The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) are holding a 30-day public comment period on a Proposed Plan to clean up contaminated groundwater in the 200 UP-1 Groundwater Operable Unit (OU) located under the central part of the Hanford Site, about 20 miles north of Richland, Washington. The Proposed Plan describes the proposed cleanup options and identifies the preferred cleanup alternative. The Washington State Department of Ecology has determined that the cleanup alternative selected by DOE and EPA meets the state's dangerous waste permit corrective action requirements. The public comment period runs from July 17 through August 16, 2012.

DOE conducted its investigation and evaluation of this OU through a comprehensive remedial investigation (RI) and feasibility study (FS) process. The RI/FS Report concluded that without remedial action, contaminants in groundwater would present an unacceptable level of risk to human health if that groundwater was used for domestic purposes such as drinking, cooking, or bathing.   Contaminants of concern (COCs) are carbon tetrachloride, uranium, nitrate, chromium (total and hexavalent), iodine-129 (I-129), technetium-99 (Tc-99), and tritium.   The Preferred Alternative (Alternative 3) includes 35 years of moderately aggressive pump-and-treat for carbon tetrachloride, uranium, concentrated nitrate plume areas, chromium (total and hexavalent) and Tc-99, monitored natural attenuation, hydraulic containment to prevent further migration of I-129 and institutional controls. 

Please send comments by August 16, 2012 to Tifany Nguyen, U.S. Department of Energy, Richland Operations Office, P.O. Box 550, A7-75, Richland, WA 99352 or email to 200UP1PP@rl.gov .  At this time, a public meeting is not scheduled. To request a meeting, please contact Emerald Laija, EPA, no later than July 31, 2012 at 309 Bradley Blvd. Suite 115
Richland, WA 99352, email: laija.emerald@epa.gov, phone: (509) 376-4919. 

DOE and EPA will consider the input received and any new information gathered during the comment period and then select an alternative for implementation. The Preferred Alternative could be modified or another alternative selected in response to public comment or new information. DOE and EPA will then prepare a Record of Decision (ROD). This ROD will identify the chosen alternative (i.e., remedy) and include a responsiveness summary containing agency responses to the comments received during the comment period.

Fact Sheet

Proposed Plan for Remediation of the 200-UP-1 Groundwater Operable Unit