Sample records for unit hanford environmental

  1. Hanford`s innovations for science education

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Carter, D.

    1996-12-31

    In recognition of declining science literacy in the United States and a projected shortfall of scientists, engineers and technologists to address environmental problems nationally and internationally during the 21st century, Westinghouse Hanford Company has launched several innovative science education projects at the US Department of Energy Hanford Site. The Hanford Site is very rich in resources that can be brought to bear on the problem: world-class technical experts, state of the art facilities and equipment, and the largest environmental laboratory in the world. During the past two years, several innovative science education initiatives have been conceived and pursued at themore » secondary education level including the International Academy for the Environment (residential high school with an environmental theme), Environmental BATTmobile Program (mobile middle school science education program), and Multicultural Experiences in Math and Science (education program based on cultural contributions to math and science). Hanford scientists, engineers and administrators have worked with the education community (K-12 and college-university) to develop innovative approaches to science education.« less

  2. Hanford facility dangerous waste permit application, general information portion

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Hays, C.B.

    1998-05-19

    The Hanford Facility Dangerous Waste Permit Application is considered to be a single application organized into a General Information Portion (document number DOE/RL-91-28) and a Unit-Specific Portion. Both the General Information and Unit-Specific portions of the Hanford Facility Dangerous Waste Permit Application address the content of the Part B permit application guidance prepared by the Washington State Department of Ecology (Ecology 1996) and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (40 Code of Federal Regulations 270), with additional information needed by the Hazardous and Solid Waste Amendments and revisions of Washington Administrative Code 173-303. Documentation contained in the General Information Portion ismore » broader in nature and could be used by multiple treatment, storage, and/or disposal units (e.g., the glossary provided in this report).« less

  3. Hanford Site Environmental Report for calendar year 1992

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Woodruff, R.K.; Hanf, R.W.; Lundgren, R.E.

    1993-06-01

    This report is prepared annually to summarize environmental data and information, describe environmental management performance, and demonstrate the status of compliance with environmental regulations at the Hanford Site. The following sections: describe the Hanford Site and its mission; summarize the status in 1992 of compliance with environmental regulations; describe the environmental programs at the Hanford Site; discuss public dose estimates from 1992 Hanford activities; present information on effluent monitoring and environmental surveillance, including ground-water protection and monitoring, and discuss activities to ensure quality.

  4. Hanford facility dangerous waste permit application, general information portion. Revision 3

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Sonnichsen, J.C.

    1997-08-21

    For purposes of the Hanford facility dangerous waste permit application, the US Department of Energy`s contractors are identified as ``co-operators`` and sign in that capacity (refer to Condition I.A.2. of the Dangerous Waste Portion of the Hanford Facility Resource Conservation and Recovery Act Permit). Any identification of these contractors as an ``operator`` elsewhere in the application is not meant to conflict with the contractors` designation as co-operators but rather is based on the contractors` contractual status with the U.S. Department of Energy, Richland Operations Office. The Dangerous Waste Portion of the initial Hanford Facility Resource Conservation and Recovery Act Permit,more » which incorporated five treatment, storage, and/or disposal units, was based on information submitted in the Hanford Facility Dangerous Waste Permit Application and in closure plan and closure/postclosure plan documentation. During 1995, the Dangerous Waste Portion was modified twice to incorporate another eight treatment, storage, and/or disposal units; during 1996, the Dangerous Waste Portion was modified once to incorporate another five treatment, storage, and/or disposal units. The permit modification process will be used at least annually to incorporate additional treatment, storage, and/or disposal units as permitting documentation for these units is finalized. The units to be included in annual modifications are specified in a schedule contained in the Dangerous Waste Portion of the Hanford Facility Resource Conservation and Recovery Act Permit. Treatment, storage, and/or disposal units will remain in interim status until incorporated into the Permit. The Hanford Facility Dangerous Waste Permit Application is considered to be a single application organized into a General Information Portion (this document, DOE/RL-91-28) and a Unit-Specific Portion. The scope of the Unit-Specific Portion is limited to individual operating treatment, storage, and/or disposal units for which Part B permit application documentation has been, or is anticipated to be, submitted. Documentation for treatment, storage, and/or disposal units undergoing closure, or for units that are, or are anticipated to be, dispositioned through other options, will continue to be submitted by the Permittees in accordance with the provisions of the Hanford Federal Facility Agreement and Consent Order. However, the scope of the General Information Portion includes information that could be used to discuss operating units, units undergoing closure, or units being dispositioned through other options. Both the General Information and Unit-Specific portions of the Hanford Facility Dangerous Waste Permit Application address the contents of the Part B permit application guidance documentation prepared by the Washington State Department of Ecology and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, with additional information needs defined by revisions of Washington Administrative Code 173-303 and by the Hazardous and Solid Waste Amendments. Documentation contained in the General Information Portion is broader in nature and could be used by multiple treatment, storage, and/or disposal units (i.e., either operating units, units undergoing closure, or units being dispositioned through other options).« less

  5. 75 FR 64718 - Environmental Management Site-Specific Advisory Board, Hanford

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-10-20

    ... DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY Environmental Management Site-Specific Advisory Board, Hanford AGENCY... Environmental Management Site-Specific Advisory Board (EM SSAB), Hanford. The Federal Advisory Committee Act.... ADDRESSES: Red Lion Hanford House, 802 George Washington Way, Richland, Washington. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION...

  6. 75 FR 8051 - Environmental Management Site-Specific Advisory Board, Hanford

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-02-23

    ... DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY Environmental Management Site-Specific Advisory Board, Hanford AGENCY... the Environmental Management Site-Specific Advisory Board (EM SSAB), Hanford (known locally as the Hanford Advisory Board [HAB]), River and Plateau, Tank Waste, Public Involvement, Health Safety and...

  7. 76 FR 4645 - Environmental Management Site-Specific Advisory Board, Hanford

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-01-26

    ... DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY Environmental Management Site-Specific Advisory Board, Hanford AGENCY... Environmental Management Site-Specific Advisory Board (EM SSAB), Hanford. The Federal Advisory Committee Act.... ADDRESSES: Red Lion Hanford House, 802 George Washington Way, Richland, Washington 99352. FOR FURTHER...

  8. Surface Environmental Surveillance Project: Locations Manual Volume 1 – Air and Water Volume 2 – Farm Products, Soil & Vegetation, and Wildlife

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Fritz, Brad G.; Patton, Gregory W.; Stegen, Amanda

    2009-01-01

    This report describes all environmental monitoring locations associated with the Surface Environmental Surveillance Project. Environmental surveillance of the Hanford site and surrounding areas is conducted by the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) for the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). Sampling is conducted to evaluate levels of radioactive and nonradioactive pollutants in the Hanford environs, as required in DOE Order 450.1, Environmental Protection Program, and DOE Order 5400.5, Radiation Protection of the Public and the Environment. The environmental surveillance sampling design is described in the Hanford Site Environmental Monitoring Plan, United States Department of Energy, Richland Operation Office (DOE/RL-91-50). This documentmore » contains the locations of sites used to collect samples for the Surface Environmental Surveillance Project (SESP). Each section includes directions, maps, and pictures of the locations. A general knowledge of roads and highways on and around the Hanford Site is necessary to successfully use this manual. Supplemental information (Maps, Gazetteer, etc.) may be necessary if user is unfamiliar with local routes. The SESP is a multimedia environmental surveillance effort to measure the concentrations of radionuclides and chemicals in environmental media to demonstrate compliance with applicable environmental quality standards and public exposure limits, and assessing environmental impacts. Project personnel annually collect selected samples of ambient air, surface water, agricultural products, fish, wildlife, and sediments. Soil and vegetation samples are collected approximately every 5 years. Analytical capabilities include the measurement of radionuclides at very low environmental concentrations and, in selected media, nonradiological chemicals including metals, anions, volatile organic compounds, and total organic carbon.« less

  9. 75 FR 8050 - Environmental Management Site-Specific Advisory Board, Hanford

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-02-23

    ... DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY Environmental Management Site-Specific Advisory Board, Hanford AGENCY... Environmental Management Site-Specific Advisory Board (EM SSAB), Hanford. The Federal Advisory Committee Act...: The meeting is open to the public. The EM SSAB, Hanford, welcomes the attendance of the public at its...

  10. Hanford Site Raptor Nest Monitoring Report for Calendar Year 2013

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Nugent, John J.; Lindsey, Cole T.; Wilde, Justin W.

    2014-02-13

    The U.S. Department of Energy, Richland Operations Office (DOE-RL) conducts ecological monitoring on the Hanford Site to collect and track data needed to ensure compliance with an array of environmental laws, regulations, and policies governing DOE activities. Ecological monitoring data provide baseline information about the plants, animals, and habitat under DOE-RL stewardship at Hanford required for decision-making under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA). The Hanford Site Comprehensive Land Use Plan (CLUP, DOE/EIS-0222-F) which is the Environmental Impact Statement for Hanford Site activities, helps ensure that DOE-RL, its contractors, and othermore » entities conducting activities on the Hanford Site are in compliance with NEPA. The Hanford Site supports a large and diverse community of raptorial birds (Fitzner et al. 1981), with 26 species of raptors observed on the Hanford Site.« less

  11. Hanford Site 1998 Environmental Report

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    RL Dirkes; RW Hanf; TM Poston

    This Hanford Site environmental report is prepared annually to summarize environmental data and information, to describe environmental management performance, to demonstrate the status of compliance with environmental regulations, and to highlight major environmental programs and efforts. The report is written to meet requirements and guidelines of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and to meet the needs of the public. This summary has been written with a minimum of technical terminology. Individual sections of the report are designed to: describe the Hanford Site and its mission; summarize the status of compliance with environmental regulations; describe the environmental programs at themore » Hanford Site; discuss the estimated radionuclide exposure to the public from 1998 Hanford Site activities; present the effluent monitoring, environmental surveillance, and groundwater protection and monitoring information; and discuss the activities to ensure quality.« less

  12. Hanford Site Environmental Report for Calendar Year 2008

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Poston, Ted M.; Duncan, Joanne P.; Dirkes, Roger L.

    The Hanford Site environmental report is prepared annually for the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) in accordance with regulatory requirements. The report provides an overview of activities at the Hanford Site; demonstrates the status of the site’s compliance with applicable federal, state, and local environmental laws and regulations, executive orders, and DOE policies and directives; and summarizes environmental data that characterize Hanford Site environmental management performance. The report also highlights significant environmental and public protection programs and efforts. Some historical and early 2009 information is included where appropriate.

  13. Hanford Site Environmental Report for Calendar Year 2009

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Poston, Ted M.; Duncan, Joanne P.; Dirkes, Roger L.

    The Hanford Site environmental report is prepared annually for the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) in accordance with regulatory requirements. The report provides an overview of activities at the Hanford Site; demonstrates the status of the site’s compliance with applicable federal, state, and local environmental laws and regulations, executive orders, and DOE policies and directives; and summarizes environmental data that characterize Hanford Site environmental management performance. The report also highlights significant environmental and public protection programs and efforts. Some historical and early 2010 information is included where appropriate.

  14. Hanford Site Environmental Report for Calendar Year 2010

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Poston, Ted M.; Duncan, Joanne P.; Dirkes, Roger L.

    The Hanford Site environmental report is prepared annually for the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) in accordance with regulatory requirements. The report provides an overview of activities at the Hanford Site; demonstrates the status of the site's compliance with applicable federal, state, and local environmental laws and regulations, executive orders, and DOE policies and directives; and summarizes environmental data that characterize Hanford Site environmental management performance. The report also highlights significant environmental and public protection programs and efforts. Some historical and early 2011 information is included where appropriate.

  15. Hanford Site Environmental Report for Calender Year 2006

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Poston, Ted M.; Hanf, Robert W.; Duncan, Joanne P.

    This report is prepared annually for DOE and provides an overview of activities at the Hanford Site. The report summarizes environmental data that characterize Hanford Site environmental management performance. The report also highlights significant environmental and public protection programs and efforts. Although this report is primarily written to meet DOE reporting requirements and guidelines, it also provides useful summary information for the public, Indian tribes, public officials, regulatory agencies, Hanford contractors, and public officials.

  16. Hanford Site Anuran Monitoring Report for Calendar Year 2013

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Wilde, Justin W.; Johnson, Scott J.; Lindsey, Cole T.

    2014-02-13

    The U.S. Department of Energy, Richland Operations Office (DOE-RL) conducts ecological monitoring on the Hanford Site to collect and track data needed to ensure compliance with an array of environmental laws, regulations, and policies governing DOE activities. Ecological monitoring data provide baseline information about the plants, animals, and habitat under DOE-RL stewardship at Hanford required for decision-making under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA). The Hanford Site Comprehensive Land Use Plan (CLUP, DOE/EIS-0222-F) which is the Environmental Impact Statement for Hanford Site activities, helps ensure that DOE-RL, its contractors, and othermore » entities conducting activities on the Hanford Site are in compliance with NEPA.« less

  17. Hanford Site Environmental Report 1999

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    TM Poston; RW Hanf; RL Dirkes

    This Hanford Site environmental report is prepared annually to summarize environmental data and information, to describe environmental management performance, to demonstrate the status of compliance with environmental regulations, and to highlight major environmental programs and efforts. The report is written to meet requirements and guidelines of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and to meet the needs of the public. This summary has been written with a minimum of technical terminology. Individual sections of the report are designed to: (1) describe the Hanford Site and its mission; (2) summarize the status of compliance with environmental regulations; (3) describe the environmentalmore » programs at the Hanford Site; (4) discuss the estimated radionuclide exposure to the public from 1999 Hanford Site activities; (5) present the effluent monitoring, environmental surveillance, groundwater protection and monitoring information; and (6) discuss the activities to ensure quality.« less

  18. Hanford Site Environmental Report for Calendar Year 2002

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Poston, Ted M.; Hanf, Robert W.; Dirkes, Roger L.

    This report is prepared annually to satisfy the requirements of DOE Orders. The report provides an overview of activities at the Hanford Site during 2002 and demonstrates the site's compliance with applicable federal, state, and local environmental laws, regulations, executive orders, and DOE policies; and to summarize environmental data that characterize Hanford Site environmental management performance. The purpose of the report is to provide useful summary information to members of the public, public officials, regulators, Hanford contractors, and elected representatives.

  19. Hanford Reach Fall Chinook Redd Monitoring Report for Calendar Year 2013

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Lindsey, Cole T.; Nugent, John J.

    2014-02-10

    The U.S. Department of Energy, Richland Operations Office (DOE-RL) conducts ecological monitoring on the Hanford Site to collect and track data needed to ensure compliance with an array of environmental laws, regulations, and policies governing DOE activities. Ecological monitoring data provide baseline information about the plants, animals, and habitat under DOE-RL stewardship at Hanford required for decision-making under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA). The Hanford Site Comprehensive Land Use Plan (CLUP, DOE/EIS-0222-F) which is the Environmental Impact Statement for Hanford Site activities, helps ensure that DOE-RL, its contractors, and othermore » entities conducting activities on the Hanford Site are in compliance with NEPA.« less

  20. Hanford Site Black-Tailed Jackrabbit Monitoring Report for Fiscal Year 2013

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Lindsey, Cole T.; Nugent, John J.; Wilde, Justin W.

    2014-02-13

    The U.S. Department of Energy, Richland Operations Office (DOE-RL) conducts ecological monitoring on the Hanford Site to collect and track data needed to ensure compliance with an array of environmental laws, regulations, and policies governing DOE activities. Ecological monitoring data provide baseline information about the plants, animals, and habitat under DOE-RL stewardship at Hanford required for decision-making under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA). The Hanford Site Comprehensive Land Use Plan (CLUP, DOE/EIS-0222-F) which is the Environmental Impact Statement for Hanford Site activities, helps ensure that DOE-RL, its contractors, and othermore » entities conducting activities on the Hanford Site are in compliance with NEPA.« less

  1. Hanford science and technology needs statements, 2000

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    BERLIN, G.T.

    In the aftermath of the Cold War, the United States has begun addressing the environmental consequences of five decades of nuclear weapons production. In November 1989, DOE established the Office of Environmental Restoration and Waste Management (EM) as the central authority for cleaning up the DOE weapons complex legacy of pollution, for preventing further environmental contamination, and for instituting responsible environmental management. While performing its tasks, EM found that many aspects of its large and complex mission could not be achieved using existing science and technology or without incurring unreasonable costs, risks, or schedule impacts. Consequently, a process was developedmore » to solicit needs from around the DOE complex and focus the science and technology resources of EM-50, the National Laboratories, private industry, and colleges and universities on those needs. This document describes those needs that the Hanford Site has identified as requiring additional science or technology to complete.« less

  2. Hanford Site National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) Characterization

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Neitzel, Duane A.; Antonio, Ernest J.; Eschbach, Tara O.

    2001-09-01

    This document describes the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Hanford Site environment. It is updated each year and is intended to provide a consistent description of the Hanford Site environment for the many National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) documents being prepared by DOE contractors. No statements of significance or environmental consequences are provided. This year's report is the thirteenth revision of the original document published in 1988 and is (until replaced by the fourteenth revision) the only version that is relevant for use in the preparation of Hanford NEPA, State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA), and Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, andmore » Liability Act (CERCLA) documents. The two chapters included in this document (Chapters 4 and 6) are numbered to correspond to the chapters where such information is typically presented in environmental impact statements (Weiss) and other Hanford Site NEPA or CERCLA documentation. Chapter 4.0 (Affected Environment) describes Hanford Site climate and meteorology, geology, hydrology, ecology, cultural, archaeological, and historical resources, socioeconomics, occupational safety, and noise. Chapter 6.0 (Statutory and Regulatory Requirements) describes federal and state laws and regulations, DOE directives and permits, and presidential executive orders that are applicable to the NEPA documents prepared for Hanford Site activities.« less

  3. Hanford Site National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) Characterization

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Neitzel, Duane A.; Bunn, Amoret L.; Duncan, Joanne P.

    2002-09-01

    This document describes the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Hanford Site environment. It is updated each year and is intended to provide a consistent description of the Hanford Site environment for the many National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) documents being prepared by DOE contractors. No statements of significance or environmental consequences are provided. This year's report is the thirteenth revision of the original document published in 1988 and is (until replaced by the fourteenth revision) the only version that is relevant for use in the preparation of Hanford NEPA, State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA), and Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, andmore » Liability Act (CERCLA) documents. The two chapters included in this document (Chapters 4 and 6) are numbered to correspond to the chapters where such information is typically presented in environmental impact statements (Weiss) and other Hanford Site NEPA or CERCLA documentation. Chapter 4.0 (Affected Environment) describes Hanford Site climate and meteorology, geology, hydrology, ecology, cultural, archaeological, and historical resources, socioeconomics, occupational safety, and noise. Chapter 6.0 (Statutory and Regulatory Requirements) describes federal and state laws and regulations, DOE directives and permits, and presidential executive orders that are applicable to the NEPA documents prepared for Hanford Site activities.« less

  4. Hanford Site National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) Characterization, Revision 15

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Neitzel, Duane A.; Bunn, Amoret L.; Burk, Kenneth W.

    2003-09-01

    This document describes the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Hanford Site environment. It is updated each year and is intended to provide a consistent description of the Hanford Site environment for the many National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) documents being prepared by DOE contractors. No statements of significance or environmental consequences are provided. This year's report is the thirteenth revision of the original document published in 1988 and is (until replaced by the fourteenth revision) the only version that is relevant for use in the preparation of Hanford NEPA, State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA), and Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, andmore » Liability Act (CERCLA) documents. The two chapters included in this document (Chapters 4 and 6) are numbered to correspond to the chapters where such information is typically presented in environmental impact statements (Weiss) and other Hanford Site NEPA or CERCLA documentation. Chapter 4.0 (Affected Environment) describes Hanford Site climate and meteorology, geology, hydrology, ecology, cultural, archaeological, and historical resources, socioeconomics, occupational safety, and noise. Chapter 6.0 (Statutory and Regulatory Requirements) describes federal and state laws and regulations, DOE directives and permits, and presidential executive orders that are applicable to the NEPA documents prepared for Hanford Site activities.« less

  5. Hanford Site Environmental Report 1993

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Dirkes, R.L.; Hanf, R.W.; Woodruff, R.K.

    The Hanford Site Environmental Report is prepared annually to summarize environmental data and information, describe environmental management performance, and demonstrate the status of compliance with environmental regulations. The report also highlights major environmental programs and efforts. The report is written to meet reporting requirements and Guidelines of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) an to meet the needs of the public. This summary has been written with a minimum of technical terminology. Individual sections of the report are designed to (a) describe the Hanford Site and its mission, (b) summarize the status in 1993 of compliance with environmental regulations, (c)more » describe the environmental programs at the Hanford Site, (d) discuss estimated radionuclide exposure to the public from 1993 Hanford activities, (e) present information on effluent monitoring and environmental surveillance, including ground-water protection and monitoring, (f) discuss activities to ensure quality. More detailed information can be found in the body of the report, the appendixes, and the cited references.« less

  6. Hanford Site Environmental Report for Calendar Year 2005

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Poston, Ted M.; Hanf, Robert W.; Dirkes, Roger L.

    This report, published annually since 1958, includes information and summary analytical data that (1) provide an overview of activities at the Hanford Site during calendar year 2005; (2) demonstrate the site's compliance with applicable federal, state, and local environmental laws and regulations, executive orders, and U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) policies and directives; (3) characterize Hanford Site environmental management performance; and (4) highlight significant environmental programs.

  7. Hanford Site Environmental Report for Calendar Year 2004

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Poston, Ted M.; Hanf, Robert W.; Dirkes, Roger L.

    This report, published annually since 1958, includes information and summary analytical data that (1) provide an overview of activities at the Hanford Site during calendar year 2003; (2) demonstrate the site's compliance with applicable federal, state, and local environmental laws and regulations, executive orders, and U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) policies and directives; (3) characterize Hanford Site environmental management performance; and (4) highlight significant environmental programs.

  8. Hanford Site National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) Characterization Report

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Neitzel, Duane A.; Bunn, Amoret L.; Cannon, Sandra D.

    2004-09-22

    This document describes the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Hanford Site environment. It is updated each year and is intended to provide a consistent description of the Hanford Site environment for the many National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) documents being prepared by DOE contractors. No statements of significance or environmental consequences are provided. This year's report is the sixteenth revision of the original document published in 1988 and is (until replaced by the seventeenth revision) the only version that is relevant for use in the preparation of Hanford NEPA, State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA), and Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, andmore » Liability Act (CERCLA) documents. The two chapters included in this document (Chapters 4 and 6) are numbered to correspond to the chapters where such information is typically presented in environmental impact statements (Weiss) and other Hanford Site NEPA or CERCLA documentation. Chapter 4.0 (Affected Environment) describes Hanford Site climate and meteorology, geology, hydrology, ecology, cultural, archaeological, and historical resources, socioeconomics, occupational safety and health, and noise. Chapter 6.0 (Statutory and Regulatory Requirements) describes federal and state laws and regulations, DOE directives and permits, and presidential executive orders that are applicable to the NEPA documents prepared for Hanford Site activities.« less

  9. Hanford Site Environmental Report for Calendar Year 2000

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Poston, Ted M.; Hanf, Robert W.; Dirkes, Roger L.

    This Hanford Site environmental report is prepared annually to summarize environmental data and information, to describe environmental management performance, to demonstrate the status of compliance with environmental regulations, and to highlight major environmental programs and efforts.

  10. Hanford Site Environmental Report for Calendar Year 1999

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Poston, Ted M.; Hanf, Robert W.; Dirkes, Roger L.

    The Hanford Site environmental report is prepared annually to summarize environmental data and information, to describe environmental management performance, to demonstrate the status of compliance with environmental regulations, and to highlight major environmental programs and efforts.

  11. Hanford Environmental Dose Reconstruction Project

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Cannon, S.D.; Finch, S.M.

    1992-10-01

    The objective of the Hanford Environmental Dose Reconstruction (HEDR) Project is to estimate the radiation doses that individuals and populations could have received from nuclear operations at Hanford since 1944. The independent Technical Steering Panel (TSP) provides technical direction. The project is divided into the following technical tasks. These tasks correspond to the path radionuclides followed from release to impact on humans (dose estimates):Source Terms, Environmental Transport, Environmental Monitoring Data, Demography, Food Consumption, and Agriculture, and Environmental Pathways and Dose Estimates.

  12. CO{sub 2} pellet decontamination technology at Westinghouse Hanford

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Aldridge, T.L.; Aldrich, L.K. II; Bowman, E.V.

    1995-03-01

    Experimentation and testing with CO{sub 2} pellet decontamination technology is being conducted at Westinghosue Hanford Company (WHC), Richland, Washington. There are 1,100 known existing waste sites at Hanford. The sites specified by federal and state agencies are currently being studied to determine the appropriate cleanup methods best for each site. These sites are contaminated and work on them is in compliance with the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA). There are also 63 treatment, storage, and disposal units, for example: groups of waste tanks or drums. In 1992, there were 100 planned activities scheduled to bring these unitsmore » into the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) compliance or close them after waste removal. Ninety-six of these were completed. The remaining four were delayed or are being negotiated with regulatory agencies. As a result of past defense program activities at Hanford a tremendous volume of materials and equipment have accumulated and require remediation.« less

  13. Hanford Environmental Dose Reconstruction Project. Monthly report

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Cannon, S.D.; Finch, S.M.

    1992-10-01

    The objective of the Hanford Environmental Dose Reconstruction (HEDR) Project is to estimate the radiation doses that individuals and populations could have received from nuclear operations at Hanford since 1944. The independent Technical Steering Panel (TSP) provides technical direction. The project is divided into the following technical tasks. These tasks correspond to the path radionuclides followed from release to impact on humans (dose estimates):Source Terms, Environmental Transport, Environmental Monitoring Data, Demography, Food Consumption, and Agriculture, and Environmental Pathways and Dose Estimates.

  14. Hanford Site National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) Characterization. Revision 5

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Cushing, C.E.

    1992-12-01

    This fifth revision of the Hanford Site National Environmental Policy (NEPA) Characterization presents current environmental data regarding the Hanford Site and its immediate environs. This information is intended for use in preparing Site-related NEPA documentation. Information is presented on climate and meteorology, geology and hydrology, ecology, history and archaeology, socioeconomics, land use, and noise levels, prepared by Pacific Northwest Laboratory (PNL) staff. Models are described that are to be used in simulating realized or potential impacts from nuclear materials at the Hanford Site. Included are models of radionuclide transport in groundwater and atmospheric pathways, and of radiation dose to populationsmore » via all known pathways from known initial conditions. Federal and state regulations, DOE orders and permits, and environmental standards directly applicable for the NEPA documents at the Hanford Site, are provided.« less

  15. Hanford Site National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) Characterization

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Cushing, C.E.

    1992-12-01

    This fifth revision of the Hanford Site National Environmental Policy (NEPA) Characterization presents current environmental data regarding the Hanford Site and its immediate environs. This information is intended for use in preparing Site-related NEPA documentation. Information is presented on climate and meteorology, geology and hydrology, ecology, history and archaeology, socioeconomics, land use, and noise levels, prepared by Pacific Northwest Laboratory (PNL) staff. Models are described that are to be used in simulating realized or potential impacts from nuclear materials at the Hanford Site. Included are models of radionuclide transport in groundwater and atmospheric pathways, and of radiation dose to populationsmore » via all known pathways from known initial conditions. Federal and state regulations, DOE orders and permits, and environmental standards directly applicable for the NEPA documents at the Hanford Site, are provided.« less

  16. Hanford Site Environmental Report for Calendar Year 2007

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Poston, Ted M.; Duncan, Joanne P.; Dirkes, Roger L.

    The Hanford Site environmental report is prepared annually for the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) in accordance with regulatory requirements. The report provides an overview of activities at the site; demonstrates the status of the site’s compliance with applicable federal, state, and local environmental laws and regulations, executive orders, and DOE policies and directives; and summarizes environmental data that characterize Hanford Site environmental management performance. The report also highlights signifi cant environmental and public protection programs and efforts. Some historical and early 2008 information is included where appropriate.

  17. Hanford Site National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) Characterization

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Duncan, Joanne P.; Burk, Kenneth W.; Chamness, Mickie A.

    2007-09-27

    This document describes the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Hanford Site environment. It is intended to provide a consistent description of the Hanford Site for the many environmental documents being prepared by DOE contractors concerning the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). No statements regarding significance or environmental consequences are provided. This year’s report is the eighteen revision of the original document published in 1988 and is (until replaced by the nineteenth revision) the only version that is relevant for use in the preparation of Hanford NEPA, State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA), and Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA)more » documents. Two chapters are included in this document (Chapters 4 and 6), numbered to correspond to chapters typically presented in environmental impact statements (EISs) and other Hanford Site NEPA or CERCLA documentation. Chapter 4.0 (Affected Environment) describes Hanford Site climate and meteorology; air quality; geology; hydrology; ecology; cultural, archaeological, and historical resources; socioeconomics; noise; and occupational health and safety. Sources for extensive tabular data related to these topics are provided in the chapter. When possible, subjects are divided into a general description of the characteristics of the Hanford Site, followed by site-specific information, where available, for the 100, 200, 300 and other areas. This division allows the reader to go directly to those sections of particular interest. When specific information on each of these separate areas is not complete or available, the general Hanford Site description should be used. Chapter 6.0 (Statutory and Regulatory Requirements) describes federal and state laws and regulations, DOE directives and permits, and presidential executive orders that are applicable to NEPA documents prepared for Hanford Site activities. Information in Chapter 6 can be adapted and supplemented with specific information covering statutory and regulatory requirements for use in an environmental assessment or environmental impact statement. When preparing environmental assessments and EISs, authors should consult Recommendations for the Preparation of Environmental Assessments and Environmental Impact Statements published by the DOE Office of NEPA Oversight (DOE 2004). Additional direction and guidance on the preparation of DOE NEPA documents can be found at http://tis.eh.doe.gov/nepa/guidance.html. Individuals seeking baseline data on the Hanford Site and its past activities may also use the information contained in this document to evaluate projected activities and their impacts. Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) staff prepared individual sections of this document, with input from other Hanford Site contractors with the best available information through May 2007. More detailed data are available from reference sources cited or from the authors. For this 2007 revision, the following sections of the document were reviewed by the authors and updated with the best available information through May 2005: Climate and Meteorology Air Quality Geology – Seismicity section only Hydrology – Flow charts for the Columbia and Yakima rivers only Ecology – Threatened and Endangered Species subsection only Socioeconomics Occupational Safety All of Chapter 6.« less

  18. Risk perception, future land use and stewardship: comparison of attitudes about Hanford Site and Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory.

    PubMed

    Burger, J; Sanchez, J; Roush, D; Gochfeld, M

    2001-04-01

    With the ending of the Cold War, the Department of Energy (DOE) is evaluating mission, future land use and stewardship of departmental facilities. This paper compares the environmental concerns and future use preferences of 351 people interviewed at Lewiston, Idaho, about the Hanford Site and Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory (INEEL), two of DOE's largest sites. Although most subjects lived closer to Hanford than INEEL, most resided in the same state as INEEL. Therefore their economic interests might be more closely allied with INEEL, while their health concerns might be more related to Hanford. Few lived close enough to either site to be directly affected economically. We test the null hypotheses that there are no differences in environmental concerns and future land-use preferences as a function of DOE site, sex, age and education. When asked to list their major concerns about the sites, more people listed human health and safety, and environmental concerns about Hanford compared to INEEL. When asked to list their preferred future land uses, 49% of subjects did not have any for INEEL, whereas only 35% did not know for Hanford. The highest preferred land uses for both sites were as a National Environmental Research Park (NERP), and for camping, hunting, hiking, and fishing. Except for returning the land to the tribes and increased nuclear storage, subjects rated all future uses as more preferred at INEEL than Hanford. Taken together, these data suggest that the people interviewed know more about Hanford, are more concerned about Hanford, rate recreational uses and NERP as their highest preferred land use, and feel that INEEL is more suited for most land uses than Handford. Overall rankings for future land uses were remarkably similar between the sites, indicating that for these stakeholders, DOE lands should be preserved for research and recreation. These preferences should be taken into account when planning for long-term stewardship at these two DOE sites.

  19. Progress and future direction for the interim safe storage and disposal of Hanford high-level waste

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Kinzer, J.E.; Wodrich, D.D.; Bacon, R.F.

    This paper describes the progress made at the largest environmental cleanup program in the United States. Substantial advances in methods to start interim safe storage of Hanford Site high-level wastes, waste characterization to support both safety- and disposal-related information needs, and proceeding with cost-effective disposal by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and its Hanford Site contractors, have been realized. Challenges facing the Tank Waste Remediation System (TWRS) Program, which is charged with the dual and parallel missions of interim safe storage and disposal of the high-level tank waste stored at the Hanford Site, are described. In these times ofmore » budget austerity, implementing an ongoing program that combines technical excellence and cost effectiveness is the near-term challenge. The technical initiatives and progress described in this paper are made more cost effective by DOE`s focus on work force productivity improvement, reduction of overhead costs, and reduction, integration and simplification of DOE regulations and operations requirements to more closely model those used in the private sector.« less

  20. Hanford Environmental Information System (HEIS) Operator`s Manual. Volume 1

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Schreck, R.I.

    1991-10-01

    The Hanford Environmental Information System (HEIS) is a consolidated set of automated resources that effectively manage the data gathered during environmental monitoring and restoration of the Hanford Site. The HEIS includes an integrated database that provides consistent and current data to all users and promotes sharing of data by the entire user community. This manual describes the facilities available to the operational user who is responsible for data entry, processing, scheduling, reporting, and quality assurance. A companion manual, the HEIS User`s Manual, describes the facilities available-to the scientist, engineer, or manager who uses the system for environmental monitoring, assessment, andmore » restoration planning; and to the regulator who is responsible for reviewing Hanford Site operations against regulatory requirements and guidelines.« less

  1. Conversion and correction factors for historical measurements of iodine-131 in Hanford-area vegetation, 1945--1947. Hanford Environmental Dose Reconstruction Project

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Mart, E.I.; Denham, D.H.; Thiede, M.E.

    1993-12-01

    This report is a result of the Hanford Environmental Dose Reconstruction (HEDR) Project whose goal is to estimate the radiation dose that individuals could have received from emissions since 1944 at the U.S. Department of Energy`s (DOE) Hanford Site near Richland, Washington. The HEDR Project is conducted by Battelle, Pacific Northwest Laboratories (BNW). One of the radionuclides emitted that would affect the radiation dose was iodine-131. This report describes in detail the reconstructed conversion and correction factors for historical measurements of iodine-131 in Hanford-area vegetation which was collected from the beginning of October 1945 through the end of December 1947.

  2. 100-OL-1 Operable Unit Pilot Study: XRF Evaluation of Select Pre-Hanford Orchards

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Bunn, Amoret L.; Fritz, Brad G.; Pulsipher, Brent A.

    Prior to the acquisition of land by the U.S. Department of War in February 1943 and the creation of the Hanford Site, the land along the Columbia River was home to over 1000 people. Farming and orchard operations by both homesteaders and commercial organizations were prevalent. Orchard activities and the associated application of lead arsenate pesticide ceased in 1943, when residents were moved from the Hanford Site at the beginning of the Manhattan Project. Today, the residues from historical application of lead arsenate pesticide persist in some locations on the Hanford Site. In 2012, the U.S. Department of Energy, U.S.more » Environmental Protection Agency, and Washington State Department of Ecology established the 100-OL-1 Operable Unit (OU) through the Hanford Federal Facility Agreement and Consent Order, known as the Tri-Party Agreement. The pre-Hanford orchard lands identified as the 100-OL-1 OU are located south of the Columbia River and east of the present-day Vernita Bridge, and extend southeast to the former Hanford townsite. The discontinuous orchard lands within 100-OL-1 OU are approximately 20 km2 (5000 ac). A pilot study was conducted to support the approval of the remedial investigation/feasibility study work plan to evaluate the 100-OL-1 OU. This pilot study evaluated the use of a field portable X-ray fluorescence (XRF) analyzer for evaluating lead and arsenic concentrations on the soil surface as an indicator of lead arsenate pesticide residues in the OU. The objectives of the pilot study included evaluating a field portable XRF analyzer as the analytical method for decision making, estimating the nature and extent of lead and arsenic in surface soils in four decision units, evaluating the results for the purpose of optimizing the sampling approach implemented in the remedial investigation, and collecting information to improve the cost estimate and planning the cultural resources review for sampling activities in the remedial investigation. Based on the results of the pilot study, the recommendations for the revision of the work plan are as follows: • characterize the surface soil using field portable XRF measurements with confirmatory inductively coupled plasma mass spectroscopy sampling for the remedial investigation • establish decision units of similar defined areas • establish a process for field investigation of soil concentrations exceeding the screening criteria at the border of the 100-OL-1 OU • define data quality objectives for the work plan using the results of the pilot study and refining the sampling approach for the remedial investigation.« less

  3. Estimation of 1945 to 1957 food consumption. Hanford Environmental Dose Reconstruction Project: Draft

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Anderson, D.M.; Bates, D.J.; Marsh, T.L.

    This report details the methods used and the results of the study on the estimated historic levels of food consumption by individuals in the Hanford Environmental Dose Reconstruction (HEDR) study area from 1945--1957. This period includes the time of highest releases from Hanford and is the period for which data are being collected in the Hanford Thyroid Disease Study. These estimates provide the food-consumption inputs for the HEDR database of individual diets. This database will be an input file in the Hanford Environmental Dose Reconstruction Integrated Code (HEDRIC) computer model that will be used to calculate the radiation dose. Themore » report focuses on fresh milk, eggs, lettuce, and spinach. These foods were chosen because they have been found to be significant contributors to radiation dose based on the Technical Steering Panel dose decision level.« less

  4. Estimation of 1945 to 1957 food consumption. Hanford Environmental Dose Reconstruction Project

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Anderson, D.M.; Bates, D.J.; Marsh, T.L.

    This report details the methods used and the results of the study on the estimated historic levels of food consumption by individuals in the Hanford Environmental Dose Reconstruction (HEDR) study area from 1945--1957. This period includes the time of highest releases from Hanford and is the period for which data are being collected in the Hanford Thyroid Disease Study. These estimates provide the food-consumption inputs for the HEDR database of individual diets. This database will be an input file in the Hanford Environmental Dose Reconstruction Integrated Code (HEDRIC) computer model that will be used to calculate the radiation dose. Themore » report focuses on fresh milk, eggs, lettuce, and spinach. These foods were chosen because they have been found to be significant contributors to radiation dose based on the Technical Steering Panel dose decision level.« less

  5. Future Remains: Industrial Heritage at the Hanford Plutonium Works

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Freer, Brian

    This dissertation argues that U.S. environmental and historic preservation regulations, industrial heritage projects, history, and art only provide partial frameworks for successfully transmitting an informed story into the long range future about nuclear technology and its related environmental legacy. This argument is important because plutonium from nuclear weapons production is toxic to humans in very small amounts, threatens environmental health, has a half-life of 24, 110 years and because the industrial heritage project at Hanford is the first time an entire U.S. Department of Energy weapons production site has been designated a U.S. Historic District. This research is situated within anthropological interest in industrial heritage studies, environmental anthropology, applied visual anthropology, as well as wider discourses on nuclear studies. However, none of these disciplines is really designed or intended to be a completely satisfactory frame of reference for addressing this perplexing challenge of documenting and conveying an informed story about nuclear technology and its related environmental legacy into the long range future. Others have thought about this question and have made important contributions toward a potential solution. Examples here include: future generations movements concerning intergenerational equity as evidenced in scholarship, law, and amongst Native American groups; Nez Perce and Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation responses to the Hanford End State Vision and Hanford's Canyon Disposition Initiative; as well as the findings of organizational scholars on the advantages realized by organizations that have a long term future perspective. While these ideas inform the main line inquiry of this dissertation, the principal approach put forth by the researcher of how to convey an informed story about nuclear technology and waste into the long range future is implementation of the proposed Future Remains clause, as originated by the author, by amendment to two U.S. federal laws: National Historic Preservation Act and Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act. The dissertation provides a case study in public anthropology. The findings of the dissertation include recommendations whereby the Future Remains clause gives historic preservation and cultural resources a leading and ongoing role in facilitating real-time forward looking historical documentation at environmental restoration projects at United States National Priorities List (i.e., "Superfund") sites.

  6. Environmental characterization of two potential locations at Hanford for a new production reactor

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Watson, E.C.; Becker, C.D.; Fitzner, R.E.

    This report describes various environmental aspects of two areas on the Hanford Site that are potential locations for a New Production Reactor (NPR). The area known as the Skagit Hanford Site is considered the primary or reference site. The second area, termed the Firehouse Site, is considered the alternate site. The report encompasses an environmental characterization of these two potential NPR locations. Eight subject areas are covered: geography and demography; ecology; meteorology; hydrology; geology; cultural resources assessment; economic and social effects of station construction and operation; and environmental monitoring. 80 refs., 68 figs., 109 tabs.

  7. Treatment of Bottled Liquid Waste During Remediation of the Hanford 618-10 Burial Ground - 13001

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Faulk, Darrin E.; Pearson, Chris M.; Vedder, Barry L.

    2013-07-01

    A problematic waste form encountered during remediation of the Hanford Site 618-10 burial ground consists of bottled aqueous waste potentially contaminated with regulated metals. The liquid waste requires stabilization prior to landfill disposal. Prior remediation activities at other Hanford burial grounds resulted in a standard process for sampling and analyzing liquid waste using manual methods. Due to the highly dispersible characteristics of alpha contamination, and the potential for shock sensitive chemicals, a different method for bottle processing was needed for the 618-10 burial ground. Discussions with the United States Department of Energy (DOE) and United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)more » led to development of a modified approach. The modified approach involves treatment of liquid waste in bottles, up to one gallon per bottle, in a tray or box within the excavation of the remediation site. Bottles are placed in the box, covered with soil and fixative, crushed, and mixed with a Portland cement grout. The potential hazards of the liquid waste preclude sampling prior to treatment. Post treatment verification sampling is performed to demonstrate compliance with land disposal restrictions and disposal facility acceptance criteria. (authors)« less

  8. Hanford Site National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) Characterization Report, Revision 17

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Neitzel, Duane A.; Bunn, Amoret L.; Cannon, Sandra D.

    2005-09-30

    This document describes the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Hanford Site environment. It is updated each year and is intended to provide a consistent description of the Hanford Site environment for the many environmental documents being prepared by DOE contractors concerning the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). No statements about significance or environmental consequences are provided. This year’s report is the seventeenth revision of the original document published in 1988 and is (until replaced by the eighteenth revision) the only version that is relevant for use in the preparation of Hanford NEPA, State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA), and Comprehensive Environmentalmore » Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) documents. The two chapters included in this document (Chapters 4 and 6) are numbered to correspond to the chapters where such information is typically presented in environmental impact statements (EISs) and other Hanford Site NEPA or CERCLA documentation. Chapter 4.0 (Affected Environment) describes Hanford Site climate and meteorology; air quality; geology; hydrology; ecology; cultural, archaeological, and historical resources; socioeconomics; noise; and occupational health and safety. Sources for extensive tabular data related to these topics are provided in the chapter. Most subjects are divided into a general description of the characteristics of the Hanford Site, followed by site-specific information, where available, of the 100, 200, 300, and other areas. This division allows the reader to go directly to those sections of particular interest. When specific information on each of these separate areas is not complete or available, the general Hanford Site description should be used. Chapter 6.0 (Statutory and Regulatory Requirements) describes federal and state laws and regulations, DOE directives and permits, and presidential executive orders that are applicable to the NEPA documents prepared for Hanford Site activities. Information in Chapter 6 of this document can be adapted and supplemented with specific information for a chapter covering statutory and regulatory requirements in an environmental assessment or environmental impact statement. When preparing environmental assessments and EISs, authors should also be cognizant of the document titled Recommendations for the Preparation of Environmental Assessments and Environmental Impact Statements published by the DOE Office of NEPA Oversight (DOE 2004). Additional guidance on preparing DOE NEPA documents can be found at http://tis.eh.doe.gov/nepa/guidance.html. Any interested individual seeking baseline data on the Hanford Site and its past activities may also use the information contained in this document to evaluate projected activities and their impacts. For this 2005 revision, the following sections of the document were reviewed by the authors and updated with the best available information through May 2005: Climate and Meteorology Air Quality Geology – Seismicity section only Hydrology – Flow charts for the Columbia and Yakima rivers only Ecology – Threatened and Endangered Species subsection only Socioeconomics Occupational Safety All of Chapter 6.« less

  9. Fluor Hanford, Inc. Groundwater and Technical Integration Support (Master Project) Quality Assurance Management Plan

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Fix, N. J.

    The scope of the Fluor Hanford, Inc. Groundwater and Technical Integration Support (Master Project) is to provide technical and integration support to Fluor Hanford, Inc., including operable unit investigations at 300-FF-5 and other groundwater operable units, strategic integration, technical integration and assessments, remediation decision support, and science and technology. This Quality Assurance Management Plan provides the quality assurance requirements and processes that will be followed by the Fluor Hanford, Inc. Groundwater and Technical Integration Support (Master Project).

  10. Determination of an Environmental Background Level of Sr-90 in Urine for the Hanford Bioassay Program Determination of an Environmental Background Level of Sr-90 in Urine for the Hanford Bioassay Program

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Antonio, Cheryl L.; Rivard, James W.

    2009-11-01

    During the decommissioning and maintenance of some of the facilities at the U.S. Department of Energy Hanford Site in Washington State, workers have potential for a 90Sr intake. However, because of worldwide radioactive fallout, 90Sr is present in our environment, and can be detectable in routine urine bioassay samples. It is important for the Hanford Site bioassay program to discern an occupational intake from a non-occupational environmental one. A detailed study of the background 90Sr in the urine of unexposed Hanford workers was performed. A survey of the Hanford Site bioassay database found 128 Hanford workers who were hired betweenmore » 1997 and 2002 and who had a very low potential for an occupational exposure prior to the baseline strontium urinalysis. Each urinalysis sample represented excretion during an approximate 24-hr period. The arithmetic mean value for the 128 pre-exposure baselines was 3.6 ± 5.1 mBq d-1. The 90Sr activities in urine varied from -12 to 20 mBq. The 99th percentile result was 16.4 mBqd-1, which was interpreted to mean that 1% of Hanford workers not occupationally exposed to strontium might exceed 16.4 mBq d-1.« less

  11. Hanford Site Environmental Surveillance Data Report for Calendar Year 2000

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Bisping, Lynn E.

    2001-09-27

    This data report contains the actual raw data used to create tables and summaries in the Hanford Site Environmental Report 2000. This report also includes data from special sampling studies performed in 2000.

  12. Final Hanford Comprehensive Land-Use Plan Environmental Impact Statement, Hanford Site, Richland, Washington

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    N /A

    This Final ''Hanford Comprehensive Land-Use Plan Environmental Impact Statement'' (HCP EIS) is being used by the Department of Energy (DOE) and its nine cooperating and consulting agencies to develop a comprehensive land-use plan (CLUP) for the Hanford Site. The DOE will use the Final HCP EIS as a basis for a Record of Decision (ROD) on a CLUP for the Hanford Site. While development of the CLUP will be complete with release of the HCP EIS ROD, full implementation of the CLUP is expected to take at least 50 years. Implementation of the CLUP would begin a more detailed planningmore » process for land-use and facility-use decisions at the Hanford Site. The DOE would use the CLUP to screen proposals. Eventually, management of Hanford Site areas would move toward the CLUP land-use goals. This CLUP process could take more than 50 years to fully achieve the land-use goals.« less

  13. Hanford Environmental Dose Reconstruction Project monthly report, November 1992

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Cannon, S.D.; Finch, S.M.

    1992-12-31

    The objective of the Hanford Environmental Dose Reconstruction (HEDR) Project is to estimate the radiation doses that individuals and populations could have received from nuclear operations at Hanford since 1944. The TSP consists of experts in environmental pathways, epidemiology, surface-water transport, ground-water transport, statistics, demography, agriculture, meteorology, nuclear engineering, radiation dosimetry, and cultural anthropology. Included are appointed members representing the states of Oregon, Washington. and Idaho, a representative of Native American tribes, and an individual representing the public. The project is divided into the following technical tasks: Source terms; environmental transport; environmental monitoring data; demography, food consumption and agriculture; environmentalmore » pathways and dose estimates.« less

  14. Hanford Environmental Dose Reconstruction Project monthly report, November 1992

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Cannon, S.D.; Finch, S.M.

    1992-01-01

    The objective of the Hanford Environmental Dose Reconstruction (HEDR) Project is to estimate the radiation doses that individuals and populations could have received from nuclear operations at Hanford since 1944. The TSP consists of experts in environmental pathways, epidemiology, surface-water transport, ground-water transport, statistics, demography, agriculture, meteorology, nuclear engineering, radiation dosimetry, and cultural anthropology. Included are appointed members representing the states of Oregon, Washington. and Idaho, a representative of Native American tribes, and an individual representing the public. The project is divided into the following technical tasks: Source terms; environmental transport; environmental monitoring data; demography, food consumption and agriculture; environmentalmore » pathways and dose estimates.« less

  15. Testing prediction capabilities of an 131I terrestrial transport model by using measurements collected at the Hanford nuclear facility.

    PubMed

    Apostoaei, A Iulian

    2005-05-01

    A model describing transport of 131I in the environment was developed by SENES Oak Ridge, Inc., for assessment of radiation doses and excess lifetime risk from 131I atmospheric releases from Oak Ridge Reservation in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, and from Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory in southeast Idaho. This paper describes the results of an exercise designed to test the reliability of this model and to identify the main sources of uncertainty in doses and risks estimated by this model. The testing of the model was based on materials published by the International Atomic Energy Agency BIOMASS program, specifically environmental data collected after the release into atmosphere of 63 curies of 131I during 2-5 September 1963, after an accident at the Hanford PUREX Chemical Separations Plant, in Hanford, Washington. Measurements of activity in air, vegetation, and milk were collected in nine counties around Hanford during the first couple of months after the accident. The activity of 131I in the thyroid glands of two children was measured 47 d after the accident. The model developed by SENES Oak Ridge, Inc., was used to estimate concentrations of 131I in environmental media, thyroid doses for the general population, and the activity of 131I in thyroid glands of the two children. Predicted concentrations of 131I in pasture grass and milk and thyroid doses were compared with similar estimates produced by other modelers. The SENES model was also used to estimate excess lifetime risk of thyroid cancer due to the September 1963 releases of 131I from Hanford. The SENES model was first calibrated and then applied to all locations of interest around Hanford without fitting the model parameters to a given location. Predictions showed that the SENES model reproduces satisfactorily the time-dependent and the time-integrated measured concentrations in vegetation and milk, and provides reliable estimates of 131I activity in thyroids of children. SENES model generated concentrations of 131I closer to observed concentrations, as compared to the predictions produced with other models. The inter-model comparison showed that variation of thyroid doses among all participating models (SENES model included) was a factor of 3 for the general population, but a factor of 10 for the two studied children. As opposed to other models, SENES model allows a complete analysis of uncertainties in every predicted quantity, including estimated thyroid doses and risk of thyroid cancer. The uncertainties in the risk-per-unit-dose and the dose-per-unit-intake coefficients are major contributors to the uncertainty in the estimated lifetime risk and thyroid dose, respectively. The largest contributors to the uncertainty in the estimated concentration in milk are the feed-to-milk transfer factor (F(m)), the dry deposition velocity (V(d)), and the mass interception factor (r/Y)dry for the elemental form of iodine (I2). Exposure to the 1963 PUREX/Hanford accident produced low doses and risks for people living at the studied locations. The upper 97.5th percentile of the excess lifetime risk of thyroid cancer for the most extreme situations is about 10(-4). Measurements in pasture grass and milk at all locations around Hanford indicate a very low transfer of 131I from pasture to cow's milk (e.g., a feed-to-milk transfer coefficient, F(m), for commercial cows of about 0.0022 d L(-1)). These values are towards the low end of F(m) values measured elsewhere and they are low compared to the F(m) values used in other dose reconstruction studies, including the Hanford Environmental Dose Reconstruction.

  16. 75 FR 13268 - Extension of the Public Comment Period for the Draft Tank Closure and Waste Management...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-03-19

    ... Management Environmental Impact Statement for the Hanford Site, Richland, WA AGENCY: Department of Energy... Statement for the Hanford Site, Richland, Washington (Draft EIS, DOE/EIS-00391), made available for public... Draft EIS is also available through the Hanford Web site at: http://www.hanford.gov/orp . Issued in...

  17. Hanford Facility Dangerous Waste Permit Application for T Plant Complex

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    BARNES, B.M.

    2002-09-01

    The Hanford Facility Dangerous Waste Permit Application is considered to be a single application organized into a General Information Portion (document number DOE/RL-91-28) and a Unit-Specific Portion. The scope of the Unit-Specific Portion is limited to Part B permit application documentation submitted for individual, operating treatment, storage, and/or disposal units, such as the T Plant Complex (this document, DOE/RL-95-36). Both the General Information and Unit-Specific portions of the Hanford Facility Dangerous Waste Permit Application address the content of the Part B permit application guidance prepared by the Washington State Department of Ecology (Ecology 1996) and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agencymore » (40 Code of Federal Regulations 270), with additional information needs defined by the Hazardous and Solid Waste Amendments and revisions of Washington Administrative Code 173-303. For ease of reference, the Washington State Department of Ecology alpha-numeric section identifiers from the permit application guidance documentation (Ecology 1996) follow, in brackets, the chapter headings and subheadings. A checklist indicating where information is contained in the T Plant Complex permit application documentation, in relation to the Washington State Department of Ecology guidance, is located in the Contents Section. Documentation contained in the General Information Portion is broader in nature and could be used by multiple treatment, storage, and/or disposal units (e.g., the glossary provided in the General Information Portion). Wherever appropriate, the T Plant Complex permit application documentation makes cross-reference to the General Information Portion, rather than duplicating text.« less

  18. Hanford Site environmental report for calendar year 1996

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Dirkes, R.L.; Hanf, R.W.

    The Hanford Site environmental report is prepared annually to summarize environmental data and information, to describe environmental management performance, to demonstrate the status of compliance with environmental regulations, and to highlight major environmental programs and efforts. The report is written to meet requirements and guidelines of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and to meet the needs of the public. This summary has been written with a minimum of technical terminology.

  19. Hanford Environmental Dose Reconstruction Project

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    McMakin, A.H.; Cannon, S.D.; Finch, S.M.

    1992-07-01

    The objective of the Hanford Environmental Dose Reconstruction (HEDR) Project is to estimate the radiation doses that individuals and populations could have received from nuclear operations at Hanford since 1944. The TSP consists of experts in environmental pathways, epidemiology, surface-water transport, ground-water transport, statistics, demography, agriculture, meteorology, nuclear engineering, radiation dosimetry, and cultural anthropology. Included are appointed technical members representing the states of Oregon, Washington, and Idaho, a representative of Native American tribes, and an individual representing the public. The project is divided into the following technical tasks. These tasks correspond to the path radionuclides followed from release to impactmore » on humans (dose estimates): Source terms, environmental transport, environmental monitoring data, demography, food consumption, and agriculture, and environmental pathways and dose estimates. Progress is discussed.« less

  20. Hanford Environmental Dose Reconstruction Project. Monthly report

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    McMakin, A.H.; Cannon, S.D.; Finch, S.M.

    1992-07-01

    The objective of the Hanford Environmental Dose Reconstruction (HEDR) Project is to estimate the radiation doses that individuals and populations could have received from nuclear operations at Hanford since 1944. The TSP consists of experts in environmental pathways, epidemiology, surface-water transport, ground-water transport, statistics, demography, agriculture, meteorology, nuclear engineering, radiation dosimetry, and cultural anthropology. Included are appointed technical members representing the states of Oregon, Washington, and Idaho, a representative of Native American tribes, and an individual representing the public. The project is divided into the following technical tasks. These tasks correspond to the path radionuclides followed from release to impactmore » on humans (dose estimates): Source terms, environmental transport, environmental monitoring data, demography, food consumption, and agriculture, and environmental pathways and dose estimates. Progress is discussed.« less

  1. Hanford Environmental Dose Reconstruction Project monthly report

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    McMakin, A.H., Cannon, S.D.; Finch, S.M.

    1992-09-01

    The objective of the Hanford Environmental Dose Reconstruction MDR) Project is to estimate the radiation doses that individuals and populations could have received from nuclear operations at Hanford since 1944. The TSP consists of experts in envirorunental pathways. epidemiology, surface-water transport, ground-water transport, statistics, demography, agriculture, meteorology, nuclear engineering. radiation dosimetry. and cultural anthropology. Included are appointed members representing the states of Oregon, Washington, and Idaho, a representative of Native American tribes, and an individual representing the public. The project is divided into the following technical tasks. These tasks correspond to the path radionuclides followed from release to impact onmore » humans (dose estimates): Source Terms; Environmental Transport; Environmental Monitoring Data Demography, Food Consumption, and Agriculture; and Environmental Pathways and Dose Estimates.« less

  2. Site support program plan for ICF Kaiser Hanford Company, Revision 1

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    NONE

    1995-10-01

    This document is the general administrative plan implemented by the Hanford Site contractor, ICF Kaiser Hanford Company. It describes the mission, administrative structure, projected staffing, to be provided by the contractor. The report breaks out the work responsibilities within the different units of the company, a baseline schedule for the different groups, and a cost summary for the different operating units.

  3. Determination of an environmental background level of 90Sr in urine for the Hanford bioassay program.

    PubMed

    Antonio, C L; Rivard, J W

    2009-11-01

    During the decommissioning and maintenance of some of the facilities at the U.S. Department of Energy Hanford Site in Washington State, workers have potential for a Sr intake. However, because of worldwide radioactive fallout, Sr is present in our environment and can be detectable in routine urine bioassay samples. It is important for the Hanford Site bioassay program to discriminate an occupational intake from a non-occupational environmental one. A detailed study of the background Sr in the urine of unexposed Hanford workers was performed. A survey of the Hanford Site bioassay database found 128 Hanford workers who were hired between 1997 and 2002 and who had a very low potential for an occupational exposure prior to the baseline strontium urinalysis. Each urinalysis sample represented excretion during an approximate 24-h period. The arithmetic mean value for the 128 pre-exposure baselines was 3.6 +/- 5.1 mBq d. The 99 percentile result was 17 mBq d, which was interpreted to mean that 1% of Hanford workers not occupationally exposed to strontium might exceed 17 mBq d.

  4. 77 FR 28368 - Environmental Management Site-Specific Advisory Board, Hanford

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2012-05-14

    ...This notice announces a meeting of the Environmental Management Site-Specific Advisory Board (EM SSAB), Hanford. The Federal Advisory Committee Act (Pub. L. 92-463, 86 Stat. 770) requires that public notice of this meeting be announced in the Federal Register.

  5. 77 FR 2713 - Environmental Management Site-Specific Advisory Board, Hanford

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2012-01-19

    ...This notice announces a meeting of the Environmental Management Site-Specific Advisory Board (EM SSAB), Hanford. The Federal Advisory Committee Act (Pub. L. 92-463, 86 Stat. 770) requires that public notice of this meeting be announced in the Federal Register.

  6. 78 FR 4139 - Environmental Management Site-Specific Advisory Board, Hanford

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-01-18

    ...This notice announces a meeting of the Environmental Management Site-Specific Advisory Board (EM SSAB), Hanford. The Federal Advisory Committee Act (Pub. L. 92-463, 86 Stat. 770) requires that public notice of this meeting be announced in the Federal Register.

  7. 78 FR 49738 - Environmental Management Site-Specific Advisory Board, Hanford

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-08-15

    ...This notice announces a meeting of the Environmental Management Site-Specific Advisory Board (EM SSAB), Hanford. The Federal Advisory Committee Act (Pub. L. 92-463, 86 Stat. 770) requires that public notice of this meeting be announced in the Federal Register.

  8. 78 FR 28207 - Environmental Management Site-Specific Advisory Board, Hanford

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-05-14

    ...This notice announces a meeting of the Environmental Management Site-Specific Advisory Board (EM SSAB), Hanford. The Federal Advisory Committee Act (Pub. L. 92-463, 86 Stat. 770) requires that public notice of this meeting be announced in the Federal Register.

  9. 76 FR 28218 - Environmental Management Site-Specific Advisory Board, Hanford

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-05-16

    ...: Red Lion Hotel, 1101 North Columbia Center Boulevard, Kennewick, WA 99336. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION... Committee; Health, Safety and Environmental Protection Committee; Public Involvement Committee; and Budgets... Priorities. [cir] Hanford Advisory Board Budget. [cir] Process Discussions: [dec222] Issue Managers. [dec222...

  10. 77 FR 64112 - Environmental Management Site-Specific Advisory Board, Hanford

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2012-10-18

    ...This notice announces a meeting of the Environmental Management Site-Specific Advisory Board (EM SSAB), Hanford. The Federal Advisory Committee Act (Pub. L. No. 92-463, 86 Stat. 770) requires that public notice of this meeting be announced in the Federal Register.

  11. Supplemental report on population estimates for Hanford Defense waste draft environmental impact statement

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Yandon, K.E.; Burlison, J.S.; Rau, R.G.

    1980-10-01

    The research reported here supplies population data for ongoing environmental evaluations of the Hanford Site's waste management programs. The population figures in this report will be used to calculate dose to population from waste management operations for up to 10,000 years after 1990.

  12. Hanford Environmental Dose Reconstruction Project. Monthly report, December 1991

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Finch, S.M.; McMakin, A.H.

    1991-12-31

    The objective of the Hanford Environmental Dose Reconstruction Project is to estimate the radiation doses that individuals and populations could have received from nuclear operations at Hanford since 1944. The project is being managed and conducted by the Pacific Northwest Laboratory (PNL) under the direction of an independent Technical Steering Panel (TSP). The TSP consists of experts in environmental pathways, epidemiology, surface-water transport, ground-water transport, statistics, demography, agriculture, meteorology, nuclear engineering, radiation dosimetry, and cultural anthropology. Included are appointed technical members representing the states of Oregon and Washington, a representative of Native American tribes, and an individual representing the public.more » The project is divided into the following technical tasks. These tasks correspond to the path radionuclides followed, from release to impact on human (dose estimates): Source Terms; Environmental Transport; Environmental Monitoring Data; Demographics, Agriculture, Food Habits and; Environmental Pathways and Dose Estimates.« less

  13. Hanford Environmental Dose Reconstruction Project

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Finch, S.M.; McMakin, A.H.

    1991-01-01

    The objective of the Hanford Environmental Dose Reconstruction Project is to estimate the radiation doses that individuals and populations could have received from nuclear operations at Hanford since 1944. The project is being managed and conducted by the Pacific Northwest Laboratory (PNL) under the direction of an independent Technical Steering Panel (TSP). The TSP consists of experts in environmental pathways, epidemiology, surface-water transport, ground-water transport, statistics, demography, agriculture, meteorology, nuclear engineering, radiation dosimetry, and cultural anthropology. Included are appointed technical members representing the states of Oregon and Washington, a representative of Native American tribes, and an individual representing the public.more » The project is divided into the following technical tasks. These tasks correspond to the path radionuclides followed, from release to impact on human (dose estimates): Source Terms; Environmental Transport; Environmental Monitoring Data; Demographics, Agriculture, Food Habits and; Environmental Pathways and Dose Estimates.« less

  14. Hanford Site National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) Characterization

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Rohay, A.C.; Fosmire, C.J.; Neitzel, D.A.

    1999-09-28

    This document describes the US Department of Energy's (DOE) Hanford Site environment. It is updated each year and is intended to provide a consistent description of the Hanford Site environment for the many NEPA documents being prepared by DOE contractors. No conclusions or recommendations are provided. This year's report is the eleventh revision of the original document published in 1988 and is (until replaced by the 12th revision) the only version that is relevant for use in the preparation of Hanford NEPA; SEPA and CERCLA documents. The two chapters included in this document (Chapters 4 and 6) are numbered tomore » correspond to the chapters where such information is presented in environmental impact statements (EISs) and other Site-related NEPA or CERCLA documentation. Chapter 4.0 (Affected Environment) describes Hanford Site climate and meteorology, geology, hydrology, ecology, cultural, archaeological and historical resources, socioeconomic; occupational safety, and noise. Sources for extensive tabular data related to these topics are provided in the chapter. Most subjects are divided into a general description of the characteristics of the Hanford Site, followed by site-specific information, where available, of the 100,200,300, and other Areas. This division allows the reader to go directly to those sections of particular interest. When specific information on each of these separate areas is not complete or available, the general Hanford Site description should be used. Chapter 6.0 (Statutory and Regulatory Requirements) is essentially a definitive NEPA Chapter 6.0, which describes applicable federal and state laws and regulations, DOE directives and permits, and environmental standards directly applicable to the NEPA documents on the Hanford Site. People preparing environmental assessments and EISs should also be cognizant of the document entitled ''Recommendations for the Preparation of Environmental Assessments and Environmental Impact Statements'' published by the DOE Office of NEPA Oversight. Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) staff prepared individual sections of this document, with input from other Site contractors. More detailed data are available from reference sources cited or from the authors. The following sections of the document were reviewed by the authors and updated with the best available information through June 1999: Climate and Meteorology; Ecology; Cultural, Archaeological, and Historical Resources; Socioeconomics; and All of Chapter 6.« less

  15. North Slope (Wahluke Slope) expedited response action cleanup plan

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Not Available

    The purpose of this action is to mitigate any threat to public health and the environment from hazards on the North Slope and meet the expedited response action (ERA) objective of cleanup to a degree requiring no further action. The ERA may be the final remediation of the 100-I-3 Operable Unit. A No Action record of decision (ROD) may be issued after remediation completion. The US Department of Energy (DOE) currently owns or administers approximately 140 mi{sup 2} (about 90,000 acres) of land north and east of the Columbia River (referred to as the North Slope) that is part ofmore » the Hanford Site. The North Slope, also commonly known as the Wahluke Slope, was not used for plutonium production or support facilities; it was used for military air defense of the Hanford Site and vicinity. The North Slope contained seven antiaircraft gun emplacements and three Nike-Ajax missile positions. These military positions were vacated in 1960--1961 as the defense requirements at Hanford changed. They were demolished in 1974. Prior to government control in 1943, the North Slope was homesteaded. Since the initiation of this ERA in the summer of 1992, DOE signed the modified Hanford Federal Agreement and Consent Order (Tri-Party Agreement) with the Washington Department of Ecology (Ecology) and the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), in which a milestone was set to complete remediation activities and a draft closeout report by October 1994. Remediation activities will make the North Slope area available for future non-DOE uses. Thirty-nine sites have undergone limited characterization to determine if significant environmental hazards exist. This plan documents the results of that characterization and evaluates the potential remediation alternatives.« less

  16. Environmental cleanup: The challenge at the Hanford Site, Washington, USA

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Gray, Robert H.; Becker, C. Dale

    1993-07-01

    Numerous challenges face those involved with developing a coordinated and consistent approach to cleaning up the US Department of Energy’s (DOE) Hanford Site in southeastern Washington. These challenges are much greater than those encountered when the site was selected and the world’s first nuclear complex was developed almost 50 years ago. This article reviews Hanford’s history, operations, waste storage/disposal activities, environmental monitoring, and today’s approach to characterize and clean up Hanford under a Federal Facility Agreement and Consent Order, signed by DOE, the Environmental Protection Agency, and the Washington Sate Department of Ecology. Although cleanup of defense-related waste at Hanford holds many positive benefits, negative features include high costs to the US taxpayer, numerous uncertainties concerning the technologies to be employed and the risks involved, and the high probability that special interest groups and activists at large will never be completely satisfied. Issues concerning future use of the site, whether to protect and preserve its natural features or open it to public exploitation, remain to be resolved.

  17. HANFORD SITE CENTRAL PLATEAU CLEANUP COMPLETION STRATEGY

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    BERGMAN TB

    2011-01-14

    Cleanup of the Hanford Site is a complex and challenging undertaking. The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has developed a comprehensive vision for completing Hanford's cleanup mission including transition to post-cleanup activities. This vision includes 3 principle components of cleanup: the {approx}200 square miles ofland adjacent to the Columbia River, known as the River Corridor; the 75 square miles of land in the center of the Hanford Site, where the majority of the reprocessing and waste management activities have occurred, known as the Central Plateau; and the stored reprocessing wastes in the Central Plateau, the Tank Wastes. Cleanup of themore » River Corridor is well underway and is progressing towards completion of most cleanup actions by 2015. Tank waste cleanup is progressing on a longer schedule due to the complexity of the mission, with construction of the largest nuclear construction project in the United States, the Waste Treatment Plant, over 50% complete. With the progress on the River Corridor and Tank Waste, it is time to place increased emphasis on moving forward with cleanup of the Central Plateau. Cleanup of the Hanford Site has been proceeding under a framework defmed in the Hanford Federal Facility Agreement and Consent Order (Tri-Party Agreement). In early 2009, the DOE, the State of Washington Department of Ecology, and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency signed an Agreement in Principle in which the parties recognized the need to develop a more comprehensive strategy for cleanup of the Central Plateau. DOE agreed to develop a Central Plateau Cleanup Completion Strategy as a starting point for discussions. This DOE Strategy was the basis for negotiations between the Parties, discussions with the State of Oregon, the Hanford Advisory Board, and other Stakeholder groups (including open public meetings), and consultation with the Tribal Nations. The change packages to incorporate the Central Plateau Cleanup Completion Strategy were signed by the Parties on October 26,2010, and are now in the process of being implemented.« less

  18. Hanford Facility Dangerous Waste Closure Plan - Plutonium Finishing Plant Treatment Unit Glovebox HA-20MB

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    PRIGNANO, A.L.

    2003-06-25

    This closure plan describes the planned activities and performance standards for closing the Plutonium Finishing Plant (PFP) glovebox HA-20MB that housed an interim status ''Resource Conservation and Recovery Act'' (RCRA) of 1976 treatment unit. This closure plan is certified and submitted to Ecology for incorporation into the Hanford Facility RCRA Permit (HF RCRA Permit) in accordance with Hanford Federal Facility Agreement and Consent Order (Tri-Party Agreement; TPA) Milestone M-83-30 requiring submittal of a certified closure plan for ''glovebox HA-20MB'' by July 31, 2003. Glovebox HA-20MB is located within the 231-5Z Building in the 200 West Area of the Hanford Facility.more » Currently glovebox HA-20MB is being used for non-RCRA analytical purposes. The schedule of closure activities under this plan supports completion of TPA Milestone M-83-44 to deactivate and prepare for dismantlement the above grade portions of the 234-5Z and ZA, 243-Z, and 291-Z and 291-Z-1 stack buildings by September 30, 2015. Under this closure plan, glovebox HA-20MB will undergo clean closure to the performance standards of Washington Administrative Code (WAC) 173-303-610 with respect to all dangerous waste contamination from glovebox HA-20MB RCRA operations. Because the intention is to clean close the PFP treatment unit, postclosure activities are not applicable to this closure plan. To clean close the unit, it will be demonstrated that dangerous waste has not been left at levels above the closure performance standard for removal and decontamination. If it is determined that clean closure is not possible or is environmentally impractical, the closure plan will be modified to address required postclosure activities. Because dangerous waste does not include source, special nuclear, and by-product material components of mixed waste, radionuclides are not within the scope of this documentation. Any information on radionuclides is provided only for general knowledge. Clearance form only sent to RHA.« less

  19. Isotopic tracking of Hanford 300 area derived uranium in the Columbia River.

    PubMed

    Christensen, John N; Dresel, P Evan; Conrad, Mark E; Patton, Gregory W; DePaolo, Donald J

    2010-12-01

    Our objectives in this study are to quantify the discharge rate of uranium (U) to the Columbia River from the Hanford Site's 300 Area and to follow that U downriver to constrain its fate. Uranium from the Hanford Site has variable isotopic composition due to nuclear industrial processes carried out at the site. This characteristic makes it possible to use high-precision isotopic measurements of U in environmental samples to identify even trace levels of contaminant U, determine its sources, and estimate discharge rates. Our data on river water samples indicate that as much as 3.2 kg/day can enter the Columbia River from the 300 Area, which is only a small fraction of the total load of dissolved natural background U carried by the Columbia River. This very low level of Hanford-derived U can be discerned, despite dilution to <1% of natural background U, 400 km downstream from the Hanford Site. These results indicate that isotopic methods can allow the amounts of U from the 300 Area of the Hanford Site entering the Columbia River to be measured accurately to ascertain whether they are an environmental concern or insignificant relative to natural uranium background in the Columbia River.

  20. Hanford Immobilized Low Activity Waste (ILAW) Performance Assessment 2001 Version [Formerly DOE/RL-97-69] [SEC 1 & 2

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    MANN, F.M.

    2000-08-01

    The Hanford Immobilized Low-Activity Waste Performance Assessment examines the long-term environmental and human health effects associated with the planned disposal of the vitrified low-activity fraction of waste presently contained in Hanford Site tanks. The tank waste is the byproduct of separating special nuclear materials from irradiated nuclear fuels over the past 50 years. This waste is stored in underground single- and double-shell tanks. The tank waste is to be retrieved, separated into low-activity and high-level fractions, and then immobilized by vitrification. The US. Department of Energy (DOE) plans to dispose of the low-activity fraction in the Hanford Site 200 Eastmore » Area. The high-level fraction will be stored at the Hanford Site until a national repository is approved. This report provides the site-specific long-term environmental information needed by the DOE to modify the current Disposal Authorization Statement for the Hanford Site that would allow the following: construction of disposal trenches; and filling of these trenches with ILAW containers and filler material with the intent to dispose of the containers.« less

  1. State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA) environmental checklist forms for 304 Concretion Facility Closure Plan. Revision 2

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Not Available

    The 300 Area of the Hanford Site contains reactor fuel manufacturing facilities and several research and development laboratories. Recyclable scrap uranium with zircaloy-2 and copper silicon alloy, uranium-titanium alloy, beryllium/zircaloy-2 alloy, and zircaloy-2 chips and fines were secured in concrete billets (7.5-gallon containers) in the 304 Facility, located in the 300 Area. The beryllium/zircaloy-2 alloy and zircaloy-2 chips and fines are designated as mixed waste with the characteristic of ignitability. The concretion process reduced the ignitability of the fines and chips for safe storage and shipment. This process has been discontinued and the 304 Facility is now undergoing closure asmore » defined in the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) of 1976 and the Washington Administrative Code (WAC) Dangerous Waste Regulations, WAC 173-303-040. This closure plan presents a description of the 304 Facility, the history of materials and waste managed, and the procedures that will be followed to close the 304 Facility. The 304 Facility is located within the 300-FF-3 (source) and 300-FF-5 (groundwater) operable units, as designated in the Hanford Federal Facility Agreement and Consent Order (Tri-Party Agreement) (Ecology et al. 1992). Contamination in the operable units 300-FF-3 and 300-FF-5 is scheduled to be addressed through the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) of 1980 remedial action process. Therefore, all soil remedial action at the 304 Facility will be conducted as part of the CERCLA remedial action of operable units 300-FF-3 and 300-FF-5.« less

  2. Estimation of 1945 to 1957 food consumption

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Anderson, D.M.; Bates, D.J.; Marsh, T.L.

    This report details the methods used and the results of the study on the estimated historic levels of food consumption by individuals in the Hanford Environmental Dose Reconstruction (HEDR) study area from 1945--1957. This period includes the time of highest releases from Hanford and is the period for which data are being collected in the Hanford Thyroid Disease Study. These estimates provide the food-consumption inputs for the HEDR database of individual diets. This database will be an input file in the Hanford Environmental Dose Reconstruction Integrated Code (HEDRIC) computer model that will be used to calculate the radiation dose. Themore » report focuses on fresh milk, eggs, lettuce, and spinach. These foods were chosen because they have been found to be significant contributors to radiation dose based on the Technical Steering Panel dose decision level.« less

  3. 77 FR 3255 - Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for the Acquisition of a Natural...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2012-01-23

    ... Acquisition of a Natural Gas Pipeline and Natural Gas Utility Service at the Hanford Site, Richland, WA, and... Environmental Impact Statement for the Acquisition of a Natural Gas Pipeline and Natural Gas Utility Service at the Hanford Site, Richland, Washington (Natural Gas Pipeline or NGP EIS), and initiate a 30-day public...

  4. The potential for chromium to affect the fertilization process of Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) in the Hanford reach of the Columbia River, Washington, USA.

    PubMed

    Farag, A M; Harper, D D; Cleveland, L; Brumbaugh, W G; Little, E E

    2006-05-01

    The Hanford Nuclear Reservation in south central Washington was claimed by the federal government as a site for the production of plutonium. During the course of production and operation of the facilities at Hanford, radionuclides and chromium were discharged directly into the river and also contaminated the groundwater. This study was designed to assess the effects of chromium (Cr) on Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) fertilization under exposure conditions similar to those of the Hanford Reach of the Columbia River. Chinook salmon gametes were exposed to aqueous Cr concentrations ranging from 0 to 266 microg Cr l(-1). The current ambient water-quality criteria (AWQC) established for the protection of aquatic life (United States Environmental Protection Agency [USEPA] 1986) is 11 microg Cr l(-1). Cr has been measured in pore water from bottom sediments of the Columbia River at concentrations >600 microg Cr l(-1). Under exposure conditions designed to closely mimic events that occur in the river, the fertilization of Chinook salmon eggs was not affected by concentrations of Cr ranging from 11 to 266 microg Cr l(-1). Data suggest that the instantaneous nature of fertilization likely limits the potential effects of Cr on fertilization success. As a result, the current AWQC of 11 mug Cr l(-1) is most likely protective of Chinook salmon fertilization.

  5. The potential for chromium to affect the fertilization process of Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) in the Hanford Reach of the Columbia River, Washington, USA

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Farag, A.M.; Harper, D.D.; Cleveland, L.; Brumbaugh, W.G.; Little, E.E.

    2006-01-01

    The Hanford Nuclear Reservation in south central Washington was claimed by the federal government as a site for the production of plutonium. During the course of production and operation of the facilities at Hanford, radionuclides and chromium were discharged directly into the river and also contaminated the groundwater. This study was designed to assess the effects of chromium (Cr) on Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) fertilization under exposure conditions similar to those of the Hanford Reach of the Columbia River. Chinook salmon gametes were exposed to aqueous Cr concentrations ranging from 0 to 266 μg Cr l−1. The current ambient water-quality criteria (AWQC) established for the protection of aquatic life (United States Environmental Protection Agency [USEPA] 1986) is 11 μg Cr l−1. Cr has been measured in pore water from bottom sediments of the Columbia River at concentrations >600 μg Cr l−1. Under exposure conditions designed to closely mimic events that occur in the river, the fertilization of Chinook salmon eggs was not affected by concentrations of Cr ranging from 11 to 266 μg Cr l−1. Data suggest that the instantaneous nature of fertilization likely limits the potential effects of Cr on fertilization success. As a result, the current AWQC of 11 μg Cr l−1 is most likely protective of Chinook salmon fertilization.

  6. Environmental Releases for Calendar Year 2001

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    DYEKMAN, D L

    2002-08-01

    This report fulfills the annual reporting requirements of US Department of Energy (DOE) Order 5400.1, General Environmental Protection Program. The report contains tabular data summaries on air emissions and liquid effluents released to the environment as well as nonroutine releases during calendar year (CY) 2001. These releases, bearing radioactive and hazardous substances, were from Bechtel Hanford, Inc. (BHI), CH2M HILL Hanford Group, Inc. (CHG), and Fluor Hanford (FH) managed facilities and activities. These data were obtained from direct sampling and analysis and from estimates based upon approved release factors. This report further serves as a supplemental resource to the Hanfordmore » Site Environmental Report (HSER PNNL-13910), published by the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. HSER includes a yearly accounting of the impacts on the surrounding populace and environment from major activities at the Hanford Site. HSER also summarizes the regulatory compliance status of the Hanford Site. Tables ES-1 through ES-5 display comprehensive data summaries of CY2001 air emission and liquid effluent releases. The data displayed in these tables compiles the following: Radionuclide air emissions; Nonradioactive air emissions; Radionuclides in liquid effluents discharged to ground; Total volumes and flow rates of radioactive liquid effluents discharged to ground; and Radionuclides discharged to the Columbia River.« less

  7. Radiological risk from consuming fish and wildlife to Native Americans on the Hanford Site (USA).

    PubMed

    Delistraty, Damon; Van Verst, Scott; Rochette, Elizabeth A

    2010-02-01

    Historical operations at the Hanford Site (Washington State, USA) have released a wide array of non-radionuclide and radionuclide contaminants into the environment. As a result of stakeholder concerns, Native American exposure scenarios have been integrated into Hanford risk assessments. Because its contribution to radiological risk to Native Americans is culturally and geographically specific but quantitatively uncertain, a fish and wildlife ingestion pathway was examined in this study. Adult consumption rates were derived from 20 Native American scenarios (based on 12 studies) at Hanford, and tissue concentrations of key radionuclides in fish, game birds, and game mammals were compiled from the Hanford Environmental Information System (HEIS) database for a recent time interval (1995-2007) during the post-operational period. It was assumed that skeletal muscle comprised 90% of intake, while other tissues accounted for the remainder. Acknowledging data gaps, median concentrations of eight radionuclides (i.e., Co-60, Cs-137, Sr-90, Tc-99, U-234, U-238, Pu-238, and Pu-239/240) in skeletal muscle and other tissues were below 0.01 and 1 pCi/g wet wt, respectively. These radionuclide concentrations were not significantly different (Bonferroni P>0.05) on and off the Hanford Site. Despite no observed difference between onsite and offsite tissue concentrations, radiation dose and risk were calculated for the fish and wildlife ingestion pathway using onsite data. With median consumption rates and radionuclide tissue concentrations, skeletal muscle provided 42% of the dose, while other tissues (primarily bone and carcass) accounted for 58%. In terms of biota, fish ingestion was the largest contributor to dose (64%). Among radionuclides, Sr-90 was dominant, accounting for 47% of the dose. At median intake and radionuclide levels, estimated annual dose (0.36 mrem/yr) was below a dose limit of 15 mrem/yr recommended by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA), as well as below a dose limit of 100 mrem/yr proposed by the International Commission on Radiation Protection (ICRP). Similarly, lifetime cancer risk (1.7E-5), calculated with median inputs, was below risk levels corresponding to these dose limits. However, our dose and risk estimates apply to only one pathway within a multidimensional exposure scenario for Native Americans. On the other hand, radiation dose and risk corresponding to onsite tissue concentrations were not significantly different from those corresponding to offsite (background) concentrations. Recognizing uncertainties in exposure and toxicity assessments, our results may facilitate informed decision making and optimize resource allocation within a risk assessment framework at the Hanford Site. (c) 2009 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  8. Radiological risk from consuming fish and wildlife to Native Americans on the Hanford Site (USA)

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Delistraty, Damon, E-mail: DDEL461@ecy.wa.gov; Verst, Scott Van; Rochette, Elizabeth A.

    Historical operations at the Hanford Site (Washington State, USA) have released a wide array of non-radionuclide and radionuclide contaminants into the environment. As a result of stakeholder concerns, Native American exposure scenarios have been integrated into Hanford risk assessments. Because its contribution to radiological risk to Native Americans is culturally and geographically specific but quantitatively uncertain, a fish and wildlife ingestion pathway was examined in this study. Adult consumption rates were derived from 20 Native American scenarios (based on 12 studies) at Hanford, and tissue concentrations of key radionuclides in fish, game birds, and game mammals were compiled from themore » Hanford Environmental Information System (HEIS) database for a recent time interval (1995-2007) during the post-operational period. It was assumed that skeletal muscle comprised 90% of intake, while other tissues accounted for the remainder. Acknowledging data gaps, median concentrations of eight radionuclides (i.e., Co-60, Cs-137, Sr-90, Tc-99, U-234, U-238, Pu-238, and Pu-239/240) in skeletal muscle and other tissues were below 0.01 and 1 pCi/g wet wt, respectively. These radionuclide concentrations were not significantly different (Bonferroni P>0.05) on and off the Hanford Site. Despite no observed difference between onsite and offsite tissue concentrations, radiation dose and risk were calculated for the fish and wildlife ingestion pathway using onsite data. With median consumption rates and radionuclide tissue concentrations, skeletal muscle provided 42% of the dose, while other tissues (primarily bone and carcass) accounted for 58%. In terms of biota, fish ingestion was the largest contributor to dose (64%). Among radionuclides, Sr-90 was dominant, accounting for 47% of the dose. At median intake and radionuclide levels, estimated annual dose (0.36 mrem/yr) was below a dose limit of 15 mrem/yr recommended by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA), as well as below a dose limit of 100 mrem/yr proposed by the International Commission on Radiation Protection (ICRP). Similarly, lifetime cancer risk (1.7E-5), calculated with median inputs, was below risk levels corresponding to these dose limits. However, our dose and risk estimates apply to only one pathway within a multidimensional exposure scenario for Native Americans. On the other hand, radiation dose and risk corresponding to onsite tissue concentrations were not significantly different from those corresponding to offsite (background) concentrations. Recognizing uncertainties in exposure and toxicity assessments, our results may facilitate informed decision making and optimize resource allocation within a risk assessment framework at the Hanford Site.« less

  9. Hanford facility dangerous waste permit application, PUREX storage tunnels

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Haas, C. R.

    1997-09-08

    The Hanford Facility Dangerous Waste Permit Application is considered to be a single application organized into a General Information Portion (document number DOE/RL-91-28) and a Unit-Specific Portion. The scope of the Unit-Specific Portion is limited to Part B permit application documentation submitted for individual, `operating` treatment, storage, and/or disposal units, such as the PUREX Storage Tunnels (this document, DOE/RL-90-24).

  10. HANFORD SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY NEEDS STATEMENTS 2002

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    WIBLE, R.A.

    This document: (a) provides a comprehensive listing of the Hanford sites science and technology needs for fiscal year (FY) 2002; and (b) identifies partnering and commercialization opportunities within industry, other federal and state agencies, and the academic community. These needs were prepared by the Hanford projects (within the Project Hanford Management Contract, the Environmental Restoration Contract and the River Protection Project) and subsequently reviewed and endorsed by the Hanford Site Technology Coordination Group (STCG). The STCG reviews included participation of DOE-RL and DOE-ORP Management, site stakeholders, state and federal regulators, and Tribal Nations. These needs are reviewed and updated onmore » an annual basis and given a broad distribution.« less

  11. DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Not Available

    This report describes the 1992 Westinghouse Hanford Company/US Department of Energy Environmental Summer Science Camp. The objective of the ``camp`` was to motivate sixth and seventh graders to pursue studies in math, science, and the environment. This objective was accomplished through hands-on fun activities while studying the present and future challenges facing our environment. The camp was funded through Technical Task Plan, 424203, from the US Department of Energy-Headquarters, Office of Environmental Restoration and Waste Management, Technology Development,to Westinghouse Hanford Company`s International Environmental Institute, Education and Internship Performance Group.

  12. Hanford Site Waste Management Units Report

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Shearer, Jeffrey P.

    2012-02-29

    The Hanford Site Waste Management Units Report (HSWMUR) has been created to meet the requirements of the Tri-Party Agreement (TPA) Action Plan, Section 3.5, which states: “The Hanford Site Waste Management Units Report shall be generated, in a format agreed upon by the Parties, as a calendar year report and issued annually by the DOE by the end of February of each year, and posted electronically for regulator and public access. This report shall reflect all changes made in waste management unit status during the previous year.” This February 2012 version of the HSWMUR contains a comprehensive inventory of themore » 3389 sites and 540 subsites in the Waste Information Data System (WIDS). The information for each site contains a description of each unit and the waste it contains, where applicable. The WIDS database provides additional information concerning the sites contained in this report and is maintained with daily changes to these sites.« less

  13. Hanford Site Waste Management Units Report

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Shearer, Jeffrey P.

    2014-02-19

    The Hanford Site Waste Management Units Report (HSWMUR) has been created to meet the requirements of the Tri-Party Agreement (TPA) Action Plan, Section 3.5, which states: “The Hanford Site Waste Management Units Report shall be generated, in a format agreed upon by the Parties, as a calendar year report and issued annually by the DOE by the end of February of each year, and posted electronically for regulator and public access. This report shall reflect all changes made in waste management unit status during the previous year.” This February 2013 version of the HSWMUR contains a comprehensive inventory of themore » 3438 sites and 569 subsites in the Waste Information Data System (WIDS). The information for each site contains a description of each unit and the waste it contains, where applicable. The WIDS database provides additional information concerning the sites contained in this report and is maintained with daily changes to these sites.« less

  14. Hanford Site Waste Management Units Report

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Shearer, Jeffrey P.

    2013-02-13

    The Hanford Site Waste Management Units Report (HSWMUR) has been created to meet the requirements of the Tri-Party Agreement (TPA) Action Plan, Section 3.5, which states: “The Hanford Site Waste Management Units Report shall be generated, in a format agreed upon by the Parties, as a calendar year report and issued annually by the DOE by the end of February of each year, and posted electronically for regulator and public access. This report shall reflect all changes made in waste management unit status during the previous year.” This February 2013 version of the HSWMUR contains a comprehensive inventory of themore » 3427 sites and 564 subsites in the Waste Information Data System (WIDS). The information for each site contains a description of each unit and the waste it contains, where applicable. The WIDS database provides additional information concerning the sites contained in this report and is maintained with daily changes to these sites.« less

  15. Hanford Environmental Dose Reconstruction Project Monthly Report

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Finch, S.M.

    1991-02-01

    The objective of the Hanford Environmental Dose Reconstruction Project is to estimate the radiation doses that populations could have received from nuclear operations at Hanford since 1944. The project is being managed and conducted by the Pacific Northwest Laboratory (PNL) under the direction of an independent Technical Steering Panel (TSP). The TSP consists of experts in environmental pathways, epidemiology, surface-water transport, ground-water transport, statistics, demography, agriculture, meteorology, nuclear engineering, radiation dosimetry, and cultural anthropology. Included are appointed technical members representing the states of Oregon and Washington, cultural and technical experts nominated by the regional Native American tribes, and an individualmore » representing the public. The project is divided into the following technical tasks. These tasks correspond to the path radionuclides followed, from release to impact on humans (dose estimates): source terms; environmental transport; environmental monitoring data; demographics, agriculture, food habits; and environmental pathways and dose estimates. Project reports and references used in the reports are made available to the public in a public reading room. Project progress is documented in this monthly report, which is available to the public. 3 figs., 3 tabs.« less

  16. 78 FR 68431 - Environmental Management Site-Specific Advisory Board, Hanford

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-11-14

    .... FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Kimberly Ballinger, Federal Coordinator, Department of Energy...-6332; or Email: [email protected] . SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Purpose of the Board: The... DOE Presentation on the Hanford Tank Waste Retrieval, Treatment, and Disposition Framework DOE...

  17. 1998 report on Hanford Site land disposal restrictions for mixed waste

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Black, D.G.

    1998-04-10

    This report was submitted to meet the requirements of Hanford Federal Facility Agreement and Consent Order (Tri-Party Agreement) Milestone M-26-01H. This milestone requires the preparation of an annual report that covers characterization, treatment, storage, minimization, and other aspects of managing land-disposal-restricted mixed waste at the Hanford Facility. The US Department of Energy, its predecessors, and contractors on the Hanford Facility were involved in the production and purification of nuclear defense materials from the early 1940s to the late 1980s. These production activities have generated large quantities of liquid and solid mixed waste. This waste is regulated under authority of bothmore » the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act of l976 and the Atomic Energy Act of 1954. This report covers only mixed waste. The Washington State Department of Ecology, US Environmental Protection Agency, and US Department of Energy have entered into the Tri-Party Agreement to bring the Hanford Facility operations into compliance with dangerous waste regulations. The Tri-Party Agreement required development of the original land disposal restrictions (LDR) plan and its annual updates to comply with LDR requirements for mixed waste. This report is the eighth update of the plan first issued in 1990. The Tri-Party Agreement requires and the baseline plan and annual update reports provide the following information: (1) Waste Characterization Information -- Provides information about characterizing each LDR mixed waste stream. The sampling and analysis methods and protocols, past characterization results, and, where available, a schedule for providing the characterization information are discussed. (2) Storage Data -- Identifies and describes the mixed waste on the Hanford Facility. Storage data include the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act of 1976 dangerous waste codes, generator process knowledge needed to identify the waste and to make LDR determinations, quantities stored, generation rates, location and method of storage, an assessment of storage-unit compliance status, storage capacity, and the bases and assumptions used in making the estimates.« less

  18. Canada Geese at the Hanford Site – Trends in Reproductive Success, Migration Patterns, and Contaminant Concentrations

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Simmons, Mary Ann; Poston, Ted M.; Tiller, Brett L.

    2010-05-25

    Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) has conducted several studies for the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to evaluate the status and condition of Canada geese on the Hanford Reach of the Columbia River. This report summarizes results of studies of Canada geese (Branta canadensis moffitti) at the Hanford Site dating back to the 1950s. Results include information on the nesting (reproductive) success of Canada geese using the Hanford Reach, review of the local and regional migration of this species using data from bird banding studies, and summary data describing monitoring and investigations of the accumulation of Hanford-derived and environmental contaminantsmore » by resident goose populations.« less

  19. Status Report for Remediation Decision Support Project, Task 1, Activity 1.B – Physical and Hydraulic Properties Database and Interpretation

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Rockhold, Mark L.

    2008-09-26

    The objective of Activity 1.B of the Remediation Decision Support (RDS) Project is to compile all available physical and hydraulic property data for sediments from the Hanford Site, to port these data into the Hanford Environmental Information System (HEIS), and to make the data web-accessible to anyone on the Hanford Local Area Network via the so-called Virtual Library. In past years efforts were made by RDS project staff to compile all available physical and hydraulic property data for Hanford sediments and to transfer these data into SoilVision{reg_sign}, a commercial geotechnical software package designed for storing, analyzing, and manipulating soils data.more » Although SoilVision{reg_sign} has proven to be useful, its access and use restrictions have been recognized as a limitation to the effective use of the physical and hydraulic property databases by the broader group of potential users involved in Hanford waste site issues. In order to make these data more widely available and useable, a decision was made to port them to HEIS and to make them web-accessible via a Virtual Library module. In FY08 the objectives of Activity 1.B of the RDS Project were to: (1) ensure traceability and defensibility of all physical and hydraulic property data currently residing in the SoilVision{reg_sign} database maintained by PNNL, (2) transfer the physical and hydraulic property data from the Microsoft Access database files used by SoilVision{reg_sign} into HEIS, which has most recently been maintained by Fluor-Hanford, Inc., (3) develop a Virtual Library module for accessing these data from HEIS, and (4) write a User's Manual for the Virtual Library module. The development of the Virtual Library module was to be performed by a third party under subcontract to Fluor. The intent of these activities is to make the available physical and hydraulic property data more readily accessible and useable by technical staff and operable unit managers involved in waste site assessments and remedial action decisions for Hanford. This status report describes the history of this development effort and progress to date.« less

  20. Environmental surveillance master sampling schedule

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Bisping, L.E.

    This document contains the planned 1994 schedules for routine collection of samples for the Surface Environmental Surveillance Project (SESP), Drinking Water Project, and Ground-Water Surveillance Project. Samples are routinely collected for the SESP and analyzed to determine the quality of air, surface water, soil, sediment, wildlife, vegetation, foodstuffs, and farm products at Hanford Site and surrounding communities. The responsibility for monitoring the onsite drinking water falls outside the scope of the SESP. The Hanford Environmental Health Foundation is responsible for monitoring the nonradiological parameters as defined in the National Drinking Water Standards while PNL conducts the radiological monitoring of themore » onsite drinking water. PNL conducts the drinking water monitoring project concurrent with the SESP to promote efficiency and consistency, utilize the expertise developed over the years, and reduce costs associated with management, procedure development, data management, quality control and reporting. The ground-water sampling schedule identifies ground-water sampling events used by PNL for environmental surveillance of the Hanford Site.« less

  1. Hanford Environmental Analytical Methods (methods as of March 1990). Volume 2, Appendix A1-O and appendix A1-I

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Goheen, S.C.; McCulloch, M.; Daniel, J.L.

    1993-05-01

    Techniques in use at the Hanford Reservation as of March, 1990 for the analysis of liquids, organic wastes, soils, and sediments, are described. Limitations and applications of the techniques are included.

  2. Report on the emergency response to the event on May 14, 1997, at the plutonuim reclamation facility, Hanford Site, Richland,Washington

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Shoop, D.S.

    1997-08-20

    On the evening of May 14,1997, a chemical explosion Occurred at the Plutonium Reclamation Facility (PRF) in the 200 West Area(200-W) of the Hanford Site. The event warranted the declaration of an Alert emergency, activation of the Hanford Emergency Response Organization (BRO), and notification of offsite agencies. As a result of the emergency declaration, a subsequent evaluation was conducted to assess: 9 the performance of the emergency response organization o the occupational health response related to emergency activities o event notifications to offsite and environmental agencies. Additionally, the evaluation was designed to: 9 document the chronology of emergency and occupationalmore » health responses and environmental notifications connected with the explosion at the facility 0 assess the adequacy of the Hanford Site emergency preparedness activities; response readiness; and emergency management actions, occupational health, and environmental actions 0 provide an analysis of the causes of the deficiencies and weaknesses in the preparedness and response system that have been identified in the evaluation of the response a assign organizational responsibility to correct deficiencies and weaknesses a improve future performance 0 adjust elements of emergency implementing procedures and emergency preparedness activities.« less

  3. Data Summary Report for teh Remedial Investigation of Hanford Site Releases to the Columbia River, Hanford Site, Washington

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Hulstrom, L.

    2011-02-07

    This data summary report summarizes the investigation results to evaluate the nature and distribution of Hanford Site-related contaminants present in the Columbia River. As detailed in DOE/RL-2008-11, more than 2,000 environmental samples were collected from the Columbia River between 2008 and 2010. These samples consisted of island soil, sediment, surface water, groundwater upwelling (pore water, surface water, and sediment), and fish tissue.

  4. Web-Based Geographic Information System Tool for Accessing Hanford Site Environmental Data

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Triplett, Mark B.; Seiple, Timothy E.; Watson, David J.

    Data volume, complexity, and access issues pose severe challenges for analysts, regulators and stakeholders attempting to efficiently use legacy data to support decision making at the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Hanford Site. DOE has partnered with the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) on the PHOENIX (PNNL-Hanford Online Environmental Information System) project, which seeks to address data access, transparency, and integration challenges at Hanford to provide effective decision support. PHOENIX is a family of spatially-enabled web applications providing quick access to decades of valuable scientific data and insight through intuitive query, visualization, and analysis tools. PHOENIX realizes broad, public accessibilitymore » by relying only on ubiquitous web-browsers, eliminating the need for specialized software. It accommodates a wide range of users with intuitive user interfaces that require little or no training to quickly obtain and visualize data. Currently, PHOENIX is actively hosting three applications focused on groundwater monitoring, groundwater clean-up performance reporting, and in-tank monitoring. PHOENIX-based applications are being used to streamline investigative and analytical processes at Hanford, saving time and money. But more importantly, by integrating previously isolated datasets and developing relevant visualization and analysis tools, PHOENIX applications are enabling DOE to discover new correlations hidden in legacy data, allowing them to more effectively address complex issues at Hanford.« less

  5. NAVIGATING A QUALITY ROUTE TO A NATIONAL SAFETY AWARD

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    PREVETTE SS

    Deming quality methodologies applied to safety are recognized with the National Safety Council's annual Robert W. Campbell Award. Over the last ten years, the implementation of Statistical Process Control and quality methodologies at the U.S. Department of Energy's Hanford Site have contributed to improved safety. Improvements attributed to Statistical Process Control are evidenced in Occupational Safety and Health records and documented through several articles in Quality Progress and the American Society of Safety Engineers publication, Professional Safety. Statistical trending of safety, quality, and occurrence data continues to playa key role in improving safety and quality at what has been calledmore » the world's largest environmental cleanup project. DOE's Hanford Site played a pivotal role in the nation's defense beginning in the 1940s, when it was established as part of the Manhattan Project. After more than 50 years of producing material for nuclear weapons, Hanford, which covers 586 square miles in southeastern Washington state, is now focused on three outcomes: (1) Restoring the Columbia River corridor for multiple uses; (2) Transitioning the central plateau to support long-term waste management; and (3) Putting DOE assets to work for the future. The current environmental cleanup mission faces challenges of overlapping technical, political, regulatory, environmental, and cultural interests. From Oct. 1, 1996 through Sept. 30, 2008, Fluor Hanford was a prime contractor to the Department of Energy's Richland Operations Office. In this role, Fluor Hanford managed several major cleanup activities that included dismantling former nuclear-processing facilities, cleaning up the Site's contaminated groundwater, retrieving and processing transuranic waste for shipment and disposal off-site, maintaining the Site's infrastructure, providing security and fire protection, and operating the Volpentest HAMMER Training and Education Center. On October 1,2008, a transition occurred that changed Fluor's role at Hanford. Fluor's work at Hanford was split in two with the technical scope being assumed by the CH2M HILL Plateau Remediation Company (CHPRC) CHPRC is now spearheading much of the cleanup work associated with former nuclear-processing facilities, contaminated groundwater, and transuranic waste. Fluor is an integrated subcontractor to CH PRC in this effort. In addition, at the time of this writing, while the final outcome is being determined for the new Mission Support Contract, Fluor Hanford has had its contract extended to provide site-wide services that include security, fire protection, infrastructure, and operating the HAMMER facility. The emphasis has to be on doing work safely, delivering quality work, controlling costs, and meeting deadlines. Statistical support is provided by Fluor to the PRC, within Fluor Hanford, and to a third contractor, Washington Closure Hanford, which is tasked with cleaning up approximately 210 square miles designated as the Columbia River corridor along the outer edge of the Hanford Site. The closing months of Fluor Hanford's 12 year contract were busy, characterized by special events that capped its work as a prime cleanup contractor, transitions of work scope and personnel, and the completion numerous activities. At this time, Fluor's work and approach to safety were featured in state and national forums. A 'Blockbuster' presentation at the Washington State Governor's Industrial Safety Conference in September 2008 featured Fluor Hanford's Chief Operating Officer, a company Safety Representative, and me. Simultaneously, an award ceremony in Anaheim, Calif. recognized Fluor Hanford as the winner of the 2008 Robert W. Campbell Award. The Robert W. Campbell Award is co-sponsored by Exxon Mobil Corporation and the National Safety Council. Named after a pioneer of industrial safety, the Campbell Award recognizes organizations that demonstrate how integration of environmental, health and safety (EHS) management into business operations is a cornerstone of their corporate success. Fluor Hanford received the award for corporations with more than 1,000 employees. Campbell Award winners undergo rigorous assessments that include site visits and comprehensive evaluations of their commitment to, and implementation of, EHS practices. Award winners work with an international partnership of 21 organizations to develop case studies that illustrate their superior EHS programs and best practices, for use by top business and engineering schools worldwide. Quality methodologies in place at Fluor Hanford played a key role in the award process. Fluor Hanford's integrated use of Statistical Process Control and Pareto Charts for analyzing and displaying EHS performance were viewed favorably by the award judges.« less

  6. Hanford Site Environmental Report for Calendar Year 2003

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Poston, Ted M.; Hanf, Robert W.; Dirkes, Roger L.

    This report is published each year by DOE to summarize environmental data and information, describe environmental management performance, demonstrate the status of compliance with environmental regulations, and highlight major environmental programs and efforts.

  7. External Performance Evaluation Program Participation at Fluor Hanford (FH) 222S Lab

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    CLARK, G.A.

    2002-06-01

    Fluor Hanford operates the U. S. Department of Energy's (DOE) 2224 Laboratory on the Hanford Site in Southeastern Washington State. 222-S Laboratory recently celebrated its 50th anniversary of providing laboratory services to DOE and DOE contractors on the Hanford Site. The laboratory operated for many years as a production support analytical laboratory, but in the last two decades has supported the Hanford Site cleanup mission. The laboratory performs radioanalytical, inorganic, and organic characterization analyses on highly radioactive liquid and solid tank waste that will eventually be vitrified for long-term storage and or disposal. It is essential that the laboratory reportmore » defensible, highly credible data in its role as a service provider to DOE and DOE contractors. Among other things, the participation in a number of performance evaluation (PE) programs helps to ensure the credibility of the laboratory. The laboratory currently participates in Environmental Resource Associates' Water Pollution (WP) Studies and the DOE Environmental Management Laboratory (EML) Quality Assessment Program (QAP). DOE has mandated participation of the laboratory in the EML QAP. This EML program evaluates the competence of laboratories performing environmental radioanalytical measurements for DOE, and is the most comprehensive and well-established PE program in the DOE community for radiochemical laboratories. Samples are received and analyzed for radionuclides in air filter, soil, vegetation, and water matrices on a semiannual basis. The 222-S Laboratory has performed well in this program over the years as evidenced by the scores in the chart below.« less

  8. 75 FR 27999 - Environmental Management Site-Specific Advisory Board, Hanford

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-05-19

    ...: Red Lion Hotel Hanford House, 802 George Washington Way, Richland, WA 99352. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION...; and Budgets and Contracts Committee Beryllium update CERCLA 5-year review scoping update Lifecycle... [cir] TPA proposed change packages (M-15, M-91) [cir] 2012 Budget Request Board Business Public...

  9. Radionuclide Sensors and Systems for Monitoring Technetium-99 and Strontium-90 in Groundwater at the Hanford Site

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Grate, J. W.; O'Hara, M. J.; Egorov, O. B.; Burge, S. R.

    2009-12-01

    We have developed automated sensor and analyzer devices for detection and monitoring of trace radionuclides in water, using preconcentrating columns and radiometric detection. The preconcentrating minicolumn sensor concept combines selective capture and detection in a single functional unit, where the column contains tens to hundreds of milligrams of selectively sorbent material, and the entire column content is monitored with a radiometric detector. Compared to thin film sensors with a few microgram of sorbent, this approach achieves tremendous preconcentration with efficient mass transport via pumping. Furthermore, in an equilibration-based mode of operation, the preconcentration by the sensor is maximized while eliminating the need for consumable reagents to regenerate the column; it can simply be re-equilibrated. We have demonstrated quantification of radionuclides such as technetium-99 to levels below drinking water standards in an equilibration-based process that produces steady state signals, signal proportional to concentration, and easy re-equilibration to new concentration levels. Alternatively, analyzers can be developed with separate separation and detection units that are fluidically linked. We have demonstrated detection of strontium-90 to levels below drinking water standards by this approach. We are developing autonomous systems for at-site monitoring on the Hanford Site in Washington State, using the fluidic sensor and analyzer methods, with the aim of monitoring natural and accelerated attenuation processes, remediation and barrier performance, and contaminant fluxes in the environment. Figure 1. The strontium-90 monitoring method deployed as part of the Burge Environmental Universal Sensor Platform, shown on the shores of the Columbia River on the Hanford site in Washington State.

  10. Conceptual Model of Iodine Behavior in the Subsurface at the Hanford Site

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Truex, Michael J.; Lee, Brady D.; Johnson, Christian D.

    The fate and transport of 129I in the environment and potential remediation technologies are currently being studied as part of environmental remediation activities at the Hanford Site. A conceptual model describing the nature and extent of subsurface contamination, factors that control plume behavior, and factors relevant to potential remediation processes is needed to support environmental remedy decisions. Because 129I is an uncommon contaminant, relevant remediation experience and scientific literature are limited. Thus, the conceptual model also needs to both describe known contaminant and biogeochemical process information and to identify aspects about which additional information needed to effectively support remedy decisions.more » this document summarizes the conceptual model of iodine behavior relevant to iodine in the subsurface environment at the Hanford site.« less

  11. Innovative techniques and tools for public participation in U.S. Department of Energy programs

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    McMakin, A.H.; Henrich, D.L.; Kuhlman, C.A.

    1995-07-01

    In early 1995, Jon Yerxa, Public Involvement Team Leader in the Office of External Affairs at the US Department of Energy (DOE) Richland Operations Office, identified the need to ``provide Hanford`s Public Participation Program with input and advice concerning public involvement issues at Hanford.`` Yerxa identified the following committees: (1) Training, (2) Tri-Party Agreement/NEPA/ Environmental Justice, (3) Program, (4) Performance Evaluation, and (5) Communications Techniques and Technology. These committees were to be staffed by public involvement and communications staff from DOE and its contractors on the Hanford Site. This report describes the activities and recommendations of the Communications Techniques andmore » Technology committee.« less

  12. 1995 solid waste 30-year characteristics volume summary

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Templeton, K.J.; DeForest, T.J.; Rice, G.I.

    1995-10-01

    The Hanford Site has been designated by the US Department of Energy (DOE) to store, treat, and dispose of solid waste received from both onsite and offsite generators. This waste is currently or planned to be generated from ongoing operations, maintenance and deactivation activities, decontamination and decommissioning (D&D) of facilities, and environmental restoration (ER) activities. This document, prepared by Pacific Northwest Laboratory (PNL) under the direction of Westinghouse Hanford Company (WHC), describes the characteristics of the waste to be shipped to Hanford`s SWOC. The physical waste forms and hazardous constituents are described for the low-level mixed waste (LLMW) and themore » transuranic - transuranic mixed waste (TW{underscore}TRUM).« less

  13. Environmental assessment: Reference repository location, Hanford site, Washington

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    none,

    1986-05-01

    In February 1983, the US Department of Energy (DOE) identified a reference repository location at the Hanford Site in Washington as one of the nine potentially acceptable sites for a mined geologic repository for spent nuclear fuel and high-level radioactive waste. The site is in the Columbia Plateau, which is one of five distinct geohydrologic settings considered for the first repository. To determine their suitability, the Hanford Site and the eight other potentially acceptable sites have been evaluated in accordance with the DOE's General Guidelines for the Recommendation of Sites for the Nuclear Waste Repositories. These evaluations were reported inmore » draft environmental assessments (EAs), which were issued for public review and comment. After considering the comments received on the draft EAs, the DOE prepared the final EAs. On the basis of the evaluations reported in this EA, the DOE has found that the Hanford site is not disqualified under the guidelines. The DOE has also found that it is suitable for site characterization because the evidence does not support a conclusion that the site will not be able to meet each of the qualifying conditions specified in the guidelines. On the basis of these findings, the DOE is nominating the Hanford site as one of five sites suitable for characterization.« less

  14. Commercial milk distribution profiles and production locations. Hanford Environmental Dose Reconstruction Project

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Deonigi, D.E.; Anderson, D.M.; Wilfert, G.L.

    1993-12-01

    The Hanford Environmental Dose Reconstruction (HEDR) Project was established to estimate radiation doses that people could have received from nuclear operations at the Hanford Site since 1944. For this period iodine-131 is the most important offsite contributor to radiation doses from Hanford operations. Consumption of milk from cows that ate vegetation contaminated by iodine-131 is the dominant radiation pathway for individuals who drank milk. Information has been developed on commercial milk cow locations and commercial milk distribution during 1945 and 1951. The year 1945 was selected because during 1945 the largest amount of iodine-131 was released from Hanford facilities inmore » a calendar year; therefore, 1945 was the year in which an individual was likely to have received the highest dose. The year 1951 was selected to provide data for comparing the changes that occurred in commercial milk flows (i.e., sources, processing locations, and market areas) between World War II and the post-war period. To estimate the doses people could have received from this milk flow, it is necessary to estimate the amount of milk people consumed, the source of the milk, the specific feeding regime used for milk cows, and the amount of iodine-131 contamination deposited on feed.« less

  15. The Role of Congress in the Strategic Posture of the United States, 1942-1960, Manhattan Project to the New Look

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2010-05-01

    infrastructure at Los Alamos, Argonne, Oak Ridge, Hanford and elsewhere. But of equal or greater significance for the future strategic posture was the role...nuclear laboratories and defense industrial infrastructure at Los Alamos, Argonne, Oak Ridge, Hanford and elsewhere would design, test, and build...conferences which I attended at Washington, Los Alamos, Argonne, Hanford , and elsewhere, is written in sincere hopes of being helpful to you.... Those

  16. Estimation of thyroid radiation doses for the hanford thyroid disease study: results and implications for statistical power of the epidemiological analyses.

    PubMed

    Kopecky, Kenneth J; Davis, Scott; Hamilton, Thomas E; Saporito, Mark S; Onstad, Lynn E

    2004-07-01

    Residents of eastern Washington, northeastern Oregon, and western Idaho were exposed to I released into the atmosphere from operations at the Hanford Nuclear Site from 1944 through 1972, especially in the late 1940's and early 1950's. This paper describes the estimated doses to the thyroid glands of the 3,440 evaluable participants in the Hanford Thyroid Disease Study, which investigated whether thyroid morbidity was increased in people exposed to radioactive iodine from Hanford during 1944-1957. The participants were born during 1940-1946 to mothers living in Benton, Franklin, Walla Walla, Adams, Okanogan, Ferry, or Stevens Counties in Washington State. Whenever possible someone with direct knowledge of the participant's early life (preferably the participant's mother) was interviewed about the participant's individual dose-determining characteristics (residence history, sources and quantities of food, milk, and milk products consumed, production and processing techniques for home-grown food and milk products). Default information was used if no interview respondent was available. Thyroid doses were estimated using the computer program Calculation of Individual Doses from Environmental Radionuclides (CIDER) developed by the Hanford Environmental Dose Reconstruction Project. CIDER provided 100 sets of doses to represent uncertainty of the estimates. These sets were not generated independently for each participant, but reflected the effects of uncertainties in characteristics shared by participants. Estimated doses (medians of each participant's 100 realizations) ranged from 0.0029 mGy to 2823 mGy, with mean and median of 174 and 97 mGy, respectively. The distribution of estimated doses provided the Hanford Thyroid Disease Study with sufficient statistical power to test for dose-response relationships between thyroid outcomes and exposure to Hanford's I.

  17. Hanford Facility dangerous waste permit application, liquid effluent retention facility and 200 area effluent treatment facility

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Coenenberg, J.G.

    1997-08-15

    The Hanford Facility Dangerous Waste Permit Application is considered to 10 be a single application organized into a General Information Portion (document 11 number DOE/RL-91-28) and a Unit-Specific Portion. The scope of the 12 Unit-Specific Portion is limited to Part B permit application documentation 13 submitted for individual, `operating` treatment, storage, and/or disposal 14 units, such as the Liquid Effluent Retention Facility and 200 Area Effluent 15 Treatment Facility (this document, DOE/RL-97-03). 16 17 Both the General Information and Unit-Specific portions of the Hanford 18 Facility Dangerous Waste Permit Application address the content of the Part B 19 permit applicationmore » guidance prepared by the Washington State Department of 20 Ecology (Ecology 1987 and 1996) and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency 21 (40 Code of Federal Regulations 270), with additional information needs 22 defined by the Hazardous and Solid Waste Amendments and revisions of 23 Washington Administrative Code 173-303. For ease of reference, the Washington 24 State Department of Ecology alpha-numeric section identifiers from the permit 25 application guidance documentation (Ecology 1996) follow, in brackets, the 26 chapter headings and subheadings. A checklist indicating where information is 27 contained in the Liquid Effluent Retention Facility and 200 Area Effluent 28 Treatment Facility permit application documentation, in relation to the 29 Washington State Department of Ecology guidance, is located in the Contents 30 Section. 31 32 Documentation contained in the General Information Portion is broader in 33 nature and could be used by multiple treatment, storage, and/or disposal units 34 (e.g., the glossary provided in the General Information Portion). Wherever 35 appropriate, the Liquid Effluent Retention Facility and 200 Area Effluent 36 Treatment Facility permit application documentation makes cross-reference to 37 the General Information Portion, rather than duplicating text. 38 39 Information provided in this Liquid Effluent Retention Facility and 40 200 Area Effluent Treatment Facility permit application documentation is 41 current as of June 1, 1997.« less

  18. One perspective on stakeholder involvement at Hanford.

    PubMed

    Martin, Todd

    2011-11-01

    The Hanford nuclear site in Washington State had a major role in the production of nuclear weapons materials during the Manhattan Project in World War II and during the Cold War that followed. The production of weapons-grade radionuclides produced a large amount of radioactive byproducts that have been stored since the mid-1900s at the Hanford Site. These by-product radionuclides have leaked from containment facilities into the groundwater, contaminated buildings used for radionuclide processing, and also contaminated the nuclear reactors used to produce weapons-grade uranium and plutonium. This issue has been a major concern to Hanford stakeholders for several decades, and the U.S. Department of Energy, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and the Washington State Department of Ecology established a Tri-Party Agreement in 1989, at which time Hanford ceased production of nuclear weapons materials and began a major effort to clean up and remediate the Hanford Site's contaminated groundwater, soil, and facilities. This paper describes the concerns of stakeholders in the production of nuclear weapons, the secrecy of Hanford operations, and the potential impacts to public health and the environment from the unintended releases of weapons-grade materials and by-products associated with their production at the Hanford Site. It also describes the involvement of public stakeholders in the development and oversight by the Hanford Advisory Board of the steps that have been taken in cleanup activities at the Hanford Site that began as a major effort about two decades ago. The importance of involvement of the general public and public interest organizations in developing and implementing the Hanford cleanup strategy are described in detail.

  19. 75 FR 3902 - Notice of Public Hearings on the Draft Tank Closure and Waste Management Environmental Impact...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-01-25

    ... ending March 19, 2010. The State of Washington, Department of Ecology (Ecology) is a cooperating agency... and information about the Washington State Department of Ecology, contact: Annette Carlson, Nuclear... ultimate closure of Hanford. In support of Hanford's cleanup mission DOE, with Ecology as a cooperating...

  20. Description of the process used to create 1992 Hanford Morality Study database

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Gilbert, E.S.; Buchanan, J.A.; Holter, N.A.

    1992-12-01

    An updated and expanded database for the Hanford Mortality Study has been developed by PNL`s Epidemiology and Biometry Department. The purpose of this report is to document this process. The primary sources of data were the Occupational Health History (OHH) files maintained by the Hanford Environmental Health Foundation (HEHF) and including demographic data and job histories; the Hanford Mortality (HMO) files also maintained by HEHF and including information of deaths of Hanford workers; the Occupational Radiation Exposure (ORE) files maintained by PNL`s Health Physics Department and containing data on external dosimetry; and a file of workers with confirmed internal depositionsmore » of radionuclides also maintained by PNL`s Health Physics Department. This report describes each of these files in detail, and also describes the many edits that were performed to address the consistency and accuracy of data within and between these files.« less

  1. Description of the process used to create 1992 Hanford Morality Study database

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Gilbert, E. S.; Buchanan, J. A.; Holter, N. A.

    1992-12-01

    An updated and expanded database for the Hanford Mortality Study has been developed by PNL's Epidemiology and Biometry Department. The purpose of this report is to document this process. The primary sources of data were the Occupational Health History (OHH) files maintained by the Hanford Environmental Health Foundation (HEHF) and including demographic data and job histories; the Hanford Mortality (HMO) files also maintained by HEHF and including information of deaths of Hanford workers; the Occupational Radiation Exposure (ORE) files maintained by PNL's Health Physics Department and containing data on external dosimetry; and a file of workers with confirmed internal depositionsmore » of radionuclides also maintained by PNL's Health Physics Department. This report describes each of these files in detail, and also describes the many edits that were performed to address the consistency and accuracy of data within and between these files.« less

  2. Hanford analytical sample projections FY 1998--FY 2002

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Joyce, S.M.

    1998-02-12

    Analytical Services projections are compiled for the Hanford site based on inputs from the major programs for the years 1998 through 2002. Projections are categorized by radiation level, protocol, sample matrix and program. Analyses requirements are also presented. This document summarizes the Hanford sample projections for fiscal years 1998 to 2002. Sample projections are based on inputs submitted to Analytical Services covering Environmental Restoration, Tank Waste Remediation Systems (TWRS), Solid Waste, Liquid Effluents, Spent Nuclear Fuels, Transition Projects, Site Monitoring, Industrial Hygiene, Analytical Services and miscellaneous Hanford support activities. In addition, details on laboratory scale technology (development) work, Sample Management,more » and Data Management activities are included. This information will be used by Hanford Analytical Services (HAS) and the Sample Management Working Group (SMWG) to assure that laboratories and resources are available and effectively utilized to meet these documented needs.« less

  3. River Protection Project (RPP) Dangerous Waste Training Plan

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    POHTO, R.E.

    2000-03-09

    This supporting document contains the training plan for dangerous waste management at River Protection Project TSD Units. This document outlines the dangerous waste training program developed and implemented for all Treatment, Storage, and Disposal (TSD) Units operated by River Protection Project (RPP) in the Hanford 200 East, 200 West and 600 Areas and the <90 Day Accumulation Area at 209E. Operating TSD Units managed by RPP are: the Double-Shell Tank (DST) System, 204-AR Waste Unloading Facility, Grout, and the Single-Shell Tank (SST) System. The program is designed in compliance with the requirements of Washington Administrative Code (WAC) 173-303-330 and Titlemore » 40 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) 265.16 for the development of a written dangerous waste training program and the Hanford Facility Permit. Training requirements were determined by an assessment of employee duties and responsibilities. The RPP training program is designed to prepare employees to operate and maintain the Tank Farms in a safe, effective, efficient, and environmentally sound manner. In addition to preparing employees to operate and maintain the Tank Farms under normal conditions, the training program ensures that employees are prepared to respond in a prompt and effective manner should abnormal or emergency conditions occur. Emergency response training is consistent with emergency responses outlined in the following Building Emergency Plans: HNF-IP-0263-TF and HNF-=IP-0263-209E.« less

  4. 100 Areas CERCLA ecological investigations

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Landeen, D.S.; Sackschewsky, M.R.; Weiss, S.

    This document reports the results of the field terrestrial ecological investigations conducted by Westinghouse Hanford Company during fiscal years 1991 and 1992 at operable units 100-FR-3, 100-HR-3, 100-NR-2, 100-KR-4, and 100-BC-5. The tasks reported here are part of the Remedial Investigations conducted in support of the Comprehensive Environmental Response, compensation, and Liability Act of 1980 studies for the 100 Areas. These ecological investigations provide (1) a description of the flora and fauna associated with the 100 Areas operable units, emphasizing potential pathways for contaminants and species that have been given special status under existing state and/or federal laws, and (2)more » an evaluation of existing concentrations of heavy metals and radionuclides in biota associated with the 100 Areas operable units.« less

  5. Environmental assessment of SP-100 ground engineering system test site: Hanford Site, Richland, Washington

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    1988-12-01

    The US Department of Energy (DOE) proposes to modify an existing reactor containment building (decommissioned Plutonium Recycle Test Reactor (PRTR) 309 Building) to provide ground test capability for the prototype SP-100 reactor. The 309 Building (Figure 1.1) is located in the 300 Area on the Hanford Site in Washington State. The National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) requires that Federal agencies assess the potential impacts that their actions may have on the environment. This Environmental Assessment describes the consideration given to environmental impacts during reactor concept and test site selection, examines the environmental effects of the DOE proposal to ground test the nuclear subsystem, describes alternatives to the proposed action, and examines radiological risks of potential SP-100 use in space.

  6. Standardized input for Hanford environmental impact statements

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Napier, B.A.

    1981-05-01

    Models and computer programs for simulating the environmental behavior of radionuclides in the environment and the resulting radiation dose to humans have been developed over the years by the Environmental Analysis Section staff, Ecological Sciences Department at the Pacific Northwest Laboratory (PNL). Methodologies have evolved for calculating raidation doses from many exposure pathways for any type of release mechanism. Depending on the situation or process being simulated, different sets of computer programs, assumptions, and modeling techniques must be used. This report is a compilation of recommended computer programs and necessary input information for use in calculating doses to members ofmore » the general public for environmental impact statements prepared for DOE activities to be conducted on or near the Hanford Reservation.« less

  7. DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Evans, G.C.

    The Environmental Restoration Disposal Facility (ERDF) is to accept both CERCLA (EPA-regulated) and RCRA (Ecology-regulated) remediation waste. The ERDF is considered part of the overall remediation strategy on the Hanford Site, and as such, determination of ERDF viability has followed both RCRA and CERCLA decision making processes. Typically, determination of the viability of a unit, such as the ERDF, would occur as part of record of decision (ROD) or permit modification for each remediation site before construction of the ERDF. However, because construction of the ERDF may take a significant amount of time, it is necessary to begin design andmore » construction of the ERDF before final RODs/permit modifications for the remediation sites. This will allow movement of waste to occur quickly once the final remediation strategy for the RCRA and CERCLA past-practice units is determined. Construction of the ERDF is a unique situation relative to Hanford Facility cleanup, requiring a Hanford Facility specific process be developed for implementing the ERDF that would satisfy both RCRA and CERCLA requirements. While the ERDF will play a significant role in the remediation process, initiation of the ERDF does not preclude the evaluation of remedial alternatives at each remediation site. To facilitate this, the January 1994 amendment to the Tri-Party Agreement recognizes the necessity for the ERDF, and the Tri-Party Agreement states: ``Ecology, EPA, and DOE agree to proceed with the steps necessary to design, approve, construct, and operate such a ... facility.`` The Tri-Party Agreement requires the DOE-RL to prepare a comprehensive ``package`` for the EPA and Ecology to consider in evaluating the ERDF. The package is to address the criteria listed in 40 CFR 264.552(c) for corrective action management unit (CAMU) designation and a CERCLA ROD. This CAMU application is submitted as part of the Tri-Party Agreement-required information package.« less

  8. Westinghouse Hanford Company (WHC) standards/requirements identification document (S/RID)

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Bennett, G.L.

    1996-03-15

    This Standards/Requirements Identification Document (S/RID) set forth the Environmental Safety and Health (ES&H) standards/requirements for Westinghouse Hanford Company Level Programs, where implementation and compliance is the responsibility of these organizations. These standards/requirements are adequate to ensure the protection of the health and safety of workers, the public, and the environment.

  9. 78 FR 75913 - Final Tank Closure and Waste Management Environmental Impact Statement for the Hanford Site...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-12-13

    ... Subtitle C barrier, a multi-layer barrier designed to provide 500-year protection. \\2\\ Under Tank Closure..., which means the tanks, ancillary equipment, and contaminated soil would be removed, and the remaining... Hanford barrier, a multi- layer barrier designed to provide 1,000-year protection. Alternative 6: All...

  10. Lessons Learned from the 200 West Pump and Treatment Facility Construction Project at the US DOE Hanford Site - A Leadership for Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Gold-Certified Facility - 13113

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Dorr, Kent A.; Freeman-Pollard, Jhivaun R.; Ostrom, Michael J.

    CH2M Hill Plateau Remediation Company (CHPRC) designed, constructed, commissioned, and began operation of the largest groundwater pump and treatment facility in the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) nationwide complex. This one-of-a-kind groundwater pump and treatment facility, located at the Hanford Nuclear Reservation Site (Hanford Site) in Washington State, was built to an accelerated schedule with American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) funds. There were many contractual, technical, configuration management, quality, safety, and Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) challenges associated with the design, procurement, construction, and commissioning of this $95 million, 52,000 ft groundwater pump and treatment facility tomore » meet DOE's mission objective of treating contaminated groundwater at the Hanford Site with a new facility by June 28, 2012. The project team's successful integration of the project's core values and green energy technology throughout design, procurement, construction, and start-up of this complex, first-of-its-kind Bio Process facility resulted in successful achievement of DOE's mission objective, as well as attainment of LEED GOLD certification (Figure 1), which makes this Bio Process facility the first non-administrative building in the DOE Office of Environmental Management complex to earn such an award. (authors)« less

  11. Hanford Site Environmental Safety and Health Fiscal Year 2001 Budget-Risk management summary

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    REEP, I.E.

    1999-05-12

    The Hanford Site Environment, Safety and Health (ES&H) Budget-Risk Management Summary report is prepared to support the annual request to sites in the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Complex by DOE, Headquarters. The request requires sites to provide supplementary crosscutting information related to ES&H activities and the ES&H resources that support these activities. The report includes the following: (1) A summary status of fiscal year (FY) 1999 ES&H performance and ES&H execution commitments; (2)Status and plans of Hanford Site Office of Environmental Management (EM) cleanup activities; (3) Safety and health (S&H) risk management issues and compliance vulnerabilities of FY 2001more » Target Case and Below Target Case funding of EM cleanup activities; (4) S&H resource planning and crosscutting information for FY 1999 to 2001; and (5) Description of indirect-funded S&H activities.« less

  12. 200-BP-1 Prototype Hanford Barrier -- 15 Years of Performance Monitoring

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Ward, Anderson L.; Draper, Kathryn E.; Link, Steven O.

    2011-09-30

    Monitoring is an essential component of engineered barrier system design and operation. A composite capacitive cover, including a capillary break and an evapotranspiration (ET) barrier at the Hanford Site, is generating data that can be used to help resolve these issues. The prototype Hanford barrier was constructed over the 216-B-57 Crib in 1994 to evaluate surface-barrier constructability, construction costs, and physical and hydrologic performance at the field scale. The barrier has been routinely monitored between November 1994 and September 1998 as part of a Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980 (CERCLA) treatability test of barrier performance formore » the 200 BP 1 Operable Unit. Since FY 1998, monitoring has focused on a more limited set of key water balance, stability, and biotic parameters. In FY 2009, data collection was focused on: (1) water-balance monitoring, consisting of precipitation, runoff, soil moisture storage, and drainage measurements with evapotranspiration calculated by difference; (2) stability monitoring, consisting of asphalt-layer-settlement, basalt-side-slope-stability, and surface-elevation measurements; (3) vegetation dynamics; and (4) animal use. September 2009 marked 15 years since the start of monitoring and the collection of performance data. This report describes the results of monitoring activities during the period October 1, 2008, through September 30, 2009, and summarizes the 15 years of performance data collected from September 1994 through September 2009.« less

  13. Yakama Indian Nation Treaty rights and development of cleanup standards for D and D and ER actions

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Jim, R.; Barry, B.

    The Yakama Indian Nation (YIN) is a sovereign government located in the Northwestern United States. In 1855, the US government recognized Yakama Nation dominion on 12.2 million acres of land, or more than one-quarter of present-day Washington State. In the Treaty of 1855 between US and Yakama representatives, the YIN ceded control on 10.8 million acres of its ancestral land to the US government, but retained certain perpetual rights to that land. The Hanford Nuclear Site is located on Yakama ceded land, upon which the YIN retains rights to fish, hunt, gather roots and berries, and to pasture horses andmore » cattle. The YIN has been recognized by the US Department of Energy as having regulatory authority concerning Hanford operations. This authority requires incorporation of YIN Treaty rights in the development of environmental cleanup standards for D and D and ER actions. The legal and policy framework upon which YIN environmental protection standards are based includes protection of the health, safety and well-being of YIN Tribal members, protection of the environment necessary to support Treaty protected resources, and preservation of the culture which sustains the unique YIN lifestyle and religion. The basis for Yakama cleanup standards will address risk, environmental, and cultural factors. It is recognized that the unique Yakama lifestyle and diet create specific exposure pathways for hazardous and radioactive materials which are not routinely factored into risk models used to calculate doses.« less

  14. Practical issues in discriminating between environmental and occupational sources in a uranium urinalysis bioassay program

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Long, M.P.; Carbaugh, E.H.; Fairrow, N.L.

    1994-11-01

    Workers at two Department of Energy facilities, the Pantex Plant in Texas and the Hanford Site in Washington, are potentially exposed to class Y depleted or natural uranium. Since trace amounts of uranium are naturally present in urine excretion, site bioassay programs must be able to discern occupational exposure from naturally occurring uranium exposure. In 1985 Hanford established a 0.2-{mu}g/d environmental screening level for elemental uranium in urine; the protocol was based on log-normal probability analysis of unexposed workers. A second study of background uranium levels commenced in 1990, and experiences in the field indicated that there seemed to bemore » an excessive number of urine samples with uranium above the screening level and that the environmental screening level should be reviewed. Due to unforeseen problems, that second study was terminated before the complete data could be obtained. Natural uranium in rock (by weight, 99.27% {sup 288}U, 0.72% {sup 235}U, and 0.006% {sup 234}U) has approximately equal activity concentrations of {sup 238}U and {sup 234}U. Earlier studies, summarized by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in 51 FR 32068, have indicated that {sup 234}U (via {sup 234}Th) has a greater environmental mobility than {sup 238}U and may well have a higher concentration in ground water. By assuming that the {sup 238}U-to {sup 234}U ratio in the urine of nonoccupationally exposed persons should reflect the ratio of environmental levels, significant occupational exposure to depleted uranium would shift that ratio in favor of {sup 238}U, allowing use of the ratio as a co-indicator of occupational exposure in addition to the isotope-specific screening levels. This approach has been adopted by Pantex. The Pacific Northwest Laboratory is studying the feasibility of applying this method to the natural and recycled uranium mixtures encountered at Hanford. The Hanford data included in this report represent work-in-progress.« less

  15. Herbert M. Parker: Publications and contributions to radiological and health physics

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Kathren, R.L.; Baalman, R.W.; Bair, W.J.

    For more than a half century, Herbert M. Parker was a leading force in radiological physics. As a scientist, he was codeveloper of a systematic dosimetry scheme for implant therapy and the innovative proposer of radiological units with unambiguous physical and biological bases. He made seminal contributions to the development of scientifically based radiation protection standards and, as an administrator and manager as well as scientist, helped the Hanford Laboratories to achieve preeminance in several areas, including radiation biology, radioactive waste disposal, and environmental radioactivity. This volume brings together, sometimes from obscure sources, his works.

  16. Iodine conceptual model at Hanford: Aqueous speciation and interactions with minerals

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Qafoku, N. P.; Lawter, A.; McElroy, E.; Szecsody, J. E.; Lee, B.; Truex, M. J.; Smith, F.; Kerisit, S.; Freedman, V. L.

    2017-12-01

    Isotopes of iodine were generated during plutonium production at the U.S. Department of Energy Hanford Site. The fate and transport of 129I in the environment and potential remediation technologies are currently being studied as part of environmental remediation activities at the Hanford Site. A conceptual model describing the nature and extent of subsurface contamination, processes and reactions that control plume behavior, and factors relevant to potential remediation processes is needed to support environmental remedy decisions. Because 129I is an uncommon contaminant, relevant remediation experience and scientific literature are limited. As part of the effort to develop a comprehensive conceptual model of iodine at the Hanford subsurface, we conducted a series of bench-scale experiments to determine the extent of iodine interactions with minerals, abiotic and biotic species transformation via electron transfer reactions, and mechanisms of iodine aqueous species attentuation (i.e., adsorption and co-precipitation). We will also present data collected from solid phase characterization efforts using SEM/EDS, SEM/FIB, TEM/SAED, XANES and NanoSIMS. Interactions of iodine species with natural organic matter are also important; we determined the identity of organic matter compounds at Hanford and their affinity for different aqueous iodine species (i.e., iodate and iodide) using FTICR-MS along with tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS) to verify organo-iodide/iodate binding. Finally, we used a variety of molecular dymanic calculations to identify energetically competitive incorporation scenarios, and determine incorporation limits and charge compensation mechanisms.

  17. 75 FR 52319 - Environmental Management Site-Specific Advisory Board, Hanford

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-08-25

    .... ADDRESSES: Red Lion Hotel, 1415 5th Avenue, Seattle, WA 98101. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Paula Call..., Safety and Environmental Protection Committee; Public Involvement Committee; and Budgets and Contracts...

  18. Overview of vegetation monitoring data, 1952--1983. Hanford Environmental Dose Reconstruction Project

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Duncan, J.P.

    1994-03-01

    This report is a result of the Hanford Environmental Dose Reconstruction (HEDR) Project. The goal of the HEDR Project is to estimate the radiation dose that individuals could have received from emissions since 1944 at the Hanford Site near Richland, Washington. Members of the HEDR Project`s Environmental Monitoring Data Task have developed databases of historical environmental measurements of such emissions. The HEDR Project is conducted by Battelle, Pacific Northwest Laboratories. This report is the third in a series that documents the information available on measurements of iodine-131 concentrations in vegetation. The first two reports provide the data for 1945--1951. Thismore » report provides an overview of the historical documents, which contain vegetation data for 1952--1983. The overview is organized according to the documents available for any given year. Each section, covering one year, contains a discussion of the media sampled, the sampling locations, significant events if there were any, emission quantities, constituents measured, and a list of the documents with complete reference information. Because the emissions which affected vegetation were significantly less after 1951, the vegetation monitoring data after that date have not been used in the HEDR Project. However, access to these data may be of interest to the public. This overview is, therefore, being published.« less

  19. DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Dahl, Suzanne; Biyani, Rabindra; Holmes, Erika

    The United States Department of Energy's (US DOE's) Hanford Nuclear Site has 177 underground waste storage tanks located 19 to 24 km (12 to 15 miles) from the Columbia River in south-central Washington State. Hanford's tanks now hold about 212,000 cu m (56 million gallons) of highly radioactive and chemically hazardous waste. Sixty-seven tanks have leaked an estimated 3,785 cu m (1 million gallons) of this waste into the surrounding soil. Further releases to soil, groundwater, and the Columbia River are the inevitable result of the tanks continuing to age. The risk from this waste is recognized as a threatmore » to the Northwest by both State and Federal governments. US DOE and Bechtel National, Inc., are building the Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant (WTP) to treat and vitrify (immobilize in glass) the waste from Hanford's tanks. As is usual for any groundbreaking project, problems have arisen that must be resolved as they occur if treatment is to take place as specified in the court-enforceable Hanford Federal Facility Agreement and Consent Order (Tri-Party Agreement) and the Consent Decree, entered into by US DOE, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and the Washington State Department of Ecology (Ecology). At times, US DOE's approach to solving these critical issues seems to have caused undue wastes of time, energy, and, ultimately, public funds. Upon reviewing the history of Hanford's tank waste treatment project, Ecology hopes that constructive criticism of past failures and praise of successes will inspire US DOE to consider changing practices, be more transparent with regulatory agencies and the public, and take a 'lean production' approach to successfully completing this project. All three Tri-Party Agreement agencies share the goal of completing WTP on time, ensuring it is operational and in compliance with safety standards. To do this, Ecology believes US DOE should: - Maintain focus on the primary goal of completing the five major facilities of WTP. - Construct a supplemental low-activity waste (LAW) vitrification facility for the two-thirds balance of LAW that will not be treated by the vitrification facility under construction. - Prepare infrastructure for waste feed from the tanks and facilities to handle the WTP waste streams. To support this project track, Ecology expedites dangerous waste permitting by using a design-build approach to integrate WTP into the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act permit for Hanford. (authors)« less

  20. Ground beetles (Coleoptera, Carabidae) of the Hanford Nuclear Site in south-central Washington State.

    PubMed

    Looney, Chris; Zack, Richard S; Labonte, James R

    2014-01-01

    Carabidae) collected from the Hanford Nuclear Reservation and Hanford National Monument (together the Hanford Site), which is located in south-central Washington State. The Site is a relatively undisturbed relict of the shrub-steppe habitat present throughout much of the western Columbia Basin before the westward expansion of the United States. Species, localities, months of capture, and capture method are reported for field work conducted between 1994 and 2002. Most species were collected using pitfall traps, although other capture methods were employed. Trapping results indicate the Hanford Site supports a diverse ground beetle community, with over 90% of the 92 species captured native to North America. Four species collected during the study period are newly recorded for Washington State: Bembidion diligens Casey, Calosoma obsoletum Say, Pseudaptinus rufulus (LeConte), and Stenolophus lineola (Fabricius). Based on these data, the Site maintains a diverse ground beetle fauna and, due to its size and diversity of habitats, is an important repository of shrub-steppe biodiversity.

  1. Use of induced polarization to characterize the hydrogeologic framework of the zone of surface‐water/groundwater exchange at the Hanford 300 Area, WA

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Slater, Lee; Ntarlagiannis, Dimitrios; Day-Lewis, Frederick D.; Mwakanyamale, Kisa; Lane, John W.; Ward, Andy; Versteeg, Roelof J.

    2010-01-01

    An extensive continuous waterborne electrical imaging (CWEI) survey was conducted along the Columbia River corridor adjacent to the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Hanford 300 Area, WA, in order to improve the conceptual model for exchange between surface water and U‐contaminated groundwater. The primary objective was to determine spatial variability in the depth to the Hanford‐Ringold (H‐R) contact, an important lithologic boundary that limits vertical transport of groundwater along the river corridor. Resistivity and induced polarization (IP) measurements were performed along six survey lines parallel to the shore (each greater than 2.5 km in length), with a measurement recorded every 0.5–3.0 m depending on survey speed, resulting in approximately 65,000 measurements. The H‐R contact was clearly resolved in images of the normalized chargeability along the river corridor due to the large contrast in surface area (hence polarizability) of the granular material between the two lithologic units. Cross sections of the lithologic structure along the river corridor reveal a large variation in the thickness of the overlying Hanford unit (the aquifer through which contaminated groundwater discharges to the river) and clearly identify locations along the river corridor where the underlying Ringold unit is exposed to the riverbed. Knowing the distribution of the Hanford and Ringold units along the river corridor substantially improves the conceptual model for the hydrogeologic framework regulating U exchange between groundwater and Columbia River water relative to current models based on projections of data from boreholes on land into the river.

  2. Hypothyrodisim and spontaneous abortions among Hanford, Washington, downwinders

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Grossman, C.M.; Morton, W.E.; Nussbaum, R.H.

    1996-05-01

    Spontaneous abortions occurred more than twice as frequently in hypothyroid women, compared with nonhypothyroid women. Both groups of women had lived in the same environment during the same period of time. The high incidence of hypothyroidism in a cohort of several hundred women who lived downwind of the Hanford, Washington, nuclear installation was likely associated with environmental contamination from deliberate releases of radioactive iodine from the facility. 8 refs.

  3. Commercial milk distribution profiles and production locations. Hanford Environmental Dose Reconstruction Project

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Deonigi, D.E.; Anderson, D.M.; Wilfert, G.L.

    1994-04-01

    The Hanford Environmental Dose Reconstruction (HEDR) Project was established to estimate radiation doses that people could have received from nuclear operations at the Hanford Site since 1944. For this period iodine-131 is the most important offsite contributor to radiation doses from Hanford operations. Consumption of milk from cows that ate vegetation contaminated by iodine-131 is the dominant radiation pathway for individuals who drank milk (Napier 1992). Information has been developed on commercial milk cow locations and commercial milk distribution during 1945 and 1951. The year 1945 was selected because during 1945 the largest amount of iodine-131 was released from Hanfordmore » facilities in a calendar year (Heeb 1993); therefore, 1945 was the year in which an individual was likely to have received the highest dose. The year 1951 was selected to provide data for comparing the changes that occurred in commercial milk flows (i.e., sources, processing locations, and market areas) between World War II and the post-war period. To estimate the doses people could have received from this milk flow, it is necessary to estimate the amount of milk people consumed, the source of the milk, the specific feeding regime used for milk cows, and the amount of iodine-131 contamination deposited on feed.« less

  4. DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Coony, F.M.; Howe, D.B.; Voigt, L.J.

    The purpose of this report is to fulfill the reporting requirements of US Department of Energy (DOE) Order 5484.1, Environmental Protection, Safety, and Health Protection Information Reporting Requirements. Quantities of airborne and liquid wastes discharged by Westinghouse Hanford Company (Westinghouse Hanford) in the 200 Areas, 600 Area, and 1100 Area in 1987 are presented in this report. Also, quantities of solid wastes stored and buried by Westinghouse Hanford in the 200 Areas are presented in this report. The report is also intended to demonstrate compliance with Westinghouse Hanford administrative control limit (ACL) values for radioactive constituents and with applicable guidelinesmore » and standards for nonradioactive constituents. The summary of airborne release data, liquid discharge data, and solid waste management data for calendar year (CY) 1987 and CY 1986 are presented in Table ES-1. Data values for 1986 are cited in Table ES-1 to show differences in releases and waste quantities between 1986 and 1987. 19 refs., 3 figs., 19 tabs.« less

  5. 100-OL-1 Operable Unit Field Portable X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF) Analyzer Pilot Study Plans

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Bunn, Amoret L.; Fritz, Brad G.; Wellman, Dawn M.

    A pilot study is being conducted to support the approval of the Remedial Investigation/Feasibility Study (RI/FS) Work Plan to evaluate the 100-OL-1 Operable Unit (OU) pre-Hanford orchard lands. Based on comments received by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Washington State Department of Ecology, the pilot study will evaluate the use of field portable X-ray fluorescence (XRF) spectrometry measurements for evaluating lead and arsenic concentrations on the soil surface as an indicator of past use of lead arsenate pesticide residue in the OU. The work will be performed in the field during the summer of 2014, and assist inmore » the planning for the characterization activities in the RI/FS.« less

  6. Proceedings of the First Hanford Separation Science Workshop

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Not Available

    1993-05-01

    The First Hanford Separation Science Workshop, sponsored by PNL had two main objectives: (1) assess the applicability of available separation methods for environmental restoration and for minimization, recovery, and recycle of mixed and radioactive mutes; and (2) identify research needs that must be addressed to create new or improved technologies. The information gathered at this workshop not only applies to Hanford but could be adapted to DOE facilities throughout the nation as well. These proceedings have been divided into three components: Background and Introduction to the Problem gives an overview of the history of the Site and the cleanup mission,more » including waste management operations, past disposal practices, current operations, and plans for the future. Also included in this section is a discussion of specific problems concerning the chemistry of the Hanford wastes. Separation Methodologies contains the papers given at the workshop by national experts in the field of separation science regarding the state-of-the-art of various methods and their applicability/adaptability to Hanford. Research Needs identifies further research areas developed in working group sessions. Individual papers are indexed separately.« less

  7. Hanford science and technology needs statements document

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Piper, L.L.

    This document is a compilation of the Hanford science and technology needs statements for FY 1998. The needs were developed by the Hanford Site Technology Coordination Group (STCG) with full participation and endorsement of site user organizations, stakeholders, and regulators. The purpose of this document is to: (a) provide a comprehensive listing of Hanford science and technology needs, and (b) identify partnering and commercialization opportunities with industry, other federal and state agencies, and the academic community. The Hanford STCG reviews and updates the needs annually. Once completed, the needs are communicated to DOE for use in the development and prioritizationmore » of their science and technology programs, including the Focus Areas, Cross-Cutting Programs, and the Environmental Management Science Program. The needs are also transmitted to DOE through the Accelerating Cleanup: 2006 Plan. The public may access the need statements on the Internet on: the Hanford Home Page (www.hanford.gov), the Pacific Rim Enterprise Center`s web site (www2.pacific-rim.org/pacific rim), or the STCG web site at DOE headquarters (em-52.em.doegov/ifd/stcg/stcg.htm). This page includes links to science and technology needs for many DOE sites. Private industry is encouraged to review the need statements and contact the Hanford STCG if they can provide technologies that meet these needs. On-site points of contact are included at the ends of each need statement. The Pacific Rim Enterprise Center (206-224-9934) can also provide assistance to businesses interested in marketing technologies to the DOE.« less

  8. Development and Implementation of the Waste Management Information System to Support Hanford's River Corridor Cleanup

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Nolan, L. M.

    2006-07-01

    This paper describes the development of a Waste Information Management System (WMIS) to support the waste designation, transportation, and disposal processes used by Washington Closure Hanford, LLC to support cleanup of the Columbia River Corridor. This waste, primarily consisting of remediated burial sites and building demolition debris, is disposed at the Environmental Restoration Disposal Facility (ERDF), which is located in the center of the Hanford Site (an approximately 1460 square kilometers site). WMIS uses a combination of bar-code scanning, hand-held computers, and strategic employment of a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag system to track each waste shipment from waste generationmore » to disposal. (authors)« less

  9. Design, Development, Pre-Testing and Preparation for Full Scale Cold Testing of a System for Field Remediation of Vertical Pipe Units at the Hanford Site 618-10 Burial Grounds -12495

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Halliwell, Stephen

    2012-07-01

    At the Hanford site, in the 1950's and 60's, radioactive waste materials, including Transuranic (TRU) wastes from a number of laboratories were stored in vertical pipe units (VPUs) in what are now the 618-10 and 618-11 burial grounds. Although the current physical condition of the VPUs is unknown, initial R and D studies had shown that in-ground size reduction and stabilization of VPU contents was feasible. This paper describes the R and D work and testing activities to validate the concept of in-ground size reduction and stabilization of VPU contents, and the design and pre-testing of major plant items andmore » augering systems on full size simulated VPUs. The paper also describes the full size prototype equipment which will be used in full size cold testing of simulated VPUs off the Hanford site, to prove the equipment, develop operating procedures, and train operators prior to deployment on site. Safe and effective field remediation, removal and disposal of the VPUs in the 600 area are critical to the success of the River Corridor Closure Contract at the U.S. Department of Energy's Hanford Site. Safe and effective field remediation, removal and disposal of the VPUs in the 600 area are critical to the success of the River Corridor Closure Contract at the U.S. Department of Energy's Hanford Site. (authors)« less

  10. Secondary Waste Form Development and Optimization—Cast Stone

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Sundaram, S. K.; Parker, Kent E.; Valenta, Michelle M.

    2011-07-14

    Washington River Protection Services is considering the design and construction of a Solidification Treatment Unit (STU) for the Effluent Treatment Facility (ETF) at Hanford. The ETF is a Resource Conservation and Recovery Act-permitted, multi-waste, treatment and storage unit and can accept dangerous, low-level, and mixed wastewaters for treatment. The STU needs to be operational by 2018 to receive secondary liquid wastes generated during operation of the Hanford Tank Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant (WTP). The STU to ETF will provide the additional capacity needed for ETF to process the increased volume of secondary wastes expected to be produced by WTP.

  11. Hanford science and technology needs statements, 1999

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Berlin, G.T.

    In the aftermath of the Cold War, the US has begun addressing the environmental consequences of five decades of nuclear weapons production. In November 1989, DOE established the Office of Environmental Restoration and Waste Management (EM) as the central authority for cleaning up the DOE weapons complex legacy of pollution, for preventing further environmental contamination, and for instituting responsible environmental management. While performing its tasks, EM found that many aspects of its large and complex decisions could not be achieved using existing science and technology or without incurring unreasonable costs, risks, or schedule impacts. Consequently, a process was developed tomore » solicit needs from around the DOE complex and focus the science and technology resources of EM-50, the National Laboratories, private industry, and collages and universities on those needs. This document describes those needs which the Hanford Site has identified as requiring additional science or technology to complete.« less

  12. TECHNICAL ASSESSMENT OF BULK VITRIFICATION PROCESS & PRODUCT FOR TANK WASTE TREATMENT AT THE DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY HANFORD SITE

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    SCHAUS, P.S.

    At the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Hanford Site, the Waste Treatment Plant (WTP) is being constructed to immobilize both high-level waste (IUW) for disposal in a national repository and low-activity waste (LAW) for onsite, near-surface disposal. The schedule-controlling step for the WTP Project is vitrification of the large volume of LAW, current capacity of the WTP (as planned) would require 50 years to treat the Hanford tank waste, if the entire LAW volume were to be processed through the WTP. To reduce the time and cost for treatment of Hanford Tank Waste, and as required by the Tank Wastemore » Remediation System Environmental Impact Statement Record of Decision and the Hanford Federal Facility Consent Agreement (Tn-Party Agreement), DOE plans to supplement the LAW treatment capacity of the WTP. Since 2002, DOE, in cooperation with the Environmental Protection Agency and State of Washington Department of Ecology has been evaluating technologies that could provide safe and effective supplemental treatment of LAW. Current efforts at Hanford are intended to provide additional information to aid a joint agency decision on which technology will be used to supplement the WTP. A Research, Development and Demonstration permit has been issued by the State of Washington to build and (for a limited time) operate a Demonstration Bulk Vitrification System (DBVS) facility to provide information for the decision on a supplemental treatment technology for up to 50% of the LAW. In the Bulk Vitrification (BV) process, LAW, soil, and glass-forming chemicals are mixed, dried, and placed in a refractory-lined box, Electric current, supplied through two graphite electrodes in the box, melts the waste feed, producing a durable glass waste-form. Although recent modifications to the process have resulted in significant improvements, there are continuing technical concerns.« less

  13. Ground beetles (Coleoptera, Carabidae) of the Hanford Nuclear Site in south-central Washington State

    PubMed Central

    Looney, Chris; Zack, Richard S.; LaBonte, James R.

    2014-01-01

    Abstract In this paper we report on ground beetles (Coleoptera: Carabidae) collected from the Hanford Nuclear Reservation and Hanford National Monument (together the Hanford Site), which is located in south-central Washington State. The Site is a relatively undisturbed relict of the shrub-steppe habitat present throughout much of the western Columbia Basin before the westward expansion of the United States. Species, localities, months of capture, and capture method are reported for field work conducted between 1994 and 2002. Most species were collected using pitfall traps, although other capture methods were employed. Trapping results indicate the Hanford Site supports a diverse ground beetle community, with over 90% of the 92 species captured native to North America. Four species collected during the study period are newly recorded for Washington State: Bembidion diligens Casey, Calosoma obsoletum Say, Pseudaptinus rufulus (LeConte), and Stenolophus lineola (Fabricius). Based on these data, the Site maintains a diverse ground beetle fauna and, due to its size and diversity of habitats, is an important repository of shrub-steppe biodiversity. PMID:24715791

  14. 2011 River Corridor Closure Contractor Revegetation and Mitigation Monitoring Report

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    West, W. J.; Lucas, J. G.; Gano, K. A.

    2011-11-14

    This report documents the status of revegetation projects and natural resources mitigation efforts conducted for remediated waste sites and other activities associated with the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980 cleanup of National Priorities List waste sites at Hanford. This report contains the vegetation monitoring data that was collected in the spring and summer of 2011 from the River Corridor Closure Contractor’s revegetation and mitigation areas on the Hanford Site.

  15. Negotiation of a triparty agreement for mixed waste at Hanford

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    McGuire, H.E.; Powers, L.L.; Waite, J.L.

    The US Department of Energy (DOE) is currently pursuing the activities necessary to obtain a final operating permit under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) at Hanford. In addition, the Environmental Restoration Program has been established to conduct inactive site investigations and remedial actions as required under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA). The anticipated cost for the inactive site cleanup is significant. This was highlighted in a DOE report, where the expected cost for Hanford cleanup is shown as approximately $27 billion. It is imperative that the RCRA closure and corrective action activities be properlymore » integrated with the CERCLA actions to ensure site cleanup is performed in a consistent and cost-effective manner. It is believed that such an objective would best be served through an integrated triparty agreement between the Washington State Department of Ecology (WSDE), the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the DOE. The WSDE wants clear enforceability in any agreement and believes such enforceability can only be obtained through a judicial consent decree. A consent decree with WSDE for RCRA compliance would have to be separate from a CERCLA Sec. 120 federal facility agreement since EPA cannot enter into a consent decree with another federal agency.« less

  16. Environmental Measurement-While-Drilling System and Horizontal Directional Drilling Technology Demonstration, Hanford Site

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Williams, C.V.; Lockwood, G.J.; Normann, R.A.

    1999-06-01

    The Environmental Measurement-While-Drilling (EMWD) system and Horizontal Directional Drilling (HDD) were successfully demonstrated at the Mock Tank Leak Simulation Site and the Drilling Technology Test Site, Hanford, Washington. The use of directional drilling offers an alternative to vertical drilling site characterization. Directional drilling can develop a borehole under a structure, such as a waste tank, from an angled entry and leveling off to horizontal at the desired depth. The EMWD system represents an innovative blend of new and existing technology that provides the capability of producing real-time environmental and drill bit data during drilling operations. The technology demonstration consisted ofmore » the development of one borehole under a mock waste tank at a depth of {approximately} {minus}8 m ({minus}27 ft.), following a predetermined drill path, tracking the drill path to within a radius of {approximately}1.5 m (5 ft.), and monitoring for zones of radiological activity using the EMWD system. The purpose of the second borehole was to demonstrate the capability of drilling to a depth of {approximately} {minus}21 m ({minus}70 ft.), the depth needed to obtain access under the Hanford waste tanks, and continue drilling horizontally. This report presents information on the HDD and EMWD technologies, demonstration design, results of the demonstrations, and lessons learned.« less

  17. Regional Atmospheric Transport Code for Hanford Emission Tracking (RATCHET). Hanford Environmental Dose Reconstruction Project

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Ramsdell, J.V. Jr.; Simonen, C.A.; Burk, K.W.

    1994-02-01

    The purpose of the Hanford Environmental Dose Reconstruction (HEDR) Project is to estimate radiation doses that individuals may have received from operations at the Hanford Site since 1944. This report deals specifically with the atmospheric transport model, Regional Atmospheric Transport Code for Hanford Emission Tracking (RATCHET). RATCHET is a major rework of the MESOILT2 model used in the first phase of the HEDR Project; only the bookkeeping framework escaped major changes. Changes to the code include (1) significant changes in the representation of atmospheric processes and (2) incorporation of Monte Carlo methods for representing uncertainty in input data, model parameters,more » and coefficients. To a large extent, the revisions to the model are based on recommendations of a peer working group that met in March 1991. Technical bases for other portions of the atmospheric transport model are addressed in two other documents. This report has three major sections: a description of the model, a user`s guide, and a programmer`s guide. These sections discuss RATCHET from three different perspectives. The first provides a technical description of the code with emphasis on details such as the representation of the model domain, the data required by the model, and the equations used to make the model calculations. The technical description is followed by a user`s guide to the model with emphasis on running the code. The user`s guide contains information about the model input and output. The third section is a programmer`s guide to the code. It discusses the hardware and software required to run the code. The programmer`s guide also discusses program structure and each of the program elements.« less

  18. Hanford Site Groundwater Protection Management Program: Revision 1

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    NONE

    Groundwater protection is a national priority that is promulgated in a variety of environmental regulations at local, state, and federal levels. To effectively coordinate and ensure compliance with applicable regulations, the US Department of Energy has issued DOE Order 5400.1 (now under revision) that requires all US Department of Energy facilities to prepare separate groundwater protection program descriptions and plans. This document describes the Groundwater Protection Management Program for the Hanford Site located in the state of Washington. DOE Order 5400.1 specifies that the Groundwater Protection Management Program cover the following general topical areas: (1) documentation of the groundwater regime,more » (2) design and implementation of a groundwater monitoring program to support resource management and comply with applicable laws and regulations, (3) a management program for groundwater protection and remediation, (4) a summary and identification of areas that may be contaminated with hazardous waste, (5) strategies for controlling these sources, (6) a remedial action program, and (7) decontamination and decommissioning and related remedial action requirements. Many of the above elements are covered by existing programs at the Hanford Site; thus, one of the primary purposes of this document is to provide a framework for coordination of existing groundwater protection activities. Additionally, it describes how information needs are identified and can be incorporated into existing or proposed new programs. The Groundwater Protection Management Program provides the general scope, philosophy, and strategies for groundwater protection/management at the Hanford Site. Subtier documents provide the detailed plans for implementing groundwater-related activities and programs. Related schedule and budget information are provided in the 5-year plan for environmental restoration and waste management at the Hanford Site.« less

  19. Radionuclide Concentrations in Terrestrial Vegetation and Soil Samples On and Around the Hanford Site, 1971 Through 2008

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Simmons, Mary Ann; Poston, Ted M.; Fritz, Brad G.

    2011-07-29

    Environmental monitoring is conducted on the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Hanford Site to comply with DOE Orders and federal and state regulations. Major objectives of the monitoring are to characterize contaminant levels in the environment and to determine site contributions to the contaminant inventory. This report focuses on surface soil and perennial vegetation samples collected between 1971 and 2008 as part of the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory Surface Environmental Surveillance Project performed under contract to DOE. Areas sampled under this program are located on the Hanford Site but outside facility boundaries and on public lands surrounding the Hanford Site.more » Additional samples were collected during the past 8 years under DOE projects that evaluated parcels of land for radiological release. These data were included because the same sampling methodology and analytical laboratory were used for the projects. The spatial and temporal trends of six radionuclides collected over a 38-year period were evaluated. The radionuclides----cobalt-60, cesium-137, strontium-90, plutonium-238, plutonium-239/240, and uranium (reported either as uranium-238 or total uranium)----were selected because they persist in the environment and are still being monitored routinely and reported in Hanford Site environmental reports. All these radionuclides were associated with plutonium production and waste management of activities occurring on the site. Other sources include fallout from atmospheric testing of nuclear weapons, which ended in 1980, and the Chernobyl explosion in 1986. Uranium is also a natural component of the soil. This assessment of soil and vegetation data provides important information on the distribution of radionuclides in areas adjacent to industrial areas, established perimeter locations and buffer areas, and more offsite nearby and distant locations. The concentrations reflect a tendency for detection of some radionuclides close to where they were utilized onsite, but as one moves to unindustrialized areas on the site, surrounding buffer areas and perimeter location into the more distant sites, concentrations of these radionuclides approach background and cannot be distinguished from fallout activity. More importantly, concentrations in soil and vegetation samples did not exceed environmental benchmark concentrations, and associated exposure to human and ecological receptors were well below levels that are demonstratively hazardous to human health and the environment.« less

  20. Identification and mitigation of Advanced LIGO noise sources

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Berger, Beverly K.

    2018-02-01

    In order to increase the reach of the astrophysical searches, various sources of instrumental and environmental noise must be identified and ameliorated. Here we discuss efforts to understand the origin of noise manifested as short-duration bursts (glitches) and/or range-impacting features at LIGO Hanford. Several examples found at LIGO Hanford Observatory in O1 and O2 were identified including glitches due to an air compressor, ringing phone, airplanes, and an incorrect servo setting, and a decrease in detector sensitivity due to truck traffic.

  1. Remedial Investigation of Hanford Site Releases to the Columbia River - 13603

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Lerch, J.A.; Hulstrom, L.C.; Sands, J.P.

    2013-07-01

    In south-central Washington State, the Columbia River flows through the U.S. Department of Energy Hanford Site. A primary objective of the Hanford Site cleanup mission is protection of the Columbia River, through remediation of contaminated soil and groundwater that resulted from its weapons production mission. Within the Columbia River system, surface water, sediment, and biota samples related to potential Hanford Site hazardous substance releases have been collected since the start of Hanford operations. The impacts from release of Hanford Site radioactive substances to the Columbia River in areas upstream, within, and downstream of the Hanford Site boundary have been previouslymore » investigated as mandated by the U.S. Department of Energy requirements under the Atomic Energy Act. The Remedial Investigation Work Plan for Hanford Site Releases to the Columbia River [1] was issued in 2008 to initiate assessment of the impacts under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980 [2]. The work plan established a phased approach to characterize contaminants, assess current risks, and determine whether or not there is a need for any cleanup actions. Field investigation activities over a 120-mile stretch of the Columbia River began in October 2008 and were completed in 2010. Sampled media included surface water, pore water, surface and core sediment, island soil, and fish (carp, walleye, whitefish, sucker, small-mouth bass, and sturgeon). Information and sample results from the field investigation were used to characterize current conditions within the Columbia River and assess whether current conditions posed a risk to ecological or human receptors that would merit additional study or response actions under CERCLA. The human health and ecological risk assessments are documented in reports that were published in 2012 [3, 4]. Conclusions from the risk assessment reports are being summarized and integrated with remedial investigation/feasibility study (RI/FS) reports developed for upland areas, riparian areas, and groundwater in the Hanford Site River Corridor. The RI/FS reports will evaluate the impacts to soil, groundwater, and river sediments and lead to proposed cleanup actions and records of decision to address releases from the Hanford Site reactor operations. (authors)« less

  2. 300 Area waste acid treatment system closure plan

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    LUKE, S.N.

    1999-05-17

    The Hanford Facility Dangerous Waste Permit Application is considered to be a single application organized into a General Information Portion (document number DOERL-91-28) and a Unit-Specific Portion. The scope of the Unit-Specific Portion includes closure plan documentation submitted for individual, treatment, storage, and/or disposal units undergoing closure, such as the 300 Area Waste Acid Treatment System. Documentation contained in the General Information Portion is broader in nature and could be used by multiple treatment, storage, and/or disposal units (e.g., the glossary provided in the General Information Portion). Whenever appropriate, 300 Area Waste Acid Treatment System documentation makes cross-reference to themore » General Information Portion, rather than duplicating text. This 300 Area Waste Acid Treatment System Closure Plan (Revision 2) includes a Hanford Facility Dangerous Waste Permit Application, Part A, Form 3. Information provided in this closure plan is current as of April 1999.« less

  3. Decommissioning of eight surplus production reactors at the Hanford Site, Richland, Washington. Addendum (Final Environmental Impact Statement)

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Not Available

    1992-12-01

    The first section of this volume summarizes the content of the draft environmental impact statement (DEIS) and this Addendum, which together constitute the final environmental impact statement (FEIS) prepared on the decommissioning of eight surplus plutonium production reactors at Hanford. The FEIS consists of two volumes. The first volume is the DEIS as written. The second volume (this Addendum) consists of a summary; Chapter 9, which contains comments on the DEIS and provides DOE`s responses to the comments; Appendix F, which provides additional health effects information; Appendix K, which contains costs of decommissioning in 1990 dollars; Appendix L, which containsmore » additional graphite leaching data; Appendix M, which contains a discussion of accident scenarios; Appendix N, which contains errata; and Appendix 0, which contains reproductions of the letters, transcripts, and exhibits that constitute the record for the public comment period.« less

  4. Inventory Data Package for Hanford Assessments

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Kincaid, Charles T.; Eslinger, Paul W.; Aaberg, Rosanne L.

    2006-06-01

    This document presents the basis for a compilation of inventory for radioactive contaminants of interest by year for all potentially impactive waste sites on the Hanford Site for which inventory data exist in records or could be reasonably estimated. This document also includes discussions of the historical, current, and reasonably foreseeable (1944 to 2070) future radioactive waste and waste sites; the inventories of radionuclides that may have a potential for environmental impacts; a description of the method(s) for estimating inventories where records are inadequate; a description of the screening method(s) used to select those sites and contaminants that might makemore » a substantial contribution to impacts; a listing of the remedial actions and their completion dates for waste sites; and tables showing the best estimate inventories available for Hanford assessments.« less

  5. DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    King, A.G.

    The Pacific Northwest Laboratory (PNL)/Analytical Chemistry Laboratory (ACL) and the Westinghouse Hanford Company (WHC)/Process Analytical Laboratory (PAL) provide analytical support services to various environmental restoration and waste management projects/programs at Hanford. In response to a US Department of Energy -- Richland Field Office (DOE-RL) audit, which questioned the comparability of analytical methods employed at each laboratory, the Sample Exchange/Exchange (SEE) program was initiated. The SEE Program is a selfassessment program designed to compare analytical methods of the PAL and ACL laboratories using sitespecific waste material. The SEE program is managed by a collaborative, the Quality Assurance Triad (Triad). Triad membershipmore » is made up of representatives from the WHC/PAL, PNL/ACL, and WHC Hanford Analytical Services Management (HASM) organizations. The Triad works together to design/evaluate/implement each phase of the SEE Program.« less

  6. Dewatering Treatment Scale-up Testing Results of Hanford Tank Wastes

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Tedeschi, A.R.; May, T.H.; Bryan, W.E.

    2008-07-01

    This report documents CH2M HILL Hanford Group Inc. (CH2M HILL) 2007 dryer testing results in Richland, WA at the AMEC Nuclear Ltd., GeoMelt Division (AMEC) Horn Rapids Test Site. It provides a discussion of scope and results to qualify the dryer system as a viable unit-operation in the continuing evaluation of the bulk vitrification process. A 10,000 liter (L) dryer/mixer was tested for supplemental treatment of Hanford tank low activity wastes, drying and mixing a simulated non-radioactive salt solution with glass forming minerals. Testing validated the full scale equipment for producing dried product similar to smaller scale tests, and qualifiedmore » the dryer system for a subsequent integrated dryer/vitrification test using the same simulant and glass formers. The dryer system is planned for installation at the Hanford tank farms to dry/mix radioactive waste for final treatment evaluation of the supplemental bulk vitrification process. (authors)« less

  7. Monitoring iodine-129 in air and milk samples collected near the Hanford Site: an investigation of historical iodine monitoring data.

    PubMed

    Fritz, Brad G; Patton, Gregory W

    2006-01-01

    While other research has reported on the concentrations of (129)I in the environment surrounding active nuclear fuel reprocessing facilities, there is a shortage of information regarding how the concentrations change once facilities close. At the Hanford Site, the Plutonium-Uranium Extraction (PUREX) chemical separation plant was operating between 1983 and 1990, during which time (129)I concentrations in air and milk were measured. After the cessation of chemical processing, plant emissions decreased 2.5 orders of magnitude over an 8-year period. An evaluation of (129)I and (127)I concentration data in air and milk spanning the PUREX operation and post-closure period was conducted to compare the changes in environmental levels. Measured concentrations over the monitoring period were below the levels that could result in a potential annual human dose greater than 1 mSv. There was a measurable difference in the measured air concentrations of (129)I at different distances from the source, indicating a distinct Hanford fingerprint. Correlations between stack emissions of (129)I and concentrations in air and milk indicate that atmospheric emissions were the major source of (129)I measured in environmental samples. The measured concentrations during PUREX operations were similar to observations made around a fuel reprocessing plant in Germany. After the PUREX Plant stopped operating, (129)I concentration measurements made upwind of Hanford were similar to the results from Seville, Spain.

  8. DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Flynn, Karen; McCormick, Matt

    Hanford's DOE offices are responsible for one of the largest nuclear cleanup efforts in the world, cleaning up the legacy of nearly five decades of nuclear weapons production. Nowhere in the DOE Complex is cleanup more challenging than at the Hanford Site in southeastern Washington. Hanford cleanup entails remediation of hundreds of large complex hazardous waste sites; disposition of nine production reactors and the preservation of one as a National Historic Landmark; demolition of hundreds of contaminated facilities including five enormous process canyons; remediation of billions of gallons of contaminated groundwater; disposition of millions of tons of low-level, mixed low-level,more » and transuranic waste; disposition of significant quantities of special nuclear material; storage and ultimate disposition of irradiated nuclear fuel; remediation of contamination deep in the soil that could impact groundwater; decontamination and decommissioning of hundreds of buildings and structures; and treatment of 56 million gallons of radioactive waste in 177 large underground tanks through the construction of a first-of-its-kind Waste Treatment Plant. Cleanup of the Hanford Site is a complex and challenging undertaking. The DOE Richland Operations Office has a vision and a strategy for completing Hanford's cleanup including the transition to post-cleanup activities. Information on the strategy is outlined in the Hanford Site Completion Framework. The framework describes three major components of cleanup - River Corridor, Central Plateau, and Tank Waste. It provides the context for individual cleanup actions by describing the key challenges and approaches for the decisions needed to complete cleanup. The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), as regulated by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Washington State Department of Ecology (Ecology), is implementing a strategy to achieve final cleanup decisions for the River Corridor portion of the Hanford Site. The DOE Richland Operations Office (RL) and DOE Office of River Protection (ORP) have prepared this document to describe the strategy and to begin developing the approach for making cleanup decisions for the remainder of the Hanford Site. DOE's intent is that the Completion Framework document will facilitate dialogue among the Tri-Parties and with Hanford's diverse interest groups, including Tribal Nations, State of Oregon, Hanford Advisory Board, Natural Resource Trustees, and the public. Future cleanup decisions will be enhanced by an improved understanding of the challenges facing cleanup and a common understanding of the goals and approaches for cleanup completion. The overarching goals for cleanup are sevenfold. - Goal 1: Protect the Columbia River. - Goal 2: Restore groundwater to its beneficial use to protect human health, the environment, and the Columbia River. - Goal 3: Clean up River Corridor waste sites and facilities to: Protect groundwater and the Columbia River. Shrink the active cleanup footprint to the Central Plateau, and support anticipated future uses of the land. - Goal 4: Clean up Central Plateau waste sites, tank farms, and facilities to: Protect groundwater. Minimize the footprint of areas requiring long-term waste management activities. Support anticipated future uses of the land. - Goal 5: Safely manage and transfer legacy materials scheduled for off-site disposition including special nuclear material (including plutonium), spent nuclear fuel, transuranic waste, and immobilized high-level waste. - Goal 6: Consolidate waste treatment, storage, and disposal operations on the Central Plateau. - Goal 7: Develop and implement institutional controls and long-term stewardship activities that protect human health, the environment, and Hanford's unique cultural, historical and ecological resources after cleanup activities are completed. These goals embody more than 20 years of dialogue among the Tri-Party Agencies, Tribal Nations, State of Oregon, stakeholders, and the public. They carry forward key values captured in forums such as the Hanford Future Site Uses Working Group, Tank Waste Task Force, Hanford Summits, and Hanford Advisory Board Exposure Scenario Workshops, as well as more than 200 advice letters issued by the Hanford Advisory Board (http://www.hanford.gov/page.cfm/hab). These goals help guide all aspects of Hanford Site cleanup. Cleanup activities at various areas of the site support the achievement of one or more of these goals. These goals help set priorities to apply resources and sequence cleanup efforts for the greatest benefit. These goals reflect DOE's recognition that the Columbia River is a critical resource for the people and ecology of the Pacific Northwest. The 50-mile stretch of the river known as the Hanford Reach is home to the last free-flowing section of the river in the U.S. As one of the largest rivers in North America, its waters support a multitude of uses that are vital to the economic and environmental well being of the region and it is particularly important in sustaining the culture of Native Americans. Cleanup actions must protect this river. (authors)« less

  9. 76 FR 63613 - Environmental Management Site-Specific Advisory Board, Hanford

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-10-13

    ... membership reappointment process. DOE Presentation: Tank Vapor Monitoring. Pacific Northwest National Laboratory Presentation: Advanced Simulation Capability for EM/Groundwater Modeling. Board Business: [[Page 63614

  10. Factors affecting the age-C resident fish community along shorelines of the Hanford Reach of the Columbia River

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Gadomski, D.M.; Wagner, P.G.

    2009-01-01

    The Hanford Reach is one of the few remaining unimpounded sections of the Columbia River. However, because of flow management at upstream dams, there are often large fluctuations in water level. To determine how environmental conditions might affect age-0 resident fishes in the Hanford Reach, we evaluated species composition, distribution, abundance, and standard lengths of larval and juvenile fishes along shoreline habitats during July and August 1998, 1999, and 2000. Catches in beach seine hauls during all three years were highly variable. The four most abundant taxa collected were three cyprinids, peamouth (Mylocheilus caurinus), northern pikeminnow (Plychocheilus oregonensis), and redside shiner (Richardson ius balteatus); and suckers (Catostoinus spp.). Highest overall catches were in sloughs of the Hanford Reach in 1999, a year with high flows, lower water level fluctuations, and more vegetation. Mean shoreline summer water temperatures were higher in 1998 than in 1999 and 2000, and mean lengths of the four most abundant taxa in late August were also greater in 1998, due presumably to enhanced growth or an earlier spawning season. In spite of flow fluctuations, overall catches of age-0 resident fishes were greater in the riverine Hanford Reach compared to past catches in a more lentic Columbia River reservoir. High abundances of age-0 resident fishes in the Hanford Reach could be due to more spawning and rearing habitat in this structurally complex area, and may mitigate for negative effects of variable flow regimes.

  11. Risk management study for the retired Hanford Site facilities: Qualitative risk evaluation for the retired Hanford Site facilities. Volume 3

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Coles, G.A.; Shultz, M.V.; Taylor, W.E.

    1993-09-01

    This document provides a risk evaluation of the 100 and 200 Area retired, surplus facilities on the Hanford Site. Also included are the related data that were compiled by the risk evaluation team during investigations performed on the facilities. Results are the product of a major effort performed in fiscal year 1993 to produce qualitative information that characterizes certain risks associated with these facilities. The retired facilities investigated for this evaluation are located in the 100 and 200 Areas of the 1,450-km{sup 2} (570-mi{sup 2}) Hanford Site. The Hanford Site is a semiarid tract of land in southeastern Washington State.more » The nearest population center is Richland, Washington, (population 32,000) 30-km (20 mi) southeast of the 200 Area. During walkdown investigations of these facilities, data on real and potential hazards that threatened human health or safety or created potential environmental release issues were identified by the risk evaluation team. Using these findings, the team categorized the identified hazards by facility and evaluated the risk associated with each hazard. The factors contributing to each risk, and the consequence and likelihood of harm associated with each hazard also are included in this evaluation.« less

  12. Purex Plant comparison with 40 CFR 61, subpart H, and other referenced guidelines for the Product Removal (PR) (296-A-1) stack

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Lohrasbi, J.

    Dose calculations for atmospheric radionuclide releases from the Hanford Site for calendar year (CY) 1992 were performed by Pacific Northwest Laboratory (PNL) using the approved US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) CAP-88 computer model. Emissions from discharge points in the Hanford Site 100, 200, 300, 400, and 600 areas were calculated based on results of analyses of continuous and periodic sampling conducted at the discharge points. These calculated emissions were provided for inclusion in the CAP-88 model by area and by individual facility for those facilities having the potential to contribute more than 10 percent of the Hanford Site total ormore » to result in an impact of greater than 0.1 mrem per year to the maximally exposed individual (MEI). Also included in the assessment of offsite dose modeling are the measured radioactive emissions from all Hanford Site stacks that have routine monitoring performed. Record sampling systems have been installed on all stacks and vents that use exhaust fans to discharge air that potentially may carry airborne radioactivity. Estimation of activity from ingrowth of long-lived radioactive progeny is not included in the CAP-88 model; therefore, the Hanford Site GENII code (Napier et al. 1988) was used to supplement the CAP-88 dose calculations. When the dose to the MEI located in the Ringold area was calculated, the effective dose equivalent (EDE) from combined Hanford Site radioactive airborne emissions was shown to be 3.7E-03 mrem. This value was reported in the annual air emission report prepared for the Hanford Site (RL 1993).« less

  13. Monitoring Iodine-129 in Air and Milk Samples Collected Near the Hanford Site: An Investigation of Historical Iodine Monitoring Data

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Fritz, Brad G.; Patton, Gregory W.

    2006-01-01

    While other research has reported on the concentrations of 129I in the environment surrounding active nuclear fuel reprocessing facilities, there is a shortage of information regarding how the concentrations change once facilities close. At the Hanford Site, the Plutonium-Uranium Extraction (PUREX) chemical separation plant was operational between 1983 and 1990, during which time 129I concentrations in air and milk were measured. After the cessation of operations in 1990, plant emissions decreased 2.5 orders of magnitude over an 8 year period, and monitoring of environmental levels continued. An evaluation of air and milk 129I concentration data spanning the PUREX operation andmore » post closure period was conducted to compare the changes in environmental levels of 129I measured. Measured concentrations over the monitoring period were below levels that could result in a potential human dose greater than 10 uSv. There was a significant and measurable difference in the measured air concentrations of 129I at different distances from the source, indicating a distinct Hanford fingerprint. Correlations between stack emissions of 129I and concentrations in air and milk indicate that atmospheric emissions were responsible for the 129I concentrations measured in environmental samples. The measured concentrations during PUREX operation were similar to observations made around a fuel reprocessing plant in Germany.« less

  14. 75 FR 6018 - Environmental Management Site-Specific Advisory Board, Hanford

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-02-05

    ... in the Draft Tank Closure (TC) and Waste Management (WM) Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) Overview of the Draft TC and WM EIS findings by other stakeholder groups Discussion of HAB member comments on the TC and WM EIS Development of HAB advice principles Adjourn Public Participation: The meeting...

  15. Restoration of areas disturbed by site studies for a mined commercial radioactive waste repository: The Basalt Waste Isolation Project (BWIP)

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Brandt, C.A.; Rickard, W.H. Jr.; Biehert, R.W.

    1989-01-01

    The Basalt Waste Isolation Project (BWIP) was undertaken to environmentally characterize a portion of the US Department of Energy's Hanford Site in Washington State as a potential host for the nation's first mined commercial nuclear waste repository. Studies were terminated by Congress in 1987. Between 1976 and 1987, 72 areas located across the Hanford Site were disturbed by the BWIP. These areas include borehole pads, a large Exploratory Shaft Facility, and the Near Surface Test Facility. Most boreholes were cleared of vegetation, leveled, and stabilized with a thick layer of compacted pit-run gravel and sand. The Near Surface Test Facilitymore » consists of three mined adits, a rock-spoils bench, and numerous support facilities. Restoration began in 1988 with the objective of returning sites to pre-existing conditions using native species. The Hanford Site retains some of the last remnants of the shrub-steppe ecosystem in Washington. The primary constraints to restoring native vegetation at Hanford are low precipitation and the presence of cheatgrass, an extremely capable alien competitor. 5 figs.« less

  16. DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Dorr, Kent A.; Ostrom, Michael J.; Freeman-Pollard, Jhivaun R.

    CH2M Hill Plateau Remediation Company (CHPRC) designed, constructed, commissioned, and began operation of the largest groundwater pump and treatment facility in the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) nationwide complex. This one-of-a-kind groundwater pump and treatment facility, located at the Hanford Nuclear Reservation Site (Hanford Site) in Washington State, was built in an accelerated manner with American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) funds and has attained Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) GOLD certification, which makes it the first non-administrative building in the DOE Office of Environmental Management complex to earn such an award. There were many contractual, technical, configurationmore » management, quality, safety, and LEED challenges associated with the design, procurement, construction, and commissioning of this $95 million, 52,000 ft groundwater pump and treatment facility. This paper will present the Project and LEED accomplishments, as well as Lessons Learned by CHPRC when additional ARRA funds were used to accelerate design, procurement, construction, and commissioning of the 200 West Groundwater Pump and Treatment (2W P&T) Facility to meet DOE's mission of treating contaminated groundwater at the Hanford Site with a new facility by June 28, 2012.« less

  17. DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Dorr, Kent A.; Ostrom, Michael J.; Freeman-Pollard, Jhivaun R.

    CH2M Hill Plateau Remediation Company (CHPRC) designed, constructed, commissioned, and began operation of the largest groundwater pump and treatment facility in the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) nationwide complex. This one-of-a-kind groundwater pump and treatment facility, located at the Hanford Nuclear Reservation Site (Hanford Site) in Washington State, was built to an accelerated schedule with American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) funds. There were many contractual, technical, configuration management, quality, safety, and Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) challenges associated with the design, procurement, construction, and commissioning of this $95 million, 52,000 ft groundwater pump and treatment facility tomore » meet DOE’s mission objective of treating contaminated groundwater at the Hanford Site with a new facility by June 28, 2012. The project team’s successful integration of the project’s core values and green energy technology throughout design, procurement, construction, and start-up of this complex, first-of-its-kind Bio Process facility resulted in successful achievement of DOE’s mission objective, as well as attainment of LEED GOLD certification, which makes this Bio Process facility the first non-administrative building in the DOE Office of Environmental Management complex to earn such an award.« less

  18. 75 FR 2859 - Environmental Management Site-Specific Advisory Board, Hanford

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-01-19

    .... ADDRESSES: Red Lion Hotel, 1101 North Columbia Center Boulevard, Kennewick, WA 99336. FOR FURTHER... Committee; Public Involvement Committee; and Budgets and Contracts Committee Long-term Stewardship...

  19. DASHBOARDS & CONTROL CHARTS EXPERIENCES IN IMPROVING SAFETY AT HANFORD WASHINGTON

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    PREVETTE, S.S.

    2006-02-27

    The aim of this paper is to demonstrate the integration of safety methodology, quality tools, leadership, and teamwork at Hanford and their significant positive impact on safe performance of work. Dashboards, Leading Indicators, Control charts, Pareto Charts, Dr. W. Edward Deming's Red Bead Experiment, and Dr. Deming's System of Profound Knowledge have been the principal tools and theory of an integrated management system. Coupled with involved leadership and teamwork, they have led to significant improvements in worker safety and protection, and environmental restoration at one of the nation's largest nuclear cleanup sites.

  20. Vertical stratification of subsurface microbial community composition across geological formations at the Hanford Site.

    PubMed

    Lin, Xueju; Kennedy, David; Fredrickson, Jim; Bjornstad, Bruce; Konopka, Allan

    2012-02-01

    Microbial diversity in subsurface sediments at the Hanford Site 300 Area near Richland, Washington state (USA) was investigated by analysing 21 samples recovered from depths of 9-52 m. Approximately 8000 near full-length 16S rRNA gene sequences were analysed across geological strata that include a natural redox transition zone. These strata included the oxic coarse-grained Hanford formation, fine-grained oxic and anoxic Ringold Formation sediments, and the weathered basalt group. We detected 1233 and 120 unique bacterial and archaeal OTUs (operational taxonomic units at the 97% identity level) respectively. Microbial community structure and richness varied substantially across the different geological strata. Bacterial OTU richness (Chao1 estimator) was highest (> 700) in the upper Hanford formation, and declined to about 120 at the bottom of the Hanford formation. Just above the Ringold oxic-anoxic interface, richness was about 325 and declined to less than 50 in the deeper reduced zones. The deeper Ringold strata were characterized by a preponderance (c. 90%) of Proteobacteria. The bacterial community in the oxic sediments contained not only members of nine well-recognized phyla but also an unusually high proportion of three candidate divisions (GAL15, NC10 and SPAM). Additionally, 13 novel phylogenetic orders were identified within the Deltaproteobacteria, a clade rich in microbes that carry out redox transformations of metals that are important contaminants on the Hanford Site. © 2011 Society for Applied Microbiology and Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

  1. Hanford immobilized low-activity tank waste performance assessment

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Mann, F.M.

    1998-03-26

    The Hanford Immobilized Low-Activity Tank Waste Performance Assessment examines the long-term environmental and human health effects associated with the planned disposal of the vitrified low-level fraction of waste presently contained in Hanford Site tanks. The tank waste is the by-product of separating special nuclear materials from irradiated nuclear fuels over the past 50 years. This waste has been stored in underground single and double-shell tanks. The tank waste is to be retrieved, separated into low and high-activity fractions, and then immobilized by private vendors. The US Department of Energy (DOE) will receive the vitrified waste from private vendors and plansmore » to dispose of the low-activity fraction in the Hanford Site 200 East Area. The high-level fraction will be stored at Hanford until a national repository is approved. This report provides the site-specific long-term environmental information needed by the DOE to issue a Disposal Authorization Statement that would allow the modification of the four existing concrete disposal vaults to provide better access for emplacement of the immobilized low-activity waste (ILAW) containers; filling of the modified vaults with the approximately 5,000 ILAW containers and filler material with the intent to dispose of the containers; construction of the first set of next-generation disposal facilities. The performance assessment activity will continue beyond this assessment. The activity will collect additional data on the geotechnical features of the disposal sites, the disposal facility design and construction, and the long-term performance of the waste. Better estimates of long-term performance will be produced and reviewed on a regular basis. Performance assessments supporting closure of filled facilities will be issued seeking approval of those actions necessary to conclude active disposal facility operations. This report also analyzes the long-term performance of the currently planned disposal system as a basis to set requirements on the waste form and the facility design that will protect the long-term public health and safety and protect the environment.« less

  2. Air pathway effects of nuclear materials production at the Hanford Site, 1983 to 1992

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Patton, G.W.; Cooper, A.T.

    1993-10-01

    This report describes the air pathway effects of Hanford Site operations from 1983 to 1992 on the local environment by summarizing the air concentrations of selected radionuclides at both onsite and offsite locations, comparing trends in environment concentrations to changing facility emissions, and briefly describing trends in the radiological dose to the hypothetical maximally exposed member of the public. The years 1983 to 1992 represent the last Hanford Site plutonium production campaign, and this report deals mainly with the air pathway effects from the 200 Areas, in which the major contributors to radiological emissions were located. An additional purpose formore » report was to review the environmental data for a long period of time to provide insight not available in an annual report format. The sampling and analytical systems used by the Surface Environmental Surveillance Project (SESP) to collect air samples during the period of this report were sufficiently sensitive to observe locally elevated concentrations of selected radionuclides near onsite source of emission as well as observing elevated levels, compared to distant locations, of some radionuclides at the down wind perimeter. The US DOE Derived Concentration Guides (DCGs) for airborne radionuclides were not exceeded for any air sample collected during 1983 to 1992, with annual average concentrations of all radionuclides at the downwind perimeter being considerably below the DCG values. Air emissions at the Hanford Site during the period of this report were dominated by releases from the PUREX Plant, with {sup 85}Kr being the major release on a curie basis and {sup 129}I being the major release on a radiological dose basis. The estimated potential radiological dose from Hanford Site point source emissions to the hypothetical maximally exposed individual (MEI) ranged from 0. 02 to 0.22 mrem/yr (effective dose equivalent), which is well below the DOE radiation limit to the public of 100 mrem/yr.« less

  3. Conceptual Model of Iodine Behavior in the Subsurface at the Hanford Site

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Truex, Michael J.; Lee, Brady D.; Johnson, Christian D.

    Isotopes of iodine were generated during plutonium production within the nine production reactors at the U.S. Department of Energy Hanford Site. The short half-life 131I that was released from the fuel into the atmosphere during the dissolution process (when the fuel was dissolved) in the Hanford Site 200 Area is no longer present at concentrations of concern in the environment. The long half-life 129I generated at the Hanford Site during reactor operations was (1) stored in single-shell and double-shell tanks, (2) discharged to liquid disposal sites (e.g., cribs and trenches), (3) released to the atmosphere during fuel reprocessing operations, ormore » (4) captured by off-gas absorbent devices (silver reactors) at chemical separations plants (PUREX, B-Plant, T-Plant, and REDOX). Releases of 129I to the subsurface have resulted in several large, though dilute, plumes in the groundwater. There is also 129I remaining in the vadose zone beneath disposal or leak locations. The fate and transport of 129I in the environment and potential remediation technologies are currently being studied as part of environmental remediation activities at the Hanford Site. A conceptual model describing the nature and extent of subsurface contamination, factors that control plume behavior, and factors relevant to potential remediation processes is needed to support environmental remedy decisions. Because 129I is an uncommon contaminant, relevant remediation experience and scientific literature are limited. In addition, its behavior in subsurface is different from that of other more common and important contaminants (e.g., U, Cr and Tc) in terms of sorption (adsorption and precipitation), and aqueous phase species transformation via redox reactions. Thus, the conceptual model also needs to both describe known contaminant and biogeochemical process information and identify aspects about which additional information is needed to effectively support remedy decisions.« less

  4. 1995 Report on Hanford site land disposal restrictions for mixed waste

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Black, D.G.

    This report was submitted to meet the requirements of Hanford Federal Facility Agreement and Consent Order Milestone M-26-01E. This milestone requires the preparation of an annual report that covers characterization, treatment, storage, minimization, and other aspects of land disposal restricted mixed waste at the Hanford Site. The U.S. Department of Energy, its predecessors, and contractors at the Hanford Site were involved in the production and purification of nuclear defense materials from the early 1940s to the late 1980s. These production activities have generated large quantities of liquid and solid radioactive mixed waste. This waste is subject to regulation under authoritymore » of both the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act of 1976 and Atomic Energy Act of 1954. This report covers mixed waste only. The Washington State Department of Ecology, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and U.S. Department of Energy have entered into an agreement, the Hanford Federal Facility Agreement and Consent Order (commonly referred to as the Tri-Party Agreement) to bring the Hanford Site operations into compliance with dangerous waste regulations. The Tri-Party Agreement required development of the original land disposal restrictions (LDRs) plan and its annual updates to comply with LDR requirements for radioactive mixed waste. This report is the fifth update of the plan first issued in 1990. Tri-Party Agreement negotiations completed in 1993 and approved in January 1994 changed and added many new milestones. Most of the changes were related to the Tank Waste Remediation System and these changes are incorporated into this report.« less

  5. Standard Review Plan for Environmental Restoration Program Quality Management Plans. Revision 2

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Not Available

    1993-12-01

    The Department of Energy, Richland Operations Office (RL) Manual Environmental Restoration Program Quality System Requirements (QSR) for the Hanford Site, defines all quality requirements governing Hanford Environmental Restoration (ER) Program activities. The QSR requires that ER Program participants develop Quality Management Plans (QMPs) that describe how the QSR requirements will be implemented for their assigned scopes of work. This standard review plan (SRP) describes the ER program participant responsibilities for submittal of QMPs to the RL Environmental Restoration Division for review and the RL methodology for performing the reviews of participant QMPS. The SRP serves the following functions: acts asmore » a guide in the development or revision of QMPs to assure that the content is complete and adequate; acts as a checklist to be used by the RL staff in their review of participant QMPs; acts as an index or matrix between the requirements of the QSR and implementing methodologies described in the QMPs; decreases the time and subjectivity of document reviews; and provides a formal, documented method for describing exceptions, modifications, or waivers to established ER Program quality requirements.« less

  6. 77 FR 16542 - Environmental Management Site-Specific Advisory Board, Hanford

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2012-03-21

    ...: Red Lion Hotel, 1101 North Columbia Center Boulevard., Kennewick, WA 99336. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION... [cir] Fiscal Years 2013 and 2014 Budget Advice Discussion Topics [cir] Cleanup Budget Priorities [cir...

  7. The use of aquatic bioconcentration factors in ecological risk assessments: Confounding issues, laboratory v/s modeled results

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Brandt, C.; Blanton, M.L.; Dirkes, R.

    1995-12-31

    Bioconcentration in aquatic systems is generally taken to refer to contaminant uptake through non-ingestion pathways (i.e., dermal and respiration uptake). Ecological risk assessments performed on aquatic systems often rely on published data on bioconcentration factors to calibrate models of exposure. However, many published BCFs, especially those from in situ studies, are confounded by uptake from ingestion of prey. As part of exposure assessment and risk analysis of the Columbia River`s Hanford Reach, the authors tested a methodology to estimate radionuclide BCFs for several aquatic species in the Hanford Reach of the Columbia River. The iterative methodology solves for BCFs frommore » known body burdens and environmental media concentrations. This paper provides BCF methodology description comparisons of BCF from literature and modeled values and how they were used in the exposure assessment and risk analysis of the Columbia River`s Hanford Reach.« less

  8. 77 FR 48131 - Environmental Management Site-Specific Advisory Board, Hanford

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2012-08-13

    ...: Red Lion Hotel, 1101 North Columbia Center Boulevard, Kennewick, WA 99336. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION... Priorities and HAB Work Plan Priorities 2013 HAB Meeting Calendar Board Business [cir] HAB Budget [cir...

  9. 76 FR 48148 - Environmental Management Site-Specific Advisory Board, Hanford

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-08-08

    .... ADDRESSES: Red Lion Hotel, 1415 5th Avenue, Seattle, WA 98101. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Paula Call... Protection Committee; Public Involvement Committee; and Budgets and Contracts Committee. Life-Cycle Scope...

  10. 75 FR 13269 - Environmental Management Site-Specific Advisory Board, Hanford

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-03-19

    .... ADDRESSES: Red Lion Hotel on the River, Jantzen Beach, 909 North Hayden Island Drive, Portland, OR 97217... Protection Committee; Public Involvement Committee; and Budgets and Contracts Committee Draft Advice on Long...

  11. Regulatory off-gas analysis from the evaporation of Hanford simulated waste spiked with organic compounds.

    PubMed

    Saito, Hiroshi H; Calloway, T Bond; Ferrara, Daro M; Choi, Alexander S; White, Thomas L; Gibson, Luther V; Burdette, Mark A

    2004-10-01

    After strontium/transuranics removal by precipitation followed by cesium/technetium removal by ion exchange, the remaining low-activity waste in the Hanford River Protection Project Waste Treatment Plant is to be concentrated by evaporation before being mixed with glass formers and vitrified. To provide a technical basis to permit the waste treatment facility, a relatively organic-rich Hanford Tank 241-AN-107 waste simulant was spiked with 14 target volatile, semi-volatile, and pesticide compounds and evaporated under vacuum in a bench-scale natural circulation evaporator fitted with an industrial stack off-gas sampler at the Savannah River National Laboratory. An evaporator material balance for the target organics was calculated by combining liquid stream mass and analytical data with off-gas emissions estimates obtained using U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) SW-846 Methods. Volatile and light semi-volatile organic compounds (<220 degrees C BP, >1 mm Hg vapor pressure) in the waste simulant were found to largely exit through the condenser vent, while heavier semi-volatiles and pesticides generally remain in the evaporator concentrate. An OLI Environmental Simulation Program (licensed by OLI Systems, Inc.) evaporator model successfully predicted operating conditions and the experimental distribution of the fed target organics exiting in the concentrate, condensate, and off-gas streams, with the exception of a few semi-volatile and pesticide compounds. Comparison with Henry's Law predictions suggests the OLI Environmental Simulation Program model is constrained by available literature data.

  12. Summary Analysis: Hanford Site Composite Analysis Update

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Nichols, W. E.; Lehman, L. L.

    2017-06-05

    The Hanford Site’s currently maintained Composite Analysis, originally completed in 1998, requires an update. A previous update effort was undertaken by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) in 2001-2005, but was ended before completion to allow the Tank Closure & Waste Management Environmental Impact Statement (TC&WM EIS) (DOE/EIS-0391) to be prepared without potential for conflicting sitewide models. This EIS was issued in 2012, and the deferral was ended with guidance in memorandum “Modeling to Support Regulatory Decision Making at Hanford” (Williams, 2012) provided with the aim of ensuring subsequent modeling is consistent with the EIS.

  13. Evaluation of thyroid radioactivity measurement data from Hanford workers, 1944--1946

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Ikenberry, T.A.

    1991-05-01

    This report describes the preliminary results of an evaluation conducted in support of the Hanford Environmental Dose Reconstruction (HEDR) Project. The primary objective of the HEDR Project is to estimate the radiation doses that populations could have received from nuclear operations at the Hanford Site since 1944. A secondary objective is to make information that HEDR staff members used in estimate radiation doses available to the public. The objectives of this report to make available thyroid measurement data from Hanford workers for the year 1944 through 1946, and to investigate the suitability of those data for use in the HEDRmore » dose estimation process. An important part of this investigation was to provide a description of the uncertainty associated with the data. Lack of documentation on thyroid measurements from this period required that assumptions be made to perform data evaluations. These assumptions introduce uncertainty into the evaluations that could be significant. It is important to recognize the nature of these assumptions, the inherent uncertainty, and the propagation of this uncertainty, and the propagation of this uncertainty through data evaluations to any conclusions that can be made by using the data. 15 refs., 1 fig., 5 tabs.« less

  14. A Strategy to Conduct an Analysis of the Long-Term Performance of Low-Activity Waste Glass in a Shallow Subsurface Disposal System at Hanford

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Neeway, James J.; Pierce, Eric M.; Freedman, Vicky L.

    2014-08-04

    The federal facilities located on the Hanford Site in southeastern Washington State have been used extensively by the U.S. government to produce nuclear materials for the U.S. strategic defense arsenal. Currently, the Hanford Site is under the stewardship of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Environmental Management (EM). A large inventory of radioactive and mixed waste resulting from the production of nuclear materials has accumulated, mainly in 177 underground single- and double-shell tanks located in the central plateau of the Hanford Site (Mann et al., 2001). The DOE-EM Office of River Protection (ORP) is proceeding with plans tomore » immobilize and permanently dispose of the low-activity waste (LAW) fraction onsite in a shallow subsurface disposal facility (the Integrated Disposal Facility [IDF]). Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) was contracted to provide the technical basis for estimating radionuclide release from the engineered portion of the IDF (the source term) as part of an immobilized low-activity waste (ILAW) glass testing program to support future IDF performance assessments (PAs).« less

  15. Evaluation of the Hanford 200 West Groundwater Treatment System: Fluidized Bed Bioreactor

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Looney, Brian B.; Jackson, Dennis G.; Dickson, John O.

    A fluidized bed reactor (FBR) in the 200W water treatment facility at Hanford is removing nitrate from groundwater as part of the overall pump-treat-reinject process. Control of the FBR bed solids has proven challenging, impacting equipment, increasing operations and maintenance (O&M), and limiting the throughput of the facility. In response to the operational challenges, the Department of Energy Richland Office (DOE-RL) commissioned a technical assistance team to facilitate a system engineering evaluation and provide focused support recommendations to the Hanford Team. The DOE Environmental Management (EM) technical assistance process is structured to identify and triage technologies and strategies that addressmore » the target problem(s). The process encourages brainstorming and dialog and allows rapid identification and prioritization of possible options. Recognizing that continuous operation of a large-scale FBR is complex, requiring careful attention to system monitoring data and changing conditions, the technical assistance process focused on explicit identification of the available control parameters (“knobs”), how these parameters interact and impact the FBR system, and how these can be adjusted under different scenarios to achieve operational goals. The technical assistance triage process was performed in collaboration with the Hanford team.« less

  16. Non-Thermal Treatment of Hanford Site Low-Level Mixed Waste

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    NONE

    1998-09-01

    DOE proposes to transport contact-handled LLMW from the Hanford Site to the Allied Technology Group (ATG) Mixed Waste Facility (MWF) in Richland, Washington, for non-thermal treatment and to return the treated waste to the Hanford Site for eventual land disposal. Over a 3-year period the waste would be staged to the ATG MWF, and treated waste would be returned to the Hanford Site. The ATG MWF would be located on an 18 hectare (ha) (45 acre [at]) ATG Site adjacent to ATG's licensed low-level waste processing facility at 2025 Battelle Boulevard. The ATG MWF is located approximately 0.8 kilometers (km)more » (0.5 miles [mi]) south of Horn Rapids Road and 1.6 km (1 mi) west of Stevens Drive. The property is located within the Horn Rapids triangle in northern Richland (Figure 2.1). The ATG MWF is to be located on the existing ATG Site, near the DOE Hanford Site, in an industrial area in the City of Richland. The effects of siting, construction, and overall operation of the MWF have been evaluated in a separate State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA) EIS (City of Richland 1998). The proposed action includes transporting the LLMW from the Hanford Site to the ATG Facility, non-thermal treatment of the LLMW at the ATG MWF, and transporting the waste from ATG back to the Hanford Site. Impacts fi-om waste treatment operations would be bounded by the ATG SEPA EIS, which included an evaluation of the impacts associated with operating the non-thermal portion of the MWF at maximum design capacity (8,500 metric tons per year) (City of Richland 1998). Up to 50 employees would be required for non-thermal treatment portion of the MWF. This includes 40 employees that would perform waste treatment operations and 10 support staff. Similar numbers were projected for the thermal treatment portion of the MWF (City of Richland 1998).« less

  17. The Integration of the 241-Z Building Decontamination and Decommissioning Under Cercla with RCRA Closure at the Plutonium Finishing Plant

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Mattlin, E.; Charboneau, S.; Johnston, G.

    2007-07-01

    The 241-Z treatment and storage tanks, a hazardous waste Treatment, Storage and Disposal (TSD) unit permitted pursuant to the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act of 1976 (RCRA) and Washington State Hazardous Waste Management Act, RCW 70.105, , have been deactivated and are being actively decommissioned under the provisions of the Hanford Federal Facility Agreement and Consent Order (HFFACO), RCRA and Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980 (CERCLA) 42 U.S.C. 9601 et seq. The 241-Z TSD unit managed non-listed radioactive contaminated waste water, containing trace RCRA characteristic constituents. The 241-Z TSD unit consists of below grade tanks (D-4,more » D-5, D-7, D-8, and an overflow tank) located in a concrete containment vault, sample glovebox GB-2-241-ZA, and associated ancillary piping and equipment. The tank system is located beneath the 241-Z building. The 241-Z building is not a portion of the TSD unit. The sample glovebox is housed in the above-grade building. Waste managed at the TSD unit was received via underground piping from Plutonium Finishing Plant (PFP) sources. Tank D-6, located in the D-6 vault cell, is a past-practice tank that was taken out of service in 1972 and has never operated as a portion of the RCRA TSD unit. CERCLA actions will address Tank D-6, its containment vault cell, and soil beneath the cell that was potentially contaminated during past-practice operations and any other potential past-practice contamination identified during 241-Z closure, while outside the scope of the Hanford Facility Dangerous Waste Closure Plan, 241-Z Treatment and Storage Tanks. Under the RCRA closure plan, the 241-Z TSD unit is anticipated to undergo clean closure to the performance standards of the State of Washington with respect to dangerous waste contamination from RCRA operations. The TSD unit will be clean closed if physical closure activities identified in the plan achieve clean closure standards for all 241-Z locations. Clean closed 241-Z treatment and storage tanks, equipment and/or structures will remain after RCRA clean closure for future disposition in conjunction with PFP decommissioning activities which are integrated with CERCLA. (authors)« less

  18. Plutonium-related work and cause-specific mortality at the United States Department of Energy Hanford Site.

    PubMed

    Wing, Steve; Richardson, David; Wolf, Susanne; Mihlan, Gary

    2004-02-01

    Health effects of working with plutonium remain unclear. Plutonium workers at the United States Department of Energy (US-DOE) Hanford Site in Washington State, USA were evaluated for increased risks of cancer and non-cancer mortality. Periods of employment in jobs with routine or non-routine potential for plutonium exposure were identified for 26,389 workers hired between 1944 and 1978. Life table regression was used to examine associations of length of employment in plutonium jobs with confirmed plutonium deposition and with cause specific mortality through 1994. Incidence of confirmed internal plutonium deposition in all plutonium workers was 15.4 times greater than in other Hanford jobs. Plutonium workers had low death rates compared to other workers, particularly for cancer causes. Mortality for several causes was positively associated with length of employment in routine plutonium jobs, especially for employment at older ages. At ages 50 and above, death rates for non-external causes of death, all cancers, cancers of tissues where plutonium deposits, and lung cancer, increased 2.0 +/- 1.1%, 2.6 +/- 2.0%, 4.9 +/- 3.3%, and 7.1 +/- 3.4% (+/-SE) per year of employment in routine plutonium jobs, respectively. Workers employed in jobs with routine potential for plutonium exposure have low mortality rates compared to other Hanford workers even with adjustment for demographic, socioeconomic, and employment factors. This may be due, in part, to medical screening. Associations between duration of employment in jobs with routine potential for plutonium exposure and mortality may indicate occupational exposure effects. Copyright 2004 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

  19. DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Ivarson, Kristine A.; Miller, Charles W.; Arola, Craig C.

    Groundwater contamination by hexavalent chromium and other nuclear reactor operation-related contaminants has resulted in the need for groundwater remedial actions within the Hanford Site reactor areas (the Hanford Site 100 Area). The large geographic extent of the resultant contaminant plumes requires an extensive level of understanding of the aquifer structure, characteristics, and configuration to support assessment and design of remedial alternatives within the former 100-D, 100-H, and 100-K reactor areas. The authors have prepared two- and three-dimensional depictions of the key subsurface geologic structures at two Hanford Site reactor operable units (100-K and 100-D/H). These depictions, prepared using commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS)more » visualization software, provide a basis for expanding the understanding of groundwater contaminant migration pathways, including identification of geologically-defined preferential groundwater flow pathways. These identified preferential flow pathways support the conceptual site model and help explain both historical and current contaminant distribution and transport. (authors)« less

  20. DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Matlack, K. S.; Abramowitz, H.; Miller, I. S.

    About 50 million gallons of high-level mixed waste is currently stored in underground tanks at the United States Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) Hanford site in the State of Washington. The Hanford Tank Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant (WTP) will provide DOE’s Office of River Protection (ORP) with a means of treating this waste by vitrification for subsequent disposal. The tank waste will be separated into low- and high-activity waste fractions, which will then be vitrified respectively into Immobilized Low Activity Waste (ILAW) and Immobilized High Level Waste (IHLW) products. The ILAW product will be disposed in an engineered facility onmore » the Hanford site while the IHLW product is designed for acceptance into a national deep geological disposal facility for high-level nuclear waste. The ILAW and IHLW products must meet a variety of requirements with respect to protection of the environment before they can be accepted for disposal.« less

  1. 1988 Hanford riverbank springs characterization report

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Dirkes, R.L.

    1990-12-01

    This reports presents the results of a special study undertaken to characterize the riverbank springs (i.e., ground-water seepage) entering the Columbia River along the Hanford Site. Radiological and nonradiological analyses were performed. River water samples were also analyzed from upstream and downstream of the Site as well as from the immediate vicinity of the springs. In addition, irrigation return water and spring water entering the river along the shoreline opposite Hanford were analyzed. Hanford-origin contaminants were detected in spring water entering the Columbia River along the Hanford Site. The type and concentrations of contaminants in the spring water were similarmore » to those known to exist in the ground water near the river. The location and extent of the contaminated discharges compared favorably with recent ground-water reports and predictions. Spring discharge volumes remain very small relative to the flow of the Columbia. Downstream river sampling demonstrates the impact of ground-water discharges to be minimal, and negligible in most cases. Radionuclide concentrations were below US Department of Energy Derived Concentration Guides (DCGs) with the exception {sup 90}Sr near the 100-N Area. Tritium, while below the DCG, was detected at concentrations above the US Environmental Protection Agency drinking water standards in several springs. All other radionuclide concentrations were below drinking water standards. Nonradiological contaminants were generally undetectable in the spring water. River water contaminant concentrations, outside of the immediate discharge zones, were below drinking water standards in all cases. 19 refs., 5 figs., 12 tabs.« less

  2. Ecological Characterization Data for the 2004 Composite Analysis

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Downs, Janelle L.; Simmons, Mary A.; Stegen, Jennifer A.

    2004-11-01

    A composite analysis is required by U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Order 435.1 to ensure public safety through the management of active and planned low-level radioactive waste disposal facilities associated with the Hanford Site. The original Hanford Site Composite Analysis of 1998 must be revised and submitted to DOE Headquarters (DOE-HQ) in 2004 because of revisions to waste site information in the 100, 200, and 300 Areas, updated performance assessments and environmental impact statements (EIS), changes in inventory estimates for key sites and constituents, and a change in the definition of offsite receptors. Beginning in fiscal year (FY) 2003, themore » DOE Richland Operations Office (DOE-RL) initiated activities, including the development of data packages, to support the 2004 Composite Analysis. This report describes the data compiled in FY 2003 to support ecological site assessment modeling for the 2004 Composite Analysis. This work was conducted as part of the Characterization of Systems Task of the Groundwater Remediation Project (formerly the Groundwater Protection Program) managed by Fluor Hanford, Inc., Richland, Washington. The purpose of this report is to provide summaries of the characterization information and available spatial data on the biological resources and ecological receptors found in the upland, riparian, aquatic, and island habitats on the Hanford Site. These data constitute the reference information used to establish parameters for the ecological risk assessment module of the System Assessment Capability and other assessment activities requiring information on the presence and distribution of biota on the Hanford Site.« less

  3. Fluor Hanford ALARA Center is a D and D Resource

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Waggoner, L.O.

    2008-01-15

    The mission at the Hanford Nuclear Reservation changed when the last reactor plant was shut down in 1989 and work was started to place all the facilities in a safe condition and begin decontamination, deactivation, decommissioning, and demolition (D and D). These facilities consisted of old shutdown reactor plants, spent fuel pools, processing facilities, and 177 underground tanks containing 53 million gallons of highly radioactive and toxic liquids and sludge. New skills were needed by the workforce to accomplish this mission. By 1995, workers were in the process of getting the facilities in a safe condition and it became obviousmore » improvements were needed in their tools, equipment and work practices. The Hanford ALARA Program looked good on paper, but did little to help contractors that were working in the field. The Radiological Control Director decided that the ALARA program needed to be upgraded and a significant improvement could be made if workers had a place they could visit that had samples of the latest technology and could talk to experienced personnel who have had success doing D and D work. Two senior health physics personnel who had many years experience in doing radiological work were chosen to obtain tools and equipment from vendors and find a location centrally located on the Hanford site. Vendors were asked to loan their latest tools and equipment for display. Most vendors responded and the Hanford ALARA Center of Technology opened on October 1, 1996. Today, the ALARA Center includes a classroom for conducting training and a mockup area with gloveboxes. Two large rooms have a containment tent, several glove bags, samples of fixatives/expandable foam, coating displays, protective clothing, heat stress technology, cutting tools, HEPA filtered vacuums, ventilation units, pumps, hydraulic wrenches, communications equipment, shears, nibblers, shrouded tooling, and several examples of innovative tools developed by the Hanford facilities. See Figures I and II. The ALARA Center staff routinely researches and tests new technology, sponsor vendor demonstrations, and redistribute tools, equipment and temporary shielding that may not be needed at one facility to another facility that needs it. The ALARA Center staff learns about new technology in several ways. This includes past radiological work experience, interaction with vendors, lessons learned, networking with other DOE sites, visits to the Hanford Technical Library, attendance at off-site conferences and ALARA Workshops. Personnel that contact the ALARA Center for assistance report positive results when they implement the tools, equipment and work practices recommended by the ALARA Center staff. This has translated to reduced exposure for workers and reduced the risk of contamination spread. For example: using a hydraulic shear on one job saved 16 Rem of exposure that would have been received if workers had used saws-all tools to cut piping in twenty-nine locations. Currently, the ALARA Center staff is emphasizing D and D techniques on size-reducing materials, decontamination techniques, use of remote tools/video equipment, capture ventilation, fixatives, using containments and how to find lessons learned. The ALARA Center staff issues a weekly report that discusses their interaction with the workforce and any new work practices, tools and equipment being used by the Hanford contractors. Distribution of this weekly report is to about 130 personnel on site and 90 personnel off site. This effectively spreads the word about ALARA throughout the DOE Complex. DOE EM-23, in conjunction with the D and D and Environmental Restoration work group of the Energy Facility Contractors Organization (EFCOG) established the Hanford ALARA Center as the D and D Hotline for companies who have questions about how D and D work is accomplished. The ALARA Center has become a resource to the nuclear industry and routinely helps contractors at other DOE Sites, power reactors, DOD sites, and sites in England, Europe and Indonesia. Other ALARA Centers are located at the Savannah River Site and Los Alamos National Lab.« less

  4. Ames Laboratory site environmental report, calendar year 1988

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Mathison, L.K.

    1989-05-01

    The summarized data and conclusions from the Ames Laboratory environmental monitoring program are presented in this Annual Site Environmental Report. Ames Laboratory is located on the campus of Iowa State University (ISU) and occupies several buildings owned by the Department of Energy. A study is being conducted to identify environmental sampling methods which can characterize and separate the impact of Ames Laboratory's campus activities and that of ISU. This will enable the Laboratory to determine what possible impact it's operations may be having to the environment, if any. Two Pollution Abatement projects were begun in 1988. They were: removal ofmore » thorium contaminated soil resulting from a historical release of thorium at the Laboratory, to the Ames, Iowa Water Pollution Control (sewage) Plant and demolition of a small Blockhouse'' constructed of concrete block which had been used for low level radioactive waste handling. The contaminated soil has been removed and transported to Hanford, WA for disposal. A final site radiological survey for thorium is pending. In addition, contaminated debris was transported to Hanford, WA for disposal and a final site survey is pending. 7 refs., 4 figs., 1 tab.« less

  5. Distribution of microbial biomass and potential for anaerobic respiration in Hanford Site 300 Area subsurface sediment.

    PubMed

    Lin, Xueju; Kennedy, David; Peacock, Aaron; McKinley, James; Resch, Charles T; Fredrickson, James; Konopka, Allan

    2012-02-01

    Subsurface sediments were recovered from a 52-m-deep borehole cored in the 300 Area of the Hanford Site in southeastern Washington State to assess the potential for biogeochemical transformation of radionuclide contaminants. Microbial analyses were made on 17 sediment samples traversing multiple geological units: the oxic coarse-grained Hanford formation (9 to 17.4 m), the oxic fine-grained upper Ringold formation (17.7 to 18.1 m), and the reduced Ringold formation (18.3 to 52 m). Microbial biomass (measured as phospholipid fatty acids) ranged from 7 to 974 pmols per g in discrete samples, with the highest numbers found in the Hanford formation. On average, strata below 17.4 m had 13-fold less biomass than those from shallower strata. The nosZ gene that encodes nitrous oxide reductase (measured by quantitative real-time PCR) had an abundance of 5 to 17 relative to that of total 16S rRNA genes below 18.3 m and <5 above 18.1 m. Most nosZ sequences were affiliated with Ochrobactrum anthropi (97 sequence similarity) or had a nearest neighbor of Achromobacter xylosoxidans (90 similarity). Passive multilevel sampling of groundwater geochemistry demonstrated a redox gradient in the 1.5-m region between the Hanford-Ringold formation contact and the Ringold oxic-anoxic interface. Within this zone, copies of the dsrA gene and Geobacteraceae had the highest relative abundance. The majority of dsrA genes detected near the interface were related to Desulfotomaculum spp. These analyses indicate that the region just below the contact between the Hanford and Ringold formations is a zone of active biogeochemical redox cycling.

  6. Distribution of Microbial Biomass and Potential for Anaerobic Respiration in Hanford Site 300 Area Subsurface Sediment

    PubMed Central

    Lin, Xueju; Kennedy, David; Peacock, Aaron; McKinley, James; Resch, Charles T.; Fredrickson, James

    2012-01-01

    Subsurface sediments were recovered from a 52-m-deep borehole cored in the 300 Area of the Hanford Site in southeastern Washington State to assess the potential for biogeochemical transformation of radionuclide contaminants. Microbial analyses were made on 17 sediment samples traversing multiple geological units: the oxic coarse-grained Hanford formation (9 to 17.4 m), the oxic fine-grained upper Ringold formation (17.7 to 18.1 m), and the reduced Ringold formation (18.3 to 52 m). Microbial biomass (measured as phospholipid fatty acids) ranged from 7 to 974 pmols per g in discrete samples, with the highest numbers found in the Hanford formation. On average, strata below 17.4 m had 13-fold less biomass than those from shallower strata. The nosZ gene that encodes nitrous oxide reductase (measured by quantitative real-time PCR) had an abundance of 5 to 17 relative to that of total 16S rRNA genes below 18.3 m and <5 above 18.1 m. Most nosZ sequences were affiliated with Ochrobactrum anthropi (97 sequence similarity) or had a nearest neighbor of Achromobacter xylosoxidans (90 similarity). Passive multilevel sampling of groundwater geochemistry demonstrated a redox gradient in the 1.5-m region between the Hanford-Ringold formation contact and the Ringold oxic-anoxic interface. Within this zone, copies of the dsrA gene and Geobacteraceae had the highest relative abundance. The majority of dsrA genes detected near the interface were related to Desulfotomaculum spp. These analyses indicate that the region just below the contact between the Hanford and Ringold formations is a zone of active biogeochemical redox cycling. PMID:22138990

  7. 77 FR 33204 - Notice of Intent To Prepare a Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement for the Long-Term...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2012-06-05

    ... activities, and generated as a byproduct of the gold mining process. In addition, DOE's National Nuclear... Junction, Colorado; DOE Hanford site near Richland, Washington; Hawthorne Army Depot near Hawthorne, Nevada...

  8. COLLABORATIVE NEGOTIATIONS A SUCCESSFUL APPROACH FOR NEGOTIATING COMPLIANCE MILESTONES FOR THE TRANSITION OF THE PLUTONIUM FINISHING PLANT (PFP), HANFORD NUCLEAR RESERVATION, AND HANFORD, WASHINGTON

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Hebdon, J.; Yerxa, J.; Romine, L.

    The Hanford Nuclear Reservation is a former U. S. Department of Energy Defense Production Site. The site is currently listed on the National Priorities List of the Comprehensive Environmental Response Compensation and Liability Act of 1980 (CERCLA) and is undergoing cleanup and environmental restoration. The PFP is a former Plutonium metal production facility. The operating mission of the PFP ended with a DOE Headquarters shutdown letter in October of 1996. Generally, the receipt of a shutdown letter initiates the start of Transition (as the first step of Decommissioning) of a facility. The Hanford site is subject to the Hanford Federalmore » Facilities Compliance Act and Consent Order (HFFCCO), an order on consent signed by the DOE, the U. S. Environmental Protection Agency, (EPA) and the Washington Department of Ecology (WDOE). Under the HFFCCO, negotiations for transition milestones begin within six months after the issuance of a shutdown order. In the case of the PFP, the Nuclear Materials disposition and stabilization activities, a DOE responsibility, were necessary as precursor activities to Transition. This situation precipitated a crisis in the negotiations between the agencies, and formal negotiations initiated in 1997 ended in failure. The negotiations reached impasse on several key regulatory and operational issues. The 1997 negotiation was characterized by a strongly positional style. DOE and the regulatory personnel took hard lines early in the negotiations and were unable to move to resolution of key issues after a year and a half. This resulted in unhappy stakeholders, poor publicity and work delays as well as wounded relationships between DOE and the regulatory community. In the 2000-2001 PFP negotiations, a completely different approach was suggested and eventually initiated: Collaborative Negotiations. The collaborative negotiation style resulted in agreement between the agencies on all key issues within 6 months of initiation. All parties were very pleased with the results and all parties were relieved that protracted negotiations sessions were not needed with the new style of working together collaboratively to serve each other's interests. The characteristics of collaborative negotiations included building trust, emphasizing equality of team members, problem solving by the entire team, relying on individual communications and self-management skills. The team found that trust building sessions were key to successfully working through issues. Relationship differences were too often ignored in the past negotiations and were recognized and worked through in the collaborative process.« less

  9. Interim Safe Storage of Plutonium Production Reactors at the US DOE Hanford Site - 13438

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Schilperoort, Daryl L.; Faulk, Darrin

    2013-07-01

    Nine plutonium production reactors located on DOE's Hanford Site are being placed into an Interim Safe Storage (ISS) period that extends to 2068. The Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for ISS [1] was completed in 1993 and proposed a 75-year storage period that began when the EIS was finalized. Remote electronic monitoring of the temperature and water level alarms inside the safe storage enclosure (SSE) with visual inspection inside the SSE every 5 years are the only planned operational activities during this ISS period. At the end of the ISS period, the reactor cores will be removed intact and buried inmore » a landfill on the Hanford Site. The ISS period allows for radioactive decay of isotopes, primarily Co-60 and Cs-137, to reduce the dose exposure during disposal of the reactor cores. Six of the nine reactors have been placed into ISS by having an SSE constructed around the reactor core. (authors)« less

  10. The Hanford Thyroid Disease Study: an alternative view of the findings.

    PubMed

    Hoffman, F Owen; Ruttenber, A James; Apostoaei, A Iulian; Carroll, Raymond J; Greenland, Sander

    2007-02-01

    The Hanford Thyroid Disease Study (HTDS) is one of the largest and most complex epidemiologic studies of the relation between environmental exposures to I and thyroid disease. The study detected no dose-response relation using a 0.05 level for statistical significance. The results for thyroid cancer appear inconsistent with those from other studies of populations with similar exposures, and either reflect inadequate statistical power, bias, or unique relations between exposure and disease risk. In this paper, we explore these possibilities, and present evidence that the HTDS statistical power was inadequate due to complex uncertainties associated with the mathematical models and assumptions used to reconstruct individual doses. We conclude that, at the very least, the confidence intervals reported by the HTDS for thyroid cancer and other thyroid diseases are too narrow because they fail to reflect key uncertainties in the measurement-error structure. We recommend that the HTDS results be interpreted as inconclusive rather than as evidence for little or no disease risk from Hanford exposures.

  11. Toxicology profiles of chemical and radiological contaminants at Hanford

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Harper, B.L.; Strenge, D.L.; Stenner, R.D.

    1995-07-01

    This document summarizes toxicology information required under Section 3.3 (Toxicity Assessment) of HSRAM, and can also be used to develop the short toxicology profiles required in site assessments (described in HSRAM, Section 3.3.5). Toxicology information is used in the dose-response step of the risk assessment process. The dose-response assessment describes the quantitative relationship between the amount of exposure to a substance and the extent of toxic injury or disease. Data are derived from animal studies or, less frequently, from studies in exposed human populations. The risks of a substance cannot be ascertained with any degree of confidence unless dose-response relationsmore » are quantified. This document summarizes dose-response information available from the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The contaminants selected for inclusion in this document represent most of the contaminants found at Hanford (both radiological and chemical), based on sampling and analysis performed during site investigations, and historical information on waste disposal practices at the Hanford Site.« less

  12. Integrated test plan for directional boring

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Volk, B.W.

    This integrated test plan describes the field testing of the DITCH WITCH Directional Boring System. DITCH WITCH is a registered trademark of The Charles Machine Works, Inc., Perry, Oklahoma. The test is being conducted as a coordinated effort between Charles Machine Works (CMW), Sandia National Laboratories (SNL), and the Westinghouse Hanford Company (WHC). Funding for the WHC portion of the project is through the Volatile Organic Compound-Arid Integrated Demonstration (VOC-Arid ID). The purpose of the test is to evaluate the performance of the directional boring system for possible future use on environmental restoration projects at Hanford and other Department ofmore » Energy (DOE) sites. The test will be conducted near the 200 Areas Fire Station located between the 200 East and 200 West Area of the Hanford Site. The directional boring system will be used to drill and complete (with fiberglass casing) two horizontal boreholes. A third borehole will be drilled to test sampling equipment but will not be completed with casing.« less

  13. Existing data on the 216-Z liquid waste sites

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Owens, K.W.

    1981-05-01

    During 36 years of operation at the Hanford Site, the ground has been used for disposal of liquid and solid transuranic and/or low-level wastes. Liquid waste was disposed in surface and subsurface cribs, trenches, French drains, reverse wells, ditches and ponds. Disposal structures associated with Z Plant received liquid waste from plutonium finishing and reclamation, waste treatment and laboratory operations. The nineteen 216-Z sites have received 83% of the plutonium discharged to 325 liquid waste facilities at the Hanford Site. The purpose of this document is to support the Hanford Defense Waste Environmental Impact Statement by drawing the existing datamore » together for the 216-Z liquid waste disposal sites. This document provides an interim reference while a sitewide Waste Information Data System (WIDS) is developed and put on line. Eventually these and additional site data for all Hanford waste disposal sites will be available on WIDS. Compilation of existing data is the first step in evaluating the need and developing the technology for long-term management of these waste sites. The scope of this document is confined to data describing the status of the 216-Z waste sites as of December 31, 1979. Information and sketches are taken from existing documents and drawings.« less

  14. CONTROL CHART DASHBOARDS MANAGING YOUR NUMBERS INSTEAD OF YOU NUMBER MANAGING YOU

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    PREVETTE, S.S.

    2006-11-15

    This paper, which documents Fluor Hanford's application of Statistical Process Control (SPC) and Dashboards to support planning and decision making, is a sequel to ''Leading with Leading Indicators'' that was presented at WM 05. This year's paper provides more detail on management's use of SPC and control charts and discusses their integration into an executive summary using the popular color-cod3ed dashboard methodology. Fluor Hanford has applied SPC in a non-traditional (that is non-manufacturing) manner. Dr. Shewhart's 75-year-old control-chart methodologies have been updated to modern data processing, but are still founded on his sound, tried and true principles. These methods aremore » playing a key role in safety and quality at what has been called the world's largest environmental cleanup project. The US Department of Energy's (DOE's) Hanford Site played a pivotal role in the nation's defense, beginning in the 1940s when it was established as part of the Manhattan Project. After more than 50 years of producing nuclear weapons, Hanford--which covers 586 square miles in southeastern Washington state--is now focused on three outcomes: (1) restoring the Columbia River corridor for multiple uses; (2) transitioning the central plateau to support long-term waste management; and (3) putting DOE assets to work for the future.« less

  15. Radiological Source Terms for Tank Farms Safety Analysis

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    COWLEY, W.L.

    2000-06-27

    This document provides Unit Liter Dose factors, atmospheric dispersion coefficients, breathing rates and instructions for using and customizing these factors for use in calculating radiological doses for accident analyses in the Hanford Tank Farms.

  16. The River Corridor Closure Contract How Washington Closure Hanford is Closing A Unique Department of Energy Project - 12425

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Feist, E.T.

    2012-07-01

    Cleanup of the Hanford River Corridor has been one of Hanford Site's top priorities since the early 1990's. This urgency is due to the proximity of hundreds of waste sites to the Columbia River and the groundwater that continues to threaten the Columbia River. In April 2005, the U.S. Department of Energy, Richland Operations Office (DOE-RL) awarded the Hanford River Corridor Closure Contract (RCCC), a cost-plus incentive-fee closure contract with a 2015 end date and first of its kind at Hanford Site, to Washington Closure Hanford (WCH), a limited-liability company owned by URS, Bechtel National, and CH2M HILL. WCH ismore » a single-purpose company whose goal is to safely, compliantly, and efficiently accelerate cleanup in the Hanford River Corridor and reduce or eliminate future obligations to DOE-RL for maintaining long-term stewardship over the site. Accelerated performance of the work-scope while keeping a perspective on contract completion presents challenges that require proactive strategies to support the remaining work-scope through the end of the RCCC. This paper outlines the processes to address the challenges of completing work-scope while planning for contract termination. WCH is responsible for cleanup of the River Corridor 569.8 km{sup 2} (220 mi{sup 2}) of the 1,517.7 km{sup 2} (586 mi{sup 2}) Hanford Site's footprint reduction. At the end of calendar year 2011, WCH's closure implementation is well underway. Fieldwork is complete in three of the largest areas within the RCCC scope (Segments 1, 2, and 3), approximately 44.5% of the River Corridor (Figure 3). Working together, DOE-RL and WCH are in the process of completing the 'paper work' that will document the completion of the work-scope and allow DOE-RL to relieve WCH of contractual responsibilities and transition the completed areas to the Long-Term Stewardship Program, pending final action RODs. Within the next 4 years, WCH will continue to complete cleanup of the River Corridor following the completion goals. As field work-scope is completed, progressive reductions of business processes, physical facilities, and staff will occur. Organizations will collapse and flatten commensurate with workload. WCH employees will move on to new endeavors, proud of their accomplishments and the legacy they are leaving behind as being the first and largest environmental cleanup closure contract at Hanford. (authors)« less

  17. Summary and evaluation of hydraulic property data available for the Hanford Site upper basalt confined aquifer system

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Spane, F.A. Jr.; Vermeul, V.R.

    Pacific Northwest Laboratory, as part of the Hanford Site Ground-Water Surveillance Project, examines the potential for offsite migration of contamination within the upper basalt confined aquifer system. For the past 40 years, hydrologic testing of the upper basalt confined aquifer has been conducted by a number of Hanford Site programs. Hydraulic property estimates are important for evaluating aquifer flow characteristics (i.e., ground-water flow patterns, flow velocity, transport travel time). Presented are the first comprehensive Hanford Site-wide summary of hydraulic properties for the upper basalt confined aquifer system (i.e., the upper Saddle Mountains Basalt). Available hydrologic test data were reevaluated usingmore » recently developed diagnostic test analysis methods. A comparison of calculated transmissivity estimates indicates that, for most test results, a general correspondence within a factor of two between reanalysis and previously reported test values was obtained. For a majority of the tests, previously reported values are greater than reanalysis estimates. This overestimation is attributed to a number of factors, including, in many cases, a misapplication of nonleaky confined aquifer analysis methods in previous analysis reports to tests that exhibit leaky confined aquifer response behavior. Results of the test analyses indicate a similar range for transmissivity values for the various hydro-geologic units making up the upper basalt confined aquifer. Approximately 90% of the calculated transmissivity values for upper basalt confined aquifer hydrogeologic units occur within the range of 10{sup 0} to 10{sup 2} m{sup 2}/d, with 65% of the calculated estimate values occurring between 10{sup 1} to 10{sup 2} m{sup 2}d. These summary findings are consistent with the general range of values previously reported for basalt interflow contact zones and sedimentary interbeds within the Saddle Mountains Basalt.« less

  18. One System Integrated Project Team: Retrieval And Delivery Of The Hanford Tank Wastes For Vitrification In The Waste Treatment Plant

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Harp, Benton J.; Kacich, Richard M.; Skwarek, Raymond J.

    The One System Integrated Project Team (IPT) was formed in late 2011 as a way for improving the efficiency of delivery and treatment of highly radioactive waste stored in underground tanks at the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE's) 586-square-mile Hanford Site in southeastern Washington State. The purpose of the One System IPT is to improve coordination and integration between the Hanford's Waste Treatment Plant (WTP) contractor and the Tank Operations Contractor (TOC). The vision statement is: One System is a WTP and TOC safety conscious team that, through integrated management and implementation of risk-informed decision and mission-based solutions, will enablemore » the earliest start of safe and efficient treatment of Hanford's tank waste, to protect the Columbia River, environment and public. The IPT is a formal collaboration between Bechtel National, Inc. (BNI), which manages design and construction of the WTP for the U.S. Department of Energy's Office of River Protection (DOEORP), and Washington River Protection Solutions (WRPS), which manages the TOC for ORP. More than fifty-six (56) million gallons of highly radioactive liquid waste are stored in one hundred seventy-seven (177) aging, underground tanks. Most of Hanford's waste tanks - one hundred forty-nine (149) of them - are of an old single-shell tank (SST) design built between 1944 and 1964. More than sixty (60) of these tanks have leaked in the past, releasing an estimated one million gallons of waste into the soil and threatening the nearby Columbia River. There are another twenty-eight (28) new double-shelled tanks (DSTs), built from 1968 to 1986, that provide greater protection to the environment. In 1989, DOE, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the Washington State Department of Ecology (Ecology) signed a landmark agreement that required Hanford to comply with federal and state environmental standards. It also paved the way for agreements that set deadlines for retrieving the tank wastes and for building and operating the WTP. The tank wastes are the result of Hanford's nearly fifty (50) years of plutonium production. In the intervening years, waste characteristics have been increasingly better understood. However, waste characteristics that are uncertain and will remain as such represent a significant technical challenge in terms of retrieval, transport, and treatment, as well as for design and construction ofWTP. What also is clear is that the longer the waste remains in the tanks, the greater the risk to the environment and the people of the Pacific Northwest. The goal of both projects - tank operations and waste treatment - is to diminish the risks posed by the waste in the tanks at the earliest possible date. About two hundred (200) WTP and TOC employees comprise the IPT. Individual work groups within One System include Technical, Project Integration & Controls, Front-End Design & Project Definition, Commissioning, Nuclear Safety & Engineering Systems Integration, and Environmental Safety and Health and Quality Assurance (ESH&QA). Additional functions and team members will be added as the WTP approaches the operational phase. The team has undertaken several initiatives since its formation to collaborate on issues: (1) alternate scenarios for delivery of wastes from the tank farms to WTP; (2) improvements in managing Interface Control Documents; (3) coordination on various technical issues, including the Defense Nuclear Facilities Nuclear Safety Board's Recommendation 2010-2; (4) deployment of the SmartPlant Foundation-configuration Management System; and (5) preparation of the joint contract deliverable of the Operational Readiness Support Plan.« less

  19. Environmental Remediation

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    None

    2017-04-11

    At Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, we are a leader in subsurface science and remediation. We use our expertise in these areas to characterize subsurface contaminants and assess contaminant transport. We're also using our capabilities to restore the Hanford Site in southeastern Washington State to a safe, clean environment.

  20. DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Santschi, Peter H.; Xu, Chen; Schwehr, Kathleen A.

    Iodine (I) occurs in multiple oxidation states in aquatic systems in the form of organic and inorganic species (iodide and iodate). This fact leads to complex biogeochemical cycling of Iodine and its long-lived isotope, 129I, a major by-product of nuclear fission. Results from our newly developed, sensitive and rapid method for speciated isotopic ratios ( 129I/ 127I) via GC-MS, which compare favorably with Accelerator Mass Spectroscopy, demonstrate that the mobility of 129I species greatly depends on the type of I species and its concentration, pH, and sediment redox state. At ambient concentrations (~10 7 M), I- and IO -3 aremore » significantly retarded by sorption to mineral surfaces and covalent binding to aromatic moieties in natural organic matter (NOM), even when NOM is present at low concentrations such as occur at Hanford. At concentrations traditionally examined in sorption studies (≥ 10 -4 M), I- travels along with the water. Iodate removal can also occur through incorporation into CaCO 3 crystal lattice, e.g., at the Hanford Site. Removal of iodine from the groundwater through interaction with NOM is complicated by the release of mobile organo-I species, as was observed at SRS and Hanford. A small fraction of NOM that is bound to iodine can behave as a mobile organo-I source, a process that we were able to numerically simulate. Field and laboratory studies evaluating the cause for steady increases in 129I concentrations (up to 1000 pCi L-1) emanating from radiological basins at SRS indicate that an increase of 0.7 pH units in groundwater over 17 years can account for the observed increased groundwater 129I concentrations. Bacteria from a 129I-contaminated aerobic aquifer at the F-area of SRS can accumulate I- at environmentally relevant concentrations (10 -7 M), and enzymatically oxidize I-, which together with microbially produced MnO 2 and superoxide or organic acids can significantly contribute to organo-iodine formation.« less

  1. Innovations in the Assay of Un-Segregated Multi-Isotopic Grade TRU Waste Boxes with SuperHENC and FRAM Technology

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Simpson, A. P.; Barber, S.; Abdurrahman, N. M.

    2006-07-01

    The Super High Efficiency Neutron Coincidence Counter (SuperHENC) was originally developed by BIL Solutions Inc., Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) and Rocky Flats Environmental Technology Site (RFETS) for assay of transuranic (TRU) waste in Standard Waste Boxes (SWB) at Rocky Flats. This mobile system was a key component in the shipment of over 4,000 SWBs to the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) in Carlsbad, New Mexico. The system was WIPP certified in 2001 and operated at the site for four years. The success of this system, a passive neutron coincidence counter combined with high resolution gamma spectroscopy, led to themore » order of two new units, delivered to Hanford in 2004. Several new challenges were faced at Hanford: For example, the original RFETS system was calibrated for segregated waste streams such that metals, plastics, wet combustibles and dry combustibles were separated by 'Item Description Codes' prior to assay. Furthermore, the RFETS mission of handling only weapons grade plutonium, enabled the original SuperHENC to benefit from the use of known Pu isotopics. Operations at Hanford, as with most other DOE sites, generate un-segregated waste streams, with a wide diversity of Pu isotopics. Consequently, the new SuperHENCs are required to deal with new technical challenges. The neutron system's software and calibration methodology have been modified to encompass these new requirements. In addition, PC-FRAM software has been added to the gamma system, providing a robust isotopic measurement capability. Finally a new software package has been developed that integrates the neutron and gamma data to provide a final assay results and analysis report. The new system's performance has been rigorously tested and validated against WIPP quality requirements. These modifications, together with the mobile platform, make the new SuperHENC far more versatile in handling diverse waste streams and allow for rapid redeployment around the DOE complex. (authors)« less

  2. Establishing Final Cleanup Decisions for the Hanford Site River Corridor

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Lerch, J.A.; Sands, J.P.

    2007-07-01

    A major challenge in the River Corridor Closure Contract is establishing final cleanup decisions for the source operable units in the Hanford Site river corridor. Cleanup actions in the river corridor began in 1994 and have been performed in accordance with a 'bias for action' approach adopted by the Tri-Parties - the U.S. Department of Energy, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and Washington State Department of Ecology. This approach enabled early application of cleanup dollars on actual remediation of contaminated waste sites. Consequently, the regulatory framework authorizing cleanup actions at source operable units in the river corridor consists largely of interimmore » action records of decision, which were supported by qualitative risk assessments. Obtaining final cleanup decisions for the source operable units is necessary to determine whether past cleanup actions in the river corridor are protective of human health and the environment and to identify any course corrections that may be needed to ensure that ongoing and future cleanup actions are protective. Because the cleanup actions are ongoing, it is desirable to establish the final cleanup decisions as early as possible to minimize the impacts of any identified course corrections to the present cleanup approach. Development of a strategy to obtain final cleanup decisions for the source operable units in a manner that is responsive to desires for an integrated approach with the groundwater and Columbia River components while maintaining the ability to evaluate each component on its own merit represents a significant challenge. There are many different options for grouping final cleanup decisions, and each involved party or stakeholder brings slightly different interests that shape the approach. Regardless of the selected approach, there are several specific challenges and issues to be addressed before making final cleanup decisions. A multi-agency and contractor working group has been established to address these issues and develop an endorsed strategy. Ultimately, it is anticipated that the Tri-Parties will establish a set of milestones to document pathway selection and define schedule requirements. (authors)« less

  3. Research Spotlight: Potential pathways of radioactive contaminants to surface waters

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kumar, Mohi

    2011-02-01

    From the 1940s to the end of the Cold War, the U.S. Department of Energy maintained production facilities for manufacturing nuclear weapons along the Columbia River north of Richland, Wash. Known as the Hanford Site, the Rhode Island-sized area contains more than 53 million gallons of radioactive waste and is the location of a massive environmental cleanup. Of particular concern is that when the facility was active, fluids containing 33-59 tons of uranium were discharged into the shallow subsurface aquifer underneath Hanford. Studies suggest that this pollution is pervasively moving with the groundwater in the direction of the Columbia River. (Water Resources Research, doi:10.1029/2010WR009110, 2010)

  4. Thyroid neoplasia, autoimmune thyroiditis, and hypothyroidism in persons exposed to iodine 131 from the hanford nuclear site.

    PubMed

    Davis, Scott; Kopecky, Kenneth J; Hamilton, Thomas E; Onstad, Lynn

    2004-12-01

    Approximately 740,000 Ci (2.73 x 10(16) Bq) of iodine 131 (131I) were released to the atmosphere from the Hanford Nuclear Site in Washington State from 1944 through 1957. The risk of thyroid disease resulting from prolonged environmental 131I exposure is poorly understood. The Hanford Thyroid Disease Study (HTDS) was conducted to determine if thyroid disease is increased among persons exposed as children to atmospheric releases of 131I from Hanford. Retrospective cohort study. Exposure could have occurred from December 1944 through 1957. Follow-up occurred until the time of the HTDS examination (December 1992-September 1997). Participants' thyroid radiation doses from Hanford's 131I releases were estimated from interview data regarding residence and dietary histories. The cohort included a sample of all births from 1940 through 1946 to mothers with usual residence in 1 of 7 counties in eastern Washington State. Of 5199 individuals identified, 4350 were located alive and 3440 were evaluable; ie, had sufficient data for dose estimation and received an HTDS evaluation for thyroid disease, including a thyroid ultrasound, physical examination, and fine needle biopsy if required to evaluate thyroid nodularity. Thyroid cancer, benign thyroid nodules, total neoplasia, any thyroid nodules, autoimmune thyroiditis, and hypothyroidism. There was no evidence of a relationship between Hanford radiation dose and the cumulative incidence of any of the outcomes. These results remained unchanged after taking into account several factors that might confound the relationship between radiation dose and the outcomes of interest. These results do not support the hypothesis that exposure during infancy and childhood to 131I at the dose levels (median, 97 mGy; mean, 174 mGy) and exposure circumstances experienced by our study participants increases the risk of the forms of thyroid disease evaluated in this study.

  5. Effect of saline waste solution infiltration rates on uranium retention and spatial distribution in Hanford sediments.

    PubMed

    Wan, Jiamin; Tokunaga, Tetsu K; Kim, Yongman; Wang, Zheming; Lanzirotti, Antonio; Saiz, Eduardo; Serne, R Jeffrey

    2008-03-15

    The accidental overfilling of waste liquid from tank BX-102 at the Hanford Site in 1951 put about 10 t of U(VI) into the vadose zone. In order to understand the dominant geochemical reactions and transport processes that occurred during the initial infiltration and to help understand current spatial distribution, we simulated the waste liquid spilling event in laboratory sediment columns using synthesized metal waste solution. We found that, as the plume propagated through sediments, pH decreased greatly (as much as 4 units) at the moving plume front. Infiltration flow rates strongly affect U behavior. Slower flow rates resulted in higher sediment-associated U concentrations, and higher flow rates (> or =5 cm/day) permitted practically unretarded U transport. Therefore, given the very high Ksat of most of Hanford formation, the low permeability zones within the sediment could have been most important in retaining high concentrations of U during initial release into the vadose zone. Massive amount of colloids, including U-colloids, formed at the plume fronts. Total U concentrations (aqueous and colloid) within plume fronts exceeded the source concentration by up to 5-fold. Uranium colloid formation and accumulation at the neutralized plume front could be one mechanism responsible for highly heterogeneous U distribution observed in the contaminated Hanford vadose zone.

  6. SURFACE GEOPHYSICAL EXPLORATION OF SX TANK FARM AT THE HANFORD SITE RESULTS OF BACKGROUND CHARACTERIZATION WITH MAGNETICS AND ELECTROMAGNETICS

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    MYERS DA; RUCKER D; LEVIT M

    This report presents the results of the background characterization of the cribs and trenches surrounding the SX tank farm prepared by HydroGEOPHYSICS Inc, Columbia Energy & Environmental Services Inc and Washington River Protection Solutions.

  7. 76 FR 14386 - Environmental Management Site-Specific Advisory Board, Hanford

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-03-16

    ...: Red Lion Hotel on the River, Jantzen Beach, 909 North Hayden Island Drive, Portland, Oregon 97217... Committee; Public Involvement Committee; and Budgets and Contracts Committee Potential Board Advice [cir] 2011-2013 Budget [cir] Regulatory document timelines/review [cir] Radioactive solid waste burial...

  8. Data Quality Objectives Process for Designation of K Basins Debris

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    WESTCOTT, J.L.

    2000-05-22

    The U.S. Department of Energy has developed a schedule and approach for the removal of spent fuels, sludge, and debris from the K East (KE) and K West (KW) Basins, located in the 100 Area at the Hanford Site. The project that is the subject of this data quality objective (DQO) process is focused on the removal of debris from the K Basins and onsite disposal of the debris at the Environmental Restoration Disposal Facility (ERDF). This material previously has been dispositioned at the Hanford Low-Level Burial Grounds (LLBGs) or Central Waste Complex (CWC). The goal of this DQO processmore » and the resulting Sampling and Analysis Plan (SAP) is to provide the strategy for characterizing and designating the K-Basin debris to determine if it meets the Environmental Restoration Disposal Facility Waste Acceptance Criteria (WAC), Revision 3 (BHI 1998). A critical part of the DQO process is to agree on regulatory and WAC interpretation, to support preparation of the DQO workbook and SAP.« less

  9. Determination of dose distributions and parameter sensitivity. Hanford Environmental Dose Reconstruction Project; dose code recovery activities; Calculation 005

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Napier, B.A.; Farris, W.T.; Simpson, J.C.

    1992-12-01

    A series of scoping calculations has been undertaken to evaluate the absolute and relative contribution of different radionuclides and exposure pathways to doses that may have been received by individuals living in the vicinity of the Hanford site. This scoping calculation (Calculation 005) examined the contributions of numerous parameters to the uncertainty distribution of doses calculated for environmental exposures and accumulation in foods. This study builds on the work initiated in the first scoping study of iodine in cow`s milk and the third scoping study, which added additional pathways. Addressed in this calculation were the contributions to thyroid dose ofmore » infants from (1) air submersion and groundshine external dose, (2) inhalation, (3) ingestion of soil by humans, (4) ingestion of leafy vegetables, (5) ingestion of other vegetables and fruits, (6) ingestion of meat, (7) ingestion of eggs, and (8) ingestion of cows` milk from Feeding Regime 1 as described in Calculation 001.« less

  10. Environmental Management Performance Report June 2000

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    EDER, D.M.

    2000-06-01

    The purpose of this report is to provide the Department of Energy Richland Operations Office (DOE-RL) a monthly summary of the Project Hanford Management Contractor's (PHMC) Environmental Management (EM) performance by Fluor Hanford (FH) and its subcontractors. In addition to project-specific information, it includes some PHMC-level data not detailed elsewhere in the report. Section A, Executive Summary, provides an executive level summary of the cost, schedule, and technical performance described in this report. It summarizes performance for the period covered, highlights areas worthy of management attention, and provides a forward look to some of the upcoming key performance activities asmore » extracted from the PHMC baseline. The remaining sections provide detailed performance data relative to each individual Project (e.g., Waste Management, Spent Nuclear Fuels, etc.), in support of Section A of the report. Unless otherwise noted, the Safety, Conduct of Operations, and Cost/Schedule data contained herein is as of April 30, 2000. All other information is updated as of May 19, unless otherwise noted.« less

  11. Central Plateau Cleanup at DOE's Hanford Site - 12504

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Dowell, Jonathan

    The discussion of Hanford's Central Plateau includes significant work in and around the center of the Hanford Site - located about 7 miles from the Columbia River. The Central Plateau is the area to which operations will be shrunk in 2015 when River Corridor cleanup is complete. This work includes retrieval and disposal of buried waste from miles of trenches; the cleanup and closure of massive processing canyons; the clean-out and demolition to 'slab on grade' of the high-hazard Plutonium Finishing Plant; installation of key groundwater treatment facilities to contain and shrink plumes of contaminated groundwater; demolition of all othermore » unneeded facilities; and the completion of decisions about remaining Central Plateau waste sites. A stated goal of EM has been to shrink the footprint of active cleanup to less than 10 square miles by 2020. By the end of FY2011, Hanford will have reduced the active footprint of cleanup by 64 percent exceeding the goal of 49 percent. By 2015, Hanford will reduce the active footprint of cleanup by more than 90 percent. The remaining footprint reduction will occur between 2015 and 2020. The Central Plateau is a 75-square-mile region near the center of the Hanford Site including the area designated in the Hanford Comprehensive Land Use Plan Environmental Impact Statement (DOE 1999) and Record of Decision (64 FR 61615) as the Industrial-Exclusive Area, a rectangular area of about 20 square miles in the center of the Central Plateau. The Industrial-Exclusive Area contains the 200 East and 200 West Areas that have been used primarily for Hanford's nuclear fuel processing and waste management and disposal activities. The Central Plateau also encompasses the 200 Area CERCLA National Priorities List site. The Central Plateau has a large physical inventory of chemical processing and support facilities, tank systems, liquid and solid waste disposal and storage facilities, utility systems, administrative facilities, and groundwater monitoring wells. As a companion to the Hanford Site Cleanup Completion Framework document, DOE issued its draft Central Plateau Cleanup Completion Strategy in September 2009 to provide an outline of DOE's vision for completion of cleanup activities across the Central Plateau. As major elements of the Hanford cleanup along the Columbia River Corridor near completion, DOE believed it appropriate to articulate the agency vision for the remainder of the cleanup mission. The Central Plateau Cleanup Completion Strategy and the Hanford Site Cleanup Completion Framework were provided to the regulatory community, the Tribal Nations, political leaders, the public, and Hanford stakeholders to promote dialogue on Hanford's future. The Central Plateau Cleanup Completion Strategy describes DOE's vision for completion of Central Plateau cleanup and outlines the decisions needed to achieve the vision. The Central Plateau strategy involves steps to: (1) contain and remediate contaminated groundwater, (2) implement a geographic cleanup approach that guides remedy selection from a plateau-wide perspective, (3) evaluate and deploy viable treatment methods for deep vadose contamination to provide long-term protection of the groundwater, and (4) conduct essential waste management operations in coordination with cleanup actions. The strategy will also help optimize Central Plateau readiness to use funding when it is available upon completion of River Corridor cleanup projects. One aspect of the Central Plateau strategy is to put in place the process to identify the final footprint for permanent waste management and containment of residual contamination within the 20-square-mile Industrial-Exclusive Area. The final footprint identified for permanent waste management and containment of residual contamination should be as small as practical and remain under federal ownership and control for as long as a potential hazard exists. Outside the final footprint, the remainder of the Central Plateau will be available for other uses consistent with the Hanford Comprehensive Land-Use Plan (DOE 1999), while maintained under federal ownership and control. (author)« less

  12. Minimum separation distances for natural gas pipeline and boilers in the 300 area, Hanford Site

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Daling, P.M.; Graham, T.M.

    1997-08-01

    The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) is proposing actions to reduce energy expenditures and improve energy system reliability at the 300 Area of the Hanford Site. These actions include replacing the centralized heating system with heating units for individual buildings or groups of buildings, constructing a new natural gas distribution system to provide a fuel source for many of these units, and constructing a central control building to operate and maintain the system. The individual heating units will include steam boilers that are to be housed in individual annex buildings located at some distance away from nearby 300 Area nuclearmore » facilities. This analysis develops the basis for siting the package boilers and natural gas distribution systems to be used to supply steam to 300 Area nuclear facilities. The effects of four potential fire and explosion scenarios involving the boiler and natural gas pipeline were quantified to determine minimum separation distances that would reduce the risks to nearby nuclear facilities. The resulting minimum separation distances are shown in Table ES.1.« less

  13. THE POSITIVE IMPACTS OF AMERICAN REINVESTMENT AND RECOVERY ACT (ARRA) FUNDING TO THE WASTE MANAGEMENT PROGRAM ON HANFORD'S PLATEAU REMEDIATION PROJECT

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    BLACKFORD LT

    In April 2009, the Department of Energy (DOE) Richland Operations Office (RL) was allocated $1.6 billion (B) in ARRA funding to be applied to cleanup projects at the Hanford Site. DOE-RL selected projects to receive ARRA funding based on 3-criteria: creating/saving jobs, reducing the footprint of the Hanford Site, and reducing life-cycle costs for cleanup. They further selected projects that were currently covered under regulatory documents and existing prime contracts, which allowed work to proceed quickly. CH2M HILL Plateau Remediation Company (CHPRC) is a prime contractor to the DOE focused on the environmental cleanup of the DOE Hanford Site Centralmore » Plateau. CHPRC was slated to receive $1.36B in ARRA funding. As of January, 2010, CHPRC has awarded over $200 million (M) in subcontracts (64% to small businesses), created more that 1,100 jobs, and touched more than 2,300 lives - all in support of long-term objectives for remediation of the Central Plateau, on or ahead of schedule. ARRA funding is being used to accelerate and augment cleanup activities already underway under the baseline Plateau Remediation Contract (PRC). This paper details challenges and accomplishments using ARRA funding to meet DOE-RL objectives of creating/saving jobs, expediting cleanup, and reducing lifecycle costs for cleanup during the first months of implementation.« less

  14. ALTERNATIVE REMEDIATION TECHNOLOGY STUDY FOR GROUNDWATER TREATMENT AT 200-PO-1 OPERABLE UNIT AT HANFORD SITE

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    DADO MA

    2008-07-31

    This study focuses on the remediation methods and technologies applicable for use at 200-PO-I Groundwater Operable Unit (OU) at the Hanford Site. The 200-PO-I Groundwater au requires groundwater remediation because of the existence of contaminants of potential concern (COPC). A screening was conducted on alternative technologies and methods of remediation to determine which show the most potential for remediation of groundwater contaminants. The possible technologies were screened to determine which would be suggested for further study and which were not applicable for groundwater remediation. COPCs determined by the Hanford Site groundwater monitoring were grouped into categories based on properties linkingmore » them by remediation methods applicable to each COPC group. The screening considered the following criteria. (1) Determine if the suggested method or technology can be used for the specific contaminants found in groundwater and if the technology can be applied at the 200-PO-I Groundwater au, based on physical characteristics such as geology and depth to groundwater. (2) Evaluate screened technologies based on testing and development stages, effectiveness, implementability, cost, and time. This report documents the results of an intern research project conducted by Mathew Dado for Central Plateau Remediation in the Soil and Groundwater Remediation Project. The study was conducted under the technical supervision of Gloria Cummins and management supervision of Theresa Bergman and Becky Austin.« less

  15. System-Scale Model of Aquifer, Vadose Zone, and River Interactions for the Hanford 300 Area - Application to Uranium Reactive Transport

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Rockhold, Mark L.; Bacon, Diana H.; Freedman, Vicky L.

    2013-10-01

    This report represents a synthesis and integration of basic and applied research into a system-scale model of the Hanford 300 Area groundwater uranium plume, supported by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Richland Operations (DOE-RL) office. The report integrates research findings and data from DOE Office of Science (DOE-SC), Office of Environmental Management (DOE-EM), and DOE-RL projects, and from the site remediation and closure contractor, Washington Closure Hanford, LLC (WCH). The three-dimensional, system-scale model addresses water flow and reactive transport of uranium for the coupled vadose zone, unconfined aquifer, and Columbia River shoreline of the Hanford 300 Area. The system-scale modelmore » of the 300 Area was developed to be a decision-support tool to evaluate processes of the total system affecting the groundwater uranium plume. The model can also be used to address “what if” questions regarding different remediation endpoints, and to assist in design and evaluation of field remediation efforts. For example, the proposed cleanup plan for the Hanford 300 Area includes removal, treatment, and disposal of contaminated sediments from known waste sites, enhanced attenuation of uranium hot spots in the vadose and periodically rewetted zone, and continued monitoring of groundwater with institutional controls. Illustrative simulations of polyphosphate infiltration were performed to demonstrate the ability of the system-scale model to address these types of questions. The use of this model in conjunction with continued field monitoring is expected to provide a rigorous basis for developing operational strategies for field remediation and for defining defensible remediation endpoints.« less

  16. DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Wood, D.E.

    This report presents discussions given at a conference on environmental remediation, September 8--11, Pasco, Washington. Topics include: public confidence; education; in-situ remediation; Hanford tank operations; risk assessments; field experiences; standards; site characterization and monitoring; technology discussions; regulatory issues; compliance; and the UMTRA project. Individual projects are processed separately for the data bases.

  17. 2 CFR Appendix C to Part 230 - Non-Profit Organizations Not Subject to This Part

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-01-01

    ..., Michigan 11. Georgia Institute of Technology/Georgia Tech Applied Research Corporation/Georgia Tech Research Institute, Atlanta, Georgia 12. Hanford Environmental Health Foundation, Richland, Washington 13... Institutes of Research (AIR), Washington DC 4. Argonne National Laboratory, Chicago, Illinois 5. Atomic...

  18. Spent Nuclear Fuel (SNF) Project Execution Plan

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    LEROY, P.G.

    2000-11-03

    The Spent Nuclear Fuel (SNF) Project supports the Hanford Site Mission to cleanup the Site by providing safe, economic, environmentally sound management of Site spent nuclear fuel in a manner that reduces hazards by staging it to interim onsite storage and deactivates the 100 K Area facilities.

  19. Vascular plants of waste storage sites in the 200 areas of the Hanford reservation

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Price, K.R.; Rickard, W.H.

    1973-12-01

    A brief accounting of terrestrial, riparian and semi-aquatic plants known to be associated with radioactive waste storage sites in the 200 Areas of the Hanford Reservation is given. In most cases the species are characteristic of those which generally inhabit the reservation, but some plants are restricted to specialized habitats provided by particular waste storage sites. It is impractical to list all species growing at each waste storage site because of seasonal variation and changes brought about by environmental management practices. An alpbabetical listing has been prepared with an example of where each species is known to occur. The listmore » will be updated as needed and expanded to include other waste storage areas. Plant specimens were collected during spring and fall when flowering material was available. Herbarium mounts were prepared of many specimens and have been retained as part of the Hanford Reservation herbarium collection. Identification to species level was made whenever possible. Color photographs of the specimen mounts are used as training aids and demonstration material by ARHCO Radiation Monitoring personnel. (auth)« less

  20. Progress on Footprint Reduction at the Hanford Site - 12406

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    McKenney, Dale E.; Seeley, Paul; Farabee, Al

    2012-07-01

    The Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Environmental Management (EM) continues to reduce the footprint of legacy sites throughout the EM complex. Footprint reduction is being accomplished by focusing cleanup activities on decontamination and demolition of excess contaminated facilities, soil and groundwater remediation, and solid waste disposition. All of these initiatives are being accomplished with established technologies in proven regulatory frameworks. Ultimately, completion of these environmental cleanup activities will reduce the monitoring and maintenance costs associated with managing large federal facilities, allowing EM to place more focus on other high priority cleanup efforts and facilitate a successful transition to land-termmore » stewardship of these sites. Through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) investment, the Department's cleanup footprint has been reduced by 45 percent to date, from 2411 km{sup 2} (931 mi{sup 2}) to 1336 km{sup 2} (516 mi{sup 2}s). With this significant progress on footprint reduction, the Department is on track towards their goal to reduce its overall footprint by approximately 90 percent by 2015. In addition, some areas cleaned up may become available for alternate uses (i.e. recreation, conservation, preservation, industrialization or development). Much of the work to reduce the complex's footprint occurred at the Savannah River Site in South Carolina and the Hanford Site in Washington, but cleanup continues across the complex. Footprint reduction is progressing well at the Hanford Site, supported predominantly through ARRA investment. To date, 994 km{sup 2} (384 mi{sup 2}) (65%) of footprint reduction have been achieved at Hanford, with a goal to achieve a 90% reduction by Fiscal Year 2015. The DOE EM and DOE Richland Operations Office, continue to make great progress to reduce the legacy footprint of the Hanford Site. Footprint reduction is being accomplished by focusing cleanup activities on decontamination and demolition of excess facilities, both contaminated and uncontaminated, waste site cleanup activities, and debris pile removal. All of these activities can be accomplished with proven technologies and within established regulatory frameworks. Footprint reduction goals for Fiscal Year 2011 were exceeded, largely with the help of ARRA funding. As cleanup projects are completed and the total area requiring cleanup shrinks, overall costs for surveillance and maintenance operations and infrastructure services decrease. This work completion and decrease in funding requirements to maintain waste sites and antiquated facilities allows more focus on high priority site missions (i.e. groundwater remediation, tank waste disposition, etc.) and moves Site areas closer to transition from EM to the Legacy Management program. The progress in the Hanford footprint reduction effort will help achieve success in these other important mission areas. (authors)« less

  1. EVALUATION OF VADOSE ZONE TREATMENT TECHNOLOGIES TO IMMOBILIZE TECHNETIUM-99

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    PETERSEN, S.W.

    2006-03-15

    The Hanford Site End State Vision document (DOE/RL-2003-59) states: ''There should be an aggressive plan to develop technology for remediation of the contamination that could get to the groundwater (particularly the technetium [{sup 99}Tc])''. In addition, there is strong support from the public and regulatory agencies for the above statement, with emphasis on investigation of treatment alternatives. In July 2004, PNNL completed a preliminary evaluation of remediation technologies with respect to their effectiveness and implementability for immobilization of {sup 99}Tc beneath the BC Cribs in the 200 West Area (Truex, 2004). As a result of this evaluation, PNNL recommended treatabilitymore » testing of in situ soil desiccation, because it has the least uncertainty of those technologies evaluated in July 2004 (Treatability Test Outline, September 30, 2004). In 2005, DOE-RL and Fluor Hanford convened an independent technical panel to review alternative remediation technologies, including desiccation, at a three-day workshop in Richland, Washington. The panel was composed of experts in vadose-zone transport, infiltration control, hydrology, geochemistry, environmental engineering, and geology. Their backgrounds include employment in academia, government laboratories, industry, and consulting. Their review, presented in this document, is based upon written reports from Hanford, oral presentations from Hanford staff, and each panel members' years of experience in their particular field of expertise. The purpose of this report is to document the panel's evaluation of various treatment alternatives with potential for minimizing contaminant migration in the deep vadose zone at the Department of Energy Hanford Site. The panel was tasked with assessing the most viable and practical approach and making recommendations for testing. The evaluation of vadose-zone treatment alternatives was conducted to be broadly applicable at a variety of locations at Hanford. However, because of limitations of time, the panel was asked to focus on one example, {sup 99}Tc contamination below the BC Cribs and Trenches. It is well recognized that conditions at BC Cribs and Trenches are not the same as those at other Hanford locations, but it was selected so that the panel could develop an understanding of site conditions at one location. The recommendations in this report are not intended to address the regulatory decision process for this site.« less

  2. Managing the nation`s nuclear waste. Site descriptions: Cypress Creek, Davis Canyon, Deaf Smith, Hanford Reference, Lavender Canyon, Richton Dome, Swisher, Vacherie Dome, and Yucca Mountain

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    NONE

    1985-12-31

    In 1982, the Congress enacted the Nuclear Waste Policy Act (Public Law 97-425), which established a comprehensive national program directed toward siting, constructing, and operating geologic repositories for the permanent disposal of high-level radioactive waste. In February 1983, the United States Department of Energy (DOE) identified the nine referenced repository locations as potentially acceptable sites for a mined geologic repository. These sites have been evaluated in accordance with the DOE`s General Guidelines for the Recommendation of Sites for Nuclear Waste Repositories. The DOE findings and determinations are based on the evaluations contained in the draft Environmental Assessments (EA). A finalmore » EA will be prepared after considering the comments received on the draft EA. The purpose of this document is to provide the public with specific site information on each potential repository location.« less

  3. Physical Property Analysis and Report for Sediments at 100-BC-5 Operable Unit, Boreholes C7505, C7506, C7507, and C7665

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Lindberg, Michael J.

    2010-09-28

    Between October 14, 2009 and February 22, 2010 sediment samples were received from 100-BC Decision Unit for geochemical studies. This is an analytical data report for sediments received from CHPRC at the 100 BC 5 OU. The analyses for this project were performed at the 325 building located in the 300 Area of the Hanford Site. The analyses were performed according to Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) approved procedures and/or nationally recognized test procedures. The data sets include the sample identification numbers, analytical results, estimated quantification limits (EQL), and quality control data. The preparatory and analytical quality control requirements, calibrationmore » requirements, acceptance criteria, and failure actions are defined in the on-line QA plan 'Conducting Analytical Work in Support of Regulatory Programs' (CAW). This QA plan implements the Hanford Analytical Services Quality Assurance Requirements Documents (HASQARD) for PNNL.« less

  4. Contaminant Attenuation and Transport Characterization of 200-DV-1 Operable Unit Sediment Samples

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Truex, Michael J.; Szecsody, James E.; Qafoku, Nikolla

    2017-05-15

    A laboratory study was conducted to quantify contaminant attenuation processes and associated contaminant transport parameters that are needed to evaluate transport of contaminants through the vadose zone to the groundwater. The laboratory study information, in conjunction with transport analyses, can be used as input to evaluate the feasibility of Monitored Natural Attenuation and other remedies for the 200-DV-1 Operable Unit at the Hanford Site.

  5. Milk cow feed intake and milk production and distribution estimates for Phase 1

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Beck, D.M.; Darwin, R.F.; Erickson, A.R.

    1992-04-01

    This report provides initial information on milk production and distribution in the Hanford Environmental Dose Reconstruction (HEDR) Project Phase I study area. The Phase I study area consists of eight countries in central Washington and two countries in northern Oregon. The primary objective of the HEDR Project is to develop estimates of the radiation doses populations could have received from Hanford operations. The objective of Phase I of the project was to determine the feasibility of reconstructing data, models, and development of preliminary dose estimates received by people living in the ten countries surrounding Hanford from 1944 to 1947. Onemore » of the most important contributors to radiation doses from Hanford during the period of interest was radioactive iodine. Consumption of milk from cows that ate vegetation contaminated with iodine is likely the dominant pathway of human exposure. To estimate the doses people could have received from this pathway, it is necessary to estimate the amount of milk that the people living in the Phase I area consumed, the source of the milk, and the type of feed that the milk cows ate. The objective of the milk model subtask is to identify the sources of milk supplied to residents of each community in the study area as well as the sources of feeds that were fed to the milk cows. In this report, we focus on Grade A cow's milk (fresh milk used for human consumption).« less

  6. Recreation, consumption of wild game, risk, and the Department of Energy sites: perceptions of people attending the Lewiston, ID, "Roundup".

    PubMed

    Burger, J

    1999-02-26

    Several federal agencies are reclaiming land through remediation and restoration, and are considering potential future land uses that are compatible with current land uses and local needs. Understanding potential recreational and wild game consumption patterns and risk perceptions are critical for determining cleanup levels and assessing potential risk associated with certain uses. In this article, recreational rates of people attending the Lewiston "Roundup" rodeo in northwestern Idaho were examined, as well as their perceptions of the safety of consuming fish and game from two Department of Energy (DOE) facilities: the Hanford Site and the Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory (INEEL). These are two of DOE's largest sites. Lewiston is closer to Hanford, but is in the same state as INEEL. Men engaged in significantly higher hunting and fishing rates than women, but there were no gender differences in camping and hiking rates. Rates of hunting and camping decreased significantly with age, while rates of hiking were lowest for 31- to 45-yr-olds. Level of education generally was not related to rates of recreation. Over 70% of the subjects ate deer, elk, and self-caught fish; 30-50% ate grouse, moose, and waterfowl; and fewer people ate other game species. Overall, subjects were less concerned about eating the fish and game from INEEL than from Hanford, and more people thought Hanford should be cleaned up completely compared to INEEL. Mean rates of fishing, hiking, and camping all exceeded the DOE's maximum recreational exposure assumption of 14 d/yr used in their future use documents. Although at present people are generally not allowed access to DOE lands for recreation, recreation is one future land use being considered for these federal facilities. Given that some people would engage in multiple activities, the potential exists for people living in the general region of Hanford and INEEL to exceed the 14-d exposure assumption. The relative gender differences in recreational rates mean that men are potentially more at risk, particularly since hunting (on both sites) and fishing (on Hanford) are attractive.

  7. U(VI) adsorption on aquifer sediments at the Hanford Site.

    PubMed

    Um, Wooyong; Serne, R Jeffrey; Brown, Christopher F; Last, George V

    2007-08-15

    Aquifer sediments collected via split-spoon sampling in two new groundwater wells in the 200-UP-1 operable unit at the Hanford Site were characterized and showed typical Ringold Unit E Formation properties dominated by gravel and sand. High iron-oxide content in Fe oxide/clay coatings caused the highest U(VI) adsorption as quantified by batch K(d) values, indicating iron oxides are the key solid adsorbent in the 200-UP-1 sediments that affect U(VI) fate and mobility. Even though U(VI) adsorption on the gravel-sized fraction of the sediments is considered to be negligible, careful characterization should be conducted to determine U(VI) adsorption on gravel, because of presence of Fe oxides coatings and diffusion-controlled adsorption into the gravel particles' interior surfaces. A linear adsorption isotherm was observed up to 10(-6) M (238 microg/L) of total U(VI) concentration in batch U(VI) adsorption tests with varying total U(VI) concentrations in spiked groundwater. U(VI) adsorption decreased with increasing concentrations of dissolved carbonate, because strong anionic aqueous uranium-carbonate complexes formed at high pH and high alkalinity conditions. Noticeable uranium desorption hysteresis was observed in a flow-through column experiment, suggesting that desorption K(d) values for aged uranium-contaminated sediments at the Hanford Site can be larger than adsorption K(d) values determined in short-term laboratory experiments and slow uranium release from contaminated sediments into the groundwater is expected.

  8. WHY CAN'T WE LEARN FROM OUR MISTAKES LEARN THE LESSON TELL THE STORY

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    LANGSTAFF, D.C.

    2005-02-03

    Tell the story well and people can learn from the lesson. The United States Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Environmental Management (EM) and its contractors are pursuing environmental remediation at the Hanford Site. This endeavor has been underway for a number of years, both at Hanford and at other sites across the DOE complex. Independently, the occurrence of two fatalities on two Sites at opposite ends of the country within two weeks raised the question, ''What is going on in the Field?'' Corporate EM management communicated directly with Field Office Managers to answer the question. As a result ofmore » this intense interest and focused communication, EM identified four areas that need additional exploration. One of those is, ''EM's ability to learn from its mistakes.'' The need to cultivate the ability to learn from our mistakes is not unique to DOE. A quick review of EM Lessons Learned reports shows that most of the reports in the EM system originate at the sites with the largest budgets doing the most work. A second look, however, reveals that many reports are repetitive, that many people might consider many reports trivial, and that reports on some of the more significant events sometimes take a long time to get distributed across the DOE Complex. Spot checks of event reports revealed frequent identification of symptoms rather than root causes. With a high percentage of identified root causes in the questionable category, it is highly unlikely that the real root causes of many events are being corrected, thus leading to recurrences of events. To learn the lesson from an event, people need to be aware of the root causes of the event. Someone has to tell a story the reader can learn from, i.e., include all the information needed to understand what happened and why it happened. Most importantly, they need to understand the lesson to be learned.« less

  9. Groundwork for Universal Canister System Development

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Price, Laura L.; Gross, Mike; Prouty, Jeralyn L.

    2015-09-01

    The mission of the United States Department of Energy's Office of Environmental Management is to complete the safe cleanup of the environmental legacy brought about from five decades of nuclear weapons development and go vernment - sponsored nuclear energy re search. S ome of the waste s that that must be managed have be en identified as good candidates for disposal in a deep borehole in crystalline rock (SNL 2014 a). In particular, wastes that can be disposed of in a small package are good candidates for this disposal concept. A canister - based system that can be used formore » handling these wastes during the disposition process (i.e., storage, transfers, transportation, and disposal) could facilitate the eventual disposal of these wastes. This report provides information for a program plan for developing specifications regarding a canister - based system that facilitates small waste form packaging and disposal and that is integrated with the overall efforts of the DOE's Office of Nuclear Energy Used Fuel Dis position Camp aign's Deep Borehole Field Test . Groundwork for Universal Ca nister System Development September 2015 ii W astes to be considered as candidates for the universal canister system include capsules containing cesium and strontium currently stored in pools at the Hanford Site, cesium to be processed using elutable or nonelutable resins at the Hanford Site, and calcine waste from Idaho National Laboratory. The initial emphasis will be on disposal of the cesium and strontium capsules in a deep borehole that has been drilled into crystalline rock. Specifications for a universal canister system are derived from operational, performance, and regulatory requirements for storage, transfers, transportation, and disposal of radioactive waste. Agreements between the Department of Energy and the States of Washington and Idaho, as well as the Deep Borehole Field Test plan provide schedule requirements for development of the universal canister system . Future work includes collaboration with the Hanford Site to move the cesium and strontium capsules into dry storage, collaboration with the Deep Borehole Field Tes t to develop surface handling and emplacement techniques and to develop the waste package design requirements, developing universal canister system design options and concepts of operations, and developing system analysis tools. Areas in which f urther research and development are needed include material properties and structural integrity, in - package sorbents and fillers, waste form tolerance to heat and postweld stress relief, waste package impact limiters, sensors, cesium mobility under downhol e conditions, and the impact of high pressure and high temperature environment on seals design.« less

  10. DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Not Available

    This report was prepared to provide information concerning past solid and hazardous waste management practices for all leased land at the US DOE Hanford Reservation. This report contains sections including land description; land usage; ground water, air and soil monitoring data; and land uses after 1963. Numerous appendices are included which provide documentation of lease agreements and amendments, environmental assessments, and site surveys.

  11. Transformation of Army National Guard Environmental Performance Assessment System (EPAS): Technologies and Best Practices in Field Audit Automation

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2012-05-01

    Lorenzo Richmond San Francisco San Mateo Sunnyvale Salinas Oakdale Reedley Hanford Visalia Fresno Modesto Stockton Indio Burbank Orange Fullerton Glendale...Riverside El Centro Camp Morena National City San Diego Barstow Ontario Bakersfield Apple Valley Los Angeles Santa Barbara Santa Maria Camp San Luis

  12. One System Integrated Project Team: Retrieval and Delivery of Hanford Tank Wastes for Vitrification in the Waste Treatment Plant - 13234

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Harp, Benton J.; Kacich, Richard M.; Skwarek, Raymond J.

    The One System Integrated Project Team (IPT) was formed in late 2011 as a way for improving the efficiency of delivery and treatment of highly radioactive waste stored in underground tanks at the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE's) 586-square-mile Hanford Site in southeastern Washington State. The purpose of the One System IPT is to improve coordination and integration between the Hanford's Waste Treatment Plant (WTP) contractor and the Tank Operations Contractor (TOC). The vision statement is: One System is a WTP and TOC safety-conscious team that, through integrated management and implementation of risk-informed decision and mission-based solutions, will enable themore » earliest start of safe and efficient treatment of Hanford's tank waste, to protect the Columbia River, environment and public. The IPT is a formal collaboration between Bechtel National, Inc. (BNI), which manages design and construction of the WTP for the U.S. Department of Energy's Office of River Protection (DOEORP), and Washington River Protection Solutions (WRPS), which manages the TOC for ORP. More than fifty-six (56) million gallons of highly radioactive liquid waste are stored in one hundred seventy-seven (177) aging, underground tanks. Most of Hanford's waste tanks - one hundred forty-nine (149) of them - are of an old single-shell tank (SST) design built between 1944 and 1964. More than sixty (60) of these tanks have leaked in the past, releasing an estimated one million gallons of waste into the soil and threatening the nearby Columbia River. There are another twenty-eight (28) new double-shelled tanks (DSTs), built from 1968 to 1986, that provide greater protection to the environment. In 1989, DOE, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the Washington State Department of Ecology (Ecology) signed a landmark agreement that required Hanford to comply with federal and state environmental standards. It also paved the way for agreements that set deadlines for retrieving the tank wastes and for building and operating the WTP. The tank wastes are the result of Hanford's nearly fifty (50) years of plutonium production. In the intervening years, waste characteristics have been increasingly better understood. However, waste characteristics that are uncertain and will remain as such represent a significant technical challenge in terms of retrieval, transport, and treatment, as well as for design and construction of WTP. What also is clear is that the longer the waste remains in the tanks, the greater the risk to the environment and the people of the Pacific Northwest. The goal of both projects - tank operations and waste treatment - is to diminish the risks posed by the waste in the tanks at the earliest possible date. About two hundred (200) WTP and TOC employees comprise the IPT. Individual work groups within One System include Technical, Project Integration and Controls, Front-End Design and Project Definition, Commissioning, Nuclear Safety and Engineering Systems Integration, and Environmental Safety and Health and Quality Assurance (ESH and QA). Additional functions and team members will be added as the WTP approaches the operational phase. The team has undertaken several initiatives since its formation to collaborate on issues: (1) alternate scenarios for delivery of wastes from the tank farms to WTP; (2) improvements in managing Interface Control Documents; (3) coordination on various technical issues, including the Defense Nuclear Facilities Nuclear Safety Board's Recommendation 2010-2; (4) deployment of the SmartPlant{sup R} Foundation-Configuration Management System; and (5) preparation of the joint contract deliverable of the Operational Readiness Support Plan. (authors)« less

  13. DEACTIVATION AND DECOMMISSIONING ENVIRONMENTAL STRATEGY FOR THE PLUTONIUM FINISHING PLANT COMPLEX, HANFORD NUCLEAR RESERVATION

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Hopkins, A.M.; Heineman, R.; Norton, S.

    Maintaining compliance with environmental regulatory requirements is a significant priority in successful completion of the Plutonium Finishing Plant (PFP) Nuclear Material Stabilization (NMS) Project. To ensure regulatory compliance throughout the deactivation and decommissioning of the PFP complex, an environmental regulatory strategy was developed. The overall goal of this strategy is to comply with all applicable environmental laws and regulations and/or compliance agreements during PFP stabilization, deactivation, and eventual dismantlement. Significant environmental drivers for the PFP Nuclear Material Stabilization Project include the Tri-Party Agreement; the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act of 1976 (RCRA); the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Actmore » of 1980 (CERCLA); the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA); the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA); the Clean Air Act (CAA), and the Clean Water Act (CWA). Recent TPA negotiation s with Ecology and EPA have resulted in milestones that support the use of CERCLA as the primary statutory framework for decommissioning PFP. Milestones have been negotiated to support the preparation of Engineering Evaluations/Cost Analyses for decommissioning major PFP buildings. Specifically, CERCLA EE/CA(s) are anticipated for the following scopes of work: Settling Tank 241-Z-361, the 232-Z Incinerator, , the process facilities (eg, 234-5Z, 242, 236) and the process facility support buildings. These CERCLA EE/CA(s) are for the purpose of analyzing the appropriateness of the slab-on-grade endpoint Additionally, agreement was reached on performing an evaluation of actions necessary to address below-grade structures or other structures remaining after completion of the decommissioning of PFP. Remaining CERCLA actions will be integrated with other Central Plateau activities at the Hanford site.« less

  14. Goat Moths (Lepidoptera: Cossidae) of the Hanford Site and Hanford National Monument, Washington State

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Three species of goat moths are recorded at the Hanford Nuclear Site and Hanford National Monument in south central Washington State. They are: Comadia bertholdi (Grote), 1880, Givira cornelia (Neumoegen & Dyar), 1893, and Prionoxystus robiniae (Peck), 1818. The general habitat of the Hanford area...

  15. Environmental monitoring, restoration and assessment: What have we learned

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Gray, R.H.

    1990-01-01

    The Twenty-Eighth Hanford Symposium on Health and the Environment was held in Richland, Washington, October 16--19, 1989. The symposium was sponsored by the US Department of Energy and the Pacific Northwest Laboratory, operated by Battelle Memorial Institute. The symposium was organized to review and evaluate some of the monitoring and assessment programs that have been conducted or are currently in place. Potential health and environmental effects of energy-related and other industrial activities have been monitored and assessed at various government and private facilities for over three decades. Most monitoring is required under government regulations; some monitoring is implemented because facilitymore » operators consider it prudent practice. As a result of these activities, there is now a substantial radiological, physical, and chemical data base for various environmental components, both in the United States and abroad. Symposium participants, both platform and poster presenters, were asked to consider, among other topics, the following: Has the expenditure of millions of dollars for radiological monitoring and assessment activities been worth the effort How do we decide when enough monitoring is enough Can we adequately assess the impacts of nonradiological components -- both inorganic and organic -- of wastes Are current regulatory requirements too restrictive or too lenient Can monitoring and assessment be made more cost effective Papers were solicited in the areas of environmental monitoring; environmental regulations; remediation, restoration, and decommissioning; modeling and dose assessment; uncertainty, design, and data analysis; and data management and quality assurance. Individual reports are processed separately for the databases.« less

  16. Environmental controls on the activity of aquifer microbial communities in the 300 area of the Hanford site.

    PubMed

    Konopka, Allan; Plymale, Andrew E; Carvajal, Denny A; Lin, Xueju; McKinley, James P

    2013-11-01

    Aquifer microbes in the 300 Area of the Hanford Site in southeastern Washington State, USA, are located in an oligotrophic environment and are periodically exposed to U(VI) concentrations that can range up to 10 μM in small sediment fractures. Assays of (3)H-leucine incorporation indicated that both sediment-associated and planktonic microbes were metabolically active, and that organic C was growth-limiting in the sediments. Although bacteria suspended in native groundwater retained high activity when exposed to 100 μM U(VI), they were inhibited by U(VI) <1 μM in synthetic groundwater that lacked added bicarbonate. Chemical speciation modeling suggested that positively charged species and particularly (UO2)3(OH)5 (+) rose in concentration as more U(VI) was added to synthetic groundwater, but that carbonate complexes dominated U(VI) speciation in natural groundwater. U toxicity was relieved when increasing amounts of bicarbonate were added to synthetic groundwater containing 4.5 μM U(VI). Pertechnetate, an oxyanion that is another contaminant of concern at the Hanford Site, was not toxic to groundwater microbes at concentrations up to 125 μM.

  17. Kd Values for Agricultural and Surface Soils for Use in Hanford Site Farm, Residential, and River Shoreline Scenarios

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Serne, R. Jeffrey

    This report provides best estimate Kd values and a minimum and maximum range of Kd values to be used for agricultural soils and Columbia River bank sediments that exist today or would exist in the future when portions of the Hanford Site are released for farming, residential, and recreational use after the U. S. Department of Energy (DOE) completes clean up of defense waste on the site. The Kd values should be used to determine the fate and transport rates of contaminants and their availability for plant and animal uptake in selected non-groundwater scenarios included in Hanford Site environmental impactmore » statements, risk assessments and specific facility performance assessments. This report describes scenarios such as a small farm where drilling of a well inadvertently goes through buried waste and brings waste to the surface, allowing the tailings to become available for direct human exposure or incorporation into garden crops and farm animals used for food by the farm family. The Kd values recommended in this report can also be used to calculate sediment-water partitioning factors used to predict plant and animal uptake from interaction with the contaminated soil.« less

  18. Hanford Site Environmental Surveillance Master Sampling Schedule for Calendar Year 2007

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Bisping, Lynn E.

    2007-01-31

    This document contains the calendar year 2007 schedule for the routine collection of samples for the Surface Environmental Surveillance Project and Drinking Water Monitoring Project. Each section includes sampling locations, sampling frequencies, sample types, and analyses to be performed. In some cases, samples are scheduled on a rotating basis and may not be collected in 2007 in which case the anticipated year for collection is provided. Maps showing approximate sampling locations are included for media scheduled for collection in 2007.

  19. MODELING TRANSPORT IN THE DOWN GRADIENT PORTION OF THE 200-PO-1 OPERABLE UNIT AT THE HANFORD SITE

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    MEHTA S; ALY AH; MILLER CW

    2009-12-03

    Remedial Investigations are underway for the 200-PO-l Operable Unit (OU) at the U.S. Department of Energy's Hanford Site in Washington State. To support the baseline risk assessment and evaluation of remedial alternatives, fate and transport modeling is being conducted to predict the future concentration of contaminants of potential concern in the 200-PO-1 OU. This study focuses on modeling the 'down gradient' transport of those contaminants that migrate beyond the 3-D model domain selected for performing detailed 'source area' modeling within the 200-PO-1 OU. The down gradient portion is defined as that region of the 200-PO-1 OU that is generally outsidemore » the 200 Area (considered 'source area') of the Hanford Site. A 1-D transport model is developed for performing down gradient contaminant fate and transport modeling. The 1-D transport model is deemed adequate based on the inferred transport pathway of tritium in the past and the observation that most of the contaminant mass remains at or near the water table within the unconfined aquifer of the Hanford Formation and the Cold-Creek/Pre-Missoula Gravel unit. The Pipe Pathway feature of the GoldSim software is used to perform the calculations. The Pipe Pathway uses a Laplace transform approach to provide analytical solutions to a broad range of advection-dominated mass transport systems involving one-dimensional advection, longitudinal dispersion, retardation, decay and ingrowth, and exchanges with immobile storage zones. Based on the historical concentration distribution data for the extensive tritium plume in this area, three Pipe Pathways are deemed adequate for modeling transport of contaminants. Each of these three Pipe Pathways is discretized into several zones, based on the saturated thickness variation in the unconfined aquifer and the location of monitoring wells used for risk assessment calculation. The mass fluxes of contaminants predicted to exit the source area model domain are used as an input to the down gradient model, while the flow velocities applied are based on the present-day hydraulic gradients and estimation of hydraulic conductivity in the unconfined aquifer. The results of the calculation indicate that the future concentrations of contaminants of potential concern in the down gradient portion of the 200-PO-1 OU declines with time and distance.« less

  20. Evaluation of Technetium Getters to Improve the Performance of Cast Stone

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Neeway, James J.; Qafoku, Nikolla P.; Serne, R. Jeffrey

    2015-11-01

    Cast Stone has been selected as the preferred waste form for solidification of aqueous secondary liquid effluents from the Hanford Tank Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant (WTP) process condensates and low-activity waste (LAW) melter off-gas caustic scrubber effluents. Cast Stone is also being evaluated as a supplemental immobilization technology to provide the necessary LAW treatment capacity to complete the Hanford tank waste cleanup mission in a timely and cost effective manner. One of the major radionuclides that Cast Stone has the potential to immobilize is technetium (Tc). The mechanism for immobilization is through the reduction of the highly mobile Tc(VII)more » species to the less mobile Tc(IV) species by the blast furnace slag (BFS) used in the Cast Stone formulation. Technetium immobilization through this method would be beneficial because Tc is one of the most difficult contaminants to address at the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Hanford Site due to its complex chemical behavior in tank waste, limited incorporation in mid- to high-temperature immobilization processes (vitrification, steam reformation, etc.), and high mobility in subsurface environments. In fact, the Tank Closure and Waste Management Environmental Impact Statement for the Hanford Site, Richland, Washington (TC&WM EIS) identifies technetium-99 ( 99Tc) as one of the radioactive tank waste components contributing the most to the environmental impact associated with the cleanup of the Hanford Site. The TC&WM EIS, along with an earlier supplemental waste-form risk assessment, used a diffusion-limited release model to estimate the release of different contaminants from the WTP process waste forms. In both of these predictive modeling exercises, where effective diffusivities based on grout performance data available at the time, groundwater at the 100-m down-gradient well exceeded the allowable maximum permissible concentrations for 99Tc. (900 pCi/L). Recent relatively short-term (63 day) leach tests conducted on both LAW and secondary waste Cast Stone monoliths indicated that 99Tc diffusivities were at or near diffusivities where the groundwater at the 100-m down-gradient well would exceed the allowable maximum permissible 99Tc concentrations. There is, therefore, a need and an opportunity to improve the retention of Tc in the Cast Stone waste form. One method to improve the performance of the Cast Stone waste form is through the addition of “getters” that selectively sequester Tc inside Cast Stone.« less

  1. 'Green-in-Three' IT Solutions Protecting Workers and the Environment - 12526

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Eckman, Todd

    2012-07-01

    The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), Environmental Management (EM), DOE Richland Operations Office (RL), Mission Support Alliance (MSA), and Lockheed Martin Services, Inc. (LMSI), Information Technology partnered in an effort to reduce environmental impacts, energy use, and operating costs and improve worker safety through consolidation, centralization, and standardization of Information Technology (IT) assets on the Hanford Site. Green-in-Three is an IT Value strategy, which is moving Hanford from an inefficient, antiquated 20. Century IT architecture to a smart, green, flexible 21. Century IT architecture that delivers information anywhere at any time to Hanford Mission partners. The 'Green-in-three' efforts to datemore » have had a significant impact on meeting and exceeding the overall IT Value Strategy to decrease IT maintenance and delivery costs and move Hanford into a smart, green, and flexible 21. Century IT architecture. Some of the results and impacts are as follows: - Thirteen data centers were reduced to two, freeing up approximately 279 m{sup 2} (3000 ft{sup 2})) of space; - Reduced data center energy use 50%, from 120,000 to 60,000 kW; - Excessed 9 metric tons (10 tons) of server equipment; - Removed and properly disposed of 2871 kg (6,300 lb) lead acid batteries; - Projects saved over $1 M in fiber and copper cable installation through 2011; - Developed or improved partnerships with local, state, and federal agencies, Tribes, and Site contractors; - Increased wireless coverage for improved access to remote areas. Moving forward to 2012, the impact of these accomplishments will be realized in the years to come. IT services will be delivered in days instead of months. Field personnel will have access to information at the point of performance, reducing travel time. Remote monitoring, telemetry, and/or video can be conducted using the wireless network; reducing travel time for field inspections. Emergency personnel have access to critical information at the incident site, saving valuable time. Full deployment of the VoIP technologies will reduce power use by 1,000,000 kWh/yr for telecommunications equipment, driving home the IT Value Strategy of Green-in-Three. (author)« less

  2. Hanford tank initiative vehicle/based waste retrieval demonstration report phase II, track 2

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Berglin, E.J.

    1997-07-31

    Using the versatile TracPUMpTm, Environmental Specialties Group, LLC (ES) performed a successful Phase 11 demonstration of a Vehicle- Based Waste Retrieval System (VWRS) for removal of waste material and residual liquid found in the Hanford Underground Storage Tanks (ousts). The purpose of this demonstration was to address issues pertaining to the use of a VWRS in OUSTS. The demonstration also revealed the waste removal capabilities of the TracPumpTm and the most effective techniques and equipment to safely and effectively remove waste simulants. ES successfully addressed the following primary issues: I . Dislodge and convey the waste forms present in themore » Hanford OUSTS; 2. Access the UST through tank openings as small as twenty-four inches in diameter; 3. Traverse a variety of terrains including slopes, sludges, rocks and hard, slippery surfaces without becoming mired; 4. Dislodge and convey waste within the confinement of the Decontamination Containment Capture Vessel (DCCV) and with minimal personnel exposure; 5. Decontaminate equipment to acceptable limits during retrieval from the UST; 6. Perform any required maintenance within the confinement of the DCCV; and 7. Maintain contaminate levels ``as low as reasonably achievable`` (ALARA) within the DCCV due to its crevice and comer-free design. The following materials were used to simulate the physical characteristics of wastes found in Hanford`s OUSTS: (1) Hardpan: a clay-type material that has high shear strength; (2) Saltcake: a fertilizer-based material that has high compressive strength; and (3) Wet Sludge.- a sticky, peanut- butter- like material with low shear strength. Four test beds were constructed of plywood and filled with a different simulant to a depth of eight to ten inches. Three of the test beds were of homogenous simulant material, while the fourth bed consisted of a mixture of all three simulant types.« less

  3. Supplemental groundwater remediation technologies to protect the Columbia River at Hanford, WA

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Thompson, K.M.; Petersen, S.W.; Fruchter, J.S.

    2007-07-01

    Nine projects have been recently selected by the US Department of Energy (EM-22) to address groundwater contaminant migration at the Hanford Site. This paper summarizes the background and objectives of these projects. Five of the selected projects are targeted at hexavalent chromium contamination in Hanford 100 Area groundwater. These projects represent an integrated approach towards identifying the source of hexavalent chromium contamination in the Hanford 100-D Area and treating the groundwater contamination. Currently, there is no effective method to stop strontium-90 associated with the riparian zone sediments from leaching into the river. Phyto-remediation may be a possible way to treatmore » this contamination. Its use at the 100-N Area will be investigated. Another technology currently being tested for strontium-90 contamination at the 100-N Area involves injection (through wells) of a calcium-citrate-phosphate solution, which will precipitate apatite, a natural calcium phosphate mineral. Apatite will adsorb the strontium-90, and then incorporate it as part of the apatite structure, isolating the strontium-90 contamination from entering the river. This EM-22 funded apatite project will develop a strategy for infiltrating the apatite solution from ground surface or a shallow trench to provide treatment over the upper portion of the contaminated zone, which is unsaturated during low river stage. Uranium in groundwater at the Hanford 300 Area is another environmental concern. Preliminary laboratory tests indicate that it may be possible to inject water-soluble phosphate compounds into the uranium contamination to stabilize it. One of the projects will perform laboratory tests using long-chain polyphosphate materials. Then, a field test will be conducted to determine if it is possible to treat groundwater in the unconfined aquifer at the Hanford 300 Area using polyphosphate materials. The rates of abiotic hydrolysis of are key parameters needed to predict the movement of carbon tetrachloride and one of its reductive degradation products, chloroform, from the Hanford 200 West Area towards the Columbia River. Current values for these rates have high uncertainty associated with them because they are extrapolated from determinations made at high temperatures (>70 deg. C) to ambient groundwater temperatures ({approx}19 deg. C) and have ignored possible contributions from sorptive interactions with sediments. One of the EM-22 projects will improve this situation by measuring the hydrolysis rates at temperatures down to 20 deg. C and in contact with various sediment solids. (authors)« less

  4. Risk Assessment Approach for the Hanford Site River Corridor Closure Project

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Thomson, J.E.; Weiss, S.G.; Sands, J.P.

    2007-07-01

    The river corridor portion of the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Hanford Site includes the 100 Area and 300 Area, which border the Columbia River and cover 565 km{sup 2} (218 mi{sup 2}). The River Corridor Closure (RCC) Project scope of work includes 486 contaminated facilities, 4 of 9 deactivated plutonium production reactors, and 370 waste disposal sites. DOE's cleanup actions in the river corridor were initiated in 1994 under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1981 (42 U.S.C. 9601, et seq.) (CERCLA) and included source and groundwater operable units (OUs). DOE's RCC Project, awarded to Washingtonmore » Closure Hanford (WCH) in 2005, focuses on source OUs and has allowed cleanup actions to continue in the 100 and 300 Areas with completion by 2013. The regulatory authorization for cleanup actions at source OUs in the river corridor consists primarily of interim action records of decision (RODs), which were supported by qualitative risk assessments and limited field investigations. A key to establishing final cleanup decisions and proceeding toward final CERCLA closeout is completion of quantitative baseline risk assessment activities. Baseline risk assessment is necessary to determine whether cleanup actions are protective of human health and the environment and to identify any course corrections needed to ensure that current and future cleanup actions are protective. Because cleanup actions are ongoing under interim action RODs, it is desirable to establish the final cleanup decision bases as early as possible to minimize the impacts of any identified course corrections to the cleanup approach. Risk assessment is being performed by WCH as the River Corridor Baseline Risk Assessment (RCBRA). The RCBRA uses a multi-step process that summarizes existing data; uses the data quality objectives process to identify both data gaps and unresolved issues through public workshops; and solicits input from regulators, trustees, and stakeholders. Sampling and analysis plans are then developed to document quality requirements and identify field sample collection approaches. After required data are collected, the risks to human health and the environment are assessed. Sampling of upland, riparian, and near-shore environments for the 100/300 Area Component was performed in 2005 and 2006. The 100/300 Area Component includes former operational/reactor areas. The results of these efforts will be incorporated into a mid-2007 draft risk assessment report for the 100/300 Area Component of the RCBRA. Adapting methodology developed from the 100/300 Area Component, the Inter-Areas risk assessment will be conducted for the riparian and near-shore environments. The Inter-Areas Component includes shoreline areas between former operational areas addressed in the 100/300 Area Component. The Inter-Areas risk assessment will supplement results from the 100/300 Area Component to provide a more complete analysis of residual risks in the river corridor. Plans for the final element of the RCBRA, the Columbia River Component, are being developed by DOE and currently is not part of the RCC Project. The Columbia River Component includes the reach of the Columbia River located adjacent to the Hanford Site and reaches downstream to an undetermined boundary. Recommendations for final cleanup decisions at source units within the river corridor, based in part on the risk assessment results, will be presented for future public review in a River Corridor Source Unit Proposed Plan. To form an integrated cleanup approach for the river corridor, the RCBRA results for the source units require integration with risk assessment results from groundwater cleanup actions managed by other contractors. WCH's risk assessment task includes development of an integration strategy for activities leading up to the final regulatory decisions for all OUs in the river corridor. (authors)« less

  5. Flammable gas data evaluation. Progress report

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Whitney, P.D.; Meyer, P.A.; Miller, N.E.

    1996-10-01

    The Hanford Site is home to 177 large, underground nuclear waste storage tanks. Numerous safety and environmental concerns surround these tanks and their contents. One such concern is the propensity for the waste in these tanks to generate, retain, and periodically release flammable gases. This report documents some of the activities of the Flammable Gas Project Data Evaluation Task conducted for Westinghouse Hanford Company during fiscal year 1996. Described in this report are: (1) the results of examining the in-tank temperature measurements for insights into gas release behavior; (2) the preliminary results of examining the tank waste level measurements formore » insights into gas release behavior; and (3) an explanation for the observed hysteresis in the level/pressure measurements, a phenomenon observed earlier this year when high-frequency tank waste level measurements came on-line.« less

  6. NON-INVASIVE DETERMINATION OF THE LOCATION AND DISTRBUTION OF FREE-PHASE DENSE NONAQUEOUS PHASE LIQUIDS (DNAPL) BY SEISMIC REFLECTION TECHNIQUES

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Michael G. Waddell; William J. Domoracki; Jerome Eyer

    2003-01-01

    The Earth Sciences and Resources Institute, University of South Carolina is conducting a proof of concept study to determine the location and distribution of subsurface DNAPL carbon tetrachloride (CCl{sub 4}) contamination at the 216-Z-9 crib, 200 West area, DOE Hanford Site, Washington by use of two-dimensional high-resolution seismic reflection surveys and borehole geophysical data. The study makes use of recent advances in seismic reflection amplitude versus offset (AVO) technology to directly detect the presence of subsurface DNAPL. The techniques proposed are noninvasive means of site characterization and direct free-phase DNAPL detection. This final report covers the results of Tasks 1,more » 2, and 3. Task (1) contains site evaluation and seismic modeling studies. The site evaluation consists of identifying and collecting preexisting geological and geophysical information regarding subsurface structure and the presence and quantity of DNAPL. The seismic modeling studies were undertaken to determine the likelihood that an AVO response exists and its probable manifestation. Task (2) is the design and acquisition of 2-D seismic reflection data to image areas of probable high concentration of DNAPL. Task (3) is the processing and interpretation of the 2-D data. During the commission of these tasks four seismic reflection profiles were collected. Subsurface velocity information was obtained by vertical seismic profile surveys in three wells. The interpretation of these data is in two parts. Part one is the construction and interpretation of structural contour maps of the contact between the Hanford Fine unit and the underlying Plio/Pleistocene unit and of the contact between the Plio/Pleistocene unit and the underlying caliche layer. These two contacts were determined to be the most likely surfaces to contain the highest concentration CCl{sub 4}. Part two of the interpretation uses the results of the AVO modeling to locate any seismic amplitude anomalies that might be associated with the presence of high concentrations of CCl{sub 4}. Based on the modeling results three different methods of AVO analysis were preformed on the seismic data: enhanced amplitude stacks, offset range limited stacks, and gradient stacks. Seismic models indicate that the reflection from the contact between the Hanford Fine and the Plio/Pleistocene should exhibit amplitude variations where there are high concentrations of CCl{sub 4}. A series of different scenarios were modeled. The first scenario is the Hanford Fine pores are 100% saturated with CCl{sub 4} and the underlying Plio/Pleistocene pores are saturated with air. In this scenario the reflection coefficients are slightly negative at the small angles of incidence and become increasing more negative at the larger angles of incidence (dim-out). The second scenario is the Hanford Fine pores are saturated with air and Plio/Pleistocene pores are saturated with CCl{sub 4}. In this scenario the reflection coefficients are slightly positive at the small angles of incidence and become negative at the large angles of incidence (polarity reversal). Finally the third scenario is both the Hanford Fine and the Plio/Pleistocene pores are saturated CCl{sub 4}. In this scenario the reflection coefficients at the small angles of incidence are slightly positive, but much less than background response, and with increasing angle of incidence the reflection coefficients become slightly more positive. On the field data areas where extraction wells have high concentrations of CCl{sub 4} a corresponding dim-out and/or a polarity reversal is noted.« less

  7. Borehole Data Package for One CY 2005 CERCLA Well 699-S20-E10, 300-FF-5 Operable Unit, Hanford Site, Washington

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Williams, Bruce A.; Bjornstad, Bruce N.; Lanigan, David C.

    2006-03-29

    This report supplies the information obtained during drilling, characterization, and installation of the new groundwater monitoring well. This document also provides a compilation of hydrogeologic and well construction information obtained during drilling, well development, and sample collection/analysis activities.

  8. Searching for stochastic gravitational waves using data from the two colocated LIGO Hanford detectors

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Aasi, J.; Abadie, J.; Abbott, B. P.; Abbott, R.; Abbott, T.; Abernathy, M. R.; Accadia, T.; Acernese, F.; Adams, C.; Adams, T.; Addesso, P.; Adhikari, R. X.; Affeldt, C.; Agathos, M.; Aggarwal, N.; Aguiar, O. D.; Ajith, P.; Allen, B.; Allocca, A.; Amador Ceron, E.; Amariutei, D.; Anderson, R. A.; Anderson, S. B.; Anderson, W. G.; Arai, K.; Araya, M. C.; Arceneaux, C.; Areeda, J.; Ast, S.; Aston, S. M.; Astone, P.; Aufmuth, P.; Aulbert, C.; Austin, L.; Aylott, B. E.; Babak, S.; Baker, P. T.; Ballardin, G.; Ballmer, S. W.; Barayoga, J. C.; Barker, D.; Barnum, S. H.; Barone, F.; Barr, B.; Barsotti, L.; Barsuglia, M.; Barton, M. A.; Bartos, I.; Bassiri, R.; Basti, A.; Batch, J.; Bauchrowitz, J.; Bauer, Th. S.; Bebronne, M.; Behnke, B.; Bejger, M.; Beker, M. G.; Bell, A. S.; Bell, C.; Belopolski, I.; Bergmann, G.; Berliner, J. M.; Bersanetti, D.; Bertolini, A.; Bessis, D.; Betzwieser, J.; Beyersdorf, P. T.; Bhadbhade, T.; Bilenko, I. A.; Billingsley, G.; Birch, J.; Biscans, S.; Bitossi, M.; Bizouard, M. A.; Black, E.; Blackburn, J. K.; Blackburn, L.; Blair, D.; Blom, M.; Bock, O.; Bodiya, T. P.; Boer, M.; Bogan, C.; Bond, C.; Bondu, F.; Bonelli, L.; Bonnand, R.; Bork, R.; Born, M.; Boschi, V.; Bose, S.; Bosi, L.; Bowers, J.; Bradaschia, C.; Brady, P. R.; Braginsky, V. B.; Branchesi, M.; Brannen, C. A.; Brau, J. E.; Breyer, J.; Briant, T.; Bridges, D. O.; Brillet, A.; Brinkmann, M.; Brisson, V.; Britzger, M.; Brooks, A. F.; Brown, D. A.; Brown, D. D.; Brückner, F.; Bulik, T.; Bulten, H. J.; Buonanno, A.; Buskulic, D.; Buy, C.; Byer, R. L.; Cadonati, L.; Cagnoli, G.; Calderón Bustillo, J.; Calloni, E.; Camp, J. B.; Campsie, P.; Cannon, K. C.; Canuel, B.; Cao, J.; Capano, C. D.; Carbognani, F.; Carbone, L.; Caride, S.; Castiglia, A.; Caudill, S.; Cavaglià, M.; Cavalier, F.; Cavalieri, R.; Cella, G.; Cepeda, C.; Cesarini, E.; Chakraborty, R.; Chalermsongsak, T.; Chao, S.; Charlton, P.; Chassande-Mottin, E.; Chen, X.; Chen, Y.; Chincarini, A.; Chiummo, A.; Cho, H. S.; Chow, J.; Christensen, N.; Chu, Q.; Chua, S. S. Y.; Chung, S.; Ciani, G.; Clara, F.; Clark, D. E.; Clark, J. A.; Cleva, F.; Coccia, E.; Cohadon, P.-F.; Colla, A.; Colombini, M.; Constancio, M.; Conte, A.; Cook, D.; Corbitt, T. R.; Cordier, M.; Cornish, N.; Corsi, A.; Costa, C. A.; Coughlin, M. W.; Coulon, J.-P.; Countryman, S.; Couvares, P.; Coward, D. M.; Cowart, M.; Coyne, D. C.; Craig, K.; Creighton, J. D. E.; Creighton, T. D.; Crowder, S. G.; Cumming, A.; Cunningham, L.; Cuoco, E.; Dahl, K.; Dal Canton, T.; Damjanic, M.; Danilishin, S. L.; D'Antonio, S.; Danzmann, K.; Dattilo, V.; Daudert, B.; Daveloza, H.; Davier, M.; Davies, G. S.; Daw, E. J.; Day, R.; Dayanga, T.; Debreczeni, G.; Degallaix, J.; Deleeuw, E.; Deléglise, S.; Del Pozzo, W.; Denker, T.; Dent, T.; Dereli, H.; Dergachev, V.; DeRosa, R. T.; De Rosa, R.; DeSalvo, R.; Dhurandhar, S.; Díaz, M.; Dietz, A.; Di Fiore, L.; Di Lieto, A.; Di Palma, I.; Di Virgilio, A.; Dmitry, K.; Donovan, F.; Dooley, K. L.; Doravari, S.; Drago, M.; Drever, R. W. P.; Driggers, J. C.; Du, Z.; Dumas, J.-C.; Dwyer, S.; Eberle, T.; Edwards, M.; Effler, A.; Ehrens, P.; Eichholz, J.; Eikenberry, S. S.; Endrőczi, G.; Essick, R.; Etzel, T.; Evans, K.; Evans, M.; Evans, T.; Factourovich, M.; Fafone, V.; Fairhurst, S.; Fang, Q.; Farr, B.; Farr, W.; Favata, M.; Fazi, D.; Fehrmann, H.; Feldbaum, D.; Ferrante, I.; Ferrini, F.; Fidecaro, F.; Finn, L. S.; Fiori, I.; Fisher, R.; Flaminio, R.; Foley, E.; Foley, S.; Forsi, E.; Fotopoulos, N.; Fournier, J.-D.; Franco, S.; Frasca, S.; Frasconi, F.; Frede, M.; Frei, M.; Frei, Z.; Freise, A.; Frey, R.; Fricke, T. T.; Fritschel, P.; Frolov, V. V.; Fujimoto, M.-K.; Fulda, P.; Fyffe, M.; Gair, J.; Gammaitoni, L.; Garcia, J.; Garufi, F.; Gehrels, N.; Gemme, G.; Genin, E.; Gennai, A.; Gergely, L.; Ghosh, S.; Giaime, J. A.; Giampanis, S.; Giardina, K. D.; Giazotto, A.; Gil-Casanova, S.; Gill, C.; Gleason, J.; Goetz, E.; Goetz, R.; Gondan, L.; González, G.; Gordon, N.; Gorodetsky, M. L.; Gossan, S.; Goßler, S.; Gouaty, R.; Graef, C.; Graff, P. B.; Granata, M.; Grant, A.; Gras, S.; Gray, C.; Greenhalgh, R. J. S.; Gretarsson, A. M.; Griffo, C.; Grote, H.; Grover, K.; Grunewald, S.; Guidi, G. M.; Guido, C.; Gushwa, K. E.; Gustafson, E. K.; Gustafson, R.; Hall, B.; Hall, E.; Hammer, D.; Hammond, G.; Hanke, M.; Hanks, J.; Hanna, C.; Hanson, J.; Harms, J.; Harry, G. M.; Harry, I. W.; Harstad, E. D.; Hartman, M. T.; Haughian, K.; Hayama, K.; Heefner, J.; Heidmann, A.; Heintze, M.; Heitmann, H.; Hello, P.; Hemming, G.; Hendry, M.; Heng, I. S.; Heptonstall, A. W.; Heurs, M.; Hild, S.; Hoak, D.; Hodge, K. A.; Holt, K.; Hong, T.; Hooper, S.; Horrom, T.; Hosken, D. J.; Hough, J.; Howell, E. J.; Hu, Y.; Hua, Z.; Huang, V.; Huerta, E. A.; Hughey, B.; Husa, S.; Huttner, S. H.; Huynh, M.; Huynh-Dinh, T.; Iafrate, J.; Ingram, D. R.; Inta, R.; Isogai, T.; Ivanov, A.; Iyer, B. R.; Izumi, K.; Jacobson, M.; James, E.; Jang, H.; Jang, Y. J.; Jaranowski, P.; Jiménez-Forteza, F.; Johnson, W. W.; Jones, D. I.; Jones, D.; Jones, R.; Jonker, R. J. G.; Ju, L.; Haris, K.; Kalmus, P.; Kalogera, V.; Kandhasamy, S.; Kang, G.; Kanner, J. B.; Kasprzack, M.; Kasturi, R.; Katsavounidis, E.; Katzman, W.; Kaufer, H.; Kaufman, K.; Kawabe, K.; Kawamura, S.; Kawazoe, F.; Kéfélian, F.; Keitel, D.; Kelley, D. B.; Kells, W.; Keppel, D. G.; Khalaidovski, A.; Khalili, F. Y.; Khazanov, E. A.; Kim, B. K.; Kim, C.; Kim, K.; Kim, N.; Kim, W.; Kim, Y.-M.; King, E.; King, P. J.; Kinzel, D. L.; Kissel, J. S.; Klimenko, S.; Kline, J.; Koehlenbeck, S.; Kokeyama, K.; Kondrashov, V.; Koranda, S.; Korth, W. Z.; Kowalska, I.; Kozak, D.; Kremin, A.; Kringel, V.; Krishnan, B.; Królak, A.; Kucharczyk, C.; Kudla, S.; Kuehn, G.; Kumar, A.; Kumar, D. Nanda; Kumar, P.; Kumar, R.; Kurdyumov, R.; Kwee, P.; Landry, M.; Lantz, B.; Larson, S.; Lasky, P. D.; Lawrie, C.; Lazzarini, A.; Leaci, P.; Lebigot, E. O.; Lee, C.-H.; Lee, H. K.; Lee, H. M.; Lee, J. J.; Lee, J.; Leonardi, M.; Leong, J. R.; Le Roux, A.; Leroy, N.; Letendre, N.; Levine, B.; Lewis, J. B.; Lhuillier, V.; Li, T. G. F.; Lin, A. C.; Littenberg, T. B.; Litvine, V.; Liu, F.; Liu, H.; Liu, Y.; Liu, Z.; Lloyd, D.; Lockerbie, N. A.; Lockett, V.; Lodhia, D.; Loew, K.; Logue, J.; Lombardi, A. L.; Lorenzini, M.; Loriette, V.; Lormand, M.; Losurdo, G.; Lough, J.; Luan, J.; Lubinski, M. J.; Lück, H.; Lundgren, A. P.; Macarthur, J.; Macdonald, E.; Machenschalk, B.; MacInnis, M.; Macleod, D. M.; Magana-Sandoval, F.; Mageswaran, M.; Mailand, K.; Majorana, E.; Maksimovic, I.; Malvezzi, V.; Man, N.; Manca, G. M.; Mandel, I.; Mandic, V.; Mangano, V.; Mantovani, M.; Marchesoni, F.; Marion, F.; Márka, S.; Márka, Z.; Markosyan, A.; Maros, E.; Marque, J.; Martelli, F.; Martellini, L.; Martin, I. W.; Martin, R. M.; Martini, G.; Martynov, D.; Marx, J. N.; Mason, K.; Masserot, A.; Massinger, T. J.; Matichard, F.; Matone, L.; Matzner, R. A.; Mavalvala, N.; May, G.; Mazumder, N.; Mazzolo, G.; McCarthy, R.; McClelland, D. E.; McGuire, S. C.; McIntyre, G.; McIver, J.; Meacher, D.; Meadors, G. D.; Mehmet, M.; Meidam, J.; Meier, T.; Melatos, A.; Mendell, G.; Mercer, R. A.; Meshkov, S.; Messenger, C.; Meyer, M. S.; Miao, H.; Michel, C.; Mikhailov, E.; Milano, L.; Miller, J.; Minenkov, Y.; Mingarelli, C. M. F.; Mitra, S.; Mitrofanov, V. P.; Mitselmakher, G.; Mittleman, R.; Moe, B.; Mohan, M.; Mohapatra, S. R. P.; Mokler, F.; Moraru, D.; Moreno, G.; Morgado, N.; Mori, T.; Morriss, S. R.; Mossavi, K.; Mours, B.; Mow-Lowry, C. M.; Mueller, C. L.; Mueller, G.; Mukherjee, S.; Mullavey, A.; Munch, J.; Murphy, D.; Murray, P. G.; Mytidis, A.; Nagy, M. F.; Nardecchia, I.; Nash, T.; Naticchioni, L.; Nayak, R.; Necula, V.; Neri, I.; Neri, M.; Newton, G.; Nguyen, T.; Nishida, E.; Nishizawa, A.; Nitz, A.; Nocera, F.; Nolting, D.; Normandin, M. E.; Nuttall, L. K.; Ochsner, E.; O'Dell, J.; Oelker, E.; Ogin, G. H.; Oh, J. J.; Oh, S. H.; Ohme, F.; Oppermann, P.; O'Reilly, B.; Ortega Larcher, W.; O'Shaughnessy, R.; Osthelder, C.; Ottaway, D. J.; Ottens, R. S.; Ou, J.; Overmier, H.; Owen, B. J.; Padilla, C.; Pai, A.; Palomba, C.; Pan, Y.; Pankow, C.; Paoletti, F.; Paoletti, R.; Paris, H.; Pasqualetti, A.; Passaquieti, R.; Passuello, D.; Pedraza, M.; Peiris, P.; Penn, S.; Perreca, A.; Phelps, M.; Pichot, M.; Pickenpack, M.; Piergiovanni, F.; Pierro, V.; Pinard, L.; Pindor, B.; Pinto, I. M.; Pitkin, M.; Poeld, J.; Poggiani, R.; Poole, V.; Postiglione, F.; Poux, C.; Predoi, V.; Prestegard, T.; Price, L. R.; Prijatelj, M.; Privitera, S.; Prodi, G. A.; Prokhorov, L.; Puncken, O.; Punturo, M.; Puppo, P.; Quetschke, V.; Quintero, E.; Quitzow-James, R.; Raab, F. J.; Rabeling, D. S.; Rácz, I.; Radkins, H.; Raffai, P.; Raja, S.; Rajalakshmi, G.; Rakhmanov, M.; Ramet, C.; Rapagnani, P.; Raymond, V.; Re, V.; Reed, C. M.; Reed, T.; Regimbau, T.; Reid, S.; Reitze, D. H.; Ricci, F.; Riesen, R.; Riles, K.; Robertson, N. A.; Robinet, F.; Rocchi, A.; Roddy, S.; Rodriguez, C.; Rodruck, M.; Roever, C.; Rolland, L.; Rollins, J. G.; Romano, J. D.; Romano, R.; Romanov, G.; Romie, J. H.; Rosińska, D.; Rowan, S.; Rüdiger, A.; Ruggi, P.; Ryan, K.; Salemi, F.; Sammut, L.; Sandberg, V.; Sanders, J.; Sannibale, V.; Santiago-Prieto, I.; Saracco, E.; Sassolas, B.; Sathyaprakash, B. S.; Saulson, P. R.; Savage, R.; Schilling, R.; Schnabel, R.; Schofield, R. M. S.; Schreiber, E.; Schuette, D.; Schulz, B.; Schutz, B. F.; Schwinberg, P.; Scott, J.; Scott, S. M.; Seifert, F.; Sellers, D.; Sengupta, A. S.; Sentenac, D.; Sequino, V.; Sergeev, A.; Shaddock, D.; Shah, S.; Shahriar, M. S.; Shaltev, M.; Shapiro, B.; Shawhan, P.; Shoemaker, D. H.; Sidery, T. L.; Siellez, K.; Siemens, X.; Sigg, D.; Simakov, D.; Singer, A.; Singer, L.; Sintes, A. M.; Skelton, G. R.; Slagmolen, B. J. J.; Slutsky, J.; Smith, J. R.; Smith, M. R.; Smith, R. J. E.; Smith-Lefebvre, N. D.; Soden, K.; Son, E. J.; Sorazu, B.; Souradeep, T.; Sperandio, L.; Staley, A.; Steinert, E.; Steinlechner, J.; Steinlechner, S.; Steplewski, S.; Stevens, D.; Stochino, A.; Stone, R.; Strain, K. A.; Straniero, N.; Strigin, S.; Stroeer, A. S.; Sturani, R.; Stuver, A. L.; Summerscales, T. Z.; Susmithan, S.; Sutton, P. J.; Swinkels, B.; Szeifert, G.; Tacca, M.; Talukder, D.; Tang, L.; Tanner, D. B.; Tarabrin, S. P.; Taylor, R.; ter Braack, A. P. M.; Thirugnanasambandam, M. P.; Thomas, M.; Thomas, P.; Thorne, K. A.; Thorne, K. S.; Thrane, E.; Tiwari, V.; Tokmakov, K. V.; Tomlinson, C.; Toncelli, A.; Tonelli, M.; Torre, O.; Torres, C. V.; Torrie, C. I.; Travasso, F.; Traylor, G.; Tse, M.; Ugolini, D.; Unnikrishnan, C. S.; Vahlbruch, H.; Vajente, G.; Vallisneri, M.; van den Brand, J. F. J.; Van Den Broeck, C.; van der Putten, S.; van der Sluys, M. V.; van Heijningen, J.; van Veggel, A. A.; Vass, S.; Vasúth, M.; Vaulin, R.; Vecchio, A.; Vedovato, G.; Veitch, P. J.; Veitch, J.; Venkateswara, K.; Verkindt, D.; Verma, S.; Vetrano, F.; Viceré, A.; Vincent-Finley, R.; Vinet, J.-Y.; Vitale, S.; Vitale, S.; Vlcek, B.; Vo, T.; Vocca, H.; Vorvick, C.; Vousden, W. D.; Vrinceanu, D.; Vyachanin, S. P.; Wade, A.; Wade, L.; Wade, M.; Waldman, S. J.; Walker, M.; Wallace, L.; Wan, Y.; Wang, J.; Wang, M.; Wang, X.; Wanner, A.; Ward, R. L.; Was, M.; Weaver, B.; Wei, L.-W.; Weinert, M.; Weinstein, A. J.; Weiss, R.; Welborn, T.; Wen, L.; Wessels, P.; West, M.; Westphal, T.; Wette, K.; Whelan, J. T.; White, D. J.; Whiting, B. F.; Wibowo, S.; Wiesner, K.; Wilkinson, C.; Williams, L.; Williams, R.; Williams, T.; Willis, J. L.; Willke, B.; Wimmer, M.; Winkelmann, L.; Winkler, W.; Wipf, C. C.; Wittel, H.; Woan, G.; Worden, J.; Yablon, J.; Yakushin, I.; Yamamoto, H.; Yancey, C. C.; Yang, H.; Yeaton-Massey, D.; Yoshida, S.; Yum, H.; Yvert, M.; ZadroŻny, A.; Zanolin, M.; Zendri, J.-P.; Zhang, F.; Zhang, L.; Zhao, C.; Zhu, H.; Zhu, X. J.; Zotov, N.; Zucker, M. E.; Zweizig, J.; LIGO Scientific Collaboration; Virgo Collaboration

    2015-01-01

    Searches for a stochastic gravitational-wave background (SGWB) using terrestrial detectors typically involve cross-correlating data from pairs of detectors. The sensitivity of such cross-correlation analyses depends, among other things, on the separation between the two detectors: the smaller the separation, the better the sensitivity. Hence, a colocated detector pair is more sensitive to a gravitational-wave background than a noncolocated detector pair. However, colocated detectors are also expected to suffer from correlated noise from instrumental and environmental effects that could contaminate the measurement of the background. Hence, methods to identify and mitigate the effects of correlated noise are necessary to achieve the potential increase in sensitivity of colocated detectors. Here we report on the first SGWB analysis using the two LIGO Hanford detectors and address the complications arising from correlated environmental noise. We apply correlated noise identification and mitigation techniques to data taken by the two LIGO Hanford detectors, H1 and H2, during LIGO's fifth science run. At low frequencies, 40-460 Hz, we are unable to sufficiently mitigate the correlated noise to a level where we may confidently measure or bound the stochastic gravitational-wave signal. However, at high frequencies, 460-1000 Hz, these techniques are sufficient to set a 95% confidence level upper limit on the gravitational-wave energy density of Ω (f )<7.7 ×1 0-4(f /900 Hz )3 , which improves on the previous upper limit by a factor of ˜180 . In doing so, we demonstrate techniques that will be useful for future searches using advanced detectors, where correlated noise (e.g., from global magnetic fields) may affect even widely separated detectors.

  9. Searching for Stochastic Gravitational Waves Using Data from the Two Co-Located LIGO Hanford Detectors

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Aasi, J.; Abadie, J.; Abbott, B. P.; Abbott, R.; Abbott, T.; Abernathy, M. R.; Accadia, T.; Acernese, F.; Adams, C.; Adams, T.; hide

    2014-01-01

    Searches for a stochastic gravitational-wave background (SGWB) using terrestrial detectors typically involve cross-correlating data from pairs of detectors. The sensitivity of such cross-correlation analyses depends, among other things, on the separation between the two detectors: the smaller the separation, the better the sensitivity. Hence, a co-located detector pair is more sensitive to a gravitational-wave background than a nonco- located detector pair. However, co-located detectors are also expected to suffer from correlated noise from instrumental and environmental effects that could contaminate the measurement of the background. Hence, methods to identify and mitigate the effects of correlated noise are necessary to achieve the potential increase in sensitivity of co-located detectors. Here we report on the first SGWB analysis using the two LIGO Hanford detectors and address the complications arising from correlated environmental noise. We apply correlated noise identification and mitigation techniques to data taken by the two LIGO Hanford detectors, H1 and H2, during LIGO's fifth science run. At low frequencies, 40-460Hz, we are unable to sufficiently mitigate the correlated noise to a level where we may confidently measure or bound the stochastic gravitational-wave signal. However, at high frequencies, 460 - 1000Hz, these techniques are sufficient to set a 95% confidence level (C.L.) upper limit on the gravitational-wave energy density of Omega(f) < 7.7 × 10(exp -4)(f/900Hz)(sup 3), which improves on the previous upper limit by a factor of approx. 180. In doing so, we demonstrate techniques that will be useful for future searches using advanced detectors, where correlated noise (e.g., from global magnetic fields) may affect even widely separated detectors.

  10. Redeployment as an alternative to decommissioning. Conversion of a US Department of Energy facility to fish rearing

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Anderson, B.N.; Herborn, D.I.

    1994-03-01

    The Hanford Site and the Tri-Cities community have before them an unprecedented opportunity to create an economic renaissance based on the unparalleled environmental cleanup mission. The nation and the world await the emergence of the post-Cold War economy and conversion of the national defense complex into new national economic thrusts. The legacy of the Hanford Site national defense mission must not end up simply with the Site being cleaned up and land being restored to near-original conditions. There also needs to be a future economic legacy of a dynamic Tri-Cities community resulting from the cumulative current activities that will havemore » a positive impact for years to come. In anticipation of the eventual completion of the Hanford Site cleanup mission, the US Department of Energy (DOE) has established the Office of Economic Transition to identify and implement policies and actions that will support the cleanup mission of the Site and the long-term economic development of the Tri-Cities area. In the future, it is envisioned that one phase of a vibrant regional economy with a diversified economic job base will be the capability to compete in national and international environmental services markets. Recently, it was realized that the K Area water treatments facilities might be suitable for the rearing of fish. A `marketing` effort was undertaken to match the facility with potential users. At this time, four fish-rearing projects have either been conducted or are in various stages of progress or implementation. These will be described to explain the participants, the purposes, and the scope of each project.« less

  11. Secondary Waste Form Down-Selection Data Package—Fluidized Bed Steam Reforming Waste Form

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Qafoku, Nikolla; Westsik, Joseph H.; Strachan, Denis M.

    2011-09-12

    The Hanford Site in southeast Washington State has 56 million gallons of radioactive and chemically hazardous wastes stored in 177 underground tanks (ORP 2010). The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), Office of River Protection (ORP), through its contractors, is constructing the Hanford Tank Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant (WTP) to convert the radioactive and hazardous wastes into stable glass waste forms for disposal. Within the WTP, the pretreatment facility will receive the retrieved waste from the tank farms and separate it into two treated process streams. These waste streams will be vitrified, and the resulting waste canisters will be sentmore » to offsite (high-level waste [HLW]) and onsite (immobilized low-activity waste [ILAW]) repositories. As part of the pretreatment and ILAW processing, liquid secondary wastes will be generated that will be transferred to the Effluent Treatment Facility (ETF) on the Hanford Site for further treatment. These liquid secondary wastes will be converted to stable solid waste forms that will be disposed of in the Integrated Disposal Facility (IDF). To support the selection of a waste form for the liquid secondary wastes from WTP, Washington River Protection Solutions (WRPS) has initiated secondary waste form testing work at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL). In anticipation of a down-selection process for a waste form for the Solidification Treatment Unit to be added to the ETF, PNNL is developing data packages to support that down-selection. The objective of the data packages is to identify, evaluate, and summarize the existing information on the four waste forms being considered for stabilizing and solidifying the liquid secondary wastes. At the Hanford Site, the FBSR process is being evaluated as a supplemental technology for treating and immobilizing Hanford LAW radioactive tank waste and for treating secondary wastes from the WTP pretreatment and LAW vitrification processes.« less

  12. Unraveling the Fate and Transport of SrEDTA-2 and Sr+2 in Hanford Sediments

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Pace, M. N.; Mayes, M. A.; Jardine, P. M.; Mehlhorn, T. L.; Liu, Q. G.; Yin, X. L.

    2004-12-01

    Accelerated migration of strontium-90 has been observed in the vadose zone beneath the Hanford tank farm. The goal of this paper is to provide an improved understanding of the hydrogeochemical processes that contribute to strontium transport in the far-field Hanford vadose zone. Laboratory scale batch, saturated packed column experiments, and an unsaturated transport experiment in an undisturbed core were conducted to quantify geochemical and hydrological processes controlling Sr+2 and SrEDTA-2 sorption to Hanford flood deposits. After experimentation, the undisturbed core was disassembled and samples were collected from different bedding units as a function of depth. Sequential extractions were then performed on the samples. It has been suggested that organic chelates such as EDTA may be responsible for the accelerated transport of strontium due to the formation of stable anionic complexes. Duplicate batch and column experiments performed with Sr+2 and SrEDTA-2 suggested that the SrEDTA-2 complex was not stable in the presence of soil and rapid dissociation allowed strontium to be transported as a divalent cation. Batch experiments indicated a decrease in sorption with increasing rock:water ratios, whereas saturated packed column experiments indicated equal retardation in columns of different lengths. This difference between the batch and column experiments is primarily due to the difference between equilibrium conditions where dissolution of cations may compete for sorption sites versus flowing conditions where any dissolved cations are flushed through the system minimizing competition for sorption sites. Unsaturated transport in the undisturbed core resulted in significant Sr+2 retardation despite the presence of physical nonequilibrium. Core disassembly and sequential extractions revealed the mass wetness distribution and reactive mineral phases associated with strontium in the core. Overall, results indicated that strontium will most likely be transported through the Hanford far-field vadose zone as a divalent cation.

  13. Hanford Site Environmental Restoration Program 1994 fiscal year work plan. Work breakdown structure 2.0: Revision 1

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Not Available

    Site Management System (SMS) guidance requires a Fiscal Year Work Plan (FYWP) to be prepared for the Environmental Restoration (ER) Mission Area and all related programs. This revision is a complete update to cover the FY 1994 time period. This document describes the overall ER Missions Area and provides FYWP appendices for each of the following five program areas: Remedial Action (RA); Decontamination and Decommissioning (D&D); Project Management and Support (PM&S); Surveillance and Maintenance (S&M); and Disposal Facilities (DF).

  14. CERT tribal internship program. Final intern report: David Conrad, 1993

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    NONE

    1998-09-01

    The intern`s report contains a Master`s thesis entitled, ``An implementation analysis of the US Department of Energy`s American Indian policy as part of its environmental restoration and waste management mission.`` This thesis examines the implementation of a working relationship between the Nez Perce Tribe and the US Department of Energy`s Office of Environmental Restoration and Waste Management at the Hanford reservation. It examines the relationship using a qualitative methodology and three generations of policy analysis literature to gain a clear understanding of the potential for successful implementation.

  15. THE INTEGRATION OF THE 241-Z BUILDING DECONTAMINATION & DECOMMISSIONING (D&D) UNDER COMPREHENSIVE ENVIRONMENTAL RESPONSE COMPENSATION & LIABILITY ACT (CERCLA) WITH RESOURCE CONSERVATION & RECOVERY ACT (RCRA) CLOSURE AT THE PLUTONIUM FINISHING PLANT (PFP)

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    HOPKINS, A.M.

    2007-02-20

    The 241-Z treatment and storage tanks, a hazardous waste Treatment, Storage and Disposal (TSD) unit permitted pursuant to the ''Resource Conservation and Recovery Act of 1976'' (RCRA) and Washington State ''Hazardous Waste Management Act, RCW 70.105'', have been deactivated and are being actively decommissioned. The 241-Z TSD unit managed non-listed radioactive contaminated waste water, containing trace RCRA characteristic constituents. The 241-Z TSD unit consists of below grade tanks (D-4, D-5, D-7, D-8, and an overflow tank) located in a concrete containment vault, sample glovebox GB-2-241-ZA, and associated ancillary piping and equipment. The tank system is located beneath the 241-Z building.more » The 241-Z building is not a portion of the TSD unit. The sample glovebox is housed in the above-grade building. Waste managed at the TSD unit was received via underground mining from Plutonium Finishing Plant (PFP) sources. Tank D-6, located in the D-6 vault cell, is a past-practice tank that was taken out of service in 1972 and has never operated as a portion of the RCRA TSD unit. CERCLA actions address Tank D-6, its containment vault cell, and soil beneath the cell that was potentially contaminated during past-practice operations and any other potential past-practice contamination identified during 241-Z closure, while outside the scope of the ''Hanford Facility Dangerous Waste Closure Plant, 241-Z Treatment and Storage Tanks''.« less

  16. FEASIBILITY STUDY REPORT FOR THE 200-ZP-1 GROUNDWATER OPERABLE UNIT

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    BYRNES ME

    2008-07-18

    The Hanford Site, managed by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), encompasses approximately 1,517 km{sup 2} (586 mi{sup 2}) in the Columbia Basin of south-central Washington State. In 1989, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) placed the 100, 200, 300, and 1100 Areas of the Hanford Site on the 40 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) 300, 'National Oil and Hazardous Substances Pollution Contingency Plan' National Contingency Plan [NCPD], Appendix B, 'National Priorities List' (NPL), pursuant to the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980 (CERCLA). The 200 Areas NPL sites consist of the 200 West and 200 Eastmore » Areas (Figure 1-1). The 200 Areas contain waste management facilities, inactive irradiated fuel reprocessing facilities, and the 200 North Area (formerly used for interim storage and staging of irradiated fuel). Several waste sites in the 600 Area, located near the 200 Areas, also are included in the 200 Areas NPL site. The 200 Areas NPL site is in a region referred to as the 'Central Plateau' and consists of approximately 700 waste sites, excluding sites assigned to the tank farm waste management areas (WMAs). The 200-ZP-1 Groundwater Operable Unit (OU) consists of the groundwater located under the northern portion of the 200 West Area. Waste sources that contributed to the 200-ZP-1 OU included cribs and trenches that received liquid and/or solid waste in the past from the Z Plant and T Plant aggregate areas, WMA-T, WMA-TX/TY, and the State-Approved Land Disposal Site (SALDS). This feasibility study (FS) for the 200-ZP-1 Groundwater OU was prepared in accordance with the requirements of CERCLA decision documents. These decision documents are part of the Administrative Record for the selection of remedial actions for each waste site and present the selected remedial actions that are chosen in accordance with CERCLA, as amended by the Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act of 1986, and to the extent practicable, the NCP. This FS conforms to the conditions set forth in the Hanford Federal Facility Agreement and Consent Order (Tri-Party Agreement) (Ecology et al. 2003) and amendments, signed by the Washington State Department of Ecology (Ecology), EPA, and DOE Richland Operations Office (RL). This also includes Tri-Party Agreement Milestone M-015-00C for completing all 200 Area non-tank farm OU pre-Record of Decision (ROD) documents on or before December 31, 2011. This FS supports the final remedy selection for the 200-ZP-1 OU, as described in the Remedial Investigation/Feasibility Study Work Plan for the 200-ZP-1 Groundwater Operable Unit (referred to as the 200-ZP-1 RI/FS work plan) (DOE/RL-2003-55), as agreed upon by RL and EPA. Tri-Party Agreement Milestone M-015-48B required Draft A of the 200-ZP-1 OU FS and proposed plan to be transmitted to EPA by September 30, 2007. As agreed to with EPA in the 200 Area Unit Managers Meeting Groundwater Operable Unit Status (FH-0503130), the baseline risk assessment (BRA) was delayed from inclusion in the remedial investigation (RI) report and is completed and documented in this FS. The Remedial Investigation Report for 200-ZP-1 Groundwater Operable Unit (referred to as the 200-ZP-1 RI report) (DOE/RL-2006-24) included an evaluation of human health and ecological risks and hazards. The RI report identified the radiological and chemical contaminants of potential concern (COPCs) that represent the primary risks to human health and the environment. The complete risk assessment in this FS incorporates additional analytical data from the unconfined aquifer that were obtained during or after preparation of the RI report, particularly for carbon tetrachloride and technetium-99. This FS also includes the initial results from an ongoing study of technetium-99 contamination near WMA-T, the sampling of new wells near the 216-W-LC laundry waste crib and T Plant, updated Hanford vadose zone fate and transport modeling, and groundwater particle-tracking analysis. The purpose of this FS is to develop and evaluate alternatives for remediation of the groundwater in the 200-ZP-1 OU. The alternatives considered provide a range of potential response actions (i.e., no action; institutional controls and monitored natural attenuation [MNA]; and pump-and-treat with MNA, flow-path control, and institutional controls) that are appropriate to address site-specific conditions. The alternatives are evaluated against seven of the nine CERCLA evaluation criteria defined in Guidance for Conducting Remedial Investigations and Feasibility Studies Under CERCLA (EPA/540/G-891004). The remaining two CERCLA criteria will be formally assessed during the public comment period. The FS evaluation serves as the basis for identifying a remedy to mitigate potential risks to human health and the environment. A preferred alternative (or alternatives) will be presented to the public for review and comment in the proposed plan.« less

  17. SAFETY AT FLUOR HANFORD (A) CASE STUDY - PREPARED BY THUNDERBIRD SCHOOL OF GLOBAL MANAGEMENT

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    ARNOLD LD

    2009-09-25

    By November of 1997, Fluor Hanford (Fluor) had been the site manager of the Hanford nuclear reservation for a year. The Hanford site had been established as part of the Manhattan Project in the 1940s that gave birth to the atomic bomb. Hanford produced two thirds of U.S. plutonium during the Cold War period. The Hanford site was half the size of Rhode Island and occupied 586 square miles in southeastern Washington State. The production of plutonium for more than 40 years left a huge legacy of chemical and radiological contamination: 80 square miles of contaminated groundwater; 2,300 tons ofmore » spent nuclear fuel stored in underwater basins; 20 tons of plutonium-laced contaminated materials; and 500 contaminated facilities. The cleanup involved a challenging combination of radioactive material handling within an infrastructure constructed in the 1940s and 1950s. The cleanup that began in 1988 was expected to take 30 years or more. Improving safety at Hanford had already proven to be a significant challenge. As the new site manager at Hanford, Fluor Hanford inherited lower- and mid-level managers and thousands of unionized employees, many of whom were second or third generation Hanford employees. These employees had seen many contractors come and go over the years. Some of the managers who had worked with the previous contractor saw Fluor's emphasis on safety as getting in the way of operations. Union-management relations were fractious. Hanford's culture was described as 'production driven-management told everyone what to do, and, if you didn't do it, there were consequences'. Worker involvement in designing and implementing safety programs was negligible. Fluor Hanford also was having trouble satisfying its client, the Department of Energy (DOE). The DOE did not see a clear path forward for performance improvements at Hanford. Clearly, major change was necessary, but how and where should it be implemented?« less

  18. QA/QC requirements for physical properties sampling and analysis

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Innis, B.E.

    1993-07-21

    This report presents results of an assessment of the available information concerning US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) quality assurance/quality control (QA/QC) requirements and guidance applicable to sampling, handling, and analyzing physical parameter samples at Comprehensive Environmental Restoration, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) investigation sites. Geotechnical testing laboratories measure the following physical properties of soil and sediment samples collected during CERCLA remedial investigations (RI) at the Hanford Site: moisture content, grain size by sieve, grain size by hydrometer, specific gravity, bulk density/porosity, saturated hydraulic conductivity, moisture retention, unsaturated hydraulic conductivity, and permeability of rocks by flowing air. Geotechnical testing laboratories alsomore » measure the following chemical parameters of soil and sediment samples collected during Hanford Site CERCLA RI: calcium carbonate and saturated column leach testing. Physical parameter data are used for (1) characterization of vadose and saturated zone geology and hydrogeology, (2) selection of monitoring well screen sizes, (3) to support modeling and analysis of the vadose and saturated zones, and (4) for engineering design. The objectives of this report are to determine the QA/QC levels accepted in the EPA Region 10 for the sampling, handling, and analysis of soil samples for physical parameters during CERCLA RI.« less

  19. Use of probability analysis to establish routine bioassay screening levels

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Carbaugh, E.H.; Sula, M.J.; McFadden, K.M.

    1990-09-01

    Probability analysis was used by the Hanford Internal Dosimetry Program to establish bioassay screening levels for tritium and uranium in urine. Background environmental levels of these two radionuclides are generally detectable by the highly sensitive urine analysis procedures routinely used at Hanford. Establishing screening levels requires balancing the impact of false detection with the consequence of potentially undetectable occupation dose. To establish the screening levels, tritium and uranium analyses were performed on urine samples collected from workers exposed only to environmental sources. All samples were collected at home using a simulated 12-hour protocol for tritium and a simulated 24-hour collectionmore » protocol for uranium. Results of the analyses of these samples were ranked according to tritium concentration or total sample uranium. The cumulative percentile was calculated and plotted using log-probability coordinates. Geometric means and screening levels corresponding to various percentiles were estimated by graphical interpolation and standard calculations. The potentially annual internal dose associated with a screening level was calculated. Screening levels were selected corresponding to the 99.9 percentile, implying that, on the average, 1 out of 1000 samples collected from an unexposed worker population would be expected to exceed the screening level. 4 refs., 2 figs.« less

  20. Performance of a Surface Barrier for Waste Isolation and Flux Reduction at the Hanford Site

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Zhang, Z. F.; Wellman, Dawn M.; Morse, John G.

    2016-05-13

    Based on the knowledge gained from a decade of laboratory, field, and numerical studies, the Prototype Hanford Barrier (PHB) was designed and constructed between late 1993 and late 1994 over the 216-B-57 Crib in the 200-BP-1 Operable Unit at the Hanford Site. The PHB has been monitored since 1994 to evaluate the physical, hydrologic, and ecological performance. Two stress tests were carried out in the past: (1) an enhanced (about 3 times the multi-year average of 160 mm/year) precipitation test from water year (WY) 1995 to WY1997, which included a man-made 1000-year return 24-hour rainstorms in March each year, andmore » (2) a controlled fire test in 2008. The purpose of this article is to present the main findings of the PHB demonstration since 1994. From 1994 to present, the PHB has limited drainage of less than 0.2 mm yr-1, which is below the 0.5 mm yr-1 design goal, and minimized erosion. The observations suggest the PHB is robust enough to endure the hydrological stress of three times average precipitation and 1000-year return 24-hour rainstorms. After the controlled fire, far less vegetation grows and grasses are the dominant vegetation (compared to shrubs on the unburned section). Even so, the grasses can remove nearly all the stored water in the burned section, although during a longer period of time than in the unburned section. The findings at the PHB are useful for the design and monitoring of future surface barriers at Hanford and elsewhere.« less

  1. Geologic setting of the low-level burial grounds

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Lindsey, K.A.; Jaeger, G.K.; Slate, J.L.

    1994-10-13

    This report describes the regional and site specific geology of the Hanford Sites low-level burial grounds in the 200 East and West Areas. The report incorporates data from boreholes across the entire 200 Areas, integrating the geology of this area into a single framework. Geologic cross-sections, isopach maps, and structure contour maps of all major geological units from the top of the Columbia River Basalt Group to the surface are included. The physical properties and characteristics of the major suprabasalt sedimentary units also are discussed.

  2. Recharge Data Package for Hanford Single-Shell Tank Waste Management Areas

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Fayer, Michael J.; Keller, Jason M.

    2007-09-24

    Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) assists CH2M HILL Hanford Group, Inc., in its preparation of the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) Facility Investigation report. One of the PNNL tasks is to use existing information to estimate recharge rates for past and current conditions as well as future scenarios involving cleanup and closure of tank farms. The existing information includes recharge-relevant data collected during activities associated with a host of projects, including those of RCRA, the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA), the CH2M HILL Tank Farm Vadose Zone Project, and the PNNL Remediation and Closure Science Project.more » As new information is published, the report contents can be updated. The objective of this data package was to use published data to provide recharge estimates for the scenarios being considered in the RCRA Facility Investigation. Recharge rates were estimated for areas that remain natural and undisturbed, areas where the vegetation has been disturbed, areas where both the vegetation and the soil have been disturbed, and areas that are engineered (e.g., surface barrier). The recharge estimates supplement the estimates provided by PNNL researchers in 2006 for the Hanford Site using additional field measurements and model analysis using weather data through 2006.« less

  3. Food and growth parameters of juvenile chinook in the central Columbia River

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Becker, C.D.

    1994-10-01

    Juvenile chinook, salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) in the Hanford area of the free-flowing central Columbia River, Washington consume almost entirely adult and larval stages of aquatic insects. The diet is dominated by midges (Diptera: Chironomidae). By numbers, adult midges provided 64 and 58% of the diet and larval midges 17 and 18% of the diet, in 1968 and 1969, respectively. The families Hydropsychidae (Trichoptera), Notonectidae (Hemiptera) and Hypogastruridae (Collembola) are of minor numerical importance with a combined utilization of 7% in 1968 and 15% in 1969. Distinctive features of food and feeding activity of juvenile chinook at Hanford are fourfold: (1)more » the fish utilize relatively few insect groups, predominantly Chironomidae; (2) they depend largely upon autochthonous river organisms; (3) they visually select living prey drifting, floating or swimming in the water; and (4) they are apparently habitat opportunists to a large extent. Analyses were made of variations in diet and numbers of insects consumed between six sampling stations distributed along a 38 km section of the river. Data are provided on feeding intensity, fish lengths, length-weight relationships, and coefficients of condition. Seasonal changes in river temperature and discharge, as well as variations in regulated flow levels are environmental features influencing feeding, growth, and emigration of fish in the Hanford environs.« less

  4. Projected environmental impacts of radioactive material transportation to the first US repository site

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Neuhauser, K.S.; Cashwell, J.W.; Reardon, P.C.

    1986-12-31

    This paper discusses the relative national environmental impacts of transporting nuclear wastes to each of the nine candidate repository sites in the United States. Several of the potential sites are closely clustered and, for the purpose of distance and routing calculations, are treated as a single location. These are: Cypress Creek Dome and Richton Dome in Mississippi (Gulf Interior Region), Deaf Smith County and Swisher County sites in Texas (Permian Basin), and Davis Canyon and Lavender Canyon site in Utah (Paradox Basin). The remaining sites are: Vacherie Dome, Louisiana; Yucca Mountain, Nevada; and Hanford Reservation, Washington. For compatibility with bothmore » the repository system authorized by the NWPA and with the MRS option, two separate scenarios were analyzed. In belief, they are (1) shipment of spent fuel and high-level wastes (HLW) directly from waste generators to a repository (Reference Case) and (2) shipment of spent fuel to a Monitored Retrievable Storage (MRS) facility and then to a repository. Between 17 and 38 truck accident fatalities, between 1.4 and 7.7 rail accident fatalities, and between 0.22 and 12 radiological health effects can be expected to occur as a result of radioactive material transportation during the 26-year operating period of the first repository. During the same period in the United States, about 65,000 total deaths from truck accidents and about 32,000 total deaths from rail accidents would occur; also an estimated 58,300 cancer fatalities are predicted to occur in the United States during a 26-year period from exposure to background radiation alone (not including medical and other manmade sources). The risks reported here are upper limits and are small by comparison with the "natural background" of risks of the same type. 3 refs., 6 tabs.« less

  5. Hanford Site ground-water monitoring for 1993

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Dresel, P.E.; Luttrell, S.P.; Evans, J.C.

    This report presents the results of the Ground-Water Surveillance Project monitoring for calendar year 1993 on the Hanford Site, Washington. Hanford Site operations from 1943 onward produced large quantities of radiological and chemical waste that have impacted ground-water quality on the Site. Monitoring of water levels and ground-water chemistry is performed to track the extent of contamination and trends in contaminant concentrations. The 1993 monitoring was also designed to identify emerging ground-water quality problems. The information obtained is used to verify compliance with applicable environmental regulations and to evaluate remedial actions. Data from other monitoring and characterization programs were incorporatedmore » to provide an integrated assessment of Site ground-water quality. Additional characterization of the Site`s geologic setting and hydrology was performed to support the interpretation of contaminant distributions. Numerical modeling of sitewide ground-water flow also supported the overall project goals. Water-level monitoring was performed to evaluate ground-water flow directions, to track changes in water levels, and to relate such changes to changes in site disposal practices. Water levels over most of the Hanford Site continued to decline between June 1992 and June 1993. The greatest declines occurred in the 200-West Area. These declines are part of the continued response to the cessation of discharge to U Pond and other disposal facilities. The low permeability in this area which enhanced mounding of waste-water discharge has also slowed the response to the reduction of disposal. Water levels remained nearly constant in the vicinity of B Pond, as a result of continued disposal to the pond. Water levels measured from wells in the unconfined aquifer north and east of the Columbia River indicate that the primary source of recharge is irrigation practices.« less

  6. Environmental assessment, K Pool fish rearing, Hanford Site, Richland, Washington

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    NONE

    1996-12-01

    The US Department of Energy (DOE) has a need to respond to a request to lease facilities at the Hanford Site 100-KE and 100-KW filter plant pools (K Pools) for fish rearing activities. These fish rearing activities would be: (1) business ventures with public and private funds and (2) long-term enhancement and supplementation programs for game fish populations in the Columbia River Basin. The proposed action is to enter into a use permit or lease agreement with the YIN or other parties who would rear fish in the 100-K Area Pools. The proposed action would include necessary piping, pump, andmore » electrical upgrades of the facility; cleaning and preparation of the pools; water withdrawal from the Columbia River, and any necessary water or wastewater treatment; and introduction, rearing and release of fish. Future commercial operations may be included.« less

  7. TWRS vadose zone contamination issue expert panel report

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Shafer, D.S.

    1997-05-01

    When members were first canvassed for participation in the Vadose Zone Expert Panel the stated purpose for convening the Panel was to review a controversial draft report, the SX Tank Farm Report. This report was produced by a DOE Grand Junction Project Office (GJPO) contractor, RUST Geotech, now MACTEC-ERS, for the DOE Richland Office (DOERL). Three meetings were planned for June, July and August, 1995 to review the draft report and to complete a Panel report by mid-September. The Expert Panel has found its efforts confounded by various non-technical issues. The Expert Panel has chosen to address some of themore » non-technical issues in this Preface rather than to dilute the technical discussion that follows in the body of this independent expert panel status report (Panel Report). Rather than performing a straightforward manuscript review, the Panel was asked to resolve conflicting interpretations of gamma-ray logging measurements performed in vadose zone boreholes (drywells) surrounding the high-level radioactive wastes of the SX tank farm. There are numerous and complex technical issues that must be evaluated before the vertical and radial extent of contaminant migration at the SX tank farm can be accurately assessed. When the Panel first met in early June, 1996, it quickly became apparent that the scientific and technical issues were obscured by policy and institutional affairs which have polarized discussion among various segments of the Hanford organization. This situation reflects the kinds of institutional problems described separately in reports by the National Research Council of the National Academy of Sciences (NAS/NRC), The Hanford Tanks Environmental Impacts and Policy Choices and BmTiers to Science: Technical Management of the Department of Energy Environmental Remediation Program. The Vadose Zone Characterization Program, appears to be caught between conflicting pressures and organizational mandates, some imposed from outside DOE-RL and some self-imposed. The institutional problems they encountered include having both Tank Waste Remediation System (TWRS), the parent organization of the Vadose Zone Characterization Program and Environmental Restoration (ER), each under different regulatory controls and different organizational units, seeking to defend the status quo and discount many of the Panel`s conclusions and recommendations. The results presented in the SX Tank Farm Report, especially the visualizations, have created concern in the public sector, both on a local, personal level and on a national political level.« less

  8. DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Strickland, Christopher E.; Lawter, Amanda R.; Qafoku, Nikolla

    Isotopes of iodine were generated during plutonium production from nine production reactors at the U.S. Department of Energy Hanford Site. The long half-life 129I generated at the Hanford Site during reactor operations was 1) stored in single-shell and double-shell tanks, 2) discharged to liquid disposal sites (e.g., cribs and trenches), 3) released to the atmosphere during fuel reprocessing operations, or 4) captured by off-gas absorbent devices (silver reactors) at chemical separations plants (PUREX, B-Plant, T-Plant, and REDOX). Releases of 129I to the subsurface have resulted in several large, though dilute, plumes in the groundwater, including the plume in the 200-UP-1more » operable unit. There is also 129I remaining in the vadose zone beneath disposal or leak locations. Because 129I is an uncommon contaminant, relevant remediation experience and scientific literature are limited.« less

  9. Subsystem Details for the Fiscal Year 2004 Advanced Life Support Research and Technology Development Metric

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Hanford, Anthony J.

    2004-01-01

    This document provides values at the assembly level for the subsystems described in the Fiscal Year 2004 Advanced Life Support Research and Technology Development Metric (Hanford, 2004). Hanford (2004) summarizes the subordinate computational values for the Advanced Life Support Research and Technology Development (ALS R&TD) Metric at the subsystem level, while this manuscript provides a summary at the assembly level. Hanford (2004) lists mass, volume, power, cooling, and crewtime for each mission examined by the ALS R&TD Metric according to the nominal organization for the Advanced Life Support (ALS) elements. The values in the tables below, Table 2.1 through Table 2.8, list the assemblies, using the organization and names within the Advanced Life Support Sizing Analysis Tool (ALSSAT) for each ALS element. These tables specifically detail mass, volume, power, cooling, and crewtime. Additionally, mass and volume are designated in terms of values associated with initial hardware and resupplied hardware just as they are within ALSSAT. The overall subsystem values are listed on the line following each subsystem entry. These values are consistent with those reported in Hanford (2004) for each listed mission. Any deviations between these values and those in Hanford (2004) arise from differences in when individual numerical values are rounded within each report, and therefore the resulting minor differences should not concern even a careful reader. Hanford (2004) u es the uni ts kW(sub e) and kW(sub th) for power and cooling, respectively, while the nomenclature below uses W(sub e) and W(sub th), which is consistent with the native units within ALSSAT. The assemblies, as specified within ALSSAT, are listed in bold below their respective subsystems. When recognizable assembly components are not listed within ALSSAT, a summary of the assembly is provided on the same line as the entry for the assembly. Assemblies with one or more recognizable components are further described by the indented entries below them. See Yeh, et al. (2002), Yeh, et al. (2003), and Yeh, et al. (2004) for details about ALSSAT organization. Except for the dry food mass listed within the Food Processing, Packaging, and Storage within the Food Subsystem, total values for assemblies would be the sum of their components. The Dry Food Mass, however, is that portion of the food system that was neglected during the computation of the Fiscal Year 2004 ALS R&TD Metric. It is listed here to provide a reference, but it is otherwise ignored in the overall totals. See Hanford (2004) for details of this process and supporting rationale. When applicable, the technology label from ALSSAT is listed in the second column, and the associated abbreviations are listed below in Section 4. For more details of the technologies assumed for each mission, please see Hanford (2004) for descriptions of each subsystem and an overall life support system schematic.

  10. FIELD TEST INSTRUCTION 100-NR-2 OPERABLE UNIT DESIGN OPTIMIZATION STUDY FOR SEQUESTRATION OF SR-90 SATURATED ZONE APATITE PERMEABLE REACTIVE BARRIER EXTENSION

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    BOWLES NA

    2010-10-06

    The objective of this field test instruction is to provide technical guidance for aqueous injection emplacement of an extension apatite permeable reactive barrier (PRE) for the sequestration of strontium-90 (Sr-90) using a high concentration amendment formulation. These field activities will be conducted according to the guidelines established in DOE/RL-2010-29, 100-NR-2 Design Optimization Study, hereafter referred to as the DOS. The DOS supports the Federal Facility Agreement Consent Order (EPA et al., 1989), Milestone M-16-06-01, and 'Complete Construction of a Permeable Reactive Barrier at 100-N.' Injections of apatite precursor chemicals will occur at an equal distance intervals on each end ofmore » the existing PRE to extend the PRB from the existing 91 m (300 ft) to at least 274 m (900 ft). Field testing at the 100-N Area Apatite Treatability Test Site, as depicted on Figure 1, shows that the barrier is categorized by two general hydrologic conceptual models based on overall well capacity and contrast between the Hanford and Ringold hydraulic conductivities. The upstream portion of the original barrier, shown on Figure 1, is characterized by relatively low overall well specific capacity. This is estimated from well development data and a lower contrast in hydraulic conductivity between the Hanford formation and Ringold Formations. Comparison of test results from these two locations indicate that permeability contrast between the Hanford formation and Ringold Formation is significantly less over the upstream one-third of the barrier. The estimated hydraulic conductivity for the Hanford formation and Ringold Formation over the upstream portion of the barrier based on observations during emplacement of the existing 91 m (300 ft) PRB is approximately 12 and 10 m/day (39 and 32 ft/day), respectively (PNNL-17429). However, these estimates should be used as a rough guideline only, as significant variability in hydraulic conductivity is likely to be observed in the barrier extension wells, particularly those in the Ringold formation. The downstream portion of the original barrier, shown on Figure 1, is characterized by generally higher well specific capacity and a larger hydraulic conductivity contrast between the Hanford formation and Ringold Formation. Hydraulic conductivity rates for the Hanford formation and Ringold Formation over the downstream portion of the barrier were estimated at 29 and 9 m/day (95 and 29 ft/day), respectively (with the Hanford formation hydraulic conductivity being greater in the downstream portion than the upstream portion). Once again, it should be noted that the actual conductivities may vary significantly, and the values state above should only be used as a rough initial estimates. Optimum apatite emplacement has been shown to occur when injections targeting the Hanford formation and the Ringold Formation are performed separately. The remainder of this test instruction provides details for conducting these formation-targeted injections.« less

  11. Hanford Site near-facility environmental monitoring annual report, calendar year 1997

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Perkins, C.J.

    1998-07-28

    Near-facility environmental monitoring provides a means to measure the impacts of operations, waste management, and remediation activities on the environment adjacent to facilities and ensure compliance with local, state, and federal environmental regulations. Specifically, near-facility environmental monitoring monitors new and existing sites, processes, and facilities for potential impacts and releases; fugitive emissions and diffuse sources associated with contaminated areas, facilities (both active and those undergoing surveillance and maintenance), and environmental restoration activities. External radiation, ambient air particulates, ground and surface water, soil, sediment, and biota (plants and animals) are sampled or monitored. Parameters include, as appropriate, radionuclides; radiation fields; chemicalmore » or physical constituents, such as nitrates; pH; and water temperature. All ambient air results were below the US Department of Energy (DOE) Derived Concentration Guides (DCGs). Groundwater concentrations at the two wells at the 107-N Facility were below both the DOE DCG and US Environmental Protection Agency Interim Drinking Water Standards for gamma emitting radionuclides. Soil and vegetation results were generally within historic ranges and mostly below the Accessible Soil Concentration limits (included in HNF-PRO-454, Inactive Waste Sites) with the exception of one soil sampling location at 1 00 N Area. External radiation fields continued an overall downward trend. Surface water disposal unit samples (water, sediment, and aquatic vegetation) showed radionuclide concentrations below their respective DCG and Accessible Soil Concentration limits. The 100 N Area Columbia river shoreline springs results were below DCGs with the exception of one Sr concentration. More than 4,600 ha (11,300 acres) of radiologically controlled areas were surveyed in 1997, approximately the same as in 1996.« less

  12. Technical Evaluation of Biogeochemical Transformation of Iodine at 200-UP-1, Hanford, WA

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lee, M. H.; Cordova, E.; Brooks, S.; Moser, E.; Wells, J.; Lee, B.

    2015-12-01

    From the 1940s through the early 1990s, liquid wastes from materials used and produced at the Hanford Site were disposed to the ground through cribs, ditches, ponds, and trenches. Primary groundwater and vadose zone contaminants include carbon tetrachloride, uranium, nitrate, chromium, 129I, 99Tc, and tritium. Iodine-129 is of environmental concern due to its long half-life, mobility, and hazardous potential to humans through bioaccumulation, and is one of the primary risk drivers for the Hanford site. The 200 West area of the Hanford Site contains two separate plumes covering 1,500 acres where 129I concentrations are ~3.5 pCi/L in Hanford groundwater. Speciation analysis shows that iodate comprises 70.6% of the iodine present, and organo-iodide and iodide comprise 25.8% and 3.6% respectively. While hydraulic containment is the currently selected remedy for 129I in the groundwater, there is currently no remedy selected for controlling migration of 129I from the vadose zone to the groundwater. Research is currently underway to develop a site conceptual model for understanding the biogeochemical drivers for iodine speciation and determine the processes that drive the fate and transport of 129I through the vadose zone and into groundwater. These data will provide the information to decrease the uncertainty related to the inventory, distribution, and transport properties which will lead to appropriate treatment strategies for the 129I plume(s). Understanding the mechanisms and contributors to iodine speciation is important in order to develop bioremediation strategies for contaminated areas. The effect that microbial communities and humic acid have on iodine speciation and sorption was explored using Ringold sediment from the 200 West Area exposed to varying levels of 129I contamination in conjunction with varying growth media constituents. Several isolates obtained from these batch studies have been shown to reduce over 80% of iodate present in growth media when nitrate was present. No iodate reduction was observed in the absence of nitrate. Additionally, several isolates have been identified that can oxidize iodide. Currently, analytical techniques are underway to quantify the effect of microbial interaction on iodine speciation along with characterization of these diverse microbial isolates.

  13. CESIUM REMOVAL FROM TANKS 241-AN-103 & 241-SX-105 & 241-AZ-101/102 COMPOSITE FOR TESTING IN BENCH SCALE STEAM REFORMER

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    DUNCAN JB; HUBER HJ

    2011-06-08

    This report documents the preparation of three actual Hanford tank waste samples for shipment to the Savannah River National Laboratory (SRNL). Two of the samples were dissolved saltcakes from tank 241-AN-103 (hereafter AN-103) and tank 241-SX-105 (hereafter SX-105); one sample was a supernate composite from tanks 241-AZ-101 and 241-AZ-102 (hereafter AZ-101/102). The preparation of the samples was executed following the test plans LAB-PLAN-10-00006, Test Plan for the Preparation of Samples from Hanford Tanks 241-SX-105, 241-AN-103, 241-AN-107, and LAB-PLN-10-00014, Test Plan for the Preparation of a Composite Sample from Hanford Tanks 241-AZ-101 and 241-AZ-102 for Steam Reformer Testing at the Savannahmore » River National Laboratory. All procedural steps were recorded in laboratory notebook HNF-N-274 3. Sample breakdown diagrams for AN-103 and SX-105 are presented in Appendix A. The tank samples were prepared in support of a series of treatability studies of the Fluidized Bed Steam Reforming (FBSR) process using a Bench-Scale Reformer (BSR) at SRNL. Tests with simulants have shown that the FBSR mineralized waste form is comparable to low-activity waste glass with respect to environmental durability (WSRC-STI-2008-00268, Mineralization of Radioactive Wastes by Fluidized Bed Steam Reforming (FBSR): Comparisons to Vitreous Waste Forms and Pertinent Durability Testing). However, a rigorous assessment requires long-term performance data from FB SR product formed from actual Hanford tank waste. Washington River Protection Solutions, LLC (WRPS) has initiated a Waste Form Qualification Program (WP-S.2.1-20 1 0-00 1, Fluidized Bed Steam Reformer Low-level Waste Form Qualification) to gather the data required to demonstrate that an adequate FBSR mineralized waste form can be produced. The documentation of the selection process of the three tank samples has been separately reported in RPP-48824, 'Sample Selection Process for Bench-Scale Steam Reforming Treatability Studies Using Hanford Waste Samples.'« less

  14. CESIUM REMOVAL FROM TANKS 241-AN-103 & 241-SX-105 & 241-AZ-101 & 241AZ-102 COMPOSITE FOR TESTING IN BENCH SCALE STEAM REFORMER

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    DUNCAN JB; HUBER HJ

    2011-04-21

    This report documents the preparation of three actual Hanford tank waste samples for shipment to the Savannah River National Laboratory (SRNL). Two of the samples were dissolved saltcakes from tank 241-AN-103 (hereafter AN-103) and tank 241-SX-105 (hereafter SX-105); one sample was a supernate composite from tanks 241-AZ-101 and 241-AZ-102 (hereafter AZ-101/102). The preparation of the samples was executed following the test plans LAB-PLAN-10-00006, Test Plan for the Preparation of Samples from Hanford Tanks 241-SX-105, 241-AN-103, 241-AN-107, and LAB-PLN-l0-00014, Test Plan for the Preparation of a Composite Sample from Hanford Tanks 241-AZ-101 and 241-AZ-102 for Steam Reformer Testing at the Savannahmore » River National Laboratory. All procedural steps were recorded in laboratory notebook HNF-N-274 3. Sample breakdown diagrams for AN-103 and SX-105 are presented in Appendix A. The tank samples were prepared in support of a series of treatability studies of the Fluidized Bed Steam Reforming (FBSR) process using a Bench-Scale Reformer (BSR) at SRNL. Tests with simulants have shown that the FBSR mineralized waste form is comparable to low-activity waste glass with respect to environmental durability (WSRC-STI-2008-00268, Mineralization of Radioactive Wastes by Fluidized Bed Steam Reforming (FBSR): Comparisons to Vitreous Waste Forms and Pertinent Durability Testing). However, a rigorous assessment requires long-term performance data from FBSR product formed from actual Hanford tank waste. Washington River Protection Solutions, LLC (WRPS) has initiated a Waste Form Qualification Program (WP-5.2.1-2010-001, Fluidized Bed Steam Reformer Low-level Waste Form Qualification) to gather the data required to demonstrate that an adequate FBSR mineralized waste form can be produced. The documentation of the selection process of the three tank samples has been separately reported in RPP-48824, Sample Selection Process for Bench-Scale Steam Reforming Treatability Studies Using Hanford Waste Samples.« less

  15. A Geophysical Characterization & Monitoring Strategy for Determining Hydrologic Processes in the Hyporheic Corridor at the Hanford 300-Area

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Slater, Lee; Day-Lewis, Frederick; Lane, John

    2011-08-31

    The primary objective of this research was to advance the prediction of solute transport between the Uranium contaminated Hanford aquifer and the Columbia River at the Hanford 300 Area by improving understanding of how fluctuations in river stage, combined with subsurface heterogeneity, impart spatiotemporal complexity to solute exchange along the Columbia River corridor. Our work explored the use of continuous waterborne electrical imaging (CWEI), in conjunction with fiber-optic distributed temperature sensor (FO-DTS) and time-lapse resistivity monitoring, to improve the conceptual model for how groundwater/surface water exchange regulates uranium transport. We also investigated how resistivity and induced polarization can be usedmore » to generate spatially rich estimates of the variation in depth to the Hanford-Ringold (H-R) contact between the river and the 300 Area Integrated Field Research Challenge (IFRC) site. Inversion of the CWEI datasets (a data rich survey containing {approx}60,000 measurements) provided predictions of the distributions of electrical resistivity and polarizability, from which the spatial complexity of the primary hydrogeologic units along the river corridor was reconstructed. Variation in the depth to the interface between the overlying coarse-grained, high permeability Hanford Formation and the underlying finer-grained, less permeable Ringold Formation, an important contact that limits vertical migration of contaminants, has been resolved along {approx}3 km of the river corridor centered on the IFRC site in the Hanford 300 Area. Spatial variability in the thickness of the Hanford Formation captured in the CWEI datasets indicates that previous studies based on borehole projections and drive-point and multi-level sampling likely overestimate the contributing area for uranium exchange within the Columbia River at the Hanford 300 Area. Resistivity and induced polarization imaging between the river and the 300 Area IFRC further imaged spatial variability in the depth to the Hanford-Ringold inland over a critical region where borehole information is absent, identifying evidence for a continuous depression in the H-R contact between the IFRC and the river corridor. Strong natural contrasts in temperature and specific conductance of river water compared to groundwater at this site, along with periodic river stage fluctuations driven by dam operations, were exploited to yield new insights into the dynamics of groundwater-surface water interaction. Whereas FO-DTS datasets have provided meter-scale measurements of focused groundwater discharge at the riverbed along the corridor, continuous resistivity monitoring has non-invasively imaged spatiotemporal variation in the resistivity inland driven by river stage fluctuations. Time series and time-frequency analysis of FO-DTS and 3D resistivity datasets has provided insights into the role of forcing variables, primarily daily dam operations, in regulating the occurrence of focused exchange at the riverbed and its extension inland. High amplitudes in the DTS and 3D resistivity signals for long periods that dominate the stage time series identify regions along the corridor where stage-driven exchange is preferentially focused. Our work has demonstrated how time-series analysis of both time-lapse resistivity and DTS datasets, in conjunction with resistivity/IP imaging of lithology, can improve understanding of groundwater-surface water exchange along river corridors, offering unique opportunities to connect stage-driven groundwater discharge observed with DTS on the riverbed to stage-driven groundwater and solute fluctuations captured with resistivity inland.« less

  16. FINAL PROJECT REPORT: A Geophysical Characterization & Monitoring Strategy for Determining Hydrologic Processes in the Hyporheic Corridor at the Hanford 300-Area

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Lee Slater

    2011-08-15

    The primary objective of this research was to advance the prediction of solute transport between the Uranium contaminated Hanford aquifer and the Columbia River at the Hanford 300 Area by improving understanding of how fluctuations in river stage, combined with subsurface heterogeneity, impart spatiotemporal complexity to solute exchange along the Columbia River corridor. Our work explored the use of continuous waterborne electrical imaging (CWEI), in conjunction with fiber-optic distributed temperature sensor (FO-DTS) and time-lapse resistivity monitoring, to improve the conceptual model for how groundwater/surface water exchange regulates uranium transport. We also investigated how resistivity and induced polarization can be usedmore » to generate spatially rich estimates of the variation in depth to the Hanford-Ringold (H-R) contact between the river and the 300 Area Integrated Field Research Challenge (IFRC) site. Inversion of the CWEI datasets (a data rich survey containing ~60,000 measurements) provided predictions of the distributions of electrical resistivity and polarizability, from which the spatial complexity of the primary hydrogeologic units along the river corridor was reconstructed. Variation in the depth to the interface between the overlying coarse-grained, high permeability Hanford Formation and the underlying finer-grained, less permeable Ringold Formation, an important contact that limits vertical migration of contaminants, has been resolved along ~3 km of the river corridor centered on the IFRC site in the Hanford 300 Area. Spatial variability in the thickness of the Hanford Formation captured in the CWEI datasets indicates that previous studies based on borehole projections and drive-point and multi-level sampling likely overestimate the contributing area for uranium exchange within the Columbia River at the Hanford 300 Area. Resistivity and induced polarization imaging between the river and the 300 Area IFRC further imaged spatial variability in the depth to the Hanford-Ringold inland over a critical region where borehole information is absent, identifying evidence for a continuous depression in the H-R contact between the IFRC and the river corridor. Strong natural contrasts in temperature and specific conductance of river water compared to groundwater at this site, along with periodic river stage fluctuations driven by dam operations, were exploited to yield new insights into the dynamics of groundwater-surface water interaction. Whereas FO-DTS datasets have provided meter-scale measurements of focused groundwater discharge at the riverbed along the corridor, continuous resistivity monitoring has non-invasively imaged spatiotemporal variation in the resistivity inland driven by river stage fluctuations. Time series and time-frequency analysis of FO-DTS and 3D resistivity datasets has provided insights into the role of forcing variables, primarily daily dam operations, in regulating the occurrence of focused exchange at the riverbed and its extension inland. High amplitudes in the DTS and 3D resistivity signals for long periods that dominate the stage time series identify regions along the corridor where stage-driven exchange is preferentially focused. Our work has demonstrated how time-series analysis of both time-lapse resistivity and DTS datasets, in conjunction with resistivity/IP imaging of lithology, can improve understanding of groundwater-surface water exchange along river corridors, offering unique opportunities to connect stage-driven groundwater discharge observed with DTS on the riverbed to stage-driven groundwater and solute fluctuations captured with resistivity inland.« less

  17. Hanford Facility Annual Dangerous Waste Report Calendar Year 2002

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    FREEMAN, D.A.

    2003-02-01

    Hanford CY 2002 dangerous waste generation and management forms. The Hanford Facility Annual Dangerous Waste Report (ADWR) is prepared to meet the requirements of Washington Administrative Code Sections 173-303-220, Generator Reporting, and 173-303-390, Facility Reporting. In addition, the ADWR is required to meet Hanford Facility RCRA Permit Condition I.E.22, Annual Reporting. The ADWR provides summary information on dangerous waste generation and management activities for the Calendar Year for the Hanford Facility EPA ID number assigned to the Department of Energy for RCRA regulated waste, as well as Washington State only designated waste and radioactive mixed waste. The Solid Waste Informationmore » and Tracking System (SWITS) database is utilized to collect and compile the large array of data needed for preparation of this report. Information includes details of waste generated on the Hanford Facility, waste generated offsite and sent to Hanford for management, and other waste management activities conducted at Hanford, including treatment, storage, and disposal. Report details consist of waste descriptions and weights, waste codes and designations, and waste handling codes. In addition, for waste shipped to Hanford for treatment and/or disposal, information on manifest numbers, the waste transporter, the waste receiving facility, and the original waste generators are included. In addition to paper copies, electronic copies of the report are also transmitted to the regulatory agency.« less

  18. Use of electrical imaging and distributed temperature sensing methods to characterize surface water–groundwater exchange regulating uranium transport at the Hanford 300 Area, Washington

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Slater, Lee D.; Ntarlagiannis, Dimitrios; Day-Lewis, Frederick D.; Mwakanyamale, Kisa; Versteeg, Roelof J.; Ward, Andy; Strickland, Christopher; Johnson, Carole D.; Lane, John W.

    2010-01-01

    We explored the use of continuous waterborne electrical imaging (CWEI), in conjunction with fiber‐optic distributed temperature sensor (FO‐DTS) monitoring, to improve the conceptual model for uranium transport within the Columbia River corridor at the Hanford 300 Area, Washington. We first inverted resistivity and induced polarization CWEI data sets for distributions of electrical resistivity and polarizability, from which the spatial complexity of the primary hydrogeologic units was reconstructed. Variations in the depth to the interface between the overlying coarse‐grained, high‐permeability Hanford Formation and the underlying finer‐grained, less permeable Ringold Formation, an important contact that limits vertical migration of contaminants, were resolved along ∼3 km of the river corridor centered on the 300 Area. Polarizability images were translated into lithologic images using established relationships between polarizability and surface area normalized to pore volume (Spor). The FO‐DTS data recorded along 1.5 km of cable with a 1 m spatial resolution and 5 min sampling interval revealed subreaches showing (1) temperature anomalies (relatively warm in winter and cool in summer) and (2) a strong correlation between temperature and river stage (negative in winter and positive in summer), both indicative of reaches of enhanced surface water–groundwater exchange. The FO‐DTS data sets confirm the hydrologic significance of the variability identified in the CWEI and reveal a pattern of highly focused exchange, concentrated at springs where the Hanford Formation is thickest. Our findings illustrate how the combination of CWEI and FO‐DTS technologies can characterize surface water–groundwater exchange in a complex, coupled river‐aquifer system.

  19. Enhanced LAW Glass Correlation - Phase 1

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Muller, Isabelle S.; Matlack, Keith S.; Pegg, Ian L.

    About 50 million gallons of high-level mixed waste is currently stored in underground tanks at the United States Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) Hanford site in the State of Washington. The Hanford Tank Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant (WTP) will provide DOE’s Office of River Protection (ORP) with a means of treating this waste by vitrification for subsequent disposal. The tank waste will be separated into low- and high-activity waste fractions, which will then be vitrified respectively into Immobilized Low Activity Waste (ILAW) and Immobilized High Level Waste (IHLW) products. The ILAW product will be disposed in an engineered facility onmore » the Hanford site while the IHLW product is designed for acceptance into a national deep geological disposal facility for high-level nuclear waste. The ILAW and IHLW products must meet a variety of requirements with respect to protection of the environment before they can be accepted for disposal. Acceptable glass formulations for vitrification of Hanford low activity waste (LAW) must meet a variety of product quality, processability, and waste loading requirements. To this end, The Vitreous State Laboratory (VSL) at The Catholic University of America (CUA) developed and tested a number of glass formulations during Part A, Part B1 and Part B2 of the WTP development program. The testing resulted in the selection of target glass compositions for the processing of eight of the Phase I LAW tanks. The selected glass compositions were tested at the crucible scale to confirm their compliance with ILAW performance requirements. Duramelter 100 (DM100) and LAW Pilot Melter tests were then conducted to demonstrate the viability of these glass compositions for LAW vitrification at high processing rates.« less

  20. Metal concentrations, foraging distances, and fledging success of great blue herons nesting along the Hanford Reach of the Columbia River.

    PubMed

    Tiller, Brett L; Marco, J D; Rickard, W H

    2005-05-01

    An ecological risk assessment of the spatial distribution of metal concentrations along the Hanford Reach of the free-flowing Columbia River in southcentral Washington, identified great blue herons, Ardea herodias, at potential risk through the ingestion of contaminated riverine biota, especially fish. We measured metal concentrations in livers of pre-flight herons from the Hanford Reach and excrement samples taken from the same nests. Nests were distributed among three colonies situated upstream and downstream from nine retired plutonium production reactors along the river where metals in reactor coolant waters had been released directly into the river or disposed to shoreline retention basins and ditches. Distances traveled by parent herons to foraging areas along the river shore were determined by visually tracking parent birds as they flew from nests to upriver and downriver foraging sites. Foraging flight distances varied between colonies with mean distances ranging between 0.7 and 3.1 km. Cadmium, Cr, and Pb concentrations were higher in excrement than in the livers of pre-flight herons but the opposite was noted for Cu, Hg, and Zn. Highest metal concentrations of Cr, Cu, Zn, Cd, and Pb, were measured in excrement taken from heron nests at the colony located upstream from all reactors. These results were consistent with metal concentrations reported in river sediment from the same regions, indicating excrement from the heron nests may be a useful indicator of dietary uptake of metals by herons. Fledging success and eggshell thickness measurements were used as an index of health of the local heron population. The results indicate that the reproductive health of great blue herons nesting along the Hanford Reach is among the highest reported in the continental United States.

  1. Hanford Site Solid Waste Acceptance Criteria

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Not Available

    1993-11-17

    This manual defines the Hanford Site radioactive, hazardous, and sanitary solid waste acceptance criteria. Criteria in the manual represent a guide for meeting state and federal regulations; DOE Orders; Hanford Site requirements; and other rules, regulations, guidelines, and standards as they apply to acceptance of radioactive and hazardous solid waste at the Hanford Site. It is not the intent of this manual to be all inclusive of the regulations; rather, it is intended that the manual provide the waste generator with only the requirements that waste must meet in order to be accepted at Hanford Site TSD facilities.

  2. DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Eckman, Todd J.; Hertzel, Ali K.; Lane, James J.

    In 2013, the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Hanford Site, located in Washington State, funded an update to the critical network infrastructure supporting the Hanford Federal Cloud (HFC). The project, called ET-50, was the final step in a plan that was initiated five years ago called "Hanford's IT Vision, 2015 and Beyond." The ET-50 project upgraded Hanford's core data center switches and routers along with a majority of the distribution layer switches. The upgrades allowed HFC the network intelligence to provide Hanford with a more reliable and resilient network architecture. The culmination of the five year plan improved network intelligencemore » and high performance computing as well as helped to provide 10 Gbps capable links between core backbone devices (10 times the previous bandwidth). These improvements allow Hanford the ability to further support bandwidth intense applications, such as video teleconferencing. The ET-50 switch upgrade, along with other upgrades implemented from the five year plan, have prepared Hanford's network for the next evolution of technology in voice, video, and data. Hand-in-hand with ET-50's major data center outage, Mission Support Alliance's (MSA) Information Management (IM) organization executed a disaster recovery (DR) exercise to perform a true integration test and capability study. The DR scope was planned within the constraints of ET-50's 14 hour datacenter outage window. This DR exercise tested Hanford's Continuity of Operations (COOP) capability and failover plans for safety and business critical Hanford Federal Cloud applications. The planned suite of services to be tested was identified prior to the outage and plans were prepared to test the services ability to failover from the primary Hanford data center to the backup data center. The services tested were: Core Network (backbone, firewall, load balancers); Voicemail; Voice over IP (VoIP); Emergency Notification; Virtual desktops; and, Select set of production applications and data. The primary objective of the exercise was to test COOP around the emergency operations at Hanford to provide information on capabilities and dependencies of the current system to insure improved focus of emergency, safety and security capacity in a disaster situation. The integration of the DR test into the ET-50 project allowed the testing of COOP at Hanford and allowed the lessons learned to be defined. These lessons learned have helped improve the understanding of Hanford's COOP capabilities and will be critical for future planning. With the completion of the Hanford Federal Cloud network upgrades and the disaster recovery exercise, the MSA has a clearer path forward for future technology implementations as well as network improvements to help shape the usability and reliability of the Hanford network in support of the cleanup mission.« less

  3. Review of Potential Candidate Stabilization Technologies for Liquid and Solid Secondary Waste Streams

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Pierce, Eric M.; Mattigod, Shas V.; Westsik, Joseph H.

    2010-01-30

    Pacific Northwest National Laboratory has initiated a waste form testing program to support the long-term durability evaluation of a waste form for secondary wastes generated from the treatment and immobilization of Hanford radioactive tank wastes. The purpose of the work discussed in this report is to identify candidate stabilization technologies and getters that have the potential to successfully treat the secondary waste stream liquid effluent, mainly from off-gas scrubbers and spent solids, produced by the Hanford Tank Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant (WTP). Down-selection to the most promising stabilization processes/waste forms is needed to support the design of a solidificationmore » treatment unit (STU) to be added to the Effluent Treatment Facility (ETF). To support key decision processes, an initial screening of the secondary liquid waste forms must be completed by February 2010.« less

  4. Slug Test Characterization Results for Multi-Test/Depth Intervals Conducted During the Drilling of CERCLA Operable Unit OU ZP-1 Wells 299-W10-33 and 299-W11-48

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Newcomer, Darrell R.

    2007-09-30

    Slug-test results obtained from single and multiple, stress-level slug tests conducted during drilling and borehole advancement provide detailed hydraulic conductivity information at two Hanford Site Operable Unit (OU) ZP-1 test well locations. The individual test/depth intervals were generally sited to provide hydraulic-property information within the upper ~10 m of the unconfined aquifer (i.e., Ringold Formation, Unit 5). These characterization results complement previous and ongoing drill-and-test characterization programs at surrounding 200-West and -East Area locations (see Figure S.1).

  5. Environmental Assessment: Waste Tank Safety Program, Hanford Site, Richland, Washington

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Not Available

    1994-02-01

    The US Department of Energy (DOE) needs to take action in the near-term, to accelerate resolution of waste tank safety issues at the Hanford Site near the City of Richland, Washington, and reduce the risks associated with operations and management of the waste tanks. The DOE has conducted nuclear waste management operations at the Hanford Site for nearly 50 years. Operations have included storage of high-level nuclear waste in 177 underground storage tanks (UST), both in single-shell tank (SST) and double-shell tank configurations. Many of the tanks, and the equipment needed to operate them, are deteriorated. Sixty-seven SSTs are presumedmore » to have leaked a total approximately 3,800,000 liters (1 million gallons) of radioactive waste to the soil. Safety issues associated with the waste have been identified, and include (1) flammable gas generation and episodic release; (2) ferrocyanide-containing wastes; (3) a floating organic solvent layer in Tank 241-C-103; (4) nuclear criticality; (5) toxic vapors; (6) infrastructure upgrades; and (7) interim stabilization of SSTs. Initial actions have been taken in all of these areas; however, much work remains before a full understanding of the tank waste behavior is achieved. The DOE needs to accelerate the resolution of tank safety concerns to reduce the risk of an unanticipated radioactive or chemical release to the environment, while continuing to manage the wastes safely.« less

  6. FY 2000 Saltcake Dissolution and Feed Stability Workshop

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Hunt, R.D.; McGinnis, C.P.; Weber, C.F.

    2000-07-31

    The Tanks Focus Area (TFA) continues to work closely with the Office of River Protection (ORP) to better understand the chemistry involved with the retrieval, transport, and pretreatment of nuclear wastes at Hanford. Since a private contractor is currently responsible for the pretreatment and immobilization activities in this remediation effort, the TFA has concentrated on saltcake dissolution and waste transport at the request of the ORP. Researchers at Hanford have performed a series of dissolution experiments on actual saltcake samples. Staff members at Mississippi State University (MSU) continue to model the dissolution results with the Environmental Simulation Program (ESP), whichmore » is used extensively by ORP personnel. Several ways to improve the predictive capabilities of the ESP were identified. Since several transfer lines at Hanford have become plugged, TFA tasks at AEA Technologies, Florida International University (FIU), MSU, and Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) are investigating the behavior of the supernatants and slurries during transport. A combination of experimental and theoretical techniques is used to study the transport chemistry. This effort is expected to develop process control tools for waste transfer. The results from these TFA tasks were presented to ORP personnel during the FY 2000 Saltcake Dissolution and Feed Stability Workshop, which was held on May 16-17 in Richland, Washington. The minutes from this workshop are provided in this report.« less

  7. Screening assessment and requirements for a comprehensive assessment: Volume 1, Draft. Columbia River comprehensive impact assessment

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    NONE

    1997-04-01

    To evaluate the impact to the Columbia River from the Hanford Site-derived contaminants, the U.S. Department of Energy, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and Washington State Department of Ecology initiated a study referred to as the Columbia River Comprehensive Impact Assessment (CRCIA). To address concerns about the scope and direction of CRCIA as well as enhance regulator, tribal, stockholder, and public involvement, the CRCIA Management Team was formed in August 1995. The Team agreed to conduct CRCIA using a phased approach. The initial phase, includes two components: 1) a screening assessment to evaluate the potential impact to the river, resulting frommore » current levels of Hanford-derived contaminants in order to support decisions on Interim Remedial Measures, and 2) a definition of the essential work remaining to provide an acceptable comprehensive river impact assessment. The screening assessment is described in Part I of this report. The essential work remaining is Part II of this report. The objective of the screening assessment is to identify areas where the greatest potential exists for adverse effects on humans or the environment. Part I of this report discusses the scope, technical approach, and results of the screening assessment. Part II defines a new paradigm for predecisional participation by those affected by Hanford cleanup decisions.« less

  8. Chemical composition of Hanford Tank SY-102

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Birnbaum, E.; Agnew, S.; Jarvinen, G.

    1993-12-01

    The US Department of Energy established the Tank Waste Remediation System (TWRS) to safely manage and dispose of the radioactive waste, both current and future, stored in double-shell and single-shell tanks at the Hanford sites. One major program element in TWRS is pretreatment which was established to process the waste prior to disposal using the Hanford Waste Vitrification Plant. In support of this program, Los Alamos National Laboratory has developed a conceptual process flow sheet which will remediate the entire contents of a selected double-shelled underground waste tank, including supernatant and sludge, into forms that allow storage and final disposalmore » in a safe, cost-effective and environmentally sound manner. The specific tank selected for remediation is 241-SY-102 located in the 200 West Area. As part of the flow sheet development effort, the composition of the tank was defined and documented. This database was built by examining the history of liquid waste transfers to the tank and by performing careful analysis of all of the analytical data that have been gathered during the tank`s lifetime. In order to more completely understand the variances in analytical results, material and charge balances were done to help define the chemistry of the various components in the tank. This methodology of defining the tank composition and the final results are documented in this report.« less

  9. PILOT-SCALE TEST RESULTS OF A THIN FILM EVAPORATOR SYSTEM FOR MANAGEMENT OF LIQUID HIGH-LEVEL WASTES AT THE HANFORD SITE WASHINGTON USA -11364

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    CORBETT JE; TEDESCH AR; WILSON RA

    2011-02-14

    A modular, transportable evaporator system, using thin film evaporative technology, is planned for deployment at the Hanford radioactive waste storage tank complex. This technology, herein referred to as a wiped film evaporator (WFE), will be located at grade level above an underground storage tank to receive pumped liquids, concentrate the liquid stream from 1.1 specific gravity to approximately 1.4 and then return the concentrated solution back into the tank. Water is removed by evaporation at an internal heated drum surface exposed to high vacuum. The condensed water stream will be shipped to the site effluent treatment facility for final disposal.more » This operation provides significant risk mitigation to failure of the aging 242-A Evaporator facility; the only operating evaporative system at Hanford maximizing waste storage. This technology is being implemented through a development and deployment project by the tank farm operating contractor, Washington River Protection Solutions (WRPS), for the Office of River Protection/Department of Energy (ORPIDOE), through Columbia Energy and Environmental Services, Inc. (Columbia Energy). The project will finalize technology maturity and install a system at one of the double-shell tank farms. This paper summarizes results of a pilot-scale test program conducted during calendar year 2010 as part of the ongoing technology maturation development scope for the WFE.« less

  10. Raptors of the Hanford Site and nearby areas of southcentral Washington

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Fitzner, R.E.; Rickard, W.H.; Cadwell, L.L.

    1981-05-01

    This report is concerned with the birds of prey which use the Hanford Site not only during the nesting season but throughout the year. An ecological treatment of five nesting owls (great horned, long-eared, short-eared, barn and burrowing) and five nesting hawks (marsh hawk, red-tailed hawk, Swainson's hawk, prairie falcon and American kestrel) is provided and supportive information on non-nesting species is presented. Factors which control raptor densities and population dynamics throughout all seasons of the year are discussed. Information is also provided for raptors from other areas of southcentral Washington in order to yield a comprehensive picture of howmore » the Hanford Site fits in with regional bird of prey populations. The following were the objectives of this study: (1) to determine the numbers of birds of prey nesting on the Hanford Site, (2) to document the reproductive chronology of each nesting raptor species, (3) to provide analyses of food habits of birds of prey on the Hanford Site coupled with prey abundance data, (4) to determine the productivity of the dominant large birds of prey on the Hanford Site, (5) to determine the distribution and land use patterns of all raptors on the Hanford Site, (6) to determine the kinds and relative abundance of non-nesting raptors on the Hanford Site and adjacent areas of southcentral Washington (7) to document present land use practices on the Hanford Site and their effects on raptors, (8) to document radionuclide levels in birds of prey on the Hanford Site, and (9) to determine the role of birds of prey in radioecological monitoring.« less

  11. 1998 Tier two emergency and hazardous chemical inventory - emergency planning and community right-to-know act section 312

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    ZALOUDEK, D.E.

    The Hanford Site covers approximately 1,450 square kilometers (560 square miles) of land that is owned by the U.S, Government and managed by the U.S. Department of Energy, Richland Operations Office (DOE-RL). The Hanford Site is located northwest of the city of Richland, Washington. The city of Richland adjoins the southeastern portion of the Hanford Site boundary and is the nearest population center. Activities on the Hanford Site are centralized in numerically designated areas. The 100 Areas, located along the Columbia River, contain deactivated reactors. The processing units are in the 200 Areas, which are on a plateau approximately 11more » kilometers (7 miles) from the Columbia River. The 300 Area, located adjacent to and north of Richland, contains research and development laboratories. The 400 Area, 8 kilometers (5 miles) northwest of the 300 Area, contains the Fast Flux Test Facility previously used for testing liquid metal reactor systems. Adjacent to the north of Richland, the 1100 Area contains offices associated with administration, maintenance, transportation, and materials procurement and distribution. The 600 Area covers all locations not specifically given an area designation. This Tier Two Emergency and Hazardous Chemical Inventory report contains information pertaining to hazardous chemicals managed by DOE-RL and its contractors on the Hanford Site. It does not include chemicals maintained in support of activities conducted by others on lands covered by leases, use permits, easements, and other agreements whereby land is used by parties other than DOE-RL. For example, this report does not include chemicals stored on state owned or leased lands (including the burial ground operated by US Ecology, Inc.), lands owned or used by the Bonneville Power Administration (including the Midway Substation and the Ashe Substation), lands used by the National Science Foundation (the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory), lands leased to the Washington Public Power Supply System, Johnson Controls, Inc. (boilers operated for steam production), and R. H. Smith Company (gas stations), or similarly leased lands not under the management of DOE-RL.« less

  12. DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Casbon, M. A.; Nichols, W. E.

    DOE O 435.1, Radioactive Waste Management, and DOE M 435.1-1, Radioactive Waste Management Manual, require that a determination of continued adequacy of the performance assessment (PA), composite analysis (CA), and disposal authorization statement (DAS) be made on an annual basis, and it must consider the results of data collection and analysis from research, field studies, and monitoring. Annual summaries of low-level waste (LLW) disposal operations must be prepared with respect to the conclusions and recommendations of the PA and CA, and a determination of the need to revise the PA or CA must be made. The annual summary requirement providesmore » a structured approach for demonstrating the continued adequacy of the PA and CA in demonstrating a reasonable expectation that the performance objectives will be met. This annual summary addresses only the status of the Environmental Restoration Disposal Facility (ERDF) PA (CP-60089, Performance Assessment for the Environmental Restoration Disposal Facility, Hanford Site, Washington, formerly WCH-520 Rev. 1)1. The CA for ERDF is supported by DOE/RL-2016-62, Annual Status Report (FY 2016): Composite Analysis of Low Level Waste Disposal in the Central Plateau at the Hanford Site. The ERDF PA portion of the CA document is found in Section 3.1.4, and the ERDF operations portion is found in Section 3.3.3.2 of that document.« less

  13. Hanford Quarter Seismic Report - 98C Seismicity On and Near the Hanford Site, Pasco Basin, Washington: April 1, 1998 Through June 30, 1998

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    DC Hartshorn, SP Reidel, AC Rohay

    1998-10-23

    Hanford Seismic Monitoring provides an uninterrupted collection of high-quality raw and processed seismic data from the Hanford Seismic Network (HSN) for the U.S. Department of Energy and its contractors. The staff also locates aud identifies sources of seismic activity and monitors changes in the hi~orical pattern of seismic activity at the Hanford Site. The data are. compiled archived, and published for use by the Hanford Site for waste management Natural Phenomena Hazards assessments, and engineering design and construction. In addition, the seismic monitoring organization works with the Hanford Site Emergency Services Organization to provide assistance in the event of zinmore » earthquake on the Hanford Site. The HSN and Ihe Eastern Washington Regional Network (EN/RN) consist-of 42 individual sensor sites and 15 radio relay sites maintained by the Hanford Seismic Monitoring staff. The operational rate for the third quarter of FY 1998 for stations in the HSN was 99.99%. The operational rate for the third quarter of FY 1998 for stations of the EWRN was 99.95%. For the third quarter of FY 1998, the acquisition computer triggered 133 times. Of these triggers 11 were local earthquakes: 5 (45Yo) in the Columbia River Basalt Group, 2(1 8%) in the pre-basalt sediments, and 4 (36%) in the crystalline basement. The geologic and tectonic environments where these earthquakes occurred are discussed in this report.« less

  14. Hanford Quarter Seismic Report - 98C Seismicity On and Near the Hanford Site, Pasco Basin, Washington: April 1, 1998 Through June 30, 1998

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    DC Hartshorn, SP Reidel, AC Rohay.

    1998-10-23

    Hanford Seismic Monitoring provides an uninterrupted collection of high-quality raw and processed seismic data from the Hanford Seismic Network (HSN) for the U.S. Department of Energy and its contractors. The staff also locates aud identifies sources of seismic activity and monitors changes in the hi orical pattern of seismic activity at the Hanford Site. The data are. compiled archived, and published for use by the Hanford Site for waste management Natural Phenomena Hazards assessments, and engineering design and construction. In addition, the seismic monitoring organization works with the Hanford Site Emergency Services Organization to provide assistance in the event ofmore » zin earthquake on the Hanford Site. The HSN and Ihe Eastern Washington Regional Network (EN/RN) consist-of 42 individual sensor sites and 15 radio relay sites maintained by the Hanford Seismic Monitoring staff. The operational rate for the third quarter of FY 1998 for stations in the HSN was 99.99%. The operational rate for the third quarter of FY 1998 for stations of the EWRN was 99.95%. For the third quarter of FY 1998, the acquisition computer triggered 133 times. Of these triggers 11 were local earthquakes: 5 (45Yo) in the Columbia River Basalt Group, 2(1 8%) in the pre-basalt sediments, and 4 (36%) in the crystalline basement. The geologic and tectonic environments where these earthquakes occurred are discussed in this report.« less

  15. HANFORD FACILITY ANNUAL DANGEROUS WASTE REPORT CY2005

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    SKOLRUD, J.O.

    2006-02-15

    The Hanford Facility Annual Dangerous Waste Report (ADWR) is prepared to meet the requirements of Washington Administrative Code Sections 173-303-220, Generator Reporting, and 173-303-390, Facility Reporting. In addition, the ADWR is required to meet Hanford Facility RCR4 Permit Condition I.E.22, Annual Reporting. The ADWR provides summary information on dangerous waste generation and management activities for the Calendar Year for the Hanford Facility EPA ID number assigned to the Department of Energy for RCRA regulated waste, as well as Washington State only designated waste and radioactive mixed waste. An electronic database is utilized to collect and compile the large array ofmore » data needed for preparation of this report. Information includes details of waste generated on the Hanford Facility, waste generated offsite and sent to Hanford for management, and other waste management activities conducted at Hanford, including treatment, storage, and disposal. Report details consist of waste descriptions and weights, waste codes and designations, and waste handling codes, In addition, for waste shipped to Hanford for treatment and/or disposal, information on manifest numbers, the waste transporter, the waste receiving facility, and the original waste generators are included. In addition to paper copies, the report is also transmitted electronically to a web site maintained by the Washington State Department of Ecology.« less

  16. Tagging studies of mule deer fawns on the Hanford Site, 1969 to 1977

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Eberhardt, L.E.; Hedlund, J.D.; Rickard, W.H.

    1979-10-01

    From 1969 to 1977, 346 mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus) fawns were tagged and released on islands and shoreline habitat associated with the Columbia River on the Hanford Site in south-central Washington. The purpose was to determine the movement of mule deer along the Columbia River shoreline from the Hanford Site through tag recovery. Twenty-one tagged deer have been killed primarily by hunters near the Hanford Site or on areas of the Hanford Site open to public access. Movements of up to 113 km from Hanford have been documented. Although the Columbia River at Hanford is one of the largest andmore » most swift-flowing rivers in North America it is not an impassable barrier to mule deer. River islands are important and perhaps critical fawining habitat for the local deer herd. The selection of these islands by pregnant female deer is apparently influenced by predation, human access, and recreational use of islands. The number of fawns captured decreased during the latter years of the study (1974 to 1977). This is probably a reflection of an actual decrease in deer productivity, particularly along the upper stretch of the Columbia flowing through the Hanford Site. The reasons for this apparent decrease are unkown.« less

  17. Transient Inverse Calibration of Hanford Site-Wide Groundwater Model to Hanford Operational Impacts - 1943 to 1996

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Cole, Charles R.; Bergeron, Marcel P.; Wurstner, Signe K.

    2001-05-31

    This report describes a new initiative to strengthen the technical defensibility of predictions made with the Hanford site-wide groundwater flow and transport model. The focus is on characterizing major uncertainties in the current model. PNNL will develop and implement a calibration approach and methodology that can be used to evaluate alternative conceptual models of the Hanford aquifer system. The calibration process will involve a three-dimensional transient inverse calibration of each numerical model to historical observations of hydraulic and water quality impacts to the unconfined aquifer system from Hanford operations since the mid-1940s.

  18. THE INTEGRATION OF A PROPOSED ZONE CLOSURE APPROACH FOR THE PLUTONIUM FINISHING PLANT (PFP) DECOMMISSIONING & THE PFP ZONE HANFORD SITE WASHINGTON

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    HOPKINS, A.M.

    2005-02-23

    The Plutonium Finishing Plant (PFP) and associated processing facilities are located in the 200 area of the Hanford Site in Eastern Washington. This area is part of what is now called the Central Plateau. In order to achieve closure of the contaminated facilities and waste sites at Hanford on the Central Plateau (CP), a geographic re-districting of the area into zones has been proposed in the recently published Plan for Central Plateau Closure. One of the 22 zones proposed in the Central Plateau encompasses the PFP and ancillary facilities. Approximately eighty six buildings are included in the PFP Zone. Thismore » paper addresses the approach for the closure of the PFP Zone within the Central Plateau. The PFP complex of buildings forms the bulk of the structures in the PFP Zone. For closure of the above-grade portion of structures within the PFP complex, the approach is to remove them to a state called ''slab-on-grade'' per the criteria contained in PFP End Point Criteria document and as documented in action memoranda. For below-grade portions of the structures (such as below-grade rooms, pipe trenches and underground ducts), the approach is to remove as much residual contamination as practicable and to fill the void spaces with clean fill material such as sand, grout, or controlled density fill. This approach will be modified as planning for the waste sites progresses to ensure that the actions of the PFP decommissioning projects do not negatively impact future planned actions under the CERCLA. Cribs, settling tanks, septic tanks and other miscellaneous below-grade void spaces will either be cleaned to the extent practicable and filled or will be covered with an environmental barrier as determined by further studies and CERCLA decision documents. Currently, between two and five environmental barriers are proposed to be placed over waste sites and remaining building slabs in the PFP Zone.« less

  19. Technetium Getters to Improve Cast Stone Performance

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Neeway, James J.; Lawter, Amanda R.; Serne, R. Jeffrey

    2015-10-15

    The cementitious material known as Cast Stone has been selected as the preferred waste form for solidification of aqueous secondary liquid effluents from the Hanford Tank Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant (WTP) process condensates and low-activity waste (LAW) melter off-gas caustic scrubber effluents. Cast Stone is also being evaluated as a supplemental immobilization technology to provide the necessary LAW treatment capacity to complete the Hanford tank waste cleanup mission in a timely and cost effective manner. Two radionuclides of particular concern in these waste streams are technetium-99 (99Tc) and iodine-129 (129I). These radioactive tank waste components contribute the most tomore » the environmental impacts associated with the cleanup of the Hanford site. A recent environmental assessment of Cast Stone performance, which assumes a diffusion controlled release of contaminants from the waste form, calculates groundwater in excess of the allowable maximum permissible concentrations for both contaminants. There is, therefore, a need and an opportunity to improve the retention of both 99Tc and 129I in Cast Stone. One method to improve the performance of Cast Stone is through the addition of “getters” that selectively sequester Tc and I, therefore reducing their diffusion out of Cast Stone. In this paper, we present results of Tc and I removal from solution with various getters with batch sorption experiments conducted in deionized water (DIW) and a highly caustic 7.8 M Na Ave LAW simulant. In general, the data show that the selected getters are effective in DIW but their performance is comprised when experiments are performed with the 7.8 M Na Ave LAW simulant. Reasons for the mitigated performance in the LAW simulant may be due to competition with Cr present in the 7.8 M Na Ave LAW simulant and to a pH effect.« less

  20. Cleanup Verification Package for the 118-F-6 Burial Ground

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    H. M. Sulloway

    2008-10-02

    This cleanup verification package documents completion of remedial action for the 118-F-6 Burial Ground located in the 100-FR-2 Operable Unit of the 100-F Area on the Hanford Site. The trenches received waste from the 100-F Experimental Animal Farm, including animal manure, animal carcasses, laboratory waste, plastic, cardboard, metal, and concrete debris as well as a railroad tank car.

  1. Hanford Soil Inventory Model (SIM-v2) Calculated Radionuclide Inventory of Direct Liquid Discharges to Soil in the Hanford Site's 200 Areas.

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Nichols, William E.; Zaher, U.; Agnew, S.

    The Hanford soil inventory model (SIM) provides the basic radionuclide and chemical soil inventories from historical liquid discharges to about 400 sites at the Hanford Site. Although liquid discharge inventory for chemicals is part of the SIM implementation, only radionuclide inventory is discussed here since the focus of this ECF is on providing radionuclides inputs for the composite analysis (CA) per DOE Order 435.1, Radioactive Waste Management, requirements. Furthermore, discharged inventories are only estimated for the soluble portions of the liquid discharges to waste sites/waste management areas located on the 200 Area of the Hanford Site (Central Plateau).

  2. HANFORD FACILITY ANNUAL DANGEROUS WASTE REPORT CY2003 [SEC 1 & 2

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    FREEMAN, D.A.

    2004-02-17

    The Hanford Facility Annual Dangerous Waste Report (ADWR) is prepared to meet the requirements of Washington Administrative Code Sections 173-303-220, Generator Reporting, and 173-303-390, Facility Reporting. In addition, the ADWR is required to meet Hanford Facility RCRA Permit Condition I.E.22, Annual Reporting. The ADWR provides summary information on dangerous waste generation and management activities for the Calendar Year for the Hanford Facility EPA ID number assigned to the Department of Energy for RCRA regulated waste, as well as Washington State only designated waste and radioactive mixed waste. The Solid Waste Information and Tracking System (SWITS) database is utilized to collectmore » and compile the large array of data needed for preparation of this report. Information includes details of waste generated on the Hanford Facility, waste generated offsite and sent to Hanford for management, and other waste management activities conducted at Hanford, including treatment, storage, and disposal. Report details consist of waste descriptions and weights, waste codes and designations, and waste handling codes. In addition, for waste shipped to Hanford for treatment and or disposal, information on manifest numbers, the waste transporter, the waste receiving facility, and the original waste generators are included. In addition to paper copies, the report is also transmitted electronically to a web site maintained by the Washington State Department of Ecology.« less

  3. Americium-241 in surface soil associated with the Hanford site and vicinity

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Price, K.R.; Gilbert, R.O.; Gano, K.A.

    1981-05-01

    Various kinds of surface soil samples were collected and analyzed for Americium-241 (/sup 241/Am) to examine the feasibility of improving soil sample data for the Hanford Surface Environmental Surveillance Program. Results do not indicate that a major improvement would occur if procedures were changed from the current practices. Conclusions from this study are somewhat tempered by the very low levels of /sup 241/Am (< 0.10 pCi/g dry weight) detected in surface soil samples and by the fact that statistical significance depended on the type of statistical tests used. In general, the average concentration of /sup 241/Am in soil crust (0more » to 1.0 cm deep) was greater than the corresponding subsurface layer (1.0 to 2.5 cm deep), and the average concentration of /sup 241/Am in some onsite samples collected near the PUREX facility was greater than comparable samples collected 60 km upwind at an offsite location.« less

  4. Type C investigation of electrical fabrication projects in ICF Kaiser shops

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Huckfeldt, R.A.

    1995-06-01

    A Type C Investigation Board was convened to investigate an electrical miswiring problem found during the operation of the electrical distribution trailer for the TWRS Rotary Mode Core Sampling Truck {number_sign}2. The trailer was designed by WHC and fabricated ICF KH on site for use in the Characterization Program. This problem resulted in a serious safety hazard since the support truck frame/chassis became electrically energized. This final report provides results of the ``Type C Investigation, Electrical Fabrication Projects in ICF KH Shops, June, 1995.`` It contains the investigation scope, executive summary, relevant facts, analysis, conclusions and corrective actions. DOE Ordermore » 5484.1, ``Environmental Protection, Safety and Health Protection Information Reporting Requirements,`` was followed in preparation of this report. Because the incident was electrical in nature and involved both Westinghouse Hanford Company and ICF Kaiser Hanford organizations, the board included members from both contractors and members with considerable electrical expertise.« less

  5. F Reactor Inspection

    ScienceCinema

    Grindstaff, Keith; Hathaway, Boyd; Wilson, Mike

    2018-01-16

    Workers from Mission Support Alliance, LLC., removed the welds around the steel door of the F Reactor before stepping inside the reactor to complete its periodic inspection. This is the first time the Department of Energy (DOE) has had the reactor open since 2008. The F Reactor is one of nine reactors along the Columbia River at the Department's Hanford Site in southeastern Washington State, where environmental cleanup has been ongoing since 1989. As part of the Tri-Party Agreement, the Department completes surveillance and maintenance activities of cocooned reactors periodically to evaluate the structural integrity of the safe storage enclosure and to ensure confinement of any remaining hazardous materials. "This entry marks a transition of sorts because the Hanford Long-Term Stewardship Program, for the first time, was responsible for conducting the entry and surveillance and maintenance activities," said Keith Grindstaff, Energy Department Long-Term Stewardship Program Manager. "As the River Corridor cleanup work is completed and transitioned to long-term stewardship, our program will manage any on-going requirements."

  6. F Reactor Inspection

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Grindstaff, Keith; Hathaway, Boyd; Wilson, Mike

    2014-10-29

    Workers from Mission Support Alliance, LLC., removed the welds around the steel door of the F Reactor before stepping inside the reactor to complete its periodic inspection. This is the first time the Department of Energy (DOE) has had the reactor open since 2008. The F Reactor is one of nine reactors along the Columbia River at the Department's Hanford Site in southeastern Washington State, where environmental cleanup has been ongoing since 1989. As part of the Tri-Party Agreement, the Department completes surveillance and maintenance activities of cocooned reactors periodically to evaluate the structural integrity of the safe storage enclosuremore » and to ensure confinement of any remaining hazardous materials. "This entry marks a transition of sorts because the Hanford Long-Term Stewardship Program, for the first time, was responsible for conducting the entry and surveillance and maintenance activities," said Keith Grindstaff, Energy Department Long-Term Stewardship Program Manager. "As the River Corridor cleanup work is completed and transitioned to long-term stewardship, our program will manage any on-going requirements."« less

  7. Groundwater remediation solutions at hanford

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Gilmore, T.J.; Truex, M.J.; Williams, M.D.

    2007-07-01

    In 2006, Congress provided funding to the U. S. Department of Energy (DOE) to study new technologies that could be used to treat contamination from the Hanford Site that might impact the Columbia River. DOE identified three high priority sites that had groundwater contamination migrating towards the Columbia river for remediation. The contaminants included strontium-90, uranium and chromium. A natural systems approach was taken that uses a mass balance concept to frame the problem and determine the most appropriate remedial approach. This approach provides for a scientifically based remedial decision. The technologies selected to address these contaminants included an apatitemore » adsorption barrier coupled with a phyto-remediation to address the strontium-90 contamination, injection of polyphosphate into the subsurface to sequester uranium, and a bioremediation approach to reduce chromium contamination in the groundwater. The ability to provide scientifically based approaches to these sites was in large part due to work the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory developed under previous DOE Office of Science and Office of Environmental Management projects. (authors)« less

  8. Near Two-Decade Instrument Performance for Hydrological Monitoring at the Prototype Hanford Barrier

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zhang, Z. F.; Strickland, C. E.; Clayton, R. E.

    2012-12-01

    Surface barriers have been proposed for use at the Department of Energy's Hanford Site as a means to isolate certain radioactive waste sites that, for reasons of cost or worker safety, may not be exhumed. The Hanford Prototype Barrier was constructed in 1994 using mostly natural materials to demonstrate its long-term performance. The barrier is expected to perform for at least 1000 years by limiting water, plant, animal, and human intrusion and minimizing erosion. Extensive instrumentation is used to monitor the hydrological regime above, within, below, and around the barrier. Specifically, natural precipitation and irrigation are measured with rain gauges, runoff water with a runoff flume, soil water content within the barrier at 12 stations with a neutron probe, a capacitance probe, and time-domain-reflectometry probes, and soil water pressure with gypsum blocks and heat-dissipation-units. Drainage through the barrier and the side slopes is measured with 12 water collection vaults, respectively, for 12 zones. Each drainage vault is equipped with a dosing siphon, a dose counter, a pressure transducer to measure the water level, and a tipping bucket to measure the inflow. During the near two-decade monitoring period, some of the instruments stopped functioning, while others still function normally till present. This presentation will summarize the performance of these instruments. Recommendations for future barrier monitoring will be given.

  9. Environmental Impact Statement. Peacekeeper Rail Garrison Program. Volume 2. Public Comments

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1989-02-01

    Air Force has no plans to remove all birds from Whiteman AFB. However, to reduce the potential for collisions between greater prairie chickens and...aircraft, Whiteman AFB removed all prairie chickens from the base in early 1988 according to procedures established by the Missouri Department of...Department of Energy rejected the option of rail transport of transuranic waste from the Hanford Reservation to New Mexico on the grounds that the

  10. Ecological Data in Support of the Tank Closure and Waste Management Environmental Impact Statement. Part 2: Results of Spring 2007 Field Surveys

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Sackschewsky, Michael R.; Downs, Janelle L.

    2007-05-31

    This review provides an evaluation of potential impacts of actions that have been proposed under various alternatives to support the closure of the high level waste tanks on the Hanford Site. This review provides a summary of data collected in the field during the spring of 2007 at all of the proposed project sites within 200 East and 200 West Areas, and at sites not previously surveyed. The primary purpose of this review is to provide biological data that can be incorporated into or used to support the Tank Closure and Waste Management Environmental Impact Statement.

  11. Hanford Internal Dosimetry Program Manual, PNL-MA-552

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Carbaugh, Eugene H.; Bihl, Donald E.; Maclellan, Jay A.

    2009-09-24

    This manual is a guide to the services provided by the Hanford Internal Dosimetry Program (IDP), which is operated by the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory.( ) for the U.S. Department of Energy Richland Operations Office, Office of River Protection and their Hanford Site contractors. The manual describes the roles of and relationships between the IDP and the radiation protection programs of the Hanford Site contractors. Recommendations and guidance are also provided for consideration in implementing bioassay monitoring and internal dosimetry elements of radiation protection programs.

  12. Office of Inspector General audit report on Project Hanford management contract costs and performance

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    NONE

    1998-11-01

    On August 6, 1996, the Richland Operations Office (Richland) awarded the Project Hanford Management Contract (Management Contract) to Fluor Daniel Hanford, Inc. (Fluor Daniel). This performance-based, 5-year contract to support cleanup of the Department of Energy`s (DOE) Hanford Site (Hanford) contained performance goals or expectations related to the stabilization, transition, and diversification of the Tri-Cities` economy near Hanford in southeastern Washington. One of these economic goals was that Fluor Daniel and its major subcontractors would help generate 3,000 new, non-Hanford, private sector jobs that would help stabilize and diversify the Tri-Cities` economy. The contract specifically called for Fluor Daniel tomore » help generate 200 jobs, establish an investment fund, and bring 6 new growth-oriented enterprise companies to the Tri-Cities by the end of Fiscal Year (FY) 1997. The objective of the audit was to determine whether Richland was making adequate progress in stabilizing and diversifying the economy of the Tri-Cities by creating 3,000 new, non-Hanford jobs within 5 years. Accordingly, the author examined the progress made in FY 1997, which was the first year of the Management Contract. Richland and Fluor Daniel are at risk of not meeting the Management Contract`s goals of stabilizing and diversifying the economy of the Tri-Cities because most of the new jobs created during FY 1997 were not comparable to Hanford jobs and, thus, may not sustain long-term economic goals. Therefore, Fluor Daniel has not met its expectations in the first year and is not making adequate progress toward meeting the Management Contract`s overall economic goals.« less

  13. Tissue radionuclide concentrations in water birds and upland birds on the Hanford Site (USA) from 1971-2009.

    PubMed

    Delistraty, Damon; Van Verst, Scott

    2011-08-01

    Historical operations at the Hanford Site (Washington State, USA) have released a wide array of non-radionuclide and radionuclide contaminants into the environment. As a result, there is a need to characterize contaminant effects on site biota. Within this framework, the main purpose of our study was to evaluate radionuclide concentrations in bird tissue, obtained from the Hanford Environmental Information System (HEIS). The database was sorted by avian group (water bird vs. upland bird), radionuclide (over 20 analytes), tissue (muscle, bone, liver), location (onsite vs. offsite), and time period (1971-1990 vs. 1991-2009). Onsite median concentrations in water birds were significantly higher (Bonferroni P < 0.05) than those in onsite upland birds for Cs-137 in muscle (1971-1990) and Sr-90 in bone (1991-2009), perhaps due to behavioral, habitat, or trophic species differences. Onsite median concentrations in water birds were higher (borderline significance with Bonferroni P = 0.05) than those in offsite birds for Cs-137 in muscle (1971-1990). Onsite median concentrations in the earlier time period were significantly higher (Bonferroni P < 0.05) than those in the later time period for Co-60, Cs-137, Eu-152, and Sr-90 in water bird muscle and for Cs-137 in upland bird muscle tissue. Median concentrations of Sr-90 in bone were significantly higher (Bonferroni P < 0.05) than those in muscle for both avian groups and both locations. Over the time period, 1971-2009, onsite median internal dose was estimated for each radionuclide in water bird and upland bird tissues. However, a meaningful dose comparison between bird groups was not possible, due to a dissimilar radionuclide inventory, mismatch of time periods for input radionuclides, and lack of an external dose estimate. Despite these limitations, our results contribute toward ongoing efforts to characterize ecological risk at the Hanford Site. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  14. Technetium Incorporation in Glass for the Hanford Tank Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Kruger, Albert A.; Kim, Dong Sang

    2015-01-14

    A priority of the United States Department of Energy (U.S. DOE) is to dispose of nuclear wastes accumulated in 177 underground tanks at the Hanford Nuclear Reservation in eastern Washington State. These nuclear wastes date from the Manhattan Project of World War II and from plutonium production during the Cold War. The DOE plans to separate high-level radioactive wastes from low activity wastes and to treat each of the waste streams by vitrification (immobilization of the nuclides in glass) for disposal. The immobilized low-activity waste will be disposed of here at Hanford and the immobilized high-level waste at the nationalmore » geologic repository. Included in the inventory of highly radioactive wastes is large volumes of 99Tc (~9 × 10E2 TBq or ~2.5 × 104 Ci or ~1500 kg). A problem facing safe disposal of Tc-bearing wastes is the processing of waste feed into in a chemically durable waste form. Technetium incorporates poorly into silicate glass in traditional glass melting. It readily evaporates during melting of glass feeds and out of the molten glass, leading to a spectrum of high-to-low retention (ca. 20 to 80%) in the cooled glass product. DOE-ORP currently has a program at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering at Rutgers University and in the School of Mechanical and Materials Engineering at Washington State University that seeks to understand aspects of Tc retention by means of studying Tc partitioning, molten salt formation, volatilization pathways, and cold cap chemistry. Another problem involves the stability of Tc in glass in both the national geologic repository and on-site disposal after it has been immobilized. The major environmental concern with 99Tc is its high mobility in addition to a long half-life (2.1×105 yrs). The pertechnetate ion (TcO4-) is highly soluble in water and does not adsorb well onto the surface of minerals and so migrates nearly at the same velocity as groundwater. Long-term corrosion of glass waste forms is an area of current interest to the DOE, but attention to the release of Tc from glass has been little explored. It is expected that the release of Tc from glass should be highly dependent on the local glass structure as well as the chemistry of the surrounding environment, including groundwater pH. Though the speciation of Tc in glass has been previously studied, and the Tc species present in waste glass have been previously reported, environmental Tc release mechanisms are poorly understood. The recent advances in Tc chemistry that have given rise to an understanding of incorporation in the glass giving rise to significantly higher single-pass retention during vitrification are presented. Additionally, possible changes to the baseline flowsheet that allow for relatively minor volumes of Tc reporting to secondary waste treatment will be discussed.« less

  15. Letter Report: Stable Hydrogen and Oxygen Isotope Analysis of B-Complex Perched Water Samples

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Lee, Brady D.; Moran, James J.; Nims, Megan K.

    Fine-grained sediments associated with the Cold Creek Unit at Hanford have caused the formation of a perched water aquifer in the deep vadose zone at the B Complex area, which includes waste sites in the 200-DV-1 Operable Unit and the single-shell tank farms in Waste Management Area B-BX-BY. High levels of contaminants, such as uranium, technetium-99, and nitrate, make this aquifer a continuing source of contamination for the groundwater located a few meters below the perched zone. Analysis of deuterium ( 2H) and 18-oxygen ( 18O) of nine perched water samples from three different wells was performed. Samples represent timemore » points from hydraulic tests performed on the perched aquifer using the three wells. The isotope analyses showed that the perched water had δ 2H and δ 18O ratios consistent with the regional meteoric water line, indicating that local precipitation events at the Hanford site likely account for recharge of the perched water aquifer. Data from the isotope analysis can be used along with pumping and recovery data to help understand the perched water dynamics related to aquifer size and hydraulic control of the aquifer in the future.« less

  16. First Quarter Hanford Seismic Report for Fiscal Year 2010

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Rohay, Alan C.; Sweeney, Mark D.; Hartshorn, Donald C.

    2010-03-29

    The Hanford Seismic Network and the Eastern Washington Regional Network consist of 44 individual sensor sites and 15 radio relay sites maintained by the Hanford Seismic Assessment Team. The Hanford Seismic Network recorded 81 local earthquakes during the first quarter of FY 2010. Sixty-five of these earthquakes were detected in the vicinity of Wooded Island, located about eight miles north of Richland just west of the Columbia River. The Wooded Island events recorded this quarter is a continuation of the swarm events observed during fiscal year 2009 and reported in previous quarterly and annual reports (Rohay et al; 2009a, 2009b,more » 2009c, and 2009d). Most of the events were considered minor (coda-length magnitude [Mc] less than 1.0) with only 1 event in the 2.0-3.0 range; the maximum magnitude event (2.5 Mc) occurred on December 22 at depth 2.1 km. The average depth of the Wooded Island events during the quarter was 1.4 km with a maximum depth estimated at 3.1 km. This placed the Wooded Island events within the Columbia River Basalt Group (CRBG). The low magnitude of the Wooded Island events has made them undetectable to all but local area residents. The Hanford SMA network was triggered several times by these events and the SMA recordings are discussed in section 6.0. During the last year some Hanford employees working within a few miles of the swarm area and individuals living directly across the Columbia River from the swarm center have reported feeling many of the larger magnitude events. Strong motion accelerometer (SMA) units installed directly above the swarm area at ground surface measured peak ground accelerations approaching 15% g, the largest values recorded at Hanford. This corresponds to strong shaking of the ground, consistent with what people in the local area have reported. However, the duration and magnitude of these swarm events should not result in any structural damage to facilities. The USGS performed a geophysical survey using satellite interferometry that detected approximately 1 inch uplift in surface deformation along an east-west transect within the swarm area. The uplift is thought to be caused by the release of pressure that has built up in sedimentary layers, cracking the brittle basalt layers with the Columbia River Basalt Formation (CRBG) and causing the earthquakes. Similar earthquake swarms have been recorded near this same location in 1970, 1975 and 1988 but not with SMA readings or satellite imagery. Prior to the 1970s, swarming may have occurred, but equipment was not in place to record those events. The Wooded Island swarm, due its location and the limited magnitude of the events, does not appear to pose any significant risk to Hanford waste storage facilities. Since swarms of the past did not intensify in magnitude, seismologists do not expect that these events will persist or increase in intensity. However, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) will continue to monitor the activity. Outside of the Wooded Island swarm, sixteen earthquakes were recorded, all minor events. Seven earthquakes were located at intermediate depths (between 4 and 9 km), most likely in the pre-basalt sediments and nine earthquakes at depths greater than 9 km, within the basement. Geographically, seven earthquakes were located in known swarm areas and nine earthquakes were classified as random events.« less

  17. Data Quality Objectives Supporting Radiological Air Emissions Monitoring for the PNNL Richland Campus

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Snyder, Sandra F.; Moleta, Donna Grace L.; Meier, Kirsten M.

    This is the second revision of the DQO Supporting Radiological Air Emissions Monitoring for the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory Richland Campus. In January 2017, the PNNL Richland Campus expanded to the north by 0.35 km 2 (85.6 acres). Under the requirements of Washington State Department of Health Radioactive Air Emissions License (RAEL)-005, the PNNL Campus operates and maintains a radiological air monitoring program. This revision documents and evaluates the newly acquired acreage while also removing recreational land at the southwest, and also re-examines all active radioactive emission units on the PNNL Campus. No buildings are located on this new Campusmore » land, which was transferred from the U.S. DOE Hanford Site. Additionally, this revision includes information regarding the background monitoring station PNL-5 in Benton City, Washington, which became active in October 2016. The key purpose of this revision is to determine the adequacy of the existing environmental surveillance stations to monitor radiological air emissions in light of this northern boundary change.« less

  18. Localized chemistry of 99Tc in simulated low activity waste glass

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Weaver, Jamie L.

    A priority of the United States Department of Energy (DOE) is to dispose of the nuclear waste accumulated in the underground tanks at the Hanford Nuclear Reservation in Richland, WA. Incorporation and stabilization of technetium (99Tc) from these tanks into vitrified waste forms is a concern to the waste glass community and DOE due to 99Tc's long half-life ( 2.13˙105 y), and its high mobility in the subsurface environment under oxidizing conditions. Working in collaboration with researchers at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) and other national laboratories, plans were formulated to obtain first-of-a-kind chemical structure determination of poorly understood and environmentally relevant technetium compounds that relate to the chemistry of the Tc in nuclear waste glasses. Knowledge of the structure and spectral signature of these compounds aid in refining the understanding of 99Tc incorporation into and release from oxide based waste glass. In this research a first-of-its kind mechanism for the behavior of 99Tc during vitrification is presented, and the structural role of Tc(VII) and (IV) in borosilicate waste glasses is readdressed.

  19. An Indian tribal view of the back end of the nuclear fuel cycle: Historical and cultural lessons

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Tano, M.L.; Reuben, J.H.; Powaukee, D.

    Indian tribes of the western United States, including the Nez Perce Tribe, the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation, and the Yakama Indian Nation, have entered into cooperative agreements with the U.S. Department of Energy to oversee the cleanup of the Hanford Reservation, in Washington state. These and other tribes considering involvement in nuclear waste management programs have been subjected to severe criticism from some Indians and non-Indians, accusing them of aiding and abetting the violation of Mother Earth by acquiescing in the contamination of lands by radioactive wastes. We`d like to suggest that this view of the Indianmore » relationship to nature and the environment is too narrow. While the purpose of this article is not to suggest that Indian beliefs support the location of waste management facilities on Indian lands, we will describe aspects of Indian religion and culture that support tribal involvement in radioactive waste management and environmental restoration, and participation in radioactive waste management decision making.« less

  20. Disposal of Radioactive Waste at Hanford Creates Problems

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Chemical and Engineering News, 1978

    1978-01-01

    Radioactive storage tanks at the Hanford facility have developed leaks. The situation is presently considered safe, but serious. A report from the National Academy of Science has recommended that the wastes be converted to stable solids and stored at another site on the Hanford Reservation. (Author/MA)

  1. Building Nuclear Communities: The Hanford Education Action League.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ratliff, Jeanne; Salvador, Michael

    Many scholars have examined the jeremiad in American rhetoric and political discourse. The Hanford Education Action League (HEAL), which influenced policy changes in the operations of the Hanford Nuclear Reservation in Washington, is a social movement organization whose founding members used the jeremiad to create a symbolic community which…

  2. 75 FR 54631 - Proposed Approval of the Central Characterization Project's Transuranic Waste Characterization...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-09-08

    ... Central Characterization Project's Transuranic Waste Characterization Program at the Hanford Site AGENCY...) waste characterization program implemented by the Central Characterization Project (CCP) at the Hanford... characterization of TRU debris waste from Hanford-CCP during an inspection conducted on April 27-29, 2010. Using...

  3. A One System Integrated Approach to Simulant Selection for Hanford High Level Waste Mixing and Sampling Tests - 13342

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Thien, Mike G.; Barnes, Steve M.

    2013-07-01

    The Hanford Tank Operations Contractor (TOC) and the Hanford Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant (WTP) contractor are both engaged in demonstrating mixing, sampling, and transfer system capabilities using simulated Hanford High-Level Waste (HLW) formulations. This represents one of the largest remaining technical issues with the high-level waste treatment mission at Hanford. Previous testing has focused on very specific TOC or WTP test objectives and consequently the simulants were narrowly focused on those test needs. A key attribute in the Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board (DNFSB) Recommendation 2010-2 is to ensure testing is performed with a simulant that represents the broadmore » spectrum of Hanford waste. The One System Integrated Project Team is a new joint TOC and WTP organization intended to ensure technical integration of specific TOC and WTP systems and testing. A new approach to simulant definition has been mutually developed that will meet both TOC and WTP test objectives for the delivery and receipt of HLW. The process used to identify critical simulant characteristics, incorporate lessons learned from previous testing, and identify specific simulant targets that ensure TOC and WTP testing addresses the broad spectrum of Hanford waste characteristics that are important to mixing, sampling, and transfer performance are described. (authors)« less

  4. Women and the Hanford Site

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Gerber, Michele

    2014-03-01

    When we study the technical and scientific history of the Manhattan Project, women's history is sometimes left out. At Hanford, a Site whose past is rich with hard science and heavy construction, it is doubly easy to leave out women's history. After all, at the World War II Hanford Engineer Works - the earliest name for the Hanford Site - only nine percent of the employees were women. None of them were involved in construction, and only one woman was actually involved in the physics and operations of a major facility - Dr. Leona Woods Marshall. She was a physicist present at the startup of B-Reactor, the world's first full-scale nuclear reactor - now a National Historic Landmark. Because her presence was so unique, a special bathroom had to be built for her in B-Reactor. At World War II Hanford, only two women were listed among the nearly 200 members of the top supervisory staff of the prime contractor, and only one regularly attended the staff meetings of the Site commander, Colonel Franklin Matthias. Overall, women comprised less than one percent of the managerial and supervisory staff of the Hanford Engineer Works, most of them were in nursing or on the Recreation Office staff. Almost all of the professional women at Hanford were nurses, and most of the other women of the Hanford Engineer Works were secretaries, clerks, food-service workers, laboratory technicians, messengers, barracks workers, and other support service employees. The one World War II recruiting film made to attract women workers to the Site, that has survived in Site archives, is entitled ``A Day in the Life of a Typical Hanford Girl.'' These historical facts are not mentioned to criticize the past - for it is never wise to apply the standards of one era to another. The Hanford Engineer Works was a 1940s organization, and it functioned by the standards of the 1940s. Just as we cannot criticize the use of asbestos in constructing Hanford (although we may wish they hadn't used so much of it), we cannot criticize the employment realities or the social practices of those days. If we can simply understand the past, then maybe we can learn from it. This presentation will highlight the success stories of many of Hanford's women. About 4,000 women came to the gargantuan, remote desert location, most of them young and away from home for the first time. Almost all of them were coming to a place they had never heard of and undertaking a mission that could not be explained to them because it was Top Secret. Faced with decidedly unequal opportunity, they came and took the jobs that were available, because they felt a personal dedication to the war effort. They had fun at Hanford, despite living in dusty barracks and eating mess hall food, and they left their mark on Hanford and its memories in many ways. Without them, the Site could not have functioned, and the war might not have been won as soon as it was. They then became the grandmothers of Richland, Washington, who told their stories to me in the 1990s. This presentation will show the lives of these women at Hanford during the Manhattan Project, as they worked to make the best of the situation, contribute and do their jobs. Their feelings about the work 50 years later will also be discussed.

  5. 2008 River Corridor Closure Contractor Revegetation and Mitigation Monitoring Report

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    C. T. Lindsey; K. A. Gano

    2008-09-30

    The purpose of this report is to document the status of revegetation projects and natural resources mitigation efforts that have been conducted for remediated waste sites and other activities associated with the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act cleanup of National Priorities List waste sites at Hanford. This report documents the results of revegetation and mitigation monitoring conducted in 2008 and includes 22 revegetation/restoration projects, one revegetation/mitigation project, and two bat habitat mitigation projects.

  6. Second Quarter Hanford Seismic Report for Fiscal Year 2009

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Rohay, Alan C.; Sweeney, Mark D.; Hartshorn, Donald C.

    2009-07-31

    The Hanford Seismic Assessment Program (HSAP) provides an uninterrupted collection of high-quality raw and processed seismic data from the Hanford Seismic Network for the U.S. Department of Energy and its contractors. The HSAP is responsible for locating and identifying sources of seismic activity and monitoring changes in the historical pattern of seismic activity at the Hanford Site. The data are compiled, archived, and published for use by the Hanford Site for waste management, natural phenomena hazards assessments, and engineering design and construction. In addition, the HSAP works with the Hanford Site Emergency Services Organization to provide assistance in the eventmore » of a significant earthquake on the Hanford Site. The Hanford Seismic Network and the Eastern Washington Regional Network consist of 44 individual sensor sites and 15 radio relay sites maintained by the Hanford Seismic Assessment Team. The Hanford Seismic Network recorded over 800 local earthquakes during the second quarter of FY 2009. Nearly all of these earthquakes were detected in the vicinity of Wooded Island, located about eight miles north of Richland just west of the Columbia River. Most of the events were considered minor (magnitude (Mc) less than 1.0) with 19 events in the 2.0-2.9 range. The estimated depths of the Wooded Island events are shallow (averaging less than 1.0 km deep) with a maximum depth estimated at 1.9 km. This places the Wooded Island events within the Columbia River Basalt Group (CRBG). The low magnitude and the shallowness of the Wooded Island events have made them undetectable to most area residents. However, some Hanford employees working within a few miles of the area of highest activity, and individuals living in homes directly across the Columbia River from the swarm center, have reported feeling some movement. The Hanford SMA network was triggered numerous times by the Wooded Island swarm events. The maximum acceleration values recorded by the SMA network were approximately 2-3 times lower than the reportable action level for Hanford facilities (2% g) and no action was required. The swarming is likely due to pressures that have built up, cracking the brittle basalt layers within the Columbia River Basalt Formation (CRBG). Similar earthquake “swarms” have been recorded near this same location in 1970, 1975 and 1988. Prior to the 1970s, swarming may have occurred, but equipment was not in place to record those events. Quakes of this limited magnitude do not pose a risk to Hanford cleanup efforts or waste storage facilities. Since swarms of the past did not intensify in magnitude, seismologists do not expect that these events will increase in intensity. However, PNNL will continue to monitor the activity continuously. Outside of the Wooded Island swarm, four earthquakes were recorded. Three earthquakes were classified as minor and one event registered 2.3 Mc. One earthquake was located at intermediate depth (between 4 and 9 km, most likely in the pre-basalt sediments) and three earthquakes at depths greater than 9 km, within the basement. Geographically, two earthquakes were located in known swarm areas and two earthquakes were classified as random events.« less

  7. Third Quarter Hanford Seismic Report for Fiscal Year 2009

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Rohay, Alan C.; Sweeney, Mark D.; Hartshorn, Donald C.

    2009-09-30

    The Hanford Seismic Assessment Program (HSAP) provides an uninterrupted collection of high-quality raw and processed seismic data from the Hanford Seismic Network for the U.S. Department of Energy and its contractors. The HSAP is responsible for locating and identifying sources of seismic activity and monitoring changes in the historical pattern of seismic activity at the Hanford Site. The data are compiled, archived, and published for use by the Hanford Site for waste management, natural phenomena hazards assessments, and engineering design and construction. In addition, the HSAP works with the Hanford Site Emergency Services Organization to provide assistance in the eventmore » of a significant earthquake on the Hanford Site. The Hanford Seismic Network and the Eastern Washington Regional Network consist of 44 individual sensor sites and 15 radio relay sites maintained by the Hanford Seismic Assessment Team. The Hanford Seismic Network recorded 771 local earthquakes during the third quarter of FY 2009. Nearly all of these earthquakes were detected in the vicinity of Wooded Island, located about eight miles north of Richland just west of the Columbia River. The Wooded Island events recorded this quarter is a continuation of the swarm events observed during the January – March 2009 time period and reported in the previous quarterly report (Rohay et al, 2009). The frequency of Wooded Island events has subsided with 16 events recorded during June 2009. Most of the events were considered minor (magnitude (Mc) less than 1.0) with 25 events in the 2.0-3.0 range. The estimated depths of the Wooded Island events are shallow (averaging less than 1.0 km deep) with a maximum depth estimated at 2.2 km. This places the Wooded Island events within the Columbia River Basalt Group (CRBG). The low magnitude of the Wooded Island events has made them undetectable to all but local area residents. However, some Hanford employees working within a few miles of the area of highest activity and individuals living in homes directly across the Columbia River from the swarm center have reported feeling many of the larger magnitude events. The Hanford Strong Motion Accelerometer (SMA) network was triggered numerous times by the Wooded Island swarm events. The maximum acceleration value recorded by the SMA network was approximately 3 times lower than the reportable action level for Hanford facilities (2% g) and no action was required. The swarming is likely due to pressure that has built up, cracking the brittle basalt layers within the Columbia River Basalt Formation (CRBG). Similar earthquake “swarms” have been recorded near this same location in 1970, 1975 and 1988. Prior to the 1970s, swarming may have occurred, but equipment was not in place to record those events. Quakes of this limited magnitude do not pose a risk to Hanford cleanup efforts or waste storage facilities. Since swarms of the past did not intensify in magnitude, seismologists do not expect that these events will increase in intensity. However, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) will continue to monitor the activity.« less

  8. The 300 Area Integrated Field Research Challenge Quality Assurance Project Plan

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Fix, N. J.

    Pacific Northwest National Laboratory and a group of expert collaborators are using the U.S. Department of Energy Hanford Site 300 Area uranium plume within the footprint of the 300-FF-5 groundwater operable unit as a site for an Integrated Field-Scale Subsurface Research Challenge (IFRC). The IFRC is entitled Multi-Scale Mass Transfer Processes Controlling Natural Attenuation and Engineered Remediation: An IFRC Focused on the Hanford Site 300 Area Uranium Plume Project. The theme is investigation of multi-scale mass transfer processes. A series of forefront science questions on mass transfer are posed for research that relate to the effect of spatial heterogeneities; themore » importance of scale; coupled interactions between biogeochemical, hydrologic, and mass transfer processes; and measurements/approaches needed to characterize and model a mass transfer-dominated system. This Quality Assurance Project Plan provides the quality assurance requirements and processes that will be followed by the 300 Area IFRC Project. This plan is designed to be used exclusively by project staff.« less

  9. A Strategy for Maintenance of the Long-Term Performance Assessment of Immobilized Low-Activity Waste Glass

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Ryan, Joseph V.; Freedman, Vicky L.

    2016-09-28

    Approximately 50 million gallons of high-level radioactive mixed waste has accumulated in 177 buried single- and double-shell tanks at the Hanford Site in southeastern Washington State as a result of the past production of nuclear materials, primarily for defense uses. The United States Department of Energy (DOE) is proceeding with plans to permanently dispose of this waste. Plans call for separating the tank waste into high-level waste (HLW) and low-activity waste (LAW) fractions, which will be vitrified at the Hanford Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant (WTP). Principal radionuclides of concern in LAW are 99Tc, 129I, and U, while non-radioactive contaminantsmore » of concern are Cr and nitrate/nitrite. HLW glass will be sent off-site to an undetermined federal site for deep geological disposal while the much larger volume of immobilized low-activity waste will be placed in the on-site, near-surface Integrated Disposal Facility (IDF).« less

  10. 78 FR 9902 - DOE Response to Recommendation 2012-2 of the Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board, Hanford...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-02-12

    ... DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY DOE Response to Recommendation 2012-2 of the Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board, Hanford Tank Farms Flammable Gas Safety Strategy; Correction AGENCY: Department of Energy... Facilities Safety Board, Hanford Tank Farms Flammable Gas Safety Strategy. This document corrects an error in...

  11. 1999 Report on Hanford Site land disposal restriction for mixed waste

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    BLACK, D.G.

    This report was submitted to meet the requirements of Hanford Federal Facility Agreement and Consent Order (Tri-Party Agreement) Milestone M-26-011. This milestone requires the preparation of an annual report that covers characterization, treatment, storage, minimization, and other aspects of managing land-disposal-restricted mixed waste at the Hanford Facility.

  12. CERT tribal internship program. Final intern report: D`Lisa Penney, 1994

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    NONE

    1998-09-01

    The purpose of this intern`s project was to: education the Nez Perce people of the Hanford situation; begin researching into past and present health effects from the Hanford site; and inform and educate the Nez Perce people of the Hanford site and past exposures. The specific objectives were to begin researching the history of Nez Perce people and Hanford; create an understanding for the importance of this research; define the radiation and risks and how they occur; inform the Nez Perce people of the issue; and write the paper so it is easy to understand. This intern report contains amore » copy of the final paper written for the Nez Perce people. Because the dose reconstruction for Hanford is not complete, the health effects section is informative, but not definitive.« less

  13. Mineralogical conversion of asbestos containing materials

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Pulsford, S.K.; Foltz, A.D.; Ek, R.B.

    The principal objective of the Technical Task Plan (TTP) is to demonstrate a thermal-chemical mineralogical asbestos conversion unit at the Hanford Site, which converts non-radiological asbestos containing materials (ACMs) into an asbestos-free material. The permanent thermal-chemical mineralogical conversion of ACMs to a non-toxic, non-hazardous, potentially marketable end product should not only significantly reduce the waste stream volumes but terminate the {open_quotes}cradle to grave{close_quotes} ownership liabilities.

  14. Dangerous Waste Characteristics of Waste from Hanford Tank 241-S-109

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Tingey, Joel M.; Bryan, Garry H.; Deschane, Jaquetta R.

    2004-11-05

    Existing analytical data from samples taken from Hanford Tank 241-S-109, along with process knowledge of the wastes transferred to this tank, are reviewed to determine whether dangerous waste characteristics currently assigned to all waste in Hanford underground storage tanks are applicable to this tank waste. Supplemental technologies are examined to accelerate the Hanford tank waste cleanup mission and to accomplish the waste treatment in a safer and more efficient manner. The goals of supplemental technologies are to reduce costs, conserve double-shell tank space, and meet the scheduled tank waste processing completion date of 2028.

  15. Hanford Single-Shell Tank Leak Causes and Locations - 241-BY and 241-TY Farm

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Girardot, Crystal L.; Harlow, Donald G.

    This document identifies 241-BY Tank Farm (BY Farm) and 241-TY Tank Farm (TY Farm) lead causes and locations for the 100 series leaking tanks (241-BY-103, 241-TY-103, 241-TY-104, 241-TY-105 and 241-TY-106) identified in RPP-RPT-43704, Hanford BY Farm Leak Assessments Report, and in RPP-RPT-42296, Hanford TY Farm Leak Assessments Report. This document satisfies the BY and TY Farm portion of the target (T04) in the Hanford Federal Facility Agreement and Consent Order milestone M-045-91F.

  16. Relationship of the Ben Franklin Dam Alternative to Water and Land Uses, Plans, Policies, and Controls for the Hanford Reach of the Columbia River.

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1980-07-01

    Identify by block number) A HANFORD REACH LAND USE COLUNBIA RIVER ENVIRONNENTAL IMPACT WASHINGTON (STATE) BEN FRANKLIN DAM SIL AWTNAnW (Oinemu iM Mem...he N ndmde IIev e W lj by bcmbm ) IThe construction of Ben Franklin Dam at RN 348 would flood lands along the Hanford Reach of the Columbia River to...400 feet mean sea level an upriver to about the Vernita Bridge. The Hanford Reach, the last free-floving stretch iof the Columbia River , would be

  17. Cultural Resources Review for Closure of the nonradioactive Dangerous Waste Landfill and Solid Waste Landfill in the 600 Area, Hanford Site, Benton County, Washington, HCRC# 2010-600-018R

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Gutzeit, Jennifer L.; Kennedy, Ellen P.; Bjornstad, Bruce N.

    2011-02-02

    The U.S. Department of Energy Richland Operations Office is proposing to close the Nonradioactive Dangerous Waste Landfill (NRDWL) and Solid Waste Landfill (SWL) located in the 600 Area of the Hanford Site. The closure of the NRDWL/SWL entails the construction of an evapotranspiration cover over the landfill. This cover would consist of a 3-foot (1-meter) engineered layer of fine-grained soil, modified with 15 percent by weight pea gravel to form an erosion-resistant topsoil that will sustain native vegetation. The area targeted for silt-loam borrow soil sits in Area C, located in the northern central portion of the Fitzner/Eberhardt Arid Landsmore » Ecology (ALE) Reserve Unit. The pea gravel used for the mixture will be obtained from both off-site commercial sources and an active gravel pit (Pit #6) located just west of the 300 Area of the Hanford Site. Materials for the cover will be transported along Army Loop Road, which runs from Beloit Avenue (near the Rattlesnake Barricade) east-northeast to the NRDWL/SWL, ending at State Route 4. Upgrades to Army Loop Road are necessary to facilitate safe bidirectional hauling traffic. This report documents a cultural resources review of the proposed activity, conducted according to Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966.« less

  18. Waste Preparation and Transport Chemistry: Results of the FY 2001 Studies

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Hunt, R.D.

    2002-03-25

    During FY 2001, tank farm operations at Hanford and the Savannah River Site (SRS) continued to be negatively impacted by the unintended formation of solids. At Hanford, the primary solids formation problem involves a series of plugged pipes and pumps during the saltwell pumping activities of the interim stabilization program. For example, transfers of tank S-102 waste were suspended due to a plugged pipeline or a mechanical problem with the transfer pump. The replacement pump then failed within 2 weeks. In contrast, since full-scale waste remediation activities such as vitrification were initiated, the SRS has encountered a wider range ofmore » problems due to unwanted solids. The 2H evaporator system was shut down because of the formation of aluminosilicate deposits with enriched uranium in the evaporator pot. While high concentrations of aluminum are expected in the tank waste due to previous canyon operations, the primary source of silicon is the recycle stream from the vitrifier. While solids formation can be expected when waste streams are combined, the formation of the aluminosilicate deposits required an elevated temperature within the evaporator. The shutdown of the 2H evaporator led to a severe shortage of tank space. Therefore, the SRS tank farm was forced to transfer highly concentrated waste, which led to a plugged transfer pump in tank 32. For each of the proposed cesium removal technologies for the SRS, unwanted solids formation occurred during the large laboratory-scale tests prior to the final selection of the solvent extraction process. It can be expected that further problems will be encountered as more unit operations of the remediation effort are deployed and as more waste streams are combined. Since these problems have already led to costly schedule delays, the tank farm operators at both sites have identified the prevention of solids formation as a high-priority need. In response to this need, the Tank Focus Area has assembled a team of researchers of researchers from AEA Technology, Florida International University (FIU), Fluor Hanford, Mississippi State University (MSU), Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), and Savannah River Technology Center (SRTC) to evaluate various aspects of the waste preparation and transport chemistry. The majority of this effort was focused on saltcake dissolution and saltwell pumping. The results of the AEA Technology, FIU, and MSU studies of saltcake dissolution and slurry transfers for Hanford are discussed in detail in a companion report prepared by T. D. Welch in 2001 (ORNIJTM-2001097). Staff members at Fluor Hanford have continued to conduct saltcake dissolution tests on actual tank waste (documented in reports prepared by D. L. Herting in 2000 and 2001). It should be noted that full-scale saltcake dissolution at Hanford is scheduled to begin in FY 2002. While the Hanford effort is focused on the transfer of waste from one tank to another, the objective of the SRTC study is the formation of aluminosilicates at elevated temperatures, which are present in the waste evaporator.« less

  19. DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    PETERSEN SW

    Airborne electromagnetic (AEM) surveys were flown during fiscal year (FY) 2008 within the 600 Area in an attempt to characterize the underlying subsurface and to aid in the closure and remediation design study goals for the 200-PO-1 Groundwater Operable Unit (OU). The rationale for using the AEM surveys was that airborne surveys can cover large areas rapidly at relatively low costs with minimal cultural impact, and observed geo-electrical anomalies could be correlated with important subsurface geologic and hydrogeologic features. Initial interpretation of the AEM surveys indicated a tenuous correlation with the underlying geology, from which several anomalous zones likely associatedmore » with channels/erosional features incised into the Ringold units were identified near the River Corridor. Preliminary modeling resulted in a slightly improved correlation but revealed that more information was required to constrain the modeling (SGW-39674, Airborne Electromagnetic Survey Report, 200-PO-1 Groundwater Operable Unit, 600 Area, Hanford Site). Both time-and frequency domain AEM surveys were collected with the densest coverage occurring adjacent to the Columbia River Corridor. Time domain surveys targeted deeper subsurface features (e.g., top-of-basalt) and were acquired using the HeliGEOTEM{reg_sign} system along north-south flight lines with a nominal 400 m (1,312 ft) spacing. The frequency domain RESOLVE system acquired electromagnetic (EM) data along tighter spaced (100 m [328 ft] and 200 m [656 ft]) north-south profiles in the eastern fifth of the 200-PO-1 Groundwater OU (immediately adjacent to the River Corridor). The overall goal of this study is to provide further quantification of the AEM survey results, using ground based geophysical methods, and to link results to the underlying geology and/or hydrogeology. Specific goals of this project are as follows: (1) Test ground based geophysical techniques for the efficacy in delineating underlying geology; (2) Use ground measurements to refine interpretations of AEM data; and (3) Improve the calibration and correlation of AEM information. The potential benefits of this project are as follows: (1) Develop a tool to map subsurface units at the Hanford Site in a rapid and cost effective manner; (2) Map groundwater pathways within the River Corridor; and (3) Aid development of the conceptual site model. If anomalies observed in the AEM data can be correlated with subsurface geology, then the rapid scanning and non-intrusive capabilities provided by the airborne surveys can be used at the Hanford Site to screen for areas that warrant further investigation.« less

  20. 27 CFR 9.192 - Wahluke Slope.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-04-01

    ... boundary line of section 15, which forms a portion of the boundary line of the Hanford Site, T15N/R26E, Wahatis Peak map; then (4) Proceed generally southwest along the Hanford Site boundary in a series of 90... Bridge map, and continue onto the Priest Rapids NE map to the intersection of the Hanford Site boundary...

  1. 27 CFR 9.192 - Wahluke Slope.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-04-01

    ... boundary line of section 15, which forms a portion of the boundary line of the Hanford Site, T15N/R26E, Wahatis Peak map; then (4) Proceed generally southwest along the Hanford Site boundary in a series of 90... Bridge map, and continue onto the Priest Rapids NE map to the intersection of the Hanford Site boundary...

  2. 27 CFR 9.192 - Wahluke Slope.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-04-01

    ... boundary line of section 15, which forms a portion of the boundary line of the Hanford Site, T15N/R26E, Wahatis Peak map; then (4) Proceed generally southwest along the Hanford Site boundary in a series of 90... Bridge map, and continue onto the Priest Rapids NE map to the intersection of the Hanford Site boundary...

  3. 27 CFR 9.192 - Wahluke Slope.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-04-01

    ... boundary line of section 15, which forms a portion of the boundary line of the Hanford Site, T15N/R26E, Wahatis Peak map; then (4) Proceed generally southwest along the Hanford Site boundary in a series of 90... Bridge map, and continue onto the Priest Rapids NE map to the intersection of the Hanford Site boundary...

  4. 27 CFR 9.192 - Wahluke Slope.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-04-01

    ... boundary line of section 15, which forms a portion of the boundary line of the Hanford Site, T15N/R26E, Wahatis Peak map; then (4) Proceed generally southwest along the Hanford Site boundary in a series of 90... Bridge map, and continue onto the Priest Rapids NE map to the intersection of the Hanford Site boundary...

  5. ACHP | News | President Appoints Clement A. Price Vice Chairman of ACHP

    Science.gov Websites

    Project Honored For Federal Leadership, Commitment to Historic Hanford Facility Department of Energy’s B Reactor Preservation Project Honored For Federal Leadership, Commitment to Historic Hanford Facility Reactor Preservation Project at DOE’s Hanford Site in southeastern Washington state. “The B Reactor

  6. Overview of Hanford Single Shell Tank (SST) Structural Integrity

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Rast, Richard S.; Washenfelder, Dennis J.; Johnson, Jeremy M.

    2013-11-14

    To improve the understanding of the single-shell tanks (SSTs) integrity, Washington River Protection Solutions, LLC (WRPS), the USDOE Hanford Site tank contractor, developed an enhanced Single-Shell Tank Integrity Project (SSTIP) in 2009. An expert panel on SST integrity, consisting of various subject matters experts in industry and academia, was created to provide recommendations supporting the development of the project. This panel developed 33 recommendations in four main areas of interest: structural integrity, liner degradation, leak integrity and prevention, and mitigation of contamination migration, Seventeen of these recommendations were used to develop the basis for the M-45-10-1 Change Package for themore » Hanford Federal Agreement and Compliance Order, which is also known as the Tri-Party Agreement. The structural integrity of the tanks is a key element in completing the cleanup mission at the Hanford Site. There are eight primary recommendations related to the structural integrity of Hanford Single-Shell Tanks. Six recommendations are being implemented through current and planned activities. The structural integrity of the Hanford is being evaluated through analysis, monitoring, inspection, materials testing, and construction document review. Structural evaluation in the form of analysis is performed using modern finite element models generated in ANSYS. The analyses consider in-situ, thermal, operating loads and natural phenomena such as earthquakes. Structural analysis of 108 of 149 Hanford Single-Shell Tanks has concluded that the tanks are structurally sound and meet current industry standards. Analysis of the remaining Hanford Single-Shell Tanks is scheduled for FY2014. Hanford Single-Shell Tanks are monitored through a dome deflection program. The program looks for deflections of the tank dome greater than 1/4 inch. No such deflections have been recorded. The tanks are also subjected to visual inspection. Digital cameras record the interior surface of the concrete tanks, looking for cracks and other surface conditions that may indicate signs of structural distress. The condition of the concrete and rebar of the Hanford Single-Shell Tanks is currently being tested and planned for additional activities in the near future. Concrete and rebar removed from the dome of a 65 year old tank was tested for mechanics properties and condition. Results indicated stronger than designed concrete with additional Petrographic examination and rebar completed. Material properties determined from previous efforts combined with current testing and construction document review will help to generate a database that will provide indication of Hanford Single-Shell Tank structural integrity.« less

  7. 2007 River Corridor Closure Contractor Revegetation and Mitigation Monitoring Report

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    K. A. Gano; C. T. Lindsey

    2007-09-27

    The purpose of this report is to document the status of revegetation projects and natural resources mitigation efforts that have been conducted for remediated waste sites and other activities associated with the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) cleanup of National Priorities List waste sites at Hanford. This report documents the results of revegetation and mitigation monitoring conducted in 2007 and includes 11 revegetation/restoration projects, one revegetation/mitigation project, and 3 bat habitat mitigation projects.

  8. 100 Area Columbia River sediment sampling

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Weiss, S.G.

    1993-09-08

    Forty-four sediment samples were collected from 28 locations in the Hanford Reach of the Columbia River to assess the presence of metals and man-made radionuclides in the near shore and shoreline settings of the Hanford Site. Three locations were sampled upriver of the Hanford Site plutonium production reactors. Twenty-two locations were sampled near the reactors. Three locations were sampled downstream of the reactors near the Hanford Townsite. Sediment was collected from depths of 0 to 6 in. and between 12 to 24 in. below the surface. Samples containing concentrations of metals exceeding the 95 % upper threshold limit values (DOE-RLmore » 1993b) are considered contaminated. Contamination by arsenic, chromium, copper, lead, and zinc was found. Man-made radionuclides occur in all samples except four collected opposite the Hanford Townsite. Man-made radionuclide concentrations were generally less than 1 pCi/g.« less

  9. Regulatory requirements and tools for environmental assessment of hazardous wastes: Understanding tribal and stakeholder concerns using Department of Energy sites

    PubMed Central

    Burger, Joanna; Powers, Charles; Gochfeld, Michael

    2014-01-01

    Many US governmental and Tribal Nation agencies, as well as state and local entities, deal with hazardous wastes within regulatory frameworks that require specific environmental assessments. In this paper we use Department of Energy (DOE) sites as examples to examine the relationship between regulatory requirements and environmental assessments for hazardous waste sites and give special attention to how assessment tools differ. We consider federal laws associated with environmental protection include the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA), the Comprehensive Environmental Response Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA), as well as regulations promulgated by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Tribal Nations and state agencies. These regulatory regimes require different types of environmental assessments and remedial investigations, dose assessments and contaminant pathways. The DOE case studies illustrate the following points: 1) there is often understandable confusion about what regulatory requirements apply to the site resources, and what environmental assessments are required by each, 2) the messages sent on site safety issued by different regulatory agencies are sometimes contradictory or confusing (e.g. Oak Ridge Reservation), 3) the regulatory frameworks being used to examine the same question can be different, leading to different conclusions (e.g. Brookhaven National Laboratory), 4) computer models used in support of groundwater models or risk assessments are not necessarily successful in convincing Native Americans and others that there is no possibility of risk from contaminants (e.g. Amchitka Island), 5) when given the opportunity to choose between relying on a screening risk assessments or waiting for a full site-specific analysis of contaminants in biota, the screening risk assessment option is rarely selected (e.g. Amchitka, Hanford Site), and finally, 6) there needs to be agreement on whether there has been adequate characterization to support the risk assessment (e.g. Hanford). The assessments need to be transparent and to accommodate different opinions about the relationship between characterizations and risk assessments. This paper illustrates how many of the problems at DOE sites, and potentially at other sites in the U.S. and elsewhere, derive from a lack of either understanding of, or consensus about, the regulatory process, including the timing and types of required characterizations and data in support of site characterizations and risk assessments. PMID:20719428

  10. Application of RAD-BCG calculator to Hanford's 300 area shoreline characterization dataset

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Antonio, Ernest J.; Poston, Ted M.; Tiller, Brett L.

    2003-07-01

    Abstract. In 2001, a multi-agency study was conducted to characterize potential environmental effects from radiological and chemical contaminants on the near-shore environment of the Columbia River at the 300 Area of the U.S. Department of Energy’s Hanford Site. Historically, the 300 Area was the location of nuclear fuel fabrication and was the main location for research and development activities from the 1940s until the late 1980s. During past waste handling practices uranium, copper, and other heavy metals were routed to liquid waste streams and ponds near the Columbia River shoreline. The Washington State Department of Health and the Pacific Northwestmore » National Laboratory’s Surface Environmental Surveillance Project sampled various environmental components including river water, riverbank spring water, sediment, fishes, crustaceans, bivalve mollusks, aquatic insects, riparian vegetation, small mammals, and terrestrial invertebrates for analyses of radiological and chemical constituents. The radiological analysis results for water and sediment were used as initial input into the RAD-BCG Calculator. The RAD-BCG Calculator, a computer program that uses an Excel® spreadsheet and Visual Basic® software, showed that maximum radionuclide concentrations measured in water and sediment were lower than the initial screening criteria for concentrations to produce dose rates at existing or proposed limits. Radionuclide concentrations measured in biota samples were used to calculate site-specific bioaccumulation coefficients (Biv) to test the utility of the RAD-BCG-Calculator’s site-specific screening phase. To further evaluate site-specific effects, the default Relative Biological Effect (RBE) for internal alpha particle emissions was reduced by half and the program’s kinetic/allometric calculation approach was initiated. The subsequent calculations showed the initial RAD-BCG Calculator results to be conservative, which is appropriate for screening purposes.« less

  11. The U.S. Department of Energy's Regulatory and Evaluation Framework for Demonstrating Radiation Protection of the Environment: Implementation at the Hanford Site

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Antonio, Ernest J.; Tiller, Brett L.; Domotor, S. L.

    2005-08-01

    Abstract. In 2001, a multi-agency study was conducted to characterize potential environmental effects from radiological and chemical contaminants on the near-shore environment of the Columbia River at the 300 Area of the U.S. Department of Energy’s Hanford Site. Historically, the 300 Area was the location of nuclear fuel fabrication and was the main location for research and development activities from the 1940s until the late 1980s. During past waste handling practices uranium, copper, and other heavy metals were routed to liquid waste streams and ponds near the Columbia River shoreline. The Washington State Department of Health and the Pacific Northwestmore » National Laboratory’s Surface Environmental Surveillance Project sampled various environmental components including river water, riverbank spring water, sediment, fishes, crustaceans, bivalve mollusks, aquatic insects, riparian vegetation, small mammals, and terrestrial invertebrates for analyses of radiological and chemical constituents. The radiological analysis results for water and sediment were used as initial input into the RESRAD BIOTA. The RESRAD BIOTA code showed that maximum radionuclide concentrations measured in water and sediment were lower than the initial screening criteria for concentrations to produce dose rates at existing or proposed limits. Radionuclide concentrations measured in biota samples were used to calculate site-specific bioaccumulation coefficients (Biv) to test the utility of the RESRAD BIOTA’s site-specific screening phase. To further evaluate site-specific effects, the default Relative Biological Effect (RBE) for internal alpha particle emissions was reduced by half and the program’s kinetic/allometric calculation approach was initiated. The subsequent calculations showed the initial RESRAD BIOTA results to be conservative, which is appropriate for screening purposes.« less

  12. Comparison of radionuclide levels in soil, sagebrush, plant litter, cryptogams, and small mammals

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Landeen, D.S.

    1994-09-01

    Soil, sagebrush, plant litter, cryptogam, and small mammal samples were collected and analyzed for cesium-137, strontium-90, plutonium-238, plutonium 239/240, technetium-99, and iodine-129 from 1981 to 1986 at the US Department of Energy Hanford Site in southeastern Washington State as part of site characterization and environmental monitoring activities. Samples were collected on the 200 Areas Plateau, downwind from ongoing waste management activities. Plant litter, cryptogams, and small mammals are media that are not routinely utilized in monitoring or characterization efforts for determination of radionuclide concentrations. Studies at Hanford, other US Department of Energy sites, and in eastern Europe have indicated thatmore » plant litter and cryptogams may serve as effective ``natural`` monitors of air quality. Plant litter in this study consists of fallen leaves from sagebrush and ``cryptogams`` describes that portion of the soil crust composed of mosses, lichens, algae, and fungi. Comparisons of cesium-137 and strontium-90 concentrations in the soil, sagebrush, litter, and cryptogams revealed significantly higher (p<0.05) levels in plant litter and cryptogams. Technetium-99 values were the highest in sagebrush and litter. Plutonium-238 and 239/40 and iodine-129 concentrations never exceeded 0.8 pCi/gm in all media. No evidence of any significant amounts of any radionuclides being incorporated into the small mammal community was discovered. The data indicate that plant litter and cryptogams may be better, indicators of environmental quality than soil or vegetation samples. Augmenting a monitoring program with samples of litter and cryptogams may provide a more accurate representation of radionuclide environmental uptake and/or contamination levels in surrounding ecosystems. The results of this study may be applied directly to other radioecological monitoring conducted at other nuclear sites and to the monitoring of other pollutants.« less

  13. Scenarios for the Hanford immobilized Low-Activity waste (ILAW) performance assessment

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    MANN, F.M.

    The purpose of the next version of the Hanford Immobilized Low-Activity Tank Waste (ILAW) Performance Assessment (ILAW PA) is to provide an updated estimate of the long-term human health and environmental impact of the disposal of ILAW and to compare these estimates against performance objectives displayed in Tables 1,2, and 3 (Mann 1999a). Such a radiological performance assessment is required by U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Orders on radioactive waste management (DOE 1988a and DOE 1999a). This document defines the scenarios that will be used for the next update of the PA that is scheduled to be issued in 2001.more » Since the previous performance assessment (Mann 1998) was issued, considerable additional data on waste form behavior and site-specific soil geotechnical properties have been collected. In addition, the 2001 ILAW PA will benefit from improved computer models and the experience gained from the previous performance assessment. However, the scenarios (that is, the features, events, and processes analyzed in the Performance assessment) for the next PA are very similar to the ones in the 1998 PA.« less

  14. UNSAT-H Version 2. 0: Unsaturated soil water and heat flow model

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Fayer, M.J.; Jones, T.L.

    1990-04-01

    This report documents UNSAT-H Version 2.0, a model for calculating water and heat flow in unsaturated media. The documentation includes the bases for the conceptual model and its numerical implementation, benchmark test cases, example simulations involving layered soils and plant transpiration, and the code listing. Waste management practices at the Hanford Site have included disposal of low-level wastes by near-surface burial. Predicting the future long-term performance of any such burial site in terms of migration of contaminants requires a model capable of simulating water flow in the unsaturated soils above the buried waste. The model currently used to meet thismore » need is UNSAT-H. This model was developed at Pacific Northwest Laboratory to assess water dynamics of near-surface, waste-disposal sites at the Hanford Site. The code is primarily used to predict deep drainage as a function of such environmental conditions as climate, soil type, and vegetation. UNSAT-H is also used to simulate the effects of various practices to enhance isolation of wastes. 66 refs., 29 figs., 7 tabs.« less

  15. Hanford internal dosimetry program manual

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Carbaugh, E.H.; Sula, M.J.; Bihl, D.E.

    1989-10-01

    This document describes the Hanford Internal Dosimetry program. Program Services include administrating the bioassay monitoring program, evaluating and documenting assessments of internal exposure and dose, ensuring that analytical laboratories conform to requirements, selecting and applying appropriate models and procedures for evaluating internal radionuclide deposition and the resulting dose, and technically guiding and supporting Hanford contractors in matters regarding internal dosimetry. 13 refs., 16 figs., 42 tabs.

  16. Expert Panel Recommendations for Hanford Double-Shell Tank Life Extension

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Stewart, Charles W; Bush, Spencer H; Berman, Herbert Stanton

    2001-06-29

    Expert workshops were held in Richland in May 2001 to review the Hanford Double-Shell Tank Integrity Project and make recommendations to extend the life of Hanford's double-shell waste tanks. The workshop scope was limited to corrosion of the primary tank liner, and the main areas for review were waste chemistry control, tank inspection, and corrosion monitoring. Participants were corrosion experts from Hanford, Savannah River Site, Brookhaven National Lab., Pacific Northwest National Lab., and several consultants. This report describes the current state of the three areas of the program, the final recommendations of the workshop, and the rationale for their selection.

  17. An assessment of drinking-water supplies on the Hanford site: an evaluation conducted at a federal nuclear facility in southeastern Washington state.

    PubMed

    Hanf, R William; Kelly, Lynn M

    2005-03-01

    Drinking water is supplied to most U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) facilities on the Hanford Site by DOE-owned, contractor-operated pumping and distribution systems. Water is primarily obtained from the Columbia River, but some facilities use water from on-site groundwater wells. Because of the large amount of radioactive and chemical waste produced, stored, and disposed of at Hanford, some people are concerned that waste materials are contaminating on-site drinking-water supplies. This paper describes the drinking-water facilities and treatment requirements on the Hanford Site and summarizes radiological and non-radiological water quality data obtained from water samples collected from each drinking-water system in use during 2001 and 2002. Monitoring data show that Hanford-produced radionuclides are measurable in some drinking-water samples. The only non-radiological contaminants detected either were by-products of the chlorination process or came from off-site agricultural activities. Contaminant level values were, in all cases, below state and federal drinking-water limits. This information will provide assurance to current employees and future site developers that drinking water on the Hanford Site is safe for public consumption.

  18. Contribution of Hanford liquid effluents to strontium-90 levels in offsite soils

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Jaquish, R.E.

    1993-08-01

    Strontium-90 is a major constituent of liquid effluents entering the Columbia River at the 100-N Area. The Columbia River also contains {sup 90}Sr from world-wide fallout that enters the Columbia River upstream of Hanford. Irrigation water pumped from the Columbia River can deposit {sup 90}Sr on soil where it can be taken up by farm crops. Fallout has also deposited {sup 90}Sr directly on soil by atmospheric deposition. A review of the sources of {sup 90}Sr in soil in the vicinity of Hanford indicates that about 2% can be attributed to Hanford liquid effluents. PNL measurements of {sup 90}Sr inmore » soil at a background location agree with predicted levels of fallout made by the Federal Radiation Council in 1964. Alfalfa is routinely monitored for {sup 90}Sr and is of special interest since it has concentrations higher than other farm crops. The concentrations of {sup 90}Sr in alfalfa measured in the Hanford vicinity are in the range one would expect, based on measured soil concentrations and using uptake factors from an earlier {sup 90}Sr uptake study at Hanford.« less

  19. Revegetation Plan for Areas of the Fitzner-Eberhardt Arid Lands Ecology Reserve Affected by Decommissioning of Buildings and Infrastructure and Debris Clean-up Actions

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Downs, Janelle L.; Durham, Robin E.; Larson, Kyle B.

    The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), Richland Operations Office is working to remove a number of facilities on the Fitzner Eberhardt Arid Lands Ecology Reserve (ALE), which is part of the Hanford Reach National Monument. Decommissioning and removal of buildings and debris on ALE will leave bare soils and excavated areas that need to be revegetated to prevent erosion and weed invasion. Four main areas within ALE are affected by these activities (DOE 2009;DOE/EA-1660F): 1) facilities along the ridgeline of Rattlesnake Mountain, 2) the former Nike missile base and ALE HQ laboratory buildings, 3) the aquatic research laboratory at Rattlesnakemore » Springs area, and 4) a number of small sites across ALE where various types of debris remain from previous uses. This revegetation plan addresses the revegetation and restoration of those land areas disturbed by decommissioning and removal of buildings, facilities and associated infrastructure or debris removal. The primary objective of the revegetation efforts on ALE is to establish native vegetation at each of the sites that will enhance and accelerate the recovery of the native plant community that naturally persists at that location. Revegetation is intended to meet the direction specified by the Environmental Assessment (DOE 2009; DOE/EA-1660F) and by Stipulation C.7 of the Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) for the Rattlesnake Mountain Combined Community Communication Facility and InfrastructureCleanup on the Fitzner/Eberhardt Arid Lands Ecology Reserve, Hanford Site, Richland Washington(DOE 2009; Appendix B). Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) under contract with CH2M Hill Plateau Remediation Company (CPRC) and in consultation with the tribes and DOE-RL developed a site-specific strategy for each of the revegetation units identified within this document. The strategy and implementation approach for each revegetation unit identifies an appropriate native species mix and outlines the necessary site preparation activities and specific methods for seeding and planting at each area. evegetation work is scheduled to commence during the first quarter of FY 2011 to minimize the amount of time that sites are unvegetated and more susceptible to invasion by non-native weedy annual species.« less

  20. Annual Hanford Seismic Report for Fiscal Year 2009

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Rohay, Alan C.; Sweeney, Mark D.; Hartshorn, Donald C.

    2009-12-31

    The Hanford Seismic Assessment Program (HSAP) provides an uninterrupted collection of high-quality raw and processed seismic data from the Hanford Seismic Network for the U.S. Department of Energy and its contractors. The HSAP is responsible for locating and identifying sources of seismic activity and monitoring changes in the historical pattern of seismic activity at the Hanford Site. The data are compiled, archived, and published for use by the Hanford Site for waste management, natural phenomena hazards assessments, and engineering design and construction. In addition, the HSAP works with the Hanford Site Emergency Services Organization to provide assistance in the eventmore » of a significant earthquake on the Hanford Site. The Hanford Seismic Network and the Eastern Washington Regional Network consist of 44 individual sensor sites and 15 radio relay sites maintained by the Hanford Seismic Assessment Team. During FY 2009, the Hanford Seismic Network recorded nearly 3000 triggers on the seismometer system, which included over 1700 seismic events in the southeast Washington area and an additional 370 regional and teleseismic events. There were 1648 events determined to be local earthquakes relevant to the Hanford Site. Nearly all of these earthquakes were detected in the vicinity of Wooded Island, located about eight miles north of Richland just west of the Columbia River. Recording of the Wooded Island events began in January with over 250 events per month through June 2009. The frequency of events decreased starting in July 2009 to approximately 10-15 events per month through September 2009. Most of the events were considered minor (coda-length magnitude [Mc] less than 1.0) with 47 events in the 2.0-3.0 range. The estimated depths of the Wooded Island events are shallow (averaging less than 1.0 km deep) with a maximum depth estimated at 2.3 km. This places the Wooded Island events within the Columbia River Basalt Group (CRBG). The highest-magnitude event (3.0Mc) occurred on May 13, 2009 within the Wooded Island swarm at depth 1.8 km. With regard to the depth distribution, 1613 earthquakes were located at shallow depths (less than 4 km, most likely in the Columbia River basalts), 18 earthquakes were located at intermediate depths (between 4 and 9 km, most likely in the pre-basalt sediments), and 17 earthquakes were located at depths greater than 9 km, within the crystalline basement. Geographically, 1630 earthquakes were located in swarm areas and 18 earthquakes were classified as random events. The low magnitude of the Wooded Island events has made them undetectable to all but local area residents. However, some Hanford employees working within a few miles of the area of highest activity and individuals living in homes directly across the Columbia River from the swarm center have reported feeling many of the larger magnitude events. The Hanford Strong Motion Accelerometer (SMA) network was triggered numerous times by the Wooded Island swarm events. The maximum acceleration value recorded by the SMA network was approximately 3 times lower than the reportable action level for Hanford facilities (2% g) and no action was required. The swarming is likely due to pressure that has built up, cracking the brittle basalt layers within the Columbia River Basalt Formation (CRBG). Similar earthquake “swarms” have been recorded near this same location in 1970, 1975 and 1988. Prior to the 1970s, swarming may have occurred, but equipment was not in place to record those events. Quakes of this limited magnitude do not pose a risk to Hanford cleanup efforts or waste storage facilities. Since swarms of the past did not intensify in magnitude, seismologists do not expect that these events will increase in intensity. However, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) will continue to monitor the activity.« less

  1. 303-K Storage Facility closure plan. Revision 2

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Not Available

    1993-12-15

    Recyclable scrap uranium with zircaloy-2 and copper silicon alloy, uranium-titanium alloy, beryllium/zircaloy-2 alloy, and zircaloy-2 chips and fines were secured in concrete billets (7.5-gallon containers) in the 303-K Storage Facility, located in the 300 Area. The beryllium/zircaloy-2 alloy and zircaloy-2 chips and fines are designated as mixed waste with the characteristic of ignitability. The concretion process reduced the ignitability of the fines and chips for safe storage and shipment. This process has been discontinued and the 303-K Storage Facility is now undergoing closure as defined in the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) of 1976 and the Washington Administrative Codemore » (WAC) Dangerous Waste Regulations, WAC 173-303-040. This closure plan presents a description of the 303-K Storage Facility, the history of materials and waste managed, and the procedures that will be followed to close the 303-K Storage Facility. The 303-K Storage Facility is located within the 300-FF-3 (source) and 300-FF-5 (groundwater) operable units, as designated in the Hanford Federal Facility Agreement and Consent Order (Tri-Party Agreement) (Ecology et al. 1992). Contamination in the operable units 300-FF-3 and 300-FF-5 is scheduled to be addressed through the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) of 1980 remedial action process. Therefore, all soil remedial action at the 304 Facility will be conducted as part of the CERCLA remedial action of operable units 300-FF-3 and 300-FF-5.« less

  2. Pilot-scale treatability test plan for the 200-BP-5 operable unit

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Not Available

    This document presents the treatability test plan for pilot-scale pump and treat testing at the 200-BP-5 Operable Unit. This treatability test plan has been prepared in response to an agreement between the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the State of Washington Department of Ecology (Ecology), as documented in Hanford Federal Facility Agreement and Consent Order (Tri-Party Agreement, Ecology et al. 1989a) Change Control Form M-13-93-03 (Ecology et al. 1994) and a recent 200 NPL Agreement Change Control Form (Appendix A). The agreement also requires that, following completion of the activities described in thismore » test plan, a 200-BP-5 Operable Unit Interim Remedial Measure (IRM) Proposed Plan be developed for use in preparing an Interim Action Record of Decision (ROD). The IRM Proposed Plan will be supported by the results of this treatability test plan, as well as by other 200-BP-5 Operable Unit activities (e.g., development of a qualitative risk assessment). Once issued, the Interim Action ROD will specify the interim action(s) for groundwater contamination at the 200-BP-5 Operable Unit. The treatability test approach is to conduct a pilot-scale pump and treat test for each of the two contaminant plumes associated with the 200-BP-5 Operable Unit. Primary contaminants of concern are {sup 99}Tc and {sup 60}Co for underwater affected by past discharges to the 216-BY Cribs, and {sup 90}Sr, {sup 239/240}Pu, and Cs for groundwater affected by past discharges to the 216-B-5 Reverse Well. The purpose of the pilot-scale treatability testing presented in this testplan is to provide the data basis for preparing an IRM Proposed Plan. To achieve this objective, treatability testing must: Assess the performance of groundwater pumping with respect to the ability to extract a significant amount of the primary contaminant mass present in the two contaminant plumes.« less

  3. Parallel inversion of a massive ERT data set to characterize deep vadose zone contamination beneath former nuclear waste infiltration galleries at the Hanford Site B-Complex (Invited)

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Johnson, T.; Rucker, D. F.; Wellman, D.

    2013-12-01

    The Hanford Site, located in south-central Washington, USA, originated in the early 1940's as part of the Manhattan Project and produced plutonium used to build the United States nuclear weapons stockpile. In accordance with accepted industrial practice of that time, a substantial portion of relatively low-activity liquid radioactive waste was disposed of by direct discharge to either surface soil or into near-surface infiltration galleries such as cribs and trenches. This practice was supported by early investigations beginning in the 1940s, including studies by Geological Survey (USGS) experts, whose investigations found vadose zone soils at the site suitable for retaining radionuclides to the extent necessary to protect workers and members of the general public based on the standards of that time. That general disposal practice has long since been discontinued, and the US Department of Energy (USDOE) is now investigating residual contamination at former infiltration galleries as part of its overall environmental management and remediation program. Most of the liquid wastes released into the subsurface were highly ionic and electrically conductive, and therefore present an excellent target for imaging by Electrical Resistivity Tomography (ERT) within the low-conductivity sands and gravels comprising Hanford's vadose zone. In 2006, USDOE commissioned a large scale surface ERT survey to characterize vadose zone contamination beneath the Hanford Site B-Complex, which contained 8 infiltration trenches, 12 cribs, and one tile field. The ERT data were collected in a pole-pole configuration with 18 north-south trending lines, and 18 east-west trending lines ranging from 417m to 816m in length. The final data set consisted of 208,411 measurements collected on 4859 electrodes, covering an area of 600m x 600m. Given the computational demands of inverting this massive data set as a whole, the data were initially inverted in parts with a shared memory inversion code, which revealed the general footprint of vadose zone contamination beneath infiltration galleries. In 2011, the USDOE commissioned an effort to re-invert the B-Complex ERT data as a whole using a recently developed massively parallel 3D ERT inversion code. The computational mesh included approximately 1.085 million elements and closely honored the 37m of topographic relief as determined by LiDAR imaging. The water table and tank boundaries were also incorporated into the mesh to facilitate regularization disconnects, enabling sharp conductivity contrasts where they occur naturally without penalty. The data were inverted using 1024 processors, requiring 910 Gb of memory and 11.5 hours of computation time. The imaging results revealed previously unrealized detail concerning the distribution and behavior of contaminants migrating through the vadose zone, and are currently being used by site cleanup operators and regulators to understand the origin of a groundwater nitrate plume emerging from one of the infiltration galleries. The results overall demonstrate the utility of high performance computing, unstructured meshing, and custom regularization constraints for optimal processing of massive ERT data sets enabled by modern ERT survey hardware.

  4. International Safeguards and the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Olsen, Khris B.; Smith, Leon E.; Frazar, Sarah L.

    Established in 1965, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory’s (PNNL) strong technical ties and shared heritage with the nearby U.S. Department of Energy Hanford Site were central to the early development of expertise in nuclear fuel cycle signatures, separations chemistry, plutonium chemistry, environmental monitoring, modeling and analysis of reactor systems, and nuclear material safeguards and security. From these Hanford origins, PNNL has grown into a multi-program science and engineering enterprise that utilizes this diversity to strengthen the international safeguards regime. Today, PNNL supports the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in its mission to provide assurances to the international community that nations domore » not use nuclear materials and equipment outside of peaceful uses. PNNL also serves in the IAEA’s Network of Analytical Laboratories (NWAL) by providing analysis of environmental samples gathered around the world. PNNL is involved in safeguards research and development activities in support of many U.S. Government programs such as the National Nuclear Security Administration’s (NNSA) Office of Research and Development, NNSA Office of Nonproliferation and Arms Control, and the U.S. Support Program to IAEA Safeguards. In addition to these programs, PNNL invests internal resources including safeguards-specific training opportunities for staff, and laboratory-directed research and development funding to further ideas that may grow into new capabilities. This paper and accompanying presentation highlight some of PNNL’s contributions in technology development, implementation concepts and approaches, policy, capacity building, and human capital development, in the field of international safeguards.« less

  5. Second Quarter Hanford Seismic Report for Fiscal Year 2010

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Rohay, Alan C.; Sweeney, Mark D.; Hartshorn, Donald C.

    2010-06-30

    The Hanford Seismic Assessment Program (HSAP) provides an uninterrupted collection of high-quality raw and processed seismic data from the Hanford Seismic Network for the U.S. Department of Energy and its contractors. The HSAP is responsible for locating and identifying sources of seismic activity and monitoring changes in the historical pattern of seismic activity at the Hanford Site. The data are compiled, archived, and published for use by the Hanford Site for waste management, natural phenomena hazards assessments, and engineering design and construction. In addition, the HSAP works with the Hanford Site Emergency Services Organization to provide assistance in the eventmore » of a significant earthquake on the Hanford Site. The Hanford Seismic Network and the Eastern Washington Regional Network consist of 44 individual sensor sites and 15 radio relay sites maintained by the Hanford Seismic Assessment Team. The Hanford Seismic Network recorded 90 local earthquakes during the second quarter of FY 2010. Eighty-one of these earthquakes were detected in the vicinity of Wooded Island, located about eight miles north of Richland just west of the Columbia River. The Wooded Island events recorded this quarter were a continuation of the swarm events observed during the 2009 and 2010 fiscal years and reported in previous quarterly and annual reports (Rohay et al; 2009a, 2009b, 2009c, and 2010). Most of the events were considered minor (coda-length magnitude [Mc] less than 1.0) with only 1 event in the 2.0-3.0 range; the maximum magnitude event (3.0 Mc) occurred February 4, 2010 at depth 2.4 km. The average depth of the Wooded Island events during the quarter was 1.6 km with a maximum depth estimated at 3.5 km. This placed the Wooded Island events within the Columbia River Basalt Group (CRBG). The low magnitude of the Wooded Island events has made them undetectable to all but local area residents. The Hanford Strong Motion Accelerometer (SMA) network was triggered several times by these events and the SMA recordings are discussed in section 6.0. During the last year some Hanford employees working within a few miles of the swarm area and individuals living directly across the Columbia River from the swarm center have reported feeling many of the larger magnitude events. Similar earthquake swarms have been recorded near this same location in 1970, 1975 and 1988 but not with SMA readings or satellite imagery. Prior to the 1970s, earthquake swarms may have occurred at this location or elsewhere in the Columbia Basin, but equipment was not in place to record those events. The Wooded Island swarm, due its location and the limited magnitude of the events, does not appear to pose any significant risk to Hanford waste storage facilities. Since swarms of the past did not intensify in magnitude, seismologists do not expect that these events will persist or increase in intensity. However, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) will continue to monitor the activity. Outside of the Wooded Island swarm, nine earthquakes were recorded, seven minor events plus two events with magnitude less than 2.0 Mc. Two earthquakes were located at shallow depths (less than 4 km), three earthquakes at intermediate depths (between 4 and 9 km), most likely in the pre-basalt sediments, and four earthquakes were located at depths greater than 9 km, within the basement. Geographically, six earthquakes were located in known swarm areas and three earthquakes were classified as random events.« less

  6. Hanford Single Shell Tank Leak Causes and Locations - 241-TX Farm

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Girardot, C. L.; Harlow, D> G.

    This document identifies 241-TX Tank Farm (TX Farm) leak causes and locations for the 100 series leaking tanks (241-TX-107 and 241-TX-114) identified in RPP-RPT-50870, Rev. 0, Hanford 241-TX Farm Leak Inventory Assessment Report. This document satisfies the TX Farm portion of the target (T04) in the Hanford Federal Facility Agreement and Consent Order milestone M-045-91F.

  7. PNNL Supports Hanford Waste Treatment

    ScienceCinema

    None

    2018-04-16

    For more than 40 years, technical assistance from PNNL has supported the operations and processing of Hanford tank waste. Our expertise in tank waste chemistry, fluid dynamics and scaling, waste forms, and safety bases has helped to shape the site’s waste treatment baseline and solve operational challenges. The historical knowledge and unique scientific and technical expertise at PNNL are essential to the success of the Hanford mission.

  8. Vascular Plants of the Hanford Site

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Sackschewsky, Michael R.; Downs, Janelle L.

    This report provides an updated listing of the vascular plants present on and near the U.S. Department of Energy Hanford Site. This document is an update of a listing of plants prepared by Sackschewdky et al. in 1992. Since that time there has been a significant increase in the botanical knowledge of the Hanford Site. The present listing is based on an examination of herbarium collections held at PNNL, at WSU-Tri Cities, WSU-Pullman, Bringham Young University, and The University of Washington, and on examination of ecological literature derived from the Hanford and Benton county areas over the last 100 years.more » Based on the most recent analysis, there are approximately 725 different plant species that have been documented on or around the Hanford Site. This represents an approximate 20% increase in the number of species reported within Sackschewsky et al. (1992). This listing directly supports DOE and contractor efforts to assess the potential impacts of Hanford Site operations on the biological environment, including impacts to rare habitats and to species listed as endangered or\\ threatened. This document includes a listing of plants currently listed as endangered, threatened, or otherwise of concern to the Washington Natural Heritage Program or the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, as well as those that are currently listed as noxious weeds by the State of Washington. Also provided is an overview of how plants on the Hanford Site can be used by people. This information may be useful in developing risk assessment models, and as supporting information for clean-up level and remediation decisions.« less

  9. Science to Support DOE Site Cleanup: The Pacific Northwest National Laboratory Environmental Management Science Program Awards-Fiscal Year 1999 Mid-Year Progress Report

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Peurrung, L.M.

    1999-06-30

    Pacific Northwest National Laboratory was awarded ten Environmental Management Science Program (EMSP) research grants in fiscal year 1996, six in fiscal year 1997, and eight in fiscal year 1998. This section summarizes how each grant addresses significant U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) cleanup issues, including those at the Hanford Site. The technical progress made to date in each of these research projects is addressed in more detail in the individual progress reports contained in this document. This research is focused primarily in five areas: Tank Waste Remediation, Decontamination and Decommissioning, Spent Nuclear Fuel and Nuclear Materials, Soil and Groundwater Cleanmore » Up, and Health Effects.« less

  10. National Register of Historic Places multiple property documentation form -- Historic, archaeological, and traditional cultural properties of the Hanford Site, Washington

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Nickens, P.R.

    The US Department of Energy`s Hanford Site encompasses an area of 560 square miles on the Columbia River in southeastern Washington. Since 1943, the Hanford Site has existed as a protected area for activities primarily related to the production of radioactive materials for national defense uses. For cultural resources on the Hanford Site, establishment of the nuclear reservation as a high security area, with public access restricted, has resulted in a well-protected status, although no deliberate resource protection measures were in effect to mitigate effects of facilities construction and associated activities. Thus, the Hanford Site contains an extensive record ofmore » aboriginal archaeological sites and Native American cultural properties, along with pre-Hanford Euro-American sites (primarily archaeological in nature with the removal of most pre-1943 structures), and a considerable number of Manhattan Project/Cold War era buildings and structures. The recent mission change from production to clean up and disposal of DOE lands created a critical need for development and implementation of new and different cultural resource management strategies. DOE-RL has undertaken a preservation planning effort for the Hanford Site. The intent of this Plan is to enable DOE-RL to organize data and develop goals, objectives, and priorities for the identification, evaluation, registration, protection, preservation, and enhancement of the Site`s historical and cultural properties. Decisions made about the identification, evaluation, registration and treatment of historic properties are most aptly made when relationships between individual properties and other similar properties are considered. The historic context and the multiple property documentation (NTD) process provides DOE-RL the organizational framework for these decisions. Once significant patterns are identified, contexts developed, and expected properties are defined, the NTD process provides the foundation for future decisions concerning the management of significant cultural resources on the Hanford Site.« less

  11. Development of occupational exposure limits for the Hanford tank farms.

    PubMed

    Still, Kenneth R; Gardner, Donald E; Snyder, Robert; Anderson, Thomas J; Honeyman, James O; Timchalk, Charles

    2010-04-01

    Production of plutonium for the United States' nuclear weapons program from the 1940s to the 1980s generated 53 million gallons of radioactive chemical waste, which is stored in 177 underground tanks at the Hanford site in southeastern Washington State. Recent attempts to begin the retrieval and treatment of these wastes require moving the waste to more modern tanks and result in potential exposure of the workers to unfamiliar odors emanating from headspace in the tanks. Given the unknown risks involved, workers were placed on supplied air respiratory protection. CH2MHILL, the managers of the Hanford site tank farms, asked an Independent Toxicology Panel (ITP) to assist them in issues relating to an industrial hygiene and risk assessment problem. The ITP was called upon to help determine the risk of exposure to vapors from the tanks, and in general develop a strategy for solution of the problem. This paper presents the methods used to determine the chemicals of potential concern (COPCs) and the resultant development of screening values and Acceptable Occupational Exposure Limits (AOELs) for these COPCs. A total of 1826 chemicals were inventoried and evaluated. Over 1500 chemicals were identified in the waste tanks headspaces and more than 600 of these were assigned screening values; 72 of these compounds were recommended for AOEL development. Included in this list of 72 were 57 COPCs identified by the ITP and of these 47 were subsequently assigned AOELs. An exhaustive exposure assessment strategy was developed by the CH2MHILL industrial hygiene department to evaluate these COPCs.

  12. OVERVIEW OF HANFORD SINGLE SHELL TANK (SST) STRUCTURAL INTEGRITY - 12123

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    RAST RS; RINKER MW; WASHENFELDER DJ

    2012-01-25

    To improve the understanding of the single-shell tanks (SSTs) integrity, Washington River Protection Solutions, LLC (WRPS), the USDOE Hanford Site tank contractor, developed an enhanced Single-Shell Tank Integrity Project in 2009. An expert panel on SST integrity, consisting of various subject matters experts in industry and academia, was created to provide recommendations supporting the development of the project. This panel developed 33 recommendations in four main areas of interest: structural integrity, liner degradation, leak integrity and prevention, and mitigation of contamination migration. Seventeen of these recommendations were used to develop the basis for the M-45-10-1 Change Package for the Hanfordmore » Federal Agreement and Compliance Order, which is also known as the Tri-Party Agreement. The structural integrity of the tanks is a key element in completing the cleanup mission at the Hanford Site. There are eight primary recommendations related to the structural integrity of Hanford SSTs. Six recommendations are being implemented through current and planned activities. The structural integrity of the Hanford SSTs is being evaluated through analysis, monitoring, inspection, materials testing, and construction document review. Structural evaluation in the form of analysis is performed using modern finite element models generated in ANSYS{reg_sign} The analyses consider in-situ, thermal, operating loads and natural phenomena such as earthquakes. Structural analysis of 108 of 149 Hanford SSTs has concluded that the tanks are structurally sound and meet current industry standards. Analyses of the remaining Hanford SSTs are scheduled for FY2013. Hanford SSTs are monitored through a dome deflection program. The program looks for deflections of the tank dome greater than 1/4 inch. No such deflections have been recorded. The tanks are also subjected to visual inspection. Digital cameras record the interior surface of the concrete tank domes, looking for cracks and other surface conditions that may indicate signs of structural distress. The condition of the concrete and rebar of the Hanford SSTs is currently being tested and planned for additional activities in the near future. Concrete and rebar removed from the dome of a 65-year-old tank is being tested for mechanics properties and condition. Results indicated stronger than designed concrete with additional Petrographic examination and rebar testing ongoing. Material properties determined from previous efforts combined with current testing and construction document review will help to generate a database that will provide continuing indication of Hanford SST structural integrity.« less

  13. Removal of the Plutonium Recycle Test Reactor - 13031

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Herzog, C. Brad; Guercia, Rudolph; LaCome, Matt

    2013-07-01

    The 309 Facility housed the Plutonium Recycle Test Reactor (PRTR), an operating test reactor in the 300 Area at Hanford, Washington. The reactor first went critical in 1960 and was originally used for experiments under the Hanford Site Plutonium Fuels Utilization Program. The facility was decontaminated and decommissioned in 1988-1989, and the facility was deactivated in 1994. The 309 facility was added to Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) response actions as established in an Interim Record of Decision (IROD) and Action Memorandum (AM). The IROD directs a remedial action for the 309 facility, associated waste sites, associatedmore » underground piping and contaminated soils resulting from past unplanned releases. The AM directs a removal action through physical demolition of the facility, including removal of the reactor. Both CERCLA actions are implemented in accordance with U.S. EPA approved Remedial Action Work Plan, and the Remedial Design Report / Remedial Action Report associated with the Hanford 300-FF-2 Operable Unit. The selected method for remedy was to conventionally demolish above grade structures including the easily distinguished containment vessel dome, remove the PRTR and a minimum of 300 mm (12 in) of shielding as a single 560 Ton unit, and conventionally demolish the below grade structure. Initial sample core drilling in the Bio-Shield for radiological surveys showed evidence that the Bio-Shield was of sound structure. Core drills for the separation process of the PRTR from the 309 structure began at the deck level and revealed substantial thermal degradation of at least the top 1.2 m (4LF) of Bio-Shield structure. The degraded structure combined with the original materials used in the Bio-Shield would not allow for a stable structure to be extracted. The water used in the core drilling process proved to erode the sand mixture of the Bio-Shield leaving the steel aggregate to act as ball bearings against the core drill bit. A redesign is being completed to extract the 309 PRTR and entire Bio-Shield structure together as one monolith weighing 1100 Ton by cutting structural concrete supports. In addition, the PRTR has hundreds of contaminated process tubes and pipes that have to be severed to allow for a uniformly flush fit with a lower lifting frame. Thirty-two 50 mm (2 in) core drills must be connected with thirty-two wire saw cuts to allow for lifting columns to be inserted. Then eight primary saw cuts must be completed to severe the PRTR from the 309 Facility. Once the weight of the PRTR is transferred to the lifting frame, then the PRTR may be lifted out of the facility. The critical lift will be executed using four 450 Ton strand jacks mounted on a 9 m (30 LF) tall mobile lifting frame that will allow the PRTR to be transported by eight 600 mm (24 in) Slide Shoes. The PRTR will then be placed on a twenty-four line, double wide, self powered Goldhofer for transfer to the onsite CERCLA Disposal Cell (ERDF Facility), approximately 33 km (20 miles) away. (authors)« less

  14. Transuranic Contamination in Sediment and Groundwater at the U.S. DOE Hanford Site

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Cantrell, Kirk J.

    2009-08-20

    A review of transuranic radionuclide contamination in sediments and groundwater at the DOE’s Hanford Site was conducted. The review focused primarily on plutonium-239/240 and americium-241; however, other transuranic nuclides were discussed as well, including neptunium-237, plutonium-238, and plutonium-241. The scope of the review included liquid process wastes intentionally disposed to constructed waste disposal facilities such as trenches and cribs, burial grounds, and unplanned releases to the ground surface. The review did not include liquid wastes disposed to tanks or solid wastes disposed to burial grounds. It is estimated that over 11,800 Ci of plutonium-239, 28,700 Ci of americium-241, and 55more » Ci of neptunium-237 have been disposed as liquid waste to the near surface environment at the Hanford Site. Despite the very large quantities of transuranic contaminants disposed to the vadose zone at Hanford, only minuscule amounts have entered the groundwater. Currently, no wells onsite exceed the DOE derived concentration guide for plutonium-239/240 (30 pCi/L) or any other transuranic contaminant in filtered samples. The DOE derived concentration guide was exceeded by a small fraction in unfiltered samples from one well (299-E28-23) in recent years (35.4 and 40.4 pCi/L in FY 2006). The primary reason that disposal of these large quantities of transuranic radionuclides directly to the vadose zone at the Hanford Site has not resulted in widespread groundwater contamination is that under the typical oxidizing and neutral to slightly alkaline pH conditions of the Hanford vadose zone, transuranic radionuclides (plutonium and americium in particular) have a very low solubility and high affinity for surface adsorption to mineral surfaces common within the Hanford vadose zone. Other important factors are the fact that the vadose zone is typically very thick (hundreds of feet) and the net infiltration rate is very low due to the desert climate. In some cases where transuranic radionuclides have been co-disposed with acidic liquid waste, transport through the vadose zone for considerable distances has occurred. For example, at the 216-Z-9 Crib, plutonium-239 and americium-241 have moved to depths in excess of 36 m (118 ft) bgs. Acidic conditions increase the solubility of these contaminants and reduce adsorption to mineral surfaces. Subsequent neutralization of the acidity by naturally occurring calcite in the vadose zone (particularly in the Cold Creek unit) appears to have effectively stopped further migration. The vast majority of transuranic contaminants disposed to the vadose zone on the Hanford Site (10,200 Ci [86%] of plutonium-239; 27,900 Ci [97%] of americium-241; and 41.8 Ci [78%] of neptunium-237) were disposed in sites within the PFP Closure Zone. This closure zone is located within the 200 West Area (see Figures 1.1 and 3.1). Other closure zones with notably high quantities of transuranic contaminant disposal include the T Farm Zone with 408 Ci (3.5%) plutonium-239, the PUREX Zone with 330 Ci (2.8%) plutonium-239, 200-W Ponds Zone with 324 Ci (2.8%) plutonium-239, B Farm Zone with 183 Ci (1.6%) plutonium-239, and the REDOX Zone with 164 Ci (1.4%) plutonium 239. Characterization studies for most of the sites reviewed in the document are generally limited. The most prevalent characterization methods used were geophysical logging methods. Characterization of a number of sites included laboratory analysis of borehole sediment samples specifically for radionuclides and other contaminants, and geologic and hydrologic properties. In some instances, more detailed research level studies were conducted. Results of these studies were summarized in the document.« less

  15. HANFORD WASTE MINERALOGY REFERENCE REPORT

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    DISSELKAMP RS

    2010-06-29

    This report lists the observed mineral phases present in the Hanford tanks. This task was accomplished by performing a review of numerous reports that used experimental techniques including, but not limited to: x-ray diffraction, polarized light microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, energy dispersive spectroscopy, electron energy loss spectroscopy, and particle size distribution analyses. This report contains tables that can be used as a quick reference to identify the crystal phases observed in Hanford waste.

  16. HANFORD WASTE MINEROLOGY REFERENCE REPORT

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    DISSELKAMP RS

    2010-06-18

    This report lists the observed mineral phase phases present in the Hanford tanks. This task was accomplished by performing a review of numerous reports using experimental techniques including, but not limited to: x-ray diffraction, polarized light microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, energy dispersive spectroscopy, electron energy loss spectroscopy, and particle size distribution analyses. This report contains tables that can be used as a quick reference to identify the crystal phases present observed in Hanford waste.

  17. DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    SAMS TL; GUILLOT S

    Scoping laboratory scale tests were performed at the Chemical Engineering Department of the Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech), and the Hanford 222-S Laboratory, involving double-shell tank (DST) and single-shell tank (SST) Hanford waste simulants. These tests established the viability of the Lithium Hydrotalcite precipitation process as a solution to remove aluminum and recycle sodium hydroxide from the Hanford tank waste, and set the basis of a validation test campaign to demonstrate a Technology Readiness Level of 3.

  18. N Reactor Deactivation Program Plan. Revision 4

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Walsh, J.L.

    1993-12-01

    This N Reactor Deactivation Program Plan is structured to provide the basic methodology required to place N Reactor and supporting facilities {center_dot} in a radiologically and environmentally safe condition such that they can be decommissioned at a later date. Deactivation will be in accordance with facility transfer criteria specified in Department of Energy (DOE) and Westinghouse Hanford Company (WHC) guidance. Transition activities primarily involve shutdown and isolation of operational systems and buildings, radiological/hazardous waste cleanup, N Fuel Basin stabilization and environmental stabilization of the facilities. The N Reactor Deactivation Program covers the period FY 1992 through FY 1997. The directivemore » to cease N Reactor preservation and prepare for decommissioning was issued by DOE to WHC on September 20, 1991. The work year and budget data supporting the Work Breakdown Structure in this document are found in the Activity Data Sheets (ADS) and the Environmental Restoration Program Baseline, that are prepared annually.« less

  19. Ecological risks of DOE`s programmatic environmental restoration alternatives

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Not Available

    1994-06-01

    This report assesses the ecological risks of the Department of Energy`s (DOE) Environmental Restoration Program. The assessment is programmatic in that it is directed at evaluation of the broad programmatic alternatives outlined in the DOE Implementation Plan. It attempts to (1) characterize the ecological resources present on DOE facilities, (2) describe the occurrence and importance of ecologically significant contamination at major DOE facilities, (3) evaluate the adverse ecological impacts of habitat disturbance caused by remedial activities, and (4) determine whether one or another of the programmatic alternatives is clearly ecologically superior to the others. The assessment focuses on six representativemore » facilities: the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory (INEL); the Fernald Environmental Management Project (FEMP); the Oak Ridge Reservation (ORR), including the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Y-12 plant, and K-25 plant; the Rocky Flats Plant; the Hanford Reservation; and the Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plant.« less

  20. Council of Energy Resources Tribes 1993 summer internship report: Nez Perce Tribe

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Crow, J.S.

    1993-08-01

    This paper is designed to be a working part of a larger project which would deal with the topic of Tribal interests affected by the DOE Environmental Restoration and Waste Management program and the approaches by which those Tribal interests can be advanced. Topics discussed in this paper include: background history of the Nez Perce Tribe`s relations with the US government; a Nez Perce view of tribal interests affected by DOE activities at Hanford; and a Nez Perce framework for private/governmental/tribal interest.

  1. Effects of pore-scale physics on uranium geochemistry in Hanford sediments

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Hu, Qinhong; Ewing, Robert P.

    Overall, this work examines a key scientific issue, mass transfer limitations at the pore-scale, using both new instruments with high spatial resolution, and new conceptual and modeling paradigms. The complementary laboratory and numerical approaches connect pore-scale physics to macroscopic measurements, providing a previously elusive scale integration. This Exploratory research project produced five peer-reviewed journal publications and eleven scientific presentations. This work provides new scientific understanding, allowing the DOE to better incorporate coupled physical and chemical processes into decision making for environmental remediation and long-term stewardship.

  2. Safe and Effective Deactivation of Metallic Sodium Filled Scrap and Cold Traps From Sodium-cooled Nuclear Reactor D and D - 12176

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Nester, Dean; Crocker, Ben; Smart, Bill

    2012-07-01

    As part of the Plateau Remediation Project at US Department of Energy's Hanford, Washington site, CH2M Hill Plateau Remediation Company (CHPRC) contracted with IMPACT Services, LLC to receive and deactivate approximately 28 cubic meters of sodium metal contaminated debris from two sodium-cooled research reactors (Enrico Fermi Unit 1 and the Fast Flux Test Facility) which had been stored at Hanford for over 25 years. CHPRC found an off-site team composed of IMPACT Services and Commodore Advanced Sciences, Inc., with the facilities and technological capabilities to safely and effectively perform deactivation of this sodium metal contaminated debris. IMPACT Services provided themore » licensed fixed facility and the logistical support required to receive, store, and manage the waste materials before treatment, and the characterization, manifesting, and return shipping of the cleaned material after treatment. They also provided a recycle outlet for the liquid sodium hydroxide byproduct resulting from removal of the sodium from reactor parts. Commodore Advanced Sciences, Inc. mobilized their patented AMANDA unit to the IMPACT Services site and operated the unit to perform the sodium removal process. Approximately 816 Kg of metallic sodium were removed and converted to sodium hydroxide, and the project was accomplished in 107 days, from receipt of the first shipment at the IMPACT Services facility to the last outgoing shipment of deactivated scrap metal. There were no safety incidents of any kind during the performance of this project. The AMANDA process has been demonstrated in this project to be both safe and effective for deactivation of sodium and NaK. It has also been used in other venues to treat other highly reactive alkali metals, such as lithium (Li), potassium (K), NaK and Cesium (Cs). (authors)« less

  3. DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Johnson, Bradley R.

    The Hidden Cost of Nuclear Weapons The Cold War arms race drove an intense plutonium production program in the U.S. This campaign produced approximately 100 tons of plutonium over 40 years. The epicenter of plutonium production in the United States was the Hanford site, a 586 square mile reservation owned by the Department of Energy and located on the Colombia River in Southeastern Washington. Plutonium synthesis relied on nuclear reactors to convert uranium to plutonium within the reactor fuel rods. After a sufficient amount of conversion occurred, the rods were removed from the reactor and allowed to cool. They weremore » then dissolved in an acid bath and chemically processed to separate and purify plutonium from the rest of the constituents in the used reactor fuel. The acidic waste was then neutralized using sodium hydroxide and the resulting mixture of liquids and precipitates (small insoluble particles) was stored in huge underground waste tanks. The byproducts of the U.S. plutonium production campaign include over 53 million gallons of high-level radioactive waste stored in 177 large underground tanks at Hanford and another 34 million gallons stored at the Savannah River Site in South Carolina. This legacy nuclear waste represents one of the largest environmental clean-up challenges facing the world today. The nuclear waste in the Hanford tanks is a mixture of liquids and precipitates that have settled into sludge. Some of these tanks are now over 60 years old and a small number of them are leaking radioactive waste into the ground and contaminating the environment. The solution to this nuclear waste challenge is to convert the mixture of solids and liquids into a durable material that won't disperse into the environment and create hazards to the biosphere. What makes this difficult is the fact that the radioactive half-lives of some of the radionuclides in the waste are thousands to millions of years long. (The half-life of a radioactive substance is the amount of time it takes for one-half of the material to undergo radioactive decay.) In general, the ideal material would need to be durable for approximately 10 half-lives to allow the activity to decay to negligible levels. However, the potential health effects of each radionuclide vary depending on what type of radiation is emitted, the energy of that emission, and the susceptibility for the human body to accumulate and concentrate that particular element. Consequently, actual standards tend to be based on limiting the dose (energy deposited per unit mass) that is introduced into the environment. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has the responsibility to establish standards for nuclear waste disposal to protect the health and safety of the public. For example, the Energy Policy Act of 1992 directed the EPA to establish radiation protection standards for the Yucca Mountain geologic repository for nuclear wastes. The standards for Yucca Mountain were promulgated in 2008, and limit the dose to 15 millirem per year for the first 10,000 years, and 100 milirem per year between 10,000 years and 1 million years (40 CFR Part 197; http://www.epa.gov/radiation/yucca/2008factsheet.html). So, the challenge is two-fold: (1) develop a material (a waste form) that is capable of immobilizing the waste over geologic time scales, and (2) develop a process to convert the radioactive sludge in the tanks into this durable waste form material. Glass: Hard, durable, inert, and with infinite chemical versatility Molten glass is a powerful solvent liquid, which can be designed to dissolve almost anything. When solidified, it can be one of the most chemically inert substances known to man. Nature's most famous analogue to glass is obsidian, a vitreous product of volcanic activity; formations over 17 million years old have been found. Archaeologists have found man-made glass specimens that are five thousand years old.« less

  4. LONG-TERM STEWARDSHIP AT DOE HANFORD SITE - 12575

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    MOREN RJ; GRINDSTAFF KD

    2012-01-11

    The U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Hanford Site is located in southeast Washington and consists of 1,518 square kilometers (586 square miles) of land. Established in 1943 as part of the Manhattan Project, Hanford workers produced plutonium for our nation's nuclear defense program until the mid 1980's. Since then, the site has been in cleanup mode that is being accomplished in phases. As we achieve remedial objectives and complete active cleanup, DOE will manage Hanford land under the Long-Term Stewardship (LTS) Program until completion of cleanup and the site becomes ready for transfer to the post cleanup landlord - currentlymore » planned for DOE's Office of Legacy Management (LM). We define Hanford's LTS Program in the ''Hanford Long-Term Stewardship Program Plan,'' (DOE/RL-201 0-35)[1], which describes the scope including the relationship between the cleanup projects and the LTS Program. DOE designed the LTS Program to manage and provide surveillance and maintenance (S&M) of institutional controls and associated monitoring of closed waste sites to ensure the protection of human health and the environment. DOE's Richland Operations Office (DOE-RL) and Hanford cleanup and operations contractors collaboratively developed this program over several years. The program's scope also includes 15 key activities that are identified in the DOE Program Plan (DOE/RL-2010-35). The LTS Program will transition 14 land segments through 2016. The combined land mass is approximately 570 square kilometers (220 square miles), with over 1,300 active and inactive waste sites and 3,363 wells. Land segments vary from buffer zone property with no known contamination to cocooned reactor buildings, demolished support facilities, and remediated cribs and trenches. DOE-RL will transition land management responsibilities from cleanup contractors to the Mission Support Contract (MSC), who will then administer the LTS Program for DOE-RL. This process requires an environment of cooperation between the contractors and DOE-RL. Information Management (IM) is a key part of the LTS program. The IM Program identifies, locates, stores, protects and makes accessible Hanford LTS records and data to support the transfer of property ultimately to LM. As such, DOE-RL manages the Hanford LTS Program in a manner consistent with LM's goals, policies, and procedures.« less

  5. Deep Vadose Zone Treatability Test for the Hanford Central Plateau: Interim Post-Desiccation Monitoring Results, Fiscal Year 2014

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Truex, Michael J.; Strickland, Christopher E.; Johnson, Christian D.

    Over decades of operation, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and its predecessors have released nearly 2 trillion L (450 billion gal.) of liquid into the vadose zone at the Hanford Site. Much of this discharge of liquid waste into the vadose zone occurred in the Central Plateau, a 200 km 2 (75 mi 2) area that includes approximately 800 waste sites. Some of the inorganic and radionuclide contaminants in the deep vadose zone at the Hanford Site are at depths below the limit of direct exposure pathways, but may need to be remediated to protect groundwater. The Tri-Party Agenciesmore » (DOE, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and Washington State Department of Ecology) established Milestone M 015 50, which directed DOE to submit a treatability test plan for remediation of technetium-99 (Tc-99) and uranium in the deep vadose zone. These contaminants are mobile in the subsurface environment and have been detected at high concentrations deep in the vadose zone, and at some locations have reached groundwater. Testing technologies for remediating Tc-99 and uranium will also provide information relevant for remediating other contaminants in the vadose zone. A field test of desiccation is being conducted as an element of the DOE test plan published in March 2008 to meet Milestone M 015 50. The active desiccation portion of the test has been completed. Monitoring data have been collected at the field test site during the post-desiccation period and are reported herein. This is an interim data summary report that includes about 3 years of post-desiccation monitoring data. The DOE field test plan proscribes a total of 5 years of post-desiccation monitoring.« less

  6. The 100-C-7 Remediation Project. An Overview of One of DOE's Largest Remediation Projects - 13260

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Post, Thomas C.; Strom, Dean; Beulow, Laura

    The U.S. Department of Energy Richland Operations Office (RL), U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Washington Closure Hanford LLC (WCH) completed remediation of one of the largest waste sites in the U.S. Department of Energy complex. The waste site, 100-C-7, covers approximately 15 football fields and was excavated to a depth of 85 feet (groundwater). The project team removed a total of 2.3 million tons of clean and contaminated soil, concrete debris, and scrap metal. 100-C-7 lies in Hanford's 100 B/C Area, home to historic B and C Reactors. The waste site was excavated in two parts as 100-C-7 andmore » 100-C-7:1. The pair of excavations appear like pit mines. Mining engineers were hired to design their tiered sides, with safety benches every 17 feet and service ramps which allowed equipment access to the bottom of the excavations. The overall cleanup project was conducted over a span of almost 10 years. A variety of site characterization, excavation, load-out and sampling methodologies were employed at various stages of remediation. Alternative technologies were screened and evaluated during the project. A new method for cost effectively treating soils was implemented - resulting in significant cost savings. Additional opportunities for minimizing waste streams and recycling were identified and effectively implemented by the project team. During the final phase of cleanup the project team applied lessons learned throughout the entire project to address the final, remaining source of chromium contamination. The C-7 cleanup now serves as a model for remediating extensive deep zone contamination sites at Hanford. (authors)« less

  7. A preliminary survey of selected structures on the Hanford Site for Townsend`s big-eared bat (Plecotus townsendii)

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Becker, J.M.

    A preliminary survey of selected structures on the Hanford Site for Townsend`s big-wed bat (Plecotus townsendii) was conducted by Pacific Northwest Laboratory (PNL) in August and September 1993. The Westinghouse Hanford Company (WHC) commissioned PNL to evaluate the potential for this bat, a candidate for federal protection, to occur in buildings potentially affected by decontamination and decommissioning operations under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA). The project involved identifying structures that contained bats and determining whether Townsend`s big-eared bats were among those present. The survey focused on deactivated reactors, other buildings in the 100D and 100K Areas,more » canyon buildings in the 200 Areas, and other structures reported to contain bats. During this six-week survey, Townsend`s big-wed bat was not located. However, some structures likely to contain bat colonies were unable to be surveyed and others were only partially surveyed. These require further investigation over a longer period of time before a final determination on this species can be made. Of the buildings surveyed, the reactors and their associated buildings provided roosting sites most used by bats. No bats were found in canyon buildings in the 200 areas. These buildings are occupied, well-lighted, and offer few entrances for bats. They are also probably too distant from the Columbia River Shoreline, which constitutes the most important bat foraging habitat. We recommend that the remaining reactors and buildings, with emphasis on subterranean tunnels and basements, be surveyed during a more extended time period, i.e., June through September 1994.« less

  8. Hanford Spent Nuclear Fuel Project recommended path forward

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Fulton, J.C.

    The Spent Nuclear Fuel Project (the Project), in conjunction with the U.S. Department of Energy-commissioned Independent Technical Assessment (ITA) team, has developed engineered alternatives for expedited removal of spent nuclear fuel, including sludge, from the K Basins at Hanford. These alternatives, along with a foreign processing alternative offered by British Nuclear Fuels Limited (BNFL), were extensively reviewed and evaluated. Based on these evaluations, a Westinghouse Hanford Company (WHC) Recommended Path Forward for K Basins spent nuclear fuel has been developed and is presented in Volume I of this document. The recommendation constitutes an aggressive series of projects to construct andmore » operate systems and facilities to safely retrieve, package, transport, process, and store K Basins fuel and sludge. The overall processing and storage scheme is based on the ITA team`s proposed passivation and vault storage process. A dual purpose staging and vault storage facility provides an innovative feature which allows accelerated removal of fuel and sludge from the basins and minimizes programmatic risks beyond any of the originally proposed alternatives. The projects fit within a regulatory and National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) overlay which mandates a two-phased approach to construction and operation of the needed facilities. The two-phase strategy packages and moves K Basins fuel and sludge to a newly constructed Staging and Storage Facility by the year 2000 where it is staged for processing. When an adjoining facility is constructed, the fuel is cycled through a stabilization process and returned to the Staging and Storage Facility for dry interim (40-year) storage. The estimated total expenditure for this Recommended Path Forward, including necessary new construction, operations, and deactivation of Project facilities through 2012, is approximately $1,150 million (unescalated).« less

  9. GROUNDWATER REMEDIATION SOLUTIONS AT HANFORD

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Gilmore, Tyler J.; Truex, Michael J.; Williams, Mark D.

    2007-02-26

    In 2006, Congress provided funding to the U. S. Department of Energy (DOE) to study new technologies that could be used to treat contamination from the Hanford Site that might impact the Columbia River. The contaminants of concern are primarily metals and radionuclides, which are byproducts of Hanford’s cold war mission to produce plutonium for atomic weapons. The DOE asked Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) to consider this problem and develop approaches to address the contamination that threatens the river. DOE identified three high priority sites that had groundwater contamination migrating towards the Columbia river for remediation. The contaminants includedmore » strontium-90, uranium and chromium. Remediation techniques for metals and radionuclides focus primarily on altering the oxidation state of the contaminant chemically or biologically, isolating the contaminants from the environment through adsorption or encapsulation or concentrating the contaminants for removal. A natural systems approach was taken that uses a mass balance concept to frame the problem and determine the most appropriate remedial approach. This approach provides for a scientifically based remedial decision. The technologies selected to address these contaminants included an apatite adsorption barrier coupled with a phytoremediation to address the strontium-90 contamination, injection of polyphosphate into the subsurface to sequester uranium, and a bioremediation approach to reduce chromium contamination in the groundwater. The ability to provide scientifically based approaches is in large part due to work developed under previous DOE Office of Science and Office of Environmental Management projects. For example, the polyphosphate and the bioremediation techniques, were developed by PNNL under the EMSP and NABIR programs. Contaminated groundwater under the Hanford Site poses a potential risk to humans and the Columbia River. These new technologies holds great promise for effectively remediating the residual waste that threatens the environment.« less

  10. Colloid formation in Hanford sediments reacted with simulated tank waste.

    PubMed

    Mashal, Kholoud; Harsh, James B; Flury, Markus; Felmy, Andrew R; Zhao, Hongting

    2004-11-01

    Solutions of high pH, ionic strength, and aluminum concentration have leaked into the subsurface from underground waste storage tanks atthe Hanford Reservation in Washington State. Here, we test the hypothesis that these waste solutions alter and dissolve the native minerals present in the sediments and that colloidal (diameter < 2 microm) feldspathoids form. We reacted Hanford sediments with simulated solutions representative of Hanford waste tanks. The solutions consisted of 1.4 or 2.8 mol/kg NaOH, 0.125 or 0.25 mol/kg NaAlO4, and 3.7 mol/kg NaNO3 and were contacted with the sediments for a period of 25 or 40 days at 50 degrees C. The colloidal size fraction was separated from the sediments and characterized in terms of mineralogy, morphology, chemical composition, and electrophoretic mobility. Upon reaction with tank waste solutions, native minerals released Si and other elements into the solution phase. This Si precipitated with the Al present in the waste solutions to form secondary minerals, identified as the feldspathoids cancrinite and sodalite. The solution phase was modeled with the chemical equilibrium model GMIN for solution speciation and saturation indices with respect to sodalite and cancrinite. The amount of colloidal material in the sediments increased upon reaction with waste solutions. At the natural pH found in Hanford sediments (pH 8) the newly formed minerals are negatively charged, similar to the unreacted colloidal material present in the sediments. The formation of colloidal material in Hanford sediments upon reaction with tank waste solutions is an important aspect to consider in the characterization of Hanford tank leaks and may affect the fate of hazardous radionuclides present in the tank waste.

  11. Review of technologies for the pretreatment of retrieved single-shell tank waste at Hanford

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Gerber, M.A.

    1992-08-01

    The purpose of the study reported here was to identify and evaluate innovative processes that could be used to pretreat mixed waste retrieved from the 149 single-shell tanks (SSTs) on the US Department of Energy's (DOE) Hanford site. The information was collected as part of the Single Shell Tank Waste Treatment project at Pacific Northwest Laboratory (PNL). The project is being conducted for Westinghouse Hanford Company under their SST Disposal Program.

  12. Review of technologies for the pretreatment of retrieved single-shell tank waste at Hanford

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Gerber, M.A.

    1992-08-01

    The purpose of the study reported here was to identify and evaluate innovative processes that could be used to pretreat mixed waste retrieved from the 149 single-shell tanks (SSTs) on the US Department of Energy`s (DOE) Hanford site. The information was collected as part of the Single Shell Tank Waste Treatment project at Pacific Northwest Laboratory (PNL). The project is being conducted for Westinghouse Hanford Company under their SST Disposal Program.

  13. QUEST Hanford Site Computer Users - What do they do?

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    WITHERSPOON, T.T.

    2000-03-02

    The Fluor Hanford Chief Information Office requested that a computer-user survey be conducted to determine the user's dependence on the computer and its importance to their ability to accomplish their work. Daily use trends and future needs of Hanford Site personal computer (PC) users was also to be defined. A primary objective was to use the data to determine how budgets should be focused toward providing those services that are truly needed by the users.

  14. DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Friedrichs, D.R.; Cole, C.R.; Arnett, R.C.

    The Hanford Pathline Calculational Program (HPCP) is a numerical model developed to predict the movement of fluid particles from one location to another within the Hanford or similar groundwater systems. As such it can be considered a simple transport model wherein only advective changes are considered. Application of the numerical HPCP to test cases for which semianalytical results are obtainable showed that with reasonable time steps and the grid spacing requirements HPCP give good agreement with the semianalytical solution. The accuracy of the HPCP results is most sensitive in areas near steep or rapidly changing potential gradients and may requiremore » finer grid spacing in those areas than for the groundwater system as a whole. Initial applications of HPCP to the Hanford groundwater flow regime show that significant differences (improvements) in the predictions of fluid particle movement are obtainable with the pathline approach (changing groundwater potential or water table surface) as opposed to the streamline approach (unchanging potential or water table surface) used in past Hanford groundwater analyses. This report documents capability developed for estimating groundwater travel times from the Hanford high-level waste areas to the Columbia River at different water table levels.« less

  15. Tank Waste Retrieval Lessons Learned at the Hanford Site

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Dodd, R.A.

    One of the environmental remediation challenges facing the nation is the retrieval and permanent disposal of approximately 90 million gallons of radioactive waste stored in underground tanks at the U. S. Department of Energy (DOE) facilities. The Hanford Site is located in southeastern Washington State and stores roughly 60 percent of this waste. An estimated 53 million gallons of high-level, transuranic, and low-level radioactive waste is stored underground in 149 single-shell tanks (SSTs) and 28 newer double-shell tanks (DSTs) at the Hanford Site. These SSTs range in size from 55,000 gallons to 1,000,000 gallon capacity. Approximately 30 million gallons ofmore » this waste is stored in SSTs. The SSTs were constructed between 1943 and 1964 and all have exceeded the nominal 20-year design life. Sixty-seven SSTs are known or suspected to have leaked an estimated 1,000,000 gallons of waste to the surrounding soil. The risk of additional SST leakage has been greatly reduced by removing more than 3 million gallons of interstitial liquids and supernatant and transferring this waste to the DST system. Retrieval of SST salt-cake and sludge waste is underway to further reduce risks and stage feed materials for the Hanford Site Waste Treatment Plant. Regulatory requirements for SST waste retrieval and tank farm closure are established in the Hanford Federal Facility Agreement and Consent Order (HFFACO), better known as the Tri- Party Agreement, or TPA. The HFFACO was signed by the DOE, the State of Washington Department of Ecology (Ecology), and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and requires retrieval of as much waste as technically possible, with waste residues not to exceed 360 ft{sup 3} in 530,000 gallon or larger tanks; 30 ft{sup 3} in 55,000 gallon or smaller tanks; or the limit of waste retrieval technology, whichever is less. If residual waste volume requirements cannot be achieved, then HFFACO Appendix H provisions can be invoked to request Ecology and EPA approval of an exception to the waste retrieval criteria for a specific tank. Tank waste retrieval has been conducted at the Hanford Site over the last few decades using a method referred to as Past Practice Hydraulic Sluicing. Past Practice Hydraulic Sluicing employs large volumes of DST supernatant and water to dislodge, dissolve, mobilize, and retrieve tank waste. Concern over the leak integrity of SSTs resulted in the need for tank waste retrieval methods capable of using smaller volumes of liquid in a more controlled manner. Retrieval of SST waste in accordance with HFFACO requirements was initiated at the Hanford Site in April 2003. New and innovative tank waste retrieval methods that minimize and control the use of liquids are being implemented for the first time. These tank waste retrieval methods replace Past Practice Hydraulic Sluicing and employ modified sluicing, vacuum retrieval, and in-tank vehicle techniques. Waste retrieval has been completed in seven Hanford Site SSTs (C-106, C-103, C-201, C-202, C-203, C-204, and S-112) in accordance with HFFACO requirements. Three additional tanks are currently in the process of being retrieved (C-108, C-109 and S-102) Preparation for retrieval of two additional SSTs (C-104 and C-110) is ongoing with retrieval operations forecasted to start in calendar year 2008. Tank C-106 was retrieved to a residual waste volume of 470 ft{sup 3} using oxalic acid dissolution and modified sluicing. An Appendix H exception request for Tank C-106 is undergoing review. Tank C-103 was retrieved to a residual volume of 351 ft{sup 3} using a modified sluicing technology. This approach was successful at reaching the TPA limits for this tank of less than 360 ft{sup 3}and the limits of the technology. Tanks C-201, C-202, C-203, and C-204 are smaller (55,000 gallon) tanks and waste removal was completed in accordance with HFFACO requirements using a vacuum retrieval system. Residual waste volumes in each of these four tanks were less than 25 ft{sup 3}. Tank S-112 retrieval was completed February 28, 2007, meeting the TPA Limits of less than 360 cu ft using salt-cake dissolution, modified sluicing, in-tank vehicle with high pressure water spray and caustic dissolution. Tanks C-108 and C-109 have been retrieved to 90% and 85% respectively. Modified sluicing was no longer effective at retrieving the remaining 5,000 to 10,000 gallons of residual. A Mobile Retrieval Tool (FoldTrac) is scheduled for installation early in 2008 to assist in breaking up chunks of waste and mobilizing the waste for transfer. Lessons learned from application of new tank waste retrieval methods are being documented and incorporated into future retrieval operations. They address all phases of retrieval including process design, equipment procurement and installation, supporting documentation, and system operations. Information is obtained through interviews with retrieval project personnel, focused workshops, review of problem evaluation requests, and evaluation of retrieval performance data. This paper presents current retrieval successes and lessons learned from retrieval of tank waste at the Hanford Site and discusses how this information is used to optimize retrieval system efficiency, improve overall cost effectiveness of retrieval operations, and ensure that HFFACO requirements are met. (authors)« less

  16. DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Rohay, Alan C.; Clayton, Ray E.; Sweeney, Mark D.

    The Hanford Seismic Assessment Program (HSAP) provides an uninterrupted collection of high-quality raw and processed seismic data from the Hanford Seismic Network for the U.S. Department of Energy and its contractors. The HSAP is responsible for locating and identifying sources of seismic activity and monitoring changes in the historical pattern of seismic activity at the Hanford Site. The data are compiled, archived, and published for use by the Hanford Site for waste management, natural phenomena hazards assessments, and engineering design and construction. In addition, the HSAP works with the Hanford Site Emergency Services Organization to provide assistance in the eventmore » of a significant earthquake on the Hanford Site. The Hanford Seismic Network and the Eastern Washington Regional Network consist of 44 individual sensor sites and 15 radio relay sites maintained by the Hanford Seismic Assessment Team. During FY 2010, the Hanford Seismic Network recorded 873 triggers on the seismometer system, which included 259 seismic events in the southeast Washington area and an additional 324 regional and teleseismic events. There were 210 events determined to be local earthquakes relevant to the Hanford Site. One hundred and fifty-five earthquakes were detected in the vicinity of Wooded Island, located about eight miles north of Richland just west of the Columbia River. The Wooded Island events recorded this fiscal year were a continuation of the swarm events observed during fiscal year 2009 and reported in previous quarterly and annual reports (Rohay et al. 2009a, 2009b, 2009c, 2010a, 2010b, and 2010c). Most events were considered minor (coda-length magnitude [Mc] less than 1.0) with the largest event recorded on February 4, 2010 (3.0Mc). The estimated depths of the Wooded Island events are shallow (averaging approximately 1.5 km deep) placing the swarm within the Columbia River Basalt Group. Based upon the last two quarters (Q3 and Q4) data, activity at the Wooded Island area swarm has largely subsided. Pacific Northwest National Laboratory will continue to monitor for activity at this location. The highest-magnitude events (3.0Mc) were recorded on February 4, 2010 within the Wooded Island swarm (depth 2.4 km) and May 8, 2010 on or near the Saddle Mountain anticline (depth 3.0 km). This latter event is not considered unusual in that earthquakes have been previously recorded at this location, for example, in October 2006 (Rohay et al. 2007). With regard to the depth distribution, 173 earthquakes were located at shallow depths (less than 4 km, most likely in the Columbia River basalts), 18 earthquakes were located at intermediate depths (between 4 and 9 km, most likely in the pre-basalt sediments), and 19 earthquakes were located at depths greater than 9 km, within the crystalline basement. Geographically, 178 earthquakes were located in known swarm areas, 4 earthquakes occurred on or near a geologic structure (Saddle Mountain anticline), and 28 earthquakes were classified as random events. The Hanford Strong Motion Accelerometer (SMA) network was triggered several times by the Wooded Island swarm events and the events located on or near the Saddle Mountain anticline. The maximum acceleration value recorded by the SMA network during fiscal year 2010 occurred February 4, 2010 (Wooded Island swarm event), approximately 2 times lower than the reportable action level for Hanford facilities (2% g) with no action required.« less

  17. Radionuclide Retention Mechanisms in Secondary Waste-Form Testing: Phase II

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Um, Wooyong; Valenta, Michelle M.; Chung, Chul-Woo

    2011-09-26

    This report describes the results from laboratory tests performed at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) for Washington River Protection Solutions (WRPS) to evaluate candidate stabilization technologies that have the potential to successfully treat liquid secondary waste stream effluents produced by the Hanford Tank Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant (WTP). WRPS is considering the design and construction of a Solidification Treatment Unit (STU) for the Effluent Treatment Facility (ETF) at Hanford. The ETF, a multi-waste, treatment-and-storage unit that has been permitted under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA), can accept dangerous, low-level, and mixed wastewaters for treatment. The STU needsmore » to be operational by 2018 to receive secondary liquid waste generated during operation of the WTP. The STU will provide the additional capacity needed for ETF to process the increased volume of secondary waste expected to be produced by WTP. This report on radionuclide retention mechanisms describes the testing and characterization results that improve understanding of radionuclide retention mechanisms, especially for pertechnetate, {sup 99}TcO{sub 4}{sup -} in four different waste forms: Cast Stone, DuraLith alkali aluminosilicate geopolymer, encapsulated fluidized bed steam reforming (FBSR) product, and Ceramicrete phosphate bonded ceramic. These data and results will be used to fill existing data gaps on the candidate technologies to support a decision-making process that will identify a subset of the candidate waste forms that are most promising and should undergo further performance testing.« less

  18. DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Girardot, Crystal L.; Harlow, Donald G.

    This document identifies 241-BY Tank Farm (BY Farm) and 241-TY Tank Farm (TY Farm) leak causes and locations for the 100 series leaking tanks (241-BY-103, 241-TY-103, 241-TY-104, 241-TY-105, and 241-TY-106) identified in RPP-RPT-43704, Hanford BY Farm Leak Assessments Report, and in RPP-RPT-42296, Hanford TY Farm Leak Assessments Report. This document satisfies the BY and TY Farm portion of the target (T04) in Hanford Federal Facility Agreement and Consent Order milestone M-045-91F.

  19. Residual herbicide study on selected Hanford Site roadsides

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Smith, J.L.; Kemp, C.J.; Sackschewsky, M.R.

    Westinghouse Hanford Company routinely treats roadsides with herbicides to control undesirable plant growth. An experiment was conducted to test perennial grass germination in soils adjacent to roadways of the Hanford Site. The primary variable was the distance from the roadside. A simple germination test was executed in a controlled-environment chamber to determine the residual effects of these applications. As expected, the greatest herbicide activity was found directly adjacent to the roadway, approximately 0 to 20 ft (0 to 6.3 m) from the roadway.

  20. DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Nichols, Will E.; Mehta, Sunil

    The updated Hanford Site Composite Analysis will provide an all-pathways dose projection to a hypothetical future member of the public from all planned low-level radioactive waste disposal facilities and potential contributions from all other projected end-state sources of radioactive material left at Hanford following site closure. Its primary purpose is to support the decision-making process of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) under DOE O 435.1-1, Radioactive Waste Management (DOE, 2001), related to managing low-level waste disposal facilities at the Hanford Site.

  1. Review of Natural Phenomena Hazard (NPH) Assessments for the DOE Hanford Site

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Snow, Robert L.; Ross, Steven B.

    2011-09-15

    The purpose of this review is to assess the need for updating Natural Phenomena Hazard (NPH) assessments for the DOE's Hanford Site, as required by DOE Order 420.1B Chapter IV, Natural Phenomena Hazards Mitigation, based on significant changes in state-of-the-art NPH assessment methodology or site-specific information. This review is an update and expansion to the September 2010 review of PNNL-19751, Review of Natural Phenomena Hazard (NPH) Assessments for the Hanford 200 Areas (Non-Seismic).

  2. Multi Canister Overpack (MCO) Topical Report [SEC 1 THRU 3

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    LORENZ, B.D.

    In February 1995, the US Department of Energy (DOE) approved the Spent Nuclear Fuel (SNF) Project's ''Path Forward'' recommendation for resolution of the safety and environmental concerns associated with the deteriorating SNF stored in the Hanford Site's K Basins (Hansen 1995). The recommendation included an aggressive series of projects to design, construct, and operate systems and facilitates to permit the safe retrieval, packaging, transport, conditions, and interim storage of the K Basins' SNF. The facilities are the Cold VAcuum Drying Facility (CVDF) in the 100 K Area of the Hanford Site and the Canister Storage building (CSB) in the 200more » East Area. The K Basins' SNF is to be cleaned, repackaged in multi-canister overpacks (MCOs), removed from the K Basins, and transported to the CVDF for initial drying. The MCOs would then be moved to the CSB and weld sealed (Loscoe 1996) for interim storage (about 40 years). One of the major tasks associated with the initial Path Forward activities is the development and maintenance of the safety documentation. In addition to meeting the construction needs for new structures, the safety documentation for each must be generated.« less

  3. Tracking down the origins of Advanced LIGO noise: 2 examples

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Berger, Beverly K.; LIGO Scientific Collaboration Collaboration

    2016-03-01

    For Advanced LIGO to reach design sensitivity various sources of instrumental and environmental noise must be identified and ameliorated. We discuss 2 efforts to search for the origin of noise bursts (glitches) at LIGO Hanford. Advanced LIGO monitors thousands of channels in addition to the gravitational wave channel. These can be studied to find correlations between the gravitational wave channel and other sensor signals. The first type of glitch had a frequency of 50 Hz and a rate of 1 per minute. It was found that the glitches were correlated with ground motion in the end station of the X-arm where the offending air compressor was tracked down and turned off. The second example manifests itself as a sudden, but brief, drop in the range occurring, typically, several times per day at LIGO Hanford and less frequently at LIGO Livingston. These range-drop glitches appear in the gravitational-wave channel. Although correlations with these glitches can be seen in many channels, it cannot be easily determined whether these channels are responding as an effect of this type of very strong glitch or whether they might be related to their cause or causes. To date, the cause of the range-drop glitches is not known.

  4. Cesium migration in saturated silica sand and Hanford sediments as impacted by ionic strength.

    PubMed

    Flury, Markus; Czigány, Szabolcs; Chen, Gang; Harsh, James B

    2004-07-01

    Large amounts of 137Cs have been accidentally released to the subsurface from the Hanford nuclear site in the state of Washington, USA. The cesium-containing liquids varied in ionic strengths, and often had high electrolyte contents, mainly in the form of NaNO3 and NaOH, reaching concentrations up to several moles per liter. In this study, we investigated the effect of ionic strengths on Cs migration through two types of porous media: silica sand and Hanford sediments. Cesium sorption and transport was studied in 1, 10, 100, and 1000 mM NaCl electrolyte solutions at pH 10. Sorption isotherms were constructed from batch equilibrium experiments and the batch-derived sorption parameters were compared with column breakthrough curves. Column transport experiments were analyzed with a two-site equilibrium-nonequilibrium model. Cesium sorption to the silica sand in batch experiments showed a linear sorption isotherm for all ionic strengths, which matched well with the results from the column experiments at 100 and 1000 mM ionic strength; however, the column experiments at 1 and 10 mM ionic strength indicated a nonlinear sorption behavior of Cs to the silica sand. Transport through silica sand occurred under one-site sorption and equilibrium conditions. Cesium sorption to Hanford sediments in both batch and column experiments was best described with a nonlinear Freundlich isotherm. The column experiments indicated that Cs transport in Hanford sediments occurred under two-site equilibrium and nonequilibrium sorption. The effect of ionic strength on Cs transport was much more pronounced in Hanford sediments than in silica sands. Effective retardation factors of Cs during transport through Hanford sediments were reduced by a factor of 10 when the ionic strength increased from 100 to 1000 mM; for silica sand, the effective retardation was reduced by a factor of 10 when ionic strength increased from 1 to 1000 mM. A two order of magnitude change in ionic strength was needed in the silica sand to observe the same change in Cs retardation as in Hanford sediments. Copyright 2003 Elsevier B.V.

  5. B Plant Complex preclosure work plan

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    ADLER, J.G.

    1999-02-02

    This preclosure work plan describes the condition of the dangerous waste treatment storage, and/or disposal (TSD) unit after completion of the B Plant Complex decommissioning Transition Phase preclosure activities. This description includes waste characteristics, waste types, locations, and associated hazards. The goal to be met by the Transition Phase preclosure activities is to place the TSD unit into a safe and environmentally secure condition for the long-term Surveillance and Maintenance (S&M) Phase of the facility decommissioning process. This preclosure work plan has been prepared in accordance with Section 8.0 of the Hanford Federal Facility Agreement and Consent Order (Tri-Party Agreement)more » (Ecology et al. 1996). The preclosure work plan is one of three critical Transition Phase documents, the other two being: B Plant End Points Document (WHC-SD-WM-TPP-054) and B Plant S&M plan. These documents are prepared by the U.S. Department of Energy, Richland Operations Office (DOE-RL) and its contractors with the involvement of Washington State Department of Ecology (Ecology). The tanks and vessels addressed by this preclosure work plan are limited to those tanks end vessels included on the B Plant Complex Part A, Form 3, Permit Application (DOE/RL-88-21). The criteria for determining which tanks or vessels are in the Part A, Form 3, are discussed in the following. The closure plan for the TSD unit will not be prepared until the Disposition Phase of the facility decommissioning process is initiated, which follows the long-term S&M Phase. Final closure will occur during the Disposition Phase of the facility decommissioning process. The Waste Encapsulation Storage Facility (WESF) is excluded from the scope of this preclosure work plan.« less

  6. Liquid Secondary Waste Grout Formulation and Waste Form Qualification

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Um, Wooyong; Williams, B. D.; Snyder, Michelle M. V.

    This report describes the results from liquid secondary waste (LSW) grout formulation and waste form qualification tests performed at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) for Washington River Protection Solutions (WRPS) to evaluate new formulations for preparing a grout waste form with high-sulfate secondary waste simulants and the release of key constituents from these grout monoliths. Specific objectives of the LSW grout formulation and waste form qualification tests described in this report focused on five activities: 1.preparing new formulations for the LSW grout waste form with high-sulfate LSW simulants and solid characterization of the cured LSW grout waste form; 2.conducting themore » U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Method 1313 leach test (EPA 2012) on the grout prepared with the new formulations, which solidify sulfate-rich Hanford Tank Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant (WTP) off-gas condensate secondary waste simulant, using deionized water (DIW); 3.conducting the EPA Method 1315 leach tests (EPA 2013) on the grout monoliths made with the new dry blend formulations and three LSW simulants (242-A evaporator condensate, Environmental Restoration Disposal Facility (ERDF) leachate, and WTP off-gas condensate) using two leachants, DIW and simulated Hanford Integrated Disposal Facility (IDF) Site vadose zone pore water (VZPW); 4.estimating the 99Tc desorption K d (distribution coefficient) values for 99Tc transport in oxidizing conditions to support the IDF performance assessment (PA); 5.estimating the solubility of 99Tc(IV)-bearing solid phases for 99Tc transport in reducing conditions to support the IDF PA.« less

  7. Sorption and transport of iodine species in sediments from the Savannah River and Hanford Sites.

    PubMed

    Hu, Qinhong; Zhao, Pihong; Moran, Jean E; Seaman, John C

    2005-07-01

    Iodine is an important element in studies of environmental protection and human health, global-scale hydrologic processes and nuclear nonproliferation. Biogeochemical cycling of iodine is complex, because iodine occurs in multiple oxidation states and as inorganic and organic species that may be hydrophilic, atmophilic, and biophilic. In this study, we applied new analytical techniques to study the sorption and transport behavior of iodine species (iodide, iodate, and 4-iodoaniline) in sediments collected at the Savannah River and Hanford Sites, where anthropogenic (129)I from prior nuclear fuel processing activities poses an environmental risk. We conducted integrated column and batch experiments to investigate the interconversion, sorption and transport of iodine species, and the sediments we examined exhibit a wide range in organic matter, clay mineralogy, soil pH, and texture. The results of our experiments illustrate complex behavior with various processes occurring, including iodate reduction, irreversible retention or mass loss of iodide, and rate-limited and nonlinear sorption. There was an appreciable iodate reduction to iodide, presumably mediated by the structural Fe(II) in some clay minerals; therefore, careful attention must be given to potential interconversion among species when interpreting the biogeochemical behavior of iodine in the environment. The different iodine species exhibited dramatically different sorption and transport behavior in three sediment samples, possessing different physico-chemical properties, collected from different depths at the Savannah River Site. Our study yielded additional insight into processes and mechanisms affecting the geochemical cycling of iodine in the environment, and provided quantitative estimates of key parameters (e.g., extent and rate of sorption) for risk assessment at these sites.

  8. 2001 Evaluation of Tritium Removal & Mitigation Technologies for Waste Water Treatment

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    PENWELL, D.L.

    2001-06-01

    This report contains the 2001 biennial update evaluation of separation technologies and other mitigation techniques to control tritium in liquid effluents and groundwater at the Hanford site. A thorough literature review was completed, and national and international experts in the field of tritium separation and mitigation techniques were consulted. Current state-of-the-art technologies to address the control of tritium in wastewaters were identified and are described. This report was prepared to satisfy the Hanford Federal Facility Agreement and Consent Order Tri-Party Agreement, Milestone M-29-O5H (Ecology, EPA, and DOE 1996). Tritium separation and isolation technologies are evaluated on a biennial basis tomore » determine their feasibility for implementation for the control of Hanford site liquid effluents and groundwater to meet the US. Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), Title 40 CFR 141.16, drinking water maximum contaminant level (MCL) for tritium of 0.02 {mu} Ci/l ({approx}2 parts per quadrillion [10{sup -15}]) and/or DOE Order 5400.5 as low as reasonably achievable (ALARA) policy The objectives of this evaluation were to (1) status the development of potentially viable tritium separations technologies with regard to reducing tritium concentrations in current Hanford site process waters and existing groundwater to MCL levels and (2) status control methods to prevent the flow of tritiated water at concentrations greater than the MCL to the environment. Current tritium releases are in compliance with applicable US Environmental Protection Agency, Washington State Department of Ecology, and U.S. Department of Energy requirements under the Tri-Party Agreement. Advances in technologies for the separation of tritium from wastewater since the 1999 Hanford Site evaluation report include: (1) construction and testing of the Combined Industrial Reforming and Catalytic Exchange (CIRCE) Prototype Plant by Atomic Energy Canada Limited (AECL). The plant has a stage that uses the combined electrolysis catalytic exchange (CECE) and a stage that uses the bithermal hydrogen-waterprocess. The testing is still ongoing at the time of the development of this evaluation report, therefore, final results of the testing are not available; (2) further testing and a DOE sponsored American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) peer review of a tritium resin separations process to remove tritium from wastewaters; and (3) completion of the design of the water detritiation system for the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER). The system uses a variation of the CECE process, and is designed to process 20 Whr of feed. The primary advance in technologies to control tritium migration in groundwater are the implementation of phytoremediation as a method of reducing the amount of tritium contaminated groundwater reaching the surface waters at Argonne National Laboratory, and initiation of a project for phytoremediation at the Savannah River Site.« less

  9. 27 CFR 9.69 - Yakima Valley.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-04-01

    ... Bennett Ranch; (2) Then due east approximately 0.2 mile to the boundary of the Hanford Atomic Energy Commission Works; (3) Then southeast following the boundary of the Hanford AEC Works along the Rattlesnake...

  10. 27 CFR 9.69 - Yakima Valley.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-04-01

    ... Bennett Ranch; (2) Then due east approximately 0.2 mile to the boundary of the Hanford Atomic Energy Commission Works; (3) Then southeast following the boundary of the Hanford AEC Works along the Rattlesnake...

  11. 27 CFR 9.69 - Yakima Valley.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-04-01

    ... Bennett Ranch; (2) Then due east approximately 0.2 mile to the boundary of the Hanford Atomic Energy Commission Works; (3) Then southeast following the boundary of the Hanford AEC Works along the Rattlesnake...

  12. Summary of Group Development and Testing for Single Shell Tank Closure at Hanford

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Harbour, John, R.

    2005-04-28

    This report is a summary of the bench-scale and large scale experimental studies performed by Savannah River National Laboratory for CH2M HILL to develop grout design mixes for possible use in producing fill materials as a part of Tank Closure of the Single-Shell Tanks at Hanford. The grout development data provided in this report demonstrates that these design mixes will produce fill materials that are ready for use in Hanford single shell tank closure. The purpose of this report is to assess the ability of the proposed grout specifications to meet the current requirements for successful single shell tank closuremore » which will include the contracting of services for construction and operation of a grout batch plant. The research and field experience gained by SRNL in the closure of Tanks 17F and 20F at the Savannah River Site was leveraged into the grout development efforts for Hanford. It is concluded that the three Hanford grout design mixes provide fill materials that meet the current requirements for successful placement. This conclusion is based on the completion of recommended testing using Hanford area materials by the operators of the grout batch plant. This report summarizes the regulatory drivers and the requirements for grout mixes as tank fill material. It is these requirements for both fresh and cured grout properties that drove the development of the grout formulations for the stabilization, structural and capping layers.« less

  13. DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Rohay, Alan C.; Sweeney, Mark D.; Hartshorn, Donald C.

    The Hanford Seismic Assessment Program (HSAP) provides an uninterrupted collection of high-quality raw and processed seismic data from the Hanford Seismic Network for the U.S. Department of Energy and its contractors. The HSAP is responsible for locating and identifying sources of seismic activity and monitoring changes in the historical pattern of seismic activity at the Hanford Site. The data are compiled, archived, and published for use by the Hanford Site for waste management, natural phenomena hazards assessments, and engineering design and construction. In addition, the HSAP works with the Hanford Site Emergency Services Organization to provide assistance in the eventmore » of a significant earthquake on the Hanford Site. The Hanford Seismic Network and the Eastern Washington Regional Network consist of 44 individual sensor sites and 15 radio relay sites maintained by the Hanford Seismic Assessment Team. The Hanford Seismic Network recorded 23 local earthquakes during the third quarter of FY 2010. Sixteen earthquakes were located at shallow depths (less than 4 km), five earthquakes at intermediate depths (between 4 and 9 km), most likely in the pre-basalt sediments, and two earthquakes were located at depths greater than 9 km, within the basement. Geographically, twelve earthquakes were located in known swarm areas, 3 earthquakes occurred near a geologic structure (Saddle Mountain anticline), and eight earthquakes were classified as random events. The highest magnitude event (3.0 Mc) was recorded on May 8, 2010 at depth 3.0 km with epicenter located near the Saddle Mountain anticline. Later in the quarter (May 24 and June 28) two additional earthquakes were also recorded nearly at the same location. These events are not considered unusual in that earthquakes have been previously recorded at this location, for example, in October 2006 (Rohay et al; 2007). Six earthquakes were detected in the vicinity of Wooded Island, located about eight miles north of Richland just west of the Columbia River. The Wooded Island events recorded this quarter were a continuation of the swarm events observed during the 2009 and 2010 fiscal years and reported in previous quarterly and annual reports (Rohay et al; 2009a, 2009b, 2009c, 2010a, and 2010b). All events were considered minor (coda-length magnitude [Mc] less than 1.0) with a maximum depth estimated at 1.7 km. Based upon this quarters activity it is likely that the Wooded Island swarm has subsided. Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) will continue to monitor for activity at this location.« less

  14. Final Long-Term Management and Storage of Elemental Mercury Environmental Impact Statement Volume1

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Not Available

    2011-01-01

    Pursuant to the Mercury Export Ban Act of 2008 (P.L. 110-414), DOE was directed to designate a facility or facilities for the long-term management and storage of elemental mercury generated within the United States. Therefore, DOE has analyzed the storage of up to 10,000 metric tons (11,000 tons) of elemental mercury in a facility(ies) constructed and operated in accordance with the Solid Waste Disposal Act, as amended by the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (74 FR 31723).DOE prepared this Final Mercury Storage EIS in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA), as amended (42 U.S.C. 4321 etmore » seq.), the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) implementing regulations (40 CFR 1500–1508), and DOE’s NEPA implementing procedures (10 CFR 1021) to evaluate reasonable alternatives for a facility(ies) for the long-term management and storage of elemental mercury. This Final Mercury Storage EIS analyzes the potential environmental, human health, and socioeconomic impacts of elemental mercury storage at seven candidate locations:Grand Junction Disposal Site near Grand Junction, Colorado; Hanford Site near Richland, Washington; Hawthorne Army Depot near Hawthorne, Nevada; Idaho National Laboratory near Idaho Falls, Idaho;Kansas City Plant in Kansas City, Missouri; Savannah River Site near Aiken, South Carolina; and Waste Control Specialists, LLC, site near Andrews, Texas. As required by CEQ NEPA regulations, the No Action Alternative was also analyzed as a basis for comparison. DOE intends to decide (1) where to locate the elemental mercury storage facility(ies) and (2) whether to use existing buildings, new buildings, or a combination of existing and new buildings. DOE’s Preferred Alternative for the long-term management and storage of mercury is the Waste Control Specialists, LLC, site near Andrews, Texas.« less

  15. Final Long-Term Management and Storage of Elemental Mercury Environmental Impact Statement Volume 2

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Not Available

    Pursuant to the Mercury Export Ban Act of 2008 (P.L. 110-414), DOE was directed to designate a facility or facilities for the long-term management and storage of elemental mercury generated within the United States. Therefore, DOE has analyzed the storage of up to 10,000 metric tons (11,000 tons) of elemental mercury in a facility(ies) constructed and operated in accordance with the Solid Waste Disposal Act, as amended by the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (74 FR 31723). DOE prepared this Final Mercury Storage EIS in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA), as amended (42 U.S.C. 4321more » et seq.), the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) implementing regulations (40 CFR 1500–1508), and DOE’s NEPA implementing procedures (10 CFR 1021) to evaluate reasonable alternatives for a facility(ies) for the long-term management and storage of elemental mercury. This Final Mercury Storage EIS analyzes the potential environmental, human health, and socioeconomic impacts of elemental mercury storage at seven candidate locations: Grand Junction Disposal Site near Grand Junction, Colorado; Hanford Site near Richland, Washington; Hawthorne Army Depot near Hawthorne, Nevada; Idaho National Laboratory near Idaho Falls, Idaho; Kansas City Plant in Kansas City, Missouri; Savannah River Site near Aiken, South Carolina; and Waste Control Specialists, LLC, site near Andrews, Texas. As required by CEQ NEPA regulations, the No Action Alternative was also analyzed as a basis for comparison. DOE intends to decide (1) where to locate the elemental mercury storage facility(ies) and (2) whether to use existing buildings, new buildings, or a combination of existing and new buildings. DOE’s Preferred Alternative for the long-term management and storage of mercury is the Waste Control Specialists, LLC, site near Andrews, Texas.« less

  16. The Japanese aerial attack on Hanford Engineer Works

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Clark, Charles W.

    The day before the Pearl Harbor attack, December 6, 1941, the University of Chicago Metallurgical Laboratory was given four goals: design a plutonium (Pu) bomb; produce Pu by irradiation of uranium (U); extract Pu from the irradiated U; complete this in time to be militarily significant. A year later the first controlled nuclear chain reaction was attained in Chicago Pile 1 (CP-1). In January 1943, Hanford, WA was chosen as the site of the Pu factory. Neutron irradiation of 238U was to be used to make 239Pu. This was done by a larger version of CP-1, Hanford Reactor B, which went critical in September 1944. By July 1945 it had made enough Pu for two bombs: one used at the Trinity test in July; the other at Nagasaki, Japan in August. I focus on an ironic sidelight to this story: disruption of hydroelectric power to Reactor B by a Japanese fire balloon attack on March 10, 1945. This activated the costly coal-fired emergency backup plant to keep the reactor coolant water flowing, thwarting disaster and vindicating the conservative design of Hanford Engineer Works. Management of the Hanford Engineer Works in World War II, H. Thayer (ASCE Press 1996).

  17. Polychlorinated biphenyl congener patterns in fish near the Hanford Site (Washington State, USA).

    PubMed

    Rodenburg, Lisa A; Delistraty, Damon; Meng, Qingyu

    2015-03-03

    It is well-known that absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion (ADME) processes in fish can alter polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) congener patterns in fish, but these patterns have never been investigated using an advanced source-apportionment tool. In this work, PCB congener patterns in freshwater fish were examined with positive matrix factorization (PMF). PCB congeners were quantified via EPA Method 1668 in fillet and carcass of six species in four study areas in the Columbia River near the Hanford Site. Six factors were resolved with PMF2 software. Depletion and enhancement of PCB congeners in factors, relative to Aroclor 1254, suggested biotransformation (via cytochrome P450) and bioaccumulation in fish, respectively. Notable differences were observed among species and across study locations. For example, sturgeon and whitefish exhibited congener patterns consistent with Aroclor weathering, suggesting potential PCB metabolism in these species. In terms of location, average concentration of total PCBs for all species combined was significantly higher (P < 0.05) at Hanford 100 and 300 areas, relative to upriver and downriver study sites. Furthermore, a distinct PCB signature in sturgeon and whitefish, collected at Hanford study areas, suggests that Hanford is a unique PCB source.

  18. Hanford meteorological station computer codes: Volume 9, The quality assurance computer codes

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Burk, K.W.; Andrews, G.L.

    1989-02-01

    The Hanford Meteorological Station (HMS) was established in 1944 on the Hanford Site to collect and archive meteorological data and provide weather forecasts and related services for Hanford Site approximately 1/2 mile east of the 200 West Area and is operated by PNL for the US Department of Energy. Meteorological data are collected from various sensors and equipment located on and off the Hanford Site. These data are stored in data bases on the Digital Equipment Corporation (DEC) VAX 11/750 at the HMS (hereafter referred to as the HMS computer). Files from those data bases are routinely transferred to themore » Emergency Management System (EMS) computer at the Unified Dose Assessment Center (UDAC). To ensure the quality and integrity of the HMS data, a set of Quality Assurance (QA) computer codes has been written. The codes will be routinely used by the HMS system manager or the data base custodian. The QA codes provide detailed output files that will be used in correcting erroneous data. The following sections in this volume describe the implementation and operation of QA computer codes. The appendices contain detailed descriptions, flow charts, and source code listings of each computer code. 2 refs.« less

  19. Hanford Atomic Products Operation monthly report for February 1956

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Not Available

    1956-02-21

    This is the monthly report for the Hanford Laboratories Operation, February, 1956. Metallurgy, reactors fuels, chemistry, dosimetry, separation processes, reactor technology financial activities, visits, biology operation, physics and instrumentation research, employee relations are discussed.

  20. Hanford Laboratories monthly activities report, March 1964

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Not Available

    1964-04-15

    The monthly report for the Hanford Laboratories Operation, March 1964. Reactor fuels, chemistry, dosimetry, separation processes, reactor technology, financial activities, biology operation, and physics and instrumentation research, and applied mathematics operation, and programming operations are discussed.

  1. Blue Ribbon Commission Tour of Hanford Site

    ScienceCinema

    Paul Saueressig

    2017-12-09

    The Blue Ribbon Commission on America's Nuclear Future toured the Department of Energy's Hanford Site on July 14, 2010. Commission members, invited guests, and members of the public visited facilities that store high-level, radioactive waste.

  2. Hanford Laboratories Operation monthly activities report, September 1960

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Not Available

    1960-10-15

    This is the monthly report for the Hanford Laboratories Operation, October, 1960. Metallurgy, reactor fuels, chemistry, dosimetry, separation processes, reactor technology, financial activities, visits, biology operation, physics and instrumentation research, and employee relations are discussed.

  3. Hanford Laboratories monthly activities report, August 1963

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Not Available

    1963-09-16

    This is the monthly report for the Hanford Laboratories Operation, August 1963. Metallurgy, reactor fuels, chemistry, dosimetry, separation processes, reactor technology, financial activities, visits, biology operation, physics and instrumentation research, and employee relations are discussed.

  4. Hanford Laboratories Operation monthly activities report, November 1962

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Not Available

    1962-12-14

    This is the monthly report for the Hanford Laboratories Operation, November 1962. Metallurgy, reactor fuels, chemistry, dosimetry, separation processes, reactor technology, financial activities, visits, biology operation, physics and instrumentation research, and employee relations are discussed.

  5. 2010 Ecological Survey of the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory Site

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Chamness, Michele A.; Perry, Christopher; Downs, Janelle L.

    The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Pacific Northwest Site Office (PNSO) oversees and manages the DOE contract for the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), a DOE Office of Science multi-program laboratory located in Richland, Washington. PNSO is responsible for ensuring that all activities conducted on the PNNL Site comply with applicable laws, policies, and DOE orders. The DOE Pacific Northwest Site Office Cultural and Biological Resources Management Plan (DOE/PNSO 2008) addresses the requirement for annual surveys and monitoring for species of concern and to identify and map invasive species. In addition to the requirement for an annual survey, proposed projectmore » activities must be reviewed to assess any potential environmental consequences of conducting the project. The assessment process requires a thorough understanding of the resources present, the potential impacts of a proposed action to those resources, and the ultimate consequences of those actions. The PNNL Site is situated on the southeastern corner of the DOE Hanford Site, located at the north end of the city of Richland in south-central Washington. The site is bordered on the east by the Columbia River, on the west by Stevens Drive, and on the north by the Hanford Site 300 Area (Figure 1). The environmental setting of the PNNL Site is described in Larson and Downs (2009). There are currently two facilities on the PNNL Site: the William R. Wiley Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory (EMSL), and the recently completed Physical Sciences Facility (PSF). This report describes the results of the annual survey of the biological resources found on the undeveloped portions of the PNNL Site in 2010. A brief description of the methods PNNL ecologists used to conduct the surveys and the results of the surveys are presented. Actions taken to fully delineate noxious weed populations discovered in 2009 and efforts in 2010 to control those weeds also are described. Appendix A provides a list of plant and animal species identified on the PNNL Site.« less

  6. Supplemental Immobilization of Hanford Low-Activity Waste: Cast Stone Screening Tests

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Westsik, Joseph H.; Piepel, Gregory F.; Lindberg, Michael J.

    2013-09-30

    More than 56 million gallons of radioactive and hazardous waste are stored in 177 underground storage tanks at the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) Hanford Site in southeastern Washington State. The Hanford Tank Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant (WTP) is being constructed to treat the wastes and immobilize them in a glass waste form. The WTP includes a pretreatment facility to separate the wastes into a small volume of high-level waste (HLW) containing most of the radioactivity and a larger volume of low-activity waste (LAW) containing most of the nonradioactive chemicals. The HLW will be converted to glass in themore » HLW vitrification facility for ultimate disposal at an offsite federal repository. At least a portion (~35%) of the LAW will be converted to glass in the LAW vitrification facility and will be disposed of onsite at the Integrated Disposal Facility (IDF). The pretreatment and HLW vitrification facilities will have the capacity to treat and immobilize the wastes destined for each facility. However, a second LAW immobilization facility will be needed for the expected volume of LAW requiring immobilization. A cementitious waste form known as Cast Stone is being considered to provide the required additional LAW immobilization capacity. The Cast Stone waste form must be acceptable for disposal in the IDF. The Cast Stone waste form and immobilization process must be tested to demonstrate that the final Cast Stone waste form can comply with the waste acceptance criteria for the disposal facility and that the immobilization processes can be controlled to consistently provide an acceptable waste form product. Further, the waste form must be tested to provide the technical basis for understanding the long-term performance of the waste form in the disposal environment. These waste form performance data are needed to support risk assessment and performance assessment (PA) analyses of the long-term environmental impact of the waste disposal in the IDF. The PA is needed to satisfy both Washington State IDF Permit and DOE Order requirements. Cast Stone has been selected for solidification of radioactive wastes including WTP aqueous secondary wastes treated at the Effluent Treatment Facility (ETF) at Hanford. A similar waste form called Saltstone is used at the Savannah River Site (SRS) to solidify its LAW tank wastes.« less

  7. Hanford Laboratories monthly activities report, February 1964

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Not Available

    1964-03-16

    This is the monthly report for the Hanford Laboratories Operation, February, 1964. Reactor fuels, chemistry, dosimetry, separation process, reactor technology financial activities, biology operation, physics and instrumentation research, employee relations, applied mathematics, programming, and radiation protection are discussed.

  8. 13. Elevations, 233S, U.S. Atomic Energy Commission, Hanford Works, General ...

    Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

    13. Elevations, 233-S, U.S. Atomic Energy Commission, Hanford Works, General Electric Company, Dwg. No. H-2-7203, 1956. - Reduction-Oxidation Complex, Plutonium Concentration Facility, 200 West Area, Richland, Benton County, WA

  9. Hanford Atomic Products Operation monthly report for June 1955

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Not Available

    1955-07-28

    This is the monthly report for the Hanford Atomic Products Operation, June, 1955. Metallurgy, reactor fuels, chemistry, dosimetry, separation processes, reactor technology, financial activities, visits, biology operation, physics and instrumentation research, and employee relations are discussed.

  10. Hanford Atomic Products Operation monthly report, January 1956

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Not Available

    1956-02-24

    This is the monthly report for the Hanford Atomic Laboratories Products Operation, February, 1956. Metallurgy, reactor fuels, chemistry, dosimetry, separation processes, reactor technology, financial activities, visits, biology operation, physics and instrumentation research, and employee relations are discussed.

  11. Hanford Site annual dangerous waste report: Volume 1, Part 1, Generator dangerous waste report, dangerous waste

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    NONE

    This report contains information on hazardous wastes at the Hanford Site. Information consists of shipment date, physical state, chemical nature, waste description, waste number, weight, and waste designation.

  12. Hanford Site annual dangerous waste report: Volume 1, Part 2, Generator dangerous waste report, dangerous waste

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    NONE

    This report contains information on hazardous materials at the Hanford Site. Information consists of shipment date, physical state, chemical nature, waste description, waste number, weight, and waste designation.

  13. DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Reidel, Steve; Chamness, Mickie A.

    This appendix provides a detailed description of geology under the Central Plateau of the Hanford Site, emphasizing the areas around tank farms. It is to be published by client CH2M HILL Hanford Group, Inc., as part of a larger, multi-contractor technical report.

  14. The biologically active zone in upland habitats at the Hanford Site, Washington, USA: Focus on plant rooting depth and biomobilization.

    PubMed

    Lovtang, Sara; Delistraty, Damon; Rochette, Elizabeth

    2018-07-01

    We challenge the suggestion by Sample et al. (2015) that a depth of 305 cm (10 ft) exceeds the depth of biological activity in soils at the Hanford Site, Washington, USA, or similar sites. Instead, we support the standard point of compliance, identified in the Model Toxics Control Act in the state of Washington, which specifies a depth of 457 cm (15 ft) for the protection of both human and ecological receptors at the Hanford Site. Our position is based on additional information considered in our expanded review of the literature, the influence of a changing environment over time, plant community dynamics at the Hanford Site, and inherent uncertainty in the Sample et al. (2015) analysis. Integr Environ Assess Manag 2018;14:442-446. © 2018 SETAC. © 2018 SETAC.

  15. Radioactive contamination in the environs of the Hanford Works for the period April, May, June 1949

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Paas, H.J.; Singlevich, W.

    1950-04-03

    This report summarizes the measurements made for radioactive contamination in the environs of the Hanford Works for the quarter April through June 1949. This belated document is issued for the records to fill in the gap for the quarterly reports not issued in 1949 because of personnel shortage at that time. Although the data summarized in this report were already reported in the H. I. Evirons Reports for the months involved, it is still of value to study the data combining the three months of data which give better opportunity to evaluate the trends and patterns of the levels ofmore » radioactive contamination emanating from the various sources at the Hanford Works. This document discusses: meteorological data and radioactive contamination in vegetation, the atmosphere, rain, Hanford wastes, the Columbia River, and in drinking water and test wells.« less

  16. Ambient airborne solids concentrations including volcanic ash at Hanford, Washington sampling sites subsequent to the Mount St. Helens eruption

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Sehmel, G. A.

    1982-01-01

    Airborne solids concentrations were measured on a near daily basis at two Hanford, Washington sites after the eruption of Mount St. Helens on May 18, 1980. These sites are about 211 km east of Mount St. Helens. Collected airborne solids included resuspended volcanic ash plus normal ambient solids. Average airborne solids concentrations were greater at the Hanford meteorological station sampling site which is 24 km northwest of the Horn Rapids dam sampling site. These increased concentrations reflect the sampling site proximity to greater ash fallout depths. Both sites are in low ash fallout areas although the Hanford meteorological station site is closer to the greater ash fallout areas. Airborne solids concentrations were decreased by rain, but airborne solids concentrations rapidly increased as surfaces dried. Airborne concentrations tended to become nearly the same at both sampling sites only for July 12 and 13.

  17. Washing and caustic leaching of Hanford tank sludges: results of FY 1996 studies. Revision

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Lumetta, G.J.; Rapko, B.M.; Wagner, M.J.

    During the past few years, the primary mission at the US Department of Energy`s Hanford Site has changed from producing plutonium to restoring the environment. Large volumes of high-level radioactive wastes (HLW), generated during past Pu production and other operations, are stored in underground tanks on site. The current plan for remediating the Hanford tank farms consists of waste retrieval, pretreatment, treatment (immobilization), and disposal. The HLW will be immobilized in a borosilicate glass matrix and then disposed of in a geologic repository. Because of the expected high cost of HLW vitrification and geologic disposal, pretreatment processes will be implementedmore » to reduce the volume of borosilicate glass produced in disposing of the tank wastes. On this basis, a pretreatment plan is being developed. This report describes the sludge washing and caustic leaching test conducted to create a Hanford tank sludge pretreatment flowsheet.« less

  18. Model Package Report: Hanford Soil Inventory Model SIM v.2 Build 1

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Nichols, Will E.; Zaher, U.; Mehta, S.

    The Hanford Soil Inventory Model (SIM) is a tool for the estimation of inventory of contaminants that were released to soil from liquid discharges during the U.S. Department of Energy’s Hanford Site operations. This model package report documents the construction and development of a second version of SIM (SIM-v2) to support the needs of Hanford Site Composite Analysis. The SIM-v2 is implemented using GoldSim Pro®1 software with a new model architecture that preserves the uncertainty in inventory estimates while reducing the computational burden (compared to the previous version) and allowing more traceability and transparency in calculation methodology. The calculation architecturemore » is designed in such a manner that future updates to the waste stream composition along with addition or deletion of waste sites can be performed with relative ease. In addition, the new computational platform allows for continued hardware upgrade.« less

  19. 2006 River Corridor Closure Contractor Revegetation and Mitigation Monitoring Report

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    A. L. Johnson; K. A. Gano

    2006-10-03

    The purpose of this report is to document the status of revegetation projects and natural resources mitigation efforts that have been conducted for remediated waste sites and other activities associated with the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act cleanup of National Priorities List waste sites at Hanford. One of the objectives of restoration is the revegetation of remediated waste sites to stabilize the soil and restore the land to native vegetation. The report documents the results of revegetation and mitigation monitoring conducted in 2006 and includes 11 revegetation/restoration projects, one revegetation/mitigation project, and 2 bat habitat mitigation projects.

  20. Secondary Waste Simulant Development for Cast Stone Formulation Testing

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Russell, Renee L.; Westsik, Joseph H.; Rinehart, Donald E.

    Washington River Protection Solutions, LLC (WRPS) funded Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) to conduct a waste form testing program to implement aspects of the Secondary Liquid Waste Treatment Cast Stone Technology Development Plan (Ashley 2012) and the Hanford Site Secondary Waste Roadmap (PNNL 2009) related to the development and qualification of Cast Stone as a potential waste form for the solidification of aqueous wastes from the Hanford Site after the aqueous wastes are treated at the Effluent Treatment Facility (ETF). The current baseline is that the resultant Cast Stone (or grout) solid waste forms would be disposed at the Integratedmore » Disposal Facility (IDF). Data and results of this testing program will be used in the upcoming performance assessment of the IDF and in the design and operation of a solidification treatment unit planned to be added to the ETF. The purpose of the work described in this report is to 1) develop simulants for the waste streams that are currently being fed and future WTP secondary waste streams also to be fed into the ETF and 2) prepare simulants to use for preparation of grout or Cast Stone solid waste forms for testing.« less

  1. DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Strickland, Christopher E.; Johnson, Christian D.; Lee, Brady D.

    Iodine-129 (129I) generated at the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Hanford Site during plutonium production was released to the subsurface, resulting in several large, though dilute, plumes in the groundwater, including the plume in the 200-UP-1 operable unit (OU). Because 129I is an uncommon contaminant, relevant remediation experience and scientific literature are limited, though work is under way to better understand the fate and transport of 129I in the environment and the effectiveness of potential remediation technologies. The recent UP-1 Evaluation Plan for Iodine and report on the Conceptual Model of Iodine Behavior in the Subsurface at the Hanford Sitemore » provide information on the history of contamination in the 200-UP-1 OU, relevant controlling processes (biological and geochemical), risk, the conceptual site model, and potential remedial options, which provided a foundation for this study. In this study, available information was compiled and used to categorize potential remediation technologies, culminating in a recommendation of promising technologies for further evaluation. Approaches to improve the technical information about promising technologies are also recommended in this study so that a subsequent evaluation of potential remediation alternatives can assess these technologies.« less

  2. Long-term follow-up of HAN-1, an acute plutonium oxide inhalation case

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Carbaugh, E.H.; Bihl, D.E.; Sula, M.J.

    1990-06-01

    The International Commission on Radiation Protection (ICRP) has recommended that plutonium oxide be designated an inhalation class Y material, indicating that a 500-day clearance half-time from the lung is adequate for radiation protection purposes. Based on extensive data obtained from one particular inhalation case (referred to here as HAN-1), and supported by somewhat less detailed data in nine other cases, an argument has been put forth that substantially longer clearance half-times may not be uncommon for Pu oxide. This has led to the tentative identification of a super class Y'' form of Pu which has been factored into worker monitoringmore » programs at the US Department of Energy's Hanford Site. In addition, the United States Transuranium Registry autopsy work has indicted evidence to support the super class Y case. The particular case described in this paper was the key case which caused the Hanford internal dosimetry staff to seriously consider super class Y material. This paper includes data from long-term follow up monitoring as well as early data for calculating intakes for comparisons with secondary limits. 13 refs, 2 figs., 1 tab.« less

  3. HANFORD SITE RIVER CORRIDOR CLEANUP

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    BAZZELL, K.D.

    2006-02-01

    In 2005, the US Department of Energy (DOE) launched the third generation of closure contracts, including the River Corridor Closure (RCC) Contract at Hanford. Over the past decade, significant progress has been made on cleaning up the river shore that bordes Hanford. However, the most important cleanup challenges lie ahead. In March 2005, DOE awarded the Hanford River Corridor Closure Contract to Washington Closure Hanford (WCH), a limited liability company owned by Washington Group International, Bechtel National and CH2M HILL. It is a single-purpose company whose goal is to safely and efficiently accelerate cleanup in the 544 km{sup 2} Hanfordmore » river corridor and reduce or eliminate future obligations to DOE for maintaining long-term stewardship over the site. The RCC Contract is a cost-plus-incentive-fee closure contract, which incentivizes the contractor to reduce cost and accelerate the schedule. At $1.9 billion and seven years, WCH has accelerated cleaning up Hanford's river corridor significantly compared to the $3.2 billion and 10 years originally estimated by the US Army Corps of Engineers. Predictable funding is one of the key features of the new contract, with funding set by contract at $183 million in fiscal year (FY) 2006 and peaking at $387 million in FY2012. Another feature of the contract allows for Washington Closure to perform up to 40% of the value of the contract and subcontract the balance. One of the major challenges in the next few years will be to identify and qualify sufficient subcontractors to meet the goal.« less

  4. Thyroid ultrasound abnormalities in persons exposed during childhood to 131I from the Hanford nuclear site.

    PubMed

    Kopecky, Kenneth J; Onstad, Lynn; Hamilton, Thomas E; Davis, Scott

    2005-06-01

    Approximately 740,000 Ci of 131I were released into the atmosphere from the Hanford Nuclear Site in Washington State during 1944-1957. The Hanford Thyroid Disease Study (HTDS), conducted to determine if thyroid disease is increased among persons exposed as children to that 131I, also investigated whether thyroid ultrasound (US) abnormalities might be increased. The HTDS cohort (n = 5199) was selected from 1940-1946 births to mothers with usual residence in seven Washington counties. Of these, 4350 were located alive, 3447 attended HTDS clinics (1992-1997), and 3440 (1747 females) had evaluable clinical results and sufficient data to characterize their Hanford 131I exposures. US abnormalities were observed in 55.5% of women and 37.4% of men. Thyroid radiation doses from Hanford 131I, which could be estimated for 3191 evaluable participants, ranged from 0.0029 to 2823 mGy (mean, 174 mGy). Estimated dose was not significantly associated with the prevalence of any US abnormality (p = 0.21), US nodules with maximum dimension 5 mm or more (p = 0.64), or average number of US nodules per person (p = 0.80 for nodules with maximum dimension 5 mm or more). These results remained unchanged after accounting for factors that might confound or modify dose-response relationships and for uncertainty of the dose estimates. This study does not support the hypothesis that 131I exposure at Hanford's dose levels and dose rates during infancy and childhood increases the prevalence of adult thyroid US abnormalities.

  5. DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Waichler, Scott R.; Wigmosta, Mark S.; Coleman, Andre M.

    Movement of contaminants in groundwater at the Hanford Site is heavily dependent on recharge to the unconfined aquifer. As the effects of past artificial discharges dissipate, the water table is expected to return to more natural conditions, and natural recharge will become the driving force when evaluating future groundwater flow conditions and related contaminant transport. Previous work on the relationship of natural recharge to groundwater movement at the Hanford Site has focused on direct recharge from infiltrating rainfall and snowmelt within the area represented by the Sitewide Groundwater Model (SGM) domain. However, part of the groundwater recharge at Hanford ismore » provided by flow from Greater Cold Creek watershed (GCC), a large drainage area on the western boundary of the Hanford Site that includes Cold Creek Valley, Dry Creek Valley, and the Hanford side of Rattlesnake Mountain. This study was undertaken to estimate the recharge from GCC, which is believed to enter the unconfined aquifer as both infiltrating streamflow and shallow subsurface flow. To estimate recharge, the Distributed Hydrology-Soil-Vegetation Model (DHSVM) was used to simulate a detailed water balance of GCC from 1956 to 2001 at a spatial resolution of 200~m and a temporal resolution of one hour. For estimating natural recharge to Hanford from watersheds along its western and southwestern boundaries, the most important aspects that need to be considered are 1)~distribution and relative magnitude of precipitation and evapotranspiration over the watershed, 2)~streamflow generation at upper elevations and infiltration at lower elevations during rare runoff events, and 3)~permeability of the basalt bedrock surface underlying the soil mantle.« less

  6. Wildlife studies on the Hanford site: 1994 Highlights report

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Cadwell, L.L.

    The purposes of the project are to monitor and report trends in wildlife populations; conduct surveys to identify, record, and map populations of threatened, endangered, and sensitive plant and animal species; and cooperate with Washington State and federal and private agencies to help ensure the protection afforded by law to native species and their habitats. Census data and results of surveys and special study topics are shared freely among cooperating agencies. Special studies are also conducted as needed to provide additional information that may be required to assess, protect, or manage wildlife resources at Hanford. This report describes highlights ofmore » wildlife studies on the Site in 1994. Redd counts of fall chinook salmon in the Hanford Reach suggest that harvest restrictions directed at protecting Snake River salmon may have helped Columbia River stocks as well. The 1994 count (5619) was nearly double that of 1993 and about 63% of the 1989 high of approximately 9000. A habitat map showing major vegetation and land use cover types for the Hanford Site was completed in 1993. During 1994, stochastic simulation was used to estimate shrub characteristics (height, density, and canopy cover) across the previously mapped Hanford landscape. The information provided will be available for use in determining habitat quality for sensitive wildlife species. Mapping Site locations of plant species of concern continued during 1994. Additional sensitive plant species data from surveys conducted by TNC were archived. The 10 nesting pairs of ferruginous hawks that used the Hanford Site in 1993 represented approximately 25% of the Washington State population.« less

  7. Hanford Laboratories Operation monthly activities report, August 1959

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Not Available

    1959-09-15

    This is the monthly report for the Hanford Laboratories Operation, August, 1959. Reactor fuels, chemistry, dosimetry, separation processes, reactor technology financial activities, visits, biology operation, physics and instrumentation research, employee relations, and operations research and synthesis operation are discussed.

  8. Hanford Laboratories Operation monthly activities report, September 1961

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Not Available

    1961-10-16

    This is the monthly report for the Hanford Laboratories Operation September 1961. Reactor fuels, chemistry, dosimetry, separation processes, reactor technology, financial activities, biology operation, physics and instrumentation research, operations research and synthesis, programming, and radiation protection operation are discussed.

  9. Hanford Site annual dangerous waste report: Volume 2, Generator dangerous waste report, radioactive mixed waste

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    NONE

    1994-12-31

    This report contains information on radioactive mixed wastes at the Hanford Site. Information consists of shipment date, physical state, chemical nature, waste description, waste number, waste designation, weight, and waste designation.

  10. Fluor Daniel Hanford contract standards/requirements identification document

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Bennett, G.L.

    1997-04-24

    This document, the Standards/Requirements Identification Document (S/RID) for the Fluor Daniel Hanford Contract, represents the necessary and sufficient requirements to provide an adequate level of protection of the worker, public health and safety, and the environment.

  11. Hydrogen Safety Project: Chemical analysis support task. Window ``E`` analyses

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Jones, T E; Campbell, J A; Hoppe, E W

    1992-09-01

    Core samples taken from tank 101-SY at Hanford during ``window E`` were analyzed for organic and radiochemical constituents by staff of the Analytical Chemistry Laboratory at Pacific Northwest Laboratory. Westinghouse Hanford company submitted these samples to the laboratory.

  12. 12. Architectural Floor Plans, 233S, U.S. Atomic Energy Commission, Hanford ...

    Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

    12. Architectural Floor Plans, 233-S, U.S. Atomic Energy Commission, Hanford Atomic Products Operations, General Electric Company, Dwg. H-2-30464, 1956. - Reduction-Oxidation Complex, Plutonium Concentration Facility, 200 West Area, Richland, Benton County, WA

  13. Hanford Atomic Products Operation monthly report for March 1956

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Not Available

    1956-04-20

    This is the monthly report for the Hanford Laboratories Operation, March, 1956. Metallurgy, reactor fuels, chemistry, dosimetry, separation processes, reactor technology; financial activities, visits, biology operation, physics and instrumentation research, employee relations, pile technology, safety and radiological sciences are discussed.

  14. 10. Floor Layout of Thermal Hydraulics Laboratory, from The Thermal ...

    Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

    10. Floor Layout of Thermal Hydraulics Laboratory, from The Thermal Hydraulics Laboratory at Hanford. General Electric Company, Hanford Atomic Products Operation, Richland, Washington, 1961. - D-Reactor Complex, Deaeration Plant-Refrigeration Buildings, Area 100-D, Richland, Benton County, WA

  15. Radiation Spill at Hanford: The Anatomy of an Accident

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Gillette, Robert

    1973-01-01

    Describes the circumstances leading to a recent spill of radioactive wastes at the Atomic Energy Commission's Hanford Reservation in Washington. Also briefly discusses previous accidental leaks and plans for safer storage of radioactive waste materials in the future. (JR)

  16. Chromium Toxicity Test for Fall Chinook Salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) Using Hanford Site Groundwater: Onsite Early Life-Stage Toxicity Evaluation

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Patton, Gregory W; Dauble, Dennis D; Chamness, Mickie A

    The objective of this study was to evaluate site-specific effects for early life-stage (eyed eggs to free swimming juveniles) fall chinook salmon that might be exposed to hexavalent chromium from Hanford groundwater sources. Our exposure conditions included hexavalent chromium obtained from Hanford groundwater wells near the Columbia River, Columbia River water as the diluent, and locally adapted populations of fall chinook salmon. This report describes both a 96-hr pretest using rainbow trout eggs and an early life-stage test beginning with chinook salmon eggs.

  17. Hanford radiological protection support services annual report for 1994

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Lyon, M.; Bihl, D.E.; Fix, J.J.

    1995-06-01

    Various Hanford Site radiation protection services provided by the Pacific Northwest Laboratory for the US Department of Energy Richland Operations Office and Hanford contractors are described in this annual report for the calendar year 1994. These activities include external dosimetry measurements and evaluations, internal dosimetry measurements and evaluations, in vivo measurements, radiological record keeping, radiation source calibration, and instrument calibration and evaluation. For each of these activities, the routine program and any program changes or enhancements are described, as well as associated tasks, investigations, and studies. Program- related publications, presentations, and other staff professional activities are also described.

  18. Hanford radiological protection support services. Annual report for 1995

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Lyon, M.; Bihl, D.E.; Carbaugh, E.H.

    1996-05-01

    Various Hanford Site radiation protection services provided by the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory for the U.S. Department of Energy Richland Operations Office and Hanford contractors are described in this annual report for calendar year 1995. These activities include external dosimetry measurements and evaluations, internal dosimetry measurements and evaluations, in vivo measurements, radiological record keeping, radiation source calibration, and instrument calibration and evaluation. For each of these activities, the routine program and any program changes or enhancements are described, as well as associated tasks, investigations, and studies. Program-related publications, presentations, and other staff professional activities are also described.

  19. Rationale for Selection of Pesticides, Herbicides, and Related Compounds from the Hanford SST/DST Waste Considered for Analysis in Support of the Regulatory DQO (Privatization)

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Wiemers, K.D.; Daling, P.; Meier, K.

    1999-01-04

    Regulated pesticides, herbicides, miticides, and fungicides were evaluated for their potential past and current use at the Hanford Site. The starting list of these compounds is based on regulatory analyte input lists discussed in the Regulatory DQO. Twelve pesticide, herbicide, miticide, and fungicide compounds are identified for analysis in the Hanford SST and DST waste in support of the Regulatory DQO. The compounds considered for additional analyses are non-detected, considered stable in the tank waste matrix, and of higher toxicity/carcinogenicity.

  20. Overview of Chromium Remediation Technology Evaluations At The Hanford Site, Richland Washington

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Morse, J. G.; Hanson, J. P.

    2009-12-01

    This paper will present an overview of the different technologies and the results to date for optimizing and improving the remediation of Cr+6 in the soil and groundwater at the Hanford Site. The Hanford Site, par of the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE)nuclear weapons complex, encompasses approximately 586 square miles in southeast Washington State. The Columbia River flows through the site (Hanford Reach.) Reactors were located along the Hanford Reach as part of the production process. Sodium dichromate was used as a corrosion inhibitor in the cooling water for the reactors. As a result chromium (Cr+6) is present in the soil and groundwater. Since the mid 90's interim groundwater pump and treat systems have been in place to try and contain or mitigate the migration of contaminated groundwater into the Columbia River. The primary concern being the protection of aquatic spawning habitat for salmon and other species. In order to improve the effectiveness of the remedial actions a number of different technologies have been evaluated and/or deployed. These include, permeable reactive barriers, in-situ bio-stimulation, in-situ chemical reduction, zero-valent iron injection and evaluation of improved above ground treatment technologies. An overview of the technologies and results to date are presented.

  1. Colloid-facilitated transport of cesium in variably saturated Hanford sediments.

    PubMed

    Chen, Gang; Flury, Markus; Harsh, James B; Lichtner, Peter C

    2005-05-15

    Radioactive 137Cs has leaked from underground waste tanks into the vadose zone at the Hanford Reservation in south-central Washington State. There is concern that 137Cs, currently located in the vadose zone, can reach the groundwater. In this study, we investigated whether, and to what extent, colloidal particles can facilitate the transport of 137Cs at Hanford. We used colloidal materials isolated from Hanford sediments. Transport experiments were conducted under variably saturated, steady-state flow conditions in repacked, 20 cm long Hanford sediment columns, with effective water saturations ranging from 0.2 to 1.0. Cesium, pre-associated with colloids, was stripped off during transport through the sediments. The higher the flow rates, the less Cs was stripped off, indicating in part that Cs desorption from carrying colloids was a residence-time-dependent process. Depending on the flow rate, up to 70% of the initially sorbed Cs desorbed from colloidal carriers and was captured in the stationary sediments. Less Cs was stripped off colloids under unsaturated than under saturated flow conditions at similar flow rates. This phenomenon was likely due to the reduced availability of sorption sites for Cs on the sediments as the water content decreased and water flow was divided between mobile and immobile regions.

  2. 2009 EVALUATION OF TRITIUM REMOVAL AND MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES FOR WASTEWATER TREATMENT

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    LUECK KJ; GENESSE DJ; STEGEN GE

    2009-02-26

    Since 1995, a state-approved land disposal site (SALDS) has received tritium contaminated effluents from the Hanford Site Effluent Treatment Facility (ETF). Tritium in this effluent is mitigated by storage in slow moving groundwater to allow extended time for decay before the water reaches the site boundary. By this method, tritium in the SALDS is isolated from the general environment and human contact until it has decayed to acceptable levels. This report contains the 2009 update evaluation of alternative tritium mitigation techniques to control tritium in liquid effluents and groundwater at the Hanford site. A thorough literature review was completed andmore » updated information is provided on state-of-the-art technologies for control of tritium in wastewaters. This report was prepared to satisfy the Hanford Federal Facility Agreement and Consent Order (Tri-Party Agreement) Milestone M-026-07B (Ecology, EPA, and DOE 2007). Tritium separation and isolation technologies are evaluated periodically to determine their feasibility for implementation to control Hanford site liquid effluents and groundwaters to meet the Us. Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), Title 40 CFR 141.16, drinking water maximum contaminant level (MCL) for tritium of 20,000 pOll and/or DOE Order 5400.5 as low as reasonably achievable (ALARA) policy. Since the 2004 evaluation, there have been a number of developments related to tritium separation and control with potential application in mitigating tritium contaminated wastewater. These are primarily focused in the areas of: (1) tritium recycling at a commercial facility in Cardiff, UK using integrated tritium separation technologies (water distillation, palladium membrane reactor, liquid phase catalytic exchange, thermal diffusion), (2) development and demonstration of Combined Electrolysis Catalytic Exchange (CECE) using hydrogen/water exchange to separate tritium from water, (3) evaporation of tritium contaminated water for dispersion in the atmosphere, and (4) use of barriers to minimize the transport of tritium in groundwater. Continuing development efforts for tritium separations processes are primarily to support the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) program, the nuclear power industry, and the production of radiochemicals. While these applications are significantly different than the Hanford application, the technology could potentially be adapted for Hanford wastewater treatment. Separations based processes to reduce tritium levels below the drinking water MCL have not been demonstrated for the scale and conditions required for treating Hanford wastewater. In addition, available cost information indicates treatment costs for such processes will be substantially higher than for discharge to SALDS or other typical pump and treat projects at Hanford. Actual mitigation projects for groundwater with very low tritium contamination similar to that found at Hanford have focused mainly on controlling migration and on evaporation for dispersion in the atmosphere.« less

  3. PUREX/UO{sub 3} deactivation project management plan

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Washenfelder, D.J.

    1993-12-01

    From 1955 through 1990, the Plutonium-Uranium Extraction Plant (PUREX) provided the United States Department of Energy Hanford Site with nuclear fuel reprocessing capability. It operated in sequence with the Uranium Trioxide (UO{sub 3}) Plant, which converted the PUREX liquid uranium nitrate product to solid UO{sub 3} powder. Final UO{sub 3} Plant operation ended in 1993. In December 1992, planning was initiated for the deactivation of PUREX and UO{sub 3} Plant. The objective of deactivation planning was to identify the activities needed to establish a passively safe, environmentally secure configuration at both plants, and ensure that the configuration could be retainedmore » during the post-deactivation period. The PUREX/UO{sub 3} Deactivation Project management plan represents completion of the planning efforts. It presents the deactivation approach to be used for the two plants, and the supporting technical, cost, and schedule baselines. Deactivation activities concentrate on removal, reduction, and stabilization of the radioactive and chemical materials remaining at the plants, and the shutdown of the utilities and effluents. When deactivation is completed, the two plants will be left unoccupied and locked, pending eventual decontamination and decommissioning. Deactivation is expected to cost $233.8 million, require 5 years to complete, and yield $36 million in annual surveillance and maintenance cost savings.« less

  4. Probabilistic Prediction of Riverine Bathymetry

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2011-09-30

    planned a substantial data field collection effort on the Hanford Reach of the Columbia River near Richland, WA, which represents an ideal testing...4 Figure 2. 82-km Hanford Reach of the Columbia River (WA) IMPACT/APPLICATIONS The developed methods are directly applicable to video

  5. The Manhattan Project

    Science.gov Websites

    Short History of Oak Ridge National Laboratory (1943 - 1993) Los Alamos, New Mexico * Selected as Atomic Weapons Laboratory * Site Selection * History @ Los Alamos Hanford, Washington * Selected as Plutonium Production Facility * History of the Hanford Site 1943 - 1990 Chicago, Illinois * Promethean Boldness at

  6. Hanford Site annual dangerous waste report: Volume 3, Part 1, Waste Management Facility report, dangerous waste

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    NONE

    This report contains information on hazardous wastes at the Hanford Site. Information consists of shipment date, physical state, chemical nature, waste description, handling method and containment vessel, waste number, waste designation, and amount of waste.

  7. Hanford Site annual dangerous waste report: Volume 4, Waste Management Facility report, Radioactive mixed waste

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    NONE

    1994-12-31

    This report contains information on radioactive mixed wastes at the Hanford Site. Information consists of shipment date, physical state, chemical nature, waste description, handling method and containment vessel, waste number, waste designation and amount of waste.

  8. Tank waste remediation system multi-year work plan

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Not Available

    The Tank Waste Remediation System (TWRS) Multi-Year Work Plan (MYWP) documents the detailed total Program baseline and was constructed to guide Program execution. The TWRS MYWP is one of two elements that comprise the TWRS Program Management Plan. The TWRS MYWP fulfills the Hanford Site Management System requirement for a Multi-Year Program Plan and a Fiscal-Year Work Plan. The MYWP addresses program vision, mission, objectives, strategy, functions and requirements, risks, decisions, assumptions, constraints, structure, logic, schedule, resource requirements, and waste generation and disposition. Sections 1 through 6, Section 8, and the appendixes provide program-wide information. Section 7 includes a subsectionmore » for each of the nine program elements that comprise the TWRS Program. The foundation of any program baseline is base planning data (e.g., defendable product definition, logic, schedules, cost estimates, and bases of estimates). The TWRS Program continues to improve base data. As data improve, so will program element planning, integration between program elements, integration outside of the TWRS Program, and the overall quality of the TWRS MYWP. The MYWP establishes the TWRS baseline objectives to store, treat, and immobilize highly radioactive Hanford waste in an environmentally sound, safe, and cost-effective manner. The TWRS Program will complete the baseline mission in 2040 and will incur costs totalling approximately 40 billion dollars. The summary strategy is to meet the above objectives by using a robust systems engineering effort, placing the highest possible priority on safety and environmental protection; encouraging {open_quotes}out sourcing{close_quotes} of the work to the extent practical; and managing significant but limited resources to move toward final disposition of tank wastes, while openly communicating with all interested stakeholders.« less

  9. Tank waste remediation system multi-year work plan

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Not Available

    1994-09-01

    The Tank Waste Remediation System (TWRS) Multi-Year Work Plan (MYWP) documents the detailed total Program baseline and was constructed to guide Program execution. The TWRS MYWP is one of two elements that comprise the TWRS Program Management Plan. The TWRS MYWP fulfills the Hanford Site Management System requirement for a Multi-Year Program Plan and a Fiscal-Year Work Plan. The MYWP addresses program vision, mission, objectives, strategy, functions and requirements, risks, decisions, assumptions, constraints, structure, logic, schedule, resource requirements, and waste generation and disposition. Sections 1 through 6, Section 8, and the appendixes provide program-wide information. Section 7 includes a subsectionmore » for each of the nine program elements that comprise the TWRS Program. The foundation of any program baseline is base planning data (e.g., defendable product definition, logic, schedules, cost estimates, and bases of estimates). The TWRS Program continues to improve base data. As data improve, so will program element planning, integration between program elements, integration outside of the TWRS Program, and the overall quality of the TWRS MYWP. The MYWP establishes the TWRS baseline objectives to store, treat, and immobilize highly radioactive Hanford waste in an environmentally sound, safe, and cost-effective manner. The TWRS Program will complete the baseline mission in 2040 and will incur costs totalling approximately 40 billion dollars. The summary strategy is to meet the above objectives by using a robust systems engineering effort, placing the highest possible priority on safety and environmental protection; encouraging {open_quotes}out sourcing{close_quotes} of the work to the extent practical; and managing significant but limited resources to move toward final disposition of tank wastes, while openly communicating with all interested stakeholders.« less

  10. Nonradiological chemical pathway analysis and identification of chemicals of concern for environmental monitoring at the Hanford Site

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Blanton, M.L.; Cooper, A.T.; Castleton, K.J.

    1995-11-01

    Pacific Northwest`s Surface Environmental Surveillance Project (SESP) is an ongoing effort tot design, review, and conducted monitoring on and off the Hanford site. Chemicals of concern that were selected are listed. Using modeled exposure pathways, the offsite cancer incidence and hazard quotient were calculated and a retrospective pathway analysis performed to estimate what onsite concentrations would be required in the soil for each chemical of concern and other detected chemicals that would be required to obtain an estimated offsite human-health risk of 1.0E-06 cancer incidence or 1.0 hazard quotient. This analysis indicates that current nonradiological chemical contamination occurring on themore » site does not pose a significant offsite human-health risk; the highest cancer incidence to the offsite maximally exposed individual was from arsenic (1.76E-10); the highest hazard quotient was chromium(VI) (1.48E-04). The most sensitive pathways of exposure were surfacewater and aquatic food consumption. Combined total offsite excess cancer incidence was 2.09E-10 and estimated hazard quotient was 2.40E-04. Of the 17 identified chemicals of concern, the SESP does not currently (routinely) monitor arsenic, benzo(a)pyrene, bis(2- ethylhexyl)phthalate (BEHP), and chrysene. Only 3 of the chemicals of concern (arsenic, BEHP, chloroform) could actually occur in onsite soil at concern high enough to cause a 1.0E-06 excess cancer incidence or a 1.0 hazard index for a given offsite exposure pathway. During the retrospective analysis, 20 other chemicals were also evaluated; only vinyl chloride and thallium could reach targeted offsite risk values.« less

  11. Final Hazard Categorization for the Remediation of Six 300-FF-2 Operable Unit Solid Waste Burial Grounds

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    J. D. Ludowise

    2006-12-12

    This report provides the final hazard categorization (FHC) for the remediation of six solid waste disposal sites (referred to as burial grounds) located in the 300-FF-2 Operable Unit (OU) on the Hanford Site. These six sites (618-1, 618-2, 618-3, 618-7, 618-8, and 618-13 Burial Grounds) were determined to have a total radionuclide inventory (WCH 2005a, WCH 2005d, WCH 2005e and WCH 2006b) that exceeds the DOE-STD-1027 Category 3 threshold quantity (DOE 1997) and are the subject of this analysis. This FHC document examines the hazards, identifies appropriate controls to manage the hazards, and documents the FHC and commitments for themore » 300-FF-2 Burial Grounds Remediation Project.« less

  12. Use of immunomagnetic separation for the detection of Desulfovibrio vulgaris from environmental samples

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Chakraborty, R.; Hazen, T.C.; Joyner, D.C.

    2011-04-15

    Immunomagnetic separation (IMS) has proved highly efficient for recovering microorganisms from heterogeneous samples. Current investigation targeted the separation of viable cells of the sulfate-reducing bacterium, Desulfovibrio vulgaris. Streptavidin-coupled paramagnetic beads and biotin labeled antibodies raised against surface antigens of this microorganism were used to capture D. vulgaris cells in both bioreactor grown laboratory samples and from extremely low-biomass environmental soil and subsurface drilling samples. Initial studies on detection, recovery efficiency and viability for IMS were performed with laboratory grown D. vulgaris cells using various cell densities. Efficiency of cell isolation and recovery (i.e., release of the microbial cells from themore » beads following separation) was followed by microscopic imaging and acridine orange direct counts (AODC). Excellent recovery efficiency encouraged the use of IMS to capture Desulfovibrio spp. cells from low-biomass environmental samples. The environmental samples were obtained from a radionuclide-contaminated site in Germany and the chromium (VI)-contaminated Hanford site, an ongoing bioremediation project of the U.S. Department of Energy. Field deployable IMS technology may greatly facilitate environmental sampling and bioremediation process monitoring and enable transcriptomics and proteomics/metabolomics-based studies directly on cells collected from the field.« less

  13. DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Not Available

    As part of the Hanford Federal Facility Agreement and Consent Order negotiations (Ecology et al. 1994), the US Department of Energy, Richland Operations Office, the US Environmental Protection Agency, and the Washington State Department of Ecology agreed that liquid effluent discharges to the ground on the Hanford Site which affect groundwater or have the potential to affect ground would be subject to permitting under the structure of Chapter 173-216 (or 173-218 where applicable) of the Washington Administrative Code, the State Waste Discharge Permit Program. As a result of this decision, the Washington State Department of Ecology and the US Departmentmore » of Energy, Richland Operations Office entered into Consent Order No. DE 91NM-177, (Ecology and DOE-RL 1991). The Consent Order No. DE 91NM-177 requires a series of permitting activities for liquid effluent discharges. This document presents the State Waste Discharge Permit (SWDP) application for the 200-E Chemical Drain Field. Waste water from the 272-E Building enters the process sewer line directly through a floor drain, while waste water from the 2703-E Building is collected in two floor drains, (north and south) that act as sumps and are discharged periodically. The 272-E and 2703-E Buildings constitute the only discharges to the process sewer line and the 200-E Chemical Drain Field.« less

  14. Office of River Protection Integrated Safety Management System Description

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    CLARK, D.L.

    Revision O was never issued. Finding safe and environmentally sound methods of storage and disposal of 54 million gallons of highly radioactive waste contained in 177 underground tanks is the largest challenge of Hanford cleanup. TWRS was established in 1991 and continues to integrate all aspects of the treatment and management of the high-level radioactive waste tanks. In fiscal Year 1997, program objectives were advanced in a number of areas. RL TWRS refocused the program toward retrieving, treating, and immobilizing the tank wastes, while maintaining safety as first priority. Moving from a mode of storing the wastes to getting themore » waste out of the tanks will provide the greatest cleanup return on the investment and eliminate costly mortgage continuance. There were a number of safety-related achievements in FY1997. The first high priority safety issue was resolved with the removal of 16 tanks from the ''Wyden Watch List''. The list, brought forward by Senator Ron Wyden of Oregon, identified various Hanford safety issues needing attention. One of these issues was ferrocyanide, a chemical present in 24 tanks. Although ferrocyanide can ignite at high temperature, analysis found that the chemical has decomposed into harmless compounds and is no longer a concern.« less

  15. Iodine-129 and iodine-127 speciation in groundwater at the Hanford site, US: iodate incorporation into calcite.

    PubMed

    Zhang, Saijin; Xu, Chen; Creeley, Danielle; Ho, Yi-Fang; Li, Hsiu-Ping; Grandbois, Russell; Schwehr, Kathleen A; Kaplan, Daniel I; Yeager, Chris M; Wellman, Dawn; Santschi, Peter H

    2013-09-03

    The geochemical transport and fate of radioiodine depends largely on its chemical speciation that is greatly affected by environmental factors. This study reports, for the first time, the speciation of stable and radioactive iodine in the groundwater from the Hanford Site. Iodate was the dominant species and accounted for up to 84% of the total iodine present. The alkaline pH (pH ∼ 8) and predominantly oxidizing environment may have prevented reduction of the iodate. In addition, groundwater samples were found to have large amounts of calcite precipitate which were likely formed as a result of CO2 degassing during removal from the deep subsurface (>70m depth). Further analyses indicated that between 7 and 40% of the dissolved (127)I and (129)I that was originally in the groundwater had coprecipitated in the calcite. Iodate was the main species incorporated into calcite and this incorporation process could be impeded by elevating the pH and decreasing ionic strength in groundwater. This study provides critical information for predicting the long-term fate and transport of (129)I. Furthermore, the common sampling artifact resulting in the precipitation of calcite by degassing CO2, had the unintended consequence of providing insight into a potential solution for the in situ remediation of groundwater (129)I.

  16. A report on the Oregon Experiment: A grassroots approach to meaningful public involvement

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Blazek, M.L.; Dunning, D.A.; Gentry, R.

    In September and October 1995, the Oregon Department of Energy (ODOE) and the Oregon Hanford Waste Board (the Board) carried out an ambitious public involvement process. They set out to explore new ways to better involve the public in technical issues involving the US Department of Energy (USDOE). They selected the draft Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) on the Storage and Disposition of Weapons-Usable Fissile Materials as the subject for the public involvement effort. They selected this EIS because of its high degree of technical complexity, its potential for impacting Hanford cleanup and Oregon, its broad reach of issues involvingmore » all USDOE sites and the long lead time it allowed for preparation. The traditional process used by USDOE for public involvement seldom allows external agencies sufficient lead time to develop good public involvement processes. For this EIS, USDOE began the public involvement process very early in the development of the EIS, which allowed them the lead time they needed. ODOE and the Board have a great deal of experience in working with the public on a wide range of nuclear issues. This project was larger and more complex than anything they had attempted before. They used several different forums and a common format. The public response was very positive and encouraging.« less

  17. Variability and scaling of hydraulic properties for 200 Area soils, Hanford Site

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Khaleel, R.; Freeman, E.J.

    Over the years, data have been obtained on soil hydraulic properties at the Hanford Site. Much of these data have been obtained as part of recent site characterization activities for the Environmental Restoration Program. The existing data on vadose zone soil properties are, however, fragmented and documented in reports that have not been formally reviewed and released. This study helps to identify, compile, and interpret all available data for the principal soil types in the 200 Areas plateau. Information on particle-size distribution, moisture retention, and saturated hydraulic conductivity (K{sub s}) is available for 183 samples from 12 sites in themore » 200 Areas. Data on moisture retention and K{sub s} are corrected for gravel content. After the data are corrected and cataloged, hydraulic parameters are determined by fitting the van Genuchten soil-moisture retention model to the data. A nonlinear parameter estimation code, RETC, is used. The unsaturated hydraulic conductivity relationship can subsequently be predicted using the van Genuchten parameters, Mualem`s model, and laboratory-measured saturated hydraulic conductivity estimates. Alternatively, provided unsaturated conductivity measurements are available, the moisture retention curve-fitting parameters, Mualem`s model, and a single unsaturated conductivity measurement can be used to predict unsaturated conductivities for the desired range of field moisture regime.« less

  18. DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    JOHNSON, A.R.

    Biological control is any activity taken to prevent, limit, clean up, or remediate potential environmental, health and safety, or workplace quality impacts from plants, animals, or microorganisms. At Hanford the principal emphasis of biological control is to prevent the transport of radioactive contamination by biological vectors (plants, animals, or microorganisms), and where necessary, control and clean up resulting contamination. Other aspects of biological control at Hanford include industrial weed control (e.g.; tumbleweeds), noxious weed control (invasive, non-native plant species), and pest control (undesirable animals such as rodents and stinging insects; and microorganisms such as molds that adversely affect the qualitymore » of the workplace environment). Biological control activities may be either preventive (apriori) or in response to existing contamination spread (aposteriori). Surveillance activities, including ground, vegetation, flying insect, and other surveys, and apriori control actions, such as herbicide spraying and placing biological barriers, are important in preventing radioactive contamination spread. If surveillance discovers that biological vectors have spread radioactive contamination, aposteriori control measures, such as fixing contamination, followed by cleanup and removal of the contamination to an approved disposal location are typical response functions. In some cases remediation following the contamination cleanup and removal is necessary. Biological control activities for industrial weeds, noxious weeds and pests have similar modes of prevention and response.« less

  19. DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    JOHNSON, A.R.

    Biological control is any activity taken to prevent, limit, clean up, or remediate potential environmental, health and safety, or workplace quality impacts from plants, animals, or microorganisms. At Hanford the principal emphasis of biological control is to prevent the transport of radioactive contamination by biological vectors (plants, animals, or microorganisms), and where necessary, control and clean up resulting contamination. Other aspects of biological control at Hanford include industrial weed control (e.g.; tumbleweeds), noxious weed control (invasive, non-native plant species), and pest control (undesirable animals such as rodents and stinging insects, and microorganisms such as molds that adversely affect the qualitymore » of the workplace environment). Biological control activities may be either preventive (a priori) or in response to existing contamination spread (a posteriori). Surveillance activities, including ground, vegetation, flying insect, and other surveys, and a priori control actions, such as herbicide spraying and placing biological barriers, are important in preventing radioactive contamination spread. If surveillance discovers that biological vectors have spread radioactive contamination, a posteriori control measures, such as fixing contamination, followed by cleanup and removal of the contamination to an approved disposal location are typical response functions. In some cases remediation following the contamination cleanup and removal is necessary. Biological control activities for industrial weeds, noxious weeds and pests have similar modes of prevention and response.« less

  20. Determination of the spatial resolution required for the HEDR dose code. Hanford Environmental Dose Reconstruction Project: Dose code recovery activities, Calculation 007

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Napier, B.A.; Simpson, J.C.

    1992-12-01

    A series of scoping calculations has been undertaken to evaluate the doses that may have been received by individuals living in the vicinity of the Hanford site. This scoping calculation (Calculation 007) examined the spatial distribution of potential doses resulting from releases in the year 1945. This study builds on the work initiated in the first scoping calculation, of iodine in cow`s milk; the third scoping calculation, which added additional pathways; the fifth calculation, which addressed the uncertainty of the dose estimates at a point; and the sixth calculation, which extrapolated the doses throughout the atmospheric transport domain. A projectionmore » of dose to representative individuals throughout the proposed HEDR atmospheric transport domain was prepared on the basis of the HEDR source term. Addressed in this calculation were the contributions to iodine-131 thyroid dose of infants from (1) air submersion and groundshine external dose, (2) inhalation, (3) ingestion of soil by humans, (4) ingestion of leafy vegetables, (5) ingestion of other vegetables and fruits, (6) ingestion of meat, (7) ingestion of eggs, and (8) ingestion of cows` milk from-Feeding Regime 1 as described in scoping calculation 001.« less

Some links on this page may take you to non-federal websites. Their policies may differ from this site.
Top