Annual progress report of burial ground studies at Oak Ridge National Laboratory: period ending September 30, 1975

Abstract

Offsite radioactivity releases in the Clinch River are less than 1 percent of the amount allowable for unrestricted use of the water. However, studies were conducted on the radioactivity contributions to the Clinch River from the buried waste at ORNL and on implementing corrective measures. The /sup 60/Co-organic complexes present in ground water near trench 7 are present in two molecular weight fractions, one greater than 700 and one less than 700, with 85 percent of the /sup 60/Co being transported with the lighter fraction. The chemical composition of this fraction may be composed of natural organics or EDTA. The calculated discharge of /sup 90/Sr from burial ground 4 to White Oak Creek showed a decrease in the discharge corresponding to a decrease in precipitation. The calculated discharge does not agree with stream-monitoring data, and it is believed that the stream-monitoring data are in error or that a new source of /sup 90/Sr is present in the drainage. Drainage improvements for the burial ground have been installed. Alpha radioactivity was found in water samples from burial ground 5, and the water from one seep had both /sup 244/Cm and /sup 238/Pu. Corrective measures were applied to reduce the amount ofmore » water moving through the buried waste. Four trenches were sealed with a near-surface plastic membrane. Procedures for design of a bentonite-shale mixture were developed, and data show that an adequate sealing material can be made using 10 percent bentonite. This material will be used for near-surface sealing of both past and current burial grounds. Two computer codes for calculation of water movement and radionuclide transport were completed and are being applied to seepage trench 7 to predict the future behavior of the waste. 11 tables, 12 fig. (DLC) « less

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