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Air Monitoring -
Offsite Radiological Monitoring
The NTS radiological air monitoring program is designed to
demonstrate compliance with radiological air emission standards both off
and on the NTS. Offsite compliance monitoring is confirmed by an
organization independent of the M&O contractor for the NTS. It is
performed under the Community Environmental Monitoring Program (CEMP)
and is coordinated by the Desert Research Institute of the Nevada System of
Higher Education. Its purpose is to monitor
airborne radionuclides which may be released from the NTS.
A network of
CEMP stations
[
PDF, 15 MB] located in
selected towns, communities, and ranches of Nevada and Utah within
240 miles from the NTS are operated continuously. The stations monitor
gross alpha and beta radioactivity, penetrating gamma radiation, gamma
radiation exposure rates, and meteorological parameters using automated
weather instrumentation.
Prior to 1992, when there was an active underground nuclear weapons
testing program on the NTS, the CEMP stations also monitored for
radioactive noble gases. Occasionally, very small, harmless amounts of
these noble gases were detected at the Rachel or Lathrop Wells CEMP
stations. The noble gases were the result of operational releases
occurring on the NTS or late-time seeps following the detonation of an
underground nuclear test.
Since 1986, no airborne radioactivity related to historic or current
NTS operations has been detected at the CEMP stations. Gross alpha,
gross beta, and gamma radioactivity have been detected at all stations
and reflect radioactivity from naturally-occurring radioactive material
that exist in our environment.
A discussion of CEMP monitoring methods, a map showing the CEMP
stations, and summarized results of the last calendar year’s monitoring
efforts can be found in the most currently published
Nevada Test Site Environmental Report
[
PDF, 15 MB].
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