Chapter 15 - Remediation of Contaminated Sites

Abstract

Contamination of land and water by chemical and radioactive materials is a subject that has received widespread media attention and caused much public concern. The processes of lessening the contamination or its impact by removal, treatment, or stabilization of the contaminated materials are called “environmental remediation” or “environmental restoration.” When contaminated buildings or other structures are involved, the process is usually referred to as “D&D,” for decontamination and decommissioning. This chapter treats the contaminated sites themselves. The most important radioactively contaminated sites in the United States can be divided into four major groups. The first comprises sites that predate the nuclear era, which began during World War II. These sites are generally small and are the legacy of nonnuclear industrial activities involving naturally occurring radionuclides, such as radium and thorium. The second group includes sites at which uranium ore was processed during and after World War II for nuclear weapons and power programs. Included in this group are numerous sites throughout the country where high-grade uranium ores were experimented upon and processed, though mostly in the arid West, where lower-grade uranium ore was mined and milled until recently. The third group includes the plants and laboratories that make up the nuclear research and weapons production complex operated by the DOE today. The fourth group comprises sites that have been licensed by the NRC or the states and that require decontamination of the facilities when they cease operation. Many will also require cleanup of contaminated environments.