DOE/NV--1078 1

AMEM Corner

by Steve Mellington...................................................................................................................................Page 2

Frenchman Flat Source Term Paper to be Released Soon

by Nick Duhe............................................................................................................................................Page 3

NTS Supports Complex Cleanup with New Disposal Cell

by Dona Merritt..........................................................................................................................................Page 4

Kits in the Pits

by Nick Duhe............................................................................................................................................Page 5

Grant Program Nears End

by Michelle Meade....................................................................................................................................Page 6

EM Partner - Desert Research Institute

by Angela Ramsey......................................................................................................................................Page 7

Citizens Play Major Role in Environmental Monitoring Program

by Angela Ramsey.....................................................................................................................................Page 8-9

Annual Workshop Updates Generators on NTS Disposal Operations

by Dona Merritt.........................................................................................................................................Page 10

Industrial Sites Continues Work at Test Cells

by Nick Duhe............................................................................................................................................Page 11-12

WIPP It... Good!

by Michelle Meade....................................................................................................................................Page 13-14

Independent Study Finds Negligible Exposure from NTS Low-Level Radioactive Waste Shipments

by Dona Merritt.........................................................................................................................................Page 15-16

Contracting Team Cleans Up Unexploded Ordnance at the NTS

by Joe Johnston.........................................................................................................................................Page 17

From Testing to Monitoring: Stakeholders’ Perspectives on the NTS Groundwater Issues

by Carla Sanda..........................................................................................................................................Page 18-19

Drilling Program Overcomes Challenges at the NTS

by Angela Ramsey......................................................................................................................................Page 20

Employee of the Month...........................................................................................................................Page 21

Nevada Test Site Public Tours................................................................................................................Page 22

Contact Information ..............................................................................................................................Page 23-24

Working Today To Protect Your Future

EM UPDATE

ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT

Fall 2004 edition Summer 2005
DOE/NV--1078 2

EM Update Summer 2005

AMEM Corner

by Stephen Mellington

The proposal for the Nevada Site Office to transfer the

management of historic nuclear test sites to the Department of

Energy’s (DOE) Office of Legacy Management has sparked

much discussion over the past months, and I would like to take

this opportunity to bring everyone up to date on the status of this

issue.

In March 2005, Alaska’s Project Chariot was the first of nine

sites transferred from the Nevada Site Office Environmental

Management Program to the DOE Office of Legacy

Management. With the transfer, the Office of Legacy

Management assumes responsibility over the site’s postclosure records and management activities.

Eight additional sites located in Alaska, Colorado, Mississippi,

Nevada (outside the Nevada Test Site boundaries), and New

Mexico, which are currently managed by the Nevada Site Office,

will be transferred to Legacy Management in fiscal year 2007.

Other examples of DOE sites that will be transferred to Legacy

Management include Rocky Flats in Colorado, Fernald in Ohio,

and Mound in Ohio.

The Office of Legacy Management was established in

December 2003 to oversee DOE sites where active

remediation had been completed. Responsibilities include:

long-term surveillance and maintenance, records management,

work force restructuring and benefits continuity, property

management, land use planning, and community assistance.

I would also like to take this opportunity to welcome aboard Rick

Betteridge as the Acting Deputy Assistant Manager for

Environmental Management. Rick began his federal career in

1977 in the Nuclear Weapons Testing Program at the Nevada

Site Office. He was also Technical Advisor to the Threshold Test

Ban Treaty Bilateral Consultative Commission in Geneva,

Switzerland. In 1997, he moved from diversifying Nevada Test

Site initiatives to Environmental Management activities as the

Technology Division Director. Congratulations Rick!

Steve Mellington,

Acting Assistant Manager

Environmental Management

(AMEM)

Rick Betteridge,

Acting Deputy Assistant

Manager Environmental

Management (AMEM)

Located in northwestern

Alaska, the remote Chariot

site was used for radioactive

soil experiments in 1962.

When the experiments were

complete, the plots, along

with the contaminated soil,

were consolidated and

covered with five feet of

native soil. The radioisotopes

remained intact until 1993

when Nevada Site Office

Environmental Management

scientists successfully

remediated the site.
DOE/NV--1078 3

EM Update Summer 2005

Frenchman Flat Source Term Paper to be Released Soon

by Nick Duhe

In an effort to quantify the amount of radionuclides that remain at the

Nevada Test Site's Frenchman Flat location, Stoller-Navarro Joint

Venture (a contractor for the National Nuclear Security Administration

Nevada Site Office) is preparing what is called a Source Term Paper

on Frenchman Flat.

Researchers use the phrase source term in risk assessment studies

when they are estimating the amount and chemical form of a

contaminant released to the environment from a specific source over

a certain period of time. In the case of Frenchman Flat, source term

refers to radionuclides that were released as a result of a series of

historical underground nuclear tests.

Using data collected over many years from the Underground Test

Area Project (UGTA) and the Radionuclide Migration Program,

Stoller-Navarro is creating a model and developing a paper showing

the results of this very detailed and complex data. The paper is

scheduled to be released September 15, 2005, and will be available

in the Nevada Site Office Public Reading Facility known as the

Nuclear Testing Archive, at 755 East Flamingo Road, Las Vegas,

Nevada.

Underground Test Area

drill rig at well ER-5-3 on

Frenchman Flat at the

Nevada Test Site.

Frenchman Flat is an

area within the Nevada

Test Site that was used

by the U.S. Department

of Energy and the U.S.

Department of Defense

for nuclear testing.
DOE/NV--1078 4

EM Update EM Update Summer 2005 Fall 2004

NTS Supports Complex Cleanup with New Disposal Cell

by Dona Merritt

Disposing waste safely and efficiently is what Nevada Test Site (NTS) Disposal Operations is all about.

The impending arrival of some unique waste packages from West Valley, New York, is giving Disposal

Operations the opportunity to demonstrate this commitment as well as its ability to respond to new

disposal challenges. The challenge in this case: to construct and operate a disposal cell designed for

large, extremely heavy containers of low-level waste.

The disposal cell, known as Pit 16, is located within the

Area 5 Radioactive Waste Management Complex and

was designed to accommodate 168 feet long semitrucks with trailers that are fitted with 22 axles. To

handle the extreme lengths of these trucks, Pit 16's exit

ramp was constructed with a 300-degree turning

radius. In addition, both the entrance and exit to the

new disposal cell were designed to be used

exclusively for the disposal of bulk and classified lowlevel waste - waste that could weigh in excess of

350,000 lbs. These are just a few of the numerous

features that distinguish this disposal cell from the

other nine open at the Area 5 Radioactive Waste

Management Complex.

NTS Disposal Operations is willing to be flexible with

waste generators to support the receipt and disposal

of such unique waste packages as long as an

approved waste generator meets the requirements of

the strict Nevada Test Site Waste Acceptance Criteria.

Doug Clark, the Area 5 Radioactive Waste

Management Complex Facility Manager says this

flexibility "demonstrates the Nevada Test Site's

capability to accept approved waste of any shape,

size, weight, or complexity in a safe manner."

Disposal Operations personnel, who dispose standard

containers of low-level waste (e.g., drums, boxes, and

cargo containers) on a weekly basis, maintain a strict

adherence to safety. This vigilance is reflected in the

more than 210,000 hours worked since the last losttime accident. The significance of this achievement is

magnified when considering that 5.5 million cubic feet

of low-level waste was disposed during this period.

With approximately six million cubic feet of remaining

capacity in existing low-level waste disposal cells, the

mission to maintain this high safety standard will

continue on into the future.

Pit 16 at the Area 5 Radioactive

Waste Management Complex.

The West Valley Demonstration

Project Act of 1980 gave the U.S.

Department of Energy responsibility

to cleanup, close, and turnover the

site to the state of New York. The

site, which covers 200 acres, is one

of 30 low-level waste generators in

the United States approved by the

Nevada Test Site for waste

disposal. Since becoming an

approved generator in July 2001,

West Valley has shipped more than

50,000 cubic feet of low-level waste

to the Nevada Test Site for disposal.

In addition to the Nevada Test Site,

West Valley ships radioactive waste

to Envirocare of Utah for disposal.

Cleanup and closure of the West

Valley Demonstration Project is

scheduled to be completed in 2012.
DOE/NV--1078 5

EM Update Summer 2005

Kits in the Pits

by Nick Duhe

Everyday, personnel at the Nevada Test Site Area 5 Radioactive

Waste Management Complex (RWMC) face a variety of issues -

issues like waste shipment schedules, paperwork, weather

conditions, and... kit foxes? Yes, kit foxes. This is one variable

Doug Clark, the Bechtel Nevada Area 5 RWMC Facility Manager,

never counted on. According to Clark, there are about a dozen kit

foxes, both adult and juvenile, living in the culverts along the road

entering the Area 5 RWMC at the Nevada Test Site.

Although if you are not paying close attention, you might miss a kit

fox altogether. An adult kit fox, which measures only about one-foot

in height, 30 inches in length, and weighs about as much as a

house cat, is the second smallest dog in the world. Clark says the

babies look like they would fit in the palm of your hand.

As natives of the desert, the kit fox has been observed on the arid

landscape of the Nevada Test Site for years. Its diet consists mainly of desert rodents, especially

kangaroo rats and deer mice, but also includes rabbits, insects, grasses, berries, and cactus fruit. Kit

foxes also enjoy the occasional sandwich, says Clark, who makes a point of keeping his out of reach.

The kit fox's schedule keeps it hidden from sight most of the time. As nocturnal creatures, they are

specially equipped with elliptical pupils that give them night vision equal to a cat as wells large ears

(three-inches long) that serve as excellent sound receivers, like satellite dishes, which are perfect for

hunting at night.

Temporary fences around the foxes' dens were installed in order to give them some privacy during the

day from the many inquisitive onlookers. If you happen to find yourself near the Area 5 RWMC,

remember to keep the noise to a minimum. Kit foxes are trying to get some sleep.

Kit Fox
DOE/NV--1078 6

EM Update Summer 2005

Lincoln County Microwave

Communications Tower

Grant Program Nears End

by Michelle Meade

As sites across the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE)

Complex reach their cleanup goals, shipments of low-level

waste to the Nevada Test Site (NTS) for permanent

disposal are declining. Consequently, the Emergency

Preparedness Grant Assistance Program, which is funded

through the low-level waste disposal program, is tapering

off as well. But what a difference the program has made!

For the past five years, the Emergency Preparedness

Grant Assistance Program has made significant

contributions to rural communities throughout Nevadaproviding unprecedented levels of emergency

preparedness training and resources. Since 2000, the

NTS Waste Management Program has charged waste

generators a fee of $0.50 per cubic foot of waste disposed

at the NTS to fund the grant program. The grant benefits

six counties (Clark, Elko, Esmeralda, Lincoln, Nye, and White Pine) impacted by the rerouting of lowlevel waste out of the Las Vegas Valley. The Nevada Division of Emergency Management (NDEM),

who administers the allotments on an annual basis, will continue to provide funding to these counties

until funds are exhausted.

For Fire Chief, Jeff Knudtson of the West Wendover Fire Department in Elko County, the funding

provided its Hazmat Technician Response team with much-needed equipment and emergency

response training. "We wouldn't have any of the equipment we have now if it weren't for this grant,"

said Knudtson. He further credited the grant for the team's newly acquired training. "Every member

of the department (3 full-time and 25 volunteers) is now certified in: firefighting, auto extrication, high

and confined space rope rescue, Emergency Medical Training (EMT) basic medical response, all

hazard specialized response to radiological and hazardous materials incidents, building code

compliance, fire inspections, arson investigation, and public education."

Margie Gunn, Director of the Office of Emergency Management, coordinates the allocation of Lincoln

County's grant funding. Gunn commented on the recent ground breaking of a new firehouse in

Pioche, saying, "Lincoln County Emergency Response personnel are so excited they don't know what

to do with themselves." The funds were also responsible for Lincoln County's new ambulances and a

vital communication system powerful enough to reach all parts of the county. "Without the help of this

grant," according to Gunn, "we could not have accomplished what we have in the past five years."

To date, more than $8 million in funds have been distributed to affected counties-funds that were

obviously put to good use...funds that will continue to make a tremendous difference in the years to

come.
DOE/NV--1078 7

EM Update Summer 2005

EM Partner - Desert Research Institute

by Angela Ramsey

With more than 40 years of environmental research experience in Nevada, the Desert Research Institute

(DRI) is a valuable partner of the National Nuclear Security Administration Nevada Site Office (NNSA/

NSO) - providing a tremendous level of technical and scientific support to Environmental Management

(EM) projects at the Nevada Test Site and other locations where United States government-related testing

occurred.

A division of the Nevada System of Higher Education, DRI currently employs more than 500 faculty, staff,

and students at three separate campuses in Reno and Las Vegas. Professionals from a variety of

disciplines, including geology, archaeology, biology, etc., employ a multi-disciplinary approach to tackle a

wide-range of scientific challenges. At any given time, DRI is likely involved in some 300 projects around

the world.

Currently, DRI is working with EM on many important initiatives. DRI is helping to perform groundwater

modeling at the Nevada Test Site where more than 800 underground nuclear test were conducted. Such

models help scientists evaluate the potential flow and transport of contaminants in groundwater and the

risks associated with this movement. In addition, DRI manages the NNSA/NSO-sponsored Community

Environmental Monitoring Program, which enlists the help of community members to maintain 26

monitoring stations that surround the test site. These stations collect information on airborne radiation

levels and climatic conditions (see article in this issue: Citizens Play Major Role in Environmental

Monitoring Program).

DRI utilizes its diverse expertise on a number of other EM efforts as well. Work for EM's Waste

Management Program includes a current study on the adequacy of flood control structures in waste

disposal areas during flash floods. In addition, DRI archaeologists are examining cultural resources found

on the Nevada Test Site. Scientists are looking at artifacts from over a 10,000 year time period, ranging

from the earliest Native American to Euro-American settlements to the Cold War.

NNSA/NSO's EM Program would like to thank DRI for its invaluable contribution on these projects and

many more not mentioned here. As EM continues to search for sound environmental solutions to complex

environmental challenges, DRI proves time and again to be a distinguished partner.

For more information on DRI, visit http://www.dri.edu/.
DOE/NV--1078 8

EM Update Summer 2005

Citizens Play Major Role in Environmental Monitoring Program

by Angela Ramsey

Braving heat, cold, wind, rain, and snow... residents from communities surrounding the Nevada Test Site

(NTS) make routine visits to outdoor monitoring stations to assist in a widespread environmental

monitoring effort. These important community members are part of what is known as the Community

Environmental Monitoring Program (CEMP), a cooperative program between the National Nuclear

Security Administration Nevada Site Office (NNSA/NSO) and the Desert Research Institute (DRI).

HOW IT WORKS...

The CEMP network is comprised of 26 monitoring stations located throughout Nevada and southwestern

Utah. Each station is equipped with a number of specialized instruments that collect environmental

information, such as weather conditions and airborne radiation levels (for which samples are sent away

for analysis and the results ultimately published for the public). Participating community members are in

charge of maintaining the equipment and forwarding air filters to DRI for analysis. NNSA/NSO provides

funding and equipment for the program; DRI employs and trains the community participants while

providing technical support.

WHO ARE COMMUNITY ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORS?

The DRI selects Community Environmental Monitors (CEMs) who are respected members of the

communities that surround the NTS (many CEMs are high school teachers). DRI personnel train CEMs

to not only maintain equipment at monitoring stations, but to be informed spokespersons for the CEMP

program itself. In addition, NNSA/NSO and DRI provide CEMs with annual refresher courses so they are

prepared to answer questions on topics ranging from radiation to climatic issues.

MORE ON ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING....

At each CEMP monitoring station, the following instruments provide data for analysis:

Particulate Sampler - detects radioactivity by collecting air particles, which

are analyzed by an independent laboratory for radioactivity.

Thermoluminescent Dosimeter (TLD) - measures the ambient, or "natural

background" levels of radiation.

Exposure Rate Recorder - records continuous measurements of radiation

exposure rates.

Microbarograph - measures and records barometric pressure, which is

useful in interpreting the radiation exposure rate records.

 Weather Instruments - record air temperature, humidity, wind speed and

direction, solar radiation, barometric pressure, and precipitation data.

Continued on next page
DOE/NV--1078 9

EM Update Summer 2005

Citizens Play Major Role in Environmental Monitoring Program

(continued)

These monitoring instruments connect to a datalogger that immediately displays radiation levels and

climatic conditions. This information is transmitted via satellite to the Western Regional Climate Center

in Reno, Nevada and is updated several times a day at http://www.cemp.dri.edu/.

Public understanding of the monitoring results is key to the success of the CEMP. Once the data has

been analyzed by an independent laboratory, NNSA/NSO and DRI summarize the average values for

each station and the entire network, and show deviations from the expected range values. These

summaries are available in reports, which are distributed to affected communities. For more information

on the CEMP, visit http://www.dees.dri.edu/Projects/tedh_cemp.htm.
DOE/NV--1078 10

Annual Workshop Updates Generators on NTS Disposal Operations

by Dona Merritt

Sunny skies and warm weather welcomed approximately 120 participants to the annual Nevada Test Site

Low-Level Waste Generator Workshop, held April 25 through 28, 2005, at the National Nuclear Security

Administration Nevada Site Office facility in North Las Vegas, Nevada.

Representatives from approved and candidate radioactive

waste generating sites across the U.S. Department of

Energy and U.S. Department of Defense complexes

participated in the four-day workshop. Activities included

briefings by Nevada Site Office Environmental

Management staff, networking sessions to share

information, and tours of Yucca Mountain and the Nevada

Test Site.

After two years of accelerated cleanup, combined with

the impending closure of several facilities, many

generators came to the workshop seeking answers to

specific challenges encountered at their sites. Finding

disposal facilities for mixed low-level waste and the status

of mixed low-level waste acceptance at the Nevada Test

Site was a topic that spurred much interest and discussion.

The implementation of real-time radiography to verify waste

package contents generated considerable questions and

information exchanges throughout the workshop as well.

Many of the questions posed by generators will be addressed in Revision 6 to the Nevada Test Site

Waste Acceptance Criteria scheduled to be issued by Thanksgiving 2005. The document outlines the

requirements all generators must follow in order to ship waste to the Nevada Test Site. Compliance with

the criteria is verified regularly by the Nevada Site Office Radioactive Waste Acceptance Program. For

more information on RWAP go to http://www.nv.doe.gov/library/factsheets/DOENV_671_Rev1.pdf.

In addition, the Radioactive Waste Acceptance Program recently began conducting monthly conference

calls with the generators. Generators provided favorable feedback on the calls via an online workshop

survey. Results from the survey, which included 64 workshop participants, will be used to focus and

enhance the information provided generators during the monthly calls and at next year's workshop.

EM Update Summer 2005

Workshop participants tour the

real-time radiography equipment at

the Nevada Test Site.
DOE/NV--1078 11

EM Update Summer 2005

Work Continues at Test Cells

By Nick Duhe

Following the dramatic demolition of a five foot-thick shielding wall at Test Cell A, work at the facility is

coming to an end. It is time now for the Industrial Sites Project to turn its attention to Test Cell A's bigger

sister - Test Cell C.

Test Cell C was constructed in 1961 as part of the

Nuclear Rocket Development Station, which included

three rocket test stands (Test Cell A, Test Cell C, and

Engine Test Stand-1). The complex, which is located in

Area 25 of the Nevada Test Site, also includes the

Reactor Maintenance, Assembly and Disassembly

(RMAD) and the Engine Maintenance, Assembly and

Disassembly (EMAD) buildings. These facilities were

used as part of Project Rover to manufacture and test

the nuclear rocket engines being developed by the

national laboratories for missile propulsion and longterm space travel.

Test Cell C is one

of eight sites

included in the U.S.

Department of

Energy's

Deactivation and

Decommissioning

Program at the

Nevada Test Site.

To date, four sites

have been

completed with Test

Cell C next on the list. Deactivation and

decommissioning activities will focus on the main

building (noted as 3210 on figure A), the north part of

the concrete pad (also known as the reactor pad), the

moveable shed, and the shield wall portion of the main

building. The main building is approximately 12,400

square feet, constructed of reinforced concrete, and

contains a basement, ground floor, and two second

level rooms. The reactor pad measures approximately

49,931 square feet.

According to Mike Kruzic, a Bechtel Nevada

Environmental Restoration task manager, the approach

to be used to deactivate and decommission Test Cell C

Continued on next page

Original sign in Area 25 showing all

agencies involved

Project Rover

The nuclear rocket program, Project

Rover, was a joint effort between the

Atomic Energy Commission (AEC),

predecessor to the U.S. Department

of Energy, and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration

(NASA) Nuclear Propulsion Office.

Typically, a reactor and engine were

assembled in RMAD or EMAD and

then transported to a test cell via a

connecting railroad line. Test Cell C

contained the horizontal test stand for

the rocket engine, and Test Cell A

supported the nuclear rocket's reactor development. The project was

terminated in 1973 after a successful

nuclear rocket test took place.

Figure A
DOE/NV--1078 12

EM Update Summer 2005

Work Continues at Test Cells

(Continued)

will be very similar to the deactivation and decommissioning of Test Cell A. Remediation steps include

the following: 1) mitigating safety hazards, which includes removing hazardous materials such as

asbestos containing material, lead, and mercury, draining and purging piping of fluids or gases,

removing radiological impacted materials and Polychlorinated Biphenyls; 2) characterizing and

decontaminating the reactor's concrete pad and impacted concrete surfaces; 3) demolishing and

properly disposing of building material, including exterior piping .

Crews at Test Cell C are presented with some challenges not found at Test Cell A. For instance, the

facility has a large basement and it is difficult for heavy equipment, like the hydraulic processor and

track hoe, to reach sections in the center. Another challenge is the nuclear furnace piping which runs

throughout Test Cell C. Workers will need to trace the piping first to find out its exact locations in the

building and then perform assessments to determine the extent of radionuclide contamination in the

pipes. Another challenge is determining the extent of contamination on the outside of the building, which

occurred during a Project Rover test on a reactor.

Work is winding down at Test Cell A as crews finish cleanup and removal of debris at the site. Activities

at Test Cell C are scheduled to start in October 2005 and will continue for two and a half years.

For more information on the Nuclear Rocket Development Station visit http://www.nv.doe.gov/library/

factsheets/DOENV_707_Rev1.pdf
DOE/NV--1078 13

EM Update Summer 2005 Fall 2004

WIPP It...Good!

by Michelle Meade

Come December 2005, the legacy transuranic (TRU)

waste drum shipping campaign will come to a close.

Since the campaign began in January 2004, thirty-eight

TRU waste shipments originating from the Nevada Test

Site (NTS) have been shipped to the Waste Isolation

Pilot Plant (WIPP) without incident.

Since the 1970's, the NTS has been the storage site for

approximately 1,800

drums (55-gallon and

85-gallon overpacks)

and 58 oversized

boxes of TRU waste

destined for

permanent disposal at

WIPP near Carlsbad,

New Mexico. Most of

the waste, which was

generated by

weapons research at

Lawrence Livermore

National Laboratory, has been temporarily stored at the

Area 5 Radioactive Waste Management Complex on

the NTS in a steelframed, fabriccovered structure

known as the TRU

Pad Cover Building.

Prior to being

accepted at WIPP, the

waste had to undergo

onsite

characterization,

which was performed

by Bechtel Nevada

and the WIPP's Central Characterization Project.

Characterization includes: radiography, non-destructive

assay, headspace gas sampling, and repackaging the

contents of some drums through a glovebox to remove

prohibited items.

Continued on next page

TRU Pad Cover Building

before waste removal

began.

TRU Pad Cover Building

near the end of waste

removal.

What is legacy transuranic waste?

The legacy transuranic waste currently

stored at the Nevada Test Site was

generated as part of a U.S. nuclear

weapons research and development

program. This legacy waste, which

was shipped to the NTS for storage

between 1974 and 1990, includes

protective clothing and miscellaneous

equipment contaminated with

transuranic elements.

What is the Waste Isolation Pilot

Plant?

The Waste Isolation Pilot Plant, or

WIPP, is the world's first underground

repository licensed to safely and

permanently dispose of transuranic

waste left from the research and

production of nuclear weapons. After

more than 20 years of scientific study,

public input, and regulatory struggles,

the facility's opening in 1999 was

based on the fact that the salt

formation has been stable for more

than 200 million years. Facility

operators place the transuranic waste

in disposal rooms mined 2,150 feet

underground in a 2,000-foot thick salt

formation.

Visit http://www.wipp.ws/ for more

information on the Waste Isolation

Pilot Plant.
DOE/NV--1078 14

EM Update Summer 2005

WIPP It...Good!

(continued)

Although the shipping campaign of the drums is nearing the end, the TRU Project now faces a new

challenge - reducing the physical size and repackaging TRU waste currently found in oversized boxes.

The TRU Project is currently pursuing a contractor to head this effort with the expectation that disposal of

remaining TRU waste is to be completed by December 30, 2007.

Please visit http://www.nv.doe.gov/library/factsheets/DOENV_787_Rev1.pdf for more information on the

Transuranic Waste Project at the Nevada Test Site.
DOE/NV--1078 15

EM Update Summer 2005

Independent Study Finds Negligible Exposure from Low-Level

Radioactive Waste Shipments to Nevada Test Site

by Dona Merritt

Recently published results from a Desert Research

Institute (DRI) transportation study verify that residents

near low-level waste shipment routes to the Nevada Test

Site are exposed to insignificant amounts of radiation.

The study, conducted between February 13 and

December 31, 2003, measured more than 1,000 trucks,

of which 68 percent measured levels indistinguishable

from background.

DRI conducted the

independent study to

address concerns

expressed by residents in

communities along these

routes. Most low-level

waste shipments travel

along highways and, in

many cases, through rural

communities. Residents perceive they receive higher

cumulative doses of radiation than larger cities because

trucks travel more slowly through their communities and

occasionally stop when passing through the heart of their

towns.

In order to accurately measure any possible gamma

radiation emitted by the shipments and assess actual

exposure to residents, DRI selected a technology called

pressurized ion chambers, or PICs. A total of four PICs

were stationed at a roadside pullout along the highway

that leads to the Nevada Test Site's main gate.

Automated motion sensors positioned on each side of the

driveway were used to detect shipments entering and

exiting the station. Once trucks were in place, PICs on

both sides and each end of the driveway took readings at

a height of 5 feet and a distance of 3.3 feet to simulate

potential radiation exposure to an average adult's chest

organs. For the purpose of comparison, the equipment

was programmed to then take background radiation

readings once the truck driveway was empty.

Continued on next page

For more information regarding

low-level waste transportation

and a larger map visit:

http://www.nv.doe.gov/library/

factsheets/DOENV_990.pdf
DOE/NV--1078 16

Independent Study Finds Negligible Exposure from Low-Level

Radioactive Waste Shipments to the Nevada Test Site

(continued)

Information obtained from the PICs was used in the development of several cumulative exposure

scenarios detailed in the published report. "This study represents the largest set of data on potential

exposure from low-level radioactive waste trucks in transit that have ever been collected. Although about

10 percent of the trucks were between about 6 and 40 times background, none of the trucks were close

to exceeding any U.S. Department of Energy or U.S. Department of Transportation shipping limits for

low-level waste," said David S. Shafer, Ph.D., a DRI researcher.

Gathering the amount of information needed for the study could not have been accomplished without the

voluntary participation of waste generators approved to ship low-level waste to the Nevada Test Site.

Although generators are bound by U.S. Department of Transportation regulations, their willingness to

participate in the study, as well as follow the strict guidelines outlined in the Nevada Site Office's

Transporting Low-Level Waste to the Nevada Test Site, shows a sincere commitment to public safety.

An electronic copy of the final report titled, Assessing Potential Exposure from Truck Transport of Lowlevel Radioactive Waste to the Nevada Test Site, will be available at http://www.osti.gov/bridge/. Study

results will also be available for review in hard copy at the Nevada Site Office Public Reading Facility,

known as the Nuclear Testing Archive, which is located at 755 East Flamingo Road in Las Vegas,

Nevada.

EM Update Summer 2005
DOE/NV--1078 17

EM Update Summer 2005

Contracting Team Cleans Up Unexploded Ordnance at the

Nevada Test Site

by Joe Johnston

From February 2 to April 29, 2005, Stoller-Navarro Joint

Venture (SNJV), a contractor for the National Nuclear Security

Administration Nevada Site Office, coordinated an extensive

effort to clear munitions and explosives of concern (MEC)

remaining in Areas 7 and 18 on the Nevada Test Site. The

objective of this project was to safely locate, identify, remove,

destroy, detonate, and/or finally dispose of these materials

below ground.

In order to find these potentially dangerous materials,

technicians used special, anomaly-finding equipment. A

device known as a towed array, which consists of three high

sensitivity metal detection sensor, was used to perform digital

geophysical mapping. A global positioning system, hand-held

magnetometers, and other metal detectors were also used.

Weston (one of the five contractors that make up the SNJV)

carried out the clearance action of unexploded ordnance

(UXO). The team performed well over 6,000 excavations and

identified more than 1,000 MEC.

All excavated debris was segregated into appropriate

categories (e.g., potentially hazardous and non-hazardous

scrap), prepared for on-site transfer, and then staged for onsite disposal by SNJV. Materials with the potential for

explosion and UXO were evaluated to determine whether they

could be safely moved to a detonation area or required

detonation in place.

Crews proceeded extremely carefully when working with the MEC materials. The items in question were

visually examined for markings and other external features such as size, shape, and external fittings. MEC

items were handled by UXO-qualified personnel only, and activities were restricted to daylight hours. As

materials were removed, the remaining holes in the ground were rechecked to ensure no other material

remained, and the holes were refilled and packed.

After all site reconnaissance and intrusive collection activities were completed, SNJV successfully

detonated all recovered MEC items. Items included fuses, motors, landmines, small arms, rockets,

bombs, mortars, and various warheads. As a precautionary measure, the Nevada Test Site Fire

Department and emergency medical personnel were present during the detonation phase.

The project was a success because safety was the top priority. Observing this philosophy, along with strict

guidelines, allowed SNJV to produce positive results... as well as gain valuable experience that will benefit

future projects.

Unexploded ordnance removal

activities in Area 18 of the

Nevada Test Site.

For many years, the U.S.

Government has utilized the

expansive Nevada Test Site for

defense training exercises and

missions. Unexploded ordnance

and munitions and explosives of

concern are the result of such

training activities.
DOE/NV--1078 18

From Testing to Monitoring:

Stakeholders' Perspectives on Nevada Test Site Groundwater Issues

by Carla Sanda

A prominent part of southern Nevada's landscape is the Mojave

Desert. At first glance, it simply looks like miles of undisturbed

rock, sage, and cactus -- but it is home to many residents and a

wide array of wildlife including wild horses, bighorn sheep,

burros, many species of birds, eagles, reptiles, and the

endangered desert tortoise. The Mojave stretches from wideopen plains to mountainous areas, with climate characterized by

extreme variation in daily temperature and an average annual

precipitation of less than 5 inches. Needless to say, water is an

extremely valuable commodity that is treasured and protected.

A major steward of the Mojave's landscape is the Nevada Test

Site (NTS), located approximately 65 miles northwest of Las

Vegas, Nevada. The NTS played a key role in our nation's

defense by serving as the primary proving ground for both

conventional and nuclear weapons testing. In fact, from 1951 to

1992, the United States government conducted 828

underground nuclear tests at the NTS at depths up to 4,800 feet

beneath the desert's surface. About one-third of these tests

occurred near or below the water table, which resulted in some

radioactive contamination of the groundwater at the NTS. The

U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) began preliminary hydrologic

research at the NTS in the 1970s; however, formalized

groundwater studies did not begin until 1989 when the DOE

funded its national Environmental Management (EM) program to

deal with the legacy of the nuclear age. That same year, the

NTS launched the Underground Test Area Project (UGTA) to begin

an intensive groundwater studies program. Faced with the reality

that no proven, cost-effective method currently existed for

remediating deep, extensive groundwater contamination, the

UGTA project team set out to develop an effective, long-term

monitoring system to provide a better understanding of the source

and extent of contamination and predict the potential for migration

of contaminated groundwater off the NTS to surrounding private

lands.

It is easy to understand then why the issue of groundwater

contamination at the NTS has been a long-time concern of the Community Advisory Board for NTS

Programs (CAB). Shortly after its formation, the CAB organized the UGTA Committee to focus on issues

related to groundwater. After many years of careful study, discussions, and stakeholder feedback related

to the potential for contaminated groundwater to migrate beyond the NTS borders into private land, the

UGTA Committee raised questions and concerns regarding the strategy’s viability for predicting

Kathleen Peterson,

Underground Test Area

Committee Chair, briefs

stakeholders at a recent

meeting in Amargosa Valley,

Nevada.

EM Update Summer 2005

To date, scientists have not

discovered any groundwater

contamination from NTS

activities beyond the site’s

boundaries. This

determination is based on the

periodic sampling of

approximately 40 water

sources (i.e., wells and

springs) surrounding the NTS.

 Continued on next page
DOE/NV--1078 19

From Testing to Monitoring:

Stakeholders' Perspectives on NTS Groundwater Issues

(continued)

potential off-site contaminant migration. As a result and at the CAB’s request, the DOE agreed to fund

an independent peer review of the UGTA strategy. Upon completion of the peer review in 2001, DOE

implemented several recommendations and then went a step further to respond to and support the CAB

concerns related to groundwater and the UGTA project's strategy. In August 2002, DOE's Assistant

Manager for Environmental Management provided a unique opportunity to the UGTA Committee by

requesting UGTA Committee members continue their in-depth study and select a site at the NTS for a

potential future groundwater monitoring well.

DOE provided maps, reams of technical reports, and briefings to the CAB and community at large on

subjects ranging from computer modeling and data analysis to risk assessment. Technical project

managers met often with committee members, which resulted in candid dialogue and a better overall

understanding of project intricacies. In addition, DOE provided funds for university technical support and

encouraged representatives from the U.S. Geological Survey and the State of Nevada to support the

committee's activities. In turn, the CAB met with stakeholders in rural communities bordering the NTS,

provided briefings to community groups on their work, and invited citizens to participate in the CAB's

study.

At its December 2004 public meeting in Beatty, Nevada, the CAB announced the results of its threeyear study and provided recommendations to DOE and stakeholders on the location of a monitoring well

network aimed at providing early information related to potential

contaminant migration. In her briefing, Kathleen Peterson,

Chairperson of the UGTA Committee, said that "It is the area

downgradient and southwest of Pahute Mesa that is of immediate

concern to the CAB - not only due to the fact that major nuclear

tests were conducted in this region - but because it is directly

upgradient of the residents of Oasis Valley, Beatty, and

Amargosa." As a result, the CAB recommended that a system of

three wells be strategically placed in this region designed to

collect highly important data including geology, water levels,

geochemistry, and groundwater ages. Ms. Peterson added that,

"These three wells could show us how much further radionuclides

have been transported beyond an existing groundwater well, the general direction of groundwater flow in

that area, and may also add to our understanding of the hydrologic characteristics of the region. In our

opinion, it is most important to understand the nature of groundwater movement in this area. The longer

the routes of the flow path, the greater the degree of potential attenuation of contaminants by adsorption,

radioactive decay, and dilution. The resulting data would also strengthen DOE's groundwater flow

models, decrease the degree of uncertainty in one of the most important areas of the study, and would

satisfy a need to include the elements of risk and monitoring in the UGTA strategy."

CAB members continue to work with DOE on fine-tuning the specifics of their recommendation and are

preparing a detailed report that will capture their research and final recommendations. DOE has

expressed appreciation for the CAB's focus on this initiative and is looking forward to receiving and

reviewing its final report, which is expected later this year.

EM Update Summer 2005

Established in 1994, the CAB

is a formal group of

volunteer, non-partisan

citizens organized to provide

stakeholder feedback to the

U.S. Department of Energy’s

Nevada Site Office

Environmental Management

Program.
DOE/NV--1078 20

EM Update Summer 2005

Drilling Program Overcomes Challenges at

the NTS

by Angela Ramsey

Whether battling extreme weather conditions or overcoming

technical issues, the Underground Test Area Project (UGTA) met a

number of challenges while drilling three new wells on the Nevada

Test Site (NTS).

The first two wells were drilled in the rugged, northern terrain of

Rainier Mesa. Snowy conditions plagued the project from the

beginning, blocking access roads and causing delays in work.

Before drilling on the first well could even begin, UGTA personnel

were forced to blast through a thick bed of rock to construct the pad

for the drill rig. Despite these challenges, each Rainier Mesa well

was completed below the static water table (the first at 5,000 feet

and the second at 3,500 feet). UGTA will sample each well during

the well development and testing phase later this summer.

The third and final well, located in the

more central area of the NTS known as

Shoshone Mountain, is still under

construction. While drilling proved to

be a challenge yet again, UGTA

successfully reached a depth of 4,000

feet and will soon complete the well

with development and testing beginning

next fiscal year.

These wells and others like them are being constructed to provide

UGTA with detailed hydrogeologic information beneath the NTS.

Data collected from the wells provide the necessary input

parameters for the development of NTS-specific geologic flow and

transport models. Models provide scientists with three-dimensional

predictions of how contaminants move over time in relation to

previous nuclear test cavities. These models then provide the basis

and support needed for the development of a sound, long term

monitoring system.

For more information on the UGTA Project and its activities, visit our

website at http://www.nv.doe.gov/library/factsheets/DOENV_915.pdf.

The price tag on a

well can reach $3.5

million, but varies

depending upon

drilling locations and

the depths to which

wells are drilled.

Crews clear road to access

Rainier Mesa well site.

CAB Visits Drilling Site

The Community Advisory

Board's Underground Test

Area (UGTA) Committee

recently visited the Rainier

Mesa site to better

understand the intricacies of

drilling deep wells in remote

areas. The Board has made

significant contributions to

the UGTA Project over the

years by providing

community perspectives on

the often controversial issue

of groundwater monitoring

(see article in this issue:

From Testing to Monitoring).
DOE/NV--1078 21

Employee Of The Month

April 2005................Chris Baker

May 2005................Bruce Stolte

June 2005...............Pete Sanders

EM Update Summer 2005
DOE/NV--1078 22

September 20, 2005

October 26, 2005

November 22, 2005

February 22, 2006

March 23, 2006

April 26, 2006

May 24, 2006

June 20, 2006

Tour participants will visit historic nuclear test locations, such as Sedan Crater, as well as observe areas

where work activities are currently taking place, like the Low-Level Radioactive Waste Management Sites.

The tour covers approximately 250 miles. Call (702) 295-0944 for more information.

Nevada Test Site Public Tours

2005 Schedule

Low Level Radiocative

Waste Management

Site

Sedan Cater

Railroad Bridge

Apple II House

EM Update Summer 2005
DOE/NV--1078 23

Questions should be directed to:

Office of Public Affairs

702-295-3521

U.S. Department of Energy

National Nuclear Security Administration

Nevada Site Office

Office of Environmental Management

P.O. Box 98518

Las Vegas, NV 89193-8518

EM Update is published by:

Office of Environmental Management

Nevada Site Office

Story Editor:

Angela Ramsey

Layout:

Nick Duhe

EM Update Summer 2005
DOE/NV--1078 24

To request information on Environmental

Management activities, including the CAB, e-mail

your request to the address below.

Include your name, address, phone number and

information request.

Envmgt@nv.doe.gov

EM Update Summer 2005