Summary ofthe Hanford Site Environmental Phhll.-l 3230-SUM summary of the Hanford Site Environmental Report for Calendar Year 1999 Wxxmn33 (ICI-31mm CN3TI Editors R. W. Hanf L. F. Morasch T. M. Poston G. P. O’Connor September 2000 This report was prepared for the U.S. Department of Energy by Pacific Northwest National Laboratory under contract DE-AC06-76RL0 1830, with contributions from F1uor Hanford, Inc. and its affiliate companies, Bechtel Hanford, Inc. and its subcontractors, CH2M HILL Hanford Group, Inc., and MACTEC-ERS Pacific Northwest National Laboratory Richland, Washington 99352 ... , .-. .._ .- ,+.,f - , ‘- ---- ,.., .’ .“” . .. .. ,- ,.’ 1 ‘- -- ./ : .~., ~ ,-~-~’: .,:, - -.. ,. ,, ->. - ... ,’ -’ .- ,’ This report’was prepared as~anaccj5iuntof,worR spoys$$d~$yan~a gen$y ofJhelJ~ted ‘States G.ov- ,. ~ ernment: Reference .herei’m to a<j”spec@ commercial :,pro~uct;- proces>,:o[: ~e@ce, by’ trade murk; ~,’; - “ trademark, manufacture~ or o~h,erwj+e’does not necessarilyjconstitute @rimply & endorsement, recom~ “ i mendat~on, o;, &“votifig- by. the Uqited States’?Go~ernrn.ent or-an~pgency thereof{ or Battelle”Me.rnorial -., ? I ––... L– .’; .r J\,/..., ,,. , 2 msmure. ,, .,. a ,>, ‘,.~. “. .,, A, .-. , ,, . f-t.,”.’, 7 Available to DOE and DOE contractors h’om the Office of ‘sc~eniificand Technical Info.rrnation, P.0~ ““’- - ! i’~~,; Box 62, Oak Ridge, TN 3783 1’; prices available ft’orn (815) 576.840-1=-Available to the public from the National Technical: Information $er~ce,.- ..>- .U&Department of Commerce, 5285 Port Royal Rd., ,, ~$ ~ - %fing!elfj, YA;.2~1 $1., ----- ‘-- ,,’ ,.- 7’; : t .“’ ‘M ,,> ----- ,,. ,., -.,. - . ,, .> ,. -, ,.. ,, ,.7, .-. ., ..- -,.,7, ,. ,- ... -’~, +., .“ ,- .,, ,- . .; ’.’-’ ,“” .< ”’, ,J ,. ,-~,’ /,, ,.- ,J . ,/ ,.,, .-’ . “. ,/’, , .. ~,. ... :’ .,( , .- . >4,: ,. ,7: ,-. .... ,. 1 ,“. ,. ‘f< ‘C.m7er 19esign,.-.-,.-. ‘-; ~~ “ .-% Thii”report-coyer shows photos of world weather patterns, the shrubsteppe”ecosystern‘1as viewed from ‘ k’~ the Rattlesnake Hills on the Hanford Site,’ and sandstone stratification: The images are intended to ! $represent climatology, environmental surveillance, and groundwater monitoring activities conducted ~ %,.. on the Site. The sandstone photo helps illustrate the concept of groundwater, although groundwater on !!,,: . *:frl# the Hanford Site,is found in a cobble/sand strata, not in layered sedimentary rock as shown. I ‘ Pacific Northwest P~3 National Laboratory . ,, a- Operated by Battelle for the d)LLt~ U.S.”Department of Energy,, -‘ ,,- -: ‘ . ,, --- .“-. +. .. under ‘Contract .DE-AC06-?6RL0 1830 r ,. .. ‘Printed in the’ United States of America This document was printed’on recycled paper. .,- apkk ., - ,- -+- . I I DISCLAIMER I This report was.prepared as an account of work sponsored by an agency of the United States Government. Neither the United States Government nor any agency thereof? nor any of their employees, make any warranty, express or implied, or assumes any legal liability or responsibility for’ the accuracy, completeness, or usefulness of any information, apparatus, product, or process disclosed, or I represents that its use would not infringe privately owned rights. Reference herein to any specific commercial product, process, or service by trade name, trademark, manufacturer, or otherwise does not necessarily constitute or imply its endorsement, recommendation, or favoring by the United States Government or any agency thereof. The views and opinions of authors expressed herein do not necessarily state or reflect those of the United States Government or any agency thereof. I I ,,, I , ,.,. ..,, .....7. - .,.. .. , . ,,. , . .. ,--- -- ,.. — —-. :.’ DISCLAIMER Portions of this document may be illegible in electronic image products. Images are produced from the best available original document. —-. —..— —.. - .- .— Contents introduction . 1 Overview of the Hanford Site and its Mission . 2 Site Description . 3 Operational Areas . .. 3 Historical Operations . 5 Mission and Maior Activities . 7 Environmental Management . 8 Waste Storage, Treatment, and Disposal . 9 Waste Tanks . 9 Immobilization of Waste Contained in Underground Tanks ....................................... 10 Liquid Waste Management ................................................................................... 10 ,. I Solid Waste Management ..................................................................................... 12 Environmental Restoration ........................................................................................... 13 Waste Site Remediation ........................................................................................ 13 Environmental Restoration Disposal Facili~ ............................................................. 13 Decommissioning Proiect ...................................................................................... 13 Revegetation and Mitigation Planning .................................................................... 14 Pollution Prevention Program ....................................................................................... 15 Compliance with Environmental Regulations ....................................................................... 16 Hanford Federal Facility Agreement and Consent Order ................................................ 18 Environmental Occurrences ......................................................................................... 18 I Potential Radiological Doses from 1999 Hanford Operations ............................................... 19 l:’ 1, Environmental Monitoring ................................................................................................. 21 ~,, Air ........................................................................................................................... 22 Sampling Near Facilities ...................................................................................... 22 Sampling Onsite and in Nearby/Distant Communities ............................................. 22 I Surface Water, Sediment, and Drinking Water .............................................................. 23 1OO-N Springs .................................................................................................... 24 Columbia River .................................................................................................... 24 I Riverbank Springs ................................................................................................ 25 Onsite Ponds ....................................................................................................... 25 Irrigation Canal ................................................................................................... 26 ... 111 Summary I L— Drinking Water . 26 Soil and Vegetation .................................................................................................... 26 Waste Disposal Units ........................................................................................... 26 Columbia River Shoreline and 1100 Area .............................................................. 26 Food and Farm Products ............................................................................................. 27 Fish and Wildlife ....................................................................................................... 28 Radiological Surveys and External Radiation ................................................................ 29 Near Facilities ..................................................................................................... 30 Onsite and OHsite Locations ................................................................................. 30 Groundwater and Vadose Zone .................................................................................. 31 Groundwater Protection and Monitoring ................................................................. 31 Vadose Zone Characterization/Monitoring at Tank Farms ........................................ 33 Vadose Zone Characterization/Monitoring at Liquid Waste Disposal Facilities ................................................................................................ 35 Quality Assurance ..................................................................................................... 36 Environmental Research and Monitoring ............................................................................ 37 Climate and Meteorology ........................................................................................... 37 Ecosystem Monitoring ................................................................................................ 38 Fall Chinook Salmon ............................................................................................ 38 Bald Eagles ......................................................................................................... 38 Hawks ................................................................................................................ 38 Rocky Mountain Elk .............................................................................................. 38 Canada Geese .................................................................................................... 39 Plant Biodiversity Inventories ................................................................................. 39 Other Important Biological Resources ..................................................................... 39 Cultural Resources ....................................................................................................