (storage, stabilization, treatment, and disposal), assess the path viability, and develop integration opportunities to improve the disposition viability or to combine, eliminate, and/or simplify activities, technologies, and facilities across the DOE Complex, evaluate the baseline and alternatives to make informed decisions, and implement and track selected opportunities. This paper focuses on processes used to assess the disposition path viability - the likelihood that current planning for disposition of nuclear waste and materials can be implemented

The Environmental Management Core Laboratories - A Collaborative Effort to Enhance Cleanup

Acknowledging that the magnitude and diversity of the critical issues facing the DOE-EM cannot be addressed by a single institution, the Laboratory Directors established the EM Core Laboratories. This collaborative network ensures that the best available resources are addressing environmental quality issues through the introduction of critical new science and technology. Based upon the Top-to-Bottom Review, the EM program is shifting the focus of its cleanup efforts to accelerate schedules to reduce cost and the most significant risks. To facilitate this acceleration, the Office of Science and Technology has restructured their research and development program towards two new thrusts. These thrusts, Closure Site Support and Alternative Development, are aimed at the high priority needs to support the re-baselined cleanup program. The EM Core Laboratories are well positioned to ensure the successful implementation of this new direction