ML20215K045
Text
e%
e.
q.,
~ ;; s A
)
e JAN 3 0 1976 r1 h)MN 1
1 Mr. D&vid S. Snith, _11 rector Technolcgy Assassr. cat nivicion (?!!-G)
U. S. LMvire.mont.il IrctecLion Imr.c/
l Nashington D. C.
,20aGO
~
~
J Daar fir. Suit:u v
As rcqtrater' in your letter of re.rrrb.c.?2,1977., m havo revic'.ed the papar, "Prelimirary caLa on ite Occurronet oC Trancm anitm Nuclidoc in the Emirorcent at t':e RWio.ictiv: bste Berial Hitr, W :ev Flats, 1
Fanttc!;y. '
'Iho review wac inrfonr.d iy the Divi < ion cC 01to Safety 1
cnd inviralcantal c.?lyci?. CFfica of a:al.c:':.".x,utor vcc ditticu ::H the Division of Fual cycle and Matarial f af irj, nffico cd ;uclear 1
Matarial Safaty On: Safognu23:s. Va notn r2r.: p.g.ar c3 2.cicaced tc d'e public by a prosa releasa dated Januarf 14,197C.
]
.I tb b211em Un.oq.ur h:t; sev. tral c'nrternince, rincip?lly, as folhis:
1.
Tne pa'yr fails to givo a.b uv.te ;q,dait t r, inc M.dic hoclC1 i
signific nce of t'.o ibt, and (mc.tur:lonc i.nvrentx.. Felle health cignificr.m h r.29.cenes ia c.;g.y u,m:.,;y : s on
.rcc.ca 1 Ond 4.
2.
' Die pa:;.cr does not give ecoc:dtion to fin Cxt the. t:he
!!amy Mats buri-d cround hsa bem. tr der a croc;ran of contimdner ovaltation clxo the t.h e it ins 11erco..r.
3.
Tao pqcr is bacca en da'n collecirJ. 'sy h.u.ve y durir.c t:va paricd 11/73 to S/74. Tvarc in little er no mu..hta hrece.ts1 in t'n pqx2r. Irattd.y has br.n collect.iro md enalviiner sa'ples cinco coneltaina of tin 6 -ncnth stsiy in Pay cc 199.
~
I,lno, tin 1Th on.3 CDCE hm baan cxy2nctine. c;.w cu.cb 2Lu3Lc3 of thr+ cite. Praliwin.rf rsruit.: of 8.::en. u ie :.m e,
- 1.cnc.:r term evirc=cntal ronitorine Cats r;v,r m.r;.' t t ce.'cuy o.rtain of tln n;:or's c..'.clucions.
4.
'dio first thr:-2 abjecti.mc of Un i.a.or hava c1 ready v22n acc.3:~
plisind r.d precanted in the TOntifiy.C-: cdi rc:;rt. runo, it appocr undnsirtle : c.ttor=t Un fora-3 c..joctivt un.ig cnly six renths of data, Mt:n. as iniic.r.ted in, tho':@sr, additicnal data is avh11&lc.
8706250199 870616 PDR FDIA g
MINTON87-235
- PDR, or,ic e *-
k J
suaa AME D-
~
.t D A? M*
'i-
i l
i i
)
i ht. David S. Smith l l
l
- 5.. As the title suggests, the paper is prelhdnary in natura j
since it presents several specific and gemral conclusions j
conmrning pathways for the migration of plutonium based en data which the author concodes equally support or do not rule out other " possibilities." t'e believe that before predicting the future effectiveness of the Maxey Flats burial ground, i
I the degree to which site operations and each pathway is mnMhuting to the radioactivity dotacted off-site chould l
be detecnimd. -
s
)
[-
6.
'Its paper s;caks of plutoniun rigration by any of four m:das-((l) surface runoff, (2) interflcw, (3) subsurface interficw, l
and (4) atnespheric dispornien). We helieva use of the tenn nigration should to lindted to discussica of the nevernt of j
material through the soil (interficw) and tmdarlying gaologic j
fcumtions (st:bsurface flcu). Surface runoff carrying contandnation fran cite operations and evaporator falloit are contributing l
n%ctivity to the local envirorcent which rakes it difficult i
to determine to what extent radioactivity has migrated or is i
continuing to nigrate via the interficw and subsurface flw nodes.
,l ITA may want to consider a second overvicw paper wilich taxes into con-sideration the shorteccings of this paper. Such a paper could sum-marize the current status of the various evaluation activities being conducted at the site, present knger tern trend data, current nonitor-
)
ing data, discuss the public health significance of the data, evaluate j
(
the effect of the improved water managerant program and discuss the j
.L critical pathways contributing radicactivity to the local environment i
in terms of the recent data. Ib believe such an ovarview surrary could j
provida a useful reference dcctennt for those agencies and parties having i
respons4hiHtics while still serving to focus attention on a situation j
that nerits continmd nonitoring and study.
j
'Ihe paper's closing conclusion notas that the goal of traste disposal l
sites, i.e.,100 percent retantion of wastes for their ha::ardous life-time, is not being achieved. It is our opinicn that 100 percent reten-i tion is rot a realistic goal.
It is doubtful that a site could be found that muld not annit scre releases albeit small. Disposal l
sites should M selected and operated in such a way as to minindze releases to off-sita areas, it agree that critiria for evaluating re-
, les of radimetivity from cccncreial burial grounds should be defired t
l to' assist in deternining the acceptability of existing and future disposal sites and disposal practicas.
i l'
i l
.., ' ovescE >
j
/ supAME N
{
Defg p a,,,,,,,,
~...
~
g
v j
- o 4
~/
Dr. DaviAl S. IMth I have enclosed, for your inforreation, a copy of the Nuclear Regulai:ory Comission's Mamy Flats review group report, dated July 7,1975.
Sincerely, Original Signed by Leland 'C. Rouse Richard E. Cunningham Tcting Dimotor
. (.
Division of Fml Cycle and Material Safety
-l i
Enclosure-As stated-t 1
Distribution:
il Central File Rmmni-ngham, FC 8)
DANussbatraer, FCMAT T@C :.r.ill, SSEA:ST Sb(y IGiultran, ST:SA G1Kerr, FCSA
'i@ Bishop, FCPM GPTuri, TR KSDragonette, FC7M PEchaus, FCSA ET.eins, NMSS-289 ELD NMSS:R/F W.SA:R/F
^
i h
9&CSA hCSA PHIchhus:ah ~ CWerr 1/29/76 lfj h:
- SA
b:MS '
SS '
omc=p 3[_UM_' :
.. ' -...;4 4g
. FC
...p g
.A g sdy
,,sussbau s _, y_
,11, jghg ggg,
an
.u n,.
, ein* i Y/c /7'-
1/p3/76
....1/'~ /76 1/?;7/76 1/V/76 1/...'/76
.a
-i
%