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ORNL Success Stories

Oak Ridge National Laboratory's comprehensive interdisciplinary integrated assessment capability has produced many successful outcomes over the past three decades. ORNL brings together unbiased scientific, engineering, economic, and social science expertise to evaluate, clarify, and recommend options and outcomes for decision makers. There following are six eORNL success stories:

ORNL Success Story: U.S. DOE

BMAP Provides Evidence of Significant Ecological Recovery of Oak Ridge Reservation Streams

Data obtained from the Biological Monitoring and Abatement Program (BMAP) indicate that the ecological health of four streams on the Oak Ridge Reservation (ORR) has improved significantly over the past 15 years. Three of the streams receive effluent discharges from one of the three U.S. Department of Energy facilities located on the ORR, and the other receives contaminants from a waste-disposal pond. Initially, the recovery was characterized by (1) elimination of a 3.5-km zone of acute toxicity (total for all four streams), as measured by laboratory toxicity tests and (2) at least an order-of-magnitude increase in fish abundance, as determined from quantitative, biannual estimates of population density. Such an increase in abundance represents the first stage in the recovery of a stressed community and indicates that conditions are favorable for survival and successful reproduction of the more pollution-tolerant species. The recent addition of more pollution-intolerant species of both fish and benthic invertebrates (bottom-dwelling organisms) suggests that recovery is continuing, albeit at a slower rate. Measurements of selected biomarkers, such as liver enzymes and reproductive competence, indicate that the health of individuals in a targeted population (i.e., redbreast sunfish) has improved also.

These results from different levels of biological organization, ranging from molecular to community levels, not only provided multiple lines of evidence for recovery but also were used to identify potential sources of ecological stress. For example, BMAP results indicated that the most severe impacts to ORR streams resulted from discharges of chlorinated process waters. Following implementation of chlorine-abatement programs, a significant improvement in the ecological health of the streams was observed. Likewise, draining, filling, and closure of waste-disposal ponds in the headwaters of another stream were followed by a substantial increase in fish abundance, including an uncommon species listed by the State of Tennessee as in need of management. These results demonstrate the value of BMAP in identifying the causes of ecological impact to the streams and in evaluating the effectiveness of remedial actions.

For additional details visit the BMAP Web site or contact:

Jim Loar
Oak Ridge National Laboratory
P.O. Box 2008, MS-6036
Oak Ridge, TN 37831-6036
phone: (865) 574-7323
fax: (865) 576-8543
email: loarjm@ornl.gov [top]

ORNL Success Story: U.S. Army Chemical Stockpile Disposal Program

ORNL Examines the Risks and Alternatives for Implementing U.S. Chemical Weapons Disarmament Actions

Given an aging U.S. stockpile of lethal chemical weapons located at eight separate storage sites, the question is asked: What is the "best" disposal strategy from the perspective of the nation as a whole? Scientists at ORNL provided technical assistance to the U.S. Army's Chemical Stockpile Disposal Program in answering this question. ORNL prepared a Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement to assess the potential environmental impacts of alternative approaches to the destruction of the U.S. inventory of chemical weapons. Consistent with a Congressional directive, the principal focus of ORNL's work was an integrated, interdisciplinary analysis and comparison of several alternatives: (1) on-site destruction at existing storage locations, (2) transportation of site-specific inventories by rail to two regional destruction centers, (3) transportation of the inventories by rail to a single national destruction center, and (4) no action (i.e., continuing to store the weapons without their destruction). Additional alternatives that were analized included alternative modes of transportation (e.g., air, truck, and barge) and other destruction technologies (e.g., chemical neutralization).

ORNL conducted or coordinated 14 technical studies on various aspects of the proposed disposal alternatives. One of these studies was a detailed risk assessment of the storage, handling, transportation, and destruction of the chemical weapons. The ORNL programmatic assessment concluded that the risk associated with destroying these chemical weapons would be relatively low in comparison to the risk of continuing to store the weapons. ORNL also determined that the weapons could be destroyed in a safe and environmentally acceptable manner. On-site destruction inside dedicated facilities was found to pose less risk to the public and to the environment than alternatives involving transportation of the stockpile. The U.S. Army is currently constructing or operating on-site destruction facilities at six of the eight storage locations, and all destruction activities are expected to be completed by April 2007.

For additional details, contact:

Greg Zimmerman
Oak Ridge National Laboratory
P.O. Box 2008, MS-6200
Oak Ridge, TN 37831-6200
phone: (865) 574-5815
fax: (865) 574-5788
email: zimmermangp@oml.gov [top]

ORNL Success Story: U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission

ORNL Analyses of Nuclear Power Plant Environmental Impacts Save Time and Money for the Nuclear Industry and for NRC

ORNL's work on the generic environmental impact statement (GEIS) for nuclear power plant license renewal is a compelling story of how good science can work with policy to improve the efficiency of environmental protection. The GEIS, which currently serves as the basis for all of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission's (NRC) environmental reviews of nuclear plant license renewals, is responsible for greatly reducing the cost and time required for the license renewal process.

With the first U.S. nuclear power plants approaching the end of their initial operating license terms, NRC sought to improve the NEPA compliance and administrative efficiency of its evaluation of license-renewal applications. NRC selected ORNL to perform the technical analyses for this effort and to prepare the GEIS that documents the analyses.

ORNL analyzed the experience of operating nuclear power plants to assess the environmental impacts that would be expected to result from nuclear plant license renewal. ORNL examined 92 environmental issues that had been raised during and since the initial licensing of nuclear power plants and concluded that license renewal would have small impacts for 69 of these issues. On the basis of the ORNL analyses, NRC amended its regulations to concentrate the environmental review portion of its license renewal process on these remaining issues. Additional analyses of the unresolved issues by ORNL allowed NRC to further focus data collection and analysis on those facility and site characteristics that can be used to distinguish between conditions where the impacts are always minimum and those where the impacts are significant.

For additional details, contact:

Lance McCold
Oak Ridge National Laboratory
P.O. Box 2008, MS-6205
Oak Ridge, TN 37831-6205
phone: (865) 574-5216
fax: (865) 574-5788
email: mccoldln@ornl.gov [top]

ORNL Success Story: U.S. Department of Agriculture

Early Planning and Analysis Save Resources for the Agricultural Research Service

Early incorporation of environmental review in project planning, rapid assessment of key issues, and prompt response by the sponsoring agency are basic tenets of integrated assessment that were recently demonstrated by the Agricultural Research Service (ARS), the Department of Agriculture (USDA) and ORNL in preparing an environmental impact statement for a proposed energy project in New York. This project planned to construct and operate up to 18 wind turbines to provide up to 9 MW of electrical power for ARS's animal disease research facility on Plum Island, off the eastern shore of Long Island. The purpose of the project was to reduce dependency on mainland utilities and save more than $ 1M per year in purchased electricity.

The ORNL team quickly identified and focused its efforts on two issues: potential impacts to sensitive ecological receptors and the economic viability of the wind turbine system. After conducting reconnaissance-level field studies, the ORNL team and prepared an early evaluation of potential impacts to resident and migratory birds, including threatened and endangered species. The ORNL studies indicated there would be a high probability of significant impacts from birds colliding with the wind turbines. In addition, preliminary economic analyses revealed that substantial costs had not been considered and that other alternatives, involving combinations of diesel power and wind generation, appeared to be more economically attractive.

Given the potential for significant adverse environmental impacts and the uncertainties about economic feasibility, ARS decided to cancel the project. With ORNL assistance, ARS further determined that other actions could be taken to achieve some, if not all, of their initial objectives (i.e., reduced energy consumption, lower utility costs, and protection of ecological resources) without constructing new generating capacity. These actions included, for example, the use of existing emergency diesel-fired generators (or replacement of these generators with more modern and efficient units) for meeting peak power demands.

This case illustrates how early application of the environmental review process can help decision makers avoid potentially significant adverse impacts and identify cost-effective alternatives. Because the process was initiated early, ARS decision makers were able to protect sensitive ecological resources on Plum Island while finding a solution for the electrical energy needs of a remote federal research facility. Project proponents avoided major expenditures on the design and construction of unnecessary power-generating facilities.

For additional details, contact:

Bob Reed
Oak Ridge National Laboratory
P.O. Box 2008, MS-6200
Oak Ridge, TN 37831-6200
phone: (865) 574-7383
fax: (865) 574-5788
email: reedrm@ornl.gov [top]