Savannah River Site Health Effects Subcommittee (SRSHES) Meeting

Meeting Minutes
September 5, 2002

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Ms. Jane Perry of GDPH explained that the GEPD sampling program was first conducted in calendar year (CY) 2001. Findings from this activity were then published in the GEPD Annual Environmental Data Report in December 2001. In CY’02, GEPD will conduct environmental sampling to assess whether radioactive materials released from SRS affected Georgia. Sampling will be conducted from Augusta to Savannah within a one- to five-mile area of the Savannah River. Activities GEPD will conduct in the CY’02 sampling program are outlined below.

Additional thermoluminescent dosimeter (TLD) monitoring locations will be established to measure direct radiation levels with passive radiation monitors. Air and tritium-in-air cartridges will be gathered every two weeks to analyze air and every four weeks to analyze rainwater. Samples will be collected from land- and water-based platforms at least twice per month to analyze surface water. Soil samples will be gathered twice per year, vegetation samples will be collected on a quarterly basis and milk samples will be collected and analyzed each month. Up to five samples from four or five different crops will be gathered during growing season in the general vicinity of SRS. GEPD will analyze samples from several locations for a variety of releases, including iodine-131, gross alpha and gross beta activity, gamma-emitting radionuclides, strontium-89/90, plutonium-238/239 and tritium.

Additional activities GEPD will conduct in 2002 include the collection of samples from three different fish species from nine SRS locations twice per year. Georgia and South Carolina agencies jointly produce and disseminate a fish consumption advisory. Sediment samples from 52 locations will be gathered twice in 2002 and analyzed for tritium as well as gross alpha and gross beta activity. Groundwater samples will be collected and analyzed from private and industrial wells, existing locations, and public water systems within 25 miles of SRS and five miles of the Savannah River. In 2003, GDPH will review the 2002 environmental data collected by GEPD and provide a health consultation to summarize the information for the public. A GEPD representative has made a commitment to attend the next SRSHES meeting to present findings from the sampling program.

Discussion.

Mr. Lockridge inquired about the type of monitoring Georgia conducted in the 1950s and 1960s. Ms. Perry replied that although GEPD maintains historical data on Georgia sampling activities, the data are probably minimal. Dr. Lee added that the Phase III dose reconstruction report contains an environmental surveillance section summarizing historical sampling activities. During GEPD’s presentation at the next SRSHES meeting, Ms. Kato requested that an overview of historical environmental data collected from Georgia be included as well.