[en] This document is a program plan for the Radiological Baseline Program (RBP) for the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) Project. The primary purpose of the RBP is to acquire baseline data describing background levels of radiation and radionuclides among the WIPP environment prior to the underground emplacement of radioactive wastes. The RBP will be succeeded by the Operational Radiological Monitoring Program (ORMP), in which the environment around the WIPP site will be sampled for radiation and radionuclides associated with waste emplacement or other WIPP operations. The RBP consists of five subprograms: (1) Atmospheric Baseline, wherein airborne particulates will be sampled at various locations around the WIPP site. (The atmospheric pathway has been identified as the primary pathway for radionuclide transport between the WIPP facility and man.) (2) Ambient Radiation, wherein penetrating gamma radiation around the WIPP will be sampled with an aerial gamma survey, a continuous exposure-rate meter, and an array of 38 dosimeters. (3) Terrestrial Baseline, wherein soil samples will be collected from all dosimetry locations to be archived or analyzed for radiological parameters. (4) Hydrologic Baseline, wherein surface water and bottom sediments will be sampled and analyzed for radiological parameters. Groundwater from nearby wells will also be sampled and analyzed. (5) Biotic Baseline, wherein radiological parameters will be analyzed in key organisms along potential radionuclide pathways leading to man

[en] Public distaste for the waste by-products of our industrial society, coupled with exponential growth of governmental waste regulations, has created an entirely new industry-the management of waste. How players in this new industry (manufacturers, scientists, law-makers, and voters) manage the issues will determine, ultimately, the growth or decline of major sectors of our society. This book focuses on disposal of hazardous chemical and radioactive wastes, specifically in and climates. The postulate (somewhat misleadingly posed as a question in the book's title) is that deserts have inherent advantages as landfill sites because of low rainfall, high rates of evapotranspiration, slower biotic processes, and low population. An unstated but frequently recurring theme is the frightening knowledge gap in many of the disciplines involved in storing these dangerous wastes for indefinite periods

[en] This report presents a general framework for the Ecological Monitoring Program, as well as specific methods and objectives for the component subprograms. Also included are results and preliminary interpretations from the first round of sampling. In many cases, statistically valid findings will be possible only after several years of data have been accumulated. Interpretation of the aerial photographs indicates that surface disturbance and habitat change resulting from construction at the WIPP site is about 83% of the FEIS projected total. At present, the only statistically significant relationship which may reflect a site-related impact is an increased chloride concentration in surface soils downwind from the northwestern salt storage pile, but still well below thresholds for potential toxicity. Microbial and vegetation parameters appear unaffected by the elevated chloride levels. Somewhat higher ambient air temperatures relative to conditions at meteorological stations elsewhere in southeastern New Mexico is probably due to topographic influences from the cool air drainage patterns in the southeastern New Mexico region

[en] This paper describes the covers used to stabilize inactive uranium mill tailings piles and the recent geotechnical advances incorporated into the design of such covers. Although generally too conservative and expensive for use in conventional mine reclamation projects, the covers designed and constructed to remediate inactive uranium mill tailings piles incorporated most or all of the components required to provide long-term erosion resistance and groundwater protection in reclaiming a mine waste disposal facility. This paper evaluates the applicability of established and new technical approaches for uranium mill tailings stabilization to the broader field of general mine reclamation

[en] The Radiological Baseline Program (RBP) at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) is a three-year program to quantify background levels of radiation and radionuclides in the environment. Samples of airborne particulates, soil, water, and biotic media are collected and provided to a commercial laboratory for radiological analysis. An objective selection process was used in order to ensure that analyses are performed by the most appropriate commercial laboratory. Five criteria were applied toward the selection of a commercial laboratory to perform analyses for the RBP. These are, in descending order of importance: 1. Potential performance, as assessed by a Prequalifying Program in which soil and water samples were spiked with radionuclides and delivered to each candidate laboratory for analysis. 2. Sensitivity, as declared in each laboratory's cost proposal in the form of a lower limit of detection (LLD) for each radionuclide. 3. Quality, as determined in evaluations of the compatibility of each laboratory's Quality Assurance/Quality Control (QA/AC) Program relative to the QA/QC program established for the WIPP. 4. Responsiveness, as indicated by each laboratory's stated ability to meet the scheduling constraints described in the Request for Proposal. 5. Price, as declared in each laboratory's cost proposal. The selection process for the WIPP RBP involved seven commercial laboratories which had expressed an interest in analyzing samples. Two candidates were disqualified for failing to complete the Prequalifying Program (criterion 1) and one was disqualified due to unsatisfactory performance on the prequalifying program. The remaining four laboratories were ranked according to their combined scores for all five criteria

[en] Since its inception, the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) project has involved a comprehensive series of environmental programs. The first round of field studies began in 1975 to characterize the local environment and to provide data necessary for the projection of potential environmental impacts. These included ecological surveys and experiments, along with measurements of meteorological and radiological parameters in the vicinity of the site. A second round of preoperational field studies is just starting. The current programs monitor construction-related environmental impacts and quantify baseline levels of radiation and radionuclides along possible release pathways. In 1988, when transuranic wastes arrive, these programs will be replaced by operational programs that monitor the same parameters, but with possible adjustments in sampling intensity. Operational monitoring will presist until 2013, with a few components lasting through the two-year decommissioning period and beyond closure of the facility. This paper describes and classifies the preoperational environmental programs for the WIPP project. The paper also provides a chronological context for all programs of environmental data acquisition which have been or will be implemented during the period of active institutional control over the site. A time chart is used to illustrate how past and present activities fit into the overall program for environmental surveillance and protection at the WIPP project

[en] This paper reports on the Jackpile-Paguate uranium mine in west-central New Mexico, the largest surface/underground uranium mining complex in the United States. The mine, which has been defunct since 1982, is on tribal land belonging to the Laguna Pueblo. Very little reclamation had been performed when the operator left the site. A financial settlement was eventually agreed upon between the Laguna Pueblo and the former operators of the mine. The authors prepared a reclamation plant that optimized expenditures of the reclamation fund. Computer codes were used to determine minimum cover thicknesses for adequate radon control and to develop the most cost-effective earthwork program. Favorable overburden strata were selected for use as topdressing. The Laguna Pueblo now has a completed reclamation plan and implementation is underway

[en] A comprehensive program of ecological studies occurs at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) in an effort to detect and quantify impacts of excavated salt which is stored on the surface in two piles: one having originated in 1980, the other in 1984. Both piles are surrounded by berms which channel runoff to holding ponds, so nearly all dispersal is due to the resuspension, transport, and deposition of salt particles by wind. Ecological parameters which have been monitored since 1984 include: visual evidence (via photography), soil properties, microbial activity, leaf-litter decomposition, seedling emergence, plant foliar cover, and plant species diversity. These are periodically assessed at experimental plots near the salt piles, and at control plots several kilometers away

[en] The Weldon Spring Site Remedial Action Project (WSSRAP) is a DOE cleanup of property and facilities near St. Louis, Missouri, that were used during WWII to produce explosives such as TNT, and during the post-war years, to produce uranium metal. The long history of operations at the facilities generated a complex mixture of contaminants, including toxicants such as nitroaromatics, metals, and radionuclides such as uranium and thorium. These contaminants occur in sod, sludges, construction debris, and bulk wastes from a nearby quarry that was used for waste disposal. Final decisions for site and quarry remediation have yet to bc determined. Alternatives being evaluated include on-site and off-site disposal options for contaminated materials. As part of this effort, studies are under way to define technical approaches and performance criteria for an engineered disposal cell that could be located at the WSSRAP chemical plant site. This cell would be designed to contain by-product radioactive wastes and the end products of treated chemical wastes. A program of support studies has been initiated to facilitate remedial planning. These studies include an evaluation of site suitability and potential long-term cell performance. This information will assist regulators in determining the acceptability of on-site disposal and will address public concerns should on-site disposal be selected as the preferred alternative. The studies will also lay the groundwork for the conceptual design of the disposal cell. The disposal facility studies encompass a broad range of topics in four basic categories: siting, barriers, waste, and constructibility. Because of the breadth of technical topics and an aggressive schedule, most studies are being performed concurrently by a broad array of experts

[en] Soil and water samples were spiked with known activities of radionuclides and sent to seven commercial laboratories that had expressed an interest in analyzing environmental samples for the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP). This Prequalifying Program was part of the selection process for an analytical subcontractor for a three-year program of baseline radiological surveillance around the WIPP site. Both media were spiked at three different activity levels with several transuranic radionuclides, as well as tritium, fission products, and activation products. Laboratory performance was evaluated by calculating relative error for each radionuclide in each sample, assigning grade values, and compiling grades into report cards for each candidate. Results for the five laboratories completing the Prequalifying Program were pooled to reveal differing degrees of difficulty among the treatments and radionuclides. Interlaboratory comparisons revealed systematic errors in the performance of one candidate. The final report cards contained clear differences among overall grades for the five laboratories, enabling analytical performance to be used as a quantitative criterion in the selection of an analytical subcontractor. (author)