Results of Phase I groundwater quality assessment for single-shell tank waste management areas T and TX-TY at the Hanford Site
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) conducted a Phase I, Resource Conservation and Recovery Act of 1976 (RCRA) groundwater quality assessment for the Richland Field Office of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE-RL) under the requirements of the Federal Facility Compliance Agreement. The purpose of the investigation was to determine if the Single-Shell Tank Waste Management Areas (WMAs) T and TX-TY have impacted groundwater quality. Waste Management Areas T and TX-TY, located in the northern part of the 200 West Area of the Hanford Site, contain the 241-T, 241-TX, and 241-TY tank farms and ancillary waste systems. These two units are regulated under RCRA interim-status regulations (under 40 CFR 265.93) and were placed in assessment groundwater monitoring because of elevated specific conductance in downgradient wells. Anomalous concentrations of technetium-99, chromium, nitrate, iodine-129, and cobalt-60 also were observed in some downgradient wells. Phase I assessment, allowed under 40 CFR 265, provides the owner-operator of a facility with the opportunity to show that the observed contamination has a source other than the regulated unit. For this Phase I assessment, PNNL evaluated available information on groundwater chemistry and past waste management practices in the vicinity of WMAs T and TX-TY. Background contaminant concentrations in the vicinity of WMAs T and TX-TY are the result of several overlapping contaminant plumes resulting from past-practice waste disposal operations. This background has been used as baseline for determining potential WMA impacts on groundwater.
- Research Organization:
- Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE Assistant Secretary for Nuclear Energy, Washington, DC (United States)
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC06-76RL01830
- OSTI ID:
- 574233
- Report Number(s):
- PNNL-11809; ON: DE98051966; TRN: 98:003869
- Resource Relation:
- Other Information: PBD: Jan 1998
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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