Design of an effective radiological effluent and environmental surveillance program - history of Savannah River site environmental monitoring program design - 15308

Conference · Wed Jul 01 04:00:00 EDT 2015

OSTI ID:22822821

Eddy, Teresa; Meyer, Amy ^[1]; Jannik, Tim ^[2]; Whitney, Gail ^[3]

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1. Savannah River Nuclear Solutions, LLC (United States)
2. Savannah River National Laboratory (United States)
3. DOE-Savannah River Operations Office (United States)

An effective radiological effluent and surveillance program is critical for a nuclear facility to (1) comply with applicable regulations, (2) assess the potential impacts of operations to the environment and public, and (3) inform stakeholders and members of the public of any impacts. Radiological environmental monitoring includes three program elements - effluent monitoring, environmental surveillance, and dose assessments. The key to an effective program is defining the baseline and objectives based on regulatory requirements, identification of the critical exposure pathways, determining the spatial and temporal boundaries for the monitoring, and defining the reporting and action levels. Another key to an effective program is through continuous improvement by transforming the program based on operational facility changes and responding to technology advancements in the field of environmental monitoring. The history of the Savannah River Site's (SRS) environmental monitoring program is an example of an effective program that has transitioned, changed, and improved over the years based on the site missions and operations. From the beginning of five production reactors and two chemical separations facilities to the current Site missions of Environmental Stewardship, National Security, and Clean Energy, the SRS environmental monitoring program has evolved. SRS has a unique ecological environment with the Site area covering 80,300 hectares, five major streams that lead to the Savannah River, various water bodies, and varied meteorological conditions. Airborne and liquid pathways to human exposure are complex and it is necessary to use a graded approach when monitoring these pathways. The SRS environmental monitoring program is designed and effective in ensuring and verifying that there is a minimal exposure impact on the public and the environment from Site operations. (authors)

• Research Organization: WM Symposia, Inc., PO Box 27646, 85285-7646 Tempe, AZ (United States)
• OSTI ID: 22822821
• Report Number(s): INIS-US--19-WM-15308
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE WASTES FROM NUCLEAR FACILITIES
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
ENVIRONMENT
ENVIRONMENTAL EXPOSURE
INSPECTION
METEOROLOGY
NATIONAL SECURITY
NUCLEAR FACILITIES
POLLUTION REGULATIONS
RADIATION DOSES
RADIATION MONITORING
RADIOACTIVE EFFLUENTS
SAVANNAH RIVER
WATER