AMEM Corner

by Stephen Mellington............................................................................................................................Page 2

Legacy TRU Shipment Finale

by Michelle Meade..................................................................................................................................Page 3

Independent Study Finds Amchitka Marine Environment Safe

by Angela Ramsey..................................................................................................................................Page 4

Environmental Management Partner: Los Alamos National Laboratory

by Rosemary Rehfeldt............................................................................................................................Page 5-6

Michael Giblin Retires

by Nick Duhe...........................................................................................................................................Page 7

Low-Level Waste Shipments Continue to Decline

by Dona Merritt.......................................................................................................................................Page 8

Mixed Low-Level Waste Disposal Update

by Dona Merritt.......................................................................................................................................Page 9

Environmental Management Puts Project Management to the Test

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

Environmental Management Activities at Project Shoal Area

by Nick Duhe...........................................................................................................................................Page 11

Project Shoal in the Lime(stone) Light

by Michelle Meade.................................................................................................................................Page 12

Congratulations to Public Involvement Staff for Achieving IAP2 Certification

by Rosemary Rehfeldt............................................................................................................................Page 13

In Remembrance.................................................................................................................................Page 14

Nevada Test Site Public Tours.........................................................................................................Page 15

Contact Information............................................................................................................................Page 16

Information Request...........................................................................................................................Page 17

DOE/NV--1100

Working Today To Protect Your Future

EM UPDATE

ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT

Fall 2004 edition Winter 2006
DOE/NV--1100 2

EM Update Winter 2006

AMEM Corner

by Stephen Mellington

As fiscal year 2006 enters its second quarter, the success of our Environmental

Management (EM) mission becomes much more evident. The contributions of the

Nevada Site Office (NSO) Waste Management Project have played a significant

role in this success through the completion of the Nevada Test Site legacy

transuranic waste shipments to the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant and by providing a

safe and cost-effective facility for the disposal of low-level and mixed low-level

radioactive waste.

In addition to its vast Waste Management contributions, the NSO EM Program is

matching that success in the Environmental Restoration Project. NSO EM is

moving forward to complete nearly 100 Industrial Sites and Offsites restoration

activities in FY 2006 which include removing downed trees and other debris left by

Hurricane Katrina at the Salmon Site location in Mississippi.

Accomplishing these restoration activities is a priority which could not be fulfilled

without the hard work and dedication of the entire NSO EM team. This year, a

member of our team retired and I would like to take a moment and extend my

appreciation to Michael Giblin. One of his many achievements, and a direct result

of his perseverance, is the recent acceptance of off-site generated mixed low-level

radioactive waste for disposal at the Nevada Test Site. I wish Michael the best in

all future endeavors!

In addition to the invaluable support of the men and women like Michael,

management of the NSO EM program requires open communications and

cooperation between EM and national security missions at the Nevada Test Site.

As reported in the Spring 2004 issue of EM Update, it was planned that EM

programs operating at National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) sites, such

as the NSO, would incorporate their work under NNSA's purview. NNSA operates

under the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) as a semi-autonomous agency and is

charged, in part, with maintaining and enhancing the safety, reliability, and

performance of the U.S. nuclear weapons stockpile, including the ability to design,

produce, and test, in order to meet national security requirements. However,

Secretary of Energy, Samuel W. Bodman, decided not to pursue Congressional

approval of this transfer and instead formulated an agreement to address EM

activities occurring at NNSA sites. This agreement streamlines reporting

requirements between DOE and NNSA and identifies the budget authority and

cleanup policy guidance. It is a solid foundation for EM to continue conducting

activities in pursuit of its mission. Here at the NSO, on the surface it means

business as usual for the EM Program and the Community Advisory Board.

Stephen Mellington,

Assistant Manager for

Environmental Management

(AMEM)
DOE/NV--1100 3

EM Update Winter 2006

Legacy TRU Shipment Finale

by Michelle Meade

The Nevada Site Office (NSO) is proud of the significant accomplishment the

Transuranic (TRU) Project has achieved by completing the Nevada Test Site's

(NTS) legacy TRU waste drum shipping campaign, which began in January 2004

and was completed on November 9, 2005.

Marked by three shipments that departed from the Area 5 Radioactive Waste

Management Complex (RWMC) on November 8 and the final three on November 9,

a total of forty-eight (48) TRU waste shipments or 1,860 drums were shipped to the

Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) with no incidents. As well as being a major

success for the NSO and U.S. Department of Energy, this milestone was executed

with the utmost safety and security.

Since the 1970s, these legacy waste drums have been in storage at the NTS in

55-gallon drums and 85-gallon overpack drums and were destined for permanent

disposal at WIPP near Carlsbad, New Mexico. Most of the waste was generated

by weapons research at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory and has been

stored at the RWMC in a steel-framed, fabric-covered structure known as the TRU

Pad Cover Building. All the waste in this campaign has undergone characterization

prior to shipment, which was performed by Bechtel Nevada (the management and

operating contractor for the NTS) and WIPP's Central Characterization Project

(CCP).

In addition to the legacy drums, the project shipped the classified TRU waste

drums generated from Rocky Flats Environmental Technology Site in Colorado,

which have been stored at the NTS since the 1980s.

Joanne F. Norton, Acting Sub-Project Director of the TRU Project expresses

gratitude to the many contributors, "We have many parties to thank for achieving

this milestone. The Nevada Division of Environmental Protection and the NTS

Community Advisory Board for their support of the project, the California Highway

Patrol, Nevada Highway Patrol, and the Nevada State Health Division for performing

inspections and escorting duties for the shipments, and from the field Bechtel

Nevada and the CCP for diligently working towards getting every drum to WIPP. We

could not have done it without the hard work and support of the DOE Environmental

Management headquarters staff and the Carlsbad Field Office staff not to mention

the essential teamwork that was exhibited at the Nevada Site Office."

Although the shipping campaign of the drums is complete, the TRU Project looks

forward to a new challenge - reducing the physical size and repackaging legacy

waste currently found in 58 oversized boxes that remain in storage in the TRU Pad

Cover Building. The TRU Project is currently pursuing a contractor to head this

effort with the expectation that disposal of remaining mixed-TRU waste is to be

completed in fiscal year 2007 which will mark another milestone for the TRU

Project.

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.

Escorted by Carlsbad fire and

rescue, the final shipment

with two TRUPACT II containers enters WIPP.
DOE/NV--1100 4

EM Update Winter 2006

Independent Study Finds Amchitka Marine Environment Safe

by Angela Ramsey

An independent team of scientists recently studied Amchitka Island's marine life

and found no evidence that radionuclides from past nuclear tests have

compromised the area's fish and wildlife. The Consortium for Risk Evaluation

with Stakeholder Participation, or CRESP, performed the comprehensive study

over the course of three separate expeditions in the summer of 2004. Their

findings were released in August, 2005.

The governor of the state of Alaska made a request for the independent

assessment in a letter to the Secretary of Energy after Aleutian communities

expressed concern over the safety of

their food sources. Radionuclides

were released into the Amchitka

subsurface environment during a

series of underground nuclear tests

from 1965 to 1971. Since then,

questions have been raised over

whether these radionuclides could

migrate into the sea and affect

wildlife.

This most recent research effort set out to look at this question and to provide

valuable insight into future monitoring and stewardship options. CRESP's

approach involved collecting a large number of samples and then measuring the

samples' radionuclide content. Researchers sampled biota from seabirds,

marine algae, invertebrates and fish throughout the island. Results concluded

that radionuclide levels were within the range of biota found in other marine

environments in the Northern Hemisphere. In fact, all levels of radionuclides

measured "far below" any human health food safety standard.

In interviews, CRESP participants have said the findings should provide

assurance to those in the region who depend upon the fish and other wildlife for

subsistence food. But they also stress the importance of using their findings as

a baseline for future data gathering and monitoring. To learn more about

CRESP, or to view the Amchitka report in its entirety, visit: http://www.cresp.org.

CRESP is an interdisciplinary,

multi-university research body

that performs independent risk

evaluations for U.S.

Department of Energy (DOE)

sites facing cleanup or longterm stewardship. Though

independent, CRESP works in

concert with other entities. For

the Amchitka study, CRESP's

approach was reviewed by the

State of Alaska, DOE, the

Aleutian/Pribilof Island

Association, and the U.S. Fish

and Wildlife Service.

Stakeholders, such as

residents of Unalaska,

Nikolski, Atka, and Adak, also

played a vital role in the design

and refinement of CRESP's

research plan.

The remote island of Amchitka is

located in the Aleutian Island

chain between the Bering Sea

and the North Pacific. The

island is one of 129 DOE sites

requiring long-term stewardship.
DOE/NV--1100 5

EM Update Winter 2006

EM Partner: Los Alamos National Laboratory

by Rosemary Rehfeldt

Located on the Pajarito Plateau in northern New Mexico's Jemez Mountains, Los

Alamos National Laboratory was created in early 1943. Under the U.S. Army's

Special Engineer Detachment, scientists secretly gathered at this remote location

for a single purpose: to design and build an atomic bomb. That mission, codenamed "The Manhattan Project," resulted in a swift end to World War II and

ushered in the atomic age.

Subsequently, the United States government began its nuclear testing program.

From 1951 to 1992, the Nevada Test Site (NTS) hosted more than 900 nuclear

tests. Of these, 828 were underground nuclear tests. These tests ranged in depth

from approximately 90 to 4,800 feet below the ground surface. About one-third of

the tests occurred near or below the water table, resulting in some contamination

of the area's groundwater. The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) began

preliminary hydrologic research in the 1970s, but a more intensive groundwater

studies program was launched in 1989 with the formation of the Underground Test

Area (UGTA) Project at the Nevada Site Office (NSO).

Scientists from Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), one of the organizations

among other national laboratories and DOE environmental engineering contractors,

are working on the UGTA Project to assess the nature and degree of contamination

at these testing areas, and develop appropriate corrective action strategies.

Faced with the reality that no proven, cost-effective method currently exists for

remediating deep, extensive groundwater contamination, LANL, along with the

UGTA project team, is working to develop an effective, long-term monitoring

system. This network is being designed to identify radiological risks to help

ensure the safety of off-site populations. Scientists are developing computer

models to effectively position monitoring wells along this monitoring network.

The LANL contribution to the UGTA strategy is a three-pronged approach of field

activities, field and laboratory experiments, and groundwater modeling. As part of

UGTA's field activities, LANL participates in sampling a monitoring network of wells

on the NTS. Samples of water and sediment are collected and analyzed for

various radionuclides. This provides data on how contaminated groundwater is

moving through the rock, as well as the rates and concentrations of radionuclides.

Samples are collected annually and a database of information is built around

information gathered and tested during field activities.

Second, laboratory and field experiments are performed to determine what takes

place between the water, rock, and radionuclides. For example, experiments are

conducted to see how water flows through the matrix or "fabric" of rock, and how

radionuclides interact with the rock. Experiments determine parameters essential

to an accurate representation of phenomena such as the sorption of radionuclides

to immobile subsurface rocks, the migration of radionuclides in fractures where

flow velocities can be quite high, and the importance of colloids, which are small,

mobile particles to which otherwise immobile radionuclides may attach and

consequently enhance their mobility. For this, geologic characterization of

lithology, mineralogy, petrology, structural geology, and geophysics aid in creating

a hydrogeologic framework model of the system.

What is a contaminant

boundary?

One of UTGA's primary

objectives is to establish a

contaminant boundary for each

Corrective Action Unit (CAU).

This boundary will distinguish

where water is considered safe

and not safe for domestic and

municipal use. Groundwater

data is collected and evaluated

for each CAU and incorporated

into predictive groundwater flow

and contaminant transport

models. This permits the

estimation of three-dimensional

contaminant migration to

predict the contaminant

boundary, which defines the

extent of groundwater

contaminated with

radionuclides that exceeds the

U.S. Environmental Protection

Agency's (EPA) standards in

the Safe Drinking Water Act.

The computer models predict

the location of the contaminant

boundary over a 1000-year

regulatory time period, with a

95% confidence level.

Continued on page 7
DOE/NV--1100 6

EM Update Winter 2006

EM Partner: Los Alamos National Laboratory

(continued from page 6)

LANL scientist also work to accurately upscale the laboratory experiments - in essence, going from the rock and water in a

laboratory setting to hundreds of square miles on the NTS. The upscaling process leads to parameters suitable for the largescale computer models used to estimate the contaminant boundary. The complex geology and hydrology, and the great

depth to the water table at the NTS, make these determinations challenging in understanding groundwater flow and the

movement of contaminants.

Third, groundwater flow and transport computer models are developed and implemented to help determine the contaminant

boundaries for different Corrective Action Units (CAUs). The flow and transport models incorporate detailed radiochemistry,

chemistry, and hydrogeologic studies to characterize the contamination, the groundwater, and the rock. LANL modelers,

working together with DOE's UGTA teaming partners, are developing and refining complex, three-dimensional models aimed

at representing groundwater flow and radionuclide transport in the complex hydrogeologic environment at the NTS. In order

to complete the groundwater computer models, the NSO will continue sampling and characterization activities until the year

2022.

From its origins as a secret Manhattan Project laboratory, LANL has attracted world-class scientists and applied their

energy and creativity to solving the nation's and the world's most challenging problems. The laboratory stands out as one of

the world's leading research institutions, and is one of the U.S. Department of Energy's premier multi-program, multidisciplinary research laboratories.
DOE/NV--1100 7

EM Update Winter 2006

Michael Giblin Retires

by Nick Duhe

After many years of dedicated service to the U. S. Department of Energy (DOE),

Michael Giblin, Resource Conservation and Recovery Act Program Manager and

Mixed Low-Level Waste Sub-Project Director, retired on January 3, 2006.

In his almost 30 years of service with the federal government, Mr. Giblin worked on

many projects ranging from the California Land Use Plan for the California Desert

Conservation Area, which was his first job with the Bureau of Land Management in

1977, to his present job with DOE Environmental Management. Sandwiched

between was time spent at headquarters in Washington D.C., where he worked on

the U.S. Department of the Interior Federal Coal Leasing Program, Hazardous

Materials Program and DOE's New Production Reactors Project.

Mr. Giblin’s career at the DOE Headquarters began with the New Production

Reactor program followed by his transfer to the Environmental Management

program where he was the Division Director for Waste Management Operations at

Oak Ridge and Chicago. Since moving to Las Vegas in 1996, Mike has had a

variety of assignments leading up to his current position including the Ten-Year

Plan, a transportation study and environmental analysis, and task lead for surface

remediation of Amchitka Island, Alaska.

When reflecting back on all the jobs and places he worked, Mr. Giblin is most

proud of the remediation work performed on Amchitka Island in Alaska where he

was the task manager. Mr. Giblin recalls what a harsh and remote location

Amchitka was and all the logistical problems it presented. "It was like running a

small town for 120 people, it needed to be kept supplied with all the necessities

like shelter, food, and medical equipment. Communication and transportation

logistics were also needed, because Amchitka is 1,300 miles away from

Anchorage."

Thinking back on this time in Amchitka also reminded him of a funny moment

when he almost became part of a closure cap after he slipped while helping to pull

a heavy liner into place. "All I could remember was seeing the liner being pulled

over top my head so I crawled as fast as I could to get out from beneath it,

because I didn't know if anyone would notice I was gone."

Mr. Giblin is now a resident of Wisconsin. As far as any future plans, he is not

sure yet what he wants to do, but he is sure it will only be part time.

From everyone at EM, we want to wish Mike good luck in the future!

Michael Giblin retired after

almost 30 years of dedicated

service with the federal

government.
DOE/NV--1100 8

EM Update Winter 2006

Low-Level Waste Shipments Continue to Decline

by Dona Merritt

Nevada Test Site radioactive waste disposal operations experienced a more

than 40 percent drop in low-level waste shipments and total volume during fiscal

year 2005. This is good news for residents along low-level radioactive waste

transportation routes and for the entire United States since it is indicative of the

closures occurring at several U.S. Department of Energy sites.

Shipments (or trucks) traveling to the Nevada Test Site declined by nearly 1,000

for the total disposed volume of approximately 2 million cubic feet during fiscal

year 2005. It is expected that volumes will continue to decrease by an

additional 900,000 cubic feet at the end of fiscal year 2006 since three approved

generators completed their shipping campaigns at the end of 2005. Over the

operating lifetime of the Nevada Test Site Radioactive Waste Management

Sites, these three generators contributed nearly 12 million cubic feet of

radioactive waste to the total disposed volume of 33.5 million cubic feet. The

remaining 30 approved generators will continue toward their cleanup goals, with

at least one generator planning for completion in fiscal year 2006.

According to long-range (through fiscal year 2011) volume forecasts submitted

by these approved generators, the decline in radioactive waste disposal at the

Nevada Test Site is expected to continue (see chart below). Although several

new generators have been approved, volumes are not expected to reach the

peak amount (approximately 3.7 million cubic feet) of radioactive waste

disposed in fiscal year 2004.

Visit http://www.nv.doe.gov/emprograms/environment/wastemanagement/quarterlyreports.aspx to view quarterly reports of

radioactive waste shipment routing to the Nevada Test Site. Additional information on Transporting Low-Level Waste to

the Nevada Test Site can be viewed or downloaded from

http://www.nv.doe.gov/library/factsheets/DOENV_990.pdf .

Nevada Test Site disposal

operations personnel prepare to

bury a package of off-site

generated low-level waste in a

disposal cell at the Area 5

Radioactive Waste

Management Site

During the course of its cleanup

activities, the Rocky Flats site in

Colorado shipped nearly 10

million cubic feet of low-level

radioactive waste to the Nevada

Test Site for disposal prior to

terminating its approved

generator status in October 2005.

Leading up to closure, Rocky

Flats shipments routinely traveled

along Interstate 70 through

Colorado and Utah before

connecting to U.S. Highway 6/50

which traversed through Ely,

Nevada. In fiscal year 2005

alone, 519 shipments of Rocky

Flats radioactive waste traveled to

the Nevada Test Site. Low Level Waste Volumes Chart

*As of 1/22/06
DOE/NV--1100 9

EM Update Winter 2006

Mixed Low-Level Waste Disposal Update

by Dona Merritt

After a 15-year hiatus, the disposal of off-site generated mixed low-level radioactive

waste has resumed at the Nevada Test Site. This essential service provides the

vehicle for many U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) sites across the complex to

reach closure.

Off-site generated mixed low-level radioactive waste is disposed in the Area 5

Mixed Waste Disposal Unit (MWDU) on the Nevada Test Site. The MWDU

operates under interim status by the conditions outlined in the Nevada Test Site

Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) Part B Permit issued by the

State of Nevada Division of Environmental Protection (NDEP) on December 1, 2005.

The issuance of this permit is a monumental achievement and came about after

years of dialogue between NDEP and DOE. Ultimately, DOE and NDEP negotiated

and signed letters of commitment that stipulated NDEP would continue to regulate

the MWDU under interim status but with the off-site generated prohibition lifted.

For its part, DOE committed to limiting additional mixed low-level radioactive waste

disposal to 20,000 cubic meters and to permanently close the facility in five years

or less if the volume capacity is reached prior to that time.

Another condition that led NDEP to approve off-site generated mixed low-level

waste acceptance and disposal at the Nevada Test Site was the installation of realtime radiography equipment (RTR) at the Area 5 Radioactive Waste Management

Complex. RTR provides Nevada Test Site Disposal Operations the ability to verify

waste package contents to ensure generators are strictly adhering to the Nevada

Test Site Waste Acceptance Criteria. This provides an extra measure of assurance

in addition to the other verification steps already conducted at the generator sites.

Once the MWDU closes, the RTR equipment will continue to be used for low-level

waste verification.

Permanent closure of the MWDU is a "win-win situation for the State of Nevada and

the Nevada Test Site," said Ken Small, Acting Mixed Low-Level Waste Sub-project

Director. It seems the public would agree since no comments of opposition to the

issuance of the RCRA permit were filed with the NDEP during the public comment

period conducted September 29 through November 14, 2005.

Nevada Site Office Radioactive

Waste Acceptance Program

personnel perform an inspection

of Perma-Fix mixed low-level

radioactive waste

characterization operations and

procedures during a certification

audit.

The Nevada Test Site Mixed

Waste Disposal Unit, also

known as Pit 3, was

constructed in 1985 at the Area

5 Radioactive Waste

Management Site. Between

1985 and 1990, Nevada Test

Site Operations disposed more

than 27,000 cubic meters of

low-level waste in Pit 3 along

with mixed low-level radioactive

waste generated by DOE sites

outside the State of Nevada.

During this time, the Rocky

Flats site in Colorado shipped

more than 8,000 cubic meters

of mixed low-level radioactive

waste to the Nevada Test Site

for disposal in Pit 3. The

availability of Nevada Test Site

disposal facilities was an

enormous contribution to the

successful closure of the Rocky

Flats site in 2005.
DOE/NV--1100 10

EM Update Winter 2006

EM Puts Project Management to the Test

by Angela Ramsey

Environmental Management (EM) has been a leader when it comes to finding

innovative ways to strengthen its management practices. EM has joined the

ranks, in fact, of many successful private-sector companies by offering Project

Management Professionals (PMP®) training to its project managers.

The PMP certification is the credential of choice for a large number of professions

that depend on successful project management. Trainees where given the

opportunity to participate in a rigorous one-week boot camp during which they

learn a wide array of management skills, such as: project initiation, planning, and

execution; project control; and professional and social responsibility.

"This certification goes a long way in providing EM the tools necessary to run

successful projects," says Program Integration Team Lead and recent PMP

graduate, Cindy Lockwood. The training is particularly useful to EM, Lockwood

added, because it teaches a management philosophy similar to that found in DOE

Order 413's Management Practices and Principles.

Completing the week-long training is not the only hurdle. After boot camp,

participants must pass an intensive computer-based exam. Those who pass the

test must then renew their certification every three years to maintain the PMP

status.

The following Environmental Management employees have successfully

completed the training program: Janet Appenzeller-Wing, Kevin Cabble, Jhon

Carilli, Sabine Curtis, Frank DiSanza, John Jones, Cindy Lockwood, Joni Norton,

Ken Small, Bruce Stolte and Bill Wilborn.

"The training is challenging," according to Lockwood, "but the more qualifications

we have the better for EM... the better for National Nuclear Security

Administration."

The training was provided by the

professional organization,

Project Management Institute or

PMI ( http://www.pmi.org ).

With 200,000 members in more

than 150 countries, PMI works

to advance the realm of project

management by conducting

research and education,

providing training and

certification programs, and

offering professional networking

and exchange.
DOE/NV--1100 11

EM Update Winter 2006

Environmental Management Activities at

Project Shoal Area

by Nick Duhe

This spring, Stoller-Navarro Joint Venture (SNJV), a contractor to the U.S.

Department of Energy National Nuclear Security Administration Nevada Site

Office, will begin drilling three new monitoring wells ranging in depths between

1,640 ft and 1,990 ft at the Project Shoal Area, located approximately 30 miles

southeast of Fallon, Nevada.

Currently, there are eight monitoring wells at Project Shoal, four were put in place

in 1996 with additional four wells drilled in 1999. Based on data collected by the

existing monitoring wells, two corrective action objectives have been identified:

1) to prevent or reduce exposure to groundwater contaminants of concern at

concentrations exceeding regulatory maximum contamination levels or risk-based

levels; and 2) to reduce the risk to human health and the environment to a

feasible extent.

With these two objectives in mind, SNJV will be drilling an additional three

monitoring wells to be placed down gradient from where the nuclear test took

place. These wells will monitor for potential movement of contamination to make

sure that it does not go past set boundaries called compliance boundary. The

distance between the monitoring wells and the boundary will take into account

the need to provide early warning to allow time for reaction in the event of

unanticipated contaminant migration.

The long term monitoring of these wells will provide a means to evaluate the

groundwater transport model, provide a system with high detection probability that

takes into account uncertainty in the migration pathways, provide a system for

early detection of radionuclide migration rates in excess of what has been

predicted by the model, assure the public and the regulators that public health is

not compromised, provide compliance monitoring of physical parameters to

demonstrate that groundwater conditions have not significantly changed from

those simulated in the previous model, achieve site closure and minimize longterm risk of public exposure to contaminated groundwater, and achieve all of

these objectives while providing the best value to the tax payers.

Project Shoal Area will be

turned over to the U.S.

Department of Energy's Office

of Legacy Management in the

fall for long-term management.

Although the U.S. Department

of the Interior - Bureau of Land

Management maintains

ownership of the land, a land

withdrawal allows the U. S.

Department Of Energy (DOE)

and the U.S. Department of

Defense (DoD) to manage the

site.

Project Shoal Area, located in

Northern Nevada, was the site

of an underground nuclear test

conducted jointly in 1963 by the

U.S. Department of Defense

and the U.S. Atomic Energy

Commission (predecessor to

the DOE). As part of the Vela

Uniform program, the test was

designed to improve the nation's

ability to identify and locate

underground nuclear

explosions.
DOE/NV--1100 12

EM Update Winter 2006

Project Shoal in the Lime(stone) Light

by Michelle Meade

Project Shoal, an underground nuclear test that took place in 1963 and one of the

eight Offsites currently managed by the U.S. Department of Energy National

Nuclear Security Administration Nevada Site Office's (NSO) Environmental

Management (EM) Program, was a tour stop for the 2005 Earth Science Week

Public Field Trip hosted by the Nevada Bureau of Mines and Geology (NBMG).

This annual weekend event, in conjunction with National Earth Science Week, is

a caravan tour through Northern Nevada that stops at different areas of interest for

families to explore nature and collect various rock samples. Departing out of

Fallon, Nevada, both days had more than 80 attendees including kids with their

rock picks, shovels, and buckets, and even a few family dogs. During the

approximately 150-mile round trip, the 20 plus high-terrain vehicles trekked

through rural Nevada on Highway 50, hence this year's title of the trip: The Great

Highway 50 Rock Tour.

Held on October 22nd and 23rd, 2005, EM staff used posters, which included

photos and graphs, to explain Project Shoal to the tour attendees on the trip.

Pete Sanders, the Project Shoal Task Manager for the NSO and Jenny Chapman,

Associate Research Hydrologist with the Desert Research Institute (DRI),

presented the posters and explained the timeline and activities that took place at

Project Shoal. Graphics on the underground nuclear test along with conceptual

models of ongoing groundwater monitoring efforts in the area captured the

curiosity of the rockhounds as they tromped around the broken rock piles

collecting unweathered granite samples left from the excavation of the shaft and

tunnel for emplacement of the nuclear device.

Another event highlight was speaker Robert C. Horton. Horton worked on Project

Shoal as a geologist with the NBMG, who was contracted to perform geology

mapping in the shaft and drift of the nuclear test in 1962 and 1963. A mining

engineering graduate of Mackay School of Mines, Horton was also former head of

NBMG, and Director of the U.S. Bureau of Mines under President Reagan from

1981 to 1987. "It was an interesting experience for us. We had to get security

clearances although we never saw anything top secret," Horton said.

D.D. LaPointe, Geologist with NBMG and coordinator of the Earth Science public

field trips, said in reference to the Shoal visit, "It provided such an array of

geologic issues that people could explore and think about. From children being

interested in collecting rocks, to the nuclear history of the area and ongoing

consequences, the scientists being there provided a human face on what did

happen, and what is happening."

The six stops on this year's field trip were: Huck Salt Mine Operations, Project

Shoal area, marble and limestone road cut, Fairview Peak at the 1954 earthquake

scarp, Bell Mountain Mine area, and Nevada wonderstone collecting area.

For more information about Project Shoal, please visit

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

For more information about Nevada geology, natural hazards, mineral or energy

resources, contact the Nevada Bureau of Mines and Geology at (775) 784-6691,

or at http://www.nbmg.unr.edu .

Pete Sanders and Jenny

Chapman give a brief

presentation with posters

depicting the history and

ongoing groundwater monitoring

efforts of Project Shoal.
DOE/NV--1100 13

EM Update Winter 2006

Congratulations to Public Involvement staff for achieving IAP2

certification

by Rosemary Rehfeldt

The Environmental Management team wishes to congratulate its Public Involvement staff, Nick Duhe, Michelle Meade, Dona

Merritt, Rosemary Rehfeldt, and Kelly Snyder, for completing their Tier I Public Participation certification training requirements

from the International Association for Public Participation (IAP2).

IAP2 is a worldwide association of members seeking to promote and improve the practice of public participation. The

organization was founded in 1990 to promote the values and best practices associated with involving the public in government

and industry decisions that affect their lives. Sixteen chapters throughout the world, including the Silver State chapter in

Nevada, provide speakers, training, and networking through regular meetings, workshops, and newsletters.

In 1999, IAP2 launched its Certificate Training Course in Public Participation, providing comprehensive training in the tools and

skills needed for effective public participation. Tier I training has three components required for certification: Planning for

Effective Public Participation; Effective Communications for Public Participation; and Techniques for Effective Public

Participation.

For more information on IAP2, visit their website at http://www.iap2.org .
DOE/NV--1100 14

EM Update Winter 2006

In Remembrance

Bill King, a resident of Pahrump, Nevada and an active member of the Community

Advisory Board for Nevada Test Site Programs (CAB) passed away in October

2005. Bill was a dedicated member of the CAB for four years and a participant in

the CAB's Transportation Waste committee.

Bill will be fondly remembered as a prominent voice for the Pahrump area. Bill

always made sure that he had an opportunity to weigh in on CAB discussions,

regardless of the Environmental Management subject under consideration. He

was devoted to declaring the best interests of Pahrump since the Nevada Test

Site is located in Nye County.

"Bill had an amazing passion for stakeholder involvement. Pahrump and Nye

County should be very proud that they had such an active resident who truly

cared about the town and county," said Kelly Snyder, Designated Deputy Federal

Official for the CAB.

Bill's commitment to his community and the public participation process was

invaluable. The Nevada Site Office is deeply saddened over his loss.

Bill King, CAB Member
DOE/NV--1100 15

EM Update Winter 2006

February 22, 2006

March 23, 2006

April 26, 2006

May 24, 2006

June 20, 2006

September 13, 2006

October 25, 2006

November 29, 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

2006 Schedule

Low Level Radiocative

Waste Management

Site

Sedan Cater

Railroad Bridge

Apple II House
DOE/NV--1100 16

EM Update Winter 2006

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:

Kelly Snyder

Layout:

Nick Duhe
DOE/NV--1100 17

EM Update Winter 2006

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

If you would like to be added to the EM mailing list and

receive electronic news regarding EM activities please email

us at:

Envmgt@nv.doe.gov