At the request of the DOE, CRESP organizes and leads independent technical reviews of DOE projects. This involves recruiting independent reviewers from academia as well as other non-affiliated experts to participate in reviews organized by or on behalf of the DOE. All participants in CRESP reviews and reviewers provided by CRESP have appropriate academic credentials and/or experience that establishes them as national or international experts in their designated fields. To preserve the essential independence of CRESP activities, the DOE may suggest but not select teams for CRESP reviews.

Examples of recent CRESP reviews include the following:

• Plutonium Finishing Plant (PFP) Demolition Resumption Expert Panel Charter
• Remedy Selections and Evaluations at multiple sites
• Performance assessment and closure plan reviews and support (e.g., ORP, C-tank farm, A & AX tank farms; IDF; RL Composite analysis; SRS supplemental analysis for saltstone disposal).
• ORP System Plan software assumptions and modeling evaluation
• Safety Reviews (e.g., WIPP, West Valley, SRS waste processing)
• Review of Continuum Mechanics Model (CMM) validation for application to installed vessel (WTP Technical Issue Resolution).

CRESP Products

CRESP products also include journal articles, conference papers and presentations, and books. CRESP publication lists (pdfs) in the following focus areas:

Waste Processing & Special Nuclear Materials (pdf)

Remediation, Near Surface Disposal & Long-term Stewardship (pdf)

Nuclear Waste Management Policy & Strategy (pdf)

Stakeholder Engagement & Communication (pdf)

Oak Ridge Risk Review Project

The Risk Review Project focus at the Oak Ridge Reservation is being conducted as an independent, site-wide evaluation of human health, nuclear safety, environmental and cultural resource risks associated with existing hazards, environmental contamination and remaining cleanup activities.

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Hanford Site-Wide Risk Review Project

The Risk Review Project focus at Hanford was to conduct an independent, Site-wide evaluation of human health, nuclear safety, environmental and cultural resource risks associated with existing hazards, environmental contamination and remaining cleanup activities.

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Salmon Exposure to Chromium in the Hanford Reach of the Columbia River: Potential Effects on Life History and Population Biology

The overall objective of this report is to examine the potential impact of chromium derived from the DOE’s Hanford Site on salmon, particularly Fall Chinook Salmon in the Columbia River. In this report we address life history and habitat requirements of salmon generally and of different species of salmon, population levels and trends of Fall Chinook Salmon, overall factors affecting population levels of Fall Chinook Salmon in the Columbia River, and the potential for toxic effects of chromium on salmon and salmon populations. Our overall objectives are to understand whether and how chromium contamination in groundwater plumes and upwellings enter the river, and how they might currently and potentially in the future, affect the behavior, survival, and population levels of salmon in the Columbia River. We examine the potential implications of chromium toxicity, among other factors, for remediation and restoration of salmon populations.

View Report (January 19 2015)

A Review of the Use of Risk-Informed Management in the Cleanup Program for Former Defense Nuclear Sites

The DOE Office of Environmental Management requested CRESP, an independent multi-disciplinary consortium of universities led by Vanderbilt University, to organize a review in response to the Congressional direction provided in the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2014. Toward that end, CRESP constituted the Omnibus Risk Review Committee of eight nationally distinguished individuals with diverse experience in risk analysis, public health and safety, nuclear safety, risk management, and environmental law, regulation and public policy, to carry out the review. The Committee’s review was conducted and its report was prepared during the period from July 2014-June 2015.

Final Report and Epilogue

Cast Stone Materials Report June 15 2016

Cast Stone Materials: Porosity Determination and Relative Humidity-Saturation Relationships 
This document reports on the results of an investigation to characterize the moisture-humidity relationships of prototypical cast stone materials (CSMs) under study for immobilization of Hanford low-activity waste. The three materials described in this report [i.e., CSM-6 (Ave), CSM-19 (Hi Al), and CSM-21 (Hi SO4)] were selected from the 26 materials created by Savannah River National Laboratory for a 2013 screening evaluation of cast stone blends led by Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (Westsik et al, 2013). The primary difference between these materials was their associated low-activity waste simulants which were derived from the Hanford Tank Waste Operations Simulator at the “average,” “high aluminum and chloride,” and “high sulfate” simulant compositions (Russel et al., 2013).

CRESP WTP PTF Technical Issues Review Team (Letter Report 1 follows)

CRESP WTP PTF Technical Issues Review Team Letter Report 1, December 2013
The review team formed by CRESP at the request of DOE Office of River Protection met with representatives of DOE Office of River Protection, DOE Office of Environmental Management and Bechtel National, Inc. on November 14, 2013 to review and propose changes to the current strategy pursued by the Hanford waste treatment plant (WTP) pretreatment facility (PTF). These changes are focused on resolving the design confirmation and technical issues for pulse jet mixed (PJM) vessels.

CRESP WTP PTF Technical Issues Review Team Letter Report 2, October 15, 2014
The focus of this letter report is the CRESP Review Team’s analysis of the DOE-ORP and Contractor’s approach to defining the requirements for the standard high solids vessel (SHSV) design and associated testing to support the SHSV design. The Team also was asked to review the document “Plan for Resolving Technical Issues Regarding Pretreatment Pulse Jet Mixed Vessels Mixing Capability” (24590-PTF-PL-ENG-14-0004, Rev B) as a central component of the design and testing program for this letter report.

Office of River Protection Waste Treatment Plant Reviews (Letter Reports 1-7 follow)

CRESP was requested by the Manager of the Office of River Protection Project, to form an independent expert review team in support of treatment of high level waste currently stored in tanks at the Office of River Protection (ORP). The CRESP Review Team, in an on-going manner, is to provide input to the Manager of the Office of River Protection Project on the adequacy of available data, test plans and testing results to support design, integration and operation of specific component processes, and issue resolution for the Waste Treatment Plant (WTP) and alternate Low Activity Waste (LAW) treatment technologies.

CRESP independent expert review team report to the manager of the Office of River Protection Program on the adequacy of available data, test plans and testing results to support design, integration and operation of specific component processes, and issue resolution for the Waste Treatment Plant (WTP) and alternate Low Activity Waste (LAW) treatment technologies.

CRESP ORP Review Team Letter Report 2, March 19, 2007
CRESP independent expert review team report to the manager of the Office of River Protection Program on the adequacy of available data, test plans and testing results to support design, integration and operation of specific component processes, and issue resolution for the Waste Treatment Plant (WTP) and alternate Low Activity Waste (LAW) treatment technologies

CRESP ORP Review Team Letter Report 3. June 26, 2007
This letter report is in review of the Issue Response Plan for Effects of Anti-foam Agent on Gas Retention/Release and the draft RPP-WTP Support Program Test Plan.

CRESP ORP WTP Letter4 Final 5-8-08
This letter report is in follow up to the CRESP ORP Review Team meetings with ORP on February 21 and 22, 2008 and supporting documentation, providing updates on (i) M-12, pretreatment testing and evaluation, including planned pretreatment engineering platform (PEP) testing (Phase I), results of laboratory testing of actual waste samples, simulant development and testing, (ii) M-1, line plugging, and (iii) M-3, vessel mixing. The primary focus of the review was on the draft test plans for the PEP.

CRESP ORP Review Team Letter Report 5. October 2, 2009
The CRESP review team was asked to review the status of progress by Office of River Protection and its contractors to achieve resolution and closure to the EFRT issues of M-3 Undemonstrated Mixing and M-12 Undemonstrated Leaching Process.

CRESP ORP Review Team Letter Report 6 . December 27, 2009
This letter report is to provide feedback on the status of progress by ORP and its contractors to achieve resolution and closure to the External Flowsheet Review Team (EFRT) issue of M-3 Undemonstrated Mixing as part of the Pretreatment Facility (PT) at the Waste Treatment Plant (WTP).

CRESP ORP Review Team Letter Report 7. July 1, 2010
This letter report is to evaluate responses to the EFRT M-3 and related pulse jet mixing concerns with respect to closure of M-3 remaining uncertainties and risks, and recommendations for future actions to reduce uncertainties and risks.

LAW Alternatives Review Letter Reports

CRESP LAW Alternatives Review Team Letter Report 1. June 5, 2007
This letter report is in response to DOE Office of River Protection request that CRESP review the process that is being used
to evaluate business cases for alternative treatment strategies for low activity waste
(LAW alternatives review).

CRESP LAW Alternatives Review Team Letter Report 2. July 3, 2007
This letter report is the second in a response to DOE Office of River Protection request that CRESP review the process that is being used to evaluate business cases for alternative treatment strategies for low activity waste (LAW alternatives review).

Savannah River Site

CRESP Review of Alternatives for Treatment of Waste in SRS Tank 48

This report presents CRESP findings and recommendations resulting from our review of the testing program in support of design of the fluidized bed steam reforming (FBSR) process and wet air oxidation (WAO) for treating high level waste currently stored in Tank 48 at the Savannah River Site (SRS).

Idaho Site

CRESP Review of Calcine Disposition Project, August 2001

This report documents an independent technical review, performed by the Consortium for Risk Evaluation with Stakeholder Participation (CRESP) at the request of DOE’s Office of Environmental Management (DOE-EM), of specific considerations regarding the planned implementation of hot isostatic pressing (HIP) technology for the treatment of calcine waste at the Idaho National Laboratory (INL).  The potential use of cold-crucible induction melter (CCIM) technology as a backup treatment process was included in the charter for the review.