ORRHES Meeting Minutes,
March 3, 2003
Agenda Review, Correspondence, and Announcements
Agenda Review
Kowetha Davidson reviewed highlights of the agenda for the meeting, dated
February 20, 2003:
- Project update/administrative update presentation by Burt Cooper and
Jerry Pereira.
- Presentation and discussion of the
Oak Ridge Environmental Information System (OREIS).
- Presentation by
Tim Joseph on the DOE site annual environmental report.
- Work group presentations.
- Presentation by Karl Markiewicz on the ASTDR
screening process for chemicals.
- Public Health Assessment Work Group
presentation.
- Final public comment period of the meeting at 6:15 PM.
- Work group
recommendations.
Correspondence
No correspondence to report since the December 3, 2002 ORRHES meeting.
Announcements
Dinner meal arrangements.
No other announcements.
Approval of December 3, 2002 ORRHES Meeting
Minutes
A motion to approve the minutes of the December 3, 2002 ORRHES meeting
was received and seconded. The minutes of the December 3, 2002 ORRHES
meeting were approved by voice vote with none opposed.
Status of Action items – list
provided
The list of action items was reviewed by the Subcommittee. La Freta
Dalton highlighted that a copy of the Savannah River Site Needs Assessment
was provided to the ORRHES members with the mailing for today’s
meeting; therefore, the action item for Theresa NeSmith from the Dec
3, 2002 ORRHES meeting to provide that document has been completed.
James Lewis commented that the action items list has many items listed
as “ongoing” and asked to know the status of those items.
La Freta Dalton responded that the status of ongoing or pending action
items will be determined and reported to ORRHES members.
ATSDR Project and Administrative Update
Project update presentation by Burt Cooper:
Burt Cooper (ATSDR) reported that everything is on schedule per the project
plan. Media specific chemical screening work is on schedule, the Y-12
uranium releases Public Health Assessment (PHA) is on schedule, the
work on the mercury chemical specific PHA has begun, the work on the
PHA for releases to White Oak Creek has begun.
James Lewis commented, regarding the project plan, that the completion
status on the project plan distributed to ORRHES members does not seem
to reflect the known degree of completion. ATSDR please update the project
plan for ORRHES. Burt Cooper responded that ATDSR will provide an update
completion summary to ORRHES members, and added that he has just verbally
reported only on the status of PHA activities of the project plan. For
example, the status of the Needs Assessment will be routinely reported
by Theresa NeSmith.
James Lewis asked for a target date for the next list of references
to be presented and the schedule for the next contaminant for PHA evaluation.
Burt Cooper responded that he could provide those dates and the next
PHAs will be for releases into White Oak Creek and releases of mercury,
which are scheduled for presentation to the PHAWG on the same date April
7, 2003.
Administrative update presentation by Jerry Pereira:
Jerry Pereira reported that Bill Murray has left the ATSDR field office
in Oak Ridge and provided an updated plan for staffing of the ATSDR
field office. Arrangements have been made for Bill Taylor to replace
Bill Murray in the Oak Ridge field office. Bill Taylor is a toxicologist
from the U.S. Food and drug Administration (FDA) who has worked for
ATSDR in the past. Bill Taylor also is very community oriented and
capable of writing health assessments. Hopefully Bill Taylor will begin
work in the field office this month. Until Bill Taylor is present full
time, the field office in Oak Ridge will be staffed by personnel from
Atlanta including: Lorine Spencer, Marilyn Palmer (this week and next
week). Perhaps the Federal Facilities Branch can provide a person during
the third week of March. If Bill Taylor is not available the last week
of March then Jerry Pereira will work with La Freta Dalton to arrange
for staffing of the field office. The SEEP employee funding, plus additional
funds from Dr. Falk, will be used to employ Melissa Fish on the project
on a permanent, full-time basis at the field office along with Bill
Taylor who will be full-time in the field office. Also on the project
are Lorine Spencer at 60% to 70% of her time, La Freta Dalton at 60%
to 70% of her time, and Jack Hanley full time working on the project.
Thus, five ATSDR staff persons are working on the project full time
or nearly full time. Office hours will be posted on the field office
door each week this month. ATSDR will try to have the field office
open as much as possible this month. This month, please call the field
office before visiting to make sure it is open.
Charles Washington asked whether the field office will be filled with
permanent staff at some time in the future. Jerry Pereira confirmed that
two permanent persons will staff the field office full time, Bill Taylor
and Melissa Fish.
Charles Washington cautioned Subcommittee members about making comments
that include statements about exposures being of no concern to the community;
it would be advisable to refrain from that because any radioactive particle
can be of concern depending on the age of the exposed individual.
James Lewis expressed thanks to Lorine Spencer for her excellent work
on community involvement tasks for the project thus far. Kowetha Davidson
expressed appreciation for all of the time that Bill Murray has been
in the ATSDR field office in Oak Ridge to date. Barbara Sonnenburg suggested
that the Subcommittee thank Bill Murray in writing. Kowetha Davidson
responded that she has already sent Bill Murray a card on behalf of the
Subcommittee. There was also a reception in honor of Bill Murray.
Presentation and Discussion: Oak Ridge Environmental
Information System
Presentation and Discussion:
Oak Ridge Environmental Information System (OREIS)
Deidre Tharpe – Program Manager, Q Systems, Inc.
Teresa James Environmental Information Management (EIM) Program manager
for Bechtel Jacobs (BJC) first stated that OREIS is a BJC project within
the BJC EIM Program. Teresa James expressed appreciation for the opportunity
to visit ORRHES and demonstrate the OREIS application, and introduced
Deidre Tharpe of Q Systems, OREIS Project Manager.
Presentation by Deidre Tharpe (project manager):
OREIS is a centralized, standardized, quality assured and configuration
controlled environmental data management system. The database contains
about 12 million analytical and field results and 25 gigabytes of GIS
(geographic information system) data encompassing the Oak Ridge Reservation
(ORR), Paducah site, and the Portsmouth site.
The OREIS application was first released in 1994 as a workstation application,
and it was converted to a web based application in 1996. Sampling and
field data are added to the OREIS weekly. OREIS was developed to fulfill
Environmental information management obligations of DOE-ORO under the
Federal Facilities Agreement (FFA). The parties to the FFA include U.S.
EPA Region IV, U.S. DOE, and Tennessee Department of Environment and
Conservation (TDEC). The mission of OREIS is efficient retrieval & long
term storage of environmental and geospatial data. The primary users
include DOE and its contractors/subcontractors performing environmental
restoration and compliance activities, EPA, TDEC, other agencies.
In the early 1990s the OREIS was user ID and password protected. These
protections were later removed at the request of DOE and then reinstated
after September 11, 2001. The OREIS website receives about 30,000 hits
per month.
Deidre Tharpe next performed a thorough actual demonstration of navigation
through the OREIS website for the Subcommittee (computer screen projection).
OREIS Website displays shown:
(http://www-oreis.bechteljacobs.org/oreis/help/oreishome.html)
- Contact
information for: Teresa James, Deidre Tharpe, David Cardin (DOE)
- OREIS
website home page active links for:
- username and password,
- users guides,
- data submission file structures ready to load with
data,
- data dictionary,
- spatial query tool user guide,
- OREIS RTL data submission user guide,
- user’s environmental
measurements data transmittal form,
- user’s geographic
data transmittal form,
- data submission release form,
- OREIS user support page link to give help to users
- special OREIS data product request link
- frequently asked questions (FAQ) link
- OREIS data base training request link
- ORESI staff contacts link
- Index of the website pages
- “what’s new” page
- links to other related home pages
A feature of OREIS that was demonstrated is the ability to select and
download data:
- select site (Oak Ridge, Paducah, Portsmouth) of interest
- select
project of interest from a list,
- select sample media of interest,
- select analysis type for the media
selected,
- select view as reports about the data or download the actual
data records,
- select lab measurements or field measurements or biota,
Another feature of OREIS that was demonstrated is the data catalogue
search function. A search keyword is entered, for example “mercury”,
and a listing is returned that shows everything in the OREIS that pertains
to mercury. The listing tells where each item listed is physically located.
Jeff Hill asked who has access to OREIS? Deidre Tharpe responded that
an access account has to be set up and approved. Tim Joseph commented
that he can authorize ORRHES members to have access on the DOE group
account.
Elmer Akin asked whether sample location coordinates are included in
the OREIS database. Deidre Tharpe responded that the sample location
coordinates are included with the data in the OREIS.
Susan Kaplan asked why the access to the OREIS is controlled and also
asked for a copy of Deidre Tharpe’s presentation handouts. Tim
Joseph responded that access control was reinstated after September 11,
2001 because there is information in OREIS that is considered sensitive,
for example GPS coordinates for site buildings at Y-12 are in OREIS,
which could be used to zero in on those buildings during a terrorist
attack. La Freta Dalton took the action to print and distribute presentation
handouts to ORRHES.
Presentation by Kris Cutshaw (Geographic Information System (GIS) data
manager):
Kris Cutshaw demonstrated downloading of GIS map data fromm OREIS.
The data for this capability are from two TVA fly-over studies, performed
in 1993 and 1998. OREIS home page link is “View/Download GIS Data”.
This link allows access to GIS data maps for Oak Ridge, Paducah, or Portsmouth. The OREIS contains data that people have submitted from environmental
projects conducted at the sites. The database down loads are retrieved
from the data base dynamically rather than from old files linked to the
site, so the data are always up to date.
Kris Cutshaw performed a demonstration for the Oak Ridge site:
- select
ORR (Oak Ridge Reservation),
- select “vector” data or “raster” data
(vector data are points, lines, and polygons and raster data are photographs/pictures),
- selecting vector data displays the ORR as a map of fly-over tiles
or areas of the ORR,
- map data are stored in “Arcinfo format” in
OREIS and down loaded in “Arcinfo export format”,
- select
a single fly-over tile (area of the ORR),
- the selected tile can then
be enlarged and the available layers of downloadable data are listed
beside the tile map image,
- for example, layer types include building
roof lines, “meta data” (which
are descriptive data about other data),
- selecting raster data displays
the tiles representing aerial photographs from the TVA fly-overs,
- select
a single tile (area of the ORR),
- the selected tile can then be enlarged
for viewing and the available layers of data are listed beside the
tile photograph image,
- for example, a layer is available for “meta
data” on the
raster data file,
Barbara Sonnenburg asked whether there are any maps in OREIS that display
downstream areas. Kris Cutshaw responded that there are some downstream
data but it is not available on the web site application. For example,
there are data for locations downstream in the Clinch River and those
data can be obtained by requesting it from OREIS staff, because it is
not available from the OREIS website application.
Charles Washington asked whether the public can access un-redacted data
from the OREIS. Kris Cutshaw responded that the OREIS data are all un-redacted
but a user must have an access account and password to use the system
application.
Charles Washington asked whether the raster data are current. Kris Cutshaw
responded that the most current available raster data are from the 1998
TVA fly-over.
George Gartseff asked whether the 1998 update is for the maps and pictures
or for sample analytical data. Kris Cutshaw clarified that it is the
map/picture data (GIS data) that are up to date through 1998 (TVA fly-over).
The analytical data are dated whatever date they were completed.
Presentation
of Spatial Query Tool by Jason Tarver
Jason Tarver presented a demonstration of the OREIS spatial query tool
for the Subcommittee. The spatial query tool is accessible from an OREIS
home page link. The tool is not project based, you don’t have to
have knowledge of particular projects to use the tool.
Jason Tarver performed a demonstration for the Oak Ridge site:
- select the spatial query tool link on the OREIS home page,
- select
the ORR site,
- the initial image shows the entire ORR and shows all sample
points as colored dots,
- available data layers are listed in the margin
(activate or de-activate each as desired),
- refresh map to update the
data layers as selected,
- select feature from toolbar at top of page
for “zoom in” and
use cursor to draw a box to capture a sub-area of interest to enlarge,
repeat as desired,
- toggle between the data layers list and a legend
display for the image,
- set a data layer “active” to perform
queries of the data in that layer, for example set surface water as
active and use the “identify” button
on the toolbar, other layers include buildings, operable units, etc.,
- click
a sample location in the image to view data/information about that
sampling location (station name, medium sampled, station type),
- can
draw a zoom box around a sub-area of sampling locations to view their
distribution spatially and select them for down loading of the sample
analytical data. The down load file is tab-delimited so it will import
directly into an MS-EXCEL spreadsheet,
- use query toolbar button to
refine query to be more selective (by medium and sample station etc.),
then down load the data,
- can draw a custom polygon zoom box to select
data locations as an alternative to using a box to select,
- can print
a map of the selection with legend from the site toolbar.
- Have a spatial query tool user’s guide feature to open and/or
down load the user guide for the spatial query tool (pdf file format).
Jeff Hill asked about the maximum zoom out capability, in order to view
downstream river locations. Jason Tarver responded that the presentation
began with a display at the maximum zoom out capability, which did not
extend as far southeast as Jeff Hill had expressed interest. Kris Cutshaw
added that OREIS contains downstream data but that it is not accessible
from the website application and it could be requested through OREIS
staff.
Elmer Akin asked whether the sampling date was included with data presented
in a query selection. Jason Tarver responded that during the down load
selection process the user has the opportunity to pick the data fields
to be down loaded for the selected samples, including sampling date.
Elmer Akin asked whether the OREIS data have been QA/QC checked in the
database. Teresa James responded that the OREIS contains data qualifiers
associated with the data records (lab qualifiers applied by the lab,
result qualifiers assigned by the project that generated the data, high-level
data validation qualifiers assigned to some data). The answer is that
data QA/QC level varies, the data qualifiers are shown with the data
that are select for download. These data qualifiers can be selected for
inclusion in the data down load.
Kowetha Davidson asked how long data down loads take. Jason Tarver responded
that OREIS has 12 million records so down load time ranges form seconds
to 30 minutes or even longer. OREIS hard ware and software are being
upgraded to expedite future down load speed. About 50,000 records would
take less than 5 minutes to download depending on the speed of the internet
connection of the user’s computer.
Bob Craig asked whether there is any interface between the TDEC database
and the OREIS database. Teresa James confirmed that they are two separate
databases. Tim Joseph suggested that TDEC would probably be willing to
assist ORRHES members to down load data from the TDEC database.
Follow-up announcement:
Chudi Nwangwa announced that TDEC is available to assist anyone on the
ORRHES to use the OREIS database to access data. Get in touch with
Chudi for that assistance.
Jeff Hill asked that an e-mail be sent to ORRHES members reminding them
that they can obtain an access account for the OREIS database from Timothy
Joseph (DOE) and they can obtain assistance navigating in the OREIS database
from Chudi Nwangwa (TDEC). Kowetha Davidson took the action to distribute
that e-mail to ORRHES members.
Public Comment
No comments from members of the public.
DOE Update: Annual Site Environmental Report
Presentation by Dr.Timothy Joseph, Senior Scientist, U.S. Department
of Energy, on the DOE 2001 Oak Ridge Reservation Annual Site Environmental
Report Summary (ASER). The work is currently in progress on the 2002
annual report.
The ORRHES members were given the report summary document and a CD containing:
- the
full ORR ASER which includes all the tabulated data summaries,
- the summary
report generated by Tim Joseph and a group of high school students,
- the raw data tabulated that were used in report calculations.
All of the data on the CD are included in the OREIS database.
The detailed presentation addressed East Tennessee Technical Park (ETTP),
Y-12 plant, ORNL, and the entire ORR in that order.
ETTP annual environmental
data summary:
- There are 900 facilities on ETTP property,
- There are 550 of the 900
are scheduled for demolition,
- Surface water bodies within ETTP include:
- Poplar Creek
- Mitchell Branch
- Clinch River
- Large onsite ponds
- The regulatory agencies involved include TDEC and
U.S. EPA,
- Permits involved:
- 2 National Pollutant Discharge Elimination
System (NPDES) permits (TDEC)
- 2 Clean Air Act permits
(TDEC)
- 3 Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA)
permits (TDEC) including 2 at the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA)
Incinerator
- 1 PCB disposal approval for the TSCA Incinerator
(EPA)
- 2 underground storage tank (UST) permits (TDEC)
Storm drains - ETTP has 136 storm drains (primary and secondary) and
a primary waste water discharge point on Polar Creek and the Clinch River.
All are monitored. The ETTP powerhouse area also has monitored storm
drains.
ETTP waste water and storm water monitoring results showed 4 NPDES non-compliance
events in 2001 (4200 waste water sample data points and 3600 storm water
data points), two of these were for chlorine, one was for a bypass from
machinery, and the last was a mis-sampling.
Waste water sample analytes (two discharge points) include gross alpha
and beta radiation, uranium, transuranic radionuclides (TRU), Tc-99,
volatile organic compounds (VOC), metals, toxicity, PCBs, pH, flow, additional
parameters.
Storm water sample analytes (136 outfalls) include oil and grease, suspended
solids, chlorine, pH, flow. Annual storm water characterization includes
gross alpha and beta radiation, uranium, TRU radionuclides, Tc-99, VOCs,
metals, PCBs.
Surface water monitoring locations at ETTP are on the Clinch River,
Poplar Creek, Mitchell Branch, and onsite ponds. Sampling resulted in
2540 data points analyzed for gross alpha and beta radiation, uranium,
TRU radionuclides, Tc-99, VOCs, metals, dissolved oxygen, pH, temperature,
and flow. Also monitor biological parameters including fish bioaccumulation,
toxicity studies, biodiversity, caged clams, benthic macroinvertebrates,
and fish communities.
There are 920 data points from sampling at the TSCA incinerator. Analytes
include uranium isotopes, TRU radionuclides, and Tc-99. There is air
emission stack sampling performed at the K-33 building and analyzed for
uranium isotopes. There is ambient air sampling performed at the ETTP
(220 data points) resulting in analyses for uranium isotopes, TRU radionuclides,
Tc-99, arsenic, beryllium, cadmium, lead, and chromium. Bob Craig asked
whether the air analyses include PCBs. Tim Joseph responded that the
analyses do include PCBs.
ETTP actual versus allowable air emissions comparison: 0.11 mrem versus
10 mrem (26 stacks from 11 sources including the incinerator). The 0.11
mrem dose is calculated for the hypothetical maximally exposed individual
via air pathways. Barbara Sonnenburg asked whether there are other sources,
besides the 11 from ETTP, from the ORR or from outside ORR but from within
Oak Ridge. Tim Joseph responded that there are other such sources, but
the data he has just presented only account for sources from ETTP.
ETTP TSCA Incinerator actual versus allowable air emissions comparison
table in tons/year and percent of allowable. Only for mercury were emissions
greater than 1% of the allowable level. Barbara Sonnenburg asked how
many times per year in-stack tests are performed at the TSCA incinerator;
how many sample tests are the percent of allowable emissions results
based on? Tim Joseph responded that he will have to find out the sampling
frequency but that there were 920 data points for the incinerator stacks.
Don Creasia asked whether the reported emissions are measurements of
free chemicals or measured as they are bound to something such as particulates.
Tim Joseph respond that he does not know and would have to check.
Susan Kaplan commented to Barbara Sonnenburg that at TSCA the sampling
is continuous but the monitoring of the samples is not continuous. The
samples are collected continuously but not always analyzed real time
(some are collected over time and are analyzed later). Susan Kaplan commented
that the sample parameters that are monitored real-time are not of much
interest because those do not include analytes that the ORRHES is likely
to be interested in like heavy metals. The technology for real-time monitoring
of things like heavy metals at the TSCA is lagging behind. Tim Joseph
added that the raw data for the air monitoring at the TSCA incinerator
are included on the CD distributed to ORRHES.
Tony Malinauskas asked about the footnote (cites 1995 test) on the air
emissions tables displayed for 2001. Tim Joseph clarified that the footnote
in the table states that the test procedure used dates from 1995.
Bob Craig commented that the state of the art for stack sample analyses
is at levels that are so low that you have to composite sample over time
from stack air sampling in order to have enough sample material to perform
the sensitive analyses. Analysis on an instantaneous basis is not feasible;
the levels present in the stacks are too low.
Y-12 annual environmental
data summary:
- There are 800 acres and over 500 buildings/structures,
- The monitoring
budget is over $4 million (about the same for each of the three ORR
plants),
- Permits involved:
- 1 National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System
(NPDES) waste water permit regulates numerous water discharges from
Y-12 (TDEC)
- 1 Industrial User’s Permit is issued by
the City of Oak Ridge to regulate discharges to the sanitary sewer
- 36 Air permits regulate 117 air emission points (TDEC)
Water quality monitoring data for 2001 identified 9 non-compliance
events for the Y-12 waste water permit from over 11,500 lab sample analyses
and
thousands of field observations. Two were for chlorine in water,
a few were for oil and grease from parking lot runoff, and a few were
for pH in runoff water.
Sanitary sewer discharge monitoring data for 2001 identified no non-compliance
events for the Y-12 sewer permit from over 4000 sewer discharge sample
data points.
Biological monitoring of East Fork Poplar Creek in 2001 shows improving
biodiversity, the number of species, but ought to be higher. Charles
Washington commented that the presentation display states that concentrations
of mercury and PCB in fish of upper East Fork Poplar Creek are not decreasing
and noted reading elsewhere that the mercury on the ORR is decreasing,
suggesting that the mercury has been transferring into the fish over
a long time. Tim Joseph responded that since the remediation of East
Fork Poplar Creek the residual levels of mercury in fish has decreased
and has now leveled off but it is still high. The residual mercury that
is in fish now will take many more years to decrease from current levels.
Susan Kaplan commented that she has heard that the concentration of
mercury in fish is actually increasing and increasing at a greater rate
in fish further downstream in East Fork Poplar Creek. Tim Joseph acknowledged
that this is quite possible, and likely the mercury is moving downstream.
Charles Washington added that the concentration of mercury downstream
should be more dilute. Barbara Sonnenburg asked whether radiological
analytes were measured in fish. Tim Joseph responded that those data
are in the monitoring report and are coming up in the presentation.
Air monitoring data for radiological air emissions show that all are
well below EPA criteria. The calculated Y-12 air emissions dose is less
than 1 mrem/year. The corresponding air emissions dose from the entire
ORR is also calculated to be less than 1 mrem/year. Charles Washington
asked where the air monitors are located. Tim responded that the air
monitor locations are shown in the 2001 annual monitoring report.
Air monitoring data for non-radiological air emissions show that these
emissions are primarily associated with the steam plant. None of these
emissions are greater than 12% of allowable levels. Mercury in ambient
air was monitored in 2001 and results are comparable to background levels,
which are well below the EPA threshold.
Groundwater monitoring data for Y-12 show the presence of a plume that
has migrated east across Scarboro Road into Union Valley. All groundwater
use there is restricted, there are no potable water wells present (industrial
land use area). Primary groundwater contaminants include volatile compounds,
nitrates, trace metals, and radionuclides. Remediation is ongoing using
a well to remove groundwater for treatment. Groundwater contaminant concentrations
near source areas are decreasing since disposal ceased. Closure of disposal
sites and capping of disposal sites in the 1980s accounts for the decreases
in concentrations in groundwater.
Barbara Sonnenburg asked whether DOE adds/combines the effects from
the different facilities, including local TVA steam plants. Tim Joseph
responded that he is about to present total impacts from the ORR but
that the impacts from the TVA steam plant at Bull Run is not included.
ORNL annual environmental data summary:
- Site contains over 400 buildings,
- Includes the High Flux Isotope Reactor,
- Includes a steam plant,
- Includes 3 waste water treatment facilities
- Permits involved:
- 1 site-wide NPDES permit for 164 monitoring points
(TDEC)
- 12 Air permits (TDEC)
- 3 RCRA permits (TDEC) including 1 storage tank
permit and 2 container storage permits
- 3 UST permits
Water quality monitoring data for 2001 identified
4 NPDES non-compliance events for ORNL from over 6500 lab sample analyses
and field measurements.
All four events were from suspended solids from runoff during storm events.
Radiological monitoring at the 3 waste water treatment facilities, at
3 stream locations, and at 27 outfall locations showed that all analyses
were below EPA action levels. Aquatic toxicity testing results were all
in compliance with TDEC standards. Discussion between Charles Washington
and Tim Joseph about the manner by which air permits are issued: by source
of emission versus the entire facility.
ORNL actual versus allowable air
emissions comparison table with percent of allowable. Carbon monoxide
and nitrogen oxides were emitted at the
highest percent of the allowable level (10% of their allowable levels).
ORR
(combined facilities) annual environmental data summary:
There is a separate annual monitoring program for the entire ORR as
a single emission source. Tony Malinauskas asked how the ORR is “defined” because
for example livestock are not distributed on the ORR but this monitoring
program reports doses attributable to food crops, milk, deer etc. Tim
Joseph responded that the monitoring program accounts for what the ORR
is emitting and accounts for food pathway exposures by calculation assuming
hay is collected from the reservation and used and assuming that hunters
catch fowl and consume it etc. This approach provides a worst case assessment
of exposure. The maximum calculated dose to a hypothetically exposed individual from
all air and all liquid effluent pathways to humans is about 5 mrem for
the year. The air pathways alone contribute about 0.8 mrem of that 5
mrem for the year. The allowable EPA limit from all air pathways is 10
mrem for the year.
Barbara Sonnenburg asked why the deer couldn’t be hunted in 2001.
Tim Joseph responded that there was no deer hunting allowed because of
security concerns since September 11, 2001; did not want hunters on the
ORR property. The reason was not because of contamination in the deer.
The maximum calculated dose to a hypothetically exposed individual using
surface water as drinking water and for other uses is about 0.2 mrem
for the year. Bob Craig highlighted this dose estimate as very illuminating
of the impacts on surface waters from the entire ORR.
The maximum calculated dose to a hypothetica hypothetically exposed
individual consuming vegetables, beef, and milk from around the ORR is
less than
1 mrem for the year. The worst case dose
estimate is less than 1 mrem from ingestion pathways.
The maximum calculated dose to a hypothetically exposed individual consuming
fish from the Clinch River is 0.04 mrem for the year. This estimate is
based on measured contaminant concentrations in fish from the Clinch
River. The PCB concentrations in catfish are high and as a result there
has been a long-standing TDEC consumption advisory for the Clinch River.
Charles Washington commented that the 0.04 mrem dose from eating fish
has to account for the size of the fish eaten and the organ/tissue in
the fish in which the radionuclides would accumulate. Tim Joseph concurred
and responding that different radionuclides will accumulate in different
target tissues. Barbara Sonnenburg asked for an estimate of the number
of fish eaten by a person that translates into this dose estimate. Tim
Joseph responded that the fish consumption rates used in the calculation
are very generous. Kowetha Davidson asked whether the calculations use
EPA exposure factors handbook values. Tim Joseph confirmed that the EPA
values are used for these calculations.
The maximum calculated dose to a hypothetically exposed individual consuming
geese and turkey from around the ORR is less than 1 mrem for the year.
This estimate is based on measured
In summary, the worst case exposure to all pathways from the ORR is
about 5 mrem for the year, far less than average annual background radiation
exposure. This would include consumption of all impacted foods and water.
Graphs for the impact of the entire ORR were shown depicting:
- airborne dose trend from ORR from 1996 through 2001 (leveled off
at 1 mrem/year or less),
- all pathway maximally exposed individual dose
trend from ORR from 1996
through 2001 (leveled off at about 5 mrem/year)
The summary report for the ASER was prepared by a class of Karns High
School students for use by the public. Each year a class in applied communications
or a class in creative writing is involved to produce the summary of
the ASER. The format/style of the written ASER summary is in the form
of an interview of a fictitious character named professor Rad who explains
radiation and answers questions about radiation and exposure to radiation.
Examples are included that compare levels of radiation exposure (e.g.,
a diagram of a stack of books depicting the variety of levels of radiation
exposure in life). In addition, a chart/form is included for a any person
to use to calculate their own estimated annual radiation dose.
LC Manley asked about the dose estimate for Scarboro community on the
colored-coded dose map in the handout. Comparison of various locations
shows that in the Scarboro community the value is up to 0.8 mrem and
is about 10 times higher than in surrounding locations on the map. What
would the explanation be for that comparative difference? Tim Joseph
responded that a variation with location is evident and it reflects less
air emissions of radionuclides landing on some areas (e.g., south of
ORNL) than landed on the Scarboro area. The levels are very low in both
areas. Charles Washington added that if the Scarboro community received
comparatively higher doses in 2001 then in the past (1940s, 1950s, 1960s
etc.) the Scarboro community may have received quite a lot more dose
when overall emissions from facilities were higher. Barbara Sonnenburg
and Charles Washington asked how that question could be answered and
how the old emissions are documented. Bob Craig commented that the dose
reconstruction contains those estimates. That question is part of what
the ATSDR PHA process is to address.
Elmer Akin asked about the Upper East Fork Poplar Creek mercury level
that has reportedly leveled off and asked whether there is a fish advisory
for that creek. Tim Joseph responded that the fish advisory is for the
Clinch River not East Fork Poplar Creek, which is not populated by many
fish of edible size.
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