Tuesday - November 12, 2024

 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. PST

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""Radiological Monitoring of Air and Groundwater Downwind and Downgradient, Respectively, of the Nevada National Security Site 

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By: Beverly Parker

Desert Research Institute, Las Vegas, Nevada   

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ABSTRACT:

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The United States government conducted 100 atmospheric and 828 underground nuclear tests between 1951 and 1992 at the Nevada National Security Site (NNSS) located northwest of Las Vegas, Nevada. Initially embraced as a sign of national prowess, public perception of the testing soon changed to a heightened fear of exposure to radiation that may have migrated off the test site. In 1981, the Department of Energy (DOE), Environmental Protection Agency, and Desert Research Institute (DRI) established a community program that encouraged stakeholders from surrounding communities to monitor and collect airborne radiological data. At that time, DRI’s role was hiring and training these Community Environmental Monitors (CEMs). In 2000, DRI assumed full administration of the Community Environmental Monitoring Program (CEMP) and added meteorological instruments to the stations in 23 communities surrounding and downwind of the NNSS. 

 

In 2001, the CEMP began monitoring surface and groundwater in each of the communities. The CEMP facilitates independent operation of monitoring equipment and data verification by private citizens (the CEMs) and makes the data available on a public-facing website in near real-time. The community monitors attend annual training where they learn basics of radiation while sharing challenges and opportunities with each other and interact with representatives from DOE’s National Nuclear Security Administration Nevada Field Office. As a result, the community managers become respected sources of knowledge for their respective communities. Communication of data and any related risks by their peers (the community managers) aids their communities in overcoming a common fear of radiation. This NEVADA SYSTEM OF HIGHER EDUCATION 2 avenue of communication was a prominent response when the CEMP network detected radionuclides that migrated from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant accident in March 2011. 

 

In addition to the community monitors addressing community risk perceptions that fuel societal reactions, DRI’s CEMP staff conduct outreach to the urban and rural locations by participating in community events, presenting information at town and county meetings, speaking at local club meetings, conducting lessons on basic radiation concepts in public middle school and high school classrooms, and introducing the program to U.S. and foreign tourists at the Atomic Testing Museum. These efforts provide public access to independent radiological data and provide DOE improved transparency along with increased credibility. DRI’s administration of the CEMP has trained 115 community monitors as lay-experts in 23 communities, provided an average of 3,000+ annual contacts with community members, and established additional methods for dissemination of results to the public, all of which lead to increased community understanding, not only in the participating communities, but worldwide. 

 

This presentation will present events that led to the creation of the CEMP, the evolution of the program, challenges and benefits experienced by stakeholders, and discussion of findings, including information related to the CEMP’s groundwater monitoring activities. 

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Note:  For more technical information, which will be discussed in the talk, go to Chapter 7.2 of the 2023 NNSS Environmental Report (pages 7-9 to 7-11). Note: there is a CEMP groundwater monitoring chapter in every annual NNSS Environmental Report. These are available on Nevada National Security Site Environmental Report 2023, with Attachment A Site Description and Summary Report (Program Document) | OSTI.GOV

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BIO:

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Beverly Parker is the Program Manager for the Community Environmental Monitoring Program (CEMP) at the Desert Research Institute (DRI). The CEMP provides a hands-on role for members of the public in the operation of a network of radiation and weather monitoring stations located in communities surrounding the Nevada National Security Site [NNSS]. Her role includes a significant public outreach component that provides information to classrooms, community organizations, and concerned citizens on past and ongoing activities associated with the NNSS.

Ms. Parker joined DRI in 2017, supporting DRI’s Technological Research, Engineering, and Development Services (TREDS) contract with the Department of Energy as a project control technologist. In 2018, she assumed responsibilities as the TREDS Project Administrator, supporting the contract in project estimating, scheduling, and reporting as well as technical report quality assurance.

Ms. Parker is passionate about teaching communities. Prior to joining DRI, she taught various Life Science courses to high school students and Integrated Science courses to middle school students. During her time in public education, she developed science curriculum, managed the creation and administration of school-wide assessments, and facilitated interdepartmental collaborations.

Ms. Parker earned her Bachelor of Science degree from Brigham Young University and earned a Graduate Certificate in Nonprofit Management, and a Master of Public Administration from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.​​

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Field Trip to the CEMP Monitoring Station Before the Dinner Meeting

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The Community Environmental Monitoring Program (CEMP) at the Desert Research Institute manages meteorological and radiological stations in 23 communities surrounding and downwind from the Nevada National Security Site. Each of these communities are managed by local residents from varied industries, who are called Community Environmental Monitors.  We will visit the Las Vegas CEMP station on the Desert Research Institute campus to see the equipment and hear from the station’s two local monitors. This station does not have groundwater monitoring, only air monitoring. 

 

We are meeting before the AEG meeting at 5:00 pm on Tuesday November 12, 2024, outside the front door of the Atomic Testing Museum located at 755 East Flamingo Road, Las Vegas, Nevada, 89119. The tour will take about 1/2 hour. The DRI campus is located close to the Embassy Suites on University Center Road, where the AEG dinner meeting is held, with the social half-hour beginning at 6:00 pm. The field trip is free for members and and student members, $10 for non-members, and $5 for student non-members.​