Evaluation of a decommissioned radwaste pond

An eight hectare radwaste pond (216-S-17) which received cooling water effluent from a nuclear fuel reprocessing plant at Hanford from 1951 to 1954 was contaminated due to unplanned releases. Subsequently, it was decommissioned by covering the area with 45 to 60 cm of backfill. Soil erosion and nuisance contamination, in the form of tumbleweeds (Salsola kali), occurred between 1954 and 1972 due to the lack of a specific revegetation program. Siberian Wheatgrass (Agropyron sibericum) and Cereal Rye (Secale cereale) were planted in 1972 and allowed to grow under conditions. A routine evaluation of the site disclosed the presence of contaminated Siberian Wheatgrass plants. This report describes the results of a radioecological study of the site in 1978. Nondestructive methods developed for in-situ evaluation to determine radionuclide inventories and transport parameters for biotic and abiotic compartments are presented concomitant with standard procedures. Results indicate that Siberian Wheatgrass is a suitable perennial for revegetation of low-level waste disposal sites in an arid environment