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Environmental Remediation Science Division PART Review. ERSD supports fundamental scientific research that underpins the Department’s needs in environmental remediation and long-term stewardship.
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Environmental Remediation Science DivisionPART Review ERSD supports fundamental scientific research that underpins the Department’s needs in environmental remediation and long-term stewardship. Long-term measure: by 2015 ERSD will “provide sufficient scientific understanding to allow a significant fraction of DOE sites to incorporate coupled biological, chemical and physical processes into decision making for environmental remediation and long-term stewardship”.
Task 1: Assess progress towards LTM • The research program is aligned with DOE Program needs • Basic science calls are consistent with the Strategic Plan • Has assessed its progress toward LTM through annual measure. The long-term measure is ambitious and the path to completion will not be linear. • Has a searchable database of funded projects. • COV evaluation in ‘04 found the program well aligned with mission, has catalyzed many interlab collaborations, and...is of highest quality …and much at cutting edge. • That progress toward the LTM over the past three years has been excellent.
Task 2: Assess appropriateness of PART measures The committee finds the ERSD PART measure, and the annual measures, to be reasonable and appropriate. • The LTM includes definitions (from Excellent to Poor). This ios best quantified by a broad review of ERSD research and EM remediation strategies, as simple statistical approaches will likely be misleading.
Task 3: Assess how well positioned to make progress The overall achievement towards the LTM is possible and a reasonable pathway towards achievement exists and is being implemented • Success of field research center (FRC) and expansion of FRC’s in line with LTM. • Documentation of use of science findings at several DOE sites and contaminant problems: Hanford, Rocky Flats, Rifle, Savannah River, Oak Ridge (bullets on pg 8-9)
Findings & Recommendations • The review committee finds: • The ERSD long-term measure is appropriate; • BER’s progress toward the LTM over the past three years has been excellent; • Overall achievement of the LTM is possible and a reasonable pathway toward that achievement exists and is being implemented. • The review committee recommends: • - Strategic plan provides clear and well-organized approach to meeting goals • BER identify sites to which LTM should apply (define denominator) • Seek opportunities to provide supporting discussion • Maintainthe ERSD on-line project database • Continue to post quality, technical reports of quarterly progress. • Focus on fundamental science but enhance efforts to involve DOE Program Offices. • Consider impacts of any budget reductions, and appropriately revise measures. Though the diversity of sites will require broadening of field research.