
          Millions of Pounds of Uranium--Oak Ridge Wastes Varied,
Extensive
          By Castaldo, DebraDebra Castaldo
          Vol. 8, No. 2, 1986, pp. 16-17
          
          The Oak Ridge Reservation (ORR) located in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, is
owned and operated by the US Department of Energy (DOE). The ORR
includes three plants: Y-12 Plant, Oak Ridge Gaseous Diffusion Plant
(ORGDP) and Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL).
          The Y-12 and ORGDP plants produce nuclear materials for research
and development and national defense. ORNL is involved in research and
development. The Y-12 plant has four major responsibilities: (1)
production of nuclear weapons components, (2) processing of source and
special nuclear materials, such as highly enriched uranium, (3)
support for weapons-design laboratories, and (4) support to other
government agencies. Activities include the production of lithium
compounds, the recovery of enriched uranium from nonirradiated scrap
materials, and the fabrication of uranium and other materials into
finished parts and 

assemblies for use in the plutonium production
reactors at the Savannah River Plant.
          The ORGDP is a complex of production, research, development and
support facilities located at the western edge of the City of Oak
Ridge. The primary function of ORGDP is the enrichment of uranium
hexaflouride (UFO) in the uranium-235 isotope. Extensive efforts are
also expended on research and development associated with laser
isotopic separation and the gaseous diffusion and gas centrifuge
processes. DOE is closing down the production of UFO at ORGDP.
          ORNL is a large multi-purpose research laboratory. Facilities
consist of nuclear reactors, chemical pilot plants, research
laboratories, and support facilities.
          Hazardous wastes, such as lead, cadmium, methylene chloride,
thorium, uranium, perchloryethlene, mercury, and various
radionucleides contaminate local groundwater. Fifty-one million pounds
of uranium are buried at the ORR. One of the main pathways of
pollution to humans is through drinking water supplies. Water that
drains the ORR enters the Clinch River and is subsequently conveyed to
the Tennessee River at Kingston, Tennessee. The Clinch River is the
source of most water used in the Oak Ridge area. Water supplies for
Clinton, Oak Ridge, Kingston and DOE facilities are drawn from the
Clinch River. In addition, waste waters from ORR are discharged
directly and indirectly by a system of tributaries in the Clinch
River.
          Water analysis of the Clinch River shows the water quality to be
highly turbid. Cadmium, copper, iron, lead, mercury, nickel, silver,
and zinc concentrations all exceed EPA criteria for protection of
acquatic life. Iron and manganese exceed drinking water
standards. ORNL was issued a notice of non-compliance by the State of
Tennessee (October 26, 1983) for water pollution violations. In
December 1985, strontium-90 levels in the Clinch River exceeded even
DOE's lax standards, and water intakes for the City of Kingston were
shut down.
          DOE is considering centralizing the ORR waste disposal
facilities. Currently each facility has its own disposal
area. Proposals for a central waste disposal facility for all ORR
plants favoring a trench system were published in a Draft
Environmental Impact Statement September 1984. Since soil permeability
is quite low, the landfill alternative is favored over an above-ground
system. But the hydrogeology of the site is quite complex, and
migration is difficult to predict.
          
            Debra Castaldo is a freelance writer with ten years
experience in private industry and state/federal government
environmental management programs.
          
        