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Paducah Site
soils immediately adjacent to and under the
burial cells, and various radionudides, induding
the following radioisotopes: plutonium-239/
240, uranium-23412351238, neptunium-239,
and radium-226. Groundwater at SWMU 4
exhibited a similar suite of contaminants in the
subsurface soils in the UCRS groundwater
system. Most of the contamination was also
located immediately adjacent to or underneath
the burial cells.
Table 3.4 Samples Collected During Data
Gaps by Media
Data Gaps
Subsurface
Soil
84
Groundwater
463
Sampling at SWMU 5 indicated isolated
occurrences of metals, PCBs, pesticides,
herbicides, and P AHs found in the surface,
subsurface, or groundwater media. Due to
security restri~tions limited sampling was
performed within the burial cells. The absence
of any significant contaminants suggests that
SWMU 5 is not currently a source of
contamination.
As with SWMU 5, sampling at SWMU 6 did
not indicate any significant levels of contaminants,
and no trend indicating widespread contamination
at the site was identified. Minimal detections of
PCBs, radionuclides, and metals were detected
in the. soils and shallow groundwater. TCE was
identified in the RGA samples at the SWMU, but
this contamination is likely part of the Northwest
Plume. The absence of any TCE or other VOCs
in· the UCRS precludes ·SWMU 6 as a
contaminant source to the Northwest Plume.
to provide additional support for a sitewide
remedial action for sources contributing to offsite
groundwater contamination. The Data Gaps
Investigation was conducted to provide
supplemental data on the Groundwater au. The
data will be incorporated into other data sets
from other investigations to develop conclusions
to be made.
Table 3.4 lists the total number of samples
collected by media. Soil and water samples were
collected and analyzed for VOCs, SVOAs,
PCBs, and radionuclides,. as well as hydraulic
and geotechnical· parameters, such as hydraulic
conductivity, porosity, bulk density, grain size,
shear strength, and Atterberg limits of soils. An
on-'site .screening of alpha, beta, and gamma
activities was. used to. identify· the samples . that
might require radioisotopic analysis in a fixedbase
laboratory. The analyzed radioisotopes
were 241 Am, 237Np, 239Pu, and 239124OPu.
The Remedial Investigation Report for
Waste Area Grouping 3 at the Paducah Gaseous
Diffusion Plant, Paducah, Kentucky (DOE
2000d) provides conclusions and additional
information on the WAG 3 RI activities.
Data Gaps
The primary objective of the Data Gaps
Investigation was to collect data to determine the
location of contaminant plumes migrating
beyond the PGDP boundary, to decrease the
uncertainty that unknown or previously
undetected plumes are existing at thePGDP, and
The Data Report for the Sitewide Remedial
Evaluation for Source Areas Contributing to
Off-Site Groundwater Contamination at the
Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant, Paducah,
Kentucky (DOE 2000e) provides additional
information on the Data Gaps Investigation
activities.
Northwest Plume Groundwater System
The IRA of the Northwest Plume
Groundwater System is documented in a ROD
signed by DOE and EPA in July 1993. KDEP
also concurred with the ROD. The IRA began
3-12
Environmental Program Information