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Blueprint forEnvironmental

Remediation:The SRNL Approach to

Reducing Environmental Risk

October 2012

IntroductionReducing Environmental Risk

The Savannah River National Laboratory (SRNL) is the United States Department

o Energys lead laboratory or environmental management and the only nationa

laboratory dedicated to applied science. With experience spanning six decades

(and counting) as well as expertise spanning all radiological and chemica

disciplines, SRNL has an extensive record o dening and developing technologies

or deployment to meet identied needs.

SRNL recognizes that eectively evaluating and addressing each unique

environmental remediation situation requires experienced and knowledgeable

personnel and broad technical capabilities. However, SRNL also has recognized

that a single comprehensive approach may acilitate evaluating and addressing

any environmental clean-up.

Drawing upon its long experience as technology innovator and integrator, SRNL

has synthesized the complex process o dealing conclusively with nuclear waste

and materials into a uniorm ramework or eciently selecting strategies

technologies, and resources appropriate to site-specic conditions and desired

end states.

An interlinked network o zones representing an environmental remediation site

provides a tool or approaching complex clean-up problems. The denition o

typical characteristics, end-state objectives, strategic considerations, and types

o technologies o those zones expedites characterization o any site, prioritization

o any clean-up eort, alignment o resources with risk reduction, technical and

project management, and communication with stakeholders.

SRNL has successully applied the SRNL Blueprint to large nuclear acility

decommissioning, nuclear materials disposition, radiological waste disposition

and soil and groundwater remediation. The SRNL Blueprint enables expeditious

denition o environmental remediation solutions that are economically and

technically practicable and acceptable to stakeholders.

For more inormation on this approach and its applications, please contact

Andrew Fellinger at a.ellinger@srnl.doe.gov.

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Zones of a physical plume extending outward from the source of radiation/waste/

contamination to areas of lesser risk

Transition ZoneImpact Zone

Source Zone

Disturbed Zone

Source Zone Disturbed Zone Impact Zone Transition Zone

Typical

Characteristics

Confguration

Engineered systemcontaining or releasingradiological or otherhazardous materials orwastes

Patchy hot spots ocontamination outsidethe source zone

Contaminationdispersed over amoderate to large area

Large total volume ocontaminated media(water, soil, air, etc.)

Conditions

Engineered system iscomplex and possiblyimpaired

Proximity to sourcezone may mean man-made structures hinderaccess to hot spotsand deployment oclean-up technologies

The size and shape othe dispersal area isdetermined by thephysical and chemicalnature o the waste andthe fow rate andmigration pattern o thedispersal fuid

Contaminated mediaslowly attenuate towardnormal

Risk

Key risks to workers

rom potentialradiological/ chemicaldose/ contaminationand possible structuraldeterioration

Immediate risks to

workers; may posebroader human andenvironmental risk i notcleaned up

May pose human and

environmental risk i notremediated

Diuse contaminants

pose lower human andenvironmental risk butmay require response toreduce risks to as low asreasonably achievable

End-State

Objectives

Risk

Prevent radiationuptake, radiological/chemicalcontamination, andinjury to workers;prevent radiation/contaminant releaseoutside source zone

Prevent radiationuptake, radiological/chemicalcontamination, andinjury to workers;eliminate contaminationrom disturbed zone

Reduce contaminantmobility, toxicity, orsolubility

Reduce contaminantmobility, toxicity, orsolubility

Zone Area

Radiological or otherhazardous materials

saely removed; wastessaely removed,stabilized, and/or xedin place

Contaminated mediasaely removed

Contaminated mediastabilized and

attenuated

Contaminated mediaisolated or stabilized and

monitored

Waste/

Contaminated

Media

Removed radiological/chemical materials andwastes converted tousable or disposableorms

Removed contaminatedmedia converted tousable or disposableorms

Reduced concentrationallows contaminatedmedia to saely revert tonatural state

Contaminated mediareturns to naturalconditions andunrestricted use

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Source Zone Disturbed Zone Impact Zone Transition Zone

Strategic

Considerations

Zone Area

Engineered system wellunderstood, butstructural damage ordeterioration must beactored in to clean-upsolution

Technology matchingprocess benets romknowledge o acilityhistory, site-specicconditions and wastecharacteristics to helpocus on the likely hotspots

Technology matchingprocess benets romknowledge o site-specic conditions thatcontrol the dispersal othe contamination, suchas meteorology,hydrogeology, andbiogeochemistry

Aim is to acilitate naturalattenuation mechanisms

Approach

Decontamination anddecommissioning oacilities generally wellunderstood so thattechnology solutions canbe tailored to site-specic challenges

Innovativecharacterization to renethe limits ocontaminated materialscan signicantly improveeciency

Innovativecharacterization mayhelp rene preerentialfow paths to help targetremedial actions

Identiy enhancementtechnologies to supportnatural attenuation andreduce risk

Return on

Investment

Path to closure essentialto achieve end-statesaely and eciently

Because unit costs aretypically $/m,3 limiting thevolume o material to betreated reduces clean-upcost

Plan or expeditioustransition out o activeclean-up phase toenhanced or passiveattenuation phase tocontrol costs

Plan or expeditioustransition rom enhancednatural attenuation phaseto long-term monitoringto control costs

Types o

Technologies

Zone Area

Equipment cutting,penetration anddeconstruction tools;

Robotics or remoteinspection,characterization,stabilization;

Fixatives, peels,thermal spray vitricationor hazardousconstituents on suraces

Access tools such adirect push or conepenetrometer;

Immobilization methodssuch as encapsulation orprecipitation;

Capping and otherbarrier technologies

Computer simulation ocontaminant dispersal;

Mechanical (barrier,unnel, trap) systems;

Methods todecontaminate buildings,roads and public spaces

Computer simulation ocontaminant dispersal;

Mechanical (barrier, trap)systems;

Barometric, solar or tidalpumping

Waste/

Contaminated

Media

Characterization tools;

Material handlingsystems;

Waste removal methods;

Packaging;

Transportation

Characterization tools;

Material handlingsystems;

Waste removal methods;

Packaging;

Transportation

Characterization tools

Active attenuation, e.g.,geochemical stabilizationmethods

Characterization tools

Enhanced naturalattenuation, e.g.,treatment systems

End-State

PerormanceAssessment;

Sensor system;

Remote monitoring andcommunications system;

Surveillance, includingdestructive and non-destructive examination;

Waste orms, includingglass and cementitiousmaterials;

Waste repositories;

Reuse, such asplutonium to MOX

Monitoring tools;

Waste orms, includingglass and cementitiousmaterials;

Waste repositories

Monitoring tools Monitoring tools

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SRNL is managed and operated or the U.S. Department o Energy by Savannah River Nuclear Solutions, LLC

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