CAMPAIGNS
Brookhaven
National Laboratory
Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL) is an internationally renowned
research facility, located on 5,000 acres of land in
the middle of Suffolk County, Long Island, New York.
The facility is owned and operated by the U.S. Department
of Energy (DOE).
The headwaters of the Peconic River are located on the property
of BNL, and the Peconic River receives discharges from
BNL's sewage treatment plant. This discharge has been
a source of contamination for the river. River sediments
have been found to contain elevated levels of heavy
metals (including mercury, silver and copper) as well
as PCBs and radionuclides.
Photo courtesy of Brookhaven National Laboratory
The Brookhaven Graphite Research Reactor
In
the spring of 2000, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE)
proposed a cleanup plan for the Peconic River. Citizens
Campaign for the Environment (CCE), as well as many
other environmental and community groups, found the
plan to be unsatisfactory. CCE was concerned that the
proposed plan would negatively impact the river system,
the wetlands and the wildlife. Due to public concerns,
the DOE withdrew the plan.
CCE
served as an active member of the Suffolk County Peconic
River Community Oversight Committee (COC) since is establishment
in 2000. In 2003 CCE served as chair of this committee
and continued to do so till the committee’s work
was completed in July of 2004. This committee was established
by the Suffolk County Legislature and was mandated to
work in partnership with the Suffolk County Department
of Health Services (SCHD) to review cleanup options
for the river and to evaluate the extent of cleanup
necessary. This process provided a more exact delineation
of the locations and amounts of sediment that needed
be removed.
The
Suffolk County Legislature also passed legislation requiring
that a panel of experts be assembled to aid the COC
in their work. The COC in conjunction with the panel
of experts carefully evaluated various methods to clean
up the Peconic River and evaluated five clean up plans
put forth by the Department of Energy.
Peconic River Health and Environmental Assessment
The
Suffolk County COC, in conjunction with the Suffolk
County Health Department, worked to complete a comprehensive
health and environmental assessment for the communities
surrounding the Peconic River system. This important
study determined that contaminants in the Peconic River
pose a health risk for children, pregnant women, developing
fetuses and wildlife.
A
wide range of contamination was assessed, including
radiological chemicals, volatile organic chemicals,
heavy metals, pesticides and PCBs. The study area included
all relevant media, such as air, soil, groundwater,
surface water, sediment, aquatic species and wildlife.
In addition, the groundwater contributing area (which
includes the storm water drainage area) to the freshwater
portion of the Peconic River was included. Cashin Associates,
P.C, conducted the study entitled, Health and Environmental
Assessment for Peconic River, May 2004.
Contaminants
found in the river sediments include mercury, PCBs,
cesium 137, copper and silver. The study concluded that
the greatest risks are those relating to toxic impacts
from the consumption of fish. This is due to the high
levels of PCBs and mercury in the fish. The risks are
greatest for children, but adults who consume a high
quantity of fish also face increased health risks. The
Cashin Associates fish consumption survey found that
some people catch and eat large numbers of fish from
the Peconic River and feed it to their families. Mercury
is a heavy metal that bioaccumulates in the food chain.
The health study provided clear evidence that a comprehensive
cleanup plan was necessary to adequately protect public
health.
CCE's
staff worked aggressively to help craft a plan that
cleans up the greatest amount of contamination without
destroying key ecological components of the river and
provides for the maximum protection of public health.
Peconic River Cleanup Plan
After
four years of extensive work a final clean up plan for
the Peconic River has been agreed upon. The plan includes
the following components;
-
Contaminated river sediment will be removed approximately
6 to 12 inches down to sand.
- The
average concentration of mercury on BNL property after
remediation will be less than 1 ppm, with a goal of
no sample in any excavated area exceeding 2 ppm.
- The
average concentration of mercury for sediment off
of BNL property after remediation will be less than
.75 ppm with a goal of no sample in any excavated
area exceeding 2 ppm.
- Areas
that demonstrated to be a significant source of methylmercury
will be included in the clean up.
-
The plan seeks to achieve 92% removal of the mercury
in the sediment, 93% removal of the PCBs and 91% removal
of cesium-137.
Click
here to view comments by CCE to DOE on the Peconic River
Cleanup Plan, submitted June 25, 2004.
Carmans River Study
The
Suffolk County Health Department and the Suffolk County
COC have recently completed an environmental assessment
of the Carmans River. CCE was an active participant
on the COC, including the Carmans River study. This
assessment includes a compilation and evaluation of
all historical data pertaining to the Carmans River,
as well as the results of a sampling program.
Cashin
Associates, a consultant based in Hauppauge, was hired
to sample and analyze stream sediment and surface water
samples. The consultant tested for volatile organic
chemicals, gross alpha and gross beta (indicators of
radionuclide contamination), pesticides and heavy metals.
The consultant produced a report, which includes the
test results. This study provided for the first comprehensive
testing of the Carman's river sediments.
The
study reported that the Carmans River has good water
quality, on the whole. However, to help protect the
river over the long term the report recommends a number
of management actions including:
-
Greater remediation of gasoline spills to prevent
MTBE (a carcinogenic gasoline additive) from impacting
the river.
- More
sampling in an area of deposition in the mid-river,
which did have radiological readings and requires
further investigation; and
- Increasing
population density, growth patterns and road maintenance
processes should be examined to minimize additional
impacts.
The
final report includes an overall assessment of the present
environmental condition of the Carmans River and additional
recommendations for further actions. This comprehensive
study will serve as a basis for future environmental
and health risk monitoring programs and add to a greater
understanding of the over health and well being of the
area's hydrologic system. The report was completed in
May 2002.
The Graphite Reactor - BGRR
The
Brookhaven Graphite Research Reactor (BGRR) was in operation
from August 1950 to June 1968, for a total of 18 years.
This was the first reactor built for the purpose of
providing neutrons for research. The BGRR was designed
to be graphite-moderated and reflected, fueled with
aluminum canned uranium elements and cooled by air.
Later, the uranium fuel elements were replaced with
aluminum-clad, enriched uranium-aluminum alloy plate
fuel cells. The reactor consisted of a 25-foot graphite
cube that was penetrated by parallel horizontal channels
containing uranium fuel elements. Filtered air was drawn
through the fuel channels and was discharged through
the reactor stack.
Unfortunately,
the original natural fuel elements were subject to stress-related
can failures. These failures resulted in dispersion
of uranium and plutonium contamination to the graphite
channels, the air ducts, the air filters, fans and other
equipment.
During
past operations, the BGRR contained fuel within the
graphite “pile”. The pile is a cube shaped
structure, weighing approximately 2000 tons, and is
composed of graphite. The pile was used to hold the
fuel rods for the reactor. A five-foot thick and 25
feet tall biological shield (called the bio-shield)
surrounds the pile. The bio-shield is a steel and concrete
wall used to minimize radiation during reactor operations.
The
BGRR complex contained 8,094 curies of contamination.
Some contaminated structures have already been removed
leaving 8,047 curies of radioactive contamination. These
radioactive contaminates include carbon-14, tritium,
cesium 137 and strontium 90. The bio-shield and the
graphite pile contain 99% of the radioactivity in the
BGRR. Due to the long half-life of the carbon –14,
the BGRR is expected to remain radioactive for 87,000
years.
In
addition to contamination of the BGRR, because of leakage
during after reactor operations, contamination has also
been found in soil located under certain BGRR structures.
Pockets of deep, subsurface contaminated soils have
been found in a number of locations around and under
the reactor building.
The
graphite reactor is scheduled to undergo decontamination
and decommissioning. This process will remove or isolate
hazardous and radioactive contamination at the BGRR.
Currently,
the Department of Energy is considering four cleanup
options. The preferred option is called Alternative
C. This cleanup option will:
-
Remove the graphite cube and the bio-shield.
- Remove
all accessible pockets of contaminated soil.
-
Remove the canal structure.
-
Remove a total 8,093 Curies from the BGRR complex.
The
total cost of this cleanup will be $96.8 million and
will take approximately 30 months.
Citizens
Campaign for the Environment was a member of the BGRR
working group from 2000 until characterization of the
graphite was completed in 2003. This group reviewed
the known contamination at this facility and advised
BNL on the decontamination and decommissioning process.
CCE is also an active member of the BNL Citizens Advisory
Committee, which was established to provide community
input into environmental cleanup options. Therefore,
after careful review, CCE strongly supports Alternative
C. CCE believes that a full cleanup of this area is
warranted and prudent.
Click
here to view comments submitted by CCE to DOE on the
Explanation of Significant Differences (ESD) to Groundwater
Record of Decision, January 2005
Click
here to view comments submitted by CCE to DOE on the
Graphite Reactor Proposed Remedial Action Plan (PRAP),
August 2004
Click
here to view comments submitted by CCE to the Brookhaven
Group Manager at the United States Department of Energy
on the Engineering Evaluation/Cost Analysis and Action
Memorandum for the Peconic River Removal Action for
Sediment on Brookhaven National Laboratory Property,
September
17, 2003
Click
here to view comments submitted by CCE to DOE on the
Brookhaven Graphite Research Reactor Decommissioning
Project, September 2001
Click
here to view comments submitted by CCE to DOE on the
Proposed Plan for Operable Unit V Peconic River / Sewage
Treatment Plant, May 2000
Click
here to view the unedited version of a CCE letter to
the editor about BNL which appeared in Suffolk Life
newspaper in June, 1999
For
more information on Brookhaven National Laboratory,
link to:
U.S.
EPA, Region 2, Brookhaven National Laboratory: www.epa.gov/region2/epd/98022.htm
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