C. Martin and M. Case - S. M. Stoller Corporation
Contents:
It is the policy of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to conduct research, environmental remediation, and operations at the Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory (INEEL) in a manner that protects human health and the environment and is in full compliance with environmental laws and regulations.
The INEEL achieves this by integrating environmental requirements and pollution prevention into all work planning and execution, and by taking actions to minimize the environmental impacts of operations. Through employee involvement and management commitment to environmental excellence, the INEEL will:
This policy applies to all business units and all employees. Every employee and subcontractor is expected to follow this policy and to report environmental concerns to management. Managers shall promote environmental stewardship, take prompt action to address concerns and issues, and have zero tolerance for noncompliance.
The following people with the current Environmental Surveillance, Education and Research (ESER) contractor (S. M. Stoller Corporation) have provided primary authorship of portions of this report: Christopher Martin, Marilyn Case, Roger Blew, Randall Morris1, and Douglas Halford.
The primary authors would like to thank all those who provided data and review time for the completion of this document. In particular, we wish to thank the following people for their assistance: Mark Arenaz, Jack Depperschmidt, Bob Jones, Betsy Jonker, Richard Kauffman, John Medema, Don Rasch, Tim Safford, Bob Starck, Bob Stump, Jerry Wells, Stephanie Woolf, Patricia Natoni, Brian Edgerton, Frank C. Holmes, Shannon Brennan, Keith Lockie, Teresa Perkins, Brett Howhan, Dave Wessman, Jim Cooper, and Ron Ramsey with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Idaho Operations Office; Leroy Knobel and Betty Tucker with the U.S. Geological Survey; W. Greg Bass with the DOE Chicago Operations Office Argonne Area Office; Neil Hukari and Richard Eckman of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration; Wendy Dixon of the DOE Pittsburgh Naval Reactors Office, Idaho Branch Office; Erik Fowler, Mark Hutchinson, Paula Kain, Marty Nolte, Bruce Olenick, and Kelly Willie of Bechtel Bettis Inc.; Brad Andersen, Ben Beus, Bryan Borsella, Teresa Brock, John Gill, Mike Lewis, Dennis McBride, Teresa Meachum, Maria Miles, Joan Neff, Erick Neher, Paul Ritter, Ron Rope, Chris Staley, Angela Stormberg, Leah Street, Amy Sumariwalla, Jim Tkachyk, Mike Verdoorn, Roger Wilhelmsen, Cheryl Whitaker, and Tom Wood with Bechtel BWXT Idaho, LLC; Amy Powell, Maureen Finnerty, and Tim Miller of Argonne National Laboratory-West; Christopher Jenkins, Denim Jochimsen, Terence McGonigle, Nanacy Glenn, Valerie Sheedy with the Idaho State University; Robert Westra with the Washington State University; Mike Pellant with the Idaho State Office of the Bureau of Land Management; Amy Forman, Wendy Purrington, Alana Jensen, and Brande Hendricks of the S. M. Stoller Corporation; Jeff Einerson (statistician); Matt Klainer and Greg Forrer (technical editors)
1Randall Morris is with North Wind, Inc.
Every person in the world is exposed to ionizing radiation, which may have sufficient energy to remove electrons from atoms, damage chromosomes, and cause cancer. There are three general sources of ionizing radiation: those of natural origin unaffected by human activities, those of natural origin but enhanced by human activities, and those produced by human activities (anthropogenic).
The first general source includes terrestrial radiation from natural radiation sources in the ground, cosmic radiation from outer space, and radiation from radionuclides naturally present in the body. Exposures to natural sources may vary depending on the geographical location and altitude at which the person resides. When such exposures are substantially higher than the average, they are considered to be elevated.
The second general source includes a variety of natural sources from which the radiation has been increased by human actions. For example, radon is a radioactive gas which is heavier than air. It comes from the natural decay of uranium and is found in nearly all soils. Concentrations of radon inside buildings may be elevated because of the type of soil and rock upon which they are built (high in uranium or radon) and may be enhanced by cracks and other holes in the foundation (providing access routes for the gas). Another example is the increased exposure to cosmic radiation that airline passengers receive when traveling at normal cruising altitudes. The third source includes a variety of exposures from human-made materials and devices such as medical x-rays, radiopharmaceuticals used to diagnose and treat disease, and consumer products containing minute quantities of radioactive materials (UNSCEAR 2000).
To verify that exposures resulting from operations at U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) nuclear facilities remain very small, each site where nuclear activities are conducted operates an environmental surveillance program to monitor the air, water, and other pathways whereby radionuclides from operations might conceivably reach workers and members of the public. Environmental surveillance and monitoring results are reported annually to DOE Headquarters.
This report presents a compilation of data collected in 2003 for the environmental monitoring and surveillance programs conducted on and around the Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory (INEEL). During 2003, the Environmental Surveillance, Education and Research (ESER) Program was performed by a team led by the S. M. Stoller Corporation. This team collected 2003 data and prepared this report. During 2003, the INEEL was operated by Bechtel BWXT Idaho, LLC (BBWI). This report refers to BBWI as the Management and Operating (M&O) contractor. The M&O organization responsible for operating each facility conducted effluent and facility monitoring. The U.S. Geological Survey performed groundwater monitoring both on and off site. The M&O contractor also conducted some onsite groundwater monitoring related to waste management, clean-up/restoration, and environmental surveillance. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration collected meteorological data.
This report also contains information on nonradiological monitoring performed during the year. Results of this monitoring, both chemical (liquid effluent constituent concentrations) and physical (particulates) are presented. Nonradiological parameters monitored are those required under permit conditions or are related to material released from INEEL operations.
Argonne National Laboratory-West (ANL-W), the Naval Reactors Facility (NRF) and the Advance Mixed Waste Treatment Project (AMWTP) maintain separate monitoring programs. Each program collects similar data as the M&O and ESER contractors, but the data are specific to these facilities. ANL-W provides its information to the ESER contractor for incorporation into this annual report. AMWTP performs limited monitoring as a best management practice, and is not presented in this report. The M&O Environmental Monitoring Unit performs all regulatory and surveillance monitoring at this facility, which is presented here. The INEEL Oversight Program, under the Idaho Department of Environmental Quality, maintained independent sample locations and analysis capabilities both on and around the INEEL in 2003.
Facilities operated under the Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program, like the NRF, are exempt from the provisions for preparing an annual site environmental report. The Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program maintains a separate environmental protection program to ensure compliance with all applicable environmental laws and regulations. Monitoring data and information specific to NRF are provided in a separate annual environmental report issued by NRF. For completeness, data from onsite monitoring programs at NRF are referenced in this report.
This report, prepared in accordance with the requirements in DOE Order 450.1 and 231.1, is not intended to cover the numerous special environmental research programs conducted at the INEEL (DOE 2003a, 2003b).
United Nations Scientific
Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation (UNSCEAR), 2000, Sources and
Effects of Ionizing Radiation, Vol. 1, UNSCEAR 2000 Report to the General
Assembly with Scientific Annexes.
U.S. Department of Energy, 2003a, "Environmental Protection Program," DOE Order 450.1, January.
U.S. Department of Energy, 2003b, "Environment, Safety, and Health Reporting," DOE Order 231.1, August.
M. Case - S.M. Stoller Corporation
Each year the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) publishes the Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory (INEEL) site environmental report to summarize environmental data, information, and regulations, and highlight major environmental programs and efforts. In summary, the results of the monitoring programs for 2003 presented in this report indicate that radioactivity from current INEEL operations could not be distinguished from worldwide fallout and natural radioactivity in the region surrounding the INEEL. Radioactive material concentrations in the offsite environment were below State of Idaho and federal health protection guidelines. Potential doses to the maximally exposed individual and to the surrounding population were estimated to be well below the applicable regulatory limit and far less than doses resulting from background radiation.
Individual chapters of the report are designed to:
Chapter highlights are presented below.
The Atomic Energy Commission created what is now the INEEL as the National Reactor Testing Station in 1949 as a site to build and test nuclear power reactors. The INEEL occupies approximately 2300 km2 (890 mi2) of the upper Snake River Plain in southeastern Idaho. Over the life of the INEEL, 52 types of reactors, associated research centers, and waste handling areas have been constructed and tested.
The INEEL serves as a multi-program national laboratory that delivers science and engineering solutions to the world's environmental, energy, and security challenges in four core areas:
Leadership and support to the Environmental Management mission throughout the DOE complex.
There are nine primary facility areas and three smaller secondary facilities at the INEEL and in Idaho Falls. Six of the nine primary facilities and the three secondary facilities are operated by the INEEL Management and Operating (M&O) Contractor Bechtel BWXT Idaho, LLC. The University of Chicago, British Nuclear Fuels Limited, Inc., and Bechtel Bettis, Inc. operate the remaining three primary facilities at the INEEL.
Approximately 7000 people work at the INEEL, making it the largest employer in eastern Idaho and one of the top five employers in the State. The INEEL has a tremendous economic impact on eastern Idaho. The INEEL has infused more than $750 million dollars to the Idaho economy.
Table ES-1 presents a brief summary of the INEEL's status of compliance with federal acts in 2003.
Many environmental programs help implement the environmental compliance
policy for the INEEL. Most of the regulatory compliance activity is performed
through environmental monitoring programs, the recently signed Accelerated
Cleanup Agreement, the Environmental Restoration Program, and the Waste
Management Program.
Table ES-1. Compliance with federal acts in 2003.
The major objectives of the environmental monitoring programs conducted at the
INEEL are to identify the key contaminants released to the environment, to
evaluate different pathways through which contaminants move in the environment,
and to determine the potential effects of these contaminants on the public and
the environment. This is accomplished though sampling and analysis of air;
surface, subsurface, and drinking water; soil; wildlife; and vegetation, as well
as measurement of direct radiation. During 2003, the prime Management and
Operating (M&O) contractor at the INEEL, Bechtel BWXT Idaho, LLC was responsible
for onsite environmental monitoring. The Environmental Surveillance, Education
and Research Program (ESER) contractor, which was a team led by the S. M.
Stoller Corporation, was responsible for offsite environmental monitoring.
In May 2002, DOE, the Idaho Department of Environmental Quality and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency signed a letter of intent formalizing an agreement to pursue accelerated risk reduction and cleanup at the INEEL. The intent of accelerating the cleanup of the INEEL yields two significant objectives: (1) risk reduction and continued protection of the Snake River Plain Aquifer and (2) consolidation of Environmental Management activities and reinvestment of savings into cleanup. Nine strategic initiatives were developed around these two objectives to accelerate cleanup. The INEEL made significant progress in 2003 toward accelerated cleanup.
The Environmental Restoration Program continued progress during 2003 toward final cleanup of contaminated sites at the INEEL. Since the Federal Facility Agreement and Consent Order was signed in December 1991, 22 Records of Decision (ROD) have been signed and are being implemented; three Remedial Investigation/Feasibility Studies are under development; closeout activities at Waste Area Group 2 have been completed, and more than 70 percent of Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act actions have been completed. Only three investigations remain to be completed:
All requirements have been met and all Federal Facility Agreement and Consent Order-enforceable milestones related to the WAG 2 ROD have been completed. This is the first WAG at the INEEL be closed out and prepared for transition into Long-Term Stewardship management.
The overall goals of the Waste Management Program are to ensure that workers and the public are protected and the environment is not further impacted by waste operations at the INEEL. The Waste Management Program provides management services for facility waste streams. The following tasks were accomplished during 2003:
The INEEL environmental surveillance programs, conducted by the M&O contractor and the ESER contractor, emphasize measurement of airborne radionuclides because air transport is considered the major potential pathway from INEEL releases to receptors. The M&O contractor monitors airborne effluents at individual INEEL facilities and ambient air outside the facilities to comply with appropriate regulations and DOE orders. The ESER contractor samples ambient air at locations within, around, and distant from the INEEL.
An estimated total of 7796 Ci of radioactivity, primarily in the form of short-lived noble gas isotopes, was released as airborne effluents in 2003. Samples of airborne particulates, atmospheric moisture, and precipitation were analyzed for gross alpha and gross beta activity, as well as for specific radionuclides, primarily tritium, strontium-90, iodine-131, cesium-137, plutonium-239/240, and americium-241. All concentrations were well below regulatory standards and within historical measurements. Table ES-2 summarizes the results of radiological monitoring of environmental media, including air, sampled at INEEL boundary, onsite, and offsite locations.
Nonradiological pollutants, including nitrogen dioxide and particulates, were monitored at select locations around the INEEL. All results were well below regulatory standards.
One potential pathway for exposure (primarily to workers) to the contaminants released from the INEEL is through surface, drinking, and groundwater. The M&O contractor monitors liquid effluents, drinking water, groundwater, and storm water runoff at the INEEL to comply with applicable laws and regulations, DOE orders, and other requirements (e.g., Wastewater Land Application Permit [WLAP] requirements). Argonne National Laboratory-West and the Naval Reactors Facility conduct their own WLAP and drinking water monitoring. The ESER contractor monitors drinking water and surface water at offsite locations.
During 2003, liquid effluent and groundwater monitoring was conducted in
support of WLAP requirements for INEEL facilities that generate liquid waste
streams covered under WLAP rules. The WLAPs generally require compliance with
the Idaho groundwater quality primary and secondary constituent standards in
specified groundwater monitoring wells. The permits specify annual discharge
volume and application rates and effluent quality limits. As required, an annual
report was prepared and submitted to the Idaho Department of Environmental
Quality. Additional parameters are also monitored in the effluent in support of
surveillance activities. Most wastewater and groundwater regulatory and
surveillance results were below applicable limits in 2003.
Samples from public water systems and wells continue to show measurable
quantities of carbon tetrachloride at the Radioactive Waste Management Complex
production well. The annual average of 2.8 µg/L was below the U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA) established maximum contaminant level (MCL) of 5 µg/L.
Trichloroethylene concentrations in samples from the Test Area North drinking
water system during 2003 also remained below the MCL. Argonne National
Laboratory-West and Naval Reactors Facility systems did not exceed any limits
during 2003.
Tritium and strontium-90 continue to be measured in the groundwater under the INEEL. Neither of these radionuclides has been detected off the INEEL since the mid-1980s. A maximum effective dose equivalent of 0.88 mrem/yr (8.8 µSv/yr), less than the 4 mrem/yr 40 µSv/yr) EPA standard for public drinking water systems, was calculated for workers at the Central Facilities Area on the INEEL in 2003.
Drinking water samples were collected from 13 locations off the INEEL and around the Snake River Plain in 2003. No sample had measurable gross alpha, one had measurable tritium, and most samples (19 of 28) had measurable gross beta activity. None of the samples exceeded the EPA MCL for these constituents.
As required by the General Permit for storm water discharges from industrial activities, visual examinations were made and samples were collected from selected locations. Visual examinations showed no deficiencies. Total suspended solids, iron, and magnesium demand all exceeded benchmark levels in samples collected from the RWMC. Concentrations of these parameters have occurred above benchmark levels in the past. Examination of storm water flow paths showed no deficiencies in storm water protection.
Results from nine special studies conducted by the U.S. Geological Survey of the properties of the aquifer were published during 2003. Several purgeable organic compounds continue to be found in monitoring wells, including drinking water wells at the INEEL. Concentrations of organic compounds were below the State of Idaho groundwater primary and secondary constituent standards as well as EPA MCLs for these compounds. (Note: the MCL is used for comparison only as the MCL applies only to the distribution system and not the source well).
Offsite surface water was collected from five locations along the Snake River. One of 12 samples had measurable gross alpha activity. Nine of 12 samples had measurable gross beta activity, while only one sample had measurable tritium. None of these constituents were above regulatory limits. Onsite sampling of surface water runoff for waste management purposes showed no values above regulatory limits.
Table ES-2 summarizes the results of radiological monitoring of environmental media, including water, collected at INEEL boundary, onsite, and offsite locations.
To help assess the impact of contaminants released to the environment by operations at the INEEL, agricultural products (milk, lettuce, wheat, potatoes, and sheep); wildlife; and soil were sampled and analyzed for radionuclides. In addition, direct radiation was measured on and off the INEEL in 2003.
Some human-made radionuclides were detected in agricultural product,
wildlife, and soil samples. For the most part, the results could not be directly
linked to operations at the INEEL.
Direct radiation measurements made at offsite, boundary and onsite locations
(except RWMC) were consistent with background levels.
Table ES-2 summarizes the results of radiological monitoring of environmental media, including biota and soil, collected at INEEL boundary and offsite locations.
Potential radiological doses to the public from INEEL operations were evaluated to determine compliance with pertinent regulations and limits. Two different computer programs were used to estimate doses: the CAP-88 computer code and the mesoscale diffusion (MDIFF) air dispersion model. CAP-88 is required by the EPA to demonstrate compliance with the Clean Air Act. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Air Resources Laboratory-Field Research Division developed MDIFF to evaluate dispersion of pollutants in arid environments such as those found at the INEEL. The maximum calculated dose to an individual by either of the methods was well below the applicable radiation protection standard of 10 mrem/yr. The dose to the maximally exposed individual, as determined by the CAP-88, program was 0.035 mrem (0.35 µSv). The dose calculated using the MDIFF program was 0.11 mrem (0.11 µSv). The maximum potential population dose to the approximately 276,979 people residing within an 80-km (50-mi) radius of any INEEL facility was 0.085 person-rem (2.2 x 10-4 person-Sv), well below that expected from exposure to background radiation.
Potential doses to members of the public are summarized in Table ES-3.
The maximum potential individual doses from consuming waterfowl, big game animals, and marmots at the INEEL, based on the highest concentrations of radionuclides measured in samples of these animals, were estimated to be 0.002 mrem (0.02 µSv), 0.045 mrem (0.45 µSv), and 0.006 mrem (0.06 µSv), respectively. These estimates are conservatively high.
Doses were also evaluated using a graded approach for nonhuman biota at the INEEL. Based on this approach, there is no evidence that INEEL-related radioactivity in soil or water is harming populations of plants or animals.
The INEEL was designated as a National Environmental Research Park (NERP) in 1975. The NERP program was established in the 1970s in response to recommendations from citizens, scientists, and members of Congress to set aside land for ecosystem preservation and study. In many cases, these protected lands became the last remaining refuges of what were once extensive natural ecosystems. The NERPs provide rich environments to train researchers and introduce the public to ecological science. They have been used to educate grade school and high school students and the general public about ecosystem interactions at DOE sites; to train graduate and undergraduate students in research related to site-specific, regional, national, and global issues; and promote collaboration and coordination among local, regional, and national public organizations, schools, universities, and federal and state agencies.
Ecological research at the INEEL began in 1950 with the establishment of the
long-term vegetation transect. This is perhaps DOE's oldest ecological data set
and one of the oldest vegetation data sets in the West. Ecological research on
the NERPs is leading to planning for better land use, identifying of sensitive
areas on DOE sites so that restoration and other activities are compatible with
ecosystem protection and management, and increasing contributions to ecological
science in general.
The following ecological research projects took place at the Idaho NERP during
2003:
Quality assurance and quality control programs are maintained by contractors conducting environmental monitoring and by laboratories performing environmental analyses to ensure precise, accurate, representative, and reliable results and maximize data completeness. Data reported in this document were obtained from several commercial, university, government, and government contractor laboratories. To assure quality results, these laboratories participate in a number of laboratory quality check programs.
Laboratories used by the ESER contractor met their quality assurance goals in 2003. Quality issues that arose with laboratories used by the M&O contractor were addressed with the laboratory and resolved.
C. Martin and M. Case - S. M. Stoller Corporation
Scientific notation is used to express numbers that are very small or very large. A very small number is expressed with a negative exponent, for example, 1.3 x 10-6. To convert this number to the decimal form, the decimal point must be moved left by the number of places equal to the exponent (six, in this case). The number, thus, becomes 0.0000013.
For large numbers, those with a positive exponent, the decimal point is moved to the right by the number of places equal to the exponent. The number 1,000,000 can be written as 1.0 x 106.
Units for very small and very large numbers are often expressed with a prefix. One common example is the prefix kilo (abbreviated k), which means 1000 of a given unit. One kilometer is, therefore, equal to 1000 meters. Table P-1 shows fractions and multiples of units while, Table P-2 provides useful conversions.
The basic unit of radioactivity used in this report is the curie (abbreviated Ci). The curie is historically based on the number of disintegrations that occur in 1 gram of the radionuclide radium-226, which is 37 billion nuclear disintegrations per second. For any other radionuclide, 1 Ci is the amount of the radionuclide that decays at this same rate.
Radiation exposure is expressed in terms of the roentgen (R), the amount of ionization produced by gamma radiation in air. Dose is given in units of roentgen equivalent man (or rem), which takes into account the effect of radiation on tissues. For the types of environmental radiation generally encountered, the unit of roentgen is approximately numerically equal to the unit of rem. A person-rem is the sum of the doses received by all individuals in a population.
The concentration of radioactivity in air samples is expressed in units of microcuries per milliliter (µCi/mL) of air. For liquid samples, such as water and milk, the units are in picocuries per liter (pCi/L). Radioactivity in agricultural products is expressed in nanocuries per gram (nCi/g) dry weight. Annual human radiation exposure, measured by environmental dosimeters, is expressed in units of milliroentgens (mR). This is sometimes expressed in terms of dose as millirem (mrem), after being multiplied by an appropriate dose equivalent conversion factor.
The Systčme International is also used to express units of radioactivity and radiation dose. The basic unit of radioactivity is the Becquerel (Bq), which is equivalent to 1 nuclear disintegration per second. The number of curies must be multiplied by 3.7 x 1010 to obtain the equivalent number of Becquerels. Radiation dose may also be expressed using the Systčme International unit sievert (Sv), where 1 Sv equals 100 rem. Table P-2 provides conversions from conventional to Systčme International units.
There is always an uncertainty associated with the measurement of environmental contaminants. For radioactivity, a major source of uncertainty is the inherent statistical nature of radioactive decay events, particularly at the low activity levels encountered in environmental samples. The uncertainty of a measurement is denoted by following each result with plus or minus (±) the estimated sample standard deviation, s, that is obtained by propagating sources of analytical uncertainty in measurements. Analytical uncertainties are reported as 1s in this report, unless noted otherwise, for consistency with other INEEL environmental monitoring reports.
Negative values occur in radiation measurements when the measured result is less than a preestablished average background level for the particular counting system and procedure used. These values are reported as negative, rather than as "not detected" or "zero," to better enable statistical analyses and observe trends or bias in the data.
Radionuclides are frequently expressed with the one- or two-letter chemical symbol for the element. Radionuclides may have many different isotopes, which are shown by a superscript to the left of the symbol. This number is the atomic weight of the isotope (the number of protons and neutrons in the nucleus of the atom). Radionuclide symbols used in this report are shown in Table P-3.
| AAO | Argonne Area Office (DOE-CH) |
| AEC | U.S. Atomic Energy Commission |
| ALSM | Airborne Laser Swath Mapping |
| ANL-W | Argonne National Laboratory-West |
| ANOVA | Analysis of Variance |
| ARA | Auxiliary Reactor Area |
| ASME | American Society of Mechanical Engineers |
| BBI | Bechtel Bettis Inc. |
| BBS | Breeding Bird Survey |
| BBWI | Bechtel BWXT Idaho LLC |
| BCG | Biota Concentration Guides |
| BDN | Bayesian Decision Network |
| BLM | U.S. Bureau of Land Management |
| BLR | Big Lost River |
| BNFL | British Nuclear Fuels Limited |
| BOD | Biological Oxygen Demand |
| CERCLA | Comprehensive Environmental Response Compensation and Liability Act |
| CERT | Controlled Environmental Radioiodine Test |
| CFA | Central Facilities Area |
| CFR | Code of Federal Regulations |
| CITR | Critical Infrastructure Test Range |
| CMS | Community Monitoring Station |
| COD | Chemical Oxygen Demand |
| CTF | Contained Test Facility |
| CWA | Clean Water Act |
| DCG | Derived Concentration Guide |
| DEM | Digital Elevation Model |
| DEQ | (Idaho) Department of Environmental Quality |
| DOE | U.S. Department of Energy |
| DOE-CH | U.S. Department of Energy - Chicago Operations Office |
| DOE-ID | U.S. Department of Energy - Idaho Operations Office |
| EA | Environmental Assessment |
| EAL | Environmental Assessment Laboratory |
| EBR-I | Experimental Breeder Reactor - No. 1 |
| EBTF | Engineered Barrier Test Facility |
| ECF | Expended Core Facility |
| EDF | Experimental Dairy Farm |
| EFS | Experimental Field Station |
| EIS | Environmental Impact Statement |
| EM | Environmental Management |
| EML | Environmental Measurements Laboratory |
| EMS | Environmental Management System |
| EPA | U.S. Environmental Protection Agency |
| EPCRA | Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act |
| ESER | Environmental Surveillance, Education and Research |
| ESRF | Environmental Science and Research Foundation |
| ESRPA | Eastern Snake River Plain Aquifer |
| ESRP | Eastern Snake River Plain |
| ET | Evapotranspiration |
| FFA/CO | Federal Facility Agreement and Consent Order |
| GEL | General Engineering Laboratories |
| GIS | Geographic Information System |
| GPS | Global Positioning System |
| HDR | Hydrogeological Data Repository |
| HDS | Head Dissipation Sensors |
| ICP/AES | Inductively Coupled Plasma/Atomic Emission Spectroscopy |
| ICPP | Idaho Chemical Processing Plant |
| IDAPA | Idaho Administrative Procedures Act |
| IMPROVE | Interagency Monitoring of Protected Visual Environments |
| IMU | Inertia Mesurements Unit |
| INEEL | Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory |
| INTEC | Idaho Nuclear Technology and Engineering Center (formerly Idaho Chemical Processing Plant) |
| IRC | INEEL Research Center |
| ISB | In Situ Bioremediation |
| ISFSI | Independent Spent Fuel Storage Installation |
| ISO | International Standards Organization |
| ISU | Idaho State University |
| IWIMT | Integrated Watershed Information Management Tools |
| LDRD | Laboratory Directed Research and Development |
| LFR | Live Fire Range |
| LTS | Long-Term Stewardship |
| M&O | Management and Operating |
| MCL | Maximum Contaminant Level |
| MDC | Minimum Detectable Concentration |
| MDIFF | Mesoscale Diffusion Model |
| MEI | Maximally Exposed Individual |
| MNA | Monitored Natural Attenuation |
| MTR | Materials Test Reactor |
| NEPA | National Environmental Policy Act |
| NERP | National Environmental Research Park |
| NESHAP | National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants |
| NIST | National Institute of Standards and Technology |
| NOAA | National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration |
| NOAA ARL-FRD | National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Air Resources Laboratory - Field Research Division |
| NOV | Notice of Violation |
| NPDES | National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System |
| NPTF | New Pump and Treatment Facility |
| NRC | U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission |
| NRF | Naval Reactors Facility |
| NRTS | National Reactor Testing Station |
| NWQL | National Water Quality Laboratory (USGS) |
| OU | Operable Unit |
| PBF | Power Burst Facility |
| PCB | Polychlorinated Biphenyls |
| PCBE | Protective Cap/Biobarrier Experiment |
| PCS | Primary Constituent Standard |
| PSD | Prevention of Significant Deterioration |
| PTC | Permit to Construct |
| QA | Quality Assurance |
| RCRA | Resource Conservation and Recovery Act |
| RE | Removal Efficiencies |
| RESL | Radiological and Environmental Sciences Laboratory |
| RI/FS | Remedial Investigation/ Feasibility Study |
| RML | Radiological Measurements Laboratory (INEEL) |
| RPD | Relative Percent Difference ROD Record of Decision |
| RWMC | Radioactive Waste Management Complex |
| SAM | Sample and Analysis Management |
| SCS | Secondary Constituent Standard |
| SD | System Dynamics |
| SDA | Subsurface Disposal Area |
| SMC | Specific Manufacturing Capability |
| SRPA | Snake River Plain Aquifer |
| STL | Severn Trent Laboratories |
| TAN | Test Area North |
| TCE | Trichloroethylene |
| TDS | Total Dissolved Solids |
| TKN | Total Kjeldahl Nitrogen |
| TLD | Thermoluminescent Dosimeter |
| TRA | Test Reactor Area |
| TRU | Transuranic (waste) |
| TSA | Transuranic Storage Area |
| TSCA | Toxic Substances Control Act |
| TSF | Technical Support Facility |
| TSS | Total Suspended Solids |
| USFWS | U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services |
| USGS | U.S. Geological Survey |
| WAG | Waste Area Group |
| WERF | Waste Experimental Reduction Facility |
| WLAP | Wastewater Land Application Permit |
| WSU | Washington State University |
|
Btu |
British thermal unit |
|
Bq |
Becquerel |
|
cfm |
cubic feet per minute |
|
Ci |
curie |
|
cm |
centimeter |
|
cpm |
counts per minute |
|
d |
day |
|
dl |
detection limit |
|
dpm |
disintegrations per minute |
|
ft |
feet |
|
g |
gram |
|
gal |
gallon |
|
ha |
hectare |
|
hr |
hour |
|
in. |
inch |
|
KeV |
kilo-electron-volts |
|
kg |
kilogram |
|
L |
liter |
|
lb |
pound |
|
m |
meter |
|
mi |
mile |
|
min |
minute |
|
mL |
milliliter |
|
μCi |
microcurie (10-6 curies) |
|
μg |
microgram |
|
μm |
micrometer |
|
μS |
microsiemens |
|
mmhos/cm |
millimhos per centimeter |
|
mR |
milliroentgen |
|
mrem |
millirem |
|
mSv |
millisievert |
|
ng |
nanogram |
|
oz |
ounce |
|
pCi |
picocurie (10-12 curies) |
|
ppb |
parts per billion |
|
qt |
quart |
|
rem |
roentgen equivalent man |
|
R |
roentgen |
|
sec |
second |
|
Sv |
sievert |
|
x2 |
unit squared |
|
x3 |
unit cubed |
|
yd |
yard |
|
yr |
year |
|
< |
less than |
|
> |
greater than |