Published: April 1999
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announces the availability of two documents relating to the environmental restoration activities at Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL). The Final Feasibility Study Report: Operable Unit I and Radiologically Contaminated Soils (FS Report) and the Proposed Plan: Operable Unit I and Radiologically Contaminated Soils are available for review at the libraries listed below. The Executive Summary of the FS Report and the Proposed Plan are also available electronically on the world wide web at http://www.oer.dir.bnl.gov/ou1doc.html.
The public comment period is from April 1 to April 30, 1999. Written comments may be e-mailed to OU1comments@bnl.gov or mailed to:
George Malosh, Brookhaven Group Manager
U.S. Department of Energy-Brookhaven Group
Bldg. 464
P.O. Box 5000
Upton, NY 11973-5000
Two information sessions will be held in Berkner Hall at BNL on April 13 from 11:30 am to 1:30 pm and on April 14 from 7:00 to 9:00 pm. A public meeting on these two documents will be held on April 22 from 7:00 to 9:00 pm in Berkner Hall at BNL.
The FS Report and Proposed Plan address contaminated soils and sediments from Operable Units I/VI, II/VII and IV. The principal soil contaminants are radioactive elements, primarily cesium-137 and strontium-90. Elevated levels of heavy metals are also found in some locations. All soil contaminants are confined to BNL property.
The FS Report describes and evaluates cleanup alternatives. Six alternatives for radiologically contaminated soils were evaluated in detail. They included one or more of the following elements: soil excavation, on-site containment and capping, off-site disposal, soil washing, in-situ vitrification and no action with monitoring. Additional cleanup options were examined for other areas of concern within Operable Unit I.
The Proposed Plan identifies the preferred cleanup alternatives and describes cleanup actions already taken. For radiologically contaminated soils, the proposed remedy is large-scale excavation and off-site disposal. Approximately 39,000 cubic yards of soils will be excavated under this alternative.
Removal actions discussed in the Proposed Plan have already addressed several contaminated locations on the BNL site. For these locations, the removal actions are proposed as the final cleanup actions. These include capping of on-site landfills and a slit trench; excavation and off-site disposal of wastes from chemical/glass waste pits; and construction and operation of a groundwater treatment system.
For the Meadow Marsh basins, the proposed remedy is sediment excavation and off-site disposal followed by reconstruction of wetlands. For the recharge basins and the wooded wetland, the proposed remedy is institutional controls and monitoring.
For the ash pit, the proposed remedy is placement of a soil cap, accompanied by institutional controls and monitoring.
Following the public comment period, all comments will be reviewed and considered. A final remediation decision will be made jointly by the DOE, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, and documented in the Operable Unit I Record of Decision. Following the signing of the Record of Decision, design of the selected cleanup remedies will begin and final cleanup will take place.
Located in Upton, N.Y., BNL is classified as an Inactive Hazardous Waste Site by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation. BNL is on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's National Priority List.
For more information, contact:
Gail Penny
U.S. Department of Energy
(516) 344-3429
Eloise Gmur
Brookhaven National Laboratory
(516) 344-6336
egmur@bnl.gov
Mary Logan
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
(212) 637-4321
Jim Lister
N.Y. State Dept. of Environmental Conservation
(518) 457-3976
Copies of the Feasibility Study Report and Proposed Plan are available for review at:
Longwood Public Library
800 Middle Country Rd
Middle Island, NY
(516) 924-6400
Mastics-Moriches-Shirley Public Library
301 William Floyd Parkway
Shirley, NY
(516) 399-1511
BNL Research Library
(516) 344-3483
U.S. EPA, Region II Library
(212) 637-4296