Re: Dilution the Solution? and a tie to protection of otherspecies

["Tony Harrison" <laharris@smtpgate.dphe.state.co.us>]

Plowing contaminated soil around Rocky Flats was done in the late 1980's, and I find next to nothing about it in our files, so the rest of this message consists of recollection, speculation and hearsay.  The land in question was a privately owned ranch that was ultimately converted to public open space owned by Jefferson County and/or the city of Broomfield.  DOE, Jefferson County and Broomfield probably all have better info than the Colo. Dept. of Public Health & Environment.  Some test plots were plowed in order to minimize the resuspension of dust contaminated with plutonium, not so much diluting the Pu as burying it (of course it was diluted too, but the point was to remove it from the surface.)  Now, approximately 15 years later, you can still identify the plowed areas because the vegetation there consists mostly of "noxious weeds" surrounded by native prarie grasses.

Now the tie to protection of other species:  One of the problems people at Rocky Flats are contending with is the Prebbles Meadow Jumping Mouse, a threatened species (not yet "endangered") that lives near the creeks and streams in the buffer zone around the site.  In order to clean up the contamination in the area, the mouse's habitat will have to be essentially destroyed, dooming the cute little critter to starvation and predation.  I think a good project for some graduate student would be to do a cost/benefit analysis on behalf of the mouse comparing the benefit of removing the exposure to Pu to the cost of having your entire ecosystem destroyed and (presumably) replaced.  I bet I know the popular radsafer response to that question.

Another speculative issue:  I wonder how it would look if we go to the trouble to let the little rats thrive, only to have them spread hantavirus in the communities.  For the record, I don't believe any case of hantavirus has been traced to this species of mouse, but as Satchel Paige said, "One never knows, do one?"

For more information contact DOE Rocky Flats Field Office.  
The above are the thoughts of the author and have nothing to do with policies of the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment.

Tony Harrison, RSO, MSPH
Laboratory and Radiation Services Division
Colo. Dept. of Public Health & Environment
(303)692-3046
tony.harrison@state.co.us 

>>> summers10@llnl.gov 01/03/01 04:04PM >>>
Ken:

I remember that they used plowing to dilute slightly contaminated soil at
Rocky Flats in the early "80's". This was in response to a court case in
progress at that time.  You might try to contact people at the State of
Colorado, Radiation Control Division. I am sure there is someone there who
would remember that situation.  Maybe talk to Rob Terry.  There are
probably still people at Rocky Flats who are also familiar with that case.


Best Reqards!

Bud Summers




At 02:31 PM 1/3/01 -0600, you wrote:
>According to all prior regulatory policy guidance, we have never proposed to 
>deep plow contaminated soil to reduce the average contamination levels.  
>However, recently I have heard references to situations where the DOE and
the 
>NRC approved the use of deep plowing as a remedial measure.  If such 
>situations exist, could someone provide the details as to location, 
>contaminant, depth of mixing, etc.?
>
>Ken Baker
>ERGKBAKER@aol.com 
>************************************************************************
>The RADSAFE Frequently Asked Questions list, archives and subscription
>information can be accessed at http://www.ehs.uiuc.edu/~rad/radsafe.html 
>
>
************************************************************************
The RADSAFE Frequently Asked Questions list, archives and subscription
information can be accessed at http://www.ehs.uiuc.edu/~rad/radsafe.html

************************************************************************
The RADSAFE Frequently Asked Questions list, archives and subscription
information can be accessed at http://www.ehs.uiuc.edu/~rad/radsafe.html