The Department of Energy has developed a list of new technologies it believes are needed to efficiently clean up Cold War nuclear waste at Hanford and other sites.

The Engineering and Technology Roadmap was prepared at the request of Congress, which directed DOE in its fiscal 2007 House Energy and Water Development Appropriations Report to identify technology gaps in DOE's cleanup program.

"As we work to improve technologies and processes to safely dispose of Cold War-era nuclear waste at sites across the country, this roadmap will serve to guide the development of an increasingly strong and responsive applied research and engineering program," Jim Rispoli, DOE's assistant secretary for environmental management, said in a statement.

The roadmap covers technology to address technical issues in waste processing, ground water and soil cleanup, deactivating and tearing down facilities and disposing of spent nuclear fuel, among other technical issues.

An interim report of the National Academy of Sciences' National Research Council agreed with the major program areas for research and development.

Work to integrate engineering and technology efforts will be led by DOE's national laboratories under the direction of the Savannah River National Laboratory in South Carolina.

"While past accomplishments often provide a guide for future success, the unique nature of many of the remaining challenges (at cleanup sites) will require a strong and responsive applied research and engineering program," the roadmap said.

Following is a sampling of the needed technologies identified in the roadmap:

w A more complete understanding of corrosion mechanisms in different parts of underground tanks holding high-level radioactive waste to reduce conservatism in tank chemistry controls.

w A "toolbox" of technologies to remove small quantities of liquid and solid wastes left in tanks and their ancillary equipment, such as piping.

w Materials such as grouts that flow easily to close long underground pipes used to transfer radioactive waste.

w Processes that can be done at the tanks to separate high-level radioactive waste from low-activity waste.

w Improved melters for turning radioactive waste into durable glass for disposal that last longer and can include more waste in the glass.

w Improved computerized models for chemical and radioactive waste in ground water and soil to provide a sound basis for developing and choosing cleanup methods and for monitoring contamination.

w Less expensive ways to clean contaminated ground water than pumping water out of the ground, treating it and returning it to the ground.

w Portable, real-time beryllium characterization and monitoring devices.

w Improved fixatives for contaminated buildings being torn down.

w Improved methods of dust suppression during demolition.

w On the Net: www.em.doe.gov/ pages/emhome.aspx