Albuquerque Center for Peace and Justice
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Document Type
Report
Date
6-20-2007
Description
The Sandia National Laboratories (SNL) is a major laboratory of the Department of Energy (DOE) in the nuclear weapons complex. Past and present operations have resulted in the contamination of air, soil, biosphere, groundwater and surface water with radioactive and other pollutants that pose a risk to human health and the environment. This report focuses on the monitoring of radioactive pollutants that are or could be present in ambient air, i.e. outside breathable air. Ambient air monitoring can be conducted either close to potential sources of emissions on the property of Sandia National Laboratory itself, on the perimeter of the plant, or in greater distance. This report provides an assessment of the current monitoring system for radionuclides in ambient air at SNL. The following issues are addressed: (a) whether monitoring at SNL is at par with state-of-the-art systems, and (b) whether it provides for detection of unmonitored and/or short-term releases from sources at the site.
Chapter 2 describes existing and potential sources for airborne radionuclides at and around SNL and presents the official estimates of radionuclide releases and resulting radiation exposures to members of the public.
Chapter 3 compares the existing monitoring system for radionuclides in air at SNL with the systems that exist at other DOE sites.
Chapter 4 evaluates the adequacy of the monitoring system with respect to detect unmonitored and/or short-term releases and the compliance with regulatory requirements.
Chapter 5 provides recommendations based on the analysis.
This research was completed money allocated during Round 3 of the Citizens’ Monitoring and Technical Assessment Fund (MTA Fund). Clark University was named conservator of these works.
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Publisher
Albuquerque Center for Peace and Justice
Format
Keywords
nuclear weapons, nuclear weapons testing, environment, non-governmental organizations, United States Department of Energy, tribal governments, environmental cleanup, radioactive fallout, radioactive waste
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Copyright belongs to the authors. Clark University was chosen by the non-profit peace and environmental groups as the conservator of these reports; our right to distribute these works ensures they remain available to the public in perpetuity as intended. Reuse at your own discretion with with due deference to copyright holders.
Recommended Citation
Albuquerque Center for Peace and Justice and Franke, Bernd, "Review of Environmental Monitoring for Radionuclides in Air at the Sandia National Laboratory" (2007). Albuquerque Center for Peace and Justice. 2.
https://commons.clarku.edu/albcenter/2