Nuke tests tainted water, report says

Monday, July 8, 1996 | 11:59 a.m.

CARSON CITY -- Nearly 40 percent of the 828 nuclear explosions at the Nevada Test Site contaminated the groundwater with radioactive and chemical elements, a federal study says.

The report by the U.S. Geological Survey says many of the contaminants "are highly toxic and are known to persist in the environment for thousands of years."

But it says more research is needed of the direction of the underground water flow and its speed to determine if and when the water will reach populated areas.

"A thorough understanding of specific flow paths is imperative to determine and implement a successful remediation program because of the high chemical toxicity and radioactivity of many of the radionuclides," says the report, done in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Energy.

Although the groundwater level at the 1,350-square-mile Test Site is generally more than 800 feet below the surface, many of the explosions were detonated at depths near or below the water level to ensure that the radiation did not escape into the atmosphere.

Water generally moves southwest through the Test Site toward such areas as Ash Meadows, Oasis Valley, Alkali Flat and Death Valley. Residents in these areas must rely on the groundwater because of the absence of any rivers or other surface water.

More than 10 major wells have been drilled at the Test Site to provide water for drinking, industrial and waste uses. Regular testing has not detected any fission material but has discovered tritium. The amounts, however, did not exceed the Environmental Protection Agency regulations for safe drinking water.

But test drilling at other locations inside the Test Site has found tritium and fission products where none was expected. In tests at Yucca Flat, tritium was found to be in excess of EPA standards.

Groundwater has been used for drinking, livestock, agriculture and mining at sites south and west of the Test Site. These include numerous wells at Beatty, Springdale, Amargosa and Death Valley Junction.

"Further development of groundwater from the Nevada Test Site and adjacent areas is expected in response to continued federal activities at the Nevada Test Site and Nellis Air Force Range," says the report.

"In addition, projected growth of the Las Vegas urban area and some of the smaller communities throughout the region may lead to further development of water resources in the Test Site area."

The report by Randell Laczniak, James Cole, David Sawyer and Douglas Trudeau is meant to provide a fundamental understanding of the groundwater conditions so an "effective and efficient cleanup" of the water can proceed.

Nuclear testing was halted by President George Bush in October 1992. Since then, Test Site activities have focused on environmental cleanup.