The Department of Energy's Office of Environmental Management's (EM) mission is the safe cleanup of sites associated with the government-led development of nuclear weapons and nuclear energy. While many of these legacy sites have completed cleanup, the largest and most complex sites have not been fully remediated. The cleanup of these sites is proceeding under legally enforceable agreements with timelines for hundreds of milestones. EM is reviewing alternative approaches to increase effectiveness and improve cost efficiencies of its cleanup activities, especially for sites that will have residual contamination when active cleanup is complete.

This report is the summary of two workshops convened in October 2013 and January 2014 on best practices for risk-informed remedy selection, closure, and post-closure control of radioactive and chemically contaminated sites that present significant difficulty for remediation to unrestricted release. The workshop series aimed to explore best practices that promote effective, risk-informed decision making and future opportunities to improve remediation approaches and practices.In the Workshop #1 section of Best Practices for Risk-Informed Decision Making Regarding Contaminated Sites, the report examines holistic approaches for remediating sites with multiple contaminant sources and post-closure uses, and approaches for incorporating a sustainability framework into decision making regarding site remediation, closure, and post-closure control. In Workshop #2, the report focuses on post-closure controls, assessment of long-term performance of site remedies, and best practices for risk-based remediation decisions.

Contents

• THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES
• PLANNING COMMITTEE ON BEST PRACTICES FOR RISK-INFORMED REMEDY SELECTION, CLOSURE, AND POST-CLOSURE OF CONTAMINATED SITES
• NUCLEAR AND RADIATION STUDIES BOARD
• ROUNDTABLE ON SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY FOR SUSTAINABILITY
• Preface
• Acknowledgement of Reviewers
• Introduction and Overview
  • DECISION-MAKING PROCESSES
  • REGULATIONS AND FLEXIBILITY
  • MODELS AND TIMEFRAMES
  • COMMUNICATION AMONG STAKEHOLDERS
  • WEIGHING ENVIRONMENTAL RESOURCES IN DECISIONS
• I. Workshop 1 Summary
  • 1. Introduction
    • 1.1 HISTORY
    • 1.2 REGULATORY HISTORY
    • 1.3 CURRENT STATUS OF CLEANUP EFFORTS
    • 1.4 CHARACTERIZATION OF WASTE AND CONTAMINATION
    • 1.5 TECHNOLOGIES AND DECISION MAKING
    • 1.6 OPERATIONALIZING SUSTAINABILITY
  • 2. Challenges to Regulatory Flexibility and Risk-Informed Decision Making
  • 3. Holistic Approaches to Remediation
    • 3.1 OVERCOMING BARRIERS TO RISK-INFORMED REMEDIATION
    • 3.2 SOIL VAPOR EXTRACTION
    • 3.3 100-N AND 100-F AREAS
    • 3.4 CENTRAL PLATEAU
    • 3.5 ALTERNATE END STATES
  • 4. Incorporating Sustainability into Decision Making for Site Remediation
    • 4.1 SUSTAINABILITY FRAMEWORKS AND CASE STUDIES
    • 4.2 OTHER AGENCIES' PERSPECTIVES ON INCORPORATING SUSTAINABILITY INTO SITE REMEDIATION
  • References
• II. Workshop 2 Summary
  • 1. Introduction and Background
    • REMEDIATION OF LEGACY WASTE SITES
  • 2. Using Risk to Inform Decisions
    • 2.1 INTRODUCTORY PRESENTATION: DOE EM'S PERSPECTIVES ON THE WORKSHOPS
    • 2.2 SUMMARY OF DISCUSSION SESSION
    • 2.3 HIGHLIGHTS FROM NATIONAL RESEARCH COUNCIL REPORTS
    • 2.4 HISTORY OF RISK AND SUSTAINABILITY IN DECISION MAKING FOR COMPLEX SITES
    • 2.5 SUMMARY OF DISCUSSION SESSION
    • 2.6 FEDERAL FACILITY CLEANUP DIALOGUE SERIES AND BROWNFIELDS DISCUSSIONS
    • 2.7 SUMMARY OF DISCUSSION SESSION
    • 2.8 RISK-BASED APPROACHES FOR REMEDIATION DECISIONS
    • 2.9 SUMMARY OF DISCUSSION SESSION
  • 7. Approaches to Assessment
    • 3.1 LONG-TERM LAND USE AND OPPORTUNITIES TO AFFECT DECISIONS
    • 3.2 SUMMARY OF DISCUSSION SESSION
    • 3.3 A RISK-MANAGEMENT FRAMEWORK FOR DECISION MAKING
    • 3.4 SUMMARY OF DISCUSSION SESSION
    • 3.5 BETHPAGE/NORTHROP GRUMMAN AIRFIELD REMEDIATION AND STEWARDSHIP ON LONG ISLAND
    • 3.6 SUMMARY OF DISCUSSION SESSION
    • 3.7 INSTITUTIONAL CONTROLS ON LOWER WATTS BAR RESERVOIR
    • 3.8 SUMMARY OF DISCUSSION SESSION
  • 4. Monitoring
    • 4.1 STRATEGIES FOR LONG-TERM MONITORING AND STEWARDSHIP
    • 4.2 SUMMARY OF DISCUSSION SESSION
    • 4.3 INFRASTRUCTURE ISSUES AND TECHNOLOGY APPROACHES FOR ACHIEVING SUCCESSFUL “ROLLING STEWARDSHIP”
    • 4.4 SUMMARY OF DISCUSSION SESSION
    • 4.5 THE CORE TEAM PROCESS: MAKING RISK-INFORMED DECISIONS FOR ON-SITE MONITORING
    • 4.6 SUMMARY OF DISCUSSION SESSION
  • 5. Best Practices
    • 5.1 SUMMARY OF BEST PRACTICES DISCUSSION SESSIONS
  • 6. Summary of the Workshop Series Goals
    • TOPICS 1 AND 2
    • TOPIC 3
    • TOPIC 4
  • References
• APPENDIXES
  • Appendix A Statement of Task
  • Appendix B Biographies of Planning Committee and Staff
  • Appendix C Workshop 1 Agenda
  • Appendix D Workshop 1 Speaker Biographies
  • Appendix E Workshop 2 Agenda
  • Appendix F Workshop 2 Speaker Biographies
  • Appendix G Participant List
  • Appendix H Acronyms

Rapporteurs: Dominic Brose and Jennifer A. Heimberg.

This summary report and the workshop on which it was based were supported by the Department of Energy under DOE Grant No. DE-EM0001172.

NOTICE: The project that is the subject of this report was approved by the Governing Board of the National Research Council, whose members are drawn from the councils of the National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Engineering, and the Institute of Medicine. The members of the committee responsible for the report were chosen for their special competences and with regard for appropriate balance.

Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the sponsor that provided support for the project.