Developing a Framework and Content for Environmental Remediation Training

Draft Report

Developing a Framework and Content for Environmental Remediation Training

August 22-26, 2011, Vienna, Austria

1. Introduction

A fundamental part of the International Atomic Energy Agency’s (IAEA’s) mandate is to support the exchange of information among its Member States through the provision of training. Such training provides important foundations for the safe implementation of nuclear technologies, particularly in those Member States that currently are at an early stage of programme development. The Waste Technology Section (WTS) of the IAEA is involved in developing and implementing such training in the area of Environmental Remediation (ER).

The IAEA has concluded that the traditional methods of face-to-face training courses and workshops to disseminate information are sometimes insufficient in producing the best results. By supplementing face-to-face EM training with a curriculum delivered through the medium of the internet and personal computers (eLearning), the WTS considers that the efficiency of its overall training program can be improved.

This report presents the results of a consultancy convened during the period of August 22-26, 2011, to formulate the framework and general content of a combined programme of eLearning and face-to-face ER training. Exhibit 1 provides a listing of the contributors to this consultancy. The discussion and tables presented within this report provide recommendations for the various levels of the ER training programme. In addition, a listing of existing related IAEA resources is appended in Section 9 of the report.

2. Context

The overall objective of the consultancy was to develop a framework for and content of ER training. The specific objectives of the consultants’ work for the week were to populate with suggested content a series of 4 levels of increasingly detailed training (Level 0 through Level 3) on the topic of Environmental Remediation. The contents of the base level – or Level 0 – training course package were formulated, along with suggested contents and a calendar schedule for a Level 1 training course and some input and consideration for the contents of Level 2 training courses. The Level 0 TC was planned as an ‘e-learning package’ for ease of Member State utilization.

Staff members and various other stakeholders working on remediation or individuals with interest in remediation of Legacy Sites and Operating Sites are included in the scope of work envisaged to be addressed in this Environmental Remediation training concept. Also included are staff members and stakeholders working on NORM contaminated sites and areas contaminated from accidents at nuclear sites – these are referred to as operating sites, whilst the legacy sites would be sites previously shutdown operationally but requiring some level of remediation prior to release.

The IAEA Safety Glossary 2007 edition[1] defines the term ‘remediation’ as “Any measures that may be carried out to reduce the radiation exposure from existing contamination of land areas through actions applied to the contamination itself (the source) or to the exposure pathways to humans.” The focus of this ER training course material is on radiologically contaminated sites and does not address non-radiologically. In this work the term ‘environmental remediation’ is applied to the problem of the cleanup of a radiologically contaminated environment which consists of one or more combinations of - surface soils, subsurface soils, surface waters and groundwater. Also included is the management of the wastes generated from the remediation activities.

Decommissioning activities and remediation activities at nuclear sites are driven by some common forces, the most fundamental of which is the protection of humans and the environment from sources ofcontamination. An integrated decommissioningand remediation programme can lead to the optimization of available resources to achieve results faster and at lower costs. This integration is shown in Figure 1.

In developing the ER training programme discussed in this report, the consultancy considered the ER process as presented in a flow diagram in IAEA Safety Guide WS-G-3.1, Remediation Process for Areas Affected by Past Activities and Accidents, 2007. See Figure 2.

Many of the IAEA reference documents on ER activities or topics can and should be used as the basis for this training material – a listing of relevant references is in Section 9.

Figure 1. Integrated Approach to Decommissioning and Remediation[2]

Figure 2. The Remediation Process[3]

3. Training concept

In a recent report to the IAEA Rӧhlich, et al (2011)[4] provides guidance for training and their associated audiences. The following has been adapted from that report for establishing a training framework for ER:

1. First, it needs to be ensured that the potential participants of the programme will have the basic knowledge necessary to successfully attend such a programme. To this end, an e-learning module with a total duration of 3-6 hours has to be prepared which will include basic information as well as tests and questions which have to be passed by the applicant in advance to being accepted for the programme.
2. Training at level 1 (“awareness training” on ER in general) will be held face-to-face. Typically, such courses should have a duration of one week.
3. Training at level 2 (again face-to-face) should aim at providing more detailed information about selected ER issues but is still targeted to the same general audience as level 1. Level 2 training will form the remaining part of the courses mentioned above but with a notable difference: While the level 1 modules are obligatory for each course, the level 2 courses will be tailored for students selecting single modules or a group of modules from the level 2 curriculum outline which would address in more detail a selected sub-topic of ER.
4. For level 3, training would aim at providing more in-depth knowledge and the skills that are necessary for specific ER jobs with target audiences that are different from the ones to be addressed at levels 0-2. The means of training and teaching for these more detailed courses include face-to-face learning, e-learning, hands-on training, training-on-the-job

Table 1summarizes the results to ER training programs when this approach is applied. This table shows the proposed training approach, the estimated time involved in the various training programs, as well as the target audience groups.

Level 0 training is planned for a wide ranging audience and will be eLearning based. Level 0 will also be used to screen prospective participants for participation in the Level 1 training. Level 1 training (also referred to as “awareness training” above), will be one week long and will build on the topics covered in Level 0. Level 2 training will be more focused on specific topics and may include site visits, vendor demonstrations and other focused activities. Level 3 training is meant for senior specialized personnel and is meant to address specific detailed topics and to help upgrade the expertise of these personnel when new technologies and methodologies become available.

Attachment 2 is a worksheet developed by the consultancy showing the interrelationship of course content among the levels. The following sections will address each of the levels separately.

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Table 1 ER Training Summary

Topic / Levels
Level / 0 / 1 / 2 / 3
Learning Mode / eLearning / Face-to-face / Face-to-face / eLearning and Face-to-face
Duration / 6 hours / 1 week / 1 to 2 weeks per topic / Variable
Target Audience / Public or stakeholder groups / Regulators / Regulators / Senior specialists for targeted topics
Regulators / Graduates from Level 0 / Senior level engineers and scientists
Educational institutions / Project managers / Project managers
Junior engineers and scientists / Mid-level engineers and scientists / Technical specialist
Prospective Level 1 candidates / Construction superintendents / Field engineer
Executive management / Owner representative / Owner representative
Funding entities / Select stakeholder members
Technical specialists
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4. Level 0

As stated earlier, the ER training programme needs to ensure that potential participants of the face-to-face training provided by IAEA will have the basic knowledge necessary to successfully attend such courses. The Waste Technology Section has indicated that an online eLearning introductory course on ER should be prepared to achieve this basic knowledge. This basic introductory course also could be used by members of the public and stakeholders affected by and interested in ER activities.

The consultancy has suggested an eLearning course of five 1-hour-long modules which will include basic information as well as assessments to be completed successfully to be able to be accepted for higher levels of the training programme. The modules are:

1. Introduction to ER;
2. The ER Planning Process;
3. ER Implementation;
4. Post-Remediation Management; and
5. Implementation examples.

Table 2 includes a listing of these modules, an outline of the areas to be addressed in each module, some direction on the training content for each area, and suggestions for the duration of training areas.

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Table 2.Level 0 - Introduction to Environmental Remediation of Radiologically Contaminated Sites

# / Section / Notes on Contents / Duration
1. / Introduction on ER / This module provides a general introduction to environmental management of radiologically contaminated sites. / 1 hour Total
1.1. / ER: what and why? / IAEA definition of remediation. Short description of environmental impacts of contamination and the need to remove sources or interrupt pathways to reduce exposure to public and environmental receptors. / 5 min
1.2. / Radiological constituents / Briefly describe radiological constituents and their main characteristics and potential environmental and human impacts. / 15 min
1.2.1. / Natural radiological constituents / Describe the occurrence and distribution of natural radiological constituents. Discuss their impact on the environment and human health.
1.2.2. / Anthropogenic (radiological) contamination / Describe the major sources of anthropogenic contamination and release pathways. Although other organic and inorganic contaminants may be present the rest of these modules will focus only on radiological contamination as per the IAEA mandate. These constituents can be released during nuclear fuel cycle activities and accidents as well as present in NORM.
1.3. / Industries and types of contaminants / Describes industries will produce contaminants that are associated with the natural occurrence of these materials, the concentration and distribution will change. Manufacturing industries will produce various other forms of radiological contaminants that are dependent on the specific processes. / 10 min
1.4. / Contaminated media / This section describes the various media that can be contaminated as well as example pathways for the contamination. / 15 min
1.4.1. / Surface soils / This section describes surface soils include the top layer directly exposed to the atmosphere plus the shallow materials easily accessed by excavating equipment. The contamination can be related to constituents transported by air or from direct discharge or spills of contaminated materials.
1.4.2. / Subsurface soils / Describes subsurface soils are the materials from a depth of about 300mm to the water table. In many cases it may be difficult to remove these materials without extensive efforts. The contamination source may be long-term surface releases that infiltrate into the deeper soil layers over time.
1.4.3. / Surface water / Describes the surface water represents the waters that directly flowing and discharged to surface water bodies such as streams, rivers and lakes. The contamination sources may be discharged directly to the surface water or collected in the surface water as it flows across contaminated materials. Contaminated surface water can move off site and impact surface water quality away for the site.
1.4.4. / Groundwater / Discusses how ground water can be impacted by the infiltration of contaminated seepage from above ground or underground sources. Contaminated groundwater can move off site and impact groundwater quality away for the site.
1.4.5. / Waste / Describes various forms of waste, such as large volume waste resulting from mining activities, waste generated by specific activities such the water treatment sludge, and waste generated from material removal through excavation of contaminated soils, etc.
1.5. / Staff disciplines / Describes ER typical large teams of people consisting of management/administrative staff as well as highly qualified technical personnel that include engineers, scientists and technicians. The staff manages the project and also executes the work. / 15 min
1.6. / Roles and responsibilities / Discusses about the staff members at an ER project have specific roles and responsibilities. This section describes the roles and responsibilities of the main project staff.
1.6.1. / Regulator / Describe how the regulators review the proposed ER plans, issue the permits and compile site specific permit requirements. They also visit the site on a regular basis during the ER implementation and enforce the regulatory requirements.
1.6.2. / Operator / Discusses how the operators provide the financial resources and leadership in the development and implementation of the ER plans. They work closely with the regulators.
1.6.3. / Contractor and subcontractors / Describes how the operator hires the appropriately qualified contractors and sub-contractors to implement the ER. Technical expertise and experience as well as the proposed costs are considered in the selection process.
Review
2. / ER Planning Process / 1 Hour Total
2.1. / Historic Site Assessment and characterization / 1) Describes what an HAS is; what its purposes are (e.g. it identifies potential, likely, or known sources of radioactive material and radioactive contamination). 2) Discusses what activities are involved in site characterization, i.e., gathering radiologic, geologic, hydrogeologic, soil chemistry, waste characteristic information etc to define necessary cleanup and support preparation of plans. / 15 min
2.2. / Select remediation criteria / Discusses pros and cons of dose criteria vs prescribed cleanup levels for individual media. Presents examples of each approach. / 15min
2.3. / Identify remediation options / Discusses the need to compile a list of potential alternatives for each aspect of remediation, and presents a table of some options for each of the potential media.
2.4. / Perform options study and select preferred option / Describes an overview of what is involved in an analysis of option/alternatives
2.5. / Develop remediation plan, cost estimate and environmental assessment / Presents general format and content for planning documents. / 15 min
2.6. / Obtain regulatory approval / Describes the process of regulatory review, request for additional information and approval.
2.7. / Stakeholder engagement / Discusses who the stakeholders are, the need for their involvement, and general practices for engagement, including when and how to involve.
2.8. / Prepare for implementation / 15 min
2.8.1. / Assemble project team / Discusses the makeup of the significant operator and contractor positions to implement the remediation.
2.8.2. / Prepare procedures / Presents that various procedures and operating plans need to be prepared prior to beginning the environmental remediation. Standard operating procedures are written instructions that explain the work steps you use to carrying out your construction quality methods and policies.
2.8.3. / Mobilization / Discusses the general considerations in mobilizing a remediation project, including field offices, temporary laboratories, communications systems, local services and equipment locator lists, transportation and temporary roads, utilities hookup, medical facilities, security controls, obtaining local permits, etc.
Review
3. / ER Implementation / This element describes the actual activities that will compose the implementation phase of the ER activities at a site requiring remediation. / 1.5 hours Total
3.1. / Health and safety / Describe the health and safety issues associated with performing the ER of a site. Include descriptions of both the radiological as well as the industrial aspects. Provide examples of most common H&S issues based upon industry experience. / 20 min
3.2. / Emergency planning and site security / Describe the typical issues at an ER site relative to emergency planning and site security concerns. Include discussion of and arrangements for emergency response actions in case of an actual ER associated emergency. (Include as well the issues of site security, fire protection and first aid as well.)
3.3. / Staff site specific training / Describe the typical training program required to be in place for the regulator staff and the project team and its contractors. / 10 min
3.3.1. / Health and safety training / Describe the health and safety training program concerns for an ER team including radiological as well as industrial safety issues. The content should be based upon the results of the Job Hazard Analysis process done specifically for the ER project. Lecture should draw out typical issues.
3.3.2. / Technical training / Describe the technical training program concerns and methods to be used for training the ER team in the implementation of the technical scope of the ER work scope.
3.4. / Regulatory oversight / Describe the methodology the regulator will need to employ to safely and efficiently perform the oversight of the ER activities. May be able to be extracted from the regulatory body’s inspection manual. / 5 min
3.5. / Project management / Describe the project management methods needs and tools that are available and that can be used to achieve timely and efficient ER implementation. This would include: scope, schedule and budgetary controls available and that should be used at some level appropriate based upon the project’s magnitude. / 10 min
3.6. / Contaminated media remediation technologies and monitoring / This element describes the various waste media that will be remediated in the field and what variety of available technologies can be considered for implementation based upon the ER characterization and planning activities. Describe the specific ER technologies for remediation of each specific soil contaminant and water contaminant. / 25 min
3.6.1. / Surface soils / Describe some examples of specific typical technologies for remediation of surface soils.
3.6.2. / Subsurface soils / Describe the specific technologies for remediation of subsurface soils.
3.6.3. / Surface water / Describe the specific technologies for remediation of surface waters.
3.6.4. / Groundwater / Describe the specific technologies for remediation of groundwater.
3.6.5. / Waste / Describe the specific technologies for remediation of waste.
3.7. / QA and QC / Describe the project QA and QC methods that are available and that can be used to assure and control quality aspects of the ER implementation process. This would include the typical quality of work impacting aspects of the ER process. / 5 min
3.8. / Perform final status survey / Describe the process to be used in verifying that the ER process has remediated the soil contaminants to the remediation criteria specified in the Planning documents for the ER activity. / 15 min
3.9. / Completion report / Describe the purpose of and the typical content of the project completion report which should be prepared (including Lessons Learned) at the completion of the ER activity.
Review
4. / Post remediation management / Describes the decisions and activities to be considered upon ER implementation completion. / 0.75 hours Total
4.1. / Status of site / Describe the options for the end-state condition at a site which was remediated. Describe the different factors to be considered in determining what an appropriate end-state condition might be for a particular ER site. / 15 min
4.1.1. / Unrestricted release / Describe the typical conditions that constitute unrestricted release of a site after ER activities are completed. Describe the circumstances that might be advantageous in arriving at a decision for unrestricted release of the site.
4.1.2. / Restricted release / Describe the typical conditions that constitute restricted release of a site after ER activities are completed. Describe the variety of site conditions that might be possible to be included if this option is elected as the ER end-state. Describe the circumstances that might be advantageous in arriving at a decision for restricted release of the site.
4.2. / Monitoring / Describe the program for monitoring of the ER site after the completion of the remediation activities bearing in mind that in most cases no monitoring or only a very limited monitoring of various media and engineered features may be required. / 10 min
4.3. / Records management / Describe the concerns for and features of a records management system to be established for the management of the project records generated from the ER activities. / 10 min
4.4. / Preventing legacy sites / Discusses the life cycle considerations at new operations. / 10 min
Review
5. / ER Implementation examples / Describes contaminated media remediation technologies and monitoring. / 1.5 hours total
5.1. / Surface soils / Describes surface soil radioactively contamination, contaminated surface soil characteristics and properties, released radionuclide source and pathways, dose measurement and assessment, site investigation, sampling and analysis, remediation method and technology options (in-situ and ex-situ), selected technology, remediation design, planning, operation and monitoring, lessons learned. / 15 min
5.2. / Subsurface soils / Describes subsurface soil radioactively contamination, contaminated subsurface soil characteristics and properties, released radionuclide source and pathways, dose measurement and assessment, site investigation, sampling and analysis, remediation method and technology options (in-situ and ex-situ), selected technology, remediation design, planning, operation and monitoring, lessons learned. / 15 min
5.3. / Surface water / Describes surface water radioactively contamination, contaminated surface water characteristics and properties, released radionuclide source and pathways, dose measurement and assessment, site investigation, sampling and analysis, remediation method and technology options (in-situ and ex-situ), selected technology, remediation design, planning, operation and monitoring, lessons learned. / 15 min
5.4. / Groundwater / Describes groundwater radioactively contamination, contaminated groundwater characteristics and properties, released radionuclide source and pathways, dose measurement and assessment, site investigation, sampling and analysis, remediation method and technology options (in-situ and ex-situ), selected technology, remediation design, planning, operation and monitoring, lessons learned. / 15 min
5.5. / Waste / Presents and describes case studies regarding radionuclides contaminated site as waste; waste generation, characteristics and properties; how deal with radionuclides waste as contaminated sites or generated wastes during and after remediation, waste dose measurement and risk assessment, waste treatment storage, transport and disposal; methods and technologies for radioactively contaminated sites: prevention and control, investigation and assessment, minimization, recycling, reuse , treatment, disposal and monitoring; acceptable treatment options and applied method and technology and lessons learned. / 15 min
5.5.1. / Existing waste / Describes case studies regarding radionuclides existing waste as contaminated site; how wastes have generated and their characteristics, properties, dose measurements and risk assessment; methods and technologies for prevention, control, minimizing, reuse, recycling, treatment, disposal and monitoring existing wastes; lessons learned. / 10 min
5.5.2. / Generated waste / Presents case studies regarding radioactively generated wastes during and after site remediation; how deal with generated wastes, dose measurements and risk assessment; generated wastes minimization, recycling, reuse, packing, transportation, storage/disposal options; selected treatment methods and technology; lessons learned. / 5 min
Review
Assessment of Level 0 knowledge gained to obtain certificate of successful completion
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