INEEL receives $6.2 million in research project funding-Idaho facility has more projects funded than any other laboratory

IDAHO FALLS — Researchers at the INEEL received $6.2 million for seven Department of Energy Environmental science program projects.

By Emily Jones — Journal Writer

The Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory received funding for more projects than any laboratory. INEEL researcher Michael McIllwain said Bechtel BWXT, the contractor at the site, has taken an interest in the subsurface science at the site, budgeting $20 million for the program.

“They’ve made it a priority,” he said.

The projects focus on the movement of contaminants through the ground. The information gleaned from the experiments will help clean up not only the INEEL, but other laboratories and commercial sites, McIllwain said.

“These are very fundamental studies trying to gain a basic knowledge,” he said.

In addition to the seven projects at the INEEL, scientists from the site will also be involved in three projects at other institutions.

– Microbiologist Rick Colwell and his team will study the environmental effects of a process being used to remove trichloroethylene, or TCE, from the groundwater under Test Area North at the site. Trichloroethylene is often found in degreasers and solvents, and has also been found in the Portneuf River aquifer beneath Pocatello.

Scientists are currently injecting carbon tetrachloride and added nutrients into the contaminated areas, stimulating the growth of certain microorganisms. The microorganisms break down the TCE. Colwell will study how quickly the microbes break down contaminants and the effects on the ecology of the area.

– Geologist Mariana Adler-Flitton and her team will study samples of stainless steel that have been buried for more than 30 years. Adler-Flitton will evaluate the metal’s long-term integrity, soil microbiology and corrosion mechanisms. Stainless steel is used for many waste storage containers, including those that will be used to store nuclear waste at Yucca Mountain.

– Geochemist George Redden and his team plan to create particles of solvent-degrading material 50,000 times smaller than the width of human hair. The team will modify the surface area so the particles will migrate toward the solvent. They will also study how well the particles can be controlled and how they move underground.

– Microbiologist William Apel and his team will study the use of metal-reducing microorganisms to create a barrier to immobilize heavy metals.

– Geophysicist Russel Hertzog and his team will adapt a measurement technique called nuclear magnetic resonance to locate solvents underground. The technique uses magnetic fields and pulsed radio waves to measure the hydrogen content in fluids and their pore-space environment.

– Physicist Paul Meakin and his team will study how fluids flow through the subsurface, and how cracks and flow conditions affect the rate of movement.

– Hydrologist Carl Palmer will use the INEEL’s geocentrifuge to see if soil moisture content controls the chemical reactivity of contaminants in the vadose zone. The vadose zone is the section of earth between the groundwater and the surface.

Emily Jones covers Bingham County, Fort Hall and the Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory for the Journal. She can be reached at 239-3175 or by e-mail at [email protected].

http://newspapers.mywebpal.com/partners/669/public/news391836.html