Introduction CHAPTER

Timothy Jannik Savannah River National Laboratory 1 Al Mamatey Regulatory Integration & Environmental Services

he Savannah River Site (SRS), one of the facilities in the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) T complex, was constructed during the early 1950s to produce materials (primarily plutonium-239 and tritium) used in nuclear weapons. The site covers approximately 310 square miles in South Carolina and borders the Savannah River.

Mission Site Location, Demographics, and Environment SRS’s mission is to fulfill its responsibilities safely and securely in the stewardship of the nation’s SRS covers 198,344 acres in Aiken, Allendale, and nuclear weapons stockpile, nuclear materials, and Barnwell counties of South Carolina. The site is ap- the environment. These stewardship areas reflect QSPYJNBUFMZNJMFTTPVUIPG"JLFO 4PVUI$BSP- current and future missions to MJOB BOENJMFTTPVUIFBTUPG"VHVTUB (FPSHJB ¿JXUH± r NFFUUIFOFFETPGUIF64OVDMFBSXFBQPOT stockpile 5IFBWFSBHFQPQVMBUJPOEFOTJUZJOUIFDPVOUJFTTVS- SPVOEJOH434JTBCPVUQFPQMFQFSTRVBSFNJMF r TUPSF USFBU BOEEJTQPTFPGFYDFTTOVDMFBSNBUF- XJUIUIFMBSHFTUDPODFOUSBUJPOJOUIF"VHVTUBNFU- rials safely and securely SPQPMJUBOBSFB#BTFEPO64$FOTVT#VSFBV data, the population within a 50-mile radius of the r USFBUBOEEJTQPTFPGMFHBDZSBEJPBDUJWFMJRVJE DFOUFSPG434JTBQQSPYJNBUFMZ waste from the Cold War Water Resources r DMFBOVQSBEJPBDUJWFBOEDIFNJDBMFOWJSPONFO- tal contamination from previous site operations SRS is bounded on its southwestern border by the Savannah River for about 35 river miles and is ap- SRS continued in 2008 to improve environmental QSPYJNBUFMZSJWFSNJMFTGSPNUIF"UMBOUJD0DFBO RVBMJUZ DMFBOVQJUTMFHBDZXBTUFTJUFT NBOBHFBOZ waste produced from current operations, and plan 5IF4BWBOOBI3JWFSJTVTFEBTBESJOLJOHXBUFS GVUVSFPQFSBUJPOT5IJTJODMVEFEXPSLJOHXJUIUIF supply source for some residents upstream of SRS. South Carolina Department of Health and Envi- 5IFOFBSFTUEPXOSJWFSNVOJDJQBMESJOLJOHXBUFS ronmental Control (SCDHEC), the Environmental source (Beaufort-Jasper Water and Sewer Author- 1SPUFDUJPO"HFODZ &1" BOEUIF/VDMFBS3FHVMB- JUZT1VSSZTCVSH8BUFS5SFBUNFOU1MBOU JTMPDBUFE tory Commission to find mutually acceptable solu- BQQSPYJNBUFMZSJWFSNJMFTGSPNUIFTJUF5IF UJPOTGPSXBTUFEJTQPTJUJPO"TQBSUPGJUTPOHPJOH SJWFSBMTPJTVTFEGPSDPNNFSDJBMBOETQPSUàTIJOH NJTTJPO UIFTJUFXJMMDPOUJOVFUPBEESFTTUIFIJHIFTU CPBUJOH BOEPUIFSSFDSFBUJPOBMBDUJWJUJFT5IFSFBSF SJTLXBTUFNBOBHFNFOUJTTVFTCZXPSLJOHUPTBGFMZ OPLOPXOMBSHFTDBMFVTFTPGUIFSJWFSGPSJSSJHBUJPO EJTQPTFPGMJRVJEXBTUFBOETVSQMVTOVDMFBSNBUFSJ- CZGBSNJOHPQFSBUJPOTEPXOSJWFSPGUIFTJUF5IF BMTBUPGGTJUFMPDBUJPOT BOECZTBGFMZTUBCJMJ[JOHBOZ HSPVOEXBUFSáPXTZTUFNBU434DPOTJTUTPGGPVS waste tank residue. NBKPSBRVJGFST(SPVOEXBUFSHFOFSBMMZNJHSBUFT

Environmental Report for 2008 (SRNS–STI–2009–00190 ) 1-1 1 - Introduction

SRNL Map Figure 1–1 The Savannah River Site

SRS is located in South Carolina, about 12 miles south of Aiken, South Carolina, and about 15 miles southeast of Augusta, Georgia. The Savannah River flows along a portion of the site’s southwestern border. The capital letters within the SRS borders identify operations areas referenced throughout this report.

EPXOXBSEBTXFMMBTMBUFSBMMZJOSFDIBSHFBSFBT UIFHFPMPHJDBM'BMM-JOFUIBUTFQBSBUFTUIF$PBTUBM FWFOUVBMMZFJUIFSEJTDIBSHJOHJOUPUIF4BWBOOBI Plain from the Piedmont. 3JWFSBOEJUTUSJCVUBSJFTPSNJHSBUJOHJOUPUIFEFFQFS SFHJPOBMáPXTZTUFN434HSPVOEXBUFSJTVTFECPUI Land and Forest Resources GPSQSPDFTTFTBOEGPSESJOLJOHXBUFS About 90 percent of SRS land area consists of Geology OBUVSBMGPSFTUTBOENBOBHFEQJOFQMBOUBUJPOT XIJDI BSFQMBOUFE NBJOUBJOFE BOEIBSWFTUFECZUIF64 SRS is located on the southeastern Atlantic Coastal %FQBSUNFOUPG"HSJDVMUVSF'PSFTU4FSWJDFm4BWBO- 1MBJO XIJDIJTQBSUPGUIFMBSHFS"UMBOUJD1MBJOUIBU nah River. The site contains portions of three forest FYUFOETTPVUIGSPN/FX+FSTFZUP'MPSJEB5IF UZQFT0BL)JDLPSZ1JOF 4PVUIFSO.JYFE BOE DFOUFSPG434JTBQQSPYJNBUFMZNJMFTTPVUIFBTUPG 4PVUIFSO'MPPEQMBJO.PSFUIBO$BSPMJOBCBZT

1-2 Savannah River Site Introduction - 1

FYJTUPO4345IFTFVOJRVFXFUMBOETQSPWJEFJNQPS- around the worldCZSFDFJWJOH TUBCJMJ[JOH BOEEJT- UBOUIBCJUBUBOESFGVHFGPSNBOZQMBOUTBOEBOJNBMT QPTJUJPOJOHUIFGVFMTJOBTBGFBOEFOWJSPONFOUBMMZ sound manner. Animal and Plant Life Tritium Processing The majority of SRS is undeveloped; only about 10 percent of the total land area is developed or used 434USJUJVNGBDJMJUJFTFYUSBDUUSJUJVNGSPNBCTPSCFS for industrial facilities. The remainder is maintained rods received from the Tennessee Valley Authority, JOIFBMUIZ EJWFSTFFDPTZTUFNT"CPVUTQFDJFTPG and recycle tritium from nuclear weapons reservoirs CJSET TQFDJFTPGSFQUJMFT TQFDJFTPGBNQIJC- that have been returned from service. This allows the ians, 80 species of freshwater fish, and 50 species of 6OJUFE4UBUFTUPVTFJUTUSJUJVNTVQQMJFTFGGFDUJWFMZ mammals have been identified at SRS. and efficiently. Waste Management Primary Site Activities 434NBOBHFT Liquid Waste Operations r UIFMBSHFWPMVNFTPGSBEJPMPHJDBMBOEOPOSBEJP- 434DPOUJOVFEUPNBOBHFJUT-JRVJE8BTUF0QFSB- MPHJDBMXBTUFDSFBUFECZQSFWJPVTPQFSBUJPOTPG UJPOTGBDJMJUJFTJOTVQQPSUPGUIFJOUFHSBUFEIJHIBD- the nuclear reactors and their support facilities UJWJUZXBTUFSFNPWBMQSPHSBNJO5IJTJODMVEFE continued operation of the Defense Waste Process- r OFXMZHFOFSBUFEXBTUFDSFBUFECZPOHPJOHTJUF JOH'BDJMJUZ UIF4BMUTUPOF1SPEVDUJPO'BDJMJUZ UIF operations '"SFBBOE)"SFBUBOLGBSNTXJUIUIFJSUISFF BTTPDJBUFEFWBQPSBUPSTBOEUIFTUBSUVQBOETVD- "MUIPVHIUIFQSJNBSZGPDVTJTPOTBGFMZNBOBH- cessful operation of the Actinide Removal Process/ JOHUIFSBEJPBDUJWFMJRVJEXBTUF UIFTJUFBMTPNVTU .PEVMBS$BVTUJD4JEF4PMWFOU&YUSBDUJPO6OJUTBMU handle, store, treat, dispose of, and minimize solid QSPDFTTJOHGBDJMJUJFT"EFUBJMFEEFTDSJQUJPOPGUIF XBTUFSFTVMUJOHGSPNQBTU POHPJOH BOEGVUVSF TJUFT-JRVJE8BTUF0QFSBUJPOTBDUJWJUJFTDBOCF operations. Solid waste includes hazardous, low- GPVOEPOUIF$%BDDPNQBOZJOHUIJTSFQPSU MFWFM NJYFE TBOJUBSZ BOEUSBOTVSBOJDXBTUFT.PSF JOGPSNBUJPOBCPVUSBEJPBDUJWFMJRVJEBOETPMJE Separations wastes is included on the CD housed inside the back cover of this report. In the past, the SRS separations facilities processed UBSHFUTBOEGVFMGSPN434SFBDUPSTUPQSPEVDFNB- Area Completion Projects terials for nuclear weapons and isotopes for medical BOE/"4"BQQMJDBUJPOT4JODFUIFFOEPGUIF$PME 434T4PJMBOE(SPVOEXBUFS$MPTVSF1SPKFDUTBOE War in 1991, the mission of the facilities has shifted 4JUF%FBDUJWBUJPOBOE%FDPNNJTTJPOJOHPSHBOJ[B- to stabilization of nuclear materials from onsite and UJPOTNFSHFEJOUPDSFBUF"SFB$PNQMFUJPO PGGTJUFTPVSDFTGPSTBGFTUPSBHFPSEJTQPTJUJPO"O Projects (ACP). ACP personnel are responsible for important part of this mission is the conversion of the remediation of SRS inactive waste sites and con- XFBQPOTVTBCMFIJHIMZFOSJDIFEVSBOJVNUPMPXFO- UBNJOBUFEHSPVOEXBUFSUPSFEVDFSJTLBOEUPQSPUFDU riched uranium for use in the manufacture of com- human health and the environment. At the end of mercial reactor fuel, a key component of the nation’s PGUIFLOPXOXBTUFVOJUTXFSFDPN- OVDMFBSOPOQSPMJGFSBUJPOQSPHSBN plete, 142 were in the assessment phase, and 13 were in the remediation phase. Spent Nuclear Fuel Storage 5IFSFNFEJBUJPOJTSFHVMBUFEVOEFSUIF$PNQSFIFO- SRS’s spent nuclear fuel facilities store fuel elements sive Environmental Response, Compensation, and GSPNBWBSJFUZPGGPSFJHOBOEEPNFTUJDSFBDUPST -JBCJMJUZ"DU $&3$-" BOEUIF3FTPVSDF$POTFS- 5IFNJTTJPOPGUIFTQFOUOVDMFBSGVFMQSPHSBNJTUP vation and Recovery Act (RCRA). This is accom- cost-effectively eliminate the hazards associated with QMJTIFEUISPVHIUIF434'FEFSBM'BDJMJUZ"HSFFNFOU MFHBDZTQFOUOVDMFBSGVFMfrom research reactors ''" <''" > BUSJQBSUZBHSFFNFOUCFUXFFO

Environmental Report for 2008 (SRNS–STI–2009–00190 ) 1-3 1 - Introduction

&1" 4$%)&$ BOE%0&5IF''"QSPWJEFTHVJEF- 'PSJOTUBODF TIBMMPXDPOUBNJOBUFEHSPVOEXBUFS lines that BMFHBDZáPXTTMPXMZUPXBSEPOTJUFTUSFBNTBOE TXBNQTBOEJOUPUIF4BWBOOBI3JWFS*OPOHPJOHTJUF r HPWFSOUIFSFNFEJBMQSPDFTTUIBU%0&m43 PQFSBUJPOT SFMFBTFTPDDVSEVSJOHUIFQSPDFTTJOHPG GPMMPXTUPFOTVSFUIFJOWFTUJHBUJPOBOESFNFEJB- nuclear materials. tion of waste units that pose an unacceptable risk. .FFUJOHDFSUBJOSFHVMBUJPOT TVDIBTUIF4BGF%SJOL- JOH8BUFS"DUBOEUIF$MFBO"JS"DU SFRVJSFTUIBU r FOTVSFUIBU434TBUJTàFT3$3"BOE$&3$-" releases of radioactive materials from site facilities SFRVJSFNFOUT be limited to very small fractions of the amount handled. The site follows an optimization philoso- r JODMVEFDMFBOVQTDIFEVMFTGPS434XBTUFVOJUT phy that emissions will be kept as low as reasonably achievable. %VSJOH "$1DPOUSJCVUFEUPBOVNCFSPGJOJUJB- UJWFTUIBUTVQQPSU434DMFBOVQ JODMVEJOH àOBM Pathways DMPTVSFPGUIFIJHIFTUSJTLXBTUFVOJUJOUIFFOWJSPO- NFOUBMSFNFEJBUJPOQSPHSBNUIF(FOFSBM4FQBSB- The routes that contaminants can follow to enter UJPOT"SFB$POTPMJEBUJPO6OJUXIJDIDPOTJTUFEPG the environment and then reach people are known TFWFOXBTUFTVCVOJUT JODMVEJOHUIFBDSF0ME BTFYQPTVSFQBUIXBZT"QFSTPOQPUFOUJBMMZDBOCF 3BEJPBDUJWF8BTUF#VSJBM(SPVOE TVDDFTTGVM FYQPTFEXIFOIFPSTIFCSFBUIFTUIFBJS DPOTVNFT SFNPWBMPGNPSFUIBO QPVOETPG%FOTF/PO- locally produced foods and milk, drinks water from BRVFPVT1IBTF-JRVJEUISPVHI%ZOBNJD6OEFS- UIF4BWBOOBI3JWFS FBUTàTIDBVHIUGSPNUIFSJWFS HSPVOE4USJQQJOH CSJOHJOHUIFUPUBMSFNPWFECZUIJT or uses the river for recreational activities such as QSPDFTTUPBQQSPYJNBUFMZ QPVOET XIJDI CPBUJOH TXJNNJOH FUD CFHBOPQFSBUJPOTBU."SFBJO"VHVTU UIF JOTJUVFOETUBUFBHSFFNFOUCFUXFFO4$%)&$ &1" 0OFXBZUPEFUFSNJOFJGDPOUBNJOBOUTGSPNUIFTJUF BOE%0&GPSCPUIUIF3BOE1SFBDUPSBSFBTBOE IBWFSFBDIFEUIFFOWJSPONFOUJTUISPVHIFOWJSPO- the removal of more than 4,000 depleted uranium NFOUBMNPOJUPSJOH5IFTJUFHBUIFSTUIPVTBOETPGBJS PYJEFESVNTGSPN3"SFB XIJDIBMMPXFEUIFàOBM XBUFS TPJM TFEJNFOU GPPE WFHFUBUJPO BOEBOJNBM BTTFTTNFOUBOEDMPTVSFPGUIF3"SFB0QFSBCMF6OJU samples each year. The samples are analyzed for UPHFUVOEFSXBZ potential contaminants released from site opera- UJPOT BOEUIFQPUFOUJBMSBEJBUJPOFYQPTVSFUPUIF .PSFJOGPSNBUJPOBCPVU"$1TPQFSBUJPOTJT public is assessed. Samples are taken at the points JODMVEFEPOUIF$%BDDPNQBOZJOHUIJTSFQPSU where materials are released from (1) the facilities FGáVFOUNPOJUPSJOH BOE UIFFOWJSPONFOUJUTFMG Effluent Monitoring and Environmental (environmental surveillance). SCDHEC and the Surveilance (FPSHJB%FQBSUNFOUPG/BUVSBM3FTPVSDFTBMTPIBWF QSPHSBNTJOQMBDFUPNPOJUPSUIFFOWJSPONFOUJO 434TBNQMJOHMPDBUJPOT TBNQMFNFEJB TBNQMJOH and around SRS. GSFRVFODZ BOEUZQFTPGBOBMZTJTBSFTFMFDUFECBTFE POFOWJSPONFOUBMSFHVMBUJPOT FYQPTVSFQBUIXBZT Research and Development public concerns, and measurement capabilities. The selections also reflect the site’s commitment to (1) 5IF4BWBOOBI3JWFS/BUJPOBM-BCPSBUPSZ 43/- TBGFUZ QSPUFDUJOHIVNBOIFBMUI SFEVDJOH the site’s applied research and development labora- the risks associated with past, present, and future UPSZDSFBUFT UFTUT BOEJNQMFNFOUTTPMVUJPOTUP PQFSBUJPOT JNQSPWJOHDPTUFGGFDUJWFOFTT BOE 434TUFDIOPMPHJDBMDIBMMFOHFT0UIFSFOWJSPONFO- NFFUJOHSFHVMBUPSZSFRVJSFNFOUT UBMSFTFBSDIJTDPOEVDUFEBU434CZUIFGPMMPXJOH PSHBOJ[BUJPOT Releases r Savannah River Ecology Laboratory (SREL) m Releases to the environment of radioactive and .PSFJOGPSNBUJPODBOCFPCUBJOFECZDPOUBDUJOH OPOSBEJPBDUJWFNBUFSJBMTDPNFGSPNMFHBDZDPO- 43&-BUmmPSCZWJFXJOHUIFMBCPSB- UBNJOBUJPOBTXFMMBTGSPNPOHPJOHTJUFPQFSBUJPOT UPSZTXFCTJUFBUIUUQXXXVHBFEVTSFM"MTP

1-4 Savannah River Site Introduction - 1

43&-TUFDIOJDBMQSPHSFTTSFQPSUGPSJTJO- SFQPSUJTJODMVEFEPOUIF$%BDDPNQBOZJOHUIJT DMVEFEPOUIF$%BDDPNQBOZJOHUIJTEPDVNFOU document. r U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service– r Savannah River Archaeological Research Savannah River (USFS–SR) m.PSFJOGPSNB- Program (SRARP) m.PSFJOGPSNBUJPODBOCF UJPODBOCFPCUBJOFECZDPOUBDUJOH64'4m43 PCUBJOFECZDPOUBDUJOH43"31BUmm BUmmPSmmPSCZWJFXJOH PSCZWJFXJOHUIF43"31XFCTJUFBUIUUQ UIF64'4m43XFCTJUFBUIUUQXXXTSTHPW XXXTSBSQPSH. HFOFSBMTSGTTSGTIUN"MTP 64'4m43T

Environmental Report for 2008 (SRNS–STI–2009–00190 ) 1-5