Human Health and Ecological Risk Assessment Work Plan Mud Pit Release Sites, Amchitka Island, Alaska

• Main Author: DOE/NV
• Language: unknown
• Published: 2008
• Subjects: 29 ENERGY PLANNING; POLICY AND ECONOMY; 45 MILITARY TECHNOLOGY; WEAPONRY; AND NATIONAL DEFENSE; 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; ALASKA; ALEUTIAN ISLANDS; DRILLING FLUIDS; ISLANDS; NUCLEAR ENERGY; NUCLEAR TEST SITES; ORGANIC COMPOUNDS; POLYCHLORINATED BIPHENYLS; REMEDIAL ACTION; RISK ASSESSMENT; SITE CHARACTERIZATION; SURFACE WATERS; US DOD; Amchitka; Amchitka Island; Anchorage; Rat Islands; Aleutian Island; Archipelago; Alaska; Aleutian Islands
• Online Access: http://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/777319; https://www.osti.gov/biblio/777319; https://doi.org/10.2172/777319

This Work Plan describes the approach that will be used to conduct human health and ecological risk assessments for Amchitka Island, Alaska, which was utilized as an underground nuclear test site between 1965 and 1971. During this period, the U.S. Atomic Energy Commission (now the U.S. Department of Energy) conducted two nuclear tests (known as Long Shot and Milrow) and assisted the U.S. Department of Defense with a third test (known as Cannikin). Amchitka Island is approximately 42 miles long and located 1,340 miles west-southwest of Anchorage, Alaska, in the western end of the Aleutian Island archipelago in a group of islands known as the Rat Islands. Historically including deep drilling operations required large volumes of drilling mud, a considerable amount of which was left on the island in exposed mud pits after testing was completed. Therefore, there is a need for drilling mud pit remediation and risk assessment of historical mud pit releases. The scope of this work plan is to document the environmental objectives and the proposed technical site investigation strategies that will be utilized for the site characterization of the constituents in soil, surface water, and sediment at these former testing sites. Its goal is the collection of data in sufficient quantity and quality to determine current site conditions, support a risk assessment for the site surfaces, and evaluate what further remedial action is required to achieve permanent closure of these three sites that will protect both human health and the environment. Suspected compounds of potential ecological concern for investigative analysis at these sites include diesel-range organics, polyaromatic hydrocarbons, polychlorinated biphenyls, volatile organic compounds, and chromium. The results of these characterizations and risk assessments will be used to evaluate corrective action alternatives to include no further action, the implementation of institutional controls, capping on site, or off-sit e disposal of contaminated waste. The results of this ...