ML20234B475
| ML20234B475 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Issue date: | 09/16/1987 |
| From: | NRC |
| To: | |
| Shared Package | |
| ML20234B448 | List: |
| References | |
| FOIA-87-533 NUDOCS 8709180425 | |
| Download: ML20234B475 (6) | |
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CONTAMINATED HOMES ORANGE. NEW JERSEY FROM 1915-1926 APPROXIMATELY 1/2 TON OF ORE CONTAINING 2-4%
URANIUM WAS PROCESSED AT ALDEN AND HIGH STREETS IN ORANGE, NEW JERSEY.
PRESENTLY, THE ANNUAL MEAN RADON EXPOSURES IN BUILDINGS ON THE SITE RANGE BETWEEN O.03-0.65 WORKING LEVELS.
THE GAMMA EXPOSURE RATES VARY BETWEEN 20-650 MICROREM PER HOUR.
THE STATE OF NEW JERSEY HAS BEEN STUDYING THE SITE AND THE EXPOSURES TO PERSONNEL WDRKING IN THE BUILDINGS SINCE THE EARLY 1
7005 AND PROBADLY BEFORE THAT.
THEY KEEP US INFORMED, BUT HAVE NEVER SUGGESTED TANT IT IS AN NRC PROBLEM.
URANIUM CONCENTRATION IN SOIL AND FILL IS VARIABLE DEPENDING ON LOCATION, VARYING FROM O-0.4%. SAMPLING HAS NOT BEEN UNIFORM NOR EXTENSIVE.
IN 1979 OR 1980 AN ARMS SURVEY WAS PERFORMED OF THE SITE AND SURROUNDING AREA.
THE RESULTS WERE NOT CAREFULLY REVIEWED UNTIL LATE 1982 WHEN TWO AREA OF ELEVATED RADIATION READING WERE NOTED IN RESIDENTIAL AREAS AWAY FROM THE PROCESSING SITE.
EXTENSIVE SURVEYS WERE MADE OF ABOUT 350 HOMES IN THESE TWO AREAS.
ABOUT 40 HOMES (OR MORE OR LESS) MAY REQUIRE REMEDIAL ACTION.
URANIUM SAMPLES NEAR THE HOMES RANGE O-0.4%, BUT AVERAGE O.01%.
STATE HAS EMERGENCY FUNDS FROM EPA WHICH WILL ALLOW CLEANUP OF SEVERAL HOMES NOW; HOWEVER SURROUNDING COMMUNITY STRONGLY OBJECTS TO PLAN TO STORE WASTE A LOCAL ARMORY.
SOME RESIDENTS HAVE ASKED WHY NRC IS NOT INVOLVED AND WHY NRC REGULATIONS ARE NOT BEING FOLLOWED.
STATE IS UNSURE IF THEY DESIRE NRC INVOLVEMENT RECOMMEND NO INVOLVEMENT BY NRC:
1 o PRE ATOMIC ENERGY ACT o WILL SLOW DOWN PROCESS OF CORRECTIVE ACTION o EXPEND NRC RESOURCES WITHOUT REASONABLE PAYOFF FOR TAXPAYER o STATE IS TAKING ALL NECESSARY ACTIONS TO PROTECT HEALTH AND SAFETY l
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I N.J. DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION U.S. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY INVESTIGATION OF RADIOLOGICAL CONTAMINATION IN ESSEX COUNTY, NEW JERSEY-Investi$ation and Remedial Action Status The Department of Environmental Protection announced today that all homes within the Montclair/ Glen Ridge study areas have been sampled for radon progeny contamination.
Individual-homeowners have been sent written notification of the sample results. A total of 345 homes were sampled within these two study areas which included parts of West Orange and East Orange. 'Is addition to the homes within the study area,168 residences from outside the sectors were sampled to aid in establishing the boundary of the contaminated areas and to confirm that contamination did not extend outside defined sectors. Of the 345 homes within the defined sectors, a total of 40 were found to have redon progeny contam-ination requiring remedial action.
Sixteen of these homes were determined to be at a high enough level to require temporary remedial action to reduce radon progeny levels to less than one-tenth of a working level.is a measure of the conc As of this date, EPA's contractor, Arix Corporation, has completed installing fresh air venti-
-lation systems in 15 of the 16 homes with the highest levels of radon progeny contamination. An additional 3 homes at the next highest level have also had ventilation systems installed.
These remedial efforts have successfully reduced the levels of radon and radon progeny in 18 homes.
. Source Characterization Studies The EPA field investigation team is completing further characterization studies within the two defined Montclair, Glen Ridge areas. These studies, which are designed to characterize the source of contamination, consisted of an initial extensive surface gamma survey, followed by a subsurface investigation.
The subsurface investigation involved drilling boreholes in the ground in areas j
showing elevated surface gamma radiation. Cores from the boreholes have been 1
taken for laboratory analysis. The source characterization studies made ex-j tensive use of infonnation provided by the New Jersey Geological Survey as to i
the underlying geology of the area.
The coring program is designed generally to both characterize the source material and provide a preliminary estimate of the volume and location of contaminated material.
The results of this preliminary characterization study should be available shortly.
Depending on the nature of the source, a more extensive coring program may be needed in the future to L
provide detailed information needed to guide the physical removal of material.
1 Additional Surveys and Samolina Studies On April 23, 1984, personnel from EPA's Montgomery. Alabama radiation laboratory returned to the Montclair/ Glen Ridge area to conduct an indoor radiation survey to measure gamma exposure levels in all of the affected homes.
This follow-up survey is being conducted to assure that no elevated gamma levels exist where individuals might be exposed above the standard of 500 millirem per j
I year.
Results of this survey will be made available to individual homeownsrs within 3 weeks after completion.
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IUDEP - April 24, 1984
--2..
Two other sampling related activities were announced by the EPA on April 23.
Through its Field Investigation Team, NUS Corporation, EPA plans to sample all Tier C houses (Those that did not require immediate ventilation such as Tier A & B.) on a quarterly basis to insure that levels of radon have not increased.
These homes will be sampled using the 5-day Radon Progeny Integrated Sampling Units (RPISU) previously installed. A second indoor gama survey, called a
" delta gamma" survey, will be conducted by EPA's remedial contractor, Arix Corpora tion. This survey is designed to pinpoint the location of any contaminated soil around or under Tier C homes. A delta gama survey has already been performed on all Tier A and B homes.
Ground Level Evaluation of Aerial Survey The DEP has inspected all 51 locations which were identified in the 12-square mile aerial gamma survey.
Forty-five of these locations were found to be within the nomal range of background radiation.
These radiation anomolies appeared on the aerial gama survey because the natural radiation levels were slightly higher than the surroundings. Normal background gamma radiation levels typically fall within a range of 0.005 to 0.015 milli-Roentgens per hour in this locality.
The gama radiation levels for the forty-five locations were less
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than 0.012 mR/hr.
Four of the 51 locations were found to have elevated gamma radiation levels outside of buildings. Nomal gamma and radon levels were found indoors. Based on the current use of these properties, it is unlikely that any person will be exposed to radiation levels in excess of standards.
Further work will be done to characterize the nature and extent of outdoor soil contamination.
The remaining two of the 51 locations had elevated gamma or radon levels inside the structures. One comercial property had elevated gamma radiation levels (up to 0.60 mR/hr) in the basement.
Recommendations were made for limiting occupancy in the basement. With the exception of a storage area on the first floor all other areas had radiation levels within the range of normal background.
Finally, the ground level survey initially identified an additional home which contained elevated radon levels in the vicinity of the original Montclair/
West Orange site.
Further investigation of neighboring houses has identified a total of 4 affected residences, 2 in Tier B and 2 in Tier C.
The 2 Tier B homes are in the process of being remediated.
To insure a reasonable level of certainty in defining the area of contamination. EPA will conduct a radon grab sample and gama survey of 60 residences surrounding this recently discovered area.
Letters requesting access to homes and permission to sample in this West Orange i
location are currently being distributed to affected homeowners. Activities i
over the next month will involve indoor air sampling then outdoor surveys and subsurface sampling to determine the source of the contamination. These activities are similar to those which have taken place in Montclair and Glen Ridge over the i
past few months.
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N.J. DEPARIMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION l
U.S. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY INVESTIGATION OF RADICIDGICAL CONTAMINATION IN ESSEX COUNTY, NEW JERSEY 1
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The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) health advisory, dated December
)
T 983, directed that a number of issues be addressed to better define and 1
1 characterize the radon and radium con *==4 nation in the Montclair/ West Orange and the Glen Ridge study, areas.
Data from the wreening' of 305 home, in the two study areas and an additional 161 homes outside the study areas along with the outdoor ganana radiation survey data were provided to CDC for l
evaluation. CDC has concluded that no further screening,te delineate the I
radon problem in the affected areas needs to be done.
The work to determine the source of the radon con *==ination was per-formed'by EPA's Field Investigation Team, NUS Corporation.
For this offort, d
permission was. requested from the homeowners in the study areas to allow outdoor gamma surveys and subsurface coring to de*= =4 na the extent and depth of radium contamination in soil.
Radium decays to radon gas which can migrate into the nearest structure.
Field survey measurements of gansna radiation were made on 330 proper'.es
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in both the Nonw1mir/ West Orange and the Glen Ridge study areas, of which a subset of properties were investigated by coring to determina subsurface con *== 4 nation. The results of the outdoor survey indicate the elevated gamma radiation levels are in the immediate vicinity of the homes which are affected by elevated radon levels.
There were some properti,es which had normal indnar radon levels but had elevated outdoor ganana levels as a 4
result of soil contamination. A prel4=ia=*y estimate of conh=4nated soil volume was made based on the source characterization work..The areal extent of soil contari=*4an at the Montclair/ west orange site is estimated to be 5,400 square meters to a depth of approximately 1.5 meters, with an estimated volume to be considered for removal of 7,400 cubic meters. The areal extent of soil con *==4 nation at the Glen Ridge site is. estimated to be 4,500 square meters to a depth of approx 4_mataly 1.5 meters, with an estimated volume to be considered for removal of 6,900 cubic meters.
At' this time, it is estimated that a total of 73 properties are affected.
In April, the EPA's Montgomery, Alabama, radiological group conducted indoor radiation surveys to measure gassna exposure levels in the Tier A, B, and C homes. These measurements and the outdoor ganna measurements from the subsurface characterization work were provided to Centers for Disease Control (CDC) to evaluate the potential exposure to gansna radiation.
The CDC provided a methodology to determine, in a conservative manner, the annual dose to residents due to the gamma radiation on their property. This calculated dose is to be compared to 500 mrem per year, the permissible
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annual dose to members of the general public.
It is not necessary to per-l form calculations for non-residents since their expos'ure in the area is intermittent.
Based on the CDC methodology, no person in the affected homes exceeds the limit of 500 mrem per year.
A 4-NJDEP - July 16, 1964
f Investigation of Radiological Contamination in Essex County, New Jersey Page 2 The CDC and EPA also addressed the issue of growing vegetables in con *==4nated areas.
Based on the non-uniform and limited extent of areas with highly con==4nated soils (100 PC1/gm or about 100 times background e
- soil concentrations), no general reconenendation to limit gardening is warranted in the study areas. In the few instances where we know of gardens directly in conta=4 nated areas, the EPA aind DEP have reca=manded that these residents refrain from gardaning in order to =4n4=4 e the intake of radium i
from eating t-r:gus vegetables.
Any homeowners in the contaminated areas contemplating gardening are advised to contact EPA or NJDEP for specific recommendations.
EPA and DEP regard the installation of ventilation systems to reduce indoor radon levels as short term remedial measures. A more permanent remedial action is to remove the radium contaminated soil surroaading the home. A pilot program was developed to determine the fea'sibility and cost of soil removal. The objective of the program is to demonstrate that techniques for removal of contaminated soil is effective and will reduce radon and radon progeny levels in homes, to determine the engineering feasibility of soil removal given the varying types of house construction and locations of con *==4 nation, and to estimate the cost of soil removal at representative properties. Several properties were selected based on
, the following criteria.
g Both isolated separate pocke'ts and larger contiguous areas of con-
- ==4 nationghould be. investigated; different soil con *==4 nation locations with respect to the home (under slab, surrounding foundation, under basement, away from structure, etc.) should be investigated; and different house construction types (crawl space, full basement, slab construction, etc.) should be investigated. Also, priority is given to houses which were initially Tier A and B but are still Tier C after initial remedial actions and both the Glen Ridge and Montclair/ West Orange areas are in-cluded.
We have selected a navi=i= of five study areas, involving ten properties, for the proposed pilot program.
Final selection of the individual properties to be involved in the pilot soil removal study will be contingent on engineering and cost considerations, and the willingness of the homeowners to participate and to deal with the, potential disruptions associated with the pilot study.
Detailed discussions will be held with each individual h'omeowner before any characterization work or soil removal begins.
NJDEP - July 16, 1984 e