United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
Office of
Emergency and
Remedial Response
EPA/ROD/R04-92/119
September 1992
EPA Superfund
Record of Decision:
US DOE Oak Ridge Reservation
(Operable Unit 18), TN
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NOTICE
The appendices listed in the index that are not found in this document have been removed at the request 01
the issuing agency. They contain materiaJ which supplement, but adds no further applicable information to
the content of the document All supplemental material is, however, contained in the administrative record
for this site.
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50272-101
REPORT DOCUMENTATION 1" REPORT NO. 1 2. 3. Recipients Acce8aion No.
PAGE EPA/ROD/R04-92/119
4. TlUs and SubliUe 5. Report Date
SUPERFUND RECORD OF DECISION 09/30/92
US DOE Oak Ridge Reservation (Operable Unit 18), TN
Fifth Remedial Action - Subsequent follow 6.
to
7. Author(s) 8. Performing Organization Rapt No.
9. Performing OrgalnlzaUon Name and Addreaa 10. ProjectlTaskIWorl< Unit No.
11. Contrac1(C) or Gran1(G) No.
(C)
(G)
12. Sponsoring Organization Name and Address 13. Type 01 Report & Period Covered
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
401 M Street, S.W. 800/000
Washington, D.C. 20460 14.
15. Supplementary Notes
PB93-964010
16. Aba1ract (Um!1: 200 words)
The Oak Ridge Reservation (USDOE) (Operable Unit 18) site is located adjacent to the City
of Oak Ridge, Anderson County, Tennessee. The Oak Ridge Y-12 plant was built in 1943 by
the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers as part of the Manhattan Project. Y-12 occupies the
upper reaches of East Fork Poplar Creek in Bear Creek Valley, which lies between pine
Ridge to the north and Chestnut Ridge to the south. The original mission of the plant
was to separate the fissionable isotope of uranium using electromagnetic separation.
Recent activities at Y-12 have included the chemical processing of lithium and uranium
compounds, precision fabrication of components from these and many other materials, and
assembly of the components into major subassemblies for nuclear weapons. In support of
these activities, the plant conducts metallurgical and machine shop operations,
including electroplating. The Plating Shop Container Areas, which are within the fenced
security area of Y-12, receive spent plating solutions and sludge. Spills in the
Plating Shop Container Areas have released inorganic and organic contaminants to the
surrounding subsurface soil; however, migration of contaminants to ground water and
surface water is unlikely because they are present at low concentrations. The physical
(See Attached Page)
17. Document Analysis a. Descriptors
Record of Decision - US DOE Oak Ridge Reservation (Operable Unit 18), TN
Fifth Remedial Action - Subsequent to follow
Contaminated Media: None
Key Contaminants: None
b. IdentilierslOpen.£nded TeRnS
00' ..
c. COSA 11 F"...kIIGroup
18. Availability Statement 19. Security Class (This Report) 2t. No. 01 Pages
None 18
20. Security Class (This Page) 22. Price
1\T,......,o
UPTIONAL FORM 272 (4-77)
(See ANSJ.Z39 t 8)
See Instructions on R"verse
(Formeriy NT1S-35)
Department 01 Commerce
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EPA/ROD/R02-92/119
US DOE Oak Ridge Reservation (Operable Unit 18), TN
Fifth Remedial Action - Subsequent to follow
Abstract (Continued)
and chemical properties of soil and contaminants are not conducive to the transport of
inorganics to the ground water, and the gravel and asphalt surfaces of the site act to
reduce erosion. This ROD addresses OU18, the soil in the Plating Shop Container Areas.
A subsequent ROD may address future contaminants in ground water, surface water, and
runoff, if necessary, for the UEFPC Integrator au. Because the Plating Shop Container
Areas are within the fenced security of Y-12 and are devoid of vegetation, the
probability of detectable impacts to terrestrial and aquatic plants and animals is low.
Currently. the total excess cancer risk is below the EPA-established range of concern,
and noncarcinogenic health effects are also below the threshold for potential concern,
based on a conservative exposure to protect human health at the Y-12 Plating Shop
Container Areas. Therefore, there are no contaminants of concern affecting this site.
The selected remedial action for this site includes no further action. No additional
action is necessary to protect human health and the environment. There are no costs
associated with this no action remedy.
PERFORMANCE STANDARDS OR GOALS:
Not applicable.
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Record or Decision
for the
Y-12 Plating Shop Container Areas
Prepared for
U.S. Depanment of Energy
under contract DE-AC05-900R11851
Prepared by
Radian Corporation
120 South Jefferson Circle
Oak Ridge. Tennessee 37830
Doc. #F920623. 1 CMS 1
AugUSll992
92-225-161-55
DOEJOR-I049&D3
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PART 1:
DECLARATION
RECORD OF DECISION
FOR THE
Y-12 PLATING SHOP CONTATh"ER AREAS
u.S. DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
OAK RIDGE Y-12 PLANT
OAK RIDGE, TENNESSEE
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SITE NAME AND LOCATION
Y-ll Plating Shop Container Areas, S-334 and 5-351
Oak Ridge Reservation
Oak Ridge. Tennessee
STATEMENT OF BASIS AND PURPOSE
This Record of Decision (ROD) is issued by the U.S. Department of Enerl)' (DOE). the
lead agency responsible for remediation of the Oak Ridge Reservation (ORR). In accordance
with the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation. aDd Liability Act (CERCLA)
as amended by the Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act of 1986 (SARA), this
document presents DOE's decision that no further action is necessary to achieve protection of
human health and the environment at the DOE Y-12 Plant (Y-12) Plating Shop Container Areas
in Oak Ridge. TeMessee.
The state of TeMessee and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) concur with
this *no further action* decision for the Y-12 Plating Shop Container Areas.
DESCRIPnON OF THE SELECTED REMEDY: NO FURTHER ACTION
Based on a conservative exposure scenario for current and future industrial land use at the
Y-12 Plating Shop Container Areas, the total excess cancer risk is below the EPA-established
range of concern. and noncarcinogenic health effects are below the threshold for potential
concern. Thus, no further action is necessary to protect human health at this site.
F'92D623.I~1
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01121192
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DECLARATION STATEMENT
No further remedial action is necessary to achieve protection of human health and the
environment at the Y-12 Plating Shop Container Areas based on the reasonably foreseeable use
of this area for industrial purposes. Because this ROD addresses only the soil at the Plating Shop
Container Areas, review of these sites and this decision will continue while final remedial
alternatives are developed for the Upper East Fork Poplar Creek (UEFPQ Integrator Operable
Unit (OU), which will assess groundwater, surface water, and runoff. A decision on the need
to apply a 5-year review for these sites, as described in CERCLA Sect. 121(c), will be made
when the overall final remedial decisions are made for this area.
, Manager, Oak Ridge Field Office Date
U.S. Department of Energy
Director, DOE Oversig&p£iv1sion Date
State of Tennessee
Department of Environment and Conservation
Regional Administrator, Region IV Date
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
FWOeS.lCMS! 01/21/91
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PART 2:
DECISION SUMMARY
RECORD OF DECISION
FOR THE
Y-12 PLATING SHOP CONTAINER AREAS
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
OAK RIDGE Y-12 PLANT
OAK RIDGE, TENNESSEE
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SITE NAME, LOCATION, AND DESCRIPTION
Y-12 is pan of the ORR Superfund Site and Is adjacent to the city of Oak Ridge in
Anderson County, Tennessee. Y-12 occupies the upper reaches of East Fork Poplar Creek in
Bear Creek Valley, which lies between Pine Ridge to the north and Chestnut Ridge to the south.
The Plating Shop Container Areas lie within the UEFPC watershed.
The Plating Shop Container Areas are the collection and storage sites for spent plating
solutions and sludges generated in the Plating Shop at Building 9401-2. The Plating Shop
Container Areas, S-334 and S-351, are adjacent to Buildings 9401-2 and 9720-29, respectively,
in the southern portion of Y-12 (see Fig. 1).
The Plating Shop Container Areas are within the fenced security area of Y-12 and are
devoid of vegetation; the presence of animals is unlikely.
SITE HISTORY AND ENFORCEMENT ACTIVITIES
The Oak Ridge Y-12 was built by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in 1943 as part of
the Manhattan Project. The original mission of the plant was to separate the fissionable isotope
of uranium (^"U) using an electromagnetic separation process. After World War II, this process
was discontinued in favor of a more economical gaseous diffusion process conducted at the Oak
Ridge Gaseous Diffusion Plant.
• Recent activities at Y-12 have included chemical processing of lithium and uranium
compounds, precision fabrication of components from these and many other materials, and
assembly of the components into major subassemblies for nuclear weapons. In support of these
activities, the plant conducts metallurgical and machine shop operations, including electroplating.
Building 9401-2 was built in the early 1940s as part of the original plant. Around 1955,
this building was convened to a plating shop for the Metal Preparation Division at Y-12.
Because wastes generated from these operations require temporary storage (less than 90 days)
pending transportation to treatment facilities, spent plating solutions and sludges have been
collected in containers in two accumulation areas — S-334 and S-3S1.
Area S-334 is adjacent to Building 9401-2 and has been in use since 1983. Wastes are
transferred via pneumatic pump from the process tanks in Building 9401-2 to movable 600-gal
polyethylene tanks. These polyethylene tanks are temporarily stored in S-334 before being
F72»ZUCM51 2-1 Ot/21/97
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2-3
shipped to the West End Treatment Facility or the Central Pollution Control Facility for on-site
treaanent. A waste volume of three to four polyethylene tanks is generated monthly. The
transfer area primarily consists of gravel over soil, although the extreme east end of 5-334 is
paved. A diked tanker transfer swion and diked polyethylene tank: transfer station were re(:ently
constructed and are currently used as a 9O-day storage area.
Area 5-351 is nonh of Building 9720-29. Use of this storaae area was r~ntly
discontinued. Waste sludges and any remaining liquids from the process tanks in Building 9401-2
were manually shoveled into 55-gal drums, which were placed on pallets and temporarily stored
at $-351, pending treatment and/or disposal. This area, originally soil and gravel but paved
several years ago, had been in use since 1955.
The Hazardous and Solid Waste Amendments of 1984 (HSWA) to the Resource
Conservation and Recovery Act of 1976 (RCRA) extended EPA's authority to corre(:t releases
to all media and all solid waste management units (SWMUs) at RCRA facilities. The first RCRA
permit to be approved for the ORR under the HSW A provisions became effective October 26,
1986. This permit specified that general information for all ORR SWMUs was to be provided
to the appropriate regulatory authority and that a RCRA Facility Investigation (RFI) be conducted
for each SWMU 1cnown to have released hazardous wastes or hazardous constituents to the
environment. The two container storage areas, 5-334 and S-351, are 5WMUs as defined by
RCRA and were the subjects of an RFI completed in 1988 (Energy Systems July 1988).
The ORR was placed on the CERCLA National Priorities List in the November 21, 1989,
Federal Register. Thus, the ORR also falls under the jurisdiction c' ~;e mandates of CERCLA.
Although the investigation of the Plating Shop Container Areas was initiated under RCRA,
subsequent steps in the remedial alternatives evaluation and selection process conform to
CERCLA program regulations and guidance.
illGHLIGHTS OF COMMUNITY PARTICIPATION
To fulfill the public participation requirements under Se(:t. 117(a) of CERCLA, as
amended by the SARA, the Proposed Plan for the Y-12 Plating Shop Container Areas was
released to the public on June 10, 1992, and is available in the administrative record maintained
at the DOE Information Resource Center at 105 Broadway in Oak: Ridge. The Proposed Plan
was available for public comment from June 15 through July 15, 1992. Notices of availability
were published in The Oak Ridger on June 14, 1992, in the KlWxville News-Sell/in.el on June 16,
1992, and in The Roane CoulUy News on June 17, 1992. The notice stated that a public meeting
F9'D5%3. 100«51
01121/92
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2-4
:onceming the Proposed Plan would be arranged if requested by June 29, 1992; however, no one
equested a public meeting.
Comments were summarized and responses are provided in the Responsiveness Summary
ecnoo of this ROD. This ROD presents the .no further action. decision for remediation of the
(-12 Plating Shop Container Areas 00 tbe ORR in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, chosen in accordance
vith CERCLA, as amended by SARA and, to the extent practicable, the National Oil and
lazardous Substances Pollution Contingency Plan. The decision for this site is based on the
dministrative rec:ord.
SCOPE AND ROLE OF OU
Under Superfund, an OU is defined as a discrete action that comprises an incremental step
Jward comprehensively addressing site problems. The Plating Shop Container Areas are
rtcluded in the Y-12 Study Area, a group of lower priority contaminant source units, some of
{hich may be assigned to an au in the future. As explained below, DOE has accelerated the
:ERCLA decision process for the Plating Shop Container Areas because the sites are needed for
rtdustrial expansion. Because DOE is proposing "no further action," the term source control
operable unit" (or aU) is somewhat of a misnomer when applied to the Plating Shop Container
~reas and will not be used again in this document. However, it should be stressed that the "no
~rther action" decision pertains to the Plating Shop Container Areas 5-334 and 5-351 soils only,
lot to the entire Y-12 Study Area. The Plating Shop Container Areas are located within the
JEFPC hydrogeologic regime. The groundwater, surface water, and runoff associated with this
omplex hydrogeologic regime will be addressed by the UEFPC integrator OU as pan of the
)RR Y-12 au strategy.
Use of Plating Shop Container Area S-351 has recently been discontinued. DOE plans to
onstruct a modem, automated plating facility east of Building 9401-2. Plans for replacing the
lating facility are outlined in the Environmenral Assessment for the Plating Shop ReplacemeN,
'-12 Planl, Oale Ridge, Tennessee (DOE-QR March 1992). (Ibis document is in the
dministrative rec:ord file at the DOE Information Resource Center.) Building 9720-29, including
:WMU S-35 I, along with Building 9811, would be demolished for construction of this site. This
~ould require removing the existing asphalt paved storage area overlying the contaminated
ubsoil according to standard Y-12 procedures, as well as excavating the site. Any future Plating
:hop expansion or dec:ontamination and dec:ommissioning that will involve excavation at the
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01121192
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2-5
Plating Shop Container Areas will require managing excavated soils as solid waste pursuant to
RCRA. -
Plating Shop Container Area S-334 will continue to be used to temporarily store waste
plating solutions and sludges.
SITE CHARACTERISTICS
DOE issued a remedial investigation (RI) Repon (Energy Systems May 1992) based on the
RFI (Energy Systems July 1988, April 1989), which included a quantitative baseline risk
assessment used to determine the appropriateness of proceeding with remedial actions and to
provide recommendations to suppon a ROD. The results of the RI are as follows:
F9DZ1.I~1
.
Spills at the Plating Shop Container Areas have released inorganic and
organic contaminants to the surrounding subsoil. The contaminants of
concern are carbon disulfide, chloroform, ethylbenzene, methylene chloride,
styrene, tetrachloroethene, toluene, trichloroethene, xylene, barium,
beryllium, cadmium, chromium, cyanide, lead, mercury, and nickel.
.
The inorganic contaminants present in the subsoil at concentrations slightly
above regional background levels are cyanide, nickel, and lead. Table I,
derived from the RI repon, lists the concentrations of these contaminants.
Organic contaminants detected frequently and present at low concentrations
in the subsoil are tetrachloroethene and methylene chloride. Table 2
presents the concentrations of these organic chemicals as noted in the RI.
.
Site contamination.at the Plating Shop Container Areas is limited to the
subsurface soil. Migration of contaminants to groundwater and surface
water is unlikely because they are present at low concentrations, the
physical and chemical propenies of the soil and the contaminants are not
conducive to the transpon of inorganics to the groundwater, and gravel and
asphalt surfaces of the sites reduce erosion.
0112119%
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Table 1. Inorganic contaminants or concern above regional background
concentratiom sampled in soil at S-334 and S-3!!
Nickel
Range of detected F Rq\IeDCY of Bacltpouad soil
concentrations detectioa" c:ooc:eatratioa
(mille,) (mallei)
5-334 S-351 S-334 5-351
0.1 - 1.8 0.1 - 0.16 11/45 3/12 NA~
3 - 110 3.4 - 19 45/45 12/12 21.6-91.5
9.8 - 106 9.6 - 28 36/45 8/12 14."
Chemic:a1
Cyanide
Lead
"Number of samples in which the chemical was positively ddCCted out of the number of samples taken.
bN A = not applicable
Source: Energy Systems May 1992
Table 2. Organic contaminants of concern sampled in soil at $-334 and $-351
Chemical
Range of detected Frequcncy of
concentrations (Jlglkg) detection"
5-334 5-35 I 5-334 $-351
101' - 22 31 - 31 9/45 12/12
101 - 86 101 - 41 23/45 8/12
Methylene chloride
T etracbloroethene
"Number of samples in which the chemical was positively ddCCted out of the number of samples taken.
"} = The associated numerical value is an estimate.
Soll1'ce: Energy Systems May 1992
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01121/92
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smlMARY OF SITE RISKS
Subsoils within the Plating Shop Container Areas currently pose DO threat to human health.
In order to determine the potential adverse human health effects of the site. DOE bas developed
a conservative exposure scenario in which site excavation would expose humans to contaminated
soil. The risk assessment of this hypothetical exposure scenario is based on current and future
industrial land use. This baseline risk assessment takes into account -both the cumulative risk of
exposure to multiple contaminants and multiple exposure pathways. Under coDditions most
cOnducive to exposure, the total excess cancer risk through all exposure pathways to on-site
excavation workers would be 2pproximately 2 x Ut'. This means that two additional people per
100 million would have a chance of contracting cancer as a result of exposure to the contaminated
soil. For plant employees in the vicinity of the hypothetical excavation, the total excess cancer
risk would be smaller at 2.7 x 10-9. These risk values are below the range of concern (1 x 1(t4
to I x 1()"6) for carcinogenic effects established by EPA's Office of Emergency and Remedial
Response. The contribution to the total excess cancer risk by beryllium was the highest
(1 x UtI) of any contaminant, but this risk is well below the range of concern. Furthermore,
beryllium was detected at the site in concentrations ranging from 0.9 to 1.1 mglkg, which
corresponds to the background soil concentration (1.1 mg/kg) in the Oak Ridge, Tennessee, area.
The total exposure hazard quotient for noncarcinogenic risk to excavation workers is less
than one for all contaminants; thus. the risks for noncarcinogenic health effects are below the
threshold potential concern.
The baseline risk assessment indicates that the conditions at the Y-12 Plating She!"
Container Areas pose no current or potential threat to human health or the environment. ThU5.
no further remedial action is necessary to ensure adequate protection under Sects. 104 and 106
of CERCLA. Should excavation occur at the site, associated carcinogens are unlikely to pose
significant excess cancer risks.
Because the Plating Shop Container Areas are within the fenced security area of Y-12 and
are devoid of vegetation. the presence of animals is unlikely. The probability of detectable
impacts to terrestrial and aquatic plants and animals is low.
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01/21/92
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2-8
DESCRIPTION OF THE "NO FURTHER ACTION" ALTERNATIVE
Because the total excess cance.r risk is below the EPA-established range of concern and
noncarcinogenic health effects are also below the threshold for potential concern based on a
conservative exposure scenario for current and future industrial land use, DO funher action is
necessary to protect human health at the Y-12 Plating Shop Container Areas. Furthermore,
potential adverse environmental impactS at the site are improbable. Thus, Seas. 104 and 106 of
CERCLA are satisfied.
Although not required for this site by CERCLA, DOE will conduct a review of the Plating
Shop Container Areas every five years.
EXPLANATION OF SIGl'~FIC~~T CHA"'iGES
No significant changes have been made to the "no further action" decision selected in the
Proposed Plan.
F9'D1C!3.1 C'Wl
01111192
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REFERENCES
EneriY Systems (Manin Marietta Energy Systems, Inc.) May 1992. Remedl4llnwsrigcuioll
Repon for the Plating Shop Co1llainer Areas (S-334 and S-351) at w ()QJc Ridge Y-12
Plant, Oak Ridge, Tennessee. ESIER-36&D3.
Energy Systems April 1989. RCRA Facility Investigation Plan: General Docume1ll, Vol. 1. OoJc
Ridge Y-12 Plant, Oak Ridge, Tennessee. YfTS-3S2.
Energy Systems July 1988. RCRA Facility InVtsrigation Plan, Plating Shop Co1llainer Areas
(S-334, S-351), Y-l2 PlaN. Oak Ridge. Tennessee. YfTS-408.
DOE-OR March 1992. Environme1llal Assessme1ll for the Plaring Shop Replaceme1ll, Y- J 2 Planr.
Oak Ridge, Tennessee, DOE/EA/OS02. .
FQJI6Z!.1a,c,1
01121/92
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PART 3:
RESPONSIVENESS SUMMARY
RECORD OF DECISION
FOR THE
Y-12 PLATING SHOP CONTAINER AREAS
u.S. DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
OAK RIDGE Y-12 PLANT
OAK RIDGE, TENNESSEE
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L
DOE established a public comment period from June 15 through July 15, 1992, for
interested parties to comment on DOE's Proposed Plan for the Y-12 Plating Shop Container
Areas. No public meeting was requested and none was held.
A responsiveness summary is required by Superfund law and regulations to provide a
summary of citizen comments and concerns about the site, as raised during the public comment
period, and the responses to those concerns. Four copies of the Proposed Plan were picked up
at the Information Resource Center for review by the public. Only tbe Oak Ridge Local
Oversight Committee, Inc., responded to the Proposed Plan. The committee concurred in writing
with the selection of the -no further action- alternative for the Y-12 Plating Shop Container
Areas .
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