On May 3, Brookhaven National Laboratory completed sampling of water and sediments from the Peconic River. These samples will be analyzed for the presence of plutonium and other radioactive elements that may have been released during past Laboratory operations. Results of the analysis will be available later this fall.
The new sampling has two primary goals: to determine if these radionuclides are present at levels that could pose a health risk, and to determine if plutonium is present above background levels originating from atmospheric fallout. (Atmospheric testing of nuclear weapons in the 1950s and 60s led to a global distribution of low levels of plutonium due to fallout.)
Background levels will be measured using samples from the Connetquot River, which is located in the Islip area west of Brookhaven Lab, and does not receive liquid discharges from the Lab. The Connetquot results will also be available this fall.
Brookhaven has collected samples of sediments, surface water and groundwater from both rivers, as well as fish from the Peconic River. Brookhaven is also examining surface soils at the Lab's sewage treatment plant and sludge from an abandoned sewer line.
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| The Brookhaven Lab team collecting a sediment sample from the Peconic River. Samples are currently being analyzed for the possible presence of radionuclides. | |
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| A member of the BNL sampling team collects sediments from the Peconic River. Surface water samples were also taken from both the Peconic and Connetquot rivers. |
Early community input
Prior to the start of sampling, Brookhaven hosted 41 members of the public at five roundtable sessions in the fall of 1998 in order to gain early community input on and support for the sampling program. Roundtable participants included residents living along the Peconic River, representatives from environmental groups, local businesses, and special interest groups. Members of Brookhaven's Community Advisory Council and Lab employees also took part in the roundtables.
Concerns raised during the roundtables included locations and depths to be sampled, the need to sample areas that the river once flowed through that are now dry, and the need for accurate background measurements. In response to these concerns, samples from the Connetquot River will be used to accurately measure the background levels from atmospheric fallout. Sample locations were added at Lebben's pond near North Street, old cranberry bogs upstream of Edwards Avenue, and other locations. All roundtable concerns were addressed in Attachment 6 of the final sampling plan.
The final sampling plan was released to the public on March 15 after review by the Suffolk County Department of Health Services (SCDHS), the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC) and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Because credibility of the results is important to the community and to the Lab, samples were split with these agencies so they could independently verify Brookhaven's results.
Community participation
On March 23, Brookhaven provided a tour of the proposed split sampling sites to the Commissioner of the SCDHS and other SCDHS representatives, the Peconic Bay Keeper, Department of Energy representatives and members of the county's Community Oversight Committee. The Community Oversight Committee was formed by the Suffolk County legislature to provide advice on plans by the SCDHS to sample the Peconic and Carmans rivers for radionuclides.
Sampling of locations on Brookhaven property began on March 25. On April 12, the first day of sediment sampling in the Peconic River, two members of the Community Oversight Committee accompanied the Brookhaven Lab team to observe the sampling process. A representative of the Town of Riverhead was present for two days to observe the sampling in the Riverhead region. Also, a member of the Ridge Civic Association observed a portion of the sampling.
Representatives of SCDHS observed the sampling of all locations from which splits were shared with the county. Similarly, a representative from NYSDEC was present during sampling of all locations from which splits were shared with the state. A representative from the Department of Energy's Environmental Measurements Laboratory was present during numerous sampling activities in order to observe sampling procedures.