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Declassified record · U.S. Department of Energy

Letter to P E Davis, Subject: Notification of Planned Radiotracer Study-Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL)-Walker Branch and BLD 1504 Laboratory Streams

Dated
Aug 11, 1992
Document type
Correspondence
Length
5 pages
Open the original scanArchive record OSTI ID 16294828 · public domain

Document text

Machine-read from the scan, so expect some errors. Lines that couldn’t be read are left out.

Page 1

Department of Energy Field Office, Oak Ridge Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37831- 8600 7 0 7 5 4 3 Division of Water Control Tennessee Department of Environment 151 9th Avenue North TERRA Building NOTIFICATION OF PLANNED RADIOTRACER STUDY - OAK RIDGE NATIONAL LABORATORY (ORNL) - WALKER BRANCH AND BUJLDING 1504 The referenced letter informed you of Oms plans to infrequently release small quantities of radiotracers into local surface waters as part of continuing biological uptake and phosphorus cycling studies sponsored by the National Science Foundation. The purpose of this letter is to notify you that research personnel at ORNL pian to release small amounts of radiotracers into Walker Branch and Building 1504 laboratory streams during a series of experimental releases. The purpose of the Walker Branch study is to determine the effect of hydrologic backwater zones on biological uptake and cycling of phosphorous in the stream. The purpose of the Building 1504 laboratory stream study is to examine the effect of different levels of algal biomass on cycling of phosphorus in streams. Although these releases are not wastewater discharges and the amount of radiotracers involved is small, it was o u r desire that you be aware of the planned releases. The radiotracers released in the Walker Branch study will include approximately 5 millicuries (mCi) of tritium as water (H20)and approximately 1.5 mCi of phosphorus-33 (P-33) as phosphate. The radiotracers will be released over a period of 1.5 hours. The approximate radiotracer concentrations, based on a stream flow of 5 literdsecond in Walker Branch, are described below. Radiotracer concentrations in Walker Branch, as the plume leaves the Oak Ridge Reservation (ORR) under Bethel Valley Road, will be only slightly above background

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In-Sham. a t the P&t of Release In-Stream. before leaviw ORR under Bethel Vallev Road The dates of the release will depend on stream flow and weather conditions, but locations and tentative dates are listed below: Walker Branch, below confluence of East and West Forks Walker Branch, below confluence of East and West Forks West Fork Walker Branch, upstream of weir This release will involve 0.8 mCi of P-33 as phosphate to a network of eight laboratory streams in the building mentioned. Over a 30-minute period, 0.1 mci of P-33 will be released to each stream. Simultaneous releases will be performed in one pair of streams each day for four days. The flow in each laboratory stream is approximately 0.5 Us. The laboratory streams are collected by floor drains discharged to six ponds in approximately equal proportions. The ponds drain to Northwest Tributary via overflow pipes. The approximate concentrations of the radiotracers are summarized below. This series of releases is planned for the week of October 19,1992. In-Stream, at the Point of Release in each Stream In Ponds, behind Building 1504 Downstream of Pond Discharge, in Northwest Tributary DOE Derived Concentration Guidelines (DOE Order 5400.5) All personnel involved in the studies will be trained in the safe use of radionuclides, will wear appropriate protective clothing, and will be monitored by a Health Physicist during the experiment.

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If there are any questions or if additional information is required, please contact Rick Collier of my staf€ at 576-0639. When replying, please refer to 92-7129. Deputy Assistant Manager for Energy Research and Development

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OAK RIDGE NATIONAL LABORATORY hiANAOED BY MARTIN MARIETrA ENEROV SVSTEMS, INC. POST OFFICE BOX 2008 OAK RIDGE, TENNESSEE 378314103 Dr. Ronald 0. Hultgren, Deputy Assistant Manager Energy Research and Development DOE Oak Ridge Field Office Post Office Box 2008 Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37831-6269 Notification of Planned Radiotracer Study - Oak Ridge National Laboratory Walker Branch and Building 1504 Laboratory Streams This letter notifies the Department of Energy (DOE) that research personnel at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) plan to release small amounts of radiotracersinto Walker Branch and Building 1504 laboratory streams during a series of experimental releases. The purpose of the Walker Branch study is to determine the effect of hydrologic backwater zones on biological uptake and cycling of phosphorus in the stream. The purpose of the Building 1504 laboratory stream study is to examine the effect of different levels of algal biomass on cycling of phosphorus in streams. While these releases are not wastewater discharges, and the amount of radiotracers Walker Branch. East and West Forkp The radiotracers released in the Walker Branch study will include approximately 5 millicuries The radiotracers will be released over a period of 1.5 hours. The approximate radiotracer concentrations, based on a stream flow of 5 Iiters/secondin Walker Branch, are described below. Radiotracer concentrations in Walker Branch, as the plume leaves the Oak Ridge Reservation under Bethel Valley Road, will be only slightly above background concentrations. In-Stream, at the Point of Release Instream, before leavinq the Oak Ridqe Reservation under Bethel Vallev Road DOE Derived Concentration Guidelines (DOE Order 5400.51 The dates of the release will depend on streamflow and weather conditions, but locations and tentative dates are listed below. Walker Branch, below confluence of East and West Forks Walker Branch, below confluence of East and b p $ fjpr & FlC West Fork Walker Branch, upstream of weirX-'

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Dr. Ronald 0. Hultgren 2 July 28, 1992 This release will involve 0.8 mCi of P-33 as phosphate to a network of eight laboratory streams in the building mentioned, Over a 30 minute period, 0.1 mCi of P-33 will be released to each stream. Simdtaneous releases will be performed in one pair of streams each day for four days. The flow in each laboratory stream is approximately 0.5 Us.The laboratory streams are collected by floor drains and discharged to six ponds in approximately equal proportions. The ponds drain to Northwest Tributary via overflow pipes. The approximate concentrations of the radiotracers are summarized below. This series of releases is planned for the week of October 19, 1992 Inatream, at the Point of Release in each Stream In Ponds, behind Building 1504 Downstream of Pond Discharge, in Northwest Tributary DOE Derived Concentration Guidelines (DOE Order 5400.5) All personnel involved in the studies will be trained in the safe use of radionuclides, will wear appropriate protective clothing and will be monitored by a Health Physicist during the experiment. Please forward this information to TDEC at the following address. Tennessee Department of Environment 2700 Middlebrook Pike, Suite 220 If there are any questions or if additional information is required, please contact C. K. Valentine at 574-8775 or C. E. Nix at 574-7363. and Health Compliance