Oak Ridge National Laboratory Biological Monitoring and Abatement Program for White Oak Creek Watershed and the Clinch River

Ecological assessment plan for Waste Area Grouping 5

“…Fish contaminated with 137Cs present a significant risk to human health (Blaylock et al 1991). Turtles collected from White Oak Lake, downstream of WAG 5, contained elevated concentrations of 60Co, 90Sr, and 137Cs (Loar 1988).…”

Wildlife Management Plan for the Oak Ridge Reservation

“…Yearly Partners in Flight surveys also contribute information regarding bird populations on the ORR. Of the biota, only vertebrates have been included; however, information is available from various sources on the terrestrial and aquatic invertebrate population (Kitchings and Mann 1976;Loar et al 1985;Loar, Boston, and Bailey 1987;Loar et al 1989;Loar et al 1991;Loar et al 1992a;Loar et al 1992b;Loar 1992;Morton 1962). Additional information on the rare fauna on the ORR is found in the Resource Management Plan for Threatened and Endangered Animal Species .…”

Ecological assessment plan for Waste Area Grouping 5

“…The screening-level ecological risk assessment for WAG 2 (Blaylock et al 1991) did not evaluate the risk to biota from radioactive contaminants for two reasons: (1) previous investigations have revealed few biological effects from levels typical of WAG 2 and (2) remedial actions taken to address human health concerns associated with radionuclides are likely to address ecological concerns related to radionuclides. The same arguments call probably be made for WAG 5, but this issue will be addressed in the screening-level ecological risk assessment for WAG 5. ttence, radioactive contamination is of concern in biota primarily as it may affect human health.…”

“…has not yet been performed for WAG 5, we expect that contaminants of concern and ,.. organisms at risk in WAG 5 will be similar to those described in the risk assessment for WAG 2 (Blaylock et al 1991). WAG 2 and WAG 5 share common boundaries in both the ,, ,,l,',prl, +, ,++,,,ipl,,,,_F _,' ', ,,',II',, " Water is the prim,'u'y vector for movement of contaminants within and out of WAG 5, " Therefore, aquatic organisms in Melton Branch and WOC ( Fig.…”