Waste Isolation Pilot Plant Environmental Monitoring Plan

Abstract

Verify and support compliance with applicable federal, state, and local environmental laws, regulations, permits, and orders. C Establish baselines and characterize trends in the physical, chemical, and biological condition of effluent and environmental media. C Identify potential environmental problems and evaluate the need for remedial actions or measures to mitigate the problem. C Detect, characterize, and report unplanned releases. C Evaluate the effectiveness of effluent treatment and control, and pollution abatement programs. C Determine compliance with commitments made in environmental impact statements, environmental assessments, safety analysis reports, or other official DOE documents. This Environmental Monitoring Plan (EMP) has been written to contain the rationale and design criteria for the monitoring program, extent and frequency of monitoring and measurements, procedures for laboratory analyses, quality assurance (QA) requirements, program implementation procedures, and direction for the preparation and disposition of reports. Changes to the environmental monitoring program may be necessary to allow the use of advanced technology and new data collection techniques. This EMP will document any proposed changes in the environmental monitoring program. Guidance for preparation of Environmental Monitoring Plans is contained in DOE/EH-0173T, Environmental Regulatory Guide for Radiological Effluent Monitoring and Environmental Surveillance. The plan will be effective when it is approved by the appropriate Head of Field Organization or their designee. The plan discusses major environmental monitoring and hydrology activities at the WIPP and describes the programs established to ensure that WIPP operations do not have detrimental effects on the environment.