Newsletter for the Inland Northwest Research Alliance -August 2003

Field Exploration on the Moon

The 2003 Subsurface Science Symposium will be held October 5-8, 2003, at the Salt Palace, in Salt Lake City, Utah. The keynote speaker for this year’s event will be Dr. Harrison (Jack) Schmitt whose accomplishments include: geologist; Apollo astronaut; Lunar Module Pilot; the only scientist to set foot on the Moon, and former senator from New Mexico.

He will be speaking about FIELD EXPLORATION ON THE MOON. The following is his abstract:

In December 1972, the Apollo 17 Mission became the most recent field trip to the Moon by human explorers. This 13 day adventure in space took Gene Cernan and Harrison Schmitt to the Valley of Taurus-Littrow in the southeastern rim of the 500 km. diameter basin filled by Mare Serenitatis. After 72 hours on the lunar surface, including 22 hours outside the lunar module Challenger, the astronauts returned over 250 pounds of samples to Earth. The story of this mission captures all the adventure, excitement, beauty, and human drama of the exploration of space.

The samples, and the visual observation, photographs, ano activities on the Moon, and the international scientific studies related to them, have given us a first order understanding of the evolution of the Moon as a small planet. Our understanding of the early history of the Earth has been greatly enhanced as a consequence. In particular, it now seems unlikely that the Moon formed as a result of a giant asteroid impact on the Earth but rather was captured after forming independently as a small planet in the same part of the solar system.

Proximity to the Earth, lack of atmosphere, gravity only one-sixth that of the Earth, planetary position as the smallest of the terrestrial planets, and potential life-sustaining resources almost certainly assure a role for the Moon in future lunar activities in support of human exploration, utilization, and settlement of space. The Moon can be considered as a stepping stone towards Mars and beyond and also as the low cost supply depot for deep space exploration and settlement. A privately financed approach to the return of humans to the Moon and deep space appears to be the most likely means of being successful in such an endeavor.

Lack of atmosphere and planetary characteristics also justify the continued use of the Moon as a natural laboratory for comparative planetology and for solar and stellar astronomy.

INRA is a partner in the management and operation of the U.S. Department of Energy’s Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory (INEEL) in Idaho Falls. INRA/INEEL collaborations are supported in part by DOE Contracts DE-AC07-99ID13727 and DE-FG07-02ID14277.

Subsurface Science Symposium 2003

The 2003 Subsurface Science Symposium will be held October 5-8, 2003, at the Salt Palace, in Salt Lake City, Utah.

The Wyndham Salt Lake City is the conference hotel and is less than a block from the Convention Center. A block of rooms will be reserved for attendees at the Federal per diem rate. Hotel Information is available at:

http://www.wyndham.com/hotels/SLCWY/main.wnt

The registration website, which includes on-line Symposium registration and optional hotel, airline, and rental car reservations, is available at:

http://www.b-there.com/breg/inra

The 2003 theme is Advances in Understanding and Modeling Subsurface Processes. Plenary speakers include:

² Dr. Terry Hazen from the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, who is the Head of the Microbial Ecology and Environmental Engineering Department at LBNL. He will be speaking on "Natural Attenuation and Bioremediation: Critical Biogeochemistry in Treatment Trains"

² Dr. Rosemary Knight from Stanford University who is Professor of Geophysics at Stanford, specializing in environmental geophysics. She will be speaking on "Geophysical Images of the Near-Surface: What are we really seeing?"

The agendhas been published on the web. You can see it at http://www.inra.org/ or https://www.b-there.com/breg/inra/index.cfm?x=1. There will be catered receptions on Sunday – Tuesday from 6:00 – 8:00 PM. Monday and Tuesday’s receptions will allow perusal of the student posters. The Symposium sessions will conclude at 12:30 PM on Wednesday, 8 October.

There will be three panel discussions during this year’s Symposium regarding the following

² Environmental Policy and Management – "Role of stakeholders in determining environmental policy"

² Tech Transfer – "The University-Industry Relationship"

² "A Conceptual Model of Flow and Contaminant Transport at the INEEL"

In addition to the panel discussions, there will be the following sessions:

² BIOREMEDIATION – Microbial remediation

² BIOREMEDIATION – Remediation techniques

² GEOPHYSICS

² GEOCHEMISTRY – Geochemistry tools and aqueous-phase studies

² Geochemistry – Geochemistry applied to nuclear waste treatment

² MODELING – Modeling Methods

² Modeling – Modeling environments

² HYDROLOGY

This year’s Symposium will be educational and informative for all attendees. Hope to see you at the Symposium.

INRA Communications Committee

The newly formed INRA Communications Committee had its first face-to- face meeting Wednesday, August 6 and Thursday, August 7, 2003 in Idaho Falls. The committee consists of University Relations Directors from the eight universities, INEEL, and Department of Energy- Idaho office. The committee was formed to promote mutually beneficial collaboration between INRA, its member universities, the INEEL, and DOE-ID through effective communication. Committee goals are to develop and maintain an effective communication process to facilitate timely communication between all entities.

The group met to bring together the Communications Committee for strategic planning and development of an action plan.

Desired outcomes of the meeting were:

¨ Increased understanding of how involvement with INRA can benefit the universities, as well as the individual faculty members and students.

¨ Shared understanding of the communication programs and capabilities of each institution.

¨ Agreement on the committee purpose, goals and objectives.

¨ Development of specific action items.

The agenda included a time on Wednesday evening, the group met for dinner and an opportunity to become acquainted. It was a successful and enjoyable time for everyone. On Thursday, a facilitated discussion and small group activities were held.

Meeting outcomes were a common understanding of INRA and its importance, familiarization with committee members, goals and strategy to accomplish the goals, and plans. The Communications Committee also would like to achieve the following:

o Integrate INRA message into INRA member internal communications

o Identify information tools already available

o Promote opportunities for students – highlight current students

o Utilize existing publications

o Be consistent in mentioning INRA connection in all publicity

The committee has contacted national media concerning INRA activities. They are working on other national media opportunities. It will be a benefit to all to have the media coverage and a strong Communications Committee.

Bioremediation of Fuel-Contaminated Soils in Alaska

contributed by: Joan Braddock (University of Alaska Fairbanks)

Microbial biodegradation pathways for many petroleum hydrocarbons have been well characterized. We know that given appropriate conditions petroleum hydrocarbons can be degraded by microorganisms. However, when the ability of microorganisms to degrade petroleum hydrocarbons is used as a treatment strategy (bioremediation) the results are sometimes mixed.

Bioremediation includes a wide range of appealing technologies for use at rural sites in Alaska as it can be used for treatment of fuel contamination where little infrastructure is present. Successful application of bioremediation at such sites is currently limited by inadequate implementation of current knowledge of the chemical, physical, and biological processes involved and failure to adjust practices for site-specific conditions, rather than by the inability of microorganisms to degrade petroleum. Practical considerations include developing bioremediation-friendly conditions in fairly large volumes of soil at reasonable costs.

We have successfully used bioremediation in field studies at Alaska sites (see list below for examples). These studies demonstrate that bioremediation can be successful in cold soil, but importantly, that a lack of understanding of site characteristics and improper use of bioremediation (e.g., fertilization) can even lead to inhibition of microbial activity in soils and persistence of fuel contamination.

In Alaska people often initially expect that cold temperatures will be the major limiting factor affecting microbial degradation. Although cool air temperatures do affect the annual extent of biodegradation, soils in Alaska, including those in the Arctic, are warm for much of the summer, allowing for significant rates of microbial activity. In fact, several studies have indicated that rates of degradation of specific hydrocarbons in groundwater and soils from Alaska incubated under in situ conditions are as great as rates measured in samples collected from more temperate locations. Other factors, including the availability of nutrients, are often more significant in limiting microbial activity in Alaska soils.

Nitrogen often limits the rate of microbial petroleum hydrocarbon degradation in contaminated cold-region soils. Many periglacial soils respond to addition of nitrogen, although excess levels can inhibit biodegradation by decreasing soil-water potential. Soluble fertilizer quickly partitions into soil water, increasing the salt concentration and imposing an osmotic potential. The maximum nitrogen dose that can be added without causing an adverse impact is directly related to soil water potential and can be easily estimated. NH2O = Nsoil/¸ (where NH2O is an estimate of nitrogen in the soil solution, Nsoil is the amount of nitrogen added on a soil weight basis, and ¸ is the soil gravimetric water content). Our previous research indicates that keeping NH2O below 2,500 mg/L can maximize microbial activity without causing osmotic stress and microbial inhibition. These principles have been applied both in the laboratory and at field sites.

We applied this formula in the treatment of soils contaminated with diesel range organics (DRO) at a site near Barrow, Alaska. At this site, a gravel pad had been constructed to support a tank farm, a type of construction common in the Arctic. The contaminated material was course textured (97% sand and 3% clay) and had a very low water-holding potential. The only documented spill (jet fuel) occurred in 1970, 25 years before our bioremediation demonstration was initiated. We found that the formula successfully predicted optimal nitrogen levels. Concentrations greater than those based on the soil-water potential led to inhibition of microbial activity, while concentrations less than those predicted by the formula led to lower overall degradation of diesel range petroleum hydrocarbons. In the first 6 weeks of the study 50% of the initial ~800 mg DRO/kg soil were removed by biodegradation in the optimally fertilized plots. Little to no loss occurred in unfertilized soils.

Bioremediation can be less expensive than more aggressive treatment technologies because contaminants can be treated on-site, keeping down the costs of operation and maintenance. Although it can be enhanced, sometimes dramatically, bioremediation is a natural process and, as a result, has a low negative environmental impact. Increasingly, bioremediation techniques are performed not only on-site, such as excavating and placing soil in a bioreactor, but also in situ. In situ treatments reduce the amount of disruption experienced at a site by eliminating the need to excavate and transport contaminated soils to a bioreactor. Bioremediation also tends to have high public acceptance because it is a "natural" approach. At some sites, such as in rural Alaska, there are simply no feasible alternatives to bioremediation due to location, cost, or available resources. What is needed to improve the success of bioremediation for treatment of contaminated soils in rural Alaska is a systematic examination of bioremediation technologies under various conditions. From data collected from additional field demonstrations and from what is already known about biodegradation of petroleum hydrocarbons in cold soils, a high-quality, user-friendly guidance document could be developed for successful use of bioremediation in rural Alaska.

Further information:

Braddock, J.F., J.L. Walworth and K.A. McCarthy. 1999. Biodegradation of aliphatic vs. aromatic hydrocarbons in fertilized arctic soils. Bioremediation Journal 3:105-116.

Braddock, J.F., M.L. Ruth, P.H. Catterall, J.L. Walworth and K.A. McCarthy. 1997. Enhancement and inhibition of microbial activity in hydrocarbon-contaminated arctic soils: implications for nutrient-amended bioremediation. Environmental Science and Technology. 31:2078-2084.

Walworth, J. L. and C. M. Reynolds. 1995. Bioremediation of a petroleum contaminated cryic soil: Effects of phosphorus, nitrogen, and temperature. Journal of Soil Contamination. 4:299-310.

Walworth, J., J. Braddock and C. Woolard. 2001. Nutrient and temperature interactions in bioremediation of cryic soils. Cold Regions Science and Technology. 32:85-91.

Walworth, J.L., C.R. Woolard and J.F. Braddock. 1999. Nitrogen: how much is enough for bioremediation? Soil and Groundwater Cleanup. Feb./March: 12-15.

Walworth, J.L., C.R. Woolard, J.F. Braddock and C.M. Reynolds. 1997. Enhancement and inhibition of soil petroleum biodegradation through the use of fertilizer nitrogen: an approach to determining optimum levels. Journal of Soil Contamination. 6:465-480.

INEEL Nuclear Energy Mission

Contributed by John Walsh, INEEL

Since being established in 1949, the Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory has been in the forefront of developing peaceful uses of nuclear energy.

The laboratory has been the site of 52 test reactors, many first-of-a-kind, and its scientific research and testing have contributed immeasurably to the development, safety and success of commercial nuclear power in the United States and worldwide.

The INEEL and Argonne National Laboratory first produced electricity by nuclear power, first lit a city—Arco—using nuclear energy, developed the reactor technology that powers the U.S. nuclear navy, built the first light-water and pressurized water reactors and developed many of the computer codes still used by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission in licensing, relicensing and evaluating the safety of commercial nuclear power plants. The testing done at the INEEL’s Materials Test Reactor in the 1950s and 60s influenced the design of every nuclear reactor built and operated in this country.

Today, the INEEL and ANL are poised to lead the country in developing the next generation—Generation IV—reactors that will help meet world energy needs for the next 50 years. Generation IV reactors will be more economical to build, safer to operate, produce less waste for disposal and reduce the danger of nuclear materials falling into the hands of hostile organizations. They will help meet projected world energy demands that are expected to more than double today’s needs by 2050, contribute to improved environmental quality and support this country’s energy security. The U.S. Department of Energy placed the INEEL and ANL in the forefront to lead this national effort.

In 1999, the DOE named the INEEL and ANL as lead laboratories for nuclear reactor technology. In 2001, the United States National Energy Policy endorsed nuclear energy as a major component of future U.S. energy supplies. And, in July 2002, the DOE designated INEEL as a department nuclear energy laboratory. The INEEL was to be "the central command for the federal government’s Generation IV nuclear systems research." It will also be the focal point for developing and demonstrating the Advanced Fuel Cycle Technology Initiative that would treat and reducing spent nuclear fuel and high-level waste.

The INEEL’s Strategic Plan is to be the leading contributor to our nation’s energy security and environmental quality by developed advance, sustainable, safe and economic nuclear energy and fuel cycle technologies.

The INEEL represents the DOE in coordinating the Generation IV International Forum. This is a group of 10 nations working together to develop future-generation nuclear energy systems that can be licensed, constructed and operated in a manner that will provide competitively priced and reliable energy while addressing safety, waste and proliferation issues. Its objective is to deploy energy systems worldwide before 2030. The GIF has identified six reactor technologies to be investigated.

From those proposed technologies, the reactor concept selected by the U.S. for research and potential demonstration at the INEEL is the Very High Temperature Reactor. The VHTR‘s mission will to demonstrate high-efficiency electricity and hydrogen production. Researchers will demonstrate improved economics through reduced capital costs and expanded product markets. The reactor would demonstrate naturally safe, high temperature capabilities, zero emissions and energy security, plutonium burn-up capability, deep-burn or closed fuel cycle technology and facility security.

Advanced fuel cycle research will be another major INEEL nuclear energy initiative. Researchers will explore technologies for recycling spent fuel to reduce its volume (by up to 96 percent) and its lifetime (to a few hundred years) of disposable waste, and develop new recycle technologies to reduce nuclear materials proliferation concern.

James Lake, INEEL associate laboratory director for Nuclear Energy, says that energy security and environmental quality are strong drivers for further developing this nation’s nuclear production capability. He noted that the directors of six of DOE’s premier national laboratories have endorsed a comprehensive and integrated plan to further the development and deployment of nuclear energy and the management of nuclear materials. Their joint endorsement stressed that by 2050, half of the U.S. electricity and a quarter of the U.S. transportation fuel production should be produced by nuclear energy (fuel production coming from nuclear-produced hydrogen), and that by 2020 a closed fuel cycle system should be demonstrated.

INRA Programs

Professional Leave Incentive Program: INRA faculty may contact [email protected], or see our web site (www.inra.org) to find out how to earn $1250/month in addition to regular salary for participating in INEEL’s Faculty Fellowship Program. You can apply online at:

http://education.inel.gov/university/faculty.asp

Salaried Research Training Program: Through this program, post-graduates are recruited and hired to work at the INEEL. All are hired as non-tenure track employees of Washington State University under an agreement with INRA, a managing partner of the INEEL. Anyone interested in learning more about this program, or to apply for a position, may do so at:

http://www.inel.asp.wsu.edu

Copyright © 2003. Inland Northwest Research Alliance (INRA) Inc. 151 North Ridge Avenue, Suite 140. Idaho Falls, ID 83402. Tel: (208) 524-4800. Fax: (208) 524-4994. All rights reserved.