Abstract: During the quarter, progress was made in all areas of the Basalt Waste Isolation Program. In the Geosciences, Hydrology, and Engineered Barriers areas, work continued on schedule aimed at being able to make a site selection decision in 1981, as scheduled. Emphasis continued to be placed on geologic mapping studies, on hydrologic data gathering, and on definitions of waste/basalt interactions and needed engineered barriers. Construction of the Near-Surface Test Facility was rescheduled to reflect tunnel design changes and previous quarter work delays. Progress at the end of the quarter was approximately on schedule and the rate of work was accelerating to better than scheduled due to some equipment improvements and tunnel design modifications. In the Engineering Testing area, design work, test planning, and fabrication of heaters and auxiliary equipment continued on schedule. In the Repository area, an Architect/Engineer Evaluation Board was formally designated by the US Department of Energy-Headquarters during October 1978. The evaluation board will select an architect/engineer for repository conceptual design with an option for follow-on Title I, Title II, and Title III engineering services. Selection will be completed by October 1979. Questionnaire information was received from a number of interested architect/engineer firms by the US Department of Energy-Richland Operations Office and has been evaluated. Onsite visits with the qualified firms are scheduled during April 1979. In addition, repository preconceptual design studies continued on schedule with emphasis on compilation of repository functional design criteria by July 1979, and the repository preconceptual design report in August 1979. Twenty-nine documents were issued during the quarter. These documents are listed at the end of this report.