Introduction - Brookhaven National Laboratory · 2014-02-06 · 1-3 1999 SITE ENVIRONMENTAL REPORT CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION operated until 1969 and is now in the process of decommissioning

1-1 1999 SITE ENVIRONMENTAL REPORT

CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION

CHAPTER1999 SITE ENVIRONMENTAL REPORT

B R O O K H A V E N N A T I O N A L L A B O R A T O R Y

Brookhaven National Laboratory, a U.S. Department of Energy national

laboratory, is world renowned for its leading-edge scientific research. In

order to conduct this research in a safe and environmentally responsible

manner, BNL has a comprehensive environmental protection program and

is building a world class Environmental Management System. The Site

Environmental Report is prepared annually by the Laboratory to summarize

the status of environmental programs and performance. This report also

describes any impacts that BNL research operations may have on the

environment.

Brookhaven National Laboratory is located on 5,265 acres of pine barrens

in Suffolk County in the center of Long Island, New York. In order to

understand the Laboratory’s environmental programs, activities, and impacts,

it is important to know about its facilities, the ecosystem where it resides,

and the human populations nearby. Chapter 1 discusses local site

characteristics in terms of human population, geology, hydrology, climate,

and ecological resources in order to place the following chapters in

perspective.

CHAPTER

Introduction

1

1999 SITE ENVIRONMENTAL REPORT 1-2


1.1 PURPOSE OF THE 1999 SITE ENVIRONMENTALREPORT

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE)requires its facilities, including BrookhavenNational Laboratory (BNL), to report on theirenvironmental performance on an annual basis.The 1999 Site Environmental Report (SER) isprepared in accordance with DOE Order 231.1(1995) and DOE Order 5400.1 (1988). The SiteEnvironmental Report summarizes the pro-grams, results, and status of BNL’s environmen-tal protection programs for calendar year 1999.The programs include environmental manage-ment, pollution prevention, and complianceassurance.

The SER also serves a larger functionbeyond complying with DOE requirements.BNL has been preparing SERs since 1968;consequently, these reports are a continuingrecord of the Laboratory’s environmentalactivities and impacts. The SER serves as a toolto communicate information to staff, DOE,regulators, and the public. A condensed versionof the SER, referred to as the Summary Report,is also available (see inside front cover forordering information). The Summary Report,which clearly summarizes the technical contentof the SER, is used to provide information tovisitors, students, and members of the public insupport of BNL’s educational and communityoutreach programs.

1.2 THE MISSION AND HISTORY OF BROOKHAVENNATIONAL LABORATORY

BNL is operated for DOE by BrookhavenScience Associates (BSA), a not-for-profit partner-ship of the Battelle Memorial Institute and theResearch Foundation of the State University ofNew York on behalf of the State University ofNew York at Stony Brook. BSA entered into anagreement with DOE under contract DE-AC02-98CH10886 and began operating the Laboratoryon March 1, 1998. Prior to that, from 1947-1998,BNL was operated by Associated UniversitiesIncorporated (AUI).

Approximately 3,000 resident scientists andoperations staff work at BNL. In addition, morethan 4,000 academic and industrial researchersfrom all over the world visit the site each year toparticipate in scientific collaborations. BNL’sannual budget is approximately $400 million withabout 88 percent of the funding coming fromDOE. The remainder is from other domestic andinternational scientific and industrial clients. The

majority of the Laboratory’s budget directlysupports the local economy. An independentSuffolk County Planning Commission reportconcluded that BNL’s operating, procurement,payroll, construction, medical benefits, andtechnology-transfer spending spreads throughoutLong Island’s economy, making the Laboratoryvital to the Island’s economic health (Kamer1995).

BNL’s research initially focused on advancedphysics, but it has since expanded into chemistry,materials science, biology, medicine, and environ-mental research. The Laboratory’s large andunique scientific facilities make this researchpossible, providing the tools for BNL scientistsand visiting researchers to extend the boundariesof knowledge and technology.

BNL’s broad mission is to produce excellentscience and advanced technology in a safe,environmentally responsible manner with thecooperation, support, and appropriate involve-ment of the community. Specifically, the ele-ments of the BNL mission, which support theDOE strategic missions, are to� conceive, design, construct, and operate

complex, leading-edge, user-oriented facilitiesin a safe and environmentally responsiblemanner that is responsive to the DOE and theneeds of the international community of users;

� carry out basic and applied research in long-term programs at the frontier of science insupport of DOE missions;

� develop advanced technologies that addressnational needs and to transfer them to otherorganizations and to the commercial sector;and

� disseminate technical knowledge to educatenew generations of scientists and engineers, tomaintain technical capabilities in the nation’sworkforce, and to encourage scientific aware-ness in the general public.

BNL was founded in 1947 by the AtomicEnergy Commission and operated by AUI on thesite of the U.S. Army’s former Camp Upton. Theobjective was to build a regional laboratory thatcould provide researchers with powerful tools toocostly for their home institutions to build andmaintain.

The Laboratory’s scientific history began in1950 with the operation of the BrookhavenGraphite Research Reactor (BGRR), a researchreactor used for peaceful scientific exploration inthe fields of medicine, biology, chemistry,physics, and nuclear engineering. The BGRR



operated until 1969 and is now in the process ofdecommissioning. Its capacity was replaced andsurpassed in 1965 by the High Flux BeamReactor (HFBR), which provided neutrons toresearchers of all disciplines, from solid statephysics to art history. During a scheduledmaintenance shutdown in 1997, a leak in HFBR’sspent fuel storage pool was discovered. InNovember 1999, the Secretary of Energy made adecision to permanently close the HFBR.

Medical research at BNL began in 1950with the opening of one of the first hospitalsdevoted to nuclear medicine. It was followed bythe Medical Research Center (MRC) in 1958,

the Brookhaven Medical Research Reactor(BMRR) in 1959, and the Brookhaven LinacIsotope Producer (BLIP) in 1973. Chemists andphysicians teamed up to view the inner workingsof the brain in 1977 with the advent of PositronEmission Tomography (PET) cameras. Twomore imaging techniques were added to thePET research efforts to form the Center forImaging and Neuroscience in 1996. Thesefacilities are all currently operating.

High energy particle physics research beganin 1952 with the Cosmotron, the first particlephysics accelerator to achieve billion-electron-volt energies. Work at the Cosmotron resultedin a Nobel Prize-winning discovery in physics in1957. In 1960, the Alternating Gradient Syn-chrotron (AGS), a large accelerator, was built tosurpass the Cosmotron’s capabilities (see Figure1-1). It has yielded many discoveries on newparticles and phenomena, for which BNLresearchers were awarded three more NobelPrizes in physics in 1976, 1980, and 1988. TheAGS continues to operate. Another accelerator,the Tandem Van de Graaff, began operating in1970 and is still operating. In 1982, the National

Synchrotron Light Source (NSLS) began opera-tion (see Figure 1-2). The NSLS guides chargedparticles in an orbit. As the electrons spin insidea hollow donut-shaped tube called an electronstorage ring, they give off light called synchro-tron light. This light, which can be detected byspecialized instruments, is used to study theproperties of matter.

Brookhaven’s newest accelerator facility isthe Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC),which was completed in 1999 (see Figure 1-3).The RHIC is designed to recreate a state ofmatter that scientists believe existed momentsafter the universe was formed. RHIC is an

Figure 1-1. Alternating Gradient SynchrotronFacility. View inside the Alternating GradientSynchrotron Facility, which produced threeNobel Prizes in Physics.

Figure 1-2. National Synchrotron Light Source. Scientists at theNational Synchrotron Light Source study the properties of matter usingcharged particles and synchrotron light.



example of Brookhaven’s commitment to fullyintegrate today’s world class science with worldclass protection of the environment. This wasexemplified when RHIC’s operations receivedISO 14001 Environmental Management Systemcertification in August 1999 (see Chapter 2 fordetails).

Historical waste management practices atthe Laboratory led to releases of chemicals andradioactive materials that resulted in soil andgroundwater contamination. In 1989, BNLjoined a number of Long Island sites when itwas added to the federal ComprehensiveEnvironmental Response, Compensation &Liability Act (CERCLA) National Priorities List,a listing of environmentally contaminated sitesnationwide identified for priority cleanup (seeChapter 2 for details on the Laboratory’senvironmental restoration program progress).

This 1999 SER represents the first fullcalendar year of new site management. InNovember 1998, BNL issued a policy on inte-grating environmental stewardship into allfacets of the Laboratory’s mission and manage-

Figure 1-3. Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider. RHIC received ISO 14001 certification for its Environmental ManagementSystem in 1999.

ment of programs in a manner that protects theecosystem and public health. Figure 1-4 showsBNL’s Environmental Stewardship Policy, whichrepresents the highest level of commitment toconducting research and operational activitiesin a manner that protects the environment. ThisSER describes BNL’s progress and challenges inachieving its environmental stewardship goals.The problems that resulted from theLaboratory’s first 50 years of operations cannotbe fixed in one year, but BNL is now on theright path to continue its world class research inan environmentally responsible culture and in aclean and restored environment.

1.3 SITE LOCATION AND LOCAL POPULATION

BNL is located near the geographical centerof Suffolk County, Long Island, about 60 mileseast of New York City (Figure 1-5). About athird of the 1.37 million people that reside inSuffolk County live in Brookhaven Townshipwhere the Laboratory is situated (LIPA 1999).Figure 1-6 shows the distribution of the residentpopulation on Long Island. As with all town-

RHIC



ships of Long Island, there has been an increasein residential housing in the BrookhavenTownship in recent years, a trend that is ex-pected to continue. Approximately eight thou-sand people live within 0.3 miles of theLaboratory’s boundaries. Figure 1-7 shows theapproximate resident population surroundingthe site within a one-third mile radius, as well as

Figure 1-5. Satellite photo showing thelocation of Brookhaven NationalLaboratory. The small circle is the RHICaccelerator.

Environmental StewardshipPolicy

It is Brookhaven National Laboratory’s (BNL’s) policyto integrate environmental stewardship into all facets ofthe Laboratory’s missions. We will manage our programsin a manner that protects the ecosystem and publichealth.

In support of this policy, BNL makes the followingcommitments:

� We are committed to achieving compliance withapplicable environmental requirements.

� In consideration of the potential impacts of ouractivities on the environment, we will integratepollution prevention/waste minimization,resource conservation, and compliance into allof our planning and decision-making. We willadopt cost-effective practices that eliminate,minimize or mitigate environmental impacts.

� We will define, prioritize, and aggressively correctand clean up existing environmental problems.

� We will work to continually improve ourenvironmental management system andperformance. We will establish appropriateenvironmental objectives and performanceindicators to guide these efforts and measure ourprogress.

� We will maintain a positive, proactive, andconstructive relationship with our neighbors inthe community, regulators, DOE, and our otherstakeholders. We will openly communicate withstakeholders on our progress and performance.

In addition to my annual review of BNL’s progress onenvironmental goals and adherence to this policy, I inviteall interested parties to provide me with input on ourperformance relative to this policy, and the policy itself.

John H. Marburger, Laboratory Director

Date11/19/98

the housing capacity for onsite residents andvisitors.

More than 75 percent of BNL’s 3,000employees live within a 15-mile radius of theLaboratory (Figure 1-8). In addition, many ofthe 4,000 visiting scientists live onsite in dormi-tories, apartments, and guesthouses duringtheir visit. Adding to the onsite staff and visitingscientists, BNL Public Affairs recorded over27,000 local students and other members of thepublic visiting the Laboratory in 1999 to partici-pate in educational and public outreach activi-ties.

1.4 FACILITY AND OPERATIONS DESCRIPTION

Most of the principal facilities are locatednear the center of the BNL’s 5,265 acre (8.23square mile) site. The developed area is approxi-mately 1,650 acres, consisting of about� 500 acres originally developed by the Army

(as part of Camp Upton) and still used foroffices and other operational buildings;

� 200 acres occupied by large, specializedresearch facilities;

� 550 acres occupied by outlying facilities, suchas the Sewage Treatment Plant, researchagricultural fields, housing, and fire breaks;and

� 400 acres of roads, parking lots, and connect-ing areas.

The balance of the site, approximately 3,600acres, is largely wooded and represents nativepine barren ecology (see section 1.7 of thischapter and Chapter 6 for more information).

The major scientific facilities are shown andbriefly described in Figure 1-9. As noted earlier,

Figure 1-4. BNL’s Environmental Stewardship Policy.



0 10

0 2 4 6

Kilometers

Miles

Brookhaven434,464

Riverhead24,982

Southampton48,609

Islip308,238

Smithtown114,670

Huntington193,296Oyster Bay

292,244

Hempstead727,997

North Hempstead213,209

Long Beach35,299

Babylon207,565

Southold20,996

Shelter Island2,370

BNL

Long Island Sound

Atlantic Ocean

SUFFOLK COUNTY

NASSAU COUNTY

Glen Cove24,783

East Hampton17,204

SCALE

0 100 300 500

0 1000

Meters

Feet

Compton House90 Bedrooms

Curie House40 Bedrooms

Cavendish House83 Bedrooms

Summer Cottages95 Bedrooms

420 Residents

2670 Residents

1045 Residents

695 Residents

1340 Residents

55 Residents

65 Residents

BNL Guest House13 Bedrooms

Apartments179 Bedrooms

95 Residents

River

Peconic

Fleming House52 Bedrooms

two major facilities, both reactors, are no longeroperational at BNL: the BGRR and the HFBR.The BGRR was shut down in 1969 and iscurrently undergoing decommissioning. TheHFBR ceased operation in 1997 and waspermanently closed in 1999.

In addition to the scientific facilities,numerous other facilities support BNL’s science

Figure 1-6. Residential Population of Long Island(Source: LIPA 1999).

Figure 1-7. Estimated Local ResidentialPopulation and Onsite Residence Capacity(Source: LIPA 1999 and BNL Housing Office).

and technology mission by providing basicutility and environmental services:� Water Treatment Plant. The Water Treatment

Plant is a potable water treatment facility witha capacity of 5 million gallons per day. Potablewater is obtained from three wells locatedalong the western boundary of the developedsite and treated with a lime-softening process

N

N



QuogueportP/O

SeldenLake Grove

HoltsvilleRonkonkoma Holbrook

Sayville

Blue Point/Bayport

Centereach

Farmingville

Setauket/E. Setauket

Stony Brook

BrookhavenNational

Laboratory

Port Jefferson

Port JeffersonStation

50

5399

50

2644

13

28

193950

2627

36 51 80

48134

87

126

7857

64

79

33

100

52

33

16 60 32 5

673

16

122

51

3613

Aquebogue8

RiverheadWading River

Remsenburg-Speonk

Calverton

Westhampton/Westhampton Beach

Shoreham/East Shoreham

Rocky Point

Middle Island

Manorville

EastCenter MorichesMastic

BrookhavenMasticBeach

Bellport

MedfordYaphank

Moriches

Ridge

SoundBeach

MillerPlace

MountSinai

Coram/Gordon Heights

Moriches

Eastport

124

Patchogue/E. Patchogue

E. Yaphank/Shirley

Figure 1-8. Number of BNL Employees Residing inVarious Towns.

to remove naturally occurring iron. The Plantis also equipped with dual air-stripping towersto ensure that volatile organic compounds areat or below New York State drinking waterstandards.

� Central Chilled Water Plant. This facilityprovides chilled water for air conditioningand process refrigeration for the entire sitevia a network of underground piping. Theplant has a large refrigeration capacity withonce-through cooling, which reduces thenecessity for local refrigeration plants.

� Central Steam Facility. The Central SteamFacility is a dual fuel-fired plant that provideshigh-pressure steam for both facility andprocess heating for the entire site. Natural gasis the primary fuel. Steam is conveyed to theuser facilities through a network of under-ground piping. Condensate is collected andreturned to the facility for reuse as a waterand energy conservation measure.

� Major Petroleum Facility. The Major PetroleumFacility provides reserve fuel for the CentralSteam Facility during times of peak operation.This facility has a total capacity of 1.8 milliongallons for storing predominately No. 6 fueloil. The 1997 conversion of the boilers at theCentral Steam Facility to natural gas hassignificantly reduced BNL’s reliance on oil asa source of fuel. The conversion reducedsulfur dioxide emissions by 95,000 pounds

and nitrogen oxide emissions by 120,000pounds per year.

� Sewage Treatment Plant. The Sewage Treat-ment Plant receives sanitary and certainprocess wastewater from BNL facilities fortreatment prior to discharge into the PeconicRiver, similar to the operations of a municipalsewage treatment plant. The Sewage Treat-ment Plant has a design capacity of 3.0million gallons per day. The effluent ismonitored and controlled under a permitissued by the New York State Department ofEnvironmental Conservation. See Chapter 3for additional information on this facility andassociated environmental permits.

� Waste Management Facility. The Waste Manage-ment Facility is a state-of-the-art complex formanaging the wastes generated from BNL’sresearch and operation activities. This facility,which opened in December 1997, was builtwith advanced environmental protectionsystems and features. The Waste ManagementFacility houses two areas permitted by theNew York State Department of EnvironmentalConservation for storing and treating hazard-ous wastes, prior to shipment offsite fortreatment and disposal at other permittedtreatment, storage, and disposal facilities. SeeChapter 2 for more information on wastemanagement.

N



12

1110

9

78

1 2 3 4 5

6



1. R

ELA

TIV

ISTI

C H

EAV

Y IO

N C

OLL

IDER

(RH

IC)

To b

e op

erat

ing

soon

, RH

IC is

one

of t

he w

orld

’s la

rges

t an

d m

ost

pow

erfu

lac

cele

rato

rs. R

HIC

’s m

ain

phys

ics

mis

sion

is t

o st

udy

part

icle

s sm

alle

r th

an a

tom

s.

2. A

LTER

NAT

ING

GR

AD

IEN

T SY

NC

HRO

TRO

N (A

GS)

The

AG

S is

use

d fo

r hi

gh-e

nerg

y ph

ysic

s re

sear

ch a

nd a

ccel

erat

es p

roto

ns t

oen

ergi

es u

p to

30

GeV

, and

hea

vy-io

n be

ams

to 1

5 G

eV. A

200

MeV

Lin

ear

Acc

eler

ator

, des

crib

ed b

elow

, ser

ves

as a

pro

ton

inje

ctor

for

the

AG

S an

d al

sosu

pplie

s a

cont

inuo

us b

eam

of p

roto

ns fo

r ra

dion

uclid

e pr

oduc

tion

by s

palla

tion

reac

tions

in t

he B

rook

have

n Li

nac

Isot

ope

Prod

ucer

(BLI

P) fa

cilit

y.

3. A

GS

BOO

STER

The

AG

S Bo

oste

r is

a c

ircu

lar

acce

lera

tor,

200

met

ers

in c

ircu

mfe

renc

e, t

hat

rece

ives

eith

er a

pro

ton

beam

from

the

LIN

AC

, or

heav

y io

ns fr

om t

he T

ande

mVa

n de

Gra

aff.

The

Boos

ter

acce

lera

tes

prot

on p

artic

les

and

heav

y io

ns b

efor

ein

ject

ing

them

into

the

AG

S ri

ng. T

his

faci

lity

beca

me

oper

atio

nal i

n 19

92.

4. L

INEA

R A

CC

ELER

ATO

R (L

INA

C) A

ND

BRO

OK

HA

VEN

LIN

AC

ISO

TOPE

PRO

DU

CER

(BLI

P)

The

LIN

AC

mak

es b

eam

s of

pol

ariz

ed p

roto

ns fo

r th

e A

GS

and,

whe

n it

beco

mes

oper

atio

nal,

for

the

Rela

tivis

tic H

eavy

Ion

Col

lider

(RH

IC).

BLIP

util

izes

the

exc

ess

beam

cap

acity

of t

he L

INA

C t

o pr

oduc

e ra

dioi

soto

pes

used

in r

esea

rch

and

med

ical

imag

ing.

It is

one

of t

he k

ey p

rodu

ctio

n fa

cilit

ies

in t

he n

atio

n fo

rra

dioi

soto

pes

whi

ch a

re c

ruci

al t

o cl

inic

al n

ucle

ar m

edic

ine.

It a

lso

supp

orts

rese

arch

at

BNL

on n

ew d

iagn

ostic

and

the

rape

utic

rad

ioph

arm

aceu

tical

s.

5. H

EAV

Y IO

N T

RA

NSF

ER L

INE

(HIT

L)

The

HIT

L co

nnec

ts t

he T

ande

m V

an d

e G

raaf

f and

the

AG

S. T

his

inte

rcon

nect

ion

perm

its io

ns o

f int

erm

edia

te m

ass

to b

e in

ject

ed in

to t

he A

GS

whe

re t

hey

can

beac

cele

rate

d to

an

ener

gy o

f 15

GeV

/am

u. T

hese

ions

the

n ar

e ex

trac

ted

and

sent

to t

he A

GS

expe

rim

enta

l are

a fo

r ph

ysic

s re

sear

ch.

6. R

AD

IATI

ON

TH

ERA

PY F

AC

ILIT

Y (R

TF)

Part

of t

he M

edic

al R

esea

rch

Cen

ter,

the

RTF

is a

hig

h-en

ergy

dua

l x-r

ay m

ode

linea

r ac

cele

rato

r fo

r ra

diat

ion

ther

apy

of c

ance

r pa

tient

s. T

his

acce

lera

tor

deliv

ers

ther

apeu

tical

ly u

sefu

l bea

ms

of x

-ray

s an

d el

ectr

ons

for

conv

entio

nal a

nd a

dvan

ced

med

ical

rad

ioth

erap

y te

chni

ques

.

7. B

ROO

KH

AV

EN M

EDIC

AL

RES

EARC

H R

EAC

TOR

(BM

RR

)

The

BMR

R w

as t

he w

orld

’s fi

rst

nucl

ear

reac

tor

built

exc

lusi

vely

for

med

ical

rese

arch

app

licat

ions

. It

prod

uces

neu

tron

s in

an

optim

al e

nerg

y ra

nge

for

expe

rim

enta

l tre

atm

ent

of a

typ

e of

bra

in c

ance

r kn

own

as g

liobl

asto

ma

mul

tifor

me.

8. S

CA

NN

ING

TR

AN

SMIS

SIO

N E

LEC

TRO

N M

ICRO

SCO

PE (S

TEM

)

This

faci

lity

incl

udes

tw

o m

icro

scop

es, S

TEM

1 a

nd S

TEM

3, u

sed

for

biol

ogic

alre

sear

ch. B

oth

pow

erfu

l dev

ices

allo

w s

cien

tists

to

see

the

intr

icat

e de

tails

of l

ivin

gth

ings

, fro

m b

acte

ria

to h

uman

tis

sue.

9. N

ATI

ON

AL

SYN

CH

ROTR

ON

LIG

HT

SOU

RCE

(NSL

S)

The

NSL

S ut

ilize

s a

linea

r ac

cele

rato

r an

d bo

oste

r sy

nchr

otro

n as

an

inje

ctio

nsy

stem

for

two

elec

tron

sto

rage

rin

gs w

hich

ope

rate

at

ener

gies

of 7

50 M

eVva

cuum

ultr

avio

let

(VU

V),

and

2.5

GeV

(x-r

ay).

The

sync

hrot

ron

radi

atio

npr

oduc

ed b

y th

e st

ored

ele

ctro

ns is

use

d fo

r V

UV

spe

ctro

scop

y an

d fo

r x-

ray

diffr

actio

n st

udie

s.

10. H

IGH

FLU

X B

EAM

REA

CTO

R (H

FBR

)

The

HFB

R w

as o

ne o

f the

pre

mie

r ne

utro

n ph

ysic

s re

sear

ch fa

cilit

ies

in t

he w

orld

.N

eutr

on b

eam

s pr

oduc

ed a

t th

e H

FBR

wer

e us

ed t

o in

vest

igat

e th

e m

olec

ular

stru

ctur

e of

mat

eria

ls w

hich

aid

ed in

pha

rmac

eutic

al d

esig

n an

d m

ater

ials

deve

lopm

ent,

as

wel

l as

expa

nded

the

kno

wle

dge

base

of p

hysi

cs, c

hem

istr

y an

dbi

olog

y. A

leak

in t

he fu

el s

tora

ge p

ool w

as d

isco

vere

d in

199

7. S

ince

tha

t tim

e, t

heH

FBR

has

not

bee

n in

ope

ratio

n, a

nd w

as p

erm

anen

tly c

lose

d in

Nov

embe

r 19

99.

11. T

AN

DEM

VA

N D

E G

RA

AFF

AN

D C

YCLO

TRO

N

Thes

e tw

o fa

cilit

ies

are

used

in m

ediu

m-e

nerg

y ph

ysic

s in

vest

igat

ions

, and

for

prod

ucin

g sp

ecia

l nuc

lides

. The

hea

vy io

ns fr

om t

he T

ande

m V

an d

e G

raaf

f als

o ca

nbe

inje

cted

into

the

AG

S fo

r ph

ysic

s ex

peri

men

ts.

12. B

ROO

KH

AV

EN G

RA

PHIT

E R

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1.5 GEOLOGY AND HYDROLOGY

BNL lies on the western rim of the shallowPeconic River watershed. The marshy areas inthe northern and eastern sections of the site arepart of the headwaters of the Peconic River. ThePeconic River both recharges to, and receiveswater from, the sole source aquifer systemunderneath Long Island, depending on theposition of the water table relative to the baseof the riverbed. In times of sustained drought,the river water typically recharges to groundwa-ter while with normal to above-normal precipita-tion, the river receives water from the aquifer.In general, the terrain of the site is gentlyrolling, with elevations varying between 44 and120 feet above sea level. Depth to groundwaterfrom the surface of the land ranges from fivefeet near the Peconic River to about 80 feet inthe higher elevation areas in the central andwestern portions of the site.

This groundwater system is a source ofdrinking water for both on and offsite privateand public supply wells. Since it has a history ofsignificant groundwater contamination fromboth BNL and non-BNL sources, EPA hasclassified this area as a “vulnerable groundwatersystem.”

BNL uses approximately 2.6 million gallonsper day of groundwater to meet potable waterneeds and heating and cooling requirements.Approximately 74 percent of the total water isreturned to the aquifer through onsite rechargebasins. About 19 percent is discharged into thePeconic River. Human consumption, evaporation(cooling tower and wind losses), and sewer linelosses account for the remaining seven percent.An additional 0.6 million gallons per day ofgroundwater are pumped from remediation wellsfor treatment and then returned to the aquiferby the use of recharge basins.

The hydrology of this area is very welldefined. Studies of Long Island hydrology andgeology in the vicinity of the Laboratoryindicate that the uppermost Pleistocene depos-its, composed of highly permeable glacial sandsand gravel, are between 120 and 250 feet thick(Warren et al. 1968, Scorca et al. 1999). Waterpenetrates these deposits readily and there islittle direct runoff into surface streams unlessprecipitation is intense. This region and thewater it contains is called the Upper GlacialAquifer. On average, about half of the annualprecipitation is lost to the atmosphere throughevapotranspiration and the other half percolates

through the soil to recharge the groundwater(Koppelman 1978). The area has a high re-charge rate (22 inches per year) that variesseasonally.

The BNL site was also identified by theLong Island Regional Planning Board andSuffolk County as being part of a deep-flowrecharge zone for Long Island groundwater(Koppelman 1978, SCDHS 1987). This findingindicates that precipitation and surface waterthat recharge within this zone have the potentialto replenish the deep aquifer systems lyingbelow the Upper Glacial Aquifer. It is estimatedthat up to two-fifths of the recharge fromrainfall moves into the deeper aquifers. Theextent to which groundwater at the BNL sitecontributes to deep flow recharge has beenconfirmed through the use of an extensivenetwork of shallow and deep wells installed atBNL and surrounding areas (Geraghty andMiller 1996). In general, these deeper aquifersdischarge to the Atlantic Ocean or to the LongIsland Sound.

Groundwater flow direction across the BNLsite is influenced by natural drainage systemsmoving eastward along the Peconic River,southeast towards the Forge River and southtoward the Carmans River. This causes the flowdirection of the groundwater to vary signifi-cantly and frequently in the industrial areasonsite. Two natural groundwater divides havebeen identified near the BNL site (Scorca et al.1999). One is located approximately 0.5 milenorth of BNL and a second transects portionsof the site when the water table is high (i.e.,when the aquifer flows into the stream bed).These define the boundaries of the area con-tributing groundwater to the Peconic Riverwatershed.

In most areas at BNL, the horizontalvelocity of groundwater is approximately 0.75-1.2 feet per day (Geraghty and Miller 1996). Ingeneral terms, it takes approximately 20 to 22years for groundwater to travel from thecentral, developed area of the site to the BNLsouthern boundary.

See Chapter 7 for details on BNL’s compre-hensive groundwater protection and manage-ment program.

1.6 CLIMATIC DATA

The prevailing ground level winds at BNLare from the southwest during the summer,from the northwest during the winter, and



about equal from these two directions duringthe spring and fall (Nagle 1975, Nagle 1978).Figure 1-10 shows the 1999 annual wind rose forBNL, which depicts the annual frequencydistribution of wind speed and direction,measured on an onsite meteorological tower atheights of 30 and 300 feet.

The total precipitation for 1999 was 51.72inches. Most of the precipitation was receivedfrom January through March and Augustthrough October, with a very dry spring andearly summer. Precipitation in 1999 was 3.26inches above the 50-year annual average. Figures1-11 and 1-12 present the 1999 monthly and the50-year annual precipitation data, respectively.

The monthly mean temperature in 1999 was52.7°F, ranging from a monthly mean lowtemperature of 32.2°F in January to a monthlymean high temperature of 76.3°F in July. Theaverage annual mean temperature for 1999 was2.8°F above the 50-year annual average, continu-ing a trend of increasing annual temperatures.In general, using a linear average, temperaturesat BNL have increased 1.86°F over the last 50years, compared to a worldwide average surfacetemperature increase of 0.5-0.6°F (Jones et al.1999). Figures 1-13 and 1-14 show the 1999temperatures and the historical annual meantemperatures, respectively.

1.7 ECOLOGICAL RESOURCES

BNL is located in the oak/chestnut forestregion of the Coastal Plain. BNL propertyconstitutes five percent of the 100,000-acre pinebarrens of Long Island. As noted before,because of the general topography and poroussoil, the land is very well drained and generallythere is little surface runoff or open standingwater. However, depressions form small pocketwetlands with standing water on a seasonal basis(vernal pools), and there are six major regulatedwetlands onsite. Thus, a mosaic of wet and dryareas on the site correlates with variations intopography and depth to the water table.Vegetation onsite is in various stages of succes-sion, which reflects a history of disturbances tothe area. The past disturbances with the mostimpact were land clearing (the land was clearedextensively when the site was Camp Upton),fire, local flooding, and draining. Part of thePeconic River running through BNL’s propertywas designated “scenic” in accordance with theNew York State’s Wild, Scenic, and RecreationalRiver System Act (New York State 1972).

Over 230 plant species have been identifiedonsite. The fifteen mammal species endemic tothe site include species common to mixedhardwood forests and open grassland habitats.The white-tailed deer density is at least 100 per

Figure 1-10. Annual Wind Rose for 1999.

Explanation: The arrows formed by the wedges indicatewind direction. Each concentric circle represents a 5%frequency. The wind direction was measured at heights of30 feet and 300 feet. For example, this diagram indicatesthat the predominant wind direction at 30 feet in 1999was from the northwest.

At 30 feet:

At 300 feet:



square mile (Thomlinson 1993). At least 85species of birds are known to nest at BNL andan additional 130 species have been docu-mented as “visiting” the site. These numbers area result of BNL’s location within the AtlanticFlyway and the scrub/shrub habitats that offerfood and rest to migratory songbirds. Open

fields bordered by hardwood forests at therecreation complex are excellent hunting areasfor hawks. Permanently flooded retention basinsand other watercourses support amphibians andaquatic reptiles. Nine amphibian and ten reptilespecies have been identified. Ecological studiesat the BNL site have confirmed thirteen breed-

Figure 1-11. 1999 Monthly Precipitation versus 50-Year Monthly Average.

Figure 1-12 Fifty-Year Annual Precipitation Trend.

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ing sites for the New York State endangeredeastern tiger salamander (Ambystoma tigrinum)in BNL’s vernal pools and some recharge basins.Nine species of fish have also been identified atBNL. The banded sunfish (Eanneacanthus obesus)was listed as a state threatened species in 1999by the New York State Department of Environ-

mental Conservation. It lives solely within thePeconic River system, including the portion ofthe river onsite (Scheibel 1990). One New YorkState-threatened plant is found onsite: the stiffgoldenrod (Solidago rigida). A discussion of theLaboratory’s wildlife protection strategy can befound in Chapter 6.

Figure 1-13. 1999 Monthly Mean Temperature versus 50-Year Monthly Average.

Figure 1-14. Fifty-Year Annual Mean Temperature Trend.

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REFERENCES

DOE Order 231.1. 1995. Environment, Safety and Health Reporting.U.S. Department of Energy, Washington, D.C. Change 1: 11-07-96.

DOE Order 5400.1. 1988. General Environmental Protection Program.U.S. Department of Energy, Washington, D.C. Change 1: 6-29-90.

Geraghty and Miller, Inc. 1996. Regional Groundwater Model,Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, New York. A report toBrookhaven National Laboratory. November 1996.

Jones, P.D., M. New, D.E. Parker, S. Martin, and I.G. Rigor. 1999.�Surface air temperature and its changes over the past 150 years.�Reviews of Geophysics, Volume 37, Number 2,May 1999. 173-199.

Kamer, Pearl. 1995. The Impact of Brookhaven National Laboratoryon the Long Island Economy, Suffolk County Planning Commission,Suffolk County Department of Planning. June 1995.

Koppelman, L.E. 1978. The Long Island Comprehensive WasteTreatment Management Plan (Long Island 208 Study), Volumes I andII. Long Island Regional Planning Board, Hauppauge, New York.July 1978.

LIPA. 1999. Population Survey 1999: Current Population Estimates forNassau and Suffolk Counties and the Rockaway Peninsula. Long IslandPower Authority. Uniondale, New York. October 1999.

Nagle, C. M. 1975. Climatology of Brookhaven National Laboratory:1949-1973. BNL-50466. Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton,New York. November 1975.

Nagle, C. M. 1978. Climatology of Brookhaven National Laboratory:1974 through 1977. BNL-50857. Brookhaven National Laboratory,Upton, New York. May 1978.

New York State. 1972. Wild, Scenic and Recreational River SystemAct. Environmental Conservation Law, Title 27,Article 15, and subsequent updates.

SCDHS. 1987. Suffolk County Comprehensive Water ResourcesManagement Plan. Volumes I and II. Division of EnvironmentalQuality, Suffolk County Department of Health Services,Hauppague, New York. January 1987.

Scheibel, M.S. 1990. �Review of New York State EndangeredSpecies Potentially Impacted by Construction of the RHIC atBrookhaven National Laboratory.� Letter to Gerald C. Kinne,September 24, 1990.

Scorca, M.P., W.R. Dorsch, and D.E. Paquette. 1999. Stratigraphyand Hydrologic Conditions at the Brookhaven National Laboratoryand Vicinity, Suffolk County, New York, 1994-97. U.S. GeologicalSurvey Water Resources Investigations Report 99-4086. 55 p.

Thomlinson, W. 1993. Deer Population Estimate for the BNL Site.Summer project Report. Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton,New York. March, 1993.

Warren, M. A., W. deLaguna, and N.J. Lusczynski. 1968. Hydrologyof Brookhaven National Laboratory and Vicinity, Suffolk County, NewYork. U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin, 1156-C.

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Introduction - Brookhaven National Laboratory · 2014-02-06 · 1-3 1999 SITE ENVIRONMENTAL REPORT CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION operated until 1969 and is now in the process of decommissioning