Preliminary remedial action objectives for the Tank 16 groundwater operable unit
Tank 16 is a High Level Radioactive Waste tank in the H-Area Tank Farm on the Savannah River Site that was placed into service in May 1959. A leak was detected in one of the construction weld joints while the tank was being filled. Before jet evacuation of the tank waste was completed, the leak overflowed the annulus pan and an estimated 16 to 700 gallons of waste escaped to the environment (soil and groundwater) over a six hour period contaminating approximately 1,600--70,000 cubic feet of soil with up to 5000 curies of activity (principally Cs{sup 137}). The Tank 16 bottom is constructed below the groundwater table which resulted in almost immediate contamination of that medium. Low groundwater flow rates, the ion exchange property of adjacent soils, and the distance to the nearest surface water bodies (1,500 to 8,000 feet) indicates that surface water and sediment outcrop of contaminates may be expected between 44 and 530 years (Poe et al., 1974). Remedial action objectives consist of medium-specific and operable unit specific goals for protecting human health and the environment. These objectives are specific and do not limit the range of alternatives that may be developed.A range of remedial technologies, which provides for treatment, containment, and removal requirements of contaminated media remaining at the Tank 16 groundwater operable unit, is identified and developed for each general response action.
- Research Organization:
- Savannah River Site (SRS), Aiken, SC (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC09-89SR18035
- OSTI ID:
- 10137075
- Report Number(s):
- WSRC-TR-92-500; ON: DE93008502
- Resource Relation:
- Other Information: PBD: 28 Oct 1992
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE WASTES FROM NUCLEAR FACILITIES
GROUND WATER
REMEDIAL ACTION
HIGH-LEVEL RADIOACTIVE WASTES
RADIOACTIVE WASTE PROCESSING
SAVANNAH RIVER PLANT
DRINKING WATER
STANDARDS
WELDED JOINTS
SOILS
LEAKS
CONTAMINATION
WATER TABLES
WASTE PROCESSING PLANTS
STRONTIUM 90
CESIUM 137
PUBLIC HEALTH
ENVIRONMENT
CARBON STEELS
SURFACE WATERS
SEDIMENTS
AIR
SOLID WASTES
LIQUID WASTES
SLUDGES
PLUTONIUM 238
PLUTONIUM 239
CHEMICAL ANALYSIS
BETA DECAY
ALPHA DECAY
RADIONUCLIDE MIGRATION
540230
540130
052001
RADIOACTIVE MATERIALS MONITORING AND TRANSPORT
WASTE PROCESSING