[en] The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has completed an environmental assessment (DOE/EA-1042) that evaluates potential impacts of proposed changes in the sanitary sludge land application program on the DOE Oak Ridge Reservation (ORR), Oak Ridge, Tennessee. Changes in lifetime sludge land application limits and radionuclide loading are proposed, and two new sources of sewage sludge from DOE facilities would be transported to the City of Oak Ridge Publicly Owned Treatment Works (COR POTW). Lifetime sludge land application limits would increase from 22 tons/acre to 50 tons/acre, which is the limit approved and permitted by the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC). With the approval of TDEC, the permissible radiological dose from sludge land application would change from the current limit of 2x background radionuclide concentrations in receiving soils to a risk-based dose limit of 4 millirem (mrem) per year for the maximally exposed individual. Sludge land application sites would not change from those that are currently part of the program. Based on the results of the analysis reported in the EA, DOE has determined that the proposed action is not a major federal action that would significantly affect the quality of the human environment within the context of the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA). Therefore, preparation of an environmental impact statement (EIS) is not necessary, and DOE is issuing this Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI). 70 refs., 2 figs., 17 tabs

[en] The assessment for radioecological situation of the Semipalatinsk region is given. Authors noted that a situation has been remained very tense. There is desperate extremity of the Semipalatinsk test site's radioactive contaminations total and detail investigate. The rate of exposure dose in Semipalatinsk city is 12-14 μR/h and in its region 15-17 μR/h

[en] From the end of the 80's up to now, several tasks have been carried out in Spain on restoration in the field of uranium mining and milling, significant among them being Andujar Uranium Mill (FUA) closure and La Haba closure. Also, a study has been carried out on restoration of inoperative and abandoned uranium mine sites. At present, detailed plans are being worked out for the project on the closure of the Elefante plant. All activities have been developed in the common framework of national standards and regulations which are generally in compliance with the standards, regulations and recommendations of international organizations. This paper describes briefly the standards and the criteria applied to the restoration tasks at various sites of the uranium mining and milling facilities in Spain. The restoration activities have different characteristics La Haba facility is an isolated and conventional facility to produce uranium concentrate; in the case of old and abandoned uranium mines the intervention criteria is more relevant than the activities to be carried out; the closure (the first phase of licensing) and restoration activities of Elefante plant have to be developed taking into account that it is sited within the area of Quercus plant which is currently in operation. (author)

[en] Published in summary form only

[en] Two aspects relevant to considerations made in deciding on the siting of a nuclear power plant, viz., the seismic hazard and the engineering-geological aspect, are briefly discussed. The operated Dukovany nuclear power plant stands on the Moldanubic, on a firm rock ground. The Temelin nuclear power plant is located in the centre of the Moldanubic as well and is also being built on a rock ground. The two power plants are endangered neither by seismic activity nor by inclination of the buildings arising from differentiated subsidence of an unstable ground. From the geological point of view, the sites of the two plants are among the safest in Europe. The site designed for the construction of the nuclear power plant at Blahutovice (north of Hranice) is by far not as perfect. Although no seismic activity has been recorded there over the historically followed period, the site is one where the Bohemian Massif bends to under the Carpathians, just at the peak of the bend. The geological conditions of this locality are discussed in detail. (Z.S.). 3 refs

[en] The method for solution of seismotomographic problem for the three-dimensional medium based on the Beikus-Gil'bert method has been used first to obtain the velocity model of the Chernobyl APP. Both horizontal and vertical velocity distribution permits distinguishing zones of tension in the earth crust and successfully solving the problem of seismic danger evaluation in the Chernobyl APP region. (author)

[en] Magnetic susceptibility measurements made on rock cores obtained from boreholes at the Chalk River Research Area indicate that the foliated, granitic to granodioritic gneisses are weakly magnetic. Susceptibility values are about 5 x 10^-4 S.I., two orders of magnitude less than average values for the Atikokan or Lac du Bonnet granites. Interpretation of the variations recorded in the gneisses in all cores is difficult because the average magnetic susceptibility level is near the limit of resolution of the measuring instrument used. However, in CR-6 and CR-9, mafic units intersect the boreholes and high magnetic susceptibility zones are seen. In CR-9 susceptibility values of the order of 5 x 10^-2 S.I. characterize a dyke at depths of 40 to 60 m. A second high-susceptibility zone, distinctly different from the shallower one, is recorded at depths of 580 to 670 m with susceptibility of the orders of 5 x 10^-3 S.I. This difference in susceptibility suggests mineralogical differences between the two units. The distinctive susceptibility signatures of these two units are better differentiated than signatures obtained from the other geophysical logs. In CR-6 only one high-susceptibility zone (of the order of 5 x 10^-2 S.I.) is recorded in CR-6, at depths of 200 to 290 m. Its signature is similar in shape and intensity to the shallower unit observed in CR-9. Preliminary interpretation suggest continuity between these two zones. In CR-2 and CR-5, significant correlations exist among magnetic susceptibility, temperature anomalies and fracture occurrences. Contrary to observations at other research areas, fracture signatures in these two holes correspond to slight increases in susceptibility values. Alteration products associated with the fractures have higher susceptibility than the gneisses. Even though most of the recorded variations of the magnetic susceptibility are near the detection limit of the measuring instrument, significant features were observed and are discussed in this paper

[en] The far east coast of the USSR is subjected to the effects of tsunamis generated closely in the Kuril-Kamchatka trench and the sea of Japan, and distantly in the Pacific. The Tsunami Warning Services were organized in Sakhalinsk and Kamchatsk regions in 1956. In 1983 service was set up in the Primorsky Krai area. The Warning Services use 6 seismic and 53 tide stations. The principal method of tsunami prediction is seismic based on the registration of earthquake waves preceding the tsunami wave, by determining earthquake magnitude epicenter and tsunami generation probability based on these parameters. Sea level observations are of secondary importance but are used in the forecasting of waves far from the source. These are the main deficiencies of conventional warning services that must be eliminated, and to apply up-to-date informational technology as the basis for UATWS creation. 9 refs, 3 figs, 1 tab

[en] An essential element in developing an appropriate response to a tsunami hazard is a detailed knowledge of the effects of prior tsunamis. From this the design tsunami can be selected to be used with the contemporary coastal zone development and variables such as possible tide stages and time of day and date effects. Warning systems, education, insurance, emergency planning (including evacuation, and search and rescue), modeling and engineering options may be combined to mitigate the hazard. An analysis of the historical tsunami record from Hawaii, Alaska, the United States West Coast and the Puerto Rico/Virgin Islands area shows the hazard to be quite different among these areas and among localities within each region. Although the quality of the compiled historical record for United States tsunamis has been substantially improved, further improvements can be made. (author). 37 refs, 7 figs, 1 tab

[en] The foraging behaviour of ancient packrats is turning out to be a valuable source of data about the long-term environmental stability of proposed nuclear waste repositories. Material collected immediately round the pack rat's den and deposited in middens has been left in a perfectly preserved state due to mummification in an arid environment. The data from the middens yields very precise information about climate and ecological conditions at the time of their creation tens of thousands of years ago. (Author)