Overview of a comprehensive environmental monitoring and surveillance program: The role of fish and wildlife

Conference · Sun May 01 04:00:00 EDT 1988

OSTI ID:6830929

Gray, R H

Concern about the effects of potential releases from nuclear and non-nuclear activities on the US Department of Energy's Hanford Site in southeastern Washington has evolved over four decades into a comprehensive environmental monitoring and surveillance program. The program includes field sampling, and chemical and physical analyses of air, surface and ground water, fish and wildlife, soil, foodstuffs, and natural vegetation. In addition to monitoring radioactivity in fish and wildlife, population numbers of key species are determined, usually during the breeding season. Data from monitoring efforts are used to assess the environmental impacts of Hanford operations and calculate the overall radiological dose to humans onsite, at the Site perimeter, or residing in nearby communities. Chinook salmon spawning in the Columbia River at Hanford has increased in recent years with a concomitant increase in winter nesting activity of bald eagles (Haliaeetus leucocephalus). An elk (Cervus elaphus) herd, established by immigration in 1972, is also increasing. Nesting Canada goose (Branta canadensis) and great blue heron (Ardea herodias), and various other animals, e.g., mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus) and coyotes (Canis latrans) are common. Measured exposure to penetrating radiation and calculated radiation doses to the public are well below applicable regulatory limits.

• Research Organization: Pacific Northwest Lab., Richland, WA (USA)
• DOE Contract Number: AC06-76RL01830
• OSTI ID: 6830929
• Report Number(s): PNL-SA-15922; CONF-8810204-1; ON: DE89000579
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

052000 -- Nuclear Fuels-- Waste Management
052002* -- Nuclear Fuels-- Waste Disposal & Storage
12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE WASTES FROM NUCLEAR FACILITIES
AIR
AIR QUALITY
BETA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BETA-MINUS DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BIOASSAY
CHEMICAL EFFLUENTS
COLUMBIA RIVER
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS
ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY
ENVIRONMENTAL TRANSPORT
EVALUATION
FEDERAL REGION X
FLUIDS
GASES
GROUND WATER
HANFORD RESERVATION
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
HYDROGEN ISOTOPES
ISOTOPES
LAND USE
LIGHT NUCLEI
MASS TRANSFER
MATERIALS
MONITORING
NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS
NORTH AMERICA
NUCLEI
ODD-EVEN NUCLEI
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PLANTS
RADIOACTIVE EFFLUENTS
RADIOACTIVE MATERIALS
RADIOACTIVE WASTES
RADIOISOTOPES
RADIONUCLIDE MIGRATION
RIVERS
SEDIMENTS
SOILS
STREAMS
SURFACE AIR
SURFACE WATERS
TRITIUM
US DOE
US ERDA
US ORGANIZATIONS
USA
WASHINGTON
WASTES
WATER
WATER QUALITY
WILD ANIMALS
YEARS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES