System Assessment Capability

An initial assessment of Hanford impact, performed with the System Assessment Capability, was completed in September 2002. The assessment models the movement of contaminants from waste sites at Hanford through the soil, groundwater and Columbia River and estimates the impact of those contaminants on human health, ecology, local cultures and the economy.

DOE initiated development of the System Assessment Capability in 1999. Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) is the task lead for the sitewide assessment effort for the Groundwater Remediation Project, managed by Fluor Hanford. PNNL also maintains a System Assessment Capability website.

Assessments performed with the tool help decision-makers evaluate cumulative effects of contamination at Hanford. The initial assessment modeled the movement of contaminants from 890 Hanford waste sites and incorporated data for ten radioactive and chemical contaminants, as well as other information. It predicted that risks to human health and the environment from the contaminants modeled is greater today than it will be at any time in the next 1,000 years.

PNNL-10427 - An Initial Assessment of Hanford Impact Performed with the System Assessment Capability - September 2002

Title Page (PDF - 96 KB)
Disclaimer (PDF - 71 KB)
Executive Summary (PDF - 102 KB)
1. Introduction (PDF - 3,006 KB)
2. Approach and Assessment Scenario (PDF - 3,950 KB)
3. Overall Results (PDF - 3,087 KB)
4. Inventory Module (PDF - 2,218 KB)
5. Release Module (PDF - 2,500 KB)
6. Vadose Zone Module (PDF - 2,135 KB)
7. Groundwater Module (PDF - 9,831 KB)
8. River Transport Module (PDF - 829 KB)
9. Riparian Zone Module (PDF - 2,341 KB)
10. Risk/Impact Module (PDF - 9,071 KB)
11. Uncertainty Analyses (PDF - 830 KB)
12. References (PDF - 700 KB)
Appendix - Glossary (PDF - 53 KB)

Background Information

An archive of reports and documents that were prepared by the former Groundwater/Vadose Zone Integration Project System Assessment Capability team is available.