DRI Environmental
Restoration and Monitoring
Jenny Chapman
Program Manager for DRI’s NNSA/NSO Contract
Desert Research Institute
Community Environmental Monitoring Program Workshop
July 26, 2011
DRI Monitoring Research for DOE/NNSA
DRI Research,
Research for
DOE
•Past
•Present
Types of
MonitoringRelated
Research
Environmental
Restoration
Monitoring
•Timber Mtn
•Tonopah Test
Range
•Fire Sites
•Plutonium Valley
Stewardship
Technology
Development
Monitoring
Design
•Event-driven
monitoring
•Decision support
tools
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DRI’s Environmental Research
Much of the non-National
Nuclear Security Administration
(NNSA) research involves
environmental monitoring,
restoration & technology
development.
This research may be directed at very
different environments and problems, but
often there is synergy and spinoff that applies
to Nevada National Security Site issues.
$7
$45.5
* Amounts given in millions
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DRI Support to…
• Atomic Energy Commission, Energy Research and Development
Administration, Department of Energy, National Nuclear Security
Agency
– Research for DOE ongoing since the inception of DRI in 1959
– Strong hydrogeologic focus supporting testing programs
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The First Forty Years…
• Assessed planned underground
nuclear tests, particularly for
groundwater
• Provided cultural resources
support for site operations:
Native American and historical
• Supported waste management
and disposal operations
• Analyzed radiation monitoring
databases
• Studied radionuclide migration
(groundwater, soil, air) onsite
and offsite
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The Last Decade…
• Underground Test Area
Project
• Soils Project
• Cultural Resources
Management Program
• CEMP
• Test Control Panel
• Technology development
• NEPA Support
(Environmental Assessment,
Environmental Impact
Statement)
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Types of DRI Monitoring Efforts for NNSA
Supporting Environmental Restoration
• System Data: environmental conditions for air, soils, surface and
groundwater
• Contaminant data: radiologic and chemical for dust, soils, water
Technology Development
• Enhancing and developing monitoring tools
Monitoring Design
• Groundwater well networks
• Event-driven monitoring
Stewardship
• Efficient and effective: decision tools for adaptive management
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Environmental Restoration (ER)
Monitoring stations are located in areas of
study and used to help plan remedial
actions
Generally, data collection is hand-in-hand with
process analysis so that future contaminant
behavior can be forecasted
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ER Example: Timber Mountain
Drainage flow is the issue and precipitation data are needed
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ER Example: Tonopah Test Range
Potential airborne migration is the focus; understanding wind forces,
coupled with impact on particle migration (PI-SWERL) allow
assessment of migration possibilities
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Additionally, for sites with potential wind
transport…
Impact of rangeland fire is assessed by measuring fire impact and
monitoring conditions at similar sites (Jacobs, Gleason)
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Types of Fire Investigations
Infiltration Properties
Hydraulic Properties of Soil
Vegetation and Landscape Structure
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ER Example: Plutonium Valley
Potential for radionuclide migration through channels is being
studied. Episodic surface water flow through channels is monitored,
along with weather conditions, so that future movement can be
forecasted.
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Technology Development
• Weather station design and
communications
• PI-SWERL
• Tritium Tool
• Noble gas monitoring
• Gamma monitoring system
• Automated sediment transport
measurements
• Solar powered radon monitoring
• Mobile air quality monitoring station
design
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Monitoring Design
Groundwater Monitoring Network Design
Plume centroid
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Monitoring Design
(continued)
Cross-section view
Model boundary
Potential well
Detection zone
Cavity
Plume c.o.m. trajectory
z
Map view
Model boundary
Potential well
Proposed completion interval (well 2)
Proposed completion interval (well 4)
Proposed completion interval (well 6)
Cavity
Plume c.o.m. trajectory
y
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Baseline Environmental Conditions
Radon
Land disturbance
Air quality
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Stewardship
Management for Environmental Quality and Sustainability
System monitoring of both surface and
subsurface sites through the future
– Event-driven monitoring
• Fires
• Floods
• Wind storms
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Stewardship
Management for Environmental Quality and Sustainability
(continued)
– Model-based decision tools
RFA
Export
Existing
Mining and Ag
Geothermal
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