Science and Technology for Environmental Cleanup at Hanford (2001) / Chapter Skim
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9 Monitoring, Remediation, and Risk Technical Elements
9 Monitoring, Remediation, and Risk Technical Elements
Pages 125-140
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From page 125... ...
MONITORING AND REMEDIATION TECHNICAL ELEMENTS The Monitoring Technical Element and the Remediation Technical Element have only one planned S&T activity each, and they are scheduled for completion in 2003. The S&T activity for the Remediation Technical Element, identification, development, and deployment of improved groundwater Remediation strategies, includes two projects to develop an improved technical basis for remediation of contaminant plumes at the Hanford Site.
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From page 126... ...
dollars) Monitoring Identification, development, and deployment of improved environmental monitoring Remediation Idenfflcation, development, and deployment of improved groundwater remediabon strategies Risk 1 2 Investigate and develop strategies and technologies for environmental monitoring of multiple media Investigate the distribution of DNAPLs in the 200 Area and contaminant plumes in the 100 Area, and assist in the development of corrective strategies 2001-2003 0 2,600 2001-2003 0 5,300 2001 150 0 General risk 1 Develop methods to assessment identify, involve, and build consensus among stakeholders on desired foci for the risk technical element Ecological risk 11 Develop methods to 2001-2003 9,900a 0 assessment predict the impacts of exposures to contaminants from the Hanford Site on selected species Economic risk 5 Develop methods and 2001-2003 3,300& 0 assessment data for predicting how human populations and economies will respond from potential exposures of environmental contamination at the Hanford Site Human health 9 Develop methods to 2001-2003 8,900a 0 risk predict the impacts on assessment humans of exposures to contaminants from the Hanford Site Sociocultural 1 Develop a risk 2002 600a 0 risk assessment perception model for groups affected by Hanford Site contaminants NOTE: DNAPL = dense nonaqueous phase liquid; EMSP = Environmental Management Science Program 'The Integration Project intends to seek funding from national S&T programs (e.g., from DOE Headquarters)
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From page 127... ...
Evaluation of Work Planned Under the Monitoring and Remediation Technical Elements 127 The monitoring and remediation projects were begun before S&T plans were developed, so it is difficult for the committee to judge the appropriateness or effectiveness of current work. The total planned funding for these technical elements is $2.6 million and $5.3 million, respectively (last column of Table 9.1)
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From page 128... ...
Further, there is no Integration Project S&T work planned on barriers to isolate, contain, and treat contaminants that will remain in the subsurface after the active cleanup program is completed. The committee views the development of effective long-term barriers as one of the most important S&T needs at the Hanford Site, and an earlier National Research Committee (NRC)
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From page 129... ...
These included (1 ) the Hanford Surface Barrier, a thick, multilayer, long-term barrier intended for use on the most contaminated sites (e.g., cribs and trenches; see Figure 9.1 )
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From page 130... ...
, combined with a fully functioning System Assessment 5This information was provided in a teleconference call with Integration Project and Pacific Northwest National Laboratory staff on October 3, 2000. 6Horizontal tubes were built into the Hanford Surface Barrier so that neutron probes could be inserted to measure moisture storage in the barrier materials (see Figure 9.1~.
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From page 131... ...
The committee makes the following recommendations with respect to barrier S&T: · S&T research on the feasibility, effectiveness, and longterm performance of surface barriers should be expanded to include other barrier types and materials for prevention of surface water infiltration into tank farms and other regions containing high concentrations of buried and spilled waste. · S&T should be undertaken to assess the potential for using vertical and inclined cutoff barriers and reactive barriers as part of "interim" waste containment systems, which can provide containment for one to a few decades, as well as "permanent" waste 7At the request of DOE, a TechCon Forum was held in Richland, Washington, on May 4-6, 1999 to discuss approaches for reducing water infiltration around the Hanford tanks.
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From page 132... ...
Therefore, the committee recommends that Integration Project S&T on new and improved strategies and technologies for monitoring the vadose zone be expanded. As part of this work, the Integration Project should assess what monitoring capabilities will be needed in the future at the site, based on cleanup decisions to be For example, boreholes drilled to obtain data on subsurface characteristics may subsequently be used for groundwater monitoring.
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From page 133... ...
The focus of S&T at Hanford might be to adapt technologies developed elsewhere to the needs and environmental conditions at the site and perform pilot demonstrations. RISK TECHNICAL ELEMENT 133 The Risk Technical Element has one general S&T activity on stakeholder involvement and four S&T activities focused on ecological, human health, economic, and sociocultural issues (Table 9.1~.
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From page 134... ...
This activity includes nine projects (R-18 through R-26) that address bioavailability, food-chain transfer factors, biomarkers, exposure pathways-factors, variability in exposures, toxicokinetics, treatment of uncertainties in cancer slope factors, and characterization of multiple health end points.
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From page 135... ...
In the committee's judgment, these more ambitious proposed health science and ecosystem impact analysis activities would make more sense as components of long-term research supported by DOE Headquarters or other agencies such as EPA than as S&T under the Hanford Integration Project. To be useful at Hanford, any scientific advances in human health risk assessment would first have to be accepted by national and international scientific bodies, and then adopted by EPA.
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From page 136... ...
The ecological work to refine the understanding of food webs could allow for more robust assessments of the effect of contaminant seepage into the Columbia River, and there is a critical need to build ecosystem risk foundations based on a comprehensive understanding of ecosystem structure and function in the Columbia River. However, the committee's view is that, taken as a whole, the Risk Technical Element is less likely to impact site decisions than is S&T to better characterize the locations concentration, and speciation of existing contaminants (see Chapter 5~.
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From page 137... ...
Discussion The Risk Technical Element includes some potentially important work to identify ecological impacts that may result from contaminant seepage into the Columbia River. In particular, the identification of locations where contaminant concentration and characteristics of exposure can have substantial effects on Columbia River flora and fauna is likely to be very useful in future versions of the SAC.
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From page 138... ...
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From page 139... ...
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From page 140... ...
The committee recommends that an evaluation be made of the sensitivity of SAC risk assessments to the assumed continuing existence of these dams. Again, such a review could be undertaken under the auspices of the Risk Technical Element.
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