U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Division of Contracts, Attn: BPC, Mail Stop T-7I2, Washington, D.C. 20555

A -- TESTING AND EVALUATION OF GROUND-WATER FLOW & TRANSPORT MODELS SOL RS-RES-95-038 DUE 031795 POC Mary H. Mace, Contracting Officer, 301/415-7314 /Paulette Smith, Contract Negotiator, 301/415-6594 The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) intends to negotiate a contract on a sole source basis with the University of Arizona (UAZ) to investigate the theoretical basis for processes and conditions that affect unsaturated flow and transport in partially- saturated, heterogeneous, and fractured rock. This proposed contract is related to work begun at the University of Arizona under Contract No. NRC-04-90-052. The research effort will focus on the theoretical basis for modeling ground-water flow and transport in unsaturated, heterogeneous, fractured rock dealing with the issues of: fractal nature of permeability; determination of effective property values and relationships (e.g. pneumatic and hydraulic conductivities) over a range of scales; scaling concepts for estimating hydrogeologic property values; role of fractures and fracture zone in creating preferential flow; and vapor-phase flow and transport processes including coupled effects. The proposed period of performance is 4 years. This action is being pursued on a sole source basis because UAZ possesses both a unique field site coupled to the acquired knowledge, experience and insights of Dr. Shlomo Neuman who is the only known source of expertise and experience in: the development and testing of stochastic continuum models and scaling theory using pneumatic, hydraulic and transport information obtained from field tests at various support scales; the design of field studies for testing and extending the supporting models focusing on scaling theory research; and knowledge of fracture flow and transport theory for heterogeneous, unsaturated, fractured rock outside the Department of Energy laboratories and who has access to an acceptable and developed test site. In addition, since this proposed effort is for the completion of prior research begun by Dr. Neuman for the NRC, it is expected that award to any other source would result in substantial duplication of cost to the NRC that is not expected to be recovered through competition. Interested respondents must submit written capability statements and resumes demonstrating as a minimum: 1. Extensive experience in the development and application of stochastic continuum models and scaling theory for unsaturated, fractured rock. 2. Extensive experience and expertise in relating mathematical models of flow and transport in unsaturated, fractured rock to pneumatic, hydraulic and transport information obtained from field tests at various support scales. 3. Knowledge and experience with NRC regulatory requirements for disposal of high-level radioactive waste in unsaturated, fractured rock particularly those dealing with potentially adverse and favorable site characteristic criteria. 4. Access to a field site in which field experiments and data collection for testing stochastic continuum models and scaling theory for unsaturated, fractured rock can be performed. 5. Thorough understanding of the phenomena affecting ground-water flow and radionuclide transport in unsaturated fractured rock and knowledge of work to date by DOE and NRC. 6. Absence of organizational conflict of interest. Telephonic responses and responses providing insufficient information for evaluation will not be considered. See numbered Note 22. (0030)

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