I MARSHALL ISLANDS FILE TRACKING DOCUMENT Record Number: 2 35 File Name (TITLE): Document Number (ID): Previous Location (FROM): C7K AUTHOR: Addditional Information: OrMIbox: CyMIbox: Office of Technology Assessment Congressional Board of the 10lst Congress EDWARD M. KENNEDY, Massachusetts, Chairman CLARENCE E. MILLER, Ohio, Vice Chairman Senate House ERNEST F. HOLLINGS MORRIS K. UDALL South Carolina Arizona CLAIBORNE PELL GEORGE E. BROWN, JR Rhode Island California TED STEVENS JOHN D. DINGELL Alaska Michigan ORRIN G. HATCH DON SUNDQUIST Utah Tennessee CHARLES E. GRASSLEY AM0 HOUGHTON Iowa ,Irew York JOHN H. GIBBONS (Nonvoting) Advisory Council DAVID S. POTTER, Chairman NEIL E. HARL WILLIAM J. PERRY General Motors Corp. (Ret.) Iowa State University H&Q Technology Partners CHASE N. PETERSON, Vice Chairman JAMES C. HUNT SALLY RIDE University of Utah University of Tennessee California Space tnstitute CHARLES A. BOWSHER HENRY KOFFLER JOSEPH E. ROSS General Accounting Ofice University of Arizona Congressional Research Servtce MICHEL T. HALBOUTY JOSHUALEDERBERG JOHN F..M. SIMS .Michel T. Halbouty Energy Co. Rockefeller University Usibelli Coal ,Liine, Inc. Director JOHN H. GIBBONS The Technology Assessment Board approves the release of this report. The views expressed in this report are not necessarily those of the Board, OTA Advisory Council, or individual members thereof. The Containment of UNDERGROUND NUCLEAR EXPLOSIONS CONGRESS OF THE UNITED STATES OFFICE OF TECHNOLOGY ASSESSMENT Recommended Citation: U.S. Congress, Office of Technology Assessment, The Containment of Underground Nuclear Explosions, OTA-EC-414 (Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office. October 1989). Library of Congress Catalog Card Number 89-600707 For sale by the Superintendent of Documents U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington, DC 20402-9325 (order form can be found in the back of this report) Workshop 1: Containment Monday, Sept. 26,1988 Environmental Research Center University of Nevada, Las Vegas Neville G. Cook, Chair Department of Material Science and Mineral Engineering University of California Frederick N. App Evan Jenkins Section Leader U.S. Geological Survey Containment Geophysics Joseph LaComb Los Alamos National Laboratory Chief Norman R. Burkhard Nevada Operations Office Containment Program bader Defense Nuclear Agency Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory James K. Magruder Assistant Manager for Operations and Engineering Jim Carothers Chairman Nevada Operations Office Containment Evaluation Panel U.S. Department of Energy Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory Paul Orkild Jack Evemden U.S. Geological Survey Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory Edward W. Peterson U.S. Geological Survey Containment Project Director Robert A. Fulkerson S-CUBED Executive Director John Stewart Citizen Alert Director Test Operations Division Jack W. House Nevada Operations Office Containment Program Manager Los Alamos National Laboratory U.S. Department of Energy Billy C. Hudson Deputy Containment Program Leader Lawrence Liver-more National Laboratory , iV Foreword Within weeks after the ending of World War II, plans for the first nuclear test series “Operation Crossroads” were underway. The purpose then, as now, was to develop new weapon systems and to study the effects of nuclear explosions on military equipment. The development of the nuclear testing program has been paralled by public opposition from both an arms control and an environmental perspective. Much of the criticism is due to the symbolic nature of testing nuclear weapons and from the radiation hazards associated with the early practice of testing in the atmosphere. Recently, however, specific concerns have also been raised about the current underground testing program; namely: l Are testing practices safe? l Could an accidental release of radioactive material escape undetected? l Is the public being fully informed of all the dangers emanating from the nuclear testing program? These concerns are fueled in part by the secrecy that surrounds the testing program and by publicized problems at nuclear weapons production facilities. At the request of the House Committee on Interior and Insular Affairs and Senator Omn G. Hatch, OTA undertook an assessment of the containment and monitoring practices of the nuclear testing program. This special report reviews the safety of the nuclear testing program and assesses the technical procedures used to test nuclear weapons and ensure that radioacuve material produced by test explosions remains contained underground. An overall evaluation considers the acceptability of the remaining risk and discusses reasons for the lack oi public confidence. In the course of this assessment, OTA drew on the experience of many organizations and individuals. We appreciate the assistance of the U.S. Government agencies and pnvate companies who contributed valuable information, the workshop participants who provided guidance and review, and the many additional reviewers who helped ensure the accuracy and objectivity of this report. JOHN H. GIBBONS OTA Project Staff-The Containment of Underground Nuclear Explosions Lionel S. Johns, Assistant Director, OTA Energy, Materials, and International Security Division Peter Shadman, International Security and Commerce Program Manager* Alan Shaw, International Security and Commerce Program Manager** Gregory E. van der Vink, Project Director Administrative Staff Jannie Home (through November 1988) Marie C. Parker (through April 1989) Jackie Robinson Louise Staley Through February 1989. ‘Tram March 1989. Vi Workshop 2: Monitoring Tuesday, Sept. 27,1988 Environmental Research Center University of Nevada, Las Vegas Melvin W. Carter, Chair Neely Professor Emeritus Georgia Institute of Technology Bemd Franke Lynn R. Anspaugh IFEU Division tiader Environmental Sciences Division Robert A. Fulkerson Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory Executive Director Citizen Alert Bruce Church Assistant Manager for Environmental Safety and Michael A. Marelli Health Chief, Health Protection Branch Nevada Operations Office Health Physics and Environmental Division U.S. Department of Energy Nevada Operations Office U.S. Department of Energy Charles F. Costa Director Darryl Randerson Nuclear Radiation Assessment Division Weather Service United States Environmental Protection Agency Nuclear Office Donald R. Elle Chief, Technical Projects Branch Health Physics and Environmental Division Nevada Operations Office U.S. Department of Energy Workshop 2: Monitoring fiesday, Sept. 27,1988 Environmental Research Center University of Nevada, Las Vegas Melvin W. Carter, Chair Neely Professor Emeritus Georgia Institute of Technology Bemd Franke Lynn R. Anspaugh IFEU Division tiader Environmental Sciences Division Robert A. Fulkerson Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory Executive Director Citizen Alert Bruce Church Assistant Manager for Environmental Safety and Michael A. Marelli Health Chief, Health Protection Branch Nevada Operations Office Health Physics and Environmental Divi\~on U.S. Department of Energy Nevada Operations Office U.S. Department of Energy Charles F. Costa Director Darryl Randerson Nuclear Radiation Assessment Division Weather Service United States Environmental Protection Agency Nuclear Office Donald R. Elle Chief, Technical Projects Branch Health Physics and Environmental Division Nevada Operations Office U.S. Department of Energy Y Workshop 2: Monitoring lbesday, Sept. 27,1988 Environmental Research Center University of Nevada, Las Vegas Melvin W. Carter, Chair Neely Professor Emeritus Georgia Institute of Technology Bemd Franke Lynn R. Anspaugh IFEU Division Leader Environmental Sciences Division Robert A. Fulkerson Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory Executive Director Citizen Alert Bruce Church Assistant Manager for Environmental Safety and Michael A. Marelli Health Chief, Health Protection Branch Nevada Operations Office Health Physics and Environmental Division U.S. Department of Energy Nevada Operations Office U.S. Depamnent of Energy Charles F. Costa Director Darryl Randerson Nuclear Radiation Assessment Division Weather Service United States Environmental Protection Agency Nuclear Office Donald R. Elle Chief, Technical Projects Branch Health Physics and Environmental Division Nevada Operations Office U.S. Department of Energy Contents Page Chapter 1. Executive Summary .......................................................... 3 Chapter 2. The Nuclear Testing Program. ................................................ 11 Chapter 3. Containing Underground Nuclear Explosions .................................... 31 Chapter 4. Monitoring Accidental Radiation Releases ...................................... 59 Acknowledgments OTA gratefully acknowledges the valuable contributions made by the following: Lynn R. Anspaugh David Graham Lawrence Livetmore National Laboratory Moore College of Art Frederick N. App Jack W. House Los Alamos National Laboratory Los Alamos National Laboratory Nick Aquilina Billy C. Hudson U.S. Department of Energy Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory Charles Archambeau Evan Jenkins CIRES, University of Colorado, Boulder U.S. Geological Survey Stuart C. Black Gerald W. Johnson U.S. Environmental Protection Agency University of California Carter Broyles Joseph W. LaComb Sandia National Laboratory Defense Nuclear Agency Norman R. B&hard James K. Magruder Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory U.S. Department of Energy John H. Campbell Michael A. Marelli U.S. Department of Energy U.S. Department of Energy Jim Carothers