Posters describe Applied Studies and Technology team’s work, data analysis efforts at UMTRCA sites
March 14, 2024
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Office of Legacy Management (LM) staff and LM Support Partners (LMSP) presented two posters Wednesday at the Waste Management Symposia in Phoenix.
LM’s Applied Studies and Technology (AS&T) team presented a poster titled Applied Studies and Technology Program Introduces Bourgeoning Scientists to Research Conducted by LM.
LM Site Manager Ken Kreie and LMSP’s Chris Jarchow, William Waugh, Raymond Johnson, Mike Morse, David Holbrook, Pete Schillig, and Al Laase, all scientists with the geochemistry and groundwater group, created the poster.
LM created the AS&T Educational Collaboration initiative as part of DOE’s commitment to science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education.
Kreie said some of the students he interacts with become interested in the type of work LM performs. Some students end up pursuing careers with LM. Others become stakeholders with an interest in LM’s projects.
“We integrate STEM with LM, Educational Collaboration and our internship programs as a continuation of educating the public, so they can understand what we’re talking to them about,” Kreie said. “They can help us make decisions and become the subject matter experts that LM needs 10 or 20 years down the road.”
Kreie said interacting with the next generation of scientists is one of the most rewarding aspects of his work with LM.
“There’s nothing better than seeing something spark when you’re teaching a science lesson at a STEM fair, or you’re at a college and you’re talking about something and you see it click,” he said. “Or to meet kids that are way smarter than you and you know things are going to be all right. It’s super rewarding to be part of.”
Data Analytics at Uranium Mill Tailings Radiation Control Act (UMTRCA) Sites
Also Wednesday, LMSP staff with the geochemistry and groundwater group presented a poster titled Best Practices Regarding Data Analytics at Uranium Mill Tailings Radiation Control Act Sites.
LM is responsible for long-term stewardship of UMTRCA Title I and II sites. Reporting to regulators is a key component of long-term stewardship and requires analyzing large volumes of data.
Effective data analytics is critical to the value of these reports. Traditional spreadsheet methods are error-prone, time-intensive, difficult to transfer between staff, and often lack complete documentation, the geochemists found.
LMSP Hydrogeologist Jacob Zahn said LM takes a three-pronged approach to improving the methods of analyzing large volumes of data, with an emphasis on making data portable, traceable, and reproducible.
“Portability means that if I need to transfer this project to another staff member or analyst, I can do that easily, with as little friction as possible,” Zahn said. “Traceability means that if a member of the public or a regulator wants to know exactly what we did in the analysis, we have a really easy way to show them that.
“The last part is reproducibility. Can you reproduce the same analysis someone else did? It’s really the foundation of science — being able to reproduce someone else’s work,” Zahn said. “That’s the essence of what this is all about.”