NOTE
            Operations Report
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           THE UNITED STATES

  ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY


        OFFICE OF RADIATION PROGRAMS

                  AND

      OFFICE OF WATER PROGRAM OPERATIONS


                December !9~5

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                                      TECHNICAL NOTE
                                            ORP-75-1
          OPERATIONS REPORT

  A SURVEY OF THE FARALLON ISLANDS
       500-FATHOM RADIOACTIVE
         WASTE DISPOSAL SITE
            DECEMBER'1975
U.S. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
    OFFICE OF RADIATION PROGRAMS
                 and
 OFFICE OF WATER PROGRAM OPERATIONS
        U01  M  Stree*, S.W.
      Washington/ D. C.  20460

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                            FOREWORD
The  Marine Protection, Research, and Sanctuaries Act of 1972, as



amended,  requires  that  the  Environmental  Protection   Agency



develop  criteria  and  standards  governing ocean dumping of all



forms of waste.  The Office of Radiation  Programs  has  specific



responsibility for developing regulations and criteria to control



the ocean dumping of radioactive wastes.








In order to promulgate the controls necessary to protect both the



public  health and safety and to assure the Duality of -he marine



environment with.respect to any proposed dumping  of  radioactive



waste,  the  Office  of  Radiation Programs initiated feasibility



studies  to  determine  whether  current  technologies  could  be



applied towards determining the fate of radioactive wastes dumped



in  the  past.   Although  the  United  States dumped radioactive



wastes into ocean waters from 1946 to 1970, no  dumpsite  surveys



had been successful in locating any of the disposal containers.








The  present  Operations Report provides information on the first
of  the  EPA  feasibility  studies  and  is  an  account  of  the
                               111

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                            FOREWORD
successful  -attempt  to  locate  containerized radioactive wastes

using  a   remote-controlled   submersible.    Documentation   is

presented  here  giving  some preliminary evidence of the fate of

the containerized radioactive wastes  dumped  in  this  site.   A

separate  technical  report  will  also  be  issued early in 1976

presenting detailed analytical results of the survey.



The success of this ocean  dumpsite  survey  was  the  result  of

cooperation  by  many  organizations  and  individuals.   Special

program support was given by:



     U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
          Criteria and Standards Division, OR?, Washington, D.C.
          Marine Protection Branch, OSMCD, OWPO, Washington, D.C.
          OR? - Las Vegas Facility, Las Vegas, Nevada
          Environmental .Monitoring and Support Laboratory,
            Las Vegas, Nevada

     Interstate Electronics Corporation, Anaheim, California

     Naval Undersea Center, U.S. Navy, San Diego-, California


Particular appreciation and acknowledgment  is  extended  to  the

following  individuals  for their participation during the actual

oceanographic operation and the subsequent preparation and review

of this Operations Report:
     U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
     Mr. Robert S. Dyer
     Program Manager and Chief Scientist
     Office of Radiation Programs, Washington, D.C.
                               IV

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                            FOREWORD
     Mr. Bruce Mann, Radiation Safety Officer
     Office of Radiation Programs, Las Vegas Facility
     Interstate Electronics Corporation
     Anaheim, California
     Mr. S. T. Kelly
     Mr. M. 3. Lewis
     Mr. C. F. McFarlane
Readers of this repor- are encouraged  to  inform  the  Director,

Technology  Assessment  Division   (AW-459),   Office  of Radiation

Programs, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, D.C.,

20U60, of any  errors  or  omissions.   Requests  for  additional

information are invited.
                              W. D. Rowe, Ph.D.

                              Deputy Assistant Administrator

                                for Radiation Programs

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                            ABSTRACT
••/his    report    presents   the   operational   chronology   and



representative photographic data, including benthic color plates,



from an oceanographic investigation near the Farallon Islands,  a



small  group of islands located WSW of San Francisco, California.



The purpose of this operation was to determine the feasibility of



using a submersible to locate and investigate a site used in  the



early 1950' 3 for disposal of radioactive wastes and determine the



conditions  of  the  containers,  primarily 55-gallon drums.  The



operation employed the U.S. Navy's   Cable-Controlled  Underwater



Recovery  Vehicle  (CURV III).   Radioactive waste containers were



located at 850-meter and 900-meter depths.  Precision  navigation



methods  were used to ensure that the site could be located again



for any future studies and a  detailed  bathymetric  map  of  the



survey  area  was drawn up.  Sediment grab samples and cores were



taken adjacent to the containers, and a sample of  marine  sponge



was  collected  off  one  of  the  containers.  Extensive benthic



photography and video recording were utilized  for  documentation



of   the  bottom^ targets  that were investigated.  Although some



containers appeared to be partially  crushed  and  breached"the



majority appeared intact.
                               VII

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                        TABLE OF CONTENTS
.^ ore word
Abstract
Table of Contents
Illustrations
Page

 iii
 vii
  ix
  xi
Section

Section 1 - INTRODUCTION

  1.1     History of Dumpsite Use

  1.2     Selection of Survey Area

  1.3     Survey Chronology


Sec-ion 2 - OPERATIONS PLAN

  2.1     Survey Area

  2.2     Pre-Sailing Operations

  2.3     Ship Operations

  2.4     Survey Operations
 1-1

 1-1

 1-7
 2-1

 2-1

 2-3

 2-3
Section 3 - EQUIPMENT AND INSTRUMENTATION

  3.1      CURV III

  3.2      Navigational Systems

  3.3      Radiation Monitoring and Analysis Equipment

  3.4      Contingency Sampling Program

  3.5      Malfunction of the STD/DO Profiler
 3-1

 3-4

 3-9

 3-12

 3-13
                               ix

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                        TABLE OF CONTENTS
Sec-ion                                                      Page



Sec-ion 4 - SURVEY CONDUCT

  4.1     Operations Log                                     4-1

  u.2     Ship's Positioning                                 4-11

  4.3     Bathymetry                                         a-13

  4.4     Drift Determinations                               4-14


Sec-ion 5 - SHIPBOARD RADIOANALYSIS


Sec-ion 6 - SEDIMENT CONTROL SAMPLES


ScC-ion 1 - PHOTOGRAPHIC DOCUMENTATION


Secrion 3 - CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

  3.1     Operational Recommendations                    .    8-1

  8.2     Conclusions with Recommendations for Future
          Operations                                         8-4


Section 9 - BIBLIOGRAPHY


Section 10 - PRINCIPAL PROGRAM PARTICIPANTS

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                           ILLUSTRATIONS
Fioure                                                        Page
  1-1     FARALLON  ISLAND  WASTE  DISPOSAL SITES                1-3

  1-2     U.S. NAVY CABLE  CONTROLLED UNDERWATER
          RECOVERY  VEHICLE (CURV III)                          1-6

  1-3     M/V GEAR                                             1-8

  3-1     CURV III  CRUCIFORM CORER                             3-5

  4-1     MA? OF ALL STATIONS  INVESTIGATED                    1-2

  4-2     SPECIAL BATKYMETRIC  CHART                           U-15

  5-1     TEMPORARY COUNTING LABORATORY ABOARD M/V GEAR       5-2
                              TABLES




rabies                                                    •    Page

  5-1     SAMPLE INVENTORY  -  SEDIMENT AND BIOTA              5-3

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                            Sec-tion  1
                           INTRODUCTION







 1.1  HISTORY OF  DUMPSITE  USE


 The  Farallon  Islands  are a  chain  of small,  uninhabited islands


 located approximately WSW of   San   Francisco,   California.    The


 ocean  dumosite   is  located south and west of  the islands and was


 actively used  from  1946-1962 for the disposal   of  packaged  low-


 level  radioactive   wastes.  Host of the  wastes dumped there were


 rjrrnerated by three Atomic Energy Commission (AEC)  contractors  in
 ^S2^r~-t	^	^—^	___	        ,'..,....  .   . .    i            >

 California:   (1)   The   U.S. Naval Radiological Defense Laboratory
                *£T~E-mi.,-,. . '.K.^ .„>,.  . ,"   ' — ••..''•  -•> ""••    . . • ' -  '- -    '  	' —'' '   '   ——^ ^Z?

 (now  dsfunc-),   (2)  The University  of   California   Lawrence


 Radiation  Laboratory^,  and   (3)  The  University  of  California
Radiation Laboratory at  Berkeley.   The  radioactive waste disposal


operations were carried  out  by  the  U.S.   Navy  until  July,   1959


when  private  companies  assumed   the   responsibility  under AEC


license.  In 1962 the three  radiation laboratories  changed   from


ocean dumping to land burial  for their  radioactive wastes.





1.2  SELECTION OF SURVEY AREA


A ' perusal of existina disposal records  indicated that the actual


Farallons dumpsite area was  an  irregular  polygon  wi-ch  an   area


exceeding  250  square  miles.  Such an  area  was  far too large to
 ORP-75-1                                                      .1-1

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                     FARALLCN ISLAND SURVEY










survey under the existing rime and budget constraints; therefore,



selection of a smaller survey area was mandatory.  At this  time,



March  1974,  the  Office of Radiation Programs, EPA, requested a



fact- finding study to determine if  any  particular  subsite  or



subsites  wi-.hin the general dumpsite area would be most suitable



for a  survey.'   This  study  (EPA  Purchase  Order  P4-01-03305)



involved  both  a  literature survey and personal field contacts.



Results of the  study  are  presented  in  a  report  to  EPA  by



Interstate Electronics Corporation (Report No.  U550C067).








One  of  the most important facts emerging from the survey was in



an article by M. Waldichuk as contained in the 1960 International



Atomic Energy  Agency  proceedings  on  Disposal  of  Radioactive



Wastes.   Here  he  states:   "The  area  south  of  the Farallon



Islands, west of San Francisco,  has the  longest  record  on  the



Pacific  Coast  of receiving radioactive wastes.  At the original



site, 22 miles from San Francisco in a depth of about 50  fathoms



(Sice  1  in  Figure  1-1), three tug-loads of radioactive wastes



were dumped in 1946.  Later that year, the dumping  location  was



changed  to  a  point  33  miles  west  of San Francisco in 1,000



fathoms of water (Site 3 in Figure 1-1).   This  was  used  until



1951  when  a point 30 miles from San Francisco on the 500-fathom



contour (Site 2 in Figure 1-1)  was selected for  dumping.    Since



January, 1954 dumping has been resumed at the 1,000-fathom line."
 1-2                                                    ORP-75-1

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                     FARALLON ISLAND SURVEY



It  was  now  evident  that  this  dumpsite  consisted  of  three

distinctly separate sites.
                              FIGURE 1-1
                FARALLON ISLAND WASTE  DISPOSAL SITES
 ORP-75-1
1-3

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                     FARA1LON ISLAND SURVEY










Site 2 was selected for this survey after a careful evaluation of



four main factors:  (1) the inventory of  wastes  dumped  in  the



site,  (2) the characteristics of the radioactive waste packaging,



(3)   the   survey  method,  and   (4)   the  specific  operational



objectives.








1.2.1  waste Inventory



As a result of the previously referenced fact-finding  study,  it



was  determined  that all of the wastes were containerized and an



estimated 150 containers were  dumped  at  Site  1  (depth  =  50



fathoms,  or  300  feet),  3,600 containers were dumped at Site 2



(500 fathoms), and 44,000 containers were dumped at Site 3 (1,000



fathoms).  Only radioactive wastes were dumped at Sites 1 and  2,



while Site 3 also received chemical munitions.







1.2.2  Radioactive Waste Packaging Characteristics



Almost  all of the wastes dumped were packaged in 55-gallon steel



drums into which was poured concrete both for  shielding  and  to



insure sinking.  In most cases the top of the drum was removed, a



concrete   bottom  cap  was  poured,  the  waste  was  added  and



surrounded by more poured concrete, and a concrete  top  cap  was



added.    In a few cases larger concrete vaults were fabricated (5



ft. x 7 ft. x 8 ft.)   for larger items of contaminated  equipment



or slightly higher-activity material.
 1-4                                                    ORP-75-1

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                     FARALLON ISLAND SURVEY










In  November,   1950,  the  U.  S.  Navy  recommended  to Berkeley



Radiation Laboratory that the drums of radioactive waste destined



for ocean disposal should be equipped with a lifting eye (a cable



loop extending out from the concrete cap) made of wire  cable  or



reinforcing  bar  to  permit  ease of lifting and maneuvering the



drums.  By mid-1951 Berkeley had implemented this  recommendation



and,  in  turn,  this  technique  was recommended to the Lawrence



Radiation Laboratory.  By 1952 all packages  for  ocean  disposal



were  incorporating  some  form  of lifting eye.  Thus one of the



sites, Site 2, would contain  radwaste  packages  both  with  and



without  lifting  eyes since the site was used from February 1951



to January 1954.  And, in fact, this unique  packaging  was . only



used  for  radioactive  wastes.  Thus location in Site 2 of a 55-



gallon  drum  with  a  concre-te  cap  and  a  lifting  eye  would



positively  identify  the  container  as a radioactive waste drum



dumped between mid-1951 and January 1954, while the drums without



lifting eyes could be even more precisely dated to the first half



of 1951.  This  information  would  be  particularly  useful  for



estimating fouling and corrosion rates of the waste containers.







1.2.3  Survey Method



The    Cable-controlled   Underwater   Recovery   Vehicle   (CURV



III) (Figure 1-2) , operated by the U.S. Naval Undersea  Center  in



San  Diego,  was  selected  to  carry  out  the  survey.  It is a



tethered,  unmanned submersible, is less expensive to operate than
 ORP-75-1                                                      1-5

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                     FARALLCN ISLAND SURVEY

                            FIGURE  1-2
 U,S, NAVY  CABLE  CONTROLLED  UNDERWATER RECOVERY  VEHICLE  (CURV  III)

a  manned  submersible,  and  has  bo-th  sample  collec-tion   and
photographic  documentation  capabilities.  In addition, there  is
no hazard to operating personnel as no  life  support   system   is
required   and   the   vehicle   is   controlled  from  deckside.
Logistically it could be moved to the site with a minimum of time
and expense and, most importantly,  it could operate to  6000  ft.,
thus enabling it to survey any of the three dumpsites.
 1-6
ORP-75-1

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                      FARALLCN  ISLAND SURVEY










 1.2.4  Operation Objectives



      (a)   Determine   the  feasibility of  a  deep-ocean radioactive



     waste dumpsite survey using  a  submersible;



      (b)  Obtain photographic  documentation of the  condition  of



     the drums including the degree of corrosion and fouling, and
     assess relative  biological  abundance,



      (c)   Obtain   precisely-located  sediment samples adjacent to



     both __ intact.. . and..-..bre.a.C.hed__containe_r_s   known  to   contain



     ra_djsp.a-cfei--v-e—wa'S'tes.







In  summary,   since   Site   2  had,  (a)  precisely known coordinates



(37° 39'  N,   123°  09'W),   (b)  wastes   of  a  unique  packaging



configuration,   (c)   received enough containers  (approximately



3,600) to present   a   good   chance  of  their  being  found,  (d)



received  the  wastes  over a  period  of time  short enough (3 years)



to permit dating of observed  effects,  and (e)  was deep enough  to



be  representative  of  deeper-water  conditions without initially



testing the submersible system to its operating limits,  then  the



decision  was  made  that an environmental survey operation at this



site would most closely fulfill  the operation objectives.








1.3  SURVEY CHRONOLOGY



The plan for the actual field investigation at Site 2,  the  500-



fathom  site,  was  developed in July 1974.   The go-ahead for the



survey was received on Tuesday,  August 13,  1974.   The final  date
 ORP-75-1                                                       1-7

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                     FARALLCN ISLAND SUEVEY










available  for  sailing  was  Sa-turday,  Augusr  24.   This tight




schedule resulted in numerous logistic problems all of which were



successfully overcome.   The  U.S.  Navy  Supervisor  of  Salvage



assigned -he M/V Gear (Figure 1-3) to the program.  Onloading was




completed the night of Friday, August 23, and the M/V Gear sailed



from  San  Diego  for  the  Farallons  on  Saturday,  August  24.



Operations on station commenced on Monday, August  26,  and  were



completed on Friday, August 30, 1974.

                           FIGURE 1-3



                            M/V GEAR
 1-8
ORP-75-1

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                     FARALLON ISLAND SURVEY










Upon  commencement  of operation on Monday, August 26, successive



predetermined  grid  locations  were   investigated,   until   on



Wednesday,  August  28, the first major cluster of cannisters was



located.  Their unique  packing  configuration  (i.e.,  55-gallon



drums  with  concrete  caps  and  lifting eyes made of wire cable



indicated without a doubt that an actual radwaste  disposal  site



had been reached.







It  was originally planned that a final dive would be made at the



1,000-fathom (6,000  foot)  disposal  iste.   However,  the  time



required  to  adequately  sample  and photograph the intermediate



depth, 500-fathom  (3,000  foot)  site was such  that  investigation



of the 1,000 fathom site  had to be cancelled.








A  detailed  description  of  the  planning and at-sea operations



along with a selection of significant photographs  are  presented



in the subsequent sections.
 ORP-75-1                                                      1-9

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                           Section
                         OPERATIONS PLAN










A  detailed  and  comprehensive  plan  was  -developed in order to



ensure an effective and efficient sea operation.  The  components



of  the  plan   (IEC  Document  446-349)   are  summarized  in  the



following subsections.







2.1  SURVEY AREA



The general survey area was described by NOS Chart  5402  showing



the   two  subareas  connected  by  a  traverse  zone  and  their



relationship to the Farallon Islands and San  Francisco  shipping



traffic  lanes.   The  first  area  to be searched was defined as



being along the 500-fathom contour line centered at LAT  37°39'N,



LONG  123°09'W.  The second area to be searched, time permitting,



was defined as lying  along  the  1000-fathom  contour  near  LAT



37°38'N  and LONG 123°17'W.  Eathymetric charts of the noted area



were procured for use in tracking during the search operation.








2.2  PRE-SAILING OPERATIONS



The pre-sailing operations provided definitions for the following



important areas:
ORP-75-1                                                      2-1

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                     FARALLON ISLAND SURVEY










     1.   Operation  Schedules.  -  This  schedule  defined   the



          operational    times    from    mobilization    through



          demobilization as 19 August 197U to 31 August 1974 wirh



          possible extension through 2 September if required.







     2.   Participant   Responsibilities.   -   The   operational



          responsibilities   for   each   of   the  participating



          organizations  were  defined.   These   included   pre-



          sailing,   as   well  as  sea  operation  tasks  to  be



          completed.   The agencies participating in the operation



          were:



          (a)   U.  S.  Environmental  Protection  Agency    (EPA),



               participated  as  lead  agency in determination of



               general operational policy, planning, and funding.



          (b)   Interstate Electronics Corporation   (IEC) ,  served



               as mission contractor.



          
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                     FARALLON ISLAND SURVEY                   '   .










               provided  ship  board  radiation  monitoring   and



               analysis.







     3.   Preparation for Sea Operations. - The preparations  for



          sea  operations included factors such as staging areas,



          ship  loading,   provisioning,   and   final   boarding



          schedules.







2.3  SHIP OPERATIONS



Departure and arrival schedules were established for the ports of



San  Diego and San Francisco.  In-transit plans and ship-to-shore



communication channels were established.








2.4  SURVEY OPERATIONS



A survey site operational plan was  developed  and  key  decision



points  were  introduced  with  respect  to operational delays or



termination of the  operation.   These  decision  points  were  a



function  of  impending  weather  and/or  sea-state' condition and



equipment performance.  Details of the operational plan  included



the following:







     1.   CURV  III  Search   Operations    -    describing   the



          pre-established sampling pattern, target identification



          and verification, photo requirements, sample collection
ORP-75-1                                                      2-3

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                     FAHALLCN ISLAND SURVEY









          requirements,   course   deviation  authority,  vehicle



          safety, etc.



          Grab Sample Operation - describing  precise  navigation



          requirements   along  pre-established  track,  sampling



          equipment operation, time requirements, and  succeeding



          sampling procedures.



          Contingencies  -  developed principally as  a  function



          of  impending weather and/or sea-state criteria.   Times



          and points of survey operation were  defined  and  ship



          and crew safety requirements considered.
2-4                                                      ORP-75-1

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                           Section  3










                  EQUIPMENT AND INSTRUMENTATION










3.1  CURV III



CURV    ITT     (Figure    1-2)    is   an   unmanned,   tethered,



surface-controlled vehicle as the acronym CURV  (Cable  Controlled



Underwater  Recovery Vehicle)  readily explains.  Physically, CURV



is  a  framework  with  motors,  hydraulic  systems  and  cameras



attached.   It  has  syntactic  foam  blocks  mounted  to provide



balance and a  slight,  positive  buoyancy.   Its  overall  shape



resembles a rectangular box.  CURV is linked to power and control



systems  by a multiconductor underwater cable.  The weight of the



cable  over-the-side  is  borne  by  a  nylon  pendant  that   is



periodically  tied to the electrical cable.  The last 600 feet of



cable nearest CURV  (the tether)   is  made  neutrally  buoyant  by



attaching  blocks  of  foam.  CURV is powered and controlled from



the  surface  and  has  unlimited  bottom-time  capabilities.   A



control console provides visual and sonar maneuvering inputs plus



depth and vehicle attitude sensors.








The  length of the neutrally buoyant tether is the maximum radius



for a search by the vehicle.  CURV is powered forward and reverse



by port  and  starboard motors   and  can  be powered up and down
ORP-75-1                                                      3-1

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                     FARALLON ISLAND SURVEY










by a vertical motor; it is slightly buoyant so it must be powered



down to the bottom.  CURV is highly maneuverable -  -both  on  and



above the bottom.  A selection of tools  (grasping claw, clamshell



scoop,  hooks,  grapnels)   provides good adaptability to variable



sampling requirements.








CURV has an AMTEX/STRAZA SLAD-603 sonar system that scans an area



120° over a distance up to 800 yards in  front  of  the  vehicle.



The SLAD (Sonar, Locator, Altimeter, Depthometer)  system provides



visual   (cathode  ray  tube)  and  aural  signals  from  a  high



resolution,  rapid  scan,   continuous   transmission   frequency



modulated  sonar  system  for tracking active or passive targets.



The high resolution of the system gives the remote  operator  the



necessary   precise  location  of  the  target  relative  to  the



underwater vehicle.  At the same time, the  system  provides  the



operators  with  navigation data that establishes the location of



the vehicle with respect to altitude above the ocean  floor,  and



depth  below  the surface.  The sonar display unit on the surface



control console provides aural signals  and  visual  displays  of



target  range  and bearing, relative to the bow of the underwater



vehicle.  The CRT sweep displays a 120° sector centered about the



vehicle bow.







Limitations of CURV are cable length and weather.   Maximum  depth



of operation is 10,000 ft. with normal depth of operation limited
3-2  '                                                    ORP-75-1

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                     FARALLCN ISLAND SURVEY










to  7,000  ft.  The actual operating depth has not exceeded 5,500



ft to date.  Weather limits are about sea-state U and are related



to launch and recovery dangers.







For documentation purposes and near-bottom navigation,  CURV  has



two    television    cameras    and   one   35-mm   camera,   all



remote-controlled from a control van.  The television cameras are



solid-state vidicon cameras with a water-corrected lens  and  54°



viewing   angle.    The  35-mm  camera  is  an  EG&G  color  with



200-watt/sec  strobe.   Lighting  is  from   100-   or   250-watt



pressure-balanced, mercury vapor spotlights.








The initial mode of operation with CURV was a search and traverse



method.   A  pre-established  area  of  greatest  probability for



locating containers was outlined for a series of  traverses.   In



actual operations, the traverse consisted of a series of searches



performed along the desired course with the SLAD 603 sonar system



in the following manner:



     1 .   Upon initial setdown of CURV, a sonar  search  of  four



          quadrants  was made to "box the compass".   This covered



          a radius of 800 yards.



     2.   If no contacts were  identified  that  were  considered



          significant,  a traverse in the desired direction, with



          the sonar on, was made for about 600 to 800 yards.



     3.   Again a quadrant search was made.
ORP-75-1       '                                               3-3

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                     FARALLCN ISLAND SURVEY










    •4.   If targets within the  tether  range  (600  feet)   were



          located,  an  immediate  investigation was made.  If no



          targets  were  identified,  the   traverse   continued.



          Targets  out  of tether range were approached by moving



          the ship.



     5.   Targets of interest that were  located  by  sonar  were



          approached by using the sonar and, if on visual contact



          were  still of interest, the 35-mm camera and the video



          tape recorder was utilized for documentation purposes.








During the investigation of the dumpsite survey area, cores  (3.8



cm.  diameter  x  U8 cm. deep)  were taken with an adaption of the



manipulator arm.  Four cores were available on each dive  of  the



CURV III.  The coring configuration utilized by CURV III is shown



in  Figure 3-1.  Each polycarbonate core tube was provided with a



one-way finger closure to prevent sediment loss.  A  Shipek  grab



had  also been mounted on CURV and one grab was available on each



dive.








3.2  NAVIGATIONAL SYSTEMS



3.2.1  Mapping and Plotting



Precise positioning of sighted radioactive waste  containers  was



of utmost importance for detailed surveys or subsequent sampling.



Preparations to provide precision navigation and bathymetry began
3-U                                                      ORP-75-1

-------
                     FARALLCN ISLAND  SURVEY
                                           rfff
                                       /  '  "-.  ' ^ : f*$ijr^r''%-+i** i  ^
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                            FIGURE  3-1
                    CURV III CRUCIFORM  CORER

with obtaining the best available  charts of  the  area.   NOS   Chart.
5072  -  Gulf  of  the  Faralones at a  scale  of  1:100,000  gave  the
most detailed coverage, but an inset partially obscures the  area
and the chart is not fully  contoured.  NOS Chart 5402  - Point  Sur
to  San  Francisco      at   a  scale of 1:210,668 gives  unobscured
coverage and is fully contoured  at  100-fathom   intervals.    The
best  available  boat sheets were  H-2829, a  1908-1909  survey at  a
scale of 1:200,000 and  H-5U72,  a  1932  survey   at  a  scale  of
1:120,000.
ORP-75-1
3-5

-------
                     FARALLCN ISLAND SURVEY










Four  mercator  grids  at  a  scale  of 1:24,000 were pre-plotted



covering the area from Lat. 37°35'N to  37°<;5'N  and  from  Long.



123°00'W  to  123°20'W.   A  fifth  grid  covering  the potential



control area from Lat.  37°10'N to 37°15'N and Long. 123°00'W  to



123°10'W  was  also prepared.  The contouring from NOS Chart 5U02



was photographically enlarged and added to the grids to form  the



base charts of the area to be surveyed.








Offshore  Navigation  Services,  INC.  (ONS), Ventura, California,



was retained to provide a Motorola RPS  (Radio Positioning System)



network for the survey area.  The system instrumentation included



a Motorola Model III Mini-Ranger and rotary scanning antenna  for



use  aboard  the vessel and three transponders located over bench



marks at Point Reyes, Mount Tamalpais and Montara Mountain.   The



Motorola  Mini-Ranger  digitally  displays  the range, in meters,



from shore transponders and has a  probable  range  error  of  ±3



merers  at  40  nautical miles.  Thus providing a highly accurate



means of navigation and track plotting.








Because the search pattern to be used during the survey would  be



dependent  upon  wind and current direction, precise vessel track



lines could not be precalculated.  Instead,  transponder ranges to



46 points within the survey  area  and  four  points  within  the



control  area  were pre-computed at selected intersections of the



one-minute mercator grid lines on the base charts.   Also added to
3-6                                                      ORP-75-1

-------
                   •  FARALLON ISLAND SURVEY









the base charts  were  range  arcs  from  the  three  transponder



stations at intervals of 500 meters.








The resultant plotting and tracking charts are nearly the same as



the original plot.  The scale of 1:24,000 was changed to 1:25,000



to allow easy measurements using an ordinary metric ruler.







3.2.2  Radio Positioning System



A . Motorola  Mini-Ranger  III positioning system was selected for



use both as a primary navigation aid and for  positioning  during



the   operation.   The  prime  factor  in  choosing  it  was  its



superiority  over  more  conventional  navigation  systems.    The



Motorola  Mini-Ranger  III  is a short-range, pulse radar system.



It  consists   of   a   range   console,   two  or  three   shore



transponders, rotary scanning antenna, and a receiver/transmitter



unit.   In  operation,  the base station, onboard the ship,  emits



interrogation  signals  which  elicit  a  reply  pulse  from  two



reference   stations.    The   elapsed  time  from  beginning  of



interrogation  to  arrival  of  reply  pulses  is  measured   and



converted  to  range  data.   This  data, in meters, is displayed



simultaneously on two sets of light emitting  diodes  mounted  in



the  range  console.   A  precise  position  of the vessel  can be



plotted at any instant by this trilateration technique.
ORP-75-1                                                      3-7

-------
                     FARALLCN ISLAND SURVEY










The scanning antenna was installed on the M/V Gear above the CURV



control  van  located on the roof of the wheelhouse and connected



to the transceiver/display unit  placed  in  the  plotting  room.



Transponders were placed on the bench marks during the weekend of



24-25  August  1974  while  the  M/V Gear was in transit from San



Diego to San Francisco.








Operation was in the  5400  to  5600  mHz  band  which  prevented



interference  from  the ship's radar.  The system utilizes pulsed



radar type transmissions to  determine  the  distances  from  the



survey  vehicle  to the reference transponders.  The intersection



of these range arcs provides a highly accurate  fix.   Since  the



information  is  continually updated, the successive fixes can be



used for track plotting.  Such is not  the  case  with  satellite



systems  in which the fix is obtained only during the pass.  This



high-accuracy track plotting feature was  the  prime  reason  for



selection of this equipment.







3.2.3  Precision Depth Recorder



The  precision depth recorder selected was a Hydro Products Model



4000, GDR-IC-19T Gifft recorder.   This instrument incorporates  a



number  of  features  that  were   particularly desirable for this



operation.  Basically,  it  is  a  complete  echosounder  with  a



1000-watt integral acoustic transceiver.  Operating frequency was



12  kHz  which  permitted  use  of  the ship's standard UQM-type,
3-8                                                      ORP-75-1

-------
                     FARALLON ISLAND SURVEY










hull-mounted transducer.   A  built-in  programmer  provided  the



necessary  degree of versatility that was required to insure high



resolution without interfering artifacts.  Recording was done  on



high resolution, electrosensitive, wet recording paper.  Accurate



water  depths had to be known during CURV operations to determine



the correct amount of cable payout.  The main cable could not  be



allowed  to • drag  on  bottom,  and  if it was held too high, the



excursion area of the vehicle would be reduced.








3.3  RADIATION MONITORING AND ANALYSIS EQUIPMENT



The objectives  of  having  radiation  monitoring  and  measuring



equipment on board was two-fold:



     1.   Monitoring to detect  the  presence  of  any  potential



          harmful  radiation  in  either the samples collected or



          sampling  equipment  used  in  the  vicinity   of   the



          radioactive waste dumpsites.



     2.   Measuring equipment  to  more  precisely  identify  and



          quantify the specific radionuclides present and provide



          on-going  information  to identify sites which might be



          more thoroughly sampled before returning to shore.







3.3.1 Radiation Survey Instruments (Hand-held)



     1.   Rank Nucleonics and Controls,  Scintillation  Ratemeter



          Type  NE-148A.   Sodium iodide crystal detector,  1-inch



          diameter by 1 1/2-inch, with 0-30  microrads/hr,   0-300
ORP-75-1                                                      3-9

-------
                     FARALLCN ISLAND SURVEY










          microrads/hr,  and  0-3  millirads/hr  ranges.    Two of



          these instruments were used in the  project  to  survey



          low-level   gamma  radiation  expected  from  recovered



          samples and equipment.



     2.   Victoreen Instrument Company,   AG3-5003-SR  "Radector",



          with  wide-range  Neher-White   ionization  chamber rate



          meter.  Instrument has 0.5-500 millirads/hr and 0.5-500



          rads/hr logarithmic ranges.



     3.   Eberline Instrument Corporation,  S-500B Geiger  Counter.



          Utilizes an Anton 112  halogen  filled  GM  tube.   The



          instrument  has five scales: 0-0.2, 0-2.0, 0-20,  0-200,



          and 0-2000  millirads/hr,  and  was  used  for   general



          beta-gamma surveys.



     4.   Eberline   Instrument   Corporation,    PAC-ISA     Alpha



          Scintillation  Counter.   This instrument utilizes a 50



          cm2 scintillation probe and  photomultiplier  tube  and



          presents  a  meter reading in  counts  per minute in four



          ranges:  0-2,000, 0-20,000, 0-200,000, and 0-2,000,000.



     5.   Eberline Instrument Corporation,  Count Ratemeter, Model



          PRM-5, battery operated pulse  rate  meter  with  single



          channel   pulse  height  analysis  capabilities.    This



          instrument was used  in  conjunction   with  a  "Fidler"



          probe  to  scan for plutonium  X-rays.   The Fidler probe



          specifications  are:   5-inch   diameter  by  0.063-inch



          thick  thallium-activated sodium iodide crystal mounted
3-10  '                                                   ORP-75-1

-------
                     FARALLCN ISLAND SURVEY










          on a  1.5-inch thick quartz light pipe with a 0.010-inch



          thick beryllium entrance window and  optically  coupled



          to a  5-inch RCA 8055 photomultiplier tube.



     6.   Eberline Instrument Corporation, .Model  PG-1  Plutonium



          Gamma  Probe.   A  1-mm  thick  2-inch  diameter sodium



          iodide crystal with a 0.001-inch thick aluminum window,



          coupled to a Dumont 6U67A photomultiplier  tube.   This



          probe  is  used  in  conjunction with the PAC-ISA alpha



          counter described above.







3.3.2 Laboratory Radiation Counting Equipment



     1.   Nuclear   Measurement   Corporation,   Alpha-Beta-Gamma



          Proportional  Counter,  Model  PC-33.   An internal gas



          flow proportional counter with 2 pi  geometry  used  to



          count small sample aliquots on 2-inch planchets.



     2.   Technical .Measurement  corporation,  Model  U01D,  400



          channel pulse height analyzer system.  The analyzer was



          used  in  conjunction  with  a  Ux4-inch Harshaw sodium



          iodide crystal with matched-window  integral  detector-



          photomultiplier assembly.  The detector-photomultiplier



          system  operates from a 1100 volt D.C. power supply and



          was placed in a 2-inch thick  lead  cylindrical  shield



          cavity.   It  was used to obtain gamma ray spectra from



          400-ml  sediment  sample  aliquots  counted  in   right



          cylindrical polyethylene dishes.
ORP-75-1                                                     3-11

-------
                     FARALLON ISLAND SURVEY










 3.4  CONTINGENCY SAMPLING PROGRAM



 In the event of a serious CURV malfunction, a backup sampling and



 in  situ  recording  system  was  assembled.  It consisted of:  A



 hydrographic winch equipped with 10,000 ft. of 1/4"  hydrographic



 wire; an InterOcean 550 STD recorder; an InterOcean 3-1055 pinger



 (12 KHz), and a Shipek grab sampler.








 The  winch was a "Sendix Deep-Sea winch" with capacity for 23,000



 feet of 1/4" wire rope.  The wire was U.S. Steel 1/4"  galvanized



 3x19  torque-balanced  wire  rope.  The STD incorporated internal



 recording, battery-powered system from InterOcean  Systems,  Inc.



 It   had   an   optional  dissolved-oxygen  sensor  and  measured



 conductivity, temperature, depth and DO, two parameters  (C, T)  on



 the down cast and one  (DO) on  the  upcast,  all  plotted  versus



 depth.    The  12  KHz  pinger  matched  the UQN-1 ship fathometer



 transducer.  It was used to monitor the height off the bottom  of



 the instrument packages and equipment.







 The Shipek grab sampler was a Hydro Products Model 860, identical



to  the one used on the CURV III.  The sample is approximately 60



 square centimeters in surface  by  14  centimeters  deep  at  the



center.   It  is  particularly well adapted for pickup of benthos



organisms living  at  or  immediately  below  the  sediment-water



interface.
3-12                                                     ORP-75-1

-------
                     FARALLGN ISLAND SURVEY










The  instruments  were  arrayed  on  the  wire  in  the following



fashion:  First, the Shipek sampler; then  the  STD  profiler   10



meters  above  followed  by  the  pinger  one meter above the STD



profiler.  This arrangement prevents the STD  from  touching  the



bottom.  The pinger was to be tracked on the depth recorder which



allowed  lowering  rare  to be slowed to 1/2 ft/sec at a distance



100 me-ers from the bottom and then stopped at 5 meters from  the



bottom.







The  package  was deployed on August 26 after a CURV malfunction.



Contact with the pinger  was  lost  near  the  bottom,  and  when



reestablished,  it  appeared  that  the package did touch bottom.



The Shipek successfully collected a sample, but the STD  profiler



had malfunctioned and no water column data was collected.








3.5  MALFUNCTION OF THE STD/DO PROFILER



Prior  to  launching,  the Model 550 profiler was checked out and



was operating.  Upon recovery, it was found that the profiler had



failed.  An ISC electronic engineer and an electronic  technician



of  the  Environmental  Protection  Agency  checked  out the unit



onboard the ship to determine the cause of  failure.    The  first



problem  uncovered  was  that  the pen assemblies had not dropped



onto the chart paper, although the pen lifters had been placed  in



the down position.  It was determined thai:  friction  within  the



mechanism  was  such that the pens would not drop in place unless
ORP-75-1                                                     3-13

-------
                     FARALLCN ISLAND SURVEY










an upward pull was given on the pen lifter knob.  Since the chart



recording assembly is not visible without removing  the  pressure



housing,  there  is no positive way of knowing if the pens are in



position.  The next fault was indicated by improper  readings  at



the test points on the voltage regulator card.  Visual inspection



revealed  a  cold  solder joint which had fallen off of a printed



circuit: board connector.  Resoldering of this wire  reestablished



correct  readings  at  the  test  points on the voltage regulator



board.  Inspection of the  plug-in  boards  indicated  components



improperly  mounted.   Specific  examples  included  clusters  of



capacitors whose leads were twisted  together  and  stuffed  into



integrated  circuit  sockets.   Although replacement of the power



supply lead resulted in proper voltages on the voltage  regulator



board  the  unit was still not fully operational.  Further visual



inspection  revealed  the  cause.   Leads  going  to  the   servo



amplifier  boards were improperly dressed.  Mechanical design was



such that there was no way to prevent abrasion when the pressure-



proof housing was removed and replaced  as  is  necessary  during



normal  test  and  operations.  Inspection revealed that abrasion



had, indeed, been the problem, and that  the  insulation  on  the



twisted . wiring  had  been worn off completely in several places.



This had resulted in  a  short  circuit  destroying  one  of  the



semi-conductors.  Since no spares were provided with the unit,  it



was impossible to repair it in the field.
3-14                                                     ORP-75-1

-------
                     FARALLON ISLAND SURVEY










No  moisture  entered  the  unit  during  the cast.  However, the




necessity for opening the unit on deck to turn the power  on  and



drop  the  pens  allows moist warm air to enter the unit.  During



deployment,  external  temperatures  in  the  range  of  1°C  are



normally encountered resulting in condensation of moisture on the



circuit board contacts and electronic components.
ORP-75-1                                                     3-15

-------
                           Section  4










                         SURVEY CONCOCT










4.1  OPERATIONS LOG



The  following  summary of the Operations Leg provides an outline



of the general chronology of the  survey  including:  . the  daily



routine;  normal  and  special  operations;  the time required to



perform the various tasks; the areas covered by the survey;  some



on-site  observations  and  operational problems encountered.   It



will be noted that the basic schedule in the  Operation  Plan   of



Section  2  was  maintained  except  for surveying of the control



site.  The allotted time was used to make additional.observations



at the 500 fathom disposal  site.   Under  operating  conditions/



some  details  of  the  Operation  Plan  were  deemed  not  to be



feasible; these  included  multiple  dives  per  day  and  bottom



traversing   between  planned  sampling  stations.   All  courses



mentioned in this log are referenced  to  true  north.   A  brief



coordinate  map- showing  the  relative  position  of each survey



station is provided as Figure 4-1.
ORP-75-1                                                   '   4-1

-------
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-------
                     FAP.ALLON ISLAND SURVEY
                         OPERATIONS LOG
8/23/74   0800      Start loading of M/V.Gear at NUC dock.



          1300      ONS loading and checkout complete.



          1730      EPA loading and checkout complete.



          1930      IEC loading and checkout complete.



          2000      NUC loading and checkout complete.



          2100      All equipment secured  for transit.







8/24/74   0600      Depart NUC dock, San Diego.



          0800    •  Recover and relocate NUC spar buoy.



          0900      Resume transit to San  Francisco.
8/25/74
In transit.
8/26/74   0500




          0630








          0948




          1030








          1245




          1310




          1316
Arrive Embarcadero and launch shore boat.



Final loading complete.  Depart for  disposal



area.



Begin drift determination.



Conclude  drift  check.   Wait  for   weather



report.



Start CURV launch procedure for Station 4.



Ship on station.



CURV in water.
ORP-75-1
                                          .4-3

-------
                     FARALLON ISLAND SURVEY










          1321      Begin descent.  Station 4 depth approximately



                    640 meters.   Site approx. 1000 distant meters



                    on 145° heading.



          1325      Vehicle traversing at 150 meter depth  toward



                    Station 4 site.



          1350      Electrical  short  on  110V   line,   current



                    excessive -  over 2 amps.



          1353      Begin recovery of vehicle.



          1410      CURV on surface.



          1430      CURV on deck.  Troubleshooting the problem.



          1700      CURV no-go.   Run profile/grab at Station 6.



          1755      Shipek sediment grab #1 taken at Station  6A.



                    Depth 914 meters.



          1850      Grab up.  Return to Station 4.



          1900      Secure operations.  Profile recorder  failed.



                    Sediment  sample  is  medium olive-gray clay,



                    slightly  silty,  containing   empty   1-pint



                    whiskey  bottle,  broken  glass,  small vial,



                    fish  vertebrae,  worm  tubes,  and   mollusk



                    shells.



          1930      CURV   repairs   complete.    Replaced    bad



                    connector   and   honed   the  pitted  0-ring



                    surface.







8/27/74   0800      CURV on-deck check complete.
4-4                                                      ORP-75-1

-------
                     FARALLCN ISLAND SURVEY










          0808      Start drift check.



          0840      End check.  To launch area Station 4.



          0855      On site.-



          0900      CURV in water.



          0915      Station 4 in depth of approximately  640 m. at



                    a distance of 900 meters on 190° course.



          0920      Start descent.



          0940      Vehicle traversing at depth of 275 m. towards



                    Station 4, which is at a distance of 1200  m.



                    on course 238°.



          1005      On bottom at Station 4A.  Targets on  heading



                    000° at 100 yds.



          1016      Sonar scanning.  No targets of significance.



          1032      Two fish photos.  Bottom temperature 10° C.



          1040      Five-gallon (?) container observed.



          1100      At Station 4B.  Begin traverse to Station 4C.



          1207      Main circuit breaker in control shack  popped



                    - reset.



          1215      Stop and scan at Station 4C.



          1245      Exploring ravine slope 18-20 degrees.   Depth



                    762 meters.



          1315      Continue to Station 6.  Course 225 degrees.



          1411      At Station 6 and holding.  Depth 945  meters.



                    Explored several targets.  None of interest.
ORP-75-1
4-5

-------
                     FARALLON ISLAND SURVEY










          1625      On to  Station  15,  bearing  270°  for  1400



                    meters.



          1650      Stop and hold.  Close on possible target.   No



                    interest.



          1725      On to Station 15.



          1810      Holding position.    Russian  trawler  sitting



                    over next Station   (15).  Weather beginning to



                    worsen.



          1944      At Station 15 and  holding.  Depth 929 meters.



          2015      Ship  requires  20  turns  to  hold  station.



                    Exploring targets.



          2123      Took two cores and one grab.  No  targets   of



                    interest.



          2130      Start retrieval from 975 meters.  Temperature



                    6° C.



          2303      CURV on surface.



          2325      Secure operations.







8/28/74   0600      Start drift check.



          0645      CURV on-deck check complete.



          0730      End drift check.



          0735      To Station 7 launch point.



          0845      Launch CURV.  Vehicle bumped rail on  launch.



                    Sea state 3-4.
4-6
ORP-75-1

-------
                     FARALLON ISLAND SURVEY










          0950      On bottom and scanning.   Depth  840  meters,



                    15° slope.



          1010      To Station 8, at a heading of 000 degrees.



          1110      Stop and scan at Station 7A.  No targets.



          1132      On to Station 8.  Bearing 000 degrees for  900



                    meters.



          1327      On Station 8 and scanning.



          1350      On to Station 13.  No targets at Station 8.



          1410      Stop at 8A.  Target?



          1435      On to Station 13.   (8A was false alarm.)



          1530      Many 55-aallon drums sighted  slightly  south



                    of  Station _1_3  ( = 13A) , and grouped ir\ an area



                    approximately 30 meters by_ 100 meters.



          1535      At Station 13A, going to detail mode.   Depth



                    913  meters.    (NOTE:  CURV has capability to



                    collect four cores and one  grab  sample   per



                    dive.)



          1540      Collected core  sample  near  concrete-capped



                    end  of  drum.   Documented sample collection



                    with videotape and 35-mm colverage.



          1606      Fix requested -  Station  13A.   Coordinates:



                    37°37'57.2"N,  123°08'00.8"W.  Temperature of



                    water 6° C.



          1650      Investigated cluster of drums, 30 m. x  60  m.



                    containing 28 distinct sonar targets  (drums).
ORP-75-1                           '                            4-7

-------
                     FARALLCN ISLAND SURVEY










          1705      Took core near center-crushed drum lying on



                    side.



          1720      Approaching another drum  cluster  containing



                    approximately  100 drums in an area about 130



                    m. x 250 m.



          1747      Cable  caught   on   anchor.    Cannot   hold



                    position.  CURV dragged 150 meters south.



          1815      Returning to the large cluster  of  drums  at



                    Station  13A.



          1855      At Station 13A.



          1905      Core taken near drum imploded in center



          1915      Core taken in  middle  of  tight  cluster  of



                    drums.



          1920      Shipek grab taken at  end  of  badly  crushed



                    drum.



          2050      CURV on  surface.



          2110      CURV on deck.



          2115      Secure operations.



          2330      Discovered 35-mm camera malfunction (no  film



                    advance),   cause   probably   due  to  rough



                    launching.
8/29/74   0650



          0715
Start drift check.



CURV pre-dive checkout complete.
4-8
                                     ORP-75-1

-------
                     FARALLON ISLAND SURVEY








          0740      End  drift  check..   To  Station  13A  launch



                    point.



          0925      At launch point.  Sea state 4; wind  from  NW


                    at 18-20 knots.  Marginal launch conditions.


          0930      CURV in water.


          1050      CURV on bottom.  Drums in sight.   Picked  up


                    end  of  one barrel with manipulator.  Rolled


                    several others  over  to  inspect  extent  of



                    corrosion.


          1130      Water temperature 8° C.



          1145      CURV pulled off station by ship.


          1220      Back on station.  Resumed operation.



          1245      Lost holding position.  Depth 855 meters.



          1350      New group of drums sighted ENE of Station 13A



                    (=13B)  in a 30 m. x 30  m.   grouping.    Ship
                          /

                    unable  to retain heading due to interference


                    with CURV III cable.



          1610      Resumed position at  Station  13B.   Holding.


                    Depth 860 meters.



          1730      Lost holding position.


          1815      Start recovery of CURV.



          1925      CURV on surface.



          1940      CURV on deck.



          2054      Start  bathymetric  survey  of  area  between



                    Stations 13 and 9.
ORP-75r-1                                                      4-9

-------
                     FARALLON ISLAND SURVEY
          2340




          2345
End bathymetric survey.



Secure operations.
8/30/74   0630      Start drift check.



          0700      CURV on-deck check complete.



          0735      End  drift  check.   To  Station  133  launch



                    point.  Sea state 4; wind from north at 15-17



                    knors; wave height 4-6 ft.



          0845      CURV in water.



          0910      Surface water temperature 17° C.



          1045      CURV on bottom.  Depth 839 meters.



          1052      Drums sighted.



          1055      Fix  requested.   Station  13B   coordinates:



                    37°38«02.4»N, 1 23<>07 ' 32 . 9"W.



          1120      CURV pulled  off  station  due  to  M/V  Gear



                    station-keeping problems.



          1225      Back on  station.   Investigating  individual



                    drums.



          1235      Shipek grab sample taken.



          1245      Vertical and  starboard  motors  (CURV)   trip



                    circuit   breakers  when  at  full  throttle.



                    Begin recovery.



          1350      CURV on  surface.   Vehicle  dead  in  water.



                    (Low voltage AC short.)



          1405      CURV on deck, begin repair of CURV.
4-10
                                     ORP-75-1

-------
                     FARALLON ISLAND SURVEY










           1415      Secure operations.  Return to  San  Francisco



                    as scheduled.



           1730      Launch shore boat and offload personnel.



           1800      Proceed to Oakland Naval Supply Center.







8/31/74    0800      Start equipment offloading at Oakland.



           0900      CURV vehicle repaired.



           1000      Complete light equipment  offloading.   Heavy



                    equipment offloading to be in San Diego after



                    completion  of  follow-on  CURV operation for



                    the Corps of Engineers.
9/9/74
Final offloading at San Diego.   End of survey



operations.
4.2  Ship's Positioning



During the hours from 0000 to 0600, M/V Gear maintained  steerage



way  by  slowly  cruising  up  and  down  wind in an area off the



Farallon Islands,  avoiding  the  major  San  Francisco  shipping



lanes.   During these early morning hours, the ship was navigated



using  radar  ranges  and  bearings  from  the  nearby   islands.



Accuracy of positioning to within 1/2 mile was easily obtainable.







During the usual operating hours of the day, from 0600 until CURV



recovery was started, all positioning was done by precision fixes
ORP-75-1
                                         4-11

-------
                     FARALLCN ISLAND SURVEY










using  the Motorola RPS system, usually at five-minute intervals.



All precision fixes were logged  and  plotted  in  the  following



manner:



     1.   As the sweep-second  hand  of  the  ship's  chronometer



          passed  "0", the event marker of the Gifft recorder and



          the "Hold" button of the Mini-Ranger were pressed.



     2.   The time and depth in  meters  were  annotated  on  the



          fathogram  and  the  time and two ranges entered on the



          daily position log sheet.  The two ranges normally used



          were from Point Reyes and from Mount  Tamalpais,  known



          as  "Head" and "Ridge".  These were being updated every



          few seconds, whereas responses from the transponder  on



          Montara  Mountain  frequency required 10 to 15 seconds.



          The  Mini-Ranger  "Hold"  button  was  released   after



          logging the two digital readouts.



     3.   The fix was then plotted on the base chart by  manually



          scaling  from  the  nearest  range arcs.  The scale was



          marked in 100-meter graduations that were  spaced  4.16



          mm  apart  (1:24,000).   Even  coarse  pencil lines and



          points (1 mm)  gave  a  resolution  of  ±15  meters  and



          careful work would give a resolution within 10 meters.



     4.   To avoid cluttering up the  base  chart,  most  of  the



          tracking  points  were  periodically  erased except for



          those with special significance.  All or any portion of



          the ship's tracks may be replotted from the log.
4-12                                                     ORP-75-1.

-------
                     FARALLON ISLAND SURVEY










After CURV recovery had started, the fathometer was shut down and



logging of the fixes stopped.  However, the RPS was kept  on  and



continuously  monitored  in  the event that the CURV lifting line



and cable parted and the  vehicle  lost  its  positive  buoyancy.



Thus,   its  precise  location  would  be  known  for  subsequent



recovery.







a.3  Bathymetry



The Gifft recorder was operated, approximately  through  the  same



period  as  the  RPS logging.  For the depth range of 700 to 1000



meters over most  of  the  surveyed  area,  the  most  convenient



full-scale  range  was  300  meters  (1.5  mm  =  1m)  with depth



graduations at 20-meter intervals.  Thus, depths to  within  five



meters  could  be  read with a quick glance, to within two meters



with normal "eye balling" and within  one  meter  using  multiple



dividers.   The  best trace, during CURV operations, was obtained



using a gating program of three transmitting pulses  followed  by



three  receive/write  pulses at a gain of 10.  Gains of 20 to 100



were required when the ship was backing  or  during  the  special



bathymetric survey when the ship's speed was five knots.  A paper



feed  rate  of  2  cm per minute was adequate for resolution even



over the rough bottom at the five-knot survey speed.  During  the



one-to-two  knot transit speeds and station keeping periods, this



feed rate was maintained.  Trying to save paper  by  slowing  the
ORP-75-1                                                     U-13

-------
                     FARALLCN ISLAND SURVEY










feed  rate  caused  the  wet  process  paper to dry out under the



moving stylus and wrinkling resulted.







As could be expec-ced, the contouring on the published charts  was



highly  generalized compared to what may be plotted at a scale of



1:25,000.  For example, the 500-fathom survey area  is  shown  on



NOS Chart 5402 as a very broadly rounded nose, gently plunging to



the  west between two intermediate-sized sea-valleys.  Because it



was shown  to  be  one  of  the  smoothest  areas  on  the  upper



continental   slope  of  central  California,  no  problems  were



anticipated in making CURV transits or operating the sonar in any



direction desired.  This area actually is a series of ridges  and



gullies with slopes up to 30° and numerous ledges and mounds with



local  relief  exceeding 40 meters.  A special bathymetric chart,



at a scale of 1:10,417, with a contour interval of 10 meters, was



prepared from the bathymetric and navigational data.   This  chart



is presented as Figure 4-2.







4.4  Drift Determinations



The  first  phase  of  the daily operation was to determine drift



rate and direction of the ship.   This was done because during the



launching of CURV, the M/V Gear must not turn its  screws  for  a



period of five to fifteen minutes while CURV is driven around the



stern  and  up  to  the  bow  of  the  ship.   The drift rate and



direction was determined by plotting a series of precision  fixes
4-14                                                     ORP-75-1

-------
                                                      FARALLON ISLAND  SURVEY
U.S. fNVlRONMMtJU PffOnCItOM ACINCV
                                                                                         r ARM i ON i SUNOS
                                                                                           MQIAIXOM
                                                                                        •»oio*cnvi WASH
                                                                                          DISPOSM sin
                      ORP-75-1
                                                                                                                     M- 15

-------
                     FARALLCN ISLAND SURVEY










a-  five-minute  in-ervals for a period of one-half hour or more,



with -he ship lying dead in the water.  During the survey period,



the drif- ranged from 0.5 -co 1.0 knots and was generally  to  the



southeast:.  With -his information, a launch point was established



fifteen minutes updrift of the selected bottom -arget site.








In  £u-ure  launches of the CURV from M/V Gear, this procedure of



obtaining drift rate and  direction,  and  determining  a  launch



point  updrift  from the -arget point may be minimized because of




-ne following factors:



     1.   The CURV vehicle and its cable  act  as  a  sea  anchor



          after  launching  and  the  drift rate is approximately



          half that of the ship alone.



     2.   The ship is headed into the wind and sea at  the  start



          of  the  launch  and  several  minutes elapse before it



          falls off and lays broadside to the  wind.   Thus,  the



          full  effect  of  the  wind  is  not  felt  during this




          interval.
«-16          '                                           ORP-75-1

-------
                           Section
                     SHIPBOARD RADIOANALYSIS










The EPA Office of Radiation Programs --Las Vegas  Facility   (ORP-



LVF) and rhe Environmental Monitoring and Support Laboratory, Las



Vegas   (EMSL-LV)  provided  shipboard  radiation  monitoring  and



measuring services.  These included radiation monitoring  of  the



CURV  and  associated  equipment upon recovery from each dive and



counting of sediment samples for radioactivity.








Personnel radiation dosimeters were provided  for  all  personnel



involved  with handling the CURV who could conceivably be exposed



to radiation from  recovered  samples.   Conventional  beta-gamma



film  dosimeters  were  provided  by NUC for the deck crews and a



thermoluminescent dosimeter (TLD), provided by EPA, was  worn  by



-he Murphy Pacific diver.  No personnel radiation exposures above



expected  background  were  recorded  for  any  individual on the



project.







The radiacion monitoring and counting equipment  carried  on  the



M/V  Gear  for  the  project are described in Section 3.3 of this



report.  Figure 5-1 illustrates the  temporary  laboratory  which



was installed in the ship's carpentry shop.
 ORP-75-1                                                      5-1

-------
                      FARALLCN  ISLAND  SURVEY










Four-hundred  milliliter aliquots were  taken from one core sample



and from all four  Shipek  grab  sediment,   samples.    These  were



counted  for  100  minutes  each in the gamma spectrometer system



described in Section  3.  Analysis of  the gamma  ray   spectra  did



not  reveal  the presence of man-made radionuclides  in any of the



counted samples within  -he  detection   limits  of  the  counting



system.   Naturally   occurring  potassium-40 and radionuclides of



the uranium and thorium decay  series  were  detected.    A  complete



inventory  of samples collected .during  the survey is presented in



table 5-1.

                                     ~«ss.f«v;
                                             -V j  • .  	,.   ^i=.J-;"OUir.SrH

                                             fi   wTN'.*--a:*»-^

                                             j - ^.'-^—~^~-;iL
                                                            a=i»   .£
                                                               -v-t-
                             FIGURE 5-1



             TEMPORARY LABORATORY ABOARD THE M/V GEAR
 5-2
ORP-75-1

-------
                     FARALLON ISLAND SURVEY




                            TABLE 5-1



         FARALLON RADIOACTIVE WASTE DISPOSAL SITE STUDY

                       AUGUST 26-30, 1974
               SAMPLE INVENTORY-SEDIMENT AND BIOTA
NERC-LV       Date
Samole Number Collected
                     Sample Identification
16-1
16-1
16-1
16-1
16-1
16-1
16-1
16-1
16-1
16-1
16-1
16-1
16-1
16-1
16-1
34268
34269
34270
34271
34272
34273
34274
34275
34276
34277
3427S2
34279
34280
34281
34282
8-30-74
8-27-74
8-27-74
8-28-74
8-28-74
8-28-74
8-28-74
8-26-74
8-27-74
8-28-74
8-30-74
8-26-74
8-27-74
8-27-74
8-28-74
Sta.
Sta.
Sta.
Sta.
Sta.
Sta.
Sta.
Sta.
Sta.
Sta.
Sta.
Sta.
Sta.
Sta.
Sta.
13B
15
15
13A
13A
13A
13A
6A
15
13A
13B
6A
15
15
13
Sponge
Core 1
Core 2
Core 1
Core 2
Core 3
Core 4
Shipek
Shipek
Shipek
Shipek
Grab,
Grab,
Core 3
Grab,
 (1/2 full) i
 (2/3 full)
 (2/3 full)
 (2/3 full)
 (full)
 (2/3 full)
 Grab
 Grab
 Grab
 Grab
400 ml  Aliquot3
400 ml  Aliquot3
, 400 ml3 *
400 ml  Aliquot3
1 All core tubes were 3.8 cm. diameter x 48 cm. deep.

2-Sample 16-134278 was mostly water; the  Shipek  grab  may  have
triggered  while  only partly in contact with the sediment as the
sample was  obtained  during  station-keeping  difficulties  CURV
experienced just prior to last dive termination.

3  Counted  in gamma spectrometer system (4" x 4" Nal) aboard M/V
Gear.

* This represents the entire volume of Station 15, Core 3.
 ORP-75-1
                                                           5-3

-------
                           Section  6
                    SEDIMENT CONTROL SAMPLES










Control samples were obtained  through  correspondence  with  the



following Pacific coast schools and universities:  Humboldt State



University, .Oregon  State  University,  Scripps  Institution  of



Oceanography,   U.S.  Naval  Postgraduate  School,  University  of



Southern  California,  and  the University of Washington.  To the



extent practicable, certain  criteria  were  adhered  to  in  the



selection  of  samples; viz., collected near 1000 m contour, mass



of 500-1000 grains and representing relatively undisturbed surface



sediment where possible.








Difficulties encountered obtaining samples meeting these criteria



warrant some discussion.   Standardization  of  collection  depth



from  sample to sample was impossible; also, samples at depths as



great as 1000 meters were not generally  available.    Apparently,



this  stems  from  the large quantity of material requested (most



universities only retain small quantities  of  each  sample  they



collect),   and   the   significant   academic  interest  in  the



continental shelf and continental slope.   Variance  in  sampling



devices  caused  differences  in  sediment  quality  (e.g.,  grab
 ORP-75-1                                                      6-1

-------
                     FARALLCN ISLAND SURVEY










samples are  more  susceptible  to  sediment  wash-out  than  box




cores).








Although  this method of gathering control samples presented many



problems, it was the best system employable under  existing  time



and financial constraints.








The following is a list of the control samples obtained.








           SEDIMENT CONTROL SAMPLES - FARALLON SURVEY



                        26-30 AUGUST 1974








Core GC-043         University  of  Washington:   Cruise  TT-022,




                    Station  001;  collected  11/11/67; 115 cm in



                    length; one sample (0-12  cm);  depth  -  902



                    meters;  location  -  47°28.9'N,   125°15.7'W;



                    description - clay.








Core 6708-38        Oregon State University: 472  cm   in  length;




                    two  samples  (0-45 cm and 46-90 cm) ;  depth -



                    988 meters;  collected  8/21/67;   location  -



                    42°35.2'N,  124°50.4«W;  description  - silty



                    clay.
 6-2                                                    ORP-75-1

-------
                     FARALLON ISLAND SURVEY










Grab                U.S. Naval Postgraduate School:  Shipek  grab



                    sample  specially collected on 9/13/74; depth



                    - 229 meters; location -  36°40'N,   122°01«W;



                    description - coarse to medium sand.  Came in



                    two pockets:  1) 946g dry wt, 2}  33g wet wt.







Grab TO-31          Humboldt  State  University:   Smith-Mclntyre



                    grab sample  (2); depth - 366 meters collected



                    10/1U/72;   location   -  40°47'N,   124°30'W;



                    description  -  sandy  clayey   silt.    Size



                    analysis   11% sand, 62% silt, 27% clay.








Grab TO-62          Humboldt  State  University:   Smith-Mclntyre



                    grab   sample   (2);   depth  -  366  meters;



                    collected  11/17/73;  location  -  40°59.5'N,



                    124°25.5'W;   description  -  silty  clay  to



                    clayey silt.







Box Core 20693      University  of  Southern   California:    Two



                    samples   (0-4  cm  and 25-30 cm) ; depth - 291



                    meters, collected 7/26/74  in  Hueneme  area;



                    location  34°02« 15"N,  119°04'W   (2.4 miles 3



                    007.5° true to  Point  Mugu);  description



                    clayey silt.
 ORP-75-1                           '                           6-3

-------
                     FARAILON ISLAND SURVEY









Box Core 20233      University  of  Southern   California:    One



                    sample (0-4 cm) ; depth - 73 meters; collected



                    2/27/74  in  northern  Channel  Island  area;



                    location - 3«°05«54"N, 120°16'W  (4.0 miles  5)



                    235°  true  to  northeast  corner  of  Prince



                    Island);  description - sandy silt  containing



                    small shell fragments.








Core LC-1           Scripps  Institute  of   Oceanography:    One



                    sample   (0-110  cm);  depth  -  899  meters;



                    collected  9/16/59;  location  -  32°U8.85'N,



                    117034.O'W  (taken  on  La Jolla Canyon Fan);



                    description -  silty  sand  containing  small



                    shell fragments.
 6-4                                                    ORP-75-1

-------
                           Section  7










                   PHOTOGRAPHIC DOCUMENTATION










All  of  the  following  photographs  were  taken  at  a depth of



approximately 900 meters, and all but the last  two  photos  were



taken with a 35-mm EG&G underwater camera.







Frame 357      Fifty-five gallon radioactive waste barrel showing



               a moderate amount of hydrostatic crushing.  A wire



               lifting eye is protruding from the concrete cap at



               the left end  of  the  barrel.   A  deepsea  sole,



               Embassichythys  bathybius,  is occupying the upper



               indented area.



Frame 364      This barrel was lifted by the manipulator  arm  of



               CURV  III  to  show  the  limited extent of barrel



               penetration into the sediment.  The sediment under



               the barrel shows black  bands  that  may  indicate



               anoxic  corrosion  of  that  part of the barrel in



               direct contact with the sediment.



Frame 367      Another example of  hydrostatic  crushing  at  the



               center  of  a  barrel, a common phenomenon in this



               dumpsire.  A long lifting  eye  of  wire  rope  is



               visible  protruding  from  the concrete cap at the
 ORP-75-1
7-1

-------
                     FARALLCN ISLAND SURVEY










               right end of the tarrel.  The CURV III manipulator



               and its hydraulic hose  system  are  in  the  left



               foreground.



Frame 372      Closeup view of the  concrete  cap  in  a  typical



               radwaste barrel at this site.  These concrete caps



               were  generally about 20 cm to 30 cm thick at both



               ends  of  the  barrel.    CURV   III   manipulator



               hydraulic hoses are in the foreground.



Frame 374      Barrel in foreground shows effect  of  hydrostatic



               pressure  in warping the length of the barrel.  An



               anemone is attached to the concrete cap.   Another



               barrel   with   a  lifting  eye  is  seen  in  the



               background.



Frame 379      View of underside of tarrel that was rolled  over.



               Good  view  of  lifting  eye  in the concrete cap.



               Black  deposits  (sulfides)   typical   of   anoxic



               corrosion  are visible and appear to start a short



               distance below the sediment surface.



Frame 388      A barrel with no evidence of hydrostatic crushing.



               A coating of fine,  minimally  disturbed  sediments



               is  prominent  on  the  upper  area  of the barrel



               indicating the relatively small amount of sediment



               deposited since disposal 22 to 24 years ago.    The



               metal  cap  (bottom)   end  of the barrel is at the



               lower right of the photo.
 7-2
ORP-75-1

-------
                     FARALLON ISLAND SURVEY




Frame 403      Closeup view of a lifting eye on a  barrel.   This

               barrel's  concrete  cap  is  recessed  inside  the

               barrel end as contrasted to Frame  357  where  the

               concrete bulges above the rim of the barrel.1 Note

               barrel  immediately  adjacent  in background/ also

               flatfish partly visible beneath sediment cloud.

Frame 404      View of upper surface of  barrel  shown  in  Frame

               403.   This  carrel  is imploded and may have been

               breached as evidenced by the sharp  edges  of  the

               crushed  area.  TV viewing also indicated this.  A

               photograph of this crushed area,  taken  from  the

               poorer  quality  videotape record,  is shown in the

               TV  2  photo;  the  angle  of  the  photograph  is

              - different from Frame 404.

Frame 409      Upright barrel showing large vase sponge  attached

               to   barrel.    This   sponge   is  of  the  Class

               Hexactinellida  and  probably  represents  a   new

               genus.2
     On March 12, 1954 the U.S. Navy stated that  henceforth  all
     55-gallon  drums  containing  radioactive  waste  must  have
     concrete caps recessed  at  least  1-1/2  inches  to  permit
     loading and handling by chime hooks.

     Toxonomy  completed  by  Dr.  Gerald  BaXus,  University  of
     Southern California.
 ORP-75-1                                                      7-3

-------
                     FARALLGN ISLAND SURVEY










Frame 410      This photo shows the type of clustering of barrels



               that was typical of the sites.  Three barrels  are



               in the field of the camera  (camera range was about



               12  feet).  This clustering supports the fact that



               the barrels were all released at one time  from  a



               hopper-type   barge   rather   than  being  dumped



               individually over the side.



Frame 413      Fifty-five-gallon drum viewed from the bottom  end



               (metal    cap).    A   thornyhead   fish,   either



               Sebastolobus    alascanus     (short-spined)      or



               Sebastolobus altivelis (long-spined),  and a tanner



               crab,  Chionoecetes  tanneri, are visible near the



               barrel end.



Frame 415      An example of the extensive  hydrostatic  crushing



               some   barrels   exhibited..   Implosion  of  most



               barrels was in the center third as shown here.



Frame 484      Barrel with atypical crushing at the concrete  cap



               end.   It  would appear that the waste, containing



               air  voids,  was  packaged  without  an   adequate



               concrete plug at this end.



Frame 486      Undecipherable  lettering  is  visible   on   this



               end-crushed  barrel.   Two Sebastolobus are at the



               left front of the  barrel.   Two  anemones  on  an



               unidentified substrate are immediately in front of



               the barrel.
 7-4
ORP-75-1

-------
                     F&RALLCN ISLAND SURVEY










Frame 487      Closeup of the 55-gallon drum shown in Frame  486.



               A  poor-resolution  print from a videotape closeup



               of this same drum is shown in TV 1.



Frame 492      Example of the typical implosion  pattern 'of  the



               many  barrels  sighted.   This  implosion  pattern



               corresponds to those  from  laboratory  and  field



               experiments  on  test  containers  at  the similar



               pressures  and  depths.   (Pneumodynamics   Corp.;



               1961;  Pearce,  et al; 1963.)   The crushed portion



               is a series of regular indentations with a  slight



               twist in the longitudinal axis.   A closed cylinder



               under  high  external  hydrostatic  pressure would



               collapse similarly.



Frame 494      A barrel,  pushed  over  by  CURV  III,  that  has



               numerous sponges attached.  This is a good example



               of  the many similarly-sighted barrels showing the



               potential for biological action on the  container,



               and  the  propensity of some invertebrates to seek



               this  substrate  and  other  hard  substrates  for



               attachment.



Frame 496      Upright barrel with large sponge of the new  genus



               of Hexactinellida attached.   The area near the top



               left edge of the barrel, where some hydrozoans are



               seen,  appears  to  be  breached.   Note that this



               barrel  has  a  metal  lid  used  infrequently  in
 ORP-75-1
7-5

-------
                     FARALLCN ISLAND SURVEY










               radioactive  waste  packaging  during  this period



               except possibly when experimentation with matrices



               other than concrete were being conducted.



Frame 522      When the CURV manipulator attempted  to  remove  a



               sponge sample from this barrel also shown in Frame



               496,  the  sponge  fell  away leaving the corroded



               inner matrix of the barrel exposed.  The  detached



               sponge  still retained a large piece of the barrel



               along its base of attachment (not  visible  here).



               The metal of the barrel was corroded and flaky and



               the  barrel  may  have  had a bitumen liner.  Note



               shrimp near lower middle right of photo just below



               manipulator cable.



TV 1           Closeup of a barrel end - also shown in Frames 436



               and 487.   (The videotape TV record was all of poor



               quality for reproduction.)



TV 2           Closeup, from another angle, of the imploded  area



               of the drum shown in Frame 404.
 7-6                                  .                  ORP-75-1

-------

FRAME 357
FRAME 364
                                     SE^sssfe^
                                Hi.-?" >•••:•.^-.r. .- V--V.1 -f-:>
FRAME 367
FRAME 372
FRAME 374
FRAME 379

-------
        FRAME 388
FRAME 403
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                                                                    sKk&liiBJ^^.v,..
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FRAME 409
                                         *=?!"•%">•-•-• "  "- '' .  ^- .:1-" ~"£,*•V.'vT/.
        FRAME 410
FRAME 413

-------
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                       ,.; ; -- -_• .f ,j r^'^g^^^^^^?^

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                 FRAME 415
FRAME 484
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                           Section  8
                 CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
8.1  OPERATIONAL RECOMMENDATIONS



The  field  survey  conclusively  demonstrated the ability of the



tethered   underwater   vehicle,    CURV    III',    to    perform
highly-sophisticated  investigative  tasks  at  a  depth  of  500



fathoms  (3,000 feet.)  Of particular importance was  the  ability
of  CURV  III  to  remain on a survey station for long periods of



time.
As with any complex operation, there were  areas  that  could  be



improved.   The  most  important of these was the station-keeping



ability of the CURV III support ship.  This is a function of  the



type  of  surface  support  vessel.  Station keeping with the M/V



Gear was satisfactory when the class of  vessel  was  considered.



However,  there  were  significant  problems  staying  on station



throughout  the  operation  since   the   ship   lacked   lateral



positioning equipment such as bow or stern thrusters.  The launch



and  recovery  of  the  CURV  III  also needed modification.  The



periods of highest risk to personnel and CURV III occurred during



launch and recovery.  In a July, 1974,  operation  for  the  Army



Corps  of Engineers, damage during launch was sufficient to abort
 ORP-75-1                                                      8-1

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                     FARALLON ISLAND SURVEY









the  operation.   A  similar  near-mishap  occurred  during  this



operation  when a wave struck the ship, at a critical time during



the launch, and caused CURV III  to  impact  the  vessel's  side.



Although  the  vehicle  went on to perform its mission, the shock



had been great enough to cause failure  of  the  35mm  underwater



camera  spooling  mechanism  for  one  complete dive.  For future



programs the station keeping problem  and  launch/recovery  risks



could be minimized by the use of a support vessel better designed



for  the CURV III, such as the YFNX-30 boat operated by the Naval



Undersea Center, although this would  require  a  longer  transit



time to the study si~e and a second ship to tow the YFNX-30 boat.








There  were  several  technical  areas  that could be improved by



equipment modifications to the CURV III system.   Although  these



problems  were  apparent,  solutions ' were not implemented due ^o



funding  limitations.   The  following  improvements  should   be



considered for incorporation in future operations:



     1.    Precise 60 Hz Power Source - The power supply  for  the



          TV  videotape  recorder  is presently a portable diesel



          generator.  Unfortunately, frequency regulation is  not



          precise enough to guarantee the ability to playback the



          video  tape recordings from machines connected to shore



          60 Hz mains.   In the case of  the  Farallon  operation,



          the  original  video  tapes could not be played back on



          shore without extensive  processing.   This  processing
 3-2                                                    ORP-75-1

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                    FARALLON ISLAND SURVEY










         resulted  in  the loss of resolution and, consequently,



         in the  loss  of  valuable  information.   A  separate,



         stable-frequency  power  supply should be installed for



         the videotape equipment.



    2.   Underwater  Positioning  -  Precise  location  of   the



         underwater vehicle with relation to the surface support



         ship  was  impossible.   Use of the BALD  (Boat Acoustic



         Locating Device) equipment provided a bearing but not a



         precise    position.     without    precise    location



         information,  the  full  capabilities  of  the  vehicle



         cannot be realized.   A  sonar-type  position  plotting



         system should be considered.



    3.   Operational Convenience



         a.   The video tape recorder  should  be  modified  for



              remote control to permit the unit to be secured in



              the  .cabinet.    Control   of  the  recorder  was



              inconvenient.  Use of the instrument on  the  desk



              could be hazardous in rough seas.   Voice recording



              should be used extensively by an expert observer.



         b.   Interior  communications  (between  deck,  control



              van,  plotting  room, etc.)  was difficult.   The 27



              mHz. handytalkies were noisy, and the operation was



              not convenient for  the  crew.   Use  of  combined



              headset/FM transceivers should be considered.
ORP-75-1                                                      8-3

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                     FARALICN ISLAND SURVEY










          c.   Plotting could be greatly expedited by  use  of  a



               digital printer connected to the BCD (Binary Coded



               Decimal)   output  of the Radio Positioning System.



               This would  provide  a  digital  printout  of  the



               ranges,  eliminating  the need for manual plotting



               and the possibility of human  error.    The  system



               could  be  further  automated  by  incorporating a



               standard American Standard  Code  for  Information



               Interchange  tape  punch  or  mag tape recorder so



               that the plot data would  be  ready  for  computer



               entry without further hand processing.








8.2  CONCLUSIONS WITH RECOMMENDATIONS FOR FUTURE OPERATIONS



     1.    Review of the benthic photographs  by  members  of  the



          scientific  community has resulted in expression of the



          need for collecting deepwater biological  specimens  in



          future  operations.   To  do this properly,  a biologist



          skilled in  the  identification  of  deepwater  benthic



          species  should  be  onboard  as part of the scientific



          team to perform as much at-sea visual identification as



          possible.



     2.    There is a significant lack  of  information  on  ocean



          currents  in  deepwater dumpsite areas.   Both short and



          long-term current measurements should be  taken  around



          dumpsites.   Salinity-Temperature-Depth  (STD)  profiles
 8-4                                                    ORP-75-1

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                     FARALLCN ISLAND SURVEY










          should also be  taken  to  identify  any  water  masses



          present   which   could  ultimately  act  as  pollutant



          dispersents.



     3.   Sediments  are  the  most   important   indicators   of



          short-term,  aperiodic,  and/or  low-level radionuclide



          releases in areas with large dilution capacities.    Any



          future  opera-ions  should  include  extensive sediment



          collection   for   analysis   of   the   presence   and



          distribution of any released radionuclides.



     4.   Selected radioactive waste packages•should be recovered



          for corrosion analysis of the metal sheath,   and  leach



          rate  determinations  of  the  concrete or other matrix



          material.








In summary, feasibility of using the  CURV  III  for  radioactive



waste disposal site monitoring has been successfully demonstrated



at the 500-fathom site near the Farallon Islands and has provided



the following information:



     1.   The  radioactive  wastes  were  found  in  the  general



          dumpsite area as reported by Joseph,  1957.



     2.   The containers had the unique  packaging  configuration



          described in the disposal records.



     3.   None of these radioactive  waste  packages  showed  any



          evidence  of   failure  of  the concrete plugs either by
 ORP-7'5-1                                                      8-5

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                     FARALLCN ISLAND SURVEY










          being forced inward or  popped  out  due  to  the  high



          hydrostatic pressure.



     U.   The unmanned undersea vehicle performed as required.



     5.   The photographic documentation {as presented in Section



          7)  provided useful information on the condition of  the



          drums.



     6.   Precisely-located core samples could be  obtained  next



          to  radioactive  waste  containers,  in  this  case  at



          Station 13 (A and B)   (Table 5-1).



     7.   The biological activity in the area was  high  with  at



          least one commercial species of fish, Anoolopoma  (sable



          fish)  being present in the dumpsite area.








It  has  now  been  established that varying degrees of container



deformation have occurred to many of  the  55-gallon  radioactive



waste  drums  observed at the 500-fathom depth.  The question now



arises:  what sort of predictions can be made  about  radioactive



waste   container   integrity   at   the  1,000-fathom  dumpsite,



considering that 2,000 meters   (approximately  1,100  fathoms  or



6,600  feet)   is  the  present internationally acceptable minimum



disposal depth for ocean dumping of low-level radioactive wastes?







It is recommended  that  a  subsequent  survey  be  made  at  the



1,000-fathom   radioactive   waste  dumpsite  near  the  Farallon



Islands.
 8-6                                                    ORP-75-1

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                           Section   9
                          BIBLIOGRAPHY
Avargues, M., and H. ?. Jammet
ETUDE DU SITS MARIN DS LA  HAGUE  EN RELATION AVSC  LS  REJET .
D1EFFLUENTS RADIOACTIFS
Proceedings on the conference on disposal of  radioactive wastes
into seas, oceans, and surface waters.  p, 787-795
International Atomic Energy Agency, Vienna
1966

Busby, R.F.; L.M. Hunt; and W.o. Rainnie
HAZARDS OF THE DEEP.  PT.2 MILLIONS OF TONS OF  EXPLOSIVES
COMPRISE THE GREATEST HAZARD TO  SUBMERSIBLE OPERATIONS
Ocean Industry, 3 (9):32-39
August 1968

California Regional Water  Quality Control Board San  Francisco
Bay Region
RESOLUTION NO. 70-100
San Francisco, California
December 22, 1970

Council on Environmental Quality
OCEAN DUMPING - A NATIONAL POLICY
A Report to the Presiden-
October 1970

Council on Environmental Quality
REPORT OF THE COUNCIL ON ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY  ON OCEAN
DUMPING
House Document 91-399
October 7, 1970

Department of water Resources, State of California
HYDROLOGIC DATA:  1969 CENTRAL COASTAL AREA
Bulletin No. 130-69, Volume 3
March 1971
 ORP-75-1                                                       9-1

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                      FARALLON  ISLAND  SURVEY
Faughn, J.L., T.R.  Folsom,  F.D.  Jennings,  D.C.  Martin,
L.E. Miller, and R.L. Wisner
RADIOLOGICAL SURVEY OF THE  CALIFORNIA  DISPOSAL  AREAS
University of California, Scripps  Institute  of  Oceanography
La Jolla, California
1957

International Atomic  Energy Agency
DISPOSAL OF RADIOACTIVE WASTES VOL.  2  "CONTAINMENT  OF  RADIOACTIVE
WASTE  FOR SEA DISPOSAL AND  FISHERIES OFF THE CANADIAN  PACIFIC
COAST"
Michael Waldichuk
Fisheries Research  Board of Canada
Biological Station, Nanaimo, B.C., Canada
Vienna
1960

Interstate Electronics Corporation
AN ATLAS OF OCEAN WASTE DISPOSAL SITES
Report No. 4460C1545  under  U.S.  EPA  Contract 68-01-0796
Anaheim, California
September 1973

Interstate Electronics Corporation
OCEAN  WASTE DISPOSAL  PRACTICES IN METROPOLITAN  AREAS OF  CALIFORNIA
Report No. 446OC1635  under  U.S.  EPA  Contract 68-01-0796
Anaheim, California
February 1974

Interstate Electronics Corporation
OCEAN  WASTE DISPOSAL  IN SELECTED GEOGRAPHIC  AREAS
Report No. 446OC1541  under  U.S.  EPA  Contract 68-01-0796
Anaheim, California
August 1973

Interstate Electronics Corporation
RADIOACTIVE WASTE DISPOSAL  ACTIVITIES  IN THE VICINITY  OF THE
FARALLON ISLANDS
Report No. 455OC067 under U.S. EPA Contract  P4-01-03305
Anaheim, California
May 1974

Isaacs, J.E.
MECHANISM AND EXTENT  OF THE EARLY DISPERSION OF RADIOACTIVE
PRODUCTS IN WATER
A.E.C. Rep.  WT-1014,  Operation Wigwam
Scripps Institute of  Oceanography, La  Jolla,  California
1962
 9-2                                                     ORP-75-1

-------
                     FARALLON ISLAND SURVEY
Joseph, A.B.
A SUMMARY TO DECEMBER  1956 OF THE U.S. SEA  DISPOSAL OPERATIONS
WASH 734
U.S. Atomic Eneray Commission, Washington,  D.C.
1957

McAdie, Alexander G.
THE CLIMATE OF SAN FRANCISCO
U.S. Weather Bureau
Eulle-in No. UU
1913

Miller, Albert
SMOG AND WEATHER - THE EFFECT OF SAN FRANCISCO  BAY ON THE
BAY AREA CLIMATE
San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development  Commission
February 1967

Miller, Daniel J. and Robert N. Lea
GUIDE TO THE COASTAL MARINE FISH OF CALIFORNIA
State of California
Department of Fish & Game
Fish Bulletin 157
1972

National Academy of Sciences Committee on Effects of Atomic
Radiation on Oceanography and Fisheries
CONSIDERATIONS OF THE DISPOSAL OF RADIOACTIVE WASTES FROM
NUCLEAR POWERED SHIPS INTO THE MARINE ENVIRONMENT
National Research Council Publication 658
Washington, D.C.
1959

National Academy of Sciences, Committee on  Oceanography
RADIOACTIVITY IN THE MARINE ENVIRONMENT
NAS 1865-X
Washington, D.C.
1971

National Academy of'Sciences, Committee on  Effects of Atomic
Radiation on Oceanography and Fisheries
THE EFFECTS OF ATOMIC RADIATION ON OCEANOGRAPHY AND FISHERIES
National Research Council Publication 551
Washington, D.C.
1957
 ORP-75-1                                                       9-3

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                     FARALLON  ISLAND  SURVEY
National Academy of Sciences
National Research Council Committee  on  Oceanography
DISPOSAL OF LOW-LEVEL RADIOACTIVE WASTES  INTO  PACIFIC  COASTAL
WATERS
National Research Council Publication 985
1962
Newcombe, C. L.
DISPOSITION 0? RADIOACTIVE MATERIAL  IN THE  OCEAN
Naval Radiological Defense Laboratory, San  Francisco
Reviews and Lectures Mo. 59, 22 p  (NP-9351)
June 30, 1958

Pearce, K.W. and J.D. Vincent
INVESTIGATION INTO THE EFFECTS OF  DEEP SEA  PRESSURES ON  WASTE
MATERIALS AND DISPOSAL CONTAINERS
AERE-M-1254
United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority, Harwell,  England
September, 1963

PneumoDynamics Corporation, Advanced  Systems  Development
Division
TECHNICAL REPORT - SEA DISPOSAL CONTAINER TEST  AND  EVALUATION
ASD 4652-F
Atomic Energy Commission Research  and Development Report
UC-70-Waste Disposal and Processing TID-13226
June 15, 1961

PneumoDynamics Corporation, Advanced  Systems  Development
Division
TECHNICAL REPORT - SURVEY OF RADIOACTIVE WASTE  DISPOSAL  SITES
TID-13665
U.S. Atomic Energy Commission, Washington,  D.C.
July 15, 1961

Schaefer, Milner B.
SOME FUNDAMENTAL ASPECTS OF MARINE ECOLOGY  IN RELATION TO
RADIOACTIVE WASTES
Scripps Institute of Oceanography, La Jolla,  California
Health Physics, 6, 97-102
October 1961

Smith,  David D. and Robert P. Brown
OCEAN DISPOSAL OF EARGE-DELIVERED  LIQUID AND  SOLID  WASTES
FROM U.S. COASTAL CITIES
U.S. EPA Contract PH 86-68-203
Dillingham Corporation, La Jolla,  California
1971
 9-U                                                    ORP-75-1

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                     FARALLCN  ISLAND  SURVEY
Spiess, F.N.
SURVEY OF CHASE  DISPOSAL AREA
AD893#832L
(Limited.distribution requiring  "need  to  know"  approval)
November 1970

Tamplin, Arthur  R.
PROPOSAL FOR A NATIONAL POLICY TO CONTROL RADIOACTIVITY  AND
OTHER FORMS OF POLLUTION
TID-25857, pp. 87-91

U.S. Atomic Energy Commission
HIGH LEVEL RADIOACTIVE WASTE MANAGEMENT ALTERNATIVES
WASH-1297
May 197U

U.S. Atomic Energy Commission
RADIOACTIVE WASTE DISPOSAL
News Release Berkeley, California
September 30, 1962

U.S. Atomic Energy Commission, Technical  Information  Center
BIBLIOGRAPHY-RADIOACTIVE WASTE PROCESSING-AND DISPOSAL
TID-3311, Supplement 1 through 5
September 5, 1973

U.S. Coast and Geodetic Survey
SEA DISPOSAL OF  LOW-LEVEL PACKAGED RADIOACTIVE  WASTE
Unpublished Data  (Coast and Geodetic Survey  Project  10,000-827}
1961

U.S. Dept. of Commerce, United States  Coast  Pilot  #7
PACIFIC COAST:   CALIFORNIA', OREGON, WASHINGTON  AND HAWAII
Tenth Edition
June 15, 1968

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
OCEAN DUMPING FINAL REGULATIONS  AND CRITERIA
Federal Register - Vol. 38, No.  198, Part II
Washington, D.C.
October 15, 1973

U.S. Naval Weather Service Command
SUMMARY OF SYNOPTIC METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS
Volume 8, (Area  25)
May 1970
 ORP-75-1                                                       9-5

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                     FARALLON ISLAND  SURVEY
U.S. Navy - Oceanographer of the Navy
ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITION REPORT FOR  NUMBERED  DEEPWATSR MUNITIONS
DUMP SITES
April 1972
 9-6                                                     ORP-75-1

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                           Section  10
                 PRINCIPAL PROGRAM PARTICIPANTS
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

     Mr. T. A. Wastler, Chief
     Mr. T. William Musser
     Marine Protection•Branch
     Office of Water Program Operations
     Room 2818D, Waterside Mall
     401 M Street S.w.
     Washington, D.C.  20460
     (202)  245-3051
     Mr.  Robert S. Dyer, Oceanographer and Chief Scientist,
     Farallon Islands Study
     Office of Radiation Programs
     Room 605, Waterside Mall, East Tower
     401  M Street S.w.
     Washington, D.C. 20460
     (202)  755-4864
     Mr.  Bruce Mann, Radiation Safety Officer,
     Farallon Islands Study
     Office of Radiation Programs
     Las  Vegas Facility
     P.O. Box 15027
     Las  Vegas,  Nevada  89114
     (702)  736-2969

     Mr.  Jerre Ott, Electronics Technician
     Environmental Monitoring and Support Laboratory
     P.O. Box 15027
     Las  Vegas,  Nevada  89114
     (702)  736-2969
 ORP-75-1             '                                         10-1

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                     FARALLCN SURVEY REPORT
U.S. Navv

     Naval Undersea Center
     San Diego, California  92132
     (714)  225-6293

     Mr. Larry Brady, Code 65403, CURV III Team Leader
     Mr. Robert Watts, Code 65403, CURV III Project Manage:
     Mr. Art Schlosser, Code 80, Operations Manager

Murphy'Pacifie Marine Salvage Company

     Main Office
     1900 Powell Street
     Emeryville, California
     (415)  658-9874

     Mr. William Riley, Salvage Master, M/V Gear
     Captain Robert McCoy, Master, M/V Gear

Interstate Electronics Corporation

     Main Office
     707 East Vermont Avenue
     Anaheim, California  92803
     (714)  772-2811

     Mr. Richard Timme, General Manager
     Environmental Engineering Division
     Mr. Sam Kelly, Ocean Disposal Project Manager
     Mr. Miles B. Lewis, Field Operation Manager
     Mr. Charles F. McFarlane, oceanographer

Offshore Navigation Services, Inc.

     Main Office
     P.O. Box 820
     Ventura, California  93001
     (805)  643-8673

     Mr. Robert Tighe, Licensed Marine Surveyor
 10-2                                                    OKP-75-1

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