Oak Ridge Reservation
Environmental Health Archives
Current as of 10FEB99
Compiled by
Captain John R. Stockwell, M.D., M.P.H.
U.S. Public Health Service
Oak Ridge Pollution Environmental Update
c. 01SEP90
Oak Ridge Reservation
Environmental Health Archives
(ORREHA)
Document Number
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Environm
Oak Ridge-Pollution
Environmental Update: A report from DOE on
Environmental activities at the Oak Ridge
Reservation. Sept. 1990
CI1 IC1I Muutv
A Report from the Department of Energy on Environmental Restoration (ER)
activities at the Oak Ridge Reservation
Issue One
OAK RIDGE ROOM
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'' LIRB.ARY
J ik ! I'.'ioe. I e!!.:;V;<.sc 37030
September 1990
Contents in Brief
DOE plans environmental restoration activities
for hazardous waste sites at the Oak Ridge
Reservation. A public meeting to discuss the
Environmental Restoration and Waste Management
Site Specific Plan is scheduled for October 16. DOE
will host poster sessions before the public meeting.
(Story on Page 2)
**~
An information resource center that houses the
administrative record was opened in July, 1990,
under the Superfund Program. Oak Ridge area
residents can have access to program documents
and related material. A librarian will assist visitors
with information searches. (Story on Page 6)
~ **
The Environmental Restoration Program for the
Oak Ridge Reservation is divided into five
subprograms. Descriptions and technical progress
for each are described. (Story on Page 3)
*~*
Technical Assistance Grants are available to
encourage Oak Ridge and surrounding area citizens
to participate in the cleanup process. The grants
provide assistance in interpreting hazardous waste
site conditions at Oak Ridge Reservation. (Story on
Page 5)
A community relations program has begun in the
Oak Ridge area. (Story on Page 6)
* * *
Other Publications Available
Acronyms used during restoration discussionsoften
seem confusing. A list of those most commonly
heard is provided for reference in a factsheet
available from DOE's Public Information Office.
* *
Two federal laws guide environmental restoration
activities, CERCLA and RCRA. Another applicable
law is NEPA, which requires that federal agencies
consider environmental effects when making
decisions. A new factsheet is available outlining
these laws from DOE's Public Information Office.
Letter from DOE's Assistant Manager for
Environmental Restoration and
Waste Management
TO THE OAK RIDGE AND SURROUNDING COMMUNITIES:
The Department of Energy has been hard at work for several
years changing inadequate waste management practices that
had been utilized for about 40 years. The goal is to prevent
discharge of contaminants to the environment and to plan an
effective cleanup program for contaminated sites on the Oak
Ridge Reservation. DOE will comply with three sets of Federal
regulations in its cleanup operations.
Environmental restoration programs are a national priority, as
evidenced by increased funding levels being approved by
Congress. We have made good progress in meeting all the
stringent documentation requirements and will accelerate
cleanup as much as is possible.
As concerned citizens, you can become more informed and
involved in our Environmental Restoration Program. We at
DOE are interested in your participation. Together we can
ensure that Oak Ridge and surrounding communities remain
safe and healthy.
This Update is intended to give you current program informa-
tion and hopefully, raisa ideas and questions. In addition, we
will be having informal meetings where you can talk directly
to the technical people involved in cleanup operations. Fur-
ther details will be provided via local news media.
There will not be a "quick fix" to our problems here. We have
made some progress so far in changing our environmental
"score card." We are absolutely committed to a deliberate
process of identifying the best alternatives for cleanup and
proceeding to implement them as fast as possible.
Sincerely,
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I
Department of Energy Plans
Environmental Restoration for
Oak Ridge Reservation
.n 1943, the community of Oak Ridge, Tennessee,
was created nearly overnight to work on a secret project
the Manhattan Projectthat ultimately resulted in the
first atomic bomb. Oak Ridge has evolved since then
into a mature community, expanding its talents and
work in many areas of energy research and development.
Along with the achievements, however, the work has
had costs. At some locations on the Oak Ridge
Reservation and nearby, releases of radioactive and
toxic chemicals have contaminated the environment.
At others, there is the potential for harmful releases.
Work is now being conducted to determine the extent of
contamination and cleanup options. Followingsampling
and study, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) will
develop plans to implement the necessary cleanup. The
plans will be available for public inspection in the
information resource center (see article on P.7).
|DOE has scheduled a public meeting on Tuesday,
October 16, at the Pollard Auditorium, 210 Badger
Avenue, Oak Ridge, at 7:00 p.m. The purpose of the
meeting is to discuss the Oak Ridge Reservation
Environmental Restoration and Waste Management S i te
Specific Plan and to provide an opportunity for informal
interaction with Oak Ridge program staff. Prior to the
public meeting, DOE will have displays and technical
people available for discussion from 5:30 to 7:00p.m.on
Environmental Restoration and Waste Management at
the Oak Ridge Reservation.
In 1989, the Oak Ridge Reservation was added to the
National Priorities List (NPL), which identifies the most
serious hazardous waste sites in the country, as ranked
by the EPA. Approximately 1,000 locations are now on
the NPL and are receiving priority under the
Comprehensive Environmental Response,
Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA) of 1986 that
is better known as "Superfund." The EPA administers
CERCLA, which was established to support
environmental restoration at NPL sites.
Each NPL location may involve numerous hazardous
waste sites. For example, between 500 and 600
individual hazardous waste sites at the Oak Ridge
Reservation will be studied to determine the potential
for release of hazardous substances into the environment,
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3
Technical Progress on the
Environmental Restoration Program
T
JL he Oak Ridge Operations of DOG has organized
an Environmental Restoration (ER) Program to handle
environmental cleanup activities for the Oak Ridge
Reservation. DOE and its operating contractor, Martin
Marietta Energy Systems, have identified between 500
and 600 sites on the Oak Ridge Reservation where some
form of environmental contamination is known or
suspected. These sites are referred to as solid waste
management units (SWMUs). A listing of individual
sites and schedules is provided in the Federal Facilities
Agreement, which will be available in the information
resource center.
Based on the major facilities and locations of
contamination sites, the Environmental Restoration
Program is divided into five subprograms:
Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) sites,
Y-12 Plant sites,
Oak Ridge Gaseous Diffusion Plant sites,
Oak Ridge Associated Universities sites, and
Off-site areas (East Fork Poplar Creek and Watts
Bar Reservoir).
OAK RIDGE NATIONAL LABORATORY
The Oak Ridge National Laboratory covers about 2900
acres in Melton Valley and Bethel Valley, 10 miles
southwest of downtown Oak Ridge. The Laboratory
contains about 350 contaminated sites. These sites
have been grouped into 20 waste area groupings (WAGs)
that are interrelated either geographically or
hydrogeologically. DOE, the Environmental Protection
Agency, and the Tennessee Department of Health and
Environment jointly decided that there was no evidence
of contamination at 7 sites and only 13 of the waste area
groupings need further study.
One such area, WAG 6, includes ORNL's only disposal
site for low-level solid radioactive waste. A RCRA
Facility Investigation began in 1988 to determine the
extent of hazardous waste contamination; site
characterization has begun. Site characterization
includes site sampling, monitoring, and analysis to
determine the extent and nature of releases. A major
objective of characterization is to identify appropriate
cleanup technologies.
Some of the technologies identified for study at WAG 6
include:
Treatment
Waste stabilization,
Leachale extraction and treatment,
Groundwater flow barriers installation, and
Engineered cap placement over waste sites.
Another waste area grouping at Oak Ridge National
Laboratory is WAG 1, the main plant area. This site is
complex, involving over 100 contaminated sites. A
major focus for this waste area grouping will be
radioactive storage tanks. Site characterization is
underway.
THE Y-12 WEAPONS PLANT
The Y-12 Weapons Plant occupies an 811-acre site in
the Bear Creek Valley, about two miles south of
downtown Oak Ridge. The site is drained by Bear Creek
and East Fork Poplar Creek. The plant, built in 1943 as
part of the Manhattan Project, was established to separate
uranium isotopes using the electromagnetic process.
When the process was discontinued after World War II,
Y-12's role changed to manufacturing and
developmental engineering. Site characterization is
underway.
The Y-12 Plant contains about 90 solid waste
management units. Site contamination includes
hazardous materials, low-level radioactive material
(primarily uranium), and mixed wastes resulting mainly
from weapons production processes. The contaminated
sites in need of cleanup include waste storage tanks,
spill sites, and inactive contaminated facilities. In
addition, some levels of mercury and other contaminants
arc present in the East Fork Poplar Creek flood plain.
Investigation and cleanup of several land-based units
arc underway at Y-12. In some cases-for example, the
S-3 pond- cleanup has been completed. Site closures
must be certified by the State of Tennessee Department
of Health and Environment. Groundwater monitoring
of the site will continue for many years.
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4
Technical Progress on the
Environmental Restoration Program
(continued from page 3)
THE OAK RIDGE GASEOUS DIFFUSION PLANT
(K-25)
The Oak Ridge Gaseous Diffusion Plant occupies a
1500-acre site adjacent to the Clinch River, about 10
miles west of downtown Oak Ridge. The original
mission of the Gaseous Diffusion Plant was the
production of enriched uranium for defense purposes.
The plant now has a multi-purpose mission, including
support for the development of Advanced Vapor Laser
Isotope Separation uranium enrichment technology,
the work for others program, and waste treatment
activities.
Operation of the Gaseous Diffusion Plant for the past 44
years has resulted in sites containinghazardous materials
and wastes with the potential for releasing contaminants
into the environment. About 110 solid waste
management units have been identified at the Gaseous
biffusion Plant. The Tennessee Department of Health
and Environment designated 44 of these for Resource
Conservation and Recovery Act Facility Investigations
to determine the extent of hazardous waste
contamination. Scheduled RFI work plans have been
submitted to EPA for comment.
OFF-SITE AREAS
Some of the contaminants introduced into the
environment resulting from past waste practices at Y-
12, ORNL, and K-25 have moved off the Oak Ridge
Reservation by entering streams that ultimately drain
into the Clinch and Tennessee Rivers. DOE will address
restoration of these off-site areas as part of its overall
environmental restoration program. The public will be
kept informed as the technical program evolves.
Two site areas currently being investigated are:
The Clinch River and Tennessee River systems,
East Fork Poplar Creek from the Y-12 plant to the
confluence with Poplar Creek.
^Investigation of the Clinch andTennesseeRiversystems
is currently at the preliminary screening phase only.
Current knowledge about the systems is provided in
three recently prepared draft reports:
Screening Level Risk Assessment for Off-Site
Ecological Effects in Surface Waters Downstream of
the U.S. Department of Energy OakRidge Reservation
(ORNL/ER-8),
Preliminary Screening of Contaminants in the Off-
Silo Surface Water Environment Downstream of the
U.S. Department of Energy Reservation (ORNL/ER-
9), and
Transport and Accumulation of Cesium-137 and
Mercury in the Clinch Riverand Watts Bar Reservoir
System (ORNL/ER-7).
These documents are available to the public in the
information resource center (see article on page 7).
East Fork Poplar Creek flows from the east end of the
Y-12 Plant and passes through the Pine Ridge section of
Oak Ridge to the west of Scarboro Road. The creek flows
behind the K-Mart Shopping Center and passes close to
the intersection of Illinois Avenue and the Oak Ridge
Turnpike, then westward, passingnear Jefferson Avenue
and continuing roughly parallel to the Oak Ridge
Turnpike. It is joined by Bear Creek and then joins
Poplar Creek near the Oak Ridge Gaseous Diffusion
Plant. Mercury is the major contaminant found in the
East Fork Poplar Creek and associated floodplain.
Investigation of East Fork Poplar Creek is currently
further advanced than for the Clinch River. Studies
conducted in 1983 for the Oak Ridge Task Force*
resulted in interim cleanup actions. These studies
addressed also the sewerlinebeltway and other locations
in the city where soils, which were contaminated by
mercury, had been placed. Once these cleanups had
been completed, DOE undertook to conduct a more
detailed evaluation to determine remaining
contamination and continuing releases from East Fork
Poplar Creek to the downstream environment.
'The Oak Ridge Task Force was an interagency group formed,
originally, to coordinate studies of the nature and extent of mercury
contamination at East Fork Poplar Creek. The group was composed of
representatives of DOE. Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA), United
States Geologic Survey (USCS), Center for Disease Control (CDC), and
TN - TDHE.
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5
Grants Available
T
m he U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
(EPA) has grant funds available to community groups
affected by hazardous waste sites on the National
Priorities List. The Technical Assistance Grants (TAGs)
can be up to $50,000 and are intended to allow
community groups to hire technical advisors who can
Interpret data, documents, and other information about
a hazardous waste site.
EPA wants to encourage citizen involvement in
hazardous waste sites. Citizen groups can be more
fully informed and can benefit from having technical
assistance in interpreting the vast quantities of
Information generated by a hazardous waste site.
Only one grant per site is available. Community groups
are encouraged to form coalitions so that all facets of
tho community are represented. The process to obtain
grant funds is explained in detail by EPA in their
handbook, "The Citizens' Guidance Manual For The
Technical Assistance Grant Program". (See box for
Information on obtaining manual.)
The handbook defines the requirements for obtaining
grant assistance. Requirements include:
Submit letter of intent to EPA
Incorporate the community group
Prepare TAG application
to Community
Distribute a request for proposal for technical
assistance
Review proposals and select consultant
Complete procurement forms
Administergrant, including financial records
Document progress, and prepare quarterly
reports
Community groups applying for a TAG must document
to EPA their ability to provide management and
administrative oversight of the grant program. They
are also required to provide 20% of the budget required
for the technical assistance program, through
community support or in-kind contributions.
For further information about the TAG process or
implications for the Oak Ridge Reservation work,
please contact the regional EPA office in Atlanta.
I To obtain the manual explaining the Technical
I Assistance Grants or more information, contact
| the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
TAG Coordinator Region 4
|| 345 Courtland Street, N.E.
j$| Atlanta, Georgia 30365
|| (404) 347-3004
Technical Progress on the
Environmental Restoration Program
(continued from page 4)
On November 18, 1988, DOE announced that it would
prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for
the restoration of East Fork Poplar Creek. DOE held a
Scoping Meeting on December 6,1988, and invited the
public to submit comments and suggestions to DOE in
iW?' s'8n'ficant environmental issues and to
klm o C aPProPr^a^c scope of the Environmental
s,alcmcnt. Five persons spoke at the Scoping
iK» ifTj"80 nowri^cn comments were received during
30"
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6
Community Relations Program Begins
U.S. Department of Energy officials are developing plans to implement a community relations program
designed to inform and involve interested community members in the cleanup activities for hazardous waste
sites at the Oak Ridge Reservation.
A Community Relations Plan, based on earlier discussions with representatives of Oak Ridge and nearby
communities as well as regulations of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), has been finalized and
submitted to EPA. Implementation plans, which are being developed, are structured to encourage dialogue with
the public and to produce information to meet their needs throughout the cleanup program.
The major objectives of community relations activities, consistent with those of EPA, will be to:
Provide opportunities for input from the public,
Inform the public of planned and on-going activities, and
Focus and resolve conflict
These three objectives serve as criteria to guide the selection, implementation, and evaluation of specific
community relations activities. Community relations activities will be implemented to meet the special needs
of Oak Ridge and its surrounding communities. Activities will include printed materials (such as this Update.
fact sheets, and brochures), visuals, meetings, workshops, exhibits, open houses, an information resource
center, and a speakers bureau. These activities are designed to inform local citizens about the progress of the
technical program while inviting public input into decisions related to cleanup activities.
For further Information or to provide input regarding the Community Relations Program, contact the Public
Information Office, U.S. Department of Energy, Oak Ridge Operations Office, P.O. Box 2001, Oak Ridge, TN
37831-8502. Telephone: 576-0885.
D
Information Resources for Gtizens
OE has established its first information
resource center that houses the administrative record
file in Oak Ridge. The center is temporarily located at
DOE's contractor for Administrative Record and
Community Relations:
Lee Wan & Associates
Information Resource Center
120 South Jefferson Circle
Suite 100
Oak Ridge, TN 37830
(615)483-9870
Opening hours are from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Tuesday
through Friday, and from 11:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. on
Monday.
As required by the EPA regulations, the Oak Ridge
information resource center will contain documents
relating to the Oak Ridge Reservation site activities and
to the Supcrfund Program in general. A copy of the
administrative record file will be housed in this location.
An administrative record is a file containing all
documents used by a lead agency in selecting a response
action for site cleanup. Allrelevant documents will be
placed in the file, as generated or received.
The information resource center will contain site
information, documents on site activities, including
Remedial Investigation/Feasibility Study documents,
and general information about the Supertund Program.
DOE also is developing a series of printed materials
including program publications, fact sheets and
background documents, and posters depict ingtechnioil
and community relations activities. They will De located
in the center along with technical documents.
A librarian will be on hand to assist visitors with their
information searches. Visitors may request copies of
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7
Department of Energy Plans Environmental Restoration for Oak Ridge Reservation
(continued from page 2)
These sites contain a variety of potentially hazardous
materials, including mercury, radioactive substances,
and toxic chemicals produced as the result of uranium
enrichment, research, and weapons production
activities. Careful study will be required to determine
the actual number of sites requiring environmental
restoration. Cleanup programs will then be planned
and implemented.
Cleanup operations, or remedial activities, will be
performed under the provisions of several federal laws
designed to protect the public and the environment.
The environmental restoration program began as a
series of separate projects under the Resource
Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) of 1984. Since
placement on the National Priorities List, DOE must
now incorporate CERCLA requirements into its original
RCRA plans. Additionally, DOE must comply with
requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act
(NEPA) of 1969 in its cleanup activities. These laws and
regulations are described in more detail in the fact
sheet, "Principal Laws and Regulations Affecting the
Cleanup Program."
DOE will prepare one set of documents that integrate
the requirements of all three laws (RCRA, CERCLA, and
NEPA). The purpose of these documents is to evaluate
whether leaving the hazardous wastes alone, stabilizing
in place, or removing them will harm the surrounding
area and its inhabitants. Knowing the risk prior to
initiating cleanup makes the job safer for workers
involved in the cleanup and for the plants, animals, and
people living nearby.
Public participation is an important part of DOE's
environmental restoration program. Each federal law
requires that the affected public have opportunities to
take part in the environmental restoration program.
Each of the laws differs in their requirements for public
involvement. All technical and community relations
activities will be integrated under the more
comprehensive CERCLA regulations, making
adjustments to incorporate special requirements of NEPA
where necessary. Members of the public will have the
opportunity to participate throughout the program, to
comment on the proposed plans, and to be involved in
decision making.
Cleanup operations will be performed by DOE and
contractors in compliance with an agreement called the
Federal Facilities Agreement (FFA). A draft agreement
has been negotiated between DOE, the Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA) Region IV, and the State of
Tennessee Department of Health and Environment
(TDHE). The agreement sets priorities for cleanup
activities, assigns agency roles and responsibilities, and
establishes procedures for document review and
interaction among the agency officials.
Cleanup at the Oak Ridge Reservation will be an ongoing
process over several years. The Environmental Update
will be published periodically to inform Oak Ridge and
surrounding communities of program plans, meetings,
and activities. Your input is encouraged.
If you want to be added to the mailing list for the Environmental Update, or know
of others who may be interested, please fill out the following and return to:
Editor, Environmental Update
P.O. Box 2501
800 Oak Ridge Turnpike
Oak Ridge, TN 37831
Name
Affiliation
Address
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