DHEC – Chem-Nuclear Barnwell facility
In its Ten Miscues story headlined Nuclear Waste Secrecy: Barnwell, The State criticized DHEC for “secrecy” involving levels of tritium found at the site. On Sept. 6, 2007 The State published an Op Ed provided by DHEC Deputy Commissioner for Environmental Quality Control Robert W. King, Jr.
There’s a lot of factual information glossed over or forgotten in some of the recent reporting of tritium contamination at Chem Nuclear’s low level nuclear waste facility in Barnwell County. Allow me to provide some context to set the record straight.
This site began permitted operations before the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency existed. It was permitted under authority of the federal Nuclear Regulatory Commission. The S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control acts for the NRC in our state. The NRC reviews our programs to ensure that public health and safety is protected. In the NRC’s most recent review completed in July, their preliminary report gave our state’s program the highest rating.
The first evidence of tritium contamination at the Barnwell property occurred in the on-site sumps in the early 1970’s. Tritium was first detected in on-site groundwater monitoring wells in 1978. This has been widely reported.
In October 2000 DHEC convened an independent panel of experts, including a representative from the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, to review and evaluate the documents submitted by the Chem-Nuclear staff as part of its application for the renewal of its license. Their finding was that the facility was in compliance with the applicable regulations and that DHEC was administering its oversight properly.
The facility’s license, renewed in 2004, was appealed. The tritium contamination was a dominant issue raised by the Sierra Club, represented by attorneys Bob Guild and Jimmy Chandler. During the hearing process, groundwater maps and detailed data were presented. This is why I’m skeptical of the comments attributed to Mr. Guild and Mr. Chandler that the release of a map showing monitoring well locations provided important new information. The data from that map has long been known and available to them and the public. The only “new” information is that the map shows where the wells are located and graphically represents the data ranges for each.
This March when the Legislature was considering amending the Atlantic Compact statute, DHEC presented written testimony to the House Agriculture Subcommittee. We have the audio recordings of the legislative subcommittee hearing in which there was much discussion about tritium contamination.
Let me make a few more quick points. Weekly inspections are performed at the site to evaluate conditions. DHEC has an on-site inspector who inspects transportation shipments, conducts sampling and unannounced license inspections. DHEC reviews quarterly and annual groundwater monitoring data from a series of nearly 200 monitoring wells in and around the site where the tritium levels have been found.
South Carolina uses the NRC regulations which sets the tritium standard at 25 millirem per year which equates to 500,000 picocuries per liter of water. The standard is based on someone drinking two liters of water every day for a year. The average American receives 360 millirem each year from natural and other sources. No offsite monitoring locations have been close to or exceeded the NRC standard. The highest measurement at the compliance point near Mary’s Branch Creek was 114,000 picocuries and has dropped to 102,000 picocuries earlier this year. A tritium level of 100,000 picocuries per liter equates to an exposure of five millirem per year. Want a comparison? You’ll get a dose of 10 millirem from a typical chest x-ray. Live in a brick house, that’s worth six millirem. A flight across this country will give you three millirem. Work or live around fluorescent light bulbs or use a cell phone, those are worth several millirem each.
Much has been made in the reporting about the EPA’s 20,000 picocuries per liter drinking water standard. There are two problems with using those numbers. First, there is absolutely no requirement that the state of South Carolina use the EPA standard rather than the NRC’s standard and secondly, no one is drinking water from any of the monitoring wells where the elevated tritium levels have been long documented.
Chem Nuclear, the operator of the Barnwell facility, has the responsibility and must address the contamination issues. They will not be allowed to simply walk away once the doors close. Our oversight and the state’s involvement with Chem Nuclear at the facility will continue for 100 year after Barnwell closes.
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Robert W. King, Jr., is deputy commissioner for Environmental Quality Control with the S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control. He has 35 years of service with the agency and is a licensed Professional Engineer.
For additional information, contact: (803) 898-3432