Rocky Flats (Colorado) Environmental Dose Reconstruction Project

Table of Contents

 

Brief Explanations of Phase I and Phase 2 of the Rocky Flats Environmental Dose Reconstruction Project

Phase I of the Historical Public Exposures Studies, a dose reconstruction and toxicologic review, began in 1990. ChemRisk, a division of McLaren/Hart Environmental Engineering, conducted Phase I.

Phase I of the historical dose reconstruction study examined data on more than 8,000 chemicals and radionuclides used at Rocky Flats. The study concluded that plutonium releases from the 903 Pad, from the 1957 fire, and from routine operations using carbon tetrachloride were the primary sources of off-site exposures. The most important route of exposure was inhalation of these materials prior to 1975.

Phase I ChemRisk performed [dose] calculations based on unclassified records at the site. This involved searching through records onsite, and offsite at the Denver NARA records repository. The initial study was prepared over the course of two to three years. The Phase I team encountered such a large volume of non-indexed records that they were forced to spot-check every box for useful information. Almost the entire cost of performing the Phase I study was spent on searching for records.

Radiological Assessments Corporation conducted Phase II, a toxicity assessment and risk characterization, from 1992 to 1999.

Phase II of the study began in 1992 to verify, refine, and more thoroughly investigate other pathways.

 

Project Overviews (Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment)
  • Available in the Rocky Flats Reading Room
    The following printed documents may be available at the Rocky Flats Reading Rooms. For further information on availability and ordering documents, call (303) 469-4435.
    • Fact Sheet on Historical Public Exposures Studies on Rocky Flats , Phases I & II (February, 1996) †
    • Report to Colorado Citizens on Phase I (October, 1993)
    • Citizens' Environmental Sampling Committee "Soil and Sediment Study of Off-Site Areas Surrounding the Rocky Flats Nuclear Weapons Plant
    • Rocky Flats Program Annual Report 1994, Status Report to the Public, Colorado Department of Public Health & Environment
    • Rocky Flats Program Annual Report 1993, Status Report to the Public, Colorado Department of Public Health & Environment
    • Spatial & Temporal Analysis of the Rocky Flats Soil Plutonium Data September 19, 1994, Colorado Department of Public Health & Environment
    • Rocky Flats Program Annual Report 1995-1996, Status Report to the Public, Colorado Department of Public Health & Environment
    • Access the online FRCC Reading Room Present Holdings

    † Item might no longer be available in the Rocky Flats Reading Room.


Phase 1 CHEMRISK

Documents Reviewed by CHEMRISK

Search Phase I CHEMRISK Collection
The CHEMRISK Phase 1 database has 2650 entries that describe boxes of documents (rather than individual documents) collected and reviewed by CHEMRISK and transferred to Radiological Assessments Corporation (RAC) at the conclusion of CHEMRISK's Phase I work. Note: these materials were collected and reviewed by CHEMRISK, not authored by CHEMRISK. They are not reflected in the other portions of this CEDR webpage.

Documents Authored by CHEMRISK


Phase 2 Radiological Assessments Corporation (RAC)

Reports by Task Number

Phase II Background

Phase II Tasks:

  • Task 1 Coordinate with Phase I investigator for access to project records
  • Task 2 Verify the radionuclide and chemical release estimates during Phase I
  • Task 3 Assess the health risks from past Rocky Flats operations
  • Task 4 Evaluate historical environmental data used as a basis for risk assessment, release estimates, and model validation
  • Task 5 Recommend additional offsite measurements that focus on important releases and locations
  • Task 6 Support public involvement efforts and summarize project results

 

Task 2 - Verify the radionuclide and chemical release estimates during Phase I:

 

Task 3 - Assess the health risks from past Rocky Flats operations:

Final Report: Estimated Exposure and Lifetime Cancer Incidence Risk from Beryllium Released to the Air from the Rocky Flats Plant

Final Report: Assessing Risks of Exposure to Plutonium

Final Report: Estimated Exposure and Lifetime Cancer Incidence Risk from Carbon Tetrachloride Released to the Air from the Rocky Flats Plant

Final Report: Estimated Exposure and Lifetime Cancer Incidence Risk from Routine Plutonium Releases at the Rocky Flats Plant

Final Report: Performance Evaluation of Atmospheric Transport Models

Final Report: Estimated Exposure and Lifetime Cancer Incidence Risk from 903 Plutonium Releases at the Rocky Flats Plant

Final Report: Estimated Exposure and Lifetime Cancer Incidence Risk from Plutonium Released from the 1957 Fire at the Rocky Flats Plant

Final Report: Estimated Exposure and Lifetime Cancer Incidence Risk from Plutonium Released from the 1969 Fire at the Rocky Flats Plant

Final Report: Comprehensive Assessment of Exposure and Lifetime Cancer Incidence Risk from Plutonium Released from the Rocky Flats Plant, 1953-1989

Final Report: Results of Screening Calculations to Assess the Relative Importance of Rocky Flats Uranium Releases


Task 4 - Evaluate historical environmental data used as a basis for risk assessment, release estimates, and model validation:

Final Report: Evaluation of historical environmental data


Task 5 - Recommend additional offsite measurements that focus on important releases and locations:

Final Report: Task 5: Recommendations for Monitoring to Verify Phases I and II - Part 1, draft report issued in December, 1993, final report issued November, 1994


Task 6 - Support public involvement efforts and summarize project results:


 

 

Technical Memoranda

  • Analysis of Dioxin Emissions and Risks from the Rocky Flats Plant Incinerators, August, 1995.

  • Review of Aerial Gamma Radiation Surveys Around the Rocky Flats Plant, May, 1995, Revised and updated March, 1997.

  • Examination of Mass Balance Accounting as a Means for Estimating Plutonium Releases, May, 1995.

  • Evaluation of Background Concentrations of Plutonium in the Environment Around the Rocky Flats Plant, February, 1995, Revised and Updated, March, 1997.

  • Verification of the Ralston School Soil Sampling Location Following the 1957 Fire, July, 1993.

  • 903 Area Dosimetry Spreedsheet: How Does it Work and What Does it Tell Us?, September, 1996.

  • Exposure Scenario Developement for the Rocky Flats Area, September, 1996.

  • Approach to Calibrating Releases from the 903 Pad to Ambient Air Monitoring Data, December, 1996.

  • (Draft) Calculations of Plutonium Releases From the 903 Area Using a Suspension Code, May, 1997.

  • Determining the Best Estimate of a Slope Factor for Carbon Tetrachloride, September, 1997.

  • Abstract: Determining a Central Estimate and Uncertainty Distribution of the Slope Factor for Carbon Tetrachloride for a Probabilistic Risk Assessment. 1999.

      • References to Published Papers

    • Till, J. E., Rood, A. S., Voilleque, P. G., McGavran, P. D., Meyer, K. R., Grogan, H. A., Sinclair, W. K., Aanenson, J. W., Meyer, R. H., Mohler, H. J., Rope, S. K., and Case, M. J. Risks to the public from historical releases of radionuclides and chemicals at the Rocky Flats Environmental Technology Site Journal of Exposure Analysis and Environmental Epidemiology, 12:355-372 (2002).

    • McGavran, P.D., A.S. Rood, and J.E. Till. Chronic Beryllium Disease and Cancer Risk Estimates with Uncertainty for Beryllium Released from the Rocky Flats Plant. Environmental Health Perspectives 107(9): 731-744 (1999). (Abstract) Full text of paper available from NIH.

    • Rood, A.S., G.G. Killough, and J.E. Till. Evaluation of Atmospheric Transport Models for Use in Phase II of the Historical Public Exposures Studies at the Rocky Flats Plant. Risk Analysis 19(4): 559-576 (1999). (Abstract)
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      Geographical Information System (GIS) data

      Colorado (Rocky Flats) Dose Reconstruction Visualization

      This application depicts airborne concentrations of respirable-sized plutonium particles.

      Links to Additional Site-Related Information


       

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      Last modified: August 26, 2004
      URL: http://cedr.lbl.gov/DR/drrf.html