• Mark Arenaz, Jack Depperschmidt, Betsy Jonker, Richard Kauffman, John Medema, Don Rasch, Tim Safford, Bob Starck, Bob Stump, Jerry Wells, Stephanie Woolf, Brian Edgerton, Shannon Brennan, Keith Lockie, Brett Bowhan, Dave Wessman, Kathleen Hain, Nolan Jensen, Richard Kimmel, Michael O’Hagan, Donald Rasch, and Jim Cooper with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Idaho Operations Office;

• Leroy Knobel, Linda Davis and Betty Tucker with the U.S. Geological Survey;

• Neil Hukari, Kirk Clawson and Richard Eckman of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration;

• Ron Brown, Mark Hutchinson, Shane Lowry, Jerry Knowles, and Kelly Willie of Bechtel Bettis Inc.;

• Brad Andersen, Mark Verdoorn, Robert P. Breckenridge, and Jeff Einerson with Battelle Energy Alliance;

• Dennis McBride, Erick Neher, and Roger Wilhelmsen, with CH2M-WG Idaho;

• Christopher Jenkins, Charles R. Peterson, Scott Cambrin, and Denim Jochimsen, with the Idaho State University;

•  Maxine Dakins, University of Idaho.

• Robert Westra with the Washington State University;

• Mike Jaeger and Mike Ebinger with the Utah State University;

• Mike Pellant with the Idaho State Office of the Bureau of Land Management; and

•  Alana Jensen, Brande Hendricks, Chris Vilord, Doug Halford, Amy Forman, Greg Studley, Sue White, and Wendy Purrington of the S. M. Stoller Corporation.

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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 2005 for the environmental monitoring and surveillance programs conducted on and around the Idaho National Laboratory (INL) Site. It also presents a summary of sitewide environmental programs and discusses potential impacts from INL Site operations to the environment and the public. These programs are managed by various private companies and other Federal agencies through contracts and interagency agreements with DOE-ID.

Beginning in 2005, the research and development activities at the site became the INL, which is managed and operated by Battelle Energy Alliance (BEA). BEA conducted effluent and facility monitoring, as well as sitewide environmental surveillance on the INL. The cleanup operations, called the Idaho Cleanup Project (ICP), were managed separately by CH2M-WG Idaho (CWI). CWI performed environmental monitoring at and around waste management facilities involved in the ICP. The Environmental Surveillance, Education, and Research Program, managed by S. M. Stoller Corporation, performed environmental surveillance of offsite locations.

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) performed groundwater monitoring both on and off site. The ICP contractor also conducted onsite groundwater monitoring related to waste management, clean-up/restoration, and environmental surveillance. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) collected meteorological data.

The Advanced Mixed Waste Treatment Project (AMWTP), located on the INL at the Radioactive Waste Management Complex, is operated by Bechtel BWXT Idaho, LLC. AMWTP performs regulatory compliance monitoring and other limited monitoring as a best management practice. These monitoring activities are reported to DOE-ID and regulators as required and are not presented in this report.

The Naval Reactors Facility (NRF), operated by Bechtel Bettis, Inc (BBI), is excluded from this report. As established in Executive Order 12344 (FR 1982), the Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program is exempt from the requirements of DOE Orders 450.1 (DOE 2003), 5400.5 (DOE 1993), and 414.1c (DOE 2005). The director, Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program, established reporting requirements and methods implemented within the program, including those necessary to comply with appropriate environmental laws. NRF’s program is documented in the NFT Environmental Monitoring Report (BBI 2005).

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 INL Site operations.

This report, prepared in accordance with the requirements in DOE Orders 450.1 and 231.1A, is not intended to cover the numerous special environmental research programs conducted at the INL (DOE 2003, 2004).

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 (DOE), 2003, "Environmental Protection Program," DOE Order 450.1, January.

U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), 2004, "Environment, Safety, and Health Reporting," DOE Order 231.1A, June.

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Approximately 8000 people work at the INL Site, making it the largest employer in eastern Idaho and one of the top five employers in the State. The INL Site has a tremendous economic impact on eastern Idaho. The INL Site infuses more than $750 million dollars to the Idaho economy.

This Site Environmental Report summarizes environmental data, information, and regulations, and highlights major environmental programs and efforts during calendar year 2005 at the Idaho National Laboratory (INL) Site. The report is published annually in compliance with DOE Order 231.1A, Environment, Safety and Health Reporting (DOE 2004).

Calendar Year 2005 began with a series of major changes for the Idaho Site. February 1, 2005 marked a major milestone for the Site when the Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory was merged with Argonne National Laboratory-West to form the Idaho National Laboratory or INL. The newly-formed INL focuses on research and development missions in nuclear and national security programs. The Battelle Energy Alliance (BEA) was selected as the management and operations (M&O) contractor for the INL. Ongoing cleanup operations are now managed under a separate program called the Idaho Cleanup Project or ICP. In 2005, CH2M-WG Idaho, LLC (CWI) was selected to manage the ICP. Finally, management of the Advanced Mixed Waste Treatment Project was transferred from BNFL, Inc. to Bechtel BWXT Idaho, LLC.

Other contractors at the INL Site include Bechtel BWXT Idaho, LLC, which operates the Advanced Mixed Waste Treatment Project (AMWTP), and Bechtel Bettis, Inc., which manages the Naval Reactors Facility.

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Many environmental programs help implement the environmental compliance policy for the INL Site. Most of the regulatory compliance activity is performed through environmental monitoring programs, the signed Accelerated Cleanup Agreement, the Environmental Restoration Program, and the Waste Management Program.

The major objectives of the environmental monitoring programs conducted at the INL Site 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 through sampling and analysis of air; surface, subsurface, and drinking water; soil; wildlife; and vegetation, as well as measurement of direct radiation. During 2005, Battelle Energy Alliance (BEA) and CH2M-WG Idaho (CWI) had primary responsibility for environmental monitoring at the INL Site. The Environmental Surveillance, Education and Research Program contractor, which was a team led by the S. M. Stoller Corporation, was responsible for offsite environmental monitoring.

Ambient air, drinking water, surface water, groundwater, soils, vegetation, agricultural products, wildlife, and direct radiation were sampled by the monitoring programs. Samples were analyzed for a variety of contaminants including, but not limited to, pH, inorganics, volatile organics, gases, gross and beta activity, and specific radionuclides, such as tritium, strontium-90 (⁹⁰Sr), and plutonium isotopes.

The ICP continued progress during 2005 toward final cleanup of contaminated sites at the INL Sites. Examples of significant accomplishments during 2005 are:

• Cleanup activities at Waste Area Group 5 are complete;

• Over 7440 m² (80,082 ft²) of buildings and structures were demolished;

• Approximately 6535 m³ (230,780 ft³) of legacy and newly generated waste was disposed in the Subsurface Disposal Area;

• The first shipment of treated transuranic waste was shipped to the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) in Carlsbad, New Mexico;

• The Transuranic Waste Program shipped a total 4267 m³ (150,688 ft³) transuranic waste to the WIPP.

• All scheduled Site Treatment Plan milestones were achieved.

The INL Site environmental surveillance programs, conducted by the INL and ICP contractors and the ESER contractor, emphasize measurement of airborne radionuclides because air transport is considered the major potential pathway from INL Site releases to receptors. The INL contractor monitors airborne effluents at individual INL facilities and ambient air outside the facilities to comply with appropriate regulations and DOE orders. The ICP contractor focuses on environmental surveillance of waste management facilities. The ESER contractor samples ambient air at locations within, around, and distant from the INL Site.

An estimated total of 6614 Ci of radioactivity, primarily in the form of short-lived noble gas isotopes, was released as airborne effluents in 2005. 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, ⁹⁰Sr, iodine-131 (¹³¹I), cesium-137 (¹³⁷Cs), plutonium-239/240 (^239/240Pu), and americium-241 (²⁴¹Am). All concentrations were well below regulatory standards and most were within historical measurements.

Nonradiological pollutants, including particulates, were monitored at select locations around the INL Site. All results were well below regulatory standards.

One potential pathway for exposure (primarily to workers) to the contaminants released from the INL Site is through surface, drinking, and groundwater. INL Site contractors monitor liquid effluents, drinking water, groundwater, and storm water runoff at the INL Site to comply with applicable laws and regulations, DOE orders, and other requirements (e.g., Wastewater Land Application Permit [WLAP] requirements). The ESER contractor monitors drinking water and surface water at offsite locations.

During 2005, liquid effluent and groundwater monitoring were conducted in support of WLAP requirements for INL Site 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 DEQ. Additional parameters were also monitored in the effluent in support of surveillance activities. Most wastewater and groundwater regulatory and surveillance results were below applicable limits in 2005. Several high concentrations of metals were detected in samples taken from both aquifer and perched water wells associated with the Idaho Nuclear Technology and Engineering Center (INTEC) New Percolation Ponds. Further evaluation indicated that the elevated levels were below preoperational upgradient concentrations and were thus considered in compliance with the permit and Ground Water Quality Rule.

In January and February 2005, monthly total suspended solids (TSS) in the Technical Area North (TAN)/Technical Support Facility (TSF) Sewage Treatment Facility exceeded the permit limit of 100 mg/L. It was determined that the sanitary drain line from a former building was inadvertently filled with debris when the building was demolished in 2003. The debris was pushed downgradient when trailers were moved into the area and connected to the sanitary system in 2004. The lines were cleaned and TSS levels returned to levels well below the permit limit.

In 2005, total coliform bacteria was detected at the Main Gate, Experimental Breeder Reactor No. 1, and the Gun Range. Trichloroethylene (TCE) concentrations in the Radiactive Waste Management Complex (RWMC) public water system remain below EPA limits. TCE levels in drinking water from the TAN drinking water well remained below the EPA limit.

A maximum effective dose equivalent of 0.5 mrem/year (5.0 µSv/year), less than the 4 mrem/year (40 µSv/year) EPA standard for public drinking water systems, was calculated for workers at the Central Facilities Area on the INL Site in 2005.

The DOE no longer conducts compliance activities associated with storm water as it was determined by EPA that no project has a reasonable potential to discharge to U.S. waters.

Results from a number of special studies conducted by the USGS of the properties of the aquifer were published during 2005. Several purgeable organic compounds continue to be found in monitoring wells, including drinking water wells at the INL Site. Concentrations of organic compounds were below the state of Idaho groundwater primary and secondary constituent standards as well as EPA maximum contaminant levels (MCLs) for these compounds.

Groundwater surveillance monitoring continued for the Waste Area Groups on the INL Site in 2005. At TAN, a 24-month test was initiated to evaluate the effectiveness of the New Pump and Treat Facility in remediation of the a portion of the plume of TCE. Chromium was above the MCL in two wells at the Reactor Technology Complex. Monitoring at Central Facilities Area landfills detected nitrate and chromium levels above their respective MCLs. At the INTEC, four constituents exceeded their MCLs, but concentrations of most radionuclides are decreasing over time. Monitoring at the RWMC indicated some elevated concentrations of carbon tetrachloride near and sometimes in excess of the MCL.

Semiannual drinking water samples were collected from 14 locations off the INL Site and around the Snake River Plain in 2005. Eight samples had measurable tritium, and 19 samples had measurable gross beta activity. None of the samples exceeded the EPA MCL for these constituents.

Twelve offsite surface water samples were collected from five locations along the Snake River. No sample had measurable gross alpha activity. Most samples had measurable gross beta activity, while only two samples had measurable tritium. None of these constituents were above regulatory limits.

To help assess the impact of contaminants released to the environment by operations at the INL Site, 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 INL Site in 2005.

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 INL Site.

Direct radiation measurements made at offsite, boundary and onsite locations (except RWMC) were consistent with background levels.

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Chapter 8 provides an analysis of the potential radiation dose to members of the public and to biota. Potential radiological doses to the public from INL Site operations were evaluated to determine compliance with pertinent regulations and limits. Two different computer programs were used to estimate doses: the Clean Air Act Assessment Package, 1988 (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 NOAA Air Resources Laboratory-Field Research Division developed MDIFF to evaluate dispersion of pollutants in arid environments such as those found at the INL Site. The maximum calculated dose to an individual by either of the methods was well below the applicable radiation protection standard of 10 mrem/year. The dose to the maximally exposed individual, as determined by the CAP-88 program, was 0.077 mrem (0.77 µSv). The dose calculated by the MDIFF program was 0.041 mrem (0.41 µSv). The dose from natural background radiation was estimated to be 0.358 mrem (3.6 µSv). The maximum potential population dose to the approximately 281,495 people residing within an 80-km (50-mi) radius of any INL facility was 0.565 person-rem (5.7 x 10^-3 person-Sv), well below that expected from exposure to background radiation (102,429 person-rem or 1024 person Sv).

The maximum potential individual doses from consuming waterfowl and big game animals, at the INL, based on the highest concentrations of radionuclides measured in samples of these animals, were estimated to be 0.19 mrem (1.9 µSv), and 0.005 mrem (0.05 µSv), respectively. These estimates are conservatively high.

Doses were also evaluated using a graded approach for nonhuman biota at the INL Site. Based on this approach, there is no evidence that INL Site-related radioactivity in soil or water is harming populations of plants or animals.

Chapter 9 describes the ecological research activities that took place on the INL Site. The INL Site 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 INL Site 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 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 2005:

• Survival rates of rattlesnakes in southeastern Idaho;

• Fine-scale movement patterns of coyotes (Canis latrans) on the INL Site in Idaho;

• Seasonal and landscape variation of snake mortality on the Upper Snake River Plain;

• The Protective Cap/Biobarrier Experiment;

• Spatial pattern of species diversity; and

• Employing unmanned aerial vehicles for monitoring habitat and species in sagebrush-steppe ecosystems.

Chapter 10 describes programs used at the INL Site to ensure environmental data quality. 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.

Quality issues that arose with laboratories used by the INL, ICP and ESER contractors were addressed with the laboratories and resolved.

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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 HI-1 shows fractions and multiples of units.

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 picocuries per gram (pCi/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 Système 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 one 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 Système International unit sievert (Sv), where 1 Sv equals 100 rem.

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 (±) uncertainty term. Individual analytical results are presented in this report with plus or minus one analytical deviation (± 1s). Generally the result is considered "detected" if the measurement is greater than three times its estimated analytical uncertainty (3s) unless noted otherwise, for consistency with other INL Site environmental monitoring reports.

Negative values occur in radiation measurements when the measured result is less than a pre-established 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). Most commonly used radionuclide symbols used in this report are shown in Table HI-2.

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