HR: 0830h
AN: H11E-0896 INVITED     [PDF]
TI: Development of an Integrated Ground-Water Monitoring Strategy for Supporting Performance Assessments of Nuclear Facilities
AU: Nicholson, T J
EM: TJN@NRC.GOV
AF: Office of Nuclear Regulatory Research, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, MS T-9F31, Washington, DC 20555 United States
AU: * Price, V
EM: vprice@advenvsoln.com
AF: Advanced Environmental Solutions, 899 Sycamore Drive, Aiken, SC 29803 United States
AB: The U.S. NRC is funding research to develop an integrated ground-water monitoring strategy to support performance assessments (PA) of nuclear waste and decommissioning sites. These PAs provide the scientific and regulatory bases for a risk-informed decision as to the long-term safety of waste disposal and decommissioning sites. The strategy will assist in NRC staff reviews of predicted consequences related to potential radionuclide releases from licensed nuclear facilities. The strategy couples site characterization and PA through identification and monitoring of hydrogeologic system performance indicators such as distributions of water content in the unsaturated zone and ground-water potential in the saturated zone, as well as radionuclide concentrations. The strategy considers the need to monitor for a range of alternative conceptual ground-water models, and to quantify parameter and model uncertainties. The strategy will be tested using real-time monitoring datasets. Recognizing that each site has its unique set of features, events and processes, the strategy will focus on methods for designing monitoring systems to detect both current conditions and changes in the system's behavior relevant to radionuclide leaching and transport. Beyond identifying and mapping contaminant plumes, the monitoring goals are to: identify the presence or potential for preferential transport pathways; assess the effectiveness of contaminant isolation systems; identify and support alternative conceptual flow and transport models; and communicate the monitored performance indicators through effective data management, analysis and visualization techniques for decision makers and stakeholders. Progress to date involves the review and harmonization of monitoring programs, strategies and guidance presently used to evaluate both radioactive and toxic waste facilities.
UR: http://www.ISCMEM.Org
DE: 1829 Groundwater hydrology
DE: 1832 Groundwater transport
DE: 1866 Soil moisture
DE: 1875 Unsaturated zone
SC: Hydrology [H]
MN: 2003 Fall Meeting