Weldon Spring Site

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The Weldon Spring Site consists of 91.6 hectares (229 acres), approximately 32 kilometers (20 miles) west of St. Louis, Missouri. The Weldon Spring Chemical Plant and the Weldon Spring Quarry occupy the site.

FACILITY MISSION

The Weldon Spring Site was part of a site used by the U.S. Army as an ordnance works in the 1940s. In the 1950s and 1960s, the Atomic Energy Commission used the site to process uranium ore in the Weldon Spring Chemical Plant. The plant was subsequently deactivated and no activities were carried out at the Weldon Spring Site until remediation began in 1985. In February 1985, a Memorandum of Understanding between Department of Energy and the Department of Army resulted in the transfer of ownership from the Department of Army to the Department of Energy. Since then, the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge Operations Office has administered the Weldon Spring Site as Major Project #182, Weldon Spring Site Remedial Action Project. In 1986, the Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Energy signed a Federal Facilities Agreement, which was amended in 1992.

The Environmental Protection Agency placed the Weldon Spring quarry on the National Priorities List in 1987. The entire site was placed on the National Priorities List in 1989. The current mission for the Weldon Spring Site is to eliminate potential hazards to the public and the environment. The Department of Energy is conducting a comprehensive remedial action program to complete this mission.

Remedial action at the Weldon Spring Site is scheduled for completion in FY 2003. A section of the site, the Weldon Spring Disposal Facility, will be used as a permanent disposal area for waste removed during cleanup of the site, and it will be monitored after closure of the disposal facility.

The Department of Army currently contributes 24 percent of the overall costs for the cleanup. The cost tables in this report reflect only the Department of Energy portion of the cleanup. The Estimated Site Total table presents Environmental Management program costs. There are no current or planned Nuclear Material and Facility Stabilization projects at the Weldon Spring Site. All waste management activities are conducted within the scope of environmental restoration. There is no current or anticipated additional need for stabilization or decommissioning activities at this site.

FUTURE USE

In 1991, the Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Energy signed a Record of Decision for the removal of bulk waste in the Weldon Spring quarry. In 1993, the Environmental Protection Agency and Department of Energy signed another Record of Decision for the final disposal of all site waste. An onsite engineered disposal cell will be constructed to house all waste from remediation efforts at the quarry and chemical plant areas. This area will continue to be monitored while access controls are maintained. This report assumes that the excess real property will be used for recreational purposes because the Weldon Spring Site is currently surrounded by wildlife areas.

ENVIRONMENTAL RESTORATION

To support the remedial action at the Weldon Spring Site, the Department conducts radiological, chemical, and geotechnical investigations as well as extensive characterizations to determine the types and extent of contamination. The Environmental Protection Agency Region VII is the primary regulatory authority governing Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act remediation activities at the site, and conducts onsite monitoring as necessary. The lead agency for the State of Missouri regarding the Weldon Spring Site is the Missouri Department of Natural Resources. A grant is in place to provide funding to the Missouri Department of Natural Resources to allow onsite monitoring of activities by State employees at the site.

Contamination is present in three major areas at the Weldon Spring Site: four waste lagoons (raffinate pits), a chemical plant, and a quarry, located approximately 6.4 kilometers (4 miles) from the chemical plant. The total volume of contaminated media at the Weldon Spring Site has been estimated at 671,120 cubic meters (879,176 cubic yards), which includes approximately 167,200 cubic meters (219,032 cubic yards) of sludge, 91,080 cubic meters (119,315.8 cubic yards) of sediment, 257,640 cubic meters (337,508 cubic yards) of contaminated soil, 128,896 cubic meters (168,854 cubic yards) of structural material, 3,010 cubic meters (3,943 cubic yards) of process chemicals and 23,294 cubic meters (30,515 cubic yards) of contaminated vegetation. Some contamination is also present in adjacent ("vicinity") properties.

This report assumes that the Department will accomplish restoration by excavating contaminated soils and debris at the quarry and chemical plant sites, dismantling the chemical plant buildings, and excavating their foundations. The Department will treat and discharge the water in the raffinate pits, remove remaining raffinate pit sludge, and excavate contaminated vicinity property areas. It will also incinerate a small quantity of Resource Conservation and Recovery Act waste at the Oak Ridge K-25 Site and send the ash to Envirocare of Utah. Coordination with the Waste Management program at Oak Ridge is proceeding toward the goal of incinerating the waste in early 1996. It is assumed that Weldon Spring will accept an additional small quantity of contaminated soil from the adjacent Department of Army site. All site waste will then be entombed in an engineered disposal facility. All costs associated with treatment, storage, and disposal are included within the scope of remedial action.

This estimate assumes that no waste will be received from distant sites and that ongoing ground-water operable unit and quarry residuals operable unit studies will result in No Further Action Record(s) of Decision.

Landlord or support functions are required for the environmental restoration activities conducted at the Weldon Spring Site and they are included as an integral (i.e., not separate) cost of remedial actions. There are no directly appropriated costs associated with landlord activities at the Weldon Spring Site. Support functions include analytical laboratory services; janitor and guard services; groundskeeping; maintenance and repair for administrative facilities and vehicles; design, construction, and operation of support buildings and facilities; construction and maintenance of access roads and parking areas; installation and operation of site utilities; and equipment and supplies for safe field operations.

ASSESSMENT

The Weldon Spring Site is divided into four operable units: quarry bulk waste, the chemical plant, quarry residuals, and site ground water. The 1991 Record of Decision provides for the removal of quarry bulk waste, which consists of contaminated building and equipment debris; concrete rubble and rock; soil sludge and sediment; and vegetation. The 1993 Chemical Plant Record of Decision provided for the onsite disposal of site waste in an engineered disposal facility. As of September 1995, approximately 88,160 cubic meters (115,489.6 cubic yards) of this waste have been removed from the quarry.

A Remedial Investigation/Feasibility Study is currently being prepared for the last two operable units, quarry residuals and site ground water. A Record of Decision is expected for the site ground-water operable unit in FY 1998 and for the quarry residuals operable unit in FY 1999.

Principal source areas and contaminated media at the site are chemical plant buildings, surface water and sludge from the raffinate pits, contaminated soil at the south and north dumps, coal storage area, and around certain chemical plant buildings, groundwater in the upper aquifer, and containerized chemicals in storage. Offsite locations have been impacted by contaminant transport from these source areas and are known as "vicinity properties". The major pathways that have resulted in transport to these offsite locations are surface water runoff, surface water loss to ground water, ground-water discharge to surface water (gaining streams), and leaching from surface or subsurface material to ground water. Results of the site risk assessment indicate that interim actions have improved site conditions. Potential health risks to workers from onsite exposure do not exceed the upper end of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency target risk range. Radiological and chemical carcinogenic risks estimated for a recreational user at the offsite vicinity properties are also within or below the Agency's target risk range. This report assumes that all assessments for the Weldon Spring Site will be completed by FY 2001.

In FY 1993, the Department of Energy and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency signed a Record of Decision providing for final disposal of all site waste. According to this Record of Decision, an onsite engineered disposal facility will be designed and constructed in which all site waste will be entombed. This report assumes that construction of this facility will be completed by FY 2002.

REMEDIAL ACTION

The site used four waste lagoons (raffinate pits) to store contaminated residue from uranium ore processing. They contain approximately 310,027 cubic meters (406,135.37 cubic yards) of raffinate sludge and contaminated soil. They also contain approximately 216 million liters (57 million gallons) of contaminated water. The contaminated water will be treated at the Site Water Treatment Plant and released. The raffinate sludge and contaminated soil will be excavated, treated in the onsite Chemical Stabilization/Solidification Facility, and disposed of in the onsite disposal facility. Raffinate pits remediation activities will be completed by FY 2001.

The chemical plant is a complex of 44 buildings and other structures where uranium ore was processed. It contains approximately 264,476 cubic meters (346,463.56 cubic yards) of contaminated soil and building material. The Department has dismantled 43 of the buildings and structures. The remaining structure is a Resource Conservation and Recovery Act material storage building that will be dismantled in FY 1999. The chemical plant building foundations and contaminated soil will be excavated by FY 1998. All waste and contaminated material will be disposed of in the onsite disposal facility.

The quarry is a 3.6-hectare (9-acre) site that was used in the 1950s and 1960s for the disposal of waste generated during uranium ore processing. It contains approximately 92,565 cubic meters (121,000 cubic yards) of radiologically and chemically contaminated soil and rubble. It also contains approximately 11 million liters (3 million gallons) of radiologically and chemically contaminated water. The contaminated water has been treated and discharged to the Missouri River. The excavation of all contaminated soil and rubble, and its transportation to the chemical plant for temporary storage was complete in FY 1995. The quarry waste will be permanently disposed of in the onsite disposal facility. Depending upon the results of environmental assessment and monitoring efforts, residual contamination in the quarry may be treated; however, current estimates assume that no further action will be required. Restoration of the quarry will be complete by FY 2002.

Approximately 19,304 cubic meters (25,288.24 cubic yards) of low-level radiologically contaminated soil is present at various vicinity properties beyond the boundaries of the Weldon Spring Site. These properties include lakes and wildlife areas contaminated from the runoff of uranium during plant operations. The contaminated soil will be excavated and hauled to the onsite disposal facility for permanent disposal. Surface and ground water will continue to be monitored at current levels during remedial action; however, costs for long-term surveillance and monitoring are not included in this estimate. The vicinity properties will be remediated by FY 2000.

The Weldon Spring Site began an aggressive interim response action program in 1987 to stabilize the site and to ensure adequate protection of public health and safety. Several tasks were completed under this program, including the removal of overhead piping, asbestos, electrical poles and lines, construction of two water treatment plants, removal of contaminated buildings, consolidation and containment of chemicals, and construction of temporary storage areas for contaminated material.

All waste generated at the Weldon Spring Site is low-level waste in the form of radiologically and chemically contaminated soil, building debris, contaminated water, and raffinate sludge left behind after the operation of the ordnance works and the uranium ore processing plant. The Department will construct a Chemical Stabilization/Solidification plant to treat raffinate pit sludge. A waste processing facility will also be constructed to reduce the volume of waste from the dismantling of buildings before permanent placement in the onsite disposal facility. In addition, two water treatment plants have been constructed and have treated over 379 million liters (100 million gallons) of contaminated water to date. The Weldon Spring Site is exploring the use of a wet oxidation process to treat liquid mixed waste. A more economical solution involving incineration at the Oak Ridge K-25 Site will be available in 1996.

Waste will be stored temporarily in several locations at the Weldon Spring Site until permanent placement in the onsite disposal facility. Bulk waste removed from the quarry is stored at the Temporary Storage Area. Building debris and contaminated foundations and soil are stored at the Material Staging Area. Chemicals and tri-butyl phosphate waste are placed in containers and stored in a Resource Conservation and Recovery Act storage area until final disposal is arranged. Approximately 1,200 cubic meters (1,572 cubic yards) of asbestos is temporarily stored onsite in sealand containers. Disposal for all site waste will be in the onsite disposal facility, which will be a lined facility with a leachate collection system. Building waste, soil, and equipment will also be placed into the disposal facility. The waste will then be entombed with a stabilized cement material produced from raffinate pit sludge. The disposal facility is designed to hold 912,000 cubic meters (1,194,720 cubic yards) of waste. This report assumes that approximately 38,230 cubic meters (50,000 cubic yards) of waste from an adjacent Superfund site, being remediated by the Department of Army, will also be placed in the permanent Weldon Spring Site Remedial Action Project disposal facility.

After the closure of the onsite disposal facility, the Department will perform post-closure activities such as inspections, maintenance, and monitoring. These activities are not currently reflected in the total project cost estimate for the Weldon Spring Site. Institutional controls pertinent to the future use of the site property, such as monitoring, and restrictions on the use of land or ground water, will not be identified until a Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act Record of Decision is signed for the ground-water operable unit. This report estimates that this will occur in FY 1999.

Direct Program Management/Support

Program management includes funding for site project integration tasks, including project management, administration, and implementation. Additional program management functions include all site environmental, safety, and health activities, regulatory compliance, engineering design, procurement, construction management, cost and schedule management, and quality assurance.

The Weldon Spring Site provides funding for several county, state, and federal agencies to participate in the remedial action effort. On the county level, a grant is in place to provide funding to the St. Charles County Citizens' Commission to provide for citizen oversight of the remedial action work. Funding is also provided to St. Charles County for a consultant to perform independent testing at the county well field to ensure that contamination does not spread to the public water supply. A grant is also in place to provide funding to the Missouri Department of Natural Resources to allow onsite monitoring of site activities by State employees. In addition, funding is provided to the United States Geological Survey to perform studies required for assessment activities.

Program support funding for the Weldon Spring Site provides for the following activities: environmental, safety, and health monitoring and protection; regulatory protection; construction safety; strategic planning; procurement; contract management; cost and schedule control; engineering design; training; construction management; financial management; stakeholder support/public participation; quality assurance; and administrative support.

Cost savings have been realized at the Weldon Spring Site because of the active management of the number of personnel onsite to perform the work. Onsite staffing was reduced from a proposed 350 to 300, reducing costs by 14 percent in the program management area. Future program management activities will be the same as current activities. They will end when the project is complete. This report anticipates completion in FY 2003.

DESCRIPTION OF PERSONNEL

Current Composition

The personnel at the Weldon Spring Site possess a wide range of expertise, as can be seen in the following table. Because the site is required to perform many of the functions of a field office, it has acquired personnel experienced in engineering design, construction management, facility operation and maintenance, procurement and contract management, financial accounting and reporting, cost and schedule control, training, communication services, environmental monitoring, laboratory analysis, graphics, community relations, and all other applicable administrative functions. Personnel supporting ongoing activities at the Weldon Spring Site include federal and contractor personnel. The federal Full-Time Equivalents are included in the Oak Ridge Operations Office (Tennessee) section of this report.

* 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 is responsible for the oversight of all work at the Weldon Spring Site. MK-Ferguson and Jacobs Engineering have been hired as the project management contractors responsible for all design, procurement, and construction activities associated with remedial action work. In addition, the contractor is responsible for all site environmental, safety, and health monitoring activities. The Department has hired Professional Analysis, Inc. as the support services contractor. The company provides assistance to the Department in the areas of project planning, technical review, and regulatory review. Argonne National Laboratory has been selected as the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act and National Environmental Policy Act process management contractor. This contractor performs the technical studies necessary to support the required level of environmental assessment.

The project management contractor contract is a full-term, fully priced cost plus fixed fee contract. Studies are currently under way to investigate the potential for savings through the application of force-account work. In the design of the remedial action work, the project management contractor has made frequent use of the value engineering process. To date, this process has resulted in identifying over $20 million in potential savings.

In carrying out the remedial work, the project management contractor subcontracts as many of the remedial action activities as possible. This approach is intended to ensure the use of available industry capability as opposed to build-up of project management contractor manpower and government-furnished equipment. It also ensures maximum use of fixed price, competitively bid contracts and effective use of minority and disadvantaged contractors. All subcontracts contain a value engineering cost proposal clause that provides a cost saving incentive to the subcontractor. In FY 1995, the value engineering cost proposal process identified $938,000 in savings.

Future Full-Time Equivalent Needs

The Weldon Spring Site expects its personnel needs to remain stable through FY 1998 and then to begin to taper off as the project nears completion in FY 2003.

FUNDING ESTIMATE

The following table presents estimated funding information for the Weldon Spring Site Remedial Action Project.

COMPARISON WITH PREVIOUS ESTIMATE

The FY 1996 life-cycle cost estimate for the Weldon Spring Site is approximately $448 million. This represents an increase of approximately 10 percent over the FY 1995 estimate. See the Comparison table on the following page for additional life-cycle cost information.

Comparison Table

Activity	FY 1995 Life Cycle	FY 1995 Only 1	FY 1996 Life Cycle	Change in Dollars	Change in Percent
	Thousands of Dollars
Nuclear Mat. & Fac. Stab.	529,236	150	457,038	-	­14
Environmental Restoration	303,312	33,300	447,937	177,925	66
Waste Management	2,360,044	41,400	3,968,465	1,649,821	71
Landlord	-	0	346,714	293,094	547
Program Management 2	158,438	21,700	-	-	-
Site Total	461,750	55,000	447,937	41,187	10
1 The FY 1995 life-cycle and annual costs are provided to determine the corrected FY 1995 cost. 2 Program Management was reported in an independent cost table last year, but is reported as a line item in the relevant program (Nuclear Material and Facility Stabilization, Environmental Restoration, and Waste Management) activity cost estimate tables for the FY 1996 Baseline Report.

The estimate in the FY 1995 Baseline Environmental Management Report reflected compliance level funding. Since the FY 1995 report's release, the Weldon Spring Site has completed a cost rebaseline, which reflects the impact of funding reductions over the past two years and the schedule changes that resulted from information gained during completion of the disposal facility. The increase in Environmental Restoration program costs is due to the rebaselined schedule, and to adjustments in general and administrative rates. Program management costs are estimated to be approximately $4 million lower in the FY 1996 estimate than in last year's estimate.