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Title: Installation of a Hydrologic Characterization Network for Vadose Zone Monitoring of a Single-Shell Tank Farm at the U. S. Department of Energy Hanford Site

Abstract

The Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, in collaboration with the Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory and Duratek Federal Services, deployed a suite of vadose-zone instruments at the B Tank Farm in the 200 E Area of the Hanford Site, near Richland, Washington, during the last quarter of FY 2001. The purpose of the deployment was to obtain in situ hydrologic characterization data within the vadose zone of a high-level-waste tank farm. Eight sensor nests, ranging in depth from 67 m (220 ft) below ground surface (bgs) to 0.9 m (3 ft) bgs were placed in contact with vadose-zone sediments inside a recently drilled, uncased, borehole (C3360) located adjacent to Tank B-110. The sensor sets are part of the Vadose Zone Monitoring System and include advanced tensiometers, heat dissipation units, frequency domain reflectometers, thermal probes, and vadose zone solution samplers. Within the top meter of the surface, a water flux meter was deployed to estimate net infiltration from meteoric water (rain and snowmelt) sources. In addition, a rain gage was located within the tank farm to document on-site precipitation events. All sensor units, with the exception of the solution samplers, were connected to a solar-powered data logger located within the tankmore » farm. Data collected from these sensors are currently being accessed by modem and cell phone and will be analyzed as part of the DOE RL31SS31 project during the coming year (FY 2001).« less

Authors:
 [1];  [1];  [1];  [2];  [3];  [4]
+ Show Author Affiliations
  1. (BATTELLE (PACIFIC NW LAB))
  2. (UNKNOWN)
  3. (VISITORS)
  4. (CH2M HILL HANF GROUP INC)
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
Pacific Northwest National Lab., Richland, WA (US)
Sponsoring Org.:
US Department of Energy (US)
OSTI Identifier:
15001084
Report Number(s):
PNNL-13712
EW40AS010; TRN: US200323%%368
DOE Contract Number:
AC06-76RL01830
Resource Type:
Technical Report
Resource Relation:
Other Information: PBD: 30 Oct 2001
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS; 12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE WASTES, AND NON-RADIOACTIVE WASTES FROM NUCLEAR FACILITIES; BOREHOLES; GROUND WATER; MONITORING; SAMPLERS; SEDIMENTS; STORAGE FACILITIES; RADIOACTIVE WASTE STORAGE; HANFORD RESERVATION; SOILS; HYDROLOGY; SITE CHARACTERIZATION; HIGH-LEVEL RADIOACTIVE WASTES

Citation Formats

Gee, Glendon W., Ward, Anderson L., Ritter, Jason C., Sisson, James B., Hubbell, Joel M., and Sydnor, Harold A. Installation of a Hydrologic Characterization Network for Vadose Zone Monitoring of a Single-Shell Tank Farm at the U. S. Department of Energy Hanford Site. United States: N. p., 2001. Web. doi:10.2172/15001084.
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Gee, Glendon W., Ward, Anderson L., Ritter, Jason C., Sisson, James B., Hubbell, Joel M., & Sydnor, Harold A. Installation of a Hydrologic Characterization Network for Vadose Zone Monitoring of a Single-Shell Tank Farm at the U. S. Department of Energy Hanford Site. United States. doi:10.2172/15001084.
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Gee, Glendon W., Ward, Anderson L., Ritter, Jason C., Sisson, James B., Hubbell, Joel M., and Sydnor, Harold A. Tue . "Installation of a Hydrologic Characterization Network for Vadose Zone Monitoring of a Single-Shell Tank Farm at the U. S. Department of Energy Hanford Site". United States. doi:10.2172/15001084. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/15001084.
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@article{osti_15001084,
title = {Installation of a Hydrologic Characterization Network for Vadose Zone Monitoring of a Single-Shell Tank Farm at the U. S. Department of Energy Hanford Site},
author = {Gee, Glendon W. and Ward, Anderson L. and Ritter, Jason C. and Sisson, James B. and Hubbell, Joel M. and Sydnor, Harold A.},
abstractNote = {The Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, in collaboration with the Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory and Duratek Federal Services, deployed a suite of vadose-zone instruments at the B Tank Farm in the 200 E Area of the Hanford Site, near Richland, Washington, during the last quarter of FY 2001. The purpose of the deployment was to obtain in situ hydrologic characterization data within the vadose zone of a high-level-waste tank farm. Eight sensor nests, ranging in depth from 67 m (220 ft) below ground surface (bgs) to 0.9 m (3 ft) bgs were placed in contact with vadose-zone sediments inside a recently drilled, uncased, borehole (C3360) located adjacent to Tank B-110. The sensor sets are part of the Vadose Zone Monitoring System and include advanced tensiometers, heat dissipation units, frequency domain reflectometers, thermal probes, and vadose zone solution samplers. Within the top meter of the surface, a water flux meter was deployed to estimate net infiltration from meteoric water (rain and snowmelt) sources. In addition, a rain gage was located within the tank farm to document on-site precipitation events. All sensor units, with the exception of the solution samplers, were connected to a solar-powered data logger located within the tank farm. Data collected from these sensors are currently being accessed by modem and cell phone and will be analyzed as part of the DOE RL31SS31 project during the coming year (FY 2001).},
doi = {10.2172/15001084},
journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {Tue Oct 30 00:00:00 EST 2001},
month = {Tue Oct 30 00:00:00 EST 2001}
}
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DOI:  10.2172/15001084
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  • ; ; ; ...
    The overall goals of the Tank Farm Vadose Zone Project, led by CH2M HILL Hanford Group, Inc., are 1) to define risks from past and future single-shell tank farm activities, 2) to identify and evaluate the efficacy of interim measures, and 3) to aid, via collection of geochemical information and data, the future decisions that must be made by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) regarding the near-term operations, future waste retrieval, and final closure activities for the single-shell tank Waste Management Areas (WMAs). For a more complete discussion of the goals of the Tank Farm Vadose Zone Project, seemore » the overall work plan, Phase 1 RCRA Facility Investigation/Corrective Measures Study Work Plan for the Single-Shell Tank Waste Management Areas (DOE 1999). Specific details on the rationale for activities performed at WMA U are found in Crumpler (2003). To meet these goals, CH2M HILL Hanford Group, Inc., asked scientists from Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) to perform detailed analyses of vadose zone sediment collected within the U Single-Shell Tank Farm. Specifically, this report contains all the geochemical and selected physical characterization data collected on vadose zone sediment recovered from ten direct push characterization holes emplaced to investigate vadose zone contamination associated with potential leaks within the 241-U Single-Shell Tank Farm. Specific tanks targeted during this characterization campaign included tanks 241-U-104/241-U-105, 241-U-110, and 241-U-112. Additionally, this report compiles data from direct push samples collected north of tank 241-U-201, as well as sediment collected from the background borehole (C3393). After evaluating all the characterization and analytical data, there is no question that the vadose zone in the vicinity of tanks 241-U-104 and 241-U-105 has been contaminated by tank-related waste. This observation is not new, as gamma logging of drywells in the area has identified uranium contamination at the same depths interrogated by push hole C5602. Given that the deepest sample string analyzed from push hole C5602 contained trace activities of technetium-99, it is obvious that tank waste contamination has impacted the vadose zone to at least a depth of 92 ft bgs at this location. However, the scope of the sampling campaign was to acquire additional samples to better understand the aerial extent of contamination in the U Tank Farm; therefore, future characterization activities (i.e., a borehole) will be required to understand the total vertical depth of contamination at this location.« less

  • ; ; ; ...
    This data package discusses the geochemistry of vadose zone sediments beneath the single-shell tank (SST) farms at the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) Hanford Site. The purpose of the report is to provide a review of the most recent and relevant geochemical information available for the vadose zone beneath the SST farms and the Integrated Disposal Facility (IDF).

  • The U.S. Department of Energy Grand Junction Office (DOE-GJO) was tasked by the DOE Richland Operations Office (DOE-RL) to perform a baseline characterization of the gamma-ray-emitting radionuclides that are distributed in the vadose zone sediments beneath and around the single-shell tanks (SSTs) at the Hanford Site. The intent of this characterization is to determine the nature and extent of the contamination, to identify contamination sources when possible, and to develop a baseline of the contamination distribution that will permit future data comparisons. This characterization work also allows an initial assessment of the impacts of the vadose zone contamination as requiredmore » by the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA). This characterization project involves acquiring information regarding vadose zone contamination with borehole geophysical logging methods and documenting that information in a series of reports. This information is presently limited to detection of gamma-emitting radionuclides from both natural and man-made sources. Data from boreholes surrounding each tank are compiled into individual Tank Summary Data Reports. The data from each tank in a tank farm are then compiled and summarized in a Tank Farm Report. This document is the Tank Farm Report for the U Tank Farm. Logging operations used high-purity germanium detection systems to acquire laboratory-quality assays of the gamma-emitting radionuclides in the sediments around and below the tanks. These assays were acquired in 59 boreholes that surround the U Tank Farm tanks. Logging of all boreholes was completed in December 1995, and the last Tank Summary Data Report for the U Tank Farm was issued in September 1996.« less

  • ; ; ; ...
    This data package discusses the geochemistry of vadose zone sediments beneath the single-shell tank farms at the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) Hanford Site. The purpose of the report is to provide a review of the most recent and relevant geochemical process information available for the vadose zone beneath the single-shell tank farms and the Integrated Disposal Facility. Two companion reports to this one were recently published which discuss the geology of the farms (Reidel and Chamness 2007) and groundwater flow and contamination beneath the farms (Horton 2007).

  • ; ; ; ...
    Contaminant plume migration in the vadose zone from a leak at Tank 241-T-106 on the Hanford Site was modeled to determine the effect of coarse backfill covers on the infiltration of meteoric water and the subsequent transport of contaminants. Infiltration through the upper 2 m of soil cover was simulated for the period of 1947 to 2020 using hydraulic properties estimated for the backfill sediments. The Tank 241-T-106 leak was simulated for the period 1960 to 1990 using an infiltration average of 77 percent of precipitation. The results of the simulations indicate that increased meteoric water infiltration because of themore » presence of coarse surface sediments increases the rate of movement of {sup 106}Ru. The simulations show the {sup 106}Ru plume approaching the water table in the early 1980's, but subsequent radioactive decay appears to preclude the plume from moving into the saturated zone. The simulated {sup 137}Cs plume migrates considerably less distance than the {sup 106}Ru plume because of greater sorption. The increased plume mobility compared to previous simulations at lower infiltration rates implies that remedial action, in the form of an infiltration barrier, could be an effective means to inhibit the movement of the plume. 22 refs., 19 figs., 7 tabs.« less