Table S-5.Summary of radioactivity on the NTS as of January 1996 | |||||
| Source of Radioactivity |
Type of Area |
Environmental Media | Major Known Isotopes or Wastes |
Depth Range |
Amount (curies) |
| Atmospheric & Tower Tests | Above Ground Nuclear Weapon Proving Area | Surficial Soils & Test Structures | Americium
Cesium Cobalt Plutonium Europium Strontium |
At Land Surface | Approximately 20 |
| Safety
Tests |
Above Ground Experimental Areas | Surficial Soils | Americium
Cesium Cobalt Plutonium Strontium |
Less than 0.9 m (3 ft) | Approximately 35 |
| Nuclear Rocket Development Area | Nuclear Rocket Motor, Reactor, & Furnace Testing Area | Surficial Soils | Cesium
Strontium |
Less than 3 m (10 ft) | Approximately 1 |
| Shallow Borehole Tests | Underground Nuclear Testing Areas | Soils & Alluvium | Americium
Cesium Cobalt Europium Plutonium Strontium |
Less than 61 m (200 ft) | Approximately 2,000 at land surface; unknown at depth |
| Shallow Land Disposal | Waste Disposal Landfills | Soils & Alluvium | Dry Packaged Low-level & Mixed Wastes | Less than 9 m (30 ft) | Approximately 500,000a |
| Crater Disposal | Test induced subsidence crater with sidewalls, cover, & drainage | Soils & Alluvium | Bulk contaminated soils & equipment | Less than 30 m (100 ft) | Approximately 1,250a(Approximately 205,000 m3[7,250,000 ft3])b |
| Greater Confinement Disposal | Monitored Underground Waste Disposal Borehole | Soils & Alluvium | Tritium
Americium |
37 m (120 ft) | Approximately 9.3 milliona(Approximately 300 m3[10,000 ft3])b |
| Deep Underground Tests | Underground Nuclear Testing Areas | Soils, Alluvium, & Consolidated Rock | Tritium,
fission, & activation products |
Typically less than 640 m (2,100 ft), but may be deeper | Greater than 300 million |
a Inventory at time of disposal (not corrected for decay).
b Amount of waste that was considered for inventory.
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