From the Process Building Remedial Investigation and Feasibility Study: “Reprocessed uranium that was converted into UF6 feed material at Oak Ridge and Paducah and shipped to PORTS also contained traces of the transuranic elements neptunium and plutonium.  Small fractions of the transuranic elements contained in feed cylinders were vaporized with the feed and introduced into the PORTS cascade.” (Process Building RI/FS; Appendix A; Process Buildings and Complex Facilities Descriptions; page A-41)

Jeremy Davis, the acting site lead, does not personally discuss the hazards associated with transuranics but all radiological workers receive Portsmouth site specific radiological training initially and then every 24 months as a refresher.  This training identifies the predominant transuranics of interest at PORTS and the associated exposure hazards.  Students are instructed that radiological work permits will specify protective measures should transuranics be encountered

The scale is what is creating a significant difference. It’s important to note the scales between the larger chart and the smaller chart inserted – the smaller one is much much lower. It’s about a million times less than the scale on the larger chart.

Staff at PORTS have identified contaminants of concern, through a process of review of the historical record and in-depth analysis.  However, it is also important to recognize in addition to the site, there may be other sources of the same contaminants. One of the slides in my presentation listed potential non-PORTS sources of these contaminants.  In some instances, these sources may be completely natural (such as asbestos or uranium in soil) or from other nearby industries or activities (like organic solvents). This knowledge is essential to developing cleanup plans for the site. 

It has been a while since the last SSAB meeting and we are eagerly looking forward to the next one. We are in the final stages of the membership package to be approved by DOE headquarters. As soon as we have that membership package in place, we will begin the process of returning to full SSAB meetings.