SENSORS INITIATIVE FOR IDENTIFICATION OF LONG-TERM STEWARDSHIP RESEARCH OPPORTUNITIES

The Department of Energy (DOE) Environmental Management Science Program (EMSP) funds numerous projects related to sensor development for long-term stewardship (LTS) applications. The focus of these projects is transformational research to improve current environmental monitoring methods or provide solutions to problems that are currently intractable. Low cost, robust sensors that can be left in place are being sought for remote monitoring of contaminants, verification of cleanup remedies, or other indicators of potential stewardship failures in a variety of media. The EMSP has launched a Sensor Initiative to define a research agenda for sensor development. A working group comprised of representatives from the DOE sites, national laboratories, the Characterization, Monitoring, and Sensor Technology Crosscutting Program (CMST-CP), the Subsurface Contaminants Focus Area (SCFA), the LTS Program, and the EMSP has been formed to facilitate this effort. The objectives of this working group are as follows: