Site characterization plan

Customizing the site characterization plan. A site characterization plan is developed for a specific threat (possibly from a generic site characterization plan) and guides the team during site characterization activities. 

Characterizing the site. The customized site characterization plan is implemented by conducting a detailed site investigation and rapid testing of the water, air, and soil. 

The site characterization team leader is responsible for implementing the site characterization plan in the field and supervising site characterization personnel. The site characterization team leader must coordinate and communicate with the incident commander during site characterization. 

Field testing and sampling maybe handled in the generic plan by presenting a menu that covers all potential options available to the utility, based on both internal and external capabilities. In developing a customized plan, the incident commander can simply check off the field tests and sampling requirements that are appropriate for the specific situation. The site characterization plan may also need to be revised in the field based on the observations of the team. 

The next step under the act is DOE s initial nomination of five locations for site characterization, based on a consideration of the guidelines and the environmental assessments to be prepared for each of the five nominated sites, followed by a recommendation of three candidate sites to the President for his approval. The DOE had intended to complete these actions in the summer of 1983 in order to permit the conduct of a sufficiently thorough site characterization program at each site to support the presidential recommendation of a site for the first repository by March 31,1987, as required by the act. The act requires that for each site under consideration, DOE conduct public hearings to solicit recommendations on issues to be addressed in the environmental assessment and in any site characterization plan to be used if the site is approved by the President. The specific date and location for these hearings will be established after consultation with state representatives. 

US Department of Energy (DOE) (1988) Site Characterization Plan, Yucca Mountain Site, Nevada Research and Development Area, Nevada. US Department of Energy, Office of Civilian Radioactive Waste Management. 

AR524 4.17 Standard format and content of site characterization plans for high-level waste geologic... 

The incident commander and the site characterization team leader are key personnel in site characterization. The incident commander has overall responsibility for managing the response to the threat and is responsible for planning and directing site characterization activities. The incident commander may also approve the site characterization team to proceed with their activities at key decision points in the process (e.g., whether or not to enter the site following the approach). 

Depending on the nature of the contamination threat, other agencies and organizations may be involved or otherwise assume some responsibility during planning and implementation of site characterization activities. However, the incident commander... 

The design and construction of sample collection and field test kits is a planning activity, since these kits must be ready to go at a moment s notice in response to a possible contamination threat. In addition to improving the efficacy of the site characterization and sampling activities, advance preparation of sample collection and field test kits offers several advantages ... 

All instrumentation should be operated in accordance with operating instructions as supplied by the manufacturer, unless otherwise specified in the work plan. Equipment checkout and calibration activities should be done and documented prior to site characterization. 

The first stage of the site characterization process is the customization of the generic plan developed as part of planning and preparation for responding to contamination threats. In general, the incident commander will develop the customized plan in conjunction with the site characterization team leader. The steps involved in the development of the plan include (1) perform an initial evaluation of information about the threat, (2) identify one or more investigation sites, (3) assess potential site hazards, (4) develop a sampling approach, and (5) assemble a site characterization team. 

Steps in planning and conducting an environmental site characterization ... 

Our studies dearly indicate the significant modification of the catalyst activity due to the presence of the RE cation, which currently may be assiuned to play the role of enhandng the catal3iic properties of the generated Br0nsted sites. Further planned studies characterizing the addity of these materials will be used to obtain some insight into the reasons for the different catalytic activities. 

This section characterizes the committee s understanding of BOEM s current SMS requirement before introducing important SMS concepts from other sources. As discussed in Chapter 3, the regulations in 30 CFR 585.810 state that the lessee must submit a description of the SMS along with the construction and operations plan (COP), site assessment plan (SAP), or general activities plan (GAP). The lessee must ensure that the SMS is fully functional before beginning any activities described in the COP, SAP, or GAP, but the lessee is not required to submit its SMS to BOEM for the agency s review. 

The individual RCRA closure plans are required to contain a description of the site characterization process through sampling and analysis of soils and groundwater. 

The conservation of mass law finds a major application during the performance of pollution-prevention assessments. As described earlier, a pollution-prevention assessment is a systematic, planned procedure with the objective of identifying methods to reduce or ehminate waste. The assessment process should characterize the selected waste streams and processes (Ref. 11)—a necessaiy ingredient if a material balance is to be performed. Some of the data required for the material balance calciilation may be collected during the first review of site-specific data however, in some instances, the information may not be collected until an actual site walk-through is performed. 

The Bush Administration (1989-1993) had a similar free marketplace philosophy as Reagan, hut faced the daunting task of having to start directing billions toward cleaning up after forty years of neglect at the contaminated weapons complex, particularly the federal facilities at Savannah River South Carolina, Hanford Washington, and Rocky Flats Colorado. The cleanup plan was fourfold characterize and prioritize all waste cleanups at departmental sites, con-... 

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