2

0

0

5

Environmental Report Summary Nevada Test Site Nevada Test Site T S 

DOE/NV/11718--1214 Sum

DOE/NV/25946--007 Sum
Disclaimer

Reference herein to any specific commercial product, process, or service by trade name, trademark, manufacturer, or otherwise, does not necessarily constitute or imply its endorsement, recommendation, or favoring by the United States Government or any agency thereof or its contractors or subcontractors.

This report was prepared for:

U.S. Department of Energy

National Nuclear Security Administration

 Nevada Site Office (NNSA/NSO)

 under Contracts DE-AC08-96NV11718 and DE-AC52-06NA25946

 by: 

National Security Technologies, LLC 

Post Office Box 98521 

Las Vegas, NV 89193-8521

The information presented in this document is explained in greater detail in the Nevada Test Site Environmental Report 2004 (DOE/NV/25946--007). It can be downloaded from the NNSA/NSO web site at

http://www.nv.doe.gov/library/publications/environmental.aspx or from the U.S. Department of Energy 

Office of Scientific and Technical Information at http://www.osti.gov/bridge.
1

 

 

Nevada Test Site 

Environmental Report 2005 Summary

The U.S. Department of Energy, National Nuclear Security Administration Nevada Site Office (NNSA/NSO) 

directs the management and operation of the Nevada Test Site (NTS), the nation’s historical testing site for nuclear 

weapons from 1951 through 1992, and currently the nation’s unique site for ongoing national-security-related 

missions and high-risk operations. NNSA/NSO strives to provide to the public an understanding of the current 

activities on the NTS, including environmental monitoring and compliance activities aimed at protecting the public 

and the environment from radiation hazards and from non-radiological impacts. This document is a summary of the 

Nevada Test Site Environmental Report (NTSER) for calendar year 2005. The NTSER is a comprehensive report of 

environmental activities performed at the NTS and its satellite facilities over the previous calendar year. It is prepared 

annually to meet the requirements and guidelines of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and the information 

needs of NNSA/NSO stakeholders. To provide an abbreviated and more readable version of the NTSER, this 

summary report is produced. This summary does not include detailed data tables, monitoring methods or design, a 

description of the NTS environment, or a discussion of all environmental program activities performed throughout 

the year. The reader may obtain a hardcopy or compact disc of the full NTSER as directed on the inside front cover 

of this summary report. 

The NTS is located about 65 miles northwest of Las Vegas. The approximately 1,375-square mile site is one of the 

largest restricted access areas in the United States. It is surrounded by federal installations with strictly controlled 

access as well as by lands that are open to public entry. 
 

 

2

NTS History

Between 1940 and 1950, the area now known as the NTS was part of the 

Las Vegas Bombing and Gunnery Range. In 1950, the NTS was 

established as the primary location for testing the nation’s nuclear 

explosive devices. Such testing took place from 1951 to 1992. 

Tests conducted through the 1950s were predominantly atmospheric 

tests. These involved a nuclear explosive device detonated while on the 

ground surface, on a steel tower, suspended from tethered balloons, 

dropped from an aircraft, or placed on a rocket. Several tests were 

categorized as “safety experiments” and “storage-transportation 

tests,” involving the destruction of a nuclear device with non-nuclear 

explosives. Some of these tests resulted in dispersion of plutonium in 

the test vicinity. One of these test areas, Project 57, lies just north of the 

NTS boundary on the Nevada Test and Training Range (NTTR). Other 

tests, involving storage-transportation, were conducted at the north end 

of the NTTR (Double Tracks) and on the Tonopah Test Range (TTR) 

(Clean Slates I, II, and III). All nuclear device tests are listed in United 

States Nuclear Tests, July 1945 through September 1992.

1

The first underground test, a cratering test, was conducted in 1951. 

The first totally-contained underground test was in 1957. Testing was 

discontinued during a moratorium that began October 31, 1958, but was 

resumed in September 1961 after tests by the Union of Soviet Socialist 

Republics began. Since late 1962, nearly all tests have been conducted 

in sealed vertical shafts drilled into Yucca Flat and Pahute Mesa or in 

horizontal tunnels mined into Rainier Mesa. From 1951 to 1992, a 

total of 828 underground nuclear tests were conducted at the NTS. 

Approximately one-third of these tests were detonated near or below the 

water table. 

Five earth-cratering (shallow-burial) tests were conducted over the 

period of 1962 through 1968 as part of the Plowshare Program that 

explored peaceful uses of nuclear explosives. The first and highest 

yield Plowshare crater test, Sedan, was detonated at the northern end 

of Yucca Flat on the NTS. The second highest yield crater test was 

Schooner, located in the northwest corner of the NTS. Mixed fission 

products, tritium, and plutonium from these tests were entrained in the 

soil, ejected from the craters, and deposited on the ground surrounding 

the craters.

Other nuclear-related experiments at the NTS included the Bare Reactor 

Experiment-Nevada series in the 1960s. These tests were performed 

with a 14-million electron volt neutron generator mounted on a 

1,527-foot steel tower used to conduct neutron and gamma-ray 

interaction studies on various materials and assess radiation doses 

experienced by the nuclear bomb survivors of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. 

In addition, from 1959 through 1973 a series of open-air nuclear reactor, 

nuclear engine, and nuclear furnace tests were conducted in Area 25, 

and a series of tests with a nuclear ramjet engine was conducted in Area 26. The test released mostly gaseous 

radioactivity (radio-iodines, radio-xenons, radio-kryptons) and some fuel particles due to erosion of the metal 

cladding on the reactor fuel; these releases resulted in negligible deposition on the ground.

1 U.S. Department of Energy, 2000. Report No. DOE/NV-209 (Rev. 15).

NTS - Continental Test Site

After the end of World War II, the U.S. 

tested nuclear weapons at Bikini Atoll and 

Enewetak in the Marshall Islands of the 

Central Pacific. 

In June 1950, with the outbreak of hostilities 

in Korea and U.S. relations with the Soviet 

Union continuing to deteriorate, the search 

began for a continental test site to overcome 

the difficulties with remoteness and security 

experienced with testing in the Pacific. The 

final choices included Dugway Proving 

Ground–Wendover Bombing Range in 

western Utah, Alamagordo-White Sands 

Guided Missile Range in south central New 

Mexico, and a North Site and a South Site 

on the Las Vegas Bombing and Gunnery 

Range in southern Nevada. 

On December 18, 1950, President Truman 

approved the recommendations of Los 

Alamos testing officials and the Atomic 

Energy Commission, christening the 

South Site on the Las Vegas Bombing and 

Gunnery Range as the nation’s continental 

test site. It is called the Nevada Proving 

Ground. 

On Saturday, January 27, 1951, an Air Force 

B-50D bomber dropped a one-kiloton yield 

nuclear bomb over Frenchman Flat. It was 

the world’s tenth nuclear detonation and was 

the first NTS test. 

On September 23, 1992, the last underground 

nuclear test was conducted on the NTS after 

which Congress imposed a moratorium on 

nuclear weapons testing. 

Since 1951, a total of 100 atmospheric and 

828 underground nuclear weapons tests 

were conducted at the NTS.

Source: T. R. Fehner and F. G. Gosling, 2000. Origins of the Nevada 

Test Site, DOE/MA-0518, History Division, Executive Secretariat, 

Management and Administration, U.S. Department of Energy.
 

 

3

Historic Nuclear Testing Areas

Pahute Mesa

Yucca Flat

Frenchman

Jackass Flat

Flats

Shoshone

Mountain

Rainier Mesa
 

 

NTS Missions and Their Programs

National Security

Stockpile Stewardship Program – Conducts highhazard operations in support of defense-related 

nuclear and national security experiments. 

Homeland Security Program - Provides support 

facilities, training facilities, and capabilities for 

government agencies involved in counterterrorism 

activities, emergency response, first responders, 

national security technology development, and 

nonproliferation technology development. 

Test Readiness Program - Maintains the capability 

to resume underground nuclear weapons testing, if 

directed. 

Environmental Management

Environmental Restoration Program – Characterizes 

and remediates the environmental legacy of nuclear 

weapons and other testing at the NTS and offsite 

locations and develops and deploys technologies that 

enhance environmental restoration. 

Waste Management Program - Manages and safely 

disposes of low-level waste received from DOE- and 

DoD-approved facilities throughout the United States 

and mixed low-level waste generated in Nevada by 

NNSA/NSO, and safely manages and characterizes 

hazardous and transuranic wastes for offsite disposal.

Stewardship of the NTS

Facilities and Infrastructure - Maintains the buildings, 

roads, utilities, and facilities required to support all 

NTS programs and to provide a safe environment for 

NTS workers. 

4

Aerial View of NPTEC (source: BN Facility Data 

Warehouse, October 1998)

The NTS Now

Los Alamos, Lawrence Livermore, and Sandia National 

Laboratories are the principal organizations that sponsor 

and implement experimental programs at the NTS. In 

2005, Bechtel Nevada (BN) was the Management and 

Operations contractor accountable for the successful 

execution of work and ensuring that work was performed 

in compliance with environmental regulations. The 

three major NTS missions include National Security, 

Environmental Management, and Stewardship of the NTS. 

During the conduct of all missions and their programs, 

NNSA/NSO complies with applicable environmental and 

public health protection regulations and strives to manage 

the land and facilities at the NTS as a unique and valuable 

national resource.

NTS activities in 2005 continued to be diverse, with 

the primary goal being to ensure that the existing 

U.S. stockpile of nuclear weapons remains safe and 

reliable. Facilities that support this mission include the 

U1a Facility, the Big Explosives Experimental Facility 

(BEEF), the Device Assembly Facility (DAF), and the 

Joint Actinide Shock Physics Experimental Research 

(JASPER) Facility. Other NTS activities include 

demilitarization activities; controlled spills of hazardous 

material at the Non-Proliferation Test and Evaluation 

Complex (NPTEC) (formerly known as the Hazardous 

Materials Spill Center); remediation of industrial sites; 

processing of waste destined for the Waste Isolation 

Pilot Plant in Carlsbad, New Mexico or the Idaho 

National Laboratory in Idaho Falls, Idaho; disposal 

of radioactive and mixed waste; and environmental 

research.
 

 

Legacy Contamination

Groundwater - Areas of known and potential 

groundwater contamination on the NTS due to 

underground nuclear testing are called Underground 

Test Area (UGTA) CAUs. It is estimated that from 

combined underground testing, a total of 

57,000,000 curies (Ci) of tritium remain 

underground. There is no technology available 

that would allow for the cleanup of deep, extensive 

groundwater contamination. The EM Program’s 

strategy, therefore, is to identify contaminant 

boundaries and implement an effective long-term 

monitoring system. 

Soil - An estimated 7 million cubic feet of 

radioactively-contaminated surface soils which 

exceed 1,000 picocuries per gram (pCi/g) of soil 

occur at 87 sites (Corrective Action Sites [CASs]) 

on and around the NTS. This is the action level of 

radioactivity above which some mitigation is planned 

(1,000 pCi/g is equal to 0.000000001 Ci/g). To date, 

two sites on NTTR have been cleaned through soil 

removal. The remaining sites both on and off the 

NTS are in the process of cleanup and restoration.

Air - Airborne radioactive contamination from 

the resuspension of contaminated soils at legacy 

sites and from current activities (such as waste 

management) is monitored continuously on and 

off the NTS. Since the cessation of above-ground 

nuclear testing, the annual amounts of airborne 

radiation from the NTS have ranged from 48 to 

2,000 Ci for tritium, 0.24 to 0.40 Ci for plutonium, 

and 0.39 to 0.049 Ci for americium. Since 1992 

(when public dose monitoring was started), 

surrounding communities have received radiation 

doses from air emissions which are less than 

1 percent of background radiation levels. 

 

Structures/Materials - There are 1,647 sites where 

facilities, equipment, structures, or debris occur 

which are contaminated by past nuclear testing 

activities and are no longer used. The ER Program is 

responsible for restoring and cleaning up such sites. 

To date, over 1,209 sites have been cleaned up, and 

the remaining sites are in the process of cleanup and 

restoration. 

Waste Disposal - Low-level and mixed low-level 

radioactive wastes have been generated by historic 

NTS nuclear testing activities; by nuclear laboratories 

supporting NTS testing; and by the historic 

nuclear reactor, rocket, and furnace testing in Area 

25. At the Area 5 and Area 3 Radioactive Waste 

Management Sites (RWMSs) combined, the Waste 

Management Program has safely disposed a total 

volume of 326,500 cubic yards (yd3) of radioactive 

waste that contains an estimated total of 72,972 Ci.

The average concentration of radioactivity in the 

disposed waste is about 0.22 Ci/yd3. Disposed 

waste from the Area 25 testing activities has the 

highest average concentration of 0.93 Ci/yd3. 

5

The Legacy of NTS Nuclear Testing

There have been 828 underground nuclear tests conducted 

at the NTS. Approximately one-third of these tests were 

detonated near or below the water table resulting in the 

contamination of groundwater in some areas of the NTS.

In 1996, DOE, U.S. Department of Defense (DoD), and the 

state of Nevada entered into a Federal Facilities Agreement 

and Consent Order which established Corrective Action Units 

(CAUs) on the NTS that delineated and defined areas of 

concern for groundwater contamination. There have been 100 

atmospheric above-ground nuclear tests and numerous aboveground nuclear-related experiments that have contaminated 

surface soils, materials, equipment, and structures, mainly on 

the NTS. The Environmental Management (EM) Mission of 

NNSA/NSO addresses this legacy of contamination resulting 

from the effects of historic nuclear activities conducted at the 

NTS, NTTR, and the TTR. The Environmental Restoration 

(ER) Program is responsible for conducting environmental 

restoration of contaminated sites and to conduct safe waste 

management and disposal activities. NNSA/NSO, along with 

the state of Nevada, has identified over 1,700 above-ground 

CASs and CAUs that have already been or are scheduled for 

cleanup and closure. EM keeps the public informed of their 

activities through quarterly newsletters, exhibits, and fact sheets 

and provides opportunity for public input via the Community 

Advisory Board comprised of 10-15 citizen volunteers from 

Nevada. 

Areas of Soil Contamination on and off the NTS
 

 

6

Areas of Potential Groundwater Contamination on the NTS 
 

 

7

Potential Sources of Radiological Air Emissions on the NTS
 

 

8

Understanding Radiation

Radiation is energy that travels through matter or space in the form of waves or high-speed particles. Light, heat, and 

sound are types of radiation. Ionizing radiation is a very high-energy form of electromagnetic radiation. Ionizing 

radiation are particles or rays given off by unstable atoms as they are converted, or decay, into more stable atoms. 

Ionizing radiation may be found everywhere. Almost all exposure to ionizing radiation comes from natural sources 

(82 percent in the United States). These sources include cosmic radiation from outer space, terrestrial radiation from 

materials like uranium and radium in the earth, and naturally-occurring radioactive elements (i.e., radionuclides) in 

our food, water, and the aerosols and gases in the air 

we breathe. Exposures to man-made radiation in our 

everyday life come from smoking cigarettes, traveling 

on airplanes, and having medical X-rays. For the public 

surrounding the NTS, less than 1 percent of their total 

radiation exposure is now attributable to past or current 

NTS activities. 

Curie (Ci) is the traditional measure of radioactivity based on the observed decay 

rate of 1 gram of radium. One curie of radioactive 

material will have 37 billion disintegrations in

1 second.

Understanding Radiation Dose

Dose is a generic term to describe the amount of radiation a person receives. The energy deposited indicates the 

number of molecules disrupted. The energy the radiation deposits in tissue is called the absorbed dose. The units of 

measure of absorbed dose are the rad or the gray. The biological effect of radiation depends on the type of radiation 

(alpha, beta, gamma, or X-ray) and the tissues exposed. A measure of the biologic risk of the energy deposited is 

the dose equivalent. The units of dose equivalent are called rems or sieverts. In this report, the term dose is used 

to mean dose equivalent measured in rems. A thousandth of a rem is called a millirem, abbreviated as mrem. An 

average person in the United States receives about 300 mrem each year from natural sources and an additional 60 

mrem from medical procedures, consumer products, and activities. Whether or not there is a “safe” radiation dose 

equivalent is a controversial subject. Because the topic has yet to be settled scientifically, regulators take a conservative 

Forms of Radiation

Alpha particles are heavy, positively charged particles given off by some decaying atoms. Alpha particles can be blocked 

by a sheet of paper. Atoms emitting alpha particles are hazardous only if they are swallowed or inhaled. 

Beta particles are electrons or positrons (positively charged electrons) ejected from the nucleus of a decaying atom. More 

penetrating than alpha radiation, beta particles can pass through several millimeters of skin. A sheet of aluminum only 

a fraction of an inch thick will stop beta radiation. Beta particles can damage skin, but are most hazardous if the betaemitting atoms are swallowed or inhaled. 

Gamma rays are waves of pure energy similar to X-rays, light, microwaves, and radio waves. Gamma rays are emitted by 

certain radionuclides when their nuclei transition from a higher to a lower energy state. They can readily pass into the 

human body. They can be almost completely blocked by about 40 inches of concrete, 40 feet of water, or a few inches 

of lead. Gamma rays can be both an external and internal hazard. 

X-rays are a more familiar form of electromagnetic radiation, usually with a limited penetrating power, typically used 

in medical or dental examinations. Television sets, especially color, give off soft (low-energy) X-rays; thus, they are 

shielded to greatly reduce the risk of radiation exposure. 

Neutrons are uncharged heavy particles contained in the nucleus of every atom heavier than ordinary hydrogen. They 

induce ionization only indirectly in atoms which they strike, but can damage body tissues. Neutrons are released, for 

example, during the fission (splitting) of uranium atoms in the fuel of nuclear power plants. They can also be very 

penetrating. In general, efficient shielding against neutrons can be provided by materials containing hydrogen, such as 

water. Like gamma rays, neutrons are both an external and internal hazard. 
 

 

9

approach and assume that there is no such thing as a 100 percent safe dose equivalent, and it is assumed that the 

risk of developing an adverse health effect (such as cancer) is proportionate to the amount of radiation dose. Many 

human activities increase our exposure to radiation over and above the average background radiation dose of 300 

mrem per year (mr/yr). These activities include, for example, uranium mining, airline travel, and operating nuclear 

power plants. Regulators balance the benefit of these activities to the risk of increasing radiation exposures above 

background, and as a result, set dose limits for the public and workers specific to these activities. The DOE has 

set the dose limit to the public from exposure to DOE-related nuclear activities to 100 mrem/yr (1 mSv/yr). This 

is the same public dose limit set by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) and recommended by the 

International Commission on Radiological 

Protection and the National Commission on 

Radiological Protection & Measurements. 

The NRC has set the dose limit for radiation 

workers to 5 rem/yr (50 mSv/yr). There 

is no regulatory standard for radiation 

dose limits to workers or the public across 

industries, states, or countries. 

Radionuclides Detected on the NTS

Name* Abbreviation

Primary Type(s) of 

Radiation Major NTS Source

Man-Made

Americium- 241 241Am Alpha, gamma

In soil at and near legacy sites of above-ground nuclear testing. Detected in soil and air.

Cesium-137 137Cs Beta, gamma 

Plutonium-238 238Pu Alpha 

Strontium-90 90Sr Beta

Plutonium239+240

239+240Pu Alpha In soil at and near legacy sites of plutonium dispersal experiments. 

Detected in soil and air.

Tritium 3H Beta In groundwater in areas of underground nuclear tests, in surface 

ponds used to contain contaminated groundwater, in soil at nuclear 

test locations, in waste packages buried in pits at waste management 

sites. Detected in groundwater and air.

Naturally-Occurring

Be-7 7Be Gamma Produced by interactions between cosmic radiation from the sun and 

the earth’s upper atmosphere. Detected in air.

Potasium-40 40K Beta, gamma

Naturally occurring in the earth’s crust. Detected in groundwater, 

soil, and air.

Radium-226 226Ra Alpha, gamma

Thorium-232 232Th Alpha**

Uranium-234 234U Alpha**

Uranium -235 235 U Alpha, gamma**

Uranium -238 238 U Alpha**

*The number given with the name of the radionuclide is the atomic mass number and is the number of protons and neutrons together in the nucleus of the atom. Radionuclides with the same number of protons are the same element and radionuclides of the same element are called isotopes of one another. Plutonium and uranium each 

have several radioactive isotopes that are detected on the NTS.

**These radionuclides decay to other radionuclides (called progeny or daughters) which emit alpha, beta, and gamma radiation. 

Common Doses to the Public 

Source/Activity Average Dose/Year

(or as noted)

Five-hour jet plane ride 3 mrem

Building materials 4 mrem

Chest X-ray 8 mrem

Cosmic 30 mrem

Soil 35 mrem

Internal to our body 40 mrem

Mammogram 138 mrem

Radon gas 200 mrem

CT scan 2500 mrem

Smoking 20 cigarettes/day 5300 mrem to a smoker’s lung

One cancer treatment 5,000,000 mrem to the tumor

Source: http://www.eh.doe.gov/radiation/Radiation-final-6-20.pdf, accessed on 8/8/2006

}

}
 

 

10

Monitoring NTS Radiation and Pathways of Exposure to the Public

The release of man-made radionuclides from the NTS 

has been monitored since the first decade of atmospheric 

testing. After 1962 when nuclear tests were conducted 

only underground, the radiation exposure to the public 

surrounding the NTS was greatly reduced. Underground 

nuclear testing nearly eliminated atmospheric releases of 

radiation, but resulted in the contamination of groundwater 

in some areas of the NTS. After the 1992 moratorium on 

nuclear testing, radiation monitoring focused on detecting 

airborne radionuclides that are resuspended with historicallycontaminated soils on the NTS and on detecting man-made 

radionuclides in groundwater. 

There are three pathways in this dry desert environment by 

which man-made radionuclides from the NTS might reach the surrounding public: 

Air Transport Pathway - Members of the public may inhale or ingest radionuclides that are resuspended by the wind 

from known contaminated sites on the NTS. However, such resuspended radiation measured off and on the NTS is 

much lower than natural background radiation in all areas accessible to the public. 

Ingestion Pathway - Members of the public may ingest game animals that have been exposed to contaminated soil or 

water on the NTS, have moved off the NTS, and have then been hunted. 

Groundwater Pathway - 

Drinking contaminated 

groundwater is currently 

not a possible pathway for 

public exposure given the 

restricted public access to 

the NTS and the location 

of known contaminated 

groundwater on the NTS. 

No man-made radionuclides 

occur in drinking water 

sources monitored off 

the NTS and no drinking 

water wells on the NTS 

have measurable levels of 

man-made radionuclides. 

Only the groundwater from 

monitoring wells drilled near 

underground tests on the 

NTS show radioactive 

contamination. 

Public Dose Limits for NTS Radiation

 10 mrem/yr - This is the dose limit to the public 

(above natural background) from just the air 

transport pathway, as specified by the Clean 

Air Act National Emission Standards for 

Hazardous Air Pollutants (NESHAP). 

 100 mrem/yr - This is the dose limit to the public 

(above natural background) from all possible 

pathways combined, as specified by DOE 

Order 5400.5, Radiation Protection of the 

Public and the Environment.
 

 

11

Estimated 2005 Radiation Dose to the Public from All Possible Pathways

The radiation dose to the general public by just the air 

transport pathway was estimated using air sampling results 

from six onsite “critical receptor” sampling stations. The 

radionuclides detected at three or more of the NTS critical 

receptor samplers were 241Am, 238Pu, 239+240Pu, 233+234U, 235+236U, 238U, and tritium. The uranium isotopes are 

attributed to naturally-occurring uranium. As in previous 

years, the 2005 data from the six critical receptor samplers 

show that the NESHAP dose limit to the public of 10 mrem/yr was not exceeded. The Schooner critical receptor 

station, in the far northwest corner of the NTS, had the highest concentrations of radioactive air emissions, yet 

an individual residing at this station would experience a dose 

from air emissions of only 2.3 mrem/yr. This annual dose is 

0.6 percent of the background radiation dose estimated for 

an individual residing at Indian Springs. No one resides at the 

Schooner station, and the dose at offsite populated locations 

12 – 50 miles from the Schooner station would be much lower 

due to wind dispersion, probably a fraction of 1 mrem, similar to 

dose estimates generated by computer models in previous years.

NTS game animals include pronghorn antelope, mule deer, 

chukar, Gambel’s quail, mourning doves, cottontail rabbits, and 

jackrabbits. Small game animals from different contaminated 

NTS sites are trapped each year and analyzed for their 

radionuclide content. These results are used to construct worst-case scenarios for the dose to hunters who might 

consume these animals if the animals moved off the NTS. In 2005, both mourning doves and jackrabbits were 

sampled at the Sedan crater in Area 10, and mourning doves were sampled at a sump in which tritium-contaminated 

water from a well drilled adjacent to an underground test site 

was pumped and stored. Based on these samples, the highest 

dose to a member of the public was estimated to be 

0.32 mrem if this person consumed 20 jackrabbits from the 

Sedan crater site. 

The maximum dose to the public from all pathways (air and 

ingestion) during 2005 is estimated to be 0.52 mrem/yr. 

This assumes that an individual who resides in a community 

surrounding the NTS will receive an air pathway dose no 

greater that 0.20 mrem/yr, as dose estimates from 

1992 – 2004 suggest. It also assumes that this individual 

consumes an additional 0.32 mrem from game animals. 

Dose to the Public 

from the Air Transport Pathway 

Based on 2005 Sample Data 

2.3 mrem/yr – This is the estimated dose to 

an individual if they lived year-round 

on the NTS at the Schooner air sampling 

station. The offsite public 12 – 50 miles 

away would only receive a fraction of 

1 mrem/yr.

There is no NTS radiation dose to the public from the groundwater pathway. Annual 

monitoring continues to verify that no 

contaminated groundwater has migrated beyond 

the NTS boundaries into surrounding water 

supplies used by the public. 

2005 Dose to the Public from All Pathways

0.52 mrem/yr – This estimated dose combines 0.2 mrem/yr (based on past year’s computer model 

estimates) and the 0.32 mrem/yr from ingestion of NTS game animals. This total dose 

estimate is indistinguishable from natural background radiation experienced by the public 

residing in Las Vegas or other communities surrounding the NTS. 

Dose to the Public 

from Ingestion of Game Animals 

Based on 2005 Sample Data 

0.32 mrem/yr – This is the estimated dose from 

ingestion of NTS game animals assuming 

one consumed 20 jackrabbits from the

Sedan crater site, a known site of legacy 

soil contamination. 
 

 

12

This total dose is well below 

the dose limit of 100 mrem/yr 

established by DOE Order 

5400.5 for radiation exposure 

to the public from all pathways 

combined. This dose is so small 

it cannot be distinguished from 

the dose from background 

radiation (it is ~0.15 percent of 

the total dose from naturallyoccurring sources). 

 

Monitoring Onsite 

Radionuclide Air Emissions

 

Each year, the total quantity of radioactive 

emissions from the NTS (in curies [Ci]) and their 

sources are identified. In 2005, total tritium (3H) 

emissions from all sources was estimated to be

170 Ci and total 239+240Pu and 241Am emissions 

were estimated to be 0.29 and 0.047 Ci, 

respectively. 

No radioactivity was detected above minimum 

detectable concentrations (MDCs) in any of the 

samples collected from the JASPER Facility. No 

radiological releases occurred at U-1a, BEEF, or 

DAF. 

Dose to the Public fom the Air Transport Pathway

Based on Computer Modeling(a)

<0.2 mrem/yr – This is the estimated dose to an individual who resides in one of the many communities 

surrounding the NTS based on the use of soil resuspension models, wind models, and historical NTS soil 

sample data. From 1992 to 2004, these models were used to estimate the dose to the maximally exposed 

individual (MEI) and to identify the probable community surrounding the NTS in which they lived. Since 

1992, the estimated dose to the MEI has been <0.2 mrem/yr, and the MEI has been identified as residing in 

either Springdale or Cactus Springs, Nevada. 

(a) The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the DOE no longer require NTS to use these models to confirm that the annual 

dose to the public from NTS is below the NESHAP limit of 10 mrem/yr. Data collected onsite each year from the six critical receptor air 

sampling stations will be used from now on to document NESHAP compliance, and 0.2 mrem will be assumed to be the maximum 

possible annual dose to the offsite public.

Estimated NTS Tritium Air Emissions 

by Source in 2005

 (in Curies)

Equipment Calibration: 

Area 23 Building 650 0.000014

Evaporation from Water Sources:

Area 12 E Tunnel Ponds 17

Well U-20n PS #1DD-H Sump 3.5

Area 5 Sewage Lagoon 0.00037

Evaporation/Transpiration from Soil/Vegetation:

Area 3 RWMS 57

Area 5 RWMS 8.9

Area 10 Sedan 45

Area 20 Schooner 40

Total 170

0.15%

~59%

~29%

~29%

Dose from cosmic and 

terrestrial radiation

measured by the pressurized 

ion chamber at Indian 

Springs, NV, 100 mrem/yr

Dose from natural 

radionuclides in the body, 

40 mrem/yr

Dose from inhalation of 

natural radon, 200 mrem/yr

Dose from calculated NTS 

emissions and consumption 

of wildlife, 0.52 mrem/yr

Percents of Total Dose to the Public (340 mrem/yr) from 

Natural Background Sources and from the NTS
 

 

13

Highest Average Concentrations of 

Man-Made Radionuclides in Air Samples on the NTS

Radionuclide

CL (a)

(10-15 μCi/mL)

Highest Average

Concentration

(10-15 μCi/mL)(b)

Sampler

Location

241Am 1.9 0.230 Bunker 9-300

3

H 1,500,000 330,540 Schooner

238Pu 2.1 0.020 Bunker 9-300

239+240Pu 2.0 1.52 Bunker 9-300

(a) Concentration limits established NESHAP, in microcuries per milliliter (μCi/mL).

 

(b) The scale of concentration units for radionuclides shown in the table have been 

standardized to 10-15 μCi/mL. This scale may differ from those reported in detailed 

radionuclide-specific data tables in the NTSER.

Total Estimated NTS Radiological 

Air Emissions in 2005

(in Curies)

Tritium

(3H)

Plutonium 

(239+240Pu)

Americium

(241Am)

170 0.29 0.047

Plutonium and americium sources are legacy sites of past 

nuclear testing on the NTS where these radionuclides are in 

surface soils that can become resuspended by wind. 

To monitor the diffuse onsite NTS radioactive emissions, a 

network of 19 air sampling stations and a network of 109 

thermoluminescent dosimeters (TLDs) were used (see map 

on page 14). Air sampling stations and TLDs are located 

throughout the NTS, mainly within those numbered 

Operational Areas where historic nuclear testing has 

occurred or where current radiological operations occur.

Several human-made radionuclides were measured at air 

sampling stations at levels above their MDCs in 2005: 

241Am, 3

H, 238Pu, and 239+240Pu. The highest mean level of 241Am was detected at Bunker 9-300 in Area 9, a vacant 

building located within an area of known soil contamination from past nuclear tests. The highest mean level of 

tritium was detected at Schooner, site of the second-highest-yield Plowshare cratering experiment on the NTS where 

tritium-infused ejecta surrounds the crater. The highest mean levels of plutonium isotopes in air were at Bunker 

9-300. Uranium isotopes were also detected in air samples collected in areas where depleted uranium ordnance has 

been used or tested. However, the samples’ isotopic ratios were what one would expect from naturally-occurring 

uranium in soil and not from either man-made depleted or enriched uranium. 

Both 239+240Pu and tritium 

concentrations in NTS air 

samples continue to decline. 

Tritium concentrations have 

decreased since the cessation 

of testing in 1992. The average 

decline varies in amount among 

NTS areas. Area 1 tritium 

concentrations show an average 

decrease of 52 percent since 

1992, while Areas 23 and 25 

show an average decrease of 

99.7 percent since then. 

239+240Pu concentrations have 

likewise decreased; the average 

decline since 1992 ranges from 

38 percent in Areas 1 and 3 to 

91 percent in Areas 18, 19, and 20. The downward trends in plutonium concentrations are attributed to its dispersal 

by the wind and weathering in the soil, where it becomes bound to less mobile particles. 

Gross alpha and beta radioactivity was detected at all stations on the NTS. The average gross alpha activities ranged 

from 15.29 to 54.68 x 10-16 μCi/mL; the highest seen at Bunker 9-300. The average gross beta activities ranged from 

17.29 to 22.51 x 10-15 μCi/mL; the highest seen at Sugar Bunker, an unoccupied structure used during past nuclear 

testing, located about 1 km (0.6 mi) south-southwest of the Area 5 Radioactive Waste Management Complex 

(RWMC).

Direct exposure to gamma radiation is measured at 109 TLD stations on the NTS. Exposure is reported in units 

called milliroentgens (mR). The TLD detectors can measure gamma radiation from all sources, both natural 

background radiation from cosmic and terrestrial sources and radiation from man-made sources. Ten of the 

NTS TLD stations measure natural background levels. The mean level was well within average background levels 

observed in other parts of the United States of similar elevation above sea level. Background radiation varies
 

 

14

2005 NTS Air Sampling Network
 

 

15

Range in Radioactivity/Radiation Levels

Measured at Offsite and Onsite Air Sampling Stations

Average Gross Alpha

(x 10-16 μCi/mL)

Average Gross Beta

(x 10-15 μCi/mL)

Offsite 

(CEMP)

Onsite

 (BN)

Offsite

(CEMP)

Onsite

(BN)

Highest 

Average 

Value

3.22

(Boulder City)

54.68

(Sugar Bunker)

2.40

(Boulder 

City)

22.51

(Sugar 

Bunker)

Lowest 

Average 

Value

1.08

(Nyala Ranch)

15.29

(Gate 20-2P)

1.73

(Nyala 

Ranch)

17.29

(3545 

Substation)

Average Direct Background Radiation of

Selected U.S. Cities 

(Excluding Radon)

City

Elevation Above 

Sea Level 

(feet)

Radiation 

Exposure 

(mR/yr)(a)

Denver, Colorado 5,280 164.6

Wheeling, West Virginia 656 111.9

Rochester, New York 505 88.1

St. Louis, Missouri 465 87.9

Portland, Oregon 39 86.7

Los Angeles, California 292 73.6

Fort Worth, Texas 650 68.7

Richmond, Virginia 210 64.1

Tampa, Florida 3 63.7

New Orleans, Louisiana 0 63.7

(a) Source: < http://www.wrcc.dri.edu/cemp/Radiation.html>

 “Radiation in Perspective,” August 1990, as accessed on 3/22/2005

NTS Background Gamma Radiation

119 mR/yr – This is the background 

radiation measured at 10 TLD 

stations in areas isolated from past 

and present nuclear activities. 

not only by elevation but by the amounts of natural 

radioactive materials in soil and rock in different 

geographic regions. 

The highest estimated mean annual gamma exposure 

measured at a TLD station on the NTS was 834 mR/yr 

at Schooner, one of the legacy Plowshare sites on 

Pahute Mesa. The lowest was 60 mR/yr in Mercury at 

the fitness track. The mean annual gamma exposure at 

17 TLD locations near the Area 3 and Area 5 RWMSs 

was 147 mR. At the 35 TLD locations near known 

legacy sites (including Schooner), it was 277 mR. 

Monitoring Offsite NTS Radiological Air Emissions by the Community 

Environmental Monitoring Program (CEMP)

An important component of the NTS radiological monitoring program is the oversight program run by the CEMP 

which is coordinated by the Desert Research Institute (DRI) of the Nevada System of Higher Education under 

contract with NNSA/NSO. It can independently confirm NTS compliance with radiological air emission 

and water quality standards offsite. Its purpose is to provide monitoring for radionuclides which may be 

released from the NTS. A network of 27 CEMP stations located in selected towns and communities within 

240 miles from the NTS was operated continuously during 2005. The CEMP stations monitored gross alpha 

and beta radioactivity in airborne particulates using low-volume particulate air samplers, penetrating gamma 

radiation using TLDs, gamma radiation exposure rates using PIC detectors, and meteorological parameters 

using automated weather instrumentation (MET stations). 

No airborne radioactivity related to any 

NTS operations was detected in any of the 

CEMP samples during 2005. Gross alpha 

and gross beta radioactivity was detected at 

all CEMP stations at levels consistent with 

previous years, which reflect radioactivity 

from background radiation. No man-made 

gamma-emitting radionuclides were detected. Naturally-occurring radioactive beryllium (7

Be) was detected in most air particulate 

samples. 
 

 

16

2005 CEMP Air Surveillance Network

The offsite TLD and PIC results remained consistent with previous years’ background radiation levels and are well within 

average background levels observed in other parts of the United States and with the 119 mR/yr level measured on the NTS. 

The highest total annual gamma exposure measured offsite, based on the PIC detectors, was 183.96 mR/yr at Milford, Utah 

(at 4,957 feet elevation). The lowest offsite rate, based on the PIC detectors, was 58.87 mR/yr at Pahrump, Nevada 

(at 2,675 feet elevation). 

Average Direct Radiation

 Measured in 2005 

 Location

Elevation Above 

Sea Level 

(feet)

Radiation 

Exposure 

(mR/yr)

NTS - Schooner TLD station 5,660 834

NTS - 35 Legacy Site TLD stations 3,077 – 5,938 277

Milford, Utah PIC station 4,900 184

Twin Springs, Nevada PIC station 5,055 168

NTS - 17 Waste Operation TLD stations 3,176 – 4,021 147

NTS - 10 Background TLD stations 2,755 – 5,938 119

St. George, Utah PIC station 2,600 80

Pahrump, Nevada PIC station 2,550 75

NTS - Mercury Fitness Track TLD station 3,769 60
 

 

17

2005 CEMP Water Monitoring Locations

Offsite Radiological Monitoring of Groundwater 

The comprehensive radiological environmental monitoring program off the NTS includes sampling and analysis 

of groundwater and natural springs to determine if groundwater contamination from past nuclear testing poses a 

current threat to public health and the environment. 

In 2005, BN conducted radiological monitoring of 27 offsite wells and 3 offsite springs. The wells included 9 

private domestic wells, 6 local community wells, and 12 NNSA/NSO wells drilled for hydrogeologic investigations 

including groundwater flow modeling. All of the BN-sampled wells and springs are in Nevada within 19 miles 

from the western and southern borders of the NTS (see map on page 18). 

The DRI, through the CEMP, is tasked by NNSA/NSO to provide independent verification of the tritium 

concentrations in some of the offsite groundwater wells, municipal water supply systems, and springs used for 

water supplies in areas surrounding the NTS. Samples collected by DRI provide a comparison to the results 

obtained by BN. In 2005, the CEMP offsite water sampling locations included 18 wells, 3 surface water supply 

systems, and 4 springs located in selected towns and communities within 240 miles from the NTS. Only one site, 

the Beatty Water and Sewer well, was sampled by both BN and CEMP. 

Tritium is the sole radionuclide for which CEMP water sample analyses are run. 

Tritium is the radionuclide created in the greatest quantities in underground nuclear 

tests and is widely believed to be the most mobile. BN offsite water samples were 

also analyzed for man-made gamma-emitting radionuclides which, if found, would 

signify contamination from nuclear testing. BN also monitored gross alpha and 

gross beta activity to determine if they are increasing over time at any well or spring. 

20,000 pCi/L – This is the 

EPA-established maximum 

concentration limit for 

tritium in drinking water. 
 

 

18

2005 BN Water Monitoring Locations
 

 

19

None of the offsite springs or the offsite public or domestic water supply 

systems/wells monitored by BN or the CEMP had levels of tritium 

significantly above detection limits. Measured tritium levels from the 

CEMP-monitored wells ranged from -7 to 8 pCi/L. For the CEMPmonitored springs and surface waters, they ranged from -2 to 24 pCi/L. 

As in previous years, samples from Boulder City and Henderson municipal 

water supplies contained tritium at levels barely above detection. These 

two municipal water systems obtain water from Lake Mead, which has 

documented levels of residual tritium persisting in the environment that 

originated from global atmospheric nuclear testing.

Measured tritium levels in the BN-monitored drinking water 

wells ranged from -8.4 to 7.6 pCi/L. For the three offsite 

springs they ranged from -1.4 to 11 pCi/L. BN measured tritium 

above detection limits in only 2 of the 12 offsite NNSA/NSO 

monitoring wells: ER-OV-03A and ER-OV-03C2. Tritium levels 

in both of these was 24 pCi/L. This level is within the range 

of concentrations indicative of analytical background levels 

for tritium. All BN-monitored offsite well and spring samples 

contained detectable gross alpha and gross beta radioactivity. 

Onsite Radiological Monitoring of Water

Radioactivity in onsite groundwater and surface waters of 

the NTS is monitored annually in order to (1) ensure that NTS drinking water is safe, (2) determine if permitted 

facilities on the NTS are in compliance with permit discharge limits for radionuclides, (3) estimate radiological dose 

to onsite wildlife using natural and man-made water sources, and (4) determine if groundwater is being protected 

from disposed radioactive wastes at the Area 3 and Area 5 RWMSs. In 2005, the onsite water monitoring network 

included 3 natural springs, 10 potable water supply wells, 18 monitoring wells, 1 tritiated water containment pond 

system, and 2 sewage lagoons (see map on page 18). 

Natural Springs 

Three onsite springs were sampled in 2005: Gold Meadows 

Spring, Tub Spring, and White Rock Springs. None of them 

are discharge points from a regional aquifer but are perched 

water tables from surface infiltration of precipitation. Tritium 

was detected at very low concentrations at White Rock Spring 

(46 pCi/L) and is believed to come from known surface 

contamination from previous nuclear testing. Gamma 

spectroscopy detected the man-made fission product cerium-144 

(

144Ce) in the water sample collected from Tub Spring, although 

no other man-made radionuclides were detected in the sample. 

Potable Water Supply Wells 

The 2005 data continue to indicate that underground nuclear testing 

has not impacted the NTS potable water supply network. One water sample from each of three NTS supply wells 

had concentrations of tritium barely above their MDCs; none had detectable concentrations of man-made gammaemitting radionuclides. Gross alpha and beta radioactivity was detected at levels below drinking water limits in all of 

the potable water supply wells and is attributed to the presence of naturally-occurring radionuclides.

White Rock Springs in Area 12

(photo by Paul Greger, August 2002)

 No offsite springs, surface water 

supplies, or wells had levels of 

tritium significantly above detection 

levels. 

 24 pCi/L – This was the highest level of 

tritium measured in any offsite 

water sample. 

Nuclear testing has not impacted 

NTS drinking water wells.

No gamma-emi�ing radionuclides were

detected in any of the BN-monitored 

offsite wells or springs. 

Gross alpha and gross beta radioactivity 

was below drinking water standards 

in all potable water sources. The 

radioactivity is most likely from 

natural sources and the levels show no 

increasing trend.
 

 

20

Monitoring Results for E Tunnel Effluent Waters Pertaining

to Water Pollution Control Permit NEV 96021

Parameter

State Water Pollution 

Control Permit Limit 

(pCi/L)

Average Measured 

Concentration

(pCi/L)

Tritium 1,000,000 600,000

Gross Alpha 35 13

Gross Beta 100 77

Lined Tritium-Contaminated Groundwater 

Containment Sump at an Area 20 UGTA well

(photo by Russell Shelton, November 2005)

Monitoring Wells 

Some migration of radionuclides from the underground test areas to monitoring wells sampled annually on the 

NTS has probably occurred, although the migration distances appear to be very short. Three onsite monitoring 

wells (PM U-19BH, WW A, and Well PM-1) had detectable concentrations of tritium in 2005 ranging from 

46 to 492 pCi/L, all well below the drinking water limit of 20,000 pCi/L. Each of these monitoring wells is 

located within 0.6 miles of an historical underground nuclear test; all have consistently had detectable levels of 

tritium in past years, and no trend of rising tritium concentrations in these wells have been observed since 2000. 

There were also tritium levels measured just above detection limits in well ER-19-1 (21 pCi/L) and well 

UE-25P #1 (26 pCi/L). 

No man-made radionuclides were detected by gamma spectroscopy analyses at concentrations above detection 

limits in any of the NTS monitoring wells in 2005. Most onsite monitoring wells had gross alpha and gross beta 

levels above detection limits. Three onsite monitoring wells (U-19BH, UE-25 WT #6, and ER-19-1) showed 

either gross alpha and/or gross beta levels above the EPA drinking water limits, but none of these wells supply 

drinking water. The radioactivity is most likely from natural sources. 

Containment Ponds

Five constructed basins collect and hold 

water discharged from E Tunnel in Area 12 

where nuclear testing was conducted in the 

past. The water is perched groundwater 

that has percolated through fractures in the 

tunnel system. Monitoring of the effluent 

waters from E Tunnel is conducted to 

determine if radionuclides or nonradiological contaminants exceed the allowable contaminant levels regulated under a state water pollution control 

permit. Tritium concentrations in tunnel effluent waters in 2005 were lower than the permit limit. The E Tunnel 

containment ponds are fenced and posted with radiological warning signs. Given that the ponds are available to 

wildlife, game animals were sampled to assess the potential radiological dose to humans via ingestion of game 

animals exposed to these ponds and to evaluate the radiological impacts to wildlife. 

Tritiated water is also pumped into lined sumps during 

studies conducted by the UGTA Project. To characterize the 

groundwater regime under the NTS, suitable additional wells 

are being drilled and existing wells recompleted in the vicinity 

of certain underground tests and at other locations on the 

NTS. If the tritium level exceeds 200,000 pCi/L during these 

drilling operations, contaminated water is pumped from the 

wells and diverted to lined containment ponds, as required by 

the state. During 2005, water containing tritium was pumped 

from Well U-20n PS #1DD-H into a lined sump; preliminary 

analysis measured appoximately 37,000,000 pCi/L of tritium. 
 

 

21

Permi�ed Sewage Lagoons

Two permitted sewage lagoons (Area 6 Yucca and Area 23 Mercury) are sampled annually and analyzed for tritium. 

As during previous years, no tritium was detected in the lagoon water samples and no man-made gamma-emitting 

radionuclides were detected during 2005.

Non-Radiological Air Emissions at the NTS 

Air quality was monitored on the NTS throughout the year as required 

by state of Nevada permits for operations that release criteria air 

pollutants, hazardous air pollutants (HAPs), or toxic and hazardous 

chemicals. Common sources of air emissions on the NTS include 

particulates from construction, aggregate production, surface 

disturbances, fugitive dust from driving on unpaved roads, fuel-burning equipment, open burning, fuel storage 

facilities, and chemical release tests conducted at the NPTEC on Frenchman Flat playa in Area 5. The NTS has 

been issued a Class II air permit by the state of Nevada. Class II permits are issued to facilities which emit small 

quantities of air pollutants within a year (less than 100 tons of each criteria air pollutant, or 10 tons of any one 

HAP, or 25 tons of any combination of HAPs). 

An estimated 3.66 tons of criteria air pollutants were released on the NTS in 2005. The 

majority of these emissions (1.94 tons) were 

VOCs. Total air emissions of lead, also a criteria 

pollutant, were 14.55 pounds. The quantity 

of HAPs released in 2005 was 0.05 tons. No 

emission limits for any criteria air pollutants 

or HAPs were exceeded. On June 8, the state 

of Nevada conducted an inspection of the 

following facilities regulated by the NTS air 

quality permit: the Area 1 Aggregate Plant and 

the Area 23 Incinerator. During the inspection, 

the incinerator failed its performance emission 

testing and was immediately shut down. No 

other exceedances were observed during the 

state inspection. 

Asbestos is the only non-radiological HAP of regulatory concern on the NTS. Building renovation or demolition 

projects may release asbestos. Large quantities of asbestos were removed during renovation of the A-1 Building 

at the North Las Vegas Facility (NLVF) and during demolition of the Test Cell A Facility in Area 25 of the NTS. 

The EPA was notified of these projects. All materials containing regulated asbestos (asbestos that is friable and, 

therefore, potentially breathable) that were removed from NTS facilities were disposed of in the Mercury landfill. 

The Mercury landfill documented receipt of 2 tons of such material in 2005. 

A combined total of 3 tests, consisting of 19 releases of hazardous chemicals in all, were conducted at the 

Area 5 NPTEC and the new Area 25 Test Cell C NPTEC facility in 2005. In accordance with the requirements 

of the NTS air quality operating permit for the NPTEC, an annual report of the types and amounts of chemicals 

released and the test plans and final analysis reports for each chemical release were submitted to the state. Based 

on the low level of risk each test posed to the environment and biota, no test-specific ecological monitoring was 

performed. 

Calculated Tons of Emissions

Criteria Air Pollutant Actual PTE(b)

Particulate Ma�er (PM10)(a) 0.84 36.90

Carbon Monoxide (CO) 0.15 15.16

Nitrogen Oxides (NOx) 0.69 28.63

Sulfur Dioxide (SO2) 0.04 6.64

Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC) 1.94 18.71

Totals 3.66 106.04

(a) Particulate ma�er equal to or less than 10 microns in diameter

(b) Potential to Emit - the quantity of criteria pollutant that each facility

piece of equipment would emit annually if it were operated for the 

maximum number of hours at the maximum production rate specified in 

the air permit 

There were no discharges of nonradiological hazardous materials 

in air or water from the NTS to 

offsite areas in 2005. 
 

 

22

Non-Radiological Drinking Water Quality at the NTS 

NNSA/NSO operates a network of nine permitted wells that comprise three permitted public water systems on the 

NTS which supply the potable water needs of NTS workers and visitors. In addition, three private water systems 

are maintained but are not regulated under state permit. For work locations at the NTS that are not part of a public 

water system, NNSA/NSO hauls potable water for use in decontamination and sanitation. Monitoring results for 

2005 indicated that water samples from the three public water systems and from the potable water hauling trucks 

met the National Primary and Secondary Drinking Water Standards with one exception. The Area 12 water system 

exceeded the action level for lead (0.046 mg/L; with action level of 0.015 mg/L). The state was notified and more 

frequent monitoring of this system was initiated to more closely monitor the system’s lead levels. The 

Area 12 buildings were last occupied in March 2005, and there are no immediate plans to use this camp in 2006. 

No monitoring of the private water systems was conducted.

Non-Radiological Discharges into Water at the NTS

In 2005, industrial discharges on the NTS were limited to two operating sewage lagoon systems: Area 6 Yucca Lake 

and Area 23 Mercury systems. Under the conditions of state of Nevada operating permits, liquid discharges to 

these sewage lagoons are tested quarterly for biochemical oxygen demand, pH, and total suspended solids. Sewage 

lagoon pond waters are sampled annually for a suite of toxic chemicals. Quarterly and annual analyses of sewage 

influent and of pond waters, respectively, showed that all water measurements were within permit limits (often 

below detection levels) with one exception. One measure of 5-day Biological Oxygen Demand Mean Daily Load 

was exceeded at the Area 6 Yucca Lake Sewage lagoons in the first quarter. Subsequent samples in the second 

quarter showed that the lagoons were once again in compliance. 

There are no liquid discharges from the NTS into navigable waters, offsite surface water drainage systems, or 

publicly owned treatment works. 

Non-Radiological Emissions into Air and Discharges into Water at the NLVF 

Like the NTS, the NLVF is regulated for the emission of criteria pollutants and HAPs. Air quality operating 

permits are maintained for a variety of equipment at the NLVF. There are no monitoring requirements associated 

with these permits. The Clark County Department of Air Quality and Environmental Management requires 

submittal of an annual emissions inventory. The combined quantity of criteria air pollutants and HAPs emitted at 

the NLVF in 2005 was 1.391 tons; they ranged from 0.001 tons for 

HAPs to 0.916 tons for nitrous oxides. 

Water discharges at the NLVF are regulated by a permit issued by 

the City of North Las Vegas (CNLV) for sewer discharges and 

by temporary National Pollution Discharge Elimination System 

(NPDES) permits with the state for discharging pumped groundwater 

onsite for irrigation and dust suppression. The NPDES permits 

were obtained for a groundwater characterization and dewatering 

project at the facility. Self-monitoring and reporting of the levels 

of non-radiological contaminants in sewage and industrial outfalls 

is conducted. In 2005, contaminant measurements were below 

established permit limits in all water samples from NLVF outfalls 

and all sludge and liquid samples from sand/oil interceptors except 

North Las Vegas Facilty (source: NSTec Facility 

Data Warehouse, September 2006)
 

 

23

in water samples from two outfalls where total dissolved solids (TDS) exceeded permit limits. In response to these 

exceedances, a Salinity Control Plan discussing steps taken to reduce the TDS levels was written and submitted to 

CNLV. CNLV conducted an annual inspection in September 2005 that resulted in no findings or corrective actions.

Accidental or Unplanned Environmental Releases or Occurrences

In 2005, there were no reportable accidental or unplanned environmental releases or occurrence on the NTS or at any 

of the NTS satellite facilities. 

Overall Compliance with Environmental Laws, Regulations, and Policies

The 2005 NTSER lists and discusses the many applicable environmental drivers (laws, regulations, and policies) which 

govern the protection of the public and the environment during the conduct of NTS missions. The compliance status 

with these federal laws, state laws, regulations, and policies are reported in Chapter 2 of the NTSER in detail. For this 

summary report, the major categories of these drivers are listed below. Where compliance for a category is not 

100 percent, the non-compliance incidents are noted. 

Other Significant 2005 Environmental Accomplishments 

Environmental Restoration 

The cleanup of sites contaminated by past DOE operations on and off the NTS and the hydrogeological 

investigations supporting characterization of underground nuclear contamination areas are the most significant 

environmental work performed by NNSA/NSO each year. The DOE, DoD, and the state of Nevada Division 

of Environmental Protection identify a work scope and milestone schedule for the cleanup and safe closure of the 

contaminated above-ground sites and for the field investigations and model development necessary to characterize the 

underground sites. A total of 49 contaminated above-ground sites were closed safely in 2005. Extensive progress was 

made towards the development of hydrologic models describing groundwater flow and possible radionuclide transport 

Environmental Compliance Summary for the NTS in 2005

Category Non-Compliance Incidents

Air Quality Three pieces of equipment failed their performance emissions test and 

were shut down.

Water Quality and Protection Limits for lead were exceeded in Area 12 public water system. 

Limits for total dissolved solids were exceeded in sewage outfalls at 

NLVF.

Radiation Dose Protection None

Radioactive and Non-Radioactive Waste 

Management and Environmental Restoration None

Hazardous Materials Control and Management None

Pollution Prevention and Waste Minimization One Executive Order 13101 goal and four Secretary of Energy’s 

P2 Leadership goals were not met. 

Historic Preservation and Cultural Resource 

Protection None

Conservation and Protection of Biota and 

Wildlife Habitat

11 accidental bird deaths a�ributable to NTS activities (e.g., roadkill); 

deaths included 9 species protected as migratory birds. 
 

 

24

from the primary underground sites into the groundwater underlying public lands outside the boundaries of the 

NTS. This involved well development, aquifer testing, groundwater characterization sampling, construction of 3-D 

hydrostratigraphic framework and flow models, and the completion of several technical data documentation packages 

and modeling approach/strategy documents.

Pollution Prevention and Waste Minimization 

Pollution prevention and waste minimization (P2/WM) activities on the NTS result in reductions to the volume 

and/or toxicity of waste generated onsite. In 2005, the Material Exchange Program reused 2.4 tons of nonhazardous chemicals, equipment, and supplies. During the renovation of a building in Mercury, approximately 15,180 

tons of used concrete with lead shielding was generated. The lead shielding was segregated from the concrete and 

sent to the BN scrap metal salvage group for recycling. Other significant waste reduction efforts continued in 2005, 

such as sending bulk used oil to an offsite vendor for recycling (182.9 tons) and offsite recycling of mixed paper and 

cardboard (560.8 tons). Overall, a reduction of 15,391.2 tons of hazardous wastes and 1,313.9 tons of solid wastes 

was realized in 2005.

BN received three NNSA Pollution Prevention Awards for P2 activities in 2005. BN’s Pollution Prevention Team 

was awarded an Environmental Stewardship Award for developing a Material Exchange Program that utilizes an 

interactive web site where employees from different organizations can “shop” for used items and add items they no 

longer need to the list of available items. This reduces the amount of waste that would be slated for the NTS landfill. 

Two NNSA Best-In-Class Awards for 2005 went to recognize the efforts of the JASPER team to eliminate the 

generation of low-level, mixed transuranic waste, and to the Fleet Fuel Efficiency Team’s proposal to use 

B-20 bio-diesel, E-85 ethanol/gasoline mixtures and “Micro” vehicles resulting in reductions in the amount of 

petroleum usage at the NTS.

Waste Management 

In 2005, the primary sewage lagoon in Area 23 was lined, thus preventing any infiltration from that basin. This is one 

of the first lagoons in Nevada to be lined with geisynthetic clay and high-density polyethylene liners.

Ecological Monitoring

A total of 25.5 acres of habitat within the range of the federally 

threatened desert tortoise (Gopherus agassizii) was disturbed on the 

NTS in 2005; however, no desert tortoises were accidentally injured 

or killed from project activities. Two projects to restore native 

vegetation to disturbed tortoise habitat were implemented.

Five major wildland fires occurred on the NTS in 2005 which 

burned a total of 13,000 acres. NTS biologists prepared written 

assessments for soil stabilization and revegetation for these NTS 

fires. Biologists also participated in two emergency stabilization 

planning meetings with the Bureau of Land Management, 

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Nevada Division of Wildlife, and 

the U.S. Geological Survey to assess the impacts of the large wildfires in southern Nevada and to develop emergency 

stabilization plans for controlling erosion. BN biologists provided a presentation on revegetation in the Mojave 

Desert that included topics on techniques, species selection, timing, and irrigation.

A West Nile Virus Sampling Program on the NTS continued in 2005 with guidance from the Clark County Health 

District. BN biologists conducted 16 trapping sessions at ten sites on the NTS. A total of 77 mosquitoes of 

three different species was collected. None of the mosquitoes tested positive for the West Nile virus. 

Desert Tortoise (Gopherus agassizii), protected as 

a threatened species by the Endangered Species 

Act (photo by Paul Greger, June 1994) 
 

 
For More Information, contact:

U.S. Department of Energy

National Nuclear Security Administration

Nevada Site Office

Office of Public Affairs

P.O. Box 98518

Las Vegas, NV 89193-8518

phone: 702-295-3521

fax: 702-295-0154

email: nevada@nv.doe.gov

http://www.nv.doe.gov