ML20054E870
| ML20054E870 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | 02700039 |
| Issue date: | 06/01/1982 |
| From: | Shaffner J, Siefken D NRC OFFICE OF NUCLEAR MATERIAL SAFETY & SAFEGUARDS (NMSS) |
| To: | Rich Smith NRC OFFICE OF NUCLEAR MATERIAL SAFETY & SAFEGUARDS (NMSS) |
| References | |
| NUDOCS 8206140372 | |
| Download: ML20054E870 (4) | |
Text
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/Mh li NMSS r/f JUN 011982 (zidi WM r/f WMLL r/f WMLL: Docket 27-39 Docket File 27-39 DLSiefken JAShaffner g
REBrowning MEMORANDUM FOR:
R. Dale Smith. Chief _,
f JBMartin PDR Low-Level Waste Licensing Branch
,9p gU/y*C4 Division of Waste Management b
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,9 s///4 BMenczer, IE-REG.IIK 0 7 James A. Shaffner
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~ ~ /gg& b PGustafson, IDNS FROM:
David L. Siefken e
/'0 Low-Level Waste Licensing Branch 4
Division of Waste Management 1,
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SUBJECT:
TRIP REPORT - SHEFFIELD LOW-LEVEL WAS FACILITY Attached is a trip report for a visit to the Sheffield Low-Level Waste Disposal Facility. The facility was visited on.May 12 and 13,1982.
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OriS nal Signed By David L. Siefken Low-Level Waste Licensing Branch _
Originni SignNB[
James A. Shaffner Low-Level Waste Licensing Branch.
Enclosure:
Trip Report 8206140372 820601 PDR ADOCK O2700039 C
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JUN 0 i 1982 Docket 27-39 Trip Report Sheffield Low-Level Maste Disposal Facility May 12 & 13,1982 Janes Shaffner, David Siefken
Purpose:
1.
Tour Sheffield site to observe surface stabilization features 2.
Meet with State of Illinois, USGS officials to discuss impressions of performance of site surface stabilization features.
Attendees:
David Ed Illinois Dept. of Nuclear Safety Janes Blackburn David Dolan Melanie Hamel James Foster U.S. Geological Survey John B. Robertson Dale Bajema Thomas Borecki Illinois State Attorney General's Office Ronald Gaynor US Ecology Ken Waller Helen Burnette.
Mark Cade Russell Moore Andy Armbrust William Menczer NRC, I&E Region III Nora Nicholson l
James Shaffner NRC, Division of Waste Management David Siefken (NOTE: US Ecology representatives participated in site tour only)
Discussions:
May 12, 1982 The attendees, exclusive of US Ecology representatives, met for lunch in Princeton, Illinois before traveling to the site.
At lunch we met informally with Mr. Rodger Bruyn of the Illinois Farm Bureau who will act as the liaison between the State and the local community. Mr. Bruyn expressed a keen interest in the site and efforts to properly close and decommission it.
The attendees toured the Sheffield site as a group. The purpose was to observe site surface stabilization features recently installed by US Ecology and the
. 5D 0 D32 effects of stabilization features recently installed by US Ecology on erosion and drainage problems. The group walked over much of the site, asked questions and discussed observations as the tour progressed.
Major observations were as follows:
l.
Engineered drainage features including Enkamat and accompanying vegetative stabilization in the vicinity of Trench 11 and the drainageway and culvert in the center portion of the site (running north-south) appear to be well established and functional. However, these facilities have yet to be tested by severe weather.
2.
There was isolated evidence of minor settlement on some trenches including depressions which had recently been refilled and reseeded.
In one case, on Trench 7, there was a longitudinal subsidence crack. This was discussed with Mr. Gaynor of US Ecology, and he asked site personnel to repair the area.
3.
A drainage system that controls drainage on the eastern portion of the chemical site and outlets onto the northwest corner of the radioactive waste site is presently under construction.
4.
A significant accumulation of sediment was observed in the northeast corner of the radwaste site. Apparently the sediment originates from unvegetated areas of the chemical waste site. The outlet culvert in the northeast corner of the site appears to be under capacity, resulting in ponding in the northeast corner.
5.
There are still many areas of sparse vegetation on the radioactive waste site.
6.
There is a depression near the west end of Trench 1 which is the result of an excavation to locate a USGS benchmark. The USGS indicated that this could be backfilled since other benchmarks are available.
7.
There are several incipient rills and gullies south of Trench 11 (adjacent to the Enkamat area) and north of trench 23.
8.
There is surface drainage and minor gullying across the south end of trench 10.
During the tour, Jim Shaffner (NRC) and Jack Robertson (USGS) took photographs of the site.
It was agreed that these photographs would be disseminated among the various agencies and US Ecology.
During the tour at the site, James Foster (USGS) discussed some of the work that USGS is performing on and adjacent to the site. He discussed the hydrometeorological data station on Trench 2, USGS efforts to measure soil moisture in the unsaturated zone, sediment / runoff sampling at the inlet and outlet of the culvert in the center of the site, and the monitoring wells installed in conjunction with the tritium migration study.
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JUN 01 1982 :
Later in the afternoon, several members of the tour visited the USGS tunnel. The USGS staff explained manyof the monitoring probes that have been installed in the tunnel to better understand aad characterize moisture movement and solute transport in the unsaturated zone.
May 13, 1982 On Thursday, May 13, NRC representatives met with State of Illinois represen-tatives, and Mr. Foster (USGS) to discuss the previous day's tour in the context of closure and decommissioning of the Sheffield site. We also discussed and attempted to clarify other aspects of the NRC staff closure conditions as filed with the ASLB.
A summary of the major items of discussion follows:
Site Surface Stabilization It was noted by Jim Blackburn (IDNS) that the overall condition of the site surface was much improved over previous visits. Control of erosion south of Trench 11, stabilization of the drainageway in the center of the site with sod, control of erosion north of Trench 14A, and the use of straw bales to control water velocity on unvegetated areas were noted as major improvements.
The group also discussed observations of the previous day's tour.
In addition to those noted previously, these include the evidence of damage due to vehicular traffic across some of the trenches and the apparent lack of an overall drainage and erosion control plan encompassing the entire site.
It was the concensus of the group that an overall site drainage and stabilization plan should be developed by consultation with qualified experts in these areas. The plan should incorporate those features which US Ecology has already installed or plans to install in the near future.
It would integrate these features with other design features and vegetative stabilization practices which employ successional species.
Professional expertise should be sought in establishing vegetative st1bilization and in the periodic inspections of the site surface conditions.
The group recognized that a site drainage and erosion control plan should be developed and implemented as much as possible to accommodate the final cover (s) which may ultimately be placed over the waste disposal areas.
Ideally, major drainage features can be installed outside areas which will be disturbed during installation of the final cover.
The drainage features should be operative and stable by the time the final cover is installed and able to accommodate additional runoff (if any) dictated by the change in hydrologic regime occurring because of the final cover.
Monuments The group agreed that site monuments which denote the presence of radioactive waste and indicate locations of more specific information are ultimately more important than individual trench markers.
.,. JUN 011982 Monitoring The group agreed that migration of chemicals is an important monitoring consideration, particulary in the northwest corner of the site. A monitoring system should incorporate existing wells as much as possible. However, it may be necessary to add 2-3 additional monitoring wells to provide adequate monitoring.
Buffer Zone The group discussed the need for an adequate buffer zone. State officials stated that they felt that it should include all areas within the local groundwater flow system downstream to the outlet of the stripmine pond. State officials also pointed out that they felt that actual land acquisition should also be responsive to the needs or desires of present land owners and take into consideration existing property boundaries.
Internal Road System The group discussed the need to repair trench caps during all weather conditions.
It was agreed that there are ways to realize this objective short of a road system among the trenches.
Finally, the group discussed criteria by which we could determine if and when the site had been adequately stabilized. No consensus was reached on this point.
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