Environmental Report for 2011...Project Manager Technical Consultant Jana D. Ackerman Timothy Jannik Prepared by Savannah River Nuclear Solutions, LLC Savannah River Site Aiken, SC

SRNS–STI–2012–00200

Savannah River Site

Environmental Report for 2011

Project Manager Technical Consultant

Jana D. Ackerman Timothy Jannik

Prepared bySavannah River Nuclear Solutions, LLCSavannah River SiteAiken, SC 29808

Environmental Report for 2011 (SRNS–STI–2012–00200) iii

• SampleDataManagementacknowledgeswithdeepappreciationtheeffortsofthefollowingindividuals,whoprovidedvaluableresources,information,technicaldata,management,administrative,fieldorothersupporttotheSavannah River Site Annual Environmental Report for 2011:

ClemsonUniversityEnvironmentalEngineering/EarthSciencesDepartmentTechnicalReviewers

Dr.TimothyA.DeVol—ToshibaProfessorofNuclearEngineeringDr.RobertA.Fjeld—EmeritusDempseyProfessorDr.FredJ.Moltz,III—ResearchProfessor/DistinguishedScientistEmeritusDr.ThomasJ.Overcamp—Professor

• Listedbelowarethosewhoprovidedexpertpublicationssupport:

TaressaBarnes KandiMulligan SheilaRuffLisaMcCullough PaulaRowland VeronicaShaw

Acknowledgements

PerryAllenMarkAmidonRobBackerChrisBergrenCharlesBishopConnieBlackGeraldBlountNancyBrownTracyBryantRonCampbellVivianCatoKimCauthenKenChaceyJoyChapmanTiajuanaCochnauerLoriCowardBobCraigSharonCrawfordJanetCurtisDarylDomanJanaDunaway-AckermanKeithDyerTeresaEddyLarryEldridgeTimFauglGretaFanning

AnnieFieldsMaryFloraLeeFoxJimFudgeThomasGaughanBrendaGoffMikeGriffithRichardGurskeJamesHallJohnHarleyTimHartleyMinnieHightowerDavidHughleyGingerHumphriesJayHutchinsonRodHuttoTimothyJannikRobertKemmerlinAnneKiserThomasKmetzBrandenKramerMarlaKramerKevinKostelnikKurtLesherBillLewisWilliamLeschak

CherylLewisKeithLinerJeffLinternBillLittrellNancyLowryBillMaloneyHughMarberrySheliaMcFallsJohnMcGeheeLaureenMcMurrayLynnMartinCarlMazzolaAmyMeyerGraceMillerTedMillingsWinstonMooreHalMorrisDonaldMosserSadikaO’QuinnKarenPalmerDebbiePattersonWaynePippenDavidRobertsReginaldRobinsonMikeRoperJeffRoss

PaulaRowlandJosephShappellCarlShealyAshleyShullDonSinkMarkSpiresCaryStevensOwenStevensDebbieStillKeithStephensonBeckySturdivantBenjaminTerryJeffThibaultArtTimmsRobinUtseyBobVanpeltAlbertWeymouthJulieWilsonMicheleWilsonDavidWolfeKimWolfeStephanieYazzieTommyYoungLouiseZweifel

iv Savannah River Site

Acknowledgements

• AspecialthankstoGailWhitneyforcoordinatingtheDOE–SRreviewandapprovalprocess,whichrequiresdedicationandsupportfrombothDOE–SRandSRNS:

• ThankstoRachelBaker,RoyBlackwell,JeffBussey,ChuckHarvel,MichaelKennedy,RogerNeal,RobertSeremak,andJamesTusseyforprovidingcomputerhardwareandsoftwaresupport.

• MarvinStewartisacknowledgedwithappreciationforprovidedInternetexpertiseandcomputersoftwaresupport.

DOE-SR

GaryBorba

AmyCaver

AndrewGrainger

DavidHoel

GaryHoover

MaatsiNdingwan

TerryProvost

DennisRyan

AnnThomas

WadeWhitaker

NNSA

JoanBozzone

SRNS

DanCampbell

TomCoughenour

KevinSchmidt

Environmental Report for 2011 (SRNS–STI–2012–00200) v

The Savannah River Site Environmental Reportfor2011(SRNS-STI-2012-00200)isanoverviewofeffluentmonitoringandenvironmentalsurveillanceactivitiesconductedonandinthevicinityofSRSfromJanuary1throughDecember31,2011-includingtheSite’sperformanceagainstapplicablestandardsandrequirements.DetailsareprovidedonmajorprogramssuchastheEnvironmentalManagementSystem(EMS)andpermitcompliance.Informationforthe2011reportwascompiledandpreparedbytheEnvironmentalComplianceandAreaCompletionProjects(EC&ACP)DepartmentofSavannahRiverNuclearSolutionsLLC(SRNS),theSite’sManagementandOperations(M&O)contractor.The“EnvironmentalMonitoringProgramManagementPlan”(SRSEMPlan,2010)documents1)therationaleandobjectivesforthemonitoringprogram,2)thefrequencyofmonitoringandanalysis,3)thevarioussamplinglocations,and4)thespecificanalyticalandsamplingprotocolsused.The“EnvironmentalMonitoringQualityAssuranceProjectPlan”(SRSEMQAPlan,2010)describestheassociatedqualityassurancerequirements.

CompletedatatablesareincludedontheCDinsidethebackcoverofthisreport.TheCDalsofeatures1)anelectronicversionofthereport;2)anappendixofsite,environmentalsamplinglocation,dose,andgroundwatermaps;and3)annual(2011)reportsfromanumberofotherSRSorganizations.ThedatatablesgenerallyarepresentedasunformattedExcelspreadsheets;theyarenotintendedtobeprinted.However,ifprintingisdesired,theusercanmodifythe“PageSetup”parametersinExcelasneeded.Ifprintingofthe“SRSMaps”ontheCDisdesired,itisrecommended(toensureclarity)thatFigures1through25beprinted

8.5x11inches,Figures26through31beprinted36x32inches(in.),andFigures32through34beprinted34x33in.

Thefollowinginformationshouldaidthereaderininterpretingdatainthisreport:• Variationsinenvironmentalreportdatareflect

year-to-yearchangesintheroutinemonitoringprogram,aswellasoccasionaldifficultiesinsamplecollectionoranalysis.Examplesofsuchdifficultiesincludeadverseenvironmentalconditions(suchasfloodingordrought),samplingoranalyticalequip-mentmalfunctions,samplehandlingandtrans-portationissues,compromiseofthesamplesinthepreparationlaboratoriesorcountingroom.

• Tableheadingabbreviationsmayincludethefollow-ing:1)“N”isnumberofobservations;2)“Sample-Con”issampleconcentration;3)“SampleStd”isstandarddeviation;and4)“Sig”issignificance,with“Yes”meaningdetectableand“No”meaninglessthantheanalyticalmethoddetectionlimit.

• Analyticalresultsandtheircorrespondinguncer-taintytermsgenerallyarereportedwithuptothreesignificantfigures.Thisisafunctionofthecomput-ersoftwareusedandmayimplygreateraccuracyinthereportedresultsthantheanalyseswouldallow.

• Unitsofmeasureandtheirabbreviationsaredefinedintheglossary(beginningonpageG-1)andinchartsatthebackofthereport.Thereporteduncertaintyofasinglemeasurementreflectsonlythecountingerror,notothercomponentsofrandomandsystematicerrorinthemeasurementprocess,sosomeresultsmayimplyagreaterconfidencethanthedeterminationwouldsuggest.

To Our Readers

SRS has had an extensive environmental monitoring program in place since 1951 (before site startup). In the 1950s, data generated by the onsite environmental monitoring program were reported in site documents. Beginning in

1959, data from offsite environmental surveillance activities were presented in reports issued for public dissemination. SRS reported onsite and offsite environmental monitoring activities separately until 1985, when data from both programs were merged into one public document.

vi Savannah River Site

To Our Readers

• Anuncertaintyquotedwithameanvaluerepresentsthestandarddeviationofthemeanvalue.Thisnumberiscalculatedfromtheuncertaintiesoftheindividualresults.Foranunweightedmeanvalue,theuncertaintyisthesumofthevariancesfortheindividualvaluesdividedbythenumberofindivid-ualresultssquared.Foraweightedmeanvalue,theuncertaintyisthesumoftheweightedvariancesfortheindividualvaluesdividedbythesquareofthesumoftheweights.

• Allvaluesrepresenttheweightedaverageofallacceptableanalysesofasampleforaparticular

analyte.Samplesmayhaveundergonemultipleanalysesforqualityassurancepurposesortodetermineifradionuclidesarepresent.Forcertainradionuclides,quantifiableconcentrationsmaybebelowtheminimumdetectableactivityoftheanaly-sis,inwhichcasetheactualconcentrationvalueispresentedtosatisfyDOEreportingguidelines.

• Thegenericterm“dose,”asusedinthereport,referstothecommittedeffectivedose(50-yearcom-mitteddose)frominternaldepositionofradionu-clidesandtotheeffectivedoseattributabletobeta/gammaradiationfromsourcesexternaltothebody.

Report Available on Web Readerscanfindthe

SRS Annual Environmental Report ontheWorldWideWebatthefollowingaddress:

http://www.srs.gov/general/pubs/ERsum/index.html.

Environmental Report for 2011 (SRNS–STI–2012–00200) ix

Figure Page

CHAPTER 1 ......................................................................................................................1-1

Figure 1-1 The Savannah River Site ................................................................... 1-2

CHAPTER 2 ......................................................................................................................2-1

Figure 2-1 Environmental Management System Integration ............................... 2-2

Figure 2-2 DOE–SR Energy Reduction Performance ......................................... 2-7

Figure 2-3 SRS Gasoline Reduction Performance ............................................ 2-10

Figure 2-4 Increased E85 Usage at SRS .......................................................... 2-10

CHAPTER 4 ......................................................................................................................4-1

Figure 4-1 Ten-Year History of SRS Annual Atmospheric Tritium Releases ........ 4-3

Figure 4-2 Ten-Year History of Direct Releases of Tritium to SRS Streams ........ 4-4

CHAPTER 5 ......................................................................................................................5-1

Figure 5-1 Five-Year Trendchart of Average Gross Alpha in Air Filter Results

(pCi/m3), 2007-2011 ........................................................................... 5-3

Figure 5-2 Five-Year Trendchart of Average Gross Beta in Air Filter Results

(pCi/m3), 2007-2011 ........................................................................... 5-3

Figure 5-3 Ambient/Atmospheric Tritium-In-Air Concentrations (pCi/m3),

2007 - 2011 ........................................................................................ 5-5

Figure 5-4 Ten-Year Trend of Average Tritium Concentration in

Lower Three Runs, Steel Creek, and Upper Three Runs (pCi/L) ...... 5-9

Figure 5-5 Ten-Year Trend of Average Tritium Concentration in

Pen Branch and Fourmile Branch (pCi/L) ........................................... 5-9

Figure 5-6 Estimated Tritium Migration from SRS Seepage Basins and

SWDF to Site Streams, 2002-2011 ................................................. 5-10

Figure 5-7 SRS Tritium Transport Summary, 1960-2011 ................................... 5-13

Figure 5-8 Ten-Year Trend of SRS Tritium Transport, 2002-2011 ...................... 5-14

Figure 5-9 Historical Trend of Cesium-137 Concentrations in Deer (pCi/g),

1965-2011 ........................................................................................ 5-18

List of Figures

x Savannah River Site

List of Figures

Figure 5-10 2010 Total Mercury in Rainfall Results from the National

Atmospheric Deposition Program (NADP) ..................................... 5-22

CHAPTER 6 ......................................................................................................................6-1

Figure 6-1 Exposure Pathways to Humans from Atmospheric and Aqueous

Releases ............................................................................................. 6-2

Figure 6-2 Ten-Year History of SRS Maximum Potential All-Pathway Doses ...... 6-9

Figure 6-3 Ten-Year History of SRS Creek-Mouth Fisherman’s Doses ............. 6-13

CHAPTER 7 ......................................................................................................................7-1

Figure 7-1 Hydrostratigraphic Units at SRS ........................................................ 7-2

Figure 7-2 Groundwater at SRS .......................................................................... 7-3

Figure 7-3 Concentration versus Time Plots for Representative Well at SRS ..... 7-9

CHAPTER 9 ......................................................................................................................9-1

Figure 9-1 Creek Plantation Swamp Trails .......................................................... 9-3

Figure 9-2 Compilations 2011 Regions 3 Aerial Survey, 1998 Aerial Survey,

and 2011 Soil Measurement Results .................................................. 9-4

Figure 9-3 2011 Cesium-137 Results in Soil and Vegetation (pCi/g) .................. 9-5

Figure 9-4 2011 Ambient Gamma TLD Results in mrem/day .............................. 9-5

APPENDIX A .................................................................................................................... A-1

Figure A-1 SRS EM Program QA Document Hierarchy ......................................A-8

Environmental Report for 2011 (SRNS–STI–2012–00200) xi

Table Page

CHAPTER 2 ................................................................................................................. 2-1

Table 2-1 FY2011 SRS EMS Goals (Summary) .............................................. 2-3

Table 2-2 2011 SRS Pollution Prevention Activities (Summary) ...................... 2-6

CHAPTER 3 ................................................................................................................. 3-1

Table 3-1 Key Federal Laws and Regulations Applicable to SRS .................... 3-2

Table 3-2 Summary of SRS-Related NEPA Reviews in 2011 .......................... 3-6

Table 3-3 NOV / NOAV Summary, 2007 - 2011.............................................. 3-17

Table 3-4 Routine Environmental External Audit and Inspection Summary ... 3-19

Table 3-5 SRS Construction and Operating Permits, 2011 ............................ 3-22

CHAPTER 4 ................................................................................................................. 4-1

Table 4-1 SRS Estimated SCDHEC Standard 2 Pollutant Air Emissions,

2007 - 2011 ...................................................................................... 4-6

Table 4-2 2010 and 2011 Boiler Stack Test Results ......................................... 4-7

CHAPTER 5 ................................................................................................................. 5-1

Table 5-1 2011 Average Tritium-in-Air Results (pCi/m3), 2007 – 2011 ............. 5-5

Table 5-2 Average 2011 Concentrations of Radioactivity in SRS Streams ...... 5-8

Table 5-3 Strontium-89,90, Technetium-99, Iodine-129, and Cesium-137

Migration Estimates ........................................................................ 5-11

Table 5-4 Average 2011 Concentrations of Radioactivity in the

Savannah River .............................................................................. 5-12

Table 5-5 2011 Cesium-137 Results for Laboratory and

Field Measurements ....................................................................... 5-18

CHAPTER 6 ................................................................................................................. 6-1

Table 6-1 2011 Radioactive Liquid Release Source Term and 12-Month Average

Downriver Radionuclide Concentrations Compared to the USEPA’s

Drinking Water Maximum Contaminant Levels (MCL) ...................... 6-4

List of Tables

xii Savannah River Site

List of Tables

Table 6-2 Potential Dose to the Maximally Exposed Individual from SRS

Liquid Releases in 2011 ................................................................... 6-6

Table 6-3 Potential Dose to the Maximally Exposed Individual from

SRS Atmospheric Releases in 2011 ................................................ 6-7

Table 6-4 2011 Maximally-Exposed-Individual All-Pathways and Sportsman

Doses Compared to the DOE All-Pathways Dose Standard .......... 6-10

Table 6-5 Potential Lifetime Risks from the Consumption of Savannah

River Fish Compared to Dose Standards ....................................... 6-12

CHAPTER 7 ................................................................................................................. 7-1

Table 7-1 Summary Maximum Monitoring Results for Major Areas

Within SRS (2011) ............................................................................ 7-8

CHAPTER 9 ................................................................................................................. 9-1

Table 9-1 Post Fukishima Event Charcoal Canister Radioiodine Results ........ 9-6

Table 9-2 Post Fukishima Event Iodine-131 Results of Wet/Dry Deposition .... 9-7

Table 9-3 Post Fukishima Event Iodine-131 Results of Grassy Vegetation ...... 9-8

Table 9-4 Post Fukishima Event Iodine-131 Results of Milk ............................ 9-8

Appendix A .................................................................................................................A-1

Table A-1 National Ambient Air Quality Standards for Criteria Air

Pollutants – 2011a ...........................................................................A-2

Table A-2 Airborne Emission Limits for SRS Coal-Fired Boilers ......................A-3

Table A-3 Airborne Emission Limits for SRS Fuel Oil-Fired Package Boilers ...A-3

Table A-4 Airborne Emission Limits for SRS 784–7A Biomass Boiler ..............A-4

Table A-5 Airborne Emission Limits for SRS 784–7A Oil-Fired

Package Boiler .................................................................................A-4

Table A-6 South Carolina Water Quality Standards for Freshwaters ................A-5

Units of Measure ..............................................................................................................R-4

Environmental Report for 2011 (SRNS–STI–2012–00200) xiii

AACM Asbestos-ContainingMaterialADN AsbestosDisturbanceNoticeAER AlternateEnergyResources,Inc.AERMOD AmericanMeteorologicalSociety/

EnvironmentalProtectionAgencyRegulatoryModel

ALARA AsLowasReasonablyAchieveableANS AcademyofNaturalSciencesARRA AmericanRecoveryandReinvestment

ActASHRAE AmericanSocietyofHeating,

Refrigeration,andAirConditioningEngineers

BBCG BiotaConcentrationGuideBGN BurialGroundNorthBJWSA Beaufort-JasperWaterandSewer

AuthorityBPMP BusinessProcessModernizationProjectBTU/GSF BritishThermalUnitsperGrossSquare

Foot

CC&D ConstructionandDemolitionCA CompositeAnalysisCAA CleanAirActCAAA CleanAirActAmendmentsCAB CitizensAdvisoryBoardCAP ConsolidatedAuditProgramCD CompactDiskCEI ComplianceEvaluationInspection

CERCLA ComprehensiveEnvironmentalResponse,Compensation,andLiabilityAct

CFR CodeofFederalRegulationsCi CurieCMC ChemicalManagementCenterCMIR/RACRs CorrectiveMeasuresImplementation

Report/RemedialActionCompletionReports

CO CarbonmonoxideCOE CorpsofEngineersCOR Challenges,Opportunities,and

ResolutionCPT ConePenetrometerTechnologyCRMP CulturalResourcesManagementPlanCSI ComplianceSamplingInspectionCSRA CentralSavannahRiverAreaCWA CleanWaterActCY CalendarYearCX CategoricalExclusion

DDCG DerivedConcentrationGuideDEAR DOEAcquisitionRegulationsDOD U.S.DepartmentofDefenseDOE DepartmentofEnergyDUS DynamicUndergroundStrippingDWS DrinkingWaterStandards

EEA EnvironmentalAssessmentEB ExistingBuildingEC&ACP EnvironmentalComplianceandArea

CompletionProjectsECODS EarlyConstructionandOperational

DisposalSiteEDAM EnvironmentalDoseAssessmentManualEDP EconomicDevelopmentPartnership

Acronyms and Abbreviations

Note: Sampling location abbreviations can be found on page xvii

xiv Savannah River Site


EEC EnvironmentalEvaluationChecklistEIS EnvironmentalImpactStatementEM EnvironmentalMonitoringEML EnvironmentalMonitoringLaboratoryEMS EnvironmentalManagementSystemEMS EnvironmentalMonitoringSystemEO ExecutiveOrderEPCRA EmergencyPlanningandCommunity

Right-to-KnowActEPEAT ElectronicProductEnvironmental

AssessmentToolEPP EnvironmentallyPreferredProducteQUEST TheQuickEnergySimulationToolEQMD EnvironmentalQualityManagement

DivisionESA EndangeredSpeciesActESEC EnvironmentalScienceEducation

CooperativeESPC EnergySavingsPerformanceContractEStar EnvironmentalSustainability

FFEIS Final EnvironmentalImpactStatementFFA FederalFacilityAgreementFFCA FederalFacilityComplianceAgreementFFCAct FederalFacilityComplianceActFIFRA FederalInsecticide,Fungicide,and

RodenticideActFIMS FlowInjectionMercurySystemFMP FishMonitoringPlanFONSI FindingofNoSignificantImpactft Feet/Footft2 SquareFeetft3 CubicFeetFTF F-TankFarmFY FiscalYear

GGDNR GeorgiaDepartmentofNatural

ResourcesGHG GreenhouseGasesGSA GeneralServicesAdministrationGPS GlobalPositioningSystemGTCC LLW Greater-Than-Class-CLow-Level

RadioactiveWaste

HHANM H-AreaNewManufacturingHFC HydrofluorocarbonHPSB HighPerformanceSustainableBuildingHQ HeadquartersHSWA HazardousandSolidWasteAmendmentsHVAC Heating,VentilationandAir

Conditioning

II&D IndustrialandDomesticIAPCR InterimActionPostClosureReport ICP-AES InductivelyCoupledPlasma-Atomic

EmissionSpectrometryICP-MS InductivelyCoupledPlasmaMass

SpectrometryICRP InternationalCommissionon

RadiologicalProtectionISMS IntegratedSafetyManagementSystemISO InternationalOrganizationfor

Standardization

KKg Kilogram

Llb PoundLDR LandDisposalRestrictionsLEED® LeadershipinEnergyandEnvironmental

DesignLWO LiquidWasteOperations

MM&O ManagementandOperatingMACT MaximumAchievableControl

TechnologyMAPEP MixedAnalytePerformanceEvaluation

ProgramMBTA MigratoryBirdTreatyActof1918MCL MaximumContaminantLevels

Environmental Report for 2011 (SRNS–STI–2012–00200) xv


MDC MinimumDetectableConcentrationMDL MethodDetectionLimitMEI MaximallyExposedIndividualMFFF MixedOxideFuelFabricationFacilitymi Milemi2 SquareMileMOX MixedOxidemrem MilliremMRF MaterialRecoveryFacilitymSv MillisievertMT MetricTonMW MixedWasteMWMF MixedWasteManagementFacility

NNADP NationalAtmosphericDeposition

ProgramNBN NoBuildingNumberNDAA NationalDefenseAuthorizationActNEPA NationalEnvironmentalPolicyActNESHAP NationalEmissionStandardsfor

HazardousAirPollutantsNHPA NationalHistoricPreservationActNNSA NationalNuclearSecurity

AdministrationNOAVs NoticesofAllegedViolationNOI NoticeofIntentNOVs NoticesofViolationNOx OxidesofnitrogenNPDES NationalPollutantDischargeElimination

SystemNPEP NationalPartnershipforEnvironmental

PrioritiesNPL NationalPriorityListNRC NuclearRegulatoryCommissionNRHP NationalRegisterofHistoricPlacesNWPs NationwidePermits

OO&M OperationsandMaintenanceOFI OpportunitiesForImprovementORPS OccurrenceReportingandProcessing

SystemOSHA OccupationalSafetyandHealth

Administration

PP2 PollutionPreventionPA PerformanceAssessmentsPC PersonalComputersPCB PolychlorinatedbiphenylPCR Post-ConstructionReportpCi/g PicocuriespergrampCi/L PicocuriesperliterPGP GeneralPermitforDischargesof

ApplicationofPesticidespH Measureofthehydrogenion

concentrationinanaqueoussolution(acidicsolutions,pHfrom0to6;basicsolutions,pH>7;andneutralsolutions,pH=7)

PM ParticulateMatterPPE PersonalProtectionEquipmentppm PartsPerMillionPQL PracticalQuantificationLimit

QQA QualityAssuranceQC QualityControl

RRCRA ResourceConservationandRecoveryActRFI/FI RCRAFacilityInvestigation/Remedial

InvestigationRHA RiversandHarborsActRM RiverMileRMP RiskManagementProgramROD RecordofDecisionRQ ReportableQuantityRUP Restricted-UsePesticide

SSA SupplementAnalysisSARA SuperfundAmendmentsand

ReauthorizationActof1986SCDHEC SouthCarolinaDepartmentofHealthand

EnvironmentalControl

xvi Savannah River Site


SCEEP SouthCarolinaEnvironmentalExcellenceProgram

SDF SaltstoneDisposalFacilitySDWA SafeDrinkingWaterActSE SiteEvaluationSEER SeasonalEnergyEfficiencyRatioSEIS SupplementalEnvironmentalImpact

StatementSEMC SeniorEnvironmentalManagersCouncilSPD SurplusPlutoniumDispositionSO

2 Sulfurdioxide

SRARP SavannahRiverArchaeologicalResearchProgram

SREL SavannahRiverEcologyLaboratorySRIT SRSRegulatoryIntegrationTeamSRR SavannahRiverRemediationSRNL SavannahRiverNationalLaboratorySRNS SavannahRiverNuclearSolutionsSRR SavannahRiverRemediationSRS SavannahRiverSiteSRSFD SRSFireDepartmentSTP SiteTreatmentPlanSTAR SiteTracking,AnalysisandReportingSVE SoilVaporExtractionSWDF SolidWasteDisposalFacility

TTBD ToBeDeterminedTCE TrichloroethyleneTCLP ToxicityCharacteristicLeaching

ProcedureTEF TritiumExtractionFacility

TER TechnicalEvaluationReportTLD ThermoluminescentDosimeterTRI ToxicsReleaseInventoryTRU TransuranicTSCA ToxicSubstancesControlActTSS TotalSuspendedSolidsTVA TennesseeValleyAuthority

UUNF UsedNuclearFuelUSDA U.S.DepartmentofAgricultureUSEPA U.S.EnvironmentalProtectionAgencyUSFS-SR UnitedStatesForestService-Savannah

RiverUSGS U.S.GeologicalSurveyUST UndergroundStorageTanks

VVEGP VogtleElectricGeneratingPlantVOC VolatileOrganicCompound

WWQC WaterQualityCertificationWIPP WasteIsolationPilotPlant

Environmental Report for 2011 (SRNS–STI–2012–00200) xvii

Sampling Location Information

Location Abbreviation Location Name/Other Applicable Information

4M Four Mile

4MB Fourmile Branch (Four Mile Creek)

4MC Four Mile Creek

BDC Beaver Dam Creek

BG Burial Ground

EAV E-Area Vaults

FM Four Mile

FMB Fourmile Branch (Four Mile Creek)

FMC Four Mile Creek (Fourmile Branch)

GAP Georgia Power Company

HP HP (sampling location designation only; not an actual abbreviation)

HWY Highway

KP Kennedy Pond

L3R Lower Three Runs

NRC Nuclear Regulatory Commission

NSB L&D New Savannah Bluff Lock & Dam (Augusta Lock and Dam)

PAR “P and R” Pond

PB Pen Branch

RM River Mile

SC Steel Creek

SWDF Solid Waste Disposal Facility

TB Tims Branch

TC Tinker Creek

TNX Multipurpose Pilot Plant Campus

U3R Upper Three Runs

VEGP Vogtle Electric Generating Plant (Plant Vogtle)

Note: This section contains sampling location abbreviations used in the text and/or on the sampling location maps. It also contains a list of sampling locations known by more than one name (see next page).

xviii Savannah River Site

Sampling Location Information

Sampling Locations Known by More Than One Name

Augusta Lock and Dam; New Savannah Bluff Lock and Dam

Beaver Dam Creek; 400–D

Four Mile Creek–2B; Four Mile Creek at Road C

Four Mile Creek–3A; Four Mile Creek at Road C

Lower Three Runs–2; Lower Three Runs at Patterson Mill Road

Lower Three Runs–3; Lower Three Runs at Highway 125

Pen Branch–3; Pen Branch at Road A–13–2

R-Area downstream of R–1; 100–R

River Mile 118.8; U.S. Highway 301 Bridge Area; Highway 301; US 301

River Mile 129.1; Lower Three Runs Mouth

River Mile 141.5; Steel Creek Boat Ramp

River Mile 150.4; Vogtle Discharge

River Mile 152.1; Beaver Dam Creek Mouth

River Mile 157.2; Upper Three Runs Mouth

River Mile 160.0; Dernier Landing

Steel Creek at Road A; Steel Creek–4; Steel Creek–4 at Road A; Steel Creek at Highway 125

Tims Branch at Road C; Tims Branch–5

Tinker Creek at Kennedy Pond; Tinker Creek–1

Upper Three Runs–4; Upper Three Runs–4 at Road A; Upper Three Runs at Road A;

Upper Three Runs at Road 125

Upper Three Runs–1A; Upper Three Runs–1A at Road 8–1

Upper Three Runs–3; Upper Three Runs at Road C

Highway 17 Bridge; Houlihan Bridge

Stokes Bluff; Stokes Bluff Landing

Environmental Report for 2011 (SRNS–STI–2012–00200) xix

Minimal ImpactTheSavannahRiverSite(SRS)maintaineditsrecordofenvironmentalexcellencein2011,asitsoperationscontinuedtoresultinminimalimpacttothepublicandtheenvironment.Thesite’sradioactiveandchemicaldischargestoairandwaterwerewellbelowregulatorystandardsforenvironmentalandpublichealthprotection;itsairandwaterqualitymetapplicablerequirements;andthepotentialradiationdosefromitsdischargeswaslessthanthenationaldosestandards.

Thelargestradiationdosethatanoffsite,hypothetical,maximallyexposedindividualcouldhavereceivedfromSRSoperationsduring2011wasestimatedtobe0.21millirem(mrem)–0.032mremfromairpathwaysplus0.084mremfromliquidpathwaysotherthanair,and0.092fromirrigationpathways(mremisastandardunitofmeasureforradiationexposure).The2011SRSdoseisjust0.21percentoftheDOEall-pathwaydosestandardof100mremperyear,andfarlessthanthenaturalaveragedoseofapproximately300mremperyear(accordingtoReportNo.160oftheNationalCouncilofRadiationProtectionandMeasurements)topeopleintheUnitedStates.This2011all-pathwaydosewasapproximately9percentmorethanthe2010doseof0.11mrem.Thenewlyreportedirrigationpathwaydosecontributedtoan84%increase.

Extensive Monitoring; Documented Compliance Rate of 100 PercentEnvironmentalmonitoringisconductedextensivelywithina2,000-square-milenetworkextending25miles(mi)fromSRS,withsomemonitoringperformedasfaras100milesfromthesite.Theareaincludesneighboringcities,towns,andcountiesinGeorgiaandSouthCarolina.Thousandsofsamplesofair,rainwater,surfacewater,drinkingwater,groundwater,foodproducts,wildlife,soil,sediment,andvegetationarecollectedbySRSandstateauthoritiesandanalyzedforthepresenceofradioactiveandnonradioactivecontaminants.

CompliancewithenvironmentalregulationsandwithDOEordersrelatedtoenvironmentalprotectionprovidesassurancethatonsiteprocessesdonotimpactthepublicortheenvironmentadversely.Suchcomplianceisdocumentedinthisreport.

SRShadaNationalPollutantDischargeEliminationSystem(NPDES)compliancerateof100percentin2011,withzeroofthe5,176sampleanalysesperformedexceedingpermitlimits–acompliancerecordthathasbeenattainedonlytwoothertimes(2007and2010).TheNPDESprogramprotectsstreams,reservoirs,andotherwetlandsbylimitingthereleaseofnonradiologicalpollutionintosurfacewaters.DischargelimitsaresetforeachfacilitytoensurethatSRSoperationsdonotnegativelyimpactaquaticlifeordegradewaterquality.

Executive Summary

The SavannahRiverSiteEnvironmentalReportfor2011(SRNS-STI-2012-00200) is prepared for the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) according to requirements of DOE Order 231.1 B, “Environment, Safety and Health Reporting.

The annual SRS Environmental Report has been produced for more than 50 years. Several hundred copies are distributed each year to government officials, universities, public libraries, environmental and civic groups, news media, and interested individuals. The report’s purpose is to • present summary environmental data that characterize site environmental management performance• describe compliance status with respect to environmental standards and requirements• highlight significant programs and efforts

xx Savannah River Site

Executive Summary

Environmental Report for 2011 (SRNS–STI–2012–00200) 1-1

This report was prepared in accordance with U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Order 231.1B “Environment, Safety and Health Reporting,” to present summary environmental data for the Savannah River Site (SRS) for the

purpose of• highlighting significant site programs and efforts

• summarizing environmental occurrences and responses reported during the calendar year

• describing compliance status with respect to environmental standards and requirements

• characterizing the site’s environmental management performance

This report is the principal document that demonstrates compliance with the requirements of DOE Order 5400.5, “Radiation Protection of the Public and the Environment,” and is a key component of DOE’s effort to keep the public informed of environmental conditions at SRS.

Introduction

Timothy Jannik Savannah River National Laboratory

Jana D. AckermanEnvironmental Compliance and Area Completion Projects

CHAPTER

1

MissionsInSeptember2011,SRSannouncedandbegantoimplementitsStrategicPlanfor2011through2015.AsdescribedintheStrategicPlan,Enterprise•SRSwillusethesite’snuclearmaterialsworkforce,knowledge,andassetstohelpthenationaddressitscriticalneedsinenvironmentalstewardship,cleanenergy,andnationalsecurity.

SRShasthreeprimarymissionareasthatsupportactivitiesoftheDOE-EnvironmentalManagement(EM)program,NationalNuclearSecurityAdministration(NNSA)andtheneedsofthenationandtheregion:• Environmental Stewardship–Focusedonreduc-

ingtheenvironmentallegacyofnuclearmaterialsandradioactivewasteatSRSthroughinitiativessuchasgroundwaterrestoration,deactivationanddecommissioningofexcesscontaminatedfacilities,andradioactivewastedisposition

• National Security–Focusedonenhancingnationalsecuritythroughinnovativesolutionstosafelymanagenuclearmaterials,includingthedispositionofsurplusnuclearmaterials,tritiumsupply,andnuclearstockpilemaintenanceandevaluation

• Clean Energy–Focusedonresearchanddevelop-menttoacceleratetechnologydevelopmentthroughpublicandprivatepartnershipstosustainablyprovideregionalenergywhileprotectingenviron-mentalhealth

Inadditiontothesethreemissionareas,theSRSStrategicPlanalsodescribestwelvestrategicinitiativesthatwillbepursuedtoensureuniqueresourcesareeffectivelyemployed.

Site Location, Demographics, and EnvironmentSRS,aDOEcomplexfacility,wasconstructedduringtheearly1950stoproducematerials(primarilyplutonium-239andtritium)usedinnuclearweapons.TheSavannahRiverNuclearSolutions,LLC(SRNS)istheSRSManagementandOperatingcontractor.SavannahRiverRemediation(SRR)isthesite’sLiquidWasteOperationscontractor.Thesite,whichborderstheSavannahRiver,coversabout310squaremilesintheSouthCarolinacountiesofAiken,Allendale,andBarnwell.SRSisabout12milessouthofAiken,SouthCarolina,and15milessoutheastofAugusta,Georgia(figure1-1).

1-2 Savannah River Site

1 - Introduction

Figure 1 –1 The Savannah River Site SRNL Map

SRS is located in South Carolina, about 12 miles south of Aiken, South Carolina, and about 15 miles southeast of Augusta, Georgia. The Savannah River flows along a portion of the site’s southwestern border. The capital letters within the SRS borders identify operations areas referenced throughout this report.

BasedontheU.S.CensusBureau’s2010decennialdata,thepopulationwithina50-mileradiusofthecenterofSRSisabout781,060whichisanincreaseof9.6percentoverthe2000populationinthisarea.Thistranslatestoanaveragepopulationdensityofabout104peoplepersquaremileoutsidetheSRSboundary,withthelargestconcentrationintheAugustametropolitanarea.

Water ResourcesSRSisboundedonitssouthwesternborderbytheSavannahRiverforabout35rivermilesandisabout

160rivermilesfromtheAtlanticOcean.Thenearestdownrivermunicipalfacilitythatusestheriverasadrinkingwatersource(Beaufort-JasperWaterandSewerAuthority’sPurrysburgWaterTreatmentPlant)isabout90rivermilesfromthesite.Theriveralsoisusedforcommercialandsportfishing,boating,andotherrecreationalactivities.

AccordingtoofficialswithSouthCarolinaDepartmentofHealthandEnvironmentalControl(SCDHEC)andtheGeorgiaDepartmentofNaturalResources(GDNR)noknownlarge-scaleusesoftheriverexistforirrigationbyfarmingoperationsdownriverofthesite.


Introduction - 1

ThegroundwaterflowsystematSRSconsistsoffourmajoraquifers.Groundwatergenerallymigratesdownwardaswellaslaterally,eventuallyeitherdischargingintotheSavannahRiveranditstributariesormigratingintothedeeperregionalflowsystem.SRSgroundwaterisusedonsitebothforindustrialprocessesandfordrinkingwater.

GeologySRSisonthesoutheasternAtlanticCoastalPlain,partofthelargerAtlanticPlainthatextendssouthfromNewJerseytoFlorida.ThecenterofSRSisabout25milessoutheastofthegeologicalFallLinethatseparatestheCoastalPlainfromthePiedmont.CharacterizationofregionalearthquakeactivityisdominatedbythecatastrophicCharlestonEarthquakeof1886(est.magnitudeof7.0ontheRichterscale).Withnearlythreecenturiesofavailablehistoricandcontemporaryseismicdata,theCharleston/SummervillearearemainsthemostseismicallyactiveregionofSouthCarolinaandthemostsignificantseismogenicregionaffectingSRS.OngoingstudiesbyUniversityofSouthCarolinaseismologistssuggestarecurrenceintervalof500-600yearsformagnitude7.0orgreaterearthquakes(similartothe1886event)nearCharleston.(Taiwani2001)EarthquakeactivityoccurringwithintheupperCoastalPlainofSouthCarolina,wherethemajorityofSRSislocated,ischaracterizedbyoccasionalsmallshalloweventsassociatedwithstrainreleasenearsmall-scalefaultsandintrusives.Levelsofseismicactivitywithinthisregionareverylow,withmagnitudesorsizesgenerallylessthanorequalto3.0.

Land and Forest ResourcesAbout90percentofSRSlandareaconsistsofnaturalandmanagedforests,planted,maintained,andharvestedbytheU.S.DepartmentofAgriculture(USDA)ForestService-SavannahRiver(USFS-SR).Thesitecontainsfourmajorforesttypes:mixedpine-hardwoods,sandhillspinesavanna,bottomlandhardwoods,andswampfloodplainforests.Morethan345CarolinabaysexistonSRS.Carolinabaysarerelativelysmall,shallowdepressionsthatprovideimportantwetlandhabitatandrefugeformanyplantsandanimals.

Animal and Plant LifeThemajorityofSRSisundeveloped;onlyabout10percentofthetotallandareaisdevelopedorusedformission-orientedfacilities.Theremainderismaintainedinhealthy,diverseecosystems.SRSishometoabout1,500speciesofplants,morethan100speciesofreptilesandamphibians,some50species

ofmammals,nearly100speciesoffish,andprovideshabitatformorethan250speciesofbirds.Nearly600speciesofaquaticinsectscanbefoundinSRSstreamsandwetlands.Thesitealsoprovideshabitatforanumberofprotectedspeciesincludingthewoodstork,thered-cockadedwoodpecker,thepondberry,andthesmoothpurpleconeflower(allfederallylistedasendangered)andatleast40plantspeciesofstateorregionalconcern.

Primary Site ActivitiesNuclear Materials Stabilization Project Inthepast,theseparationsfacilities,locatedinthecoreareaoftheSRS,processedspecialnuclearmaterialsandusedfuelfromsitereactorstoproducematerialsfornuclearweaponsandisotopesformedicalandNationalAeronauticsandSpaceAdministrationapplications.TheendoftheColdWarin1991broughtashiftinthemissionofthesefacilitiestostabilizationofnuclearmaterialsfromonsiteandoffsitesourcesforsafestorageordisposition.

F-Canyon,oneofthesite’stwoprimaryseparationsfacilities,wasdeactivatedin2006.Theotherfacility,H-Canyon,continuestooperate.AnimportantpartofH-Canyon’smissionistheconversionofweapons-usable,highlyenricheduraniumtolow-enricheduranium.Theuraniumisthenusedinthemanufacturingofcommercialreactorfuel,whichisakeyfunctionofthenation’snuclearnonproliferationprogram.During2011,SRSbegantouseH-CanyonandHB-LinetopreparesurplusplutoniummaterialsfordispositionattheWasteIsolationPilotPlant(WIPP)inNewMexico.

Used Nuclear Fuel StorageSRS’susednuclearfuel(UNF)facilitiesreceiveandstorefuelelementsfromavarietyofforeignanddomesticresearchreactors.ThemissionoftheUNFprogramistosafelyandcosteffectivelyreceiveandstoreusedfuelelementsfromforeignanddomesticresearchreactors,pendingdispositioninsupportofnuclearresearchandtheGlobalThreatReductionInitiative.

Tritium ProcessingSRSTritiumFacilitiesaredesignedandoperatedtosupplyandprocesstritium,aradioactiveformofhydrogengasthatisavitalcomponentofnuclearweapons.ThesefacilitiesarepartoftheNNSA’sDefenseProgramsoperationsatSRS.


1 - Introduction

Waste ManagementSRSmanages• thelargevolumesofradiologicalandnonradiologi-

calwastecreatedbypreviousoperationsofthenuclearreactorsandtheirsupportfacilities

• newlygeneratedwastecreatedbyongoingsiteoperations

Liquid Waste Operations

SRRcontinuedtomanagetheSRSLiquidWasteOperations(LWO)facilitiesin2011andtosupporttheintegratedhigh-activitywasteprogramandtankclosureprocess.Thisworkincludeddispositioningwastefromtanksinthesite’sF-AreaandH-Areatankfarms.DispositioningofthewasteincludedoperationoftheDefenseWasteProcessingFacility(DWPF),whichimmobilizeshigh-levelwasteinglass;theSaltstoneProductionandDisposalFacilities(SPDF),whichprocessanddisposelow-activitysaltwasteinagroutform;andthesaltwasteprocessingfacilities,knownastheActinideRemovalProcess/ModularCausticSideSolventExtractionUnit,whichdecontaminatethesaltwasteandsendittoSPDF.

Solid Waste Management

SRNSisresponsibleformanagingtransuranic,low-level,hazardous,mixedandsanitarywasteatSRS.Wastesgeneratedsite-widearetreated,storedanddisposedtomeetenvironmentalandregulatoryrequirements.Thesitealsoemphasizeswasteminimizationandrecyclingasawaytoreducethevolumeofwastethatmustbemanaged.Moreinformationaboutradioactiveandnonradioactivesolidwastemanagementisincludedonthecompactdisk(CD)housedinsidethebackcoverofthisreport.

Area Completion ProjectsPastoperationsatSRShaveresultedinthereleaseofhazardousandradioactivesubstancestosoilandgroundwater,withcontaminationlevelsexceedingregulatorythresholds.ThemissionofAreaCompletionProjects(ACP)istodeactivateanddecommissioncontaminatedfacilitiesandremediate(ifnecessary)soils,groundwater,surfacewater,andsedimentstolevelsthatcomplywithestablishedregulatorythresholdsandthatprotecthumanhealthandtheenvironment.

NumeroustechnologieshavebeenpioneeredtoincreasetheeffectivenessofACP’sremediationeffortsandtoreducehazardousriskacrossthesite.ACPutilizesaGreenRemediationapproachtoreducegreenhousegas

emissionsandothernegativeenvironmentalimpactsthatmightoccurduringcharacterizationorremediationofhazardouswastesites.GreenRemediationisthepracticeof(1)consideringalltheenvironmentaleffectsofremedyimplementationand(2)incorporatingoptionstominimizetheenvironmentalfootprintsofcleanupactions.NaturalremediesusedatSRSincludephytoremediation(augmentednaturalvegetativeprocesses),bioremediation(augmentednaturallyoccurringmicrobialprocesses),andnaturalremediation(naturalprocessestoaddresscontamination).Thesetechnologiesareprovingtobeacost-efficientmeansofreducingrisktohumanhealthandtheenvironmentandhavebeensuccessfulinexpeditingcleanups.

CleanupdecisionsarereachedthroughimplementationofacoreteamprocesswiththeU.S.EnvironmentalProtectionAgency(USEPA)Region4andSCDHEC.Inreachingsuchdecisions,thepublic’sandstakeholders’(suchastheCitizensAdvisoryBoard[CAB])inputissolicitedandconsidered.ACPusesastreamlinedcleanupstrategytoaccelerateworkandreduceoveralllifecyclecosts.During2011,ACPcompletedfinalremediationofP-andR-Areas,whichincludedthein-situdecommissioningoftheP-andR-Reactorbuildings.

MoreinformationaboutACP’s2011operationsisincludedontheCDaccompanyingthisreport.

Effluent Monitoring and Environmental SurveillanceThegeneralpurposeoftheeffluentmonitoringandenvironmentalsurveillanceprogramsisto• demonstratecompliancewithapplicableenviron-

mentalregulations,DOEorders,andcommitmentsmadeinenvironmentaldocuments

• manageSRSeffluentsandtheirtreatmentandcontrolpractices

• identify,characterize,quantify,trend,andreporttheeffects(ifany)ofSRSoperationsonthepublicandontheenvironmentinandaroundthesite

SRSsamplinglocations,samplemedia,samplingfrequency,andtypesofanalysisareselectedbasedonenvironmentalregulations,exposurepathways,publicconcerns,andmeasurementcapabilities.Theselectionsalsoreflectthesite’scommitmentto(1)safety,(2)protectinghumanhealth,(3)meetingregulatoryrequirements,(4)reducingtherisksassociatedwithpast,present,andfutureoperations,and(5)improvingcosteffectiveness.


Introduction - 1

Research and Development

Savannah River National Laboratory

SavannahRiverNationalLaboratory(SRNL)isSRS’sappliedresearchanddevelopmentlaboratory.SRNL“putssciencetowork”tocreateandimplementpractical,high-value,costeffectivetechnologysolutionsintheareasofEnvironmentalStewardship,NationalSecurity,andCleanEnergy.SRNLprovidestechnicalleadershipandkeysupportforfutureSRSmissions.MoreinformationcanbeobtainedbyviewingSRNL’swebsiteathttp://srnl.doe.gov.

Savannah River Ecology Laboratory

TheSavannahRiverEcologyLaboratory(SREL)isaresearchunitofTheUniversityofGeorgiathathasbeenconductingecologicalresearchatSRSformorethan60years.

Thefacility’soverallmissionistoacquireandcommunicateknowledgeofecologicalprocessesandprinciples.SRELconductsfundamentalandappliedecologicalresearch,aswellaseducationandoutreachprograms,underacooperativeagreementwithDOE.Moreinformationcanbeobtainedbyviewingthelaboratory’swebsiteatwww.srel.edu.Also,SREL’stechnicalprogressreportfor2011isincludedontheCDaccompanyingthisdocument.

US Department of Agriculture Forest Service–Savannah River (USDA USFS-SR)

TheUSDAUSFS-SR,aunitoftheSouthernRegionoftheU.S.DepartmentofAgriculture,managesanestimateof170,000acresofnaturalresourcesatSRS.USFS-SRoperatesunderaninteragencyagreementwithDOE-SavannahRiverOperationsOfficeandimplementstheSRSNaturalResourcesManagementPlanforavarietyofnaturalresources.MoreinformationcanbeobtainedbyviewingtheUSFS-SRwebsiteatwww.fs.usda.gov/savannahriver.Also,USFS-SR’s2011reportisincludedontheCDaccompanyingthisdocument.

Savannah River Archaeological Research Program

TheSavannahRiverArchaeologicalResearchProgram(SRARP)providesculturalresourcemanagementguidancetoDOEtoensurefulfillmentofcompliancecommitments.SRARPalsoservesasaprimaryfacilityfortheinvestigationofarchaeologicalresearchproblemsassociatedwithculturaldevelopmentwithintheSavannahRivervalley,usingtheresultstohelpDOEmanagemorethan1,300knownarchaeologicalsitesatSRS.MoreinformationcanbeobtainedbyviewingtheSRARPwebsiteatwww.srarp.org.Also,SRARP’s2011reportisincludedontheCDaccompanyingthisdocument.


ThischapterfocusesontheSRSEnvironmentalManagementSystem(EMS)asimplementedbyU.S.DepartmentofEnergy(DOE)Order450.1A,“EnvironmentalProtectionProgram,”andcorrespondingExecutiveOrders.

Amanagementsystemisatoolestablishedbyanorganizationtomanageitsoperationsandactivitiesinthepursuitofitspoliciesandgoals.InthecaseofEMS,itisnotastand-aloneenvironmentalprogramoradatamanagementprogram.ImplementationoftheEMSenablesSRStoclearlyidentifyandestablishenvironmentalgoals,developandimplementplanstomeetthegoals,determinemeasurableprogresstowardthegoals,andtakestepstoensurecontinuousimprovement.

DOEpromulgatedOrder436.1,“DepartmentalSustainability,”inMay2011thatre-establishedtheobjectivesinOrder450.1Aandfurtheredthosegoalsbyaddingadditionalgreenhousegasmonitoringandreportingrequirements.DOEOrder436.1wasnotyetincorporatedintocontractsofSRStenantorganizationsattheendof2011.ModificationofthesecontractstoincludethisOrderisunderevaluation.

SRS EMS Implementation TheEMSatSRSisimplementedbymultiplecontractorsusingdocuments,programsandstrategiestailoredtoorganization-specificresources.DOE-SRoverseestheimplementationofeachstrategytoensureaconsistentandintegratedSiteprogram.Theimplementation

strategyforSavannahRiverNuclearSolutions(SRNS),astheM&Ocontractor,andSavannahRiverRemediation(SRR),managingLiquidWasteOperations(LWO),isdocumentedinthe“EnvironmentalManagementSystemDescriptionManual”(G-TM-G-00001).ThismanualcanbeviewedviathefollowingInternetlink:http://irmsrv02.srs.gov/general/pubs/envbul/documents/ems_manual.pdf.

Integration of the SRS EMS within ISMS Figure2-1depictstheprocessesbywhichenvironmentallyimpactingactivitiesperformedatSRSareintegratedintotheIntegratedSafetyManagementSystem(ISMS).Thisapproach,rollingenvironmentalregulatoryrequirementsintoimplementingprogramsandprocedures,isfollowedbyallSRSorganizationsaccordingtospecificworkscope,resources,andpotentialforenvironmentalimpact.

Environmental Policy ThecommitmenttogoodenvironmentalstewardshipisexpressedintheSRSEnvironmentalPolicywhichisastatementoftheSite’sintenttoimplementsoundstewardshippracticesthatprotecttheairwater,land,andothernaturalandculturalresourcesatSRS.

Thepolicyisreviewed,updatedannually,communicatedthroughouttheSite,andpostedonhttp://irmsrv02.srs.gov/general/pubs/envbul/documents/env_mgt_sys_policy.pdfforavailabilitytothecommunitiessurroundingSRS.

Compliance with environmental statutory and other legal regulatory requirements is a fundamental responsibility of all federal agencies. In 2011, Savannah River Site (SRS) continued to meet or exceed performance expectations with

respect to the management of environmental protection activities related to air, water, land, and other important resources.

CHAPTER

2Environmental Management System

Kim CauthenEnvironmental Compliance and Area Completion Projects


2 - Environmental Management System

Objectives, Targets, and ProgramsThroughEMS,eachtenantorganizationsetsgoalsandtargetsonanannualbasisinsupportofDOEenvironmentalobjectiveswhichinclude:• Reductioninenergyusage• Increaseinrenewableenergyusage• Reductioninwaterusage• Purchasingof“green”productsandservices• Reductioninsolidwastegeneration

• Reductioninhazardouschemicalusage• Increaseinthenumberofsustainablebuildings• Reductioninfleetandpetroleumusage• Useofenergycompliantelectronicdevices• Maintenanceofcompliancewithrequirements

ThirteenspecificobjectivesandtargetswereestablishedforFiscalYear(FY)2011.Asummaryisprovidedintable2-1.

Figure 2-1 Environmental Management System Integration


Environmental Management System - 2

Table 2-1 FY2011 SRS EMS Goals (Summary)

EMS Goal/Objective Status

Reduce building energy intensity (British Thermal Units per Gross Square Foot, BTU/GSF) by 3% annually or by 30% by the end of FY2015

Energy intensity decreased by about 2.5% in FY2011 versus FY2010. The Site remains ahead of the FY2015 30% reduction goal with energy intensity having been reduced by 22.5% through FY2011 versus the FY2003 baseline. Planned High Performance Sustainable Building (HPSB) activities such as energy audits and American Society of Heating, Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) evaluations in thirteen facilities, installation of chilled water BTU meters in six B-Area facilities, and electric meters in four facilities were completed.

Purchase 3% of facility electrical energy from renewable sources, 50% of which is from renewable sources placed into service after 1/1/1999

To meet this goal, SRS has been constructing biomass plants onsite. Construction of the Biomass Cogeneration Facility is on schedule for first quarter FY2012 completion. The 20 MW plant will assist SRS in meeting this goal.

Reduce water consumption by 2% annually or by 16% by the end of FY2015

Process water use was decreased by nearly 19% in FY2011 versus FY2010 due to a well shutdown in K-Area and subsequent extension of the domestic water system in K-Area. Potable water consumption was reduced by 5% during FY2011, contributing to a cumulative reduction of 10.2% since FY2000. Water Conservation Reports (indoor and outdoor) were completed and submitted to DOE in FY2011.

Expand purchases of environmentally preferred products

The Business Process Modernization Project (BPMP) has entailed the incorporation of a mapping process for tracking of Environmentally Preferred Products (EPPs), which will allow tracking from a systems perspective starting FY2012. The BPMP was completed and functional as of October 1, 2011. SRS achieved success in the acquisition of EPP products in the area of custodial products (towels, cleaners, and trash bags), office products (toner, cartridges, and paper) and construction materials (lighting and adhesives).

Reduce the use of hazardous materials and toxic chemicals by

1. Reducing the volume of haz-ardous and radioactive gener-ated waste by 10% (357 m3)

2. Achieving a minimum of 35% recycle rate for routine sani-tary waste

3. Reducing the purchase of chemicals with hazard rating 3 or 4 by 5%

Almost 2,009 cubic meters (m3) of waste generation was avoided with an associated cost avoidance of roughly $2.4 million.

SRS achieved a 35.5% recycle rate for the routine sanitary waste stream in FY2011.

The Chemical Management Center (CMC) reduced the number of high-hazard chemical procurements; from 2,526 procurements in FY2010 to 2,358 procurements in FY2011, a reduction of 6.65% versus a goal of a 5%. The CMC distributed for reuse more than 35,300 pounds (lb) of chemicals in FY2011, avoiding more than $234,000 in chemical acquisition and waste management costs.

Construct or renovate buildings in accordance with sustainability strategies

Incorporate sustainable practices in 15% of existing federal capital asset building inventory by 2015

SRS’s Mixed Oxide (MOX) Fuel Fabrication Facility administration facility received U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED®) Gold certification in 2010. MOX will be seeking LEED® Gold certification for the Technical Services Building and the Secure Warehouse Building that are currently under construction.

No existing onsite buildings meet all of the Guiding Principles for HPSB. SRS has identified specific buildings in which to focus incorporation of sustainable practices. Evaluation of the buildings against the Guiding Principles was initiated in FY2010 and continued through FY2011.

Reduce consumption of petroleum products by 2% annually through 2015

The Site continues to maximize use of E85 as much as possible. The Site was directed by HQ to lease over 70 electric hybrid vehicles in place of E85 vehicles in FY2011. Also, the site took action in September 2011 to utilize gasoline in ethanol pumping stations in an effort to clean ethanol residue out of the equipment. These two major factors increased petroleum consumption and reduced E85 use. FY2011 vs FY2010 resulted in a decrease in E85 use of 19%. However, it should be noted that FY2010 saw an increase in E85 due to ARRA activities. A portion of the decreased use of ethanol in FY2011 is due to this reason. Combined ethanol and gasoline consumption was down in FY2011 approximately 50K gallons versus FY2010.



Competence, Training, and Awareness GeneralenvironmentalawarenesstrainingisprovidedtoallSRSemployees.TraininginspecializedenvironmentalandwastemanagementtopicsisdevelopedandofferedbySRSsubjectmatterexperts.

Regularlyscheduledclassesintheenvironmentaltrainingprogramofferenvironmentalprogram-relatedtrainingcoursestoensurethatoperationsandmaintenancepersonnel,aswellasenvironmentalprofessionals,havetheknowledgeandskillstoperformworksafelyandinamannerthatprotectstheenvironmentinandaroundSRS.

Resources, Roles, and Responsibilities AllSRSemployeeshavespecificrolesandresponsibilitiesinkeyareas,includingenvironmentalprotection.EnvironmentalandwastemanagementtechnicalsupportpersonnelassistSiteoperatingorganizationswithidentifyingandmeetingtheirenvironmentalresponsibilities.SRSmaintainsdetailedmanualsonresources,roles,responsibilities,andauthoritytoassistemployeesinperformingtheirduties.

Communications SRScontinuestomaintainandimproveinternalandexternalcommunicationsonenvironmentalissues.SRSsolicitsinputfrominterestedpartiessuchascommunitymembers,activists,electedofficials,

regulatorsandcommunitymembers.Asanexample,theSRSCitizensAdvisoryBoard(CAB)providesadviceandrecommendationstoDOEinmanyareasofSiteoperationsincludingenvironmentalmatters.

Additionalforumsassociatedwithenvironmentalissuesinclude:• SeniorEnvironmentalManagersCouncil(SEMC),

composedofsenior-levelenvironmentalmanagers(fromallSRScontractors)whoshareinformationonenvironmentalconcernsandregulatorymatters

• DOE-SavannahRiver(SR)EnvironmentalQualityManagementDivision(EQMD),whichconvenesregularmeetingswithSRScontractorsandtheDOEenvironmentaloversightstafftodiscussissuesrelevanttoenvironmentalprotectionandcompliance

• SRSRegulatoryIntegrationTeam(SRIT),consist-ingofDOE-SR,theU.S.EnvironmentalProtectionAgency(USEPA)Region4,andSouthCarolinaDepartmentofHealthandEnvironmentalControl(SCDHEC)representativeswhoaddressissuesthatarecrosscuttingandrequirehigh-levelagencycollaboration

• Challenges,Opportunities,andResolution(COR)Team,consistingofregulatorycompliancerepre-sentativesofSRNSandothermajorSRScon-tractorswhodiscuss(1)emergingcomplianceorimplementationchallengesand(2)opportunitiestodevelopandcoordinateresolutions

EMS Goal/Objective Status

Purchase at least 95% of electronic products that meet Electronic Product Environmental Assessment Tool (EPEAT) standards

EPEAT standards currently apply to computers and monitors. All laptop computers and desktop monitors acquired for use by SRNS meet EPEAT standards and are listed on the EPEAT website. Current copier lease agreements utilize Energy Star models.

Increase fleet non-petroleum-based fuel consumption by 10% annually while decreasing total consumption of petroleum-based fuels

The Site continues to maximize use of ethanol fuel, E85, as much as possible, although a reduction in usage was experienced in FY2011. Adding electric hybrid vehicles to the fleet (which cannot utilize E85 fuel) and temporarily using gasoline in ethanol pumping stations to clean ethanol residue from the equipment contributed to this reduction in E85 usage.

Evaluate planned work and conduct environmental studies to ensure off-site impacts from SRS activities are minimized

Off-site monitoring to assess impacts, if any, continued during FY2011. The program is continuously reviewed to ensure the appropriate environmental media are sampled and reported. NEPA evaluations and decisions concerning planned activities at SRS were completed in 2011 and are discussed in detail in Chapter 3 of this report.

Prevent occurrence of and minimize severity of spills through proper handling and controls for radioactive and hazardous materials and wastes

No reportable spills occurred during 2011. Details of the spill response program are provided in Chapter 3.

Table 2-1 FY2011 SRS EMS Goals (Summary) continued



Operational Controls Operationalcontrolshelpensurethatenvironmentalpolicy-relatedactivitiesofregulatorycompliance,pollutionprevention,andcontinuousimprovementareinplaceandimplemented.Fromanenvironmentalprotectionperspective,oneofthemoresignificantoperationalcontrolsistheconsistentuseoftheEnvironmentalEvaluationChecklist(EEC)process.Whenanewprocessoractivityisconsideredandwhenachangetoanexistingoperationisproposed,anEECisinitiated.TheEECprocessensuresthatregulatoryrequirementsandpotentialimpactsontheenvironmentareidentifiedinatimelymanner.

Emergency Preparedness and Response Emergencyplansareestablished,implemented,andmaintainedasdocumentedintheSRSEmergencyPlan.TheEmergencyPlanspecifiesprocedurestofacilitatetheidentificationofemergencysituationsandaccidentswiththepotentialtoimpacttheenvironmentandprovidesdefinitionsofappropriateresponsesandreportingcriteria.

Monitoring and Measurement AiremissionsandliquiddischargesfromSRSoperationsareexaminedregularly.Thisincludeseffluentmonitoring(radiologicalandnonradiological),complianceassessment,performanceassessment,andequipment/facilitymonitoring(e.g.,calibrationofinstruments).Additionalinformationonenvironmentalmonitoring,environmentalsurveillance,andgroundwatermonitoringisinChapter4(“EffluentMonitoring”),Chapter5(“EnvironmentalSurveillance”),andChapter7(“Groundwater”),respectively,ofthissiteenvironmentalreport.

Evaluation of Compliance Specificenvironmentallawsandregulationsareevaluatedandassessedonaprogram-orfacility-specificbasis.SRShasestablishedaprocessforevaluatingitscompliancewithrelevantenvironmentalregulations.Periodically,environmentalsupportorganizationsconductregulatoryassessmentsinselectedtopicalareastoverifycompliance.Finally,externalregulatoryagenciesand/ortechnicalexpertsmayperformindependentcomplianceaudits.AdditionalinformationonenvironmentalcomplianceisinChapter3ofthissiteenvironmentalreport.

Nonconformance; Corrective and Preventive Actions NonconformanceandcorrectiveandpreventiveactionsincludeEMSnonconformanceasapartofthesite’sQualityAssurance(QA)Program.Instancesofnonconformanceidentifiedbyassessmentsandevaluationsarerecordedanddispositionedaccordingtoestablishedprocedures.AdditionalQAinformationisinChapter8(“QualityAssurance”)ofthisenvironmentalreport.

Control of Records and Documents Theidentification,maintenance,anddispositionofenvironmentalrecordsanddocuments,requiredbyenvironmentalregulationsandDOEdirectives,arereflectedintheSRSEMS.Thesite’srecordsmanagementprogramsatisfiestherequirementforenvironmentalrecords.

Internal Audits SRSauditsareincorporatedintotheDOEandcontractorassessmentprogramstoverifythatthesite’sEMSisfunctioningasintended.Performanceassessmentsincludeperformanceobjectivesandcriteriaformanagementsystemreview.Self-assessmentsareconductedinaccordancewithseniormanagement-approvedassessmentplans.SRSutilizesaFacilityEvaluationBoardtoconductindependentperformance-basedassessmentsofsiteprogramstosatisfycontractualandregulatoryobligations.

Management Review TheSRSEMSPolicyrequiresperiodicevaluationsofEMSeffectiveness.Guidelinesareintendedtofocusthemanagementreviewoncontinuousimprovement.OversightofSRS’sannualEMSreviewistheresponsibilityofDOE-SR’sEQMD.SeniormanagementreviewstheEMStoensureitscontinuingsuitability,adequacy,andeffectiveness.Reviewsincludeassessing(1)opportunitiesforimprovementand(2)theneedforchangestotheEMS.Recordsofmanagementreviewsareretainedinaccordancewithapplicableprocedures.

EMS Implementation InaccordancewiththerequirementsofDOEOrder450.1A1,anauditoftheEMSwasconductedbyaqualifiedoutsideparty,culminatinginaJune23,

1 DOEpromulgatedOrder436.1inMay2011toreplaceDOEOrder450.1A.DOEOrder436.1wasnotyetincorporatedintocontractsofSRStenantorganizationsattheendof2011.ModificationofthesecontractstoincludethisOrderisunderevaluation.



2009,“declarationofconformance.”Thenextauditisscheduledfor2012.

Sustainability Accomplishments Pollution Prevention / Waste Minimization SRS’sprimaryobjectivewithrespecttopollutionprevention(P2)andwasteminimizationistopreventorreducepollutionandwastegenerationatitssourcewheneverfeasible.InFY2011,thesite’s10percentwastereductiongoalforhazardousandradioactivewasteequatedto357m3,basedonforecastgenerationrates.Duringtheyear,P2projectsweredocumented,resultingin2,009m3ofhazardousandradioactivewasteavoidanceordiversion.Annualcostavoidanceresultingfromtheprojectsisnearly$2.5million.Table2-2showsasummaryoftheFY2011P2andwasteminimizationcontributions.

Concurrently,SRSannuallyestablishesarecycleperformancetargetforitsroutinesanitarywastestream.Aroutinesanitarywasterecycletargetof35%wasestablishedforFY2011.SRSdocumentedarecyclerateof35.5%forthisstream,equalto813metrictonsofroutinesanitarywastedivertedtorecyclemarkets.SRSdiverted107metrictonsofshreddedwoodwaste,889metrictonsofscrapmetal,63metrictonsofscrapelectronics,165metrictonsofmetalfromspenttransformerrecycle,20metrictonsoftransformeroils,and103metrictonsofscrapfurniture.Additionally,theChemicalManagementCenter(CMC)distributedforreusemorethan35,300lbs.ofchemicalsinFY2011,thusavoidingmorethan$234,000inchemicalacquisitionandwastemanagementcosts.

Description Waste Type Prevented

Life Cycle Savings

Bagging Reactor Process Water De-Ionizers for Disposal Low Level Waste (LLW) $95,850

Lead Blanket Reuse Mixed LLW $6,499

Used Oil Declared Non-Hazardous Haz RCRA $943

Liquid Waste Operations Pre-Fab Hut Use LLW $661,610

Rollback of CLE Storage in E-Area LLW $402

Recycle Lithium Batteries K-Area Haz RCRA $920

Lead Recycle K-Area Haz RCRA $8,680

Acid Recovery Unit Column Abatement Waste Avoidance LLW $10,816

Lead Recycle H-Canyon Haz RCRA $7,400

H-Canyon Rollbacks of the Dinky Charging Station, Shack and 3rd Level Section 11 LLW $57,660

Unconditional Release of 2 Large Lead Acid Batteries out of Contamination Area for Recycle Mixed LLW $840

In situ Disposal of LLW at 105-P LLW $930,800

In situ Disposal of LLMW lead at P-Area LLW $5,060

In situ Disposal of LLW at 105-R LLW $560,400

In situ Disposal of LLMW lead at R-Area Mixed LLW $20,500

Brass Fillings Recycle Versus Disposal HW $1,625

Oily Water Treatment Sanitary $2,785

Segregation of Tritiated Job Control Waste LLW $82,050

Radiological Area Rollbacks in K-Area LLW $9,303

Reactor Viewing Window In situ Disposal LLW $5,475

Table 2–2 2011 SRS Pollution Prevention Activities (Summary)



Energy Intensity DOEOrder450.1Arequiresa30%reductioninenergyintensity(energyconsumptionpergrosssquarefootofbuildingspace,includingindustrialandlaboratoryfacilities)byFY2015comparedtotheFY2003baselineyear.SRSisontracktomeetorexceedthe30%goal,havingrealizeda22.5%decreasefromFY2003throughFY2011.The22.5%decreaseincludesadecreaseof2.4%fromFY2010toFY2011.Figure2-2illustratesthiscomparisonagainstthecurrentbaseline.AsSRS’sMOXFuelFabricationFacilityandSaltWasteProcessingFacilitybecomeoperational,thesite’seffortstomeettheenergyintensitygoalwillbechallenged.SRSconductedmanyactivitiesinFY2011thatimpactedenergyintensity,includingthefollowingnotableaccomplishments:

• Completedstart-upofnewK-Area&L-Areabiomassplantsandutilizedthenewunitsforthewinterheatingseason

• Completedtheinstallationofabout100heating,ventilatingandairconditioning(HVAC)unitswithnew,higherSeasonalEnergyEfficiencyRatio(SEER)units

• ImprovedoperationofA-Areabiomassplanttoreducefueloiluse

• Conductedenergyauditsandbuildingcommission-ingevaluationsin13buildingsaspartofsustainablebuildingefforts

• InstallednewchilledwaterBTUmetersinsixbuildingsaspartofHPSB

• InstallednewelectricalmetersinfourbuildingsaspartofHPSBrequirements

• ReplacedtheA-Areacoolingtowerassociatedwiththechilledwaterplant

• Utilizedcoolroofsonroofreplacements• ContinuedwithD-Areasteamplantenhancements

andoperatedtheplantasefficientlyaspossible• ReplacedaircompressorsanddryersinBuilding

775-A• IssuedtheSRSMeteringPlan

TheTritiumFacilities(inH-Area)madenotableprogressinreducingenergyintensityinFY2011.AnEnergyManager(engineer)rolewasspecificallycreatedinrecentyearstoenhanceenergyintensityreductionsandsustainability,andmanybenefitshaveconsequentlybeenrealized:• CompletedconstructionofnewTritiumPrograms

ProjectSupportBuildingthatalloweddeactivationofinefficientBuilding232-1Handrelocationofengineeringpersonnelfromtrailers.Thenewbuild-ingisexpectedtolowerTritiumProgramsenergyintensitywiththeadditional11,200squarefeetofmoreenergyefficientspace

• CompletedconstructionofnewTritiumExtractionFacility(TEF)warehouse.ThenewwarehouseisexpectedtolowerTritiumProgramsenergyintensitywiththeadditional6,000squarefeetandlowenergyconsumption

• Evaluatedenergyreductionideaofright-sizing218-Hsecondarychilledwaterpumps.Theinitiativereplacesexisting200horsepowerpumpmotorswith150horsepower(orlower)

• Cleaned750-tonHVACchillerevaporatorandcondensertubestoimproveheatexchangerefficiencies

• Confirmedblowdownforcoolingtowersmeetsindustrystandards.Thiswasawaterconservationmeasure

• Cleanedcondensertubesassociatedwith264-6HHVACchillers(threeeach)toimproveheatexchangerefficiency

• Cleanedcondensertubesassociatedwith264-6HProcesschillers(twoeach)toimproveheatexchangerefficiency

• Issuedafeasibilitystudyforpilotinginstallationoficestoragechilledsystemsupporting234-7Handbeganengineeringscopedevelopmentofthiseffort

• ReplacedrooftopHVACunitsforBuilding246-Hforimprovedefficiencyandreliability

• Initiatedprojecttoinstallelectricitymetersfortwo248-HdatacentersandtheH-AreaNewManufacturingfacility(HANM)tritium(T2)switchgear

Figure 2–2 DOE–SR Energy Reduction Performance



• RepairedsteamleaksatHANMandinthearea’shighpressuresteamline

• CreatedenergymodelsforfouradministrativebuildingsusingQuickEnergySimulationTool(eQUEST)

Renewable Energy SRShasthreebiomasssteamplantsinpermanentoperationtoserviceA-AreaandtheSavannahRiverNationalLaboratory(SRNL),L-AreaandK-Area.ConstructionofanewBiomassCogenerationFacilitynearF-Areacontinued,withstart-upexpectedinFY2012.ThenewBiomassCogenerationFacilitywillgenerateanestimated77,500MW-hoursofelectricityinitsfirstyearofoperation.Thisproductionratewillbewellabovethe7.5%statutorygoalforenergyconsumptionthatmustcomefromrenewableenergysourcesforFY2013andthereafter.

UseofrenewableenergyattheSRSisbeingprioritizedatthehighestlevels.InOctober2008,thedesignandconstructionofanewsteamplantforA-AreaandtheSRNLwerecompletedandthefacilityplacedonline.Thenewthermal-onlysteamplantutilizesbiomassastheprimaryfuelsource.Early1950’svintagecoal-firedboilerswerereplacedwithnewstate-of-the-artboilersandemissioncontrolswhilemaintainingsteamavailabilityaround-the-clockatminimumcost.ThisnewplantwasinstalledutilizingtheexistingEnergySavingsPerformanceContract(ESPC)inplaceatthesite.Thetotalcostoftheprojectis$13.8millionandtheannualsavingsaverageover$1.5million.Thefacilitywillbepaidfor(termofthecontract)innineyears.

Therenewableandenvironmentalaspectsoftheprojectareplentiful:• Utilizationofcoalisbeingreducedbyover12,000

tonsannually• Utilizationofbiomassisbeingincreasedbynearly

27,000tonsannually• Particulateemissionsarebeingreduced.Particulate

Matter(PM)from411tons/yearto7.36tons/yearandPM-10micronsfrom300tons/yearto4.38tons/year)

• Sulfurdioxide(SO2)emissionsarebeingreducedfrom1,836tons/yearto4.38tons/year

• Oxideofnitrogen(NOx)emissionsarebeingreducedfrom256.7tons/yearto35tons/year

• Carbonmonoxide(CO)emissionsarebeingreducedfrom120.8tons/yearto105.1tons/year

• Ashgenerationanddisposalarebeingreduced

• CompliancewithCleanAirActandCleanWaterActstandardsareachieved

AmerescoFederalSolutionswillcompleteconstructionandstart-upoftwonewbiomassplantsattheBiomassCogenerationFacilityin2012andwillbereimbursedfromactualcostsavingsgeneratedduringthe15-yeardebtservicepaybackperiod.Theenergysavingsresultfromreplacementofthesite’soldandinefficientcoal-firedplantwithahigh-techbiomassfacility,switchingfromcoaltobiomassasthefuelsource,locatingthenewfacilityclosertotheendusers,andexperiencingimprovedoperationalefficiencieswithnewequipmentbettermatchedtositeloadrequirements.Thecommunityalsoreceivesthehealthandenvironmentalbenefitsassociatedwiththereductioningreenhousegasemissions.

A-Area Biomass Steam Plant

Aerial View of the Ameresco Biomass Cogeneration Facility



Someofthebenefitsofthismajorrenewableenergyprojectinclude:• Reducingover161,000tonsofannualcoal

consumptionand300,000gallonsoffueloilconsumption

• Utilizing322,000tonsofbiomassandbio-derivedfuels

• Reducingemissions:o 400tons/yr-particulatemattero 3,500tons/yr-SOxo 2,500tons/yr-NOxo 100,000tons/yr-carbondioxide(CO2)

• ReducingoveronebilliongallonsofwaterfromtheSavannahRiverannually

• Reducinggreenhousegasemissionsbyabout100,000tonsperyear,significantlydecreasingthecarbonfootprintofSRS(duetocoal,amajorcontributortogreenhousegases,beingcompletelyeliminatedwhilemaximizingtheburningofwood)

• MeetingandexceedingallSRSrenewableenergygoalsinfederaldirectives,(servingasakeyprojectforassistingDOEwithachievingcomplex-widerenewablegoals)

• HelpingSCDHECtocontinuewithlocal“Attain-mentStatus”

• SupportingDOEInitiativetobetheLeadFederalAgencyinRenewableEnergyGoals

• AllowingSRStopermanentlydeactivateinefficientcoal-firedboilersintheSRSD-Area

Greenhouse Gas ReductionSRSiscommittedtoreducingGreenhouseGases(GHG)Scope1&2emissionsby28%byFY2020fromaFY2008baseline.Scope1consistsofdirectemissionssuchasonsitecombustionoffossilfuelsorfugitiveGHGemissions,whereasScope2consistsofindirectemissionsassociatedwiththeconsumptionofelectricity,heat,orsteam.SitesareexpectedtoaggressivelystrivetowardtheoverallDepartmentalgoalofa28%reduction,particularlywhencost-effectiveandprudenttodoso.ActualtargetsarebeingdefinedbyDOEtakingintoaccountnewmissiongrowthandotherfactors.

ThesitehasseenprogressinFY2011onGHGemissionreductionsprimarilybyconsideringpotentialimpactsthatthesereductionswillhaveinfutureSiteoperations.ThecombiningofGHGdataassociatedwiththevariousimpactsources,suchasSiteenergyuseandvehicle/equipmentuse,isbeingorganized,thusallowing

fordevelopmentofacomprehensiveinventoryandsubsequentmanagementofit.

Scope1and2GHGemissionsarecurrentlygeneratedandinventoriedfromthefollowingsourcetypesatSRS:• Coal(althoughFY2012isanticipatedtobethelast

yearofthissource)• Purchasedelectricity• Wood(biomass)• Fueloil• Propane• Hydrofluorocarbon(HFC)fugitiveemissions• Gasoline• Dieselfuel• E85(ethanol)fuel• Jetfuel

SRSwillgreatlyreduceGHGemissionsviathenewbiomassprojectseitheralreadycompletedorcurrentlybeingconstructed.Thisisprimarilyaresultoftransferringtoabiomass-basedenergysupplyversusthepreviouscoal-basedsupply.Constructionandstart-upofthemajornewBiomassCogenerationFacilitywillbecompletedandtheplantwillbecomefullyoperationalinFY2012.TheSitehasatransitionplanwherebytheexistingcoal-firedfacilitywillcontinuetooperateonalimitedbasisuntilthenewbiomassplanthasproventobereliable.Consequently,theFY2013andfollowingfiscalyearswillseeevengreaterGHGbenefitthanwillberealizedinFY2012whilebothplantsareoperating.

Water Management Potablewaterconsumptionwasreducedby10.2percentthroughFY2011ascomparedwiththebaselineyearofFY2000,andnearly5percentbetweenFY2010andFY2011.ThefollowingsummarizesFY2011accomplishments:• Conductedwalk-downsin13facilities(seeWater

Conservationdescriptioninsection3.1)todeter-minethenumber,typeandwaterusagerequire-mentsforexistingplumbingfixturesineachofthebuildings

• DeterminedwaterconsumptionforeachbuildingutilizingtheLEED-EBwatercalculator

• IdentifiedactionstoreducewaterusagetoachieveHPSBorLEED-EBgoals,suchasinstallingmoreefficientcommodesorurinalsorretrofittingsinkswithflowrestrictingaerators

• Performedcostandpaybackperiodcalculationstodeterminethecosteffectivenessofpotentialmodifications



Transportation/Fleet ManagementTheprimaryDOEtransportationandfleetmanagementgoalsaretodecreasefleetpetroleumconsumptionby2percentannuallybyFY2020fromaFY2005baselineandincreasealternativefuelconsumptionby10percentannuallybyFY2015relativetoaFY2005baseline.

TheuseofalternativefuelsatSRShasincreaseddramaticallyinrecentyearsasshowninFigure2-3.Approximately80%ofvehiclesinthelightdutyfleetcurrentlyutilizeE85oraregasolinehybrids.Thesiteworkstoensuretheuseofalternativefuelsremainshighbyprioritizinguseofflexfuelandhybridvehicles.InFY2011,thisconsumptiontotalrosetoover321,000gallons(seeFigure2-4).

Contracts & Concession Agreements SRSencouragesacquisitionsthatcomplywithenvironmentalrequirementsasevidencedthroughvariouscontract-relateddocuments,including(butnotlimitedto)the“TermsandConditions”document(theparagraphentitled“EnvironmentalCompliance”)andthe“RequestforProposal”document(theparagraphentitled“EnvironmentallyPreferredProducts”).Additionally,internallypublishedproceduresaredocumentedinthesite’sProcurementSpecificationsManualandChemicalManagementManual,andanumberofprocurementrequirementdocumentsareavailableontheSRSexternalwebsitetofacilitateunderstandingofSRSenvironmentallyfriendlyrequirementsbycurrentand/orpotentialvendorsandsubcontractors.Asoftheendof2011,mostEPPprocurementinitiativeshaveyieldedsuccess,primarilyintheacquisitionofjanitorialsupportandsafetyfunctions.

TheProcurementDepartmenthasnotimplementedadedicatedcampaigntocompleteacomprehensiveevaluationofexistingcontracts.Rather,itstimelineistoaddressemergentenvironmentalrequirementsasthecontract(s)comeupforrenewalorrebidwhilereviewsofdefinedrolesandresponsibilitiesareroutinelyconductedduringthecourseofservicesdelivery.

High-Performance Sustainable Buildings – New Construction DOEOrder430.2B(“DepartmentalEnergy,RenewableEnergy,andTransportationManagement”)stipulatesthatallnewbuildingsandmajorrenovationsinthestagesofpre-projectplanning(approvalofmissionneed)throughconceptualdesign(approvalofpreliminarybaselinerange)thathavenotobtainedpreliminarydesignapprovalandthathaveavalueexceeding$5millionmustachievetheU.S.GreenBuildingCouncil’sLEED®Goldcertification.Also,totheextentpossibleandinconsiderationoflife-cyclecostfactors,suchbuildingsmustmeettheGuidingPrinciplesforFederalLeadershipinHPSBs.Anybuildingsbeloworequaltothe$5-millionthresholdalsomustmeettheGuidingPrinciples.

SupportfortheseobjectivesisevidentintheMOXFuelFabricationFacilityadministrationbuilding,whichreceivedLEED®GoldcertificationinFY2010.Thismarksamajormilestone,andthefacilityisthefirstatSRStoachievethiscertificationstatus.Additionally,theMOX-associatedtechnicalsupportbuildingforentrycontrol/securityandadministrationassociatedwiththeprimaryprocessbuildingisinthedesignstageandisincorporatingLEED®-Goldcertificationrequirementsaspartofitsdesign.

Figure 2–3. SRS Gasoline Reduction Performance

Figure 2–4. Increased E85 Usage at SRS



AmerescoFederalSolutionsiscurrentlyconstructingtheadministrationfacilityportionofthenewBiomassCogenerationFacilitywiththeintentofachievingLEED®certificationfollowingcompletion.Designfeaturesforthenewofficespaceincludea6,000gallonrainwaterstoragetanktoreducepotablewaterusageforflushingfixturesandirrigation,permeablepaversintheparkinglottohelpcontrolthevolumeofstormwaterrunoff,andthespecificationofmaterialscontainingrecycledcontenttoimprovethebuilding’sgreenfootprint.Energysavingswillberealizedthroughefficientlightingandequipment,avariablespeeddriveforthewaterpump,andincreasedbuildinginsulation.

Electronic Assets ManagementSRScontinuedtopurchaseEPEATandotherenergyefficientelectronicproductsduringtheyear.LeasingofmanyofthepersonalcomputersallowsforthereturnandredeploymentofdevicesnolongerneededatSRS.In2011,excesspersonalcomputers(PCs)weredistributedtoschoolsthroughoutthelocalregion.PurchasedbySRS,manyofthesecomputerswereprovideddirectlytoschoolsinAiken,SC;Martinez,GA;Lincolnton,GA;andWaynesboro,GA.

Anewprocesswasputintoplaceduring2011toallowexcessPCassetstobeaccountedforandredeployedquicklytoendusersasdemanddictates.Thiswillprovidebetterphysicalaccountabilityofassetsandquickerdeliverytimestotheenduseraswellasreducewasteassociatedwith“searching”and“retrieving”singlePCsscatteredacrosstheSRSareas.

EMS Best Practices / Lessons Learned

Sustainability CampaignInAugustof2011,acampaign“OneSimpleActofGreen,”wasintroducedatSRSthattargetedspecificitemsofsustainabilityandenvironmentalstewardshipthatpromoteindividualactionbyconnectingSRSemployeestoinformation,toolsandprogramsthatmakeadifferencetoourenvironment.DuringFY2011severalspecificrecommendationswereprovidedtoSRSemployeesincluding:

• Usingreusableshoppingbags• Reportingleakyfaucets• Usingenergyefficientlightbulbs• Reducingemailsprinted• Turningofflightsinunusedrooms

Additionalideasandrecommendationswillbeprovidedin2012.

Chemical Management Center (CMC) TheChemicalManagementCenterprovidescentralizedcontrolofchemicalmaterialsprocurementandofexcesschemicalmaterialsmanagementwithgoalstoreducethevolumeandtoxicityofchemicalprocurements,reducechemicalinventoriesandwaste,andimprovetrackingandcommunicationofchemicalscurrentlyinon-siteinventory.Hazardousandnonhazardouschemicalsarereutilizedonsite,returnedtovendorswhenpossible,soldthroughsealedbidsalestoapprovedvendors,anddonatedtolocalgovernmentinstitutionstopromotegoodcommunityservicewhilereducingwastegeneration.TheCMCdistributedforreusemorethan35,300lbs.ofchemicalsinFY2011,avoidingmorethan$234,000inchemicalacquisitionandwastemanagementcosts.

Awards and Recognitions SRSbelievesthatsignificantcontributionstositemissionsthatpositivelyimpactthelocalandsurroundingenvironmentshouldberecognized.Assuch,siteactivitiesandprojectsacrossthesiteareevaluatedfornoteworthypractices,implementationofnewandemergingtechnologies,andinsightfulapproachestoresolvingenvironmentalstewardshipissues.

SRSreceivedEnvironmentalSustainability(EStar)awardsfortwoprojectsgrowingoutoftechnologyresearch,developmentandapplicationatSRNL.Oneaward,forRenewableTechnologyDevelopment,DeploymentandEducationinSouthCarolina,isacollaborationbetweenSRNLandtheEconomicDevelopmentPartnership(EDP)ofSouthCarolina.SRNLhassharedexpertiseandknowledgeofrenewableenergytechnologieswiththeEDP,whichinturnhasleveragedexistingrelationshipswithindustrytoidentifyandevaluatespecificopportunities.Theresultshaverangedfromemissionsreductions(throughdeploymentandstagingofhydrogenandwindenergytechnology)tocommunityeducationprograms.



Thesecondawardrecognizedaprojecttoremediatetritium-contaminateddebrisinaninnovative,cost-effectivewaybyusingahighheatsourcecalleda“thermaldetritiationunit.”Thetreatedsoilandconcretedebriscanbedisposedatanonsiteexcavationsiteratherthansentoffsitefordisposal,reducingtransportation,packaginganddisposalcosts.Over$1.6millionintransportationcostsavingsandanavoidanceof400,000truckmileswererealizedfromthedeployment.

Additionally,ShawAREVAMOXServiceswasrecognizedbytheSCDHECforoutstandingenvironmentalleadershipwithitsrecentacceptanceintotheorganization’sSouthCarolinaEnvironmentalExcellenceProgram(SCEEP).ShawAREVAMOXServicesisresponsibleforthedesignandconstructionofNNSA’sMOXFuelFabricationFacilityatSRS.

SCEEPisavoluntaryprogramrecognizingSouthCarolinafacilitiesthathavedemonstratedenvironmentalperformancethroughP2,energyandresourceconservation,andtheuseofanenvironmentalmanagementsystem.ShawAREVAMOXServiceswasinvitedandacceptedintotheprogrambecauseofitseffectiveimplementationofastrongenvironmentalmanagementsystemandtheabsenceofanyviolationsfromenvironmentalregulatorsduringthemorethanfiveyearsofthesiteworkandconstructionoftheMOXproject.

SRSreceivedtheInformationManagementConferenceTechnicalExcellenceAwardfortheGreenInformationTechnologyInitiative,whichreducedtheSite’scarbonfootprintbydecreasingenergyconsumptionintheCentralComputingFacilitymorethan30%byreducing

spacerequirementsforhardwareandimprovingenergyuse.

Ongoing Environmental Enhancement Projects

SRS Vehicle Energy and Emissions Reduction SRShasbeensuccessfullyimplementingmultiplefleetmanagementfuelreductionandinventorystrategiessincethemid-1990sandhassurpassedreductiongoalsfrompreviousbaselines.VariousapproacheshavebeenundertakenandwillcontinueinFY2012toreducepetroleumconsumption,increasealternativefueluse,andincreasethenumberofalternativefuelvehicles.TheSitewillrealizesizeablepetroleumreductionsovertheupcomingyearsduetoareductionplanthatwillresultinsignificantlyfewervehicles.SRShassubmitteda“VehicleReductionPlan,FY2012–FY2015”withatargetedreductionof35%(consistingof15%bytheendofFY2012,10%bytheendofFY2013,and10%bytheendofFY2014)thathasbeenestablishedbasedonthedefinedbaselineofFY2005.PetroleumconsumptionwillcontinuetodecreaseunlessmandatesrequirelessuseofE85fuel.

Computer Acquisition SRScontinuedtopurchaseenergyefficientcomputerproductsin2011.MostSitecomputersareprovidedtoemployeesvialeaseagreements,whichareleveragedfortheneedsofmultipleSitecompaniesandspecificallystatethatallcomputersmustbeEnergyStarcompliantandmustmeetlowstandbypowerrequirements.WhilemostmodelsbeingleasedhavebeenEPEATcompliantsinceFY2007,thefinalmodelbecamecompliantinFY2009.Thepowerreductionfeaturesofthepersonalcomputersandmonitorsaresettoefficientlevelsuponreceiptoftheequipment.

SRNL Filter Design Reduces Waste Treatment CostsTheredesignofafiltrationsystembySRNLisexpectedtohelpDOEdrasticallyreducecostandinfrastructureforthetreatmentandpermanentdisposalofitsinventoryofhighlevelradioactivewaste.Removingsolidswouldallowlargequantitiesofradioactivesaltwastetobedecontaminatedfordisposalandalsoconcentratethesolids,leavingamuchsmallervolumerequiringexpensivetreatmentanddisposalashigh-levelwaste.SRS Employee Showing the Finished Product

of the Detritiation Unit, With the Unit in The Background



SRNLexamineddifferentfiltrationmethodsandfoundthatarotarymicrofilterpatentedbySpinTekofferedfiltrationratesthatwerehigherthanthoseofatraditionalcross-flowfilter.Asoriginallydesigned,however,therotarymicrofilterwasnotsuitedforusewithradioactivewaste,soSRNLadaptedthesystemfordeploymentwithintheDOEcomplex.

Theredesignconsolidatesinternalpartsofthesystem,allowinganentirestackof25filterdisksandotherpartstoberemovedasasinglepiece.

TheinitialneedforthefiltrationsystemwastotreattheSRSsaltwastesolutions.SRNL,incollaborationwithOakRidgeNationalLaboratoryandtheSRS’sliquidwasteoperationscontractor,SavannahRiverRemediation(SRR),designedamodulethatallowstwoorfourrotarymicrofiltersystemstobeinsertedintoanexistingwastetank.Thismoduleeliminatestheneedtoconstructanewfacilityforthefiltrationprocess.Asthesystemfiltersthewaste,theliquidfiltrateistransferredoutofthetankfortreatmentanddisposal,andtheconcentratedsolidsarereturnedtothetank.

EMS Benefits to Agency Mission Althoughmethodsofexecutionvaryfromsitetositeandcontractortocontractor,implementationofanEMSprovidesanunderstoodandrecognizedstructuretostandardizetheevaluationof,preparationfor,andexecutionofactivitiesandprojectshavingenvironmentalimplicationswithindistinctandseparateorganizationsengaginginactivitiesandprojectswithoverlappinginterests.MorespecificinstancesinwhichanEMScanbenefitDOE’smissionarebelow.• Policydevelopmentandprogramplanningfacilitate

integrationofenvironmentalcomplianceprograms• Promotionofenvironmentalstewardshipthroughout

theprojectplanningcycle(cradletograve)• Solidwasteoffsitecontractevaluationtoensure

thatbestmanagementpracticesandappropriatestewardshipprotocolsarebuiltintocontracts

• Enablingaclearandconsistentflowdownofexpectationsandcomplianceframeworkincontractingdocuments

• CleararticulationofDOEcomplex-wideEMSrequirementstopromoteconsistencyincontractspecificationsandenvironmentalmanagementexpectations

Redesigned Rotary Microfilter

For Further Information Shouldadditionalinformationberequiredrelativetothischapter,[email protected].


ThepurposeofthischapteristoreportthestatusofSRScompliancewithapplicablestatutesandprogrammaticdocuments.KeyfederalenvironmentalregulationswithwhichSRSmustcomplyarelistedintable3-1.

Thechapterisdividedintofiveseparatesections:ComplianceStatus,OtherEnvironmentalIssues/Actions,ContinuousReleaseReporting,UnplannedReleases,andPermits.

TheComplianceStatussectionidentifiesthevariousenvironmentallaws,regulations,andDOEorderswithwhichSRSmustcomply,andthestatusofthesite’scomplianceprograms.

TheOtherEnvironmentalIssues/ActionssectionprovidesinformationonanyNoticesofViolation(NOVs)orNoticesofAllegedViolation(NOAVs)issuedtoSRSin2011bytheU.S.EnvironmentalProtectionAgency(EPA)ortheSouthCarolinaDepartmentofHealthandEnvironmentalControl(SCDHEC).NOVs/NOAVsaretheformalregulatorynoticesthatallegeviolationsofanorganization’spermits,orofenvironmentallawsorregulations.SRSwasincompliancewithenvironmentallawsandregulationsandreceivednoNOVsorNOAVsin2011.

Noreleasesrequiredreportingtolocalemergencyplanningcommittees,asnotedintheContinuousReleaseReportingandUnplannedReleasessections.

Compliance Status Thissectionincludesdiscussionsofcompliancewithapplicableenvironmentallawsandregulations,DOEorders,andagreementswithregulators.Itaddressesenvironmentalremediation,wastemanagement,radiationprotection,airandwaterqualityandprotection,andotherenvironmentalstatutesandDOEorders.

Environmental Restoration and Waste Management

Remediation/Cleanup

SRSwasplacedontheNationalPriorityList(NPL)inDecember1989,underthelegislativeauthorityoftheComprehensiveEnvironmentalResponse,Compensation,andLiabilityAct(CERCLA),asamendedbytheSuperfundAmendmentsandReauthorizationActof1986(SARA).ThesitewasaddedtotheNPLbecausetherehavebeenreleasesorthreatenedreleasesofhazardoussubstances,pollutants,orcontaminants,whichEPAevaluatedthroughahazardrankingsystemonthelikelihoodthatareleaseoccurred,onthecharacteristicsofthewaste,andontheenvironmentaffectedbythereleases.PlacementontheNPLindicatedSRSwarrantedfurtherinvestigationtoassessthenatureandextentofthepublichealthandenvironmentalrisksassociatedwiththereleases,andtodeterminetheappropriateremedialaction(s),ifany.DOE,EPARegion4,andSCDHECinaccordancewithSection120ofCERCLA,enteredintotheFederalFacilityAgreement(FFA)thatbecameeffectiveAugust16,1993,andwhichdirectsthecomprehensiveenvironmentalremediationofthesite.TheFFA,whichintegratesCERCLAandResourceConservation

It is the policy of the U S Department of Energy (USDOE) that all activities at the Savannah River Site (SRS) will fully comply with applicable federal, state, and local environmental laws and regulations, and with DOE orders,

notices, directives, policies, and guidance. Compliance with environmental regulations and with DOE orders related to environmental protection is a critical part of safe operations at SRS.

Compliance Summary

Michele Wilson Environmental Compliance & Area Completion Projects

CHAPTER

3


3 - Compliance Summary

Table 3-1 Key Federal Environmental Laws and Regulations Applicable to SRS

Legislation What it Requires

Atomic Energy Act of 1954, 42 U.S.C. § 2011 et seq., (1954)

The AEA provides authority to the DOE to develop applicable standards (DOE Orders) for protecting the environment from radioactive materials. DOE Order 435.1, and implementing Manual 435.1-1, Radioactive Waste Management, provide requirements for high level and low level radioactive waste management, waste characterization, storage, treatment, and disposal, and closure.

CAA Clean Air Act (1970)

The establishment of air quality standards for criteria pollutants, such as sulfur dioxide and particulate matter, and of hazardous air emissions, such as radionuclides and benzene.

CAAA Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990

The establishment of a national permit program, and of provisions for addressing acid rain, ozone depletion, and toxic air pollution

CERCLA: SARA Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (1980); Superfund Amendments and Reauthoriza-tion Act (1986)

The establishment of liability, compensation. cleanup, and emergency response for hazardous substances released to the environment. The Federal Facility Agreement (FFA) (WSRC–OS-94-42) between EPA, DOE, and SCDHEC integrates CERCLA and RCRA requirements to achieve a comprehensive remediation of SRS. The FFA governs the corrective/remedial action process, sets annual work priorities, and establishes milestones for activities. The agreement also coordinates administrative and public participation requirements.

CWA Clean Water Act (1977)

The regulation of liquid discharges at outfalls (e.g., drains or pipes) that carry effluents to streams (NPDES, Section 402); regulation of dredge and fill of U.S. waters (Section 404) and associated water quality for those activities (WQC, Section 401).

EPCRA Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act (1986)

The reporting of SRS hazardous substances (and their releases) to EPA, state emergency commissions, and local planning units.

ESA Endangered Species Act (1973)

The protection of critically imperiled species from extinction

FFCA Federal Facility Compliance Act (1992)

Federal Agencies must comply with all substantive and procedural require-ments of federal, state, and local solid/hazardous waste laws—in the same manner as any private party. Requires DOE to have a plan known as a Site Treatment Plan, for the development of treatment capacities and technologies to treat all of the mixed wastes at SRS and a Consent Order requiring com-pliance with such plan. The Act also requires EPA and authorized states to conduct annual RCRA inspections of all federal facilities.

FIFRA Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (1947)

The regulation of restricted-use pesticides through a state-administered certifi-cation program

MBTA Migratory Bird Treaty Act (1918)

Provides protection for migratory birds, including their eggs and nests.

NEPA National Environmental Policy Act (1969)

The evaluation of the potential environmental impacts of proposed federal activities and alternatives

NHPA National Historic Preservation Act (1966)

The preservation of historical and archaeological sites.


Compliance Summary - 3

andRecoveryAct(RCRA)requirementstoachieveacomprehensiveremediationofSRS,governsthecorrective/remedialactionprocess,setsannualworkpriorities,andestablishesmilestonesforactivities.Theagreementalsorequirescoordinationofadministrativeandpublicparticipationrequirements.

SRShas515wasteunitsintheAreaCompletionProjectsprogram,includingRCRA/CERCLAunits,SiteEvaluationAreas,andfacilitiescoveredundertheSRSRCRApermit.AtthebeginningofFY2011,surfaceandgroundwatercleanupof386oftheseunitswerecompleteorintheremediationphase(373completeand13intheremediationphase).AttheendofFY2011,400unitswerecompleteorintheremediationphase(380completeand20inremediation).AsummaryoftheFFAMilestonesforFY2011follows.

RCRAFacilityInvestigation/RemedialInvestigation(RFI/RI)FieldStartswereinitiatedforthefollowingunits:• CAreaOperableUnit• PenBranchIntegratorOperableUnit[Including

IndianGraveBranch](ThirdPhaseII)• WetlandAreaatDunbartonBay(NoBuilding

Number)

RemedialActionswereinitiatedatthefollowingunits:• C-,K-,andL-ReactorComplexes(EarlyAction)• P-AreaOperableUnit• R-AreaOperableUnit

RemedialActionswerecompletedandPost-ConstructionReports(PCRs)orPost-ConstructionReport/CorrectiveMeasuresImplementationReport/RemedialActionCompletionReports(PCR/CMIR/RACRs)orCMIR/RACRsweresubmittedforthefollowingunits:• C-AreaBurning/RubblePit(131-C)andOldC-Area

Burning/RubblePitOperableUnit(EffectivenessMonitoringReportwithPCRData)

• E-AreaLowLevelWasteDisposalFacility,643-26E(SlitTrenchDisposalUnits1–5)(InterimPCR)

• EarlyConstructionandOperationalDisposalSite(ECODS)L-1,N-2,P-2,andR-1A,-1B,-1C(CMIR/RACR)

ARecordofDecision(ROD)wassubmittedforthefollowingunit:• L-AreaNorthernGroundwater

ARODorEarlyActionRODwasapprovedforthefollowingunits:• D-AreaOperableUnit(EarlyAction)• Gunsite012RubblePile,RubblePileAcrossfrom

Gunsite012,andEarlyConstructionandOpera-tionalDisposalSiteG-3

• L-AreaNorthernGroundwater

Legislation What it Requires

RCRA Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (1976) amended by Hazardous and Solid Waste Amendments (1984)

The management of hazardous and non hazardous solid wastes and of underground storage tanks containing hazardous materials and wastes.

RHA Rivers and Harbors Act of 1899, Section 10

The regulation of construction over or obstruction of navigable waters of the U.S.

Ronald W. Reagan National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2005 (NDAA), Section 3116(a), Pub. Law 108-375, (2005)

Section 3116 allows the Secretary of Energy, in consultation with the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, to determine that certain waste from reprocessing is not high level radioactive waste if it meets the criteria set forth in Section 3116(a).

SDWA Safe Drinking Water Act (1974)

The protection of drinking water and public drinking water resources.

TSCA Toxic Substances Control Act (1976)

The regulation of PCBs, radon, asbestos, and lead, as well as evaluation and notification to EPA of new chemicals and significant new uses of existing chemicals



RODsorEarlyActionRODswereissuedforthefollowingunits:• DAreaOperableUnit(EarlyAction)• Gunsite012RubblePile,RubblePileAcrossfrom

Gunsite012,andECODSG-3• Gunsite218RubblePile(631-23G)• L-AreaNorthernGroundwater• RAreaOperableUnit

SectionX(“SiteEvaluations”)oftheFFArequiresSRStosubmitSiteEvaluation(SE)reportstoEPAandSCDHECfor(1)thoseareaswithpotentialorknownreleasesofhazardoussubstancesnotidentifiedbeforetheeffectivedateoftheAgreement(referredtoasRemovalSEReports),and(2)thoseareaslistedinAppendixG.1oftheAgreement(referredtoasRemedialSEReports).SRSdidnotsubmitanyRemedialSEReportsin2011.

SRSsubmittedoneRevisionRemovalSEReport:• C-AreaProcessSewerLineasAbandoned

TheFFArequires,byJanuary1ofeachyear,submittalofanannualremovalactionreportdescribingallremovalactionsperformedduringthepreviousfiscalyear.OnDecember13,2011,SRSsubmittedthereporttotheEPAandSCDHEC.TheFY2011reportdescribed18activeremovalactionsareasand43maintenanceactivities.

Alistingofall515wasteunitsatSRScanbefoundinAppendicesC(“RCRA/CERCLAUnitsList”)andG(“SiteEvaluationList”)oftheFFA(http://www.srs.gov/general/programs/soil/ffa/ffa.pdf).

DOE Order 435.1

SRSmanageslow-level,high-levelandTRUwasteincompliancewithDOEOrder435.1,“RadioactiveWasteManagement,”withinanumberofstorageanddisposalunits.The2011annualreviewofthePerformanceAssessments(PA)andCompositeAnalysis(CA)(Reference:SavannahRiverSiteDOE435.1CompositeAnalysis,VolumesIandII,SRNL-STI-2009-00512,Rev.0,June10,2010)showedthatoperationsinFY2011werewithintheperformanceenvelopeanalyzedinthePAs,CA,andSpecialAnalyses.

Liquid Radioactive Waste Tank Closure

LiquidradioactivewasteisgeneratedattheSRSasbyproductsfromtheprocessingofnuclearmaterialsfornationaldefense,researchandmedicalprograms,andstoredin51undergroundtanksintheF-andH-AreaTankFarmsonsite.Forty-fourofthesetankscurrently

storeapproximately38milliongallons.Oftheotherseven,twotanks(17Fand20F)werestabilizedwithgroutandclosedin1997;twotanks(18Fand19F)arepreparedforclosurein2012;twotanks(5Fand6F)areemptyandundergoingpreparationsforclosure.Tank16Hleakedsoonafterconstructioninthe1960’sandwasemptied.Asseenintable3-1,tankclosuresatSRShavekeyFederalrequirements,aswellasrequirementsundertheFederalFacilityAgreement(FFA)fortheSavannahRiverSite,anagreementbetweenDOE,SouthCarolinaDepartmentofHealthandEnvironmentalControl(SCDHEC)andU.S.EnvironmentalProtectionAgency(EPA)[WSRC-OS-94-43].

TheF-andH-AreaTankFarmsarepermittedundertheSCDHECIndustrialWastewaterRegulationsthroughtheprovisionsofSectionIX,High-LevelRadioactiveWasteTanksSystem(s),oftheFFA,andtheSCDHECindustrialwastewatertreatmentfacilityconstructionprogram[RegulationR.61-67].SectionIX.EoftheFFArequiresDOEtosubmitawasteremovalplanandschedulefortheoldstylewastetanksystems.Inaddition,DOEisrequiredtoremovethetanksfromserviceaccordingtotheapprovedplanandschedule.Oncethetanksareemptiedandcleaned,theyarepreparedforclosureandthenclosedwithgrout(i.e.,acement-likematerial).

ClosureofthesetanksisoverseenbySCDHECandEPAthroughtheprotocolsDOEhasestablishedintheIndustrialWastewaterGeneralClosurePlansforboththeF-AreaandH-AreaTankFarms.InJanuary2011,theGeneralClosurePlanfortheF-AreaTankFarm,whichdescribesthegeneralwasteremovalandclosurestrategyfortheoldstylehighlevelradioactivewastetanksystems,wasapprovedbytheStateofSouthCarolina. Asdescribedinthe GeneralClosurePlan,ClosureModulesaredeveloped todescribethespecifichistory,wasteremovalefforts, andclosurestrategyforeachtank.Closureactivitiescanonlybeginafterthedispositingofthewasteinthetanks.TheClosureModuledescribesthewasteremovalandtankclosure phasesculminatingingrouting.TheseprocessesareBulkWasteRemovalefforts,MechanicalHeelRemoval,ChemicalCleaning,CoolingCoilandAnnulusCleaning,FinalSampling,IsolationandStabilizationbyGrouting.

TheAtomicEnergyActof1954(table3-1)providesauthoritytotheDOEtoimplementDOEOrder435.1,RadioactiveWasteManagement,fortheprotectionoftheenvironmentfromdefenserelatedradioactivematerials.UnderManual435.1-1,RadioactiveWaste



Management,DOEisrequiredtoperformrisk-informedassessmentstoevaluatethepotentialimpactsoftankclosurestothepublic.Therisk-informedassessments,calledPerformanceAssessments(PAs),arereviewedbytheU.S.NuclearRegulatoryCommission(NRC),SCDHEC,EPAandthepublic.APAwaspreviouslydevelopedfortheF-TankFarm(FTFPA)toprovidethetechnicalbasisandevaluationneededtodemonstratecompliancewithDOEOrder435.1andtheRonaldW.ReaganNationalDefenseAuthorizationActforFiscalYear2005(NDAA),Section3116(a).TheFFArequiredDOEtosubmitthePAfortheH-AreaTankFarmtoSCDHECandEPAbyMarch30,2011.OnMarch23,2011,Revision0oftheH-TankFarmPAwasissuedtoSCDHEC,EPAandtheNRCforcommentandreview.

Asdescribedintable3-1above,NDAASection3116(a)allowstheSecretaryofEnergy,inconsultationwiththeNRC,todeterminethatcertainwastefromreprocessingisnothighlevelradioactivewasteifitmeetsthecriteriasetforthinSection3116(a).TheBasisforSection3116DeterminationforClosureofF-TankFarmattheSavannahRiverSitedemonstratescompliancewiththeSection3116(a) requirementsandprovidesthebasisfortheSecretary ofEnergy’sdeterminationontheresidualwasteinthe FTFTanks.TheBasisforSection3116Determination waspreviouslysubmittedtotheNRCandDOEreceivedNRCrecommendationsinOctober2011.NRCprovidedtheirreviewresultsandrecommendationsinaccordancewithNDAASection3116(a)toDOE.

In2011,astankclosuredocumentationprogressed,sodidthefieldactivitiesdescribedinthesedocuments.ElevenliquidradioactivewastetanksinbothF-andH-AreaTankFarmsunderwentatleastonephaseinwasteremovalortankcleaning.Bulkwasteremovaleffortswerecompletedonthreetanks,finalsamplingtookplaceintwotanks(Tanks5Fand6F),andfourtankswereisolatedfromthemechanical,electricalandtransfersystems(Tanks18F,19F,5Fand6F).Groutpreparationscommencedontwotanks(Tanks18Fand19F).

Resource Conservation and Recovery Act

CongressenactedtheRCRAin1976.RCRAestablishedasystemformanaginghazardousandnonhazardoussolidwastesinanenvironmentallysoundmanner.Specifically,itprovidesforthemanagementofhazardouswastesfromthepointoforigintothepointoffinaldisposal(“cradletograve”).RCRAalsopromotesresourcerecoveryandwasteminimization.

TheHazardousandSolidWasteAmendments(HSWA)of1984expandedthescopeandincreasedthe

requirementsofRCRA.HSWAaddressedcongressionalconcernabouttheadequacyofexistingrequirementstopreventuncontrolledreleasesofhazardousconstituentsorhazardouswastesfromhazardouswastemanagementunits.ThreeoftheHSWAinitiativeswereespeciallynoteworthyinpreventingoraddressinghazardouswaste/constituentreleases:• CongressdirectedEPAtodevelopwhatisnow

knownastheLandDisposalRestrictions(LDR)Program-underwhichthelanddisposalofuntreatedwastesisprohibited.

• Facilitiesarerequiredtosatisfyminimumtechnol-ogyrequirements(i.e.,linersandleachatecollectionsystems)forsurfaceimpoundments,wastepiles,landtreatmentunits,andlandfillstopreventhazard-ouswastesand/orconstituentsfrommigratingintothegroundwaterandtoallowreleasestobedetectedwhentheyoccur.

• WhenafacilityseeksaRCRApermit,EPAisgrantedtheauthoritytorequirecorrectiveactionforreleasesofhazardouswasteandhazardousconstitu-entsfromanysolidwastemanagementunit,regard-lessofwhenthewastewasplacedintheunit.

NineteenSRSundergroundstoragetankscontainpetroleumproducts,asdefinedbyCERCLAandareregulatedunderSubtitleIofRCRA.ThesetanksrequireanannualcompliancecertificatefromSCDHEC.TheSCDHECinspectionandauditonOctober6,2011foundall19tankstobeincompliance,markingninestraightyearswithoutaviolation.

The1984RCRAamendmentsestablishedLandDisposalRestrictionstominimizethethreatofhazardousconstituentsmigratingtogroundwatersources.Thesamerestrictionsapplytomixed(hazardousandradioactive)waste.

SRSreceivedfinalcertificationfromSCDHEConSeptember21,2011,fortheRCRAclosuresoftheN-AreaPermittedFacilities(Buildings645-N,645-2Nand645-4N,SolidWasteStoragePads1-3)andBuilding710-B.TheclosureplanfortheTransuranicWastePad1(TRUWastePad1)wassubmittedtoregulatorsAugust1,2011.Closureactivitiesforthisfacilitycontinuedthroughout2011.

Mixed Waste Management

TheFederalFacilityComplianceAct(FFCAct)wassignedintolawinOctober1992asanamendmenttotheSolidWasteDisposalActtoaddprovisionsconcerningtheapplicationofcertainrequirementsandsanctionstofederalfacilities.ASiteTreatmentPlan(STP)(WSRC-



TR-94-0608)consentorder(95-22-HW,asamended)wasobtainedandimplementedin1995,asrequiredbytheFFCAct.AStatementofMutualUnderstandingforCleanupCreditswasexecutedbySCDHECinOctober2003,allowingSRStoearncreditsforcertainacceleratedcleanupactions.CreditsthencanbeappliedtotheSTPcommitmentschedules.SRSsubmittedthe2010annualupdate(SRNS-TR-200800101,Rev2)oftheapprovedSTPtoSCDHECinNovember2010anditwasapprovedonMay26,2011.Theupdateidentifieschangesinmixedwastetreatmentandinventory.

OnJuly7,2011DOErequestedarevisiontotheannualfrequencyforupdatingtheSTP.SCDHECagreedthatDOEshallsubmitanAnnualSTPUpdatetoSCDHECfor2011andthereafterfollowa5-yearfrequencyofpreparingfutureupdates,withthenextdocumentbeingduein2016.AmeetingwithSRSandSCDHECstaffwillbeheldannuallytodiscussthestatusoftheSTP.

TheSTP2011Updatedocumentsstorageof146,262.03m3ofmixedwasteasofJuly1,2011versus142,901.34m3storedin2010.ThevolumesonhandaresummarizedinVolumeIIChapter11withadditionaldetailsfortransuranic(TRU)andHighLevelWaste(HLW)includedinChapters4and5,respectively.

PreviousvolumesforWasteStreamSR-W009(silver-coatedpackingmaterial)reportedthevolumeofthecontainmentculvertandnottheprimarywastecontaineritself.SRShasimplementedrefinementsinaccountingpracticesandnowwillonlyreporttheprimarywastecontainervolumeinsteadofthecontainment.NoSR-W009wastewasshipped.

TheVolumeIIChapter5updatealsorevisedthelanguagefordiscussionsconcerningthestatusoffacility,regulatoryandbudgetissuesanduncertaintiesthatexist.

National Environmental Policy Act

TheNationalEnvironmentalPolicyAct(NEPA)isthefederalgovernment’sbasiccharterforensuringtheprotectionandwiseuseofthe“humanenvironment.”NEPAproceduresrequirethatfederalagenciesidentifyandconsiderthepotentialenvironmentalconsequencesoftheirproposedactionsearlyintheplanningprocesssotheycanmakeinformed,environmentallysounddecisionsregardingprojectdesignandimplementation.TheNEPAprocessatSRSisinitiatedbycompletinganEnvironmentalEvaluationChecklist(EEC).TheEECisusedtocharacterizetheproposedaction,identifyanypotentialenvironmentalconcerns,anddeterminewhich

levelofNEPAreview(ifany)willberequired;i.e.,categoricalexclusion(CX)determination,environmentalassessment(EA),orenvironmentalimpactstatement(EIS)].Atotalof408SRS-relatedNEPAreviewswereconductedin2011(seetable3-2).ForadditionalinformationonSRSNEPAactivitiesvisittheNEPAwebpage,http://www.srs.gov/general/pubs/envbul/nepa1.htm.ThefollowingisalistingofmajorNEPAreviewsconductedduring2011,someofwhicharescheduledtobecompletedin2012:• Supplement Analysis (SA) for the Savannah River

Site High-Level Waste Tank Closure Environmental Impact Statement (DOE/EIS-0303-SA-01)-InthisSA,DOEisreviewingtheuseofcurrenttechnolo-giesandthewastedeterminationprocesslegislatedbyCongresstoimplementDOE’sdecisiontostabi-lizetanksbyfillingthemwithgrout.PublicationoftheSAisexpectedin2012.AnamendedRODisnotrequiredhoweveranenvironmentalbulletinandaFederalRegisternoticewillbepublishedin2012.

• Surplus Plutonium Disposition (SPD) Supplemental EIS (DOE/EIS-0283-S2)-InthisongoingSupple-mentalEIS(SEIS)DOEandNationalNuclearSecu-rityAdministration(NNSA)evaluatedalternativesfordispositionofsurplusnon-pitplutoniumandsurpluscleanmetalandoxideplutoniummaterials.

Table 3–2 Summary of SRS-Related NEPA Reviews in 2011

Type of NEPA Review Number

Categorical Exclusion Determinations 296

“All No” EEC Determinationsa 77

Actions Tiered to Previous NEPA Reviews

26

Environmental Impact Statementsb 3

Supplement Analysisc 2

Interim Action 3

Revised FONSI 0

Environmental Assessmentsd 1

Total SRS-Related NEPA Reviews 408a Proposed actions that require no further NEPA reviewb DOE/EIS-0283-S2 (in progress) DOE/EIS-0375(in

progress) DOE/EIS-0423 (in progress)c SA for SRS Spent Nuclear Fuel Management FEIS

DOE/EIS-0279 (in progress), SA for the Savannah River Site High-Level Waste Tank Closure Environmental Impact Statement DOE/EIS-0303-SA-01

d DOE/EA-1606



TheTennesseeValleyAuthority(TVA)isacooper-atingagency,andtheSEISwillevaluatetheimpactsofusingmixedoxidefuelinTVAreactors.Ad-ditionalalternativestudieswerebeguninMay2011andconcludedinOctober2011.Thesestudieshaveidentifiedadditionalreasonablealternatives,andDOEwillissueanAmendedNoticeofIntentandconductadditionalpublicscoping.DOEanticipatesthataRODfortheSPDSEISwouldbeapprovedinthefirstorsecondquarterofFY2013.

• EIS for the Disposal of Greater-Than-Class-C Low-Level Radioactive Waste (GTCC LLW) (DOE/EIS-0375)-InthisEIS,DOEwillevaluatetheimpactsofdisposingGTCCLLWinageologicrepository,inintermediate-depthboreholes,orinenhancednear-surfacedisposalfacilities.CandidateDOEsitesstillbeingconsideredattheendof2010forthesedis-posalfacilitiesincludedSRS,IdahoNationalLabo-ratory,LosAlamosNationalLaboratory,WIPP,NevadaTestSite,OakRidge,Hanford,andYuccaMountain.DOEalsowillconsidergenericcom-mercialdisposalofGTCCLLWataridandhumidlocations.DisposalalternativesbeingconsideredforSRSincludeanintermediate-depthboreholefacilityandanenhancednear-surfacefacility.ThedraftEISwaspublishedFebruary2011.ThefinalEISisscheduledforDecember2012.TheRODscheduleisuncertain.

• SA: SRS Spent Nuclear Fuel Management FEIS (DOE/EIS-0279)-InthisSA,DOEissummarizingtheenvironmentalimpactsofmanagingaluminum-cladspentnuclearfuelfromforeignanddomesticreactorsbyprocessinginH-CanyonratherthanusingtheMelt-and-Diluteprocess.DOEwouldissueanamendedRODtodocumentthedecision.NoprojectedapprovaldateshadbeenestablishedfortheSAoramendedRODbytheendof2011.

• Environmental Assessment for the Proposed Use of SRS Lands for Military Training (DOE/EA-1606)-InthisEA,DOEevaluatedthepotentialimpactsas-sociatedwiththeuseofSRSlandsfornon-live-firetacticalmaneuvertrainingbytheU.S.DepartmentsofDefenseandHomelandSecurity.Thepurposeoftheactionistoprovidethereferencedagencieswithgreaterflexibilityindevelopingtrainingmissionsandstrategiesinresponsetorapidlychangingworldconditions.TheEAandFindingofNoSignificantImpact(FONSI)werepublishedinDecember2011.

• EIS for the Storage and Management of Elemen-tal Mercury (DOE/EIS-0423)-AsdirectedbytheMercuryExportBanActof2008,DOEevalu-atedsevensites(includingSRS)forthelong-termstorageofelementalmercury.DOEissuedthe

finalEISinJanuary2011.DOEhasnotissuedaROD.TheWasteControlSpecialistsfacilitynearAndrews,Texas,isthepreferredalternativesitelistedinthefinalEIS.

• Amended Interim Action Determination for the Disposition of Plutonium Materials from the DOE Standard 3013 Surveillance Program at SRS–DOEispreparingtheSPDSEIS(DOE/EIS-0283-S2).InDecember2008,DOE-SRapprovedanInterimActionDetermination,Processing of Plutonium Materials from the DOE Standard 3013 Surveil-lance Program in H-Canyon at the Savannah River Site.ThisAmendedInterimActionDeterminationamendsthe2008Determinationbyaddingasecondalternative,dispositionastransuranicwasteattheWasteIsolationPilotPlant(WIPP)nearCarlsbad,NewMexico,foruptoabout95kilogramsofpluto-niumfromthe3013surveillanceprogram.

• Interim Action for the Flexible Manufacturing Capability for the Mixed Oxide Fuel Fabrication Facility (MFFF) at the Savannah River Site–DOEispreparingtheSPDSEIS(DOE/EIS-0283-S2).ThisInterimActionDeterminationprovidesDOEandShaw-ArevaMOXServices(theMFFFcontrac-tor)thecapabilitytomanufacturefuelsuitableforthevarietyofreactortechnologiesthatexistinthecurrentnuclearpowerreactors,andtheflexibilitytomanufacturefuelforthenextgenerationofpowerreactors.

• Interim Action Determination for Disposition of Certain Plutonium Materials Stored at the Savan-nah River Site–DOEispreparingtheSPDSEIS(DOE/EIS-0283-S2).Inordertoreducestoragerequirementsandreducetheriskinherentinstoringnuclearmaterials,DOEwillprepareandshipupto500kilogramsofplutonium-contaminatedmaterialstotheWIPP.ThesematerialscurrentlyarewithinthescopeoftheSPDSEIS.However,becauseofthesmallquantityinvolvedrelativetothesixmetrictonsofnon-pitplutoniummaterialsbeingevaluatedintheSPDSEIS,andbecausethismaterialdoesnotlenditselftodispositionusingtheotherSPDSEISalternatives,disposalofthismaterialasTRUwastewouldnotaffectDOE’sultimateselectionofdispo-sitionalternatives.Thisactionwillresultinabout880cubicmetersofTRUwasteand120shipmentstoWIPP.DOEestimatesthatthisprocesswouldtakeplaceoveraperiodofapproximatelythreeyears.

Toxic Substances Control Act

TheToxicSubstancesControlAct(TSCA)givesEPAcomprehensiveauthoritytoidentifyandcontrolchemical



substancesmanufactured,imported,processed,used,ordistributedincommerceintheUnitedStates.Reportingandrecordkeepingaremandatedfornewchemicalsandforanychemicalthatmaypresentasubstantialriskofinjurytohumanhealthortheenvironment.

Polychlorinatedbiphenyls(PCBs)havebeenusedinvariousSRSprocesses.Theuse,storage,anddisposaloftheseorganicchemicalsarespecificallyregulatedunder40CFR761,whichisadministeredbyEPA.SRShasawell-structuredPCBprogramthatcomplieswiththisTSCAregulation,withDOEorders,andwithsitepolicies.

Thesite’s2010PCBdocumentlogwascompletedinfullcompliancewith40CFR761,andthe2010annualreportofonsitePCBdisposalactivitieswassubmittedtoEPARegion4inJuly2011,meetingapplicablerequirements.ThedisposalofnonradioactivePCBsroutinelygeneratedatSRSisconductedatEPA-approvedfacilitieswithintheregulatoryperiodwhichisoneyearfromthedateofgeneration.In2011,SRSdecommissioned35largeoilfilledcircuitbreakersand19transformersthatpreviouslywereusedinvariouselectricalpowerdistributionsubstationsonsite.PCBcomponentssuchasinsulators(bushings)andbushingpotentialdeviceswerepresentinmanyoftheseitems.Thisresultedinthegenerationofasignificantvolumeofnon-radioactivePCBwaste,allofwhichwasshippedfordisposalatappropriatelypermittedfacilities.

ForsomeformsofradioactivePCBwastes,specificallythosecontaminatedwithTRUradionuclides,disposalcapacityisnotimmediatelyavailable.Suchwastesmustremaininlong-termstoragependingnecessaryprocessingandpackagingthatwillallowthemtobeshippedfordisposaltotheWasteIsolationPilotPlant(WIPP)inNewMexico.ThesewastesareheldinTSCA-compliantstoragefacilitiesinaccordancewith40CFR761.In2011,SRSmade67shipmentstoWIPPthatincludedcontainersofPCB/TRUwaste.AdditionalcontainersofPCB/TRUwastewillbeprocessedandshippedtoWIPPin2012.

Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act

TheFederalInsecticide,Fungicide,andRodenticideAct(FIFRA)regulatestheapplicationofrestricted-usepesticides(RUPs)atSRSthroughastate-administeredcertificationprogram.AllpesticidesappliedonsiteareapprovedbytheSRSPesticideUseTaskGroupandtheSRNSChemicalManagementCenter(CMC).UsageisdocumentedinthePesticideActivityReportdatabase,whichallowsEnvironmentalCompliance(EC)personnel

tomonitorapplicationpracticesaswellastoreporttotalannualchemicalinventoriesorusagetomeetEmergencyPlanningandCommunityRight-to-KnowAct(EPCRA)reportingresponsibilities.

OnOctober31,2011,theSouthCarolinalegislativestaydelayingtheimplementationoftheNationalPollutantDischargeEliminationSystem(NPDES)GeneralPermitforDischargesofApplicationofPesticides(PGP)waslifted.Asaresult,thePGP,whichisdesignedtocoverapplicationofpesticides(pesticides,herbicides,biocides)in,over,andatwater’sedgeaswellasright–of–waytreatmentsofintrusivevegetation,becameimmediatelyeffective.WhileitisnotbelievedSRSwillexceedreportingthresholdsthatwouldnecessitatethesubmissionofaSCDHECNoticeofIntent(NOI),SRNSwillmonitorapplicablepesticideapplicationsforallorganizationsonsitein2012.FollowingtheenactmentofthePGP,SRNSrevisedthePesticideActivityReportdatabase,whichisusedbySRNSpersonneltocaptureallon-sitepesticideapplications,todistinguishPGP-relatedapplications.

Radiation Protection

DOE Order 5400.5/458.1

DOEOrder5400.5,“RadiationProtectionofthePublicandtheEnvironment,”wasreplacedwithDOEOrder458.1,“RadiationProtectionofthePublicandtheEnvironment,”inFebruary2011.DOEOrder458.1wasnotincorporatedintotheSRNScontractuntilNovember2011.DevelopmentofaComplianceAssessmentandImplementationReportwillbecompletedin2012.

ThisDOEOrderspecifiesradiationdosestandardsforindividualmembersofthepublic.Thedosestandardtothegeneralpublicof100millirem(mrem)(1millisievert(mSv))peryearincludesdosesapersonreceivesfromroutineDOEoperationsthroughallexposurepathways.Todemonstratecompliancewiththeall-pathwaydosestandard,SRSconservativelycombinestheairbornepathwayandliquidpathwaydoseestimates,eventhoughthetwodosesarecalculatedforhypotheticalindividualsresidingatdifferentgeographiclocations.

Thehighestpotentialdosetothemaximallyexposedindividualfromallpathways(liquidandatmospheric)in2011was0.21mrem(0.0021mSv).Thisdoseis0.21percentoftheDOEdosestandard.The2011all-pathwaydoseisabout91percentmorethanthereported2010doseof0.11mrem(0.0011mSv).Mostoftheincreaseiscausedbytheadditionoftheirrigationpathwaydose.Withouttheirrigationpathway,the2011all-pathwaydosewouldhavebeen0.12mrem(0.0012mSv),which



isjust9percentmorethanthe2010comparableall-pathwaydose.

Nontypicalexposurepathways,whicharenotincludedinthestandardcalculationsofthedosestothemaximallyexposedindividual,areconsideredandquantifiedseparatelybecausetheyapplytolow-probabilityscenarios,suchasconsumptionoffishcaughtexclusivelyfromthemouthsofSRSstreams,ortouniquescenarios,suchasvolunteerdeerhunters.During2011,themaximumdosethatcouldhavebeenreceivedbyanactualonsitehunterwasestimatedat14.7mrem(0.147mSv),or14.7percentofDOE’s100-mremall-pathwaydosestandard.

AdetaileddiscussionofthissubjectmaybefoundinChapter6,“RadiologicalDoseAssessments.”

Air Quality and Protection

Clean Air Act

TheCleanAirAct(CAA)of1970andtheCleanAirActAmendments(CAAA)of1990providethebasisforprotectingandmaintainingairquality.ThoughEPAstillmaintainsoverallauthorityforthecontrolofairpollution,regulatoryauthorityforalltypesofemissionsourceshasbeendelegatedtoSCDHEC.Therefore,SCDHECmustensurethatitsairpollutionregulationsareatleastasstringentasthefederalrequirements.ThisisaccomplishedthroughSCDHECRegulation61-62,“AirPollutionControlRegulationsandStandards.”ThevariousCAAtitlescoveredbytheseSCDHECregulationsarediscussedbelow.

Title V Operating Permit Program

UndertheCAA,andasdefinedinfederalregulations,SRSisclassifiedasa“majorsource”and,assuch,fallsundertheCAAPart70OperatingPermitProgram.SCDHEC’sBureauofAirQualityissuedSRSitsPart70AirQualityPermit(TV-0080-0041),February19,2003,withaneffectivedateofApril1,2003.TheTitleVOperatingPermit,whichinitiallyexpiredMarch31,2008,wasextendedwiththeSeptember18,2007,submittalofanapplicationforrenewal,asrequiredbySCR61-62.70.ThesiteexpectstoreceivethenewPart70AirPermitin2012.UntilSCDHECrenewsthepermit,SRSwillcontinuetooperateinaccordancewithrequirementsoftheextendedpermit.

ThePart70AirQualityPermitregulatesbothradioactiveandnonradioactivetoxicandcriteriapollutantemissionsfrom19nonexemptemissionunits,witheachemissionunithavingspecificemissionlimits,operatingconditions,andmonitoringandreporting

requirements.Thepermitalsocontainsalisting,knownastheInsignificant-ActivitiesList,identifyingapproximately500SRSsourcesthatareexemptbasedoninsignificantemissionlevels,oronequipmentsizeortype.

In2007,DOE-SRproposedreplacementoftheexistingD-AreaPowerhousepriortoitscurrentTitleVpermitexpiringJune20,2012.Constructionofthenewplantcontinuedin2011.Constructionandstart-upofthebiomasscogenerationfacilityatBurmaRoadundertheSCDHECissuedconstructionpermitNo.0080-0144CA(November12,2008)requirespermanentremovalfromoperationtheexistingcoal-firedboilersattheD-AreaPowerhouse.OnNovember8,2011AmerescoFederalSolutionssuppliedelectricitytoSRSfacilities,triggeringtransitionandclosureactivitiesattheD-Areafacility.OnDecember19,2011,DOESRissuedtheFinalAcceptanceCertificateforthecompletionofconstructionoftheDOESavannahRiverSiteBiomassCogenerationFacilityinstalledunderanenergysavingsperformancecontract(ESPC)awardedtoAmerescoFederalSolutionsinMay2009.Followingaseriesofperformancetestsonthenewlyoperationalplant,the20-megawatt(MW),34acre,renewableenergyfacilityison-scheduletoprovidethenecessaryprocesssteamtothesiteaswellasprovideapproximately30%ofthepowerforthesiteoncefullyoperationalin2012.Aftermorethan60yearsofoperation,theD-AreaPowerhousewillberemovedfromservicepriortoexpirationoftheTitleVPermit,May6,2012.NorevisiontotheD-AreaPowerhousePart70AirQualityPermitwasissuedin2011.

MFFF,apartoftheSRSNuclearNonproliferationProgram,wasissuedanairconstructionpermit(00800139CA)onAugust22,2006.ConstructionoftheMFFF,whichbeganAugust1,2007,continuedthroughout2011.CompliancewiththeSRSPart70AirQualityPermitconditionslastwasevaluatedbySCDHECMarch15,2010.

Accidental Release Prevention Program

UnderTitleIIIoftheCAA,EPAestablishedaprogramforthepreventionofaccidentalreleasesoflargequantitiesofhazardouschemicals.AsoutlinedinSection112(r),anyfacilitythatmaintainsspecifichazardousorextremelyhazardouschemicalsinquantitiesabovespecifiedthresholdvaluesmustdevelopariskmanagementprogram(RMP).Thelistofchemicalsandtheirthresholdquantitycanbefoundin40CFRPart68.130.TheRMPestablishesmethodsthatwillbeusedforthecontainmentandmitigationoflargechemicalspills.



SRSmaintainshazardousandextremelyhazardouschemicalinventoriesbelowthethresholdvalue.Thiscost-effectiveapproachminimizestheregulatoryburdenof112(r)butdoesnoteliminateanyliabilityassociatedwiththegeneraldutyclause,asstatedin112(r)(1).Noreportable112(r)-relatedhazardousorextremelyhazardouschemicalreleasesoccurredatSRSin2011.

Ozone-Depleting Substances

TheCAAmandatesairqualitystandardsfortheprotectionofstratosphericozone.TheCAATitleVoperatingpermitprogram(TV-00800041,Condition4.B.6)requiresthatSRScomplywiththestandardsforrecyclingandemissionsreductionpursuantto40CFR82.ThepermitspecifiescompliancewiththerequirementsofSubpartB(“ServicingofMotorVehicleAirConditioners”),SubpartE(“TheLabelingofProductsUsingOzone-DepletingSubstances”),andSubpartG(“SignificantNewAlternativesPolicyProgram”).Accordingly,alllarge(greaterthanorequalto50-poundcharge)heating,ventilation,andairconditioning/chillersystemsleakrepairdataarereportedmonthly.IncidentaldischargesfromrefrigerantsourcesatSRSduring2011totaled3,435pounds.

Additionally,theTitleVoperatingpermitalsospecifiesthatSRScomplywiththerequirementsofhalonemissionsreductionandrecyclingfoundin40CFR82,SubpartH(“HalonEmissionsReduction”).HalonisusedasafiresuppressionagentinsomefacilitiesatSRS.TheSRSFireDepartment(SRSFD)maintainandrechargehalon-containingequipment,andmanagethenationalhalonrepository(SavannahRiverHalonRepository).HalonismaintainedatthisrepositorytosupportexistingmissionsatSRSforthelifeofthemissions.TherepositoryalsomaintainshalonsuppliesforothersitesintheDOEcomplex.

AccordingtotheSRSHalonManagementPlan(F-ESR-G-00120,November16,2005),allhalonsystemsinserviceatSRSarescheduledtoremaininserviceforthelifeofSRS’sexistingmissions.Asmissionscease,halonwillberecovered,recycled,andstoredattheSRSrepositoryinsupportofcontinuingmissions.WhenstoredhalonexceedstheamountneededforsupportofSRSandotherDOEsites,theexcessisshippedtotheU.S.DepartmentofDefense(DOD),orofferedtotheGeneralServicesAdministrationasexcess.SRScontinuestophaseoutitsuseofhalonaspartofanoverallgoaltoeliminatehalonuseintheUnitedStates.TheSRSFDdetailsthetotalhaloninventoryatSRSinitsannual“HalonReport”toDOE.AsofDecember31,2011therewereapproximately52,144poundsintheSRS

inventory,including19,704poundsin85installedfiresuppressionsystems,and7,075poundsofunprocessedhalonstoredinoriginalcontainers.Thebalance,25,365poundsofhalon,hasbeenprocessedandisstoredonsitein1-tonbulkcontainers.InadditiontotheSRSinventory,halontotaling31,690poundsismaintainedinthenationalhalonrepositoryatSRS.

Air Emissions Inventory

SCDHECRegulation61-62.1,SectionIII(“EmissionsInventory”),requirescompilationofanairemissionsinventorytolocateallsourcesofairpollutionandtodefineandcharacterizethevarioustypesandamountsofpollutants.Todemonstratecompliance,SRSpersonnelconductedtheinitialcomprehensiveairemissionsinventoryin1993,whichidentifiedapproximately5,300radiologicalandnonradiologicalairemissionsources.Sourceoperatingdataandcalculatedemissionsfrom1990wereusedinitiallytoestablishtheSRSbaselineemissionsandtoprovidedataforairdispersionmodeling.

Regulation61-62.1,SectionIII,wasrevisedin2010torequireannualreportingofairinventories,beginningwith2010,byMarch30forthepreviouscalendaryear.BothSRSoperatingpermits,TV0080-0041(SRSgeneral)andTV-0300-0036(D-AreaPowerhouse)2010emissionsweresubmittedonMarch28,2011.EPAcreatedtheNationalEmissionsInventoryasacomprehensiveanddetailedestimateofairemissionsofbothcriteriaandhazardousairpollutantsfromallairemissionssources,includingSRS.ThemostrecentinformationcanbefoundatthefollowingEPAwebsite,http://www.epa.gov/ttn/chief/eiinformation.html.

National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants

TheNationalEmissionStandardsforHazardousAirPollutants(NESHAP)isaCAA-implementingregulationthatsetsairqualitystandardsforhazardousairpollutants,suchasradionuclides,benzene,andasbestos.

NESHAP Radionuclide Program

Thecurrentlistof187hazardousairpollutantsincludesallradionuclidesasasingleitem.RegulationofthesepollutantshasbeendelegatedtoSCDHEC;however,EPARegion4continuestoregulatesomeaspectsofNESHAPradionuclides.

NESHAPRadionuclideProgramSubpartHof40CFR61wasissuedDecember15,1989,afterwhichanevaluationofallairemissionsourceswasperformedtodeterminecompliancestatus.DOE-SRandEPARegion



4signedaFederalFacilityComplianceAgreement(FFCA)onOctober31,1991,providingascheduletobringSRS’semissionsmonitoringintocompliancewithregulatoryrequirements.TheFFCAwasofficiallyclosedandthesitedeclaredcompliantbyEPARegion4onMay10,1995.SubpartHwasrevisedbyEPAonSeptember9,2002,withaneffectivedateofJanuary1,2003.ThisrevisionaddedinspectionrequirementsforexistingSRSsourcesandallowedtheuseofANSIN13.1-1999forestablishingmonitoringrequirements.SRSisperformingallrequiredinspections,hasmonitoringsystemscompliantwiththeregulation,andremainsincompliancewithSubpartHof40CFR61.SRSisrequiredunderSubpartHtodeterminethehighesteffectivedosetoanymemberofthepublicatanoffsitepoint.ThesitemustreportthisinformationannuallybyJune30tobothEPAheadquartersandtheregionaloffice.SRStransmittedtheSRSRadionuclideAirEmissionsAnnualReportfor2010”onJune3,2011toEPA,SCDHEC,andDOEHeadquarters(HQ).

During2011,themaximallyexposedindividualeffectivedoseequivalent,calculatedusingtheNESHAP-requiredCAP88computercode,wasestimatedtobe1.53E-02mrem(1.53E-04mSv),whichis0.00153percentofthe10mremperyear(0.10mSvperyear)EPAstandard(Chapter6).

SRScompliancewith40CFR61,SubpartH(“NationalEmissionStandardsforEmissionsofRadionuclidesOtherThanRadonfromDepartmentofEnergyFacilities”)lastwasevaluatedbySCDHECinJune2008aspartofaTitleVradiologicalNESHAPinspection.SCDHECdidnotconductaSubpartHinspectionatSRSin2011.

NESHAP Nonradionuclide Program

SRSusesmanychemicalsidentifiedastoxicorhazardousairpollutants,butmostofthemarenotregulatedundertheCAAorunderfederalNESHAPregulations.Exceptforasbestos,SRSfacilitiesandoperationsdonotfallintoanyofthe“categories”listedintheoriginalsubparts.EPAinDecember1993issuedafinallistofhazardousairpollutant-emittingsourcecategoriespotentiallysubjecttomaximumachievablecontroltechnology(MACT)standards;SRScurrentlyisnotimpactedbyanypromulgatedMACTstandardsforsourcecategories.

NESHAP Asbestos Abatement Program

SRSbeganitsasbestosmanagementprogramin1988andcontinuestomanageasbestos–containingmaterial(ACM)by“bestmanagementpractices.”

Sitecomplianceforasbestosoperationsandmaintenance(O&M)activities,minorandsmalljobsaswellasbuildingrenovationsanddemolitionsfallsunderSCDHECandfederalregulations,includingSouthCarolinaRegulations61–86.1(StandardsofPerformanceforAsbestosProjects),40CFR61,SubpartM(NationalEmissionStandardsforHazardousAirPollutants–Asbestos),and29CFR1926.1101(OccupationalSafetyandHealthAdministration[OSHA]AsbestosStandard).SRSconducted75permittedrenovationsanddemolitionsin2011.

PursuanttotherequirementsoftheSRSAsbestosAbatementGroupLicense,issuedannuallybySCDHEC,O&Mactivities,minorandsmalllicensedjobsaremanagedthroughtheSRSAsbestosDisturbanceNotice(ADN)procedure.ADNnotificationsareissuedtoeachareaofthesiteonaquarterlybasis,whichallowsSRStoreportamountsofACMremovedanddisposedofduringeachquarter.SRSissued62ADNnotificationsin2011.SRScertifiedpersonnelremovedanddisposedof178linearfeetand199squarefeetoffriable(regulated)ACM,and543linearfeet,6,835squarefeetand8cubicfeetofnonfriable(unregulated)ACMduring2011.Approximately200SRSasbestosspecialistsreceivedtrainingin2011andwerecertifiedbySCDHECintheplanner,airsampler,inspector,supervisor,worker,andO&Mworkerdisciplines.

SRSdisposedof325linearand1,030squarefeetofradiologicallycontaminatedasbestoswastein2011attheSRSE–Arealow–levelvaults,engineeredtrenches,andslittrenches,whichareauthorizedbySCDHECasasbestoswastedisposalsites.NonradiologicalasbestoswastewasdisposedofattheThreeRiversSolidWasteAuthorityLandfillandtheConstructionandDemolition(C&D)Landfill(623-G),bothofwhicharealsoSCDHEC–approvedlandfills.

Water Quality and ProtectionClean Water Act

National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System—TheCleanWaterAct(CWA)of1972createdtheNationalPollutantDischargeEliminationSystem(NPDES)program,whichisadministeredbySCDHECunderEPAauthority.Theprogramisdesignedtoprotectsurfacewatersbylimitingreleasesofeffluentsintostreams,reservoirs,andwetlands.

SRShadfiveNPDESpermitsin2011:• Twopermitsforindustrialwastewaterdischarges

(SC0047431,whichcoveredtheD-AreaPowerhouse,



andSC0000175,whichcoveredtheremainderofthesite).

• Twogeneralpermitsforstormwaterdischarges(SCR000000forindustrialandSCR100000forconstruction).PermitSCR000000expiredDecember31,2010;renewalofthepermitbecameeffectiveJanuary1,2011.

• OneGeneralUtilityWaterPermitNumberSC250273issuedMay5,2011.

ThesitealsohadoneNo-Dischargepermitforlandapplicationofbiosolids(ND0072125).Thispermitwasrenewedin2010andisapplicableforanother10years.MoreinformationaboutSRS’sNPDESpermitscanbefoundinChapter4.

TheresultsofmonitoringforcompliancewiththeindustrialwastewaterdischargepermitatSRSwerereportedtoSCDHECinthesite’smonthlydischargemonitoringreports,asrequiredbythepermit.SRShadnopermitlimitexceptionsduring2011,acompliancerecordthathasbeenattainedonlytwoothertimes(2007and2010).

SCDHECgenerallyconductsanunscheduled“NPDES3560ComplianceSamplingInspection”ofthesite’spermittedoutfallsannually.TheMarch2010inspection,resultedina“Satisfactory”rating,thehighestachievable.Therewasno“NPDES3560ComplianceSamplingInspection”performedin2011.

ASCDHECrenewaloftheNPDESGeneralPermitforStormWaterDischarges(SCR000000)associatedwithIndustrialActivitybecameeffectiveonJanuary1,2011.Thepermitrequirescontrolmeasuresbeselected,installed,implemented,andmaintainedtoensurethatstormwaterdischargesdonotresultinanexceedanceofwaterqualitystandardsinreceivingstreams.Althoughoneoutfallexceededbenchmarklevelsandrequiredinstallationofadditionalcontrolmeasures,noviolationsofthispermitwereexperiencedin2011.Resultsfromsamplingofstormwateroutfallsappearinaneffluentmonitoringdatatable4-9inthe“EnvironmentalData/Maps-2011”sectionoftheCDhousedinsidethebackcoverofthisreport.TheSRSStormWaterPollutionPreventionPlan,arequirementundertheNPDESStormWaterGeneralPermit,wasfinalizedinMarch2011.

Onepermitforindustrialwastewaterdischarge(PermitNo.SC0049107,OutfallG-05)hasbeenissuedtoAmerescoFederalSolutionsfordischargesassociatedwiththeBiomassCogenerationFacility.Thispermitisindependentofthesite’spermitsandhasnotbeenincludedinthelistofpermitsheldbySRS.

Dredge and Fill; Rivers and Harbors—TheCWA,Section404,“DredgeandFillPermitting,”asamended,andtheRiversandHarborsAct(RHA)of1899,Sections9and10,“ConstructionOverandObstructionofNavigableWatersoftheUnitedStates,”protectU.S.watersfromdredging/fillingandconstructionactivitiesbythepermittingofsuchprojects.Dredge-and-filloperationsinU.S.watersaredefined,permitted,andcontrolledthroughimplementationoffederalregulationsinTitles33and40oftheCodeofFederalRegulations.

In2011,SRShadtwoopenpermitsundertheNationwidePermits(NWPs)program(generalpermitsunderSection404),andoneopenpermitundertheRHAof1899,Section10,asfollows:• Damconstructiononanunnamedtributaryto

FourmileBranchfortheMixedWasteManagementFacilityGroundwaterInterimMeasuresprojectwascompletedin2000underNWP38,“Hazard-ousWasteCleanup.”However,mitigationfortheimpacttowetlandswasstillpendingin2011andmustbeaddressedbeforethepermitcanbecon-sideredclosed.SRNShasrequestedapprovalfromDOEtousewetlandmitigationbankcreditstosatisfythemitigationissueandclosethepermit.

• SRSinitiatedaprojectduring2009todredgesedi-mentsoutofthe681-3Gand681-5Gpumphousecanalstoallowforbetterflowtothewaterintakeofeachpumphouse.AnRHAof1899Section10permit,(SAC-2008-1156)wasobtainedfromtheU.S.ArmyCorpsofEngineers(COE)March24,2009,toallowthedredgingworktobegin.Bothcanalsweresuccessfullydredgedandreturnedtotheiroriginaldesign.Maintenancedredgingofaccumulatedsedimentsinthe681-5GcanalwasconductedinNovember2011.TheSection10permitwillremainopenuntilMarch31,2014,toallowforadditionalmaintenancedredgingasrequired.

• AreaCompletionProjects(ACP)installedthreewellsunderNWP5-intheSavannahRiverflood-plainwetlandseastofT-AreainAugust2011forgroundwatersamplingactivities.

Construction in Navigable Waters—SCDHECRegulation19-450,“PermitforConstructioninNavigableWaters,”protectsSouthCarolina’snavigablewaters.TheonlystatenavigablewatersatSRSareUpperThreeRunsCreek(throughtheentiresite),LowerThreeRunsCreek(upstreamtothebaseofthePARPondDam),andtheSavannahRiver(alongthesite’ssouthwesternborder).

Anavigablewaterspermit(P/N2008-1156-6IJ)was

issuedtoWashingtonSavannahRiverCompanyDecember4,2008,forthesedimentdredgingprojectofthe681-3Gand681-5Gpumphousecanals.Thepermit,transferredtoSRNSonJanuary14,2009,wasissuedbySCDHECsimultaneouslywiththeWQC,andwasextendedbySCDHECinAugust2011toexpireonMarch31,2014.

Water Quality Certification (WQC)—Section401,“WaterQualityCertification,”oftheCWAisadministeredbySCDHECtoensurethemaintenanceofwaterqualityduringdredge-and-fillprojects.

Safe Drinking Water Act

TheFederalSafeDrinkingWaterAct(SDWA)wasenactedin1974toprotectpublicdrinkingwatersupplies.SRSdomesticwaterissuppliedbygroundwatersources.TheA-AreaandD-AreadrinkingwaterfacilitiesareactivelyregulatedbySCDHEC,whiletheremainingsmallerwatersystemsreceiveareducedlevelofregulatoryoversight.

SamplesarecollectedandanalyzedperiodicallybySRSandSCDHECtoensurethatallsitedomesticwatersystemsmeetSCDHECandEPAbacteriologicalandchemicaldrinkingwaterqualitystandards.Allsamplescollectedin2011metthesestandards.

Duetoathree-yearrotatingcycle,thewatersystemswerenotsampledunderthestateleadandcopperRulein2011.TheD-Areasystemwillbesampledforleadandcopperin2012andA-Areaisscheduledfor2013.

Other Environmental Requirements

EPCRA/SARA Title III

EPCRA(enactedin1986)requiresfacilitiestonotifystateandlocalemergencyplanningentitiesabouttheirhazardouschemicalinventoriesandtoreportreleasesofhazardouschemicals.ThePollutionPreventionActof1990expandedtheEPCRA-mandatedToxicChemicalReleaseInventory,i.e.,ToxicsReleaseInventory(TRI),reporttoincludesourcereductionandrecyclingactivities.

Executive Order 12856

ExecutiveOrder12856,“FederalCompliancewithRight-to-KnowLawsandPollutionPreventionRequire-ments,”requiresthatallfederalfacilitiescomplywithright-to-knowlawsandpollutionpreventionrequire-ments.SRScomplieswiththeappropriatereportingre-quirementsforEPCRA,andincorporatestheapplicableTRIchemicalsintoitspollutionpreventionefforts.

Chemical Inventory Report (Tier II)

UnderSection312ofEPCRA,SRScompletesanannualTierIIChemicalInventoryReportforallhazardouschemicalspresentatthesiteinexcessofspecifiedquantitiesduringthecalendaryear.HazardouschemicalstorageinformationissubmittedtostateandlocalauthoritieselectronicallybyMarch1forthepreviouscalendaryear.For2010SRSsubmittedtheTierIIonFebruary22,2011.

Toxics Release Inventory Report (Form R)

UnderSection313(“ToxicChemicalReleaseInventory”)ofEPCRA,SRSmustfileanannualTRIreportbyJuly1forthepreviousyear.SRScalculateschemicalreleasestotheenvironmentforeachregulatedchemicalandreportstheeachregulatedchemicalthatexceedsitsestablishedthresholdvaluetoEPAelectronicallyonFormRofEPCRASection313.Thresholdvaluesarethosequantitiesofregulatedchemicals(asdefinedbyEPCRASection313)abovewhichadditionalreportingisrequiredusingFormR.

FormRfor2010wassubmittedelectronicallytoEPAonJuly1,2011.SRSreportedthefollowingchemicalsthatexceededtheirthresholds:barium,chlorine,chromium,copper,fluorine,formicacid,hydrochloricacid,lead,manganese,mercury,nickel,nitrate,nitricacid,sodiumnitrite,sulfuricacid,andzinc.(NOTE:Theterm“exceeded”inanEPCRAcontextdoesnotindicateaviolation.PerEPAregulations,SARAchemicallimitsareestablished,andreportingrequirementsarebasedonthesethresholdvalues.)Specificdetails,includingreleaseamountsanddetailedinformationabouttoxicreleaseinventoryreporting,canbeviewedontheEPAwebsiteathttp://www.epa.gov/tri/tridata.

Endangered Species Act

TheEndangeredSpeciesActof1973,asamended,providesforthedesignationandprotectionofwildlife,fish,andplantsindangerofbecomingextinct.Theactalsoprotectsandconservesthecriticalhabitatsonwhichsuchspeciesdepend.

SeveralendangeredspeciesexistatSRS,includingthewoodstork,thered-cockadedwoodpecker,theAtlanticsturgeon,theshortnosesturgeon,thepondberry,andthesmoothpurpleconeflower.Althoughthebaldeaglenolongerisontheendangeredspecieslist,itstillisprotectedundertheBaldandGoldenEagleProtectionAct.Programsareinplaceonsitetoenhancethehabitatandsurvivalofsuchspecies.





During2011,implementingtheUnitedStatesDepartmentofEnergyNaturalResourcesManagementPlanfortheSavannahRiverSite(http://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/stelprdb5208304.pdf),theUnitedStatesDepartmentofAgricultureForestService-SavannahRiver(USFS-SR)personneldevelopedthreebiologicalevaluationsfortimber-relatedactivities,andoneasrequestedtoassistothersitemissionsintheP-AreaAshBasin.Thebiologicalevaluationsdeterminedthatimplementationmayaffectbutnotadverselyaffectthreatenedandendangeredspeciesduetobeneficial,insignificant,ordiscountableeffects.Theimplementationmayalsoadverselyaffectthreeanimalspeciesofconservationconcern(Southernhognosesnake,Pinesnake,andtheGopherfrog),butnotresultinatrendtowardfederallistingorresultinthelossofpopulationviability.Additionally,abiologicalevaluationwaspreparedbytheDepartmentoftheArmyinsupportofDOE/EA-1606,EnvironmentalAssessmentfortheProposedUseofSavannahRiverSiteLandsforMilitaryTraining,andconcludedthattheproposedactionwasnotlikelytoadverselyaffectendangeredspecies.TheU.S.FishandWildlifeServiceconcurredwiththeArmy’sfindings.

National Historic Preservation Act

TheNationalHistoricPreservationAct(NHPA)of1966,Section106,governsarchaeologicalandhistoricalresources.SRSensuresthatitisincompliancewiththeNHPAthroughseveralprocesses.TheColdWarProgrammaticAgreementand“SRS’sColdWarBuiltEnvironmentCulturalResourceManagementPlan”arebeingimplemented.Thesite’sartifactselectionteam,whichincludesDOE,SRNS,andtheUniversityofSouthCarolina’sSavannahRiverArchaeologicalResearchProgram(SRARP)isresponsibleforoverseeingtheselection,collection,andcurationofColdWar-eraartifactsfrombuildingspriortodecommissioninganddemolitionactivities.

TheSiteUseProgramisanotherprocessusedtoensurecompliancewithNHPA.Alllocationsbeingconsideredforactivities,suchasconstruction,areevaluatedbySRARPpersonneltoensurethatarchaeologicalorhistoricsitesarenotimpacted.Reviewsoftimbercompartmentprescriptionsincludesurveyingforarchaeologicalresourcesanddocumentingareasofimportancewithregardtohistoricandprehistoricsignificance.

Thefollowinginformationissummarizedfromthe“AnnualReviewofCulturalResourcesInvestigationsbytheSavannahRiverArchaeologicalResearchProgram,FiscalYear2011”,SavannahRiverArchaeological

ResearchProgram,SouthCarolinaInstituteofArchaeologyandAnthropology,UniversityofSouthCarolina,2011.

ArchaeologicalsurveyofSiteUsePermitApplicationandTimberCompartmentPrescriptionprojectsbySRARPstaffcontinuedthroughFY2011.DuringFY2011,archaeologicalreconnaissanceandsurveywasconductedon38proposedprojectsthroughthesubsurfaceinspectionof985acreswithatotalof3,853ShovelTestPitsexcavated.Altogether,13newsiteswererecordedanddelineated,and4previouslyrecordedsiteswererevisitedduringFY2011.Basedonthelevelofsurveysamplingconductedatallnewandpreviouslyrecordedsites,adequateinformationwasnotobtainedformostsitestoallowNationalRegisterofHistoricPlaces(NRHP)eligibilitydeterminations.Assuch,thesesiteswillbecompletelyavoidedbySRScontractorsduringanylanddisturbingactivities.Atthetimethesesitesareduetobeimpactedbyfutureundertakings,theSRARPwillconducttheappropriatelevelofarchaeologicalinvestigationtoresolveeligibilitydeterminations.

Atotalof54SiteUsePermitApplicationswerereceivedbytheSRARPduringFY2011.EachpermitapplicationunderwentreviewbySRARPmanagementforproposedlandmodification.Ofthese,11SiteUseprojectsrequiredfieldreconnaissanceorarchaeologicalsurveyinadditiontooneongoingprojectlastfiscalyear.TheseSiteUseprojectscomprised550acres(56%)ofthetotalsurveycoverageinFY2011.

TheSRARPmanagementreviewseachTimberCompartmentPrescriptiontodeterminethelevelofsurveyrequiredforeachtimberstandslatedfortimbering.Thereviewprocessinvolvesdeterminingthepotentialforarchaeologicalresourcesineachtimberstand.Surveysoflogdecksandtimberstandswereconductedin24timbercompartments,whichinvolved435acres(44%)ofthetotalsurveyareacoverageinFY2011.

AsaresultoftheanalysisofartifactsrecoveredthroughdailycomplianceactivitiesandtheanalysisofartifactsrecoveredfromexcavationsconductedattheGreenesite(38AK953)andFlamingoBay(38AK469)approximately19,026artifactswerecuratedoverthecourseFY2011.Compliancerelatedexcavationsconductedthroughouttheyearaccountfor1,044oftheseartifacts.Primaryanalysisofartifactsfrom38AK469yieldedapproximately10,000artifacts,whileanalysisofartifactsfrom38AK953totaled7,982artifacts.



Inaddition,SRARPstaffmaintainedcontinuedsupporttoDOEColdWarCulturalResourcesManagementPlan(CRMP)effortsthroughparticipationonDOE’sColdWarArtifactSelectionTeamandatHeritageTourismBoardmeetings.

Section110oftheNationalHistoricPreservationActrequiresaninventoryofallculturalresourcesonpubliclands.Asofthisreport,theSRARPhassurveyedapproximately66,055acres(34.0%)outofatotalof193,276(97.4%)ofSRSacreagesuitableforsurvey(i.e.,excludingSRSwetlandsanddevelopedareas).Intotal,theSRScomprises198,344acresor310sq.mi.Theseeffortshaveresultedintheinventoryof1,901sites(931prehistoric,492historic,and478withbothprehistoric/historiccomponents)recordedtodate.

Migratory Bird Treaty Act

TheMigratoryBirdTreatyActof1918(MBTA)isthedomesticlawthatgovernstheprotectionofmigratorybirds,includingeggsandnests.TheMBTAprohibitsthetaking,possession,import,export,transport,selling,purchase,orbarterof,orofferingforsale,purchaseorbarter,anymigratorybirdoritseggs,parts,andnests,exceptasauthorizedunderavalidpermit.

In2011,severalnestsprotectedundertheMTBAwerefoundinlargemobileequipmentlocatedatvarioussitelocations.TheequipmentwaseitherbarricadeduntilthehatchlingsfledgedorthenestsweredeterminedbySRNS,withconcurrencebytheU.S.FishandWildlifeServicetonolongerbeviable,orthenestswererelocatedtoasaferadjacentlocation.

DOE Orders/Executive Orders for Environmental Systems

Summary of EMS Programs

DOEOrders450.1A,“EnvironmentalProtectionProgram,”and430.2B,“DepartmentalEnergy,RenewableEnergyandTransportationManagement,”describeDOE’srequirementsandresponsibilitiesforimplementingExecutiveOrder(EO)13423,“StrengtheningFederalEnvironmental,EnergyandTransportationManagement.”EO13423directseachfederalagencytouseanEnvironmentalManagementSystem(EMS)astheframeworktoimplement,manage,measure,andcontinuallyimproveuponsustainableenvironmental,energy,andtransportationpractices.AdditionalinformationontheseandothersustainabilityprogramsmaybefoundinChapter2(“EnvironmentalManagementSystem”)andintheSRSFY2011SiteSustainabilityPlan,issuedinDecember2010.

DOE Order 436.1/EO13514 Greenhouse Gas Reductions

DOEOrder436.1wasapprovedtoincorporatenewrequirementinExecutiveOrders13514,13423andotherrelatedstatutes,administrativerequirementsandgoals.ExecutiveOrder13514,“FederalLeadershipinEnvironmental,Energy,andEconomicPerformance,”establishedgreenhousegas(GHG)reductiongoalsof28percentforScope1and2items(powergenerationfacilities)and13percentforScope3items(businessandemployeetravel)by2020fromthe2008baseline.Reducingenergyintensity,completingconstructionofaBiomassCogenerationFacilityandcontinuingoperationofseveralsatellitebiomassplants,andincreasingtheuseofalternativefuelsandalternative-fuelvehiclesaresomeofthewaysSRSmadeprogresstowardthisgoalin2011.DetailsofthisprogressagainstsustainabilitygoalsareprovidedinChapter2ofthisreport.

2011 Waste Minimization and Pollution Prevention Program Results and Highlights

TheSRSWasteMinimizationandPollutionPreventionProgram(WMin/P2)continuedtoachievesignificantresultsin2011.Allrequiredsitewastegeneratororganizationsdemonstratedactiveparticipationintheprogramthroughdocumentedpollutionavoidanceand/ordirectmissionsupportactivitiesforsiterecycling.Siteemployees’P2awarenesswasincreasedthroughonlinearticlesandbothgeneralemployeeandjob-specifictraining.

TheWMin/P2ProgrammetallDOEandregulatoryagencyreportingrequirements.Programaccomplishmentsduring2011includedthefollowing:• SRSdocumented19P2projectsresultingina

DOE-SRapprovedannualizedavoidanceof2,009m3ofhazardousandradioactivewasteinFY2011significantlyexceedingtheFY2011P2Programwasteavoidanceperformancegoalof357m3.Annualcostavoidanceresultingfromthedocu-mentedP2projectsisapproximately$2.5million.

• SRSwonanEnvironmentalManagement(EM)Best-in-ClassHonorableMentionAwardandtwo2011DOEEStarAwardsforitsnominations:“Re-newable Energy Technology Deployment, and Edu-cation in South Carolina - A Collaboration Between Savannah River National Laboratory & Economic Development Partnership of South Carolina”and“Savannah River Site Tritiated Debris Remedia-tion Project”.In2011,only15EStarAwardsweregrantedfrom186nominations.SRSwasrepre-sentedattheawardsceremonyheldatDOEhead-quartersandsharedlessonslearnedwithapresenta-



tionoftheaward-winningprojectstoDOEcomplexstaff.SRSsubmitted5nominationsinFY2012documentingFY2011notableprojects.

SRSparticipatesinEPAvoluntaryP2ProgramsbymaintainingitsEPAWasteWiseandEPANationalPartnershipforEnvironmentalPriorities(NPEP)memberships.SRSreceivedanawardfromtheNPEPProgramrecognizingSRNSforachievementsinchemicalreduction.Intotal,over250,000poundsofDOEradiologicallyassociatedleadhavebeenshippedforreprocessingintocommercialnuclearproductsexceedingtheSRSNPEPgoalbyover600%.TheawardnominationwassubmittedinFY2010andrecognizedbyEPAinFY2011Recycleprovidesacost-effectiveandanenvironmentalpreferableoptionforthisstreamversusdisposalasaRCRAhazardousandradioactivewaste.

SRScontinuedtosupportfederalgovernmentelectronicsrecycleandsustainabilityprogramobjectives.SRSreported138,480poundsofelectronicsrecycledinFY2011andisincompliancewithDepartmentofEnergyAcquisitionRegulations(DEAR)forEnergyStarandElectronicProductsEnvironmentalAssessmentTool(EPEAT)electronicsprocurement.

TheSanitaryWasteProgram(municipalsolidwaste)managedover83,000metrictons(MT)ofmaterialsinFY2011.Thirty-fivepercent(35.5%)oftheroutine(i.e.officetypewaste)municipalsolidwastestreamwasrecycled(813MT)meetingthe35%performanceobjectiveforthiswastestreamestablishedtosupportAikenCountyreportingtoSCDHEC.Twenty-twopercent(22.5%)ofthetotalroutineandindustrialstreams,excludingC&Dwaste,wasrecycled(2,118MT).Operationoftheon-siteC&Dlandfillavoidedover$4.3millionincommerciallandfillfees.

SRSissuedanewsubcontractwithThreeRiversMaterialRecoveryFacility(MRF)toprovidemunicipalsolidwasterecycleservicesbeginninginFY2012.Thiscontractprovidesforrecycleservicestorecovergreaterthan50%oftheroutine(i.e.officetypewaste)municipalsolidwastestreamandwillreducewasteprocessingandtransportcosts.

ThePollutionPreventionTeamsupportsP2awarenessonsiteandinthelocalcommunity.• Onsiteemployeeawarenessisincreasedthrough

on-linearticlesandgeneralemployeeandjob-specifictraining.

• TheProgramprovidedvolunteersupportandstudenthandoutsfortheCentralSavannahRiver

Area(CSRA)EnvironmentalScienceEducationCooperative’s(ESEC)EcoMeeteventheldatThur-mondLake.Theeventwasasuccesswith30middleschoolteamsfromGeorgiaandSouthCarolinacompetinginaday-long,hands-onenvironmentaleducationchallenge.

• TheProgramsupportedCSRAESECEnvironmentalTeacheroftheYearAwardceremonyheldinAugusta,Georgia.

• SRSEarthDaysupportincluded:ProvidingphotoswithcaptionsforpostersthatDOE-HQusedtohighlightwinningEnvironmentalSustainabilityprojectsdisplayedoverEarthDayweekandprovidingfourarticlestotheon-sitenewslettertoincreaseemployees’environmentalawareness.

EO 11988/11990 Floodplain Management/ Wetlands

Under10CFR1022(“CompliancewithFloodplainsandWetlandsEnvironmentalReviewRequirements”),DOEestablishespoliciesandproceduresforimplementingitsresponsibilitiesintermsofcompliancewithExecutiveOrders11988(“FloodplainManagement”)and11990(“ProtectionofWetlands”).Part1022includesDOEpoliciesregardingtheconsiderationoffloodplains/wetlandsfactorsinplanninganddecisionmaking.ItalsoincludesDOEproceduresforidentifyingproposedactionsinvolvingfloodplains/wetlands,providingearlypublicreviewsofsuchproposedactions,preparingfloodplains/wetlandsassessments,andissuingstatementsoffindingsforactionsinfloodplains.

Afloodplains/wetlandsassessmentwasdevelopedin2010tosupportaNEPAevaluationfortheinstallationofatemporaryroadforaccesstoaportionoftheearthencapoverthewasteunitonthewestsideofT-Area.Theroadalsowastoprovideaccessforcapmaintenanceandtoamonitoringwellinthearea.Thescopeoftheprojectwaschangedtomaketheroadpermanent,andthefloodplains/wetlandsassessmentwasrevisedin2011tosupportthischange.Thefloodplains/wetlandsassessmentwasmadefinalandapprovedbyDOEinSeptember2011.

Other Environmental Issues/ActionsLawsuits SRSwasnotinvolvedinanyactiveenvironmentallawsuitsduring2011.



SRS as Potentially Responsible Party in Superfund Cleanup AlternateEnergyResources,Inc.(AER)operatedcommercialhazardouswastestorageandtreatmentfacilityinAugusta,Georgia,until2000,whenthefacilitywasabandonedandtheownersdeclaredbankruptcy.ThefacilitywasplacedontheNPLin2006.NonradioactiveSRSwastewasprocessedatthisfacility;asaresult,EPAnamedSRSoneof50potentiallyresponsiblepartiesinthecleanupofthislocation.SRSrespondedtomultipleDepartmentofJusticerequestsregardingdocumentsrelevanttoAERonOctober26,2010andJune28,2011.

Notice of Violation / Notice of Alleged Violation

NoNOVsorNOAVswerereceivedin2011.NOVs/NOAVsreceivedfrom2007-2011aresummarizedintable3-3.

Environmental Occurrences TheOccurrenceReportingandProcessingSystem(ORPS),mandatedbyDOEOrder232.2(“OccurrenceReportingandProcessingofOperationsInformation”),isdesignedto“...ensurethattheDOEandtheNNSAareinformedabouteventsthatcouldadverselyaffectthehealthandsafetyofthepublicorworkers,theenvironment,DOEmissions,orthecredibilityoftheDepartment.”Also,theORPSsystempromotes“organizationallearningconsistentwithDOE’sIntegratedSafetyManagementSystemgoalofenhancingmissionsafety,andsharingeffectivepracticestosupportcontinuousimprovementandadaptationtochange.”

Ofthe115ORPS-reportableeventsatSRSin2011(includingallcontractors),therewerenoORPSreportableeventswithinORPSGroup5(Environmental)orORPSGroup9(NoncomplianceNotifications).

Environmental Audits TheSRSenvironmentalprogramisoverseenbyanumberoforganizations,bothoutsideandwithintheDOEcomplex.In2011,thesite’senvironmentalappraisalprogramagainconsistedofselfandindependentassessments.Theprogramensurestherecognitionofnoteworthypractices,theidentificationofperformancedeficiencies,andtheinitiationandtrackingofassociatedcorrectiveactionsuntiltheyaresatisfactorilycompleted.Theprimaryobjectivesoftheassessmentprogramaretoensurecompliancewithregulatoryrequirementsandtofostercontinuousimprovement.Theprogram,anintegralpartofthesite’sIntegratedSafetyManagementSystem,supportstheSRSEMS,whichcontinuestomeettheguidelinesofInternationalOrganizationforStandardizationStandard14001.(ISO14000isafamilyofvoluntaryenvironmentalmanagementstandardsandguidelines.)TheSiteTracking,Analysis,andReporting(STAR)systemisadatabaseusedforschedulingself-assessments,aswellasfor(1)documentingtheirresultsandanyissuesorconcernsidentified,(2)trackingcorrectiveactionstoclosure,and(3)trendingaccumulateddataforprocessimprovement.DOE-SRconducted260assessmentsthatincludedaspectsoftheenvironmentalprotectionfunctionalarea.SRNSconducted341environmentalprotectionfunctionalareaassessmentsin2011.

SRNSalsoconductedseveralenvironmentalprogram-levelassessmentsin2011.Theself-assessmenttitles,theenvironmentaltopicalareas(inparentheses),andbriefsummariesofsomeoftheseassessmentsfollow.• Surface Water Quality-Facility Permitting (Indus-

trial Wastewater Treatment)–Thisself-assessmentwasconductedfromAugust11throughSeptember30,2010.ThepurposewastoevaluatetheSRSindustrialwastewatertreatmentprogramagainsttheSCDHECIndustrialWastewaterPermittingProgram,includingwastewatertreatmentplant(and

Table 3–3 NOV/NOAV Summary, 2007–2011

Program AreaNOV/NOAV

2011 2010 2009 2008 2007CAA 0 2 0 1 0CWA 0 0 0 2 0RCRA 0 0 0 0 0CERCLA 0 0 0 0 0Others 0 0 0 0 0Total Violations 0 2 0 3 0



associatedcollectionsystem)design,operation,maintenance,permittingandcloseout.Theassess-ment,whichincludeddocument/procedurereviewsandinterviewswithengineeringandenvironmentalcompliancepersonnel,resultedinthreefindingsandfiveopportunitiesforimprovement(OFIs).Correc-tiveactions,includingrevisionstosite-andfacility-levelprocedures,wereidentifiedandcompletedduring2010and2011.

• Air Quality Protection – Title V Operating Permit, Air Dispersion Modeling–Thisself-assessmentwasconductedfromJune1through21,2011.Aspartoftheairpermittingprocess,facilitiesinSouthCarolinaarerequiredtodemonstratethepotentialemissionscomingfromtheirsourceswillnotcausetheviolationofanyapplicableSouthCarolinaairpollutioncontrolregulationsorstandards.Airdispersionmodelingistypicallyusedtodemon-stratecompliance.Thisself-assessmentfocusedonthemodelingassociatedwithTitleVactivities.TheSRSdemonstratesthepotentialemissionscomingfromitssourceswillnotcausetheviolationofanyapplicableSouthCarolinaairpollutioncontrolregulationsorstandardswiththeuseofAERMODmodeling.ModelinginputfilesaregeneratedbyECpersonnelandSavannahRiverNationalLaboratory(SRNL)atmospherictechnologiespersonnelutilizetherequiredAERMODmodeltodemonstratethesite’scompliancewithSCDHECStandardsno.2,7,and8.TheassessmentidentifiedtwoOFIstotakeadvantageofthemovementofthemodelingfilesbeinggeneratedintheexistingAirInformationRe-portingSystem(AIRS)tothenewopsAirTMsystem.

• Waste Management–Underground Storage Tanks– Thisself-assessmentwasconductedfromJune7throughJuly20,2011toevaluatetheSRSunder-groundstoragetanks(UST)programandensureUSTsarebeingmanagedtominimizethepotentialforreleasestotheenvironmentandarecompliantwithallapplicableDOE,federal,state,andlocalrequirements.InspectionrecordswerereviewedtoverifythattheUSTsareinspectedannuallyfortankandlinetightnessandwerecompletedinthelast12months.Assessorsverifiedmonthlyleakdetectiontestswerebeingconductedandrecordsareavail-able.SRNSstaffalsoverifiedannualtankpermitswereup-to-dateandthatcorrosionprotectiontestingofUSTshadbeencompletedwithinthelastthreeyears.ThereweretwoOFIsandnofindings.

• Groundwater – Data Acquisition, Management, and Reporting–Thisself-assessmentwasconductedfromJune1through27,2011.ThepurposeofthisassessmentwastoconfirmthatSRShasprograms

inplacetoidentifysourcesofgroundwatercontami-nation,developformalplansfortheircharacteriza-tion,identifyconstituentsofconcern,anddefinetheextentofanygroundwaterplumes.Recentcharac-terizationdocumentswerereviewedandCERCLA,characterization,andengineeringpersonnelwereinterviewed.TheassessmentdeterminedthattheSRShaswellestablishedprogramsandproceduresinallofthesubjectareas.TherewerenofindingsandoneOFIrelatedtogroundwaterassessmentofpetroleum-relatedsites.Consolidationofassess-mentactivitiesunderEnvironmentalComplianceandAreaCompletionProjectshasaddressedthisOFI.

• Waste Management – Non-hazardous Waste Man-agement–Thisself-assessmentwasconductedfromJuly18through21,2011toevaluatesolidwastemanagementactivitiesatthe632-GConstructionandDemolition(C&D)Landfill.Theassessorsgatheredinformationforthisassessmentbydocu-mentreview,interviewsofcognizantpersonnel,andinspectionofthe632-G(C&D)debrislandfill.Theassessorsfoundthatthelandfillisoperatedaccord-ingtoManualY10.10,procedure9-38045,Opera-tion,andInspectionof632-GLandfillandBorrowPit.Thereisaprograminplacetodetectprohibitedwastesbyinspectionsofloadswhendepositedandpriortocompaction,bytrainedpersonnel,andifnecessary,bynotificationofSCDHECifitissuspectedthathazardouswasteorPCBwastehasbeendepositedatthelandfill.Prohibitedwasteisremovedfromtheworkingface(locationwherenewwasteisbeingplaced)priortotheendoftheworkingday.Generatorswhodepositprohibitedwastearerequiredtoremoveitandplaceitintoanappropriatecontainerfordisposal.Theobservedworkingfacedidnotexceedaslopeof33%.Wastewasobservedtobespreadinuniformlayersandcompactedtothesmallestpracticalvolume.Cleansoilfromsiteconstructionactivitieswasstockpiledtouseascover.Recordsofcleansoil,nolessthansixinchesindepth,beingplacedoverexposedwasteatleastevery30daysarebeingmaintained.Therolesandresponsibilitiesofthelandfillfirstlinemanagerandmanagerareclearlydefined.TherewerenofindingsorOFIs.

• NEPA Compliance–Thisself-assessmentwascon-ductedfromApril21throughMay2,2011toevalu-ateNEPAcompliancefortheCell11Remediation/RepackagingProgram.Theassessmentevaluatedwhetheraformalprogramisinplacethatestablish-esrequirementsandresponsibilitiesfortheimple-mentationofNEPAregulationandforcompliance



withDOEOrder451.1BChg1;ProcedureManual3QECM5.1;10CFR1021;MCR-14.AppropriateNEPAdocumentationwascompletedandapprovedasrequiredandthenecessarypermitswererevisedasneededtocovertheproject.

• Environmental Radiation Protection-Environmental Radiological Surveillance–ThiswasconductedfromAugust7through31,2011toidentifythedriversfortheaquaticfishprogramandtoexamineitforanypotentialstreamlining.ThedatafromthefishprogramisusedtosatisfyvariousDOEOrdersandanagreementbetweenSRS,SouthCarolinaDepartmentofHealthandEnvironmentalControlandGeorgiaDepartmentofNaturalResources(GDNR).ElectrofishingwasobservedandwasconductedinasafemannerwiththecorrectPPEinuseatalltimes.SRSsubmittedthe2012-2016SRSFishSamplingandAnalyticalPlan(FMP)toSCDHEConDecember1,2011.TheFMPoutlinesthemethodsforsampling,preparing,analyzingandquantifyingtheradionuclideconcentrationsinfishcollectedinstreamsfromtheSRSthatwouldflowintotheSavannahRiver.TheresultsobtainedfromfishsamplingareusedtoassessandcalculatetheriskanddosetothepublicfromingestionoffishandtoidentifyandevaluateanyimpactsfromtheSRSoperationsoncontaminantlevelsinfish.SRSclari-fiedtheradionuclidesamplingrequirementsforboththeedibleandnon-edibleportionsofthefish.

SCDHECandEPApersonnelconductedexternalinspectionsandauditsoftheSRSenvironmentalprogramforregulatorycompliance.Routineauditsandtheresultingnoncompliancesforthepastfiveyearsaresummarizedintable3-4.Agencyrepresentatives

performedseveralcomprehensivecomplianceinspectionsandauditsin2011,asfollows:• RCRA Compliance Evaluation Inspection–The

RCRAcomplianceevaluationinspectionwasconductedbySCDHECApril15through21,2011.TheMay20,2011SCDHECinspectionreportletternotedthatnoviolationswerefound.

• Annual Underground Storage Tank Inspection–SCDHECinspectedthesite’sundergroundstoragetanks(USTs)October6,2011.Allwerefoundtobeincompliancewithapplicableregulationsfortheninthstraightyear.

• 632-G C&D Landfill, 288-F Ash Landfill, and 488-4D Ash Landfill Inspections–SCDHECcon-ductedelevenroutineinspections-eachofwhichcoveredthe632-GC&D,the288-FAsh,andthe488-4DAshlandfills;thefacilitieswerefoundtobesatisfactory,withnoobserveddeficiencies.

• Z-Area Saltstone Solid Waste Landfill Inspections–SaltstoneDisposalFacilityinspectionsbySCDHECcontinuedtobecompletedweeklyorbiweekly.Moistureareaswereagainobservedonthewallsofthefacility’sVault4,andwerereportedtoSCDHECinaccordancewiththefacility’scontingencyplan.(NOTE:“Moistureareas”areareasontheexternalwallsofthefacility’scellsthatappeardampduetoacombinationofsaltstoneshrinkagefromcuring,bleeding,andprocesswateraccumulationattheinnercellwalls,andfromhydrostaticpressurethatcausesthewatertoweepthroughpreexistingconstructioncracks.)Foranynewmoistureareas,facilitypersonnelconductanengineeringevaluation.SaltstonepersonnelinspectedtheVault4exteriorconditionofcellsthatwereinoperation

Table 3–4 Routine Environmental External Audit and Inspection Summary

Audit FrequencyNoncompliances

2011 2010 2009 2008 2007

RCRA CEI Annually 0 0 0 0 0

UST Inspection Annually 0 0 0 0 0

Landfill Inspection At least bimonthly 0 0 0 0 0

Saltstone Inspection Weekly or bi-weekly 0 0 0 0 0

Interim Sanitary Landfill (postclosure) Annually 0 0 0 0 0

Air Programs Compliance Inspection Annually 0 0 0 0 *

NPDES CSI Inspection Annually 0 0 0 0 *

CME Inspection of Groundwater Facilities Annually 0 0 0 0 0

Small Domestic Water Systems Inspection Triennially NA 0 NA NA 0

*No inspections of these programs conducted in 2007



onadailybasisandcommunicatedthediscoveryofanynewmoistureareastoSCDHEC,perthefacilitycontingencyplan.SCDHECperformedweeklyorbiweeklyonsiteinspectionsofVault4toobserveexistingandpotentialmoistureareas.TheSCDHECinspectorsdetailedtheresultsoftheirinspectionsintheSaltstoneDisposalFacilityVault4InspectionChecklist.SCDHEChasnotmandatedanyadditionalactionsotherthanmonitoringofVault4viatheaforementionedinspections.Noadditionalactionsarepending.

• On-Site Laboratory Evaluation of the D-Area Powerhouse Lab-Insupportofrenewingthelaboratorycertification,aSCDHECOfficeofEnvironmentalLaboratoryCertificationrepresentativeconductedanonsiteauditofSRS’sD-AreaPowerhouselaboratoryDecember9,2010.SCDHEC’sreportoftheaudit,alsoissuedinDecember2010,notedminordeficienciesrelatedtostandardoperatingproceduresforlaboratorymethods.Thesedeficiencieswereaddressed,andthelaboratorycertificationoftheD-AreaPowerhouselaboratorywasrenewedFebruary4,2011.

• Interim Sanitary Landfill–SCDHECpersonnelconductedanannualpost-closureinspectionoftheInterimSanitaryLandfillonSeptember26,2011.Thelandfillwasfoundtobesatisfactory(thehighestpossiblerating),withnoobserveddeficiencies.

• On-site Laboratory Evaluation of the Waste Treatment Plant–SCDHECOfficeofEnvironmentalLaboratoryCertificationrepresentativesconductedanonsiteauditofSRS’sWasteTreatmentPlant(alsoknownastheCentralSanitaryWasteTreatmentFacility)onMarch10,2011insupportofrenewingthelaboratorycertification.SCDHEC’sreportoftheaudit,issuedonMay17,2011,indicatedchangesneededonvariousstandardoperatingproceduresandrelatedlaboratoryrecords.Additionally,SCDHECidentifiedthattheoff-sitecontractlaboratoryusedbytheSRSlaboratorywasnotSCDHECcertifiedforbiosolidspreparationoffecalcoliformbiosolidsamples.Theoff-sitecontractlaboratorybecamecertifiedforthepreparationmethodandthestandardoperatingproceduresandlaboratoryrecordswererevised.ThelaboratorycertificationoftheWasteTreatmentPlantwasrenewedonSeptember2,2011.

• Compliance Sampling Inspection (CSI) of NPDES Facilities –ASCDHECrepresentativeinspectedNPDESfacilitiesMarch1through4,2011.SRSearnedthehighestratingspossibleinallninecategoriesevaluated.

• CSI of D-Area NPDES Facilities–SCDHECrepresentativesinspectedNPDESwastewateroutfallsattheD-AreaPowerhouseAugust16,2011.Nofindingsorotherconcernswerenoted.

• Compliance Air Inspection –SCDHECrepresentativesinspectedcontinuousemissionmonitoringsystemsattheD-AreaPowerhouseonSeptember29,2011.Theinspectionreportstatedthat“Noviolationsofpermitrequirementsorapplicableregulationswereobservedduringthisevaluation.”

• Comprehensive Monitoring Evaluation–SCDHECrepresentativesinspectedSRSgroundwaterfacilities-associatedwiththeF-AreaandH-AreaSeepageBasins,M-AreaSettlingBasin,MetallurgicalLabBasin,MixedWasteManagementFacility(MWMF)andSanitaryLandfillonMarch21through22,2011.Theinspectionresultedinnofindingsandoneobservationoftwodamagedwellsigns.OnesignwaslocatedattheF-AreaSeepageBasinandtheotherattheMWMF.OnMay13,2011,SRSsubmittedalettertoSCDHECinformingthemthatthetwodamagedsignshadbeenreplacedwithnewsigns.

• Domestic Water Systems Inspection –SCDHECrepresentativesinspectedSRS’sA-AreaandD-AreadomesticwatersystemsMarch21,2011.SCDHECfoundthesesystemstobeoperatingincompliancewiththeStatePrimaryDrinkingWaterRegulations.

• Domestic Water Permit Inspections–SCDHECinspectorsissuedanewoperatingpermitonJuly14,2011forthedomesticwatersystemthatservesthenewadministrationbuildingattheAdvancedTacticalTrainingAreaRange.

• Industrial Wastewater Construction Permit Inspections–PersonnelfromtheSCDHECLocalOfficeconductedinspectionstoapprovetheoperationorclosureofavarietyofindustrialwastewatertreatmentprojectsincludingupgradestotheH-12OutfallHumicAcidChemicalInjectionSystem,the105-CDisassemblyBasinEvaporators,theD-AreaCoalPileRunoffBasin,theWasteConcentrateHoldTankattheEffluentTreatmentFacility,andtheCausticStorageTanklocatedintheH-AreaTankFarmthroughout2011.

Regulatory Self-DisclosuresManagement of Nickel-Cadmium and Lithium batteries at SRNL-DuringaninternalwastemanagementauditatSRNL,severalnickel-cadmium(Ni-Cad)batteriesthatshouldhavebeenmanagedasuniversalwastewerefoundinastorageroom.Universalwasteregulations



streamlinehazardouswastemanagementstandardsforcertainwidelygeneratedwastes,suchasbatteries,pesticides,lampsandmercury-containingequipment,enablingcollectionandrecycling.Eightofthesebatteriesweremarkedas“spent”andexhibiteddatesmorethanoneyearold;datesrangedfromAugust20,1999toNovember24,2009.AlsowiththeNi-Cadbatteriesweresomelithium(Li)batteries.SRSpolicyatthetimeoftheauditwastomanageLibatteriesashazardouswaste.SRSrecognizesthatalloftheNi-Cadbatteriesshouldhavebeenlabeledasuniversalwaste,dated,andtransportedtoanoff-sitereclaimingfacilitywithinoneyear.Subsequenttothediscovery,alloftheNi-Cadbatterieshavebeenmanagedasuniversalwasteandarebeingrecycled.TheLibatterieswereplacedintoahazardouswastesatelliteaccumulationareaafterdiscovery.SRSalsohasestablishedacontracttorecycleLibatteries,andallLibatteriesatSRSarenowbeingmanagedasuniversalwaste.ThesebatteryissueswerereviewedonApril19,2011byaSCDHECinspectorduringtheComplianceEvaluationinspection(CEI);theinspectoracceptedtheexplanationsandactions.ClosureonthisitemwascompletedwhenSRNSreceivedtheMay20,2011letterfromSCDHECdocumentingsuccessfulcompletionoftheCEI.

The Management of a B-12 container in a 90-day Accumulation Area the R-Reactor Building -Anauditoftheinspectionrecordsfora90-dayaccumulationareaatR-ReactorfoundthataB-12containerwasplacedintotheareaforseveraldayswithoutaproperlydatedlabel.OnSeptember2,2010,thecontainerwaslabeledanddatedwithitsoriginalstartdateofAugust18,2010.Inaddition,theinspectionrecordsshowthattheB-12containerwasperiodicallyremovedfromthe90-dayaccumulationareaandtakenbackintothereactorbuildingsothatadditionalwastecouldbeplacedinthecontainer.Theareawithinthereactorbuildingwherethewastewasgeneratedwasnotanestablished90-dayaccumulationarea.Thecontainerwastransportedtopermittedstoragewithin90daysofitsstartdate.This90-dayaccumulationareaissuewasreviewedonApril18,2011byaSCDHECinspectorduringtheCEI;theinspectoracceptedtheexplanationandactions.ClosureonthisitemwascompletedwhenSRNSreceivedtheMay20,2011letterfromSCDHECdocumentingsuccessfulcompletionoftheCEI.

The Operation of Dynamic Underground Stripping (DUS) Industrial Wastewater Demonstration Project-Duringastartupreviewofdocumentation,itwasdiscoveredthatthetemporaryDUSapprovalhadexpired.Assoonasthiswasrealized,DUSsoilvapor

extractionandgroundwaterextractionsystemswereshutdown.NegotiationswithSCDHECresultedinapprovaltocontinuetooperatetheprojectuntilDecember2012,contingentuponsubmittalofanIndustrialWastewaterPermitApplicationfortheprojectandsummaryreportofthepilotstudywithin60daysofcompletionofthestudy.SRSsubmittedthepermitapplicationandreviewisongoingbySCDHEC.

Continuous-Release Reporting EPCRA(40CFR355.40)requiresthatreportablereleasesofextremelyhazardoussubstancesorCERCLAhazardoussubstancesbereportedtoanylocalemergencyplanningcommitteesandstateemergencyresponsecommissionslikelytobeaffectedbytherelease.SRShadnoEPCRA-reportablereleasesin2011.

Unplanned Releases Federallypermittedreleasescomplywithlegallyenforceablelicenses,permits,regulations,ororders.Ifanunpermittedreleasetotheenvironmentofanamountgreaterthanorequaltoareportablequantity(RQ)ofahazardoussubstance(includingradionuclides)occurs,CERCLArequiresnotificationtotheNationalResponseCenter.Reportablequantitiesarethosequantitiesofahazardoussubstancegreaterthanorequaltovaluesspecifiedintable302.4(“DesignationofHazardousSubstances”)of40CFR302(“Designation,ReportableQuantities,andNotification”).SRShadnoCERCLAreportablereleasesin2011.TheCWArequiresSRStonotifytheNationalResponseCenterifanoilspillcausessheenonnavigablewaters,suchasrivers,lakes,orstreams.OilspillreportinghasbeenreinforcedwithliabilityprovisionsintheCERCLANationalContingencyPlan.

NoSCDHECrequirednotificationsweremadein2011duetothesmallquantitiesinvolvedwitheachspill.However,onepetroleumspill,arupturedfuelhosethatreleased25gallonsofdieselfuelattheMOXProject,wasreportedtotheSCDHEClocalofficeinAikenforinformationalpurposes.ThesiterecordedandcleanedupthefollowingspillsthatdidnotrequirereportingunderCERCLAortoSCDHEC,(becausetheywerebelowtheRQ):eightchemical,fivesewage,and80petroleumproductspills.Noneofthesmalloilspillsthatoccurredin2011requiredacalltotheNationalResponseCenter.

Nounplannedenvironmentalreleases(radioactiveandnonradioactive)occurredatSRSin2011thatrequiredsamplingandanalyticalservices.



Note:The“ComplianceSummary”chapterisuniqueinthatitsnumberofcontributingauthorsisfargreaterthanthenumberforanyotherchapterinthisreport.Space/layoutconstraintspreventusfromlistingallofthemandtheirorganizationsonthechapter’sfirstpage,sowelistthemhereinstead.Theircontribution,alongwiththoseofthereport’sotherauthors,continuetoplayacriticalroleinhelpingusproduceaqualitydocument—andareverymuchappreciated.

Savannah River Nuclear Solutions ArtTimms LoriCowardBenTerry LynnMartinBillMaloney MikeGriffithCarlShealy NancyLowryCaryStevens ReginaldRobinsonCharlesBishop RobertBackerGingerHumphries RodHuttoGretaFanning SheliaMcFallsHalMorris StephanieYazzieJeffLintern TedMillingsJimFudge TimFauglJohnHarley TimothyJannikKeithDyer TracyBryantKimWolfe VivianCatoLarryEldridge

Savannah River Remediation WSI-SRS RonCampbell JulieWilsonKeithLinerOwenStevens Shaw-Areva MOX Ameresco Services KenChaceyCarlMazzola

Parsons Savannah River RichardGurske Archaeological

Research Program KeithK.Stephenson

Savannah River Ecology Laboratory DonaldMosser

Table 3-5 SRS Construction and Operating Permits, 2011

Type of PermitNumber of

Permits

Air 9U.S. Army Corps of Engineers — Section 10, Rivers & Harbors Act of 1899

1

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Nationwide Permit 2

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers — 404 Permit (Dredge and Fill) 1

Asbestos Demolition/Abatement 20Domestic Water 222Industrial Wastewater 76NPDES Discharge 2NPDES No Discharge 1NPDES General Utility Water Permit 1

Stormwater Discharge 1Construction Stormwater Grading Permit 10

RCRA Hazardous Waste 1RCRA Solid Waste 5RCRA Underground Storage Tank 7Sanitary Wastewater 119SC Department of Natural Resources Scientific Collecting Permit

1

SCDHEC 401 1SCDHEC Navigable Waters 1Underground Injection Control 28Total 509

Permits SRShad509constructionandoperatingpermitsin2011thatspecifiedoperatinglevelsforeachpermittedsource.Table3-5identifiesthesepermits.Thesenumbers,whichreflectpermitsforallprimarycontractorsandtenantorganizationsatSRS,withtheexceptionofAmeresco,includesomepermitsthatwerevoidedorclosedduring2011.


Radiological Monitoring TheU.S.EPA’sNationalEmissionStandardsforHazardousAirPollutants(NESHAP)establishtherequirementsandlimitsthatregulateradionuclideemissionsfromfacilitiesownedoroperatedbytheDOE.Themethodsforestimatingandreportingradioactiveemissionsaredetailedin40CFR61SubpartH.TheSCDHECregulatesbothradioactiveandnonradioactiveairpollutantemissionsfromSRSsources.EachsourceofairemissionsispermittedorexemptedbySCDHEContheSRSPart70AirQualityPermits,withspecificlimitationsandmonitoringrequirements.Thissectionofthechapterwillcovertheradioactiveemissions.

RadiologicaleffluentmonitoringresultsareamajorcomponentindemonstratingcompliancewithstandardsforradiologicaldosestothepublicestablishedbyEPA,SCDHECandDOE.SRSworkstoensurethatradiationexposurestoemployeesandreleasesofradioactivitytotheenvironmentaremaintainedbelowregulatorylimits,anddeliberateeffortsaretakentofurtherreduceexposuresandreleases.

SRSairborneandliquideffluentsthatpotentiallycontainradionuclidesaremonitoredorevaluatedatthepointofdischargebyacombinationofdirectmeasurementand/orsampleextractionandanalysis.Briefsummariesofanalyticalresultsarepresentedinthischapter;completedatasets,aswellasmapswhichshowsamplinglocations,canbefoundintablesontheCDhousedinsidethebackcoverofthisreport.TablesontheCD(“EnvironmentalData/Maps-2011”)arereferredtointhischapteras“datatable4-X.”Tablesinthechapteritselfarereferredtosimplyas“table4-X.”

Datatables4-1and4-2provideasummaryofanalyticalresultsforradioactiveairandliquideffluentmeasurementstakenatSRSin2011.Radioactiveatmosphericandliquidreleasedatabyfacilityarecontainedindatatables4-3and4-4.

Unspecifiedalphaandbetaradiationreleasesinairborneandliquidemissionsmakeupalargepercentageoftheoffsitedoses.Theunidentifiedalphaandunidentifiedbetaradiationreleasesarelistedseparatelyindatatables4-3and4-4.Theyaredeterminedbysubtractingtheidentifiedindividualradionuclidesfromthemeasuredgrossactivity.Conservatively,unidentifiedalphaandunidentifiedbetareleasesincludesmallamountsofunidentifiedmanmaderadionuclidesandalsoincludenaturallyoccurringradionuclides,suchasuranium,thorium,andpotassium-40.Fordosecalculations,theunspecifiedalphaandbetaradiationreleaseswereassignedtheplutonium-239andthestrontium-90dosefactors,respectively(Chapter6,“RadiologicalDoseAssessments”).

Airborne Emissions Processareastacksthatrelease,orhavethepotentialtorelease,radioactivematerialsaremonitoredbyaninlinesystem,periodicsamplingsystemorutilizeapprovedcalculationmethodstoestimatetheemissions.

Dependingontheprocessesinvolved,dischargestacksalsomaybemonitoredwithreal-timeinstrumentationtodetermineinstantaneousandcumulativeatmosphericreleasestotheenvironment.Tritiumisoneoftheradionuclidesmonitoredwithcontinuousreal-timeinstrumentation.

Effluent monitoring at the Savannah River Site (SRS) is conducted to demonstrate compliance with applicable standards and regulations. Site airborne and liquid effluent monitoring activities are divided into radiological and

nonradiological programs. This monitoring is conducted in accordance with specific Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (SCDHEC) and U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) sampling and analytical procedures. A summary of data results is presented in this chapter; more detailed data can be found in tables on the CD housed inside the back cover of this report.

Effluent MonitoringJohn Adams, Lori Coward, Jana D. Ackerman, Greta Fanning and Martha ThompsonEnvironmental Compliance & Area Completion Projects

Timothy JannikSavannah River National Laboratory

CHAPTER

4


4 - Effluent Monitoring

Diffuse and Fugitive Sources

EstimatesofradionuclidereleasesfromunmonitoreddiffuseandfugitivesourcesarecalculatedonanannualbasisandareincludedintheSRSradioactivereleasetotalscontainedindatatable4-3.Adiffusesourceisdefinedasanareasource,suchasapondordisposalarea.Afugitivesourceisdefinedasanundesignatedlocalizedsource,suchasanopentankornaturallyventilatedbuilding.

DiffuseandfugitivereleasesarecalculatedusingEPA’srecommendedmethods[EPA,2002a].Becausethesemethodsemployconservativeassumptions,theygenerallyleadtooverestimatesofactualemissions.Thoughthesereleasesarenotmonitoredattheirsource,onsiteandoffsiteenvironmentalmonitoringstationsareinplacetoquantifyunexpectedlylargediffuseandfugitivereleases(Chapter5,“EnvironmentalSurveillance”).

Monitoring Results Summary

Thetotalamountofradioactivematerialreleasedtotheenvironmentisquantifiedbyusing(1)dataobtainedfrommonitoredairborneeffluentreleasepoints,(2)estimatesofdiffuseandfugitivesources,and(3)estimatesforunmonitoredairsourcesbasedonapprovedEPAcalculationmethodsusingperiodicsamplingandanalysisofthesource.

Tritium

Tritiuminelementalandoxideformsaccountedformorethan99percentofthetotalradioactivityreleasedtotheatmospherefromSRSoperationsin2011.Theremainingonepercentisdetailedindatatable4-3.Approximately28,100Cioftritiumwerereleasedfromthesitein2011,comparedwithapproximately40,500Ciin2010.About94percentofthereleasescamefromthesite’stritiumfacilitiesandtheremainderissplitbetweentheReactorAreasandtheestimateddiffuseandfugitivereleasesfromongoingremediationandrestorationactivities.Asignificantreductionintritiumemissionsisreportedfor2011asaresultofrefinementinthecalculationmethodologyfortheMixedWasteManagementFacility(MWMF)Phytoremediationproject.Historicalemissionsfromthissourcewereconservativelybasedonamaximumpossiblethroughputof108milliongallonsofwaterwithatritiumconcentrationat7,440pCi/mL.SRSreporteda2011tritiumthroughputof12.7milliongallonsandalowertritiumconcentrationof5,440pCi/mL.Thechangetothelessconservativeandmoreaccuratecalculationmethodreducesthecalculatedpercentoftritiumreleasedduetoremediationactivitiesfrom32%toapproximately

3%ofthetotalsiterelease.TheamountoftritiumreleasedfromSRSfluctuatesbecauseofchangesinthesite’smissionsandintheannualTritiumFacilityproductionschedules.Forthepast10years,theamounthasrangedbetween25,000to60,000Ciperyear(Figure4-1).

ComparisonofAverageConcentrationsinAirborneEmissionstoDOEDerivedConcentrationGuidesAverageconcentrationsofradionuclidesinairborneemissionsarecalculatedbydividingtheamountofeachradionuclidereleasedannuallyfromeachstackbytherespectiveyearlystack-flowvolumes.TheseaverageconcentrationsthencanbecomparedtotheDOEderivedconcentrationguides(DCGs)inDOEOrder5400.5,“RadiationProtectionofthePublicandtheEnvironment,”asascreeningmethodtodetermineifexistingeffluenttreatmentsystemsareappropriateandeffective.DCGsareusedasreferenceconcentrationsforconductingenvironmentalprotectionprogramsatallDOEsites.DCGsareapplicableatthepointofdischarge.

Datatable4-5providesthe2011atmosphericeffluentannual-averageconcentrations,comparisonsagainsttheDOEDCGs,andtheestimatedquantitiesofradionuclidesreleasedbymonitoreddischargepoint.Withtheexceptionoftritiumreleases,thestackemissionsreportedindatatable4-5representonlytheemissionsthatoccurduringperiodicsamplingevents.Theemissionsforotherperiodsincludinganytimewhencontinuoustritiummonitorsmalfunctionandintervalsbetweenstacksamplesarenotincluded.Inaddition,anyemissionsestimatedusingcalculationsarenotprovidedinthistable.Also,notincludedinthetablearegrossalphaandgrossbetaresults.

Officialyear-endestimatesarepresentedindatatable4-3.Theseestimatesincludemonitored,fugitive,unidentifiedalphaandbeta,calculatedreleases,andannualtotalsbasedonactualoperationtime.Datatable4-5providesthe2011atmosphericeffluentannualaverageconcentrationsandtheircomparisonsagainsttheDOEDCGs.ThisDCGcomparisonisbasedonconcentrations;therefore,onlysignificantisotopicreleasesoccurringduringsamplingperiodsareusedtodeterminerepresentativeconcentration.

MostoftheSRSradiologicalstacks/facilitiesreleasesmallquantitiesofradionuclidesatconcentrationsbelowtheDOEDCGs.However,becauseofthenatureoftheoperationsandtheapplicationofDCGsatthereleasepoint,tritiumDCGsareexceededroutinelyatK-Area,L-Area,andtheTritiumFacilities.TheDCG


Effluent Monitoring - 4

SumofFractions(i.e.,sumofthefractionalDCGvaluesforeachradionuclidedetectableintheeffluentbasedonrollingtwelve-monthaverages)wasexceededforairbornereleasesfromH-Canyon(291H)stackin2011.TheH-CanyonexceedanceoccurredduetoreleasesofPu-238andPu-239associatedwithdissolveroperationsduringhighlyenricheduraniumprocessingandtransuranicwasterepackagingactivities.Theoffsitedosefromallatmosphericreleases,however,remainedwellbelowtheDOEandEPAannualatmosphericpathwaydosestandardof10mrem(0.1mSv),asdiscussedinChapter6.

Liquid Effluents Eachprocessarealiquideffluentdischargepointthatreleases,orhaspotentialtorelease,radioactivematerialsissampledroutinelyandanalyzedforradioactivity.

Dependingontheprocessesinvolved,liquideffluentsalsomaybemonitoredwithreal-timeinstrumentationtoensurethatreleasesarebelowDOEestablishedlimits.Becausetheinstrumentshavelimiteddetectionsensitivity,onlinemonitoringsystemsarenotusedtoquantifySRSliquidradioactivereleasesattheircurrentlowlevels.Instead,samplesarecollectedformoresensitivelaboratoryanalysis.


DatafrommonitoredliquideffluentdischargepointsareusedinconjunctionwithsiteseepagebasinandSolidWasteDisposalFacility(SWDF)migrationrelease

Figure 4-1 Ten-Year History of SRS Annual Atmospheric Tritium Releases

Environmental Monitoring Field Technician Picks Up a Radiological Sample for Analysis



estimatestoquantifythetotalradioactivematerialreleasedtotheSavannahRiverfromSRSoperations.Datatable4-4providesSRSliquidradioactivereleasesfor2011.ThisdataareamajorcomponentinthedeterminationofoffsitedoseconsequencesfromSRSoperations.

Discharges of Liquid Effluents

Dischargesofliquideffluentsarequantifiedatthepointofrelease.Thereleasetotalsarebasedonmeasuredconcentrationsandmeasuredflowrates.TritiumaccountsfornearlyalltheradioactivitydischargedinSRSliquideffluents.Thetotalamountoftritiumreleaseddirectlyfromprocessareastositestreamsduring2011was138Ci.Directreleasesoftritiumtositestreamsfortheyears2002-2011areshowninfigure4-2.

GroundwatermigrationandtransportofradionuclidesfromsiteseepagebasinsandtheSWDFarediscussedinChapter5.

Comparison of Average Concentrations in Liquid Releases to DOE Derived Concentration Guides

Inadditiontodosestandards,DOEOrder5400.5imposesothercontrolconsiderationsonliquidreleases.Theseconsiderationsareapplicabletodirectdischargesbutnottoseepagebasinandgroundwaterdischarges.TheDOEorderlistsDCGvaluesformostradionuclides.DCGsareapplicableatthepointofdischargefromtheeffluentconduittotheenvironment(priortodilutionordispersion).AccordingtoDOEOrder5400.5,exceedanceoftheDCGsatanydischargepointmayrequireaninvestigationof“bestavailabletechnology”(BAT)wastetreatmentfortheliquideffluents.TritiuminliquideffluentsisspecificallyexcludedfromBATrequirements;however,itisnotexcludedfromtherequirementtokeepradioactiveemissionsandexternalexposuresaslowasreasonablyachievable(ALARA).DOEDCGcomplianceisdemonstratedwhenthesumofthefractionalDCGvaluesforallradionuclidesdetectedintheeffluentislessthan1.00,basedonconsecutive12-month-averageconcentrations.Datatable4-6providesthe2011liquideffluentannual-average

Figure 4-2 Ten-Year History of Direct Releases of Tritium to SRS Streams



concentrations,thequantitiesofradionuclidesreleasedcomparedtotheDOEDCGsbydischargepoint.

Nonradiological Monitoring Airborne Emissions SCDHECregulatesbothradioactiveandnonradioactivecriteriaandtoxicairpollutantemissionsfromSRSsources.Eachsourceofairemissionsispermitted,regulatedorexemptedbySCDHECintheSRSPart70AirQualityoperatingpermit.ThepermitsetsemissionlimitsandmonitoringrequirementsforairemissionsourcesatSRS.Thissectionwillcovernonradioactiveemissions.

ThebasesforthelimitationsandmonitoringrequirementsspecifiedinthePart70AirQualityPermitsareoutlinedinvariousSouthCarolinaandfederalairpollutioncontrolregulationsandstandards.Manyoftheapplicablestandardsaresourcedependent,i.e.,applicabletocertaintypesofindustries,processes,orequipment.However,somestandardsgovernallsourcesforcriteriapollutantsandtoxicairpollutants.AirpollutioncontrolregulationsandstandardsapplicabletoSRSsourcesarediscussedbrieflyinAppendixA,“ApplicableGuidelines,Standards,andRegulations,”ofthisreport.TheSCDHECairstandardsfortoxicairpollutantscanbefoundathttp://www.scdhec.gov/environment/baq/Regulation-SIPManagement/reg61-62index.asp.

Monitoring Program

MajornonradiologicalemissionsofconcernfromSRSfacilitystacksincludesulfurdioxide,carbonmonoxide,oxidesofnitrogen,particulatemattersmallerthan10micrometersandsmallerthan2.5micrometers,volatileorganiccompounds(VOCs),toxicandhazardousairpollutants.TheSRSPart70AirQualityPermithasnumerouscontinuousandperiodicmonitoringrequirements;onlythemostsignificantarediscussedbelow.

TheprimarymethodofsourcemonitoringatSRSistheannualairemissionsinventory.EmissionsfromSRSsourcesaredeterminedfromstandardcalculationsusingsourceoperatingparameters,suchashoursofoperation,processthroughput,andemissionfactorsprovidedintheEPA“CompilationofAirPollutionEmissionFactors,”AP-42.ManyoftheSRSprocesses,however,areuniquesourcesrequiringnonstandard,complexcalculations.Thehourlyandtotalactualannualemissionsforeachsourcearethencomparedagainsttheirrespectivepermitlimitations.

SRSisrequiredtoperformstackcompliancetestseverytwoyearsattheA-AreabiomassboilerandD-AreaPowerhousefacility.Thetestsincludesamplingofboilerexhaustgasestodetermineparticulatematter.Inaddition,opacityemissionsaremonitoredandrecordedduringtimesofoperationandaweeklyvisualinspectionisconducted.AcompliancestacktestwasconductedattheA-AreabiomassboilerinFebruary2011,andtestresultsareincludedintable4-2.ThenexttestisrequiredpriortoMarch31,2013.OnlyonecompliancestacktestwasrequiredandconductedattheD-Areafacility.Boiler#3wastestedinMay2011.DuetopermanentshutdownoftheD-Areafacilityin2012,noadditionalcompliancetestswillbeperformedattheD-Areapowerhouse.

Compliancewithsulfurdioxidestandardsisrequiredforallfueloilfiredequipmentoperatedonsite.ThesulfurcontentofthefueloilusedatSRSmustbebelow0.05percent,andcompliancereportedtoSCDHECsemiannually.Complianceisverifiedbyanalysis,andfuelsupplyvendorcertificationisrequiredforeachdelivery.ThemonitoringofSRSdiesel-poweredequipmentincludestrackingfueloilconsumptionmonthlyandcalculatinga12-monthrollingtotalfordeterminingpermitcompliancewithasiteconsumptionlimit.

SRShasseveralsoilvaporextractionunitsandtwoairstrippersthataresourcesoftoxicairpollutantsandVOCs.TheseunitsmustbesampledmonthlyforVOCconcentrations,andthetotalVOCemissionsmustbecalculatedforcomparisonagainsta12-monthrollinglimit.TheVOCemissionsarecurrentlyreportedtoSCDHEConaquarterlybasis.

SeveralSRSsourceshavepollutantcontroldevices,suchaselectrostaticprecipitators,baghousedustcollectors,orcondensers,whichmustbemonitoredcontinuouslyorduringoperationandmustberecordedandcomparedagainstspecificoperatingranges.

CompliancebyallSRSpermittedsourcesisevaluatedduringannualcomplianceinspectionsbythelocalSCDHECregionaloffice.Theinspectionsincludeareviewofeachpermitcondition(i.e.,dailymonitoringreadings,equipmentcalibrations,controldeviceinspections,etc.);SCDHECperformedanaircomplianceinspectionattheD-AreaPowerhousefacilityinSeptember,2011andfoundnoinstancesofnoncompliance.SCDHECdidnotperformageneralsiteaircomplianceinspectionin2011.




SRSisrequiredtoreportitsemissionsinventoryforallsiteairemissionsourcesannually.Operatingdataarecompiledandemissiondataarecalculatedforeachcalendaryear.Datatable4-7providesalistofthe2007-2011estimatedemissions.

ThetotalSCDHECairemissionestimatesforallSRSpermittedsources,asdeterminedbytheairemissionsinventoryconductedineachofthepastfiveyears,areprovidedintable4-1.AreviewofthecalculatedemissionsforeachsourceforeachcalendaryeardeterminedthatSRSsourceshadoperatedincompliancewithpermittedemissionrates.Sometoxicairpollutants(e.g.,benzene)regulatedbySCDHECarealso,bynature,particulatematteror VOCs.Assuch,thetotalforVOCsintable4-1includesapplicabletoxicairpollutantemissions.

Fourpulverizedcoal-firedboilersaremaintainedbySRSattheD-AreaPowerhousefacility.Eachoftheboilershasasteamgenerationratingof330,000lbsperhour(3,960,000Btu/hrcapacity).TheD-AreaPart70AirQualityPermitrequiresthatabiennialstacktestbeconductedforeachoftheboilers.D-AreaPowerhouseboilerD#3wassourcetestedin2011;thesetestresults,aswellasthe2010testresultsforboilersD#1,D#2,andD#4,areshownintable4-2.Theparticulatematter,sulfurdioxide,andvisibleemissionsoftheseboilerswerefoundtobeincompliancewiththeirpermittedlimits.

SRSalsooperatesabiomassboilerandanoil-firedbackupboilerinA-Area.Thesetwoboilersaresubstantiallysmallerandburncleanerthanthetwocoal-firedboilerswhichtheyreplaced.Thebiomassboilerandoil-firedbackupboilereachproducesignificantlylessparticulatematter,sulfurdioxide,andnitrogendioxideemissionsthancoal-firedboilers.

SCDHECissuedanewPart70AirQualityPreventionofSignificantDeteriorationConstructionPermittoAmerescoFederalSolutionstoconstructtwobiomassboilers,eachratedatamaximumheatinputrateof210millionBTU/hr,andonenewoilfiredauxiliaryboilerratedat150millionBTU/hr,andtwoadditionalbiomassboilersratedat14.9millionBTU/hr.ThisnewequipmentwillreplacetheD-AreaPowerhousefacility.InNovember2011,AmerescobeganproducingsteamforuseatSRSandclosureoftheD-AreaPowerhousewasinitiated.

Thetotaldieselfuelconsumptionforportableaircompressors,generators,emergencycoolingwaterpumps,andfirewaterpumpswasfoundtobewellbelowtheSRSlimitfortheentirereportingperiod.AsreportedtoSCDHECduring2011,thecalculatedannualVOCemissionswerewellbelowthepermitlimitforeachunit.

Ambient Air Quality

Underexistingregulations,SRSisnotrequiredtoconductonsitemonitoringforambientairquality;however,thesiteisrequiredtoshowcompliancewithvariousairqualitystandards.Toaccomplishthis,airdispersionmodelingisconductedasrequiredinthe

Pollutant NameEmissions (Tons/Year)

2007 2008 2009 2010 2011

Sulfur dioxide (SOx) 4,250 4,070 4,000 4,110 4,560

Total particulate matter (PM) 417 459 399 803 329

Particulate matter <10 micrometers (PM10) 245 313 264 637 142

Particulate matter <2.5 micrometers (PM2.5) 220 265 222 136 427

Carbon monoxide (CO)a 76.2 673 40.7 44.6 125

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) (Ozone Precursors)

16.1 65.3 4.88 4.88 4.60

Gaseous fluorides (as hydrogen fluoride) 12.7 12.2 12.2 12.2 12.3

Nitrogen dioxide (NOx) 2,630 1,890 1,790 2,060 2,060

Lead (lead components) 0.0191 0.0267 0.034 0.0391 0.0166

Table 4–1 SRS Estimated SCDHEC Standard 2 Pollutant Air Emissions, 2007–2011

a Increase in CO emissions attributed to decreased combustion efficiency of D-Area Powerhouse facility



TitleVandconstructionpermittingprocess.AdditionalinformationaboutambientairqualityregulationsatthesitecanbefoundinAppendixAofthisreport.

Liquid Effluents Monitoring Program

NPDES—SRSmonitorsnonradioactiveliquiddischargestosurfacewatersthroughtheNationalPollutantDischargeEliminationSystem(NPDES),asmandatedbytheCleanWaterAct.TheNPDESpermitprogramcontrolswaterpollutionbyregulatingpointsourcesthatdischargepollutantsintowatersoftheUnitedStates.TheNPDESpermitprogramisadministeredbytheStateofSouthCarolina.SCDHEChasissuedpermitstoSRSfordischargestothewatersoftheUnitedStates,includingSouthCarolina.Thesepermitsestablishthespecificsitestobemonitored,parameterstobetested,andmonitoringfrequencyaswellasanalytical,reporting,andcollectionmethods.

In2011,SRSdischargedwaterintositestreamsunderthreeNPDESpermits:twoforindustrialwastewater,SC0047431(coversD-Area)andSC0000175(covers

remainderofsite),andoneforstormwaterrunoff,SCR000000(industrialdischarge).Afourthpermit,SCR100000,doesnotrequiresamplingunlessrequestedbySCDHECtoaddressspecificdischargeissuesatagivenconstructionsite;SCDHECdidnotrequestsuchsamplingin2011.SCDHECreissuedSCR000000,whichcovers34individualstormwateroutfallsandbecameeffectiveJanuary1,2011.

NPDESsamplesarecollectedinthefieldaccordingto40CFR136(“GuidelinesEstablishingTestProceduresfortheAnalysisofPollutants”),thefederaldocumentthatlistsspecificsamplecollection,preservation,andanalyticalmethodsacceptableforthetypeofpollutanttobeanalyzed.Chain-of-custodyproceduresarefollowedaftercollectionandduringtransporttotheanalyticallaboratory.Thesamplesthenareacceptedbythelaboratoryandanalyzedaccordingtoprocedureslistedin40CFR136fortheparametersrequiredbythepermit.

Land Application—ThesludgefromthesanitarywastewatertreatmentfacilityismanagedundertherequirementscontainedinPermitND0072125.Sludgegeneratedatthefacilityistransferredfromthe

Boilera PollutantEmission Rates

lb/106 BTUlb/Hr

A Area Biomass BoilerParticulate matterb

Sulfur dioxideb

Opacityd

0.00520.0300

Avg. 2.73%

0.3061.765

D Area Boiler #1Particulate matterb

Sulfur dioxideb

Opacityc

0.25981.52

Avg. 13.7%

113.28413.83


Sulfur dioxideb

Opacityc

0.2581.17

Avg. 13.2%

86.89

336.13


Sulfur dioxideb

Opacityc

0.56401.56

Avg. 8.83%

269.79495.33


Sulfur dioxideb

Opacityc

0.1891.54

Avg. 6.3%

95.11482.00

a Boiler #1 source test October 22, 2010; Boiler #2 source test February 3, 2010; Boiler #3 source test May 27, 2011;

Boiler #4 source test December 9, 2010b SCDHEC’s Title V permitted emission limits are 0.6 lb/million BTU for particulates and 3.5 lb/million BTU for sulfur

dioxide.c Opacity limit 40%d Opacity limit 20%

Table 4–2 2010 and 2011 Boiler Stack Test Results



activatedsludgebasintothedryingbedpriortothelandapplicationoftheresultingbiosolids.Oneapplicationofapproximately102cubicyardsofthedriedsludgewasperformedfromNovember29throughDecember7,2011.Allsampleresultswerewithinpermitlimitsformetalsandnutrients.


SRSreportsindustrialwastewateranalyticalresultstoSCDHECthroughamonthlydischargemonitoringreport(EPAForm3320-1).Resultsof5,176sampleanalysesperformedduring2011indicatedthatnoNPDESpermitexceptionsoccurred.Datatable4-8providesacompilationofindustrialwastewateranalyticaldatafor2011.

Allindustrialstormwateroutfallsweremonitoredpertherequirementsofthepermit.Therewerenononcompliances.Datatable4-9providesacompilationofstormwateranalyticaldatafor2011.

Environmental Monitoring Field Technician Records Data from a Flow Meter at an Industrial Wastewater Outfall


AspartoftheSRSradiologicalsurveillanceprogram,routinesurveillanceofallapplicableradiationexposurepathwaysisperformedonallenvironmentalmedia(air,rain,surfacewater,soil,sediment,vegetation,drinkingwater,foodproducts,wildlife,andaquaticwildlife)thatcouldleadtoameasurableannualdoseabovebackgroundatandbeyondtheSRSboundary.RadionuclidespresentinandaroundtheSRSenvironmentmaybefromanumberofsources,including(1)naturalbackground,(2)falloutfromhistoricalatmospherictestingofnuclearweapons,(3)nuclearpowerplantoperations,and(4)SRSoperations.NonradioactiveenvironmentalsurveillanceatSRSinvolvesthesamplingandanalysisofsurfacewater,drinkingwater,air,sediment,groundwater,andfish.Resultsfromtheanalysesofsurfacewater,drinkingwater,sediment,andfisharediscussedinthischapter.AdescriptionofthegroundwatermonitoringprogramandanalysisresultscanbefoundinChapter7,“Groundwater.”

TheSavannahRiverismonitoredbySRSandothergroups,includingtheSouthCarolinaDepartmentofHealthandEnvironmentalControl(SCDHEC),theGeorgiaDepartmentofNaturalResources,GeorgiaPowerCompany’sVogtleElectricGeneratingPlant(VEGP,operatinginGeorgia),andthecityofSavannah,Georgia.

Briefsummariesofanalyticalresultsarepresentedinthischapter;detaileddatasetscanbefoundintablesonthecompactdisk(CD)(see“EnvironmentalData/Maps-2011”)insidethebackcoverofthisreport.AlsoontheCDaremapsshowingallapplicablesamplinglocations.TablesontheCDarereferredtointhischapteras“datatable5-X.”Tablesinthechapteritselfarereferredtosimplyas“table5-X.”

Referencestodetectableamountsorlevelsofradioactivitywithinthischapteraresynonymouswithactivitygreaterthantheminimumdetectableconcentration(MDC)foraparticularanalyticalmethod.TheMDCisthesmallestamountorconcentrationthatcanbedistinguishedinasamplebyagivenmeasurementsystematapreselectedcountingtimeandatagivenconfidencelevel.RepresentativeMDCvaluesforradiologicalanalysescanbefoundinTable2(“RepresentativeMinimumDetectableConcentrationsforRadiologicalAnalyses”)inthe“Sampling”sectionoftheCD.

Referencestodetectableamountsorlevelsofnonradioactivitywithinthischapteraresynonymouswithactivitythatisgreaterthaneitherthemethoddetectionlimit(MDL)orpracticalquantificationlimit(PQL)foraparticularanalyticalmethod.TheMDListhelowestconcentrationthatcanbedetectedbyaninstrumentwithcorrectionfortheeffectsofsamplematrixandmethod-specificparameterssuchassamplepreparation.ThePQListhelowestconcentrationthatcanbereliablyachievedwithinspecifiedlimitsofprecisionandaccuracyduringroutinelaboratoryoperatingconditions.

Radiological SurveillanceAirDescription of Surveillance Program

SRSconductsatmosphericairmonitoringbothonsiteandoffsitetodeterminewhetherairborneradionuclideshavereachedtheenvironmentinmeasurablequantitiesofSRSreleasesandtoverifyandmodifythemodelsusedtoshowcompliancewiththe10mrem/yeardoselimitspecifiedinUnitedStatesDepartmentofEnergy(USDOE)Order5400.5,“RadiationProtectionofthePublicandtheEnvironment.”Theatmospheric

Environmental surveillance at the Savannah River Site (SRS) is designed to survey and quantify any effects that routine and non-routine operations could have on the site, the surrounding area, and population. Site surveillance

activities are divided into radiological and non-radiological programs.

Environmental SurveillanceTeresa Eddy, Benjamin Terry, and Lori CowardEnvironmental Compliance & Area Completion Projects

Timothy Jannik and Dennis JacksonSavannah River National Laboratory

CHAPTER

5


5 - Environmental Surveillance

surveillanceprogramisdividedintotwoprimaryareas,airandrainwater.

TheSRSmaintainsanetworkof15atmospheric(ambient)surveillancesamplingstationsinandaroundSRStomonitortheconcentrationoftritiumandradioactiveparticulatematterintheair.TritiumisthemostabundantairborneradionuclidereleasedaspartofroutineSRSoperations,andbecomespartofthenaturalenvironment.Monitoringensuresthatitposesnohealthrisktothesurroundingpopulation.Thetritium-in-airsurveillanceresultsareusedtovalidatethedosemodelsusedfortheairbornepathwaytothenearbypublic.

ThesurveillancestationsareplacedatthecenteroftheSRS,aroundthesiteperimeter,ataregionalreferencelocation(assumedtobeunimpactedbySRSoperations)nearly25milesfromtheSRS,andinpopulationcenters25and100milesfromtheSRS.Placementonthesiteboundarywasdesignedtoensurethatatleastonemonitoringstationisinevery45-degreesector.

Eachairsurveillancesamplingstationconsistsofthefollowing:

Surveillance Results Summary

Forthebiweeklyanalysesatthesiteperimeterin2011,onlytritiumwasroutinelydetectable,greaterthantheMDC.

DuringMarchandApril2011,theFukishimanuclearincidentinJapanfollowingtheearthquakeandtsunamiledtoairbornecontaminationreleasedtotheenvironment.TheSRSsurveillanceprogramwasimpactedbythiseventinthatdetectablelevelsofcontaminationweremeasuredduringtheroutinesurveillance.ThedetailswillbediscussedinPostFukishimaEventSamplingsectionofChapter9.

Withtheexceptionofthepost-Fukishimaincidentmonitoringresults,onsiteandoffsiteradionuclideconcentrationsweresimilartolevelsobservedinpreviousyears(seeexpandeddiscussioninparagraphsthatfollow).

Glass-Fiber Airborne Particulates Results—(datatable5-1)Averagegrossalpharesultsfor2011comparedto2010weregenerallyhigherattheonsiteBurialGroundNorth(BGN)locationandweregenerallyloweratthesiteperimeterandbeyondthesite(figure5-1).Averagegrossbetaresultsweregenerallylowerthanthoseof2010foralllocations(figure5-2).Grossalphaandbetaresultswereconsistentwithhistoricalresultsindemonstratinglong-termvariability.

Media PurposeSampling Frequency

Analysis Frequency

Analyses

Glass-Fiber Filter

Airborne Particulate Matter

Biweekly BiweeklyGamma-emitting radionuclides, gross alpha/beta emitting radionuclides

Glass-Fiber Filter

Airborne Particulate Matter

Biweekly AnnuallyTotal Strontium, Actinides (plutonium, ameri-cium, uranium, curium, and neptunium)

Charcoal Canister

Gaseous States of Radioiodine

Biweekly Annually Iodine-129, Iodine-131

Silica Gel Tritiated Water Vapor Biweekly Biweekly Tritium

Rainwater Tritium in Rainwater Monthly Monthly Tritium

Rain Ion Column

Wet/Dry Deposition Monthly Monthly

Gamma-emitting radionuclides, gross alpha/beta emitting radionuclides, total Strontium, Actinides (plutonium, americium, uranium, curium, and neptunium)


Environmental Surveillance - 5

Figure 5–1 Five Year Trendchart of Average Gross Alpha in Air Filter Results (pCi/m3), 2007-2011

Figure 5–2 Five Year Trendchart of Average Gross Beta in Air Filter Results (pCi/m3), 2007-2011



AspartofSRSroutineoperations,cesium-137isreleasedintotheatmosphereatquantitieswellbelowtheDerivedConcentrationGuide(DCG).Oneoutof402filtersamplesfor2011containeddetectableamountsoftheman-madegamma-emittingradionuclidecesium-137,consistentwiththehistoricalresults.

During2011,detectablelevelsofuranium-234wereobservedin14of24airsamples,anddetectablelevelsofuranium-238wereobservedin16of24airsamples;however,nodetectablelevelsofuranium-235wereobservedinanyofthe2011samples.Theseresultsaresimilartothoseobservedin2010andpreviousyears.Uraniumisnaturallyoccurringinsoil,andthereforeexpectedtobepresentinlowconcentrationsonsomeparticulatefilters.Asidefromuranium,theonlyalpha-emittingradionuclideobservedwasamericium-241inthreeof24airsamples.Generally,theseconcentrationswereconsistentwithhistoricalresults.Allotheralpha-emittingisotopeswerebelowdetectionlevels.

Charcoal Canister Results—(datatable5-2)DuetotheFukishimanuclearincidentinearly2011,additionalcharcoalsamplesweretakenduringMarchandApril2011.Ofthegamma-emittingradionuclides,cesium-137wasdetectableintwoof138samplesduring2011.Radioiodine-129wasdetectedin21of138charcoalsamplesandiodine-131in29of138samples.ThesewereallaroundthepostFukishimatimeframeandwereconsistentwithotherpublishedresultsaroundtheUnitedStates.MoredetailswillbeprovidedinChapter9.

Silica Gel Tritium-In-Air Results—(datatable5-3)Tritium-in-airresultsfor2011weregreaterthanthoseobservedin2010butwereconsistentwiththelong-termvariabilityofhistoricalresults(table5-1).Tritium-in-airresultsshoweddetectablelevelsin149(38%)ofthe388silicagelsamplesfor2011.Asinpreviousyears,theBurialGroundNorth(BGN)locationshowedaverageandmaximumconcentrationssignificantlyhigherthanthoseobservedatotherlocations.BGNconcentrationsareexpectedtobehigherandmorevariablebecauseof

External Configuration of Air Surveillance Sampling Station

Field Sampling Technician Changes Air Filter Media



thelocation’sproximitytoboththeTritiumFacilitiesandtothephytoremediationprojectnearthecenteroftheSRS;theconcentrationsareinfluencedbyoperationsatthesefacilities.All(100percent)ofthesilicagelsamplesfromthecenterofthesitecontaineddetectable

levelsoftritium.BeyondthecenteroftheSRS,tritium-in-airwasdetectedin34-percentofthesamples.Asexpected,tritiumconcentrationsgenerallydecreasedwithincreasingdistancefromtheTritiumFacilities(figure5-3andtable5-1).

Figure 5-3 Ambient/Atmospheric Tritium-In-Air Concentrations (pCi/m3), 2007 - 2011

Table 5-1 2011 Average Tritium-in-Air Results (pCi/m3), 2007 – 2011

Location 2011 2010 2009 2008 2007

Burial Ground North 190 (+/-1.42) 170 233 200 243

Green Pond 7.49(+/-0.673) 6.49 7.90 11.5 4.78

Talatha Gate 9.93 (+/-0.682) 8.15 8.71 13.3 8.64

East Talatha 8.09 (+/-0.683) 6.61 5.36 10.2 6.92

Darkhorse 8.63 (+/-0.701) 6.91 6.30 27.2 6.94

Highway 21/167 7.47 (+/-0.705) 8.48 7.03 13.2 5.43

Barnwell Gate 6.30 (+/-0.671) 7.11 9.04 16.4 4.93

PMR 4.81 (+/-0.694) 5.09 5.97 8.43 3.82

Allendale Gate 4.86 (+/-0.666) 4.93 5.26 7.45 2.79

D-Area 12.6 (+/-0.739) 7.91 15.3 14.7 9.44

Jackson 9.01 (+/-0.749) 7.59 6.88 8.26 6.92

Augusta 5.27 (+/-0.707) 2.03 3.83 14.1 2.60

Aiken Airport 7.71 (+/-0.800) 3.77 6.60 8.44 3.57

Highway 301 5.28 (+/-0.735) 2.99 3.29 5.18 2.54

Savannah, GA 3.86 (+/-0.703) 2.86 3.34 5.24 2.51

• The tritium-in-air results are well below the concentration equivalent to 1 mrem from inhalation. The NESHAPS limit for airborne pathway is 10 mrem.



Rainwater Description of Surveillance Program

Theatmosphericsurveillanceprogramalsoincludesrainwatersurveillance,dividedintotwoparts,samplingfortritiuminrainwaterandsamplingfornontritiumradionuclidesinwet/drydeposition.Rainwatersamplingisperformedatall15locations,whilesevenoftheselocationsaresampledforwet/drydeposition.TheplacementoflocationsfordepositionwasselectedtoprovideauniformdistributionaroundtheSRS.


Otherthaniodine-131,nootherdetectableman-madegamma-emittingradionuclideswereobservedinrainwatersamplesduring2011(datatable5-4).

Grossalphaandgrossbetaresultsfrom2011wereconsistentwiththoseof2010.In2011,theaveragegrossalphaandgrossbetaresultsgenerallywereslightlylowerthanin2010.Annualaveragegrossalphaandgrossbetaconcentrations,aswellasindividualsampleresults,areconsistentwithhistoricalresults,whichdemonstratelong-termvariability.

Detectablelevelsofuranium-234werepresentin20of99samples.Detectablelevelsofuranium-238werepresentin22of99samples.Nodetectablelevelsofuranium-235wereinanyofthe99samples.Uraniumisnaturallyoccurringinsoilandisthereforeexpectedtobepresentatlowconcentrationsinsomedepositionsamples.Bothuranium-234anduranium-238resultswerehigherattheD-Areaperimeterlocationthanattheothersiteperimeterlocations;theyalsowerehigherattheBGN(onsite)location.Thisislikelyattributabletotheincreasedairborneparticulatematter(dust)presentattheselocationsbecauseofvehicletrafficonnearbydirtroadsandfields.Neitherplutonium-238norplutonium-239wasobservedinanyofthe99samples.Americium-241wasobservedin13samples(threefromtheBGNlocationand10atthesiteperimeter).Theaverageconcentrationofamericium-241waswellbelowthedrinkingwaterstandard.Eightstrontium-89,90resultswereabovetheMDC(sevenatthecenteroftheSRSandoneattheD-Areaperimeterlocation).Thestrontiumconcentrationlevelswerebelowregulatorylimits.

Tritiuminrainwaterresultsshoweddetectablelevelsin31(16percent)ofthe195rainwatersamplesfor2011(datatable5-5).Asinpreviousyears,tritium-in-rainvalueswerehighestnearthecenteroftheSRS.Allrainwatersamplesfromthecenterofthesitecontaineddetectabletritium.ThisisconsistentwiththeH-Area

effluentreleasepointsthatroutinelyreleasetritium.Beyondthecenterofthesite,tritiumwasdetectedin9.89percentoftherainwatersamples.Aswithtritium-in-air(figure5-3),concentrationsgenerallydecreasedasdistancefromtheeffluentreleasepointsincreased.

Gamma Radiation Description of Surveillance Program

AmbientgammaexposureratesinandaroundSRSaremonitoredbyanextensivenetworkofdosimeters.SRSusesthethermoluminescentdosimeter(TLD)toquantifyintegratedgammaexposureonaquarterlybasis.TheTLDperformsthisfunctionaccurately,reliably,andrelativelyinexpensively.

SRShasbeenmonitoringambientenvironmentalgammaexposurerateswithTLDssince1965.Theinformationprovidedbythisprogramisusedprimarilytodeterminetheimpact(ifany)ofsiteoperationsonthegammaexposureintheenvironmentandtoevaluatetrendsinenvironmentalexposurelevels.Otherpotentialusesincludesupportofroutineandemergencyresponsedosecalculationmodels.

TheSRSambientgammaradiationmonitoringprogramisdividedintofoursubprograms:siteperimeterstations,populationcenters,airsurveillancestations,andVogtle(stationsthatmonitorpotentialexposuresfromGeorgiaPower’sVEGP).AllTLDsareexchangedquarterly.MostgammaexposuremonitoringisconductedonsiteandattheSRSperimeter.Monitoringcontinuestobeconductedinpopulationcenterswithinnearly15kilometer(km)(9mile(mi))ofthesiteboundary,butonlylimitedmonitoringisconductedbeyondthisdistanceandatthe40-to160-km(25-to100-mi)airsurveillancestations.


AmbientgammaexposureratesatallTLDmonitoringlocationsshowsomevariationbasedonnormalsite-to-siteandyear-to-yeardifferencesinthecomponentsofnaturalambientgammaradiationexposurelevels.In2011,ambientgammaexposureratesvariedbetween56.5and125millirem(mrem)/year(yr)(datatable5-6).

Ingeneral,the2011ambientgammaradiationmonitoringresultsindicateddoseratesveryclosetothoseobservedatthesamelocationsin2010.Theaverageannualexposureratewas82.5mremin2011,comparedto82mremin2010.ThetotalambientexposureresultsfortheBGN(onsite)locationwaslowerfor2011(125mrem/yr)thanfor2010(129mrem/yr).However,theseresultsgenerallyareconsistent



withpreviouslypublishedhistoricalresultsandindicatethatnosignificantdifferenceinaverageannualdoseratesisobservedbetweenmonitoringnetworksexceptinthecaseofpopulationcenters.Ambientdoseratesinpopulationcentersareslightlyelevatedcomparedtotheothermonitoringnetworks,asexpected,becauseoffactorssuchasbuildingsandroadways,whichemitlowlevelsofradiation.

Stormwater Basins Description of Surveillance Program

Stormwateraccumulatinginsitestormwaterbasinsismonitoredmonthlyforgrossalpha,grossbeta,tritium,strontium,gamma-emittingradionuclides,andactinides.Analysesforspecificradionuclidesaredeterminedbythemakeupofthepreviousreleasestothebasins.In2011,monitoringwasconductedatfiveE-AreabasinsaswellasattheZ-AreaBasinandF-AreaPond400.


NoactivedischargestoSRSstormwaterbasinsarepresent.Theprimarycontributorisrainwaterrunoff.Cesium-137andgrossbetaconcentrationlevelsintheZ-AreaBasinweremeasuredduring2011andare

attributedtostormwaterrunofffromnearSaltstoneDisposalFacility(SDF)Vault4operations.Cesium-137wasgreaterthantheMDClevelin11ofthe12Z-AreaBasinsamplesduring2011atanaverageof220(+/-3.57)pCi/Landamaximumof803(+/-27.3)pCi/L.Theselevelsarehigherthanthoseof2010andthehistoricaltrend,butbelowtheUSDOEDCGof3,000pCi/Lforcesium-137.TheZ-Areabasindoesnotdischargetotheenvironment.SDFmanagementhasimplementedsteps(i.e.,installationofweatherenclosures,enhancedfacilityoperations,andinstallationofstormwatermanagementcontrols)forradioactivecontaminationcontrol.SDFoperationsandradiologicalareasaremaintainedinaccordancewithSRSradiologicalpractices.SCDHECperformsroutineinspectionsoftheSDF.ThehighestmeantritiumconcentrationinallthebasinsampleswasmeasuredintheE-005Basin,at17,400(+/-124)pCi/L,whichwas33%lowerthanthemeantritiumconcentrationatthesamelocationin2010.Thisisconsistentwiththepreviousfiveyearsofhistoricalresults.Cobalt-60waslessthantheMDCinallofthebasinsamples.OtherthantheZ-AreaBasin,cesium-137wasnotgreaterthantheMDCinanyoftheotherbasinsamples.Curium-244wasdetectedinonebasinsamplefromtheBasinNorth(E-002)butwaswellwithinthehistoricaltrendforthislocation.Technetium-99wasdetectedin11ofthe12samplesfromZ-AreaBasinatanaveragelevelof10.0(+/-0.349)pCi/L,and10oftheotherbasinlocations,averaging1.15pCi/L.Fissionproducts,aswellassomeactinides,wereobservedinthebasinsmeasuringameanaverageoflessthan1.00pCi/L.Grossalphaandgrossbetaactivityweredetectedinallthebasins,and,otherthantheZ-AreaBasin,theconcentrationswerecomparabletothoseofthepreviousfiveyearstoidentifyanytrends(datatable5-7).

Streams Description of Surveillance Program

ContinuoussurveillancemonitoringofSRSstreamsisperformeddownstreamofseveralprocessareastodetectandquantifylevelsofradioactivityineffluentstransportedtotheSavannahRiver.ThefiveprimarystreamsareUpperThreeRuns,FourmileBranch,PenBranch,SteelCreek,andLowerThreeRuns.Thefrequencyandtypesofanalysesperformedoneachsamplearebasedonpotentialquantityandtypesofradionuclideslikelytobepresentatthesamplinglocation.


Theaverage2011concentrationsofgrossalpha,grossbeta,andtritiuminSRSstreamsarepresentedintable5-2.Detectableconcentrationsoftritium,thepredominantradionuclidedetectedabovebackground

Thermoluminescent Dosimeters Placed in the Field for Ambient Gamma Exposure Monitoring



levelsinSRSstreams,wereobservedatleastonceatallstreamlocationsin2011.Whencomparingstreamtritiumaveragesfor2011and2010,somewereslightlyhigherandotherswereslightlylower;however,nostatisticallysignificantdifferencesoccurredbetweentheaveragesofthetwoyears.Theten-yeartrendchartfortheaveragetritiumlevelsinthestreamsshowsadecreasingtrendovertime(figures5-4and5-5),whichisduetoacombinationofdecreasesinsitereleases

andthenaturaldecayoftritiumovertime.Overall,tritiumconcentrationsinSRSstreamsduring2011wereconsistentwithlong-termtritiumlevels.

Cesium-137wasdetectedin16of272streamsamples(lessthan6%)for2011fromtheUpperThreeRuns,FourmileBranch,andLowerThreeRunslocations.Grossalphaandgrossbetaactivitywasdetectedinallthestreams,butoverallaverageconcentrationswere

Table 5-2 Average 2011 Concentrations of Radioactivity in SRS Streams

LocationGross Alpha (pCi/L)

Standard Deviation

Gross Beta (pCi/L)

Standard Deviation

Tritium (pCi/L)

Standard Deviation

Onsite Downstream Locations

Tims Branch (TB–5) 10.7 0.304 3.50 0.171 409 50.0

Lower Three Runs (L3R–3) 5.61 0.349 3.07 0.231 781 51.1

Steel Creek (SC–4) 3.72 0.196 3.37 0.138 2,900 62.3

Pen Branch (PB–3) 1.57 0.169 1.85 0.182 3,080 160

Fourmile Branch (FM–6) 3.19 0.135 10.4 0.188 3,950 180

Upper Three Runs (U3R–4) 35.8 0.773 12.5 0.420 937 53.7

Onsite Control Location (for comparison purposes)

Upper Three Runs (U3R–1A) 6.26 0.213 2.20 0.155 261 29.6

SRS and SCDHEC Side-by-Side Automated Samplers

Liquid Surveillance Stream Sampling Location Fourmile-A7



consistentwithlevelsofrecentyears.GrossalphalevelswerehigherfortheLowerThreeRuns-2andUpperThreeRuns-4locationsduringthelatesummerof2011duetosedimentationinthesamples.Thesampleswerereanalyzedseveraltimestofilteroutthesedimentation.Isotopicanalysesrevealedthesourcetobenaturaluranium.Thelevelswereaccountedforin

theradioactivitytransportcalculations.Strontium-89,90wasdetectedinallsamplesfromtheFourmileBranchlocationwithanaverageof3.74(+/-0.143)pCi/L,belowtheMinimumControlLevelof8.00pCi/L.OtherradionuclideswereobservedatlocationsthroughouttheSRSbutwereconsistentwiththesourceofthematerialandexhibitedvariationssimilartothoseofprevious

Figure 5-4 Ten-Year Trend of Average Tritium Concentration in Lower Three Runs, Steel Creek, and Upper Three Runs (pCi/L)

Figure 5-5 Ten-Year Trend of Average Tritium Concentration in Pen Branch and Fourmile Branch (pCi/L)



years.Nosignificanttrendswereobservedin2011whencomparedwithrecentyears(datatable5-8),and,inmostcases,averageswerelessthanonepCi/L.

Seepage Basin and Solid Waste Disposal Facility Radionuclide Migration Description of Surveillance Program

Toincorporatethemigrationofradioactivitytositestreamsintototalradioactivereleasequantities,SRS

personnelcontinuedtomonitorandquantifythemigrationofradioactivityfromSRSseepagebasinsandtheSWDFin2011aspartofitsstreamsurveillanceprogram.


Tritium,strontium-89,90,technetium-99,iodine-129,andcesium-137weredetectedinmigrationreleases(datatable5-9).

Figure 5-6 Estimated Tritium Migration from SRS Seepage Basins and SWDF to Site Streams, 2002-2011

Year K-Area Seepage Basin Curies Separations Seepage Basins and SWDF Curies Total Curies

2002 1030 977 2007

2003 1170 1613 2783

2004 722 1205 1927

2005 641 1539 2180

2006 439 993 1432

2007 431 635 1066

2008 500 715 1215

2009 559 762 1321

2010 489 569 1058

2011 197 606 803



Figure5-6isagraphicalrepresentationofreleasesoftritiumviamigrationtositestreamsfor2011.Asseeninthefigure,migrationreleasesoftritiumgenerallyhavedeclinedthepast10years,withyear-to-yearvariabilitycausedmainlybytheamountofannualrainfall.Accordingly,during2011,thetotalquantityoftritiummigratingfromSRSseepagebasinsandSWDFwas803Cicomparedto1,058Ciin2010,a24%decrease.

RadioactivitypreviouslydepositedintheF-AreaandH-AreaSeepageBasinsandSWDFcontinuestomigratethroughthegroundwaterandtooutcropintoFourmileBranchandUpperThreeRuns.GroundwatermigrationfromtheF-AreaSeepageBasinsentersFourmileBranchamonglocationsFM-3A,FM-2B,andFM-A7.Becauseoftheirproximity,migrationfromtheSWDFcannotbedistinguishedfrommigrationfromapartofH-AreaBasin4.EstimatedmigrationoftritiumintoFourmileBranchin2011occurredasfollows:• FromF-AreaSeepageBasins,13Ci,a62%decrease

fromthe2010totalof34Ci• FromSWDFandapartofH-AreaSeepageBasin4,

457Ci,a20%increasefromthe2010totalof381Ci• FromH-AreaSeepageBasins1,2,3,andmostof4,

68Ci,a20%decreasefromthe2010totalof85Ci

TheestimatedtritiummigrationfromthenorthsideofSWDFandtheGeneralSeparationsArea(GSA)intoUpperThreeRunsin2011was68.3Ci,comparedwiththe2010totalof69Ci,afluctuationconsistentwithhistoricalresults.(TheGSAisinthecentralpartofSRSandcontainsallwastedisposalfacilities,chemicalseparationsfacilities,andassociatedhigh-levelwastestoragefacilitiesalongwithnumerousothersourcesofradioactivematerial.)

Thetotalamountofstrontium-89,90enteringFourmileBranchfromtheGSAseepagebasinsandSWDFduring2011wasestimatedtobe15.2mCi(table5-3).Migrationreleasesofstrontium-89,90varyfromyeartoyearbuthaveremainedbelow100mCithepastnineyears.In2011,10.6mCioftechnetium-99,14.8mCiofiodine-129,and19.5mCiofcesium-137wereestimatedtohavemigratedintoFourmileBranch(table5-3).

K-AreaDrainFieldandSeepageBasinLiquidpurgesfromtheK-AreaDisassemblyBasinwerereleasedtotheK-AreaSeepageBasinin1959and1960.From1960until1992,purgesfromtheK-AreaDisassemblyBasinweredischargedtoapercolationfieldbelowtheK-AreaRetentionBasin.TritiummigrationfromtheseepagebasinandthepercolationfieldismeasuredannuallyinPenBranch.The2011estimatedmigrationtotalof197Cirepresentsa60%decreasefromthe489Cirecordedin2010.

C-Area,L-Area,andP-AreaSeepageBasinsLiquidpurgesfromtheC-Area,L-Area,andP-AreaDisassemblyBasinswerereleasedperiodicallytotheirrespectiveseepagebasinsfromthe1950suntil1970.Migrationreleasesfromthesebasinsareaccountedforinthestreamtransporttotals(see“TritiumTransportinStreams”sectionofthischapter).

Migration of Actinides in Streams Migrationoftheactinides(uranium,plutonium,americium,andcurium)intositestreamsnolongerisquantifiedbecauseofthehistoricallylowlevelsoftheseactinides.However,thestreamsaresampledandanalyzedannuallyforthepresenceoftheseactinides.Theresultingconcentrationsarecomparedtothoseofpreviousyearstoidentifyanytrends.Overall,valuesfor2011wereconsistentwithhistoricaldataandgenerallyremainedatorbelowtheanalyticalMDC.

The Savannah River Description of Surveillance Program

ContinuoussurveillanceisperformedalongtheSavannahRiveratlocationsaboveandbelowSRStributaries,includingalocationatwhichliquiddischargesfromVEGPentertheriver.

Table 5-3 Strontium-89,90, Technetium-99, Iodine-129, and Cesium-137 Migration Estimates

Radionuclide Total Activity (millicuries [mCi])

Strontium-89,90 15.2

Technetium-99 10.6

Iodine-129 14.8

Cesium-137 19.5




Fivelocationsalongtherivercontinuedtoserveasenvironmentalsurveillancepointsin2011.Compositesamplesarecollectedweeklyatthesefiveriverlocationsandanalyzedforgrossalpha,grossbeta,tritium,andgamma-emittingradionuclides(datatable5-10).Theaverage2011concentrationsofgrossalpha,grossbeta,andtritiumatriverlocationsarepresentedintable5-4.ThetritiumconcentrationlevelsarewellbelowtheUSEPAdrinkingwaterstandardof20,000pCi/L.Detectablelevelsofgrossalphaandgrossbetaactivitywereobservedatallriversamplinglocationsandwereconsistentwiththeaveragesofthepreviousfiveyears.Cesium-137wasdetectedinoneoutofthe265weeklycompositeriversamplesfor2011.

Basedoncuries(ofactivity)released,tritiumisthepredominantradionuclidedetectedabovebackgroundlevelsintheSavannahRiver.ThecombinedSRSandVEGPtritiumestimatesbasedonconcentrationresultsandaverageflowratesatSavannahRiverMile(RM)118.8were2,090Ciin2011comparedto2,058Ciin2010,wellwithinthestatisticaloverlap.Inadditiontotheweeklycompositesamplesreferencedabove,SRScollectsannualgrabsamplestoprovideamorecomprehensivesuiteofradionuclides(strontium-89,90,technetium-99andactinides).Uranium-234,uranium-238andamericium-241werequantifiedinallthesegrabsamplesfromRM118.8andseveralotherlocationsin2011.Resultswereconsistentwiththeaveragesofthepreviousfiveyears.

LocationGross Alpha

(pCi/L)Standard Deviation

Gross Beta (pCi/L)

Standard Deviation

Tritium (pCi/L)

Standard Deviation

RM–160 0.346 0.046 2.57 0.094 164 7.13

RM–150.4 0.556 0.056 2.66 0.096 1,480 8.79

RM–150 0.317 0.045 2.53 0.094 402 7.46

RM–141.5 0.487 0.052 2.32 0.092 621 7.78

RM–118.8 0.431 0.050 2.37 0.093 599 7.75

River Surveillance Sample Collection from Automated Samper at River Mile 160

Table 5–4 Average 2011 Concentrations of Radioactivity in the Savannah River



Tritium Transport in Streams Description of Surveillance Program

TritiumisintroducedintoSRSstreamsandtheSavannahRiverfromformerproductionareasonsite.BecauseofthemobilityoftritiuminwaterandthequantitiesoftheradionuclidereleasedduringtheyearsofSRSoperations,atritiumbalancecomparisonatvarioussitestreamandSavannahRivermonitoringlocationshasbeenperformedannuallysince1960.SRStritiumtransportdatafor1960-2011aredepictedinfigure5-7,whichshowsthehistoryofdirectreleases,streamtransport,andrivertransport,asdeterminedbySRSpersonnel.ThehistoryoftritiumtransportatSRSisdocumentedindatatable5-11.Theten-yeartrendanalysisshowsadecreasingtrendforthepasttenyears(figure5-8).Thetritiumbalanceiscomparedamongthefollowingalternativemethodsofcalculation:

• Totaldirecttritiumreleases,includingreleasesfrom(1)facilityeffluentdischargesand(2)measuredshallowgroundwatermigrationoftritiumfromSRSseepagebasinsandSWDF(directreleases)

• TritiumtransportinSRSstreams,measuredatthelastsamplingpointbeforeentryintotheSavannahRiver(streamtransport)

• TritiumtransportintheSavannahRiver,measureddownriverofSRS(nearRM118.8)aftersubtractionofanymeasuredcontributionabovetheSRS(rivertransport)

Thegeneraltrendovertimeisattributableto(1)variationsintritiumproductionandprocessingattheSRS;(2)theimplementationofeffluentcontrols,suchasseepagebasins,beginningintheearly1960s;and(3)thecontinuingdepletionanddecayoftheSRS’stritiuminventory.

Figure 5-7 SRS Tritium Transport Summary, 1960–2011




Thedirect releasesoftritiumin2011decreasedbyalmost27%(from1,285Ciin2010to942Ciin2011).

Thestream transportoftritiumin2011decreasedbyalmost36%(from1,205Ciin2010to776Ciin2011).

Theriver transportoftritiumestimatedintheSavannahRiverin2011was2,090Ci,comparedwith2,058Cifromthepreviousyear.BothVEGPandSRScontributedtothesevalues.Forthe2011dosecalculations,thehighestvaluebetweentheSRSdirect releasesand stream transport measurements(whichwas942Ci)isaddedtotheVEGPreportedtritiumreleasetotalof1,370Citoobtainanoveralltritiumtotalof2,312Ci(seechapter6).

AsmallbutmeasurableamountoftritiumfromearlierEnergySolutionsLLClowlevelwaste(LLW)radioactivewastedisposalfacilityoperationscontinuedenteringthestreamsystemin2011asinthepastfewyears.ThefacilityisprivatelyownedandadjacenttoSRS.Theamountoftritiumenteringthesystemisexpectedto

continueagradualdeclineovertime.EnergySolutionsLLCbeganaprogramofcappingthetritiumsourcesin1991,therebyreducingtheamountoftritiumenteringthegroundwater.ThetritiumcurrentlyingroundwaterwillcontinuetodecayanddiluteasitmovesfromthesourcetowardLowerThreeRuns.EnvironmentalMonitoringandEnergySolutionsLLCwillmaintainamonitoringprogramforLowerThreeRunstoevaluatethistritiummigration.

Domestic Water Description of Surveillance Program

SRSpersonnelcollecteddomesticwatersamplesin2011fromlocationsatSRSandatwatertreatmentfacilitiesthatuseSavannahRiverwater.PotablewaterwasanalyzedatoffsitetreatmentfacilitiestoensurethatSRSoperationsdidnotadverselyaffectthewatersupplyandtoprovidevoluntaryassurancethatdrinkingwaterdidnotexceedUSEPAdrinkingwaterstandardsforradionuclides.

OnsitedomesticwatersamplingconsistedofquarterlygrabsamplesatlargetreatmentplantsinA-Area,

Figure 5-8 Ten-Year Trend of SRS Tritium Transport, 2002-2011



D-Area,andK-Areaandannualgrabsamplesatwellsandsmallsystems.Compositesampleswerecollectedmonthlyoffsitefrom• TheBeaufort-JasperWaterandSewerAuthority’s

ChelseaandPurrysburgWaterTreatmentPlants• ThecityofSavannahIndustrialandDomesticWater

SupplyPlant• TheNorthAugusta(SouthCarolina)Water

TreatmentPlant


Allonsiteandoffsitedomesticwatersamplesin2011werescreenedforgrossalphaandgrossbetaconcentrationstodetermineifregulatorylimitswereexceeded.NodomesticwaterexceededUSEPA’s15picocuriesperliter(pCi/L)alphaactivitylimitor50pCi/Lbetaactivitylimit.Also,noonsiteoroffsitedomesticwatersamplesexceededthe20,000pCi/LUSEPAtritiumlimitorthe8pCi/Lstrontium-89,90MDC.

Nocesium-137,strontium-89,90,uranium-235,plutonium-238,plutonium-239,orcurium-244wasdetectedinanydomesticwatersamplesin2011.Forthe14onsitesamples,detectablelevelsgreaterthantheMDCwereobservedforamericium-241inonesample,uranium-234infoursamples,anduranium-238infoursamples(datatable5-12).ThelevelswerewellbelowtheUSDOEDCG.

Terrestrial Food ProductsDescription of Surveillance Program

TheterrestrialfoodproductssurveillanceprogramconsistsofradiologicalanalysesoffoodproductsamplestypicallyfoundintheCentralSavannahRiverArea(CSRA).ThepurposeofthefoodstuffmonitoringprogramistodeterminewhetherSRSoperationsareaffectinghumanhealththroughthefoodchain.Agriculturalproducts,livestockandgameanimalsforhumanconsumptionmaycontainradionuclides.SRSsamplesfoodsincludingmilk,meat,fruit,nuts,andgreenvegetablesbecauseofthepotentialtotransportradionuclidestopeopleviathefoodchange.Datafromthefoodproductsurveillanceprogramarenotusedtoshowdirectcompliancewithanydosestandard;however,thedatacanbeusedasrequiredtovalidatedosemodelsanddetermineenvironmentaltrends.

Samplesoffood,includingmeat,fruit,andagreenvegetable,arecollectedfromonelocationwithineachoffourSRSquadrantsandfromalocationwithinanextended(to25milesbeyondtheperimeter)southeast

quadrant.Allfoodsamplesarecollectedannuallyexceptmilk,whichiscollectedquarterlyfromfourdairieswithina25-mileradiusoftheSRS.Ingeneral,aspartofthefoodstuffssurveillance,samplingofmeat,fruit,andgreenvegetablesisconductedonathree-yearrotatingschedule.Beef,collards,peanuts,pecans,andwatermelonweresampledin2011aspartofthisprogram.Additionally,strawberrieswerecollectedandanalyzedtoevaluateelevatediodine-131levelsassociatedwiththeFukushimaDaichiiPlantnuclearincidentinJapan(Chapter9).Foodsamplestypicallyareanalyzedforthepresenceofgamma-emittingradionuclides,tritium,strontium-89,90,uranium-234,uranium-235,uranium-238,plutonium-238,plutonium-239,americium-241,curium-244,grossalphaactivity,andgrossbetaactivity.Technetium-99wasaddedtotheanalyticalsuitein2009andneptuniumin2010.


Terrestrialfoodproductresultsforcollards,peanuts,pecans,fruit,andbeefappearindatatable5-13;resultsformilkappearindatatable5-14.

TritiuminfoodproductsisattributedprimarilytoreleasesfromSRS.Tritiuminpeanutswasnotanalyzedduetoinadequatemoisturecontent.Tritiumwasdetectedduring2011asfollows:• Fruitatallfourquadrants(0-10milesfromtheSRS)

atamaximumof9.70E-02(+/-2.25E-02)pCi/g• Beefatthenortheastandsoutheastquadrants(0-10

milesfromtheSRS)atamaximumof1.42E-01(+/-3.93E-02)pCi/g

• Pecansatthesouthwestquadrant(0-10milesfromtheSRS)ataconcentrationof6.24E-02(+/-2.18E-02)pCi/g

• Milkin5outof24dairysamplesatamaximumconcentrationof4.38E+02(+/-8.38E+01)pCi/L

Thedetectablelevelsoftritiuminmilkwereconfirmedwithreprocessingofthesamples.

Theonlygamma-emittingradionuclidedetectedinfoodproductsin2011wascesium-137asfollows:• Collardsfromthenortheastandsoutheastquadrants

(0-10milesfromtheSRS)atamaximumof4.32E-02(+/-1.21E-02)pCi/g

• Peanutsfromthenorthwestandsoutheastquadrants(0-10milesfromtheSRS)atamaximumof1.10E-02(+/-3.01E-03)pCi/g



• Pecansfromthenortheastquadrant(0-10milesfromtheSRS)ataconcentrationof1.34E-02(+/-3.81E-03)pCi/g

• Onemilksampleatconcentrationof3.49E+00(+/-8.67E-01)pCi/L

Strontium-89,90wasdetectedinbeefinthesouthwestquadrant(0-10milesfromtheSRS)at2.21E-03(+/-7.34E-04)pCi/g,incollardsatallfivelocationsatamaximumof1.89E-01(+/-2.55E-02)pCi/g,andinfivemilksamplesoutof24milksamplesatamaximumof2.27E+00(+/-4.08E-01)pCi/L.Uranium-234anduranium-238weredetectedabovetheMDCforbeefandcollardsatlevelswithinthehistoricaltrend.Americium-241wasdetectedincollardsatthenorthwestquadrant(0-10milesfromtheSRS).Technetium-99wasdetectedincollardsatalllocations,inbeefatthesoutheastandnorthwestquadrants0-10milesfromtheSRS,andinpeanutssoutheastandnortheastquadrants0-10milesfromtheSRS.Detectablelevelsofgrossbetaactivitywereobservedinallfoodproducts,whilenodetectablelevelsofgrossalphawereobservedinanyofthefoodproducts.The2011resultsappearedtoberandomlydistributedamongthemonitoringlocations,andnounderlyingspatialdistributionwasobserved.

Allradiologicalresultsonterrestrialfoodproductswereconsistentwiththoseofpreviousyears.

Aquatic Food Products Description of Surveillance Program

Theaquaticfoodproductsurveillanceprogramincludesfish(freshwaterandsaltwater)andshellfish.SRSmaintainsanongoingprogramforcollectingandanalyzingfishfromtheSavannahRiverandsurroundingfreshwaterbodies.Variousspeciesoffishwerealsocollectedoffsitefromstreamsandtributariestodeterminethepotentialdoseandrisktothepublicfromconsumption.Becauseofadie-offattributedtocoldweatherinDecember2010andJanuary2011,nospottedseatroutcouldbecollected.NinesurveillancepointsforthecollectionoffreshwaterfishareontheSavannahRiverfromaboveSRSatAugusta,Georgia,tothecoastatSavannah.Compositesamplescomposedofthreetofivefishofagivenspeciesarepreparedforeachspeciesfromeachlocation.Freshwaterfisharegroupedintooneofthreecategories:bass,panfish(bream),orcatfish.Saltwaterfishincludecompositesofseatrout,reddrum(spottailbass),andmullet.Thefishareselectedforsamplingbecausetheyarethemostsought-afterfishintheSavannahRiver.Compositesaredividedintoedible(meatandskinonly)andnonedible(scales,head,fins,viscera,bone)portions;however,catfishareskinned,

andtheskinbecomespartofthenonediblecomposite.Analysesconductedonedibleandnonediblecompositesincludetritium,grossalpha,grossbeta,gamma-emittingradionuclides,strontium-89,90,technetium-99,iodine-129,andtheactinideseries.


Aquaticfoodproductresultsforsaltwaterfishareindatatable5-15;forfreshwaterfish,datatable5-16;andforshellfish,datatable5-17.

Field Sampling Technicians Collect Fish at Steel Creek River Mouth

Striped Bass Collected at Steel Creek River Mouth



GrossalpharesultswerebelowtheMDCforalledibleandnonediblefishcompositesofsaltwaterandfreshwaterfish.Grossbetaactivitywasdetectableinallediblesaltwaterandfreshwaterfishcompositesatmaximumconcentrationsof3.14(+/-0.362)pCi/gand5.27(+/-0.451)pCi/g,respectively,andwasalsodetectedinsomeofthenonediblesaltwaterandfreshwaterfishcompositesatalllocations.Thisismostlikelyattributedtothenaturallyoccurringradionuclidepotassium-40.Iodine-129wasgreaterthantheMDCinonefreshwaterfishcompositefromWestBankLandingat2.27E-02(+/-8.11E-03)pCi/gandnotdetected(orlessthantheMDC)insaltwaterandshellfishcomposites.Cesium-137wasdetectablein33%ofthefreshwaterediblefishcompositesatamaximumof1.40E-01(+/-1.88E-02)pCi/g,and17%ofthefreshwaternonediblefishcompositesatamaximumof1.25E-01(+/-2.34E-02)pCi/g.Noman-madegamma-emittingradionuclideswerefoundinSavannahRiveredibleandnonediblefishcompositesduring2011.

Strontium-89,90wasgreaterthantheMDCin39%ofthenonediblefreshwaterfishcompositesatamaximumof9.65E-03(+/-1.80E-03)pCi/gand99%ofthenonediblefishcompositesatamaximumof4.38E-01(+/-2.89E-02)pCi/g.Uranium-234,uranium-238,andtritiumweredetectedinfreshwaterandsaltwaterfishcompositesatconcentrationssimilartothoseofpreviousyears.Fortheedibleandnonediblesaltwaterfishcomposites,technetium-99wasbelowtheMDC.Forthefreshwaterfishcomposites,29%oftheediblecompositescontaineddetectablelevelsoftechnetium-99atamaximumof1.05E-01(+/-2.64E-02)pCi/g.NoPlutonium-239orplutonium-238wasdetectableinanyoftheediblefreshwaterandsaltwaterfishcomposites.Uranium-234anduranium-238weredetectedinsaltwaterandfreshwaterfishatlevelsconsistentwiththehistoricaltrends.

Grossalphaandgrossbetaweredetectedinshellfishatanaverageconcentrationof6.41E-01(+/-2.31E-01)pCi/gand1.17(+/-0.267)pCi/g,respectively.Theselevelswerewithinthehistoricalstatisticaltrends.Strontium-89,90,uranium-234,uranium-235,anduranium238weredetectedinshellfishatlevelssimilartothoseofpreviousyears.Nodetectablelevelsofiodine-129,plutonium-238,plutonium-239,americium-241,andcurium-244greaterthantheMDCwerepresentinshellfish.

CalculationsofriskfromtheconsumptionoffishfromtheSavannahRivercanbefoundinChapter6(“PotentialRadiationDoses”).

Wildlife Monitoring of Deer, Hogs, and Coyote Description of Surveillance Program

Annualgameanimalhunts,opentomembersofthegeneralpublic,areconductedatSRStocontroltheSRS’sdeerandferalhogpopulationsandtoreduceanimal-vehicleaccidents.Priortoreleasinganyanimaltoahunter,SRSpersonneluseportablesodiumiodidedetectorstoperformfieldanalysesforcesium-137.In2011,Cs-137concentrationsindeer(muscleandbone)sampleswereperiodicallycollectedforlaboratoryanalysisbasedon(1)asetfrequency,(2)thecesium-137levels,or(3)exposurelimitconsiderations.Cesium-137ischemicallyanalogoustopotassiumintheenvironmentandbehavessimilarly.Ithasahalf-lifeofabout30yearsandtendstopersistinsoil,and,ifinsolubleform,canreadilyenterthefoodchainthroughplants.Itiswidelydistributedthroughouttheworldfromhistoricnuclearweaponsdetonationsfrom1945to1980andhasbeendetectedinallenvironmentalmedia.

SRSestablishedanadministrativedoselimitof30mremperyearin2006fortheconsumptionofgameanimals.Thislimit,whichensuresthatnosinglepathwaycontributesmorethan30%totheall-pathwaydoselimitof100mrem,isconsistentwithUSDOEguidance.ThedosesfromdeerandhogconsumptionarequantifiedandreportedinChapter6.


Atotalof564deer,156feralhogs,and30coyotewereharvestedandreleasedduringthe2011SRShunts.Asobservedduringprevioushunts,cesium-137wastheonlyman-madegamma-emittingradionuclidedetectedinanimalfleshduringlaboratoryanalysis.Generally,cesium-137concentrationsmeasuredbyfielddetectorsandlaboratorymethodswerecomparable.Fieldmeasurementsforcesium-137fromallreleasedanimalsrangedfromthelowestdefaultvalueof1.00pCi/gto11.5pCi/gwhilelaboratorymeasurementsrangedfrombelowtheMDCto7.38(+/-0.495)pCi/g.Onehogwasdisposedoffromhuntcompartmentnumber48withacesium-137concentrationof27.8pCi/g,(equivalenttoadoseof19.4mrem).Thisdosedidnotexceedthereleaselimitof30mrem,butthehuntervoluntarilydecidedtodisposeoftheanimalonsite.

Laboratorymeasurementresultsaresummarizedindatatables5-18and5-19fordeertissueandbone,andindatatables5-20and5-21forhogtissueandbone.Resultsoffieldandlaboratorymeasurementsaresummarizedintable5-5.ThedoseimpactstohuntersarediscussedinChapter6.



Averagecesium-137concentrationsindeerhaveindicatedanoveralldecreasingtrendforthepasttenyears.Thehistoricaltrendanalysisisinfigure5-9.

Themuscleandbonesamplesfromasubsetoftheanimalsreturnedtothelaboratoryforcesium-137analysisalsoareanalyzedforstrontium-89,90.Becauseofitschemistry,strontiumismorereadilymeasuredinbonethaninmuscletissue.

In2011,all69deerbonesampleshaddetectablelevelsofstrontium-89,90greaterthantheMDCwithanaverageof4.14(+/-0.038)pCi/gandamaximumof9.03(+/-0.564)pCi/g.Forthedeermuscletissuesamples,20outofthe97muscletissuesampleshaddetectablelevelsgreaterthantheMDCforstrontium-89,90withamaximumof8.08E-03(+/-1.28E-03).Strontium-89,90

wasalsogreaterthantheMDCinthetwohogbonesamplesatamaximumof3.89(+/-0.282)pCi/gandbelowtheMDCforthehogmuscletissuesamples.Theseresultsaresimilartothoseofpreviousyears.

TurkeysDescription of Surveillance Programs

SRShostedaspecialturkeyhuntduringApril2011forhunterswithmobilityimpairments.Twenty-eightturkeyswereharvestedandreleased.


Allfieldmeasurementresultsforthe28turkeyharvestedhadCs-137levelsatorbelowthelowestdefaultvalueof1.00pCi/g,whichiscomparablewiththeresultsfrompreviousspecialhunts.

Table 5-5 2011 Cesium-137 Results for Laboratory and Field Measurements

* One hog measured 27.8 pCi/g but was not released

2011 Number AnimalsField Gross

Average Cs-137 (pCi/g)

Field Maximum Cs-137 (pCi/g)

Lab Average Cs-137 (pCi/g)

Standard Deviation

Deer 564 1.46 10.5 2.12 0.018

Hog 156 1.75 11.5* 2.22 0.011

Coyote 30 1.45 5.13 ------ ------

Figure 5-9 Historical Trend of Cesium-137 Concentrations in Deer (pCi/g), 1965-2011



BeaversDescription of Surveillance Programs

TheU.S.DepartmentofAgricultureForestService-SavannahRiver(USFS-SR)harvestsbeaversinselectedareaswithintheSRSperimetertoreducethepopulationandtherebyminimizedam-buildingactivitiesthatcanresultinfooddamagetotimberstands,toprimaryandsecondaryroads,andtorailroadbeds.


USFS-SRharvested20beaversin2011fromsixlocations.Becausenoneoftheseanimalsweretakenfromsuspectradiologicalareas,nomonitoringwasperformed,andtheyweredisposedofinanonsitelandfill.

Soil Description of Surveillance Program

TheSRSsoilmonitoringprogramprovides• Dataforlong-termtrendingofradioactivity

depositedfromtheatmosphere(bothwetanddrydeposition)

• Informationontheconcentrationsofradioactivematerialsintheenvironment

Concentrationsofradionuclidesinsoilvarygreatlyamonglocationsbecauseofdifferencesinrainfallpatternsandinthemechanicsofretentionandtransportindifferenttypesofsoils.Therefore,adirectcomparisonofdatafromyeartoyearisnotappropriate.However,thedataareavailableinpreviousenvironmentalreportsandcanbeevaluatedoveraperiodofyearstodetermineandanalyzelong-termtrends.

Handaugersorothersimilardevicesareusedinsoilsamplecollectiontoadepthofthreeinches.Thesamplesareanalyzedforgamma-emittingradionuclides,strontium-89,90,andtheactinides.


In2011,radionuclidesweredetectedinsoilsamplesfromall21samplinglocations(fiveonsite,12attheperimeter,andfouroffsite),asfollows:• Cesium-137atalllocationswiththeexceptionof

oneoftheonsitelocationsneartheburialground• Uranium-234atall21locations• Uranium-235atall21locations• Uranium-238atall21locations• Plutonium-238atonelocation(F-Arealocation)

• Plutonium-239at15locations(fouronsite,nineperimeter,twooffsite)

• Strontium-89,90attwolocationsonsite• Americium-241atsevenlocations(twoonsite,four

perimeter,oneoffsite)• Curium-244atfourlocations(oneonsite,three

perimeter)

Theconcentrationsattheselocationsareconsistentwithhistoricalresults(datatable5-22).Uraniumisnaturallyoccurringinsoilandthereforeexpectedtobepresentinsoilsamples.

Settleable Solids Description of Surveillance Program

Settleable-solidsmonitoringineffluentwaterisrequiredtodetermine,inconjunctionwithroutinesedimentmonitoring,whetheralong-termbuildupofradioactivematerialsoccursinstreamsystems.

USDOElimitsonradioactivitylevelsinsettleablesolidsare5pCi/gabovebackgroundforalpha-emittingradionuclidesand50pCi/gabovebackgroundforbeta/gamma-emittingradionuclides.

AccuratemeasurementofradioactivitylevelsinsettleablesolidsisimpracticalinsmallamountsofsettleablesolidswithlowTotalSuspendedSolids(TSS).TSSlevelsbelow40partspermillion(ppm)complywithDOElimits.Todeterminecompliancewiththeselimits,SRSusesTSSresultsgatheredaspartoftheroutineNationalPollutantDischargeEliminationSystem(NPDES)monitoringprogramfromoutfallsco-locatedatornearradiologicaleffluentpoints.


In2011,therewerenoNPDESTSSsampleresultswhichexceeded40ppm.The2011NPDESTSSresultsindicatethatSRSremainsincompliancewiththeDOEradioactivity-levels-in-settleable-solidsrequirement.

Sediment Description of Surveillance Program

Sedimentsampleanalysismeasuresthemovement,deposition,andaccumulationoflong-livedradionuclidesinstreambedsandintheSavannahRiverbed.Significantyear-to-yeardifferencesmaybeevidentbecauseofthecontinuousdepositionandremobilizationoccurringinthestreamandriverbeds(orbecauseofslightvariationsinsamplinglocations)butthedataobtainedcanbeusedtoobservelong-termenvironmentaltrends.



SedimentsampleswerecollectedateightSavannahRiverand21onsitestreamandbasinlocationsduring2011.


Cesium-137wastheonlyman-madegamma-emittingradionuclideobservedinriverandstreamsedimentsduring2011.Thehighestcesium-137concentrationinstreams,64.1(+/-2.60)pCi/g,wasdetectedinsedimentfromR-Canal(100-RLocation);thelowestlevelswerebelowtheminimumdetectableconcentrationlevelateightlocations.Thehighestlevelfromtheriver,9.89E-01(+/-5.89E-02)pCi/g,wasatRM129;thelowestlevelswerebelowdetectionatthreelocations.Generally,cesium-137concentrationswerehigherinstreamsedimentsthaninriversediments.Thisistobeexpectedbecausethestreamsreceiveradionuclide-containingliquideffluentsfromtheSRS.Mostradionuclidessettleoutanddepositonthestreambedsoratstreamentrancestoswampareasalongtheriver.Strontium-89,90wasabovetheMDCinsedimentat12streamlocationsin2011.Themaximumdetectedvaluewas6.14E-01(+/-6.94E-02)pCi/gattheFourmileA-7A(BeaverPond)location.

Plutonium-238wasdetectedinsedimentduring2011attenstreamlocationsandtworiverlocations.TheresultsrangedfrombelowtheMDCtoamaximumof3.03(+/-0.281)pCi/gatFM-2atRoad4.Plutonium-239wasdetectedinsedimentat14streamlocationsandoneriverlocation.Themaximumvaluewas7.24E-01(+/-7.35E-02)pCi/gatPond400.Uranium-234,uranium-235,anduranium-238weredetectedatalllocationsatlevelssimilartopreviousyears.

Thedistributionandconcentrationofradionuclidesinriversedimentduring2011weresimilartothoseofpreviousyears(datatable5-23).

Concentrationsofallisotopesgenerallywerehigherinstreamsthanintheriver.Asindicatedintheearlierdiscussionofcesium-137,thisistobeexpected.

Differencesobservedwhenthesedataarecomparedtothoseofpreviousyearsprobablyareattributabletotheeffectsofre-suspensionanddeposition,whichoccurconstantlyinsedimentmedia.

Grassy Vegetation Description of Surveillance Program

Theradiologicalprogramforgrassyvegetationisdesignedtocollectandanalyzesamplesfromonsiteandoffsitelocationstodetermineradionuclideconcentrations.VegetationsamplesareobtainedtocomplementsoilandsedimentsamplestodeterminetheenvironmentalaccumulationofradionuclidesandtohelpvalidateSRSdosemodels.Vegetationcanbecontaminatedexternallybythedepositionofairborneradioactivecontaminantsandinternallybyuptakefromsoilorwaterbytheroots.Bermudagrassispreferredbecauseofitsimportanceasapasturegrassfordairyherds.

Vegetationsamplesareobtainedfrom• Locationscontainingsoilradionuclideconcentra-

tionsthatareexpectedtobehigherthannormalbackgroundlevels

• Locationsreceivingwaterthatmayhavebeencontaminated

• Allairsamplinglocations

Vegetationsamplesareanalyzedfortritium,grossalpha,grossbeta,gamma-emittingradionuclides,strontium-89,90,andtheactinides.

Field Sampling Technician collects sediment at River Mile 151.




Allvegetationsurveillancesamplesarebasedondryweight.Radionuclidesinthegrassyvegetationsamplescollectedduring2011weredetectedinall17locations(oneonsite,12attheperimeter,andfouroffsite),asfollows:• Tritiumatsixlocations(oneonsite,fourperimeter,

andoneoffsite)• Cesium-137atsixlocations(fiveperimeterandone

offsite)• Strontium-89,90at13locations(oneonsite,eight

perimeter,fouroffsite)• Uranium-234ateightlocations(oneonsite,five

perimeterandtwooffsite)• Uranium-238ateightlocations(oneonsite,five

perimeterandtwooffsite)• Technetium-99atall17locations• Grossbetaatall17locations• GrossalphaatthreeSRSperimeterlocations

NolevelswereabovetheMDCforneptunium-237,plutonium-238,plutonium-239,americium-241,oruranium-235.Averagetritiumresultsshowa16%increasefrom2010to2011withlevelsrangingfrombelowtheMDCto1.18(+/-0.03)pCi/gattheBGNlocation.Resultsfortheotherradionuclidesshowaslightdecreaseinconcentrationsfromthepastseveralyearsbutremainconsistentwithhistoricalresults(datatable5-24).

Nonradiological Surveillance Air QualityDescription of Surveillance Program

SRSdoesnotconductonsitesurveillancefornonradiologicalambientairquality.However,toensurecompliancewithSCDHECairqualityregulationsandstandards,SRNLconductedairdispersionmodelingforallSRSsourcesofcriteriapollutantsandtoxicairpollutantsin2011.


AirdispersionmodelingindicatedthatallSRSsourceswereincompliancewithairqualityregulationsandstandards.Sincethattime,additionalmodelingconductedfornewsourcesofcriteriapollutantsandtoxicairpollutantshasdemonstratedcontinuedcompliancebytheSRSwithcurrentapplicableregulationsandstandards.ThestatesofSouthCarolinaandGeorgiacontinuetomonitorambientairqualityneartheSRSaspartofanetworkassociatedwiththeCleanAirAct.

Mercury in Rainwater and Wet/Dry Deposition

Description of Surveillance Program

SRNLsponsorsamonitoringandcollectionstationinsupportoftheNationalMercuryDepositionNetworkoftheNationalAtmosphericDepositionProgram(NADP).Thisnetworkprovidesdataonthegeographicdistributionsandtrendsofmercuryinprecipitation.Itistheonlynetworkprovidingalong-termrecordofmercuryconcentrationsinNorthAmericanprecipitation.Allmonitoringsitesfollowstandardproceduresandhaveuniformprecipitationcollectorsandgauges.Inthefallof2010themercurycollectorattheSRNLmonitoringstation(SC03)wasupgradedtoamodernprecipitationcollectorthatsatisfiesnetworkcollectionrequirements.In2011,SRNLinstalledanelectronicraingagethatcompletedequipmentmodernizationofthisstation.


Duringcalendaryear2010(thelastyearforwhichdataisavailable)theaverage(volumeweighted)concentrationoftotalmercuryinprecipitationwas10.9ng/Landthewetdepositionratewas6.5μg/m2.Datafrom2011willnotbeavailableuntilthefallof2012.Additionalinformationonthisnetworkisaccessibleviathefollowinglink:http://nadp.sws.uiuc.edu/mdn/.

Weekly Precipitation Sampling in Support of the National Atmospheric Deposition Program

Mercury Deposition NetworkTheNADPprovidesalong-termrecordofwetdepositionofmercuryfromprecipitation.SRNLsponsorsandoperatesStationSC03atSRS.



Surface Water Description of Surveillance Program

SRSstreamsandtheSavannahRiverareclassifiedbySCDHECas“Freshwaters,”whicharedefinedassurfacewatersuitablefor• Primaryandsecondarycontactrecreationandasa

drinkingwatersourceafterconventionaltreatmentinaccordancewithSCDHECrequirements

• Fishingandsurvival/propagationofabalancedindigenousaquaticcommunityoffaunaandflora

• Industrialandagriculturaluses

AppendixA(“ApplicableGuidelines,Standards,andRegulations”)ofthisreportprovidessomeofthespecificstandardsusedinwaterqualitysurveillance,but,becausenotallthestandardsarequantifiable,theyarenottrackedatSRS.


Waterqualityparametersweremeasuredatall16samplinglocationsinSRSstreamsandalongtheSavannahRiverduring2011andmetalsweredetectedinatleastonesampleateachlocation.WiththeexceptionofEndosulfanIIdetectedatSC-4duringJuly2011,nosampleshaddetectablepesticides/herbicides.TheseresultscontinuetoindicatethatSRSdischargesarenotsignificantlyaffectingthewaterqualityofonsitestreamsortheriver(datatable5-25).

Drinking Water Description of Surveillance Program

MostofthedrinkingwateratSRSissuppliedbythreesystemsthathavetreatmentplantsinA-Area,D-Area,andK-Area.TheSRSalsohas14smalldrinkingwaterfacilities,eachofwhichservespopulationsoffewerthan25persons.

Figure 5-10 2010 Total Mercury in Rainfall Results from the National Atmospheric Deposition Program (NADP)




AllsamplescollectedfromSRSdrinkingwatersystemsduring2011wereincompliancewithSCDHECandUSEPAwaterqualitystandards.AdditionalinformationisprovidedintheSafeDrinkingWaterActsectionofChapter3,“EnvironmentalCompliance.”

Sediment Description of Surveillance Program

TheSRS’snonradiologicalsedimentsurveillanceprogramprovidesamethodtodeterminethedepositionandaccumulationofnonradiologicalcontaminantsinstreamsystems.

ThenonradiologicalsedimentprogramconsistsofthecollectionofsedimentsamplesateightonsitestreamlocationsandthreeSavannahRiverlocations.CollectionismadebyeitheraPonarsedimentsampleroranEmerypipedredgesampler.Thesamplesareanalyzedforvariousinorganiccontaminants(metals)andpesticides/herbicidesbytheToxicityCharacteristicLeachingProcedure(TCLP).Thismethodanalyzesforthesolubleconstituentsinsediment.Theprogramisdesignedtocheckfortheexistenceandpossiblebuildupoftheinorganiccontaminantsaswellasforpesticides/herbicides.


In2011,asinthepreviousfiveyears,nopesticidesorherbicideswereabovethequantitationlimitsinsedimentsamples.Nomercurywasdetectedatanyofthelocationsduring2011asinpreviousyears.MetalsanalysisshowedsomemetalswithlevelsgreaterthanthePracticalQuantitationLimitfor2011butwereconsistentwiththoseseeninsoilsamplesandcomparabletothoseofthepreviousfiveyears(datatable5-26).

Fish Description of Surveillance Program

SRSpersonnelcollectedandanalyzedthefleshoffishcaughtfromtheSavannahandEdistoRiverstodetermineconcentrationsofmercury,arsenic,cadmium,manganese,andantimonyinthefish.


Mercuryanalyseswereperformedin2011on468fishat11locationsincludingsitestreams,theSavannahRiverandtheEdistoRiveratWestBankLanding.Concentrationsofmercurygenerallywereslightlylowerthanthoseobservedin2010(datatable5-27).TheMDLforthemercuryinfishanalyseswas0.02µg/g.ThehighestconcentrationswereintheSavannahRiverinbassattheLowerThreeRunsCreekMouth(1.30µg/g),incatfishatWestBankLanding(0.673µg/g),inbreamattheAugustaLockandDam(0.978µg/g),inreddrumatRM0-8(0.304µg/g),andinmulletatRM0-8(0.022µg/g).Reviewofthesurveillanceresultsconcluded• Cadmiumlevelswerebelowminimumdetection

limitsinall468fishsamplescollectedduring2011.

Water Quality Parameters are Measured in Samples from the Savannah River (pictured)

Striped Bass Collected at Steel Creek River Mouth



• Arsenicwasdetectedinfourfishsampleswiththehighestconcentrationinbass(0.691µg/g)fromtheStokesBluffLandingsamplinglocation.

• Antimonyalsowasdetectedin22fishsamples,withthehighestconcentrationincatfish(0.458µg/g)attheUpperThreeRunsCreekRiverMouth.Metalresultsarelowerthanthoseof2010andareconsis-tentwiththeprevious5years(datatable5-28).

• Manganesewasdetectedatall11fishsamplinglocations,withthehighestconcentrationinbream(3.03µg/g)atBeaverDamCreekRiverMouth.

River Water Quality Surveys Description of Surveys

BiologicalandwaterqualitysurveysareconductedtoassessthepotentialeffectsofSRScontaminantsandwarm-waterdischargesonthegeneralhealthoftheriveranditstributariesThesurveysweredesignedtoassesspotentialeffectsofSRScontaminantsandwarmwaterdischargesonthegeneralhealthoftheriveranditstributaries.Thisisaccomplishedbylookingfor

• PatternsofbiologicaldisturbancegeographicallyassociatedwiththeSRS

• Patternsofchangeoverseasonsoryearsthatindi-cateimprovingordeterioratingconditions

Survey Results Summary

In2011,SRSconductedmacroinvertebratesamplingduringthespringandfallanddiatomsamplingmonthly.ThediatomslidesweresenttotheAcademyforNaturalSciences(ANS)forarchiving.NoadversebiologicalimpactshavebeenidentifiedintheSavannahRiverdiatomcommunities.

Macroinvertebratescollectedfromrivertrapsduring2011weresimilarinspeciesdiversitytothosedocumentedinsurveysduringthe1990s.Anoveralldecreaseintotalpopulationswasobservedthatlikelyisassociatedwithlowflowintheriverandincipientdroughtconditions.Noevidenceofadversebiologicalimpactswasfoundintheobservedmacroinvertebratecommunities.


Alldosecalculationresultsarepresentedindatatablesonthecompactdisk(CD)insidethebackcoverofthisreportandarereferredtointhischapteras“datatable6-X.”Tablesprovidedinthischapteraresimplyreferredtoas“table6-X.”

DescriptionsoftheSRSeffluentmonitoringandenvironmentalsurveillanceprogramsdiscussedinthischaptercanbefoundinChapter4,“EffluentMonitoring,”andChapter5,“EnvironmentalSurveillance.”AcompletedescriptionofhowpotentialdosesarecalculatedatSRScanbefoundintheSRSEnvironmentalDoseAssessmentManual(SRSEDAM,2010),acopyofwhichisincludedontheaccompanyingCD.

Calculating DosePotentialoffsitedosesfromSRSeffluentreleasesof

radioactivematerials(atmosphericandliquid)arecalculatedforthefollowingscenarios:• Hypotheticalmaximallyexposedindividual(MEI)

livingattheSRSboundary• Populationlivingwithina50-mile(80-kilometer

[km])radiusofSRS(Figure1inthe“SRSEnviron-mentalData/Maps”sectionoftheCDaccompany-ingthisreport)

Forcompliancepurposes,SRScalculatesMEIandcollectivedosesasiftheentire50-milepopulationconsistsofadults.FortheradioisotopesthatcontributethemosttoSRS’sestimatedmaximumindividualdoses(i.e.,tritiumandcesium-137),thedosetoinfantscanbeapproximatedastwotothreetimesmorethantheadultdose.Thedosetoolderchildrenbecomesprogressivelyclosertotheadultdose(InternationalCommissiononRadiologicalProtection[ICRP]1996).

This chapter presents the potential doses to offsite individuals and the surrounding population from the 2011 Savannah River Site (SRS) atmospheric and liquid radioactive releases. Also documented are potential doses from special-case

exposure scenarios-such as the consumption of deer meat, fish, and goat milk. Unless otherwise noted, the generic term “dose” used in this report includes both the committed effective dose (50-year committed dose) from internal deposition of radionuclides and the effective dose attributable to sources external to the body. Use of the effective dose allows doses from different types of radiation and to different parts of the body to be expressed on the same basis.

Radiological Dose Assessments

Timothy Jannik, Eduardo B. Farfan, Wendy W. Kuhne, and Kenneth L. DixonSavannah River National Laboratory

Dose to the Hypothetical Maximally Exposed Individual

When calculating radiation doses to the public, SRS uses the concept of the hypothetical MEI; however, because of the conservative lifestyle assumptions used in the dose models, no such person is known to exist. The parameters used for the dose calculations are as follows:

For airborne releases – Someone who lives at the SRS boundary (in the sector that has the highest calculated radionuclide concentrations) 365 days per year and consumes milk, meat, and vegetables produced at that location.

For liquid releases – Someone who lives downriver of SRS (near River Mile 118.8) 365 days per year, drinks two liters of untreated water per day from the Savannah River, consumes 19 kilogram (42 pounds) per year of Savannah River fish, and spends time on or near the river. Beginning in 2011, the irrigation pathway (consumption of food products irrigated with Savannah River water) was added to the MEI dose for liquid releases.

To demonstrate compliance with the DOE Order 5400.5 all-pathway dose standard of 100 mrem per year, SRS conservatively combines the airborne pathway and liquid pathway dose estimates, even though the two doses are calculated for hypothetical individuals residing at different geographic locations.

CHAPTER

6


6 - Radiological Dose Assessments

SRSalsousesadultconsumptionratesforfoodanddrinkingwaterandadultusageparameterstoestimateintakesofradionuclides.Allapplicableland-andwater-useparametersinthedosecalculationsaredocumentedintheLandandWaterUseCharacteristicsandHumanHealthInputParametersforuseinEnvironmentalDosimetryandRiskAssessmentsattheSavannahRiverSite(Janniketal.2010).Theseparametersincludelocalcharacteristicsoffoodproduction,riverrecreationalactivities,andmeat,milk,andvegetableconsumptionrates,aswellasotherhumanusageparametersrequiredintheSRSdosimetrymodels.Inaddition,thepreferredelementalbioaccumulationandtransferfactorstobeusedinhumanhealthexposurecalculationsatSRSaredocumentedinthisreport.Thesite-specificinputparametersthatarethemostimportanttothedosecalculationsaresummarizedindatatables6-1and6-2.

Fordosecalculations,unspecifiedalphareleasesweretreatedasplutonium-239,andunspecifiedbetareleases,asstrontium-90.Theseradionuclideshavethehighestdosefactorsofthealpha-andbeta-emitters,respectively,commonlymeasuredinSRSwastestreams.

Dose Calculation Methods DuringroutineoperationsatSRS,radioactivematerialsareincidentallyreleasedtotheenvironmentthroughatmosphericand/orliquidpathways.Thesereleasespotentiallyresultinaradiationdosecommitmenttooffsitepeople.Theprincipalpathwaysbywhichpeopleareexposedtoreleasesofradioactivityare:• Inhalation• Ingestion• Skinabsorption• Externalexposure

Figure6-1isasimplifiedrepresentationoftheprincipalexposurepathways.

AtSRS,thepotentialeffectsofroutineradioactivereleaseshavebeenassessedannuallysinceoperationsbegan.Since1972,annualoffsitedoseestimateshavebeenpublishedinsiteenvironmentalreportsmadeavailabletothepublic.Forallroutineenvironmentaldosecalculationsperformedsince1978,SRShasusedenvironmentaltransportmodelsbasedoncodes

Airborne Effluents

Dri

nki

ng

Wat

er

EatingM

eatDrinkingMilk

Eating

Gra

ss

Ea

ting Fish

Deposit on Crops and Ground

Figure 6-1 Exposure Pathways to Humans from Atmospheric and Aqueous Releases


Radiological Dose Assessments - 6

developedbytheNuclearRegulatoryCommission(NRC)(NRC1977).TheNRCbasedtransportmodelsuseDOEacceptedmethods,considerallsignificantexposurepathways,andpermitdetailedanalysisoftheeffectsofroutineoperations.AtSRS,theMAXDOSE-SRandPOPDOSE-SRcodesareusedforatmosphericreleasesandLADTAPXL©isusedforliquidreleases.ThesemodelsaredescribedinSRSEDAM(2010).

From1988through2009,SRSusedtheinternalandexternaldoseconversionfactorsprovidedinDOE[1988].Beginningin2010,theinternaldoseconversionfactorswereupdatedtousethedosefactorsfromICRPPublication72,(ICRP1996).ExternaldoseconversionfactorswereupdatedtothedosefactorsprovidedinFederalGuidanceReport12,(EnvironmentalProtectionAgency[EPA]1993).

Meteorological Database ToshowcompliancewithDOEenvironmentalorders,potentialoffsitedosesfromreleasesofradioactivitytotheatmospherewerecalculatedwithquality-assuredmeteorologicaldataforA-Area,K-Area(forcombinedreleasesfromC-Area,K-Area,andL-Area),andH-Area(forcombinedreleasesfromallotherareas).Themeteorologicaldatabasesfortheyears2002-2006,reflectingthemostrecentfive-yearcompilationperiod,areprovidedindatatable6-3.

Toshowcompliancewithregulations,onlytheH-AreameteorologicaldatabasewasusedinthecalculationsbecausetheUSEPA-requireddosimetrycode(CAP88PC[PersonalComputer]version3.0,henceforthreferredtosimplyasCAP88PC)islimitedtoasinglereleaselocation.RefertotheCompliancesectionformoredetailsonCAP88PC.

Population Database and Distribution Collective(population)dosesfromatmosphericreleasesarecalculatedforthepopulationwithina50-mileradiusofSRS.BasedontheU.S.CensusBureau’s2010data,thepopulationwithina50-mileradiusofthecenterofSRSis781,060,anincreaseof9.6percentoverthe2000populationinthisarea.Thistranslatestoanaveragepopulationdensityofabout104peoplepersquaremileoutsidetheSRSboundary,withthelargestconcentrationintheAugustametropolitanarea.ThepopulationdistributionaroundSRSisprovidedindatatable6-4.

SomeofthecollectivedosesresultingfromSRSliquidreleasesarecalculatedforthepopulationsservedbytheCityofSavannahIndustrialandDomesticWaterSupplyPlant(SavannahI&D),nearPortWentworth,Georgia,andbytheBeaufort-JasperWaterandSewerAuthority’s(BJWSA)ChelseaandPurrysburgWaterTreatmentPlants,bothnearBeaufort,SouthCarolina.Accordingtothetreatmentplantoperators,thepopulationservedbytheSavannahI&Dfacilityduring2011was26,300persons,whilethepopulationservedbytheBJWSAChelseafacilitywas77,000personsandbytheBJWSAPurrysburgfacility,58,000persons.ThetotalpopulationdoseresultingfromroutineSRSliquidreleasesisthesumoffivecontributingcategories:(1)BJSWAwaterconsumers,(2)SavannahI&Dwaterconsumers,(3)consumptionoffishandinvertebratesofSavannahRiverorigin,(4)recreationalactivitiesontheSavannahRiver,and(5)irrigationoffoodstuffsusingriverwaternearRiverMile118.8.

River Flow Rate Data SavannahRiverflowrates,recordedatagaugingstationnearRiverMile118.8(U.S.Highway301bridge),arebasedonthemeasuredwaterelevation.Theriverflowratesmeasuredatthislocationfrom1954to2011areprovidedindatatable6-5.However,thesedataarenotuseddirectlyintheSRSdosecalculations.“Effective”flowratesareusedinsteadandtheyarebasedon(1)themeasuredannualreleaseoftritiumand(2)theannualaveragetritiumconcentrationsmeasuredatRiverMile118.8andatthethreedownriverwatertreatmentplants.Theeffectiveriverflowratecalculationsareshownindatatable6-6.Theuseofeffectiveflowratesinthedosecalculationsgenerallyismoreconservativethantheuseofmeasuredflowratesbecauseitaccountsforlessdilution.

For2011,theRiverMile118.8calculated(effective)flowrateof4,329cubicfeetpersecond(cfs)wasusedinthedosecalculations.Thisflowratewasabout33percentlessthanthe2010effectiveflowrateof6,603cfs.Forcomparison,the2011annualaverageflowrate,asmeasuredbytheU.S.GeologicalSurvey(USGS),was5,714cfs.Thisflowrateismuchlessthanthe2010meanannualflowrateof10,144cfs,indicating2011wasaseveredroughtyearintheSavannahRiverbasin.The2011calculatedeffectiveflowrateswere5,188cfsfortheSavannahI&Dfacility,5,327cfsfortheBJWSAChelseafacility,and5,008cfsfortheBJWSAPurrysburgfacility.



Dose Calculation Results Liquid Pathway Liquid Release Source Terms

The2011radioactiveliquidreleasequantitiesusedasthesourceterminSRSdosecalculationsarediscussedinChapter4andshownbyradionuclideinTable6-1andbysitestreamsindatatable6-7.Datatable6-8providesafive-yearhistoryofSRSliquidradioactivereleases.Tritiumaccountsformorethan99percentofthetotalamountofradioactivityreleasedfromthesitetotheSavannahRiver.In2011,atotalof942curiesoftritiumwerereleasedfromSRStotheriver,a27percentdecreasefromthe2010amountof1,285curies.Inthepast,thetotalamountoftritiuminSRSdosecalculationswasbasedonthemeasuredtritiumconcentrationatRiverMile118.8.However,thetotalfromthislocation

includesthetritiumreleasesfromGeorgiaPowerCompany’sVogtleElectricGeneratingPlant(VEGP).Since2006,doseshavebeencalculatedanddocumentedinthisreportusingSRS-onlyreleases.

DatafromcontinuouslymonitoredliquideffluentdischargepointsareusedinconjunctionwithsiteseepagebasinandSolidWasteDisposalFacilitymigrationreleasemeasurementstoquantifythetotaltritiumreleasedfromSRS.Aseparatedosecalculationisperformed(forinformationonly)thatincludesthetotalamountoftritium(SRSplusVEGP),whichin2011was2,312curies(942curiesfromSRSand1,370curiesfromVEGP).Thiswasa12percentincreasefromthe2010totalof2,058curies.

a Near River Mile 118.8, downriver of SRS at the U.S. Highway 301 bridgeb Beaufort-Jasper, South Carolina, drinking waterc Port Wentworth, Georgia, drinking waterd The tritium concentrations and source term are based on actual measurements of the Savannah River water at the various

locations. They include contributions from VEGP. All other radionuclide concentrations are calculated based on the effective river flow rate.

e MCLs for uranium based on radioisotope specific activity X 30 µg/L X isotopic abundancef, g For dose calculations and MCL comparisons, unspecified alpha and beta releases are assumed to be Pu-239 and Sr-90,

respectively

Nuclide ActivityReleased (Ci)

12-Month Average Concentration (pCi/L)

Below SRSa

BJWSA Chelseab

BJWSA Purrysburg b

Savannah I&Dc USEPA MCLe

H-3d 2.31E+03 5.98E+02 4.86E+02 5.17E+02 4.99E+02 2.00E+04

C-14 1.11E-02 2.87E-03 2.33E-03 2.48E-03 2.40E-03 2.00E+03

Sr-90 2.94E-02 7.60E-03 6.18E-03 6.57E-03 6.35E-03 8.00E+00

Tc-99 1.07E-02 2.77E-03 2.25E-03 2.39E-03 2.31E-03 9.00E+02

I-129 1.48E-02 3.83E-03 3.11E-03 3.31E-03 3.19E-03 1.00E+00

Cs-137 8.05E-02 2.08E-02 1.69E-02 1.80E-02 1.74E-02 2.00E+02

U-234 7.44E-02 1.92E-02 1.56E-02 1.66E-02 1.61E-02 1.03E+01

U-235 3.50E-03 9.05E-04 7.36E-04 7.83E-04 7.55E-04 4.67E-01

U-238 8.80E-02 2.28E-02 1.85E-02 1.97E-02 1.90E-02 1.00E+01

Np-237 3.56E-06 9.21E-07 7.48E-07 7.96E-07 7.68E-07 1.50E+01

Pu-238 1.03E-03 2.66E-04 2.16E-04 2.30E-04 2.22E-04 1.50E+01

Pu-239 4.39E-05 1.14E-05 9.23E-06 9.82E-06 9.47E-06 1.50E+01

Am-241 4.06E-04 1.05E-04 8.53E-05 9.08E-05 8.76E-05 1.50E+01

Cm-244 3.99E-04 1.03E-04 8.39E-05 8.92E-05 8.61E-05 1.50E+01

Alphaf 1.35E-02 3.49E-03 2.84E-03 3.02E-03 2.91E-03 1.50E+01

Betag 3.30E-02 8.54E-03 6.94E-03 7.38E-03 7.12E-03 8.00E+00

Table 6-1 2011 Radioactive Liquid Release Source Term and 12-Month Average Downriver Radionuclide Concentrations Compared to the USEPA’s Drinking Water Maximum Contaminant Levels (MCL)



Radionuclide Concentrations in Savannah River Water, Drinking Water, and Fish

TheconcentrationsoftritiuminSavannahRiverwaterandcesium-137inSavannahRiverfisharemeasuredatseverallocationsalongtheriverforuseindosedeterminationsandmodelcomparisons.TheamountsofallotherradionuclidesreleasedfromSRSaresosmallthattheyusuallycannotbedetectedintheSavannahRiverusingconventionalanalyticaltechniques.Therefore,theirconcentrationsintheriverarecalculatedusingtheLADTAPXL©code,basedontheannualreleaseamountsandontheapplicableeffectiveflowrate.

Radionuclide Concentrations in River Water and Treated Drinking Water—ThemeasuredconcentrationsoftritiumintheSavannahRivernearRiverMile118.8andattheSavannahI&DandBJWSAwatertreatmentfacilitiesareintable6-1,asarethecalculatedconcentrationsfortheotherreleasedradionuclides.ThesedownrivertritiumconcentrationsincludetritiumreleasesfromSRSandtheneighboringVEGP.

In2011,the12-monthaveragetritiumconcentrationmeasuredinSavannahRiverwaternearRiverMile118.8(598picocuriesperliter(pCi/L))was71percentmorethanthe2010concentrationof349pCi/L.Thisincreaseismainlyattributedtothedecreaseinriverflowfrom2010to2011andtoincreasedreleasesoftritiumfromVEGP.The2011concentrationsattheBJSWAChelsea(486pCi/L)andPurrysburg(517pCi/L)facilitiesandattheSavannahI&D(499pCi/L)watertreatmentplantwereproportionatelyhigherthanin2010butremainedwellbelowtheEPAdrinkingwatermaximumcontaminantlevel(MCL)of20,000pCi/L.ThedrinkingwaterMCLforeachradionuclidereleasedfromSRSduring2011isintable6-1.Thetableindicatesthatallindividualradionuclideconcentrationsatthethreedownrivercommunitydrinkingwatersystems,aswellasatRiverMile118.8,werebelowtheMCLs.

BecausemorethanoneradionuclideisreleasedfromSRS,thesumofthefractionsofthereportedconcentrationofeachradionuclidedividedbyitscorrespondingMCLmustnotexceed1.0.Asshownindatatable6-9,thesumsofthefractionswere0.0343attheBJSWAChelseafacility,0.0365attheBJSWAPurrysburgfacility,and0.0352attheSavannahI&Dfacility.Thesearebelowthe1.0sum-of-the-fractionsrequirement.

For2011,thesumofthefractionsattheRiverMile118.8locationwas0.0422.Thisisprovidedonly

forcomparisonbecauseRiverMile118.8isnotacommunitydrinkingwatersystemlocation.

Radionuclide Concentrations in River Fish—AtSRS,animportantdosepathwayfortheMEIisfromtheconsumptionoffish.Fishexhibitahighdegreeofbioaccumulationforcertainelements.Fortheelementcesium(includingradioactiveisotopesofcesium),thebioaccumulationfactorforSavannahRiverfishis3,000.Thatis,theconcentrationofcesiuminfishfleshisabout3,000timestheconcentrationofcesiumfoundinthewaterinwhichthefishlive(Carltonetal.,1994).

Becauseofthishighbioaccumulationfactor,cesium-137isdetectedmoreeasilyinfishfleshthaninriverwater.Therefore,thefishpathwaydosefromcesium-137normallyisbaseddirectlyontheradioanalysisofthefishcollectednearRiverMile118.8,theassumedlocationofthehypotheticalMEI.However,asshownindatatable6-10,theLADTAPXLdosemodelcalculatedconcentrationofcesium-137infish,basedonmeasured2011effluentreleases,wasdeterminedtobemorethantheactualmeasuredconcentrationinfish.Tobeconservative,thishighercalculatedcesium-137concentrationinfishwasusedinthe2011dosedeterminations.

Dose to the Maximally Exposed Individual

BasedondiscussionswithpersonnelintheGeorgiaDepartmentofNaturalResources(GDNR),theSouthCarolinaDepartmentofHealthandEnvironmentalControl(SCDHEC),andtheU.S.GeologicalSurvey(USGS),noknownlarge-scaleusesofSavannahRiverwaterdownstreamofSRSexistforagriculturalirrigationpurposes.However,thepotentialforagriculturalirrigationdoesexist,especiallyforindividualgardenuse.Therefore,beginningin2011,thedosesfromtheirrigationpathwayareincludedinthetotalsfortheofficialMEIandcollectivedoses.

Asshownindatatable6-12,the2011dosetotheMEIfromallliquidpathwaysexceptirrigationwasestimatedat0.084mrem(0.00084millisievert(mSv)).Thisdosewas42percentmorethanthecomparabledosein2010of0.059mrem(0.00059mSv).Thisincreaseismainlyattributedtothe33percentdecreaseinriverflowratefrom2010to2011.Asshownindatatable6-16,theirrigationpathwayMEIdosewasestimatedtobe0.092mrem(0.00092mSv).Addingthesetwodosestogetherleadstoatotalliquid,all-pathwaydoseof0.18mrem(0.00018mSv).Table6-2showsthistotaldoseis0.18percentoftheDOEOrder5400.5all-pathwaydosestandardforannualexposureof100mrem.Afive-year



historyofSRSdosesisprovidedindatatable6-11.

Nearly52percentofthe2011totaldosetotheMEIresultedfromtheirrigationpathway(ingestionofmeat,milk,andvegetables).Thefishconsumptionpathwayaccountedfor34percentandthedrinkingwaterpathway,13percent.Cesium-137(36percent),tritiumoxide(13percent),anduranium-238(10percent)werethemajorradionuclidescontributingtothetotalliquidpathwaydose.

Usingthe2011totalSavannahRivertritiumsourceterm(whichincludesSRSandVEGPreleases)of2,312curies,theMEIdose(includingtheirrigationpathway)wascalculatedtobe0.21mrem(0.0021mSv).Thisdose,providedforinformationonly,isabout17percentmorethanthe2010comparabledoseof0.18mrem(0.0018mSv).

Drinking Water Pathway Dose

PersonsdownriverofSRSmayreceivearadiationdosebyconsumingdrinkingwaterthatcontainsradioactivityasaresultofliquidreleasesfromthesite.Asshownindatatables6-13and6-14,tritiumindownriverdrinkingwaterrepresentedthemajorityofthedose(about51percent)receivedbycustomersofthethreedownriverwatertreatmentplants.

BasedonSRS-onlyreleases,themaximumpotentialdrinkingwaterdoseduring2011wasdeterminedtobe0.02mrem(0.0002mSv),aboutthesameasthe2010dose(datatable6-11).Asshownintable6-2,

themaximumdoseof0.02mrem(0.0002mSv)is0.5percentoftheDOEstandardof4mremperyearforpublicdrinkingwatersupplies.

UsingtheSRS-plus-VEGPtotaltritiumsourcetermof2,312curies,themaximumdrinkingwaterdosein2011wascalculatedtobe0.035mrem(0.00035mSv),whichis0.9percentoftheDOEstandard.

Collective (Population) Dose

ThecollectivedrinkingwaterconsumptiondoseiscalculatedforthediscretepopulationgroupsservedbytheBJWSAandSavannahI&Dwatertreatmentplants.Collectivedosesfromagriculturalirrigationwerecalculatedassumingthat1,000acresoflandweredevotedtoeachofthemajorfoodtypesgrownintheSRSarea(vegetables,milk,andmeat).Itisassumedthatallthefoodproducedonthese1,000-acreparcelsisconsumedbythepopulation(781,060)within50milesofSRS.ThecollectivedosefromotherpathwaysiscalculatedforadiffusepopulationthatmakesuseoftheSavannahRiver;however,thispopulationcannotbedescribedasbeinginaspecificgeographicallocation.Asshownindatatable6-15,thecollectivedosefromallpathwaysexceptirrigationwasestimatedat1.8person-rem(0.018person-Sv)in2011.Asshownindatatable6-16,thecollectivedosefromtheirrigationpathwaywas1.3person-rem(0.013person-Sv).Addingthesetwodosestogetherleadstoatotalallpathwaycollectivedoseof3.1person-rem(0.031person-Sv).Thisisabout8percentlessthanthecomparable2010collectivedoseof3.4person-rem(0.034person-Sv).Thisdecreaseis

a All-pathway dose standard: 100 mrem per year (DOE Order 5400.5)b Drinking water pathway standard: 4 mrem per year (DOE Order 5400.5)

Table 6-2 Potential Dose to the Maximally Exposed Individual from SRS Liquid Releases in 2011

Committed Dose (mrem)

Applicable Standard (mrem)

Percent of Standard (percent)

Near Site Boundary (all liquid pathways)• All Pathways except irrigation• Irrigation Pathways

Total Pathways

0.0840.0920.18 100a 0.18

At BJSWA Chelsea (public water supply only)

0.019 4b 0.48

At BJSWA Purrysburg (public water supply only)

0.020 4b 0.50

At Savannah I&D (public water supply only)

0.019 4b 0.48



attributedmainlytodecreasesintritiumreleasesfromSRS(datatable6-8).UsingtheSRS-plus-VEGPtotaltritiumsourcetermof2,312curies,thecollectivedosewascalculatedtobe4.4person-rem(0.044person-Sv)in2011.

Air Pathway Atmospheric Source Terms

The2011radioactiveatmosphericreleasequantitiesusedasthesourceterminSRSdosecalculationsarediscussedinChapter4andareindatatable6-17.Estimatesofunmonitoreddiffuseandfugitivesourceswereincludedintheatmosphericsourceterm,asrequired,fordemonstratingcompliancewithNESHAPregulations.Afive-yearhistoryofSRSatmosphericreleasesisprovidedindatatable6-18.

Atmospheric Concentrations

CalculatedradionuclideconcentrationsinsteadofmeasuredconcentrationsareusedfordosedeterminationsbecausemostradionuclidesreleasedfromSRScannotbemeasured(usingconventionalanalyticalmethods)intheairsamplescollectedatthesiteperimeterandoffsitelocations.However,theconcentrationsoftritiumoxideatthesiteperimeterlocationsusuallycanbemeasuredandarecomparedwithcalculatedconcentrationsasaverificationofthedosemodelsindatatable6-19.

Dose to the Maximally Exposed Individual

The2011estimateddosefromatmosphericreleasestotheMEI(calculatedwithMAXDOSE-SR)was0.032mrem(0.00032mSv),0.32percentoftheDOEOrder5400.5airpathwaystandardoftenmremperyear.Table6-3comparestheMEIdosewiththeDOEstandard.The2011dosewasabout41percentlessthanthe2010doseof0.05mrem(0.00054mSv).Thisdecreaseisattributedprimarilytothelargedecreaseintheestimateddiffuseandfugitivereleasesoftritiumfrom2010to2011(seeChapter4).Afive-yearhistoryofSRSairpathwaydosesisindatatable6-11.

The2011atmosphericdosesbyradionuclideandpathwayareprovidedindatatable6-20.Tritiumoxidereleasesaccountedforabout74percentofthedosetotheMEI,strontium-90releasesaccountedforabout12percent,andunidentifiedbetaaccountedfor6percentofthedose.Nootherindividualradionuclideaccountedformorethan5percentoftheMEIdose.ThemajorpathwayscontributingtotheMEIdosefromatmosphericreleaseswerevegetationconsumption(42percent),inhalation(36percent),andcowmilkconsumption(16percent).Asshownindatatable6-21

andinDataMapFigure16,theduenorthsectorofthesitewasthelocationofthehighestdosetotheMEI.

BecauseofthepotentialintheSRSareaforexposuretogoatmilk,additionalcalculationsofthedosetotheMEIwereperformedsubstitutinggoatmilkforthecustomarycowmilkpathway.Asshownindatatable6-22,thepotentialdosetotheMEIusingthegoatmilkpathwaywasestimatedtobe0.036mrem(0.00036mSv),whichisabout13percentmorethan“official”MEIdoseof0.032mrem(0.00032mSv)usingthecustomarycowmilkpathway.

Collective (Population) Dose

Theair-pathwaycollectivedoseiscalculatedfortheentire781,060populationlivingwithin50milesofSRS.ThepopulationdistributionaroundSRSisprovidedindatatable6-4.In2011,theairborne-pathwaycollectivedose(calculatedwithPOPDOSE-SR)wasestimatedat1.2person-rem(0.012personSv),lessthan0.01percentoftheannualcollectivedosereceivedfromnaturalsourcesofradiation(about234,000person-rem).The2011air-pathwaycollectivedosesbyradionuclideandpathwayareprovidedindatatable6-23.Tritiumoxidereleasesaccountedforabout82percentofthecollectivedose.The2011collectivedosewasabout37percentlessthanthe2009collectivedoseof1.9person-rem(0.019person-Sv).Thisdecreaseisagainmainlyattributedtothedecreaseinestimateddiffuseandfugitivetritiumreleasesfrom2010to2011.

NESHAP Compliance

TodemonstratecompliancewithNESHAPregulations(USEPA,2002a),MEIandcollectivedoseswerecalculatedusing(1)theCAP88PCversion3.0computer

Table 6–3 Potential Dose to the Maximally Exposed Individual from SRS Atmospheric Releases in 2011

MAXDOSE–SRCAP88 PC

(NESHAP)

Calculated dose (mrem)

0.032 0.015

Applicable Standard (mrem)

10a 10b

Percent of Standard (%)

0.32 0.15

a DOE: DOE Order 5400.5, February 8, 1990b EPA: (NESHAP) 40 CFR 61, Subpart H, December

15, 1989



code,(2)the2011airborne-releasesourceterm(datatable6-24),and(3)site-specificinputparameters(datatable6-25).

In2011,SRSbeganusingthePCversionoftheCAP88code.Previously,themainframeversionofthecodewasused,butamainframecomputerisnolongeravailableforthesecalculationsatSRS.SeveralmajordifferencesoccurbetweenthetwoversionsoftheCAP88code,asdocumentedinFarfanandPowell(2012).ThemaindifferencesarethatthePCversionusesupdateddoseconversionfactorsbasedonICRP72(ICRP1996)andupdatedusageandtransferparameters.Also,differencesexistinthefoodingestionandexternal(groundshine)exposurecalculations.ForSRS,wherethemajorsourcetermistritiumoxide,thesedifferencesleadtoareductionintheestimatedMEIdoseofabout50percent(FarfanandPowell2012).MostparametersinCAP88PCarehardcodedintheprogramandcannotbechangedwithoutspecificUSEPAapproval.

For2011,usingtheCAP88PCcode,themaximally-exposed-individualdosewasestimatedat0.015mrem(0.00015mSv),0.15percentofthe10-mrem-per-yearUSEPAstandard,asshownintable6-3.The2011dosesbyradionuclideareprovidedindatatable6-26.Tritiumoxidereleasesaccountedforabout50percentofthisdoseandstrontium-90accountedfor43percent.Strontium-90becamemoreimportantonapercentageofdosebasisin2011,ascomparedto2010;because(1)theCAP88PCcodeuseslargersoil-to-plantandplant-to-animaluptakeratiosfortheelementstrontiumthandidthemainframeversionand(2)arelativelylargeincreaseintheestimateddiffuseandfugitivereleasesofstrontium-90occurred(Chapter4).

The2011NESHAPcompliancedosewasabout74percentlessthanthe2010doseof0.057mrem(0.00057mSv)inspiteofthesignificantincreaseinthediffuseandfugitiveemissionsofstrontium-90.ThislargedecreaseisattributedmainlytothedifferencesintheCAP88PCcodeascomparedtomainframeversionandtothedecreaseindiffuseandfugitivereleasesoftritiumoxidediscussedpreviously.

ForNESHAP,thedosefromdiffuseandfugitivereleasesisrequiredtobereportedseparately.Asshownindatatable6-27,theMEIdosefromdiffuseandfugitivereleaseswasestimatedtobeabout0.089mrem(0.00089mSv),whichaccountsformorethanhalfofthetotal2011maximally-exposed-individualdosecalculatedusingCAP88PC.

TheCAP88PC-determinedcollectivedosefor2011wasestimatedat1.9person-rem(0.019person-Sv).Tritiumoxidereleasesaccountedforabout58percentandstrontium-90accountedforabout35percentofthisdose.Comparisons(bypathwayandmajorradionuclides)oftheCAP88PC-determinedMEIandcollectivedoseswiththeMAXDOSE-SRandPOPDOSE-SRdosesareprovidedindatatables6-28and6-29,respectively.

All-Pathway Dose TodemonstratecompliancewiththeDOEOrder5400.5all-pathwaydosestandardof100mrem(1.0mSv)peryear,SRSconservativelycombinestheMEIairborneall-pathwayandliquidall-pathwaydoseestimates,eventhoughthetwodosesarecalculatedforhypotheticalindividualsresidingatdifferentgeographiclocations.Aspreviouslydiscussed,beginningin2011,theSRSall-pathwaydoseincludestheirrigationpathwaydoseestimate.

For2011,thepotentialMEIall-pathwaydosewas0.21mrem(0.0021mSv),0.032mremfromairpathwaysplus0.084mremand0.092mremfromthestandardliquidpathwaysandtheirrigationpathways,respectively.Theall-pathwaydoseis0.21percentofthe100-mrem-per-yearDOEdosestandard.The2011all-pathwaydoseisabout91percentmorethanthereported2010doseof0.11mrem(0.0011mSv).Mostoftheincreaseiscausedbytheadditionoftheirrigationpathwaydose.Withouttheirrigationpathway,the2011all-pathwaydosewouldhavebeen0.12mrem(0.0012mSv),whichis9percentmorethanthe2010comparableall-pathwaydose.

Figure6-2showsaten-yearhistoryofSRS’sall-pathway(airbornepathwayplusliquidpathway)dosestotheMEI.Sportsman Dose

DOEOrder5400.5specifiesradiationdosestandardsforindividualmembersofthepublic.Thedosestandardof100mremperyearincludesdosesapersonreceivesfromroutineDOEoperationsthroughallexposurepathways.Nontypicalexposurepathways,notincludedinthestandardcalculationsofthedosestotheMEI,areconsideredandquantifiedseparately.Thisisbecausetheyapplytolow-probabilityscenariossuchasconsumptionoffishcaughtexclusivelyfromthemouthsofSRSstreams(“creekmouthfish”)ortouniquescenariossuchasvolunteerdeerhunters.

Inadditiontodeer,hog,andfishconsumption,thefollowingexposurepathwayswereconsideredforanoffsitehunterandanoffsitefishermanbothonCreekPlantation,aprivatelyownedportionoftheSavannah



RiverSwamp,contaminatedbySRSoperationsinthe1960s(Chapter9):• Externalexposuretocontaminatedsoil• Incidentalingestionofcontaminatedsoil• Incidentalinhalationofresuspendedcontaminated

soil

Onsite Hunter Dose

Deer and Hog Consumption Pathway—Annualhunts,opentothegeneralpublic,areconductedatSRStocontrolthesite’sdeerandferalhogpopulationsandtoreduceanimal-vehicleaccidents.Theestimateddosefromtheconsumptionofharvesteddeerorhogmeatisdeterminedforeveryonsitehunter.During2011,themaximumdosethatcouldhavebeenreceivedbyanactualonsitehunterwasestimatedat14.7mrem(0.147mSv),or14.7percentofDOE’s100-mremall-pathwaydosestandard(Table6-4).Thisdosewasdeterminedforanactualhunterwhoinfactharvested14animals(fivedeerandninehogs)duringthe2011hunts.Thehunter-

dosecalculationisbasedontheconservativeassumptionthatthisprolifichunterindividuallyconsumedtheentireedibleportion,almost213kilogram(kg)(469pound(lb))oftheanimalsthatthisindividualharvestedfromSRSin2011.

Turkey Consumption Pathway—SRShostsaspecialturkeyhuntduringAprilforhunterswithmobilityimpairments.Twenty-eightturkeyswereharvestedin2011.Thedoseassignedfromeachturkeywas1.0mrem(0.01mSv),whichistheminimumassigneddosetoeachsuccessfulhunter.Oneofthehuntersharvestedfourturkeysin2011,sothemaximumpotentialdosefromthispathwaywas4.0mrem(0.04mSv).

Offsite Hunter Dose

Deer and Hog Consumption Pathway—Thedeerandhogconsumptionpathwayconsideredwasforhypotheticaloffsiteindividualswhoseentireintakeofmeat(assumedtobe81kg)duringtheyearwaseitherdeerorhogmeat.Itwasassumedthatthese

Figure 6–2 Ten-Year History of SRS Maximum Potential All-Pathway Doses

Note: Beginning in 2011, the irrigation pathway dose is included in the liquid pathway dose. Previous years do not include the irrigation pathway dose.



individualsharvesteddeerorhogsthathadresidedatSRSbutthenmovedoffsite.Basedontheselowprobabilityassumptionsandonthemeasuredaverageconcentrationofcesium-137inalldeer(1.19pCi/g)andhogs(1.33pCi/g)harvestedfromSRSduring2011,thepotentialmaximumdosesfromthispathwaywereestimatedat0.74mrem(0.0074mSv)fortheoffsitedeerhunterand1.3mrem(0.013mSv)fortheoffsitehoghunter.Thesedosecalculationsareprovidedindatatable6-30.

Abackgroundcesium-137concentrationof1pCi/gissubtractedfromtheonsiteaverageconcentrationsbeforecalculatingthedoses.Thebackgroundconcentrationisbasedonpreviousanalysesofdeerharvestedatleast50milesfromSRS(Table33,SRSEnvironmentalDatafor1994)[SRSData,1995].

Savannah River Swamp Hunter Soil Exposure Pathway—ThepotentialdosetoarecreationalhunterexposedtoSRSlegacycontaminationinSavannahRiverSwampsoilontheprivatelyownedCreekPlantationin2011(Chapter5)wasestimatedusingtheRESRADcode(Yuetal.,2001andSRSEDAM2010).Itwasassumedthatthisrecreationalsportsman

huntedfor120hoursduringtheyear(8hoursperdayfor15days)atthelocationofmaximumradionuclidecontamination.

Usingtheworst-caseradionuclideconcentrationsfromthemostrecentcomprehensivesurvey,whichwasconductedin2007,thepotentialdosetoahunterfromacombinationof(1)externalexposuretothecontaminatedsoil,(2)incidentalingestionofthesoil,and(3)incidentalinhalationofresuspendedsoilwasestimatedtobe2.9mrem(0.029mSv).

Asshownintable6-4,theoffsitedeerconsumptionpathwayandtheSavannahRiverSwamphuntersoilexposurepathwaywereconservativelyaddedtogethertoobtainatotaloffsitehunterdoseof3.6mrem(0.036mSv).Thispotentialdoseis3.6percentoftheDOE100-mremall-pathwaydosestandard.

Offsite Fisherman Dose Creek-Mouth Fish Consumption Pathway—For2011,radioanalyseswereconductedofthreespeciesoffish(panfish,catfish,andbass)takenfromthemouthsofthefiveSRSstreams.Threecompositesofuptofivefishofeachspeciesareanalyzedfromeach

Committed Dose (mrem)

Applicable Standard (mrem)a

Percent of Standard (%)

Maximally-Exposed-Individual Dose

All-Pathway (Liquid Plus Airborne Pathway) 0.21 100 0.21

Sportsman Dose

Onsite Hunter 14.7 100 14.7Creek-Mouth Fishermanb 0.068 100 0.068

Savannah River Swamp Hunter

Offsite Hog Consumption 1.29

Offsite Deer Consumption 0.74

Soil Exposurec 2.90

Total Offsite Deer Hunter Dose 3.64 100 3.64

Savannah River Swamp Fisherman

Steel Creek Fish Consumption 0.068

Soil Exposured 0.28

Total Offsite Fisherman Dose 0.35 100 0.35

Table 6-4 2011 Maximally-Exposed-Individual All-Pathways and Sportsman Doses Compared to the DOE All-Pathways Dose Standard

a All-pathway dose standard: 100 mrem per year (DOE Order 5400.5)b In 2011, the maximum dose to a hypothetical fisherman resulted from the consumption of bass from the mouth of Steel Creek.c Includes the dose from a combination of external exposure to and incidental ingestion and inhalation of the worst-case Savannah

River Swamp soild Includes the dose from a combination of external exposure to and incidental ingestion and inhalation of Savannah River Swamp

soil near the mouth of Steel Creek



samplinglocation.Theresultingestimateddosesareprovidedindatatable6-31.Beginningin2011,atleastoneofthethreecompositeshadtohaveasignificantresultforanaverageconcentrationtobereported.Inpreviousyears,tobeconservative,allradioanalyticalresults(eventhosebelowtheminimumdetectableactivity)wereincludedintheaverageradionuclideconcentrations.SRSreportsthemaximumdosefromthiscombinationofcreek-mouthfish.Asshownintable6-4,themaximumpotentialdosefromthispathwaywasestimatedat0.068mrem(0.00068mSv)fromtheconsumptionofbasscollectedatthemouthofSteelCreek.Thishypotheticaldoseisbasedonthelowprobabilityscenariothat,during2011,afishermanconsumed19kg(42lb)ofbasscaughtexclusivelyfromthemouthofSteelCreek.About88percentofthispotentialdosewasfromcesium-137.

Savannah River Swamp Fisherman Soil Exposure Pathway—ThepotentialdosetoarecreationalfishermanexposedtoSRSlegacycontaminationinSavannahRiverSwampsoilontheprivatelyownedCreekPlantationwasestimatedusingtheRESRADcode(Yuetal.,2001).ItwasassumedthatthisrecreationalsportsmanfishedontheSouthCarolinabankoftheSavannahRivernearthemouthofSteelCreekfor250hoursduringtheyear.

Usingtheradionuclideconcentrationsmeasuredatthislocation,thepotentialdosetoafishermanfromacombinationof(1)externalexposuretothecontaminatedsoil,(2)incidentalingestionofthesoil,and(3)incidentalinhalationofresuspendedsoilwasestimatedtobe0.28mrem(0.0028mSv).

Asshownintable6-4,themaximumSteelCreekfishconsumptiondose(0.068mrem)andtheSavannahRiverSwampfishermansoilexposurepathwaywereconservativelyaddedtogethertoobtainatotaloffsitefishermandoseof0.35mrem(0.0035mSv).Thispotentialdoseis0.35percentoftheDOE100-mremall-pathwaydosestandard.

Potential Risk from Consumption of SRS Creek-Mouth Fish

During1991and1992,inresponsetoaU.S.HouseofRepresentativesAppropriationsCommitteerequestforaplantoevaluaterisktothepublicfromfishcollectedfromtheSavannahRiver,SRSdevelopedaFishMonitoringPlaninconjunctionwithEPA,GDNRandSCDHEC.ThisplanassessesradiologicalriskfromtheconsumptionofSavannahRiverfish,andpresentsasummaryoftheresultsintheannualSRSenvironmentalreport.

Risk Comparisons—For2011,themaximumpotentialradiationdosesandlifetimerisksfromtheconsumptionofSRScreek-mouthfishfor1-year,30-year,and50-yearexposuredurationsareprovidedindatatable6-31,andthemaximumvaluesarecomparedtotheradiationrisksassociatedwiththeDOEOrder5400.5all-pathwaydosestandardof100mrem(1.0mSv)peryearintable6-5.ThepotentialriskswereestimatedusingthecancermorbidityriskcoefficientsfromFederalGuidanceReportNo.13(USEPA,1999a)

For2011,themaximumrecreationalfishermandosewascausedbytheconsumptionofbasscollectedatthemouthofSteelCreek.Figure6-3showsaten-yearhistoryoftheannualpotentialradiationdosesfromconsumptionofSavannahRiverfish.Overthepastsevenyears,noapparenttrendscanbediscernedfromthesedatabecauseoflargevariabilityinthecesium-137concentrationsmeasuredinfishfromthesamelocationduetodifferencesin• thesizeofthefishcollectedeachyear,• theirmobilityandlocationwithinthestream

mouthfromwhichtheyarecollected,• thetimeofyeartheyarecollected,• theamountofcesium-137(andotherradionuclides)

availableinthewaterandsedimentsatSRS,and• thewaterqualityateachSRSstreammouth,

causedbyannualchangesinstreamflowrates(turbulence)andwaterchemistry.

Asindicatedintable6-5,the50-yearmaximumpotentiallifetimeriskfromconsumptionofSRScreek-mouthfishwas2.8E-06,belowthe50-yearrisk(3.7E-03)associatedwiththe100-mrem-per-yeardosestandard.

Ifapotentiallifetimeriskiscalculatedtobelessthan1.0E-06(i.e.,oneadditionalcaseofcanceroverwhatwouldbeexpectedinagroupof1,000,000people),thentheriskisconsideredminimalandthecorrespondingcontaminantconcentrationsareconsiderednegligible.Ifacalculatedriskismorethan1.0E-04(oneadditionalcaseofcancerinapopulationof10,000),thensomeformofcorrectiveactionorremediationusuallyisrequired.However,ifacalculatedriskfallsbetween1.0E-04and1.0E-06,thecasewiththemaximumpotentiallifetimerisksfromtheconsumptionofSavannahRiverfish,thentheriskmaybedeemedacceptableifitiskeptaslowasreasonablyachievable(ALARA),althoughactionstofurtherreducethisriskcanbeconsidered.AtSRS,anenvironmentalALARAprogramisinplaceto



ensurethatthepotentialriskfromsiteradioactiveliquideffluents(and,therefore,fromconsumptionofSavannahRiverfish)iskeptALARA(SRSEMPlan,2010).

Release of Material Containing Residual Radioactivity NomaterialscontainingresidualradioactivitywerereleasedfromSRSduring2011.DOEissuedamoratoriuminJanuary2000prohibitingthereleaseofvolume-contaminatedmetalsandsubsequentlysuspendedthereleaseofmetalsforrecyclingpurposesfromDOEradiologicalareasinJuly2000.Novolume-contaminatedmetalsormetalsforrecyclingpurposeswerereleasedfromSRSin2011.

DOEapprovedanSRSrequestin2003tousesupplementallimitsforreleasingmaterialfromthesitewithnofurtherDOEcontrols.Thesesupplementalreleaselimits,providedindatatable6-32,aredose-based,andaresuchthatifanymemberofthepublicreceivedanyexposure,itwouldbelessthan1mrem/year.Thesupplementallimitsincludebothsurfaceandvolumeconcentrationcriteria.Thesurfacecriteriaareverysimilartothoseusedinpreviousyears.ThevolumecriteriaallowSRStheoptiontodisposeofpotentiallyvolume-contaminatedmaterialinThreeRiversLandfill,anonsitesanitaryfacility.In2011,nomaterialwasreleasedfromthesiteusingtheSRSsupplementalreleaselimitsvolumeconcentrationcriteria.

ThesemeasuresensurethatradiologicalreleasesofmaterialfromSRSareconsistentwiththerequirementsofDOEOrder5400.5.

Radiation Dose to Aquatic and Terrestrial Biota DOEOrder5400.5establishesaninterimdosestandardforprotectionofnativeaquaticanimals.Theabsorbeddoselimittotheseorganismsis1.0radperday(0.01gray(Gy)perday)fromexposuretoradioactivematerialinliquideffluentsreleasedtonaturalwaterways.

DOE Biota Concentration Guides

AtSRS,theevaluationsofbiotadosesforaquaticandterrestrialsystemsareperformedusingtheRESRAD-Biotamodel(version1.5)(SRSEDAM2010),basedontheDOEstandard,AGradedApproachforEvaluatingRadiationDosestoAquaticandTerrestrialBiota(DOE,2002).

Theaquatic-systemsevaluationincludesexposurestoprimary(herbivores)andsecondary(predators)aquaticanimals,andthebiotaconcentrationguides(BCG)sarebasedonthe1.0-rad-per-daydoselimitforaquaticanimalsanda0.1rad-per-daylimitforripariananimals.Aquaticplantsarenotconsidered.Theterrestrial-systemsevaluationincludesexposurestoterrestrialplantsandanimalsandisbasedona1.0-rad-per-daydoselimitforplantsanda0.1-rad-per-daydoselimitforanimals.Thesetwoterrestrialdose

Table 6–5 Potential Lifetime Risks from the Consumption of Savannah River Fish Compared to Dose Standards

a All radiological risk factors are based on observed and documented health effects to actual people who have received high doses (more than 10,000 mrem) of radiation, such as the Japanese atomic bomb survivors. Radiological risks at low doses (less than 10,000 mrem) are theoretical and are estimated by extrapolating the observed health effects at high doses to the low-dose region by using a linear, no-threshold model. However, cancer and other health effects have not been observed consistently at low radiation doses because the health risks either do not exist or are so low that they are undetectable by current scientific methods.

Committed Dose(mrem)

Potential Riska

(unitless)

2010 Savannah River Fish

1-Year Exposure 0.068 5.6E-0830-Year Exposure 2.04 1.7E-0650-Year Exposure 3.4 2.8E-06

Dose Standard

100-mrem/Year All Pathway

1-Year Exposure 100 7.3E-0530-Year Exposure 3,000 2.2E-0350-Year Exposure 5,000 3.7E-03



limits,includedaspartoftheRESRAD-Biotamodel,arenotspecifiedinDOEOrder5400.5.Allthreebiotadoselimitsareforchronic,long-termexposurestothemaximallyexposedapplicablespecies.

Fortheaquatic-systemsevaluation,initialscreeningswereperformedin2011usingmaximumradionuclideconcentrationdatafromthetenSRSEnvironmentalMonitoringstreamsamplinglocationsfromwhichcollocatedwaterandsedimentsamplesarecollected.AnexceptiontothiswasmadeforsamplelocationFM-2B(onFourmileBranchbetweenF-AreaandH-Area)becauseofitshistoricallyhighcesiumandtritiumconcentrationlevels.Thislocationwasincludedintheinitialscreeningeventhoughnocollocatedsedimentsampleiscollected.Thecombinedwater-plus-

sedimentBCGsumofthefractionswasusedfortheaquaticsystemsevaluation.Asumofthefractionslessthan1.0indicatesthesamplingsitehaspasseditsinitialpathwayscreening.

Fortheterrestrial-systemsevaluation,initialscreeningswereperformedusingconcentrationdatafromthefiveenvironmentalmonitoringonsiteradiologicalsoilsamplinglocations.Onlyonesoilsampleperyeariscollectedandanalyzedforradioactivityfromeachlocation.

For2011,allterrestriallocationsandallaquaticlocationspassedtheirinitialpathwayscreenings.AlloftheRESRAD-Biotascreeningresultsareprovidedindatatable6-33.

Figure 6–3 Ten-Year History of SRS Creek-Mouth Fisherman’s Doses


Groundwater protection at the Savannah River Site (SRS) has evolved into a program with the following primary components:

• Protecting groundwater by using best practices in managing groundwater contaminants and implementing sound remediation technologies;

• Monitoring groundwater to identify areas of contamination;

• Remediating groundwater contamination as needed; and

• Conserving groundwater.

Groundwater

Sadika O’Quinn Environmental Compliance and Area Completion Projects Engineering

PreviousSRSoperationshavecontaminatedthegroundwateradjacenttoandbeneathhazardouswastemanagementfacilitiesandoperableunits.AnextensivegroundwatermonitoringprogramisinplaceatSRSandremediationstrategiesarebeingimplemented.Remediationstrategiesincludeclosingwastesitestoreducethemigrationofcontaminantsintogroundwaterandactivelytreatingcontaminatedwater.

GroundwatermonitoringfromwellslocatedoffSRSindicatethatcontaminatedgroundwaterisnotmigratingoff-site.

ThischapterdescribesSRS’sgroundwaterenvironmentandthesite-wideprogramsinplaceforinvestigating,monitoring,remediating,andusingthegroundwater.

Groundwater at SRSSRSisunderlainbysedimentoftheAtlanticCoastalPlain.TheAtlanticCoastalPlainconsistsofasoutheast-dippingwedgeofunconsolidatedsedimentthatextendsfromitscontactwiththePiedmontProvinceattheFallLinetotheedgeofthecontinentalshelf.ThesedimentrangesfromLateCretaceoustoMioceneinage,andcompriseslayersofsand,muddysand,andclaywithsubordinatecalcareoussediments.Itrestsoncrystallineandsedimentarybasementrock.

Waterflowseasilythroughthesandylayers(aquifers),butisretardedbylesspermeableclayeybeds(confiningunits).PastSRSoperationshaveresultedincontaminationmigratingtothegroundwateratvarious

sitelocations,predominantlyinthecentralareasofthesite.Thecontinuousmovementofwaterintothesubsurfaceintervalsoftheaquifersystemhastheabilitytotransfercontaminationintothegroundwater.

ThehydrostratigraphyofSRShasbeensubjecttoseveralclassifications,asestablishedinAadlandetal.(1995)andSmitsetal.(1996).TheclassificationsareusedextensivelyatSRSandregardedasthecurrentsitestandard.ThissystemisconsistentwiththeU.S.GeologicalSurvey(USGS)standardsusedintheregionalstudiesthatincludetheareasurroundingSRS[ClarkeandWest1998].Figure7-1demonstratestherelativepositionoftheSRShydrostratigraphicunitsastheyrelatetotheircorrespondinglithologicunitsandgeologictimescale.

ThehydrostratigraphicunitsbeneathSRSarepartoftheSoutheasternCoastalPlainHydrogeologicProvince(figure7-1).Withinthissequenceofaquifers/confiningunitsaretwoprincipalsubcategories:theoverlyingFloridianAquiferSystemandtheunderlyingDublin-MidvilleAquiferSystem.ThesesystemsareseparatedfromeachotherbytheMeyersBranchConfiningSystem.Inturn,thissystemisfurthersubdividedintotwoaquifers,whichareseparatedbyaconfiningunit.InthenorthernpartofSRS(northofUpperThreeRuns),theaquifersystemisreferredtoastheSteedPondAquiferandiscomprisedoftheM-AreaAquiferZone,theGreenClayConfiningZone,andtheLostLakeAquiferZone.IntheCentralandSouthernpartofSRS,theaquifersystemisreferredtoastheUpperThreeRunsandGordonAquifersandiscomprised

CHAPTER

7


7 - Groundwater

oftheUpperZone,TanClayConfiningZone,LowerZone,GordonConfiningUnit,andGordonAquiferZone.Figure7-2isathree-dimensionalblockdiagramofthehydrogeologicunitsatSRSandthegeneralizedgroundwaterflowpatternswithinthoseunits.Theunitsfromtheshallowesttothedeepestare:theUpperThreeRuns/SteedPondAquifer(orwatertableaquifer),theGordon/LostLakeAquifer,theCrouch

BranchAquifer,andtheMcQueenBranchAquifer.Mapsofthepotentiometricsurfacesoftheseaquifersarepresentedinfigures19-22,respectively,ofthe“EnvironmentalData/Maps-2011”Appendixlocatedontheaccompanyingcompactdisk(CD).

Groundwaterrechargeisaresultofrainwaterorotherprecipitationmovingdownwardthroughthegroundto

Figure 7–1 Hydrostratigraphic Units at SRS


Groundwater - 7

thewatertable.Uponenteringthesaturatedzoneatthewatertable,watermovespredominantlyinahorizontaldirectiontowardlocaldischargezonesalongheadwatersandmidsectionsofstreams.Additionallysomewatermovesintosuccessivelydeeperaquifers.Thewaterlosttosuccessivelydeeperaquifersmigrateslaterallywithinthoseunitstowardthemoredistantregionaldischargezones.Theseregionalzonesaretypicallylocatedalongmajorstreams(e.g.,UpperThreeRunsorFourmileBranch),oralongtheSavannahRiveritself.Groundwatermovementwithintheseunitsisextremelyslowascomparedtosurfacewater,withgroundwatervelocitiesvaryingbetweenaquitardsandaquifers.AtSRS,thesevelocitiescanrangefromseveralinchestoseveralfeetperyearinaquitardsandfromtenstohundredsoffeetperyearinaquifers.

MonitoringwellsareusedextensivelyatSRStoassesstheeffectsofsiteactivitiesongroundwaterquality.Most

ofthewellsmonitortheuppergroundwaterzones(seefigure7-1),althoughwellsarepresentinthelowerzonesatthesiteswiththelargergroundwatercontaminationplumes.GroundwaterinsomeareascontainsoneormorecontaminantsatorabovetheU.S.EnvironmentalProtectionAgency(USEPA)drinkingwaterstandards(i.e.,maximumcontaminantlevels[MCLs]).Theseareascanbeseeninfigure18ofthe“EnvironmentalData/Maps-2011”AppendixlocatedontheaccompanyingCD.Time-versus-concentrationplotsforselectedwellsfromvariouscontaminatedareasarealsoincludedontheaccompanyingCD.TheCDalsocontainsallofthe2011SRSgroundwatermonitoringdata.Wellcoordinateshavebeenprovidedinthedatatablesandcanbeusedinconjunctionwithfigure25ofthe“EnvironmentalData/Maps-2011”AppendixlocatedontheaccompanyingCDtofindthelocationofindividualwells.

Modified from Clarke and West, 1998

Figure 7-2 Groundwater at SRSThe groundwater flow system at SRS consists of four major aquifers separated by confining units: Upper Three Runs / Steed Pond, Gordon / Lost Lake, Crouch Branch, and McQueen Branch. Groundwater flow in recharge areas generally migrates downward, as well as laterally, and eventually discharges into the Savannah River and its tributaries or migrates into the deeper regional flow system. Additional information concerning hydraulic heads and flow directions may be found in Figures 19–22 of the “Environmental Data/Maps - 2011” Appendix located on the accompanying CD.


7 - Groundwater

Groundwater Protection Program at SRSTheSRSgroundwaterprotectionprogramisdesignedtomeetfederalandstatelaws/regulations,U.S.DepartmentofEnergy(USDOE)orders,andSRSpoliciesandprocedures.Itcontainsthefollowingelements:• InvestigatingSRSgroundwater;• UsingSRSgroundwater;• ProtectingSRSgroundwater;• RemediatingcontaminatedSRSgroundwater;and• MonitoringSRSgroundwater.

Groundwatermonitoringisakeytoolusedineachofthefirstfourelements,withtheresultsformingthebasisforevaluationsthatarereportedtoSRSstakeholders.

Investigating SRS GroundwaterAnextensivemonitoringprogramisinplaceatSRStoacquiredataandinformationrelatingtothegroundwater.Groundwaterinvestigationsincludethecollectionandanalysisofdatatounderstandgroundwaterconditionsonbotharegionalscale(sitewide)andalocalscale(individualwastesite)atSRS.

MonitoringeffortsatSRSfocusonthecollectionandanalysisofdatatocharacterizethegroundwaterflowandthecontaminantspresent.CharacterizationeffortsatSRSinclude,butarenotlimitedto,thefollowingactivities:• Collectingsoilandgroundwatersamplesusingcone

penetrometertechnology(CPT).Additionalinfor-mationcanalsobeobtainedfromgeologicsoilcoresorseismicprofilestobetterdelineatesubsurfacestructuralfeatures,aswarranted;

• Installingwellstoallowperiodiccollectionofwaterlevelmeasurementsandgroundwatersamplesatstrategiclocations;

• Developingwatertableandpotentiometricmapstohelpdefinethegroundwatervelocityinthesubsur-face;and

• Performingvarioustypesofteststoobtaininsituestimatesofhydraulicparametersinordertoesti-mategroundwatervelocities.

AnalysisofgroundwatercharacteristicsontheregionalscaleisneededtoprovideacomprehensiveunderstandingofSRSgroundwatermovementinordertobetterunderstandthemigrationofcontaminantsatthelocalscale(i.e.,nearindividualwasteunits).

SurfacewaterflowcharacteristicsarealsodeterminedontheregionalscaleatSRSinordertoascertaincontaminantrisktoperennialstreamssincetheyarethereceptorsofgroundwaterdischarge.BecausetheSRSboundarydoesnotrepresentagroundwaterboundary,regionalstudiesareusefulinunderstandingthemovementofgroundwaterintoSRSfromsurroundingareasandviceversa.

GroundwatermodelinghasbeenusedextensivelyatSRSasananalyticaltoolforregionalandlocalgroundwaterinvestigations.Modelshavebeenusedto(1)defineregionalgroundwaterflowpatternsonandoffSRS;(2)enhanceunderstandingofcontaminantmigrationinthesubsurface;(3)supportremedialdesigns;and(4)providepredictiveperformanceassessmentsofwastedisposalfacilities.AtSRS,majorgroundwatermodelingeffortshavebeenconductedonA/M-Areas,D/TNX-Areas,F/HAreas,theBurialGroundComplex,andC-,K-,L-,P-,andR-ReactorAreas.

Inordertogainabetterunderstandingofthefateandtransportprocessesingroundwater,researchisbeingconductedonmanytopics,includingattenuationprocessesforinorganicsandradionuclides,physicalinteractionsofcontaminantswithporousmediamatrices,andbiogeochemicalfactorsthatinfluencemicrobialdegradationoforganiccontaminantsingroundwater.ResearchtoaddressrelevantissuesatSRSisoftenconductedthroughcooperativestudieswithpublicuniversitiesandprivatecompaniesorbySRSemployeesexclusively.PublishedpapersdescribingtheresultsofthespecificresearchprojectsmaybefoundatDOEsOfficeofScientificandTechnicalInformationwebsite,http://www.osti.gov,andinvarioustechnicaljournals.

Using SRS GroundwaterSRSmanagesitsowndrinkingandprocesswatersupplyfromgroundwaterlocatedbeneaththeSRS.SRSdomesticandprocesswatersystemsaresuppliedfromanetworkofapproximately40productionwellsinwidelyscatteredlocationsacrossthesite,ofwhicheightwellssupplytheprimarydrinkingwatersystemfortheSRS(figure14ofthe“EnvironmentalData/Maps-2011”AppendixfoundontheaccompanyingCD).Theproductionwellsarethewatersupplywellsthatprovidewaterforallthefacilityoperationsincludingdomesticwatersystems.In1983,SRSbeganreportingitswaterusageannuallytotheSouthCarolinaWaterResourcesCommission,andlatertotheSouthCarolinaDepartmentofHealthandEnvironmentalControl(SCDHEC).Sincethattime,theamountofgroundwaterpumpedforSRS


Groundwater - 7

usagehasdroppedbymorethantwothirdsfrom10.8milliongallonsperdayduring1983-1986to3.3milliongallonsperdayin2011.ThemajorityofthisdecreaseisattributedtotheconsolidationoftheSRSdomesticwatersystems,whichwascompletedin1997.Thirteenseparatewatersystems,eachwithitsownhigh-capacitysupplywells,wereconsolidatedin1997intothreesystemswhicharelocatedinA-,D-,andK-Areas.In2009,thesethreesystemswerefurtherconsolidatedintotwosystemslocatedinA-andD-Areas.Thisconsolidationgreatlyreducedtheamountofexcesswaterbeingpumpedtowaste.Sitefacilityshutdownsandreductionsinpopulationhavealsobeencontributingfactorstothedecreaseinwaterusage.Anincreasefrom2.7milliongallonsperdayin2009tothe3.3-milliongallonsperdayin2011waslikelyduetotheAmericanRecoveryandReinvestmentActthatacceleratedmanySRSprojectsandrequiredanincreaseintheworkforcethrough2011.

TreatedwaterissuppliedtothelargerSRSfacilitiesbytheA-AreaandD-Areadomesticwatersystems.Eachsystemiscomprisedofatreatmentplant,distributionpiping,elevatedstoragetanks,andawellnetwork.Thewellsrangeincapacityfrom200to1,500gallonsperminute.TheSRSdomesticwatersystemsmeetstateandfederaldrinkingwaterqualitystandards.Thetwosystemssupplywatertositedrinkingfountains,lunchrooms,restrooms,andshoweringfacilities.ThesystemsaresampledquarterlyforchemicalanalysesbySCDHEC.TheA-Areawatersystemismonitored

monthlyforbacteriologicalanalyses;theD-Areawatersystemissampledquarterly.SCDHECperformssanitarysurveyseverytwoyearsontheA-AreaandD-Areasystems.ThemuchsmallersystemsareinspectedbySCDHECeverythreeyears.All2011watersampleswereincompliancewithSCDHECandEPAwaterqualitystandards.AdditionalinformationisprovidedintheSafeDrinkingWaterActsectionofChapter3,“EnvironmentalCompliance.”

TheprocesswatersystemsarelocatedinA-,F-,H-,K-,L-,andS-AreasandmeetSRS’sdemandsforboilerfeedwater,equipmentcoolingwater,facilitywashdownwater,andmakeupwaterforcoolingtowers,firestoragetanks,chilled-water-pipingloops,andsitetestfacilities.Thesesystemsaresuppliedfromdedicatedprocesswaterwellsrangingincapacityfrom100to1,500gallonsperminute.InK-Area,theprocesswatersystemissuppliedfromthedomesticwaterwells.Atsomelocations,theprocesswaterwellspumptogroundlevelstoragetanks,wherethewateristreatedforcorrosioncontrol.Atotherlocations,thewellsdirectlypressurizetheprocesswaterdistributionpipingsystemwithoutsupplementaltreatment.

Protecting SRS GroundwaterSRSiscommittedtoprotectingthegroundwaterresourcesbeneaththesite.Avarietyofactivitiesthatcontributetothisendeavor,include:

Sample Scheduling and Collection

Approximately 2,000 wells and numerous direct-push holes are sampled each year. Most of the wells are sampled semiannually, but many are sampled quarterly or annually. These groundwater samples provide data for reports required by federal/state regulations, internal monitoring reports, and research projects. The results, which contain over 193,000 lines of data, are included with the CD that accompanies this document.

Nonradioactive constituents that may be required for analysis due to permit or regulatory document requirements include metals, field parameters, herbicides, pesticides, volatile organic compounds (VOCs), and others as needed. Likewise, radioactive constituents that may be required for analysis include gross alpha and nonvolatile beta indicators, gamma emitters, iodine-129, strontium-90, radium isotopes, uranium isotopes, and other alpha and beta emitters.

Groundwater samples are typically collected via pumps or bailers that are dedicated to each individual well to prevent cross-contamination between the wells. Portable sampling equipment can also be used if decontamination procedures are implemented between wells.

Sampling and shipping equipment and procedures are consistent with USEPA, SCDHEC, and U.S. Department of Transportation guidelines. USEPA-recommended preservatives and sample-handling techniques are employed for sample storage and transportation to onsite and offsite analytical laboratories. Potentially radioactive samples are screened for total activity prior to shipment to determine appropriate packaging and labeling requirements.Deviations from scheduled sampling and analysis for 2011 (caused by dry wells, inoperative pumps, etc.) were entered into the SRS groundwater database and issued in appropriate reports.


7 - Groundwater

• Construction,wastemanagement,andmonitoringeffortstopreventorcontrolsourcesofgroundwatercontamination;

• Groundwaterandsurfacewatermonitoringpro-gramstodetectcontamination;and

• AsuccessfulgroundwatercleanupprogramthatismanagedbyEnvironmentalCompliance&AreaCompletionProjects(EC&ACP).

ThemainobjectiveofthegroundwatermonitoringprogramistoprotectpotentialoffsitereceptorsfromgroundwaterandorsurfacewatercontaminationthatoriginatedatSRS.MonitoringthegroundwateraroundSRSfacilitiesandknownwastedisposalsitesprovidesthebestmeanstodetectandkeeptrackofgroundwatercontaminationsothattheappropriateremedialorcorrectiveactionscanbeimplementedbeforethecontaminationtravelsoffsite.ThemajorityofSRS’sgroundwatercontaminationislocatedinitscentralareas.However,thepotentialforoffsitemigrationdoesexist.Theconsequencesofoffsitecontaminationoccurringareseriousenoughtowarrantacomprehensivegroundwatermonitoringprogram.

TheSRSgroundwatermonitoringprogramalsocollectsgroundwaterdatatodeterminetheeffectsofsiteoperationsongroundwaterquality.Theprogram:• SupportsSRSincomplyingwithenvironmental

regulationsandUSDOEdirectives;• Providescontaminantdatatoevaluatethecurrent

statusofgroundwaterplumes;• Provideswaterqualitydatanecessaryforevaluating

thesuitabilityofanewfacilitylocation;and• Supportsbasicandappliedresearchprojects.

TheSRSgroundwatermonitoringprogramincludestwoprimarycomponents:(1)wastesitemonitoringassociatedwithremediation,and(2)groundwatersurveillancemonitoring.

Groundwatermonitoringdataareevaluatedonaregulatory-approvedfrequencytoidentifywhethernewgroundwatercontaminationexistsorifcurrentmonitoringprogramsneedtobemodifiedinordertomaintainanoveralloptimalmonitoringprogram.

MonitoringwellsandproductionwellsthatarenolongerbeneficialareabandonedwithapprovalfromSCDHEC,followingSRSprocedures.Atypicalabandonmentinvolvesplacingasmallerdiameterpipe(“tremiepipe”)nearthebottomofthewellandpumpingcementgroutthroughthetremiepipeuntilthewellisfullofgrout.

Thismethodensuresthatgroutreachesthebottomofthewell.SRSabandonedsevenwellsin2011.TheZ-AreaSaltstoneDisposalFacilityisplanningtoabandonsevenmonitoringwellsin2012.

Remediating Contaminated SRS GroundwaterSRShasmaintainedanenvironmentalremediationandmonitoringeffortformorethan20years.EC&ACPcurrentlymanagestheremediationandmonitoringofcontaminatedgroundwaterassociatedwithResourceConservationandRecoveryAct(RCRA)hazardouswastemanagementfacilities,ComprehensiveEnvironmentalResponse,Compensation,andLiabilityAct(CERCLA)wastesitesandotherhazardouswastesitesasspecifiedintheSavannah River Site Federal Facility Agreement(FFA)(FFA1993).ThepurposeoftheFFAistoensurethat• Schedulesforenvironmentalagreementsare

consistentlymet;• Usageoffinancialandtechnologicalresourcesis

continuallyimproved;and• Overallriskofcontaminationtohumanhealthand

ecologicalreceptorsfromSRSsourcesiseliminatedorreduced.

Foreachgroundwaterproject,thefollowingactionsoccur:(1)theappropriateregulatoryframeworkisdevelopedwiththeregulatoryagencies(USEPAandSCDHEC)andUSDOE;(2)thedegreeandextentofcontaminationisdeterminedthroughcharacterizationefforts;and,ifwarranted,(3)astrategyforremediatingthecontaminatedgroundwatertoitsoriginalbeneficialuseisdecided.

Remedialactionsareoftenappliedtothegroundwatercontaminationsource.Forinstance,soilvaporextraction(SVE),whichispullingcontaminatedsoilvaporfromthesubsurface,iswidelyusedatSRStoremoveVOCsfromtheunsaturated(vadose)zone.Otherremedialtechnologiesthathavebeenrecentlydeployedtothevadosezoneincludeheating(steamorelectricalresistance),chemicaloxidation,andenhancingnaturalbiodegradationthroughnutrientadditions.Heatinghasalsobeenusedtovolatilizetritiumthathassorbedtoconcreteslabs.

GroundwaterremedialtechnologiesthathavebeenandarebeingimplementedatSRSincludepumpandtreatsystems,insitupHadjustments,steaminjection,phytoremediation,biodegradation,naturalattenu-ation,andsubsurfacebarriersconstruction.These

technologiesareimplementedwiththeintentofmanagingcontaminantfluxandreducingcontaminantexposurerisktohumanhealthandecologicalreceptors.

Monitoring SRS GroundwaterTheobjectiveoftheSRSgroundwatermonitoringprogramistoensurethatgroundwatercontaminationisnotbeingreleasedoffsite.SRSgroundwaterdischargesintovarioussitestreamsand/ortheSavannahRiver.Todate,nooffsitewellshavebeencontaminatedbygroundwaterfromSRS.Additionally,themajorityoftheSRSgroundwaterplumesarelocatedinthecenterofSRSanddonotposeariskofoffsitecontamination.A/MAreaisthesiteofasignificantVOCplume.ThegroundwatermonitoringprogramforA/MAreautilizesmorethan150wellsformonitoringtheplume.Someofthesemonitoringwellsliewithinahalf-mileofSRS’snorthwesternboundary.Whileitisknownthatthemajorcomponentofgroundwaterflowintheareaparallelsthesiteboundary,groundwaterflowdirectioncanfluctuate.Forthisreason,particularattentionispaidtothegroundwaterresultsfromthewellslocatedalongthesiteboundaryandbetweenA/MAreaandthenearestpopulationcenter,Jackson,SouthCarolina(figure23ofthe“EnvironmentalData/Maps-2011”AppendixlocatedontheaccompanyingCD).

In2009,trichloroethylene(TCE)wasdetectedatwellMSB91ataconcentrationof1.6µg/Lwhichisbelowthedrinkingwaterstandard(maximumconcentrationlimit[MCL]is5µg/L).Asaresult,MSB91wassampledquarterlyduring2010.ThesecondquartergroundwatersamplehadadetectionofTCEat3.92µg/L,stillbelowtheMCL.TheotherthreequarterlysampleshadresultsthatwerebelowtheTCEdetectionlimit(0.25µg/L).Furthermore,the2011samplingeventscontinuetoindicatethatTCEconcentrationsarebelowthedetectionlimit.

Sincetheearly1990s,considerableefforthasbeendirectedatassessingthelikelihoodoftrans-riverflowfromSouthCarolinatoGeorgia.Forty-fourwellsweredrilledbytheU.S.GeologicalSurvey(USGS)andtheGeorgiaDepartmentofNaturalResources(figure24ofthe“EnvironmentalData/Maps-2011”AppendixlocatedontheaccompanyingCD).AgroundwatermodeldevelopedbytheUSGSindicatesthereisnomechanismbywhichtrans-riverflowcouldcontaminateGeorgiawells[Cherry2006].Despitethemodelresults,SRScontinuestomaintainandsampletheGeorgiamonitoringwellsonanannualbasis.The2011samplingresultsfortritiumconfirmthatnoneoftheGeorgiawellsareexceedingaconcentrationof1,000pCi/L.Tritium

concentrationsof1000pCi/LorlessareconsistentwithaquiferrechargefromrainfallintheSRSarea.TheMCLfortritiumis20,000pCi/L.

AlthoughmostofthecontaminatedgroundwaterplumesatSRSdonotapproachthesiteboundary,thepotentialtoimpactsitestreamsdoesexist.Therefore,extensivemonitoringisconductedadjacenttoandnearSRSwastesitesandoperatingfacilities,regardlessoftheirproximitytotheboundary.

Table7-1presentsageneralsummaryofthemostcontaminatedgroundwaterconditionsatSRS,basedon2011monitoringdata.TheselectedwellsarefromthelargeplumesatA/M-Area,F/H-AreaSeepageBasins,andattheMixedWasteManagementFacility(EArea).Thetableshowsthe2011maximumconcentrationsformajorconstituentsinSRSareasthathavecontaminatedgroundwaterandcomparesthesevaluestotheappropriatedrinkingwaterstandards.Asshowninthetable,thetwomajorcontaminantsofconcerninthegroundwaterarecommondegreasers(TCEandtetrachloroethylene[PCE])andradionuclides(tritium,grossalpha,andnonvolatilebetaemitters).

Allgroundwatermonitoringresultscollectedduring2011areincludedindatatable7-1ofthe“EnvironmentalData/Maps-2011”AppendixlocatedontheaccompanyingCD.Thoughitisimpracticaltoprovidemapsofallwells;UniversalTransverseMercator(UTM)coordinatesforeachwellareincludedandcanbeusedinconjunctionwithfigure25ofthe“EnvironmentalData/Maps-2011”AppendixlocatedontheaccompanyingCDtofindtheapproximatelocationsofthewells.Time-versus-concentrationplotsforrepresentativewellsandcontaminantsareshowninfigure7-3.TheselectedwellsarefromtheplumesinA/M-Area,F/H-Areas,andK-Area.Asshownintheplots,contaminantconcentrationsinthesewellshasdecreasedthroughtimeduetotheremediesinplaceand/ortheattenuationprocessoccurring.

TCEcontaminantplumesareshowninfigures26-28ofthe“EnvironmentalData/Maps-2011”AppendixlocatedontheaccompanyingCDforvariousaquifersinA/M-Area.Likewise,tritiumcontaminantplumesforE-andF/H-areasareshowninfigures29-31ofthe“EnvironmentalData/Maps-2011”AppendixlocatedontheaccompanyingCD.DetailsconcerninggroundwatermonitoringandconditionsatindividualsitesarediscussedinSRSsite-specificdocuments,suchasRCRAcorrectiveactionreportsorRCRA/CERCLAfacilityinvestigation/remedialinvestigationreports.


Groundwater - 7


7 - Groundwater

Location Major Contaminant Units2011

Maximum Concentration

Well MCLa Likely Discharge Point

A/M AreaTrichloroethylene µg/L 54,000 RWM 1 5 Tims Branch/Upper

Three Runs in Swamp in WestTetrachloroethylene µg/L 41,000 MSB101B 5

C AreaTrichloroethylene µg/L 2,320 CRW020D 5

Fourmile Branch and Castor CreekTetrachloroethylene µg/L 25 CRW020D 5

Tritium pCi/mL 2,970 CDB 1 20

CMP PitsTetrachloroethylene µg/L 643 CMP 10C 5

Pen BranchTrichloroethylene µg/L 707 CMP 10C 5Lindane µg/L 1.95 CMP 35D 0.2

D AreaTrichloroethylene µg/L 286 DCB 62 5

Savannah River SwampTritium pCi/mL 231 DCB 26AR 20

E Area

Tritium pCi/mL 64,700 BSW 4D2 20 Upper Three Runs/Crouch Branch in North; Fourmile Branch in South

Trichloroethylene µg/L 400 BSW 4D2 5

F Area

Tritium pCi/mL 60.6 FSL 15D 20 Upper Three Runs/Crouch Branch in North; Fourmile Branch in South

Trichloroethylene µg/L 37.9 FGW005 C 5Gross Alpha pCi/L 1,830 FGW005 C 15

Nonvolatile Beta pCi/L 707 FGW005 C 4 mrem/yr b

F-Area Seepage Basin

Tritium pCi/mL 3,520 FSB 94C 20Fourmile BranchGross Alpha pCi/L 652 FSB 94C 15

Nonvolatile Beta pCi/L 1,490 FSB 94C 4 mrem/yr b

H Area

Trichloroethylene µg/L 6.1 HGW 3D 5 Upper Three Runs/Crouch Branch in North; Fourmile Branch in South

Gross Alpha pCi/L 6.11 HR3 16DU 15

Nonvolatile Beta pCi/L 65.5 HAA 15A 4 mrem/yr b

H-Area Seepage Basin

Tritium pCi/mL 1,980 HSB70C 20Fourmile BranchGross Alpha pCi/L 44.8 HSB102D 15

Nonvolatile Beta pCi/L 648 HSB116D 4 mrem/yr b

K AreaTritium pCi/mL 980 KDB 2 20

Indian Grave BranchTetrachloroethylene µg/L 16.1 KRP 9 5Trichloroethylene µg/L 16.4 KRP 9 5

L AreaTrichloroethylene µg/L 9.65 LAC 8DL 5

L-LakeTetrachloroethylene µg/L 43.1 LSW 25DL 5Tritium pCi/mL 642 LSW 25DL 20

P AreaTritium pCi/mL 18,000 PSB011DL 20

Steel CreekTetrachloroethylene µg/L 400 PGW029DL 5Trichloroethylene µg/L 5,200 PGW026DL 5

R AreaTrichloroethylene µg/L 15.9 RAG008DL 5

Mill Creek in Northwest; Tributaries of PAR PondTritium pCi/mL 1,500 RPS004C 20

Strontium-90 pCi/L 26.9 RPC 11DU 8

Sanitary Landfill

Trichloroethylene µg/L 7.44 LFW 32 5Upper Three RunsTetrachloroethylene µg/L 5.71 LFW 59D 5

Vinyl Chloride µg/L 91.9 LFW 21 2TNX Trichloroethylene µg/L 130 TRW 3 5 Savannah River Swamp

Table 7-1 Summary of Maximum Well Monitoring Results for Major Areas within SRS (2011)

a MCL = Maximum Contaminant Levelb The activity (pCi/L) equivalent to 4 mrem/yr varies according to which specific beta emitters are present in the sample.


Groundwater - 7

Figure 7-3 Concentration verses Time Plots for Representative Wells at SRS


Environmental QA Program Integration Laboratory QATheSRScomprehensiveenvironmentalQAprogramfollowstherequirementsdefinedinthesite’squalityassuranceprocedures.SRShasdevelopedandimplementedQAproceduresthataddresstheserequirements.TheSRSindependentQAorganizationreviewsandassessestheQAprogramtoensurecompliancewithsiterequirements.SRSenvironmentalpersonnelperiodicallyconductQAself-assessmentsonspecificenvironmentalprogramactivities.Results,improvementopportunities,andcorrectiveactionsgeneratedbytheseassessmentsaredocumented,handled,andcorrectedasappropriate.SitemanagementparticipatesintheManagementFieldObservationprocess,andtheresultsfromthesereviewsalsoaredocumented.

SRSlaboratorieshavedocumentedQAprogramsthatmeetSRSandDepartmentofEnergy(DOE)requirements.Basedoninspectionsofinstrumentrecordsandondatareviews,nocorrectiveactionswereidentifiedduring2011.

ForSRSlaboratories,instrumentationincludes:liquidscintillationandgasflowproportionalcounter,alphaandgammaspectrometry,inductivelycoupledplasmaatomicemissionspectrometry(ICP-AES),inductivelycoupledplasmamassspectrometry(ICP-MS),andflowinjectionmercurysystem(FIMS).AnalysesarealsoperformedforpH,biologicaloxygendemand,fecalcoliform,totalresidualchlorine,totalsuspendedsolidsandtemperature.Methodologyand

instrumentperformanceismonitoredthroughtheuseofQCstandardsandcontrolcharts.AnalyticalbatchperformanceismeasuredthroughtheuseofQCsamples(blanks,spikes,carriers,tracers,laboratorycontrolsamples,andlaboratoryduplicates).QCresultsthatfalloutsideofspecifiedlimitsmayresultinanalyticalbatchorindividualsamplereruns.Forthosebatchesorsamplesthatfalloutsideoflimits,butforwhichtheresultsaredeterminedtobesatisfactory,thereason(s)aredocumentedinthedatapackage,whichincludestheQAcoversheet,instrumentdataprintouts,andassociatedQCdata.

Laboratory CertificationSRSiscertifiedbytheSouthCarolinaDepartmentofHealthandEnvironmentalControl(SCDHEC)OfficeofLaboratoryCertificationformeasurementoffieldpH,temperature,totalresidualchlorine,biologicaloxygendemand,fecalcoliform,andforlow-levelmercury.

SRSisalsocertifiedforanalyticalmeasurementsusingthefollowingmethods:• Totalsuspendedsolids(StandardMethods,2540D)

(SM,1992),25metalsbyICP-AES(EPA,200.7)(EPA,1994a),mercurybyFIMS(EPA,245.2)(EPA,1974),and17metalsbyICP-MS(EPA,200.8)(EPA,1994b)

• 26metalsbyICP-AES(EPA,6010C)(EPA,2008a),mercurybyFIMS(EPA,7470Aand7471B)(EPA,2008candEPA,2008d),and15metalsbyICP-MS(EPA,6020A)(EPA,2008b)

Certificatesarerenewedeverythreeyears;thecurrentcertificatesexpireinJune2012.

Savannah River Site (SRS) conducts an environmental Quality Assurance (QA) program to ensure the integrity of analyses performed by SRS and offsite laboratories and to ensure that quality control (QC) program requirements

are met. The program’s objectives are to ensure that samples are representative of the surrounding environment, and that analytical results are accurate. The focus of this chapter is on environmental laboratory QA. QA and QC definitions are provided in the Glossary.

Quality Assurance

Jay HutchisonSavannah River National Laboratory Robert Kemmerlin, Benjamin Terry, Teresa Eddy and Lori CowardEnvironmental Compliance & Area Completion Projects

CHAPTER

8


8 - Quality Assurance

Laboratory PerformanceDuring2011,SRSlaboratoriesperformingNPDESanalysesparticipatedintheSCDHEC-requiredproficiencytestingstudies,perStateRegulation61-81(“StateEnvironmentalLaboratoryCertificationProgram”).Alllaboratoriesutilizedaccreditedproficiencytestingproviders,accreditedbytheAmericanAssociationofLaboratoryAccreditation.

SRSlaboratoriesreportedacceptableproficiencytestingresultsduring2011;therefore,statecertificationwasmaintainedforallanalyses.

During2011,SRScontinuedtoparticipateintheDOEMixedAnalytePerformanceEvaluationProgram(MAPEP),alaboratorycomparisonprogramthattracksperformanceaccuracyandteststhequalityofenvironmentaldatareportedtoDOE.TheDOERadiologicalandEnvironmentalSciencesLaboratory,underthedirectionoftheOfficeofHealth,Safety,andSecurity,administerstheMAPEP.MAPEPsamplesincludewater,soil,airfilter,andvegetationmatrices,allwithenvironmentallyimportantstableinorganic,organic,andradioactiveconstituents.TwoseparatestudieswereofferedbyMAPEPin2011.In2011,SRSparticipatedinthetwostudies,andtheresultsforbothstudies(141analyses)werefoundtobesatisfactory.

SRSreviewslaboratoryperformancebyanalyzingfieldblindandduplicatesamplesthroughouttheyear.

SRSpersonnelroutinelyconductblindsampleanalysesforfieldmeasurementsofpHtoassessthequalityandreliabilityoffielddatameasurements.Theblindsampleanalysesresultswereacceptableduring2011withnopercentdifferencevaluesgreaterthan20percent.BlindpHsampleresultscanbefoundindatatable8-1(see“SRSEnvironmentalData/Maps”onthecompactdisk(CD)accompanyingthisreport).

TheresultsforSRSandsubcontractlaboratoryblindandduplicatesampleanalysesindicatedthat,althoughthereweresomedifferences,noproblemsoccurredconsistentlywithinthelaboratoriesduring2011.Forblindsamples,onlytwopercentdifferencevaluesoutof76weregreaterthan20percent;forduplicatesamples,onlyfivepercentdifferencevaluesoutof78weregreaterthan20percent.Completefieldblindandduplicatesampleprogramresultscanbefoundindatatables8-2and8-3(see“SRSEnvironmentalData/Maps”ontheCDaccompanyingthisreport).

SRS’swaterqualityprogramrequireschecksof10percentofthesamplestoverifyanalyticalresults.DuplicatesamplesfromSRSstreamsandtheSavannahRiverwereanalyzedbySRSandasubcontractlaboratoryin2011.Resultsforthefieldduplicatesamplingprogramindicatedthat,althoughthereweresomedifferences,noproblemsoccurredconsistentlywithinthelaboratories.DetailedstreamandSavannahRiverfieldduplicatesampleresultscanbefoundindatatable8-4(see“SRSEnvironmentalData/Maps”ontheCDaccompanyingthisreport).

Data EvaluationEnvironmentalinvestigationsofsoilsandsediments,primarilyforResourceConservationandRecoveryAct(RCRA)/ComprehensiveEnvironmentalResponse,Compensation,andLiabilityAct(CERCLA)projects,areperformedbySRSandsubcontractlaboratories.EvaluationofthedataiscompletedbySRSaccordingtoU.S.EnvironmentalProtectionAgency(EPA)standardsforanalyticaldataquality,orasspecifiedbySRSonsitecustomers.

SRSenvironmentaldatareviewprogramisbasedinpartontwoEPAguidancedocuments,“GuidancefortheDataQualityObjectivesProcessforSuperfund”[EPA,1993a]and“SystematicPlanning:ACaseStudyforHazardousWasteSiteInvestigations”[EPA,2006].ThesedocumentsidentifyQAissuestobeaddressed,buttheydonotspecifyaprocedurefordataevaluationorprovidepass/failcriteriatoapplytodataanddocumentacceptance.Hence,theSRSdatareviewprogramcontainselementsfrom,andisinfluencedby,severalotherreferences,including• “GuidanceonEnvironmentalDataVerificationand

DataValidation”(QA/G-8)[EPA,2002b]• “USEPAContractLaboratoryProgramNational

FunctionalGuidelinesforOrganicDataReview”[EPA,1999b]

• “USEPAContractLaboratoryProgramNationalFunctionalGuidelinesforChlorinatedDioxin/FuranDataReview”[EPA,2005]

• “USEPAContractLaboratoryProgramNationalFunctionalGuidelinesforInorganicDataReview”[EPA,2004]

• “TestMethodsforEvaluatingSolidWaste,Physical/ChemicalMethods,”EPA,November1986,SW-846,ThirdEdition;LatestUpdate,February2008[EPA,2008f]

• “DOEQualitySystemsforAnalyticalServices,”Revision2.6,November2010[DOE,2010]


Quality Assurance - 8

• “AnalyticalDataQualification,”ER-SOP-033,Revi-sion4[SRNS,2010]

FortheSRSprogram,manyQAparametersareevaluatedbyautomatedprocessingofelectronicallyreporteddata.Othersareselectivelyevaluatedbymanualinspectionofassociatedanalyticalrecords.AsummaryoffindingsispresentedineachprojectnarrativeorvalidationreportpreparedbyEnvironmentalCompliance&AreaCompletionProjects(EC&ACP)personnel.

Commercial Laboratory EvaluationTheDOEConsolidatedAuditProgram(DOECAP)implementsaconsolidated,uniformauditprogramforconductingannualauditsofcommerciallaboratories(subcontractlaboratories)withthemainpurposeofprovidingtrainedauditorstosupportconsolidatedauditstherebyeliminatingauditredundancyfromallDOEprogramlineorganizationsandfieldsites.AnannualDOECAPevaluationofeachsubcontractlaboratoryisperformedtoensurethatallthelaboratoriesdemonstratetechnicalcapabilityandproficiencyandfollowtherequiredQAprograms.Theevaluationincludesanexaminationoflaboratoryperformancewithregardtosamplereceipt,instrumentcalibration,analyticalprocedures,dataverification,datareports,recordsmanagement,nonconformanceandcorrectiveactions,andpreventivemaintenance.In2011,evaluationswereconductedatthreelaboratories,resultinginatotalof23PriorityIIfindings.Thefindingsarefairlyevenlydistributedamongthelaboratoriesaudited.

APriorityIIfindingdocumentsadeficiencythatisnotofsufficientmagnitudetorendertheauditedfacilityunacceptabletoprovideservicestoDOE.Areportonthe2011findingsandrecommendationswasprovided

toeachlaboratory.Eachaffectedlaboratorythensubmittedcorrectiveactionresponses,andtheresponsessubsequentlywerereviewed.Thefindingstypicallyareresolvedduringthenextlaboratoryaudit(scheduledfor2012).

Evaluationsalsowereconductedatthreelaboratoriesin2010,resultingin13PriorityIIfindings.Eachlaboratorysubmittedacorrectiveactionresponsethataddressedeachfinding.Tenofthe13PriorityIIfindingsidentifiedduring2010werereviewedandclosedduring2011.Itisanticipatedthattheremainingthreefindingswillbeclosedoutwiththenextscheduledauditin2012.

During2011,subcontractlaboratoriesparticipatedinvariouswaterpollutionstudies.Thesubcontractlaboratoriesreportedacceptableproficiencytestingresults;therefore,statecertificationwasmaintainedforallanalyses.

MAPEPresultsforsubcontractlaboratoriesusedbySRSin2011alsoweresatisfactory,withtheexceptionofvegetationanalysesforseveralradionuclidesatonelaboratory.ThelaboratorywiththefindingdidnotperformvegetationanalysesforSRS.Thelaboratorywillbeevaluatedforthecauseofthefailedanalysesandwillberequiredtodevelopcorrectiveactionstopreventarecurrence.

Tohelpparticipantsidentify,investigate,andresolvepotentialqualityconcerns,MAPEPissuesaletterofconcerntoaparticipatinglaboratoryuponidentificationofapotentialanalyticaldataqualityproblemintheMAPEPresults.Lettersofconcernhavebeenissuedsince1996thatareintendedtobeinformativeandnotpunitive.AcopyofeachletterissenttoDOE/contractoroversightpointsofcontact.


Surveys and Special Sampling - 9 Surveys and Special Sampling - 9

AnnualsurveysofCreekPlantationSwampareperformedinordertodeterminetheamountand/ordistributionofradioactivitythatwasdepositedthereduringthe1960s.NonroutineoccurrencesunrelatedtoSRSOperationsarecharacterizedinordertodeterminetheimpacttotheSRSEnvironmentalMonitoringProgramandthehealth-impacttothepublic.OnMarch11,2011followinganearthquakeandtsunami,anucleardisasterresultinginreleasesofradioactivematerialsoccurredattheFukushimaDaiichiNuclearPowerPlantinJapan.RadiationfromJapan’sFukushimanuclearincidentandthedetectionofelevatedlevelsofradioisotopesledtotheEPAestablishingspecialmonitoringprotocolsforsamplingandtestingoffood,air,andwateracrosstheUS.Accordingly,SRSexpandeditsroutineenvironmentalsurveillanceprogramtoassurethepublicthatnoharmfullevelshadreachedtheimmediatecommunitysurroundingSRS.

Savannah River Swamp SurveysDescription of Surveillance Program TheCreekPlantation,aprivatelyownedlandarealocatedalongtheSavannahRiver,borderspartofthesouthernboundaryofSRS.Inthe1960s,anareaoftheSavannahRiverSwamponCreekPlantationspecifically,theareabetweenSteelCreekLandingandLittleHellLanding,wascontaminatedbySRSoperations.Duringhighriverlevels,waterfromSteelCreekflowedalongthelowlandscomprisingtheswamp,resultinginthedepositionofradioactivematerial.SRSstudiesestimatedthatatotalofapproximately25Curies(Ci)ofcesium-137and1Ciofcobalt-60weredepositedintheswamp.

Comprehensiveandcursorysurveysoftheswamphavebeenconductedperiodicallysince1974.Thesesurveysmeasureradioactivitylevelstodeterminechangesintheamountand/ordistributionofradioactivityintheswamp.Aseriesof10samplingtrails,rangingfrom240to3,200feetinlength,wasestablishedthroughtheswamp(figure9-1).Fifty-fourmonitoringlocationsweredesignatedonthetrailstoallowforcontinuedmonitoringataconsistentsetoflocations.

The2011surveywasdesignatedasacursorysurvey,requiringlimitedmediasamplingandanalysis.Cursorysurveysprovideassurancethatconditionsobservedduringthemoredetailedcomprehensivesurveyshavenotchangedsignificantly.Acomprehensivesurvey(requiringextensivemediasamplingandanalyses)isperformedeveryfiveyearsandwaslastconductedin2007.

Asacontinuousimprovementinitiative,thetrailmarkerswereremappedduring2011usingruggedfieldGlobalPositioningSystem(GPS)unitsandsignswerereplacedonthetrailsmarkers.Thedatafromgroundsoilsampleresultsweremappedwiththeaerialsurveymeasurementresults.Theplanned2012comprehensivesurveywillincludegroundexposuremeasurements,aswellasaerialsurveymeasurements.

Surveillance Results Summary Figure9-2depictsthe2011aerialmeasurementfootprintsmappedoverthe1998aerialsurveyregionsthatareoutlinedwithdarkblueandgreenlines.Thecolorschemesindicatehighesttolowestconcentrations–purple,red,orange,yellow,green,lightblue,anddarkblue.ThesoilsampleresultswithGPScoordinateswerealsoincludedonthemapforcomparison.Any

In addition to sampling during routine Savannah River Site (SRS) Operations, special sampling is performed for pre-operational baseline monitoring prior to start-up of any new activity or facility, and for nonroutine radiological and

nonradiological surveys conducted on and off site. Both short- and long-term radiological and nonradiological surveys are used to monitor the effects of SRS effluents on the site’s environment and in its immediate vicinity.

Surveys and Special Sampling

Teresa Eddy and Benjamin TerryEnvironmental Compliance & Area Completion Projects

Timothy Jannik and Dennis JacksonSavannah River National Laboratory

CHAPTER

9


9 - Surveys and Special Sampling

differencesbetweenthesampleresultsandgamma-overflightresultsarelikelyduetodifferencesinaveragesoveraregioncomparedtopointsourceresults.Thecomprehensivesurveyof2012willprovideamoreaccuratecomparisonwithexposuremeasurementstakenonthegroundateverytrailmarker.

Asanticipated,basedonsourceterminformationandhistoricalsurveyresults,cesium-137wastheprimarymanmaderadionuclidedetectedinthe2011survey.Cesium-137wasdetectedin41ofthe44soilsampleswhilenocobalt-60wasdetectedinanyofthesesamples.Cesium-137concentrationsinsoilvariedfromaminimumofbelowtheminimumdetectableconcentration(MDC)toamaximumof29.4(+/-1.21)pCi/g.Theselevelsarecomparablewiththosefromprevioussurveys(datatable9-1).Thehighestconcentrationsoccurredontrails1,4,5,and9(figure9-3)andconcentrationsdecreasedwithdepth.Theselevelsareconsistentwiththeaerialsurveymeasurementsofhigheractivityregionsaround1,4,and9(figure9-2).Stronium-89,90wasdetectedin6ofthe44soilsamples.TheactivityrangedfrombelowtheMDCto0.248(+/-0.0517)pCi/g.

Cesium-137wasdetectedinsixofthe11vegetationsampleswhilenocobalt-60wasdetectedinanyofthesesamples.DetectableconcentrationsvariedfromaminimumbelowtheMDCtoamaximumof4.58(+/-0.166)pCi/g.Theselevelsarecomparabletoresultsofprevioussurveys(datatable9-2).Higherconcentrationsgenerallywereobservedontrails1,5,and9(figure9-3)whichisconsistentwithwhatwasseeninthesoilresultsandaerialsurveymeasurements(figure9-2).Strontium-89,90wasdetectedin10ofthe11vegetationsamples.TheactivityrangedfrombelowtheMDCto0.282(+/-0.0325)pCi/g.

Thermoluminescentdosimeters(TLD)wereplacedat32monitoringsitesintheswampduring2011todetermineambientgammaexposurerates,andallwereretrieved.Theexposuretimevariedfrom42to50days.Thegammaexposureratesrangedfrom0.25to0.66millirem(mrem)/day,whichisconsistentwiththerangesobservedhistorically(datatable9-3).Thehighestexposureratesweremeasuredontrails1,4,8,and9(figure9-4).Theseresultsconfirmtheaerialsurveymapresultsrevealinghigherlevelsofactivityontrails1,4,and9(figure9-2)andfollowstrendsobservedinprevioussurveys.

Field Sampling Team Obtains GPS Coordinates of Creek Plantation Transects during 2011 (both photos above)


Surveys and Special Sampling - 9

Post Japan Tsunami/ Earthquake Event OnMarch11,2011nearthecoastofHonshuIsland,Japana9.0U.S.GeologicalSurvey(USGS)magnitudeearthquakeatadepthof19.9milesoccurredtriggeringadestructivetsunamiwithwavesmorethan45feet(14meters)inheight.ThiswasthelargestquakeinJapansincethetrackingofearthquakesbegan130yearsago.Theearthquakeledtotheautomaticshutdownof11reactorsatfoursites(Onagawa,FukushimaDai-ichi,FukushimaDai-niandTokai)alongthenortheastcoast.Dieselgeneratorsprovidedpoweruntilabout40minuteslater,whenatsunamiappearedtohavecausedthelossofallpowertothesixFukushimaDai-ichireactors(www.nrc.gov).

Followingtheevent,theradiologicalmonitoringprogramsthroughouttheUnitedStatesincludingSRSreporteddetectablelevelsoftheradionuclidesassociatedwiththereleasesfromJapan.Todeterminethedoseimpactanddistributionofcontaminationintheenvironment,quarterlymilksampling,annualvegetationatcertainairsurveillancelocationsandediblefoodstuffcollectionwereconducted.VegetationwascollectedattheBurialGroundNorthlocation,fourperimeterlocations,three25-milelocations,andtheSavannahlocation.Inaddition,vegetationwascollectednearaGeorgiadairylocation.

Sampleswereanalyzedforiodine(I-131),aswellasothergamma-emittingradionuclides.

Figure 9–1 Creek Plantation Swamp Trails



Figure 9–2 Compilation of 2011 Region 3 Aerial Survey, 1998 Aerial Survey, and 2011 Soil Measurement Results



Figure 9–3 2011 Creek Plantation Cesium-137 Results in Soil and Vegetation (pCi/g)

Figure 9–4 2011 Creek Plantation Ambient Gamma TLD Results in mrem/day



Surveillance Results Summary and Dose ImpactCharcoal Canister Results

DuringthesamplingperiodofMarch9throughApril27,2011atotalof29outof74charcoalcanistersamplesshowediodine-131levelsgreaterthantheMDC.All21charcoalsamplescollectedduringtheweeksofMarch30andApril6,2011weregreaterthantheMDCforiodine-131.Theiodine-131levelsfellbelowtheMDCtheweekofApril6,2011andremainedbelowtheMDCthereafter.Resultsforiodine-129andiodine-131aresummarizedintable9-1belowandarevalidatedbyotherresultspublishedintheUnitedStates.OnlyonecharcoalsamplefromtheTalathaGateLocationhadcesium-137at5.68E-03(+/-1.37E-03)pCi/m3,slightlyabovetheMDCof5.41E-03pCi/m3.AlloftheseresultsareincludedinSurveillancedatatable5-2.

Particulate Filter Results

DuringthesamplingperiodMarch9throughApril27,2011,twooutof55particulatefiltersshowediodine-131levelsgreaterthantheMDC.OnewasattheHighway301samplinglocationat1.68E-02(+/-5.50E-03)pCi/m3.TheothersamplewasattheSavannahsamplinglocationwithaniodine-131concentrationat2.29E-02(+/-6.90E-03)pCi/m3.TheseresultsarevalidatedbyotherresultspublishedintheUnitedStates.Thehealthimpactwillbediscussedinthedosesection.Therewasnocesium-137abovetheMDCinanyofthesamples.Resultsareincludedindatatable5–1.

Wet/Dry Deposition Results

Iodine-131wasdetectablein11ofthe26depositionsamplesthatwerecollectionduringMarch9andApril27,2011withamaximumof1.52E+03(+/-1.32E+02)pCi/m2.Iodine-131resultsforallthesamplesaresummarizedtable9-2below.Therewerenoothergamma-emittingradionuclidesgreaterthantheMDC.

Vegetation Results

GrassyvegetationwascollectedonApril6and7,2011.Forgammaspectroscopyanalyses,eachsamplewassplitandhalfprocessedwetandtheotherhalfprocesseddry.Thesamplewasnothomogenizedpriortocountingduetotheshorthalf-lifeofiodine-131.Resultsaresummarizedintable9-3below.Resultsforwetvegetationhadamaximumiodine-131concentrationof1.19E-01(+/-9.11E-03)pCi/g,whereas,resultsofdryvegetationshowamaximumof5.26E-01(+/-4.69E-02)pCi/g.TheseresultsarevalidatedbyotherresultspublishedintheUnitedStates.

Milk Results

MilkwascollectedatallsixdairiesonApril4,2011.Gammaspectroscopyresultsrevealeddetectablelevelsofiodine-131infiveoutofsixdairiesatanaverageof6.99E-03(+/-2.92E-04)pCi/mLandamaximumof1.23E-02(+/-9.04E-04)pCi/mL).Resultsaresummarizedintable9-4.NoothergammaemittingradionuclidesweregreaterthantheMDC.

Table 9–1 2011 Post Fukishima Event Charcoal Canister Radioiodine Results

Average Standard Maximum Standard

Location I-131 (pCi/m3) Deviation I-131 (pCi/m3) Deviation

Onsite 2.90E-02 4.53E-03 1.17E-01 1.21E-02

Perimeter 3.11E-02 1.91E-03 1.27E-01 1.41E-02

Offsite 3.24E-02 3.32E-03 1.09E-01 1.21E-02

Average Standard Maximum Standard

Location I-129 (pCi/m3) Deviation I-129 (pCi/m3) Deviation

Onsite 3.19E-03 8.55E-04 6.41E-03 1.25E-03

Perimeter 1.67E-03 2.59E-05 7.38E-03 1.55E-03

Offsite 1.64E-03 1.92E-04 4.53E-03 1.40E-03



Table 9–2 2011 Post Fukishima Event Iodine-131 Results of Wet/Dry Deposition

Strawberry Results

Theonlylocalediblefoodstuffsavailableatthetimeoftheeventwerestrawberries.Likethevegetation,theyweresplitandhalfcountedbygammaspectroscopywetandtheotherhalfdriedandcountedafterdrying.ResultsforthewetstrawberriesshowednodetectablegammaemittingradionuclidesgreaterthantheMDCforcesium-137(MDC=5.15E-03pCi/g)andiodine-131(MDC=5.46E-03pCi/g).Resultsforthedrystrawberriesshowednodetectablegammaemittingradionuclidesgreaterthan

theMDCforiodine-131(MDC=1.03E-01pCi/g)anddetectablelevelsofcesium-137at4.52E-02(+/-1.06E-02)pCi/g.

Dose Impacts to the Public

Thedoseimpactfromtheradioiodinelevelsfortheairbornepathwaywouldequateto<0.1mrem,farbelowtheaveragenaturalbackgroundradiationdoseof310mrem.

Location DateIodine-131 Conc

(pCi/m2)Standard Deviation

MDC (pCi/m2)

Sig

BURIAL GROUND NORTH 3/30/2011 2.21E+02 4.00E+01 7.82E+01 Y

BURIAL GROUND NORTH 4/6/2011 -8.78E-01 1.92E+01 6.69E+01 N

BURIAL GROUND NORTH 4/13/2011 2.64E+02 2.74E+01 3.98E+01 Y

BURIAL GROUND NORTH 4/20/2011 1.33E+01 1.49E+01 5.40E+01 N

BURIAL GROUND NORTH 4/27/2011 -5.81E+00 1.38E+01 4.80E+01 N

D-AREA 4/6/2011 1.52E+03 1.32E+02 1.75E+02 Y

DARKHORSE 4/13/2011 8.30E+00 1.35E+01 4.86E+01 N

DARKHORSE 4/20/2011 -1.73E+01 1.82E+01 5.19E+01 N

DARKHORSE 4/27/2011 1.29E+01 1.56E+01 5.64E+01 N

DARKHORSE 3/30/2011 2.88E+02 4.86E+01 7.97E+01 Y

DARKHORSE 4/6/2011 8.49E+02 6.00E+01 7.71E+01 Y

GREEN POND 3/30/2011 2.71E+02 3.65E+01 8.17E+01 Y

GREEN POND 4/6/2011 2.46E+02 4.44E+01 6.56E+01 Y

GREEN POND 4/13/2011 1.36E+01 1.47E+01 5.29E+01 N

GREEN POND 4/20/2011 -2.95E+01 1.54E+01 4.89E+01 N

GREEN POND 4/27/2011 -8.05E+00 1.45E+01 4.99E+01 N

HIGHWAY 301 @ STATE LINE 3/30/2011 6.91E+02 5.19E+01 6.80E+01 Y

HIGHWAY 301 @ STATE LINE 4/7/2011 1.72E+01 1.79E+01 6.52E+01 N

HIGHWAY 301 @ STATE LINE 4/13/2011 7.38E+00 1.32E+01 4.72E+01 N

HIGHWAY 301 @ STATE LINE 4/27/2011 -2.08E+01 1.90E+01 6.38E+01 N

PATTERSON MILL ROAD 3/30/2011 1.43E+03 7.91E+01 8.56E+01 Y

PATTERSON MILL ROAD 4/6/2011 1.63E+02 4.32E+01 6.47E+01 Y

PATTERSON MILL ROAD 4/13/2011 -7.91E+00 1.36E+01 4.66E+01 N



SAVANNAH, GA 4/7/2011 7.26E+02 7.95E+01 1.59E+02 Y

Overall Average 2.56E+02 9.00E+00

Maximum 1.52E+03 1.32E+02

Sig = Significance



Table 9–3 2011 Post Fukishima Event Iodine-131 Results of Grassy Vegetation

Table 9–4 2011 Post Fukishima Event Iodine-131 Results of Milk

Sig = Significance

COLLECTION LOCATION I-131 (pCi/mL) Standard DeviationMDC

(pCi/mL)Significance

Dairy Location #1 in SC 5.95E-03 7.00E-04 2.80E-03 YDairy Location #2 in SC 3.11E-03 4.29E-04 2.57E-03 YDairy Location #3 in GA 1.23E-02 9.04E-04 3.50E-03 YDairy Location #4 in SC 8.14E-03 8.41E-04 2.99E-03 YDairy Location #5 in SC 2.02E-03 5.77E-04 3.88E-03 NDairy Location #6 in GA 1.04E-02 7.29E-04 2.98E-03 Y

Overall Average 6.99E-03 2.92E-04Maximum 1.23E-02 9.04E-04

COLLECTION LOCATIONI-131 Wet (pCi/g)

Standard Deviation

MDC (pCi/g)

SigI-131 Dry (pCi/g)

Standard Deviation

MDC (pCi/g)

Sig

Aiken Airport 8.91E-02 1.13E-02 3.61E-02 Y 2.22E-01 3.37E-02 1.53E-01 Y

Augusta Lock And Dam 614 7.69E-02 8.79E-03 3.27E-02 Y 2.23E-01 3.25E-02 1.58E-01 YBurial Ground North 5.33E-02 9.34E-03 3.11E-02 Y 2.63E-01 4.16E-02 1.68E-01 Y

Darkhorse @ Williston 1.19E-01 9.11E-03 3.22E-02 Y 5.26E-01 4.69E-02 1.51E-01 YDairy D 2.33E-02 5.51E-03 4.07E-02 N 2.02E-01 3.00E-02 1.92E-01 Y

Green Pond 9.84E-02 1.03E-02 2.99E-02 Y 2.79E-01 2.67E-02 1.09E-01 YHwy 301 5.52E-02 9.18E-03 4.64E-02 Y 4.01E-01 2.96E-02 1.16E-01 Y

Patterson Mill Road 9.44E-02 9.93E-03 3.01E-02 Y 2.38E-01 4.05E-02 1.76E-01 YSavannah, Ga 8.31E-02 1.01E-02 3.68E-02 Y 1.60E-01 3.09E-02 1.66E-01 N

Environmental Report for 2011 (SRNS–STI–2012–00200) A-1

SRScompliancewithenvironmentalrequirementsisassessedbytheDOE-SavannahRiverOperationsOffice(DOE-SR),theSouthCarolinaDepartmentofHealthandEnvironmentalControl(SCDHEC),andtheU.S.EnvironmentalProtectionAgency(USEPA).

TheSRSenvironmentalmonitoringprogram’sobjectivesincorporaterecommendationsof• theInternationalCommissiononRadiological

Protection(ICRP)inPrinciplesofMonitoringfortheRadiationProtectionofthePublic,ICRPPublication43

• DOEOrder5400.5,“RadiationProtectionofthePublicandtheEnvironment.”

• DOE/EH-0173T,“EnvironmentalRegulatoryGuideforRadiologicalEffluentMonitoringandEnvironmentalSurveillance”

Detailedinformationaboutthesite’senvironmentalmonitoringprogramisdocumentedinProcedure101(SRSEnvironmentalMonitoringProgramManagementPlan)oftheSRSEnvironmentalRequirementsandProgramDocuments,Manual3Q1.Thisdocumentisreviewedannuallyandupdatedevery3years.

SRShasimplementedandadherestotheSRSEnvironmentalPolicy.ImplementationofaformalEnvironmentalManagementSystem(EMS),suchasthatdescribedintheInternationalOrganizationforStandardization(ISO)14001Standard,isanExecutiveOrder13148(Greening the Government Through Leadership in Environmental Management)andDOE

Order450.1A(Environmental Protection Program)requirement.SRSmaintainsanEMSthatfullymeetstherequirementsofISO14001.ThefulltextoftheSRSEnvironmentalPolicyappearsonthecompactdisk(CD)accompanyingthisreport.

Air Effluent Discharges DOEOrder5400.5establishesderivedconcentrationguides(DCGs)forradionuclidesinair.DCGs,calculatedbyDOEusingmethodologiesconsistentwithrecommendationsfoundinICRPPublications26(RecommendationsoftheInternationalCommissiononRadiologicalProtection)and30(LimitsforIntakesofRadionuclidesbyWorkers),areusedasreferenceconcentrationsforconductingenvironmentalprotectionprogramsatDOEsites.DCGsarenotconsideredreleaselimits.DCGsforradionuclidesinairarediscussedinmoredetailonpageA-6.

RadiologicalairbornereleasesarealsosubjecttoUSEPAregulationscitedin40CFR61(CodeofFederalRegulations),National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants,SubpartH(National Emission Standards for Emissions of Radionuclides Other than Radon from Department of Energy Facilities).

Regulationofradioactiveandnonradioactiveairemissions(bothcriteriapollutantsandtoxicairpollutants)hasbeendelegatedtoSCDHEC.Therefore,SCDHECmustensurethatitsairpollutionregulationsareatleastasstringentasfederalregulationsrequiredbytheCleanAirAct.ThisisaccomplishedbySCDHEC

Applicable Guidelines, Standards, and Regulations

Jack MayerSavannah River National Laboratory

APPENDIX

AThe Savannah River Site (SRS) environmental monitoring program is designed to meet state and federal regulatory

requirements for radiological and nonradiological programs. These requirements are stated in U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Order 5400.5, Radiation Protection of the Public and the Environment; in the Clean Air Act (Stan-dards of Performance for New Stationary Sources, also referred to as New Source Performance Standards, and the Na-tional Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants [NESHAP]); in the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA-also known as Superfund); in the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA); and in the Clean Water Act (i.e., National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System-NPDES).

A-2 Savannah River Site

Appendix A

Regulation61-62,Air Pollution Control Regulations and Standards.AswithmanyregulationsfoundintheCFR,manyofSCDHEC’sregulationsandstandardsaresourcespecific.EachsourceofairpollutionatSRSispermittedorexemptedbySCDHEC,withspecificemissionratelimitationsorspecialconditionsidentified.ThebasesforthelimitationsandconditionsaretheapplicableSouthCarolinaairpollutioncontrolregulationsandstandards.Insomecases,specificapplicableCFRsarealsocitedinthepermitsissuedbySCDHEC.TheapplicableSCDHECregulationsaretoonumeroustodiscusshere,soonlythemostsignificantarelisted.

TwoSCDHECstandards,whichgoverncriteriaandtoxicairpollutantsandambientairquality,areapplicabletoallSRSsources.Regulation61-62.5,StandardNo.2,Ambient Air Quality Standards,identifieseightcriteriaairpollutantscommonlyusedasindicesofairquality(e.g.,sulfurdioxide,nitrogendioxide,andlead)andprovidesallowablesiteboundaryconcentrationsforeach

pollutant,aswellasthemeasuringintervals.Compliancewiththevariouspollutantstandardsisdeterminedbyconductingairdispersionmodelingforallsourcesofeachpollutant,usingUSEPA-approveddispersionmodelsandthencomparingtheresultstothestandard.Thepollutants,measuringintervals,andallowableconcentrationsareprovidedintableA-1.

Over250toxicairpollutantsandtheirrespectiveallowablesiteboundaryconcentrationsareidentifiedinRegulation61-62.5,StandardNo.8,Toxic Air Pollutants.AswithStandardNo.2,complianceisdeterminedbyairdispersionmodeling.

SCDHECairborneemissionstandardsforeachSRSpermittedsourcemaydiffer,basedonsizeandtypeoffacility,typeandamountofexpectedemissions,andtheyearthefacilitywasplacedintooperation.Forexample,SRSpowerhousecoal-firedboilersareregulatedbyRegulation61-62.5,StandardNo.1,Emissions from

Table A-1 National Ambient Air Quality Standards for Criteria Air Pollutants – 2011a

Pollutant Measuring IntervalMicrograms Per Cubic Meter Unless Noted Otherwise b c

Carbon Monoxide 1 hour 8 hour

40 mg per cubic meter e

10 mg per cubic meter e

Gaseous Fluorides (as HF)

12 hr. avg. 24 hr. avg. 1 wk. avg. 1 mo. avg.

3.7 2.9 1.6 0.8

Lead Rolling 3-month Average g 0.15

Nitrogen Dioxide annual 100

Ozone 8 hours 8 hours

0.08 ppm d f

0.075 ppm d

PM10 24 hours annual

150 d 50 d

PM2.5 (Primary and Secondary Standards)

24 hours annual

35 d 15 d

Sulfur Dioxide 3 hours

24 hours annual

1300 e 365 e

80

a Final rules signed May 27, 2011

b Arithmetic Average except in case of total suspended particulate matter

c At 250 degrees C and 760 mm Hg.

d Attainment determinations will be made based on the criteria contained in 40 CFR 50 Appendices H, I, K and N.

e Not to be exceeded more than once a year.

f The 1997 standard – and the implementation rules for that standard – will remain in place for implementation purposes as USEPA undertakes rulemaking to address transition from the 1997 ozone standard to the 2008 ozone standard.

g Detailed explanation of the rolling 3-month average calculation can be found in 40 CFR 50.16


Appendix A

Table A–2 Airborne Emission Limits for SRS Coal-Fired Boilers

Sulfur Dioxide 3.5 lb/106 Btua,b

Total Suspended

Particulates0.6 lb/106 Btua,b

Opacity 40%

a British thermal unitb Heat input per hour

Fuel Burning Operations.ThisstandardspecifiesthatforpowerhousestacksbuiltbeforeFebruary11,1971,theopacitylimitis40percent.Fornewsourcesconstructedafterthisdate,theopacitylimittypicallyis20percent.ThestandardsforparticulateandsulfurdioxideemissionsareshownintableA-2.

Regulation61-62.5,StandardNo.4,Emissions from Process Industries,isapplicabletoallSRSsourcesexceptthoseregulatedbyadifferentsource-specificstandard.ForsomeSRSsources,particulatematteremissionlimitsdependontheweightofthematerialbeingprocessedandaredeterminedfromatableintheregulation.ForprocessanddieselenginestacksinexistenceonorbeforeDecember31,1985,emissionsshallnotexhibitanopacitygreaterthan40percent.Fornewsources,whereconstructionbeganafterDecember31,1985,theopacitylimitis20percent.

Aspreviouslynoted,someSRSsourceshavebothSCDHECandCFRsapplicableandidentifiedintheirpermits.ForthepackagesteamgeneratingboilersinK-Areaandtwoportablepackageboilers,bothSCDHECandfederalregulationsapply.Thestandardforsulfurdioxideemissionsisspecifiedin40CFR60,SubpartDc,Standards of Performancefor Small Industrial Commercial-Institutional Steam Generating Units,whilethestandardforparticulatematterisfoundinRegulation61-62.5,StandardNo.1.

Becausetheseunitswereconstructedafterapplicabilitydatesfoundinbothregulations,theopacitylimitfortheunitsisthesameinbothregulations.TheemissionsstandardsfortheseboilersarepresentedintableA-3.

TheA-Areasteamfacility(Building784-7A),whichusesasmaller,lesspolluting,biomassboilerandabackupoil-firedboiler,replacedtheoldcoal-firedboilersthathadoperatedpreviouslyinthatareaofthesite.Thisnewfacilitycomplieswith40CFR63,SubpartDDDDDstandards.Bothparticulateandsulfurdioxideemissionsatthenewfacilityareprojectedtobeconsiderablylowerthanattheexistingcoal-firedfacility.TheemissionstandardsforthesetwonewboilersarepresentedintablesA-4andA-5.Asimilar,butlargerfacilityatSRSisexpectedtocomeonlinein2012.

Liquid (Process) Effluent Discharges DOEOrder5400.5establishesDCGsforradionuclidesinprocesseffluents.(DCGsforradionuclidesinliquid

arediscussedinmoredetailonpageA-7.)DCGswerecalculatedbyDOEusingmethodologiesconsistentwithrecommendationsfoundinICRP,1987,andICRP,1979,andareusedas:• referenceconcentrationsforconducting

environmentalprotectionprogramsatDOEsites• screeningvaluesforconsideringbestavailable

technology(BAT)fortreatmentofliquideffluents• DOEOrder5400.5exemptsaqueoustritium

releasesfromBATrequirementsbutnotfromaslowasreasonablyachievable(ALARA)considerations.

FourNPDESpermitsareinplacethatallowSRStodischargewaterintositestreamsandtheSavannahRiver:twoindustrialwastewaterpermits(SC0047431andSC0000175)andtwostormwaterrunoffpermits(SCR000000forindustrialdischargesandSCR100000forconstructiondischarges).

Afifthpermit(ND0072125)isano-discharge,water-pollution-controllandapplicationpermitthatregulatessludgegeneratedatonsitesanitarywastetreatmentplants.

Detailedrequirementsforeachpermitteddischargepoint-includingparameterssampledfor,permitlimitsforeachparameter,samplingfrequency,andmethod

Table A–3 Airborne Emission Limits for SRS Fuel Oil-Fired Package Boilers


Total Suspended


Opacity 20%



Appendix A

forcollectingeachsample-canbefoundintheindividualpermits,whichareavailabletothepublicthroughSCDHEC’sFreedomofInformationOffice(phonecontact803-898-3882).

Site Streams SRSstreamsareclassifiedasFreshwatersbySouthCarolinaRegulation61-69,Classified Waters.FreshwatersaredefinedinRegulation61-68,Water Classifications and Standards,assurfacewatersuitablefor• primary-andsecondary-contactrecreationandasa

drinkingwatersourceafterconventionaltreatmentinaccordancewithSCDHECrequirements

• fishingandthesurvivalandpropagationofabalancedindigenousaquaticcommunityoffaunaandflora

• industrialandagriculturaluses

TableA-6providessomeofthespecificSouthCarolinafreshwaterstandardsusedinwaterqualitysurveillance,butbecausesomeofthesestandardsarenotquantifiable,

theyarenottrackedinresponseform(i.e.,amountofgarbagefound).

Savannah River BecausetheSavannahRiverisdefinedunderSouthCarolinaRegulation61-69asafreshwatersystem,theriverisregulatedinthesamemannerassitestreams(TableA-6).

Drinking Water ThefederalSafeDrinkingWaterAct,enactedin1974toprotectpublicdrinkingwatersupplies,wasamendedin1977,1979,1980,1986,and1996.

SRSdrinkingwatersystemsaretestedroutinelybySRSandSCDHECtoensurecompliancewithSCDHECStatePrimaryDrinkingWaterRegulations(R61-58)andUSEPANationalPrimaryDrinkingWaterRegulations(40CFR141).

SRSdrinkingwaterissuppliedtomostsiteareasbytheA-AreaandD-Areasystems,whichareactivelyregulatedbySCDHEC.Remotefacilitiessuchasfieldlaboratories,barricades,andpumphousesutilizesmalldrinkingwatersystems,whichreceivealesserdegreeofregulatoryoversight,and/orbottledwaterwhichispurchasedoffsite.

Bacteriologicalsamplesarecollectedandanalyzedmonthlyorquarterlyatanonsitelaboratory.SCDHECpersonnelperiodicallycollectsamplesandanalyzechemicalandorganicconstituentsfromtheA-AreaandD-Areasystems.Leadandcoppercompliancesamplesarecollectedeverythreeyearsfromthesesystems.Allsampleresultsin2011metSCDHECwaterqualitystandards.

Groundwater GroundwaterisavaluableresourceandthesubjectofbothprotectionandcleanupprogramsatSRS.Morethan1,000wellsaremonitoredeachyearatthesiteforawiderangeofconstituents.Monitoringinthegroundwaterprotectionprogramisperformedtodetectneworunknowncontaminationacrossthesite,andmonitoringinthegroundwatercleanupprogramisperformedtomeettherequirementsofstateandfederallawsandregulations.MostofthemonitoringinthecleanupprogramisgovernedbySCDHEC’sadministrationofRCRAregulations.

TheanalyticalresultsofsamplestakenfromSRSmonitoringwellsarecomparedtovariousstandards.

Table A–4 Airborne Emission Limits for SRS 784–7A Biomass Boiler


Total Suspended


Nitrogen Oxides 0.33 lb/106 Btua,b

Opacity 20%


Table A–5 Airborne Emission Limits for SRS 784–7A Oil-Fired Package Boiler


Sulfur Dioxide 0.5% Sulfur

Total Suspended


Total Suspended


Nitrogen Oxides 0.15 lb/106 Btua,b

Opacity 20%



Appendix A

Themostcommonarefinalfederalprimarydrinkingwaterstandards(DWS)orotherstandardsifDWSdonotexist.TheDWSareconsideredfirstbecausegroundwateraquifersaredefinedaspotentialdrinkingwatersourcesbytheSouthCarolinaPollutionControlAct.DWScanbefoundathttp://www.epa.gov/drink/standardsriskmanagement.cfmontheInternet.OtherstandardssometimesareappliedbyregulatoryagenciestotheSRSwasteunitsundertheirjurisdiction.Forexample,standardsunderRCRAcanincludeDWS,groundwaterprotectionstandards,backgroundlevels,oralternateconcentrationlimits.

SRSresponsestogroundwateranalyticalresultsrequirecarefulevaluationofthedataandrelevantstandards.ResultsfromtwoconstituentshavingDWS,(dichloromethaneandbis(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate,areevaluatedmorecloselythanotherconstituentsandarecommonlydismissed.Botharecommonlaboratorycontaminantsandarereportedingroundwatersampleswithlittleornoreproducibility.Botharereported,with

appropriateflagsandqualifiers,indetailedgroundwatermonitoringreportsthatcanbeobtainedbycontactingthegroundwatermanageroftheSavannahRiverNuclearSolutions(SRNS)EnvironmentalComplianceandAreaCompletionProjectsgroupat(803)-952-6523.TheregulatorystandardsforradionuclidedischargesfromindustrialandgovernmentalfacilitiesaresetundertheCleanWaterActandunderNuclearRegulatoryCommissionandDOEregulations.Inaddition,radionuclidecleanuplevels,whichfallundertheauthorityofDOE,areincludedinthesiteRCRApermit.Theproposeddrinkingwatermaximumcontaminantlevels(MCLs)discussedinthisreportareonlyanadjuncttothesereleaserestrictionsandarenotusedtoregulateSRSgroundwater.

Manypotentialradionuclidecontaminantsarebetaemitters.Thestandardusedforgrossbetaisascreeningstandard;whenpublicdrinkingwaterexceedsthisstandard,thesupplierisexpectedtoanalyzeforindividualbetaandgammaemitters.Agrossbetaresultabovethestandardisanindicationthatoneor

Table A–6 South Carolina Water Quality Standards for Freshwatersa

a This is a partial list of water quality standards for freshwaters. SOURCE: SCDHEC, 2008

Parameters Standards

Fecal coliform Not to exceed a geometric mean of 200/100 mL, based on five consecutive samples during any 30-day period; nor shall more than 10 percent of the total samples during any 30-day period exceed 400/100 mL

pH Range between 6.0 and 8.5

Temperature Generally, shall not be increased more than 5°F (2.8°C) above natural temperature conditions or be permitted to exceed a maximum of 90°F (32.2°C) as a result of the discharge of heated liquids; for more details, see E.12, Regulation 61–68, “Water Classifications and Standards” (April 25, 2008)

Dissolved oxygen Daily average not less than 5.0 mg/L, with a low of 4.0 mg/L

Garbage, cinders, ashes, sludge, or other refuse None allowed

Treated wastes, toxic wastes, deleterious substances, colored or other wastes, except in the parameter immediately above

None alone or in combination with other substances of wastes in sufficient amounts to make the waters unsafe or unsuitable for primary-contact recreation or to impair the waters for any other best usage as determined for the specific waters assigned to this class

Toxic pollutants listed in South Carolina Regulation 61–68, “Water Classifications and Standards”

See Appendix: Water Quality Numeric Criteria forthe Protection of Aquatic Life and Human Health, Regulation 61–68, “Water Classifications and Standards” (April 25, 2008)


Appendix A

moreradioisotopesarepresentinquantitiesthatcouldexceedtheUSEPAannualdoseequivalentforpersonsconsumingtwolitersdaily.Thus,fortheindividualbetaandgammaradioisotopes(otherthanstrontium-90andtritium),thestandardconsideredistheactivityperliterthatwould,ifonlythatisotopewerepresent,exceedthedoseequivalent.Similarly,thestandardsforalphaemittersarecalculatedtopresentthesameriskatthesamerateofingestion.

Theelementradiumhasseveralisotopesofconcerningroundwatermonitoring.AlthoughradiumhasaDWSof5pCi/Lforthesumofradium-226andradium-228,theisotopeshavetobemeasuredseparately,andthecombinednumbersmaynotberepresentativeofthetotal.Radium-226,analphaemitter,andradium-228,abetaemitter,cannotbeanalyzedbyasinglemethod.Analysesfortotalalpha-emittingradium,whichconsistsofradium-223,radium-224,andradium-226,arecomparedtothestandardforradium-226.

FourotherconstituentswithoutDWSarecommonlyusedasindicatorsofpotentialcontaminationinwells.

Theseconstituentsandreferencelevelsare• specificconductanceatvaluesequaltoorgreater

than100μS/cm• alkalinity(asCaCO3)atvaluesequaltoorgreater

than120mg/L• totaldissolvedsolids(TDS)atvaluesequaltoor

greaterthan500mg/L• pHatvaluesequaltoorlessthan6.5orequaltoor

greaterthan8.5

Theselectionofthesevaluesasstandardsforcomparisonissomewhatarbitrary;however,thevaluesexceedlevelsusuallyfoundinbackgroundwellsatSRS.Theoccurrenceofelevatedalkalinity(asCaCO3),specificconductance,pH,andTDSwithinasinglewellalsomayindicateleachingofthegroutingmaterialusedinwellconstruction,ratherthandegradationofthegroundwater.

Potential Doses TheradiationprotectionstandardsfollowedbySRSareoutlinedinDOEOrder5400.5andincludeUSEPAregulationsonthepotentialdosesfromairbornereleasesandtreateddrinkingwater.ThefollowingradiationdosestandardsforprotectionofthepublicintheSRSvicinityarespecifiedinDOEOrder5400.5:• DrinkingWaterPathway4mremperyear

• AirbornePathway10mremperyear• AllPathway100mremperyear

TheUSEPAannualdosestandardof10mrem(0.1mSv)fortheatmosphericpathway,whichiscontainedin40CFR61,SubpartH,isadoptedinDOEOrder5400.5.ThesedosestandardsarebasedonrecommendationsoftheICRPandtheNationalCouncilonRadiationProtectionandMeasurements.

TheDOEdosestandardenforcedatSRSfordrinkingwaterisconsistentwiththecriteriacontainedinNational Interim Primary Drinking Water Regulations, 40 CFR Part 141.Undertheseregulations,personsconsumingdrinkingwatershallnotreceiveanannualtotalbodyororgandose(DOEOrder5400.5interpretsthisdoseascommittedeffectivedoseequivalent)ofmorethan4mrem(0.04mSv).

In2000,USEPApromulgated40CFR,Parts9,141,and142,National Primary Drinking Water Regulations; Radionuclides; Final Rule.Thisrule,whichisapplicableonlytocommunitydrinkingwatersystems,finalizedMCLsforradionuclides,includinguranium.Inessence,itreestablishestheMCLsfromUSEPA’soriginal1976rule.MostoftheseMCLsarederivedfromdoseconversionfactorsthatarebasedonearlyICRP-2methods.

However,whencalculatingdose,SRSmustusethemorecurrentICRP-30-baseddoseconversionfactorsprovidedbyDOE.Becausetheyarebasedondifferentmethods,mostUSEPAandDOEradionuclidedoseconversionfactorsdiffer.Therefore,adirectcomparisonofthedrinkingwaterdosescalculatedforshowingcompliancewithDOEOrder5400.5totheUSEPAdrinkingwaterMCLscannotbemade.

Comparison of Average Concentrations in Airborne Emissions to DOE Derived Concentration Guides Averageconcentrationsofradionuclidesinairborneemissionsarecalculatedbydividingtheyearlyreleasetotalofeachradionuclidefromeachstackbytheyearlystackflowquantities.TheseaverageconcentrationsthencanbecomparedtotheDOEDCGs,whicharefoundinDOEOrder5400.5foreachradionuclide.

DCGsareusedasreferenceconcentrationsforconductingenvironmentalprotectionprogramsatallDOEsites.DCGs,whicharebasedona100-mremexposure,areapplicableatthepointofdischarge(priortodilutionordispersion)underconditionsofcontinuous


Appendix A

exposure(assumedtobeanaverageinhalationrateof8,400cubicmetersperyear).ThismeansthattheDOEDCGsarebasedonthehighlyconservativeassumptionthatamemberofthepublichasdirectaccessto,andcontinuouslybreathes(orisimmersedin),theactualaireffluent24hoursaday,365daysayear.However,becauseofthelargedistancebetweenmostSRSoperatingfacilitiesandthesiteboundary,thisscenarioisimprobable.

AverageannualradionuclideconcentrationsinSRSaireffluentcanbereferencedtoDOEDCGsasascreeningmethodtodetermineifexistingeffluenttreatmentsystemsareproperandeffective.

Comparison of Average Concentrations in Liquid Releases to DOE Derived Concentration Guides Inadditiontodosestandards,DOEOrder5400.5imposesothercontrolconsiderationsonliquidreleases.TheseconsiderationsareapplicabletodirectdischargesbutnottoseepagebasinandSolidWasteDisposalFacilitymigrationdischarges.TheDOEorderlistsDCGvaluesformostradionuclides.DCGsareusedasreferenceconcentrationsforconductingenvironmentalprotectionprogramsatallDOEsites.TheseDCGvaluesarenotreleaselimitsbutscreeningvaluesforBATinvestigationsandfordeterminingwhetherexistingeffluenttreatmentsystemsareproperandeffective.

PerDOEOrder5400.5,exceedanceoftheDCGsatanydischargepointmayrequireaninvestigationofBATwastetreatmentfortheliquideffluents.TritiuminliquideffluentsisspecificallyexcludedfromBATrequirements;however,itisnotexcludedfromotherALARAconsiderations.DOEDCGcomplianceisdemonstratedwhenthesumofthefractionalDCGvaluesforallradionuclidesdetectableintheeffluentislessthan1.00,basedonconsecutive12-monthaverageconcentrations.

DCGs,basedona100-mremexposure,areapplicableatthepointofdischargefromtheeffluentconduittotheenvironment(priortodilutionordispersion).Theyarebasedonthehighlyconservativeassumptionthatamemberofthepublichascontinuousdirectaccesstotheactualliquideffluentsandconsumestwolitersoftheeffluentseveryday,365daysayear.BecauseofsecuritycontrolsandtheconsiderabledistancesbetweenmostSRSoperatingfacilitiesandthesiteboundary,thisscenarioishighlyimprobable,ifnotimpossible.

ForeachSRSfacilitythatreleasesradioactivity,thesite’sEnvironmentalMonitoringgroupcomparesthe

monthlyliquideffluentconcentrationsand12-monthaverageconcentrationsagainsttheDOEDCGs.

Environmental Management SRSbeganitscleanupprogramin1981.Twomajorfederalstatutesprovideguidanceforthesite’senvironmentalrestorationandwastemanagementactivities-RCRAandCERCLA.RCRAaddressesthemanagementofhazardouswasteandrequiresthatpermitsbeobtainedforfacilitiesthattreat,store,ordisposeofhazardousormixedwaste.ItalsorequiresthatDOEfacilitiesperformappropriatecorrectiveactiontoaddresscontaminantsintheenvironment.CERCLA(alsoknownasSuperfund)addressestheuncontrolledreleaseofhazardoussubstancesandthecleanupofinactivewastesites.ThisactestablishedaNationalPriorityListofsitestargetedforassessmentand,ifnecessary,corrective/remedialaction.SRSwasplacedonthislistDecember21,1989(USEPA,1989).InAugust1993,SRSenteredintotheFederalFacilityAgreement(FFA,1993)withUSEPARegion4andSCDHEC.Thisagreementgovernsthecorrective/remedialactionprocessfromsiteinvestigationthroughsiteremediation.Italsodescribesproceduresforsettingannualworkpriorities,includingschedulesanddeadlines,forthatprocess(FFAundersection120ofCERCLAandsections3008[h]and6001ofRCRA).

Additionally,DOEiscomplyingwithFederalFacilityComplianceActrequirementsformixedwastemanagementincludinghigh-levelwaste,mosttransuranicwaste,andlow-levelwastewithhazardousconstituents.ThisactrequiresthatDOEdevelopandsubmitsitetreatmentplanstotheUSEPAorstateregulatorsforapproval.

Thedispositionoffacilitiesaftertheyaredeclaredexcesstothegovernment’smissionismanagedbySiteAreaCompletionProjects.ThedispositionprocessisconductedinaccordancewithDOEOrder430.1B,Real Property Asset Management,anditsassociatedguidancedocuments.Themajoremphasesarereducingriskstoworkersandthepublicandminimizingrealpropertyassetlifecyclecosts.

Quality Assurance/Quality Control DOEOrder414.1C,Quality Assurance,setsrequirementsandguidelinesfordepartmentalqualityassurance(QA)practices.Toensurecompliancewithregulationsandtoprovideoverallqualityrequirementsforsiteprograms,thecurrentsitemanagementandoperationscontractor(SRNS)developeditsQualityAssuranceManagementPlan(SRNS-RP-2008-00020).


Appendix A

Theplan’srequirementsareimplementedbytheSRNSQualityAssuranceManual(1Q).

TheSRSEnvironmentalMonitoringQualityAssuranceProjectPlan(3Q1,Procedure102),waswrittentoapplytheQArequirementsofManual1Qtotheenvironmentalmonitoringandsurveillanceprogram.The3Q1manualincludesproceduresonsampling,analysis,andreporting

thatemphasizethequalitycontrolrequirementsfortheEnvironmentalMonitoringgroup.

QArequirementsformonitoringradiologicalairemissionsarespecifiedin40CFR61,National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants.ForradiologicalairemissionsatSRS,theresponsibilitiesandlinesofcommunicationaredetailedinNational

Figure A–1 SRS EM Program QA Document HierarchyThis diagram depicts the hierarchy of relevant guidance and supporting documents for the SRS QA program.

References to the standards, guidance, and documents cited in this figure can be found in SRS, 2011


Appendix A

Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants Quality Assurance Project Plan for Radionuclides (U)(WSRC-IM-91-60).

Toensurevalidanddefensiblemonitoringdata,therecordsanddatageneratedbythemonitoringprogramaremaintainedaccordingtotherequirementsofDOEGuide1324.5B,Implementation Guide for Use with 36 CFR Chapter XII - Subchapter B Records Management,andof1Q.QArecordsincludesamplingandanalyticalproceduremanuals,logbooks,chain-of-custodyforms,calibrationandtrainingrecords,analyticalnotebooks,controlcharts,validatedlaboratorydata,andenvironmentalreports.TheserecordsaremaintainedandstoredpertherequirementsoftheSRNSRetentionScheduleMatrix(WSRC-EM-96-00023).

EnvironmentalMonitoringgroupassessmentsareimplementedaccordingtothefollowingdocuments:

• DOEOrder414.1C,“QualityAssurance”

• DOE/EH-0173T, “Environmental Regulatory Guidefor Radiological Effluent Monitoring and Environ-mentalSurveillance.”

• DOEEnvironmentalManagementConsolidatedAu-ditProgram(EMCAP)

• SRNS1Q,QualityAssuranceManual

• SRNS12Q,AssessmentManual

FigureA-1illustratesthehierarchyofrelevantguidancedocumentsthatsupporttheSRSQAprogram.

Reporting DOEOrders231.1B,Environment, Safety and Health Reporting,and5400.5,Radiation Protection of the Public and Environment,requirethatSRSsubmitanannualenvironmentalreport.

Thisreport,theSRS Environmental Report for 2011,isanoverviewofeffluentmonitoringandenvironmentalsurveillanceactivitiesconductedonandinthevicinityofSRSfromJanuary1throughDecember31,2011.

Environmental Report for 2011 (SRNS–STI–2012–00200) B-1

Radionuclide and Chemical Nomenclature

APPENDIX

BNomenclature and Half-Life for Radionuclides

Radionuclide Symbol Half-lifea,b Radionuclide Symbol Half-lifea,b

Actinium-228 Ac-228 6.15 h Iodine-129 I-129 1.57E7 y

Americium-241 Am-241 432.7 y Iodine-131 I-131 8.020 d

Americium-243 Am-243 7.37E3 y Iodine-133 I-133 20.8 h

Antimony-124 Sb-124 60.20 d Krypton-85 Kr-85 10.76 y

Antimony-125 Sb-125 2.758 y Lead-212 Pb-212 10.64 h

Argon-39 Ar-39 269 y Lead-214 Pb-214 27m

Barium-133 Ba-133 10.53 y Manganese-54 Mn-54 312.1 d

Beryllium-7 Be-7 53.3 d Mercury-203 Hg-203 46.61 d

Bismuth-212 Bi-212 1.009 h Neptunium-237 Np-237 2.14E6 y

Bismuth-214 Bi-214 19.9 m Neptunium-239 Np-239 2.355 d

Carbon-14 C-14 5715 y Nickel-59 Ni-59 7.6E4 y

Cerium-141 Ce-141 32.50 d Nickel-63 Ni-63 101 y

Cerium-144 Ce-144 284.6 d Niobium-94 Nb-94 2.0E4 y

Cesium-134 Cs-134 2.065 y Niobium-95 Nb-95 34.99 d

Cesium-137 Cs-137 30.07 y Plutonium-238 Pu-238 87.7 y

Chromium-51 Cr-51 27.702 d Plutonium-239 Pu-239 2.41E4 y

Cobalt-57 Co-57 271.8 d Plutonium-240 Pu-240 6.56E3 y

Cobalt-58 Co-58 70.88 d Plutonium-241 Pu-241 14.4 y

Cobalt-60 Co-60 5.271 y Plutonium-242 Pu-242 3.75E5 y

Curium-242 Cm-242 162.8 d Potassium-40 K-40 1.27E9 y

Curium-244 Cm-244 18.1 y Praseodymium-144 Pr-144 17.28 m

Curium-245 Cm-245 8.5E3 y Praseodymium-144m Pr-144 m 7.2 m

Curium-246 Cm-246 4.76E3 y Promethium-147 Pm-147 2.6234 y

Europium-152 Eu-152 13.54 y Protactinium-231 Pa-231 3.28E4 y

Europium-154 Eu-154 8.593 y Protactinium-233 Pa-233 29.967 d

Europium-155 Eu-155 4.75 y Protactinium-234 Pa-234 6.69 h

Page 1 of 2

a m = minute; h = hour; d = day; y = yearb Reference: Chart of the Nuclides, 16th edition, revised 2002, Lockheed Martin Company

B-2 Savannah River Site

Appendix B

Page 2 of 2

a m = minute; h = hour; d = day; y = yearb Reference: Chart of the Nuclides, 16th edition, revised 2002, Lockheed Martin Company

Nomenclature and Half-Life for Radionuclides (cont.)

Radionuclide Symbol Half-lifea,b Radionuclide Symbol Half-lifea,b

Radium-226 Ra-226 1599 y Thorium-234 Th-234 24.10 d

Radium-228 Ra-228 5.76 y Tin-113 Sn-113 115.1 d

Ruthenium-103 Ru-103 39.27 d Tin-126 Sn-126 2.3E5 y

Ruthenium-106 Ru-106 1.020 y Tritium (Hydrogen-3) H-3 12.32 y

Selenium-75 Se-75 119.78 d Uranium-232 U-232 69.8 y

Selenium-79 Se-79 2.9E5 y Uranium-233 U-233 1.592E5 y

Sodium-22 Na-22 2.604 y Uranium-234 U-234 2.46E5 y

Strontium-89 Sr-89 50.52 d Uranium-235 U-235 7.04E8 y

Strontium-90 Sr-90 28.78 y Uranium-236 U-236 2.342E7 y

Technetium-99 Tc-99 2.13E5 y Uranium-238 U-238 4.47E9 y

Thallium-208 Tl-208 3.053 m Xenon-135 Xe-135 9.10 h

Thorium-228 Th-228 1.912 y Zinc-65 Zn-65 243.8 d

Thorium-230 Th-230 7.54E4 y Zirconium-85 Zr-85 7.9 m

Thorium-232 Th-232 1.40E10 y Zirconium-95 Zr-95 64.02 d

Environmental Report for 2011 (SRNS–STI–2012–00200) C-1

ThefollowingentrycorrectsinformationthatwasreportedinaccuratelyintheSavannah River Environmental Report for 2010(SRNS-STI-2011-00059):

Data Table 5–4, Radioactivity in Rain Ion Column:ThecomputerprogramcodefortheonsitelaboratoryanalysisofStronium(Sr)89/90(i.e.,forannualenvironmentalairsurveillanceparticulatefilters)failedtoconsiderYttriumingrowthandairvolumewithoutmanualmanipulation.Withoutthemanualintervention,thereportedvalueswereapproximatelythreeordersofmagnitudefromthecorrectvalues.

Manualcalculationcheckswereperformed,validated,anddeterminedtobeconsistentwiththemodifiedcomputerpro-gramcode.Apermanentsoftwarechangehasbeenimplementedtopreventrecurrence.TheSr-89/90correctedvaluesarelistedbelow.

Errata APPENDIX

C

LocationSample Conc.

(pCi/m3)Sample Std. Dev.

(pCi/m3)

Savannah, GA 3.59E-05 1.14E-04

Highway 21/167 1.13E-05 1.24E-04

East Talatha 1.37E-04 1.38E-04

Darkhorse @ Williston Gate 3.70E-04 1.51E-04

Talatha Gate 1.24E-04 1.03E-04

Jackson, GA 7.37E-05 1.40E-04

Green Pond 1.34E-04 1.36E-04

Barnwell Gate -1.39E-05 9.30E-05

Patterson Mill Road 4.88E-05 1.35E-04

Allendale Gate -8.76E-05 1.22E-04

D-Area 1.90E-04 1.41E-04

Burial Ground North 5.84E-04 1.69E-04

Aiken Airport 1.22E-04 1.06E-04

Augusta Lock and Dam 614 1.86E-05 9.17E-05

Highway 301 @ State Line 3.99E-05 1.00E-04

Environmental Report for 2011 (SRNS–STI–2012–00200) G-1

Aaccuracy–Closenessoftheresultofameasurement

tothetruevalueofthequantity.

actinide–Groupofelementsofatomicnumber89through103.Laboratoryanalysisofactinidesbyalphaspectrometrygenerallyreferstotheelementsplutonium,americium,uranium,andcuriumbutmayalsoincludeneptuniumandthorium.

activity–Seeradioactivity.

air flow–Rateofflow,measuredbymassorvolumeperunitoftime.

air stripping–Processusedtodecontaminategroundwaterbypumpingthewatertothesurface,“stripping”orevaporatingthechemicalsinaspeciallydesignedtower,andpumpingthecleansedwaterbacktotheenvironment.

ALARA—AsLowAsReasonablyAchievable.AdocumentedprocessthatisimplementedtooptimizecontrolandmanagementofradiologicalactivitiessothatdosestothepublicandreleasestotheenvironmentarekeptALARA.

aliquot–Quantityofsamplebeingusedforanalysis.

alkalinity–Alkalinityisameasureofthebufferingcapacityofwater,andsincepHhasadirecteffectonorganismsaswellasanindirecteffectonthetoxicityofcertainotherpollutantsinthewater,thebufferingcapacityisimportanttowaterquality.

alpha particle–Positivelychargedparticleemittedfromthenucleusofanatomhavingthesamechargeandmassasthatofaheliumnucleus(twoprotonsandtwoneutrons).

ambient air–Surroundingatmosphereasitexistsaroundpeople,plants,andstructures.

analyte–Constituentorparameterthatisbeinganalyzed.

analytical detection limit–Lowestreasonablyaccurateconcentrationofananalytethatcanbedetected;thisvaluevariesdependingonthemethod,instrument,anddilutionused.

aquifer–Saturated,permeablegeologicunitthatcantransmitsignificantquantitiesofwaterunderordinaryhydraulicgradients.

aquitard–Geologicunitthatinhibitstheflowofwater.

Atomic Energy Commission–Federalagencycreatedin1946tomanagethedevelopment,use,andcontrolofnuclearenergyformilitaryandcivilianapplication.ItwasabolishedbytheEnergyReorganizationActof1974andsucceededbytheEnergyResearchandDevelopmentAdministration.FunctionsoftheEnergyResearchandDevelopmentAdministrationeventuallyweretakenoverbytheU.S.DepartmentofEnergyandtheU.S.NuclearRegulatoryCommission.

B background radiation–Naturallyoccurringradiation,

fallout,andcosmicradiation.Generally,thelowestlevelofradiationobtainablewithinthescopeofananalyticalmeasurement,i.e.,ablanksample.

bailer–Containerloweredintoawelltoremovewater.Thebailerisallowedtofillwithwaterandthenisremovedfromthewell.

best management practices–Soundengineeringpracticesthatarenotrequiredbyregulationorbylaw.

Glossary

G-2 Savannah River Site

Glossary

beta particle–Negativelychargedparticleemittedfromthenucleusofanatom.Ithasamassandchargeequaltothoseofanelectron.

blank–Asamplethathasnotbeenexposedtothesamplestreaminordertomonitorcontaminationduringsampling,transport,storage,oranalysis.Theblankissubjectedtotheusualanalyticalandmeasurementprocesstoestablishazero-baselineor-backgroundvalue,andsometimesisusedtoadjustorcorrectroutineanalyticalresults.

blind blank–Samplecontainerofdeionizedwatersenttoalaboratoryunderanaliasnameasaqualitycontrolcheck.

blind replicate–IntheEnvironmentalServicesSectiongroundwatermonitoringprogram,asecondsampletakenfromthesamewellatthesametimeastheprimarysample,assignedanaliaswellname,andsenttoalaboratoryforanalysis(asanunknowntotheanalyst).

blind sample–Asubsampleforanalysiswithacompositionknowntothesubmitter.Theanalyst/laboratorymayknowtheidentityofthesample,butnotitscomposition.Itisusedtotesttheanalyst’sorlaboratory’sproficiencyintheexecutionofthemeasurementprocess.

Ccalibration–Processofapplyingcorrection

factorstoequateameasurementtoaknownstandard.Generally,adocumentedmeasurementcontrolprogramofcharts,graphs,anddatathatdemonstratethataninstrumentisproperlycalibrated.

Carolina bay–TypeofshallowdepressioncommonlyfoundonthecoastalCarolinaplains.Carolinabaysaretypicallycircularoroval.Somearewetormarshy,whileothersaredry.

Central Savannah River Area (CSRA)–Eighteen-countyareainGeorgiaandSouthCarolinasurroundingAugusta,Georgia.TheSavannahRiverSiteisincludedintheCentralSavannahRiverArea.CountiesareRichmond,Columbia,McDuffie,Burke,Emanuel,Glascock,Jenkins,Jefferson,Lincoln,Screven,Taliaferro,Warren,andWilkesinGeorgiaandAiken,Edgefield,Allendale,Barnwell,andMcCormickinSouthCarolina.

chemical oxygen demand–Indicatesthequantityofoxidizablematerialspresentinwater.

chlorocarbons–Compoundsofcarbonandchlorine,orcarbon,hydrogen,andchlorine,suchascarbontetrachloride,chloroform,tetrachloroethylene,etc.Theyareamongthemostsignificantandwidespreadenvironmentalcontaminants.Classifiedashazardouswastes,chlorocarbonsmayhaveatendencytocausedetrimentaleffects,suchasbirthdefects.

cleanup–Actionstakentodealwithreleaseorpotentialreleaseofhazardoussubstances.Thismaymeancompleteremovalofthesubstance;italsomaymeanstabilizing,containing,orotherwisetreatingthesubstancesothatitdoesnotaffecthumanhealthortheenvironment.

closure–ControlofahazardouswastemanagementfacilityunderResourceConservationandRecoveryActrequirements.

compliance–Fulfillmentofapplicablerequirementsofaplanorscheduleorderedorapprovedbygovernmentauthority.

composite–Ablendofmorethanoneportiontobeusedasasampleforanalysis.

Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA)–ThisactaddressesthecleanupofhazardoussubstancesandestablishesaNationalPriorityListofsitestargetedforassessmentand,ifnecessary,restoration(commonlyknownas“Superfund”).

ComprehensiveEnvironmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) reportable release–ReleasetotheenvironmentthatexceedsreportablequantitiesasdefinedbytheComprehensiveEnvironmentalResponse,Compensation,andLiabilityAct.

concentration–Amountofasubstancecontainedinaunitvolumeormassofasample.

conductivity–Measureofwater’scapacitytoconveyanelectriccurrent.Thispropertyisrelatedtothetotalconcentrationoftheionizedsubstancesinawaterandthetemperatureatwhichthemeasurementismade.


Glossary

contamination–Stateofbeingmadeimpureorunsuitablebycontactormixturewithsomethingunclean,bad,etc.

count–Signalthatannouncesanionizationeventwithinacounter;ameasureoftheradiationfromanobjectordevice.

counting geometry–Well-definedsamplesizeandshapeforwhichacountingsystemhasbeencalibrated.

criteria pollutant–SixcommonairpollutantsfoundallovertheUnitedStates.Theyareparticlepollution(oftenreferredtoasparticulatematter),ground-levelozone,carbonmonoxide,sulfuroxides,nitrogenoxides,andlead.USEPAisrequiredbytheCleanAirActtosetNationalAmbientAirQualityStandardsforthesesixpollutants.

cross talk–Thefractionofallrecordedpulsesfromalphaparticlesthatarerecordedinthebetachannelduetodegradationintheirpulseheightorthefractionofallrecordedpulsesfrombetaparticlesthatarerecordedinthealphachannelduetopulsepileuporotherphenomenon.

curie–Unitofradioactivity.Onecurieisdefinedas3.7x1010(37billion)disintegrationspersecond.Severalfractionsandmultiplesofthecuriearecommonlyused:

kilocurie (kCi) –103Ci, onethousandcuries;3.7x1013disintegrationspersecond.

millicurie (mCi) –10-3Ci, one-thousandthofacurie;3.7x107disintegrationspersecond.

microcurie (µCi)–10-6Ci, one-millionthofacurie;3.7x104disintegrationspersecond.

picocurie (pCi) –10-12Ci, one-trillionthofacurie;0.037disintegrationspersecond.

Ddecay (radioactive) –Spontaneoustransformationof

oneradionuclideintoadifferentradioactiveornonradioactivenuclide,orintoadifferentenergystateofthesameradionuclide.

decay time –Timetakenbyaquantitytodecaytoastatedfractionofitsinitialvalue.

deactivation–Theprocessofplacingafacilityinastableandknowncondition,includingtheremovalofhazardousandradioactivematerialstoensureadequateprotectionoftheworker,publichealthandsafety,andtheenvironment,therebylimitingthelong-termcostofsurveillanceandmaintenance.

decommissioning–Processthattakesplaceafterdeactivationandincludessurveillanceandmaintenance,decontamination,and/ordismantlement.

decontamination–Theremovalorreductionofresidualradioactiveandhazardousmaterialsbymechanical,chemical,orothertechniquestoachieveastatedobjectiveorendcondition.

decommissioning and demolition–ProgramthatreducestheenvironmentalandsafetyrisksofsurplusfacilitiesatSRS.

derived concentration guide–Concentrationofaradionuclideinairorwaterthat,underconditionsofcontinuousexposureforoneyearbyoneexposuremode(i.e.,ingestionofwater,submersioninair,orinhalation),wouldresultineitheraneffectivedoseequivalentof0.1rem(1mSv)oradoseequivalentof5rem(50mSv)toanytissue,includingskinandlensoftheeye.TheguidesforradionuclidesinairandwateraregiveninU.S.DepartmentofEnergyOrder5400.5.

detection limit–Seeanalyticaldetectionlimit,lowerlimitofdetection,minimumdetectableconcentration.

detector–Materialordevice(instrument)thatissensitivetoradiationandcanproduceasignalsuitableformeasurementoranalysis.

diatometer–Diatomcollectionequipmentconsistingofaseriesofmicroscopeslidesinaholderthatisusedtodeterminetheamountofalgaeinawatersystem.

diatoms–UnicellularorcolonialalgaeoftheclassBacillariophyceae,havingsiliceouscellwallswithtwooverlapping,symmetricalparts.Diatomsrepresentthepredominantperiphyton(attachedalgae)inmostwaterbodiesandhavebeenshowntobereliableindicatorsofwaterquality.


Glossary

disposal–PermanentortemporarytransferofU.S.DepartmentofEnergycontrolandcustodyofrealpropertytoathirdparty,whichtherebyacquiresrightstocontrol,use,orrelinquishtheproperty.

disposition–Thoseactivitiesthatfollowcompletionofprogrammission-including,butnotlimitedto,surveillanceandmaintenance,deactivation,anddecommissioning.

dissolved oxygen–Desirableindicatorofsatisfactorywaterqualityintermsoflowresidualsofbiologica1lyavailableorganicmaterials.Dissolvedoxygenpreventsthechemicalreductionandsubsequentleachingofironandmanganesefromsediments.

dose–Energyimpartedtomatterbyionizingradiation.Theunitofabsorbeddoseistherad,equalto0.01joulesperkilograminanymedium.

absorbed dose–Quantityofradiationenergyabsorbedbyanorgan,dividedbytheorgan’smass.Absorbeddoseisexpressedinunitsofrad(orgray)(lrad=0.01Gy).

dose equivalent–Productoftheabsorbeddose(rad)intissueandaqualityfactor.Doseequivalentisexpressedinunitsofrem(orsievert)(1rem=0.01sievert).

committed dose equivalent–Calculatedtotaldoseequivalenttoatissueororganovera50-yearperiodafterknownintakeofaradionuclideintothebody.Contributionsfromexternaldosearenotincluded.Committeddoseequivalentisexpressedinunitsofrem(orsievert).

committed effective dose equivalent–Sumofthecommitteddoseequivalentstovarioustissuesinthebody,eachmultipliedbytheappropriateweightingfactor.Committedeffectivedoseequivalentisexpressedinunitsofrem(orsievert).

effective dose equivalent–Sumofthedoseequivalentsreceivedbyallorgansortissuesofthebodyaftereachonehasbeenmultipliedbyanappropriateweightingfactor.Theeffectivedoseequivalentincludesthecommittedeffectivedoseequivalentfrominternaldepositionofradionuclidesandtheeffectivedoseequivalentattributabletosourcesexternaltothebody.

collective dose equivalent/collective effective dose equivalent–Sumsofthedoseequivalentsoreffectivedoseequivalentsofallindividualsinanexposedpopulationwithina50-mile(80-km)radius,andexpressedinunitsofperson-rem(orperson-sievert).Whenthecollectivedoseequivalentofinterestisforaspecificorgan,theunitswouldbeorgan-rem(ororgan-sievert).The50-miledistanceismeasuredfromapointlocatedcentrallywithrespecttomajorfacilitiesorU.S.DepartmentofEnergyprogramactivities.

dosimeter–Portabledetectiondeviceformeasuringthetotalaccumulatedexposuretoionizingradiation.

downgradient–Inthedirectionofdecreasinghydrostatichead.

drinking water standards–Federalprimarydrinkingwaterstandards,bothproposedandfinal,assetforthbytheU.S.EnvironmentalProtectionAgency.

duplicate result–Resultderivedbytakingaportionofaprimarysampleandperformingtheidenticalanalysisonthatportionasisperformedontheprimarysample.

E effluent–Anytreatedoruntreatedairemissionor

liquiddischargetotheenvironment.

effluent monitoring–Collectionandanalysisofsamplesormeasurementsofliquidandgaseouseffluentsforpurposeofcharacterizingandquantifyingthereleaseofcontaminants,assessingradiationexposurestomembersofthepublic,anddemonstratingcompliancewithapplicablestandards.

environmental compliance–Actionstakeninaccordancewithgovernmentlaws,regulations,orders,etc.,thatapplytositeoperations’effectsononsiteandoffsitenaturalresourcesandonhumanhealth;usedinterchangeablyinthisdocumentwithregulatorycompliance.

environmental monitoring–ProgramatSavannahRiverSitethatincludeseffluentmonitoringandenvironmentalsurveillancewithdualpurposeofl)showingcompliancewithfederal,state,andlocalregulations,aswellaswithU.S.Departmentof


Glossary

Energyorders,and2)monitoringanyeffectsofsiteoperationsononsiteandoffsitenaturalresourcesandonhumanhealth.

environmental restoration–U.S.DepartmentofEnergyprogramthatdirectstheassessmentandcleanupofinactivewasteunitsandgroundwater(remediation)contaminatedasaresultofnuclear-relatedactivities.

environmental surveillance–Collectionandanalysisofsamplesofair,water,soil,foodstuffs,biota,andothermediafromU.S.DepartmentofEnergysitesandtheirenvironsandthemeasurementofexternalradiationforpurposeofdemonstratingcompliancewithapplicablestandards,assessingradiationexposurestomembersofthepublic,andassessingeffects,ifany,onthelocalenvironment.

exception (formerly “exceedance”)–TermusedbytheU.S.EnvironmentalProtectionAgencyandtheSouthCarolinaDepartmentofHealthandEnvironmentalControlthatdenotesareportvalueismorethantheupperguidelimit.ThistermisfoundonthedischargemonitoringreportformsthataresubmittedtotheEnvironmentalProtectionAgencyortheSouthCarolinaDepartmentofHealthandEnvironmentalControl.

exposure (radiation)–Incidenceofradiationonlivingorinanimatematerialbyaccidentorintent.Backgroundexposureistheexposuretonaturalbackgroundionizingradiation.Occupationalexposureistheexposuretoionizingradiationthattakesplaceduringaperson’sworkinghours.Populationexposureistheexposuretothetotalnumberofpersonswhoinhabitanarea.

exposure pathway–Routethatmaterialsfollowtogettotheenvironmentandthentopeople.

F fallout–Seeworldwidefallout.

Federal Facility Agreement (FFA)–AgreementnegotiatedamongtheU.S.DepartmentofEnergy,theU.S.EnvironmentalProtectionAgency,andtheSouthCarolinaDepartmentofHealthandEnvironmentalControl,specifyinghowtheSavannahRiverSitewilladdresscontaminationorpotentialcontaminationtomeetregulatoryrequirementsatsitewaste

unitsidentifiedforevaluationand,ifnecessary,cleanup.

feral hog–Hogthathasrevertedtothewildstatefromdomestication.

field duplicates–Independentsamplescollectedascloselyaspossibletothesamepointinspaceandtime.Theyaretwoseparatesamplestakenfromthesamesource,storedinseparatecontainers,andanalyzedindependently.

G gamma ray–High-energy,short-wavelength

electromagneticradiationemittedfromthenucleusofanexcitedatom.GammaraysareidenticaltoX-raysexceptforthesourceoftheemission.

gamma-emitter–Anynuclidethatemitsagammarayduringtheprocessofradioactivedecay.Generally,thefissionproductsproducedinnuclearreactors.

gamma spectrometry–Systemconsistingofadetector,associatedelectronics,andamultichannelanalyzerthatisusedtoanalyzesamplesforgamma-emittingradionuclides.

grab sample–Samplecollectedinstantaneouslywithaglassorplasticbottleplacedbelowthewatersurfacetocollectsurfacewatersamples(alsocalleddipsamples).

H half-life (radiological) –Timerequiredforhalf

ofagivennumberofatomsofaspecificradionuclidetodecay.Eachnuclidehasauniquehalf-life.

heavy water –Waterinwhichthemoleculescontainoxygenanddeuterium,anisotopeofhydrogenthatisheavierthanordinaryhydrogen.

hydraulic gradient –Differenceinhydraulicheadoveraspecifieddistance.

hydrology–Sciencethattreatstheoccurrence,circulation,distribution,andpropertiesofthe


Glossary

watersoftheearth,andtheirreactionwiththeenvironment.

L laboratory blank–Deionizedwatersamplegenerated

bythelaboratory;alaboratoryblankisanalyzedwitheachbatchofsamplesasanin-housecheckofanalyticalprocedures.Alsocalledaninternalblank.

laboratory control sample–Asamplematrix,freefromtheanalytesofinterest,spikedwithverifiedknownamountsofanalytesoramaterialcontainingknownandverifiedamountsofanalytes.Itgenerallyisusedtoestablishintralaboratoryoranalyst-specificprecisionandbias,ortoassesstheperformanceofalloraportionofthemeasurementsystem.

laboratory duplicate–Aliquotofasampletakenfromthesamecontainerunderlaboratoryconditionsandprocessedandanalyzedindependently.

legacy–Anythinghandeddownfromthepast;inheritance,asofnuclearwaste.

lower limit of detection–Smallestconcentration/amountofananalytethatcanbereliablydetectedinasampleata95-percentconfidencelevel.

M macroinvertebrates–Size-basedclassification

usedforavarietyofinsectsandothersmallinvertebrates;asdefinedbytheU.S.EnvironmentalProtectionAgency,thoseorganismsthatareretainedbyaNo.30(590-micron)U.S.StandardSieve.

macrophyte–Aplantthatcanbeobservedwiththenakedeye.

manmade radiation–Radiationfromsourcessuchasconsumerproducts,medicalprocedures,andnuclearindustry.

maximally exposed individual–Hypotheticalindividualwhoremainsinanuncontrolledareaandwould,whenallpotentialroutesofexposurefromafacility’soperationsareconsidered,receivethegreatestpossibledoseequivalent.

maximum contaminant level–ThemaximumallowableconcentrationofadrinkingwatercontaminantaslegislatedthroughtheSafeDrinkingWaterAct

mean relative difference–Percentageerrorbasedonstatisticalanalysis.

mercury–Silver-white,liquidmetalsolidifyingat-38.9°Ctoformatin-white,ductile,malleablemass.Itiswidelydistributedintheenvironmentandbiologicallyisanonessentialornonbeneficialelement.Humanpoisoningduetothishighlytoxicelementhasbeenclinicallyrecognized.

migration–Transferormovementofamaterialthroughtheair,soil,orgroundwater.

minimum detectableconcentration–Smallestamountorconcentrationofaradionuclidethatcanbedistinguishedinasamplebyagivenmeasurementsystematapreselectedcountingtimeandatagivenconfidencelevel.

moderate–Toreducetheexcessivenessof;toactasamoderator.

moderator–Material,suchasheavywater,usedinanuclearreactortomoderateorslowdownneutronsfromthehighvelocitiesatwhichtheyarecreatedinthefissionprocess.

monitoring–Processwherebythequantityandqualityoffactorsthatcanaffecttheenvironmentand/orhumanhealtharemeasuredperiodicallytoregulateandcontrolpotentialimpacts.

N nonroutine radioactive release–Unplannedor

nonscheduledreleaseofradioactivitytotheenvironment.

nuclide–Atomspecifiedbyitsatomicweight,atomicnumber,andenergystate.Aradionuclideisaradioactivenuclide.

O opacity–Thereductioninvisibilityofanobjector

backgroundasviewedthroughthediameterofaplume.


Glossary

organic–Of,relatingto,orderivedfromlivingorganisms(plantoranimal).

outcrop–Placewheregroundwaterisdischargedtothesurface.Springs,swamps,andbedsofstreamsandriversaretheoutcropsofthewatertable.

outfall–Pointofdischarge(e.g.,drainorpipe)ofwastewaterorothereffluentsintoaditch,pond,orriver.

P parameter–Analyticalconstituent;chemical

compound(s)orpropertyforwhichananalyticalrequestmaybesubmitted.

permeability–Physicalpropertythatdescribestheeasewithwhichwatermaymovethroughtheporespacesandcracksinasolid.

person-rem–Collectivedosetoapopulationgroup.Forexample,adoseofoneremto10individualsresultsinacollectivedoseof10person-rem.

pH–Measureofthehydrogenionconcentrationinanaqueoussolution(acidicsolutions,pH<7;basicsolutions,pH>7;andneutralsolutions,pH7).

piezometer–Instrumentusedtomeasurethepotentiometricsurfaceofthegroundwater.Also,awelldesignedforthispurpose.

plume –Volumeofcontaminatedairorwateroriginatingatapoint-sourceemission(e.g.,asmokestack)oratawastesource(e.g.,ahazardouswastedisposalsite).

point source–Anydefinedsourceofemissiontoairorwatersuchasastack,airvent,pipe,channel,orpassagetoawaterbody.

population dose–Seecollectivedoseequivalentunderdose.

process sewer–Pipeordrain,generallylocatedunderground,usedtocarryoffprocesswaterand/orwastematter.

purge–Toremovewaterpriortosampling,generallybypumpingorbailing.

purge water–Waterthathasbeenremovedpriortosampling;waterthathasbeenreleasedtoseepagebasinstoallowasignificantpartoftritiumtodecaybeforethewateroutcropstosurfacestreamsandflowstotheSavannahRiver.

Q quality assurance (QA)–IntheEnvironmental

MonitoringSystemprogram,QAconsistsofthesystemwherebythelaboratorycanassureclientsandotheroutsideentities,suchasgovernmentagenciesandaccreditingbodies,thatthelaboratoryisgeneratingdataofprovenandknownquality.

quality control (QC)–IntheEnvironmentalMonitoringSystemprogram,QCreferstothoseoperationsundertakeninthelaboratorytoensurethatthedataproducedaregeneratedwithinknownprobabilitylimitsofaccuracyandprecision.

R rad–Unitofabsorbeddosedepositedinavolumeof

material

radioactivity–Spontaneousemissionofradiation,generallyalphaorbetaparticles,orgammarays,fromthenucleusofanunstableisotope.

radioisotopes–Radioactiveisotopes.

radionuclide-Unstablenuclidecapableofspontaneoustransformationintoothernuclidesbychangingitsnuclearconfigurationorenergylevel.Thistransformationisaccompaniedbytheemissionofphotonsorparticles.

real-time instrumentation–Operationinwhichprogrammedresponsestoaneventessentiallyaresimultaneoustotheeventitself.

reforestation–Processofplantingnewtreesonlandonceforested.

regulatory compliance–Actionstakeninaccordancewithgovernmentlaws,regulations,orders,etc.,thatapplytoSavannahRiverSiteoperations’effectsononsiteandoffsitenaturalresourcesandonhuman


Glossary

health;usedinterchangeablyinthisdocumentwithenvironmentalcompliance.

release–Anydischargetotheenvironment.Environmentisbroadlydefinedasanywater,land,orambientair.

rem–Unitofdoseequivalent(absorbeddoseinradsxtheradiationqualityfactor).Doseequivalentfrequentlyisreportedinunitsofmillirem(mrem),whichisonethousandthofarem.

remediation–AssessmentandcleanupofU.S.DepartmentofEnergysitescontaminatedwithwasteasaresultofpastactivities.Seeenvironmentalrestoration.

remediation design–Planningaspectsofremediation,suchasengineeringcharacterization,samplingstudies,datacompilation,anddeterminingapathforwardforawastesite.

replicate–IntheSRSgroundwatermonitoringprogram,asecondsamplefromthesamewelltakenatthesametimeastheprimarysampleandsenttothesamelaboratoryforanalysis.

Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA)–Federallegislationthatregulatesthetransport,treatment,anddisposalofsolidandhazardouswastes.Thisactalsorequirescorrectiveactionforreleasesofhazardouswasteatinactivewasteunits.

Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) site–SolidwastemanagementunitunderResourceConservationandRecoveryActregulation.SeeResourceConservationandRecoveryAct.

retention basin–Unlinedbasinusedforemergency,temporarystorageofpotentiallycontaminatedcoolingwaterfromchemicalseparationsactivities.

RFI/RI Program–RCRAFacilityInvestigation/RemedialInvestigationProgram.AttheSavannahRiverSite,theexpansionoftheRFIProgramtoincludeComprehensiveEnvironmentalResponse,Compensation,andLiabilityActandhazardoussubstanceregulations.

routine radioactive release–Plannedorscheduledreleaseofradioactivitytotheenvironment.

Sseepage basin–Excavationthatreceiveswastewater.

Insolublematerialssettleoutonthefloorofthebasinandsolublematerialsseepwiththewaterthroughthesoilcolumn,wheretheyareremovedpartiallybyionexchangewiththesoil.Constructionmayincludedikestopreventoverfloworsurfacerunoff.

sensitivity–Capabilityofmethodologyorinstrumentstodiscriminatebetweensampleswithdifferingconcentrationsorcontainingvaryingamountsofanalyte.

settling basin–Temporaryholdingbasin(excavation)thatreceiveswastewaterthatsubsequentlyisdischarged.

sievert–TheInternationalSystemofUnits(SI)derivedunitofdoseequivalent.Itattemptstoreflectthebiologicaleffectsofradiationasopposedtothephysicalaspects,whicharecharacterizedbytheabsorbeddose,measuredingray.Onesievertisequalto100rem.

site stream–AnynaturalstreamontheSavannahRiverSite.SurfacedrainageofthesiteisviathesestreamstotheSavannahRiver.

SME–SubjectMatterExpert.Apersonwhoisanexpertinaparticularareaortopic

source–Pointorobjectfromwhichradiationorcontaminationemanates.

source check–Radioactivesource(withaknownamountofradioactivity)usedtochecktheperformanceoftheradiationdetectorinstrument.

source term–Quantityofradioactivity(releasedinasetperiodoftime)thatistraceabletothestartingpointofaneffluentstreamormigrationpathway.

spent nuclear fuel–Usedfuelelementsfromreactors.

spike–Addition,toablanksample,ofaknownamountofreferencematerialcontainingtheanalyteofinterest.

stable–Notradioactiveornoteasilydecomposedorotherwisemodifiedchemically.


Glossary

stack–Verticalpipeorfluedesignedtoexhaustairbornegasesandsuspendedparticulatematter.

standard deviation–Indicationofthedispersionofasetofresultsaroundtheiraverage.

stormwater runoff–Surfacestreamsthatappearafterprecipitation.

Superfund–SeeComprehensiveEnvironmentalResponse,Compensation,andLiabilityAct(CERCLA).

supernate–Portionofaliquidabovesettledmaterialsinatankorothervessel.

surface water–Allwateronthesurfaceoftheearth,asdistinguishedfromgroundwater.

T tank farm–Installationofinterconnectedunderground

tanksforstorageofhigh-levelradioactiveliquidwastes.

temperature–Thermalstateofabody,consideredwithitsabilitytocommunicateheattootherbodies.

thermoluminescent dosimeter (TLD)–Deviceusedtomeasureexternalgammaradiation.

total dissolvedsolids–Dissolvedsolidsandtotaldissolvedsolidsaretermsgenerallyassociatedwithfreshwatersystems;theyconsistofinorganicsalts,smallamountsoforganicmatter,anddissolvedmaterials.

total phosphorus–Mayoccasionallystimulateexcessiveornuisancegrowthsofalgaeandotheraquaticplantswhenconcentrationsexceed25mg/Latthetimeofthespringturnoveronavolume-weightedbasisinlakesorreservoirs.

total suspended particulates–Referstotheconcentrationofparticulatesinsuspensionintheair,regardlessofthenature,source,orsizeoftheparticulates.

transport pathway–Pathwaybywhichareleasedcontaminantistransportedphysicallyfromitspointofdischargetoapointofpotentialexposuretohumans.Typicaltransportpathwaysincludetheatmosphere,surfacewater,andgroundwater.

transuranic waste–Solidradioactivewastecontainingprimarilyalpha-emittingelementsheavierthanuranium.

trend–Generaldrift,tendency,orpatternofasetofdataplottedovertime.

turbidity–Measureoftheconcentrationofsedimentorsuspendedparticlesinsolution.

U unspecified alpha and beta emissions–The

unidentifiedalphaandbetaemissionsthataredeterminedateacheffluentlocationbysubtractingthesumoftheindividuallymeasuredalpha-emitting(e.g.,plutonium-239anduranium~235)andbeta-emitting(e.g.,cesiurn-137andstrontium-90)radionuclidesfromthemeasuredgrossalphaandbetavalues,respectively.

V vitrify–Changeintoglass.

vitrification–Processofchangingintoglass.

volatile organic compounds–Broadrangeoforganiccompounds,commonlyhalogenated,thatvaporizeatambient,orrelativelylow,temperatures(e.g.,acetone,benzene,chloroform,methylalcohol).

W waste management–TheU.S.DepartmentofEnergy

usesthistermtorefertothesafe,effectivemanagementofvariouskindsofnonhazardous,hazardous,andradioactivewastegeneratedatSavannahRiverSite.

waste unit–Aninactiveareaknowntohavereceivedcontaminationortohavehadareleasetotheenvironment.

water table–Planar,undergroundsurfacebeneathwhichearthmaterials,suchassoilorrock,aresaturatedwithwater.

weighting factor–Valueusedtocalculatedoseequivalents.Itistissuespecificandrepresentsthefractionofthetotalhealthriskresultingfromuniform,whole-bodyirradiationthatcouldbeattributedtothatparticulartissue.TheweightingfactorsusedinthisreportarerecommendedbytheInternationalCommissiononRadiologicalProtection(Publication26).

wetland–Lowlandarea,suchasamarshorswamp,inundatedorsaturatedbysurfaceorgroundwatersufficientlytosupporthydrophyticvegetationtypicallyadaptedforlifeinsaturatedsoils.

wind rose–Diagraminwhichstatisticalinformationconcerningwinddirectionandspeedatalocationissummarized.

worldwide fallout–Radioactivedebrisfromatmosphericweaponsteststhathasbeendepositedontheearth’ssurfaceafterbeingairborneandcyclingaroundtheearth.


Glossary

Environmental Report for 2011 (SRNS–STI–2012–00200) R-1

Aadland et al., 1996.Aadland,R.K.andA.D.Smits,1996,“HydrogeologicFrameworkofWest-CentralSouthCarolina,”Report5,WaterResourcesDivision,SouthCarolinaDepartmentofNaturalResources,Columbia,SC

Carlton et al., 1994.Carlton,W.H.,C.E.Murphy,Jr.,andA.G.Evans,1994,“RadiocesiumintheSavannahRiverSiteEnvironment,”HealthPhysics,Volume67,Number3,Williams&Wilkins,Baltimore,MD

Cherry, 2006.Cherry,G.S.,2006,“SimulationandPartic1e-TrackingAnalysisofGround-WaterFlowneartheSavannahRiverSite,GeorgiaandSouthCarolina,2002,andforSelectedGround-WaterManagementScenarios,2002and2020,”ScientificInvestigationsReport,2006-5195,U.S.GeologicalSurvey,Reston,VA

Clarke and West, 1998.Clarke,J.S.,andC.T.West,1998,“Ground-WaterLevels,PredevelopmentGround-WaterFlow,andStream-AquiferRelationsintheVicinityoftheSavannahRiverSite,GeorgiaandSouthCarolina,”U.S.,GeologicalSurveyWater-ResourcesInvestigationsReport974197,U.S.GeologicalSurvey,Reston,VA

DOE, 1988.U.S.DepartmentofEnergy,1988,ExternalandInternalDoseConversionFactorsforCalculationofDosetothePublic,DOElEH-0070&71,Washington,D.C

DOE, 2002.U.S.DepartmentofEnergy,2002,AGradedApproachforEvaluatingRadiationDosestoAquaticandTerrestrialBiota,DOEStandard,DOE-STD-1153-2002,July2002,Washington,DC

DOE, 2010.U.S.DepartmentofEnergy,2010,“DOEQualitySystemsforAnalyticalServices,”Revision2.6,November2010,Washington,DC

DOE, 2011.U.S.DepartmentofEnergy,2011,“SavannahRiverSiteStrategyPlan,”September2011,Aiken,SC

FFA, 1993. FederalFacilityAgreementfortheSavannahRiverSite,1993,AdministrativeDocketNumber89-05-FF,August16,1993,WSRC-OS-94-42,SavannahRiverSite,Aiken,SC

Farfan and Powell, 2012.Farfan,E.B.andA.Powell,2012.CAP88 PC v. 3.0: Atompheric Dose Model Used at SRS to demonstrate Compliance with NESHAP Radionuclide Standards, SRNL-STI-2012-00078,SavannahRiverNationallaboratory,Aiken,SC

ICRP, 1979.InternationalCommissiononRadiationProtection,1979.Limits for the Intake of Radionuclides by Workers, Publication 30, Elmsford,NY

ICRP, 1987. InternationalCommissiononRadiationProtection,1987,Recommendations of the International Commission on Radiation Protection, Publication 26, Elmsford,NY

ICRP, 1996.AnnalsoftheICRP,1996,Publication72,“Age-DependentDosestoMembersofthePublicfromIntakeofRadionuclides:Part5CompilationofingestionandInhalationDoseCoefficients,”InternationalCommissiononRadiologicalProtection,26(1),Stockholm,Sweden

References

R-2 Savannah River Site

References

Jannik et al., 2010.Jannik,G.T.,D.LKarapatakis,P.L.Lee,E.B.Farfan,2010,“LandandWaterUseCharacteristicsandHumanHealthInputParametersforuseinEnvironmentalDosimetryandRiskAssessmentsattheSavannahRiverSite,”SRNL-STI-20I0-00447,SavannahRiverNationalLaboratory,Aiken,SC

NRC, 1977.U.S.NuclearRegulatoryCommission,1977,RegulatoryGuide1.109,CalculationofAnnalDosestoManfromRoutineReleasesofReactorEffluentsforthePurposeofEvaluatingCompliancewith10CFR50,AppendixI,Revision1,Washington,DC

SCDHEC, 2008.SouthCarolinaDepartmentofHealthandEnvironmentalControl,2008,“WaterClassificationsandStandards,”SouthCarolinaCodeofRegulations,R.61-68,Columbia,SC

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SRARP, 2010.SavannahRiverArchaeologicalResearchProgram,2010,“AnnualReviewofCulturalResourcesInvestigationsbytheSavannahRiverArchaeologicalResearchProgram,FiscalYear2010,”SouthCarolinaInstituteofArchaeologyandAnthropology,UniversityofSouthCarolina,Columbia,SC

SRNS, 2011. Savannah River Site Strategic Plan, 11PA00159KP,SavannahRiverSite,Aiken,SC

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SRS Data, 1995.EnvironmentalProtectionDepartment,EnvironmentalMonitoringSection,1995,Savannah River Site Environmental Data for 1994,WSRC-TR-95-077,SavannahRiverSite,Aiken,SC

SRS EM Plan, 2010.SavannahRiverSiteEnvironmentalMonitoringProgramManagementPlan,2010,SRS-3Q1-101,Revision0,SavannahRiverSite,Aiken,SC

SRS EM QA Plan, 2010.SavannahRiverSiteEnvironmentalMonitoringQualityAssuranceProjectPlan,2010,SRS-3Q1-102,Revision0,SavannahRiverSite,Aiken,SC

Talwani, et al., 2001. Talwani,P.,W.T.Schaeffer,2001.Recurrence rates of large earthquakes in the South Carolina Coastal Plain based on paleoliquefaction data. JournalofGeophysicalResearch,Vol.106,No.B4,pp6621-6642,AmericanGeophysicalUnion,April10,2001

USEPA, 1974.U.S.EnvironmentalProtectionAgency,1974,Method245.2,Mercury(AutomatedColdVaporTechnique),“CleanWaterActAnalyticalMethods,”Washington,DC


References

USEPA, 1989.U.S.EnvironmentalProtectionAgency,1989,“NationalPrioritiesListforUncontrolledHazardousWasteSites,”FederalRegister,Volume54,Number223,November21,pp.48184-48189,Washington,DC

USEPA, 1993a.U.S.EnvironmentalProtectionAgency,1993,“ExternalExposuretoRadionuclidesinAir,Water,andSoil,FederalGuidanceReportNo.12”(USEPA402-R-93-081),Washington,DC

USEPA, 1993b.U.S.EnvironmentalProtectionAgency,1993,“GuidancefortheDataQualityObjectivesProcessforSuperfund”(USEPA-540-R-93-Q71),Washington,DC

USEPA, 1999a.U.S.EnvironmentalProtectionAgency,1999,“CancerRiskCoefficientsforEnvironmentalExposuretoRadionuclides,”Federal Guidance Report No.13, USEPA402-R-99-001,September1999,Washington,DC

USEPA, 1999b. U.S.EnvironmentalProtectionAgency,1999,“USEPAContractLaboratoryProgramNationalFunctionalGuidelinesforOrganicDataReview”(USEPA-540/R-99/008), Washington,DC

USEPA, 2002a. U.S.EnvironmentalProtectionAgency,2002,“NationalEmissionStandardsforHazardousAirPollutants,”Title40CodeofFederalRegulations,Part61,SubpartH,September2002,Washington,DC

USEPA, 2002b. U.S.EnvironmentalProtectionAgency,2002,“GuidanceonEnvironmentalDataVerificationandDataValidation,”(QA/G-8)(USEPA-2401R-02/004),Washington,DC

USEPA, 2004. U.S.EnvironmentalProtectionAgency,2004,“USEPAContractLaboratoryProgramNationalFunctionalGuidelinesforInorganicDataReview”(USEPA-540/R-04/004), Washington,DC

USEPA, 2005. U.S.EnvironmentalProtectionAgency,200S,“USEPAContractLaboratoryProgramNationalFunctionalGuidelinesforChlorinatedDioxin/FuranDataReview”(USEPA-540/R-05/001), Washington,DC

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Yu et al., 2001.C.Yu,A.J.Zielen,J.J.Cheng,D.J.LePoire,E.Gnanapragasam,S.Kamboj,Amish,A.WalloIII,W.A.Williams,andH.Peterson,UsersManualforRESRADVersion6,ArgonneNationalLaboratoryReport,ANL/EAD/4, July2001,Argonne,IL

Units of MeasureSymbol Name Symbol Name

Temperature Concentration

°C degrees Centigrade ppb parts per billion

°F degrees Fahrenheit ppm parts per million

Time Rate

d day cfs cubic feet per second

h hour gpm gallons per minute

y year

Conductivity

Length µmho micromho

cm centimeter

ft foot Radioactivity

in inch Ci curie

km kilometer cpm counts per minute

m meter mCi millicurie

mm millimeter µCi microcurie

µm micrometer pCi picocurie

Bq becquerel

Mass

g gram Radiation Dose

kg kilogram mrad millirad

mg milligram mrem millirem

µg microgram Sv sievert

mSv millisievert

Area µSv microsievert

mi2 square mile R roentgen

ft2 square foot mR milliroentgen

µR microroentgen

Volume Gy gray

gal gallon

L liter

mL milliliter

R-4 Savannah River Site

References


Fractions and Multiples of UnitsMultiple Decimal Equivalent Prefix Symbol Report Format

106 1,000,000 mega- M E+06

103 1,000 kilo- k E+03

102 100 hecto- h E+02

10 10 deka- da E+01

10-1 0.1 deci- d E–01

10-2 0.01 centi- c E–02

10-3 0.001 milli- m E–03

10-6 0.000001 micro- µ E–06

10-9 0.000000001 nano- n E–09

10-12 0.000000000001 pico- p E–12

10-15 0.000000000000001 femto- f E–15

10-18 0.000000000000000001 atto- a E–18

Conversion Table (Units of Radiation Measure)Current System Systéme International Conversion

curie (Ci) becquerel (Bq) 1 Ci = 3.7x1010 Bq

rad (radiation absorbed dose) gray (Gy) 1 rad = 0.01 Gy

rem (roentgen equivalent man) sievert (Sv) 1 rem = 0.01 Sv

Conversion Table

Multiply By To Obtain Multiply By To Obtain

in 2.54 cm cm 0.394 in.

ft 0.305 m m 3.28 ft

mi 1.61 km km 0.621 mi

lb 0.4536 kg kg 2.205 lb

liq qt–US 0.946 L L 1.057 liq qt–US

ft2 0.093 m2 m2 10.764 ft2

mi2 2.59 km2 km2 0.386 mi2

ft3 0.028 m3 m3 35.31 ft3

d/m 0.450 pCi pCi 2.22 d/m

pCi 10-6 µCi µCi 106 pCi

pCi/L (water) 10-9 µCi/mL (water) µCi/mL (water) 109 pCi/L (water)

pCi/m3 (air) 10-12 µCi/mL (air) µCi/mL (air) 1012 pCi/m3 (air)