FEEDBACK ON LONG-RANGE DEEP VADOSE ZONE PROGRAM PLAN (REV.0)   The U.S. Department of Energy, DOE Richland Operations Office (DOE) and the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory would like your feedback on the Long-Range Deep Vadose Zone Program Plan (Rev. 0).  The document is available on DOE’s website at:  http://www.hanford.gov/page.cfm/DeepVadoseZone . The plan summarizes DOE’s current knowledge about the deep vadose zone, the contaminants, remediation challenges and approaches to address those challenges. 

A Hanford Site Deep Vadose Zone Technical Forum was held July 20-21, 2010 in Richland, Washington.   The Technical Forum focused on identifying and prioritizing the critical challenges associated with characterizing, modeling, remediating, and monitoring the deep vadose zone in Hanford's Central Plateau.  Appendix B contains participants’ comments captured during the Technical Forum.  During the Forum, participants took part in a “resource allocation exercise”.  They were asked to identify what they believed were important knowledge and capability challenges facing DOE in the remediation of Hanford’s deep vadose zone.  The results of that exercise are summarized in Appendix E.

DOE is not conducting a formal comment period on this plan, but welcomes and appreciates feedback from Forum participants and interested parties.  Please send your input by January 7, 2011 to DOEDVZ@rl.gov, or to the U.S. Department of Energy – Deep Vadose Zone Program, P.O. Box 550, Mailstop:  A7-75, Richland, WA  99352.