PUBLIC HEALTH ASSESSMENT

WHITE OAK CREEK RADIONUCLIDE RELEASES
OAK RIDGE RESERVATION (US DOE)
OAK RIDGE, ROANE COUNTY, TENNESSEE
EPA FACILITY ID: TN1890090003

August 2006

Prepared by:

Federal Facilities Assessment Branch
Division of Health Assessment and Consultation
Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry

TABLE OF CONTENTS

ACRONYMS

I. SUMMARY

II. BACKGROUND

II.A. Site Description
II.B. Operational History
II.C. Remedial and Regulatory History
II.C.1. Bethel Valley Watershed
II.C.2. Melton Valley Watershed
II.C.3. Off-Site Locations
II.D. Land Use and Natural Resources
II.E. Demographics
II.E.1. Counties Within the White Oak Creek Study Area
II.E.2. Cities Within the White Oak Creek Study Area
II.F. Summary of Public Health Activities Pertaining to White Oak Creek Radionuclide Releases
II.F.1. ATSDR
II.F.2. TDOH
II.F.3. Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC)
II.F.4. DOE

III. EVALUATION OF ENVIRONMENTAL CONTAMINATION AND POTENTIAL EXPOSURE PATHWAYS

III.A. Introduction
III.A.1. Exposure Evaluation Process
III.A.2. Radiation-Related Terms
III.B. Exposure Evaluation of the Clinch River and Lower Watts Bar Reservoir
III.B.1. Possible Exposure Situations in the Clinch River and the Lower Watts Bar Reservoir Areas
III.B.2. Past Exposure (1944–1991)
III.B.3. Current and Future Exposure (Years After 1987)

IV. PUBLIC HEALTH IMPLICATIONS

IV.A. Introduction
IV.B. Past Radiation Exposure (1944–1991)
IV.C. Current and Future Radiation Exposure (1988–Present and Future)
IV.C.1. Current Exposure
IV.C.2. Future Exposure

V. HEALTH OUTCOME DATA EVALUATION

VI. COMMUNITY HEALTH CONCERNS

VII. CHILD HEALTH CONSIDERATIONS

VIII. CONCLUSIONS

IX. RECOMMENDATIONS

X. PUBLIC HEALTH ACTION PLAN

XI. PREPARERS OF REPORT

XII. REFERENCES

LIST OF APPENDICES

Appendix A. ATSDR Glossary of Environmental Health Terms
Appendix B. Detailed Remedial Activities Related to the Study Area
Appendix C. Summary of Other Public Health Activities
Appendix D. Summary Briefs
TDOH's Phase I Dose Reconstruction Feasibility Study
TDOH's Task 4 Radionuclide Releases to the Clinch River from White Oak Creek on the Oak Ridge Reservation
TDOH's Task 7 Screening Level Evaluation of Additional Potential Materials of Concern
ATSDR's Health Consultation on the Lower Watts Bar Reservoir
ATSDR's Watts Bar Exposure Investigation
TDEC's Watts Bar Reservoir and Clinch River Turtle Sampling Survey
TDOH's Task 6 Uranium Releases from the Oak Ridge Reservation
Appendix E. Task 4 Conservative Screening Indices for Radionuclides in the Clinch River
Appendix F. Discussion of Risk
Appendix G. Responses to Public Comments
Appendix H. Responses to Peer Reviewer Comments

LIST OF TABLES

Table 1. Solid Waste Disposal Areas at the X-10 Site
Table 2. Estimated Discharges (in curies) of Radionuclides From White Oak Creek^a
Table 3. Summary of Peak Annual Releases From White Oak Dam for the Eight Key Radionuclides (1944–1991)
Table 4. Populations of Meigs, Rhea, and Roane Counties From 1940 to 2000
Table 5. Populations of Spring City, Kingston, Rockwood, and Harriman From 1940 to 2000
Table 6. Tissue Weighting Factors
Table 7. Half-Lives (in days) of Selected Radionuclides in the WOC PHA
Table 8. Units for Radiological Measurements
Table 9. Past Exposure Pathways Evaluated in the Task 4 Report
Table 10. Locations and Exposure Scenarios Considered in the Task 4 Study
Table 11. Summary of Estimated Organ-Specific Doses and Whole-Body Doses for Each Past Radiation Exposure Pathway and the Estimated Lifetime Organ-Specific Doses and Lifetime Whole-Body Doses From All Past Radiation Exposure Pathways
Table 12. Ratio of Adult Organ-Specific Radiation Doses Relative to Ingestion of Fish Caught Near Jones Island
Table 13. Maximum Radionuclide Concentrations in Lower Watts Bar Reservoir Sediment
Table 14. Maximum Radionuclide Concentrations in Lower Watts Bar Reservoir Surface Water
Table 15. Maximum Radionuclide Concentrations in Lower Watts Bar Reservoir Area Fish
Table 16. Estimated Whole-Body Doses for Current Lower Watts Bar Reservoir Exposure Pathways
Table 17. Summary of Radionuclides Evaluated for the Clinch River Area
Table 18. Current Exposure Pathways Evaluated for the Clinch River Area
Table 19. Estimated Radiation Doses From Current Ingestion of Fish
Table 20. Estimated Radiation Doses From Current Ingestion of Geese and Turtles
Table 21. Estimated Radiation Doses From Current Shoreline Recreational Activities for the Clinch River
Table 22. Past Radiation Doses for the Area Along the Clinch River (1944–1991)
Table 23. Current Radiation Doses for the Lower Watts Bar Reservoir and Clinch River

LIST OF FIGURES

Figure 1. Location of the Oak Ridge Reservation
Figure 2. Original and Current ORR Boundaries
Figure 3. Location of X-10 in Relation to Bethel Valley and Melton Valley
Figure 4. Location of White Oak Creek and the Relationship Between X-10, White Oak Lake, White Oak Dam, the Clinch River, and the Watts Bar Reservoir
Figure 5. X-10 Facility Time Line
Figure 6. Location of the Gunite Tanks at the X-10 Site
Figure 7. Photograph (1991) of the X-10 Site, White Oak Creek, White Oak Lake, White Oak Dam, X-10 Disposal Areas, White Oak Creek Embayment, Sediment Retention Dam, and the Clinch River
Figure 8. Location of Solid Waste Storage Areas (SWSAs) at the X-10 Site
Figure 9. Map of the Bethel Valley Watershed and the Melton Valley Watershed
Figure 10. Map of the Major Remedial Activities in Bethel Valley
Figure 11. Map of the White Oak Creek Study Area
Figure 12. Map of the Major Remedial Activities in Melton Valley
Figure 13. Population Distribution in the White Oak Creek Study Area
Figure 14. Population Demographics in the White Oak Creek Study Area
Figure 15. Population Distribution of Meigs, Rhea, and Roane Counties From 1940 to 2000
Figure 16. Population Distribution of Spring City, Kingston, Rockwood, and Harriman From 1940 to 2000
Figure 17. Organizational Structure for the Oak Ridge Reservation Health Effects Subcommittee
Figure 18. Process Flow Sheet for Providing Input Into the Public Health Assessment Process
Figure 19. ATSDR Health-Based Determination of Radiological Doses
Figure 20. Possible Exposure Situations Along the Clinch River
Figure 21. Comparison of Predicted Annual Average Concentrations of Cs 137 in Water
Figure 22. Annual Average Cs 137 Concentrations in Shoreline Sediment
Figure 23. Radionuclide Concentrations in Surface Sediment vs. Subsurface Sediment

ACRONYMS

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