Inhalation Toxicology Research Institute

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The Inhalation Toxicology Research Institute is located in north-central New Mexico, approximately 16 kilometers (10 miles) southeast of downtown Albuquerque, New Mexico, on Kirtland Air Force Base. It is bounded on the north, east, and west by Kirtland Air Force Base, and on the south by the Isleta Indian Reservation.

FACILITY MISSION

The Inhalation Toxicology Institute was established in 1960 to conduct research on the human health consequences of inhaling airborne radioactive materials. In the mid-1970s, the research program was expanded to investigate the potential health effects of airborne chemicals released from coal combustion and gasification plants, solar collectors, and light duty diesel engines. Beginning in the 1980s, the program shifted to more basic research on the human respiratory tract and its response to inhaled toxicants.

The Institute's landlord is the Department of Energy's Office of Energy Research and its mission includes research, education, and technology transfer. It conducts high-quality research and links laboratory results with epidemiological findings to identify and reduce human health risks.

The Environmental Management program began at the Inhalation Toxicology Research Institute in FY 1990 and consisted of the Waste Management and Environmental Restoration programs. The Environmental Restoration program has assessed contamination in three areas: underground diesel fuel tanks, holding ponds for low-level radioactive waste, and sewage lagoons. The Institute has completed the remediation of the ponds and is currently remediating the other two sites. Completion is expected in FY 1997. The Waste Management program consists of collecting and packaging low-level, transuranic, and hazardous waste for offsite treatment and disposal. The site does not have onsite treatment or disposal facilities. There are no current or planned nuclear material and facility stabilization activities at the Institute. The principal driver for the Environmental Management program at this site is the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act.

FUTURE USE

This report assumes the Institute's basic and applied research will continue for the foreseeable future and the Office of Energy Research will remain the landlord. Therefore, future use of the land is assumed to remain Industrial/Commercial.

ENVIRONMENTAL RESTORATION

The Inhalation Toxicology Research Institute Environmental Restoration program was developed to assess three projects totaling seven sites: The Diesel Oil Release (five sites), the Hot Ponds site, and the Wastewater Lagoon site. These three projects are expected to be remediated in FY 1997.

The diesel site consists of five locations where leaks of No. 2 diesel fuel from underground tanks and fuel lines have contaminated surrounding soils. All the tanks and underground piping have been removed, along with associated contaminated soil. Four of the five sites have been remediated and the remaining site is scheduled for closure in FY 1996. The remaining site has a soil venting and bioremediation system to remove benzene, toluene, ethyl benzene, and xylene that has been successfully operating since 1992.

The Hot Ponds site consisted of a pair of small concrete-lined, low-level radioactive liquid waste evaporation ponds taken out of service in 1985. The waste in the ponds was removed and cleaned in 1990. Removal of the ponds and associated buildings and regrading and reseeding of the area was completed in FY 1995. The disposal of contaminated material is scheduled for FY 1996.

Between 1963 and 1992, liquid sanitary sewage was discharged to lagoons consisting of six cells within a 4-hectare (10-acre area). These lagoons were used to treat all sewage generated at the Institute. The Department took the lagoons out of service in May of 1992, when the Institute began using the city sewer system.

Elevated levels of cesium-137 and strontium-90 were found in and around the Hot Ponds area and in the former lagoon residual sludge. Elevated gross alpha activities were detected in the ground water, but were proven to be

caused by naturally occurring uranium. Soil samples and slant boreholes were used to assess both sites. Ground-water wells have determined that nitrates in the ground water under the lagoon site are slightly above drinking water standards. Diesel site assessment indicated diesel contamination exists in spots in the soil and as free floating product in the ground water near the underground storage tank sites.

The remediation of the lagoons consists of removing of the lagoon sludge and regrading and seeding the area to a near natural state. The lagoon remediation is scheduled for completion is FY 1997. During the regrading and revegetation activities, the ground water in the area will be pumped and used for revegetation purposes. The pumping operation will be an attempt to remediate the ground water and is assumed to continue only until the completion of remediation in FY 1997. The Department will continue to monitor the monitoring wells until it reaches a final agreement with the regulatory officials on closure.

All diesel site waste has been treated and disposed by bioremediation technology followed by burial in a municipal landfill. The radioactive contaminated waste from the Hot Ponds and lagoon sites is expected to be disposed as low-level waste in FY 1996 at Envirocare of Utah.

The Environmental Restoration program will manage all of the waste generated by the cleanup. It will also pay for long-term surveillance and monitoring, estimated at $200,000 annually through 2005.

Diesel Oil Release Site

There are five diesel spill areas. Three sites consist of underground storage tanks and underground fuel lines and two sites consist of areas where past spills occurred. Four of the five diesel spill sites have been remediated and closed; the remaining site continues to be remediated by a soil venting/bioremediation system. The site is regulated by the New Mexico Environment Department Underground Storage Tank Bureau.

ASSESSMENT

The soil and ground water have been sampled to determine the extent of the diesel release at these sites. Removal of contaminated soils at the sites has reduced the diesel contamination to below regulatory limits and has resulted in the closure of four of the five sites. The ground water at the remaining site is still being sampled for diesel contamination. The results show that the contamination is not spreading and is being reduced by the soil venting and bioremediation system in place at the site. The New Mexico Environment Department Underground Storage Tank Bureau is currently reviewing this last diesel site for closure.

REMEDIAL ACTION

With a total capacity of 379,000 liters (100, 000 gallons), all six tanks were removed in 1993 and 1994; approximately 610 meters (2,000 feet) of underground fuel oil lines were removed and replaced with above- ground fuel lines; and one site has a soil venting and bioremediation system that continues to operate successfully. Total expected diesel fuel-contaminated soil volume is expected to be about 1,520 cubic meters (2,000 cubic yards). Final reports have been completed for all of the sites and are being reviewed by the State of New Mexico's Underground Storage Tank Bureau for closure. The future use for this site is Commercial/Industrial.

All underground storage tanks, underground fuel oil lines and contaminated soil were treated and disposed of at a City of Albuquerque landfill, which is a permitted facility. The disposal fees are approximately $5,000. No other waste associated with this project is being stored or disposed. The soil venting and bioremediation system continues to operate as the treatment system.

Hot Ponds Site

The Hot Ponds site consists of two concrete-lined low-level radioactive liquid waste evaporation ponds. The Hot Ponds site has been remediated and closed. Cleanup was completed under the guidance of Department of Energy Orders.

ASSESSMENT

Results of soil- and ground-water sampling at this site showed that radionuclides had not reached the ground water. The contamination was isolated to the soil and concrete within the site fence. Removal of contaminated soils and concrete at the site has reduced the radionuclide contamination to below regulatory limits.

REMEDIAL ACTION

All remedial actions were completed in FY 1995, in accordance with Department of Energy orders and the New Mexico Environment Department Agreement-in-Principle Oversight Group. The complete Hot Ponds site has been removed and recontouring and revegetation of the site is complete. The site was cleaned up for Commercial/Industrial use.

All of the waste from the Hot Ponds site is currently being stored as low-level radioactive waste and is awaiting shipment to a commercial facility under a Department of Energy Waste Exemption. The total volume is approximately 304 cubic meters (400 cubic yards) and the Department expects disposal fees to be approximately $96,000.

Solid sanitary waste was shipped offsite to the Albuquerque City Landfill and all liquid sanitary waste was discharged to the Albuquerque sewage treatment system. The Department estimated that the total volume was 342 cubic meters (450 cubic yards).

Wastewater Lagoon Site

The Wastewater Lagoon site consisted 5.6 hectares (14 acres) of earthen lagoons that received all sanitary sewage generated at the Institute between 1963 and 1992. The lagoon sludge is currently being remediated. Completion is expected in FY 1997. The New Mexico Environment Department Ground Water Bureau regulates the wastewater lagoon activities and approves all designs and plans.

ASSESSMENT

The sludge and ground water have been sampled to determine contamination at this site. The results of this assessment showed that the sludge had low-levels of radioactivity and the ground water had concentrations above State limits for nitrate, sulfate, chloride, and totally dissolved solids. Removing the radioactive contaminated soil at the site has reduced the contamination to below regulatory limits. Ground water at the site is still being sampled for the parameters that are above the State Water Quality Regulatory Limits. These parameters are nitrate, sulfate, chloride, and totally dissolved solids. Ground water affected by these parameters has not moved offsite and the levels are constant or decreasing over time. Negotiations are currently taking place with the New Mexico Environment Department on the closure of this site.

REMEDIAL ACTION

Remediation was completed in FY 1995 and approved by the State of New Mexico Ground-water Protection and Remediation Bureau. Recontouring, revegetation, and closure of the site is assumed to occur in FY 1997.

Remediation consisted of removing nearly 3,040 cubic meters (4,000 cubic yards) of sludge contaminated with Cesium 137 and Strontium 90.

Solid sanitary waste was shipped offsite to the Albuquerque City Landfill. All liquid sanitary waste was discharged to the Albuquerque sewage treatment system. The total volume was estimated at 1,520 cubic meters (2,000 cubic yards).

All of the waste is awaiting shipment to an offsite commercial facility for disposal under a Department of Energy Waste Exemption. Shipment and disposal will occur in FY 1996. Disposal fees are expected to be approximately $1.1 million.

Direct Program Management/Support

Program management activities include Department of Energy and external report generation, analysis of results, engineering, design, regulatory communication and interface, site-wide monitoring, data quality management, resolution of crosscutting issues, general technical support, and geographic information system management. This report assumes program management will continue until FY 1998 but State regulators could require monitoring to continue.

WASTE MANAGEMENT

The main objective of the Waste Management program at the Inhalation Toxicology Research Institute is to manage hazardous and radioactive waste generated from ongoing Office of Energy Research activities in an environmentally sound manner. Costs associated with the waste generated by cleanup activities are included within the scope of the Environmental Restoration program. See the Site Map for the location of Waste Management program activities.

The Institute generates small quantities of various types of waste, including radioactive waste, hazardous waste, mixed waste, and transuranic waste. In 1994, the Institute generated approximately 30 cubic meters (40.5 cubic yards) of low-level waste, 0.5 cubic meters (0.68 cubic yards) of transuranic waste, 1.0 cubic meters (1.35 cubic yards) of mixed waste, 7,200 kilograms (15,900 pounds) of hazardous waste, 55 kilograms (120 pounds) of waste regulated by the Toxic Substances Control Act, and 400 Metric Tons (410 tons) of sanitary waste.

Waste is first segregated, characterized, and contained in the laboratory by site personnel prior to waste management acceptance. All program costs for Environmental Restoration program waste is included in the Environmental Restoration program estimate and the treatment, storage, and disposal of this waste is expected to be completed in FY 1996. The main regulatory driver for waste management is the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act. Life-cycle generation estimates are based on the assumption the Inhalation Toxicology Research Institute waste generation rates will remain at historical levels with no significant change in regulatory drivers.

Major Waste Management Activity Milestones

TASK	COMPLETION DATE Fiscal Year
Waste Processing Facility UpgradeBPlanning	1995
Design	1995
Construction	1996

In support of the continued long-term mission of the site, the current Waste Processing Facility is being upgraded. The project consists of a 111-square meter (1,200-square foot) addition to the existing Waste Processing Facility to provide space to neutralize, solidify, handle, and package hazardous waste. The Department will need to upgrade or replace this facility in 30 years.

Transuranic Waste

GENERATION AND HANDLING

A small amount of transuranic waste, approximately 0.5 cubic meters (0.68 cubic yards) per year, is produced during the research activities at the Institute. There is no backlog of this waste. Future generation rates are expected to remain constant. The costs associated with this activity are reflected under the Storage section. The majority of the transuranic waste consists of materials such as gloves, pipettes, polyethylene bottles, and beakers that once contained radioactive solutions. The small amount of waste that is in liquid form is solidified and then packaged with the solid transuranic waste before shipment offsite to Sandia National Laboratories for storage until disposal at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant begins.

TREATMENT

Treatment of transuranic waste consists of characterizing the waste and certifying that it meets the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant acceptance criteria; reducing the volume of the waste by compaction; solidifying liquid waste; and packaging the waste.

STORAGE

All transuranic waste is generated onsite and is stored offsite at a Sandia National Laboratories facility.

DISPOSAL

The Waste Isolation Pilot Plant in New Mexico is the disposal site for all transuranic waste. The Inhalation Toxicology Research Institute's transuranic waste will be shipped to the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant along with transuranic waste from Sandia National Laboratories/New Mexico. The Inhalation Toxicology Research Institute estimate includes costs for characterization only. Storage costs are included in the Sandia/New Mexico estimate, and transportation to the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant and disposal costs are included in the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant estimate.

Low-Level Mixed Waste

GENERATION AND HANDLING

A small amount of mixed waste (1.0 cubic meters [1.35 cubic yards] per year) is generated during research activities. There is no backlog of this waste. The Department expects the current generation rate to decrease to about 0.5 cubic meters per year over the next five years because of planned waste minimization efforts. This waste is currently being stored onsite in compliance with small quantity generator limits before disposal at a commercial facility. The generation of mixed waste that cannot be disposed within small quantity generator storage limits has ceased. Currently, the Institute does not store any noncompliant mixed waste onsite. In 1994, all noncompliant mixed waste stored onsite was treated and disposed of offsite. Generation and handling costs are included within the Storage section of the Waste Management Activity Costs Table. However, this estimate's life cycle assumes that the site will generate 39 cubic meters (51 cubic yards) of this waste.

TREATMENT

All low-level mixed waste is treated at an offsite commercial facility.

STORAGE

All low-level mixed waste is generated onsite and stored onsite at the Inhalation Toxicology Research Institute hazardous waste facility in compliance with small quantity generator storage limitations. This facility is expected to meet future storage requirements.

DISPOSAL

All low-level mixed waste is generated onsite and is disposed at an offsite commercial facility. A commercial contractor trucking firm transports the low-level mixed waste to the treatment and disposal facility. Transportation costs are included under the Mixed Waste Disposal section of the estimate.

Low-Level Waste

GENERATION AND HANDLING

Low-level waste is generated as a result of the research at the Institute and is a combination of three waste streams. These streams are the biological (3.6 cubic meters [4.7 cubic yards] per year), the demolition (34 cubic meters [44 cubic yards] per year) and the laboratory waste (22.6 cubic meters per year [30 cubic yards per] year). There is no backlog of this waste. The current generation rate of 60 cubic meters (78 cubic yards) per year is expected to decrease to about 38 cubic meters (50 cubic yards) per year over the next five years because of planned pollution prevention efforts. Radionuclides include nickel­63, tritium, carbon-14, sulfur-35, and phosphorus-32. Low-level waste includes aqueous waste, dry solids such as paper and gloves, and animal carcasses. Most of this waste is frozen, compacted, or solidified, accumulated onsite, and shipped to the Nevada Test Site for disposal. The costs of this activity are included in the Storage section of the Waste Management program estimate.

Low-level waste is segregated, bagged, and labeled by the laboratory research staff before acceptance by Waste Management. Bagged and boxed waste is placed in designated collection bins where it is picked up by Waste Management personnel. Waste bags and boxes are transported to the waste processing building where they are inspected, monitored, segregated, compacted, and packaged, as required.

TREATMENT

Treatment of low-level waste consists of compaction for volume reduction. The compactor, which is located in the waste processing building, is a press that compacts waste directly into 0.2-cubic meter (55-gallon) drums for shipment and disposal. As the waste is compacted into the drum, escaping air that may carry airborne contaminants is exhausted via a hood through a High Efficiency Particulate Air filter.

STORAGE

All low-level waste is generated onsite and stored onsite at the Inhalation Toxicology Research Institute low-level waste storage facility. This facility is expected to meet future storage requirements.

DISPOSAL

Low-level waste is sent to the Nevada Test Site for disposal by commercial trucking. The costs associated with this activity are reflected under the Low-Level Waste Disposal of the Waste Management Activity Costs Table section. This estimate assumes 2,876 cubic meters (3,760 cubic yards) of waste will be disposed.

Hazardous Waste

GENERATION AND HANDLING

The Institute is currently a small quantity generator of hazardous waste as defined by the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act. Most hazardous waste is generated from laboratory research activities (approximately 7 cubic meters [9 cubic yards] per year). It includes ignitable solvents, acids, and unused laboratory chemicals that are no longer needed. There is no backlog of this waste. The current generation rate is expected to decrease to approximately 6 cubic meters (7.8 cubic yards) per year over the next five years because of planned pollution prevention efforts. The hazardous waste is collected from the laboratories, stored temporarily onsite for up to 270 days, and then shipped offsite to commercial recycling facilities or Resource Conservation and Recovery Act treatment and disposal facilities. The costs associated with this activity are reflected under the Hazardous Waste Storage section of the Waste Management Activity Costs table.

The Institute currently recycles motor oil; batteries; cardboard; white paper; computer paper; aluminum cans; laser printer, copier, and facsimile cartridges; waste oils; and kitchen grease.

TREATMENT

All hazardous waste is sent to various offsite treatment facilities.

STORAGE

All hazardous waste is generated onsite and is stored onsite at the Inhalation Toxicology Research Institute hazardous waste facility in compliance with small quantity generator storage limitations. This facility is expected to meet future storage requirements.

DISPOSAL

All hazardous waste is sent to various offsite disposal facilities. Commercial contractor trucking firms transport hazardous waste to treatment and disposal facilities. The costs associated with this activity are reflected under the Hazardous Waste Disposal section of the Waste Management estimate. The estimate assumes 480 cubic meters (628 cubic yards) of waste will be disposed.

Direct Program Management/Support

Program support activities for waste management include management oversight, program planning and baseline development, cost estimating, cost and schedule performance reporting, project control system implementation, Progress Tracking System implementation, and life cycle and integrated planning. They also include conducting budget activities such as activity data sheet development; conducting management reviews and evaluations regarding regulatory compliance; responding to data requests; writing reports and keeping records; and managing public participation and stakeholder programs.

The Inhalation Toxicology Research Institute interacts frequently with the New Mexico Environment Department through the Agreement-in-Principle Group. This group oversees the sampling of ground-water wells and assists in interactions with the New Mexico Environment Department regulators.

Future cost savings in program support are expected to be realized through the current ongoing program of centralizing records and creating data bases. This program will enable the timely production of program reports and data calls and save money by reducing the man-hours currently associated with gathering and reporting data.

In the future, program support will focus on activities that will increase productivity by using improved data management tools. It will increase cost savings by reducing the quantity of hazardous waste that requires such administrative controls as waste minimization training awareness, chemical exchange, and procurement control of the chemical ordering process.

DESCRIPTION OF PERSONNEL

Current Composition

The current composition of federal and contractor Full-Time Equivalent employees is presented in the following table. The federal work force is made up of professionals, engineers, a manager, and administrative support. The contractor work force consists mostly of engineers, technicians, professionals, administrative staff, laborers, and general workers.

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

Site Management Structure

The Department of Energy owns the Inhalation Toxicology Research Institute. The Lovelace Biomedical and Environmental Research Institute operates it under a cost-reimbursable, no-fee management and operations contract between the Department of Energy, Lovelace, and its parent organization, the Lovelace Institutes. Both organizations are nonprofit organizations. The Institute has operated under this arrangement since its inception in 1960.

Future Full-Time Equivalent Needs

The Full-Time Equivalent needs for the Environmental Restoration program will be reduced to 1.5 Full-Time Equivalents in FY 1998.

The Full-Time Equivalent needs for the Waste Management program are expected to remain at current levels, assuming that the waste volumes and related regulations remain at current levels.

FUNDING ESTIMATE

The following table presents estimated funding information for the Inhalation Toxicology Research Institute.

COMPARISON WITH PREVIOUS ESTIMATE

There have not been any notable changes in site activity and scope relative to the information provided in the 1995 Baseline Environmental Management Report.

However, Waste Management program costs have increased by over 160 percent primarily because of two factors: 1) applicable direct program management costs are now included in waste management (and other program) estimates, and 2) the arbitrary cut-off date for Waste Management program support to the Office of Energy Research has been extended by 40 years (FY 2070 verses FY 2030). As a result, the FY 1996 site-wide life-cycle cost estimate has increased by approximately 100 percent from the previous estimate.