 |
Idaho National Engineering Laboratory
Idaho Falls, Bonneville County, Idaho
|
|
Office: Idaho Operations Office
Size:
569,600 acres (890 square miles)
NPL Status:
Placed on the NPL on November 21, 1989.
Mission:
The Idaho National Engineering Laboratory (INEL) was established in 1949 by the
U.S. Atomic Energy Commission as an area to build, test, and operate various
nuclear reactors, fuel processing plants, and support facilities with maximum
safety and isolation. Originally known as the National Reactor Testing Station,
the site was renamed as the INEL in 1974 to reflect the broad scope of
engineering activities now conducted at the site. Prior to its establishment,
the site was used as a World War II gunnery range for the U.S. Navy and U.S.
Army Air Corps.
Overview of Environmental Conditions:
Onsite groundwater and soil contamination from both known and potential sources
resulting from past disposal practices. Contaminants of concern include
chromium, volatile organic compounds (VOCs), carbon tetrachloride, and
radionuclides.
CERCLA/RCRA Remediation Funding in FY 95: $99,477,000
|
Progress in Reaching Interagency Agreement
The INEL Federal Facility Agreement/Consent Order (FFA/CO) and Action Plan
between DOE, EPA Region X, and the State of Idaho was executed on December 9,
1991. The FFA/CO supersedes the RCRA 3008(h) Consent Order and Compliance
Agreement (COCA) and covers all CERCLA response requirements as well as RCRA
corrective action requirements. All parties agreed to initiate the FFA/CO
Action Plan under the COCA in September 1991 while the FFA/CO was being
finalized. The FFA/CO also includes Argonne National Laboratory (ANL) - West
and the Naval Reactors Facility (NRF), which are located at INEL.
Specific Cost Estimates and Budgetary Proposals Involved in Each Interagency
Agreement
Funds budgeted for environmental restoration under the IAG Action Plan at the
INEL total $87.4 million of appropriated funding for FY 96 and $101 million for
FY 97 according to the request in the President's Budget.
Public Comments Regarding Interagency Agreements
No new public comments concerning the IAG were received in FY 95. The Community
Relations Plan was finished and released; INEL hosted five informal scoping
periods, three public meetings, and five open houses.
Progress in Conducting Remedial Investigations/Feasibility Studies
INEL
In FY95, one RI/FS Statement of Work for remediation of the Test Area North was
submitted; RI/FS Work Plans for remediation of the Idaho Chemical Processing
Plant, Test Reactor Area, Test Area North, and Radioactive Waste Management
Complex were submitted; and an RI/FS Report and Proposed Plan for Stationary
Low Power Reactor-1 (SL-1) and Boiling Water Reactor Experiment Reactor
(BORAX-1) burial grounds were completed.
The following are documents that were developed and submitted to EPA and the
State of Idaho during FY95 at the INEL, plus associated activities:
-
Draft RI/FS Statement of Work and Work Plan for Comprehensive RI/FS (OU 1-10);
- Draft Test Area North Groundwater Draft Final RD/RA Statement of Work (OU 1-07B);
- Draft Final RA Report for Test Area North Groundwater (OU 1-07B);
- ROD for Test Area North Groundwater (OU 1-07B) (signed);
- Statement of Work and Work Plan for Test Area North Comprehensive RI/FS;
- Draft Final RI/FS Report Test for Area North Groundwater (OU 1-07B);
- Comprehensive RI/FS Statement of Work and Work Plan for OU 1-10;
- Draft Test Reactor Area Comprehensive RI/FS Scope of Work (OU 2-13);
- Data Transmittal Package (four rounds of data transmittal) Test Reactor Area
Perched Water (OU 2-12);
- WAG 2 Comprehensive RI/FS Work Plan submitted to agencies (OU 2-13);
- RAD Soils Treatability Study Report, RI/FS Scope of Work and Work Plan for
the Idaho Chemical Processing Plant finalized (OU 3-13);
- RI/FS Sampling completed for WAG 3 Comprehensive RI/FS (OU 3-13);
- RI/FS Comprehensive Work Plan;
- Draft Final RI/FS Report for Central Facilities Area Landfills (OU 4-12);
- Final ROD for Central Facilities Area Landfills (OU 4-12) (signed);
- Draft RI/FS PP for Central Facilities Area Landfills (OU 4-12);
- RI/FS Report and PP for the Auxiliary Reactor Area (ARA)
SL-1 Burial Ground (OU 5-05) and BORAX-1 Burial Site (OU 6-01);
- Draft RI/FS ROD for ARA SL-1 Burial Ground (OU 5-05) and BORAX-1 Burial Site (OU 6-01);
- Draft Final RA Report for the Power Burst Facility Evaporation Pond (OU 5-13);
- Phase I Draft Preliminary Design for Organic Contamination in the Vadose Zone
(OU 7-08);
- Phase I RD/RA Work Plan for Organic Contamination in the Vadose Zone (OU 7-08);
- RD/RA Statement of Work for Organic Contamination in the Vadose Zone (OU 7-08)
(finalized);
- Pit 9 Draft Explanation of Significant Differences Report (OU 7-10);
- Pit 9 Final RD/RA Scope of Work (OU 7-10);
- Pit 9 Treatment System Process (90%) Design (OU 7-10);
- Pit 9 Overburden Sampling and Analysis Plan and Health and Safety Plan (OU 7-10);
- Pit 9 90% Design for Retrieval, Treatment, and Support Facilities/Systems (OU 7-10);
- Final RA Report for Pad A (OU 7-12) (finalized);
- Draft RI/FS Scope of Work Plan for Comprehensive RI/FS (OU 7-13/14);
- ROD for Industrial Waste Ditch (OU 8-07) and NRF Inactive Landfills (OU 8-05/06);
- NRF Inactive Landfills RD/RA Scope of Work (OU 8-05/06);
- NRF Inactive Landfills RD Report and RA Work Plan (OU 8-05/06);
- Scope of Work for the Comprehensive RI/FS (OU 8-08) and;
- Work Plan for the Comprehensive RI/RS (OU 8-08).
ANL-West
The Draft RI/FS Statement of Work for ANL-West was completed in FY 95.
The following are documents that were developed and submitted to EPA and the
State of Idaho during FY 95 for ANL-West, plus associated activities:
- Draft RI Scope of Work; and
- Draft RI Work Plan elements.
Progress in Conducting Remedial Actions
Thirty No Further Action determinations were approved following the guidance
outlined in the FFA/CO.
INEL
The following activities were accomplished in FY 95 at the INEL:
Assessment
- 18 of 24 RODs complete or underway;
- Completed 38 assessment, extraction, and
monitoring wells (cumulative depth over 8,500feet);
- Submitted the Radionuclide Contaminated Soils Draft RI/FS Report (OU 10-06) to the EPA and
the State of Idaho; and
-
Completed INEL Ecological Risk Assessment Guidance Manual and all WAG specific
screening level ecological risk assessments.
Cleanup
-
Removal Action - Test Area North Injection Well Site (OU 1-07A) processed
357,000 gallons of water from the Snake River Plain Aquifer and removed 3,000
pounds of organic waste trichloroethylene/perchloroethylene;
- Interim Action
- Completed excavation of 240 cubic yards of calcine-contaminated soil (mercury
contamination) from Central Facilities Area Pond site (OU 4-05);
- Interim
Action - Completed excavation, boxing, and disposal of 285 cubic yards of
hazardous, radioactive soil from Power Burst Facility Evaporation Pond site (OU
5-13, chromium and low levels of cesium);
- Radionuclide-contaminated soil removal conducted at six OU 10 sites;
- Pad A - Long Term Monitoring Plan finalized;
- Completed remedial action at Pad A;
- Removal Action - Three 16-inch shells,
24 pounds of RDX explosive material, and 55,000 pounds of scrap metal removed
from ordnance sites (OU 10-03). The explosive ordnance waste will continue to
be disposed of at INEL in the Central Facilities Area landfill following
detonation and approved certification. This represents 22 acres of Removal
Action;
- Power Burst Facility Reactor Area Evaporation Pond Site Reclamation
activities completed August 22, 1995;
- Army Re-entry Vehicle Facility Storage (ARVFS) NaK safely moved to ANL-West;
- Removed five french drains at the 4-09 Removal Action; and
-
Began treatment of the ARVFS NaK. Projected completion of treatment is February
1996. Final stabilization is scheduled by the end of March 1996.
ANL-West
The following activities were accomplished in FY 95 at ANL-West:
Assessment
-
Completed accelerated pre-RI characterization for all release sites.
Cleanup
-
Completed removal of 250 feet of contaminated liquid waste pipeline.
|
