Health risk assessment for the Building 3001 Storage Canal at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee

This human health risk assessment has been prepared for the Environmental Restoration (ER) Program at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Oak Ridge, Tennessee. The objectives of this risk assessment are to evaluate the alternatives for interim closure of the Building 3001 Storage Canal and to identify the potential health risk from an existing leak in the canal. The Building 3001 Storage Canal connects Buildings 3001 and 3019. The volume of water in the canal is monitored and kept constant at about 62,000 gal. The primary contaminants of the canal water are the radionuclides {sup 137}Cs, {sup 60}Co, and {sup 90}Sr; a layer of sediment on the canal floor also contains radionuclides and metals. The prime medium of contaminant transport has been identified as groundwater. The primary route for occupational exposure at the canal is external exposure to gamma radiation from the canal water and the walls of the canal. Similarly, the primary exposure route at the 3042 sump is external exposure to gamma radiation from the groundwater and the walls of the sump. Based on the exposure rates in the radiation work permits (Appendix C) and assuming conservative occupational work periods, the annual radiation dose to workers is considerably less than the relevant dose limits. The potential risk to the public using the Clinch River was determined for three significant exposure pathways: ingestion of drinking water; ingestion of contaminated fish; and external exposure to contaminated sediments on the shoreline, the dominant exposure pathway

Risk-based prioritization for the interim remediation of inactive low-level liquid radioactive waste underground storage tanks at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee

The paper presents a risk-based approach for rapid prioritization of low-level liquid radioactive waste underground storage tanks (LLLW USTs), for possible interim corrective measures and/or ultimate closure. The ranking of LLLW USTs is needed to ensure that tanks with the greatest potential for adverse impact on the environment and human health receive top priority for further evaluation and remediation. Wastes from the LLLW USTs at Oak Ridge National Laboratory were pumped out when the tanks were removed from service. The residual liquids and sludge contain a mixture of radionuclides and chemicals. Contaminants of concern that were identified in the liquid phase of the inactive LLLW USTs include the radionuclides [sup 90]Sr, [sup 137]Cs, and [sup 233]U and the chemicals carbon tetrachloride, trichloroethane, tetrachloroethene, methyl ethyl ketone, mercury, lead, and chromium. The risk-based approach for prioritization of the LLLW USTs is based upon three major criteria: (1) leaking characteristics of the tank, (2) location of the tanks, and (3) toxic potential of the tank contents. Leaking characteristics of LLLW USTs will aid in establishing the potential for the release of contaminants to environmental media. In this study, only the liquid phase was assumed to be released to the environment. Scoring criteria for release potential of LLLW USTs was determined after consideration of the magnitude of any known leaks and the tank type for those that are not known to leak

Health risk assessment for the Building 3001 Storage Canal at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee

This human health risk assessment has been prepared for the Environmental Restoration (ER) Program at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Oak Ridge, Tennessee. The objectives of this risk assessment are to evaluate the alternatives for interim closure of the Building 3001 Storage Canal and to identify the potential health risk from an existing leak in the canal. The Building 3001 Storage Canal connects Buildings 3001 and 3019. The volume of water in the canal is monitored and kept constant at about 62,000 gal. The primary contaminants of the canal water are the radionuclides {sup 137}Cs, {sup 60}Co, and {sup 90}Sr; a layer of sediment on the canal floor also contains radionuclides and metals. The prime medium of contaminant transport has been identified as groundwater. The primary route for occupational exposure at the canal is external exposure to gamma radiation from the canal water and the walls of the canal. Similarly, the primary exposure route at the 3042 sump is external exposure to gamma radiation from the groundwater and the walls of the sump. Based on the exposure rates in the radiation work permits (Appendix C) and assuming conservative occupational work periods, the annual radiation dose to workers is considerably less than the relevant dose limits. The potential risk to the public using the Clinch River was determined for three significant exposure pathways: ingestion of drinking water; ingestion of contaminated fish; and external exposure to contaminated sediments on the shoreline, the dominant exposure pathway

Field sampling and analysis plan for the remedial investigation of Waste Area Grouping 2 at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee. Environmental Restoration Program

This field sampling and analysis (S & A) plan has been developed as part of the Department of Energy`s (DOE`s) remedial investigation (RI) of Waste Area Grouping (WAG) 2 at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) located in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. The S & A plan has been written in support of the remedial investigation (RI) plan for WAG 2 (ORNL 1990). WAG 2 consists of White Oak Creek (WOC) and its tributaries downstream of the ORNL main plant area, White Oak Lake (WOL), White Oak Creek embayment (WOCE) on the Clinch River, and the associated floodplain and subsurface environment (Fig. 1.1). The WOC system is the surface drainage for the major ORNL WAGs and has been exposed to a diversity of contaminants from operations and waste disposal activities in the WOC watershed. WAG 2 acts as a conduit through which hydrologic fluxes carry contaminants from upgradient areas to the Clinch River. Water, sediment, soil, and biota in WAG 2 are contaminated and continue to receive contaminants from upgradient WAGs. This document describes the following: an overview of the RI plan, background information for the WAG 2 system, and objectives of the S & A plan; the scope and implementation of the first 2 years of effort of the S & A plan and includes recent information about contaminants of concern, organization of S & A activities, interactions with other programs, and quality assurance specific to the S & A activities; provides details of the field sampling plans for sediment, surface water, groundwater, and biota, respectively; and describes the sample tracking and records management plan