On January 7, Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL) finished pumping water out of the spent fuel pool of the High Flux Beam Reactor (HFBR). This action will stop the tritium leak from the pool and is a major milestone in addressing tritium contamination in groundwater on the BNL property.
Between December 18 and January 7 approximately 65,000 gallons of water were pumped from the spent fuel pool and transferred via a double-walled underground pipe to double-walled storage tanks on the BNL property. The Suffolk County Department of Health Services (SCDHS) inspected the piping and the tanks, as well as a leak detection system for the tanks and transfer piping. In addition, the tanks were pressure-tested and certified by Underwriters Laboratory.
Last January, monitoring wells immediately south of the HFBR showed tritium in the groundwater at concentrations above the federal drinking water standard. BNL subsequently determined that tritiated water was leaking at a rate of six to nine gallons a day from the spent fuel pool located in the basement of the HFBR building. When the leak was discovered, the HFBR was already shut down for routine maintenance. The reactor has remained shut down.
After installing over 180 monitoring wells and analyzing over 1,800 samples in cooperation with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and SCDHS, the Lab's Environmental Restoration Division was able to define the contamination, which is confined to the Lab property. Both EPA and the County have stated that the tritium poses no danger to BNL employees or the public.
In May, groundwater pumping was begun to prevent further spread of contamination above the drinking water standard. Between May and September, BNL removed spent fuel elements from the spent fuel pool and shipped them off-site, in preparation for pumping water out of the pool.
The final remediation of the tritium plume will be addressed as part of the Operable Unit III study, which is currently underway. The Operable Unit III decision process will include several opportunities for the public to review and comment on the remediation plans. These activities will include a public meeting and document comment periods.
In early December, Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL) began pumping radiologically contaminated water out of two air ducts at the Lab's former graphite reactor, which operated from 1950 to 1968.
On September 15, as part of an ongoing investigation of the Brookhaven Graphite Research Reactor (BGRR) complex, BNL inspected a sump and below-ground exhaust air ducts that were used to cool the reactor when it was operating. Subsequently, the Lab determined that the air ducts contained approximately 60,000 gallons of water, and sampling and analyses indicated that the water is radiologically contaminated.
The water is being pumped into tanker trucks, which transport it to larger holding tanks located at the Lab's newly opened, state-of-the-art Waste Management Facility. The water will be stored in the tanks temporarily until off-site disposal can be arranged. Pumping is expected to be completed in March.
Past leakage from cooling coils is the most likely source of water in the air ducts. Clean water apparently leaked from the coils, which are no longer used, and picked up existing contamination within the ducts. In early November, the Lab began additional groundwater monitoring to see if the ducts have leaked. Results of this sampling are expected in the near future.
After two-and-a-half years with the Environmental Restoration Division, lead community relations coordinator John Carter has taken a new position with the U.S. Department of Energy's Brookhaven Group (BHG). Carter is now serving as community and government relations manager for BHG. All of us at ERD wish John the best of luck in his new position.
The Suffolk County Water Authority is nearing the end of the U.S. Department of Energy's public water hookup project.
Contractors have completed all water main installations in the Manorville area, and every property owner that applied for a hookup has been connected to the main. However, between 120 and 160 property owners who are eligible for a free hookup have not yet submitted an application to the water authority. Anyone who is eligible, but has not yet applied, should contact the Suffolk County Water Authority as soon as possible to obtain an application.
Restoration of landscaping and roads in the area is expected to be completed
this spring. Once this work is completed, DOE will consider the project
to be finished and there will be little, if any, opportunity for DOE to
provide additional hookups. DOE, the Suffolk County Department of Health
Services, and the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry have
recommended that residents in these areas accept DOE's hookup offer to prevent
the possibility of any potential future exposure to contaminated groundwater.
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