Columbia River
Component
Site Conceptual Model
and Data Gap Analysis
The Columbia River
Arguably the most significant environmental force
in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States.
-The Center for Columbia River History
Thousands of years ago,
Native Americans inhabited
the region we define as
Washington and Oregon
today.
The Indian tribes of
the Pacific Northwest
coast and the Columbia
River have always relied
on salmon as major food
Fishing
continues
today
source, a foundation for
along the Columbia River
life, culture, economy,
using traditional and more
and spirituality.
modern methods.
-Oregon Public Broadcasting
George
The
IdahoChute
Compass
Copyright©©2004
1950.
Copyright
11 major dams on the main stem,
and hundreds of major and modest
structures on tributaries block river
flows and tap a large portion of the
Columbia's generating capacity:
More than 21 million kilowatts.
-The Center for Columbia River History
The 40 foot-deep channel in the lower
river allows ocean freighters navigation up
the Columbia to Portland and barges can
transport goods to the interior.
-The Center for Columbia River History
The river has provided irrigation to many local
farms which grow alfalfa, potatoes, mint, beets, beans,
orchard fruit, and wine grapes.
-The Center for Columbia River History
Six percent of the river
basin’s yearly runoff is
diverted to irrigate about
7.8 million acres of land.
Columbia River Overview
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▀ Columbia River Overview
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Superfund Process
Conceptual Site Models
Data Gap Analysis
Presentation Agenda
Columbia River Resources/Uses
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Natural Resources
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Agricultural
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Fish and Recreation
Irrigation
Irrigation Returns
Industrial
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Power generation
Process water
Waste water disposal
Transportation
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Municipal
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Drinking water source
Waste water disposal
Columbia River Activity
Pre – development , pre – 1880s
Native
Americans
river
ItBut
is itanwas
areathe
rich
inhave
lived
Columbia
itself,along
and
itsthetributaries,
natural
resources.
Game River,
from
the mouth
the plant
Snake
that yielded
the
greatest
was
plentiful
andof
wild
River
allsuch
the as
waycamas
to theand
Pacific
bounty.
foods,
Ocean,
thousands
of in
years
wapato,for
were
harvested
and
countless generations.
season.
Photo courtesy of Nez Perce National Historical
Park, Stephen D. Shawley Collection.
Early Settlement Columbia River Activity
(1800s to 1920s)
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1800 to 1920 – Settlement (mid to
late 1800s) and statehood (1889)
Teck Cominco Mine (1890) and
Smelter (1896) constructed in
Canada
No Columbia River dams to date
Pre-WWII Columbia River Activity (1920 – 1942)
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Pre-WWII – Start of major dam building
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Bonneville Dam (1937)
Grand Coulee (1941)
Columbia Basin Irrigation Project Initiation
(1938)
Port of Pasco (1940)
Canneries
Aluminum Smelters startup dates
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Vancouver, WA/Alcoa (1940)
Troutdale, OR/Alcoa (1941)
Columbia River Activity (1920 – 1942)
Grand Coulee Dam
1941
Bonneville Dam
1937
Troutdale
Alcoa
1941
Vancouver
WA/Alcoa
1940
Port of
Pasco
1940
Columbia River Industrialization (1942 – 1972)
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Hanford Nuclear Reservation Construction and Production Activities
Port of Walla Walla (1952)
Nuclear Weapons Atmospheric Testing (1954 – 1963)
Irrigation Discharge (1943 – present)
Richland water intake (1963)
Aluminum Smelters startup dates
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Dams Construction
▀ McNary (1947 – 1954)
▀ The Dalles (1952 – 1957)
▀ John Day (1958 – 1971)
▀ Priest Rapids (1956 – 1961)
▀ Ice Harbor (1955 – 1961)
Columbia Gorge Aluminum LLC (1970)
Wenatchee Alcoa (1952)
Boise Cascade Paper Mill at Wallula Gap (1959)
Columbia River Dams
Grand Coulee Dam
Priest Rapids
1961
John Day
1971
The Dalles
1957
Bonneville Dam
McNary
1954
Ice Harbor
1961
Hanford Nuclear Reservation Timeline (1942 – 1972)
January, 1943
Manhattan Project
September, 1944
Hanford began
making plutonium
for atomic bombs
when B reactor
started
July, 1945
The first atomic bomb was
tested at Alamogordo, New
Mexico, using plutonium
produced at Hanford
1946
The U.S. Congress
passed the Atomic
Energy Act
August, 1949
The Soviet Union
detonated its first
atomic bomb
1940
1951 to 1968
The U.S. started domestic atomic bomb
testing at the Nevada Test Site
1955
The last two of
Hanford’s original
eight reactors
started operation
Late 1950s to Mid 1960s
All of the original eight
plutonium production reactors
operated at their highest
power levels during this time
1950
December, 1964
President Johnson
ordered the gradual
shutdown of Hanford
operations by closing
three of Hanford’s
nine reactors
January, 1971
The AEC closed the last of
Hanford’s original eight
once through reactors
1960
1970
Bonneville Dam
McNary Dam
The Dalles Dam
John Day Dam
Hanford Reactor Timeline
100 AREAS
105-F 2/1945
105-N 1964
105-B 9/1944
105-D 12/1944
105-H 10/1949
105-DR 10/1949
105-C 11/1952
105-KW 1/1955
105-KE 4/1955
The Majority of Radionuclides Contamination
Occurred After McNary Dam
Primary Sediment Deposition
Bonneville Dam
Hanford Site Historic District:
T.E. Marceau, Bechtal Press 2003
McNary Dam
Key Radionuclides Released to the Columbia
River by Year (1944-1971)
PNWD-2227 HEDR (1994)
Hanford Reactor Shutdown Sequence
105-H 10/1949 - 4/1965
105-N 1964 - 1988
105-F 2/1945 - 6/1963
105-DR 10/1949 - 1964
105-D 12/1944 - 6/1967
105-C 11/1952 - 4/1969
105-B 9/1944 - 2/1968
105-KW 1/1955 - 2/1970
105-KE 4/1955 - 1/1971
Major Development Activities Along the
Columbia River System (1942-1972)
Ice Harbor
Dam 1955
Priest Rapids
Dam 1959
Kasko Fish Products
Jessies Ilwaco Fish Co.
Ilwaco
Wenatchee/Alcoa
1952
Grand Coulee
Dam 1941
ALCOA
1952
Irrigation Area
1943
Columbia Aluminum Co.
Goldendale Aluminum Co.
Reynolds Metals
Weyerhaeuser Co.
Longview Fibre Co.
Kalama Chemical Co.
Boise-Cascade
Fort James Camas L.L.C.
AGRIUM
The Dalles
Dam 1957
John Day
Dam 1971
Chinook Packing Co.
Bonneville
Dam 1937
Hanford
Area
1943
McNary Dam
1954
Port of
Walla Walla
1952
Boise-Cascade
1959
Columbia River Awareness (1972 – present)
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Wastewater Treatment Teck Cominco (1982)
Environmental Regulations / Activities
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Clean Water Act (1973)
RCRA (1976)
CERCLA / Superfund (1980)
Hanford Reservation Investigation/Remediation Initiated
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Tri Party Agreement approved (1989)
CERCLA RI/FS work underway (1989-1995)
10 IARODs approved for 100 and 300 Areas (1995 – 2003)
Over 6.8M tons of waste removal to ERDF (1996 – present)
Hanford Nuclear Reservation Timeline (1972 – present)
1995 - 2003
10 IARODs
approved for 100
and 300 Areas
1973 - June
China performs
first Nuclear test
1989 - 1995
CERCLA RI/FS
work underway
1973
Clean Water Act
1976
RCRA
1980
CERCLA / Superfund
1972
1980
2000
Excavated 42
contaminated
waste sites
1998
Completed
C Reactor
ISS project
and
excavation
of 22 waste
sites
1990
2003
Completed F
Reactor ISS
project
2002
Completed DR
Reactor ISS
project
2004
Completed D
Reactor ISS
project
2005
Completed
remediation of
last liquid
waste effluent
site
2000
2006
Closed out 52 waste sites
Demolished 75 facilities
Completed H Reactor ISS project
Annual Waste Removed to ERDF (in tons)
1998
1999
2002
2003
669,000
702,000
655,000
700,000
1997
496,000
1996
37,000
2004
2000
640,000
2001
610,000
500,000
2005
1,000,000
2006
714,000
Thru May
2007
106,000
1995
2000
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Columbia River Overview
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Superfund Process
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Conceptual Site Models
Data Gap Analysis
Summary of RI/FS Process
Typical Superfund Process
Hanford Interim Action Process
Where is DOE in the RI/FS Process?
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100/300 area?
Inter-Areas?
Columbia River?
The 100/300 Area Source Operable Units are in the final
Phases of the Remedial Investigation and Risk Assessment
- Status to date
The Inter-Area Shoreline Component is still in
the Remedial Investigation Phase
- Status to date
The Columbia River Component is in the Remedial
Investigation Phase
- Status to date
Extensive Sampling has been done along the
Columbia River Component
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Over 1600 studies from 1940s to present
Compiled by WCH in July 2006
Supplemented w/ data from:
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100/300 Area RCBRA
Inter-Areas sampling
USACE
Database Summary - Existing Data
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Incorporated data from over 8,000 sampling locations into
one integrated data base
Surface Water
Sediments
GW Seeps
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Over 95,000 Analytical Results