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Title: 300 Area Disturbance Report

Abstract

The objective of this study was to define areas of previous disturbance in the 300 Area of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Hanford Site to eliminate these areas from the cultural resource review process, reduce cultural resource monitoring costs, and allow cultural resource specialists to focus on areas where subsurface disturbance is minimal or nonexistent. Research into available sources suggests that impacts from excavations have been significant wherever the following construction activities have occurred: building basements and pits, waste ponds, burial grounds, trenches, installation of subsurface pipelines, power poles, water hydrants, and well construction. Beyond the areas just mentioned, substrates in the' 300 Area consist of a complex, multidimen- sional mosaic composed of undisturbed stratigraphy, backfill, and disturbed sediments; Four Geographic Information System (GIS) maps were created to display known areas of disturbance in the 300 Area. These maps contain information gleaned from a variety of sources, but the primary sources include the Hanford GIS database system, engineer drawings, and historic maps. In addition to these maps, several assumptions can be made about areas of disturbance in the 300 Area as a result of this study: o o Buried pipelines are not always located where they are mapped. Asmore » a result, cultural resource monitors or specialists should not depend on maps depicting subsurface pipelines for accurate locations of previous disturbance. Temporary roads built in the early 1940s were placed on layers of sand and gravel 8 to 12 in. thick. Given this information, it is likely that substrates beneath these early roads are only minimally disturbed. Building foundations ranged from concrete slabs no more than 6 to 8 in. thick to deeply excavated pits and basements. Buildings constructed with slab foundations are more numerous than may be expected, and minimally disturbed substrates may be expected in these locations. Historic black and white photographs provide a partial record of some excavations, including trenches, building basements, and material lay-down yards. Estimates of excavation depth and width can be made, but these estimates are not accurate enough to pinpoint the exact location where the disturbedhmdisturbed interface is located (e.g., camera angles were such that depths and/or widths of excavations could not be accurately determined or estimated). In spite of these limitations, these photographs provide essential information. Aerial and historic low-level photographs have captured what appears to be backfill throughout much of the eastern portion of the 300 Area-near the Columbia River shoreline. This layer of fill has likely afforded some protection for the natural landscape buried beneath the fill. This assumption fits nicely with the intermittent and inadvertent discoveries of hearths and stone tools documented through the years in this part of the 300 Area. Conversely, leveling of sand dunes appears to be substantial in the northwestern portion of the 300 Area during the early stages of development. o Project files and engineer drawings do not contain information on any impromptu but necessary adjustments made on the ground during project implementation-after the design phase. Further, many projects are planned and mapped but never implemented-this information is also not often placed in project files. Specific recommendations for a 300 Area cultural resource monitoring strategy are contained in the final section of this document. In general, it is recommended that monitoring continue for all projects located within 400 m of the Columbia River. The 400-m zone is culturally sensitive and likely retains some of the most intact buried substrates in the 300 Area.« less

Authors:
; ;
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE
OSTI Identifier:
2655
Report Number(s):
PNNL-12069
R&D Project: 11930; EW7070100; ON: DE00002655
DOE Contract Number:  
AC06-76RL01830
Resource Type:
Technical Report
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
42 ENGINEERING NOT INCLUDED IN OTHER CATEGORIES; Hanford Reservation; Cultural Resources; Reviews; Construction

Citation Formats

Hale, LL, Wright, MK, and Cadoret, NA. 300 Area Disturbance Report. United States: N. p., 1999. Web. doi:10.2172/2655.
Hale, LL, Wright, MK, & Cadoret, NA. 300 Area Disturbance Report. United States. https://doi.org/10.2172/2655
Hale, LL, Wright, MK, and Cadoret, NA. 1999. "300 Area Disturbance Report". United States. https://doi.org/10.2172/2655. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/2655.
@article{osti_2655,
title = {300 Area Disturbance Report},
author = {Hale, LL and Wright, MK and Cadoret, NA},
abstractNote = {The objective of this study was to define areas of previous disturbance in the 300 Area of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Hanford Site to eliminate these areas from the cultural resource review process, reduce cultural resource monitoring costs, and allow cultural resource specialists to focus on areas where subsurface disturbance is minimal or nonexistent. Research into available sources suggests that impacts from excavations have been significant wherever the following construction activities have occurred: building basements and pits, waste ponds, burial grounds, trenches, installation of subsurface pipelines, power poles, water hydrants, and well construction. Beyond the areas just mentioned, substrates in the' 300 Area consist of a complex, multidimen- sional mosaic composed of undisturbed stratigraphy, backfill, and disturbed sediments; Four Geographic Information System (GIS) maps were created to display known areas of disturbance in the 300 Area. These maps contain information gleaned from a variety of sources, but the primary sources include the Hanford GIS database system, engineer drawings, and historic maps. In addition to these maps, several assumptions can be made about areas of disturbance in the 300 Area as a result of this study: o o Buried pipelines are not always located where they are mapped. As a result, cultural resource monitors or specialists should not depend on maps depicting subsurface pipelines for accurate locations of previous disturbance. Temporary roads built in the early 1940s were placed on layers of sand and gravel 8 to 12 in. thick. Given this information, it is likely that substrates beneath these early roads are only minimally disturbed. Building foundations ranged from concrete slabs no more than 6 to 8 in. thick to deeply excavated pits and basements. Buildings constructed with slab foundations are more numerous than may be expected, and minimally disturbed substrates may be expected in these locations. Historic black and white photographs provide a partial record of some excavations, including trenches, building basements, and material lay-down yards. Estimates of excavation depth and width can be made, but these estimates are not accurate enough to pinpoint the exact location where the disturbedhmdisturbed interface is located (e.g., camera angles were such that depths and/or widths of excavations could not be accurately determined or estimated). In spite of these limitations, these photographs provide essential information. Aerial and historic low-level photographs have captured what appears to be backfill throughout much of the eastern portion of the 300 Area-near the Columbia River shoreline. This layer of fill has likely afforded some protection for the natural landscape buried beneath the fill. This assumption fits nicely with the intermittent and inadvertent discoveries of hearths and stone tools documented through the years in this part of the 300 Area. Conversely, leveling of sand dunes appears to be substantial in the northwestern portion of the 300 Area during the early stages of development. o Project files and engineer drawings do not contain information on any impromptu but necessary adjustments made on the ground during project implementation-after the design phase. Further, many projects are planned and mapped but never implemented-this information is also not often placed in project files. Specific recommendations for a 300 Area cultural resource monitoring strategy are contained in the final section of this document. In general, it is recommended that monitoring continue for all projects located within 400 m of the Columbia River. The 400-m zone is culturally sensitive and likely retains some of the most intact buried substrates in the 300 Area.},
doi = {10.2172/2655},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/2655}, journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {Thu Jan 07 00:00:00 EST 1999},
month = {Thu Jan 07 00:00:00 EST 1999}
}