Environmental Health and Safety Support 
Weldon Spring Site Remedial Action Project (WSSRAP)

Since May 1998 Pangea has provided specially trained individuals who act as both Health Physics Technicians (HPTs) and Environmental Safety and Health (ES&H) technicians, providing oversight to all field operations in support of remediation activities at the Weldon Spring Site Remedial Action Project (WSSRAP) in Weldon Spring, Missouri.  WSSRAP is a major environmental restoration project under the U.S. Department of Energy.  It involves remediation of both low-level radioactive and chemical waste.  Key regulatory requirements applicable to the site include CERCLA, RCRA, TSCA, CWA, and CAA.  

At WSSRAP, Pangea employed up to 22 technical staff to supply Health Physics (HP) and Industrial Hygiene (IH) services to support field remediation and perform access control, environmental and workplace sampling, analytical laboratory services, instrumentation repair and maintenance as well as OSHA and radiological worker training. This group also maintains site communications and is responsible for emergency response. Specific tasks include:

• Quantitative sampling of air for the presence of contaminants such as radionuclides, chemical contaminants, and asbestos.

• Hazardous atmosphere determinations/confined space entry support.

• Collection of potentially contaminated soil and/or other media samples.

• Radiological analysis of soil, water, and air samples.

• Radiation surveys.

• Noise measurements.

• Heat stress monitoring.

• Manning of Access Control Points including enforcement of site health and safety requirements, and monitoring of equipment and personnel for radioactive contamination.

• Preparation of field surveillance logs, survey reports, procedures, and other documentation as required.

• Calibration and maintenance of analysis, measurement, and test instrumentation.

• Maintenance, tracking, and storage of supplies such as personal protective clothing and equipment.

• Health and Safety Training including Radiological Worker and Hazardous Waste Operations (OSHA 40-hour, 8-hour refreshers and related courses).

The Pangea HP/ES&H staff tasks included the following:

ES&H Access Control Monitors

Monitor control points throughout the site, preventing the spread of contamination from controlled areas to uncontrolled areas by performing surveys on all items/personnel leaving controlled areas. This is done by being proficient in using a number of different types of equipment ranging from hand held Geiger-Mueller meters to whole-body Personnel Contamination Monitors (PCMs). This position also maintains site communications and is responsible for emergency response.

ES&H Instrument Technicians

Calibrate, repair, and maintain instruments used in radiation detection, personnel contamination monitoring, and industrial hygiene, including breathing zone air monitors, Photo Ionization Detectors, PCM’s, Geiger counters, and hazardous atmosphere monitors.

ES&H Soil Confirmation Samplers

Coordinate, collect, prepare, log, and ship soil samples for on-site and off-site laboratory analysis. This includes fieldwork, equipment use and maintenance, data collection/recording, computer use, generation of chains of custody, and knowledge of department of transportation (DOT) shipping regulations.

ES&H Water Samplers

In accordance with the site NPDES permits and other criteria, Pangea personnel collect, prepare, log, and ship water samples for on-site and off-site laboratory analysis. Sampling monitor wells surface water, stormwater runoff, and Water Treatment Plant Batches.

Analytical Laboratory Services

Pangea provides field lab/site laboratory services consisting of soil, air and water analysis using gamma and alpha spectroscopy, gas flow proportional counters, liquid scintillation counters, ZnS scintillation meters, high purity germanium detectors, and kinetic phosphorescence analyzer (KPA) methods. Laboratory personnel are responsible for data validation/logging. Pangea personnel consistently obtain accurate results while working under tight time schedules. As a point of reference, approximately 5,000 soil samples were processed in 1999.

Radiological Analysis

• Soil – includes sample preparation consisting of weighing, grinding to an even consistency, canning in 500g aliquots, and drying in laboratory ovens. Samples are then analyzed for alpha and gamma spectroscopy using gamma spectrum analysis on Canberra HPGe (High purity germanium detector) and alpha analysis for Th230 using Nitric acid, TOPO (trioctylphosphine oxide / cyclohexane mixture) and Sulfuric acid extraction. The extraction filters are then counted with a Canberra alpha spectroscopy analyzer.

• Water – includes analysis for total uranium in ground water, lake water, and site water treatment plant using a ChemChek KPA (Kinetic Phosphorescence Analyzer).

• Air – includes counting both personal breathing zone and general area air filters are analyzed for gross alpha/beta activity using a Canberra HT1000 alpha/beta gas proportional system. The air monitoring program complies with the clean air act NESHAPs requirements for airborne radioactive particulate emissions from DOE sites.