[en] The Pacific Northwest Laboratory (PNL) is studying the problem of long-term protection of earthen covers on decommissioned uranium tailings impoundments. The major erosive forces acting on these covers will be river flooding and overland flow from rainfall-runoff. For impoundments adjacent to rivers, overbank flooding presents the greater potential for significant erosion. To protect the earthen covers against flood erosion, rock riprap armoring will be placed over the cover surface. Because of the large size rock usually required for riprap, the quarrying, transport, and placement of the rock could be a significant part of the decommissioning cost. This report examines the sensitivity of riprap protection costs to certain design parameters at tailings impoundments. The parameters include flood discharge, riprap materials, impoundment side slopes, and an added safety factor. Two decommissioned tailings impoundments are used as case studies for the evaluation. These are the Grand Junction, Colorado, impoundment located adjacent to the Colorado River and the Slickrock, Colorado, impoundment located adjacent to the Dolores River. The evaluation considers only the cost of riprap protection against flood erosion. The study results show that embankment side slope and rock specific gravity can have optimum values or ranges at a specific site. For both case study sites the optimum side slope is about 5H:1V. Of the rock sources considered at Grand Junction, the optimum specific gravity would be about 2.50; however, an optimum rock specific gravity for the Slickrock site could not be determined. Other results indicate that the arbitrary safety factor usually added in riprap design can lead to large increases in protection costs. 22 references, 19 figures, 15 tables

[en] One mechanism affecting the dispersal of radioactive materials in water bodies is radionuclide adsorption by sediment. Consequently, sediment transport is a major factor to consider when evaluating radionuclide migration. As a part of a study on sediment and radionuclide transport in rivers, Pacific Northwest Laboratory (PNL) is investigating the effect of sediment on the transport of radionuclides in Cattaraugus and Buttermilk Creeks, New York, during different flow conditions. Sources of radioactivity in these creeks were a low-level waste disposal site and a nuclear fuel reprocessing plant. Reprocessing operations were terminated in 1972 and waste disposal was discontinued in 1975. Other sources of radioactivity include fallout from worldwide weapons testing and natural background radioactivity. The major objective of the PNL Field Sampling Program is to provide data on sediment and radionuclide characteristics in Cattaraugus and Buttermilk Creeks to verify the use of the Sediment and Radionuclide Transport model, SERATRA, for nontidal rivers. The program is divided into three phases: Phase 1, medium-flow condition; Phase 2, low-flow condition; and Phase 3, high-flow condition. To date, results have been obtained primarily for the Phase 1 portion. For the Phase 1 sampling, 10 transects were established to collect data on flow and channel, water, sediment, and radionuclide characteristics. Some radiological analyses were made on samples of water, suspended sediment, and bed sediment

[en] A field sampling program was conducted on Cattaraugus and Buttermilk Creeks, New York during November and December 1977 to investigate the transport of radionuclides in surface waters as part of a continuing program to provide data for application and verification of Pacific Northwest Laboratory's (PNL) sediment and radionuclide transport model, SERATRA. Suspended sediment, bed sediment, and water samples were collected during mean flow conditions over a 45 mile reach of stream channel. Radiological analysis of these samples included primarily gamma ray emitters; however, some plutonium, strontium, curium, and tritium analyses were also included. The principal gamma emitter found during the sampling program was ¹³⁷Cs where, in some cases, levels associated with the sand and clay size fractions of bed sediment exceeded 100 pCi/g. Elevated levels of ¹³⁷Cs and ⁹⁰Sr were found downstream of the Nuclear Fuel Services Center, an inactive plutonium reprocessing plant and low level nuclear waste disposal site. Based on radionuclide levels in upstream control stations, ¹³⁷Cs was the only radionuclide whose levels in the creeks downstream of the site could confidently be attributed to the site during this sampling program. This field sampling effort is the first of a three phase program to collect data during low, medium and high flow conditions

[en] A field sampling program was conducted on Cattaraugus and Buttermilk Creeks, New York during April 1979 to investigate the transport of radionuclides in surface waters as part of a continuing program to provide data for application and verification of Pacific Northwest Laboratory's (PNL) sediment and radionuclide transport model, SERATRA. Bed sediment, suspended sediment and water samples were collected during unsteady flow conditions over a 45 mile reach of stream channel. Radiological analysis of these samples included gamma ray spectrometry analysis, and radiochemical separation and analysis of Sr-90, Pu-238, Pu-239, 240, Am-241 and Cm-244. Tritium analysis was also performed on water samples. Based on the evaluation of radionuclide levels in Cattaraugus and Buttermilk Creeks, the Nuclear Fuel Services facility at West Valley, New York, may be the source of Cs-137, Sr-90, Cs-134, Co-60, Pu-238, Pu-239, 240, Am-241, Cm-244 and tritium found in the bed sediment, suspended sediment and water of Buttermilk and Cattaraugus Creeks. This field sampling effort was the last of a three phase program to collect hydrologic and radiologic data at different flow conditions

[en] As part of a study on sediment and radionuclide transport in rivers, Pacific Northwest Laboratory (PNL) is investigating the effect of sediment on the transport of radionuclides in Cattaraugus and Buttermilk Creeks, New York. A source of radioactivity in these creeks is the Western New York Nuclear Service Center which consists of a low-level waste disposal site and a nuclear fuel reprocessing plant. Other sources of radioactivity include fallout from worldwide weapons testing and natural background radioactivity. The major objective of the PNL Field Sampling Program is to provide data on sediment and radionuclide characteristics in Cattaraugus and Buttermilk Creeks to verify the use of the Sediment and Radionuclide Transport model, SERATRA, for nontidal rivers. This report covers the results of field data collection conducted during September 1978. Radiological analysis of sand, silt, and clay size fractions of suspended and bed sediment, and water were performed. Results of these analyses indicate that the principal radionuclides occurring in these two water courses, with levels significantly higher than background levels, during the Phase 2 sampling program were Cesium-137 and Strontium-90. These radionuclides had significantly higher activity levels above background in the bed sediment, suspended sediment, and water samples. Other radionuclides that are possibly being released into the surface water environment by the Nuclear Fuel Services facilities are Plutonium-238, 239, and 240, Americium-241, Curium-244, and Tritium. More radionuclides were consistently found in the bed sediment as compared to suspended sediment. The fewest radionuclides were found in the water of Buttermilk and Cattaraugus Creeks. The higher levels were found in the bed sediments for the gamma-emitters and in the suspended sediment for the alpha and beta-emitters

[en] A three-phase field sampling program was conducted on the Buttermilk-Cattaraugus Creek system to investigate the transport of radionuclides in surface waters as part of a continuing program to provide data for application and verification of Pacific Northwest Laboratory's (PNL) sediment and radionuclide transport model, SERATRA. Phase 1 of the sampling program was conducted during November and December 1977; Phase 2 during September 1978; and Phase 3 during April 1979. Bed sediment, suspended sediment, and water samples were collected over a 45-mile reach of the creek system. Bed sediment samples were also collected at the mouth of Cattaraugus Creek in Lake Erie. A fourth sampling trip was conducted during May 1980 to obtain supplementary channel geometry data and flood plain sediment samples. Radiological analysis of these samples included gamma ray spectrometry analysis, and radiochemical separation and analysis of Sr-90, Pu-238, Pu-239,240, Am-241 and Cm-244. Tritium analysis was also performed on water samples. Based on the evaluation of radionuclide levels in Cattaraugus and Buttermilk Creeks, the Nuclear Fuel Services facility at West Valley, New York, may be the source of Cs-137, Sr-90, CS-134, Co-60, Pu-238, Pu-239,240, Am-241, Cm-244 and tritium found in the bed sediment, suspended sediment and water of Buttermilk and Cattaraugus Creeks