Re: PLUTONIUM IN YOUR PANCAKES: LOWRY LANDFILL RESOLUTION

[Susan Gawarecki <loc@icx.net>]

The messages below were on a recent RadSafe list, in response to my
cross-post requesting other information on Lowry Landfill.

--Susan Gawarecki

==================================================
Susan L. Gawarecki, Ph.D., Executive Director
Oak Ridge Reservation Local Oversight Committee, Inc.
136 South Illinois Avenue, Suite 208
Oak Ridge, Tennessee  37830
Phone (423) 483-1333; Fax (423) 482-6572; E-mail loc@icx.net
VISIT OUR UPDATED WEB SITE:  http://www.local-oversight.org
==================================================

>Date:	  Thu, 25 Mar 1999 15:48:17 -0700
>From:	  "Nancy M. Daugherty" <nmdaughe@smtpgate.dphe.state.co.us>
>Subject:  Re:  PLUTONIUM IN YOUR PANCAKES: LOWRY LANDFILL

Sorry for the delay in posting this response.  I had to talk to the
people from the State of Colorado and the U.S. EPA who are involved with
this project.  

The following is EPA's response to the allegations of Adrienne Anderson
regarding public and environmental hazards from radioactive waste at the
Lowry Landfill.  As you'll see by the date of the response, this issue
has received a lot of discussion.  

Hope this helps clear things up.  If you have further questions, please
contact Diana Hammer at Hammer.Diana@epamail.epa.gov.

Nancy M. Daugherty, CHP
Uranium and Special Projects Unit
Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment
nancy.daugherty@state.co.us

--------------------------------------------------------------------
>From:     Hammer.Diana@epamail.epa.gov
>Date:     12/3/98 10:20am
>Subject:  Lowry Landfill: EPA responds

The following message is EPA's response to Adrienne Anderson's E-mail
alleging plutonium contamination at the Lowry Landfill.  We felt we
needed to correct misleading information contained in Ms. Anderson's
E-mail.  Her E-mail and our response were both posted on the same
listserv (ecojustice listserv).

If you have any questions or have not seen Ms. Anderson's E-mail (and
wish to), please give me a call at 303-312-6601.

Thanks.
Diana

--Forwarded by Diana Hammer/OCP/R8/USEPA/US on 12/03/98 10:11 AM--
To:      ecojustice@igc.apc.org
Subject: Lowry Landfill: EPA responds

In a recent e-mail message, Adrienne Anderson alleged public and
environmental hazards from radioactive waste at the Lowry Landfill
Superfund Site (Lowry Landfill).  A little bit of information can be
very misleading and can unnecessarily alarm the public.  The U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Colorado Department of Public
Health and Environment (CDPHE or the State), partners in protecting
public health and the environment, emphasize one important point that
Ms. Anderson has ignored:

There is no credible evidence indicating radionuclide contamination at
the Lowry Landfill.

EPA and the State will take many precautions to ensure that public
health and the environment are protected.  We want to be clear that
there will be a number of safety checkpoints in place to make sure that
public health and the environment are protected.

In short, EPA and the State will make sure that State and Federal
requirements are met throughout each phase of the cleanup process by
testing, re-testing and then testing once again.  In addition, for an
added measure of safety, there is an independent monitoring system in
place.

Yes, the draft wastewater discharge permit, recently released by the
Metro Wastewater Reclamation District (Metro District) for public
comment, does set limits for radionuclides in the pre-treated ground
water coming from the Lowry Landfill.  These are enforceable limits and
were included to protect public health and the environment.  True, these
limits are higher than drinking water standards but the discharge isn't
a drinking water source.  In fact, the limits are those for discharges
to surface water, even though the discharge is to a sewer system; thus
the limits are more protective than they would legally have to be.

In fact, data collected last May from ground water that would be treated
and discharged to the sewer system showed plutonium was not detected,
even at a detection limit 10 times lower than the current DRINKING water
standard of 0.15 picocuries per liter.  Furthermore, all other
radionuclides tested below the cleanup standards for Lowry Landfill.
In addition, EPA and the State have years of data, information collected
from historical documents and more than 1800 samples of the ground
water, surface water, soils and air.  Again, these data DO NOT support
allegations that there are levels of radioactive material at the Lowry
Landfill at levels above normal, background levels; levels which do not
pose a threat to public health or the environment.

Specifically:

Check  point #1     At the Lowry Landfill:  Ground water will be
Monitored and treated before it leaves the site;

Check point #2      Before it leaves the Lowry Landfill:  The
pre-treated ground water will be monitored again before it leaves the
site to make sure it meets all appropriate Local, State and Federal
standards;

Check point #3      Early Warning System:  There will be an early
warning system designed to alert us IF (and we don't believe this is at
all likely) we find levels of radioactive material in the ground water. 
If this monitoring indicates,  radioactive material, we will stop the
flow.  We will NOT discharge ground water containing unsafe levels of
radioactive material from the site.  Thus, the ground water will be
monitored again.

Check point #4      At the wastewater treatment plant:  After the
wastewater is treated at the wastewater treatment plant, the water will
be monitored again.  In addition, the treated sewage sludge (called
biosolids) will monitored again to make sure the biosolids meet the
highest quality criteria;

Check point #5      In the fields of eastern Colorado:  Biosolids will
be monitored again prior to land application to verify it is applied 
according to State and Federal standards;

Check point #6      Independent monitoring of biosolids:  Local
counties, the local Natural Resource Conservation Districts, and nearby
farmers and ranchers are participating in an independent monitoring
program to make sure that all these safety check points are working and
do indeed protect public health and the environment.

These statements are supported by numerous documents available for
public review at the Superfund Records Center (999 18th Street, Denver,
CO).

For more detailed information about the Lowry Landfill, please contact
the Project Manager, Marc Herman, at 303-312-6724 or the Community
Involvement Coordinator, Diana Hammer, at 303-312-6601.