Selection of Vadose Zone Flow and Transport Properties with Gravel Fraction Corrections for the Hanford Site Composite Analysis and Cumulative Impact Evaluation
- INTERA, Inc., Austin, TX (United States)
This environmental calculation file (ECF) is a compilation of hydrologic and radiological/chemical properties to be used for the updated Hanford Site Composite Analysis (CA) and Cumulative Impact Evaluation (CIE) vadose zone (VZ) modeling. The CA will provide an all-pathways dose projection to a hypothetical future member of the public from all planned low-level radioactive waste disposal facilities and potential contributions from all other projected end-state sources of radioactive material left at the Hanford Site following site closure. Its primary purpose is to support the decision-making process of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) under DOE O 435.1 Chg 1, Radioactive Waste Management, related to managing low-level waste disposal facilities at the Hanford Site. The CIE evaluates the effects of cleanup decisions regarding groundwater quality in the Hanford Site Central Plateau (DOE/RL-2018-69, Cumulative Impact Evaluation Technical Approach Document). Due to the complexity and large number of waste sites in source operable units (OUs), the computational tools used for the CIE must be capable of representing a range of site conditions and source terms in the VZ while also efficiently computing the impact that cleanup decisions have on the underlying aquifer. Waste-site proximity between and within source OUs has resulted in contaminants commingling in the vadose and saturated zones in complex ways. Plume commingling requires cleanup decisions to be evaluated considering the surrounding waste sites and existing groundwater contamination, therefore demonstrating the need to evaluate cumulative impacts from the VZ to groundwater.
- Research Organization:
- Hanford Site (HNF), Richland, WA (United States); INTERA, Inc., Austin, TX (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE Office of Environmental Management (EM)
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC06-08RL14788
- OSTI ID:
- 1605425
- Report Number(s):
- ECF-HANFORD-19-0121-00; TRN: US2103909
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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