DOE/NV--1041 1

University Researchers Explore Amchitka Island's Marine Environment

by Rosemary Rehfeldt........................................................................................................Pages 2-3

Drilling Activities at the Central Nevada Test Area

by Rosemary Rehfeldt.......................................................................................................Page 4-5

Test Cell A Clean Up Progress on Schedule

by Nick Duhe.....................................................................................................................Page 6

Park Elementary Science Night

by Angie Barragan - Student Forum Member.....................................................................Page 7-8

EM Program Welcomes Tim Murphy

by Michelle Meade.............................................................................................................Page 9

Member of EM Takes Facilitation to the Next Level

by Angela Ramsey..............................................................................................................Page 10

CAB Update

by Carla Sanda...................................................................................................................Page 11-12

Tucson Hosts Waste Management Community

by Dona Merritt.................................................................................................................Page 13-14

Transportation Display on the Road

by Dona Merritt..................................................................................................................Page 15

Employee of the Month....................................................................................................Page 16

Nevada Test Site Public Tours.........................................................................................Page 17

Contact Information .......................................................................................................Pages 18-19

Working Today To Protect Your Future

EMUPDATE

ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT

Fall 2004 edition Spring 2005
DOE/NV--1041 2

University Researchers Explore Amchitka Island's Marine Environment

by Rosemary Rehfeldt

Last summer, a diverse group of researchers from five

major research universities boarded the Ocean

Explorer, a ship leaving port in Adak, Alaska - the

western- most settled community in the Western

Hemi sphere -and headed for Amchitka Island, part of

the Aleutian Islands chain. Just a few miles from the

Inter national Date Line, Amchitka Island is the site

where three underground nuclear tests were

conducted by the United States government more

than 30 years ago.

Research efforts, that will run through April 2005, seek

to determine if marine biota are currently

accumulat ing radionuclides that could have been

released from the underground nuclear tests, and

whether there is any current threat to human health

or the environment. The marine samples were

primarily collected in areas near the three nuclear test

locations (Long Shot, Cannikin, and Milrow) on

Amchitka Island as well as parallel locations on Kiska

Island, a comparison site with comparable marine

plants and animals, approximately 50 miles to the

west of Amchitka.

The research team is part of a consortium of

universities working to advance environmental

cleanup. Under a grant from the U.S. Department of

Energy (DOE), the Consortium for Risk Evaluation

with Stakeholder Participation, or CRESP, helps

provide greater stakeholder understanding of the

nation's nuclear weapons production legacy sites.

Early in the planning phase of the study, the research teams involved the native Aleut/Pribilof Islanders

and other stakeholders to help assure that the bioindicators selected would be directly relevant to their

diets and concerns. Furthermore, samples were chosen to adequately characterize uptake and

distribution through

major food chains. These studies will also provide baseline data for any later scientific evaluations of

the effects of the tests, as well as establishing future ecosystem monitoring programs.

The research was designed in three phases: Phase I (Physical Sampling); Phase II (Biological

Sampling); and Phase III (Data Analysis of samples collected). During Phase I, teams of researchers

from the University of Alberta, Canada and the University of Alaska, Fairbanks reviewed and digitalized

earlier bathymetric data, or measurement of the ocean's depth, beginning with U.S. Geological Survey

Continued on Page 4

CRESP bio team at Amchitka Island

EM Update Spring 2005

Amchitka Island
DOE/NV--1041 3

University Researchers Explore Amchitka Island's Marine Environment

(continued)

(USGS) data from the 1940s. The historical data was combined with data recently generated by

satellite and other means to synthesize the information available about the subsurface marine

environment at Amchitka and to develop global positioning system (GPS) coordinates for the study

area. In addition, instrumentation was deployed that produces conductivity, depth and temperature

(CDT) profiles, testing for seeps off of the island. Magnetotelluric techniques, which characterize the

subsurface geology, were used to analyze the on-island subsurface structure of groundwater flow.

The physical data collected radically improved guidance for pinpointing the focus and priorities for

Phase II, the biological sampling effort. This portion of the research was performed under the

guidance of researchers from Rutgers University and University of Alaska, Fairbanks. A specimen

collection team included researchers from the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey; the

University of Pittsburgh; a representative from the Aleutian/Pribilof Island Association (A/PIA); two Aleut

hunters/fishers; as well as three divers from the University of Alaska, Fairbanks.

The samples collected include algae, invertebrates, fish, and predatory birds; all of which form part of

the Aleut food web and are relevant to commercial fisheries in the region. In addition to marine

samples, land sampling included collection of eggs and/or chicks, rats (part of the eagle food supply),

and plants. All biological sampling was conducted with appropriate state and federal permits and

approved university protocols.

As part of the Phase II studies, CRESP also arranged to have researchers from Rutgers University

participate on the full expedition of a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)

trawling boat. Research conducted from the two ships represent a two-pronged approach to the

process by which the marine catch for human consumption was obtained: 1) a research vessel (the

Ocean Explorer) that incorporated traditional sampling and collection methods as well as Aleut hunting

and fishing methods, and 2) a NOAA trawl that is fishing according to normal commercial fishing

practices. Using this approach allowed researchers to obtain, and make available for analysis,

organisms that both represent not only the marine and the Aleut subsistence food web but the

commercial fishery take as well.

Phase III, analysis of the samples, is currently underway and being performed under strict quality

control, with duplicate readings from different laboratories. The analyses will be undertaken first as a

screening survey of composite samples, with an attempt to identify radionuclides of greatest concern to

human and ecological health. The effort will involve the processing of samples primarily at Rutgers

University and Vanderbilt University, with the primary analytic efforts taking place at the Idaho National

Engineering and Environmental Laboratory (INEEL), then subject to confirmatory processes to assure

the accuracy of those analytic efforts at Vanderbilt University and another confirmatory lab to be

determined. Expected completion date for the sampling analysis is April 2005.

For more information on this expedition, and other CRESP activities, visit their website at

http://www.cresp.org. Additionally, information pertaining to NOAA activities can be viewed on their

website at http://www.noaa.gov.

EM Update Spring 2005
DOE/NV--1041 4

Drilling activities at the Central Nevada Test Area

by Rosemary Rehfeldt

Beginning in April 2005, the U.S. Department of Energy National Nuclear Security Administration

Nevada Site Office (NNSA/NSO) Environmental Management (EM) program began drilling one of

three hydrogeologic investigation/monitoring wells around the Central Nevada Test Area (CNTA). The

CNTA, located in the Hot Creek Valley in northeastern Nye County, Nevada, was the site of an

underground nuclear test that took place in 1968.

The underground nuclear test, named Faultless,

was conducted by the U.S. Atomic Energy

Commission (predecessor agency to the DOE) on

January 19, 1968. The test was part of a program

aimed at determining the usefulness of the CNTA

as a supplemental testing site to conduct high

yield explosive experiments. With a yield of

between 200 kilotons and one megaton, Faultless

was detonated at 3,200 feet below ground

surface. Two other subsurface tests were planned

at CNTA but never completed.

The drilling program’s purpose is to collect

geologic, geophysical, hydrologic and

geochemical data to track the potential movement

of contaminated groundwater in the subsurface.

The drilling will not intersect the test cavity or the

contaminated zone, and no radioactive

contamination is expected to be encountered in

the course of drilling operations. Mobilization of

the site and drilling of the first well began in April.

Drilling operations for the second well are

scheduled for June, and work on the third well will

begin in late summer 2005.

Several years ago, the NNSA/NSO conducted a

hydrogeologic computer modeling study of the

area, known as a Flow and Transport Model. This

model illustrates three-dimensional images of

groundwater flow patterns and potential pathways

for contaminants. The NNSA/NSO completed the

Flow and Transport Model along with a modeling report in 2000. The Nevada Division of

Environmental Protection (NDEP) accepted the modeling approach the following year. The upcoming

drilling and testing effort will help to validate the subsurface Flow and Transport Model for a five year,

proof-of-concept period.

Continued on page 6

The underground nuclear test, named

Faultless, was conducted by the U.S.

Atomic Energy Commission (predecessor

agency to the DOE) on January 19, 1968.

The test was part of a program aimed at

determining the usefulness of the CNTA as

a supplemental testing site to conduct

high-yield explosive experiments. With a

yield of between 200 kilotons and one

megaton, Faultless was detonated at

3,200 feet below ground surface. Two

other subsurface tests were planned at

CNTA but never completed.

EM Update Spring 2005
DOE/NV--1041 5

EM Update EM Update Spring 2005 Fall 2004

Drilling activities at the Central Nevada Test Area (continued)

Current activities at CNTA focus on the subsurface environment only. Site characterization for the

surface area of the CNTA was completed in 1997, and in 2001 the NNSA/NSO completed surface

closure at the site. During these activities, the CNTA site surface areas of contamination were

closed using a variety of methods: some site called for the construction of engineered covers;

others required no further action. The site has been reseeded with native vegetation and the area

has been largely reclaimed to a near pre-test condition.

Unlike the Nevada Test Site, which maintains an ongoing mission for the Department of Energy

complex, CNTA is no longer active and will eventually be released back to the U.S. Department of

the Interior, Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest

Service (USFS). Current land use for BLM and USFS in the Hot Creek Valley largely entails

grazing and seasonal recreation.

The NNSA/NSO will continue long-term stewardship activities for the subsurface contamination.

This stewardship entails continued monitoring of the groundwater quality in and near the CNTA, as

well as maintaining subsurface drilling restrictions and exclusion zones sufficient to isolate

contamination.
DOE/NV--1041 6

Test Cell A Clean Up Progress on Schedule

by Nick Duhe

The Industrial Sites Project is in full swing working on the

Deactivation & Decommissioning of the Test Cell A facility at

the Nevada Test Site. Project workers are involved in the

removal of hazardous materials, such as Asbestos

Containing Materials (ACM), lead, mercury, radiological

impacted materials, and PCBs. Having removed all ACM

from the facility, work crews are focusing their efforts on lead

and mercury.

Lead is found in various locations throughout Test Cell A in

the form of lead bricks and doors, handrail anchors, piping

collars, and lead in the Neutronics room. The removal of

lead bricks, which were used for shielding purposes at the

facility, is no easy task. Even with the use of heavy-duty tools

such as prybars and electric chisels, dismantling these bricks

will prove difficult due to the shear number of bricks and their

weight. One wall in particular contains lead bricks that are

five layers deep, nine bricks high and 19 bricks across. That

is 850 individual bricks— each weighing 28 pounds.

Also underway is the removal of items that contain mercury.

Items include wall-mounted capacitors and thermostats.

Project crews are also working on the removal of certain

heavy equipment, such as the Perkins Rectifier Unit that was

used to generate and maintain energy levels at Test Cell A

while test were being conducted.

The next phase in Test Cell A’s Deactivation & Decommissioning will be to characterize and

decontaminate the reactor concrete pad and impacted concrete surfaces. All phases are part of an

intensive five-phase cleanup approach, which includes the following:

1) Mitigating specific safety hazards, such as poor lighting and the Hantavirus (work completed);

2) Removing identified hazardous materials, (work in progress);

3) Characterizing and decontaminating reactor concrete pad and impacted concrete surfaces

(work remains);

4) Demolishing and properly disposing of buildings 3113, 3113A, 3113 B, and 3130 including

exterior piping and exhaust stack (work remains); and

5) Performing final radiological survey on remaining concrete slab (work remains).

Closure activities at Test Cell A which began in March 2005 are scheduled for completion by

September 30, 2005 and will cost an estimated 2.5 million.

Test Cell A is a compound

constructed in 1959 to test the

Nerva, Kiwi, and Phoebus

series rockets developed

under the Nuclear Rocket

Development Station program.

When operations ceased in

1966, Test Cell A remained

inactive for many decades.

EM Update Spring 2005
DOE/NV--1041 7

Park Elementary Science Night

by Angie Barragan (EM Student Forum Member)

On November 19, 2004, the Environmental Management (EM)

Public Involvement team and EM Student Forum joined

hundreds of kids and adults at Park Elementary School in Las

Vegas, Nevada to explore science in a fun, interactive learning

environment. The school’s annual Science Night featured

exhibits and activities relating to a variety of science-based

subjects, including geology and oceanography. The EM group

was on hand to help inform students and their families about

EM activities occurring at the Nevada Test Site (NTS).

The EM group invited students to participate in three separate

experiments: one dealing with radioactive household items, the

other with soil contamination, and the last with water flow.

· The first experiment allowed students to use a device

called a Geiger Counter to measure the amount of

radioactivity in household items such as Coleman

Lantern mantels, smoke detectors, and Fiesta Ware

dishes. During this experiment, students asked general

questions about radiation and also inquired about what

other household items might contain radioactivity.

· The next experiment outlined the process by which NTS

workers locate contaminants and how contaminated

items are remediated and/or disposed. To find

“contamination,” which was represented by pieces of

paper with coded messages, participants dug in a small

sand box using slotted spoons. After finding the

“contamination,” special decoder glasses worn by the

participants would tell them which type of contamination

had been found. The three types of contamination

represented on the papers were chemical, fuel, and

metals, which are all contaminants of concern at the

NTS. The majority of questions at this time focused on

the effects of contamination on the environment.

· The last experiment was designed to show how different

geologic material can affect water flow beneath the NTS.

Attendees were asked to choose between three bottles to determine which bottle would allow the

water to flow through the fastest. Each bottle was filled with a different material: the first bottle

contained different size marbles; the second contained an open mesh material; and the third

contained a household cleaning sponge cut to the diameter of the bottle. During the experiment,

most participants wanted to know why the sponge was similar to the aquifer under the NTS and if

all aquifers are the same.

Continued on page 9

The Environmental Management

(EM) Program is committed to

education and sponsors a variety

of activities throughout Southern

Nevada. A pilot program formed

in 2001, the EM Student Forum

was designed to enhance

community outreach. The

program was also created to

provide essential feedback on

communications materials and

product development. Comprised

of a small group of 10-12

students from the Advanced

Technologies Academy High

School in Las Vegas, Nevada, the

EM Student Forum works with

members of the EM Public

Involvement team.

EM Update Spring 2005
DOE/NV--1041 8

Park Elementary Science Night (continued)

Attendees also had the chance to view the EM Kids Display created by previous Student Forum

members to illustrate EM activities at the NTS. In addition, students received activity books full of games

and puzzles that reinforce topics from the EM Kids Display.

According to event organizers, EM’s participation in Science Night contributed to its success. Attendees

complimented the EM Group’s exhibits and activities and the EM Student Forum’s willingness to take

time to explain them.

EM Update Spring 2005
DOE/NV--1041 9

EM Program Welcomes Tim Murphy

by Michelle Meade

The Environmental Management (EM) program at the U.S. Department of Energy National

Nuclear Security Administration Nevada Site Office would like to welcome Tim Murphy as the

new State of Nevada representative providing oversight for the EM Program. Murphy serves as

the Las Vegas Office Manager for the Nevada Division of Environmental Protection (NDEP) and

the Chief for the Bureau of Federal Facilities.

A 19-year veteran with the State, Murphy’s background includes experience in wastewater,

Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA), and Superfund activities. For ten years, he

served as supervisor for the Bureau of Waste Management’s RCRA Hazardous Waste program.

He then transferred to the Bureau of Corrective Actions to provide oversight for the Technical

Services Branch and the Superfund/Brownfields/Voluntary Cleanup program. In May 2004,

Murphy moved from Carson City to Las Vegas to again manage the RCRA Hazardous Waste

program. In August, he was promoted to his current position.

Murphy will continue the Bureau of Federal Facilities’ mission of providing programmatic and

regulatory oversight for EM at the Nevada Test Site. The Bureau, which had been divided

between Carson City and Las Vegas, was recently consolidated to provide better interaction with

the Nevada Site Office and better work with the local community regarding Bureau activities. For

more information on NDEP activities visit http://ndep.nv.gov/.

EM Update Spring 2005
DOE/NV--1041 10

Member of EM Takes Facilitation to the Next Level

by Angela Ramsey

In November 2004, Environmental Management (EM) Communications Specialist Carla Sanda, a

SNJV contractor became one of only two CertifiedTM Professional Facilitators in the state of Nevada—

one of fewer than 350 in the world! The certification demonstrates Sanda successfully completed an

intensive, often grueling, testing process administered by the International Association of Facilitators

(IAF).

Having facilitated countless meetings for the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) over the years, Sanda

saw the challenge to complete the IAF certification program as a way to expand her credentials as a

facilitator and provide an even broader range of skills and services to DOE. Her expertise also

benefits the taxpayer’s bottom line by eliminating the need to hire outside services, thus saving money.

“We are very fortunate to have someone in-house with these qualifications,” said Acting Assistant

Manager for Environmental Management, Stephen Mellington. “Carla’s support is invaluable.”

Meeting facilitators are often crucial to the success of a

meeting—providing unbiased structure to the meeting

process while ensuring open and honest dialogue. “My

role,” according to Sanda, “is to define the focus of

meetings, keep participants on track, and make sure

that each participant has a voice in the outcome.”

During hour-long one-on-one interview sessions,

participants in the IAF certification process answered

questions on group processes, team dynamics, and

problem solving. They were then required to conduct

mock facilitation sessions.

The IAF facilitation training and subsequent certification

also helps Sanda in her role as the liaison to EM for the

Community Advisory Board. The board meets regularly to formulate recommendations for EM

activities at the Nevada Test Site. As an experienced facilitator, Sanda helps the board members

focus their efforts and make the most out of meeting time.

Attaining the highly specialized certification was indeed a challenge, according to Sanda. Prior to even

being accepted into the certification program, Sanda underwent extensive training and a rigorous

application process. The IAF determined that she met the basic criteria and then invited her to be part

of an intense peer review of her knowledge, experience, and skill level. Those who passed the

exhaustive process were granted an in-depth critique of his/her performance and finally the coveted

CertifiedTM Professional Facilitator title.

“It was the best training I’ve ever had,” commented Sanda. “Facilitation is a valuable tool, and this

training and certification process has really taught me how to use it.”

During hour-long one-on-one

interview sessions, participants in

the IAF certification process

answered questions on group

processes, team dynamics, and

problem solving. They were then

required to conduct mock

facilitation sessions.

The IAF is a non-profit professional association whose goal is to further the profession of facilitation

(training professional facilitators represents just a portion of the IAF’s work). Since its formation in the early

1990’s, the association has grown from 70 charter members to over 1300 members representing more

than 20 countries. For more information, visit:http://www.iafworld.org.

EM Update Spring 2005
DOE/NV--1041 11

CAB Update

by Carla Sanda

As the Community Advisory Board for Nevada Test Site

Programs (CAB) enters its eleventh year of operation, it

continues to focus on Environmental Management (EM)

activities at the Nevada Test Site (NTS) and provide information

to Southern Nevada stakeholders at each of its four annual

publicized public meetings.

At its most recent public meeting held in Las Vegas on March

9, CAB Budget Committee members reported on what has

become an annual tradition — their review and prioritization of

the National Nuclear Security Administration Nevada Site Office

EM budget. The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) works on a

3-year budget cycle (e.g., currently using the fiscal year 2005

budget, “fine-tuning” the request for the fiscal year 2006 budget, and putting together the fiscal year

2007 budget request). Therefore, the CAB focused on the fiscal year 2007 budget for each of the

seven EM projects. This year’s effort began with committee members setting aside nearly a full

day to meet with each of the EM project managers to discuss projects in detail and gain a clear

understanding of the plans for fiscal year 2007. Over a period of months, committee members

worked together to review and understand the projects and in turn developed a prioritization

process. The final results and recommendations were presented to the entire CAB, the community,

and EM representatives at the March 9 meeting. EM is now in the process of reviewing and

considering the recommendations as it finalizes its request to the Office of Management & Budget

for fiscal year 2007 funds.

The CAB’s Underground Test Area (UGTA) Committee is wrapping up several years of work

focusing on groundwater issues at the NTS. Following a request from the CAB in fiscal year 2000,

EM agreed to fund an external peer review of the overall UGTA project strategy. As a result of the

CAB’s comments and feedback on the peer review, the site’s Assistant Manager for Environmental

Management invited the CAB to further review the project and provide recommendations for

placement of a future monitoring well at the NTS. The CAB’s UGTA Committee accepted that task,

which has involved extensive review of DOE Nevada Site Office technical reports and maps and

numerous meetings with NNSA Nevada Site Office staff and members of the UGTA Technical

Working Group. To ensure that potentially affected stakeholders were aware of this effort, the CAB

carried out the following: conducted formal public information meetings in both Las Vegas, Nevada

and rural communities; participated in several meetings with Nye County representatives;

sponsored information groundwater workshops; and prepared and presented information at town

board briefings in the rural communities that would be most likely impacted if radionuclides were

ever detected in groundwater outside the NTS boundaries.

As a result of the CAB’s study and the stakeholder feedback received, the CAB is recommending a

network of three wells located down gradient and southwest of Pahute Mesa. Several factors

Continued on page 13

EM Update Spring 2005
DOE/NV--1041 12

CAB Update (continued)

contributed to the CAB’s recommendation: 1) High-yield underground nuclear tests were

conducted in this region; 2) The site is located in an area with a very steep groundwater gradient;

and 3) The area is up gradient of the residents of Oasis Valley, Beatty, and Amargosa. According

to Kathleen Peterson, UGTA Committee Chair, “The CAB believes this network of wells is vital to

characterize the groundwater flow path toward the communities we perceive to be at the greatest

risk.” The CAB transmitted its initial recommendations in a letter to EM dated February 9, 2005

and is following up with a detailed recommendation packet that will provide specific details along

with a chronology of activities that the CAB has undertaken as part of this major initiative. Further

information is available on the CAB’s website at www.ntscab.com.

EM Update Spring 2005
DOE/NV--1041 13

Tucson Hosts Waste Management Community

by Dona Merritt

Blue skies, warm weather, and a successful meeting of the minds! That is what the Nevada Site

Office Environmental Management (EM) Program encountered while exhibiting at the 32nd annual

Waste Management Symposium in Tucson, Arizona.

Every year, government entities and companies from

around the world attend the conference to showcase a

wide range of waste management and environmental

restoration products and services. The Nevada Site Office

EM Program was one of nearly 200 exhibitors at this year’s

event, which was held February 27 through March 3, 2005.

A highlight of this year’s EM exhibit was the Area 5

Radioactive Waste Management Site display model, which

was recently updated to depict the five new low-level waste

disposal cells that were excavated this past year.

Attendees also enjoyed a realistic glimpse of the diverse

activities conducted at the Nevada Test Site as they viewed

the Groundwater, Industrial Sites, and Waste Management

overview videos.

In addition to the extensive exhibits, conference activities

included a technical program featuring more than 70

sessions relating to the Symposium’s theme: Global

Accomplishments in Environmental and Radioactive Waste

Management: Cost Effectiveness, Risk Reduction and

Technology Implementation. Throughout the week,

representatives from the EM Program participated in

several oral presentations and poster sessions discussing

how these topics relate to waste management operations

at the Nevada Test Site.

The Waste Management Symposium is organized by WM

Symposia, Inc., an Arizona non-profit corporation, and

hosted by the University of Arizona. The conference is

organized in cooperation with the U.S. Department of

Energy, Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Environmental

Protection Agency, and International Atomic Energy

Agency. Attendees travel from around the world to learn

about products, services, and activities that are beneficial

to the nuclear waste management community.

Continued on page 15

The Nevada Test Site’s state-ofthe-art radioactive waste

management facilities currently

accept low-level radioactive waste

from 29 generators across the

United States. During fiscal year

2004, more than 3.7 million cubic

feet of low-level radioactive waste

was disposed at the Nevada Test

Site.

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

factsheet/DOENV_657REV2.pdf

for more information on the LowLevel Waste Project at the Nevada

Test Site Office.

Kelly Snyder and Bruce Becker

discuss Nevada Test Site disposal

capabilities with attendees visiting

the Nevada Site Office Environmental Management exhibit at the

2005 Waste Management Symposium in Tucson, Arizona

EM Update Spring 2005
DOE/NV--1041 14

EM Update Fall 2004

Tucson Hosts Waste Management Community (continued)

To wrap up the week, approximately 50 symposium attendees traveled to Nevada for a first-hand

look at waste management activities on the Nevada Test Site. The group, which was largely

composed of individuals from other countries, participated in what was a combined tour of the

Nevada Test Site and Yucca Mountain Project. The tour not only provided insight into the future of

waste management at the Nevada Test Site but also, undoubtedly, inspired ideas for next year’s

symposium.

The Waste Management Symposium is organized by WM Symposia, Inc., an Arizona nonprofit corporation, and hosted by the University of Arizona. The conference is organized in

cooperation with the U.S. Department of Energy, Nuclear Regulatory Commission,

Environmental Protection Agency, and International Atomic Energy Agency. Attendees travel

from around the world to learn about products, services, and activities that are beneficial to

the nuclear waste management community.

EM Update Spring 2005
DOE/NV--1041 15

EM Update Spring 2005

Transportation Display on the Road

by Dona Merritt

The Nevada Site Office’s transportation exhibit is making

its way around rural Nevada providing residents a detailed,

full-color look at low-level waste transportation. The

display illustrates the routes waste generators use to

transport low-level waste to the Nevada Test Site, and it

also shows the number of waste shipments that take place

in a given year.

The recently updated exhibit began its journey last

September at the Beatty library where visitors were able to

view the display along with a mock-up of a low-level waste

drum. This mock, non-radioactive version was cut in half

and covered with plexi-glass to reveal the types of items

that are typically disposed as low-level waste.

Following a month-long stay in Beatty, the exhibit traveled

to the Amargosa Valley library, Pahrump library, Yucca

Mountain Information Center in Goldfield, and is currently

on display at the Central Nevada Museum in Tonopah. The

exhibit is available for setup at other public venues. Those

who are interested should contact Nevada Site Office

Environmental Management by e-mail at

http://envmgt@nv.doe.gov.

Low-Level Radioactive Waste

Transportation to the Nevada Test

Site display and mock half-drum

of low-level waste (non-radioactive sample of contents) on exhibit

at the Beatty Library.
DOE/NV--1041 16

Employee Of The Month

October 2004.......Bill Wilborn

January 2005.......Kelly Snyder

 Marla Libidinsky

February 2005......Pete Sanders

March 2005.........Ken Small

EM Update Spring 2005
DOE/NV--1041 17

April 27, 2005

May 26, 2005

June 29, 2005

September 20, 2005

October 26, 2005

November 22, 2005

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

Rail Road Bridge

Apple II House

EM Update Spring 2005
DOE/NV--1041 18

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 Spring 2005
DOE/NV--1041 19

To request information on Environmental Management

activities, including the CAB, e-mail you request to the

address below.

Include your name, address, phone number and request

information.

Envmgt@nv.doe.gov

EM Update Spring 2005