Fernald Environmental Management Project

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The U.S. Department of Energy's Fernald Environmental Management Project is located on a 420-hectare (1,050-acre) tract that overlaps the boundary between Hamilton and Butler Counties near the southwest corner of Ohio. It is approximately 27 kilometers (17 miles) northwest of Cincinnati. The Great Miami River flows nearby in a southerly direction, approximately 1.6 kilometers (one mile) east of the site. Paddy's Run, a small stream, runs southward along the western boundary of the site. The Fernald site is physically located over the Great Miami Aquifer. The former production facilities and supporting infrastructure comprise approximately 54 hectares (136 acres) of the 420-hectare (1,050-acre) site.

FACILITY MISSION

The Department of Energy uranium metal production operation at Fernald was constructed in the early 1950s to convert uranium ore into uranium metal, and to fabricate the uranium metal into target elements for reactors that produced weapons-grade plutonium and tritium. Production operations continued for more than 36 years, until the Department of Energy suspended them on July 10, 1989. During the 36-year production mission, uranium and other contaminants were released to the air, surface and ground water, and soil. This presence of environmental contamination necessitated a change in the mission from production operations to environmental restoration and, following necessary notifications, the Department formally shut down the facility on June 19, 1991. During production, over 225 million kilograms (500 million pounds) of high-purity uranium products were yielded to support United States defense initiatives.

The Department of Energy initiated the current mission of the Fernald Environmental Management Project on October 1, 1990, when it changed the line management function from the Office of Defense Programs to Environmental Restoration and Waste Management. The mission of this facility is to remediate the Fernald site. The programs, projects, and activities include, but are not limited to, environmental assessments, remedial design, remedial action, technology development, base activities, and decontamination and decommissioning activities.

In 1986, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and Department of Energy entered into a Federal Facility Compliance Agreement covering environmental impacts associated with site activities. The Fernald site was placed on the Environmental Protection Agency's National Priorities List in 1989. The Department of Energy and the Environmental Protection Agency signed a Consent Agreement in 1990 and amended it in 1991. This agreement established five operable units: Operable Unit 1, Waste Pit Area; Operable Unit 2, Other Waste Areas; Operable Unit 3, Former Production Area; Operable Unit 4, Silos 1 through 4; and Operable Unit 5, Environmental Media.

In addition to the five Operable Units, remnant production waste, which is referred to as legacy waste, is stored in containers at the Fernald site. This waste has been designated for permanent offsite disposal at the Nevada Test Site.

The Department will conduct environmental restoration activities in accordance with the remedies defined in a Final Record of Decision for each Operable Unit and in an approved Treatment, Storage, and Disposal Plan. Nuclear material and facility stabilization and waste management activities at the Fernald Environmental Management Project are contained within the scope of the environmental restoration program. The only exception is the disposition of depleted uranium product materials.

In 1995, following a comprehensive project evaluation, the Fernald Environmental Management Project proposed a plan to the Department of Energy that would accelerate the environmental restoration baseline schedule. Originally, the project's baseline reflected a 25-year schedule. The Accelerated Remediation Plan proposed completion of the project restoration in 10 years. The Department of Energy, Congress, associated regulatory agencies, and local stakeholders recognized the value of this approach, which will save the U.S. Government and taxpayers approximately $2.86 billion over the duration of the project. Cost estimates for this baseline report assumed the accelerated approach.

FUTURE USE

In July, 1995, the Fernald Citizens' Task Force recommended general categories of future land use in a report entitled Recommendations on Remediation Levels, Waste Disposition, Priorities, and Future Use . Recommendations included creating gentle slopes at the Onsite Disposal Facility that are keyed into natural contours of the surrounding land, and making portions of the site available for uses that are beneficial to surrounding communities.

With the exception of the Onsite Disposal Facility, buffer zone, and areas potentially committed to natural resources, areas of the Fernald Environmental Management Project will achieve post-remedial conditions that will allow a variety of land uses. This estimate assumes the site will be used for industrial development. However, the ultimate future use of this site is yet to be determined. The final remedy will impose a risk to the potential user that will fall within the acceptable range of 10^-4 to 10^-5 as specified by the National Contingency Plan. The Onsite Disposal Facility will be established and maintained as a controlled access area.

Stakeholder input has been an important part of the remedial selection process at the site. All parties involved in the selection process have regarded public participation and community acceptance as vital elements. The Fernald Citizens' Task Force was assembled expressly to obtain recommendations on key decisions from the public stakeholders.

The Task Force's final recommendation was for a balance between onsite disposal and offsite shipment of the site's waste and contaminated materials. The preferred disposal alternatives identified through the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980 process were consistent with the Task Force's recommendation. The balanced approach was based upon recognition that offsite disposal of all remedial waste would be too costly and involve additional transportation risks.

Excluding the Onsite Disposal Facility and surrounding buffer zone, a maximum of 344 hectares (850 acres) of land will be left (NOTE: An as yet to be determined number of acres will be set aside for natural resource restorating.). Several groups are considering options for future use of this property. These groups include, but are not limited to, the Fernald Citizens' Task Force and the Natural Resource Trustees. Site management is currently working with a diverse array of stakeholders to convene a Community Reuse Organization to assist in devising an economic reuse strategy for the site. The Department expects to complete remediation of the site in 2005. Closure with stakeholders regarding future use of the site will be finalized by that time.

ENVIRONMENTAL RESTORATION

During production, the manufacturing process used many uranium-bearing materials, including uranium concentrates, recyclable enriched residues, uranium hexafluoride, and a variety of recycled uranium metals (both depleted and

enriched) from various facilities. Fernald's production processes also produced large quantities of solid and liquid low-level radioactive waste. Air was the predominant pathway by which the facility released radioactive particles, but Fernald also routinely released radionuclides into the soil and ground and surface water.

Potential risks to human and ecological receptors have been evaluated for the site as they presently exist. The results demonstrate that existing concentrations of radiological and chemical contamination in source material and the environmental media, if left uncontrolled, pose risks to human and ecological receptors at levels sufficient to require remedial actions.

Contamination was caused not only by the former production facilities, but also by six low-level waste storage pits, a burnpit, a clearwell, and three concrete silos containing radium-bearing residues. The South Field Area, which was a depository of soil and construction debris with low levels of radioactivity, is a source of contamination, as are two flyash disposal areas, two lime sludge ponds, a solid waste landfill, and one concrete silo containing metal oxides.

Major milestones for planned environmental restoration activities for the five operable units and for Fernald's legacy waste are given below.

Operable Unit 1

The Operable Unit 1 area consists of six waste pits, a burn pit, and a clearwell. These facilities were previously used for the disposal of process-related wastes. They are currently in a stable condition as the Department finalizes plans for remedial action. The Department will excavate all waste material, treat it by drying to meet waste acceptance criteria, and ship it by train to a commercial disposal facility. Contaminated surface soils and soils beneath the waste areas will be forwarded to Operable Unit 5 for final disposition. Residual water, which includes surface water, perched ground water incidental to waste unit remediation, and residual process water, will be treated at the Fernald Environmental Management Project's Advanced Wastewater Treatment facility. All impacted Operable Unit 1 material is being processed as a low-level waste.

The Environmental Protection Agency has approved the Remedial Investigation Feasibility Study, Proposed Plan, and Record of Decision. The remedial design work is currently under way. The Operable Unit 1 remedial action will start this year. The construction of the railroad upgrades will start in April. The treatment facility operations are scheduled to start in FY 1998. All the waste pit contents will be processed and sent to a commercial offsite disposal facility. Upon completion of the treatment and disposal activities in FY 2003, the facility and surrounding soil, along with the onsite railroad trackage, will be dismantled and placed in the Onsite Disposal Facility. A contract for the remediation of Operable Unit 1 is scheduled for award in May 1997.

ASSESSMENT

As identified in the Operable Unit 1 Feasibility Study and Record of Decision, there are 35 constituents of concern for Operable Unit 1. Twelve are radiological constituents, 12 are inorganic constituents, and 11 are organic compounds. The notable radiological constituents of concern are uranium, thorium, uranium-238, uranium-234, and radium-226. The Feasibility Study and Record of Decision did not identify any specific contaminants as reasons for removing the pit materials, but rather large number of contaminants found in the pits make removal necessary.

The scope of the assessment includes the following: the contents of the eight waste areas and associated materials, including liners and covers; residual water, including surface water; perched ground water found during remediation of the pits; residual process water, surface and subsurface soils within the boundary of Operable Unit 1, and miscellaneous facilities and structures. Operable Unit 1 did not address ground water in the Great Miami Aquifer and the full extent of perched ground water as a source medium, because Operable Unit 5 is addressing potential remediation of ground-water contamination for the entire Fernald site. Thus, for Operable Unit 1, ground water was considered an environmental receptor medium.

The process leading to the selection of the above constituents of concern began with a review of the data developed in the Operable Unit 1 Remedial Investigation/Feasibility Study and previous analytical studies. These investigations characterized radiological and chemical composition of solid and liquid media and waste in the Waste Storage Area. Data were collected in accordance with data quality objectives established in the Fernald Quality Assurance Project Plan. Process knowledge obtained from historical site records and employee interviews supported the review of analytical data. It supported the identity and source of principal constituents placed within the waste pits and the distribution of contaminants in Operable Unit 1. Because of the heterogeneity of waste contained in the waste pits of Operable Unit 1, evaluations were performed on a pit­by­pit basis. In addition, surface soils within the Operable Unit 1 boundary were treated as a discrete entity during the risk assessment process.

The Remedial Investigation, including the Baseline Risk Assessment, documents that the contents of the waste pits are significantly contaminated and require remediation. Varying degrees of contamination of the surface soil within Operable Unit 1 are not associated with the contents of the waste pits. The investigation also expects that there are varying degrees of contamination in the soils beneath the waste pits. Accordingly, remediation levels have been established for both surface soils and soils beneath the waste pits. These levels protect human health and the environment, assuming federal ownership of the site continues as provided in the selected remedy. No remediation levels are presented for the waste pit materials, since the Operable Unit 1 remedial action will remove this material.

REMEDIAL ACTION

Remedial action will consist of treatment for water removal using soil drying technology as required, followed by offsite disposal at a licensed commercial disposal facility. Wastewaters generated during the remedial action will be treated onsite at the Advanced Wastewater Treatment facility by Operable Unit 5. The regulating agencies have approved the proposed concept for remedial action and a detailed engineering design of the treatment facilities has been initiated. Offsite disposal facilities have been contacted and have suitable capacity and acceptance criteria for the treated waste.

The regulatory agencies have approved the Feasibility Study, Record of Decision, and Remedial Design Work Plan for this Operable Unit. The Remedial Action Work Plan and preliminary engineering design packages are currently being prepared.

Low-level waste volumes consist of 339,416 cubic meters (446,600 cubic yards) of contaminated sludges and 59,660 cubic meters (78,500 cubic yards) of contaminated soils. They also consist of 23,788 cubic meters (31,300 cubic yards) of contaminated rubble/debris and 290,776 cubic meters (382,600 cubic yards) of contaminated wastewater. Trucks and end loaders will transfer Operable Unit 1 waste from the waste unit to a dryer facility. Trucks and/or conveyor systems will transport dried waste to plastic-lined gondola rail cars. After loading, these rails cars will be sealed, covered, and used for offsite transport. Current estimates call for 178 trains with 40 to 53 gondola cars per train.

Stabilization activities for Operable Unit 1 have consisted of repair and maintenance activities to maintain the pits and the contained wastes in a stable condition. Activities have included: repair of a pit liner; leveling and covering of pit wastes with water for dust control; upgrades to waste pit stormwater runoff controls; upgrade, repair and reseeding of contaminate berms; and removal and offsite disposal of an experimental treatment facility.

Operable Unit 2

Operable Unit 2 consists of five waste units and their associated berms, liners, and soils. The following areas will be addressed: the Solid Waste Landfill, the Lime Sludge Ponds, the Inactive Flyash Pile, the South Field, and the Active Flyash Pile. The waste units were previously used for the disposal of a variety of waste generated by the site. Remedial activities for Operable Unit 2 include excavation of all material with contaminants of concern above the established cleanup levels, material processing for size reduction and moisture control if required, onsite disposal in an engineered disposal facility with a composite cap and liner system, and offsite disposal of a small fraction of the excavated material that exceeds the waste acceptance criteria of the Onsite Disposal Facility.

The Environmental Protection Agency has approved the Operable Unit 2 Remedial Investigation, Feasibility Study, Proposed Plan and Record of Decision. Remedial design work is under way. Remedial action activities are scheduled to begin in September 1996. Environmental Protection Agency approval is required for the following Onsite Disposal Facility items: Geotechnical Investigation, Disposal Facility Location Plan, Remedial Action Work Plans, Preliminary, Intermediate, Prefinal, and Final Design Review Packages. The Operable Unit 2 waste units and onsite waste haul road will also require Environmental Protection Agency approval for Remedial Action Work Plans and Preliminary and Prefinal, Final Design Packages.

Active Operable Unit 2 environmental restoration projects that are being conducted as Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act Removal Actions include the South Field Surface Seep Control Project and continued maintenance of the Active Flash Pile and Paddy's Run Erosion Control Structure.

ASSESSMENT

Uranium-238 and lead are the most notable of the 28 constituents of concern. The Remedial Investigation for Operable Unit 2 was a comprehensive investigation with thousands of environmental samples and a detailed risk assessment. The risk assessment determined that most of the uranium-238 was derived from exposure to ground water.

REMEDIAL ACTION

Remedial Action consists of excavating and removing contaminated soils, sludges, liners, and debris contained within the Operable Unit 2 waste units. A majority of this waste will be transported over an onsite waste haul road and placed in the Onsite Disposal Facility. Waste that exceeds the Onsite Disposal Facility's waste acceptance criteria will be transported to an approved offsite disposal facility. Contaminated water present in the waste areas and generated during the remedial action will be transferred to Operable Unit 5 for treatment in the Advanced Wastewater Treatment facility. Operable Unit 2 is also responsible for the detailed design of the Onsite Disposal Facility to handle all waste from the Fernald Environmental Management Project site that meets the waste acceptance criteria.

Stabilization activities within Operable Unit 2 have consisted of the construction of a rock berm to stabilize the Inactive Flash Pile berm and prevent stream erosion and waste release. In addition, a crusting agent is routinely applied to the surface of the waste piles to minimize wind erosion and contaminant release.

Low-level waste volumes for Operable Unit 2 consist of 50,842 cubic meters (66,603 cubic yards) of contaminated soils, 83,107 cubic meters (108,870 cubic yards) of contaminated ash, 12,615 cubic meters (16,525 cubic yards) of sludges, and 96,257 cubic meters (126,097 cubic yards) of rubble and debris.

The preferred disposal alternatives for the Operable Units include the construction of an onsite, above-grade disposal facility. The Department estimates that the disposal facility will require approximately 29 hectares (71 acres) and be 20 meters (65 feet) high. The facility will contain an estimated 1,911,375 cubic meters (2,503,901 cubic yards) of contaminated soil and construction debris from the cleanup of the site. The cell will receive only material exhibiting lower uranium concentrations (approximately five percent of the total radioactive contaminants). The material with higher levels of radioactive concentrations, deemed to be the primary threat (approximately 95 percent of the radioactive contaminants), would be treated (if required) and shipped offsite for disposal.

A maximum waste acceptance criteria of 346 picocuries per gram of uranium-238, or 1,030 parts per million total uranium, has been developed for the Onsite Disposal Facility. The Department estimates that 239,172 cubic meters (313,315 cubic yards) of Operable Unit 2 material will meet the waste acceptance criteria and be disposed in the Onsite Disposal Facility. The Department of Energy will not dispose of any offsite waste in this facility. This is approximately one percent of the total amount of waste material that will be excavated. Soils containing lead from the Firing Range, which are about 228 cubic meters (approximately 298 cubic yards) will also not be disposed of in the Onsite Disposal Facility. This material will be treated before being sent offsite for disposal. Surface water incidental to waste unit remediation will be treated at the Fernald Advanced Wastewater Treatment facility. All impacted Operable Unit 2 material is classified as a low-level waste. A small fraction from the South Field Firing Range will be classified as a low-level mixed waste. The Department estimates that up to 2,356 cubic meters (3,086 cubic yards) of material will not meet the waste acceptance criteria for onsite disposal.

The Department will implement a variety of pollution control activities during the Operable Unit 2 environmental restoration activities. These activities include, but are not limited to; control and management of clean and contaminated stormwater, process water, and wastewater; control of air pollution emissions; and control of surface and subsurface contaminant migration and spills or releases.

Operable Unit 3

Operable Unit 3 consists of all man-made above-, at-, and below-grade structures at Fernald that are not included in the other operable units. These structures include all of the facilities, processes, and buildings used to convert uranium ore into metal to meet the site's previous mission. This includes existing storage pads, roads, wastewater treatment system, the sewer and electrical systems, railroads, fences, inventory, drums, and material piles. Most of these structures are located within the 54-hectare (136-acre) former production area at the Fernald site.

ASSESSMENT

The Operable Unit 3 Remedial Investigation/Feasibility Study Report documents the results of the field characterization program, which was designed to collect radiological and chemical data on the structures and facilities that comprise Operable Unit 3 to support fundamental decisionmaking for the materials generated by the Operable Unit 3 interim remedial action. A total of 1,127 samples from 12 media types were collected from 137 distinct structures or facilities. Sample analysis and data validation adhered to the requirements outlined in the Site-Wide Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act Quality Assurance Project Plan.

Through the Remedial Investigation/Feasibility Study process, 60 analytes have been identified as constituents of concern. Of these 60, the Department considers 15 more significant because of frequent detections above baseline values or regulatory limits, toxicity, carcinogenicity, and mobility. Of these 15, the Department considers uranium and technetium-99 to be large contributors to the overall environmental and health risks.

REMEDIAL ACTION

The Remedial Action for Operable Unit 3 consists of the removal and hold-up of process residuals within the buildings and processes; decommissioning and decontamination of the building, structures, and processes; and placement of the waste materials that meet the waste acceptance criteria in the Onsite Disposal Facility, with a small fraction of waste transferred for offsite disposal in an approved facility.

The Department of Energy estimates that ten percent of low-level waste material will be shipped offsite for disposal at the Nevada Test Site, and the remaining 90 percent will be placed in the Onsite Disposal Facility. Recycling will be implemented for Operable Unit 3 metals to the extent possible. Unrestricted release of materials that meet Department of Energy requirements is also being explored. Existing facilities will be used for interim storage until the Onsite Disposal Facility is ready to receive waste material. Operate Unit 5 will excavate and disposition contaminated soils in the plant area. The Advanced Wastewater Treatment Facility will treat decontamination wash water, surface water, and perched ground water incidental to facility remediation.

The Environmental Protection Agency has approved an Operable Unit 3 Interim Record of Decision for decommissioning and dismantling plant area buildings. Most of the buildings in the former Fernald process area will be decommissioned and dismantled as an interim remedial action. The Final Record of Decision will define any further treatment and final disposition of the dismantled materials. The current preferred remedial alternative in the Operable Unit 3 Draft Proposed Plan involves onsite disposal of dismantled materials that meet the waste acceptance criteria and offsite disposal, with treatment as necessary, for all dismantled materials that exceed the waste acceptance criteria. The Environmental Protection Agency approved the Remedial Investigation/Feasibility Study/Proposed Plan on March 22, 1996.

Active Operable Unit 3 environmental restoration projects being conducted as Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act Removal Actions include: safe shutdown, which includes stabilizing the process equipment and electrical, mechanical and control systems; followed by residue removal and gross surface contamination; asbestos abatement; uranyl nitrate hexahydrate neutralization and thorium nitrate stabilization. Material disposition is still occurring for materials generated from the decommissioning and dismantling of the Plant 1 Ore Silos, Plant 7, and the former Fire Training Facility.

DECOMMISSIONING

There are 128 buildings and 72 miscellaneous facilities designated for decommissioning and dismantling. The Fernald Safe Shutdown Program initially processes equipment that contains residual process waste for residue removal and decontaminated surface areas. After safe shutdown activities are complete, the remediation subcontractor removes all asbestos, bulk material, equipment, interior transite, insulation, and other debris. Structural component surfaces are decontaminated. The structural components are then dismantled, followed by the foundations and associated below-grade components. Most Operable Unit 3 materials are currently classified as low-level waste; a small fraction may be identified as low-level mixed waste. The Department estimates that the demolition and decontamination process will generate approximately 207,272 cubic meters (271,526 cubic yards) of construction materials, including above-, at-, and below-grade materials. All costs for these activities are included within the scope of remedial actions.

Operable Unit 4

Operable Unit 4 consists of four silos and their contents, an underground sump tank, a radon treatment system, an earthen berm surrounding two of the silos, and all associated surface and subsurface soils, and perched ground water. The silos are large, cylindrical, above-grade concrete vessels with post-tensioned steel reinforcing. Each of the domed silos is 80 feet in diameter and 36 feet high at the center of the dome.

Silos 1 and 2, also known as the K-65 silos, contain radium-bearing residues generated from the processing of high-grade uranium ore. Silo 3 contains powdery, calcined residues, known as cold metal oxides, that were generated in the 1950s from uranium extraction operations. Silo 4 was never used. The residues in the silos are classified as byproduct materials, consistent with Section 11(e)2 of the Atomic Energy Act, generated consequential to the processing of natural uranium ores.

ASSESSMENT

Operable Unit 4 waste includes the contents of Silos 1, 2, and 3; various contaminated structures and components, including a decant sump tank, a radon treatment system, Silos 1, 2, 3, and 4, and a portion of a concrete trench; contaminated soils; and contaminated ground water. The silo contents contain both the largest quantity and the highest concentration of contaminants. Analyses of these materials and components detected 67 chemical constituents of concern and 16 radioactive isotopes of concern.

While leachable metals exist, lead, and to a lesser extent, arsenic, cadmium, chromium, and selenium, the numerous radioactive constituents present the greatest overall threat to health and the environment. This assertion was qualified by baseline risk assessments. Silos 1 and 2 contain approximately 6,796 cubic meters (8,903 cubic yards) of waste residues with radioactive isotopes of radium, thorium, and lead exhibiting the most concern. As a natural consequence of the decay of the radium-226 present in the Silo 1 and 2 waste materials, a radioactive gas, radon-222, is generated. Since 1991, when a layer of bentonite clay was placed over the residues in Silos 1 and 2, samples show a significant reduction in the radon-222 present in the headspace. Thorium-230 is distributed within the 3,890 cubic meters (5,096 cubic yards) of waste residues inside Silo 3. Soil samples show that some spillage of silo material has occurred, and surface soil analyses show elevated concentrations of uranium. Uranium is the major radionuclide contaminant in the perched water.

REMEDIAL ACTION

Silos 1 and 2, known as the K-65 Silos, contain the residues generated from processing high-grade uranium ores. This processing was performed to extract the uranium compounds from the natural ores. These ores, termed pitchblende, were shipped to the United States from a mine in the Belgian Congo (Zaire). The K-65 residues contain high-activity concentrations of radionuclides, including radium and thorium.

Silo 3 contains residues, known as cold metal oxides, which were generated at the Fernald Environmental Management Project site during uranium extraction operations in the 1950s. These operations involved the Belgian Congo ores and uranium concentrates received from a variety of uranium mills in the United States and abroad. The residues within Silo 3 also contain significant activity concentrations of radionuclides; however, they are lower than the K-65 residues.

The K-65 residues and cold metal oxides will be removed and will be treated in an onsite vitrification facility. The sludges from the decant sump tank will also be removed and vitrified. Following treatment, the vitrified residues will be containerized and transported offsite by rail and/or truck for disposal at the Nevada Test Site. Silo 4 is empty except for some infiltration water.

Following removal of residues, the concrete silo structures and associated facilities will be demolished. Construction debris will be processed for size reduction and permanently stored in the Fernald Onsite Disposal Facility. Contaminated soils immediately adjacent and under the silos will be forwarded to Operable Unit 5 for final disposition. Residual water, which includes surface water, perched ground water, and residual process water, will be treated at the Fernald Advanced Wastewater Treatment facility.

The Environmental Protection Agency approved the Operable Unit 4 Remedial Investigation, Feasibility Study, Proposed Plan, and Record of Decision. As part of the remedial design phase, a pilot plant is being constructed to further evaluate the vitrification process. Construction of the pilot vitrification plant began during FY 1994. Remedial action activities are scheduled to begin in March 1996.

Waste volumes for Operable Unit 4 consist of 10,704 cubic meters (14,022 cubic yards) of contaminated sludges, 90,239 cubic meters (118,213 cubic yards) of contaminated soils, 3,012 cubic meters (3,946 cubic yards) of rubble and debris, and 458 cubic meters (600 cubic yards) of contaminated waters.

Operable Unit 4 has implemented several waste stabilization programs. Earthen berms were constructed around the exterior of several of the silos to provide enhanced structural stability. A bentonite cap was placed inside one of the silos on top of the existing residue materials. This cap substantially reduced the migration of radon into the silo headspace. Several of the silo dome exteriors were coated with polyurethane to reduce thermal cycling/pumping and radon emissions to the atmosphere.

Operable Unit 5

Operable Unit 5 includes the remediation of the soils, ground water, surface water and sediment, and flora and fauna over the entire Fernald Environmental Management Project property. Proposed remedial action involves excavating and consolidating contaminated soil and sediment. Excavated soil and sediment that exceeds the onsite waste acceptance criteria of the facility will be shipped to an offsite licensed commercial disposal facility. The proposed action includes treating contaminated ground water and the collecting and treating contaminated stormwater runoff.

The Operable Unit 5 draft Final Record of Decision was submitted to the Environmental Protection Agency and Ohio Environmental Protection Agency in November 1995. This report was approved on January 31, 1996.

ASSESSMENT

The Draft Final Operable Unit 5 Record of Decision lists 88 contaminants contained in the soils. Each contaminant has been assigned a final remediation level for the Operable Unit 5 remedy. The final remediation level for each soil contaminant is the result of a multistep screening process, which took into consideration risk levels for the target receptors, background, applicable or relevant and appropriate requirements, and detection limits.

Total uranium is the primary contaminant of concern demonstrated in the Great Miami Aquifer. Water pumped from the aquifer is currently being processed to extract total uranium in the Advanced Wastewater Treatment facility prior to discharge.

REMEDIAL ACTION

The remedial action consists of excavating contaminated soil and placing it in the Onsite Disposal Facility. A small fraction of the soils that do not meet the disposal facility waste acceptance criteria will be transported to an approved offsite disposal facility. Operable Unit 5 is responsible for extracting and treating contaminated perched water and ground water associated with the Fernald Environmental Management Project. Operable Unit 5 will also collect and treat wastewater generated by other operable units during the remedial action.

Operable Unit 5 has secured regulatory agency approval for the Feasibility Study and various water extraction and treatment system designs. The Environmental Protection Agency has approved the Remedial Investigation, Feasibility Study, and Proposed Plan. The Record of Decision was approved by the regulatory agencies. Remedial Design and Remedial Action documentation are being prepared. Remedial action activities are expected to begin in March 1997.

The stabilization activities for Operable Unit 5 include: placing of extraction wells in the path of a contaminated ground water plume to limit further migration of waste constituents, removing and treating contaminated perched water located beneath the former plant area, and improving storage of soil and debris.

Waste volumes for Operable Unit 5 consist of 237 million cubic meters (310 million cubic yards) of contaminated water and 1.2 million cubic meters (1.6 million cubic yards) of contaminated soils.

The Advanced Wastewater Treatment Plant Phases I/II provide advanced technology for uranium radionuclide removal from designated waste streams. The Advanced Wastewater Treatment facility will provide wastewater treatment for remedial process, stormwater runoff, and extracted ground water. The facility allows the Fernald Environmental Management Project to meet the requirements for radionuclide and heavy metal discharge from the site per Department of Energy Orders 5480.11 and 5400.5 for "as low as reasonably achievable" and "best available technology" The treatment goal is also consistent with the Environmental Protection Agency proposed standard for uranium in drinking water (20 parts per billion). The project is critical to the Fernald Environmental Management Project's commitment to Environmental Protection Agency to reduce uranium discharge to the Great Miami River.

Phases I/II consist of two parallel treatment systems. Phase I addresses treatment of 2,692 liters (700 gallons) per minute of Storm Sewer Lift Station and Stormwater Retention Basin water runoff. When the Stormwater Retention Basin falls below a designated level, the Advanced Wastewater Treatment facility has the capability to receive uranium-contaminated ground water in accordance with the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act. Phase II will treat 1,500 liters (400 gallons) per minute of process wastewater flow and future remediation wastewater.

LONG-TERM SURVEILLANCE AND MONITORING

Operable Unit 5 will be responsible for the long-term monitoring and surveillance of site-wide soil areas and ground water, after completion of remedial actions for all operable units. After a remedial action is complete, regulatory agencies may require various monitoring activities. These activities may include items such as ground- water monitoring programs. The Remedial Action Work Plan will determine specific details at a later date.

The Department of Energy will develop remedial action work plans addressing the parameters and the frequency of monitoring and inspection, with detailed design activities for the Onsite Disposal Facility. In addition, the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act requires a review every five years of any remedial action with onsite disposal to ensure protection of human health and the environment. The Remedial Action Work Plan will determine the specific content of the reviews; this report expects that it will include a review of monitoring data, engineering controls, and maintenance activities.

Low-Level Legacy Waste

Fernald's low-level legacy waste is in containerized storage. It consists largely of waste generated as part of activities associated with former production operations and maintenance activities, utility operations, and laboratory analyses. Approximately 92 percent of the 127,224 cubic meters (167,400 cubic yards) of low-level waste material has been shipped to the Nevada Test Site. The remaining 8 percent is scheduled for disposal at the Nevada Test Site during FY 1996.

That legacy waste which is classified as low-level mixed waste is being processed as a Federal Facility Compliance Act action. A Treatment, Storage, and Disposal Plan has been approved by the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency. Low-level mixed waste associated with the hydrofluoric acid neutralization system, the uranyl nitrate hexahydrate treatment system, and the wastewater treatment system will be treated using existing, onsite facilities and will be shipped by truck for final disposition at the Nevada Test Site. Waste designated for stabilization for chemical processing will be treated by a mobile vendor and disposed of at the Nevada Test Site. Selected low-level mixed waste was treated during FY 1993 and FY 1994 at the Toxic Substances Control incinerator at the Department's K-25 Site in Oak Ridge, Tennessee.

The remaining waste is scheduled for final disposition by the end of FY 1997. Disposal of treated low-level mixed waste at existing commercial facilities is being explored.

Direct Program Management/Support

Four separate supporting organizations perform the Program Management functions. They include the Executive Management Division, the Technical Management Division, the Business Management Division, and the Support Management Division. The Executive Management Division is responsible for ensuring that the Department reaches its remediation goals in a safe, cost-effective, and timely manner. It also ensures two-way communication between the site and stakeholders for the benefit of the Fernald Citizens' Task Force, regulatory agencies, and state and local governments. The Technical Management Division is responsible for directing, planning, staffing, and organizing, to ensure that professional resources provide quality-engineered products to complete the environmental restoration project. The Business Management Division performs baseline cost estimates throughout each stage of the remedial project and supports the management systems needed to measure and control costs, schedule, and technical performance. Support Management conducts Operational Readiness reviews, Independent Safety and Review Committee reviews, and Self-Assessments.

The Fernald site requires support from certain Ohio universities to implement a Public Affairs Program Plan, which involves surveys and analyses. Polling of the local population helps to measure and evaluate the community trust and confidence in the Fernald Environmental Management Project. The Fernald Citizens' Task Force, a group formed to represent local stakeholders, was established and structured to inform the public about the site's current mission and sensitive remedial and financial issues affecting the project.

Technology Programs spends $500,000 annually to pay for special studies and applications for new technology and development initiatives. These investigations, which are conducted by the Alliance of Ohio Universities, are administered through Basic Order Agreements that support or share the development efforts at the site.

LANDLORD ACTIVITIES

In December 1992, the Fernald Environmental Management Project assumed landlord responsibilities. At present, the Fernald Environmental Management Project continues to support only base infrastructure management, safety, and maintenance efforts that are applicable to the entire site and not specific to a particular remediation activity. As remediation efforts continue, activities and areas previously maintained by landlord services will become "projectized" and will fall under Safe Shutdown and Dismantling and Decontamination activities.

Landlord services include the following:

Remediation Project Support - The landlord is responsible for preparing and analyzing analytical and environmental samples for use by Fernald Environmental Management Project organizations and programs. The landlord also provides quality control of sampling services and laboratory activities.

Site Services - The landlord is responsible for site custodial services, porter service, site laundry, offsite facilities leases and maintenance, inventory control, site utilities, and security. The landlord provides training in accordance with Conduct of Operations for Land Support to Projectized Operations. The work coordination team provides a six-week schedule for divisional work planning, eliminates work interferences, and provides schedule integration. The manpower resource management team works closely with the work coordination team to identify resources by job/task assignments. The landlord also establishes division procedures and provides internal auditing and procurement support. The future program coordination, facility ownership management, and operations program management teams provide integration with the operable units in developing remediation programs. The landlord has projectized activities for enhanced financial control.

Support Projects - The landlord is responsible for all facilities, equipment, and personnel to support various site activities. Support projects usually consist of installations and repairs or upgrades that are beyond the level of a maintenance work order.

Landlord Management - Through an administrative management team, the landlord is responsible for supervising removal, safe shutdown, and remedial actions.

Environmental Safety and Health Services - The landlord is responsible for occupational safety and health, radiological control, environmental monitoring and compliance, Environmental Safety & Health assurance and emergency preparation, and Environmental Safety and Health management.

The landlord provides common environmental, safety, and health functions not associated with restoration activities. Responsibilities include operating and maintaining the Fernald steam plant; compressed air system; potable water treatment system; process water treatment system; cooling water system; sanitary waste treatment system; site utilities; office buildings and warehouses; and maintaining vehicles, former plant area buildings, roads, and parking facilities. The landlord maintains the remedial action construction infrastructure, such as, construction office facilities, laydown areas, interim storage areas, roads, and parking.

Future requirements of the landlord program include continued support for infrastructure management, safety, and maintenance of the site. As remediation continues, especially Waste Disposition, Safe Shutdown, and dismantling and decontamination activities, previous landlord maintenance and management activities and costs will decrease.

DESCRIPTION OF PERSONNEL

Current Composition

The aggregation of the contractor work force at the Fernald Environmental Management Project is a reflection of the work that is currently ongoing. For example, Operable Unit 3 and Operable Unit 5 have just completed their Record of Decision. The number of management, engineering, general administrative, scientist, and technician Full-Time Equivalents sustaining this process will slowly decrease toward the end of 1996. Operable Units 1 and 2 have progressed into the Title I, II, and III, design process; Operable Unit 4 has initiated its remedial action.

The hourly work force, crafts, laborers, and operators support three major efforts onsite, including: safe shutdown of Operable Unit 3 facilities, legacy waste repackaging and shipment, and landlord maintenance operations. The mix and headcount of these employees will remain constant throughout this year and into FY 1997.

Approximately 40 percent of the 2,195 contractor Full-Time Equivalents bolster the efforts described above: project integration, cost control and reporting, quality control and assurance, health and safety, security, stakeholder interface coordination, program management, human resources, contracts and acquisitions, training, and environmental compliance.

The number of federal Full-Time Equivalents depicted in the table below are representative of the Fernald Environmental Management Project oversight duties performed by the Department of Energy Fernald office.

* The Projections for Full-Time Equivalent employees are based on FY 1996 planning baselines (see Reader's Guide).

Site Management Structure

Fernald Environmental Restoration Management Corporation is a wholly-owned operating company of Fluor Daniel. It consists of a team of Fluor Daniel, the Jacobs Engineering Group, Halliburton NUS Corporation, and Nuclear Fuel Services personnel. Fernald Environmental Restoration Management Corporation assumed site management responsibility in December 1992. The contract is for five years, ending in November of 1997.

In 1994, Federal Government contract reform initiatives created an outcome-oriented, performance-based contract that provides additional incentives for Fernald Environmental Restoration Management Corporation to pursue excellence. Fernald Environmental Restoration Management Corporation and the Department of Energy have agreed to their principal roles and responsibilities regarding the environmental restoration at Fernald. As prime contractor, Fernald Environmental Restoration Management Corporation is accountable for its actions and incurs liability for the efficiency and effectiveness of completed work. This contract requires that the Fernald Environmental Management Project be accountable for complying with previously agreed to regulations that are applicable to this project. The Fernald Environmental Restoration Management Corporation's mission statement emphasizes the commitment to the safe, least-cost, earliest, final cleanup of the Fernald site, within applicable requirements, and in a manner that addresses stakeholder concerns.

Fernald Environmental Restoration Management Corporation uses a variety of contractual arrangements to acquire material and services in support of the Fernald Environmental Management Project. Fernald Environmental Restoration Management Company has special relationships with outside firms and universities that provide advice and counsel in various areas of expertise. The Coleman Research Corporation provides significant government contractor experience to support training, conduct of operations, and independent readiness reviews. The Historically Black Colleges and Universities consortium supports Fernald Environmental Restoration Management Corporation in training, technical evaluation, and minority outreach. The Ohio University Alliance, a consortium of the Ohio State University, Miami University of Ohio, University of Cincinnati, and University of Findlay, supports Fernald Environmental Management Corporation in training, technical evaluation, and professional development efforts.

The Department of Energy and Fernald Environmental Restoration Management Corporation negotiated a modification to Fernald Environmental Management Project's prime contract to implement contract reform agreements. This modification represents innovative measures on the part of Fernald Restoration Environmental Management Corporation and the Department to establish more objective performance measures, to share more risk with the Department, and to incorporate incentives that offer more opportunity for reward through achieving excellence in performance. Because the contract was changed from an award fee arrangement to a performance- based fee arrangement, the potential exists for Fernald Environmental Restoration Management Corporation to earn a larger fee in return for improved performance.

Future Full-Time Equivalent Needs

The future Full-Time Equivalent needs of the site will change based on the needs of ongoing remediation efforts. Prior to FY 1997, the work will focus on finalizing five Records of Decision and associated designs to implement these decisions and waste shipments. Starting in FY 1997, the focus will be on field activities to accomplish the cleanup. These activities will initially require construction personnel to build remediation facilities. This requirement will be followed by the need for personnel to operate the facilities and conduct site-wide waste management activities. As the cleanup efforts are completed, personnel will be needed to monitor the site.

FUNDING ESTIMATE

The following table presents estimated funding information for the Fernald site.

COMPARISON WITH PREVIOUS ESTIMATE

Cost savings in the amount of approximately $2.1 billion have resulted from the decision to implement the accelerated remedial plan, which results in removing all manmade facilities and contaminated media within ten years, with the exception of ground-water collection and treatment, which continues for an additional 13 years. For the 1995 Baseline Environmental Management Report, facility-related and ground-water remedial activities had a schedule of 32 years. A summary comparison of the site's total life-cycle estimates comparing last year to this year is shown on the following page.

Revised assumptions regarding disposition of Operable Unit 3 waste and disposal facility construction were integral to the Accelerated Remediation Plan. For Operable Unit 3, all waste that meets the waste acceptance criteria for the Onsite Disposal Facility would be placed in that facility. Previously, 36 percent of the dismantled and decontaminated materials was to be shipped to the Nevada Test Site for disposal and two percent of the material was to be recycled.

For the Onsite Disposal Facility, this report assumes that the use of onsite clay will be satisfactory for cap and liner construction, and a revised design concept eliminated the need for a clean encompassing dike and much of the exterior rock erosion protection. The savings associated with the program management and landlord costs primarily result from the shortened schedule for remedial construction.