Completion report for the isolation and remediation of inactive liquid low-level radioactive waste tanks WC-5, WC-6, WC-8, WC-19, 3002-A, 7560, and 7562 at Oak Ridge National Laboratory Oak Ridge, Tennessee

The Federal Facility Agreement (FFA) between the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC), and U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) requires that all liquid low-level waste tanks at Oak Ridge National Laboratory removed from service, designated in the FFA as Category D, be remediated in accordance with Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) requirements. A human health risk screening assessment was conducted for inactive Tanks WC-5, WC-6, WC-8, WC-19, 3002-A, 7560, and 7562 as part of an evaluation to determine the method of remediation necessary to safely and permanently isolate and remediate the tanks. Risk screening assessment results indicated that the health risks associated with these tanks were within or below the EPA range of concern of 1 x 10{sup -4} to 1 x 10{sup -6}. On the basis of these results and with regulators concurrence, it was determined that either no action or in-place stabilization of the tanks would satisfy risk-based remediation goals. Therefore, decisions were made and approved by DOE to remediate these tanks in-place as maintenance actions rather than actions under the CERCLA process. Letters documenting these decisions were approved by DOE and subsequently submitted to TDEC and EPA, who concurred with the maintenance actions. Tanks WC-5, WC-6, WC-8, WC-19, 3002-A, 7560, and 7562 were isolated from associated piping, electrical systems, and instrumentation and were grouted in-place. Tank 7562 was originally isolated from associated piping and instrumentation and left in-place empty for future remedial consideration. Upon further consideration, the decision was made by DOE, with concurrence by the regulators, to complete the maintenance action of Tank 7562 by grouting it in-place in March 1997