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State of the Laborato!X -1983 Oak Ridge National Laboratory r~rvu~w VOLUME 17 NUMBER TWO 1984

1 State of the Laboratory-1983 By HERMAN POSTMA In the follnwing updated report based on his January 31, 1984, address w the sUiff. Postma discusses technical achievements related w global environmental cancerns, an improved alloy for artificial hip j

32 Making R&D Pay Off: How ORNL Interacts with Industry THE COVER: The heavy-ion accelerator By FRAN SHARPLES at the Holifield Heavy Ion Research Facility is a good e%ample of Large Scale, Recently the federal government has remmJed impediments w the transfer of government­ Small Scale, the theme of Herman spanwred technology w industry. As a result, ORNL has new Bto/f consulting and patent Postma's 1983 "State of the Laboratory" policies and has established a fund w promote technology transfer. Efforts also have been address. This huge machine, which made by the federal government, Martin Marietta Energy Systems, Inc., and ORNL w dwarf• the workers below, is used to stimulate and support the creation of small businesses w help the economy. study the nuclear physics of the smallest-scale phenomena. In 1983 the highest beam energy obtained at this 42 facility was achieved with the Communicating Health Risks to the Public acceleration of bromine ions to 1 billion By CAROLYN KRAUSE electron volts. This is one of many The public is worried about low-level effects of environmental agents on health. Its achievements presented in Postma'• perception of the health risks involved, lwwever, is often different fryym the actual risks. address, beginning on page 1. The scientific establishment, the news media, and culturally ingrained fears and expectations may weU be responsible for this discrepancy. That was the consenBU8 of a Editor recent workslwp on communicating risks. CAROLYN KRAUSE

Associate Editor 48 ORNL and the Environment: Views of JON JEFFERSON State and Federal Regulations By THOMAS W. OAKES, J. THOMAS KITCHINGS, AND HELEN M. BRAUNSTEIN Consulting Editor In 1983 the State of Tennessee sooght for the first time to acquire the right w regulate ALEX ZUCKER ORNL 's discharges w the environment.· Recently the state conducted a compliance evaluation inspection and recommended that ORNL take action w solve its environmental Design problems. In this second part of a series, the authors discuss steps that ORNL is taking w BILL CLARK respond w the inspection report and the legal issues pertaining w environmental management at the Laboratory. Publication Staff: Technical Editing/Susan Hughes; Proofreading/Jeanne M. Dole; Typography/T. R. Walker; Makeup/Larry Davis; ORNL Photography, Graphic Arts, DEPARTMENTS and Reproduction departments. 31 Take a Number 40 Books: William S. Lyon reviews Betrayers of the Truth by William Broad and The Review is published quarterly and dis­ Nicholas Wade. Books in print edited by ORNL Bto/f members are listed. tributed to employees and others associated with the Oak Ridge National Laboratory. 56 Awards and Appointments The editorial office is in Building 4500-North, Oak Ridge National Laboratory. P.O. Box X, Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37831. Telephone: Internal 4-7183; commercial (615) OAK RIDGE NATIONAL LABORATORY 574-7183; FTS 624-7183. operated by Martin Marietta Energy Systems, Inc. ISSN 0048-1262 for the Department of Energy ORNL director Herman Postma (left) chat• with Ken Jarmolow, preaident of Martin Marietta Energy Syaterna, Inc. Looking on are Larry Adama, preaident of Martin Marietta Corporation, and Mary Jane La Barge, corporate aecretary.

State of the Laboratory-t983 Large Scale, Small Scale By HERMAN POSTMA

11"\\ften in the past, it has been individual and institutional colleagues from Martin Marietta ~ tempting to use the theme concerns about the process of Energy Systems, Inc. We "Year of Transition" to describe the change and its possible effects were congratulate them on a successful impact of changing national energy exaggerated. In fact, the entire proposal-and wish for them in this policies or research and sequence has proceeded on schedule new venture a good beginning and development (R&D) philosophies on with minimal impact on people and continuing success. the activities of Oak Ridge National programs, thanks to the excellent While the theme of my State of Laboratory. But now, as I present work of DOE and its local and the Laboratory address will not be this annual review of the headquarters staffs. Their transition per se, I do want to Laboratory's important performance under difficult and comment specifically, now and accomplishments and goals for the demanding circumstances was later, on this central concern for all tenth time, that familiar phrase is extraordinary. As a result, we have of us during this year of the fact. On April 1, 1984, we completed benefited from a very stable and contractor selection and change. what a year ago may have appeared orderly transition, which has However, as usual, I will emphasize an enormous, time-consuming, even permitted continuity in programs R&D accomplishments throughout ominous task-the selection of and and caused no hardship on the Laboratory. The first change to a new operating employees. achievements selected will illustrate contractor for ORNL and the other With the formal transition the multiple dimensions of "scale" U.S. Department of Energy process begun in January now in our work-from subatomic to facilities. complete, it is truly a pleasure for global phenomena, from individual With the perspective of me to welcome, on behalf of the investigation to large team efforts, hindsight, we can see that many Laboratory, all of our friends and from small component development

NUMBER TWO 1984 1 ORNL staff members chat at the reception following the State of the Laboratory address at the MIUieum of Science and Energy in Oak Ridge.

to large engineered systems, and technology companies to the continued as Congress, DOE, and from isolated contributions to Tennessee Technology Corridor, other involved state and federal sustained long-term endeavors. cooperative activities with our agencies have reviewed all facets of Thus my theme is Large Scale, institutional neighbors, the environmental and health Small Scale, which, after a few environmental matters of both local impacts of the Oak Ridge introductory comments, I will and national concern, and, of Operations, including ORNL. In illustrate with examples and course, widespread interest and cooperation with the Tennessee discussion (starting on page 4). I involvement in the selection of a Department of Health and will also discuss a series of new operating contractor. Environment and regional important project and program Nationally, 1983 was the "year Environmental Protection Agency milestones achieved in 1983 (see after" multiple high-level inquiries (EPA) officials, ORNL participated page 26)." Finally, I will focus on the and reports on the status and in a compliance evaluation outlook for the year ahead, function of DOE laboratories and inspection of its current National including expected occurrences federal laboratories in general. Pollution Discharge Elimination under Martin Marietta Energy Although the reports differed in System permit, which is now up for Systems and our short- and long­ tone and focus, they agreed that renewal. These state and federal term needs and objectives in an national laboratories (1) have been reviews have included on-site area of continuing importance and hampered by overmanagement by inspection and detailed public attention-namely, federal sponsors, (2) need more documentation of all facets of our environmental management. flexibility in administering R&D monitoring, processing, and As always, I can touch on only a funds, (3) require clearer disposal of gaseous, liquid, and small fraction of the year's many statements of institutional solid radioactive and hazardous worthy and outstanding technical missions, and (4) should undergo wastes. achievements. With this limitation more rigorous independent review. This year also has been notable in mind, another portion of the Already within DOE we see for a potentially significant change address (beginning on page 14) will evidence of a concerted effort in DOE consulting and patent be what I hope is a representative, toward improvements in each area, policies that will affect the if not comprehensive, sampling of such as reducing unnecessary or Laboratory. By liberalizing highlights from all areas of our duplicative reporting, approving consulting provisions and by program activity, including both increased discretionary funds for permitting the contractor sciences and technologies. purely exploratory research, and organization to receive a patent including the independent review waiver for marketing and licensing process in the Request for Proposal developments resulting from DOE­ High Visibility issued to prospective replacement sponsored R&D, DOE has boosted Certainly, viewed overall, 1983 contractors. our efforts to achieve stronger and was a year of high visibility for the The public focus on more productive laboratory­ Laboratory in many areas beyond environmental management issues, industry interactions and to its R&D missions. Examples include beginning with the past losses of accelerate the rate of technology the efforts to attract high- mercury from the Y-12 Plant, has transfer.

2 OAK RIDGE NATIONAL LABORATORY Review Finally, in 1983 ORNL entered resources such as our various user means or capability of any one into a host of new cooperative facilities (my 1982 theme); participant, constitute another initiatives that represent important mobilizing diverse technical example. directions for us. Among them are resources and institutions to carry Interactions of scale, from very the Research Institutions out large, complex, interdisciplinary small to very large, also can be seen Consortium, which formally links tasks; or performing high-quality in the physical or biological the mutual interests of ORNL and R&D that spans a continuum from alteration of a material or property our academic and governmental Big Science to Little Science. That at the microlevel, resulting in neighbors; the University of natural interaction of scale and macro effects on overall Tennessee-ORNL Distinguished complexity, involving both the performance or function-and Scientist Program, under which objects of study or development and ultimately in even greater impact initial appointments were made in the tools applied to the task, is the on society or commerce. The 1984; two major new facility basis for my choice this year of the synthesis of diverse data from approvals, including the much­ Large Scale, Small Scale theme. multiple sources, building an anticipated High-Temperature This crucial and characteristic integrated and useful output from Materials Laboratory and an dimension of a national highly variable and inconsistent innovative fusion experimental laboratory's purpose and programs inputs, may be seen as the macro­ device, the Advanced Toroidal is very evident throughout ORNL. to-micro reverse of that process. Facility; joint fusion endeavors R&D may involve big instruments Design and construction of a large with both Atlanta University and and large numbers of users to study engineered system, incorporating a the Japan Atomic Energy Research the smallest-scale phenomena, as in multitude of individual component Institute; and a materials-science nuclear physics research. In the developments, also reflect the same partnership with the Cabot area of regional, national, or global continuum of scale and effort. Corporation (in which Cabot will environmental concerns, the Finally, time itself is an example of fund R&D by our metallurgists and challenge is to make coordinated the large impact of accumulated send a researcher to ORNL to work measurements on the same broad small efforts, as in the continuity in the area of long-range-ordered scale to define and ultimately to of a major long-term project or the alloys). solve the problems. Cooperative institutional "memory" that allows national or international R&D experience of the past to influence endeavors, mobilizing large~scale A Matter of Scale decisions of the present. resources for a task beyond the Last year my State of the Laboratory address focused on Long-Range, High-Risk, High­ In developing this theme of Large Scale, Small Scale, I have selected Payoff R&D as the Laboratory's examples from both the science and the technology areas to illustrate primary and continuing mission. one or more of the thematic characteristics. These achievements are Fulfilling that role and related presented in the following capsules. My remarks on program milestones objectives may involve developing and the outlook for the year ahead appear on page 26. and operating unique national

NUMBER TWO 1984 3 Large Scale, Small Scale

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~re is perhaps no more dramatic r l1 ~;ample of large scale, both in 5 the phenomena involved and in their ATMOSPHERE FOSSIL (717) potential consequences, than two areas a I FUEL 70 ~ I f 108 of global environmental concern-the l7o 110! postulated climatic warming, or I TERRESTRIAL PLANTS I SURFACE OCEAN~ r. "greenhouse effect," caused by (580) I (850) & f- increasing levels of atmospheric carbon I t I I < dioxide (C02), and the environmental ..... TERRESTRIAL DEAD I 0 effects of acidic deposition, including I ORGANIC MATTER - m- acid rain. The problems themselves are __ _. (1450) w truly global, and their solutions will SUBSURFACE -z - require understanding of complex OCEAN a: ( ) = CONTEMPORARY RESERVOIR SIZE < physical, chemical, and biological ~ (10 1 ton C) ATMOSPHERIC EXCHANGES processes on the same scale. The AT ARROWHEADS (10 1 ton C/YEAR) scientific attack must involve global (37. 350) (4 )1 - • INDICATES TERRESTRIAL FLUX monitoring, measurement, and modeling, DUE TO DISTURBANCE OCEAN SEDIMENTS t using the largest and fastest computer tools available. ORNL, through the ALL ESTIMATES OF RESERVOIR SIZES Environmental Sciences Division (ESD), (EXCEPT THE ATMOSPHERE) AND FLUXES has key national and international roles ARE UNCERTAIN. in each endeavor. In investigating the global carbon cycle, ESD has three functions. First, it provides scientific leadership in This schematic shows the ezchange formulating global carbon simulation This past fall, through its sixth Life between the ocean and the atmaaphere models and performing sensitivity and Sciences Symposium, ORNL hosted and between vegetation and the uncertainty analyses of key model some 300 members of the international atmosphere of carbon diozide, which is parameters. Second, it is responsible scientific community involved in research emitted by the combustion of fossil fuels. The aim of ORNL's carbon inventory is to for managing DOE's entire research on the global carbon cycle. Those resolve the uncertainties associated with effort on modeling and much of the scientists reported analyses of the the ezchange of carbon among the supporting field research. This effort natural cycle and implications of human principal reservoirs. involves subcontracting and managing alterations for the next century. Another projects at ten universities and other local resource for global carbon cycle federal laboratories, as well as research is the Carbon Dioxide forests. Since 1958, measurements coordinating contributions from three Information Center, which compiles and taken at Mauna Loa Observatory in other ORNL divisions-Chemistry, disseminates the worldwide scientific Hawaii have shown a steadily increasing Computer Sciences, and Health and literature. Operated by the Information concentration of atmospheric C02. That Safety Research- and other Division, this center maintains a increase, however, represents only collaborators at the Oak Ridge computerized data base that contains about half of the carbon produced Associated Universities. Third, ESD is more than 6000 citations. annually by human activities such as charged with assessing, by 1985, the The goal of these ORNL-Ied efforts fossil fuel burning and forest clearing. state of knowledge about the global is to determine how much C02 is The remainder is being removed and carbon cycle. This assessment will annually injected into the atmosphere. stored in the oceans and, perhaps, in identify the research needed to more From an ecological and geochemical part of the earth's vegetation. The accurately predict future atmospheric perspective, it is necessary to objective, then, is to determine the C02 concentrations. The assessment understand how much released carbon biological, chemical, and physical nature also will guide DOE in establishing future is absorbed by "sinks" such as the of the absorption processes on a global directions for research on the oceans and how much additional carbon scale, as well as factors that may limit environmental effects of climate potentially enters the atmosphere from or increase the ultimate capacity of the changes due to C02 levels. "sources" such as the clearing of oceans and vegetation to store carbon.

4 OAK RIDGE NATIONAL LABORATORY Review Thill satellite image of Africa shows the location of major vegetation types, denoted by varying color di8tributionB. The northern half of the continent i8 mostly desert, and the southern half i8 largely forest. There i8 evidence of forest clearing, which i8 a source of carbon dio%ide. ORNL has recently produced a high-resolution global map of major vegetation types ranked by their carbon storage capacity.

carbon. The last input is important because it represents one facet of a potential climate feedback on the carbon cycle-namely, the ocean's highly temperature-sensitive chemical equilibria, which partially control the magnitude of the exchange of carbon between the ocean and the atmosphere. Gardner and Trabalka have found that making accurate predictions about future climatic change and its environmental impacts is particularly difficult because fossil-fuel emissions are dependent on many unknowns. These "--·-· uncertainties arise from the difficulty of projecting the demand for fossil-fuel energy in light of questions about the world's economy and the future role of nuclear power. Gardner and Trabalka's Pfr\his year Jerry Olson and Julia analyses to understand why the results analysis also emphasizes the need to lJ. Watts of ESD have produced the predicted by global carbon-cycle collect data to improve our first high-resolution global map of major simulation models deviate from the understanding of the role of the vegetation types ranked by their carbon Mauna Loa numbers on increasing terrestrial biosphere as a carbon source storage capacity. This map serves as a atmospheric C02 levels. They found that and sink, air-sea exchange and ocean baseline to determine the effects of the deviations are most sensitive to transport of carbon, preindustrial levels future forest clearing, reforestation, model inputs associated with the forest­ of atmospheric C02, and the agricultural expansion, and clearing record, the average depth atmospheric behavior of C02• desertification on the terrestrial distribution of carbon-14 in the ocean, Ultimately, this analysis shows that absorption of C02. Large-scale the preindustrial concentration of C02 in assumptions about land-use practices mathematical simulations are being the atmosphere, and the temperature and fossil-fuel use plus differences in developed to predict the effects of a response of ocean surface waters to model structure are more likely to affect warmer climate on major agricultural C02-induced climate change. The first the accuracy of predictions than are and forested regions and on the ability input represents the principal data that uncertainties in current models of sinks to retain carbon. must be examined in attempting to associated with individual parameters Robert Gardner and John Trabalka resolve the role of the terrestrial such as preindustrial C02 have applied sensitivity and uncertainty biosphere in absorbing and releasing concentrations.

IF'\\ RNL is also strongly involved in dioxide and nitrogen oxides emitted by deposition. With funding from the ~ research on another global the combustion of fossil fuels and Electric Power Research Institute, ESD environmental concern-the deposition natural sources such as volcanoes. is studying acidic deposition's effect on of acids on soil, vegetation, and lakes ESD staff members are involved in the cycling of forest nutrients and also and streams by rain, snow, and the large-scale projects in three areas to on the productivity of agricultural crops. fallout of dry particles. These acids are improve scientific understanding of the New work is beginning this year on the formed in the atmosphere by the potential magnitude and mechanisms of ecological effects of acidification on interaction of moisture with sulfur the environmental effects of acidic streams. EPA has chosen ESD to

NUMBER TWO 1984 5 Large Scale, Small Scale

Open-topped e%posure chambers like these use activated charcoal filters to e%clude ambient gaseoUB air pollutants such as ozone from field-grown crops. ORNL has combined this system with movable covers that can e%clude ambient ORNL soil scientist Dale Johnson inserts rainfall. The unique combination of these a plate lysimeter between surface soil of cations, however, represents only a e%clUBion techniques permits scientists to layers to e:dract water for chemical small fraction of the total reserves of evaluate the potential for either of these analysis. Analysis of these solutions nutrients and is not seen as a threat to forms of plant streBB (ozone or acid rain) provides measures of nutrients removed the ecosystem. to influence the plant's response to the from forest soils by acidic solutions such Interestingly, even though leaching other. as acid rain. rates have doubled, not all cations are being lost. For example, calcium-poor coordinate a 12-institution regional study sites, which are common on the of the long-term effects of acidic watershed, do not lose calcium, deposition on forest growth in the because atmospheric inputs of calcium eastern United States. ORNL also apparently equal leaching outputs. continues to play a lead role in the Rather, these sites lose sodium, National Laboratory Consortium, which magnesium, and potassium. This supports the Interagency Task Force on conservation of calcium is important for Acidic Deposition's definition of national forest nutrition because calcium is a scientific priorities. potentially limiting element-that is, it is Forest-nutrient-cycling research on in such low supply in the soil that further Walker Branch Watershed, performed losses might limit forest growth. These by ESD's Dale Johnson and Dan results, as well as theoretical Richter, shows that acid deposition has considerations, suggest that limiting approximately doubled the natural rate cations will be conserved while ORNL coordinates studies by research of leaching of cations from the soil. nonlimiting cations (nutrients in plentiful stations in 15 states on the impacts of Cations include positively charged ions supply) will be partially lost through the acid rain and ozone on forest growth. of nutrient elements that are attracted accelerated leaching caused by acid to negatively charged soil particles. deposition. large-scale, regional study of the effect These cations can be leached, or pulled of air pollution on forest growth. The away from the soil particles, by I'F"'\ver the past 18 months, ESD 's study's purpose is to quantify long-term negatively charged sulfate ions ~ Samue l B. (Sandy) McLaughlin changes in forest growth and determine introduced to the soil by acidic has been charged with planning, whether these changes are related to deposition. This increase in the removal coordinating, and analyzing results of a stresses caused by gaseous pollutants

6 OAK RIDGE NATIONAL LABORATORY Review (primarily ozone) and acid rainfall. The high-elevation forests in the Great ( 1) wheat is relatively tolerant of acid broadly collaborative project involves 12 Smoky Mountains National Park. rain even at "worst case• exposure research centers, including university, In the area of crop productivity, levels, which are ten times more acidic state, and federal laboratories, all of Dave Shriner and Bill Johnston have than current ambient levels, and (2) the which use a common research plan. designed studies to measure the potential interactive effects of acid rain Samples have been taken from combined effect of ozone and acid rain and ozone might make the adverse approximately 6000 trees representing on winter wheat and soybeans. impacts of ozone on crops more severe 34 species and 88 forest stands Preliminary results from the first year of than currently thought. The results also distributed over 15 eastern states. Both this large three-year field experiment suggest that for some species of potentially acid-sensitive and acid­ indicate the possibility of "nonadditive· vegetation, response to acidic resistant sites are included. Early interactions between acid rain and precipitation may be dependent on the results from the sample analysis ozone; that is, the exposure of wheat to plant's response to air pollutants such indicate that a systematic decline in tree both ozone and acid rain may inhibit as ozone. The nature and direction of growth began about 25 years ago in crop growth more than if the wheat that interaction are being actively many areas of the eastern United were exposed to acid rain alone. explored. States. This decline has affected These preliminary observations are primarily pine, fir, and spruce, including significant because they suggest that

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~ he dimension of scale also is experiments for possible commercial lJ. evident in our work on surface applications. Staff time is devoted two­ modification of materials- modifications thirds to basic research sponsored by that involve only a few atomic layers at the DOE Division of Materials Sciences the surface yet have dramatic effects and one-third to collaborative projects on the overall characteristics and with outside investigators. Bill R. performance of a material. For example, Appleton directs the Collaborative by using accelerators to introduce ions Research Center, and he and C. W. into a material's near-surface region, we (Woody) White are coleaders of the have produced materials with harder Surface Modification and surfaces, greater resistance to wear Characterization Facility. and corrosion, and improved electrical Because ion implantation, ion-beam properties. That micro-macro contrast is mixing, and laser annealing are extended further when one considers nonequilibrium processing methods the much more wide-ranging (unlike alloying), they can be used to technological and commercial impact of produce new and often unique material the altered materials, which already are properties that are not possible with leading to new products and new device conventional fabrication techniques applications. based on equilibrium processes. This The Surface ModifiCation and ability makes ion-beam and laser Characterization Facility in the Solid processing ideal tools for fundamental State Division combines ion implantation materials research. They are equally and pulsed-laser processing for useful for modifying surface properties modifications of the near-surface regions for practical applications such as of materials with in situ ion-beam reducing friction, increasing resistance analysis and surface characterization in to wear and corrosion, speeding up Recently at ORNL, •ample• of the ultrahigh-vacuum environments. The chemical reactions via catalysis, and titanium-aluminum-vanadium (Ti-6, Al-4, equipment available includes energetic increasing surface hardness. ORNL's V) alloy u•ed in artificial hip joint• were •ubjected to a 10-h corro•ive-wear ted in ion accelerators and high-powered most visible efforts have been the use •aline electrolyte. The •ample. that were lasers. A Collaborative Research Center of these techniques to improve the implanted at ORNL with nitrogen ioM was established this year to make the electrical properties of solar cells, to (like the one at top right) •howed very facility's capabilities more widely fabricate new semiconducting alloys, little corrOBive wear, unlike the available to university and industry and to increase the resistance to unimplanted •ample (top left). Below i8 scientists; there are now approximately corrosive wear of surgical implant an artificial hip joint, compo.ed of a •tem 40 projects ranging from fundamental alloys. (continued on next page) and ball made of the titanium alloy, materials research to proof-of-principle which i8 iMerted into a polyethylene cup.

NUMBER TWO 1984 7 Large Scale, Small Scale

Bill Appleton (left). Wayne Holland, alloy• of ailicon. The four reaearchera Woody White, and Jagdiah Narayan received an l•R 100 award in 1983 for gather at the ion implantation theae alloya, which can be II.Bed for high­ accelerator, where they developed a new power tranaiatora, diodea, and advanced claaa of auperaatu.rated aubatitutional integrated circuit devicea.

~ ur effort to improve the mobility, cause inflammation around the lon-beam processing also shows ~ performance and useful life of a joint. and, in the long run. induce promise for improving surface surgical implant alloy illustrates the adverse systemic effects such as interactions between surgical implant range and potential widespread impact possible disorders of the liver or materials in other ways, including of the ion-implantation technique for pancreas. increased adhesion between surface modification. Each year more Using an apparatus designed to components and reduced friction in than 75,000 Americans receive artificial simulate the mechanical and chemical artificial knees. As evidence of hip joints, in which a metal-alloy "ball" environment within the body's hip joint, technology transfer, makers of surgical moves within a polyethylene "socket" to Jim Williams of the Solid State Division, hardware are now testing the ion­ provide the same movement of the thigh in collaboration with Raymond Buchanan implanted components. as a natural joint. Increasingly, a of the University of Alabama at An important implication of this work titanium alloy containing 6% aluminum Birmingham, has demonstrated that in improving the titanium hip joint is the and 4% vanadium is being used as the implanting nitrogen ions in the titanium demonstration that surface properties surgical implant material because it is alloy makes it 1000 times more can be altered without causing an superior to others in properties such as resistant to corrosive wear in the body. undesirable side effect on carefully corrosion resistance, mechanical One factor that may contribute to this selected bulk properties of an alloy. properties, bone match, and greatly increased resistance is Thus manufacturers can choose an alloy biocompatibility. The alloy's orthopedic implantation-produced surface for its desired mechanical properties use is limited mainly by its tendency to hardening. Implantation can make the and then modify its surface to add or corrode and wear away when attacked surface harder so that titanium oxide improve another key characteristic, by body fluids during its motion within particles wiped from the surface cannot such as resistance to corrosion. the polyethylene cup. As a result, it further abrade the surface and cause releases metallic debris that can inhibit additional release of metallic debris.

8 OAK RIDGE NATIONAL LABORATORY Review n 1977 Congress passed the Surface environmental impacts of abandoned First, we identified problem areas Ti Mining and Control Act, which mines but on their potentially harmful through inventory data submitted by the provides for the repair of damage effects on people's health, safety, and states and Indian tribes. A problem area created by abandoned mines, through a general welfare. Thus, in this example, is a geographical area that has mine­ severance tax on coal extracted from the scale derives from the scope of a related problems that affect health (a surface mines. ORNL was approached congressional mandate and the broad polluted water supply, for example), by the Office of Surface Mining (OSM) dimensions of the problem it was safety (a vertical opening such as an in the U.S. Department of the Interior for designed to correct. After studying the abandoned air shaft, for example), and assistance because of our interest in 1977 act, we persuaded OSM that the welfare (slide of waste material that applying satellite imagery and other approach to the problem should be quite blocks a road, for example). After remote-sensing tools to assessing the different from the approach we and identifying 6137 problem areas, we environmental impacts of strip mines. At OSM had originally expected to take. applied our criteria consistently to this that time, abandoned mine lands were Rather than apply imaging technology, information to produce a nationally thought to pose mainly environmental we agreed that a national inventory standardized data base. An important and aesthetic problems, such as acid should be designed to identity health, part of the process involved a ranking pollution of streams and land scars like safety, and general welfare problems as of each problem according to severity those found in the nearby Cumberland well as environmental problems on a of impact-that is, whether it Mountains. state-by-state basis. ORNL also was represented an extreme danger, serious However, the federal legislation puts asked to develop a set of criteria for threat, or need for environmental a clear emphasis not on the adverse ranking the severity of the problems. restoration. Finally, all of the data and

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ORNL identified and ranked by potential impact (on health, aa(ety, and welfare) 6137 problem areaa aaaociated with abandoned mine Ianda.

NUMBER TWO 1984 9 Large Scale, Small Scale evaluations were subjected to a rigorous results showed that more than 77% of worst. The data show that only 12% critique for quality assurance. the cumulative (or weighted) impact on (167) of the total number (1369) of the people's health, safety, and general health, safety, and general welfare /'n\ur synthesis of diverse data from welfare occurs in the eastern anthracite problem areas account for more than ~ multiple sources involved and bituminous coal regions. 83% of the projected reclamation cost. interagency, federal-state, and Pennsylvania was found to be the most The overall project, a collaborative interinstitutional cooperation on a broad heavily impacted state, with 36% of the effort of ORNL, Tennessee Valley scale and over a significant period. Our total problem areas and 26 of the 53 Authority (TVA), East Tennessee State University (ETSU), and Lockheed Thi8 dangerous coal-loading facility and abandoned car in Weat Virginia are in Missiles and Space Company, Inc., took one of the problem area. identified by ORNL. four and a half years, from January 1979 through August 1983. The cost was $13 million, including $6.6 million spent by the states and Indian tribes to collect the data. Principal contributors were Bob Honea, Carl Petrich, Dick Rush, and AI Voelker of the Energy Division; Dick Durfee, Bob Edwards, and Don Wilson of the Computer Sciences Division; Paul Baxter and Kingsley Taft of TVA; C. E. Tanner of Lockheed; and N. S. Fischman and R. W. Peplies of ETSU. Despite considerable difficulties in data collection, standardization, and quality assurance, ORNL's inventory is a good representation of health, safety, and general welfare problems and is being used by OSM in carrying out its legislative mandate. The inventory was applied, for example, in deciding how to allocate discretionary money among the states and tribes. From our data analysis we concluded that enough tax money will probably be raised to correct all of the health, safety, and general welfare problems, provided that the money is allocated wisely. The estimated cost to remedy those identified problems is in the range of $0.8 billion to $1.6 billion. The funding would pay for such "fixes" as removing sources of water pollution, covering or filling abandoned mine-shaft openings, and removing rocks and other material that block roads. Although it is doubtful that enough money will be left to repair all environmental damage, considerable progress toward land reclamation can be made.

ORNL participants in the inventory of problem areas associated with abandoned mines are (from left) Richard Durfee, Don Wilson, Al Voelker, Dick Rush, Bob Edwards, Bob Honea, and Carl Petrich.

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1M worldwide industrial technology ~ base, a multinational collaboration through an International Energy Agency (lEA) agreement, an $80-million hardware investment by the United States alone, and ultimately a decade of effort make the development of magnets for the fusion program a notable example of large scale. This effort, whose purpose is to ensure an adequate scientific and industrial base for the design and fabrication of the large superconducting magnets required for power-producing fusion reactors of the future, has as a central element the Large Coil Test Facility (LCTF) at ORNL ORNL has had a major role in the design and procurement of three of the six coils that will be tested in the LCTF as well as in the planning, design, construction, and operation of the test facility. During 1983 several significant milestones were achieved. Construction A 40-ton superconducting magnet coil of the facility was completed and produced by General Dynamics-Convair accepted, the first two of the six coils power. Copper magnetic coils, on the is lowered into the vacuum veBBel of the were installed, and operation was other hand, have an ohmic resistance Large Coil Test Facility in August 1983. started. Facility operation is itseH a that would cause them to consume Facility shakedown and installation of significant accomplishment because it more power than the plant could other test coils in 1984 will lead to tests of involves a refrigeration system, capable generate. Although the superconducting an array of six coils in 1985. of chilling the magnets to almost magnet system envisioned for fusion absolute zero, that is extending the plants will reduce energy use and costs, nitrogen system, which provides cooling state of the art of cryogenics. the system itseH will be quite expensive. for the cold wall; power supplies; and ORNL is acting on behaH of DOE as Therefore, substantial investment in computerized control, diagnostic, and the operating agent for the International developing and testing different coil data acquisition systems. Large Coil Task. Participants also designs can be justified, because even Under the lEA agreement, the United include West Germany's small gains in efficiency and reliability States is providing the test facility and Kernforschungszentrum Karlsruhe (for will cut future costs greatly. three coils (being built under EURATOM), the Japan Atomic Energy subcontracts with General Dynamics, Research Institute, and the Swiss f'F\\f the total U.S. investment of General Electric, and Westinghouse). Institute for Nuclear Research, each ~ $80 million, $36 million was spent EURATOM, Japan, and Switzerland are now represented here in the LCTF at ORNL to construct the LCTF. At its providing one coil each (built by testing and analysis group. Operation of heart is a test stand, holding up to six Siemens, Hitachi, and Brown-Boveri, the LCTF in support of the coil testing coils in a toroidal array and enclosed in respectively) at their expense. All program is carried out by a group of 16 a stainless-steel vacuum tank 12 m participants will share in the information trained and certified supervisors and (40 ft) tall and 11 m (35 ft) in diameter. that is obtained. operators in the Fusion Energy Division. The vacuum tank and its superinsulating ORNL and the Engineering Division The Task's purpose is to support "cold wall" will act as a huge thermos wrote the coil specifications so that all confident selection of the toroidal field bottle, allowing the coils to be cooled to six coils would fit in the facility and coils that will confine the plasma fuel of 4 K. Each of the six D-shaped magnets work together to create a magnetic field future tokamak fusion reactors. Because to be tested weighs 40 metric tons and of at least 8 Tesla. Beyond those they consume little electrical energy in measures about 6 m (20 ft) tall and 5 m requirements, the internal design was producing magnetic fields, ( 15 ft) wide. Other key components are left to the individual teams. The results superconducting coils will allow fusion a helium refrigeration system, used to reflect two different approaches to the reactors to produce useful amounts of cool the magnets internally; a liquid use of liquid helium to achieve reliable,

NUMBER TWO 1984 11 Large Scale, Small Scale economic superconducting Dynamics-Convair coils in the test the meantime, is being installed before magnets-somewhat analogous to the stand, began in December with the the facility shakedown and preliminary use of pressurized or boiling water to evacuation of the large vacuum vessel. coil tests. cool nuclear fission reactors. In one The purpose was to determine how well Key contributors to the large-scale approach, the conductors are internally the facility systems work and to provide magnet development activities at ORNL cooled by pressurized helium; in the preliminary information on the are Paul Haubenreich, international other, the conductors are immersed in a performance of the two coils. The plan representative and manager of the U.S. pool of boiling helium. A goal of the was then to shut down to install the program, Martin Lubell, John May, Large Coil Task is to compare the cost remaining four coils and to make any William Fietz, James Luton, Robert and performance of these two necessary improvements in the facility. Bohanan, and Keith Kibbe of the Fusion approaches under actual operating This plan was revised after helium leaks Energy Division; and Howard Miller, conditions in the LCTF. appeared in the General Dynamics coil John Monday, Phillip Thompson, and The first integrated operation of the during the first cooldown. Now the Ted Ryan of the Engineering Division. facility, with the Japanese and General Swiss coil, which had been delivered in

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~his final theme-related example is remote operation and maintenance Examination Facility at Hanford l.1 another large-scale engineered technology to reprocessing in the United Engineering Development Laboratory system designed to play a crucial role States and a significant move in that (HEDL), ORNL will be responsible for as a proof test and demonstration of a direction in both West Germany and designing, developing, procuring, and major high-technology development Japan. testing all of the reprocessing effort. Called the Breeder Reprocessing In support of BRET, which will be equipment. This effort will represent Engineering Test (BRED, this project located at the Fuels and Materials about 40% of a projected $50Q-million will demonstrate advanced nuclear fuel reprocessing concepts in a highly radioactive environment; its focus will be the closing of the fuel cycle for the Fast Flux Test Facility in Washington and for a future breeder reactor. The project represents the culmination of a decade of effort by the ORNL -managed Consolidated Fuel Reprocessing Program to develop advanced concepts of making new nuclear fuel elements from spent fuel. A unique aspect of BRET will be the use of totally remote maintenance based on the advanced servomanipulators under development here. From this ORNL development has stemmed a whole new look at the application of

This servomanipulator, made by a Minnesota firm, reflects contributions by ORNL researchers to the design of its control system. The unit is being used to {u.nctionally test maintenance techniques and provide data to assist in the development of an advanced servomanipulator that will be used for the Breeder Reactor Engineering Test at Hanford Engineering Development Laboratory.

12 OAK RIDGE NATIONAL LABORATORY Review project over a six- to seven-year period. ~ RNL will design, procure, and test mobile servomanipulators displayed on BRET is seen as an important element ~ all of the equipment to be used in television; the servomanipulators provide in future U.S. strategy for nuclear-power BRET and will carry out any necessary the operators with force-reflection and fuel-cycle development. development work. We will design the feedback, which gives them greater ORNL's contributions to this prototype disassembly and shearing dexterity and flexibility in performing the collaboration with HEDL will draw on system, which includes lasers used to maintenance operations. Similar systems prototype equipment and facilities slice off ducts and nozzles on fuel rod will be used at BRET. Advanced developed as part of the Laboratory's bundles; this system has been servomanipulators under development nonradioactive Integrated Equipment investigated and incorporated into the offer advantages over existing models. Test (lED facility, which is now in lET design. We will also design for They eliminate the weak links of present operation. The advanced state of lET BRET a continuous rotary dissolver manipulators-cables and tape components makes it possible to system similar to the lET prototype that drives-by replacing them with gears engineer systems rapidly for BRET, with has been undergoing evaluation for and torque tubes. Furthermore, because only a limited engineering development several years, logging more than modular construction is used for these program. The lET facility combines two 2000 h of operation. systems, any of the major components key elements of the advanced An alternative approach to manually can be replaced in the cell by using technology development-a remote collecting each day some 60 highly another manipulator, thereby eliminating operation and maintenance radioactive process samples containing the need to extensively decontaminate demonstration, where the mechanical uranium and plutonium is a self­ manipulators before repairing them. head-end of the reprocessing sequence propelled, remotely operable robot A number of major objectives of the is located, and the integrated process vehicle. A prototype, currently being Consolidated Fuel Reprocessing demonstration, where portions of the tested in lET, will be the basis of the Program, for which ORNL has the follow-on chemical separation stages sample collection system used in BRET. technical lead within DOE, will be are located. The first began test Finally, the remote maintenance system accomplished through BRET. These operation in 1982, and the latter is developed for lET allows maintenance of objectives include (1) operating a scheduled to go on line later this year. radioactive in-cell equipment using realistic test of advanced technology with irradiated fuel; (2) reducing the technical risks posed by the breeder energy option, by closing the fuel cycle in concert with developing the base technology; (3) recovering plutonium from spent nuclear fuel, thus reducing the need to procure plutonium to fuel breeder reactors; and (4) providing the technical framework for U.S. participation in international agreements in this technology, including the important goal of formulating adequate safeguards. The contributors both to BRET and to the ambitious program of technology development on which it is based include Bill Burch, Sam Meacham, Orlan Yarbro, Grant Stradley, Melvin Feldman, Norbert Grant, E. D. North, and William Groenier of the Fuel Recycle Division; Baird Bottenfield of the Engineering Division; and Bill Hamel of the Instrumentation and Controls Division.

Next: Technical Highlights

Dan Kingston operates the servo­ manipulator remotely by viewing on television the manipulator and objects to be moved. The manipulator provides force feedback, which allows the operator more dexterity and {le%ibility in performing remote maintenance operations.

NUMBER TWO 1984 13 Technical Highlights-Sciences

TID.. ecause trees and other biomass 1.ill crops are renewable energy sources, ORNL biochemists have a special interest in an enzyme that plays a vital role in the growth of green plants. Called ribulosebisphosphate carboxylase, the enzyme indirectly uses the energy of sunlight to bring about conversion of atmospheric C02 into carbohydrates ( 10 11 tons annually on a global basis, produced by 107 tons of the enzyme itself). Unfortunately, this C02-fixation enzyme also uses oxygen to break down carbohydrate, thereby wasting energy and decreasing the yield of carbohydrate. Thus plant growth is inhibited; in fact, the Jekyll-and-Hyde ability of this enzyme to catalyze both useful and counterproductive reactions can cut some plant yields in half. If plants are exposed to elevated C02 levels and reduced oxygen concentrations, however, their growth is more rapid. Because it is obviously impractical to decrease the oxygen level in the atmosphere, the logical strategy is to modify the enzyme in a beneficial way i Fred Hartman and Eva Lee purify the so that oxygen no longer inhibits plant carbon-dio%ide-{i%ation enzyme by growth. During the past year, Fred column chromatography. Hartman and associates in the Biology Division have made substantial progress This schematic shows the site of the in elucidating certain structural features ~ carbon-dio%ide-{U:ation enzyme where of the co2-fixation enzyme that might catalysis occurs. Genetic engineering suggest how to reduce the undesirable could alter this site and ultimately effects of oxygen. Collaborating with improve plant yield. Hartman are Claude Stringer of the Biology Division and Eva Lee of the 0%ygen inhibits the performance of the ATWO SPHERIC NET ..,. enzyme designed to convert atmospheric University of Tennessee-ORNL co, SYNTHESIS OF carbon dio%ide into carbohydrates in Graduate School of Biomedical CO,-fiXATION CARBOHYDRATES Sciences. ENZYME green plants. lf the enzyme could be RIBULOSEBISPHOSPHATE ~------<._ modified so that it did not catalyze Using sophisticated protein-modifying (CATALYST FOR BOTH PROCESSES ) NET reactions involving O%ygen, plant yield agents called affinity labels, the DEGRADATION ATMOSPHERIC OF could be increased. researchers have identified, located, o. CARBOHYDRATES and schematically represented the enzyme's constituent amino acids that genetic engineering will be able to experimental basis for systematically participate in catalysis. Also, through generate mutant forms of the enzyme altering the chemical environment at the comparative sequence studies of that may be deficient in catalyzing the catalytic site, which in turn may diminish evolutionarily diverse species of oxygenation reaction. the effects of oxygen. Once a mutant C02-fixation enzyme, they have Our long-term goal is to improve enzyme is achieved, the next step confirmed that the structures of these plant yields for food and biomass would be to incorporate a gene for the catalytic site regions are very similar. production. The ability to characterize mutant enzyme into experimental plants. Now that the catalytic site has been structural and mechanistic features of Such genetically engineered plants could partially characterized, methods of the enzyme should provide the have greatly increased yields.

14 OAK RIDGE NATIONAL LABORATORY Review ~ he effects of low levels of ionizing each individual species through the ll radiation on biological systems prechemical stage to 10"11 sand then are a continuing concern to both through the diffusion and chemical science and society. Scientists have reaction stages to times of about long tried to understand how radiation 10-a (1 J.LS) after passage of the damages the living cells it penetrates, charged particle. sometimes causing genetic mutations or This work represents the first time cancer. Recent calculations in the that calculations have been done to Health and Safety Research Division connect the physics and early chemistry (HASRD) have shed important new light that follows irradiation. Chemical yields on details of the initial physical and obtained by the calculations appear to chemical changes produced by the be in good agreement with measured passage of a charged particle through values. matter. ORNL's studies follow the subsequent chemical changes through ~ he HASRD researchers have used the first microsecond after irradiation, ll their Monte Carlo code to simulate when the reactions are essentially over. in complete detail the passage in water The experimental data taken over of a charged particle and all its the last two decades in HASRD's secondaries. In one example, the radiation physics program were used to development of an 8-MeV alpha particle Thi8 stop-action code defines which calculate the initial changes produced track in liquid water shows the positions reactions talu place along the track of by incoming charged particles. Then, of the reactant species and the number alpha-particle radiation during the first using Monte Carlo techniques, the of species remaining at various times. microsecond of its penetration into liquid HASRD researchers developed a The reactant species are the hydroxyl water. The black dots leaving the track computer code for the transport of radical (OH), the hydrogen (H) radical, are secondary electrons. radiation through condensed matter the hydronium (H30+) ion, and the (solids and liquids). hydrated electron. calculations. Such information can be According to the calculated results, The total length of the alpha track used to determine mechanisms of the passage of a charged particle and segment is 0.7 micron, about the biological damage induced by radiation. all of its secondaries produces the initial diameter of the nucleus of many cells. Contributors to this study are Harvel changes in a local region around the According to some models, biological Wright, Jim Turner, Bob Hamm, and particle's track in 10"15 s. Diffusion and damage is enhanced by the close Rufus Ritchie of HASRD and John chemical reactions begin at about proximity of reactant species within Magee and Aloke Chatterjee of 10"11 s. The code determines the such a distance. The actual locations of Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory. position and chemical identity of each all species along the alpha particle In addition to using this approach to species produced initially by the track between 10"11 sand 10-a s are help understand how radiation changes charged particle. The calculations follow obtained in detail from the HASRD living tissue, the HASRD researchers are applying it to the study of radiation­ induced changes in electronic microcircuits. Memory chips used in Earth satellites are so small that passage of a single cosmic ray can change a chip's information content. The researchers are trying to determine the specific radiation conditions that could cause these memory upsets; such information could lead to recom­ mendations on how to protect the chips from radiation damage.

Contributors to the study of irradiation effects in condensed matter include (from left) Harvell Wright, Jim Turner, Rufus Ritchie, and Bob Hamm.

NUMBER TWO 1984 15 Technical Highlights-Sciences

~ n J1 hen radioisotopes are used in well suited for children because its short ~ he new ORNL system, a product '\J\:1 medical diagnosis, short-lived half-life results in a very low radiation 1.1 of systematic evaluations of 4 1 radionuclides are desirable because exposure and because the radioisotope different ion-exchanging materials, they decay quickly, thus exposing clears within minutes for repeat studies. appears to meet these requirements. patients only briefly to potentially Each year in the United States some The studies demonstrated that osmium- hazardous radioactivity. Radionuclide 20,000 children are born with the 191 in one of its oxidation states can generators are convenient sources of congenital heart defect that can be be tightly bound and that the elution these short-lived "daughter" diagnosed in this way. yield of iridium-191m can be increased radionuclides, which are formed by the The disadvantages of the current from 10% to 40%. More importantly, radioactive decay of a longer-lived generator system are that it has only a the breakthrough is low, and the "parent." In 1983 the nuclear medicine modest yield and that, with repeated generators retain their desirable group in HASRD developed a new, use, the parent osmium begins after a properties for several weeks. Preclinical improved generator for iridium-191m, a few days to wash through the ion tests are now in progress; the next step radioisotope whose 5-s half-life and exchanger with the eluting solution, thus will be to supply the new generator to other properties make it desirable for contaminating the iridium-191m. When medical cooperative investigators for diagnosing heart ailments in both this "breakthrough" occurs, the iridium certification for testing in humans. children and adults. generator is considered no longer useful Several pharmaceutical firms are Since 1980 ORNL has supplied the for clinical studies because the interested in manufacturing iridium parent osmium-191 radionuclide (which contaminated product would significantly generators because of their relatively has a 15-d half-life) to Children's increase the patient's exposure to long useful life, low cost, and ability to Hospital in Boston. The osmium-191 radiation. produce a short-lived radioisotope that isotope used in the iridium-191m · The goal of our work has been to gives an extremely low radiation dose to generators is produced in ORNL's High­ find a way to increase the iridium-191m patients and a high yield of gamma Flux Isotope Reactor (HFIR) by neutron yield and prevent breakthrough, thereby photons at an energy level that is irradiation of calutron-enriched osmium- extending the useful life of the efficiently detected. Developers of the 190. generators from days to weeks and generator system have been Russ At the Boston hospital the clinical ensuring patient safety. To be available Knapp and Tom Butler of HASRD and generators are prepared for producing for a large patient population, the Claude Brihaye of the University of the daughter iridium-191m, which is system also should be inexpensive. Liege, Belgium. used to evaluate heart disease in children. Advanced gamma-camera imaging systems can take 12 to 15 pictures per second of the radioisotope as it is carried along in the patient's bloodstream. Abnormal passage of blood between the heart chambers can thus be easily detected and evaluated by this noninvasive technique, which helps identify patients who need surgery to close the hole (shunt) between the chambers. lridium-191 m is particularly

Tom Butler adjut~ta an experimental generator while Clarence Guyer monitor• the operation with a "cutie pie. • The generator contain. oamium-191, which decay• to iridium-191m, an iaotope with a 5-s half-life that ia now being Ulled to identify heart defects in infants. Butler and hia colleagues have made a aafer, more efficient generator.

16 OAK RIDGE NATIONAL LABORATORY Review D.. I\ uch of the air we breathe four-season monitoring and analysis of nitrogen oxides, which are emitted by Ll\/~ comes from inside our own 40 homes in the Knoxville-Oak Ridge gas stoves and heaters; and various homes, yet most scientific studies have area. All participants were volunteers, hydrocarbons from products such as concentrated on the quality of outdoor, and the homes were selected to gasoline and cleaning fluids. Information not indoor, air. The quality of indoor air, represent a range of ages and was also collected on air-exchange however, may be worse than that of construction, heating and cooling rates, weather conditions, and structural outdoor air; in some cases, it is lower in methods, and insulation types. Monthly and consumer products in each home. buildings that use energy-saving sampling (for formaldehyde only), plus measures. For example, "tightening" one or two more detailed 6-h surveys in ~ !though the sample was small and measures such as vapor barriers and each horne, focused on average !ruthe locale limited, this baseline caulking, which reduce the rate of concentrations and seasonal fluctuations study for the Consumer Product Safety outdoor air infiltration and heat in several air-quality indicators. These Commission was a first step toward leakages, may also keep pollutants indoor pollutants included formaldehyde, better estimates of total individual inside for longer periods, thus increasing which is emitted from pressed-wood pollutant exposures (outside and in) and, human exposure. Also, energy-saving building materials, furniture products, ultimately, better correlations between heating methods such as space heaters and urea-formaldehyde foam insulation; and wood stoves are potential sources radon, a naturally occurring radioactive of indoor air pollution. gas that can seep from underground Don Womack sets up instruments in a To better understand the chemical rocks into homes; carbon monoxide, study home to measure indoor levels of composition of the home atmosphere, in which is discharged from kerosene combustion gases (nitrogen oxides and 1983 a group in HASRD completed a heaters, fireplaces, and gas appliances; carbon monoxide), particulates, and volatile organics.

NUMBER TWO 1984 17 Technical Highlights-Sciences

• The concentration of volatile organics 300 I I I I Formaldehyde levels in homes vary with (hydrocarbons) in indoor air frequently age and inaulation type. Some newer was more than ten times as high as that homes without urea formaldehyde foam in outdoor air . Q 250 • • UREA - 0.. insulation (UFFI) have higher • Carbon monoxide and nitrogen oxide 0.. FORMALDEHYDE concentrationa of formaldehyde (which FOAM levels in the homes generally were z can irritate the eyes, mucous membranes, 0 200 - and lungs) than do older homes with below outdoor levels, except where i= unvented heaters or appliances were < • • OTHER UFFI. a:: INSULATION used. 1- z 150 TYPES - • Rates of air exchange were about w 0 twice as high (when fans were z approximately twice as high in homes 0 ! operating) in homes with central heating 0 100 - • - less than five years old as in older .. •• and cooling, apparently because of the z • • residences . < ••• • • More than half the homes exceeded a considerable leakage in duct systems . w • :::::E 50 t- • - recommended formaldehyde limit of 0. 1 •• ••• • After the considerable resources ··:• • • • • • • • • ppm at least once during the year. expended to reduce and control outdoor I I I I • Approximately 30% of the homes had air pollution in recent years, this type of 0 radon concentrations greater than an 0 10 20 30 40 study represents a new -and important EPA guideline of 4 pCi/L. air-quality frontier. Members of the team • Homes built on the less porous from HASRD's Health Studies Section AGE (years) sediment of valleys had significantly were Alan Hawthorne, Dick Gammage, lower radon concentrations than those Charles Dudney, Brian Hingerty, and exposure and health effects. Among the located on area ridges, which consist of Dan Schuresko, assisted by findings were the following. porous dolomite rock over uranium- collaborators from the University of • Formaldehyde concentrations were bearing shale formations. Tennessee.

~ new development in the Analytical areas and aboard orbiting space need for laser operators or computers ~ Chemistry Division involving a laboratories. to tune the scanning element and etalon. continuous-wave (CW) dye laser and a To identify and quantify the amount Whitten and Ramsey found that in barium titanate crystal could lead to of a specific gas in a gas mixture, addition to being mechanically simpler changes in the design of lasers. Bill scientists can shine laser light of a and more convenient, this laser-crystal Whitten and Mike Ramsey have specific wavelength that is absorbed by combination can scan over a band of discovered that the holographic, or the gas in question. Measuring the wavelengths extending over 250 A and internal reflection, properties of the amount of light absorbed indicates how can produce a linewidth as narrow as crystal can feed laser light back to the much of the gas is present in the 0.05 A. Such high resolution over this laser, causing it to continuously change mixture. When conventional lasers are broad range of wavelengths cannot be the wavelength of its emitted light and used in optical absorption spectroscopy, easily achieved by conventional lasers; to achieve very narrow linewidths (a a person or computer has the job of it can be done only by resetting the pure color rather than a mixture of hues scanning-that is, tuning the laser by etalon after each wavelength scan of of one color). This "self-scanning" adjusting a grating or filter to get the 2-3 A. feature, which allows a laser to fine-tune desired wavelength. To achieve the fi0. conventional dye laser without itself automatically and repetitively at greater resolution possible with even ~ tuning elements can have a higher-than-normal resolution, could lead narrower linewidths, the laser operator linewidth of as much as 20 A. But if a to the development of new lasers for or computer must also change the tilt of barium titanate crystal is added to the analytical spectroscopy. Because these a pair of parallel mirrors called an laser configuration, the modified device lasers would need fewer mechanical etalon. can achieve a linewidth as narrow as parts and no manual operation, they The self-scanning phenomenon, 0.05 A, a 40Q-fold improvement in might be suitable for use in remote discovered at ORNL, eliminates the resolution.

18 OAK RIDGE NATIONAL LABORATORY Review Bill Whitten (front) and Mike RaiRlley Because of its high resolution, the operate a dye la~~er that continuously made by interference patterns produced changes the wavelength of its emitted self-scanning dye laser can potentially by split beams of laser light. The coherent light because of the presence of identify and quantify two gases in a ghostlike image of Princess Leia in the a barium titanate crystal that reflects the mixture that absorb light of about the movie Star Wars is a familiar example light back into the la~~er. same wavelength. This new laser may of a hologram. In the case of the barium even be selective enough to differentiate titanate single crystal, the hologram between isotopes of the same gas. produced is a kind of "mirror" that When the laser light shines on the causes retroreflection of the laser light barium titanate crystal, a hologram is shone into the crystal. This holographic created. A hologram is normally defined process is being studied at ORNL and as a three-dimensional picture that is several other laboratories. It is

NUMBER TWO 1984 19 Technical Highlights-Sciences

t :r 1- (.!l COMMERCIAL z w DYE LASER ...J w > <( ~ TIME-

Laser wavelength scanning iB automatic and continuous because of the optical crystal causes automatic and repetitive 589.0 589.5 feedback from a holographic reflector wavelength scanning by a CW dye laser WAVELENGTH (nm) formed in the barium titanate crystal. is expected to stimulate a large Lasers that tune themselves could be experimental and theoretical effort A self-scanning dye laser gives a higher use(u.l for analytical spectroscopy in toward understanding the optical resolution of sodium D lines (bottom remote areas and aboard spacecraft. phenomena involved. Meanwhile, as spectrum) than iB obtained by a they try to understand the holographic conventional dye laser (top two spectra). speculated that the self-scanning process and how laser light feedback phenomenon is caused by a spatial shift induces self-scanning, they will examine between the hologram and the light the possible uses of this new laser intensity pattern that produces it. configuration for analytical spectros­ Whitten and Ramsey's observation copy. that feedback from a barium titanate

fi0.. new development in the Metals transformer), the resistance becomes commercial varistor and to achieve high .&=D.and Ceramics Division promises very low, allowing high currents to be density at lower processing an immediate and substantial gain for carried safely to ground. Metal-oxide temperatures (700-aoooc vs 1400°C). the nation's electric utilities in protecting semiconducting varistors operate on the The methods used were ( 1) synthesizing high-voltage lines and other vital links of principle that certain dopants segregate highly active powders by coprecipitation electrical distribution from destructive to the grain boundaries; in so doing, and I or sol-gel techniques and (2) hot power overloads. This development these dopants create a blocking pressing the ceramic powders in a could reduce the size of varistors, the potential of the order of several volts highly reducing environment to achieve massive ceramic surge arresters used per grain boundary. The critical voltage nearly theoretical density at 800°C or in high-voltage switchyards, for a particular device is directly less. Heat treating after hot pressing transformers, and transmission lines to proportional to the number of grain results in the full development of non­ short out electrical overloads resulting boundaries from one end of the varistor ohmic electrical properties. from lightning and other causes. The to the other and is therefore governed Robert Lauf of the Metals and large size (up to 12 m, or 40 ft, in by both grain size and overall thickness. Ceramics Division and Walt Bond of the length) of conventional varistors has The ORNL development is based on Chemical Technology Division have made it difficult to site them in urban advanced ceramic processing developed a varistor with a grain size of areas. Smaller varistors could be technology, which significantly reduces less than 2 microns, compared to the particularly useful in congested urban the particle size of the starting powder average of 20 microns in current areas, underground transmission lines, mixture and therefore reduces the grain commercial devices. This approach of and energy-saving gas-insulated size after processing. This ceramic reducing the zinc oxide grain size has structures operating at extremely high processing technology includes sol-gel resulted in an expected gain in voltages. technology, which has been under breakdown potential- approximately The devices themselves are non­ development at ORNL for many years. 4000 VI mm compared to 100 VI mm in ohmic-that is, they offer very high the commercial material; in other words, resistance for voltages below some ~ he goals of the ORNL research for a given thickness, the finer grained critical value. When this value is il were to reduce the grain size of material resists a voltage 40 times as exceeded (as when lightning strikes a the typical bismuth-doped zinc-oxide great as that required for breakdown in

20 OAK RIDGE NATIONAL LABORATORY Review Robert Lauf (right) removes a varistor sample from a heat-treating furnace while Walt Bond looks on.

conventional varistors. This gain allows If this development is used, the Varistor grain size iB reduced by a factor of 5 ({rom ZO to 4 microns in diameter) by the use of a much smaller device for a electric utility industry will benefit sol-gel technology at ORNL. A reduced because it needs small varistors for given operating voltage; such a device grain size permits the construction of might also have a faster response to congested urban areas, underground smaller surge arresters, which utilities very rapid transients. Related lines, and gas-insulated systems. may want to use in congested urban fundamental studies are designed to Furthermore, the industry could save areas. improve understanding of the money because the smaller varistors mechanisms of varistor action and the would require fewer raw materials. relation between microstructure and electrical behavior.

NUMBER TWO 1984 21 Technical Highlights-Technologies

l'n\ RNL has developed a new laser ~ facility that can measure the size and mobility of particles in fluids at high temperatures and pressures. The experiments performed at this facility are of particular interest to chemical engineers and ceramists. Chemical engineers are interested in the size of particles in a fluid and fluid transport properties such as viscosity (resistance to flow) and diffusivity (mobility of molecules or particles in the fluid). The mobility of microscopic particles is governed primarily by the fluid drag, which opposes their motion. Because this friction depends upon the particle size and the fluid viscosity, measurements of mobility can provide either the particle size or the fluid viscosity. Information from experimental measurements can help engineers predict high-temperature transport properties important to new technologies such as coal processing to make liquid and gaseous fuels and chemicals. Ceramists are also interested in particle size because controlling the particle size can improve the properties of ceramics. Ceramics are corrosion­ resistant, heat-resistant materials that could be used in high-temperature heat Dave Williams (right) tunes a Z-W scattering. Charles Byers and Dave engines such as gas turbines. However, argon-ion laser, Ron Brunson records Williams of the Chemical Technology because the processing of ceramic data, and Charlie Byers (left) checks the Division have developed a new facility powders is poorly controlled, control panel. The apparatus on the table that can measure the size and mobility conventional ceramics tend to be brittle includes the laser, focusing lenses, and of particles in fluids at high plwtomultiplier (tube ne.x-t to Byers's and therefore have limited use in high­ temperatures and pressures. By hand). This laser facility can be used to temperature environments. At ORNL and measuring the light scattered from measure the size and mobility of particles other laboratories, stronger ceramics particles of known size, they have been in fluids. are being made from fine-grained able to determine fluid viscosities at powders suspended in a fluid . Ceramists elevated temperatures. Their high­ seek to control the size of these easily handled. Light from the laser is temperature experiments have focused colloidal powders and the subsequent focused onto the center of the cell. on typical compounds found in coal­ consolidation of material into a uniform Most of the light passes through the processing solvents, such as tetralin structure that exhibits greater strength sample; however, a small fraction and toluene. In addition, they have used and other superior properties. To bounces off the particles in the fluid. laser light scattering to characterize achieve this control, ceramists must be This scattered light is collected in a ceramic powders and follow the able to monitor particle size in the range photomultiplier, which measures the light nucleation (birth) and growth of crystals. from 10 A (10~ to 1 micron (10-e). intensity. In a typical experiment, a fluid Light is scattered because the containing microscopic particles is particles in suspension have a refractive /i0. t ORNL an important new method placed in a sample cell. Because the index different from that of the fluid. The fru for monitoring such microscopic sample is small (a few grams) and well motion of the particles modulates the phenomena is dynamic laser light contained, hazardous materials are scattering intensity, producing a signal

22 OAK RIDGE NATIONAL LABORATORY Review SAMPLE CELL r LASER ~ ... ~~...... - ...-- .. POLARIZER

In this schematic of a dynamic laser­ light-scattering setup, most of the light from the photomultiplier detector. As it passes through the sample cell, but a gathers data on intensity fluctuations, small portion is scattered from particles the computer calculates particle size in the sample fluid. The scattered light ill and mobility as well as fluid properties collected in the photomultiplier, which such as viscosity. Laser-light-scattering measurements of measures the light's intensity. Fluctu­ Because the assemblage of the size of hematite (Fe:OJ) particles ations in the intensity of the scattered molecules that makes up an embryonic correlate with electron-microscopy (EM) light are analyzed in the autocorrelator, crystal scatters light differently than measurements. Because light-scattering which receives signals from the measurements provide only one size photomultiplier; the oscilloscope shows does the fluid in which the particles are suspended, dynamic laser light parameter (diameter), these data must be the clwnges in the signal. More e%tensive corrected to account for particle slwpe, scattering shows promise in following calculations to determine fluid properties which can be directly ascertained by EM. such as viscosities are performed in the nucleation and crystal growth Particle slwpe (rods, spheres, etc.) computer. processes. The growth of crystals as influences the drag and, hence, the small as 200 A is followed this way. mobility of the particle in the fluid in Because of recent successes, Williams which it is suspended. that fluctuates with time. The will continue to use the technique to fluctuations in the intensity of the measure particle sizes in powders for technique for characterizing emulsions scattered light are analyzed in the ceramics production. And Byers (such as oil-water mixtures) and tightly autocorrelator, which receives signals foresees the application of this bound suspensions.

~ ince the 1979 accident at the evacuation of a large population after an reactors. The test apparatus is ~ Three Mile Island nuclear power accident might not be necessary. operated by Chemical Technology plant, there has been a growing need Fortunately, reliable source term Division staff members Morris Osborne, for realistic assessments of the amounts data can be obtained at an ORNL Jack Collins, Dick Lorenz, Jim Travis, of radioactive materials that might be facility-the only one in the world that and Charles Webster and a visiting released from reactor containment can be used to test high-burnup, light­ investigator, Keith Norwood, of the buildings in the event of small loss-of­ water-reactor (LWR) fuel at Atomic Energy Research Establishment coolant accidents. The evaluation of this temperatures as high as 2270 K. With at Harwell, United Kingdom. "source term" has been receiving funding from the Nuclear Regulatory The 15-cm-long fuel specimens are worldwide attention. For example, Commission (NRC), researchers are heated in a flowing steam atmosphere emergency planners want to know if the measuring fission product release from while four radiation detectors release of radioactive iodine during Zircaloy-clad, high-burnup LWR fuels continuously monitor the release of nuclear plant accidents is much less obtained from commercial pressurized­ radioactive cesium and krypton. than previously calculated; if so, water reactors and boiling-water Releases of iodine and other less

NUMBER TWO 1984 23 Technical Highlights-Technologies

Contributors to the fission product The effects of steam heating on high­ releatJe study are (from left) Morris was released from the fuel; this burnup irradiated fuel and on Osborne, Jack Collins, Charles Webster, proportion is slightly lower than that unirradiated specimens are shown here. Dick Lorenz, Jim Travis, and Keith predicted in a 1981 NRC technical The specimen at the top watJ irradiated Norwood. review (published as NUREG-D772). for zo min at 1100°C; atl a result of Releases of less volatile fission products complete 0:2eidation from steam reactions such as silver, tellurium, antimony, and reaction with the uranium o:2eide fuel, the cladding e:2epanded and split apart. volatile fission products are measured at barium, and strontium are more difficult The unirradiated fuel segment (middle) the end of the 2D-min test by to measure; but results so far indicate underwent less damage from steam quantitative gamma spectrometry, that the percentages of these released heating for 30 min at 1700°C. An intact neutron activation analysis, or spark products were generally lower than the fuel segment is shown at the bottom. source mass spectrometry performed percentages reported in the NRC study. by the Analytical Chemistry Division. In addition, the ORNL researchers as Csl and other cesium-containing Sectioning and posttest metallographic found that the magnitude of the releases compounds and that silver, tellurium, examination of heated fuel specimens is from the Zircaloy-clad fuel depends and antimony probably occur in performed in the hot cells of the High heavily on the extent of oxidation of elemental form. Other source-term Radiation Level Examination Laboratory. cladding and fuel as controlled by the related programs at ORNL are amount of steam available for reaction. investigating the chemical behavior of 1R'\ esults show that during the first Deposition characteristics of the fission products after release from the ~ 20 min at a temperature of released fission products in the thermal fuel, their attachment to aerosol 2270 K, from 50% to 60% of the fission gradient tube and the filters indicate that particles, and their transport through the products cesium, iodine, and krypton cesium (Cs) and iodine (I) are present reactor containment building.

li\\ s the lead laboratory within DOE development has been based on two Experiment (ISX-B) at ORNL, Alcator-C ~ for developing state-of-the-art acceleration concepts: (1) a pneumatic, at Massachusetts Institute of devices for fueling fusion reactors, or gun-type, system and (2) an Technology (MID, and the Doublet-Ill ORNL has been responsible for the advanced mechanical injector based on device at General Atomic (GA) latest advances in high-speed injection a centrifuge principle. Cooperative Technologies, Inc., in San Diego. The of supercold hydrogen pellets into experimental fueling programs are under long-range goal is the development of superhot fusion plasmas (ionized way on three current fusion practical systems for fueling a future hydrogen gas). This pioneering experiments-the Impurity Study fusion demonstration plant.

24 OAK RIDGE NATIONAL LABORATORY Review Standing at the Impurity Study The pneumatic injector is a gunlike I R =64 em I 0 E%periment (ISX-B) plaama-fueling 50 I device that shoots pellets of frozen a=16.5 em I setup are (from left) Dan Schuresko, I hydrogen into the plasma of fusion o, I I Vernon Lunsford, Paul Lickliter, and Jim 40 I reactors. Recently, the Maasachusetts Peng. I • o Institute of Technology (MIT) demonstrated that the plaama-fueling 30 I .. . T E(ms) ;:.. · ... . injectors modeled after ORNL's .. ' . . / ~S.· ··~ pneumatic injectors helped MIT's Recently, we have achieved pellet 20 .. ~~w~' .t ,.. :. ~·.. ::· Alcator-C achieve two of the three limits velocities as high as 1.5 km I s with the . . GAS { • - 8T (density, confinement time) required for 10 I repeating pneumatic injector facility and FU ELING • - 10T break even (energy output equals energy steady-state pellet feed rates up to • - PELLET FUELING input). Here, Stephen Combs adjusts 0 40 Is with the advanced mechanical 0 3 4 5 6 8 9 ORNL's repeating pneumatic injector, a injector. The latter device, which is now ii (10 14c m • 3) device that propels 3.5-mm deuterium operational at a pellet velocity of pellets to a velocity of 1.5 km/s. 750 ml s, is scheduled to be used in the Pellet fueling at Alcator-C doubles the first demonstration of steady-state pellet confinement time and increaaes the standard procedure for fueling advanced fueling, on GA Technology's Doublet-Ill central plasma density. fusion devices. For example, an ORNL­ device. designed pneumatic injector is being However, the top achievement in In the MIT fusion milestone, the used on the Poloidal Divertor plasma fueling this year-one that had energy confinement time recorded in Experiment at the Princeton Plasma major significance for the progress of pellet-fueled discharges was nearly Physics Laboratory. The experimental the nation's magnetic fusion double that of the previous gas fueling. successes provide a substantial boost program-was the performance by In addition, a much higher central toward meeting all of the break-even ORNL's four-pellet pneumatic injector in plasma density was obtained-more criteria by 1986-87 in the Tokamak a landmark experiment with Alcator-c at than 1015 nuclei per cubic centimeter. Fusion Test Reactor at Princeton. The MIT. The device was the key ingredient The combined effect of these contributors to this key plasma­ in the first achievement of fusion "break improvements, including a 50 ms technology development are Stan even" conditions with respect to plasma confinement, is a Lawson product in the Milora, Stephen Combs, Chris Foster, density and confinement time. (Break range of from 6 X 1013 slcm3 to 8 X Wayne Houlberg, John Hogan, and Dan even will occur when the product of the 1013 slcm3, meeting the minimum Schuresko of the Fusion Energy plasma density, confinement time, and conditions (except for temperature) for Division; Stan Attenberger of the temperature is high enough to ensure the achievement of fusion-energy break Computer Sciences Division; and Vernon that the energy output of the device even. Lunsford of the Engineering Division. equals the input of energy needed to As a result, ORNL-developed pellet Next: Milestones and Outlook operate it.) fueling technology has become the new

NUMBER TWO 1984 25 Milestones and Outloolr

Architect's model of the High- Temperature Materials Laboratory. This facility will be built at ORNL by 1987.

Milestones-1983 excellence in scientific or Program being established with the technological accomplishment. University of Tennessee; this © rom technical highlights we Those 5, bringing the total so program is designed to attract l..f'" turn now to other important honored at the Laboratory to 16 nationally renowned scientists to project and program milestones since the first in 1976, are Liane B. the Knoxville-Oak Ridge area as that marked 1983 as a year of great Russell, Charles D. Scott, John B. joint appointees of the University progress and accomplishment at the Storer, and Richard F. Wood as of Tennessee and ORNL. Another Laboratory. Corporate Research Fellows and venture is the formal establishment For the second year in a row, Graydon D. Whitman as a of a Research Institutions ORNL won six of the I•R 100 Corporate Engineering Fellow. Consortium, in which ORNL, DOE's awards presented by Industrial New patent and consulting Oak Ridge Operations, the Research & Development to policies, recommended by ORNL University of Tennessee, and the recognize the year's 100 most and approved by DOE's Oak Ridge Tennessee Valley Authority now important new-technology Operations in 1983, greatly improve are joined through a memorandum advances. This was the largest the potential for new industry of understanding. The twofold number received by any DOE or spin-offs from R&D at the purpose of this arrangement is to federal laboratory and equaled the Laboratory as well as this area's continue our cooperation on highest for any organization in the attractiveness as a site for high­ mutually beneficial programs and competition. The awards bring the technology development. to identify and develop new ones. ORNL total to 37 (also the highest Two cooperative ventures also Another cooperative effort, the among DOE laboratories), 33 of have strong implications for user-oriented High-Temperature which have been earned since 1976. technology transfer and the Materials Laboratory, reached a Also in 1983, five ORNL staff creation of a university-industry­ significant milestone this year members were designated as Union laboratory center of excellence in when congressional appropriations Carbide Corporate Fellows in science and technology. The first is reached $10 million of the recognition of their continuing the Distinguished Scientist estimated $20.6-million project cost.

26 OAK RIDGE NATIONAL LABORATORY Review Tlu! High-Flux Isotope Reactor (left) was shut down for three rnonthB in 1983 so that its beryllium reflector could be replaced. Tlu! new reflector, shown at right, reflects neutrons back into tlu! core of tlu! reactor.

Artist's conception of the Advanced Toroidal Facility (ATF), which will be operating in ORNL's Fusion Energy Division in 1986. Tlu! ATF offers improvements over tlu! tokamak, tlu! front­ running fusion reactor concept, in its predicted capability to run steady-state, high-pressure plasmas.

/ t

A design has been approved and does not have the plasma current Institute will collaborate on tests architect-engineering work is under found in tokamaks, it eliminates of candidate structural alloys for way, moving toward the expected the plasma instabilities caused by future fusion reactors. Both the award of a construction contract the current. And it can achieve High-Flux Isotope Reactor (HFIR) early in 1985. higher beta (ratio of plasma and the Oak Ridge Research An important new element in pressure to magnetic field pressure) Reactor will serve as high-intensity DOE's magnetic fusion program, than tokamaks, making it a neutron irradiation sources to test the $20-million Advanced Toroidal potentially more economical source which materials are the most Facility (ATF) to be built at ORNL, of power. These theoretical resistant to radiation damage. The was approved for construction. This improvements of the torsatron over program will test both U.S.- and optimized stellarator-type device, the tokamak concept will be Japan-developed fusion "first wall" known as a torsatron, will replace investigated in the ATF. The and blanket materials. The data the Impurity Study Experiment product of an integrated physics will help to qualify alloys to be (ISX-B), whose successful program and engineering design effort, it used in fusion engineering devices is to be completed this year. ATF, will investigate the "second planned for the 1990s. which will have more than twice stability region," in which-unlike Another new cooperative the plasma volume of any other the beta ranges currently effort in fusion involves Atlanta stellarator, will be the only large accessible-higher beta values are University, the graduate teaching device of this type in the United coupled with greater plasma and research component of the States. stability. Final design and Atlanta University Center. The torsatron concept offers component development for the Supporting President Reagan's features that could make it more ATF is in progress. Executive order on aid to appealing to utilities than the Under a five-year, $10-million historically black institutions, front-running tokamak. Unlike the agreement, signed in Tokyo in DOE's Office of Fusion Energy has pulsed tokamaks, it can operate November 1983, ORNL and the provided funds for a range of without interruption. Because it Japan Atomic Energy Research cooperative activities involving

NUMBER TWO 1984 27 Thia velocity filter aupplied by the This tweezer-held capaule contaiRB Maaaachuaetta IRBtitute of Technology gadolinium-153, an ORNL-produced (MIT) iB uaed to aeparate producta of radioisotope now being widely uaed heavy-ion-induced reactioRB from the to help monitor the loaa of calcium particlea of the primary beam at the in the bonea of aging people. The Holifield Heavy Ion Reaearch Facility. isotope helpa doctora determine Checking the facility are (from left) whether their patienta need high­ R. W. Milea, S. G. Steadman (MIT), calcium dieta, aodium fluoride H. J. Kim, and G. L. Sandera. treatmenta, or eatrogen to combat calcium loaa.

university faculty and graduate heavy-ion-induced reactions from represents a significant milestone students and ORNL Fusion Energy primary-beam particles through in plant operation and and Computer Sciences staff and velocity dispersion. The result is maintenance. facilities. access to reaction products at a In the hydrofracture project In news about nuclear physics, scattering angle near 0°, where begun in 1982, ORNL has now for the first time the Holifield most of the heavy particle flux in permanently and safely disposed of Heavy Ion Research Facility reactions of interest is the entire inventory of stored liquid (H~IRF) achieved a heavy-ion concentrated. The filter was first radioactive wastes accumulated beam of 1 billion electron volts used in July 1983 to measure the since 1943 in six gunite tanks (1000 MeV). Operating in a probability that nuclei will fuse located near the center of the X-10 combined mode, HHIRF's two near and below the Coulomb complex. When the project began, accelerators achieved that final barrier (repulsive forces that come the total volume of sludge energy when a beam of 160-MeV into play when particles having like remaining in the tanks was about bromine ions from the new 25-Me V charges approach each other). 1.3 million L (350,000 gal), tandem electrostatic machine was In 1983, after nearly eight years containing some 650,000 Ci of injected into the Oak Ridge of service, the beryllium neutron activity-predominantly Isochronous Cyclotron, which reflector at HFIR was replaced in a strontium-90. The sludge has been boosts the energy of the beam. three-month project carried out by resuspended in a bentonite slurry A major new on-line members of the Operations and pumped to the new experimental device, called a Division. More than 120 special Hydrofracture Facility for disposal velocity filter, also took its place tools and fixtures were designed, in a series of 190,000-L (50,000-gal) among the array of sophisticated built, and tested to perform the injections. detectors available for HHIRF exacting manipulations required in An ORNL-produced users. The velocity filter, which was a contaminated environment. The radioisotope, gadolinium-153, is designed and built at the changeout, which had been done having a quiet but profound impact Massachusetts Institute of only once before in HFIR's on nuclear medicine, with sales Technology, separates products of operating history since 1966, expected to approach $500,000 in

28 OAK RIDGE NATIONAL LABORATORY Review Becarue of brol&en., corroded pipes, radioactive substances are en.terin.g the sewage treatment plan.t at ORNL. As fun.din.g becomes available, efforts will be The sludge resuspen.aion. operation. at the made to solve this en.viron.men.tal South Tan.k Farm. The sludge that settled problem. from solution. durin.g the 37 years that the si.% gunite tan.ka were in. use (1943-1980) was pumped to the n.ew Hydro{racture Facility for permanent disposal.

1984. The isotope, which has a transfer of operating responsibility for us-and for any of DOE's relatively long (241.6-d) half-life, is from one corporate entity to multiprogram national a key component in a bone-scanning another, with little impact on our laboratories-an "award" fee will device used to monitor bone programmatic tasks for DOE and be paid to the contractor for its mineral loss, which potentially other sponsors or on the bulk of our management of the facilities. This affects 50 million people in the operations and procedures. What fee will not be a fixed, negotiated United States. Currently, because of changes we experience will sum but rather one based in part aging, about 10 million people are probably be felt very gradually, as on overall management suffering progressive calcium loss, Martin Marietta orients itself to performance as judged by DOE. which in its severe form is known the management tasks that lie This performance-based fee is as osteoporosis. By diagnosing the ahead. designed to reward a contractor's rate of calcium loss in a patient, a Under Martin Marietta's initiative, efficiency, and doctor can determine whether to management, we can look forward effectiveness in both programmatic prescribe a high-calcium diet, to some new perspectives in and administrative tasks. estrogen, or sodium fluoride to selected areas, which reflect Admittedly, applying an incentive combat calcium losses and prevent commitments the corporation made system is more difficult in bones from becoming brittle. in its proposal to DOE. We can also endeavors involving primarily R&D, expect initiatives that reflect as at ORNL, than in endeavors that Martin Marietta's experiences result in easily defined products A Look Ahead elsewhere and its evident desire to and measures of accomplishment. In the very near term, all of us become a very active participant in Even so, I believe that the new will be interested and vitally the larger community in which we system will support ORNL's concerned with the continuing live and work. traditional emphasis on the highest process of transition to the new One fundamental change in the quality and creativity in R&D. contractor, Martin Marietta. As I DOE-contractor relationship relates Another likely change is in the indicated earlier, the transition has to the terms of the new contract area of technology transfer. Here taken shape as a stable, smooth itself. For the first time we anticipate that the many new

NUMBER TWO 1984 29 tools now available to us-user permit compliances, as in the case you both an overall perspective on facilities, patent waivers, exclusive of our sewage treatment plant and the state of the Laboratory and licensing opportunities, and freer coal-pile runoff; and (3) the specific examples of progress and consulting arrangements-will handling and disposal of individual and collective greatly accelerate the spin-off of nonradioactive hazardous wastes, achievement. The quality of the ideas into new industries. In its where implementation of both the accomplishments reported here proposals to DOE, Martin Marietta Resource Conservation and testifies again, and as eloquently as has strongly committed itself to Recovery Act and the possible, to the consistently high new initiatives in this area. We Comprehensive Environmental standards of performance applied look forward to these initiatives, Response, Compensation, and to the professional challenges in all which can build on the excellent Liability Act (Superfund) during areas of our program and activity. foundation we have already laid for the last few years has imposed new, This year my theme has more laboratory-industry more stringent requirements. These emphasized work on many different interactions. We also look forward problems require continuing scales, large and small, to help to the opportunity for ORNL­ research and operational attention define the essential nature of our generated ideas and innovations to to existing and expected standards, particular kind of scientific and help stimulate the development of the current state of environmental technological institution. We the Tennessee Technology Corridor, control technology, and the respond to our mission and which will create for this area a effectiveness of available systems mandate, I believe, with exceptional broader base of high-technology to meet ORNL needs. We also must intellectual vigor, creativity, and industry. consider in each instance various insight. The Laboratory truly The continuing upgrade of treatment options-for example, represents an important national environmental-management the costs and benefits of off-site asset and resource-and a national systems and capabilities will be a disposal of hazardous wastes in lieu trust for which all of us, as major focus for the Laboratory in of on-site treatment and disposal. essential parts of the structure and the years immediately ahead. A As always, we will use the best­ fabric, bear a measure of the five-year plan has identified for available treatment technologies responsibility. That represents both priority attention three areas in and operational practices as we an opportunity and a challenge, to which capital projects will be strive to deal promptly and which our staff members continue needed to keep ORNL in compliance responsibly with the environmental to respond with excellence and with DOE requirements and other impacts of our past, present, and outstanding achievements. Finally, state and federal regulations future operations. let me extend best wishes to the governing environmental new members of the Martin discharges. These areas are (1) the Marietta team for continuing Conclusion leaching of radionuclides from success in what really is a "Year of solid-waste disposal areas; (2) the This annual report is an exciting Transition." 1:11 need for pollution abatement and opportunity for me to share with

Members of the board of directors of Martin Marietta Corporation toured ORNL in February. Postma shows them the Surface Modification and Characterization Facility, directed by Woody White and Bill Appleton (standing behind Postma). Board members present are (from left) Bobby Leonard, Martin Marietta vice-president for personnel; Larry Adams, Martin Marietta president; Mary Jane La Barge, corporate secretary; Caleb Hurtt, president of Martin Marietta Aerospace; Ken Jarmolow, president of Martin Marietta Energy Systems, Inc.; and Albert Westwood, corporate director of research and development.

30 OAK RIDGE NATIONAL LABORATORY Review take a number

By V. R. R. Uppuluri

3

Numbers with Three Divisors Suppose we divide the larger random number by the smaller one and note the first significant digit x. In the Look at any natural number with three divisors. For above example, x = 0.8/0.4 = 2. Then the probability example, take 49 (with the divisors 1, 7, and 49) or 121 (P) that the first significant digit is equal to k is (with the divisors 1, 11, and 121 ). A list of all natural numbers that have exactly three divisors includes: P[x = k] = 1019k(k + 1), k = 1, 2, ... 9.

4, 9, 25, 49, 121, 169, 289, .. .. The mathematical proofs of these results are given by Stephen H. Friedberg in the March 1984 issue of College It is interesting to note that the square roots of Mathematics. numbers in this list give the sequence of prime numbers:

2, 3, 5, 7, 11, 13, 17, ....

More on First Digits Take two random numbers between 0 and 1 (such as 0 .4 and 0.8). Divide the smaller number by the larger one (e.g., 0 .4/0.8 = 0.5) and note the first significant digit (5 in this example). It can be shown that the first significant digit, either 1 or 2 or 3 or ... 9, appears equally often; in other words, the probability that the first significant digit is equal to k (where k = 1, 2, 3, ... 9) is 1/9.

NUMBER TWO 1984 31 Fran Sharples works in ORNL's Program Planning and Analysis Offtee, where she manages the Laboratory's institutional planning process. She was responsible for the most recent issue of Trends and Balances, which informs the Laboratory staff of ORNL's future research plans. Last June she testified on the environmental implications of genetic engineering before two subcommittees of the Committee on Science and Technology of the U.S. House of Representatives. This year she was appointed to the Recombinant Consulting DNA Advisory Committee of the National Institutes of Health. She is a / Information coauthor of the book Biomass Energy Systems and the Environment. A native of Brooklyn, New York, Sharples came to ORNL in 1978 after earning her Association for the Advancement of research interests include science and Ph.D. in zoology from the University of Science (AAAS) I Environmental public policy, environmental aspects of California at Davis. Until October 1982 Protection Agency Environmental energy technologies, applied ecology, she worked in the Environmental Science and Engineering Fellow. In and genetic engineering and its Impacts Program of the Environmental September 1984 she will depart ORNL environmental implications. Here, she Sciences Division, except for a few again to serve as an AAAS examines some consulting information in months in 1981 when she went to Congressional Science and Engineering the Consultant's Corner in ORNL's Washington, D.C., as an American Fellow for a year in Washington. Her Central Research Library. Pa! ___ How ORNL Interacts with Industry

By FRAN SHARPLES

© or most Americans the name Nikolai Kondratieff third ran from just before the turn of the century to the l.f' does not command instant recognition. Kondratieff, Depression of the 1930s. Although the theory is a Russian economist who once headed the Institute of Economic Research in Moscow, died in the 1930s in one Recently the federal government has removed of Stalin's prison camps. Despite his relative obscurity, impediments to the transfer of government­ however, a growing number of American economists are sponsored technology to industry. As a result, ORNL focusing their attention on a theory based largely on his has new staff consulting and patent ideas: the so-called "long-wave theory." According to the long-wave theory, the world's policies and has established a fund to promote industrial nations collectively experience regular cycles technology transfer. Efforts also have been made by of economic growth and decline. A complete cycle lasts the federal government, Martin Marietta Energy roughly 50 to 55 years: The first one began in the late Systems, Inc., and ORNL to stimulate and support 1780s and ended in the early 1840s, the second spanned the creation of small businesses to help the economy. a period from the early 1840s to the late 1890s, and the

32 OAK RIDGE NATIONAL LABORATORY Review The Kondratieff Wave , Idealized Kondratieff Wave (Annual averages, ratio scale; 1 967 = 1 00) ~ U.S. wholesale prices

1780 100-r------L------~------L------~------~------L------~------L-----~

The Kondratieff Wave depicts the Rusian economist's long-wave theory, which holds that the world's indutrial nations collectively e%perience regular cycles of economic growth and controversial (economists disagree on whether it is decline. (Reprinted with permission (rom the New York Times.) significant or even legitimate), it is of current interest because it offers a different perspective on the steep economic decline that virtually all of the world's which in turn forms the basis of a new wave of industrial nations began to experience during the 1970s. economic expansion. These observations suggest that the The theory suggests that this decline may represent the process of economic recovery could be speeded up by downside of the fourth long wave and may eventually increased government and corporate support for give rise to another upturn, or period of economic boom. research and development (R&D). It is easy to see why Kondratieff's ideas appeared Although the hypothesis that depressions are heretical to traditional Marxists, who believed only in responsible for surges in innovation is controversial, the short-term business cycles and the long-term decline of United States is undeniably in the midst of a rising capitalism. current of interest in revitalizing industry. A key concern of the corporate, government, and scientific Implications for Technology communities alike is how to stimulate American What is perhaps most interesting about the theory is industrial competitiveness. The answer coming from all its implications for science and technology. Each long directions seems to be this: by increasing technological wave has tended to coincide with the waxing and innovation. waning of technological innovation, with the bust side of Technological innovation depends, in part, upon a each cycle spawning a development of new technology, successful system for performing R&D. But for R&D to

NUMBER TWO 1984 33 have an economic impact, its results must be distributed asked all over Washington but especially at the to users in the form of cost-effective products and Department of Energy. The Stevenson-Wydler services. Without this transfer, the economy cannot Technology Innovation Act of 1980 attempted to provide benefit. While the United States has one of the world's a framework of answers. Unfortunately, it was passed most powerful and effective R&D performance systems, just before the change in federal administrations, which it is widely recognized that the results of much research greatly dampened its effectiveness; and though the act are failing to penetrate the marketplace in the form of emphasizes the development of a strong government­ new commercial technology. Ralph Gomory, a vice­ supported system for technology transfer, many of its president and the director of research of IBM, recently provisions have not yet been implemented. Nevertheless, put the problem very simply. It is hard, he said, to keep the Reagan Administration position on the issue is a simple idea secret; but it is even harder to give away consistent with the Stevenson-Wydler Act-and even in "complex things." Technologies are complex things. If a sense goes beyond it by providing needed policy the receptors of research results do not know enough to underpinnings. Some of the elements of federal policy generate the mass of detail required to apply the now emerging include the following: results, they can do very little with this new Reaffirmation of support for basic research. The information. fiscal year 1984 federal budget, despite an overall climate of fiscal austerity, contained significant increases in funding for basic research. In addition, in Revitalizing Mechanisms response to the recommendations made by several What will it take to better integrate R&D into the scientific advisory panels that evaluated the national fabric of commerce? This is the question now being laboratories in 1982, stable multiyear funding is now

34 OAK RIDGE NATIONAL LABORATORY Review being proposed to provide the predictability required for continuity in long-term projects and planning for new facilities. In the private sector, too, more money is now being channeled into R&D. Spending on research projects in 1982 by 776 top U.S. companies climbed by ORNL User Facilities 11.5% over 1981 R&D expenditures. Increased emphasis on the importance of IT 1i' ser facilities are unique large facilities and equipment adequate funding and facilities for education. The l..!dJ specifically designated by DOE for use by the tech­ nical community, including universities and industry. ORNL American university system not only is a source of nationally important R&D but also is responsible for is currently the custodian of eight such facilities: producing the future generation of skilled technical • Health Physics Research Reactor personnel. Both government and corporate entities are • Holifield Heavy lon Research Facility • National Center for Small-Angle Scattering Research One of ORNL'a user facilities ill the Oak Ridge Electron Linear • Neutron Scattering Facility Accelerator (ORELA). The injector (left) produces electrons tlw.t • Oak Ridge Electron Linear Accelerator are speeded up by the accelerator (center). The accelerated electrons bombard a tantalum target in an e11acuated room (far • Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park right), thus producing neutrons used for esperimenta and cross­ • Shared Research Equipment (SHaRE). section measurements. The photograph at right alwwa a special • Surface Modification and Characterization Facility detector used at ORELA for simultaneous measurements of both capture and {illaion in hea11y nuclides important for nuclear reactor applications.

NUMBER TWO 1984 35 How ORNL Can Stimulate If:\ t ORNL there is a new impetus to facilitate the the Economy ~ transfer of technology developed at the Laboratory to established industries or to new firms, including those ~ mall business is the cornerstone of today's started by ORNL staff members with the entrepreneurial ~ economy. A recent study conducted at the spirit. This impetus springs from two sources: a Massachusetts Institute of Technology found that commitment by the state to attract high-technology between 1969 and 1976, small firms that employ 20 or businesses to the nearby Tennessee Technology Corridor fewer people created two-thirds of the nation's new jobs. and the liberalized DOE consulting and patent policies. Many of these small companies were started by inventors ORNL employees are now encouraged to offer technical and entrepreneurs. In addition to stimulating the economy advice to businesses or to form new companies that by providing jobs, these firms have increased the nation's market technologies developed at ORNL. Herman productivity and contributed new ideas and products. Postma, ORNL director, is credited with bringing about According to Larry Udell, president of the National the policy change. Congress of Inventor Organizations (NCIO), for each The change reflects a turnabout in attitude. According dollar spent on research and development, small to David Patterson of the Tennessee Technology companies produced up to 24 times as many innovations Foundation, the three scientists from ORNL who in the as large corporations. late 1950s founded ORTEC (a nuclear instrumentation To help spur innovation and economic growth, the company that now employs 450 people) were criticized federal government is providing support to inventors, for "stealing ORNL technology and making a profit from prospective entrepreneurs, and small businesses. One it." This attitude has changed remarkably since Postma example of support is the Energy-Related Inventions became Laboratory director in 1974. In 1975 when Bert Program (ERIP) of the U.S. Department of Energy. The Ackermann, then an ORNL employee, decided to start program, which has existed since 1975, provides support Technology for Energy Corporation (which now employs to independent inventors and small businesses to help 290 people), ORNL gave him support. For three years, move their promising energy-related inventions closer to Ackermann's firm was identified by Inc. as one of the 500 the marketplace. How effective has this program been in fastest growing companies in the United States. creating jobs? Says Postma: "There are now between 50 and 60 According to an evaluation of ERIP conducted by Jon spin-off firms in the Oak Ridge-Knoxville area that market Soderstrom and Lois Bronfman of ORNL's Energy technological innovations. Half of these firms started up in Division and Marcia Rorke of Mohawk Research the last 4 years." He adds that employees can take the Corporation, from 1975 to 1983 DOE has awarded risks of launching businesses and still receive their grants totaling $12.8 million for 165 of the 208 inventions salaries. recommended by the National Bureau of Standards, which was directed to evaluate the inventions and advise One indication of the Laboratory's commitment to DOE of those found to be promising. "Of these stimulate the local economy was its cosponsorship of a inventions," they reported in September 1983, "35 have series of seminars to teach employees how to become reached the marketplace, and their cumulative sales to entrepreneurs. Called "Building a Technology Business: date total $178 million. An additional 10 inventions are From Invention to Private Enterprise," the seminar series now starting into production. Jobs that have been created was held December 3-9, 1983, in Oak Ridge and directly by production related to the inventions total 756." Knoxville during Technology Transfer Awareness Week. That's one job for every $17,000 of federal funds ORNL employees who attended the seminars heard expended for ERIP grants. Ed Young, vice-president of NCIO, say that inventors ORNL's evaluation shows that DOE's investment not often make the mistake of creating devices for which only created jobs but also did so at a success rate there is no need. He suggests that inventors determine equivalent to that of many private venture capital firms. what the market demand is and then create a product And the leverage ratio-ratio of the investment to the that meets that demand. A similar point was made by AI sales figures-was 17.5: 1, which compares very Shapero, professor at Ohio State University. He said that favorably with the 10:1 ratio of the National Science market pull works better than technology push, that Foundation's Small Business Innovation Research inventions should rise to meet market demand. Program and the Department of Commerce's Technology In his talk about inventors and entrepreneurs, Shapero Commercialization Centers. said, "Inventors are driven by the desire to create an

36 OAK RIDGE NATIONAL LABORATORY Review ,------

This engineering prototype of Technology for Energy Corporation'• (TECa) new Model 1610 Mobile X-Ray Streu Analysis System is an e%ample of technology tranafer {rom ORNL and Northwestern University. This system is equipped with. a portable X-ray diffractometer mounted on the end of an articulated arm, a poaition-aenaitive X-ray detector (developed at ORNL by Manfred Kopp and Cas Borkowski), and a DEC LSlll/ZJ computer-baaed data acquisition system. It is used to measure nondestructively residual and loading streuea in metal components in the factory or field. The key to the system is the Kopp­ Borkowaki detector. Bob Hendricks, formerly of ORNL, is marketing the system for TEC.

rights to technologies developed at ORNL (and Energy Systems' other government plants) and (2) give the company the authority to review requests from interested firms and entrepreneurs and to license or transfer the technology to the appropriate enterprises. It is also proposed that any returned revenues be rededicated to further transfer initiatives, such as developing products or processes with commercial promise to a state where industry can realistically assess their potential. A step forward in transferring patent rights from invention that is useful, and entrepreneurs are driven by government to industry was made in an unusual the desire to be independent. Money is a secondary contract signed March 28, 1984, by the presidents of motivation." Cabot Corporation (a Boston-based company, with a IF\\RNL's new contractor, Martin Marietta Energy local office in Oak Ridge) and Union Carbide ~ Systems, Inc., has promised to administer an Corporation's Nuclear Division. (The contract has since aggressive technology transfer program. According to the been taken over by Martin Marietta.) In this materials­ community-development part of its contract proposal, science partnership, Cabot is supporting work by ORNL Martin Marietta will invest 10% of its annual contract­ researchers and has sent one of its electron management fee as venture capital to support fledgling microscopists to ORNL to conduct research in the area firms and spin-off industries, particularly those that of long-range-ordered alloys. Hani Tawancy, the Cabot market products and technologies developed at DOE scientist, is working with C. T. Liu of ORNL's Metals and plants, including ORNL. Bill Carpenter, vice-president for Ceramics Division on improving the ductility of alloys of technology application, is in charge of technology interest to Cabot-namely, a nickel-molybdenum alloy transfer. Says Carpenter, "I will seek the commercial and a series of nickel-silicon alloys (brittle materials that utilization of all suitable innovations at the plants and will are resistant to corrosion in a highly acidic environment). support entrepreneurial efforts, particularly in the Oak Under the contract, if Cabot and ORNL researchers make Ridge community." On May 10, 1984, Energy Systems any innovations at the Laboratory in these alloy systems, announced that it had agreed to invest about $1 million in Cabot can retain patent rights to the innovations-a Maxima Corporation in Oak Ridge in return for 18% of breakthrough in government-industry relationships on the the company's stock and two seats on its board of patent issue. directors. Yankee ingenuity is making a comeback, thanks to Ken Jarmolow, Energy Systems president, says that the prolific sprouting of small businesses and the nurturing Martin Marietta has proposed a method for expediting the of inventors and entrepreneurs by the federal cumbersome process of transferring technology from government. East Tennessee ingenuity, new liberalized government control to the private sector. Currently, government policies, and the technology-transfer patent rights to innovations made at ORNL (except for commitment of Martin Marietta could turn the proposed proprietary research by industrial scientists at ORNL user Technology Corridor into a rich garden of technology­ facilities) are initially owned by the federal government based businesses that will nourish the (DOE). Martin Marietta proposes that DOE (1) waive its economy .-Caro/yn Krause.

NUMBER TWO 1984 37 now stepping up support for university education and program since 1962. Currently, our technology-transfer research, while deficiencies in science and mathematics activities are administered through the central Office of education at the secondary level are receiving more Research and Technology Applications (ORTA). As a attention than they have for years. result of a recent administrative change, Don Jared, Providing encouragement for, and removing former director of the office, now reports toW. W. (Bill) impediments to, transfer of government-sponsored Carpenter, vice-president for Technology Applications technology to industry. A variety of changes in and head of the newly-established Office of Technology government policy have been made to facilitate more Applications for Martin Marietta Energy Systems, Inc. cooperative activities between industry and federal R&D Jared is manager of technology assessment in the new institutions. For example, DOE's nine multiprogram Energy Systems office, and Mel Koons, who also reports national laboratories are stewards of some of the most to Carpenter, is manager of licensing and business advanced scientific research equipment in the world. evaluations. Jared's replacement as ORTA director is Facilities like the National Synchrotron Light Source at Jon Soderstrom of the Energy Division, who now Brookhaven National Laboratory and the High Flux reports to Raymond Wiltshire, ORNL's executive Isotope Reactor (HFIR) here at Oak Ridge National director for Support and Services. At ORNL Laboratory represent research resources so costly that technology-transfer activities are coordinated through they could virtually never be duplicated by industry. 21 part-time division and program technology transfer Until recently, however, any private firm's need to keep officers. Funding for ORTA comes from overhead research results out of the hands of its competitors ran ("taxes" paid by the research divisions to support up against a major stumbling block: the government Laboratory services}, but individual Laboratory requirement that federally subsidized research be programs pay for much of their related technology­ published openly. The regulations have now been transfer activities. changed so that companies can conduct proprietary Although ORNL's past efforts in technology transfer research at the DOE laboratories if they pay for the use have been highly successful (see the Fall1978 Review), of the experimental facilities. This change has led to problems have always existed that we could not solve. increased activity by industry at many of the DOE Funding for ORTA, for example, has been adequate to laboratory "user facilities" (see box on p. 35). disseminate information only by written reports and Another problem that has traditionally discouraged through workshops. While open access to research industry from greater involvement with the federal results through all the usual channels- journals, laboratories is patent policy. The patent system, which technical manuals, information centers, conferences, and is as old as the U.S. Constitution, has historically so on-is vital, it is not the best way to get the results provided an incentive to innovate by rewarding to industry in a form it can use. The viewpoint of individual inventors with the right to effectively industrial users of research results has been expressed maintain a monopoly on resulting commercial products. succinctly in a recent paper by Donald W. Collier, a In recent years, however, the government has been senior vice-president of the Borg-Warner Corporation. entitled to claim patents on all inventions made as a Writes Collier, "The best technology transfer agent for result of work done at federal facilities, even if the work commercialization of an invention is the group of people is sponsored by industry. Such an arrangement who developed the technology. The worst is a research effectively deters industry from using federal R&D report .... It is virtually impossible to incorporate resources. everything that the R&D people have absorbed through Therefore, in 1983 DOE began to greatly expand the their pores in a research report, and if it were, nobody use of its statutory authority to waive its rights and would read it." thereby allow contractors working at federal facilities to People-to-people interactions are a much more retain rights to their inventions. President Reagan productive avenue for technology transfer than mere issued a new patent policy more favorable to industry, publication and dissemination of results. Unfortunately and Congress passed new legislation (the Bayh-Dole barriers to such interactions have existed for a long Act) to allow small business firms and nonprofit time. For example, until recently, ORNL researchers organizations to retain rights to their inventions. As were virtually forbidden by DOE regulations to act as these changes become widely known and understood, paid consultants to industry, and industry was they should encourage companies and nonprofit groups discouraged from coming to ORNL by the restrictions of all sizes to use federal research facilities. on proprietary information and patents. Happily, the situation is changing. DOE has now agreed that, for the Technology Transfer at ORNL purpose of technology transfer, ORNL personnel may Technology transfer is nothing new at ORNL; the consult on their own time for American-owned and Laboratory has had some form of industrial cooperation U.S.-based firms. Of course, consulting will be allowed

38 OAK RIDGE NATIONAL LABORATORY Review only as long as no conflict of interest exists and no So far, DOE has approved $100,000 for this purpose, and internal abuses occur (a committee of ORNL staff ORNL is providing an equal amount this year. In members has developed a code of ethical standards for addition, an internal screening committee was consulting). The level set for fees that may be accepted established to identify and select for increased support is generous enough to provide employees an incentive to the ORNL inventions with the greatest commercial become consultants. Interested employees may now take promise. On April 26, 1984, the committee began advantage of the new Consultant's Corner in the ORNL accepting proposals from staff members seeking to use library, where general information on consulting is part of the $200,000 fund for further developmental available. An in-house seminar on consulting is also work on products or processes to increase their planned, possibly for the Fall/Winter Management commercial potential. Projects selected to receive grants Resource Development Program. from the Technology Transfer Fund include nickel In addition to changing the rules that once made aluminide alloys, a pulsed helium ionization detector for participation at user facilities unattractive to industry, gas chromatography, multicomponent separations by ORNL plans to make a greater effort to promote continuous chromatography, electronic increased use of these facilities through expanded autofluorography, and remote analytical publicity on what is available to industry. In the past, instrumentation. promotional material has not always made clear what Martin Marietta Energy Systems, Inc., has begun to the practical applications of our very sophisticated make specific plans for technology transfer. The equipment might be. Efforts are being made to correct establishment and staffing of the new Office of this situation. Technology Applications is an example. In establishing Perhaps the Laboratory's most important new this office, Ken Jarmolow, Energy Systems president, approach to more aggressive technology transfer wrote that the office is responsible for meeting "the involves the establishment of a new pool of funds to company's significant commitments regarding support the actual transfer of equipment and materials technology transfer and local economic development" to industry for testing preliminary to possible product and for "implementation of a centrally directed program development. In the past, a gap has existed between the that ensures timely and effective use of intellectual development of a new material or instrument here at properties and technologies developed throughout the ORNL and the production of an actual commercial company." Jarmolow believes that, through the work of product. For example, new alloys with improved the new office, Energy Systems has the "potential for properties are developed at ORNL regularly. But the dramatic success" in technology transfer. From what superior qualities of a new material can be was stated in the community development part of the demonstrated on only minute amounts at the laboratory contract-management proposal, it is obvious that bench, and such test results are generally not sufficient ORNL's new contractor is very serious about the justification for major industrial investment in further subject. Martin M3rietta has a strong grounding in development even when commercial potential is high. technology transfer from its work for the National Appropriate applications must be identified, and large Aeronautics and Space Administration; in fact, the enough quantities of a new material must be produced company's understanding of technology transfer was one for testing under more realistic conditions, before a reason for its selection as contractor. So, we can expect promising new material can attract commercial interest. the emphasis on technology transfer to grow in the Unfortunately no funds for producing adequate test future. And if Kondratieffs theory has any validity, our quantities of new materials have generally been technology-transfer efforts may help spur the economic available. Similarly, the invention of a novel or growth needed to help the nation climb up the next improved instrument usually means that a new one-of­ long wave. l!:m a-kind piece of equipment is available for use only at ORNL. Yet to attract commercial interest, a duplicate instrument that can be given to industry for evaluation is almost essential, especially if the instrument is highly complex. No funds have previously been available to produce duplicate instruments. CORRECTION Last year, ORNL's Executive Committee decided to The ORNL Review regrets an error of omission made in establish a fund to provide support for getting new the Number One 1984 issue. The cover caption failed to developments over these initial humps. We are setting mention that Tom Swift, a University of Tennessee aside a much larger sum of money to be devoted student in electrical engineering, is the man playing specifically to technology-transfer efforts than ever checkers with the one-armed robot. before, and we have asked DOE to match this amount.

NUMBER TWO 1984 39 with Arthur Woodward of the scientists, Betrayers of the Truth British Museum, discovered bones makes absorbing reading. However, in a gravel pit and pronounced the book is also interesting because them as the "missing link." it does more than recount sins; it Convinced that the bones were delves into the psychological and fraudulent-a recent book suggests philosophical nature of science. BOOKS that Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Consider, for example, the authors' creator of Sherlock Holmes, planted perception of the scientific method, them-Martin Hinton, a zoologist as discussed in the last chapter. Betrayers of the Truth, at the British Museum, buried some "Science," they write, "is first and WiUiam Broad and Nicholas Wade, obviously faked fossils in the foremost a social process; the Simon & Schuster, New York (1982), Piltdown pit. Hinton expected his researcher who discovers the secret 256 pp. Reviewed by WiUiam S. hoax to be recognized and thus of the universe and keeps it to Lyon, Analytical Chemistry bring into question the entire himself has not contributed to Division. Piltdown episode. To his surprise science. Secondly, it is a historical the faked fossils were accepted as process: it moves forward with real, including an elephant bone time, it is an integral part of 'D..)] ost humans consider carefully carved to resemble a civilization and history .... /1\/YJ.. themselves highly moral. cricket bat! In the 1920s Piltdown Thirdly, science is the cultural form From the ancient days when the began to be suspect, but not until that allows fullest opportunity for Pharisee prayed in the temple, the 1950s were dating techniques the expression of human propensity "God, I thank thee that I am not as sufficiently refined to uncover the for rational thought." other men are, extortioners, unjust, hoax. However, as the authors point adulterers," to several years ago The authors also mention a out, the rational component is not when a U.S. President solemnly number of other more recent data the only element of science; told a nationwide television doctorers, figure fudgers, and ambition, envy, and deception also audience, "I am not a crook," experiment falsifiers, most of whom play a role-to the surprise of human nature has changed very they have previously discussed in many. Because science has virtually little. This sense of self­ Science articles. For example, they replaced religion as the fount of all righteousness allows us to excuse recount the story of William truth, scientists are often perceived our own misdeeds even though we Summerlin, who painted black as embodiments of virtue. They are would condemn such acts if done by spots on white mice to make his not. Scientists are human and may others. Hence, it is not surprising research on the immune system bend under excessive pressures, that in 1981 Phil Handler, president look good. including the "publish or perish" of the National Academy of By concentrating on these edict, the struggle for tenure, the Sciences, testified before a serious breaches of ethics, Broad search for funding by writing congressional committee that and Wade paint a pretty dismal proposals, and the desire to win scientific fraud is a "grossly picture of the scientific prizes or be the first credited with exaggerated" problem. establishment and its methods of making a discovery. In this well-researched book, checks and balances. Peer review, Broad and Wade offer several however, Broad and Wade duplication of experiment, and the suggestions for reducing these document quite a few instances of entire institutionalized process of influences, for example, cutting scientific fraud, including that big science get poor marks. While back the number of journals and perpetrated by illustrious scientists statistically the authors have a eliminating second-rate science. such as Galileo, Darwin, Mendel, rather insignificant sample, Most of these ideas we have heard and Millikan. For example, they politically the sample makeup before. Some of the authors' include the saga of the Piltdown creates lots of noise. proposed solutions, such as man, the most famous scientific Because of its compelling counting citations to evaluate hoax. In 1908 amateur geologist narratives about the fraudulent scientific worth objectively, are as Charles Dawson, in collaboration practices of past and present idealistic as the purist's view of

40 OAK RIDGE NATIONAL LABORATORY Review science. (They forget that bad reworked data and discarded After reading the consequences research is cited by competent outliers, but, for the most part, our of shoddy or outright dishonest scientists who have disproved the research results have withstood the laboratory practices as documented results of the shoddy work.) test of time. Because the in Betrayers of the Truth, all of us Scientific dishonesty tars all of Laboratory's emphasis historically should make a renewed us with its brush. However, it has been mainly physical science of commitment to scientific integrity. seems to occur with greater a type that can be verified by Failure of an experiment is trivial frequency in certain disciplines and others, we have not suffered the compared with failure of institutions. At Oak Ridge National embarrassments of some medical honor-the ultimate message in the Laboratory, we have so far escaped institutions, where confirmations book. 1!:!1 major scandal. Many of us are are often either unattempted or aware of minor peccadillos such as blurred by psychological factors.

(March 20-25, 1983, Seattle), ed. Grain Refinement in Castings and BOOKS IN PRINT Furn F. Knapp, Jr., and Thomas A. Welds, proceedings of a symposium Butler, American Chemical Society, of the Metallurgical Society Washington, D.C. (1984). (October 25-26, 1982, The following books in print were St. Louis), ed. G. J. Abbaschian edited primarily by ORNL staff Physics of Electronic and Atomic (University of Florida) and members. CoUisions, invited papers from the S. A. David, Metallurgical Society, International Conference on the American Institute of Metallurgical Groundwater PoUution: Physics of Electronic and Atomic Engineering, Warrendale, Environmental and Legal Problems, Collisions (July 1981, Gatlinburg), Pennsylvania (1983). proceedings from the annual ed. Sheldon Datz, North Holland meeting of the American Publishing Company, Amsterdam Analytical Spectroscopy, proceedings Association for the Advancement of (1982). of the 26th Conference on Science (January 7, 1982, Analytical Chemistry in Energy Washington D.C.), ed. Curtis Travis Room-Temperature Phosphorimetry Technology (October 11-13, 1983, and Elizabeth Etnier, Westview for Chemical Analysis, ed. Tuan Knoxville), ed. WilliamS. Lyon, Press, Boulder, Colorado (1984). Vo-Dinh, John Wiley Interscience, Elsevier Science Publishers, New York (1984). Amsterdam (1984). Statistical Methods and the Improvement of Data Quality, Fast Ionic Transport in Solids, Transportation Energy Data Book Proceedings of the Small proceedings of the International (6th ed.), ed. Gretchen Kulp and Conference on Improvement of the Conference on Fast Ionic Transport Mary C. Holcomb, Noyes Data Quality of Data Collected by Data in Solids (May 18-22, 1981, Corporation, Park Ridge, New Collection Systems cosponsored by Gatlinburg), ed. John B. Bates and Jersey (1983). ORNL and the Office of Naval G. C. Farrington (University of Research (November 11-12, 1982, Pennsylvania), North Holland Alternate Nuclear Waste Forms and Oak Ridge), ed. Tommy Wright, Publishing Company, Amsterdam Interactions in Geologic Media, Academic Press, New York (1983). (1981). proceedings of a workshop cosponsored by ORNL and the Radionuclide Generators: New Trends in Welding Research in the Division of Materials Sciences, Systems for Nuclear Medicine United States, proceedings of a Office of Energy Research, U.S. Applications, proceedings from the conference of the American Society Department of Energy (May 13-15, symposium sponsored by the for Metals (November 16-18, 1981, 1980, Gatlinburg), ed. Lynn A. Division of Nuclear Chemistry and New Orleans), ed. S. A. David, Boatner and George C. Battle, Jr., Technology at the 185th meeting of American Society of Metals, Metals DOE, Washington, D.C. (1981). the American Chemical Society Park, Ohio (1982).

NUMBER TWO 1984 41 Carl Dick Betty Chauncey PaneliBfB in IRBtitute for Energy Analyaia conference room. Goldatein Smyaer Anderaon Starr Communicating Health Risks to the Public

By CAROLYN KRAUSE

~ he American people have incidence has not increased in for Risk Analysis. Many of the 1J. become a society of "healthy recent years; in fact, for some chapter's members-including hypochondriacs," according to major cancers, such as bowel the chapter's current president, Lewis Thomas, president emeritus cancer, the incidence is decreasing. V. R. R. Uppuluri-are from Oak of Memorial Sloan-Kettering The only major cancer whose Ridge National Laboratory. Some of Cancer Center. Although we are occurrence is increasing is lung the ORNL members served on the healthier and our lives are safer cancer, and this increase is almost steering group that guided the than ever before, we still worry certainly caused by smoking, not formation of the international about the risks to our health from environmental effects. society and founded its journal Risk environmental agents like So, why are we worried? Why Analysis (which is edited by Curtis radiation, air pollutants, and does the public's perception of risk Travis of ORNL). industrial and agricultural appear to be different from the Chauncey Starr, the father of chemicals. Many Americans are actual health risks of certain risk analysis and vice-chairman of convinced that we are in the throes environmental agents? The sources the Electric Power Research of a cancer epidemic that is caused of this public anxiety are primarily Institute, told workshop by exposure to environmental the scientific establishment; the participants that "it is impossible agents typical of an industrial news media; and culturally for science to prove the absolute society. influenced fears, beliefs, safety" of any product or These fears are not completely expectations, and values. That was technology because too many justified. Statistics show that one the consensus of a February 24, unknowns exist. This principle, he of five Americans dies of cancer 1984, workshop held in Oak Ridge. added, causes anxiety. and that diet and smoking account The workshop, "Communicating Starr said that most of the ill for a larger percentage of cancers Risk: Science, Media, and the effects that scientists know about than does the environment. Public," was sponsored by the East result from very high measurable Furthermore, the overall cancer Tennessee Chapter of the Society levels of exposure. An example of a

42 OAK RIDGE NATIONAL LABORATORY Review Ed AebiBcher, ORNL, moderator. Starr, EPRI, keynote Goldstein, U. S. Committee Smyser, president, speaker. {or Energy Awareness American Society of Newspaper Editors

measurable effect is the bladder ' The proposed ban of saccharin in are playing a zero sum game." cancer caused in rats by exposure food and drinks is an example. Starr said that the expenditure of to high doses of the artificial The ban on the use of the society's resources on costly sweetener saccharin. On the other tranquilizer thalidomide resulted medical technologies to keep elderly hand, Starr notes, the risk to partly from a perception that a real people alive may deprive younger, humans of low doses of saccharin is risk to humans existed. The poverty-stricken, sick people of the a hypothetically extrapolated thalidomide tragedy in the 1960s, money they need to restore their one-that is, scientists are not very when many pregnant German health so they can work. certain there is a risk. women who took the tranquilizer "Illusions have serious real Scientists run into problems bore horribly deformed children, consequences," Starr said. "If the when they try to calculate the did not affect Americans on the public believes something strongly health effects of low levels of same scale because the drug was enough, the government will end up exposure based on the observed still being tested in the United allocating resources. For example, effects at the much higher States when the problem in if the news media convince the exposures used in animal Germany became apparent. The public that a comet will come soon experiments. "Projections represent tests were the result of a and wipe us out, we'll spend an professional estimates of what will government policy that calls for enormous amount of money on the probably occur at low levels," Starr measurements of the effects in space program to try to blow up the said. "Projections to low levels are animals of exposure to high levels comet. Thus, the image that speculative, judgmental, and not of new drugs. The policy also calls communicators give to the public is necessarily right. Science is not for banning the sale of drugs if very important. Political decisions deterministic, but probabilistic." there is reason to believe that low­ are based on beliefs, images, Although scientists think in level effects in humans may be illusions, and perceptions." terms of probabilities and harmful. estimates, Starr argues that most Public policies, says Starr, are Science and Risk members of the public, including based on illusions that certain The image that communicators legislators, want answers couched agents jeopardize our health and give to the public about health risks in terms of certainties and cause­ that certain actions contribute to it. is based on estimates of health and-effect relationships. Their "We have the illusion that if we effects provided by scientists. The "illusion" of the world is based on live right and get proper medical science of estimating health effects perceptions, and these perceptions care, we can live forever. This is part of the new field of risk may treat a probability as a sure illusion is important and motivates analysis, or risk assessment. In his sign of danger. Thus public policies us to allocate resources-for kidney talk at the workshop, Bob and proposed actions are based on dialysis and heart transplants, for Cumming, founding editor of Risk estimates that harmful effects at example-to diminish negatives. Analysis and a researcher in low levels of exposure will occur. But these resources are limited. We ORNL's Biology Division, defined

NUMBER TWO 1984 43 Starr ia father of riak analyaia.

risk as "the likelihood that they know and what they don't more careful in stating the limits of something bad is going to happen." know," said Weinberg. "I coined the their knowledge," said Weinberg. Risk involves a probability and a word trans-science a few years ago "They should have said it could be a consequence. Even though some to describe questions that sound 9% reduction or it could be much risks are only speculative, they can like scientific questions but cannot lower than that." have dramatic impacts on public be answered by science. What is the Weinberg argued that scientists policy-making. probability that one atom of arsenic still have limited knowledge about Consider the risks of nuclear is going to cause cancer? is an cancer risks, as shown in a study power stations. Said Starr:· "So far example of such a question. conducted by the National no public damage has occurred "Scientists," he continued, "have Toxicology Program. About 7000 from the operation of nuclear been at fault in making incorrect animals (of a strain that has a high reactors, yet society has invested a statements that get cast in concrete spontaneous incidence of leukemia) large amount of resources in and therefore affect policy-making. were divided into treatment groups preventive steps to reduce the risk The ozone question is an example. and matched control groups. The of a nuclear accident." Participants Five years ago, some scientists treatment groups were exposed to in the workshop suggested that the suggested that chlorofluorocarbons 25 different agents, such as red dye public thinks that reactors are would reduce the earth's protective No. 9 and yellow dye No. 3. From dangerous because so much has ozone layer by 15 to 18%, thus one-fourth of these agents, there been said about possible risks, allowing more ultraviolet radiation was an increased incidence of liver because of the nuclear plant to reach the earth and increasing tumors in the exposed groups of accident at Three Mile Island the likelihood of people getting skin rats but a decreased incidence of (TMI), and because of the presumed cancer. A National Academy of leukemia in the same groups. connection between nuclear power Sciences (NAS) report in 1982 on Furthermore, the exposed rats and the atomic bomb. the threat of fluorocarbons to the actually lived longer than the Although the public should not ozone layer stated that the llnexposed rats. Weinberg and John expect scientists to prove that a reduction would be 5 to 9%. The Storer of ORNL's Biology Division product or technology is absolutely consequence of the report was that have suggested that this safe, the public has a right to the federal government proscribed experiment proves the existence of expect scientists to communicate the use of chlorofluorocarbons for "ambiguous carcinogens" -agents accurate information. So said Alvin spray cans." In the middle of that increase the incidence of some Weinberg, former ORNL director February 1984, a new NAS report kinds of cancer but reduce the and now director of the Institute stated that fluorocarbons could incidence of other kinds. for Energy Analysis (lEA) at Oak reduce the amount of ozone in the Weinberg agreed with Starr Ridge Associated Universities. atmosphere by only 2 to 4%, not as that "science cannot prove safety" "Scientists have the much as 9%, and that there is still but made the point that scientists responsibility to state clearly what uncertainty. "Scientists have to be and engineers can come up with

44 OAK RIDGE NATIONAL LABORATORY Review Sitting at right of Alvin Weinberg, lEA director, are Bob Cumming, ORNL biologist who apo/t.e at the worlt.alaop, and Ernie Silver, editor of Nuclear Safety.

technical fixes to make technology "A lot of my reporter friends have a sense of professional safer. "The upshot of the current say that their antinuclear reporting responsibility and don't want to moratorium on building nuclear is a sign of their sense of betrayal. hurt the country or force a reactors," he said, "is that people They say that we claimed that misallocation of the public's are going back to the drawing nuclear power was an immaculate resources. Scientists should board to come up with inherently technology that was safe and that therefore do their best to educate safer reactors, including breeders." we told them incidents like TMI the media. For scientists to talk could not happen. But TMI did directly to the public is a waste of happen. So they say they cannot time; 30 years of their trying to The News Media afford to turn their jaundiced eye educate the public with programs Most people's perceptions about off us for one minute. It's really an on radiation has proved futile." the health risks of technologies are unreasonable selective exercise of It is Starr's contention that believed to be based on the skepticism. All technologies and much public discussion by scientists information they obtain from the especially all energy technologies to "explain" effects, such as those news media. This information may pose risks to health and safety. Yet of radiation, serve mainly to be distorted because of incorrect the press has been much harsher in convince the public that the issue statements made by scientists or its scrutiny of nuclear power than must be important. Social science because of the way that reporters of infinitely more hazardous, often surveys have indicated that the present the material. less productive, enterprises." public is generally not reassured by Carl Goldstein, director of Starr said that the news media such discussions. public relations for the U.S. operate as profit-making businesses Dick Smyser, editor of The Oak Committee for Energy Awareness, that seek to win readers, listeners, Ridger and president of the Washington, D.C., spoke to the and viewers by attention-grabbing American Society of Newspaper workshop participants on his stories that "claim a new scientific Editors, told workshop participants perceptions of the news media and miracle or imminent doom." that he disagreed with Starr's point how they handle or mishandle news Journalists, he said, often tell that scientists should abandon their about nuclear energy. He said: "truth selected to meet the efforts to educate the public. He "I don't think the press works requirements of providing interest believes, however, that journalists out of any deep-seated bias against and excitement." Because "crying should receive more education on anything, including nuclear power. wolf" is more melodramatic than statistics and probabilities so that I think the press has only one bias, explaining risk uncertainty, Starr they can present them to the public and that's toward the said the media often report in a meaningful way. melodramatic. Certainly we can't uncertain risk as probably real. Smyser is well aware that the deny that the development of Scientists can't change the news media can distort the truth by nuclear energy has provided the media, said Starr. "The saving focusing on single issues, such as press with plenty of melodrama. grace for the media is that they the 1983 revelation of the large

NUMBER TWO 1984 45 Betty Anderson, EPA.

"A part per billion ia one crouton in a salad that weighs 500 tons.•

losses of mercury over a period of Goldstein: "Scientists have failed to Before It's Too Late show that the years from the Y-12 Plant. "I think portray benefits and risks in terms health risk from such a dose is that Oak Ridge is a very good place that the lay public can understand equivalent to the risk of driving a to live," he said, "that it is not or even to relate these arcane car approximately 1m (3ft). Times Beach East or Love Canal statistics to something that the Putting risk in perspective South, as more recent press reports public can identify with or means making comparisons have suggested." understand. Most of us haven't a between the less familiar and the In response to this comment, real concept of what these statistics more familiar (for example, Cohen Starr said that Times Beach and mean. Gordon Riddle, professor of suggested that the basic unit of risk Love Canal may not be dangerous Dartmouth University, wrote a should be the cigarette). However, places either, even though the news letter to the New York Times that there is no guarantee that making media have fostered this defined 'part per billion' in terms comparisons will have the intended impression. that we can understand. 'A ppb,' he effect. Said Weinberg: "As far as wrote, 'is one inch in 16,000 miles, the public is concerned, the only one second in 33 years, one minute thing comparable to nuclear Putting Risk in Perspective in the time that has elapsed since reactors in terms of catastrophic How can the news media make year one, a penny in $10 million, risks is big dams, of which there risks and probabilities meaningful? and, for the diet conscious, one are 10,000 in the world. The risk of Do people understand risks enough crouton in a salad that weighs 500 a dam failing is greater than the for their actions to be affected? tons.'" risk of a reactor meltdown. The Many people have quit smoking Goldstein recalled recent news problem with these comparisons presumably because they are aware articles that discussed Sandia (made by the California media) is of the risk that smoking poses to National Laboratory conclusions that they didn't make people more their hearts and lungs. But, as that the probability of a reactor comfortable with nuclear reactors; Smyser points out, many people accident is 1 in 2 billion per reactor instead, the comparisons made prefer to ride in cars rather than in per year. "How do you make that people less comfortable with dams." commercial airplanes, even though meaningful to a reader? That is the Even direct communication planes are shown to be statistically same probability of a star going about risks to the public can safer. "People do not buckle their supernova and wiping out the backfire. Betty Anderson, seatbelts," he added, "even though earth. Had we said that, it might president-elect of the Society for statistics show that seatbelts have made a better impression on Risk Analysis and director of the greatly reduce one's chance of being the news media and the public." Environmental Protection Agency's hurt in an automobile accident." In a recent event at the (EPA's) Office of Health and The press, he said, is obsessed with Connecticut Yankee nuclear power Environmental Assessment, told the risks of nuclear power, yet plant, Goldstein said, a relief valve workshop participants about EPA people are more likely to become ill on a waste-gas holding tank lifted efforts to inform the public about or die from breathing sulfur dioxide for 5 s and allowed 0.33 Ci of the risks of getting cancer. from coal power plants. radioactive gases to escape through "Some industrial workers," she Making these statistical risks the stack. The added dose rate at said, "have been concerned that understandable to the public is a the plant boundary was calculated they could get cancer from exposure challenge not only for the news at 1.5 X 10-4 millirem/h. to arsenic. EPA risk assessors media but also for scientists Calculations based on information estimate that there is only 1 chance communicating with reporters. Said in Bernard Cohen's new book in 1000 that workers exposed to

46 OAK RIDGE NATIONAL LABORATORY Review Panelt.t• It-ten to q~&eation from audience.

arsenic will contract cancer. To part of our communication culture. the coercive utopians? Will the free make risks understandable, we held They are not consciously steering press be sufficiently free, open, and a workshop for some workers society wrong, and I don't think strong to resist them?" worried about exposure to arsenic. they are guilty of murder when "I think the press as a whole We told them that for every ten they shape perceptions so that coal has been far less skeptical about a Americans who smoke during their power (which kills more people) is handful of extremely articulate normal lifespan, one will get lung substituted for nuclear power, as dissidents than it has been of the cancer and that one in five Bernie Cohen suggests. I suggest scientific establishment," said Americans will die of cancer, that the whole process of dealing Goldstein. "As applied to radiation regardless of whether or not they with health risks is a cultural risk, for example, talk by dissidents are exposed to arsenic. We found process. There are philosophical has created a public impression that the people who had received and quality-of-life considerations. that after all these years, there is information in workshops about The public is not a passive receptor still a raging controversy over cancer risks still had the same of information; the culture is much radiation effects." perceptions of the dangers of cancer more dynamic. People accept or The public is unduly concerned mortality as the people who had reject information on risks largely about low-level environmental not attended the workshops." based on cultural considerations." effects, workshop participants Weinberg noted that many agreed. Anderson noted that most people also worry about dying of studies agree that lung cancers are botulism, even though hardly Risks of a Free Society caused largely by smoking, with air anyone dies of botulism poisoning Weinberg wondered if pollution being a secondary cause. nowadays. People seem to have technology can continue to prosper "In my opinion," said Weinberg, culturally ingrained fears that are in the open society of the United "life could get worse not because of not justified by real events. People States. "It's a point we cannot low-level environmental effects but also seem to have a need to blame ignore. The places where nuclear because of the real problem of a technology for their ills. Thus many energy is doing the best are nuclear weapons confrontation. I'm people consider nuclear power much societies that are less free, delighted that the coercive utopians more dangerous than the natural including the Communist world, who killed nuclear energy are now radon in the air they breathe in Taiwan, and Korea. I don't know moving on to nuclear weapons. their homes. In his paper "Witches, what the answer to that is. If the Nuclear arms is by so many orders Floods, and Wonder Drugs," Bill choice is between nuclear of magnitude the real issue, unlike Clark of lEA makes the analogy technology and the open society the low-level environmental effects between our current sources of (with a free press), I would choose on which we have spent so much anxiety and the fear of witches that the open society even if that meant money to measure or prevent." swept Europe in the 14th and 15th we had to give up nuclear For the news media, the centuries. Europeans then killed technology." challenge is to put the health risks half a million people believed to use Weinberg, Goldstein, and Starr from environmental agents in a witchcraft to afflict children and are concerned that the news media perspective that is less likely to cattle. Some technologies may be are too willing to air the arouse groundless fears and cause a perceived as today's witches. antitechnology views of a minority misallocation of the nation's Perception and communication of articulate scientists. Asked resources. a of risk are shaped by culture, said Weinberg: "How do we deal with Cumming. "The news media are a the capture of the open society by

NUMBER TWO 1984 47 Tom Oakes is head of the Department of Environmental Management in ORNL's Environmental and Occupational Safety Division. He holds an M.S. degree from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University and has completed work on a Ph.D. degree in environmental engineering from the University of Tennessee. Oakes has been at ORNL since 1975. Tom Kitchings is surveillance task leader in the Department of Environmental Management. A native of Oak Ridge, he has been an ORNL staff member since 1966. Before joining the Environmental and Occupational Safety Division in late 1983, Kitchings was a member of the Environmental Sciences Division and served as coordinator of the Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park. He holds an M.S. degree in biology from New Mexico Highlands University. His main research interest is the divisions before joining the coauthor of two books, Biomass Energy environmental transport of contaminants. Environmental and Occupational Safety Systems and the Environment and Helen Braunstein is task leader for Division in 1981. She holds a Ph.D. Environmental, Health, and Control environmental risk assessment in the degree in physical chemistry from the Aspects of Coal Conversion. Here, Department of Environmental University of Maine and an M.P.H. Oakes (center), Kitchings, and Management. She has been at ORNL degree in environmental and Braunstein examine the newly installed since 1973, working in the Reactor occupational health and safety from the automatic sampling and monitoring Chemistry, Information, and Energy University of Tennessee. She is a system at White Oak Creek.

QAnL and the lnui~onment: Views of State and Federal Regulations

By THOMAS W. OAKES, J. THOMAS KITCHINGS, AND HELEN M. BRAUNSTEIN

~ n August 23, 1983, a permit had expired. Since a valid laws-that is, the Tennessee Water ~ compliance evaluation permit is necessary for the Quality Act and Hazardous Waste inspection of Oak Ridge National Laboratory to operate, personnel Management Act-had been Laboratory was conducted by the from the state and EPA came to examined by state officials. Tennessee Department of Health review ORNL monitoring and What had changed from past and Environment and the U.S. treatment systems and to audit practice was the role of the state in Environmental Protection Agency discharges to local streams. This regulating federal facilities within (EPA). The inspection was was the first time that the its borders. Prior to 1983, EPA conducted because the existing Laboratory had been subjected to administered environmental National Pollutant Discharge such an inspection and the first regulatory authority at ORNL; and Elimination System (NPDES) time that its compliance with state although the state could have

48 OAK RIDGE NATIONAL LABORATORY Review John Murphy, left, e%aminea the Melton water level in the weir, activate• a aecond rainatorma. The aamplea are routinely Branch water-monitoring weir d~Jring aampling ayatem to collect {low­ analyzed for nonradiological parameter• normol {low. The flow tlaro~Jgh the proportional aamplea repreaentative of to meet atate and federal req~Jirementa. V-ahaped weir ia ao low that Mgrphy can the high-flow conditiona. One reaaon that On May 7, 1984, when water flowed over atand on the dam. At right, Jay Story water aamplea are taken at both high and ORNL dama at a very high rate, the flow atanda above the dam to obaerve the weir normol flow ia to determine if any waa meaa~Jred at 4900 L/a (JJOO gal/a), a at high flow. D~Jring high {low an radioactive moteriala are being leached factor of 16 higher than normol flow, ~Jltraaonic aenaor, which monitor• the from the ORNL b!Jrial gro~Jnda d~Jring which ia abo~Jt JOO Ll• (80 gal/a). assumed that responsibility from programmatic and environmental When ORNL's original permit EPA, it had not taken action until future. But, in focusing additional expired in 1979, an application for last year (see box on p. 50). attention on ORNL and the renewal was filed with EPA; and The state's action was consistent environment, it also initiated some because tighter standards had been with Executive order 12088, which dialogues that are still continuing set by EPA in the five-year period requires federal facilities to comply and that ultimately will result in a since the permit's issuance, with all applicable state and local higher quality environment for negotiations were started between environmental regulations. The both ORNL and the surrounding the U.S. Department of Energy and Executive order not only requires area. The Tennessee Water Quality EPA to establish some new compliance but also acknowledges Control Act and the Federal Water standards and additional the application of sanctions (e.g., Pollution Control Act (FWPCA), as monitoring points. While these fines, penalties, and orders to cease amended by the Clean Water Act, negotiations were in progress, the operations) by state and local share a common dictate-to compliance evaluation inspection governments for enforcement of preserve and protect the quality of was requested by the state. standards. The compliance communally-shared waters. The Following the inspection, a notice evaluation inspection will NPDES permit is the key of noncompliance was sent to DOE, undoubtedly influence ORNL's instrument for fulfilling that goal. which stated in part: "The inspection, along with a review of documents, revealed serious In 1983 the State of Tennessee sought for the first time to acquire the environmental problems related to right to regulate ORNL's discharges to the environment. Recently the ORNL. Although the present state conducted a compliance evaluation inspection and recommended permits are inadequate, there have that ORNL take action to solve its environmental problems. In this been numerous violations, and second part of a series, the authors discuss steps that ORNL is taking to studies have documented chemical and radiological contamination of respond to the inspection report and the legal issues pertaining to area streams, rivers, and environmental management at the Laboratory. groundwater. Much of the pollution is apparently the result of past

NUMBER TWO 1984 49 Enforcing Environmental Regulations: Federal-State Interactions

~)] ost federal environmental staMes contain Ll'v1~ provisions for delegating to the states the responsibility for implementing and enforcing federal standards. Under the Clean Water Act, for example, EPA is the issuing authority for all NPDES permits in every state until individual states elect to administer the permit program. When the State of Tennessee was ready to take over the program, it had to obtain EPA approval of the program by { 1) submitting a state plan that provides tor pollution control that is equal to or more stringent than that specified in the act and {2) assuring EPA that the state has adequate personnel, funding, and authority {laws) to carry out the plan. When a state becomes the issuing authority, permitting procedures are generally expected to be comparable to EPA procedures, but notable exceptions can occur. State laws can vary considerably in definitions, interpretations, and opportunities tor judicial Linda Spurling collect• data at a •ampling •tation at White OaA Dam. appeal. MWaters of the state" can be defined much more inclusively than Mwaters of the United States, • especially to cooperate with state and local governments in meeting regarding public and private access. A Mpoint source" of · their standards-but only substantively, not procedurally. discharge may be interpreted by the state to mean any In other words, state and local governments could not source including a surface waste impoundment, from inspect, issue permits to, or penalize federal facilities. which discharges are not normally anticipated, except In compliance with Executive order 11752, ORNL under unusual conditions such as excessive rainfall. On applied to EPA for an NPDES permit, which was issued in the other hand, tor EPA, under the same circumstances, 1974. The permit was for three NPDES monitoring points. the Mpoint source" of discharge may be specified as the It specified nonradiological effluent limitations and called Mdiscrete conveyance" (such as a pipe or ditch) through for monitoring of the discharges Mto receiving waters which all discharges leave the facility site. Unlike EPA, named White Oak Creek, a tributary of the Clinch River, a state is not required to provide for an adjudicatory and Melton Branch, a tributary of White Oak Creek." hearing for appealing the state's actions or questioning ORNL's permit conformed to EPA policy, which at that the applicability of its effluent standards, prohibitions, or time considered the facility boundary as the point of treatment requirements. The State of Tennessee, discharge. The permit did not require ORNL to monitor its however, does provide tor a hearing before the Water discharges from specific processes; rather it called for Quality Control Board. monitoring of the outfalls into waterways that flow Another interesting component of state-federal inter­ through the Oak Ridge Reservation. That the action in environmental regulatory enforcement relates to Laboratory's activities were not viewed as typical is federal facilities. Executive order 11752, MPrevention, reflected in this statement in the permit: "Nothing in this Abatement, and Control of Pollution at Federal Facilities, • permit shall be deemed to supersede the requirements of issued on December 17, 1973, made it clear that federal the Atomic Energy Act of 1954, as amended, for the facilities were to be included under EPA environmental protection of restricted information. • review. This order called for compliance with all federal On October 13, 1978, Executive order 11752 was environmental laws. However, it also stipulated: M... this revoked. In its place was issued Executive order 12088, order is not intended, nor should it be interpreted, to which is virtually the same as 11752 except that this require Federal facilities to comply with State or local order, which is still in force, specifically requires federal administrative procedures with respect to pollution facilities to comply with the applicable state and local abatement and control." Federal facilities were instructed environmental regulations.

50 OAK RIDGE NATIONAL LABORATORY Review activities at ORNL. As a result, TM new Melton Branch weir (left) u a there are violations of the During the past 40 y~ars, however, modern •ampling dation. an Tennessee Water Quality Control government regulations and improvement over the old weir •ampling •tation which wa. like the one •een here Act ..." The problems referred to environmental standards regarding discharges have changed at White Oalt Creelt (right). TM old weir involve primarily permitting, pictured here ha8 been replaced by a new compliance, and on-site water considerably. As a result, disposal one. Melton Branch and White Oalt Creelt quality concerns. As stated in the technology considered adequate 10 are two NPDES •ampling point.. 1983 DOE environmental to 15 years ago is no longer accept­ monitoring report, there is no able under today's more stringent Among these sites are the three imminent danger to public health. regulations. Currently, federal and NPDES monitoring points located Nonetheless, the significance to state regulations require ORNL's on White Oak Creek, Melton ORNL of the state's conclusions environmental management staff, Branch, and the ORNL Sewage should not be underestimated. waste management operations staff, Treatment Plant. White Oak Creek and Martin Marietta Energy and Melton Branch are equipped Old and New Problems Systems' Environment, Health, and with automatic monitoring and Many of ORNL's problems are Safety personnel to address two sampling systems. Samples are old problems. They derive from the types of challenges: (1) controlling collected; and data are recorded on early days before most of the releases from our current water flow, pH (acidity level), knowledge about environmental operations and (2) engineering dissolved oxygen, temperature, and effects was available. In fact, the remedies for problems resulting conductivity. In addition, during oldest problems are the worst ones from 40 years of past operations. storms, when the water flow because the magnitude of a given The ORNL Department of exceeds the normal measuring environmental problem is often Environmental Management staff system capacity, an alternative directly proportional to its age, and is responsible for evaluating high-flow sampling system is the difficulty associated with ORNL's compliance with all local, automatically activated to collect finding a solution is equally age state, and federal regulations and flow-proportional samples related. Nonetheless, Martin guidelines that relate to the representative of the high-flow Marietta Energy Systems, Inc., is discharge of radioactive and conditions. The system is designed as concerned with remedying old nonradioactive materials into the problems as it is committed to environment. One of the Thi8 i• the •econd in a •erie• of article• on ORNL'• impact on the environment. preventing new ones. department's functions is to TM third article, to appear in the ne%t Historically, ORNL's disposal of determine concentrations of i8•ue, will deal with re•ource gaseous, liquid, and solid materials radionuclides and selected chemical management and will cover •ucla topic• was always undertaken to minimize constituents and physical a. the pre•ervation of endangered green parameters in various samples plant•, the management of the deer the hazard both to the environment population, and the u•e of •ewage duclge outside ORNL's controlled zone and collected at numerous sites in and on the Oalt Ridge re•ervation. to the employees within that zone. around the ORNL environs.

NUMBER TWO 1984 51 TluJ sewage treatment pond lagoons (center left) and coal-pile runoff bo.ain (lower left) were cited by the State of Tennessee aa sources of environmental problema. At right ia the sewage treatment plant. to monitor for possible leaching or radionuclides to be released into water quality and the health of runoff from contaminated areas the sewage treatment plant and to aquatic life, particularly in White that usually have no discharge. the environment. Oak Creek. Discharges from ORNL Daily samples taken at the sewage facilities into these streams were plant are analyzed in the field for eLahoratory waste ponds. These blamed for the adverse effects. pH and chlorine concentration, and, retention ponds, which hold liquid as called for in the permit, samples radioactive wastes, could be a e White Oak Lake. The inspection are tested on a weekly or monthly potential source of radioactive team expressed numerous concerns interval for other parameters, such material to nearby groundwater. about the possibility of transport of radionuclides buried in the lake's as biological oxygen demand and .Coal-pile runoff basin. sediments by sediment movement fecal coliform. Historically, this basin has been into the Clinch River. According to cited as the culprit for frequent pH State Inspection the inspection team's report, the violations that have occurred in Problems identified as a result White Oak Creek. lake "presents an ongoing and of the compliance evaluation primary source of radioactive inspection were discussed in an eGraundwater. The inspection team contamination of fish, water, and October 26, 1983, communique from expressed concern that DOE sediments in the Clinch and the Tennessee Department of environmental monitoring reports Tennessee rivers." Health and Environment to the lacked the data needed to predict Environmental Protection Branch the extent to which radionuclides Technical Fixes Planned of the Oak Ridge Operations Office could be leached by groundwater The environmental problems of DOE. The problem areas and and transported off site. specific concerns identified by the identified by the inspection team state include the following. were, for the most part, ones that eBurial grounds. The seepage of the ORNL environmental eSewage treatment plant. Built in radioactive materials from the old management and nuclear waste 1973, this plant is no longer burial sites into both surface water management staff had been aware providing adequate treatment. and groundwater has historically of for several years. Members of Periodic discharge violations have been a problem, and it has received the environmental management and occurred. much study and planning. engineering staff and other ORNL staff members had, in fact, elnw-level radioactive waste eDn-site streams. The inspection developed a five-year environmental treatment system. This system is team noted evidence of sediment plan directed toward solving these beset with leaky pipes that allow contamination and a decline in problems with technical fixes. Some

52 OAK RIDGE NATIONAL LABORATORY Review ------·-

These two ponds used aa settling basins This burial trench for radioactive wastes Runoff {rom the coal pile at the ORNL for low-level radioactive wastes are has been capped with asphalt to reduce steam plant is treated in this basin to scheduled for decontamination and the surface flow of water into the trench. remove solids and reduce the acidity decommissioning in the late 1980s. By This "{i%"' lowers the risk that surface level. A{fer treatment, this water is taking these ponds out of service, ORNL water will be able to enter the burial site discharged into White Oak Creek. will resolve an environmental issue to leach radioactive materials and raised by the Tennessee Department of transport them elsewhere. Health and Environment. groundwater is also analyzed for team, are scheduled for trace organic compounds and of these planned projects have decontamination and metals. Problems associated with received funding for the next fiscal decommissioning in a joint effort possible groundwater pollution are year and others are scheduled for by the environmental management receiving high-priority attention at funding in fiscal years 1986-1989. and waste management staffs. the Laboratory. DOE and Martin Marietta Energy These ponds should be removed The migration of radionuclides Systems are aggressively seeking from service before 1990. from the solid and liquid waste congressional authority with the ORNL has taken steps to disposal areas has been the focal highest priority for discretionary address the problem of coal-pile point of considerable research in funding to implement these runoff, which occurs when the past. This research effort is projects. rainwater falls on the pile of coal leading to recommendations of A series of engineering projects used to fuel the steam plant and technological solutions that can be to upgrade the sewage treatment produces an acidic leachate high in implemented by our engineers. For facility are scheduled and funded dissolved iron and aluminum. example, studies of radionuclide and, when completed, should Before being discharged into White transport from the six solid waste provide the treatment necessary for Oak Creek, coal-pile runoff is disposal areas have shown that compliance with the state's collected in an impoundment, where area No. 4 is the largest contributor discharge guidelines. The leaking the runoff water is treated to of strontium-90 to surface water pipes in the low-level radioactive adjust the pH and to remove solids and groundwater at ORNL. In waste treatment system are being from the neutralized water. Funds examining how strontium-90 systematically inspected and have been provided for adding a migrated from area No. 4 to both replaced. Because this system has clarifier to remove the solids as a surface water and groundwater, about 5 km (3.2 mi) of piping, a sludge that can be dewatered and ORNL researchers concluded that task force is determining the disposed of as a nonhazardous the migration was caused by water priority piping sections that should waste. flowing over the surface. The be replaced first. To date, The movement of radionuclides researchers suggested that a large approximately 100 m (375 ft) of in groundwater occurs primarily portion of the migration of pipe has been excavated and from seepage in burial grounds. strontium-90 from the No. 4 waste replaced. Piping will continue to be This movement has been monitored site could be eliminated by replaced until the system is by the environmental management diverting the water coming down completely free of leaks. staff quarterly by collecting the slope above the waste site. The Laboratory waste ponds, samples from 50 wells located Subsequently, ORNL scientists and another environmental problem throughout the burial ground sites. engineers devised an effective identified by the state inspection In addition to radionuclides, the solution to the problem by

NUMBER TWO 1984 53 designing and installing a storm­ state would mean that the effluent will be included in the NPDES water channel within the waste site discharge permit that had been permits at ORNL and whether state and a storm-water diversion system issued to establish instream and EPA regulations will be above the site. The latter system monitoring points would no longer applied to ORNL's radioactive intercepts rainwater before it be valid. Furthermore, ORNL's discharges. ORNL, along with many reaches area No. 4 and routes it to historic use of certain streams, other DOE facilities, has special a natural drainage path that is particularly those in the Melton obligations and requirements uncontaminated. Branch-White Oak Creek assigned to it under the Atomic Continued efforts by the various Energy Act of 1954 and its research and development and amendments. The state inspection support and service staffs at the report has questioned the right of Laboratory to find solutions to the this act to exempt ORNL from problems affecting White Oak complying with regulations on Creek and Melton Branch should discharges of radioactivity to allow the reestablishment of viable waters in the state, as specified in biological communities in these the Tennessee Water Quality streams. White Oak Lake, however, Control Act. However, there is a remains a problem for which the legal precedent that relates to this Laboratory does not yet have a issue of exemption. solution. Various options are In 1976 the Supreme Court of currently being reviewed for cost the United States held in Train vs estimates and environmental Colorado Public Interest Research impacts. These are (1) rerouting Group that source, by-product, and White Oak Creek and Melton special nuclear materials (as Branch so that they no longer pass defined by the Atomic Energy Act) through White Oak Lake, are not included under the FWPCA (2) stabilizing the sediments to definition of poUutants and that the prevent their movement out of the regulation of source, by-product, lake bed, (3) constructing a channel and special nuclear materials is through the lake bed so that water exclusively reserved for the Atomic from the creeks does not contact Energy Commission-now DOE and the sediment, (4) removing the the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory contaminated sediment from the Commission. Because the state's lake, and (5) allowing the lake to water quality regulatory authority remain unaltered, enabling clean derives from EPA, it also falls sediments to continue to collect in under the Supreme Court decision, the lake, thus covering the which essentially says that contaminated sediments and On a rainy day in May, Oakes, federal-state authority does not isolating them from the Braunstein, and Kitchings observe high extend to source, by-product, and environment. flow at the Melton Branch weir. special nuclear materials but only Jurisdictional Issues to radium and accelerator-produced watersheds as discharge collection isotopes. However, the Supreme The state inspection team waterways, would have to be Court also noted that under the identified two issues of special modified because permits could be Atomic Energy Act the absence of a importance to ORNL. The first issued for all points of discharge state role in setting radioactive issue is whether all streams on the within the facility boundary rather discharge limits was in marked Oak Ridge reservation-including than for the streams themselves. contrast to the FWPCA scheme; those sections within the ORNL This change could result in an nonetheless, the court concluded facility boundary-would be increase in the number of NPDES that Congress intended that the classified as state waters, which points from 3 to as many as 25, regulating scheme of the Atomic would then make them subject to each of which could need a Energy Act be unaltered. In view of the Tennessee Water Quality monitoring station. this decision, the DOE position is Control Act. Classification of on­ The second issue concerns that it is inappropriate to include site streams as the property of the whether radiological parameters in NPDES permits at ORNL any

54 OAK RIDGE NATIONAL LABORATORY Review radioactive discharge limits for violations but restricted state than had been anticipated. In their source, by-product, or special officials to consultations with EPA. compliance evaluation inspection nuclear materials. This Despite the agreement between report, the state inspection team jurisdictional issue is not yet DOE and EPA, in April 1984 the used ORNL reports extensively in resolved. federal district court ruled that the their evaluation. Nonetheless, they A very recent U.S. federal Y-12 Plant must comply with the acknowledged our efforts and district court decision handed down permitting requirements of the suggested improvements to hasten in Knoxville (April 13, 1984) may federal environmental protection our compliance with state have an impact on environmenta~ laws at issue, namely, RCRA and standards. According to the report: management activities at ORNL. FWPCA, as amended by the Clean "In general, ORNL has done an The decision states that DOE must Water Act. Even though the suit excellent job, studying, monitoring, comply with federal environmental was directed specifically at the Y-12 and documenting environmental laws regarding the handling, Plant, 47 other DOE facilities may problems related to the X-10 site. storage, and disposal of hazardous be affected. Noncompliance with Improvements have been made over materials under the Resource the law may draw penalties and the years; however, numerous Conservation and Recovery Act fines. This decision is not expected problems exist. The first step (RCRA). In fall 1983 two to impact ORNL in the area of toward total compliance is the environmental groups, the Legal hazardous waste because the issuance o£ realistic permits that Environmental Advisory Laboratory has been in complete will adequately monitor discharges Foundation and the Natural compliance with RCRA since 1981. at their source and, through Resources Defense Council, filed violations, will point out problems. suit asking that DOE comply with Outlook Positive actions must be taken to federal waste disposal and water improve operations so as to bring quality laws at the Y-12 Plant. In ORNL has continually and discharges into compliance with January 1984 these two groups were systematically addressed its new permit parameters. Plans and joined in the suit by the Tennessee environmental problems. In doing implementation schedules for Department of Health and so, it usually selected problems in cleanup and decontamination must Environment, which sought a the order of severity, from the most be established to remove on-going declaration from the court that to the least severe, so that the sources." DOE is subject to the federal worst problems would be tackled ORNL staff members have been hazardous waste disposal laws and first. As a research institution, working toward full compliance therefore to the Tennessee virtually all problems under study, with state and EPA environmental hazardous waste law. The state was including in-house environmental discharge criteria and will continue not seeking a ruling concerning issues, become part of the reporting to do so according to our five-year water quality laws. process. Thus, because of the environmental plan. We will be DOE responded to the suit by research orientation, reports of using the expertise of ORNL staff claiming exemption from federal ORNL investigations sometimes members and outside people to help environmental laws under the 1954 portray problems at the Laboratory us resolve our problems. ORNL Atomic Energy Act. In February in greater detail than is necessary staff members are also being 1984 DOE and EPA signed a for regulatory compliance. encouraged to help the Laboratory memorandum of understanding In addition, in assessing meet these new criteria. "It is that would leave hazardous-waste environmental situations in which important that each employee take regulations and control at DOE data are insufficient, a worst-case individual responsibility for facilities in the hands of the two situation has often been assumed as eliminating or reducing any agencies. The agreement part of the analysis. This approach discharges associated with established a hazardous-waste and provides a dual benefit: (1) if new Laboratory work," says ORNL radioactive-mixed-waste program data are not forthcoming, the Director Herman Postma. for DOE that is comparable to analysis remains conservative, and By working with state and waste management approaches recommended actions provide an federal regulatory representatives, called for by RCRA provisions. extra margin of safety, and (2) if we believe that an understanding of Generation, transportation, new data become available, the our problems can be reached and treatment, storage, and disposal of revised analysis may indicate less remedial measures taken that will these wastes were covered in the impact than predicted by the ensure a high-quality environment agreement, which gave EPA the assumed worst case, thus calling at the ORNL facilities and in right to inspect the DOE plants for for less stringent control measures surrounding areas ca

NUMBER TWO 1984 55 The ORNL Review has received an members received awards: John award of excellence in the house Seddon and Carl H. Petrich, organ category in the 1983-84 award of excellence in the category awards and International Technical Publication of technical reports for appointments Competition sponsored by the Management of Public Impacts in Society for Technical Communica­ Surface Mining and award of merit tion. Carolyn Krause, editor, Jon in the same category for Case Stud­ Jefferson, associate editor, and Bill ies: Developing Land Uses in Clark, design director, were the Surface Mine Reclamation; H. H. recipients of the award. Carolyn Haselton and W. R. Becraft, award Herman Postma has been Krause also received an award of of merit in technical reports for appointed to the Tennessee Higher achievement in the news article The National RF Technology Education Commission by Governor category for "Clean Water from Research and Development Program Lamar Alexander. Synfuels Plants," ORNL Review, Plan; Jon Jefferson, Lydia Summer 1983. Corrill, and Bob Eldridge, award Alexander Hollaender, former of distinction in newsletters for Lah director of ORNL's Biology Dick Engel has been named tech­ News; Robert L. Jolley and Vivian Division, has received the Enrico nical assistant to Murray A. Jacobs, award of merit in books Fermi Award. Rosenthal, Associate Director for for Water Chlorination: Advanced Energy Systems. Environmental Impact and Health Bill G. Eads has been named Effects; Carolyn Krause, award of director of the Instrumentation and Jane L. Patterson has been excellence in scholarly and Controls Division. appointed ORNL's affirmative professional articles for "Fuel action coordinator. Reprocessing: A Futuristic Look" C. W. (Woody) White and Bill R. and "Safeguarding Reprocessing Appleton have been elected Samuel S. Hurt has been named Plants," ORNL Review and award president and vice-president, reactor experiment coordinator, and of merit in the same category for respectively, of the international Thomas L. Dahl has been "Hot Water District Heating for Materials Research Society. appointed administrative supervisor St. Paul," ORNL Review; S. W. for operations at three of ORNL's Moeller, L-S. C. Sun, and Sharon John Trabalka has been named six research reactors-the High McConathy, award of merit in manager of the Global Carbon Flux Isotope Reactor, the Tower scholarly and professional articles Cycle Program of ORNL's Shielding Facility, and the Health for "Failures in Air-Cleaning, Air­ Environmental Sciences Division. Physics Research Reactor. Monitoring, and Ventilation Systems in Commercial Nuclear ORNL's Pressurized-Thermal-Shock In the "Battle of the Graphic Power Plants, 1978-1981," Nuclear Test Facility has been given the Artists," a computer graphics Safety; R. G. Wymer, award of Outstanding Engineering competition sponsored by the achievement in periodic activity Achievement Award of the year by ISSCO software company, Morris reports for Chemical Technology the Oak Ridge Chapter of the Slabbekorn and Bruce Johnston Division Progress Report for the Tennessee Society of Professional received gold medals and tied for Period April1, 1981, to March 91, Engineers. Award recipients were the grand prize, and Peggy Marsh 1989; Nancy Norton and Charles Grady Whitman, Norman Durfee, won a silver medal. Hagan, award of excellence in and Robert Delagrange. promotional materials for The At the 1984 publications ORNL Lillrary System; Carolyn Robert B. Cumming has received competition sponsored by the East Krause and Bill Clark (and former the Outstanding Service to Area of Tennessee Chapter of the Society staff member Barbara Lyon), award Risk Analysis Award from the for Technical Communication, the of merit in promotional materials Society for Risk Analysis. Francis E. McKinney "Best of for ORNL and World Energy Uses: Show" award was given to the ORNL Review, Summer 1982; Susan K. Whatley has received the ORNL Review (Carolyn Krause, William B. Cottrell, Sharon Distinguished New Engineer Award editor, Jon Jefferson, associate McConathy, and Joan F. Roberts, from the Society of Women editor, and Bill Clark, design award of distinction in whole Engineers. director). The following ORNL staff periodicals for Nuclear Safety;

56 OAK RIDGE NATIONAL LABORATORY Review Carolyn Krause, Jon Jefferson, Information and Evaluation C. W. Miller has been named and Bill Clark, award of distinc­ Programs at ORNL. consultant to the Committee on tion in house organs for the ORNL Reactor Safeguards of the U.S. Review; Ann Travis (and former Ernest G. Silver has been Nuclear Regulatory Commission. staff members J. Paul Blakely and appointed editor of the journal P. S. Baker), award of Nuclear Safety, which observed its Janet Swift has been appointed distinction in style guides for 25th anniversary this year. Silver assistant to Fred Mynatt, Associate Nuclear Division Dreument replaces William S. Cottrell, who Director for Nuclear and Preparation Guide; Deborah S. had been the editor since the Engineering Technologies. Barnes and Beverly Y. Wilkes, journal was founded in 1959. award of excellence in style guides Susan G. Winslow has been named B. A. Berven has been elected for Writer's Manual far Publishing technical assistant to Anthony P. chairman of the Environmental in Semitechnical Journals; Bill Malinauskas, director of Nuclear Section of the Health Physics Clark, Steven Wyatt, and Dick Regulatory Commission programs Society Standards Committee. Swaja, award of achievement in at ORNL. brochures for Dosimetry M. Cristy and R. W. Leggett have Applications Research Facility; been named members of the Task Nancy V. Taylor has been certified Carolyn Krause, award of Group on Dose Calculations of for membership in the Institute of distinction in trade and news Committee 2 of the International Certified Records Managers. She is articles for "Silver Recovery from Commission on Radiological the only ORNL employee so ORNL Wastes," ORNL Review, and Protection. certified. award of excellence in the same category for "Clean Water from Keith F. Eckerman has been Donna Griffith has been elected Synfuel Plants," ORNL Review; Jon named a member of the U.S. president and Susan Hughes has Jefferson, award of merit in trade Nuclear Regulatory Commission been elected second vice-president and news articles for "ORNL Helps (USNRC) Advisory Group for of the East Tennessee Chapter of Launch Design of Reactors for Revision of USNRC's Radiological the Society for Technical Space," Lab News. Health Effects Model. Communication.

Fran Sharples has been appointed Herbert Inhaber has been William 0. Harms has received a to the Recombinant DNA Advisory appointed a member of the Distinguished Engineering Alumni Committee of the National Editorial Board of Risk Abstracts. Award from the College of Institutes of Health. She also has Engineering of Wayne State been named an American G. D. Kerr has been named University. He is one of eight Association for the Advancement of ORNL's representative to the charter members of the college's Science Congressional Science and Coordination Information Center of Alumni Hall of Fame. Engineering Fellow. the U.S. Department of Energy and chairman of the Committee on Carl A. Burtis has been elected to John B. Bates and Edward E. State and Federal Regulations of a three-year term on the Board of Gross have been elected Fellows in the East Tennessee Chapter of the Directors of the American the American Physical Society: Health Physics Society. Association for Clinical Chemistry.

Y ok Chen has been elected a D. C. Kocher has been named W. J. Lackey has been appointed a Fellow of the American Ceramic technical advisor to the Science member of the American Ceramic Society. Advisory Board of the U.S. Society's Programs and Meetings Environmental Protection Agency. Committee. Joel R. Buchanan has been named J. Stephen lvey has been named Thomas G. Matthews received an head of the Nuclear Operations Inspector of the Year by the Appreciation Award for Analysis Center, replacing Tennessee Section of the American Distinguished Service from William S. Cottrell, who retired in Society for Quality Control. April. Buchanan was also appointed Washington State University, program manager for U.S. Nuclear sponsor of the International Regulatory Commission Symposium on Particleboard.