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#### Brookhaven National Laboratory

**Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider Facility**

**Facility Environmental Monitoring Report**

**Calendar Year 2001**

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##### April 23, 2002

Prepared by:

D. Paquette, B. Hooda, R. Lee and M. Allocco

##### Environmental Services Division

###### GW61ER.02

##### 

##### **RHIC Facility Environmental Monitoring Report**

**CY 2001**

***Summary of Results**: During Calendar Year 2001 no environmental
impacts from RHIC operations were identified.*

*Sample results indicate that the surface water and groundwater contain
only naturally occurring radionuclides, and at concentrations that are
consistent with established background levels.*

*Results from environmental TLDs positioned around the RHIC facility
indicate the mean dose rate for the first quarter was 22.0 mrem, second
quarter was 20.0 mrem, third quarter was 18.0 mrem, and the fourth
quarter reading was 20.0 mrem. The variation was statistically
insignificant for each quarter and within natural background readings in
the RHIC area.*

*During CY 2001, there were two apparent SPDES permit excursions for
hydroxyethylidene-diphosphonic acid (HEDP) at outfalls contributed to by
RHIC discharges. However, due to anomalies in the analytical data, and
subsequent comparison with split sample results from a second contractor
laboratory, the detection of HEDP could not be verified.*

###### Background 

Beam line interaction with the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider's (RHIC)
collimators and beam stops will produce secondary particles that will
interact with some of the soils surrounding the 8 o'clock and 10 o'clock
portions of the RHIC tunnel, and the W-Line stop. These interactions
will result in the production of tritium and sodium-22, which could be
leached out of the soils by rainwater. Because the BNL site is located
over an EPA designated sole-source aquifer system, BNL has implemented a
number of engineering and process controls to reduce the potential
impact to environmental quality. Additionally, discharges from RHIC
cooling systems are regulated under the New York State, State Pollutant
Discharge Elimination System (SPDES) permit program.

###### Environmental Monitoring Program

As required by DOE Order 5400.1, BNL has established an environmental
monitoring program at the RHIC facility to evaluate potential impacts to
environmental quality from its operation, and to demonstrate compliance
with DOE requirements and applicable federal, state and local laws and
regulations.

The environmental monitoring program for the RHIC facility is described
in the BNL Environmental Monitoring Plan (Daum *et al*. 2000; BNL 2001).
The monitoring programs are summarized below.

###### Monitoring Results

**Groundwater**

During 1999-2000, thirteen wells were installed to provide a means of
verifying that the engineered (i.e., impermeable caps) and operational
controls implemented at the RHIC beam stops and collimators are
effective in protecting groundwater quality. Six monitoring wells were
installed in the beam stop area, six wells in the collimator area, and
one well near the W-Line Beam Stop (Figure 1).

Groundwater samples were collected from the thirteen RHIC monitoring
wells on a semiannual schedule during 2001. These samples were analyzed
for tritium and gamma emitting radionuclides (Table 1). No tritium or
sodium-22 was detected in any of the groundwater samples.

**Surface Water**

Because the southern beam stop is located within 200 feet of the culvert
for the Peconic River, surface water samples are collected to verify
that potentially activated groundwater is not being discharged to the
stream bed during high water table conditions. When surface water is
present, water samples are collected at an upstream location near Upton
Road (location 025-650, also known as HY) and a downstream location near
the Ring Road (location 026-650, HV).

During the monitoring period, surface water samples were collected twice
from upstream location 025-650 and twice at downstream location 026-650.
No tritium or sodium-22 was detected in these samples (Table 2).

**Environmental TLDs**

Environmental thermoluminescent dosimeters (TLDs) are used to measure
direct penetrating radiation in the environment. These TLDs measure
ambient external dose to living organisms. During 2001, ambient
radiation external dose measurements were evaluated for the RHIC area
using 11 environmental TLDs during the operational phase (Figure 2,
Table 3). The mean dose rate for all location around RHIC for the first
quarter was 22.0 mrem, second quarter was 20.0 mrem, third quarter was
18.0 mrem, and the fourth quarter reading was 20.0 mrem. The variation
was statistically insignificant for each quarter and within natural
background readings in the RHIC area.

**SPDES Monitoring**

Historically, sanitary wastes from the RHIC facilities were either
discharged to the BNL sanitary sewer system or to subsurface wastewater
disposal systems. During 2000 - 2001 a significant effort was made to
connect the RHIC site to the BNL sanitary sewer. This work was completed
by June 2001. Monitoring of the site sanitary sewer is performed at the
treated effluent discharge to the Peconic River.

Experimental cooling towers located at 1006, 1008, 1010, and 1002,
cryogen cooling towers at 1005, and RF cooling systems at 1004,
routinely discharge "blowdown" to either the ground surface or to the
site stormwater collection system. Discharges from the Cryogenic plant
at Building 1005 are conveyed to Outfall 002 (Figure 3). The discharges
from these systems are regulated under the New York State, State
Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (SPDES) permit program. These
discharges are monitored for residual corrosion control agents, flow,
pH, oil and grease, as applicable.

During CY 2001, there were five apparent SPDES permit excursions for
hydroxyethylidene-diphosphonic acid (HEDP) at outfalls 002, 002B, 005,
006A and 006B. The RHIC contributes wastewater to two of these
discharges (002, and 002B). However, due to anomalies in the analytical
data (provided by CHEMTEX, Inc.) and comparison with split sample
results from a second contractor laboratory (H2M Labs, Inc.), the
validity of the HEDP detections in the discharge from the two outfalls
is suspect. Historically, HEDP has not been detected at any of the
outfalls.

*[Environmental Surveillance Monitoring]{.underline}*: In addition to
SPDES monitoring, all discharges are monitored quarterly for
radionuclides, metals, volatile organic compounds and water chemistry
parameters.

During 2001, no radionuclides related to Laboratory operations were
detected in the discharges to Basin 002. All gross alpha results were
below the method detection limit (MDL), and the maximum gross beta
concentration was detected in July at 3.2 pCi/L, just above the MDL of
2.1 pCi/L. Tritium was not detected in any of the samples, and only
naturally occurring gamma emitting radionuclides were observed.

During January and April 2001, aluminum and iron were detected at 0.7 to
0.8 mg/L and 0.6 to 0.7 mg/L, respectively. These metals could be
related to native sediment carried by stormwater run off and/or
corrosion products associated with the cooling system piping.

Low levels of trihalomethanes (\< 3.3 ppb) were sporadically detected in
the RHIC discharges to outfall 002. However, these compounds are common
potable water disinfection by-products, and not attributable to RHIC
operations.

**Future Monitoring Actions**

The following actions are recommended or in progress:

-   The groundwater monitoring wells will continue to be sampled
    semiannually, however the samples will only be analyzed for tritium.
    BNL will resume gamma analyses for sodium-22 if tritium is detected
    in any of the samples.

-   In late 2001, BNL petitioned the NYSDEC to modify the Laboratory's
    SPDES discharge permit for RHIC outfall 002A. These changes were
    approved by the NYSDEC in early 2002. Monitoring at outfall 002A is
    no longer required because cooling water discharges have been
    rerouted to Outfalls 002 and 002B. Total aluminum was added to the
    monitoring parameters for outfall 002.

**References**

BNL, 2001. Brookhaven National Laboratory Environmental Monitoring Plan,
CY 2001 Update (January 2001). BNL-52584 Update.

Daum, M., Dorsch, W., Fry, J., Green, T., Lee, R., Naidu, J., Paquette,
D., Scarpitta, S., and Schroeder, G., 2000. Brookhaven National
Laboratory, Environmental Monitoring Plan 2000 (March 31, 2000).
BNL-52584.

BNL Facility Environmental Monitoring Report

Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider Facility

Groundwater Monitoring Program - Tritium and Sodium-22 Results (pCi/L)

Calendar Year 2001

Table 1

+----------------+--------+-------------------+-----------------------+
| **Build        | # Well | # February 2001   | # August 2001         |
| ing/Facility** |        |                   |                       |
+----------------+--------+-------------------+-----------------------+
| Northern Beam  | 025-04 | H3= \<365         | H3= \<323             |
| Stop Area      |        |                   |                       |
|                |        | Na-22= ND         | Na-22= ND             |
+----------------+--------+-------------------+-----------------------+
|                | 025-07 | H3= \<365         | H3= \<321             |
|                |        |                   |                       |
|                |        | Na-22= ND         | Na-22= ND             |
+----------------+--------+-------------------+-----------------------+
|                | 025-08 | H3= \<365         | H3= \<321             |
|                |        |                   |                       |
|                |        | Na-22= ND         | Na-22= ND             |
+----------------+--------+-------------------+-----------------------+
| Southern Beam  | 025-03 | H3= \<365         | H3= \<323             |
| Stop Area      |        |                   |                       |
|                |        | Na-22= ND         | Na-22= ND             |
+----------------+--------+-------------------+-----------------------+
|                | 025-05 | H3= \<365         | H3= \<321             |
|                |        |                   |                       |
|                |        | Na-22= ND         | Na-22= ND             |
+----------------+--------+-------------------+-----------------------+
|                | 025-06 | H3= \<365         | H3= \<321             |
|                |        |                   |                       |
|                |        | Na-22= ND         | Na-22= ND             |
+----------------+--------+-------------------+-----------------------+
| Northern       | 034-05 | H3= \<365         | H3= \<323             |
| Collimator     |        |                   |                       |
|                |        | Na-22= ND         | Na-22= ND             |
+----------------+--------+-------------------+-----------------------+
| Southern       | 034-06 | H3= \<365         | H3= \<323             |
| Collimator     |        |                   |                       |
|                |        | Na-22= ND         | Na-22= ND             |
+----------------+--------+-------------------+-----------------------+
| Downgradient   | 043-01 | H3= \<305         | H3= \<310             |
| of Collimator  |        |                   |                       |
| Area           |        | Na-22= ND         | Na-22= ND             |
+----------------+--------+-------------------+-----------------------+
|                | 043-02 | H3= \<305         | H3= \<310             |
|                |        |                   |                       |
|                |        | Na-22= ND         | Na-22= ND             |
+----------------+--------+-------------------+-----------------------+
|                | 044-13 | H3= \<305         | H3= \<321             |
|                |        |                   |                       |
|                |        | Na-22= ND         | Na-22= ND             |
|                |        |                   |                       |
|                |        | Be-7 = 33.8 +/-   |                       |
|                |        | 11.5 (Note 1)     |                       |
+----------------+--------+-------------------+-----------------------+
|                | 044-14 | H3= \<305         | H3= \<321             |
|                |        |                   |                       |
|                |        | Na-22= ND         | Na-22= ND             |
+----------------+--------+-------------------+-----------------------+
| W-Line Beam    | 044-29 | H3= \<350         | NS                    |
| Stop           |        |                   |                       |
|                |        | Na-22= ND         |                       |
+----------------+--------+-------------------+-----------------------+

NS: Well Not Sampled

Note 1: Although Be-7 is detected in activated soils, its presence in
groundwater is suspect due to its short half-life (53

> days), and none of the primary contaminants of concern (e.g., tritium
> and sodium-22) were detected. The Be-7 detection is probably due to
> sample or sample container cross contamination.

BNL Facility Environmental Monitoring Report

Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider Facility

Surface Water Monitoring -- Peconic River

Summary of Tritium and Sodium-22 Results

Calendar Year 2001

Table 2

+---------------------+---------------------+-------------------------+
| **Location**        | # **Collect Date**  | # **Result (pCi/L)**    |
+---------------------+---------------------+-------------------------+
| 025-650: Upstream   | January             | H3= \<331               |
| of RHIC Beam Stop   |                     |                         |
| Area                |                     | Na-22= ND               |
+---------------------+---------------------+-------------------------+
|                     | April               | H3= \<329               |
|                     |                     |                         |
|                     |                     | Na-22= ND               |
+---------------------+---------------------+-------------------------+
| 026-650: Downstream | January             | H3= \<331               |
| of RHIC Beam Stop   |                     |                         |
| Area                |                     | Na-22= ND               |
+---------------------+---------------------+-------------------------+
|                     | April               | H3= \<329               |
|                     |                     |                         |
|                     |                     | Na-22= ND               |
+---------------------+---------------------+-------------------------+

Note 1: Ability to collect surface water samples is limited to periods
of high water table position when there is base flow in the river.

**BNL Facility Environmental Monitoring Report**

**Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider**

###### Quarterly Ambient Radiation Measurements

###### Calendar year 2001

### 

### Table 3

+--------+---------------+----------+----------+----------+----------+
| **TLD  | **Location**  | **1^st^  | **2^nd^  | **3 ^rd^ | **4 ^th^ |
| \#**   |               | Q        | Q        | Q        | Q        |
|        |               | uarter** | uarter** | uarter** | uarter** |
+--------+---------------+----------+----------+----------+----------+
|        |               | **mrem** |          |          |          |
+--------+---------------+----------+----------+----------+----------+
| 0      | N. Firebreak  | 17.0     | 16.9     | 18.7     | 18.9     |
| 11-400 |               |          |          |          |          |
+--------+---------------+----------+----------+----------+----------+
| 0      | P-2           | 16.5     | 15.9     | 15.2     | 17.2     |
| 17-400 |               |          |          |          |          |
+--------+---------------+----------+----------+----------+----------+
| 0      | B#1010 St.1   | 20.2     | 18.5     | 16.7     | 18.3     |
| 25-400 |               |          |          |          |          |
+--------+---------------+----------+----------+----------+----------+
| 0      | B# 1010 St. 4 | 20.5     | 20.3     | 17.3     | 20.1     |
| 25-403 |               |          |          |          |          |
+--------+---------------+----------+----------+----------+----------+
| 0      | N. Access Rd  | 19.9     | 19.5     | 17.9     | 20.1     |
| 34-400 |               |          |          |          |          |
+--------+---------------+----------+----------+----------+----------+
| 0      | N. Met        | 19.9     | 18.7     | 20.1     | 20.7     |
| 34-401 |               |          |          |          |          |
+--------+---------------+----------+----------+----------+----------+
| 0      | B#1008 C2     | 19.7     | 20.1     | 17.8     | 18.9     |
| 34-403 |               |          |          |          |          |
+--------+---------------+----------+----------+----------+----------+
| 0      | B#1008 C4     | 22.5     | 20.0     | NR       | 22.9     |
| 34-405 |               |          |          |          |          |
+--------+---------------+----------+----------+----------+----------+
| 0      | S-13          | 19.7     | 16.9     | 16.2     | 18.4     |
| 37-400 |               |          |          |          |          |
+--------+---------------+----------+----------+----------+----------+
| 0      | Bldg. #1006   | 35.4     | 23.7     | 18.7     | 20.7     |
| 44-400 |               |          |          |          |          |
+--------+---------------+----------+----------+----------+----------+
| 0      | Bldg. #1005   | 27.1     | 24.4     | 18.8     | 20.7     |
| 45-400 |               |          |          |          |          |
+--------+---------------+----------+----------+----------+----------+
| ##     |               | **22.0** | **20.0** | **18.0** | **20.0** |
| ###### |               |          |          |          |          |
| # Mean |               |          |          |          |          |
+--------+---------------+----------+----------+----------+----------+

NR = Dose was not reported due to lost TLD.

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