NOTICE: The project that is the subject of this report was approved by the Governing Board of the National Research Council, whose members are drawn from the councils of the National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Engineering, and the Institute of Medicine. The members of the committee responsible for the report were chosen for their special competences and with regard for appropriate balance.
This report has been reviewed by a group other than the authors according to procedures approved by the Report Review Committee consisting of members of the National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Engineering, and the Institute of Medicine.
The work was sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy. Contract No. DE–FC01–94EW54069/R. All opinions, findings, conclusions, and recommendations expressed herein are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Department of Energy.
Library of Congress Catalog Card No. 96–67829
International Standard Book Number 0-309-05481-8
Additional copies of this report are available from:
National Academy Press
2101 Constitution Avenue, N.W. Box 285 Washington, D.C. 20055 800–624–6242 202–334–3313 (in the Washington Metropolitan Area)
B722
Copyright 1996 by the National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved.
Printed in the United States of America
Cover: View of radioactive waste inside an underground storage tank at the Hanford Site, near Richland, Washington. Photo courtesy of Westinghouse Hanford Co. Special thanks to Jan Hansen.
COMMITTEE ON ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT TECHNOLOGIES
EDWIN E. KINTNER, Chair,
GPU Nuclear Corp. (retired), Norwich, Vermont
FRANK L. PARKER*,
Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee
MELVIN W. CARTER,
Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta (emeritus)
THOMAS A. COTTON,
JK Research Associates, Inc., Arlington, Virginia
GARY A. DAVIS,
University of Tennessee, Knoxville
PAUL DEJONGHE,
Study Centre for Nuclear Research, Mol, Belgium
GHISLAIN DE MARSIL Y,
University of Paris, France
MARSHALL E. DRUMMOND,
Eastern Washington University, Cheney
B. JOHN GARRICK,
PLG, Inc., Newport Beach, California
PETER B. MYERS, Consultant,
Silver Spring, Maryland
GEORGE W. PARSHALL, Consultant,
Wilmington, Delaware
LYNNE M. PRESLO,
Earth Tech, Berkeley, California
PAUL V. ROBERTS,
Stanford University, Stanford, California
C. HERB WARD,
Rice University, Houston, Texas
RAYMOND G. WYMER, Consultant,
Oak Ridge, Tennessee
Staff
CARL A. ANDERSON, Director, BRWM
KARYANIL T. THOMAS, Study Director
THOMAS E. KIESS, Program Officer
SUSAN B. MOCKLER, Research Associate
ROBIN L. ALLEN, Senior Project Assistant
PATRICIA A. JONES, Project Assistant
SUBCOMMITTEE ON DECONTAMINATION AND DECOMMISSIONING
PETER B. MYERS, Chair, Consultant,
Silver Spring, Maryland
PATRICIA ANN BAISDEN,
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, California
SOL BURSTEIN,
Wisconsin Electric Power Milwaukee, Wisconsin (retired)
JOSEPH S BYRD,
University of South Carolina, Columbia
BRUCE W. CLEMENS,
University of Tennessee, Knoxville
FRANK P. CRIMI,
Lockheed Environmental Systems, Saratoga, California
ROBERT A. FJELD,
Clemson University, Clemson, South Carolina
LINDA WENNERBERG, Consultant,
Dorchester, Massachusetts
SUBCOMMITTEE ON CONTAMINANT PLUMES
MELVIN W. CARTER, Chair,
Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta (emeritus)
PHILIP E. BEDIENT,
Rice University, Houston, Texas
JOHN C. FOUNTAIN,
State University of New York, Buffalo
VICTOR G. GULAS,
Montgomery Watson, Boulder, Colorado
LYNNE M. PRESLO,
Earth Tech, Berkeley, California
CURTIS C. TRAVIS,
Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee
WALTER J. WEBER, JR.,
University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
SUBCOMMITTEE ON LANDFILLS
C. HERB WARD, Chair,
Rice University, Houston, Texas
KENT D. BAUGH,
OHM Remediation Services Corporation, Pleasanton, California
KIRK W. BROWN,
Texas A&M University, College Station
RICHARD A. CONWAY,
Union Carbide Corporation, South Charleston, West Virginia
WILLIAM P. DORNSIFE,
Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Resources, Harrisburg
FREDERICK G. POHLAND,
University of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
VERN C. ROGERS,
Rogers & Associates Engineering Corporation, Salt Lake City, Utah
LOUIS J. THIBODEAUX,
Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge
SUBCOMMITTEE ON HIGH-LEVEL WASTE IN TANKS
B. JOHN GARRICK, Chair,
PLG, Inc., Newport Beach, California
VICKI M. BIER,
University of Wisconsin, Madison
ALLEN G. CROFF,
Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee
MARTIN J. STEINDLER,
Argonne National Laboratory, Downers Grove, Illinois (retired)
CLAUDE G. SOMBRET, Consultant,
Villeneuve Les Avignon, France
RAYMOND G. WYMER, Consultant,
Oak Ridge, Tennessee
SUBCOMMITTEE ON MIXED WASTES
PAUL DEJONGHE, Chair,
Study Centre for Nuclear Research, Mol, Belgium
ANN N. CLARKE,
Eckenfelder, Inc., Nashville, Tennessee
GARY A. DAVIS,
University of Tennessee, Knoxville
JURGEN H. EXNER,
JHE Technology Systems, Inc., Alamo, California
ROBERT D. WATERS,
Sandia National Laboratories, Albuquerque, New Mexico
Subcommittee Staff
KARYANIL T. THOMAS, Study Director
THOMAS E. KIESS, Program Officer
SUSAN B. MOCKLER, Research Associate
ROBIN L. ALLEN, Senior Project Assistant
PATRICIA A. JONES, Project Assistant
BOARD ON RADIOACTIVE WASTE MANAGEMENT
MICHAEL C. KAVANAUGH, Chair,
ENVIRON Corporation, Emeryville, California
B. JOHN GARRICK, Vice-Chair,
PLG, Inc., Newport Beach, California
JOHN F. AHEARNE,
Duke University, Durham, North Carolina
JEAN M. BAHR,
University of Wisconsin, Madison
SOL BURSTEIN,
Wisconsin Electric Power, Milwaukee, Wisconsin (retired)
ANDREW P. CAPUTO,
Natural Resources Defense Council, Washington, D. C.
MELVIN W. CARTER,
Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta (emeritus)
PAUL P. CRAIG,
University of California at Davis (emeritus)
MARY R. ENGLISH,
University of Tennessee, Knoxville
ROBERT D. HATCHER,
University of Tennessee/Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Knoxville
DARLEANE C. HOFFMAN,
Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory, Berkeley, California
JAMES H. JOHNSON, JR.,
Howard University, Washington, D.C.
ROBERT MEYER,
Keystone Scientific, Inc., Fort Collins, Colorado
PERRY L. McCARTY,
Stanford University, Stanford, California (CGER Liaison)
CHARLES McCOMBIE, NAGRA,
Wettingen, Switzerland
PRISCILLA P. NELSON,
University of Texas, Austin
D. KIRK NORDSTROM,
U.S. Geological Survey, Boulder, Colorado
D. WARNER NORTH,
Decision Focus, Inc., Mountain View, California
GLENN PAULSON,
Paulson & Cooper, Jackson Hole, Wyoming
PAUL SLOVIC,
Decision Research, Eugene, Oregon
BENJAMIN L. SMITH, Independent Consultant,
Columbia, Tennessee
Staff
CARL A. ANDERSON, Director
KEVIN D. CROWLEY, Associate Director
ROBERT S. ANDREWS, Senior Staff Officer
KARYANIL T. THOMAS, Senior Staff Officer
THOMAS E. KIESS, Staff Officer
SUSAN B. MOCKLER, Research Associate
LISA J. CLENDENING, Administrative Associate
ROBIN L. ALLEN, Senior Project Assistant
REBECCA BURKA, Senior Project Assistant
DENNIS L. DUPREE, Senior Project Assistant
PATRICIA A. JONES, Project Assistant
ANGELA R. TAYLOR, Project Assistant
ERIKA L. WILLIAMS, Project Assistant
COMMISSION ON GEOSCIENCES, ENVIRONMENT, AND RESOURCES
M. GORDON WOLMAN, Chair,
The Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland
PATRICK R. ATKINS,
Aluminum Company of America, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
JAMES P. BRUCE,
Canadian Climate Program Board, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
WILLIAM L. FISHER,
University of Texas, Austin
JERRY F. FRANKLIN,
University of Washington, Seattle
GEORGE M. HORNBERGER,
University of Virginia, Charlottesville
DEBRA KNOPMAN,
Progressive Foundation, Washington, D.C.
PERRY L. MCCARTY,
Stanford University, Stanford, California
JUDITH E. MCDOWELL,
Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Massachusetts
S. GEORGE PHILANDER,
Princeton University, New Jersey
RAYMOND A. PRICE,
Queen's University at Kingston, Ontario, Canada
THOMAS C. SCHELLING,
University of Maryland, College Park
ELLEN SILBERGELD,
University of Maryland Medical School, Baltimore
STEVEN M. STANLEY,
The Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland
VICTORIA J. TSCHINKEL,
Landers and Parsons, Tallahassee, Florida
Staff
STEPHEN RATTIEN, Executive Director
STEPHEN D. PARKER, Associate Executive Director
MORGAN GOPNIK, Assistant Executive Director
GREGORY SYMMES, Reports Officer
JAMES MALLORY, Administrative Officer
SANDI FITZPATRICK, Administrative Associate
SUSAN SHERWIN, Project Assistant
The National Academy of Sciences is a private, nonprofit, self-perpetuating society of distinguished scholars engaged in scientific and engineering research, dedicated to the furtherance of science and technology and to their use for the general welfare. Upon the authority of the charter granted to it by the Congress in 1863, the Academy has a mandate that requires it to advise the federal government on scientific and technical matters. Dr. Bruce Alberts is president of the National Academy of Sciences.
The National Academy of Engineering was established in 1964, under the charter of the National Academy of Sciences, as a parallel organization of outstanding engineers. It is autonomous in its administration and in the selection of its members, sharing with the National Academy of Sciences the responsibility for advising the federal government. The National Academy of Engineering also sponsors engineering programs aimed at meeting national needs, encourages education and research, and recognizes the superior achievements of engineers. Dr. Harold Liebowitz is president of the National Academy of Engineering.
The Institute of Medicine was established in 1970 by the National Academy of Sciences to secure the services of eminent members of appropriate professions in the examination of policy matters pertaining to the health of the public. The Institute acts under the responsibility given to the National Academy of Sciences by its congressional charter to be an adviser to the federal government, and upon its own initiative, to identify issues of medical care, research, and education. Dr. Kenneth Shine is president of the Institute of Medicine.
The National Research Council was organized by the National Academy of Sciences in 1916 to associate the broad community of science and technology with the Academy's purposes of furthering knowledge and advising the federal government. Functioning in accordance with general policies determined by the Academy, the Council has become the principal operating agency of both the National Academy of Sciences and the National Academy of Engineering in providing services to the government, the public, and the scientific and engineering communities. The Council is administered jointly by both Academies and the Institute of Medicine. Dr. Bruce Alberts and Dr. Harold Liebowitz are the chairman and vice-chairman, respectively, of the National Research Council.
Preface
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) established its Office of Environmental Management (EM) in November 1989. The primary goal of the EM program is to clean up the legacy of environmental pollution at DOE weapons complex facilities throughout the nation. This undertaking costs billions of dollars each year, and its magnitude and complexity demand that related technology development and use be optimized and cost effective, while also reducing risks to public health and meeting program goals and schedules.
At the request of DOE's Assistant Secretary for Environmental Management, Thomas Grumbly, the National Research Council (NRC) formed the Committee on Environmental Management Technologies (CEMT) to provide DOE-EM with continuing independent review and recommendations on technology development and use. (CEMT's formal Statement of Task is presented in Appendix B.) The CEMT membership (see biographical sketches in Appendix C) was constituted to represent the broad span of disciplines required to address its charge. This report is intended to be helpful to those responsible for managing DOE's large and important technology-development programs. The committee will produce a yearly report; the first, published in 1995, describes CEMT's 1994 activities.
CEMT convened its first meeting in December 1994, in Washington, D.C. Open sessions included presentations by NRC Chairman Bruce Alberts, Assistant Secretary for DOE-EM Thomas Grumbly, and DOE Deputy Assistant Secretaries for Environmental Restoration, Waste Management, Technology Development, and Facility Transition and Management. Three invited talks by non-U.S. scientists provided some international perspectives on tank wastes, ground-water cleanup, and mixed wastes. In addition, representatives of DOE-EM's five focus areas gave detailed accounts of their ongoing and proposed work. These five focus areas form the core organization of the DOE-EM tasks: (1) Contaminant Plume Containment and Remediation; (2) Landfill Stabilization; (3) High-Level Radioactive Waste Tank
Remediation; (4) Mixed-Waste Characterization, Treatment and Disposal; and (5) Facility Transitioning, Decommissioning and Final Disposition.
During 1995, CEMT met three times: March 22-23 at the National Research Council, Washington, D.C.; July 31-August 1 at the J. Erik Jonsson Woods Hole Center in Woods Hole, Mass.; and December 6-8 at the Arnold and Mabel Beckman Center in Irvine, Calif. During the first meeting, presentations were made by senior officials from the DOE, the U.S. Department of Defense, and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. At the second meeting, presentations were made by DOE officials and members of organizations carrying out waste remediation functions at the Savannah River Site. At its third meeting, CEMT reviewed the reports of its five subcommittees, received a report from a DOE representative on what actions had been taken in response to the recommendations of CEMT's report for 1994 activities, and prepared this report for 1995 activities.
CEMT wishes to thank members of the DOE-EM staff for their cooperation in presenting material to the committee and its subcommittees, and members of the NRC staff, especially K. T. Thomas, Thomas Kiess, Susan B. Mockler, Patricia A. Jones, and Robin L. Allen, for their support.
EDWIN E. KINTNER
CHAIR, CEMT