office of legacy management u.s. department of energy

Ju l y S ep tem ber 2006

Visit us at www.LM.doe.gov

Welcome to the July – September 2006 issue of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE)

Office of Legacy Management (LM) Program Update. This publication is designed to provide a

status of activities within LM. Please direct all comments and inquiries to [email protected]

Program UpdateOffice of Legacy Management

U.S. Department of EnergyOffice of

Legacy Management

Goal 2Freedom of Information ActEffective October 1, 2006, Freedom of InformationAct (FOIA) and Privacy Act (PA) requests for RockyFlats, Colorado; Nevada Offsites Sites (Amchitkaand Chariot, Alaska; Central Nevada Test Area andShoal, Nevada; Gas Buggy and Gnome, New Mexico;Rio Blanco and Rulison, Colorado; and Salmon,Mississippi); and Columbus, Fernald, and Mound,Ohio, Sites must be submitted to

Chief Freedom of Information Act OfficerU.S. Department of Energy1000 Independence Avenue, SWWashington, DC 20585

Requests can also be submitted electronically at.http://www.mbe.doe.gov/execsec/foia.htm

Wayne, New Jersey, Site

LM Strategic PlanThe Office of Legacy Management (LM) ispleased to announce the availability of the

for public comment.This document will be available on the LMwebsite at

, through January 2, 2007,which is the end of the comment period.

We are using a web-based approach to reducecost and minimize the environmental impacts ofpreparing this plan. However, hard copies canbe requested by either completing a documentrequest form at

or by sending anemail to .

Draft LM Strategic Plan

http://www.LM.doe.gov/pro_doc/

strategicplan2006.htm

http://lts1.gjo.doe.gov/forms/documentrequestplan.cfm

[email protected] Goal 4LM Transfers the WayneInterim Storage Site, New JerseyW.R. Grace and Co., Inc., originally used the6.5-acre Wayne Interim Storage Site as a rareearth and thorium processing operation facility. Thissite is located in a mixed industrial and residentialarea of Wayne Township, New Jersey. In 1984,the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)listed the site on the National Priorities List. TheU.S. Department of Energy (DOE) acquired theproperty in 1984 and used it for interim storageof contaminated material from vicinity propertiesbecause a disposal option did not exist at that time.

In 1997, Congress assigned responsibility for reme-dial action to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers(USACE). EPA concurred in the May 2000 Recordof Decision, which selected excavation and off-sitedisposal of contaminated materials as the remedy.USACE remediated the site to conditions that allowunrestricted use. Regulator concurrence and deletionfrom the National Priorities List is pending.

mailto:[email protected]

http://www.LM.doe.gov/pro_doc/strategicplan2006.htm


http://www.LM.doe.gov

http://www.mbe.doe.gov/execsec/foia.htm

mailto:[email protected]

http://www.LM.doe.gov/pro_doc/strategicplan2006.htm


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Office ofLegacy Management

Office of Legacy Management

July September 2006 of 6

A request by the General Services Administration totransfer the property to Wayne Township under theFederal Lands to Parks Program was accepted bythe National Park Service on June 12, 2006. Thetownship will transform the site into a communityrecreation site with ball fields for soccer, lacrosse,soft ball, and baseball.

The DOE Office of Legacy Management (LM) coordi-nated outreach activities with the Township of Wayne,New Jersey, and prepared the required dispositionforms required under the 1949 Property Disposal Actand the McKinney Act, such as the Report of Excess,the Excess Real Property Check List, and the Title Vexcess property survey report. LM resolved legaldescription problems and land survey issues forthe site with USACE information and prepared anenvironmental checklist for compliance with theNational Environmental Policy Act. LM also preparedresponses to congressional inquiries and representedDOE at meetings with the Mayor of Wayne, city staffmembers, EPA, and the New Jersey Department ofEnvironmental Protection.

Since the acceptance of the property by the NationalPark Service, LM has worked with the GeneralServices Administration and the National Park Serviceto resolve a trespass by an adjoining landowner andlegal description issues that delayed the transfer.These issues were all resolved, and the National ParkService transferred the site to the City of Wayne theweek of September 25, 2006.

Goal 1The End Is Just theBeginning at FernaldAs soon as Declaration of Physical Completionfor the Fernald Project is achieved, targeted forNovember 2006, the Office of Legacy Management(LM) is ready to begin operations. The LM/S.M. StollerCorporation (LM contractor) team is excited abouttaking on the task of managing the former nuclearweapons site as a nature preserve and a center forhistorical information on the Fernald site nearCincinnati, Ohio.

The transition process has been a two-year effortto effectively and seamlessly transition the site andinvolves collaboration between the DOE Office ofEnvironmental Management, LM, and the primecontractors. All aspects of post-closure activities,including active groundwater remediation and long-term surveillance and maintenance, are the keyaspects of operational transfer.

At the start of fiscal year 2007 (October 1, 2006), LMassumed Budget Authority for Fernald and custodian-ship of all Fernald records. LM was responsible for

The Fernald Site, part of the former weapons complex, isbeing transformed to an undeveloped park that includes awide variety of wildlife habitat.

Goal 3Contractor Work ForceRestructuring Annual ReportThe

covering fiscalyear 2005, is available on the LM websiteat

. This is acongressionally mandated report that provides anupdate to Congress and the public on the resultsof contractor work force restructuring.

Annual Report on Contractor WorkForce Restructuring,

http://www.LM.doe.gov/documents/3_pro_doc/annual_reports/fy2005.pdf



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processing Energy Employees Occupational IllnessCompensation Program Act (EEOICPA) claims onSeptember 12, 2006, and will be responsible forFreedom of Information Act and Privacy Actrequests on the date that the EM contractordeclares Physical Completion.

The Office of Legacy Management (LM) supports anApplied Science and Technology program to moreeffectively manage LM sites, ensure protection ofhuman health and the environment, and reducelong-term costs.

Facilities to support science and technology effortsare maintained at the Grand Junction, Colorado,office and include a 4,500-square-foot geochemistry/ecology laboratory and a mobile laboratory. Theon-site laboratory is equipped with a broad arrayof instrumentation to conduct analyses, includingkinetic phosphorescence (uranium), atomic absorp-tion (calcium, magnesium, potassium, and sodium),ion chromatography (bromide, chloride, nitrate,nitrite, and sulfate), liquid scintillation (radon), andspectrophotometry (ammonium and molybdenum).Field and laboratory instrumentation forecophysiology, soil hydrology, and soil fertilityinvestigations is also maintained for use inscience and technology projects.

Goal 1Applied Science forLegacy Management

LM evaluates the progress of site remediation usingdata transmitted to Grand Junction via an extensivetelemetry system. Dataloggers collect data at remotesites from flow meters, water-level meters, pressuresensors, unsaturated-zone water-flux meters, mois-ture sensors, and other instruments. These data arecurrently being transmitted from 32 dataloggers at7 project sites that are located in 5 states. In addition,meteorological data (wind speed, wind direction,rainfall, and relative humidity) are being collected from5 stations in 4 states. Data are automatically pro-cessed to produce real-time graphs that are madeavailable to all project scientists across LM.

Significant science and technology projects conductedduring fiscal year (FY) 2006 include evaluation of:(1) an innovative treatment system that supplementsa subsurface permeable reactive barrier (PRB) totreat contaminated groundwater; (2) the hydraulicand chemical effects on an aquifer of installinggroundwater collection drains; (3) an innovativemethod for measuring water flux in unsaturatedmedia; and (4) enhanced sustainability of disposalcell covers. Results of these investigations are oftenpresented at technical meetings and published inscientific journals.

A permeable reactive barrier(PRB) was constructed at LM's Monticello, Utah, Sitein 1999 as part of a Comprehensive EnvironmentalResponse, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA)Interim Action. Because of decreasing effectiveness ofthe PRB, LM built a supplemental ex situ treatmentsystem in June 2005. This system contains a mixtureof gravel and granular cast iron and has treated morethan two million gallons of groundwater at a rate ofabout five gallons per minute. The hydraulics of thetreatment system have been continuously monitoredby the telemetry system. Influent and effluent samplesare collected monthly. Measured uranium concentra-tions of these samples indicate that the systemcontinues to meet project treatment goals. The cost toconstruct, operate, and monitor the treatment systemis significantly less than for the PRB, while providing acomparable rate of groundwater treatment.

At LM's Shiprock,New Mexico, Disposal Site, two groundwater collec-tion drains were installed in February 2005. Each

Treatment System—

Groundwater Collection Drain—

FY 2006 Science and TechnologyProject Summaries

Monticello, Utah, Treatment System Construction

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drain is 200 feet long and is intended to help protectthe environment by intercepting contaminatedgroundwater flowing toward the San Juan Riveradjacent to the site. Standard construction methodsof digging and shoring were impractical because ofthe shallow groundwater table. This caused LM toinvestigate alternative means of drain installation. Theresult was successful implementation of the drainsusing vegetable-based guar gum to hold the trenchesopen during excavation. LM is now evaluating theeffects of the drains on the aquifer by monitoringthe hydraulics with the telemetry system and regularcollection of samples. The drains are capturing alarge volume of the contaminated groundwater thatis subsequently pumped to an evaporation pond.

Water flux throughunsaturated soil was previously calculated by relatingmeasurements of physical soil properties to hydraulicproperties, such as hydraulic conductivity. Water-fluxmeters, developed at DOE's Pacific NorthwestNational Laboratory in Richland, Washington, area great improvement because they measure fluxdirectly, thus avoiding the errors inherent in modelingflux from soil parameters. To test the new instrumen-tation, LM is measuring percolation flux through thedisposal cell cover at LM's Lakeview, Oregon, Siteusing water-flux meters installed in November 2005.Data retrieved from the water-flux meters via atelemetry system indicate that the meters are a viabletool for investigating water flux through unsaturatedmedia. The results show that percolation flux throughthe Lakeview cover was higher than anticipated.

Monitoring data indicate thatthe permeability of disposal cell covers can increaseduring aging because of root intrusion from establish-ment of plants. The increased permeability results inincreased flux of contamination to the groundwater.Thus, covers that maintain their functionality forlong time periods could reduce long-term costs andprovide better protection of human health and theenvironment by minimizing contaminated waterflux. LM efforts to develop these sustainable coversinclude designing vegetative covers that use planttranspiration to limit water flux through the covers;construction of a large (7.5-acre) lysimeter at theMonticello, Utah, Disposal Site to evaluate sustain-able covers at field scale; and investigation of low-cost means of renovating existing covers to minimizecontaminated water flux.

Water Flux Instrumentation—

Sustainable Covers—

Goal 1Enhancing Sustainabilityof Disposal Cell Covers

Performance of Older Covers

LM scientists are evaluating the performance ofdisposal cell covers at LM sites and exploring waysto enhance their sustainability. The goals of theseactivities are to reduce long-term surveillance andmaintenance (LTS&M) costs and to prevent long-term increases in risks to human health and theenvironment.

Many of the oldest covers at LM sites rely on the lowpermeability of a compacted soil layer to limit waterpercolation and radon escape and on an overlyingrock layer to prevent erosion. During the past decade,LM and predecessor programs conducted LTS&Mfollow-up investigations of plant-root intrusion incovers and measured the permeabilities of compacted

Lakeview, Oregon, Site Flux Meter Installation

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soil layers that were often higher than expected.In 2005, LM initiated field tests of a new water-monitoring device, called a water-flux meter, andmeasured percolation rates in 2006 that were higherthan expected. LM is planning follow-up evaluationsof the potential impacts from higher percolation ratesto make sure that disposal cells remain protective.

LM scientists identified the causes for high soilpermeabilities and percolation rates in these oldercovers. The surface layer of rock acts as mulch bylimiting evaporation, thus increasing water storage andcreating habitat favorable for growth of deep-rootedwoody plants. Root intrusion and natural soil formationprocesses, which occur both in engineered soil layersand in the borrow soils excavated to build them, createchannels and planes of weakness in the soil structurethat cause preferential flow of water.

During the mid-1990s, DOE and the U.S. Environ-mental Protection Agency (EPA) partnered to developan alternative cover for the Monticello, Utah, disposalcell, a Superfund site. The goal was to accommodatelong-term ecological processes, thereby sustainingperformance with as little maintenance as possible.In a semiarid climate like Monticello, relatively lowprecipitation, high soil evaporation, and plant transpi-ration—together called evapotranspiration (ET)—andthick unsaturated soils favor long-term hydrologicisolation of buried waste. The alternative ET coverconstructed at Monticello was designed to mimic thenatural soil-water balance of the area.

Evapotranspiration Cover at Monticello, Utah

The Monticello cover relies on two processes:

A thick soil “sponge” layer, which overlays asand-and-gravel “capillary barrier” layer, thatstores precipitation while plants are dormant.

A diverse stand of native vegetation that is usedto dry the sponge layer during the growing seasonto prevent percolation.

These two layers work together because the capillarybarrier enhances water storage in the overlying soilsponge layer.

The Monticello cover was the first ET cover designconstructed at a Superfund site. Hoping to learnfrom this experience, LM's predecessors teamed withEPA-funded scientists and installed instrumentation,called a lysimeter, during construction of the coverin 1999 to monitor soil-water storage and percolationon a very large scale. The monitoring area of thelysimeter encompasses more than 7.5 acres ofthe cover! LM scientists continue to monitor theperformance of the Monticello ET cover. As ofSeptember 2006, only a thin film of water, an averageof 0.02 inch per year, has percolated from the ETcover. Most of this percolation occurred following thewinter of 2004 – 2005, one of the wettest seasonson record at Monticello. EPA has used these results,along with results of smaller scale ET cover testsaround the country, to revise its design guidance forsolid and hazardous waste disposal cells.

We are currently applying lessons learned from oldercovers and experience gained with ET covers toexplore ways to reduce LTS&M costs and to enhancesustainability of the older covers. In an effort toprevent increases in permeability, the cost of sprayingherbicides on older covers to control vegetationhas been on the rise for several years. This costis expected to continue to increase as ecologicalconditions become more favorable for plant growth.

Without human intervention, ecological successionand soil formation processes will effectively transformolder, compacted-soil covers into ET-type covers. LMis acquiring data to help decide whether to continuespraying, discontinue spraying and allow MotherNature to take her course, or facilitate a more favor-able transformation into ET-type covers—called coverrenovation. As part of this initiative, LM scientists andcollaborators will select an LM site in FY 2007 that

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Cover Renovation Initiative

Inspection of Rock Cover at Falls City, Texas, Site

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has an older cover and will install a testfacility adjacent to the disposal cell tocompare the hydrological performance ofthe existing cover design with a renovationdesign. The goal of cover renovation isto accommodate inevitable ecologicalprocesses, sustain a high level of perfor-mance, reduce long-tem maintenancecosts, and avoid possible long-termincreases in risk associated with deeppercolation. Results of the test will helpdetermine if cover renovation will ultimatelyreduce long-term surveillance and mainte-nance costs as well as prevent long-termincreases in risks to human health andthe environment.

Matt Blunt, Governor of the State ofMissouri, presented the 2006 Governor'sAward for Quality and Productivity in thecategory of innovation to the U.S. Depart-ment of Energy Weldon Spring Site inSt. Charles County, Missouri. A team ofcollaborators was recognized for theirefforts to not only clean up the contami-nated site but also to provide for communityreuse through the Interpretive Center, thenative prairie, the hike-and-bike trail, andthe viewing platform on top of the disposalcell. The team consists of the MissouriDepartment of Natural Resources, theMissouri Department of Conservation,the Missouri Department of Health andSenior Services, the St. Charles CountyGovernment, the Weldon Spring CitizensCommission, the U.S. EnvironmentalProtection Agency, and the U.S. Depart-ment of Energy.

Goals 1 and 4Weldon Spring SiteAward Recipient

Matt Blunt

John SmithJulia EcksteinGovernor Blunt Yvonne Deyo

Myrna Rueff

Mimi GarstangPaul Mydler

Branden DosterPeter Price

Gale CarlsonDoyle Childers

Gene GunnDan Wall John Vogel

Larry EricksonJoe Ortwerth

(front row center), Governor of the State of Missouri, presentedthe 2006 Governor's Award for Quality and Productivity in the categoryof innovation to the Weldon Spring Site. Award recipients included(front row, left to right) , Missouri Department of Conservation;

, Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services;; , S.M. Stoller Corporation, Weldon Spring

Site Manager, accepting on behalf of DOE; and , MissouriDepartment of Natural Resources.

Second row (left to right) , Missouri Department of NaturalResources; , Chair of the Weldon Spring Citizens Commission;

, Missouri Department of Natural Resources; and, Missouri Department of Natural Resources.

Third row (left to right) , Missouri Department of Healthand Senior Services; , Director, Missouri Department ofNatural Resources; , U.S. Environmental Protection Agency;

, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency; and ,Missouri Department of Conservation.

Fourth row (left to right) , Missouri Department of NaturalResources, and , County Executive, St. Charles County.

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