Aerial radiological survey of the Susquehanna Steam Electric Station and surrounding area, Berwick, Pennsylvania. Date of survey: September 1980

An aerial radiological survey was performed from 12 to 22 September 1980 over a 188-square-kilometer area surrounding the Susquehanna Steam Electric Station near Berwick, Pennsylvania. All gamma ray data were collected along flight lines oriented southwest to northeast. The lines were spaced 152 meters apart and flown at an altitude of 91 meters above ground level. Processed data showed that all gamma rays detected within the survey area were those expected from naturally occurring terrestrial background emitters. Count rates obtained from the aerial platform were converted to exposure rates at 1 meter above the ground and are presented in the form of a radiation contour map. The observed exposure rates were between 8 and 23 microroentgens per hour (μR/h), with most of the area ranging from 8 to 15 μR/h. These values include an estimated cosmic ray contribution of 4 μR/h. The exposure rate obtained from soil samples taken from within the survey site were in agreement with the aerial data