Characterization and inventory of contaminants in WAG 2 floodplain soils of White Oak Creek

A remedial investigation was conducted to determine the extent and type of contamination in the floodplain soils of Waste Area Grouping (WAG) 2, in conjunction with environmental restoration activities at the US Department of Energy (DOE) Oak Ridge Reservation (ORR). WAG 2 is located downstream from the main Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) plant area. As a result of past, present, and potential future releases of hazardous substances to the environment, the ORR was placed on the National Priorities List in December 1989. Sites on this list must be investigated to determine if remedial actions are possible. This report documents the findings of the remedial investigation of the WAG 2 floodplain soils by (1) presenting the characterization and inventory of contaminants, (2) comparing the walkover survey data to quantitative gamma-emitting radionuclide data, and (3) presenting an assessment of human health risk from exposure to these soils. Contaminant characterization results indicated that the primary contaminants in the WAG 2 floodplain are the gamma-emitting radionuclides {sup 137}Cs and {sup 60}Co, although cobalt activity levels are 1/25th or less than those of cesium. Inorganic contaminants discussed in this report were limited to those contributing significantly to human exposure: antimony, barium, chromium(IV), manganese, mercury, and nickel

Homelessness and Reentry

Each year many offenders are released homeless putting them at great risk of being returned to prison. To reduce the likelihood of recidivism, Washington State implemented the Reentry Housing Pilot Program (RHPP) to provide housing assistance for high risk/high need offenders leaving prison without a viable place to live. This study provides a longitudinal (2008-2011), multisite outcome evaluation that considers how ex-offenders in the RHPP program (n = 208), who were provided housing and wraparound services, compared with similar offenders released with an elevated risk of homelessness while being traditionally supervised (n = 208). Findings show that the RHPP program was successful in significantly reducing new convictions and readmission to prison for new crimes, but had no significant effect on revocations. In addition, results showed that periods of homelessness significantly elevated the risk of recidivism for new convictions, revocations, and readmission to prison. The authors recommend that subsidized housing for high risk offenders become a central part of coordinated responses to reentry. © 2013 International Association for Correctional and Forensic Psychology