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Contents

• Letter from the Director
• Terms & Acronyms
• Executive Summary
• Introduction
• Jurisdiction
• Monitoring & Oversight
• Health Studies & Emergency Response
• Outreach
• Key Challenges
• Appendix (government and stakeholder contacts)

Dear Oak Ridge Reservation Stakeholder

Since it was created as the Clinton Engineer Works in 1942, Oak Ridge has been a major contributor to America's nuclear weapons and energy programs. The City of Oak Ridge and the Oak Ridge Reservation are, in fact, a direct outgrowth of facilities built for the Manhattan Project, the Army's top-secret program to develop nuclear weapons.

The Manhattan Project and the Cold War left a legacy of hazardous and radioactive waste around the country at many sites, including Oak Ridge. The Cold War has now come to an end, and the mission for DOE's three Oak Ridge plants is changing. With this change, environmental restoration has become a focal point for the State, DOE and the community.

In 1983, massive mercury contamination from the Y-12 Plant was discovered in East Fork Poplar Creek. Seeing the impacts DOE had on the region, the State of Tennessee asserted its authority over activities on the Oak Ridge Reservation.

The Tennessee Oversight Agreement, recently renewed for five years, was first signed in 1991. DOE, the State, and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency followed in 1992 with the Federal Facilities Agreement, which provides a mechanism for cleanup decision-making and a deadline for accomplishing the work. The Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation's DOE Oversight Division is the State's lead agency for implementing both agreements.

The declining federal budget for environmental management at Oak Ridge is forcing DOE, EPA, and Tennessee to reconsider priorities among the many projects that await remedial action. In response to this tightening budget, DOE in mid-1996 initiated a draft plan called Accelerating Cleanup: Focus on 2006. The plan includes a call for DOE to transfer or lease surplus facilities for use by private industry. This approach, termed "reindustrialization," presents new challenges to the DOE and the State.

In working with DOE on environmental issues, the State is guided by several long-standing principles:

• DOE must comply with Tennessee's regulatory standards unless it presents alternatives equally protective of human health and the environment.
• Reindustrialization should not be undertaken at the expense of necessary cleanup.
• The State supports efforts toward appropriate economic development and will work with DOE to accelerate the program as long as proposals adhere to the State's principles.
• Projects such as the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) Incinerator are acceptable if necessary safeguards are in place.
• If the cleanup is anything less than Tennessee's standards, the State expects compensation as provided by the Natural Resource Damage Assessment (NRDA). DOE must adequately address its environmental problems.

The DOE Oversight Division maintains an "open door policy." It looks to the public for help in making many important decisions; key among them are setting priorities and choosing among possible remedies. Local governments and citizens continue to provide valuable guidance to the State, as well as to the DOE, in planning for future environmental management at the Oak Ridge Reservation.

This report outlines the Division's efforts to monitor residual contamination and continuing releases to the air, water and land. It explains the complex issues surrounding DOE's storage, treatment and disposal of mixed and radioactive waste, and its handling of contaminated sites and buildings. The report also includes a list of further resources available to the interested reader. I invite you to take advantage of the opportunity to learn more about our programs and provide feedback to the Division on the DOE's environmental management efforts.

Sincerely,
Earl C. Leming
Director
Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation
DOE Oversight Division

Terms & Acronyms

BEMR - Baseline Environmental Management Report
BMAP - Biological Monitoring and Abatement Program
CAP - Citizens' Advisory Panel
CERCLA - Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act
CROET - Community Reuse Organization of East Tennessee
D&D - Decontamination and Decommissioning
The Division - TDEC DOE Oversight Division
DNFSB - Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board
DOE - U.S. Department of Energy
DRH - TDEC Division of Radiological Health
EIS - Environmental Impact Statement
EPA - U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
EQAB - Oak Ridge Environmental Quality Advisory Board
ERAMS - Environmental Radiation Ambient Monitoring System
ERP - Emergency Response Plan
ETTP - East Tennessee Technology Park (formerly K-25)
FFA - Federal Facilities Agreement
FFCA - Federal Facility Compliance Act
IRC - Information Resource Center
LMER - Lockheed Martin Energy Research Corporation
LMES - Lockheed Martin Energy Systems Corporation
LOC - Oak Ridge Reservation Local Oversight Committee, Inc.
MSRE - Molten Salt Reactor Experiment
NEPA - National Environmental Policy Act
NGA - National Governors Association
NPDES - National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System
NPL - National Priorities List
NRDA - Natural Resource Damage Assessment
ORHASP - Oak Ridge Health Agreement Steering Panel
ORNL - Oak Ridge National Laboratory
ORO - Oak Ridge Operations
ORR - Oak Ridge Reservation
ORREMSSAB - Oak Ridge Reservation Environmental Management Site Specific Advisory Board
PCBs - Polychlorinated biphenyls
pCi/g - picocuries per gram
ppb - parts per billion
ppm - parts per million
RCERB - Roane County Environmental Review Board
RCRA - Resource Conservation and Recovery Act
ROD - Record of Decision
TDEC - Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation
TDH - Tennessee Department of Health
TEMA - Tennessee Emergency Management Agency
TOA - Tennessee Oversight Agreement
TRU - Transuranic
TSCA - Toxic Substances Control Act
TWRA - Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency
UF6 - uranium hexafluoride

Executive Summary

• Oversight Framework
• Community Involvement
• Major Findings
• Key Issues and Challenges

The Oak Ridge Reservation, encompassing about 35,500 acres in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, is one of the largest U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) sites in the nation. The DOE missions here employ more than 11,000 individuals at three major facilities.

The complex, built initially by the U.S. Army to support the development of nuclear weapons, now hosts DOE's Oak Ridge Operations (ORO). ORO has a variety of responsibilities: production of special nuclear materials, research and development, work on nuclear weapons components and storage of highly enriched uranium, waste management and environmental cleanup. It also manages uranium enrichment at gaseous diffusion plants in Portsmouth, Ohio, and Paducah, Kentucky.

The three major facilities are Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL, formerly known as X-10), the Y-12 Plant and the East Tennessee Technology Park (ETTP, formerly known as the K-25 Site). DOE's Oak Ridge work force is trained in fields ranging from nuclear engineering to biological, chemical, environmental and materials sciences. Work performed at the ORR is governed by federal and state laws and regulations, as well as by internal DOE orders and polices.

Framework

DOE and the State of Tennessee signed the Tennessee Oversight Agreement (TOA) on May 13, 1991. Shortly thereafter, the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC) established the DOE Oversight Division (the Division). The primary objective of the TOA is to assure the citizens of Tennessee that their health, safety and environment are being protected during environmental restoration and ongoing activities at the ORR. Under the TOA, DOE provides technical and financial support for a variety of State activities: independent environmental monitoring, emergency response, and oversight of individual projects to ensure compliance with applicable federal, state and local laws and regulations.

In 1992, the two sides signed a second agreement, the Federal Facilities Agreement (FFA), which established a formal relationship between the State, DOE and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for making decisions on cleanup at the ORR.

Responsibility for implementing the TOA and FFA lie with the Division's five program sections - Environmental Monitoring and Compliance, Environmental Restoration, Radiological Monitoring and Oversight, Waste Management, and Administration.

Community Involvement

The State and the Division strongly support an open process of decision making

Major Findings

Two questions surface frequently in discussions concerning the Oak Ridge Reservation:

• What human health risks exist due to pollution at the complex?
• What is in the Reservation's future now that DOE's primary focus in Oak Ridge is no longer weapons production?

The first question has been prominent for decades. Hundreds of scientists, engineers and health professionals have gathered information concerning contaminant releases at the ORR. This information comes not only from DOE, but from independent agencies and organizations as well. The Tennessee Department of Health is overseeing the Oak Ridge Health Studies, a program that analyzes past releases from the ORR and their likely impact on nearby residents. Division staff support this effort by providing data to the Department of Health research team. The Health Studies are estimating exposure and likely health effects for a number of hazardous and radioactive materials; they are

The ORR is home to materials that will pose a serious risk if controls are breached.

described in greater detail in the chapter Health Studies & Emergency Response.

With regard to current releases, data indicate that DOE is generally in compliance with state and federal permits.

It is the Division's opinion, based on its own monitoring and oversight of DOE, that there are no imminent threats to public health from present ORR activities. However, unacceptable releases from past operations continue, and these must be corrected.

It must also be pointed out that the ORR is home to materials that will indeed pose a serious risk if controls are breached where these materials are now stored or disposed. Most of the waste storage and disposal facilities on the ORR were designed for neither long-term storage nor permanent disposal. Gov. Don Sundquist, in a letter this past December to then-DOE Secretary Hazel O'Leary, stressed the state's opposition to any future use of the ORR as a national or regional waste disposal site. For risks to be acceptable, DOE must provide treatment, storage and disposal that is safe and secure both for wastes already on hand and those still being generated. Tennessee is committed to working with DOE, EPA and other states to identify treatment, storage and disposal options that meet stringent health and safety requirements.

In 1995, DOE met a key deadline of the Federal Facility Compliance Act when it presented the State with a plan for treating the ORR's inventory of mixed radioactive and hazardous waste. For the future, the State supports efforts to locate new industries on areas of the ORR that have already been developed and, consequently, have already been contaminated. Known as "brownfield" development, this common sense approach may well make the most of increasingly limited resources. Brownfield development does not, however, relieve DOE of its environmental obligation to residents of the area and to the State of Tennessee. Under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA), the federal government is still responsible for the cleanup of contamination it created both on DOE property and off site.

Key Issues and Challenges

Tennessee, DOE and the EPA began a new partnership in 1983, spurred by the discovery of massive mercury releases from the Reservation and by court action

The State supports efforts to locate new industries on areas of the ORR that have already been developed.

requiring DOE to comply with federal and State laws and regulations. In the meantime, this relationship has evolved into a model for other DOE sites, states, and EPA regional offices.

The partnership is based on a commitment to openness, clear communication and mutual respect. In order to address the many challenges facing decision makers, continued cooperation is imperative in meeting some daunting challenges. These include:

• Providing long-term funding for environmental remediation, waste treatment and waste disposal that the state considers adequate and protects human health and the environment;
• Minimizing the use of institutional controls such as guards, fences and deed restrictions as remedies for pollution;
• Monitoring and overseeing facility reuse and site reindustrialization;
• Reducing excess project management costs;
• Coordinating cleanup with other ongoing ORR research and defense missions;
• Ensuring that DOE decisions at the national level are fair to Tennessee;
• Removing legal obstacles to the shipment of ORR waste to DOE-designated storage and disposal sites;
• Developing cleanup standards that protect the public and are supported by stakeholders;
• Assuring a strong base for economic growth and employment for workers hurt by downsizing; and
• Ensuring adequate coordination among TDEC divisions and other State agencies to monitor and regulate the transfer to private concerns of activities now performed by DOE and its principal contractors.

Introduction

• History
• The City
• The Plants
• Locale
• Environment

The Oak Ridge Reservation is one of the largest and most diverse of DOE's 19 sites currently operating in the United States. The 35,545-acre ORR is home to three major DOE facilities: Oak Ridge National Laboratory, the Y-12 Plant and the East Tennessee Technology Park (known until recently as the K-25 Site). These three facilities embody DOE's three primary missions: ensuring viable energy resources for the future, maintaining the country's nuclear arsenal, and conducting the largest environmental cleanup in history.

Radioactive, hazardous and mixed wastes are all found on the Reservation. Some were generated on site, but some, too, were brought from other locations. Because contaminants have been released to the environment here, the

Sites on the NPL (such as the ORR) pose the nation's most serious threats to public health and the environment.

Reservation was placed on the EPA's National Priorities List (NPL). This list is generated by EPA under authority of the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA), also known as the Superfund law.

This placement is an important designation; sites on the NPL pose the nation's most serious threats to public health and the environment. CERCLA requires that NPL sites be investigated to assess the nature and extent of contamination, risks faced by humans and the environment, and alternatives available to minimize these risks.

The Division of DOE Oversight was established in 1991 under the Federal Facilities Agreement and the Tennessee Oversight Agreement to administer the requirements of CERCLA. The agreements are intended to protect the public and to ensure that appropriate cleanup is undertaken. Headquartered in Oak Ridge, the Division closely monitors DOE facilities and the region's environment to ensure that people and the environment are protected from the release of radioactive and hazardous materials.

This report outlines DOE activities in Oak Ridge and the extent to which they threaten human health and the environment. It also outlines regulations that govern hazardous and radiological materials on the ORR and explains TDEC's duties in monitoring and overseeing DOE activities. Finally, it provides information on organizations and forums through which the public can learn of DOE cleanup activities and take part in environmental decision making.

History

Neither the ORR nor the City of Oak Ridge existed before World War II. Development of the ORR began in 1942 under the Manhattan Project, a top-secret initiative that produced the world's first nuclear weapons. At that time, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers built four facilities on the ORR, code-named X-10, K-25, Y-12 and S-50.

The ORR was initially responsible for enriching uranium and producing plutonium for nuclear weapons. X-10, which now goes by the name Oak Ridge National Laboratory, was built to develop methods for separating plutonium from irradiated uranium fuel. Various nuclear reactors and associated chemical separation facilities were built on site. These included the world's first full-scale nuclear reactor, the Clinton Pile, now known as the Oak Ridge Graphite Reactor.

K-25, Y-12 and S-50 were built to develop methods for enriching uranium, a process that boosted concentration of the fissionable uranium-235 isotope. The gaseous diffusion process at K-25 (now known as East Tennessee Technology Park, ETTP) proved the most effective; as a result, the S-50 plant was shut down and Y-12 facilities were converted to work on components for nuclear weapons.

In the five decades since its creation, the ORR has hosted a widening variety of research and production activities that have created a variety of wastes, some radioactive, some hazardous and some a mixture of both. These wastes have been stored and disposed of on the ORR.

The City

To make way for its activities in the region, the federal government in 1942 acquired 56,000 acres near Clinton, Tennessee. The land was known first as the Clinton Engineer Works and later as the ORR. It is now home to the Oak Ridge

The City of Oak Ridge was incorporated in 1959, 17 years after creation of the ORR.

community as well as the Reservation.

The site was attractive for a number of reasons. An adequate supply of water was provided by the Clinch River, the project's enormous electricity requirements were met by the Tennessee Valley Authority, and the region was able to provide an adequate labor force. Workers were housed in a residential community that was built along with the industrial plants.

The City of Oak Ridge was incorporated in 1959, 17 years after creation of the ORR in 1942. The entire ORR lies within the city limits of Oak Ridge. The city itself is located in two counties, with the eastern portion in Anderson County and the western portion in Roane County. ORNL and ETTP are in Roane County; Y-12 is in Anderson County.

The Plants

Y-12 Plant. Y-12 is located on 811 acres about two miles south of downtown Oak Ridge. It is home to DOE's Defense Programs in Oak Ridge.

Y-12 was built in 1943, and facilities there used an electromagnetic process to enrich uranium for the first atomic bomb. Until 1992, the plant's primary mission was production and fabrication of nuclear weapons components. This mission was curtailed dramatically at the end of the Cold War, although Y-12 continues to support DOE's weapons laboratories in New Mexico and California and remains the nation's primary storage site for highly enriched uranium. New directions for the facility include dismantlement of weapons, decontamination and decommissioning of facilities no longer needed, and environmental restoration.

Y-12 is also home to the Centers for Manufacturing Technology. The centers take highly advanced technologies developed in the weapons program and share them with the private sector.

Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL). ORNL occupies 2,900 acres 10 miles southwest of downtown Oak Ridge. It was established in 1943 to develop

ORNL's Graphite Reactor was the world's first full-scale nuclear reactor.

processes for separating plutonium from irradiated uranium fuel. Since then, it has evolved into one of the nation's premier multi-purpose research laboratories, with world-class expertise in areas such as neutron science, materials science, computer science, environmental sciences and biology. ORNL's High Flux Isotope Reactor contributes to materials research and produces some of the nation's most important medical isotopes.

ORNL's Graphite Reactor was the world's first full-scale nuclear reactor and is now a National Historic Landmark.

East Tennessee Technology Park (ETTP). Originally named K-25, construction of the plant began in 1943. It currently occupies 1,500 acres about four miles west of downtown Oak Ridge. The plant used the gaseous diffusion process to enrich uranium, boosting concentration of U-235 for nuclear weapons and nuclear power generation. In 1985, it was closed officially and targeted for decommissioning and decontamination. ETTP is the focus of DOE efforts to move private businesses into surplus government land and facilities. DOE hopes to transfer most of ETTP to the private sector by 2010.

S-50 Plant. A fourth plant, S-50, was also built during World War II to enrich uranium. Located within the current ETTP boundaries, it was closed after a year, operating only in 1944 and 1945.

Locale

The Oak Ridge Reservation is bounded on the north and east by residential areas of Oak Ridge and on the south and west by the Clinch River. Anderson County, which includes the eastern portion of Oak Ridge and the ORR, has a population of 68,250. Roane County, which includes the western portion of Oak Ridge and the ORR, has a population of 47,227. Counties adjacent to the Reservation include Knox (population 333,749), Loudon (population 31,255), and Morgan (population 17,300). The nearest cities are Oliver Springs, Kingston, Lenoir City, Harriman, Farragut and Clinton. The nearest metropolitan center, Knoxville (population 165,000), is about 20 miles to the southeast.

Environment

Now occupying about 35,500 acres, the Reservation is located in the Valley and Ridge Province of East Tennessee. The province is bounded by the Great Smoky Mountains to the southeast and the Cumberland Mountains to the northwest.

The region's climate is moderately humid, with an annual mean precipitation of 53.9 inches. The average winter temperature is 41.6 degree Fahrenheit and the average summer temperature is 75.6 degrees. Winds on the reservation are

The ORR is the focus of one of the largest environmental cleanup efforts in history.

controlled in large part by the valley and ridge topography, with prevailing winds moving up the valleys to the northeast during the daytime and down the valleys to the southwest at night.

Streams on the Reservation drain into the Clinch River, which joins the Tennessee River at Watts Bar Reservoir near Kingston. Melton Hill Dam is located on the Clinch just upstream from ORNL. Portions of the Clinch above the dam are part of Melton Hill Lake; portions below the dam are part of Upper Watts Bar Reservoir.

The flow of groundwater on the Reservation is very complex. In many areas, water flows underground in channels dissolved in the bedrock.

Federal activities have contaminated 527 sites on or near the Reservation. The ORR is designated an NPL site under the Superfund law, and it is the focus of one of the largest environmental cleanup efforts in history. While most contamination is confined to the Reservation, some has reached areas off site such as East Fork Poplar Creek (which winds through the Oak Ridge community), the Clinch River and Watts Bar Reservoir (where the Clinch joins the Tennessee River).

Contaminants include radioactive materials such as uranium, plutonium, tritium, cobalt-60, cesium-137 and strontium-90. They also include pollutants that are non-radioactive but still hazardous, such as mercury, asbestos, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), arsenic, chromium, inorganic contaminants and volatile organic compounds.

Jurisdiction

• Negotiated Agreements
• Tennessee Oversight Agreement
• Federal Facilities Agreement
• Environmental Laws and Regulations
• Environmental Restoration
• Waste Management
• Radiological Monitoring and Oversight

Through the 1940s and well beyond, the public knew very little about what took place behind the fences at the Oak Ridge federal complex. This was due primarily to the federal government's desire to maintain secrecy in the interest of national defense. When the fences came down, literally, in the

Litigation in the 1980s forced DOE to release information about its waste disposal practices and comply with federal and State environmental laws.

late 1950s, the agencies then responsible for the ORR continued to use national security as a justification for excluding state officials from monitoring operations at the Reservation.

Litigation in the early 1980s eventually forced DOE to release information about its waste disposal practices and to comply with federal and State environmental laws. When information was finally made available, it became apparent that contamination at DOE sites across the country was far more serious than regulators and the public had realized. Residents near many DOE sites feared their health and safety were in jeopardy.

To make matters worse for DOE, the Federal Bureau of Investigation raided the agency's Rocky Flats plant in 1989, uncovering illegal waste management practices. In that same year, the EPA placed the ORR on the Superfund National Priorities List, further paving the way for State officials to become actively involved in the environmental management of DOE's Oak Ridge complex.

Negotiated Agreements

The TDEC Division of DOE Oversight (the Division) was formed in 1991 to implement the Federal Facilities Agreement (FFA) and the Tennessee Oversight Agreement (TOA). The FFA and the TOA define the relationship between DOE and the State of Tennessee with regard to the environment and human health. Together, these agreements create a framework to ensure the quality of environmental cleanup and help establish trust between the State and DOE.

The Natural Resource Damage Assessment (NRDA) and the Federal Facility Compliance Act (FFCA) have since expanded the Division's scope of responsibilities. Division staff also provide technical support to other TDEC divisions and programs on questions concerning ORR operations. The main agreements are described below.

Tennessee Oversight Agreement

The TOA establishes the fundamental framework for Tennessee's access to DOE facilities in Oak Ridge. Through a program of independent environmental monitoring, emergency response and project oversight, the agreement helps assure Tennessee citizens that their health, safety and environment are being protected during both cleanup and ongoing operations. The agreement also requires DOE to fund the State's program of independent monitoring and oversight at the ORR. The TOA was signed in May 1991 for a five-year period. It was extended for an additional five years beginning July 1, 1996. That extension reduced the maximum number of Division employees to 74 in fiscal 1997, down 14 from the previous year. Actual staffing is 55 in fiscal 1997.

The Division has established an advisory panel of Tennessee officials to help coordinate State responsibilities in and around the ORR. This panel includes

DOE must apply for necessary TDEC permits with regard to non-radioactive materials. The Atomic Energy Act exempts DOE from regulation of radiological substances.

the directors of many TDEC divisions (Solid Waste Management, Air Pollution Control, Radiological Health, Water Pollution Control, Drinking Water Supply, Underground Storage Tanks, Superfund, Groundwater, Natural Heritage and Archeology) and a representative from the Tennessee Department of Health's Division of Epidemiology and Environmental Laboratories.

It is important to note that the TOA does not give the Division authority to enforce regulatory compliance. While the Division does not issue "Notices of Violation," however, it can report suspected violations to the appropriate TDEC offices, which will take action if it is warranted. For non-radioactive materials, DOE is required to apply for necessary permits from other TDEC divisions just as any private industry in the state. For radioactive materials, however, the ORR does not submit to outside regulation; the Atomic Energy Act exempts DOE from regulation of radiological substances by either the State or the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

Under the TOA, then, the Division is charged with establishing programs for environmental monitoring and emergency response and with helping local officials and the public to better understand environmental issues related to the ORR. To further these objectives, the agreement also provides funding to the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency (TWRA), the Tennessee Emergency Management Agency (TEMA) and the Oak Ridge Reservation Local Oversight Committee (LOC).

To meet its responsibilities under the TOA, the Division has established five program sections: Environmental Monitoring and Compliance, Environmental Restoration, Radiological Monitoring and Oversight, Waste Management, and Administration. The sections and their duties follow.

Environmental Monitoring and Compliance

• Monitors DOE compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and coordinates document review with staff of the Governor's office and TDEC headquarters;
• Oversees DOE's ambient air, water, soil and biological sampling programs;
• Coordinates the Division's independent sampling efforts;
• Supports the Division's outreach activities with local officials, community groups, individuals and DOE;
• Participates in activities under the Safe Drinking Water Act and Safe Dam Act; and
• Oversees DOE's Groundwater Monitoring and Underground Storage Tank programs.

Environmental Restoration

• Represents the Division during the development, scheduling and implementation of milestones under the FFA;
• Coordinates corrective actions under CERCLA and the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA);
• Participates in the Watts Bar Working Group and special projects related to the FFA;
• Reviews and comments on all DOE documents related to CERCLA; and
• Participates in Natural Resource Damage Assessment efforts.

Radiological Monitoring and Oversight

• Oversees DOE management of radioactive materials on the ORR, including materials such as enriched uranium and plutonium that are subject to nuclear fission and are used in nuclear weapons;
• Evaluates the radiological impacts of proposed DOE actions in coordination with the Division of Radiological Health, focusing on radiation protection for the public, handling of hazardous materials and transportation of radioactive substances;
• Performs facility surveys on the ORR and manages the Division's Environmental Radiation Ambient Monitoring System, which is a joint EPA-TDEC project; and
• Works with other federal and State agencies to investigate incidents that involve potential radiological contamination.

Waste Management

• Oversees all aspects of DOE's active waste management program, including air emissions; surface water discharges; and treatment, storage and disposal of solid, hazardous, radioactive and mixed waste on the ORR;
• Represents the Division in establishing priorities and scheduling Commissioner's Orders for mixed waste treatment;
• Evaluates the potential costs and benefits of DOE's privatization program for waste treatment and recycling (under DOE's privatization initiative, the agency will rely increasingly on private businesses for waste recycling or treatment and disposal); and
• Supports the Division in its review of DOE strategies for a nationwide waste management system, focusing on impacts these strategies may have on Tennessee.

Administration

• Coordinates Division activities and reports on DOE performance;
• Schedules training and coordinates acquisition of security clearances for Division personnel;
• Performs administrative functions such as fiscal management, clerical support and personnel services; and
• Serves as the lead for TOA implementation.

Federal Facilities Agreement

EPA designated the ORR as an NPL site in 1989. In 1992, the EPA, the State and DOE signed the Federal Facilities Agreement (FFA) providing for the environmental restoration of the Oak Ridge Reservation. While much of the Division's work focuses on current and future activities at the Reservation, the FFA ensures that environmental damage from DOE's past actions is thoroughly investigated and appropriate actions are taken to protect human health and the environment. FFA program activities for the State of Tennessee are managed and coordinated by the DOE Oversight Division.

The FFA establishes a procedure for cleanup on the Reservation, from identifying problems to scheduling, implementing and monitoring appropriate responses. Actions taken under the FFA program conform to CERCLA, RCRA and other federal and state laws. In particular, the FFA seeks to do the following:

• Promote cooperation, information exchange and participation among DOE, EPA and TDEC;
• Minimize duplication in investigation and analysis and ensure the quality of data management;
• Guarantee that remedial actions comply with laws and regulations
• Encourage quick response;
• Integrate actions taken under CERCLA with those taken under RCRA and applicable State laws; and
• Ensure that a comprehensive cleanup is performed at the Oak Ridge Reservation.

Under the FFA, contaminated areas are combined into groups known as "operable units." For each, the three agencies agree on a schedule of cleanup milestones; EPA and the State have authority to penalize DOE if these milestones are not met.

Cleanup plans are developed in the light of public scrutiny; public comment is a substantial tool in helping the agencies improve the plans and avoid future pitfalls. The National Environmental Policy Act and CERCLA require that most proposed actions be subjected to a formal comment period before being implemented. DOE has chosen to fold public participation requirements of the two laws into a single, coordinated process.

Environmental Laws and Regulations

The DOE complex at Oak Ridge is subject to myriad federal and state laws and regulations, each seeking to protect the community and environment from harmful contaminants. These are in addition to DOE's own internal policies that govern how the agency conducts business. Relevant environmental laws and regulations

Public comment is a substantial tool in helping improve cleanup plans and avoid future pitfalls.

include the following:

• Clean Air Act,
• Clean Water Act,
• Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA),
• Emergency Planning and Community Right to Know Act,
• Federal Facility Compliance Act (FFCA),
• Federal Hazardous Substance Act,
• National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA),
• Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA),
• Safe Dam Act,
• Safe Drinking Water Act,
• Solid Waste Disposal Act, and
• Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA).

CERCLA and RCRA give the State and EPA authority to oversee environmental cleanup, including that at federal facilities. CERCLA requires that DOE develop an agreement with EPA governing cleanup at DOE's NPL sites, and the two sides have brought affected states into these agreements in order to avoid conflicts among laws, regulations and agency rulings. The FFA for the Oak Ridge Reservation is an outgrowth of this approach. To support State oversight at the Reservation, DOE has agreed to pay reasonable costs to the State for meeting its obligations under the FFA. The TOA is the funding mechanism for the State's FFA involvement.

In order to carry out its obligations under CERCLA and the National Contingency Plan, DOE is instructed to use a prescribed process for reaching acceptable

DOE has agreed to pay reasonable costs to the State for meeting its FFA obligations.

cleanup goals. Commonly known as the "CERCLA process," it guides DOE through cleanup planning along well-defined steps:

• Planning,
• Investigation,
• Feasibility analysis,
• Development of alternatives,
• Public participation,
• Selection of alternatives, and
• Creation of a final, legal decision embodied in a document known as the Record of Decision (ROD).

The ROD is the key administrative process establishing the legal and technical requirements for a specific remedial action. Once it is agreed to by the FFA parties, DOE is responsible for carrying out the actions stipulated in the ROD. The ultimate purpose of the ROD, and cleanup actions taken under it, is to ensure that all unacceptable risks to human health and the environment are eliminated or controlled to the extent practicable.

As a party to the FFA, the State of Tennessee is responsible for coordinating, reviewing, commenting on and approving each phase of the CERCLA corrective action. Phases include remedial investigations, feasibility studies, records of decision, remedial designs, remedial actions and follow-up evaluations to ensure success. The FFA involves the State directly in program management, dispute resolution, project prioritization and milestone scheduling.

Environmental Restoration

To date, 27 CERCLA decision documents have been completed at the ORR under the direction of the FFA. Of these, 16 were Records of Decision and 11 were less formal action memorandums for removal actions. Twenty-three of these actions have now been completed, with the remaining four in various post-ROD phases of remedial action.

There are currently 41 CERCLA projects scheduled within the FFA. They are in various phases of the CERCLA process, from active remedial investigation to the preparation of follow-up reports for cleanup already completed. Each project is important in its own right; eight, however, are discussed here because they stand out in their scope and complexity. Further information about each is available through the Division's office in Oak Ridge or at the DOE Information Resource Center at 105 Broadway Avenue in Oak Ridge.

Lower East Fork Poplar Creek. This creek flows from the Y-12 Plant through the Oak Ridge community before joining Poplar Creek just northeast of ETTP. In its first two decades, Y-12 used more than 20 million pounds of mercury in its weapons work, and releases from Y-12 have, over the years, contaminated the creek's floodplain with unacceptably high levels of mercury. Based on risk to human health, regulators agreed that soil containing mercury at levels higher than 400 parts per million (ppm) should be removed from the creek and its flood plain. This remediation work is under way through a recently signed ROD.

Molten Salt Reactor Experiment (MSRE). The Division pays particularly close attention to cleanup of the Molten Salt Reactor Experiment (MSRE) at ORNL. This facility operated as an experimental reactor from 1965 to 1969 under authority of the Atomic Energy Act. It then sat idle, except for minimal periodic maintenance, until entering the CERCLA cleanup process in 1994. Concerns at the MSRE have focused on the potential for criticality accidents involving the remaining uranium in the reactor, and on the potential release of radioactive substances to the environment. In preparation for remediation, the atmosphere in the fuel cells is being monitored at the location of the fuel drain tanks, and stack monitoring is being improved.

CERCLA cleanup of the facility is proceeding through three stages:

• Removal of water from around uranium deposits in the reactor's filters. Water acts to moderate nuclear reactions, and its removal will help prevent criticality accidents at the MSRE.
• Removal of the fuel salts themselves. After the fuel salts are melted and removed from the reactor, they will be treated and put into storage.
• Final decontamination and decommissioning of the facility.

DOE has completed a CERCLA feasibility study for removal of the fuel salts. The next step is preparation of a proposed plan and its submittal for public review. This is expected in late fiscal 1997.

Chestnut Ridge Coal Ash Pond. This facility is an impoundment on the slope of Haw Ridge, south of Y-12. DOE placed an earthen dam at the upper McCoy Branch watershed and used the facility to take coal ash from the Y-12 steam plant between 1955 and 1969. Since then, the dam had deteriorated to the point where it was subject to failure and therefore presented an unacceptable risk under CERCLA. A ROD for the project was signed in February 1996, and remedial action was completed in spring 1997. Major components of the selected approach were designed to:

• Greatly reduce chances that the dam would fail by rebuilding it;
• Minimize the migration of contaminants into surface waters through pond stabilization and wetlands treatment;
• Minimize the chances humans or animals would come in direct contact with the ash; and
• Enhance the vegetation cover on the ash fill.

ORNL Gunite and Associated Tanks. These 12 tanks, lined with a

The Gunite and Associated Tanks were originally used to store low-level liquid radiological waste at ORNL.

sprayed-on concrete mixture known as gunite, were built in 1943. Four stainless steel tanks are also included in this project. Originally used to store low-level liquid radiological waste at ORNL, the gunite tanks were removed from service in the early 1960s. Most of the sludges were removed from them in the 1980s. Remaining sludges, however, pose an unacceptable risk to human health and the environment, and they therefore require complete removal. Studies under way are evaluating the use of robotic technologies to accomplish this task. Final action on the tank sludges will follow the completion of these treatability studies and the issuance of proper CERCLA decision documents. Remediation of the tank shells themselves will be addressed in the upcoming Bethel Valley Record of Decision. Removal of the sludges is currently scheduled for 1998 and 1999.

ORNL Surface Impoundments. Four surface impoundments were excavated at ORNL between 1943 and 1964 to serve as temporary radiological wastewater storage facilities. The bottoms of these impoundments have since become highly contaminated with various radionuclides and other hazardous substances. In addition, recent investigations and visual observations have confirmed that contaminants are escaping into the surrounding environment, a situation that presents unacceptable risks to human health and the environment. To halt these releases, DOE must remove the contamination source as a CERCLA cleanup action. Preliminary plans for removal and disposal of the contaminated sediments were recently presented to the public for review. Current FFA schedules require a ROD in 1997, with cleanup to take place in 1998 and 1999.

ETTP Group I Decontamination and Decommissioning (D&D) Facilities. The Group I D&D facilities at ETTP consist of five buildings: K-724, K-725, K-1131, K-1031 and K-1410. The FFA schedule calls for these buildings to be removed as CERCLA actions, thus preventing the further spread of contamination from continued deterioration or collapse. As an added bonus, surveillance and maintenance costs at ETTP will be lowered substantially. The scope of work for this project includes the following:

• Characterizing the facilities for radiological and hazardous substances. This will show that materials to be removed from the site meet the waste acceptance criteria of disposal facilities to which they will be sent. It will also help to define health and safety requirements for the D&D itself.
• Decontamination of the facilities for radiological and hazardous substances according to pre-approved standards.
• Demolition of the facilities to maximize recycling and ensure proper disposal of materials where recycling is not feasible.
• Final site restoration compatible with future land use.

Bear Creek Valley Operable Unit. DOE and its regulators have concluded that cleanup on the ORR will be most effective if sites contributing to

The Bear Creek Valley Operable Unit is the first cleanup project on the ORR to take a "watershed" approach.

pollution in a given area are considered together. This is known as a "watershed approach," with "watershed" referring in general to the area draining into a single stream. The Bear Creek Valley Operable Unit is the first project on the ORR to be considered in this manner. The future ROD, to be completed in 1999, will encompass the entire Bear Creek drainage area from Y-12 to state Highway 95 and will include several sites: the oil landfarm waste management area, the burial grounds waste management area, and all contaminated surface water and groundwater.

The burial grounds waste management area consists of waste burial grounds A, B, C, D, E and J, as well as oil retention ponds 1 and 2. These units were used until the 1980s to dispose of various hazardous and nonhazardous waste generated at Y-12. More than forty million pounds of depleted uranium (U-238) are buried in the valley and, as a result, the Bear Creek Valley ROD will be the first on the ORR to address the concept of "perpetual controls," with the government essentially retaining control of the site forever. The options are clear: the federal government must either remove and relocate the uranium or provide maintenance and restrict access to the valley beyond the foreseeable future.

A CERCLA feasibility study of alternatives for the Bear Creek Valley Operable Unit is now under review by the FFA parties. The schedule calls for completion of a proposed plan in November 1997, with a ROD to be issued in December 1998.

White Oak Creek Watershed. The White Oak Creek Watershed is, in general, the most grossly contaminated and uncontrolled area on the Oak Ridge Reservation. Without remediation, this watershed presents ORR's greatest threat to human health and the environment.

White Oak Creek begins near ORNL to the northeast and flows southwest through

White Oak Lake was once labeled the most radioactively contaminated lake in the world.

the laboratory grounds, joining the Clinch River after about two miles. The creek flows past many unlined radioactive-waste burial grounds, contaminated surface impoundments, and radioactive-waste storage tanks and pipes that have leaked over the years. It flows through three manmade structures designed to impound the creek and trap contaminants that have left the lab and burial grounds before they reach the Clinch River. White Oak Lake, the receiving point for watershed contamination, was once labeled the most radioactively contaminated lake in the world.

Like Bear Creek Valley, White Oak Creek and its watershed are being approached as a whole. The White Oak Creek Watershed CERCLA operable unit addresses many areas and many pathways for contamination. DOE has committed to completing a feasibility study for the watershed by September 1997 and a proposed plan for remedial action by July 1998.

The State expects DOE to stay on schedule and follow up this planning with appropriate remediation activities designed to eliminate current and future contamination and to return the watershed to a condition suitable for other uses.

Waste Management

The Division's responsibilities include oversight of solid, hazardous, mixed and radioactive waste. "Hazardous" waste is defined by the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) as having any toxic, corrosive, reactive or ignitable material that could harm human health or the environment, whether that material be a solid, liquid or sludge. "Mixed" waste contains both hazardous and radioactive substances.

In addition, the Division works to ensure that DOE adheres to applicable State and federal laws and regulations. While the Division does not enforce environmental regulations, it is able to point out violations to DOE and to the appropriate TDEC regulatory division.

Solid waste. The Division evaluates DOE's adherence to provisions of RCRA. In previous years, the Division found that DOE was continuing to improve its management of waste under federal regulations, but this past year was an exception. DOE violated its solid waste permit by disposing of radioactive and hazardous waste in the Y-12 industrial landfill. Notices of violation were issued and are currently under evaluation by TDEC. The Division also assisted TDEC's Solid Waste Division in environmental audits of solid waste landfills and hazardous waste storage and disposal sites.

Water pollution control. The Division conducts annual audits at ORNL,

The Division conducts annual water and air pollution audits at ORNL, Y-12 and ETTP.

Y-12 and ETTP. Division staff have found violations, including excess levels of total suspended solids and unauthorized discharges of fecal coliform. A recent review did not show any immediate threat to human health or significant adverse effects to the environment. In general, the sites were complying with permit requirements under the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES). The TDEC Division of Water Pollution Control has issued new NPDES permits with more stringent requirements for Y-12 and ORNL; DOE is in the process of appealing these permits.

Air pollution control. The Division performs annual audits at ORNL, Y-12 and ETTP and has determined all three sites are meeting state air pollution control regulations. Efforts are under way at these sites to reduce airborne emissions by implementing more effective control measures; this includes the use of materials that are low in volatile organic compounds for cleaning and maintenance activities. The Division also oversees asbestos management and removal efforts on the ORR to ensure compliance with air pollution control regulations.

Radioactive waste management. The Division oversees DOE's management of radioactive waste on the Oak Ridge Reservation. Short-lived waste is disposed of at the Interim Waste Management Facility at ORNL. Waste with long half-lives and low-level waste with high activity were sent to storage facilities on the ORR.

It is increasingly important for DOE to develop off-site disposal facilities that will accept waste unsuitable for disposal on the ORR. Despite significant efforts, DOE's Oak Ridge Operations failed to get approval from DOE headquarters to ship radioactive waste to the Nevada Test Site. As a result, the inventory of radioactive waste on the ORR continues to grow.

Recycling, Decontamination and Decommissioning. The Division oversees DOE's D&D activities and coordinates regulatory issues with TDEC's Air Pollution Control, Water Pollution Control and Solid Waste Management divisions.

At ETTP, DOE initiated the Cooling Towers Demolition Project with the goal of

Non-radioactive metals recovered during the Cooling Towers Demolition Project were recycled commercially.

maximizing resource recovery and minimizing waste generation. Recovered metals were surveyed to ensure they were not radioactively contaminated; they were then recycled commercially.

The project was divided into three phases. In the first, wooden superstructures were demolished, and fan assemblies, the sprinkler system and asbestos-containing materials were removed. In the second phase, more than 2,600 cubic meters of radioactively contaminated sediments were removed from the basins, dewatered, and sent to Envirocare of Utah. In the third phase, six above-grade concrete cooling tower basins and 28 auxiliary facilities were demolished.

Each phase was preceded by site characterization and integrated waste management planning. More than 230,000 worker hours were spent on the project. The final cost, $19 million, was $4 million below the original estimate. Currently, DOE is moving forward on a similar project to demolish Building 3004 at ORNL.

In the Small Scale Metals Recycling area, more than 750 containers of various types and sizes were manufactured from scrap metals with radioactive contamination. These included eight lead-lined containers that used a total of 30,000 pounds of recycled lead. Each of these containers, manufactured for the Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory, also used a half ton of steel.

Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) Incinerator. The TSCA Incinerator at ETTP was designed to treat mixed waste and PCBs. This is the only

The Governor has established an independent panel to evaluate TSCA Incinerator operations.

incinerator in the United States that can treat both PCBs and RCRA waste. In order to support the incinerator's compliance with state permits, the Division conducts several oversight activities. These include audits, observation of tests, reviews of operational plans and data, and independent monitoring involving the Air Pollution, Water Pollution, Solid Waste and Radiological Monitoring staffs.

Neither the Division's activities nor inspections by TDEC regulatory divisions identified technical operational deficiencies at the incinerator. In response to citizen and employee concerns, however, the Governor has established an independent panel to evaluate TSCA Incinerator operations.

Radiological Monitoring and Oversight

The Division's responsibilities in this area are wide ranging, including oversight of ten nuclear reactors at ORNL and of uranium and plutonium management on the ORR. The Division performs independent monitoring of radiation levels in air, water, soil, and plants and wildlife. It also coordinates emergency response with the Tennessee Emergency Management Agency (TEMA), DOE, and DOE's principal Oak Ridge contractors, Lockheed Martin Energy Systems and Lockheed Martin Energy Research.

While the Division cannot enforce radiological laws and regulations directly, it serves a vital function by pointing out potential problems to DOE, to TDEC's Division of Radiological Health, and to the citizens of Tennessee.

Spent fuel. The Division oversees the shipment of spent nuclear fuel from ORNL's High Flux Isotope Reactor to the Savannah River Site near Aiken, South Carolina. The program participates in the inspection of shipment casks and tractor-trailer trucks.

Molten Salt Reactor Experiment. This facility is discussed above.

Y-12 inspections. The Y-12 Plant has for decades been the nation's site for building and dismantling uranium components for nuclear weapons. Related to this mission, Y-12 is also the principal storage site for bomb-grade uranium, earning it the nickname "the Fort Knox of highly enriched uranium."

Federal and State officials closely monitor uranium handling at Y-12 in the interest of public safety. The Division participates in vulnerability assessments with the Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board (DNFSB) and the DOE Highly Enriched Uranium Vulnerability Assessment Team. The DNFSB is an oversight board formed by Congress. The DOE Uranium Vulnerability Assessment Team has published a report that identifies vulnerabilities at both Y-12 and ETTP. The assessments look at risks posed by natural phenomena such as wind, flooding and earthquakes. To date, the structures have passed the assessments, but the State is concerned that budget cuts will hinder corrective actions needed to reduce uranium vulnerabilities.

Air monitoring. These activities include oversight of DOE's reservation-wide air monitoring system. Eight monitors are located around the ORR, with a single station at Fort Loudon Dam to record background levels. Filters are collected biweekly and sent to the State laboratory for analysis.

The Division also implements and maintains the EPA Environmental Radiation Ambient Monitoring System (ERAMS). Radiation detected by the ERAMS samplers to date represents background levels; the samplers have not identified any emissions from the ORR. The particulate air data collected on the ORR from August to December 1996 are comparable to data observed through the ERAMS system nationwide in previous years. And, although the ERAMS sampling stations do not sit side by side with other ORR monitoring systems, data for this time period are also comparable between the systems. Additional data and improvements to the system will allow more definitive observations.

Monitoring & Oversight

• Radiological Monitoring
• Environmental Monitoring and Compliance

Radiological Monitoring

Water monitoring. The Division's water monitoring activities are geared to identify radiological contaminants migrating off the Oak Ridge Reservation. The Division samples groundwater and surface water in areas such as Union Valley, Scarboro Gap, Sugar Grove Valley, Campbell's Bend, Bear Creek Valley and other areas west of ORNL.

Currently, TDEC's Division of Radiological Health (DRH) monitors radiation levels in surface water at nine locations surrounding the Oak Ridge Reservation. (DRH is a separate division within TDEC that regulates all users of radioactive materials in the state except DOE). Data from this effort have been provided to the DOE Oversight Division; they are reviewed along with the results of analyses from samples taken each month at White Oak Dam, data provided in various monitoring reports, and radiological data for the three Oak Ridge Reservation facilities taken under the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System program. While radiation levels occasionally exceed DOE standards, the data point to a generally downward trend in the concentration of radioactive substances.

Wildlife. The Division undertakes extensive monitoring of deer, wild turkey, geese, and other wildlife under its radiological monitoring program. These activities are detailed below in the Environmental Monitoring and Compliance subsection.

Clinch River. A radiological survey of recreational areas, beaches and

The mouth of Grassy Creek was the only location that exceeded two times the local background radiation level.

prominent mud flats was performed on the Clinch River portion of Watts Bar Reservoir during the winter of 1996-97. The mouth of Grassy Creek was the only location that exceeded two times local background readings. The maximum external gamma dose rate for a human who spent every day of a year exposed to the sediments in this area would be 237 millirems per year. Considering the sediments are under water throughout the summer, it is unlikely that anyone could stay long enough at Grassy Creek to receive a significant dose. Still, this area is completely in the public domain and concerns remain. This radioactivity, which came from cesium-137, was probably concentrated by the ETTP water treatment plant and a back eddy in the river. Cesium-137 was detected at other locations downstream from the ORR facilities as well, but gamma exposure rates were no greater than for upstream reference locations at Solway Park and Clark Center Park. Using portable gamma spectrometry, Division staff concluded radiation at these upstream locations was caused by natural radionuclides. Survey measurements were taken as far downstream as the Kingston area.

Ambient air monitoring. Division staff use a network of environmental thermoluminescent dosimeters and monitors to determine the annual radiation dose, measured in millirems, at various points on the ORR. The Division is also involved in a survey of radiation at UF6 cylinder storage yards located at ETTP. The gamma survey, taken at the fence line of these yards, monitors ambient gamma rates and hazards at ETTP.

Environmental Monitoring and Compliance

The Environmental Monitoring and Compliance program oversees DOE sampling of groundwater, surface water, soil, sediments, and plants and wildlife. This program is also responsible for independent sampling, such as checks for hazardous materials in the Clinch River and sampling of vegetation.

Water

Groundwater. The Division operates a groundwater-monitoring program in which Division staff undertake the following activities:

• Review DOE groundwater-monitoring programs and documents and make recommendations;
• Conduct cooperative and independent monitoring of springs and wells on the ORR and its environs;
• Conduct cooperative and independent dye-trace tests on ORR study areas;
• Oversee plugging and abandonment of wells on the ORR;
• Conduct sampling of off-site residential drinking water wells in areas potentially affected by DOE; and
• Help collect and evaluate data for DOE's Oak Ridge Environmental Information System.

Springs and wells. During the past year, the Division has sampled 22 springs, 32 monitoring wells and 16 surface water samples for a total of 96 samples. Most of these wells and springs are considered potential groundwater discharge points for possible contaminants.

Underground Storage Tanks. The Division is also responsible for overseeing the Underground Storage Tank program on the ORR. Samples were taken at seven sites in 1996. In calendar year 1996, staff observed no violation of requirements adopted by TDEC's Division of Underground Storage Tanks.

Surface Water. Sampling of the Clinch River has been an ongoing project for the Division since 1993. Seven

Sampling of the Clinch River has been an ongoing project for the Division since 1993.

monitoring stations were initially chosen to characterize contaminants migrating from the ORR. These stations are shown in the table below. An ambient monitoring data baseline was developed to assess the nature and extent of contamination in case of an unplanned release (e.g., a spill).

In assessing results, consideration must be given to sources of contamination unrelated to DOE activities. These include metals such as aluminum and iron that are abundant in the environment, fertilizer and pesticide runoff, municipal and industrial discharges, and the potential impact of local mining operations. Examples of these outside sources include the ash disposal area for the Tennessee Valley Authority's Bull Run Steam Plant, located upstream of Station CR7, and a mining operation located upstream of Station CR6. The Clinch River dilutes contaminants originating from the ORR considerably, and the Division has not observed substantial concentrations of pollutants coming from the Reservation.

Drinking Water. The Division is conducting a survey of private water supplies near the Oak Ridge Reservation. This project began in the Poplar Springs Valley area across the Clinch River from ORNL. The Division has identified 40 residential wells in this area, some of which may be sampled if that is deemed necessary. In addition, a house-to-house water supply survey is being conducted. A report on findings in the Poplar Springs Valley area will be included in the 1997 Environmental Monitoring Report.

The survey of private water supplies has also identified five non-community water systems that may be affected by activities on the ORR. They are identified on the following map as CCC (wells 1 and 2), CEC, PLC, SEC and CCP. A "non-community water system" is a public water system that has fewer than 15 service connections used by year-round residents or does not regularly serve at least 25 year-round residents.

The non-community systems were selected as part of an independent monitoring effort to establish baseline water characteristics and to make a determination of water quality on and near the ORR. The purpose of the survey was to determine the relationship between water chemistry and types of bedrock and to test for potential DOE impacts by measuring levels of radionuclides. Samples were analyzed by the Environmental Monitoring and Compliance Program with assistance from the Radiological Monitoring and Oversight Program. Of the five systems, four use groundwater and one uses the Clinch River. Grab samples of untreated water were taken during both high- and low-flow river conditions and analyzed for nonmetallic inorganics, nutrients, metals and radionuclides.

Results of the tests showed contaminant levels were below the corresponding maximum contaminant levels established by the Safe Drinking Water Act, except in three cases. In two, these results were probably due to the wells not having been purged adequately before testing. In the third, the Clinch River did not meet EPA criteria for bacteria levels in untreated water intended for a domestic water supply.

Air Quality

The Division oversees the Reservation's non-radiological ambient air monitoring systems. The Division also reviews Toxic Release Inventory data and dispersion

The ORR is located within the Knoxville Basin Air Quality Control Region and, as a result, ambient air monitoring is required for several 'criteria' pollutants.

modeling of airborne emissions. Air quality data are produced in several categories: process, stack, ambient air monitoring and oversight assessment.

The ORR is located within the Knoxville Basin Air Quality Control Region and, as a result, ambient air monitoring is required for several "criteria" pollutants - nitrous oxide, lead ozone, sulfur dioxide, carbon monoxide and particulate matter. This monitoring is required because the EPA has designated the Knoxville region an "attainment area" for these pollutants under the Clean Air Act.

Although not required, air monitoring continues at ETTP for fluoride and particulate matter greater than 10 microns (a micron is a millionth of a meter). No violations were observed of the National Ambient Air Quality Standards; this was verified by the State and Local Air Monitoring Systems.

Air on the Reservation is monitored for some hazardous pollutants even when such monitoring is not required by law or regulation. At ETTP, air is monitored for several metals: arsenic, beryllium, cadmium and chromium. At Y-12, air is monitored for mercury. There appears to be no threat to the public from these hazardous air pollutants on the ORR, and the State is focusing on efforts to control these pollutants at the source.

Biological, Fish, and Wildlife Monitoring

Fish. The State, the Tennessee Valley Authority, the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency (TWRA) and DOE work together each year to develop the TDEC Tennessee Fishing Advisory. The Division focuses its efforts on the waters surrounding the ORR. The Division also does independent monitoring of fish flesh and tissue from fresh water mussels.

The Division worked closely in the last year with the Biological Monitoring and Abatement Program (BMAP), coordinated by the ORNL Environmental Sciences Division. By documenting the ecological standing of a system, biological monitoring helps identify the causes of ecological damage and assess the effectiveness of remediation.

The BMAP now employed by DOE and Lockheed Martin Energy Systems (LMES) addresses both radiological and non-radiological contaminants, in on-site land and water and in waterways downstream. Included are toxicity monitoring, bioaccumulation monitoring, biological indicator studies, in-stream ecological monitoring, and assessment of contaminants in the terrestrial environment.

The Division in 1996 oversaw the Clinch River fish sampling program, in which ORNL sampled sunfish for a wide range of contaminants both above and below areas affected by DOE operations. Samples were taken at Brashear Island, Jones Island, Melton Hill Marina and the Anderson County Filtration Plant.

Because of concerns about human health, the Division also collected largemouth bass from McCoy Branch Embayment at Clark Center Recreational Park for tissue analysis in October 1996. Tests showed that the fish contained three different metals, four different organics and two types of PCBs.

The metals were chromium, copper and mercury. The EPA trigger number for mercury in fish tissue, based on excess cancer risk estimated at one in 10,000, is 1 part per million (ppm); the highest concentration found in the samples was 0.27 ppm. The EPA does not have trigger numbers for chromium and copper in fish.

The organics found in the fish were DDE, chlordane, nonachlor and PCBs. DDE and chlordane concentrations were well below EPA trigger numbers. The EPA does not have a trigger number for nonachlor in fish tissue.

The PCBs found in the sample were PCB 1221 and PCB 1260. The EPA trigger number for any PCB in fish tissue is 0.0014 ppm, and this number was exceeded in four of the five largemouth bass sampled. Detected levels ranged from 0.020 ppm to 0.769 ppm. PCBs were also above the EPA's action level in the largemouth bass.

At this point, catfish are the only fish for which postings at Melton Hill Reservoir warn against consumption, but the sampling results may lead to postings regarding consumption of largemouth bass. An objective of the project was to test for a potential arsenic problem in the fish, but no arsenic was found in the samples.

Turtles. Snapping turtles (Chelydra serpentina) from Lower Watts Bar Reservoir and the Clinch River were screened in the spring and summer of 1996

A comparison with earlier studies by TVA and others shows that PCBs concentrate at much greater levels in turtles than in fish.

to determine concentrations of PCBs. Results from this study will help determine if consumption of snapping turtles poses a human health risk.

Division staff collected 25 snapping turtles from 10 sites along the river and reservoir. They analyzed muscle tissue, fat tissue and eggs (if present) for metals, PCBs, organics, radionuclides and pesticides.

Results from the screening are consistent with other studies and indicate that PCB concentrations in fat tissue are considerably higher than in muscle tissue or eggs. Nevertheless, PCB levels exceeding the Food and Drug Administration Guidelines for fish (2.0 ppm) were found not only in fat tissue, but also in eggs and muscle tissue.

Analysis of the turtles for metals consistently identified only mercury and copper as being present. Mercury concentrations were below the Food and Drug Administration guidance level of 1.0 ppm for mercury in fish tissue. Copper concentrations in turtle muscle were consistent with fish tissue from the same area.

Of the pesticides, only trans-nonachlor was consistently identified, but only in very low concentrations consistent with fish data collected from the same area.

Radiological analysis revealed strontium concentrated in the bone, with much lower levels in the muscle tissue. Low levels of cesium-137 were found in muscle and liver tissue. A comparison with earlier studies by TVA and others shows that PCBs concentrate at much greater levels in turtles than in fish. Concentrations in fish are substantially lower than those found in turtle fat tissue and eggs, but are similar to concentrations found in turtle muscle tissue.

White-tailed deer. The Division oversaw and monitored the 1996 Reservation deer hunts, which were open to the public on three weekends. Each deer was brought in, and its weight, age and sex were recorded.

Of 464 deer killed on the Reservation, two were confiscated because of strontium-90 contamination in bone. Another deer brought in by a concerned hunter was also found to be contaminated; this animal came from an open hunt on Jones Island, located in the Clinch River near ORNL. Liver samples were also taken from the deer to screen for cesium-137 contamination, but no animals were confiscated because of this sampling.

Before 1996, ORNL personnel were required to survey each deer with hand-held instruments for excessive external radiation, but external contamination has not been found since the hunts began. Division staff assumed this responsibility in 1995 to confirm the DOE position that external scans for radiation could safely be discontinued. Division staff found no evidence of external contamination, and in 1996 the external scans were discontinued.

Canada Geese. This study was initiated in 1987 as part of ORNL's Biological Monitoring and Abatement Program (BMAP). In it, Canada Geese were

The June 1996 goose roundup presented Division staff with a new challenge - screening live birds for radioactivity.

captured and scanned to assess the uptake of radionuclides and contaminants from White Oak Lake and other waste disposal areas at the laboratory. The background level of cesium-137 in Canada Geese is about 0.3 picocuries per gram. Because the resident Canada Goose population has become well established on the ORR, the study was extended to include sites near ETTP, Y-12 and other local areas.

Researchers began an annual leg banding study in 1988. The following year, they expanded the study by placing throat collars with visible identification numbers on geese during molting season. This project has been done in cooperation with TWRA, DOE, BMAP teams and Division staff since 1991.

The June 1996 goose roundup presented Division staff with a new challenge - screening live birds for radioactivity. Of the 152 geese captured the first day, 151 were relocated to Kentucky Lake in West Tennessee. Only one (from the Swan Pond at ORNL) showed any radiological contamination above baseline. This goose was destroyed and its tissue further analyzed. Results of the radiological scanning were analyzed, and Division staff reached the following conclusions:

• Error associated with the results is larger than the results themselves in many samples;
• The large errors indicate problems associated with laboratory techniques or technology; and
• Levels of contamination are extremely low and do not seem to constitute a threat to human health or the environment.

Wild Turkey. The ORR's first wild turkey hunts were held in the spring of 1997. Ninety birds were killed, and one was found to be contaminated with strontium-90 concentrations in bone. As the hunts continue, a better picture of contamination in the Reservation turkey population will emerge.

Bee Pollen Sampling. The ultimate objective of this program is to provide data on the radiological content of pollen samples collected on the ORR. Pollen is a concern because people inhale it directly.

The program also helps to reveal the quality of the environs and, possibly, to identify areas in which specific plant species absorb radiation. The program uses three monitoring locations: one at Oak Ridge National Laboratory near White Oak Embayment, another between Y-12 and Walk-In Pits southwest of the plant, and the third a quarter-mile west of the ETTP Visitors Overlook.

The program was conducted during the warmer months, when flowering plants were in bloom. Lockheed Martin environmental technicians collected pollen samples from hives at each site under TDEC oversight. Gross alpha, gross beta and gamma levels were analyzed.

Three sampling sessions were conducted during 1996. Because of the initial poor condition of the ORNL hives, too little pollen was collected at that location during the first two sampling events; however, an adequate sample was collected during the third event. A background pollen sample was purchased from a commercial bee keeper near Norris, Tennessee. Results from the Reservation samples were not significantly different from those of the background sample.

Sampling for 1997 has been severely delayed by weather conditions, primarily increased rainfall, which make the pollen samples unusable for analysis. Efforts are ongoing to obtain usable samples.

Milk Sampling. The Division conducted regular oversight visits to LMES milk sampling locations around the Reservation. In addition, Division staff reviewed the program to determine if weaknesses in it warranted independent monitoring. That review found no such weaknesses; the Division found the LMES program to be sound, following all applicable best management practices.

Vegetation Sampling. As in past years, LMES grew three types of consumable vegetables (lettuce, tomatoes and turnips) at eight air monitoring stations in and around the Oak Ridge Reservation. Samples from these sites were compared to vegetables grown at a reference air station located at Norris Dam State Park. In all cases, data collected from vegetables grown on or near the Reservation were comparable to those grown at the reference station.

Health Studies & Emergency Response

• Health Studies Agreement
• Emergency Response

Health Studies Agreement

DOE is required under the Tennessee Oversight Agreement to provide the state with funding and technical assistance for a comprehensive health study. To accomplish this, then-Governor Ned McWherter and DOE signed a separate Health Studies Agreement in July 1991. The goal of the agreement is "to conduct an independent assessment of human health risks that may result from past and present activities on the Oak Ridge Reservation."

The Tennessee Department of Health (TDH) is the lead State agency for

The studies seek a better understanding of the potential public health impacts of past releases from ORR facilities.

implementing the Health Studies Agreement. The studies are managed by Environmental Health Studies and Services, which is within the TDH Division of Communicable and Environmental Disease Services. The Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation and its DOE Oversight Division provide support as needed.

The studies seek a better understanding of the potential public health impacts of past releases from ORR facilities. The agreement was initially for five years, and DOE and the State have agreed to extend the grant through June 1998. Goals of the Health Studies Agreement include:

• Assessing the feasibility of studies linking activities on the ORR with the health of nearby residents;
• Establishing a steering panel to guide the study;
• Creating a registry for cancer and birth defects in the region; and
• Requiring DOE to provide all information deemed necessary by the State, including classified materials and records related to occupational medical programs in Oak Ridge.

The Oak Ridge Health Agreement Steering Panel (ORHASP) was formed in 1992 to oversee the studies. The panel also provides an avenue for community participation in the project. Composed of health professionals, scientists and community representatives, ORHASP approved a two-phase approach to analyzing the possible health impacts of past environmental releases.

The first phase - a feasibility assessment - was completed in October 1993. Researchers working for the State determined that sufficient records were available concerning releases over the past 50-plus years to warrant dose reconstruction studies in four areas: iodine releases from ORNL, mercury releases from Y-12, PCB releases from throughout the Reservation, and cesium and other radionuclide releases from White Oak Creek and ORNL. The second phase of the studies includes a detailed examination of these releases and any potential harm to nearby residents. It also revisits a number of other contaminants, including uranium, for which dose reconstruction studies are not being conducted at this point.

For further information about the Health Studies, contact Patrick Lipford at the Tennessee Department of Health. He can be reached at (800) 435-9617 (Tennessee callers) or (615) 741-5683.

Emergency Response

The Tennessee Emergency Management Agency (TEMA), located within the Military Department of Tennessee, is the central State contact for all emergency

TDEC developed the Emergency Response Guide and Procedures Manual in preparation for a possible accident on the Reservation.

management activities. TEMA manages federal and state emergency management funds and provides technical assistance, supplies, equipment and training to local governments. It operates an emergency operations center around the clock; this center serves as a central location for managing emergency information and coordinating state and federal assistance.

The Tennessee Oversight Agreement requires DOE to provide technical and financial assistance for emergency response. TEMA is the lead state agency for implementing this section of TOA and, as such, is responsible for the following:

• Developing and maintaining the State's Multi-Jurisdictional Emergency Response Plan (ERP) for ETTP, Y-12 and ORNL in accordance with federal laws and regulations;
• Organizing and participating in annual emergency response exercises and drills with affected state agencies and local governments;
• Training personnel needed to carry out the ERP; training is given to state and local government employees and officials as well as to volunteers who may be called upon in the event of an emergency at the ORR; and
• Acquiring and maintaining equipment purchased by TEMA and affected counties in support of the ERP; funding for this equipment is provided by DOE.

TDEC developed the Emergency Response Guide and Procedures Manual in preparation for a possible accident on the Reservation. The guide and manual coordinate emergency response and monitoring in case hazardous or radiological materials are released to the environment.

An emergency response exercise involving a variety of agencies was conducted at Y-12 in the spring of 1997. The exercise was intended to demonstrate that the agencies could meet their responsibilities under the TEMA response plan. The Division provided staffing to cooperate with DOE in monitoring plume releases. Participants in the exercise included the Red Cross, State police, the City of Oak Ridge and the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency.

For further information about TEMA responsibilities at the DOE facilities, contact Elgan Usrey in Nashville, Tennessee, at (615) 741-2879, or Charles Sitzlar in Alcoa, Tennessee, at (800) 533-7343 (Tennessee callers) or (423) 981-2387 (callers outside Tennessee).

Outreach

• Tennessee Oversight Agreement Initiatives
• Local Initiatives
• DOE Outreach
• Information Centers

The TDEC DOE Oversight Division is active at the national level in DOE programs that may affect the Oak Ridge Reservation, the Oak Ridge community or the State of Tennessee. Division management staff participate in a wide range of initiatives, including:

• National Governors Association (NGA) Federal Facilities Compliance Act Mixed Waste Task Force;
• DOE State and Tribal Government Working Group;
• DOE Community Leaders Network;
• NGA/State Dialogue on DOE Material Disposition and Waste Disposal;
• Western Governors Association Interstate Technical Review Committee; and
• DOE/EPA Rapid Commercialization Initiative for Technology Demonstration.

In addition, the Division serves as the State of Tennessee contact for DOE Oak Ridge Operations, DOE Headquarters and other DOE host states. The primary benefit of these interactions is that concerns of "equity" in interstate materials disposition, waste treatment, storage and disposal are often identified and resolved without formal disputes or litigation. "Equity" refers to the desire of each state to be treated fairly, receiving an equitable share of DOE funding and not being forced to accept inappropriate waste from other sites.

The Division also provides an avenue for community education and public information about the ORR's environment. The Division hosts public presentations of information gathered by TDEC, DOE and DOE's contractors, and it strongly supports similar initiatives by DOE.

The public exchange of information is designed to give citizens both an accurate, up-to-date picture of environmental management on the ORR and an opportunity to play a meaningful role in environmental decision making.

DOE has launched a variety of public dialogues to get feedback on environmental concerns, and it has established two public information centers to give residents direct access to relevant documents. The TOA, too, has spurred several initiatives that allow the State to address local government and public questions, comments and suggestions. Local communities and citizen groups have also provided a valuable conduit for public communication on environmental issues at the ORR.

The following are some of the major public outreach efforts for the TOA and DOE's Environmental Management program at Oak Ridge. Contacts for these initiatives are listed in the appendix.

Tennessee Oversight Agreement Initiatives

Oak Ridge Reservation Local Oversight Committee (LOC). The LOC consists of a Board of Directors and a Citizens' Advisory Panel. The Board is made up

The LOC works to ensure that the best interests of local communities are protected.

of local elected and appointed officials from Oak Ridge and from seven counties that adjoin, are downstream from, or have significant economic ties to the ORR. The LOC's mission is to ensure that the best interests of those communities are protected and that public funds are used wisely during cleanup, continued operations and reindustrialization at the ORR. Board members are concerned with human health and the environment as well as their communities' economic and social well-being. Representatives of the Division and DOE participate in meetings of the LOC.

In early 1995, the LOC created a Citizens' Advisory Panel (CAP) of up to 20 members. The CAP helps represent public concerns to DOE, EPA and TDEC. The CAP reviews DOE documents and studies issues of concern to the community. Issues examined in the past year by the CAP include:

• Mixed waste management;
• End uses of contaminated ORR lands;
• Prioritization of cleanup activities;
• TSCA Incinerator operations and safety;
• Emerging environmental technologies; and
• Plans for accelerating cleanup.

The CAP makes recommendations to the appropriate agency during the decision-making process. Members of the CAP regularly attend meetings of other local groups in order to better understand and communicate the spectrum of stakeholder views. Day-to-day operation of the LOC is guided by an executive director and an administrative assistant. For further information about the Local Oversight Committee, contact Susan Gawarecki in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, at (423) 483-1333.

TDEC DOE Oversight Division Open House. Since it was created, the

Division open houses give the public an opportunity to meet with regulators to discuss concerns about the ORR.

Division has sponsored open houses during the fall of each year. These open houses focus on current issues and give the public an opportunity to meet with regulators and other TDEC staff to discuss concerns about the ORR.

Oak Ridge Health Agreement Steering Panel. The Oak Ridge Health Agreement, funded by DOE and administered through the Tennessee Department of Health, looks at historical contaminant releases from the ORR and their potential impact on the health of nearby residents. The Steering Panel meets once each quarter in central or eastern Tennessee for two-day business meetings that are open to the public. In conjunction with these meetings, the Steering Panel conducts evening public information sessions.

Local Initiatives

Oak Ridge Environmental Quality Advisory Board (EQAB). EQAB is an official board of the City of Oak Ridge. Members are appointed by the City Council, and the board, in turn, advises the City Council on environmental issues. Because the ORR is within the city limits of Oak Ridge, EQAB is actively involved in reviewing and commenting on DOE cleanup activities.

Roane County Environmental Review Board (RCERB). The RCERB is an official board of Roane County. Members are appointed by the county executive and confirmed by the County Commission. The board advises both the executive and the commission on environmental matters.

Roane County is home to the western portion of the ORR, including ORNL and ETTP. Roane County is also home to several waste management companies and to three incinerators on or near the ORR. Besides keeping a close eye on cleanup at the ORR, the RCERB expects to closely monitor DOE's transportation of waste to private companies for treatment or disposal.

League of Women Voters of Oak Ridge. The League of Women Voters is a national organization that promotes political responsibility through informed and active participation of citizens in their government. The League's Oak Ridge chapter, formed in 1946, is an enthusiastic participant in efforts to educate the public about DOE's environmental responsibilities and involve stakeholders in environmental decision making.

DOE Outreach

Oak Ridge Reservation Environmental Management Site Specific Advisory Board (ORREMSSAB). ORREMSSAB is an advisory committee to DOE's Environmental Management organization. Along with other Site Specific Advisory Boards around the country, it is chartered under the Federal Advisory Committees Act.

ORREMSSAB focuses on policy issues such as cleanup levels, technology development and long-term waste management. ORREMSSAB consists of 15 to 20 members from communities potentially affected by cleanup or waste management decisions. Representatives from TDEC, DOE and EPA Region IV serve as non-voting members to provide information concerning environmental cleanup.

Stakeholders Open House/Information Sessions. These are public meetings held by DOE's Environmental Management organization to discuss cleanup and waste management activities on the ORR. They typically involve presentations in a large auditorium, smaller breakout groups and poster sessions. These sessions generally emphasize current progress on remediation projects, new technologies and plans under consideration.

Environmental Update. This is a quarterly newsletter from the DOE on Environmental Management activities in Oak Ridge. It brings local residents up to date on environmental restoration and waste management activities either under way or under consideration. More than 40,000 issues are published and circulated to local residents. Additional copies may be found at the DOE Information Resource Center, 105 Broadway in Oak Ridge. The newsletter is available by mail also. You can request that your name be added to the Community Relations list by contacting Walter Perry, manager of community relations for DOE's Oak Ridge Environmental Management program, at (423) 576-0885.

National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). NEPA requires federal

NEPA provides another avenue for public involvement and access to information regarding DOE proposals.

agencies to prepare environmental impact statements (EIS) for proposed actions that significantly affect environmental quality. The EIS is another avenue for public involvement and access to information regarding DOE proposals. DOE sponsors formal public hearings in conjunction with the release of EISs, giving regulators and citizens an opportunity to comment openly on its activities. In June 1994, the Energy Secretary issued a policy that promotes combining the public involvement procedures of NEPA and CERCLA. While separate NEPA reviews will still be undertaken for actions such as facility construction, DOE will rely on the CERCLA process to address NEPA requirements such as analysis of cumulative, off-site, ecological, and socioeconomic impacts for certain cleanup projects.

Information Centers

Information Resource Center (IRC). The IRC, located at 105 Broadway in Oak Ridge, is a vast clearinghouse for information and documents that compose the Administrative Record for the Federal Facilities Agreement. It contains information ranging from past newspaper articles concerning the ORR to government documents. Meetings are held there in conference rooms and files are open to the public. The staff will copy its documents for interested citizens. The IRC's phone number is (423) 241-4582.

DOE Public Reading Room. This office is located at the Federal Building in Oak Ridge, 200 Administration Road, Room G-217. It houses documents requested under the Freedom of Information Act, as well as newly released files and information dealing with proposed site treatment plans and radiation experiments on humans. Documents may be read on the premises, or the staff will make copies for interested individuals. The Reading Room's phone number is (423) 241-4780.

Key Challenges

• Accelerating Cleanup: Focus on 2006
• Reindustrialization
• Privatization
• Key Sites

The Department of Energy is under intense pressure to save time and money while it performs its cleanup job in Oak Ridge and across the United States. Funding from Congress has fallen since 1994, and that trend is likely to continue. While the Division agrees that DOE can save ample time and money and still meet its cleanup obligations effectively, it also fears that DOE may respond to this pressure by cutting corners or delaying cleanup projects indefinitely. It is the job of TDEC and the Division to ensure this does not happen.

The State also recognizes that DOE funding cuts are not limited to its cleanup budget. DOE budgets are falling in all the agency's missions, and this downsizing is a painful blow for the economies of Oak Ridge and East Tennessee. The State supports the efforts of DOE and others to reindustrialize unused facilities on the ORR and to encourage the development of industries not dependent on DOE. These efforts must, however, take place within the law, and the State will continue to aggressively protect public health and environment. The following are some of the key issues and high priority projects confronting DOE and the community as they move through 1997 and beyond.

Accelerating Cleanup: Focus on 2006

DOE's assistant secretary for environmental management announced on June 26,

In early 1997, stakeholders worked closely with DOE to inject a note of realism into the plan's assumptions.

1996, that his agency would strive to complete its current cleanup job within a decade, at a fraction of the cost previously estimated. The supporting document was known initially as the Ten Year Plan.

In early 1997, stakeholders worked closely with DOE to inject a note of realism into the plan's assumptions and to incorporate public concerns. The draft that followed these discussions was released to the public in July 1997 as Accelerating Cleanup: Focus on 2006. The aggressive schedule and limited budget proposed in the plan differ sharply from previous DOE estimates of how much the job would cost and how long it would take.

Earlier estimates were embodied in DOE's final Baseline Environmental Management Report (BEMR), which was released in June 1996. In it, DOE predicted its cleanup job nationwide would take about 75 years and cost an estimated $227 billion. DOE managed to bring these estimates down in the Accelerating Cleanup initiative by removing several challenging cleanup projects from its calculations and by adopting several new assumptions. These new assumptions include:

• Use of the reindustrialization process to decontaminate buildings suitable for lease;
• Use of privatization, leasing and property transfer to reduce the number of facilities requiring surveillance and maintenance; and
• Planning for the perpetual institutional control of many burial grounds and other contaminated sites instead of excavating and properly disposing of the wastes.

Reindustrialization

Reindustrialization is a key element in Accelerating Cleanup: Focus on 2006, a ten-year planning document put out by DOE's Oak Ridge Operations office. In this initiative, DOE views reindustrialization as a means both of promoting economic development and of reducing the ultimate cost of cleanup on the ORR.

In part, the initiative promotes "an integrated science, technology, and education complex operated in partnership with the private sector." It aims to

DOE hopes to turn ETTP essentially over to private businesses by the year 2010.

capitalize on the core scientific and technical expertise found within existing organizations such as ORNL, Oak Ridge Associated Universities, Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education, and Technology 2020.

The Accelerating Cleanup plan relies on reindustrialization as a means for decontaminating surplus buildings. Facilities otherwise suitable for use by the private sector will be made available at a reduced lease rate, with credit given for cleanup activities accomplished by the tenant.

The Community Reuse Organization of East Tennessee (CROET) was created to assist DOE in transferring surplus facilities to the private sector. CROET is a non-profit organization whose function is to lease property from DOE and sublease it to private businesses.

In addition, CROET is using grants from DOE to lay the groundwork for development of ED-1, a 1,000-acre site that lies northeast of ETTP on Highway 58. In the vocabulary of reindustrialization, ED-1 is known as a "greenfield" site, meaning the land has not been developed previously. About half of ED-1 is targeted for sustainable development as a "green" industrial park, its attractive setting enhanced by the natural vegetation of the East Fork Poplar Creek floodplain, which runs through the parcel.

Another major component of reindustrialization is the cleanup of ETTP's uranium-enrichment facilities. British Nuclear Fuels, Ltd., will decontaminate three of the huge uranium-process buildings, and its payment will include the opportunity to recycle materials found within the buildings. The company will become the owner of tens of thousands of tons of metals such as nickel, copper and carbon steel found in these buildings. This and similar future projects can support a metals recycling industry for years to come. The buildings, decontaminated and stripped of the outdated process equipment, will then be available for use by major industries.

DOE hopes to turn ETTP essentially over to private businesses by the year 2010. DOE will likely be required to maintain ownership of the site because of existing pollution there, but only a minimal presence on site is expected for the agency and its principal contractors.

The Division supports the responsible reuse of ETTP and other surplus DOE sites, but it insists that DOE not let this initiative interfere with ongoing cleanup activities. Any decontamination or remediation performed at ETTP using reindustrialization will have to be approved by State and federal regulators.

Privatization

DOE has concluded that private companies can treat DOE waste far more economically than can the agency and its prime contractors. In Oak Ridge, DOE has proposed contracting with private companies for two major projects, using a

DOE believes private companies can treat DOE waste far more economically than can the agency and its prime contractors.

system that requires companies to own and operate the waste treatment facilities. Under this "privatization" approach, firms must accomplish the work to DOE's satisfaction before being paid.

The privatization initiative suffered a major political setback in 1997 with its first major project, Pit 9 at Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory. The company tackling this project, a subsidiary of Lockheed Martin Corporation, ran up the project cost by more than twice the budget, setting off a major controversy regarding the feasibility of privatization.

The first major local project under this initiative is the treatment of low-level mixed waste: that is, waste that contains both hazardous and low-level radioactive materials. In 1997, DOE requested input from its stakeholders regarding this "Broad Spectrum Procurement." Specifically, stakeholders were asked for feedback on the environmental data to be requested from finalists in support of an environmental assessment under NEPA. The wastes to be addressed under these contracts are likely to be shipped for treatment and ultimate disposal.

The second major project is treatment of transuranic (TRU) wastes. TRU wastes contain significant quantities of elements heavier than uranium, such as plutonium and americium. Currently, TRU wastes are being stored on the ORR. A private company will be selected to design, build and operate an onsite treatment system to immobilize TRU wastes and qualify them for disposal at DOE's Waste Isolation Pilot Plant at Carlsbad, New Mexico.

DOE's new way of doing business in the waste management arena also presents new challenges to State regulators. The Division and TDEC as a whole are carefully considering how to respond most effectively in order to protect human health and the environment within the region. Historically, the Division has maintained oversight of DOE and its major contractors, while other TDEC divisions have been responsible for regulating private companies in the region. As the boundaries between DOE and private industry become blurred - with private companies managing DOE waste - TDEC and DOE must define responsibilities and communicate them effectively to concerned stakeholders and to potential waste-management firms.

Key Sites

White Oak Creek. ORNL opened as a temporary facility in 1943, but its mission to chemically separate radioactive elements was expanded for the long term. As its mission continued, its generation of radiological waste overwhelmed early plans to manage that waste. The White Oak Creek Watershed south of the main ORNL plant is discussed in detail above. As a result of radiological waste generated at ORNL, this watershed poses the greatest risk to human health and the environment of any site on the ORR.

Surface Impoundments. From the 1940s through the 1960s, four surface impoundments were built in the south-central part of ORNL's main plant, just north of White Oak Creek. These also held radiological and chemically contaminated wastes. The largest of these impoundments are unlined and therefore release contaminants into the groundwater and White Oak Creek.

The Division opposes a DOE proposal to consolidate, contain and monitor the surface impoundments in place. While this proposal may protect human health in the near term, the contaminants found in these impoundments will be highly dangerous for an extremely long time. Therefore, the Division favors an approach that would consolidate these wastes with similar waste across the Reservation, either those that meet restrictions for disposal on site or those intended for storage and eventual shipment to a national disposal site.

The ROD for these surface impoundments is scheduled for completion in 1997, with cleanup to follow in 1998 and 1999.

Gunite and Associated Tanks. The Gunite Tanks, located at ORNL, are considered a high priority because they contain up to 100,000 curies of various radionuclides and pose an unacceptable risk to human health. The tanks are discussed above. A treatability study is being completed and cleanup of sludges remaining in the tanks is expected in 1998 and 1999.

Depleted Uranium Hexafluoride Canisters. The uranium that was enriched at ETTP is in the form of uranium hexafluoride (UF6), a material that is highly toxic. The material left over after the uranium is enriched - that is, after the highly fissionable uranium-235 is removed from the more abundant uranium-238 - is known as depleted UF6.

Depleted UF6 is stored at ETTP in approximately 5,000 steel cylinders about 12 feet long and 4 feet in diameter. The cylinders are located in storage yards in rows stacked two or three layers high. Each holds 10 to 14 tons of depleted UF6. Many more of these cylinders are stored at DOE sites in Portsmouth, Ohio (13,000 cylinders), and Paducah, Kentucky (29,000 cylinders). A decision regarding the disposition of these materials must be made for DOE's vision of accelerated cleanup to become a reality. The Division has been actively engaged in a technical review of this project and sponsored a training workshop to which local citizens were invited.

Appendix

Local Government & Stakeholder Organizations

The Oak Ridge Reservation Local Oversight Committee, Inc. (LOC)
136 South Illinois Avenue, Suite 208
Oak Ridge, TN 37830
Phone: (423) 483-1333
Fax: (423) 482-6572
e-mail: locinc@aol.com

City of Oak Ridge Environmental Quality Advisory Board (EQAB)
City of Oak Ridge, P.O. Box 1
Oak Ridge, TN 37831-0001
Phone: (423) 482-8320
Fax: (423) 482-8352

Roane County Environmental Review Board
Roane County Courthouse
200 Race Street
Kingston, TN 37763
Phone: (423) 376-5578
Fax: (423) 376-4318

Oak Ridge Reservation Environmental Management Site Specific Advisory Board (ORREMSSAB)
22 Jefferson Avenue
Oak Ridge, TN 37830
Phone: (423) 241-3665
Fax: (423) 576-6074

Community Reuse Organization of East Tennessee (CROET)
113F Union Valley Road
Oak Ridge, TN 37830
Phone: (423) 483-6933
Fax: (423) 483-1678

League of Women Voters of Oak Ridge
P.O. Box 4073
Oak Ridge, TN 37831-4073
Phone: (423) 483-4140

East Tennessee Environmental Business Association (ETEBA)
P.O. Box 5483
Oak Ridge, TN 37831-5483
Phone: (423) 483-9979
Fax: (423) 481-8928

Atomic Trades and Labor Council (ATLC)
P.O. Box 4068
Oak Ridge, TN 37831-4068
Phone: (423) 574-0153
Fax: (423) 576-7082

Plumbers and Steamfitters Local 102
1216 Broadway
Knoxville, TN 37917
Phone: (423) 523-7413
Fax: (423) 522-1222

Oil, Chemical and Atomic Workers Local 3-288
P.O. Box 4936
Oak Ridge, TN 37831-4936
Phone: (423) 483-3745
Fax: (423) 483-1507

Oak Ridge Environmental Peace Alliance (OREPA)
100 Tulsa Road, Suite 4A
Oak Ridge, TN 37830
Phone: (423) 483-8202

Save Our Cumberland Mountains (SOCM)
P.O. Box 479
Lake City, TN 37769
Phone: (423) 426-9455
Fax: (423) 426-9289

SOCM Roane County Chapter
530 Old Johnston Valley Road
Kingston, TN 37763

State Contacts

Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation
Department of Energy - Oversight Division
761 Emory Valley Road
Oak Ridge, TN 37830
Phone: (423) 481-0995
Fax: (423) 482-1835

Earl Leming
Director

John Owsley
Assistant Director

Bill Childres
Waste Management

Jim Harless
Environmental Monitoring and Compliance

Doug McCoy
Environmental Restoration

Dale Rector
Radiological Monitoring and Oversight

Tennessee Emergency Management Agency
Elgan Usrey, Assistant Director
Sidco Drive
Nashville, TN 37204-1502
Phone: (615) 741-2879
Fax: (615) 242-9635

Charles Sitzlar
836 Louisville Road
Alcoa, TN 37701
Phone: (800) 533-7343 (in state)
Phone: (423) 981-2387 (out of state)
Fax: (423) 981-5610

Oak Ridge Health Studies
Patrick Lipford, Project Director
Tennessee Department of Health
Communicable and Environmental Disease Services
425 Fifth Avenue North
Cordell Hull Building, Fourth Floor
Nashville, TN 37247
Phone: (800) 435-9617 (in state)
Phone: (615) 741-5683
Fax: (615) 741-3857