Savannah River Site Health Effects Subcommittee (SRSHES) Meeting

Meeting Minutes
September 5, 2002

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Ms. Kim Newell of SCDHEC explained that the agency oversees regulatory and non-regulatory sampling, compliance, permitting, emergency response and complaints. These activities are conducted throughout South Carolina for air, drinking water, waste water, solid and hazardous wastes, and Federal Facility Agreement evaluation sites. Regulatory inspections are undertaken for all media areas to ensure permit compliance by a site. A five-member emergency response team has been created for each SCDHEC district to provide immediate assistance at a site. A 48-hour deadline has been established for SCDHEC to respond to complaints. SCDHEC’s three regulatory programs at SRS are outlined below.

For air, two stations in Jackson and Snelling are monitored weekly for ozone, sulfuric oxide, nitric oxide and particulate matter. For drinking water, bacteriological monitoring is conducted quarterly and chemical samples are collected as required by EPA. For waste water, ambient streams are monitored for standard water quality, metals and sediments on monthly, twice yearly and annual bases, respectively. SCDHEC’s waste water program must comply with the National Pollution Discharge Elimination System Permit. This regulation requires random sampling of more than 30 outfalls three to four times per year and a two-week federal inspection annually.

SCDHEC’s program is only monitored at SRS and not throughout the DOE complex. Many states have an Agreement in Principal Program throughout the complex. SCDHEC’s non-regulatory sampling program was initiated in the late 1980s and early 1990s and is administered throughout the DOE complex. The activity was launched in South Carolina in 1993 with the Nuclear Emergency Plan. The Environmental Surveillance and Oversight Program (ESOP) was later established in 1995 to focus on SRS activities; make recommendations to DOE; provide a forum for public input and education; supplement and compliment DOE’s existing state programs in Georgia and South Carolina; and generate independent data for review by internal and external customers. The purpose of ESOP is to independently verify that SRS programs are protective of public health and the environment to adequately detect environmental and public health impacts.

In selecting sample locations for ESOP, decisions are based on public accessibility, proximity to the SRS perimeter and Plant Vogtle, specific SRS operations and population centers. Since the majority of ESOP locations are around the SRS perimeter to detect offsite releases, data collected by WSRC or DOE are used to evaluate onsite releases. Several activities have been developed for the ESOP monitoring network. Atmospheric samples collected from glass fiber filters, silica gel, rain water and TLD are analyzed on a weekly, monthly, bimonthly or quarterly basis. Samples are analyzed for gross alpha and beta, gamma-emitting radionuclides, tritium and beta-gamma activity.

Groundwater samples are collected from 78 wells within ten miles of the SRS boundary over a five-year cycle and analyzed for total and dissolved cations and anions, tritium, gamma spectroscopy and gross alpha- and gross beta-emitting radionuclides. Limited groundwater sampling is conducted for volatile and semi-volatile organic compounds (VOCs), pesticides and PCBs. Monthly composites of drinking water are gathered from three surface water treatment plants. Quarterly collections are taken from 18 groundwater federal municipal and large community systems surrounding SRS. Samples are analyzed for gross alpha and beta, gamma-emitting radionuclides and tritium.

Radiological surface water samples are collected weekly from 13 locations and analyzed for tritium. Monthly composites are gathered from nine areas and analyzed for gamma-emitting radionuclides and gross alpha and beta activity. Five creek mouth locations are sampled monthly for tritium. An enhanced tritium monitoring program was developed to provide advance notice of an SRS release. Samples are collected from six streams and Highway 301 three times a week and analyzed for tritium. Analyses are conducted on the same day as samples are collected. These results are then used to project tritium concentrations in the Savannah River. Radiological sediment samples are collected annually from various locations around SRS and are analyzed for gamma-emitting radionuclides.

Non-radiological surface water is monitored on a monthly basis for pH, temperature, dissolved oxygen, conductivity, ammonia and other factors; on a quarterly basis for heavy metals, VOCs and TOCs; and on an annual basis for pesticides and PCBs. Non-radiological sediments are monitored annually for pesticides, PCBs, nutrients, VOCs, percent moisture, and percent volatile solids and metals. Surface soil samples are collected annually from 16 perimeter, three 25-mile and two 50-mile locations and analyzed for various radionuclides. Non-edible vegetation samples are collected twice a year from Wax Myrtle, live oak and Carolina Laurelcherry from 16 perimeter, three 25-mile and two 50-mile locations. Samples are analyzed for tritium and gamma-emitting radionuclides.

Edible vegetation monitoring was initiated in May 2002 on wild plums, squash, cucumbers and potatoes collected from local farmers within a ten-mile radius of SRS. Samples were analyzed for tritium and gamma-emitting radionuclides. Monitoring can only be conducted on vegetation that is available during the particular season samples will be gathered. Dairy milk samples are collected monthly, analyzed for tritium and gamma-emitting radionuclides, and taken from three locations within a 50-mile radius of SRS. Quarterly dairy milk composites are analyzed for strontium-90. Since the number of dairy farms are decreasing, consideration is being given to monitoring goat’s milk in the future on a quarterly basis.

Fish samples from largemouth bass, white or channel catfish are collected annually from ten locations and analyzed for tritium and gamma-emitting radionuclides. Selected fish composites are analyzed for strontium-90. Deer and feral hogs collected by local hunters within a five-mile perimeter of SRS are monitored, but background samples that serve as controls are gathered from Bowman, South Carolina. Muscle tissue of game animals is analyzed for cesium-137. A macroinvertebrate study was conducted in 1999 with data collected from 20 multi-habitat rapid bioassessment locations.

EPT and other biological components were evaluated to determine radiological impacts of streams in macroinvertebrates that are intolerant to pollution. In situ water quality measurements were analyzed for temperature, conductivity, dissolved oxygen and pH. Surface water and sediment samples were analyzed for cesium-137 from 17 locations and tritium from 20 locations. Oversight monitoring and support activities are implemented to review documents; split soil samples for metals, VOCs, pesticides and herbicides; validate and report discrepancies in raw data; and oversee sampling at SRS. The SCDHEC environmental monitoring report is published each year and available to the public. Overall, environmental data collected by SCDHEC and SEMP have been consistent.

Discussion.

Mr. Wills questioned whether SCDHEC gathered epidemiologic data that link SRS radiation releases to mortality. Mr. Jim Brownlow of SCDHEC replied that the agency has not conducted these type of studies, but cancer data are collected within South Carolina. Dr. Crawford announced that he had copies of a videotape of a television program focusing on SRS morbidity studies. He offered to distribute the videotape to interested SRSHES members. Ms. Kato requested raw historical data from 1950-1991 on areas 2 and 7 within the game animal monitoring locations. Mr. Brownlow clarified that historical data during the 1950-1991 time period cannot be obtained from ESOP at this time because the program was only initiated in 1995. However, efforts are currently being made to build the existing database.

Since SRS self-regulated its radiological releases, Mr. Lorenz planned to determine whether DOE will release historical game monitoring data to the public. Ms. Guess expressed concern that SCDHEC is monitoring environmental media rather than individuals. Dr. Wilson inquired whether the SRS-specific data are being compared with other sites around the country. Mr. Brownlow acknowledged that a comparison of ESOP data to other DOE sites would be useful, but SCDHEC is only focusing on SRS at the present time. Dr. Lee noted that a comparison of environmental data throughout the DOE complex may not serve any purpose since the missions, types of releases and concentration levels vary by site. For example, tritium was the major contaminant of concern at SRS, while iodine-131 played a significant role at Hanford.

Despite the differences among sites, Mr. Waters pointed out that interactions throughout the DOE complex are continuing to increase. For example, a workshop on VOCs and other soil contaminants was recently held at SRS. Paducah, Portsmouth, Oak Ridge and SRS were represented at the meeting because problems detected at all four sites were similar. Mr. Lorenz announced that WSRC will be sponsoring a four-day environmental monitoring workshop on October 22-25, 2002. The SEMP 2001 Annual Report, groundwater issues and other environmental monitoring concerns will be addressed during the conference. The meeting is not open to the public.