ML19262C531
| ML19262C531 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Issue date: | 08/08/1979 |
| From: | Arsenault F NRC OFFICE OF NUCLEAR MATERIAL SAFETY & SAFEGUARDS (NMSS) |
| To: | Hardin C KENTUCKY, COMMONWEALTH OF |
| Shared Package | |
| ML19262C529 | List: |
| References | |
| CON-FIN-B-2291 NUDOCS 8002140305 | |
| Download: ML19262C531 (8) | |
Text
p 14 UNITED ST ATES 4,
NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMisslOh '
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%.v AUG 8 1979 Mr. Charles M. Hardin, Manager Radiation Control Branch Department of Human Resources Comonwealth of Kentucky Frankfort, Kentucky 40601
Dear Mr. Hardin:
This is in response to your proposal of June: 26,1979, requesting the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) support for research at Maxey Flats to provide infomation needed for decommissioning the facility.
Your proposal was recently forwarded to us from our Office of State Programs.
We have developed an initial program plan in coordination with-Richard Fry of your department, the U.S. Geological Survey, several of our contractors, and staff of the Low Level Waste Licensing Branch.
The initial plan has been reviewed by the NRC's Office of State Programs.
The Pacific North-west Laboratory of the Battelle Memorial Institute will assist us in coordinating the work cf the several contractor, who will provide support in specific disciplines.
Enclosed is a " project brief" that describes the objectives and scope of the program. The details of the specific tasks within the program are in the process of being developed. and coordinated with each other.
The specific projects will include field experiments to determine actual or potential migration of sp2cific radicnuclides from burial trenches, including assessment of the potential hazard, and to achieve an understanding of how water enters the trenches. This project will include specialists from Battelle Memorial Institute (in-situ high resolution gamma-ray spectrometry, ecological considerations, program coordination), Brookhaven National Laboratory (trench water chemistry and microflora), University of Arizona (site engineering and non-toxic tracers of water movement),
Los /.lamos Scientific Laboratory and University of California, Berkeley (L.1 saturated zone hydrology and movement of radionuclides in that zone),
University of CrZifornia, Los Angeles (radionuclide transport in agricultural systems and revegetation alternatives), and specialists from Dames &
Moore through your ongoing project at the site.
The U.S. Geological Survey, and HRC's Low Level Waste Licensing Branch will continue to participate in planr.ing the program and in reviewing the projects as they progress.
Our goal is to have a report summarizing the initial observations on radionuclide migration submitted to us for review by your staff and curs early in 1980. Additional preliminary reports will be submitted as the initial phases of specific tasks are completed.
A final report will be 8002146
C. M. Hardin.
issued upon completion of the field program. The schedule for completion of the program will be developed in coordination with your staff based on the results of the initial observations.
Our present estimate is that the basic prograrr. would be completed in approximately two years.
s The Office of Nuclear Regulatory Resaarch technical contact for this work is Dr. Edward E. Held, Waste Management Research Branch, (301) 427-4358.
I am looking forward to this opportunity to work with you and your s'taff on this important waste management research program.
Sincerely, h
Frank J. Arsenault, Director Division of Safeguards, Fuel Cycle and Environmental Research
Enclosure:
Project Brief cc w/ enclosure:
G. Ryan, OSP/NRC D. Smith, fMSS/NRC R. Fry, USGS
12/7/79 PROJECT DESCRIPTIVE
SUMMARY
OFFICE: RES NUMBER: RES 80-1 PROJECT TITLE:
CHEMICAL SPECIES OF MIGRATING RADIONUCLIDES AT MAXEY FLATS AND OTHER SHALLOW LAND BURIAL SITES TYPE OF CONTRACT:
DOE C0KTRACTOR:
Pacific Northwest Laboratories FIN No.:
B-2291 FY BUDGET (K):
FY78 FY79 FY80 FY81 FY82 PRIOR 0
195K OPERATING 245K FOLLOW - ON 200K 0
SCOPE OF WORK:
This project is one of six ongoing projects at the Maxey Flats, KY low level waste burial site which together comprise a coordinated program to collect information for development of criteria for closing and monitoring the Maxey Flats site. The project will also contribute information for evaluating proposed sites and for monitoring other sites.
The specific objectives of this project are to (1) determine amounts and chemical form of radionuclides that have migrated by subsurface routes, (2) determine the areal distribution of specific radionuclides at the waste burial site and adjacent areas, (3) compare the chemical form of radionuclides in burial trenches with those observed in monitoring trenches, and in flow from the site, and (4) provide overall coordination of all the NRC sponsored Maxey Flats projects.
TASKS:
(1)
Slit trench study for defining radionuclide migration This task includes the study of migration of radionuclides from waste filled trenches at Maxey Flats by ground water.
Samples are being collected and an initial report summarizing the early observations and reasurements will be prepared in the second quarter of FY80.
Sampling and analyses will continue through the first quarter of FY81. A detailed report on the migration of radionuclides and non-radioactive tracers will be prepared in the second quarter of FY81.
(2) Specific radionuclide mapping of burial site and adjacent areas This task is to perfurm a preliminary radiological survey of the contaminated area of the burial site using the Kentucky / Dames and Moore radiological survey map as a planning base and special monitoring
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. of transuranic and other radionuclides (including in-situ gama-ray spectremetric analyses).
Initial surveys and sampling were completed in the first quarter of FY80.
A detailed report on radionuclide distribution will be prepared in the. third quarter of FY81.
(3) Chemical species characterization This task includes:
(a) initial determination of the chemical foms of radionuclides in the burial trenches, (b) detemination of chemical forms in monitoring wells and in experimental trench seepage, and (c) identification of the kinds and chemical forms of radionuclides in springs, seepage and runoff waters.
A preliminary report identifying radionuclides that have migrated and their chemical form will be prepared in the third quarter of FY80.
Precise identification and reporting of the chemical forms of the most mobile radionuclides in burial and experimental trench, well spring, and runoff water will be completed in the last quarter of FY81.
BENEFIT:
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.. Will develop ~infomation for-~(1) developing cFiteria for manaling,7~ ~~
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closing and monitoring the Maxey Flats site, (2) developing (programs for3) developi
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evaluating and monitoring other shallow land burial sites, perfomance criteria for new shallow land burial sites, and (4) developing methods for evaluation of new proposed sites.
Delay of this program would result in loss of a reliable technical basis
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USER NEED:
This project will provide Kentucky infomation that can be used to develop criteria for closing the Maxey Flats burial site.
The Office of State Programs requested and endorsed this project.
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In addition, HMSS staff finds that information from tasks (1) and 5) should produce infomation which will be used to support decisions on cocpatability of waste chemical foms with site characteristics.
PRIOR AND CURRENT NRC RELATED PROJECTS:
This. project provides the over 6 program plan that continues work from prior RES projects (B-7040 and B-3027) on radionuclide transport in soils and agricultural systems.
Those prior projects were redirected (from study of transuranics) to study of low level radioactive wastes in this effort.
The overall plan included laboratory and greenhouse experiments using Maxey Flats soils and radioactive wastes to evaluate the applicability of those methods to prediction of the behavior of radionuclides in the field.
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. Specific related projects within the overall plan include:
B-6192 Burial Ground Survey, Kentucky B-7040 Waste Transport in Soils A-3042 Source Terms of Radionuclides B-3027 Radwaste Transport in Agricultural Systems B-666B Engineering Evaluation of LLW Burial Other specific related projects include:
B-6008 Burial Ground Survey, West Valley B-6349 Subsurface Radar Profiling
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INTERAGENCY COORDINATION AND INTEREST USGS is carticipating in the studies.
DOE and EPA are interested and following the progress of these studies relative to their low level waste site programs.
All work at the site and its environs is coordinated with the Commonwealth of Kentucky, Department of Natural Resources.
JUSTIFICATION FOR SOLE SOURCE OR INT:;?GENCY TASKING Due to the expertise developed on all the prior and current projects listed above which are integrally related and the extensive coordination required between the various organizations involved in this research (USGS, State of Kentucky, PNL, Brookhaven,, Los Alamos, and several universities) it is simply not practical.to seek to develop a similar capability in the private commerci.al sector at this stage of the effort.
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FY-80 PROJECT BRIEF TITLE: CHEMICAL SPECIES OF MIGRATING FIN NO.: B-2291 RADIONUCLIDES AT MAXEY FLATS CONTRACTOR:
PNL AND OTHER SHALLOW LAND BURIAL SITES TYPE:
DOE STATE: Washington
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NRC TECHNICAL MONITOR:
E. Held PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATORS:
L. J. Kirby J. C. Laul D. E. Robertson C. W. Thomas BUDGET ACTIVITY:
60193201 0 OBLIG:
FY80 $245K FY-1980 WORK PERIOD: 10/1/79 - 9/30/80 OBJECTIVES:
1.
Determine amounts and chemical species of radionuclides moved by subsurface routes.
2.
Determine areal distribution of specific radionuclides at the waste burial site and adjacent areas.
3.
Compare the chemical species of radionuclides in burial trenches with those observed in monitoring trenches and wells and in springs or seepe and in surft.e flow from the site.
4.
Coordinate implementation of the above objectives with the implementation of the objectives of the closely related programs underway or planned for Maxey Flats.
This includes work on trench chemistry by BNL, plant uptake by UCLA, engineering by_U. of Arizona, unsaturated flow by
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Los Alamos and UCB, water mass balance and atmospheric studies by _.
the Commonwealth of Kentucky.
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SCOPE:
The program shall consist of the tasks defined in the proposal dated August 1979.
TASK A:
SLIT TRENCH STUDY FOR DEFINING RADIONUCLIDE MIGRATION This task shall include the following:
design trench for exploration and monitoring; construct trench, collect samples and monitor for seepage from adjacent burial trenches; install monitoring and sampling equipment; insert non-radioactive tracers in adjacent surface soil, trench cap and
' burial trench or trenches, prepare initial report summarizing observations, continue sampling unsaturated flow and sump water for migration studies; prepare detailed report on the migration of radionuclides and non-radioactive tracers.
2-TASK B: SPECIFIC RADIONUCLIDE MAPPING OF BURIAL SITE AND ADJACENT AREAS This task shall include the following:
preliminary survey of the contaminated
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area of the burial site using the Kentucky / Dames & Hoore radiological survey map as a planning base; a special areal monitoring of transuranitun and other radionuclides (including in-situ gamma-ray spectrometric analyses) based on review of the preliminary data with the PNL statistics group; additional measurements of radionuclides in biota based on results of the preliminary survey; prepare a detailed report emphasizing radionuclides of greatest concern in considering potential environmental and health effects.
TASK C:
CHEMICAL SPECIES CHARACTERIZATION This task shall include the following:
initial determination of the chemical species in burial trenches under anoxic conditions in cooperation with BNL; initial determination of chemical species in monitoring wells and in slit trench seepage; radionuclides and chemical forms in springs, seepage and runoff waters; a preliminary report identifying radionuclides that have migrated and their chemical form; precise ider.tification of the chemical forms of the radionuclides identified as significantly mobile.
The program, initiated in the fourth quarter of FY1979 will continue witJ1 the objective of performing the first four items under Task A, the first three items under Task B and the first three items under Task C during the first quarter of FYlgSO.
All work at the site and its environs will be coordinated with the individual designated by the Commonwealth of Kentucky, currently Richard M. Fry, Department for Human Resources.
The initial report summarizing the early observations and measurements udll be submitted,during the second quarter of FY80.
A detailed report on migration of radionuclides and non-radioactive tracers will be submitted in the second quarter of 1981.
A preliminary report on the areal survey will be submitted in the third
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quarter of FY1980.
A detailed report on areal radionuclide. distribution will be submitted in the, third quarter.0,fsf,Yl981.
A preliminary report on the chemical forms of radionuclides which migrate rest rapidly will be submitted in the third quarter of FY80.
A report that identifies the chemical fo.mns of the most mobile radionuclides vd11 be submitted in the fourth quarter L ' FY81.
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. Estimated Work Period:
10/1/79 - 9/30/80 Final work packages (189a's) reflecting approved FY1980 resources and scope should be furnished within sixty days. Five copies should be sent to the Office of Nuclear Regulatory Research and one copy to the NRC Controller.
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