National Academies Press: OpenBook
Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 1998. Systems Analysis and Systems Engineering in Environmental Remediation Programs at the Department of Energy Hanford Site. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/6224.
×

Systems Analysis and Systems Engineering in Environmental Remediation Programs at the Department of Energy Hanford Site

Committee on Remediation of Buried and Tank Wastes

Board on Radioactive Waste Management

Commission on Geosciences, Environment, and Resources

National Research Council


NATIONAL ACADEMY PRESS
Washington, D.C.
1998

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 1998. Systems Analysis and Systems Engineering in Environmental Remediation Programs at the Department of Energy Hanford Site. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/6224.
×

NOTICE: The project that is the subject of this report was approved by the Governing Board of the National Research Council, whose members are drawn from the councils of the National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Engineering, and the Institute of Medicine. The members of the committee responsible for the report were chosen for their special competencies and with regard for appropriate balance.

The work was sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy, Contract No. DE–FC01–94EW54069/R. All opinions, findings, conclusions, and recommendations expressed herein are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Department of Energy.

The National Academy of Sciences is a private, nonprofit, self-perpetuating society of distinguished scholars engaged in scientific and engineering research, dedicated to the furtherance of science and technology and to their use for the general welfare. Upon the authority of the charter granted to it by the Congress in 1863, the Academy has a mandate that requires it to advise the federal government on scientific and technical matters. Dr. Bruce M. Alberts is president of the National Academy of Sciences.

The National Academy of Engineering was established in 1964, under the charter of the National Academy of Sciences, as a parallel organization of outstanding engineers. It is autonomous in its administration and in the selection of its members, sharing with the National Academy of Sciences the responsibility for advising the federal government. The National Academy of Engineering also sponsors engineering programs aimed at meeting national needs, encourages education and research, and recognizes the superior achievements of engineers. Dr. William A. Wulf is president of the National Academy of Engineering.

The Institute of Medicine was established in 1970 by the National Academy of Sciences to secure the services of eminent members of appropriate professions in the examination of policy matters pertaining to the health of the public. The Institute acts under the responsibility given to the National Academy of Sciences by its congressional charter to be an adviser to the federal government, and upon its own initiative, to identify issues of medical care, research, and education. Dr. Kenneth Shine is president of the Institute of Medicine.

The National Research Council was organized by the National Academy of Sciences in 1916 to associate the broad community of science and technology with the Academy’s purposes of furthering knowledge and advising the federal government. Functioning in accordance with general policies determined by the Academy, the Council has become the principal operating agency of both the National Academy of Sciences and the National Academy of Engineering in providing services to the government, the public, and the scientific and engineering communities. The Council is administered jointly by both Academies and the Institute of Medicine. Dr. Bruce M. Alberts and Dr. William A. Wulf are chairman and vice-chairman, respectively, of the National Research Council.

International Standard Book Number 0-309-06181-4

Additional copies of this report are available from:
National Academy Press
2101 Constitution Ave., NW Box 285 Washington, DC 20055 800-624-6242 202-334-3313 (in the Washington Metropolitan Area) http://www.nap.edu

Copyright 1998 by the National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved.

Printed in the United States of America

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 1998. Systems Analysis and Systems Engineering in Environmental Remediation Programs at the Department of Energy Hanford Site. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/6224.
×

COMMITTEE ON REMEDIATION OF BURIED AND TANK WASTES

THOMAS M. LESCHINE*, Chair,

University of Washington, Seattle

DENISE BIERLEY,

Redhorse LLC, Edgewood, New Mexico

ROBERT J. BUDNITZ†§,

Future Resources Associates, Berkeley, California

THOMAS A. BURKE§,

The Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland

ROBERT J. CATLIN§,

University of Texas (retired), Houston

JAMES H. CLARKE,

ECKENFELDER INC., Nashville, Tennessee

THOMAS A. COTTON§,

JK Research Associates, Inc., Arlington, Virginia

ALLEN G. CROFF,

Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Tennessee

RODNEY C. EWING,

University of Michigan, Ann Arbor

DONALD R. GIBSON, JR.,

TRW, Suffolk, Virginia

JAMES H. JOHNSON, JR.,

Howard University, Washington, D.C.

W. HUGH O'RIORDAN,

Givens Pursley, LLP, Boise, Idaho

GLENN PAULSON§,

Paulson and Cooper, Inc., Jackson Hole, Wyoming

BENJAMIN ROSS,

Disposal Safety Inc., Washington, D.C.

PAUL A. WITHERSPOON§,

University of California, Berkeley

RAYMOND G. WYMER,

Oak Ridge National Laboratory (retired), Tennessee

Staff

ROBERT S. ANDREWS, Senior Staff Officer

DENNIS L. DUPREE, Senior Project Assistant

PATRICIA A. JONES, Senior Project Assistant

*  

 Chair as of May 9, 1996

  

Chair until May 9, 1996

  

Resigned December 4, 1995

§  

Rotated off committee May 1, 1997

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 1998. Systems Analysis and Systems Engineering in Environmental Remediation Programs at the Department of Energy Hanford Site. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/6224.
×

BOARD ON RADIOACTIVE WASTE MANAGEMENT

MICHAEL C. KAVANAUGH, Chair,

Malcolm Pirnie, Inc., Oakland, California

JOHN F. AHEARNE, Vice-Chair,

Sigma Xi, and Duke University, Research Triangle Park and Durham, North Carolina

ROBERT J. BUDNITZ,

Future Resources Associates, Inc., Berkeley, California

ANDREW P. CAPUTO,

Natural Resources Defense Council, Washington, D.C.

MARY R. ENGLISH,

Energy, Environment, and Resources Center, University of Tennessee, Knoxville

DARLEANE C. HOFFMAN,

Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California

JAMES H. JOHNSON, JR.,

Howard University, Washington, D.C.

ROGER E. KASPERSON,

Clark University, Worcester, Massachusetts

JAMES O. LECKIE,

Stanford University, California

JANE C.S. LONG,

Mackay School of Mines, University of Nevada, Reno

CHARLES McCOMBIE, Consultant,

Gipf-Oberfrick, Switzerland

H. ROBERT MEYER,

Keystone Scientific, Inc., Fort Collins, Colorado

WILLIAM A. MILLS,

Oak Ridge Associated Universities (retired), Olney, Maryland

D. WARNER NORTH,

North Works, Inc., Mountain View, California

MARTIN J. STEINDLER,

Argonne National Laboratory (retired), Argonne, Illinois

JOHN J. TAYLOR,

Electric Power Research Institute (retired), Palo Alto, California

MARY LOU ZOBACK,

U.S. Geological Survey, Menlo Park, California

Staff

KEVIN D. CROWLEY, Director

ROBERT S. ANDREWS, Senior Staff Officer

JOHN R. WILEY, Senior Staff Officer

THOMAS E. KIESS, Senior Staff Officer

SUSAN B. MOCKLER, Research Associate

TONI GREENLEAF, Administrative Associate

ROBIN L. ALLEN, Senior Project Assistant

LATRICIA C. BAILEY, Project Assistant

PATRICIA A. JONES, Senior Project Assistant

LAURA LLANOS, Project Assistant

ANGELA R. TAYLOR, Senior Project Assistant

ERIKA L. WILLIAMS, Research Assistant

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 1998. Systems Analysis and Systems Engineering in Environmental Remediation Programs at the Department of Energy Hanford Site. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/6224.
×

COMMISSION ON GEOSCIENCES, ENVIRONMENT, AND RESOURCES

GEORGE M. HORNBERGER, Chair,

University of Virginia, Charlottesville

PATRICK R. ATKINS,

Aluminum Company of America, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

JERRY F. FRANKLIN,

University of Washington, Seattle

B. JOHN GARRICK,

PLG, Inc., Newport Beach, California

THOMAS E. GRAEDEL,

Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut

DEBRA KNOPMAN,

Progressive Foundation, Washington, D.C.

KAI N. LEE,

Williams College, Williamstown, Massachusetts

JUDITH E. MCDOWELL,

Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Massachusetts

RICHARD A. MESERVE,

Covington & Burling, Washington, D.C.

HUGH C. MORRIS,

Canadian Global Change Program, Delta, British Columbia

RAYMOND A. PRICE,

Queen's University at Kingston, Ontario

H. RONALD PULLIAM,

University of Georgia, Athens

THOMAS C. SCHELLING,

University of Maryland, College Park

VICTORIA J. TSCHINKEL,

Landers and Parsons, Tallahassee, Florida

E-AN ZEN,

University of Maryland, College Park

MARY LOU ZOBACK,

United States Geological Survey, Menlo Park, California

Staff

ROBERT M. HAMILTON, Executive Director

GREGORY H. SYMMES, Assistant Executive Director

JEANETTE SPOON, Administrative & Financial Officer

SANDI FITZPATRICK, Administrative Associate

MARQUITA SMITH, Administrative Assistant/Technology Analyst

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 1998. Systems Analysis and Systems Engineering in Environmental Remediation Programs at the Department of Energy Hanford Site. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/6224.
×

Preface

The Committee on Remediation of Buried and Tank Wastes was established in 1993 with the general objective of addressing generic and specific issues relevant to the environmental remediation of radioactive waste contamination from a broad national perspective, including the use of systems engineering and risk-based assessment by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Environmental Management for planning and decision making. This objective was a continuation of one addressed by a predecessor of the committee, the Panel to Review Planned DOE Disposal of Radioactive Waste in Single-Shell Tanks at Hanford, which produced the report, Comments on Draft Systems Engineering Study for Closure of Hanford Single-Shell Tanks, in February 1992.

In August 1993 the committee received briefings on systems engineering activities at the Hanford Site in Washington. At the same time, Thomas Grumbly, then DOE Assistant Secretary for Environmental Restoration and Waste Management, requested that the committee evaluate the extent to which systems-analysis methods and perspectives are being used as inputs to the overall tank remediation program at Hanford. The committee issued a letter report on February 3, 1994 (Appendix B of this report), with its assessment of issues related to program execution and a commitment to continue its study to completion. This commitment was accepted by Mr. Grumbly in a letter acknowledging the report (Appendix C of this report).

As part of its study, in 1996, the committee organized a group of its members having expertise in systems analysis and engineering to gather information, review documents, and prepare a draft of findings and recommendations for the committee to develop into this report. This "systems group," composed of committee members Thomas A. Cotton, Donald R. Gibson, Jr., and Thomas M. Leschine, held a number of meetings at the Hanford Site in Richland, Washington, and examined numerous documents.

The committee acknowledges the contributions of many persons from the U.S. Department of Energy, including those from Headquarters and the Richland Office, as well as Hanford Site contractors, who assisted in providing information needed for the members to complete this study.

This report has been reviewed by individuals chosen for their diverse perspectives and technical expertise, in accordance with procedures approved by the National Research Council (NRC) Report Review Committee. The purpose of this independent review is to provide candid and critical comments that will assist the authors and the NRC in making the published report as sound as possible and to ensure that the report meets institutional standards for objectivity, evidence, and responsiveness to the study charge. The content of the review comments and draft manuscript remain confidential to protect the integrity of the deliberative process. We wish to thank the following individuals for their participation in the review of this report:

Vicki Bier, University of Wisconsin-Madison

B. John Garrick, PLG, Inc. (retired)

Mike Kavanaugh, Malcom Pirnie, Inc.

Edwin Kintner, GPU Nuclear Corp. (retired)

Nejmedin Meshkati, University of Southern California

Warner North, North Works, Inc.

Frank Parker, Vanderbilt University

Chris Whipple, ICF Kaiser Engineers, Inc.

While the individuals listed above have provided many constructive comments and suggestions, responsibility for the final content of this report rests solely with the authoring committee and the NRC.

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 1998. Systems Analysis and Systems Engineering in Environmental Remediation Programs at the Department of Energy Hanford Site. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/6224.
×
This page in the original is blank.
Page viii Cite
Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 1998. Systems Analysis and Systems Engineering in Environmental Remediation Programs at the Department of Energy Hanford Site. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/6224.
×
This page in the original is blank.
Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 1998. Systems Analysis and Systems Engineering in Environmental Remediation Programs at the Department of Energy Hanford Site. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/6224.
×
Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 1998. Systems Analysis and Systems Engineering in Environmental Remediation Programs at the Department of Energy Hanford Site. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/6224.
×
This page in the original is blank.
Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 1998. Systems Analysis and Systems Engineering in Environmental Remediation Programs at the Department of Energy Hanford Site. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/6224.
×
Page R1
Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 1998. Systems Analysis and Systems Engineering in Environmental Remediation Programs at the Department of Energy Hanford Site. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/6224.
×
Page R2
Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 1998. Systems Analysis and Systems Engineering in Environmental Remediation Programs at the Department of Energy Hanford Site. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/6224.
×
Page R3
Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 1998. Systems Analysis and Systems Engineering in Environmental Remediation Programs at the Department of Energy Hanford Site. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/6224.
×
Page R4
Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 1998. Systems Analysis and Systems Engineering in Environmental Remediation Programs at the Department of Energy Hanford Site. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/6224.
×
Page R5
Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 1998. Systems Analysis and Systems Engineering in Environmental Remediation Programs at the Department of Energy Hanford Site. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/6224.
×
Page R6
Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 1998. Systems Analysis and Systems Engineering in Environmental Remediation Programs at the Department of Energy Hanford Site. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/6224.
×
Page R7
Page viii Cite
Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 1998. Systems Analysis and Systems Engineering in Environmental Remediation Programs at the Department of Energy Hanford Site. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/6224.
×
Page R8
Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 1998. Systems Analysis and Systems Engineering in Environmental Remediation Programs at the Department of Energy Hanford Site. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/6224.
×
Page R9
Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 1998. Systems Analysis and Systems Engineering in Environmental Remediation Programs at the Department of Energy Hanford Site. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/6224.
×
Page R10
Next: Summary »
Systems Analysis and Systems Engineering in Environmental Remediation Programs at the Department of Energy Hanford Site Get This Book
×
Buy Paperback | $42.00 Buy Ebook | $33.99
MyNAP members save 10% online.
Login or Register to save!
Download Free PDF

The primary purpose of systems engineering is to organize information and knowledge to assist those who manage, direct, and control the planning, development, production, and operation of the systems necessary to accomplish a given mission. However, this purpose can be compromised or defeated if information production and organization becomes an end unto itself. Systems engineering was developed to help resolve the engineering problems that are encountered when attempting to develop and implement large and complex engineering projects. It depends upon integrated program planning and development, disciplined and consistent allocation and control of design and development requirements and functions, and systems analysis.

The key thesis of this report is that proper application of systems analysis and systems engineering will improve the management of tank wastes at the Hanford Site significantly, thereby leading to reduced life cycle costs for remediation and more effective risk reduction. The committee recognizes that evidence for cost savings from application of systems engineering has not been demonstrated yet.

  1. ×

    Welcome to OpenBook!

    You're looking at OpenBook, NAP.edu's online reading room since 1999. Based on feedback from you, our users, we've made some improvements that make it easier than ever to read thousands of publications on our website.

    Do you want to take a quick tour of the OpenBook's features?

    No Thanks Take a Tour »
  2. ×

    Show this book's table of contents, where you can jump to any chapter by name.

    « Back Next »
  3. ×

    ...or use these buttons to go back to the previous chapter or skip to the next one.

    « Back Next »
  4. ×

    Jump up to the previous page or down to the next one. Also, you can type in a page number and press Enter to go directly to that page in the book.

    « Back Next »
  5. ×

    Switch between the Original Pages, where you can read the report as it appeared in print, and Text Pages for the web version, where you can highlight and search the text.

    « Back Next »
  6. ×

    To search the entire text of this book, type in your search term here and press Enter.

    « Back Next »
  7. ×

    Share a link to this book page on your preferred social network or via email.

    « Back Next »
  8. ×

    View our suggested citation for this chapter.

    « Back Next »
  9. ×

    Ready to take your reading offline? Click here to buy this book in print or download it as a free PDF, if available.

    « Back Next »
Stay Connected!