skip to main content
OSTI.GOV title logo U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Title: Tonopah Test Range Air Monitoring: Meteorological, Radiological, and Wind Transported Particulate Observations (CY 2019)

Technical Report ·
DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/1769960· OSTI ID:1769960
 [1];  [1];  [1];  [2];  [1];  [1]
  1. Desert Research Inst. (DRI), Las Vegas, NV (United States)
  2. Desert Research Inst. (DRI), Reno, NV (United States)

In 1963, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) (formerly the Atomic Energy Commission [AEC]), implemented Operation Roller Coaster on the Tonopah Test Range (TTR) and an adjacent area of the Nevada Test and Training Range (NTTR) (formerly the Nellis Air Force Range). This operation resulted in radionuclide-contaminated soils at the Double Tracks site and Clean Slate I, II, and III sites. This report documents observations made during ongoing monitoring of radiological, meteorological, and dust conditions at stations installed adjacent to the Clean Slate sites and at the TTR Sandia National Laboratories (SNL) Range Operations Center (ROC). The main objectives of the monitoring effort are to support the DOE Environmental Management Nevada Program (EM NV) in the safe remediation of the environmental legacy of nuclear device development and testing by determining if wind blowing across the Clean Slate sites is transporting particles of radionuclide-contaminated soil beyond the physical and administrative boundaries of the sites, and providing information for designing long-term monitoring of the sites. The monitoring program in 2019 included five stations. Station 400, located within TTR Area 3 and near the ROC, monitors conditions near the local workforce center. Stations 401 and 403 are located on the northern and southeastern perimeter fence lines, respectively, of the Clean Slate III site. Stations 404 and 405 are along the northern and eastern boundary fence, respectively, at Clean Slate II. The stations are generally downwind of the contaminated areas during either northwesterly or southerly winds, which are the predominant wind directions.

Research Organization:
Desert Research Inst. (DRI), Reno, NV (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE Office of Environmental Management (EM)
DOE Contract Number:
NA0003590
OSTI ID:
1769960
Report Number(s):
DOE/NV-0003590-60; DOE/NV/0003590-60
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English