Summary of hydrogeologic controls on ground-water flow at the Nevada Test Site, Nye County, Nevada [electronic resource].

Published:: Washington, D.C. : United States. Dept. of Energy, 1996.
Oak Ridge, Tenn. : Distributed by the Office of Scientific and Technical Information, U.S. Dept. of Energy.
Physical Description:: 128 pages : digital, PDF file
Additional Creators:: United States. Department of Energy and United States. Department of Energy. Office of Scientific and Technical Information

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Summary:

The underground testing of nuclear devices has generated substantial volumes of radioactive and other chemical contaminants below ground at the Nevada Test Site (NTS). Many of the more radioactive contaminants are highly toxic and are known to persist in the environment for thousands of years. In response to concerns about potential health hazards, the US Department of Energy, under its Environmental Restoration Program, has made NTS the subject of a long-term investigation. Efforts will assess whether byproducts of underground testing pose a potential hazard to the health and safety of the public and, if necessary, will evaluate and implement steps to remediate any of the identified dangers. Ground-water flow is the primary mechanism by which contaminants can be transported significant distances away from the initial point of injection. Flow paths between contaminant sources and potential receptors are separated by remote areas that span tens of miles. The diversity and structural complexity of the rocks along these flow paths complicates the hydrology of the region. Although the hydrology has been studied in some detail, much still remains uncertain about flow rates and directions through the fractured-rock aquifers that transmit water great distances across this arid region. Unique to the hydrology of NTS are the effects of underground testing, which severely alter local rock characteristics and affect hydrologic conditions throughout the region. This report summarizes what is known and inferred about ground-water flow throughout the NTS region. The report identifies and updates what is known about some of the major controls on ground-water flow, highlights some of the uncertainties in the current understanding, and prioritizes some of the technical needs as related to the Environmental Restoration Program. 113 refs.

Report Numbers:

E 1.99:doe/nv/11040--t1
doe/nv/11040--t1

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Note:

Published through SciTech Connect.
07/01/1996.
"doe/nv/11040--t1"
"DE96012361"
Cole, J.C.; Sawyer, D.A.; Laczniak, R.J.; Trudeau, D.A.
Geological Survey, Carson City, NV (United States)

Funding Information:

AI08-91NV11040

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