Ecological studies related to construction of the Defense Waste Processing Facility on the Savannah River Plant. FY 1983-84 annual report

Technical Report · Sat Dec 01 04:00:00 EST 1984

OSTI ID:5890450

Pechmann, J H.K.; Semlitsch, R D; Lew, R M; Mayack, D T

This report details the ecological studies, conducted during Fiscal Years FY- 1983 and 1984 by the Savannah River Ecology Laboratory (SREL), that relate to the construction of the Defense Waste Processing Facility (DWPF) on the Savannah River Plant (SRP) near Aiken, South Carolina. SREL has been contracted to carry out these studies for the Department of Energy (DOE) in order to provide data needed to show compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969, the Endangered Species Act of 1973, and Executive Order 11990 (Protection of Wetlands, 1977). Studies in previous years were directed toward compiling a biological inventory of both the DWPF construction site and alternative sites. This information was then utilized to predict the effects of construction on resident biota in the effected areas. Since the start of this construction of FY-1984, the focus of our efforts has shifted to verification of the predicted impacts, and evaluation of the effectiveness of mitigation measures. Particular emphasis is being placed on monitoring the effects of runoff from the site on peripheral streams in the SRP's Upper Three Runs watershed, and on artificial refuge ponds. These ponds, completed during FY-1983, represent an experimental attempt to mitigate the loss of an important amphibian breeding site, Sun Bay, to DWPF construction. Monitoring of a similar undisturbed wetland, Rainbow Bay, has continued in order to provide a comparable control site for these studies. 70 refs., 17 figs., 20 tabs.

• Research Organization: Savannah River Ecology Lab., Aiken, SC (USA)
• DOE Contract Number: AC09-76SR00819
• OSTI ID: 5890450
• Report Number(s): SREL-17; ON: DE85011522
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

052001 -- Nuclear Fuels-- Waste Processing
053000* -- Nuclear Fuels-- Environmental Aspects
11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS
12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE WASTES FROM NUCLEAR FACILITIES
520302 -- Environment
Aquatic-- Radioactive Materials Monitoring & Transport-- Aquatic Ecosystems & Food Chains-- (-1987)
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
AMPHIBIANS
ANIMAL BREEDING
ANIMALS
AQUATIC ECOSYSTEMS
AQUATIC ORGANISMS
BIRDS
CHEMISTRY
CONSTRUCTION
DATA
ECOLOGY
ECOSYSTEMS
ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS
ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY
ENVIRONMENTAL TRANSPORT
EROSION
EXPERIMENTAL DATA
FISHES
HYDROLOGY
INFORMATION
INVERTEBRATES
MAMMALS
MASS TRANSFER
MONITORING
NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS
NUCLEAR FACILITIES
NUMERICAL DATA
PLANTS
RADIOACTIVE WASTE FACILITIES
REPTILES
RUNOFF
SAVANNAH RIVER PLANT
STREAMS
SURFACE WATERS
US AEC
US DOE
US ERDA
US ORGANIZATIONS
VERTEBRATES
WATER CHEMISTRY
WATER QUALITY
WETLANDS