DOE/ORO/2327 Oak Ridge Reservation Annual Site Environmental ...

Oak Ridge Reservation
Fig. 5.16. Locations of ambient air monitoring stations at ORNL.
used for collection of tritium as tritiated water. These samples are collected biweekly or weekly,
depending on ambient humidity levels, and composited quarterly for tritium analysis.
5.4.5.1 Results
The ORNL PAM stations are designed to provide data for collectively assessing the specific impact
of ORNL operations on local air quality. Sampling data from the ORNL PAM stations (Table 5.13) are
compared with the derived concentration guides (DCGs) for air established by DOE as reference values
for conducting radiological environmental protection programs at DOE sites. (DCGs are listed in DOE
Order 5400.5.) Average radionuclide concentrations measured for the ORNL network were less than 1%
of the applicable DCGs in all cases.
5.5 ORNL Water Quality Program
NPDES Permit (TN 0002941), issued to DOE for the ORNL site, was renewed by the state of
Tennessee in 2008, and includes requirements for discharging wastewaters from the three ORNL on-site
wastewater treatment facilities and for the development and implementation of a Water Quality Protection
Plan (WQPP). The permit calls for the WQPP to “establish better linkages between water quality
monitoring and detecting and abating water quality and ecological impact.” Rather than prescribing rigid
monitoring schedules, the WQPP is flexible, allows an annual assessment of all outfalls, and focuses on
significant findings. The goals of the WQPP are to meet the requirements of the NPDES permit, improve
the quality of aquatic resources on the ORNL site, prevent further impacts to aquatic resources from
current activities, identify the stressors that contribute to impairment of aquatic resources, use available
resources efficiently, and communicate outcomes with decision makers and stakeholders.
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