Potential radionuclide emissions from stacks on the Hanford site, Part 1: Dose assessment

Technical Report · Wed Feb 01 04:00:00 EST 1995

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/95677· OSTI ID:95677

Davis, W. E.; Barnett, J. M. ^[1]

---

1. Westinghouse Hanford Company, Richland, WA (United States)

On February 3, 1993, the U.S. Department of Energy, Richland Operations Office received a Compliance Order and Information Request from the Director of the Air and Toxics Division of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region 10. The Compliance Order requires RL to evaluate all radionuclide emission points at the Hanford Site to determine which are subject to continuous emission monitoring requirements in 40 CFR 61, Subpart H, and to continuously monitor radionuclide emissions in accordance with requirements in 40 CFR 61.93. The Information Request required RL to provide a written Compliance Plan to meet the requirements of the Compliance Order. A Compliance Plan was submitted to EPA, Region 10, on April 30, 1993. The Compliance Plan specified that a dose assessment would be performed for 84 Westinghouse Hanford Company stacks registered with the Washington State Department of Health on the Hanford Site. Stacks that have the potential emissions to cause an effective dose equivalent to a maximum exposed individual greater than 0.1 mrem/y must be monitored continuously for radionuclide emissions. Five methods were approved by EPA, Region 10 for performing the assessments: Release Fractions from Appendix D of 40 CFR 61, Back Calculations Using A HEPA Filtration Factor, Nondestructive Assay of HEPA Filters, A Spill Release Fraction, and Upstream of HEPA Filter Air Concentrations. The first two methods were extremely conservative for estimating releases. The third method, which used a state-of-the-art portable gamma spectrometer, yielded surprising results from the distribution of radionuclides on the HEPA filters. All five methods are described. Assessments using a HEPA Filtration Factor for back calculations identified 32 stacks that would have emissions that would cause an EDE to the MEI greater than 0.1 mrem y{sup {minus}1}. The number was reduced to 15 stacks when the other methods were applied. The paper discusses reasons for the overestimates.

• Research Organization: USDOE Assistant Secretary for Environment, Safety, and Health, Washington, DC (United States). Office of Environmental Guidance; Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC (United States). Office of Nuclear Regulatory Research; International Society of Nuclear Air Treatment Technologies, Inc., Batavia, OH (United States); Harvard Univ., Boston, MA (United States). Harvard Air Cleaning Lab.
• OSTI ID: 95677
• Report Number(s): NUREG/CP--0141; CONF-940738--; ON: TI95007828
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

05 NUCLEAR FUELS
22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS
EMISSION
GASEOUS WASTES
HANFORD RESERVATION
NUMERICAL DATA
RADIATION DOSES
STACKS