Aquatic Bioenvironmental Studies: The Hanford Experience 1944-84 PDF
Preview Aquatic Bioenvironmental Studies: The Hanford Experience 1944-84
Studies in Environmental Science 39 AQUATIC BIOENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES: THE HANFORD EXPERIENCE 1944-84 C.D. Becker Geosciences Department, Pacific Northwest Laboratory, Richland, WA 99352, U.S .A . ”Onward ever, Lovely River, Softly calling to the sea, Time that scars us, Maims and mars us. Leaves no track or trench on thee. ‘I From “Beautiful Willamette” By Samuel S. Simpson ELSEVlE R Amsterdam - Oxford - New York - Tokyo 1990 ELSEVIER SCIENCE PUBLISHERS B.V. Sara Burgerhartstraat 25 P.O. Box 21 1, 1000 AE Amsterdam, The Netherlands Distributors for the United States and Canada: ELSEVIER SCIENCE PUBLISHING COMPANY INC 655,A venue of the Americas New York, NY 10010, U.S.A. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Becker. C. Dale (Clarence Dale) Aquatic bioenvironmental studies the Hanford experience, 1944-84 / C. Dale Becker. p. cm. -- (Studies in environmental science . 39) Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 0-444-88653-2 1. Nuclear reactors--Environmental aspects--Washington (State)- -Hanford Reach. 2. Nuclear power plants--Environmental aspects- -Washington (State)--Hanford Reach. 3. Aquatic organisms- -Washington (State)--Hanford Reach--Effect of radiation on. 4. Aquatlc organisms--Washington (State)-+anford Reach--Effect of water pollution on. 5. Environmental monitoring--Washington (State)--Hanford Reach. 6. Indicators (Biology)--Washington (State)--Hanford Reach. 7. Hanford Works (Wash.) I.T itle. XI. Series. OH545.NBB43 1990 628.1'685--dC20 90-41371 CIP ISBN 0-444-88653-2 0 Elsevier Science Publishers B.V., 1990 All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the publisher, Elsevier Science Publishers B.V./ Physical Sciences & Engineering Division, P.O. Box 330, 1000 AH Amsterdam, The Netherlands. Special regulationsfor readers in the USA - This publication has been registered with the Copyright Clearance Center Inc. (CCC), Salem, Massachusetts. Information can be obtained from the CCC about conditions under which photocopies of parts of this publication may be made in the USA. All other copyright questions, including photocopying outside of the USA, should be referred to the publisher. No responsibility is assumed by the Publisher for any injury and/or damage to persons or property as a matter of products liability, negligence or otherwise, or from any use or operation of any meth- ods, products, instructions or ideas contained in the material herein. This book is printed on acid-free paper. Printed in The Netherlands V PREFACE From 1944 to 1971, the Hanford Reach of the Columbia River in Washington State was used to provide cooling water for up to eight single-purpose reactors producing a new and unique fissionable material: plutonium. The release of more than 60 radionuclides, vast amounts of waste heat, and some process chemicals in the effluent to the Hanford Reach during that era resulted in no apparent impairment of ecological functions in the Columbia River. The knowledge that releases of this type and amount can be mitigated by a river ecosystem is important to present and future generations. Today, only traces of radioactivity from the plutonium-production era at the Hanford Site remain in the form of a few long-lived radionuclides in sediment deposits and river organisms. From 1971 through 1984, water from the Hanford Reach was used in Hanford Site operations for closed-cycle cooling of one dual-purpose facility (plutonium and electricity), dilution of process effluents, one nuclear power generating plant, and a variety of offsite purposes. Re- leases of radioactivity, heat, or chemicals to the Hanford Reach declined to relatively small amounts. All releases became subject to applicable federal regulations designed to protect water quality and public health. Long-term environmental monitoring programs were expanded onsite and offsite to demonstrate compliance. The quality of water in the Hanford Reach remains high in the 1980s, in a near-pristine condition, almost representative of the years before the first dams were constructed on the mainstem Columbia River. The river’s quality complies well with all state standards for drinking water. Activi- ties and events taking place upstream now influence changes in the quality of water flowing through the Hanford Reach to a greater extent than do site activities. My objective is to review bioenvironmental studies related to the Hanford Reach of the Columbia River on the Hanford Site from 1944 to 1984. These studies dealt, in large part, with the potential effects of specific Hanford Site activities on aquatic organisms and the vi physicochemical properties of the river ecosystem. The studies encom- passed an extended series of interrelated field and laboratory investiga- tions. This book covers early experiments at the University of Washington on radiological effects and aquatic organisms. It details laboratory and field studies associated with operation of single-purpose, plutonium-produc- tion reactors at Hanford from 1944 to 1971. It covers subsequent investi- gations to identify any effects on the Columbia River and its aquatic organisms from Hanford Site energy production activities, A historical framework is used to help explain not only why certain studies were conducted but their contribution to radioecology, aquatic ecology, and decisions to guide onsite operations. We now know that initial bioenvironmental studies at Hanford were primitive by today’s more exacting standards. Yet the initial studies retain value, and they provide important environmental lessons. In 1971, John R. Totter, then Director of DOE’S Division of Biology and Medi- cine, drew attention to “the importance of looking back as we move ahead in science.. .( because) .. . things have a way of being rediscovered periodically; sometimes this must be pointed out to those who cannot remember the past.” Then, as now, progress in science builds on founda- tions built by others. In style, I have emphasized results of findings rather than methods. A complete reference list for each chapter provides further insight to readers. The material used has been drawn extensively from publications and periodic reports issued by government, industrial, and institutional scientists who have conducted research related to the Hanford Reach since 1944 and, to a lesser extent, on operational documents and annual progress reports that may be difficult to locate today. However, the “grey” literature produced by Hanford contractors often presents incom- plete findings that were subsequently reexamined, analyzed, consolidated, and published in open-literature journals and symposia. Whenever a study was reported in the open literature, it was used as a principal reference source. Open-literature publications describing long-term, coor- dinated research efforts in the Hanford Reach were particularly valuable as references. In retrospect, perhaps nowhere in the world were bioenvironmental studies conducted in a flowing river ecosystem with the same intensity and thoroughness as they were in the Hanford Reach from 1944 to 1984. One conclusion is inescapable: these studies advanced scientific knowl- edge and provided lasting benefit to mankind. Review of stresses imposed on the Columbia River ecosystem by activities at Hanford, why and how vii various studies were undertaken, and the significance of research find- ings, are best understood when they are placed in a frame of historical events. This I have attempted to do. C.D. Becker August 1990 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Completion of this book rests on the broad shoulders of many individu- als. Some are currently employed by Pacific Northwest Laboratory (PNL) on the Hanford Site, while others are now retired or working elsewhere. Contributions were made in one form or another based on an individual’s research and administrative backgrounds, technical expertise, depth of environmental concern, and willingness to contribute. Among the many, the assistance of the following was especially helpful. From the ranks of PNL research scientists and administrators: Carl D. Corbitt, Colbert E. Cushing, Dennis D. Dauble, Richard F. Foster (re- tired), Robert H. Gray, Frank P. Hungate, Duane A. Neitzel, Ira1 C. Nelson, Thomas L. Page, Keith R. Price, Roy C. Thompson, Jr. (retired), and Donald G. Watson (retired). Former PNL employees include Charles C. Coutant, Oak Ridge National Laboratory; Mark J. Schneider, Bonne- ville Power Administration; and Roy E. Nakatani (retired), Fisheries Research Institute, University of Washington. From the former Depart- ment of Radiation Biology at the College of Fisheries, University of Washington: Lauren R. Donaldson (retired), Allyn H. Seymour (retired), and Ahmad E. Nevissi. The final drive to publication was made possible by the editorial effort of Julie M. Gephart, Publication and Administration Department, PNL, and by funding from the US. Department of Energy, Richland Oper- ations Office under Contract DE-AC06-76RLO 1830. As an author attempting to synthesize historical records, I must point out the significance of long-term support from the U.S. Department of Energy and its predecessors on the Hanford Site. These administrators recognized the need for bioenvironmental studies related to the Hanford Reach of the Columbia River long before current environmental protec- tion laws became effective, and they provided for the continuity of these studies over 40 consecutive years. xvii GLOSSARY OF SCIENTIFIC AND COMMON NAMES Common Name Scientific Name FISH white sturgeon Acipenser transmontanus largescale sucker Ca tost omus macrocheilus bridgelip sucker C. columbianus pumpkinseed Lepomis gibbosus largemouth bass Micropterus salmoides smallmouth bass M. dolomieui torrent sculpin Cottus rhotheus common carp Cyprinus carpi0 northern squawfish Ptychocheilus oregonensis redside shiner Richardsonius balteatus black bullhead Ictalurus melas brown bullhead I. nebulosus channel catfish I. punctatus mountain whitefish Prosopium williamsoni chinook salmon Oncorhynchus tshawytscha coho salmon 0. kisutch sockeye salmon 0. nerka cutthroat trout 0. clarki (formerly Salmo clarki) rainbow trout or 0. mykiss (formerly steelhead (anadromous Salmo gairdneri) form) brook trout Salvelinus f ontinalis AQUATIC INVERTEBRATES freshwater mussel Anodonta californiensis snail Stagnicola spp. giant Columbia River limpet Fisherola nuttalli great Columbia River spire snail Lythoglyphus columbiana crayfish Pacifasticus leniusculus xviii sponge Spongillu lacustris caddis fly Hydropsyche cockerelli black fly Simulium vittatum mayfly Paraleptophlebia bicornata midge fly Family Chironomidae AQUATIC PLANTS reed canarygrass Scirpus spp. common wheatgrass Agropyron spicatum barnyard grass Echinochla crusgallii willows Salk spp. yellow cress Rorippa columbiae TERRESTRIAL ANIMALS American bald eagle Haliaeetus leurocephalus mule deer Odocoileus hemionus coyote Canis latrans Great Basin Canada goose Branta cpnadensis mof fitti American osprey Pandiomhaliaetus 1 Chapter 1 INTRODUCTION The Hanford Site The Hanford Site is a semiarid expanse in southcentral Washington covering about 1460 square kilometers (560 square miles) (Figure 1.1).T he site is administered by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) for research and development (R&D) activities in the areas of defense, energy, and environmental studies. Hanford was established during World War I1 after a nationwide search for a remote, sparsely settled location to produce a unique fissionable material of great importance to mankind. While activities at Hanford have diversified over a span of 40 years (Anonymous 1984), the site remained a key location for formulating and implementing government policy in defense, energy, and the environ- ment. The Columbia River has always played a key role at Hanford. The river flows through the northern part and along the eastern border of the site. Columbia River water was initially used for the once-through cooling of up to eight single-purpose plutonium-production reactors and for the chemical recovery of isotopes from irradiated fuels. From 1944 to 1971, these reactors discharged cooling water to the Columbia River, thus adding large amounts of radioactivity, heat, and chemicals to the river environment (Figure 1.2). More recently, water from the Hanford Reach has been used to cool a dual-purpose reactor that produces plutonium and steam, an adjacent power plant that converts the steam to electricity, and a commercial power-generating plant that uses nuclear fuel. This water also serves to dilute some process effluent after their release, and is used to meet a variety of offsite regional needs. Today, nearly all use and return of water to the Columbia River from the Hanford Site is controlled by federal and state regulations to limit impairment of water quality. The Hanford Reach of the Columbia River extends from Vernita (below Priest Rapids Dam) for 94 kilometers (58 miles) downstream to the city of Richland (see Figure 1.1).T he Hanford Reach remains flowing 2 \i stern Kilometers Fig. 1.1. Relative isolation and the availability of large amounts of water were two reasons that Hanford was sited on the mainstem Columbia River in southeastern Washington in 1943. Today, the Hanford Reach is the only portion of the mainstem Columbia River below the international border that remains flowing.
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