2012 Update to the Site Discharge Pollution Prevention Plan, Rev. 1: Sandia/Mortandad Watershed Receiving Waters: Sandia Canyon, Cañada del Buey, Mortandad Canyon, and Ten-Site Canyon (Vol. 2)
- Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)
Two historical industrial activity areas are associated with S001, S-SMA-0.25: Sites 03-013(a) and 03-052(f). Solid Waste Management Unit (SWMU) 03-013(a) is a 1500-ft-long corrugated metal pipe (CMP) storm drain that served building 03-0038. The storm drain ran underground around building 03-0038, east along the south side of the Otowi Building (building 03-0261) and connected to four other storm drains before daylighting 100 ft east of the Otowi Building where it became an open concrete- and rock-lined ditch. The open drain continued past transportable office buildings (buildings 03-1616 and 03-1617) and passed beneath streets and sidewalks to a point northeast of the Oppenheimer Study Center (building 03-0207) where it discharged to the SWMU 03-052(f) outfall before draining into Sandia Canyon. Most of the CMP associated with SWMU 03-013(a) was removed in 2004 to accommodate the construction of the National Security Science Building (03-1400) and a new parking structure (03-1402) east of the Otowi Building. The CMP was managed as nonhazardous/nonradioactive industrial waste. Inspection of the drainline trench showed no evidence of a release from the drainpipe. A new storm drainline was installed west of SWMU 03-052(f) to manage storm water runoff from the new parking structure. The new storm drain discharges to SWMU 03-052(f). Potential contaminants associated with industrial materials historically managed at this Site are metals and petroleum products. SWMU 03-052(f) is a formerly permitted outfall (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency [EPA] 03A023) that received wastewater from floor drains [Area of Concern (AOC) 03-013(b)], sinks, water fountains, and a storm drain [SWMU 03-013(a)], which served building 03-0038 until 1987 when the drains in building 03-0038 were rerouted to the Technical Area 03 (TA-03) sanitary sewer system. Stoddard solvents, dry acid, and caustic materials from the maintenance shop were discarded through sinks and floor drains to this outfall. Spent paint solvents and cutting oils contaminated with machined beryllium particles may also have been released to the floor drains during the 1960s and 1970s. In addition, cooling water for welding torches was discharged directly to the drains. The first spill was approximately 200 gal. of a water-waste oil mixture that was discharged when an automatic compressor blowdown mechanism failed. A second spill from a ruptured air-compressor oil line resulted in the release of approximately 1 qt of compressor oil to the drain. This spill produced an oily sheen on the surface of the water at the SWMU 03-052(f) outfall. A third spill occurred when approximately 15 gal. of diesel fuel was released from a ruptured truck fuel line into the utilities construction trench between buildings 03-1793 and 03-1794. On the same day, a clay sewer pipe in the utility trench broke, releasing approximately 2000 gal. of wastewater into the excavation. A sump was used to remove the wastewater from the excavation, and the wastewater was discharged to SWMU 03-052(f). The diesel-contaminated asphalt and soil were removed and disposed of. Runoff from parking lots and the surrounding areas also discharges to the outfall. Outfall 03A023 was removed from the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit on July 11, 1997. Potential contaminants associated with industrial materials historically managed at this Site are volatile organic solvents, petroleum products, and metals included in discharges from the maintenance contractor’s shop in building 03-38 and three reported petroleum hydrocarbon spills.
- Research Organization:
- Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA)
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC52-06NA25396
- OSTI ID:
- 1178317
- Report Number(s):
- LA-UR-13-22492
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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