A STRATEGIC VISION -- Copyright -- Preface -- Contents -- EXECUTIVE SUMMARY -- SCOPE OF DOE'S EQ MISSION -- ADDRESSING LONG-TERM, CURRENTLY INTRACTABLE6 EQ PROBLEMS -- ADVANCING MORE INFORMED DECISION MAKING -- CRITERIA TO EVALUATE THE ADEQUACY OF THE EQ R&D PORTFOLIO -- PRINCIPAL ELEMENTS OF THE EQ R&D PORTFOLIO -- PORTFOLIO MANAGEMENT PROCESS -- Generating an Improved Set of R&D Project Ideas -- Measuring the Magnitude of the Benefit -- R&D Centers -- DETERMINING AN APPROPRIATE LEVEL OF R&D INVESTMENT -- CONCLUSION -- 1 INTRODUCTION -- DOE'S R&D PORTFOLIO PROCESS -- STATEMENT OF TASK -- STUDY PROCESS -- ORGANIZATION OF REPORT -- 2 THE DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY'S ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY MISSION -- DOE'S EQ RESPONSIBILITIES -- Addressing Environmental Contamination at DOE Sites -- Managing DOE Wastes, Spent Nuclear Fuels, and Nuclear Materials -- Disposing of DOE Wastes, Spent Nuclear Fuels, and Nuclear Materials -- DOE's EQ Challenges -- EQ BUDGET AND R&D FUNDING -- SCOPE OF DOE'S EQ MISSION -- Topical Breadth of DOE's EQ Mission -- Temporal Breadth of DOE's EQ Mission -- 3 A LONG-TERM VISION FOR DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT -- IMPORTANT FUNCTIONS OF AN EFFECTIVE EQ R&D PORTFOLIO -- Addressing Long-Term, Currently Intractable EQ Problems -- Improving Performance, Reducing Risks to Human Health and the Environment, Decreasing Cost, and Advancing Schedules -- Advancing More Informed EQ Decision Making -- Making Informed Decisions on Nuclear Energy -- Promoting National Security -- Helping to Bridge the Gap Between R&D and Application -- Supporting Research and Training in Relevant Fields of Science and Engineering -- Leveraging Results from DOE's Office of Science -- Leveraging and Supporting Relevant R&D Programs Outside of DOE -- CRITERIA TO EVALUATE THE ADEQUACY OF THE EQ R&D PORTFOLIO.

PRINCIPAL ELEMENTS OF AN EFFECTIVE EQ R&D PORTFOLIO -- Development and Evaluation of Approaches that Reduce the Impacts of Wastes on Human Health and the Environment -- Generation Minimization -- Waste Processing Improvements -- Disposal -- Development of Methods and Techniques for Cutting-Edge Characterization and Remediation of Contaminated Media -- Improvement in Understanding the Movement and Behavior of Contaminants through the Environment -- Development of Mechanisms for Effective Long-Term Stewardship -- Determination of the Risks of DOE Wastes and Contaminated Media to Human Health and the Environment -- EXTENDING THE EQ R&D PORTFOLIO BEYOND DOE -- MEETING DOE'S LONG-TERM EQ R&D NEEDS -- 4 ACHIEVING AND MAINTAINING THE LONG-TERM VISION FOR ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT -- R&D PORTFOLIO MANAGEMENT PROCESS -- Alignment: Generating Improved Project Ideas -- Value: Measuring the Magnitude of the Benefit -- Balance: Ensuring Adequate Attention to Diverse Objectives -- INSTITUTIONAL MECHANISMS -- Broadening and Deepening the EQ R&D Portfolio -- Technical Qualifications of Staff -- An Approach to Addressing DOE's Most Challenging, Long-Term EQ Problems -- Need for Coordination of EQ R&D -- 5 THE LEVEL OF INVESTMENT IN DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT -- DEFINING THE GOALS AND OBJECTIVES OF THE EQ MISSION -- BALANCING R&D INVESTMENTS WITH OTHER IMPORTANT EQ NEEDS -- DETERMINING AN APPROPRIATE LEVEL OF R&D INVESTMENT -- Benchmarking Against Other Mission-Driven R&D Efforts -- Benchmarking Total R&D Funding -- Benchmarking the Balance of R&D Funding -- Indicators of an Adequately Funded R&D Portfolio -- CONCLUSION -- REFERENCES -- APPENDIX A BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES OF COMMITTEE MEMBERS -- APPENDIX B PARTICIPANTS LIST AND AGENDA FOR AUGUST WORKSHOP -- COMMITTEE MEMBERS -- SPEAKERS -- OTHER PARTICIPANTS.

PUBLIC AGENDA -- APPENDIX C SUMMARY OF PREVIOUS REVIEWS OF DOE'S ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT PORTFOLIO -- ADEQUACY ANALYSIS OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT PORTFOLIO (DOE, 2000G) -- BACKGROUND -- CHARGE TO THE TD&T COMMITTEE -- TD&T REVIEW PROCESS -- FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS -- Charge 1: Adequacy of the process used to develop the analysis. -- Charge 2: Opinion on results of the adequacy analysis. -- "Finding 1: The EQ Portfolio has significant gaps and, as a whole, is underinvested." -- "Finding 2: The R&D portfolio does not include a longer-term vision and 'strategic' elements such as alternative… -- "Finding 3: The funding distribution across the technology maturity spectrum is unbalanced." -- "Finding 4: Significant life-cycle costs and corresponding R&D hinge on highly uncertain end-states." -- Charge 3: Recommendations about the adequacy analysis. -- APPENDIX D DESCRIPTIONS OF DOE'S ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY TECHNICAL CATEGORIES -- MANAGE HIGH-LEVEL WASTE -- MANAGE MIXED LOW-LEVEL/TRANSURANIC WASTE -- MANAGE SPENT NUCLEAR FUEL -- MANAGE NUCLEAR MATERIALS -- DISPOSE OF HIGH-LEVEL RADIOACTIVE WASTES, SPENT NUCLEAR FUELS, AND NUCLEAR MATERIALS -- ENVIRONMENTAL REMEDIATION OF CONTAMINATED SITES (LANDS AND WATERS) -- DEACTIVATION AND DECOMMISSIONING OF CONTAMINATED FACILITIES -- LONG-TERM STEWARDSHIP -- MINIMIZATION OF THE RISK OF NEWLY GENERATED RADIOACTIVE AND HAZARDOUS WASTE -- APPENDIX E DESCRIPTIONS OF RELATED RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS -- U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE -- U.S. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY -- U.S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION -- U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY -- NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION -- NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH -- NON-FEDERAL U.S. R&D -- INTERNATIONAL R&D PROGRAMS -- APPENDIX F ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY OF SELECTED RECENT NATIONAL RESEARCH COUNCIL REPORTS.

NUCLEAR WASTES: TECHNOLOGIES FOR SEPARATIONS AND TRANSMUTATION (NRC, 1995) -- THE WASTE ISOLATION PILOT PLANT: A POTENTIAL SOLUTION FOR THE DISPOSAL OF TRANSURANIC WASTE (NRC, 1996A) -- THE HANFORD TANKS: ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS AND POLICY CHOICES (NRC, 1996B) -- BUILDING AN EFFECTIVE ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT SCIENCE PROGRAM: FINAL ASSESSMENT (NRC, 1997) -- PEER REVIEW IN ENVIRONMENTAL TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS: THE DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY'S OFFICE OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY… -- DECISION MAKING IN THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY'S ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT OFFICE OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY (NRC, 1999A) -- GROUNDWATER AND SOIL CLEANUP: IMPROVING MANAGEMENT OF PERSISTENT CONTAMINANTS (NRC, 1999B) -- AN END STATE METHODOLOGY FOR IDENTIFYING TECHNOLOGY NEEDS FOR ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT, WITH AN EXAMPLE FROM THE HANFORD… -- ALTERNATIVE HIGH-LEVEL WASTE TREATMENTS AT THE IDAHO NATIONAL ENGINEERING AND ENVIRONMENTAL LABORATORY (NRC, 1999D) -- LONG-TERM INSTITUTIONAL MANAGEMENT OF U.S. DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY LEGACY WASTE SITES (NRC, 2000A) -- RESEARCH NEEDS IN SUBSURFACE SCIENCE: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY'S ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT SCIENCE PROGRAM (NRC, 2000C) -- LONG-TERM RESEARCH NEEDS ON RADIOACTIVE HIGH-LEVEL WASTE AT DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY SITES: INTERIM REPORT (NRC, 2000D) -- LONG-TERM RESEARCH NEEDS FOR DEACTIVATION AND DECOMMISSIONING AT DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY SITES: INTERIM REPORT (NRC, 2000E) -- ALTERNATIVES FOR HIGH-LEVEL WASTE SALT PROCESSING AT THE SAVANNAH RIVER SITE (NRC, 2000F) -- NATURAL ATTENTUATION FOR GROUNDWATER REMEDIATION (NRC, 2000H) -- IMPROVING OPERATIONS AND LONG-TERM SAFETY OF THE WASTE ISOLATION PILOT PLANT: INTERIM REPORT (NRC, 2001) -- DISPOSITION OF HIGH-LEVEL WASTE AND SPENT NUCLEAR FUEL: THE CONTINUING SOCIETAL AND TECHNICAL CHALLENGES (NRC, 2001) -- APPENDIX G LIST OF ACRONYMS AND ABBREVIATIONS.