W.R. Grace
Building 23, W.R. Grace Curtis Bay Facility
August 2000 - January 2001
SRA's teaming partner, Millennium Services, Inc., was contracted by EA Engineering, Science & Technology to assist in a Remedial Site Investigation at the W.R. Grace Curtis Bay Facility located in Baltimore, Maryland under the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Formerly Utilized Sites Remedial Action Program (FUSRAP). The specific task was to design and execute a radiological characterization survey in accordance with the Multi-Agency Radiation Survey and Site Investigation Manual (MARSSIM) and NUREG-1507 - Minimum Detectable Concentrations with Typical Radiation Survey Instrumentation for Various Contaminants and Field Conditions.
The team provided the design and execution of a detailed survey plan for the radiological characterization of the southwest quadrant of the facility, dose modeling and DCGL development, data analysis, and issuance of a final report. The characterization was performed using the Surface Contamination Monitor / Survey Information Management System (SCM/SIMS) developed by SRA, supplemented with hand-held measurements in areas inaccessible to the SCM. The SCM was operated in both the rolling and corner modes to optimize use of the technology. Various building surfaces were monitored for radioactive contamination including floors, walls, ceilings, and structural steel. In addition to surface contamination measurements, G-M surveys, gamma spectroscopy measurements, and smear surveys were also performed.
Highlights of the survey included the following:
- Recorded approximately 1.8 million surface measurements for both alpha and beta contamination;
- Performed approximately 2500 G-M measurements;
- Performed 450 smear surveys for removable alpha and beta contamination;
- Characterized approximately 9,290 m2 in 8 weeks (230 m2/day);
- Generated over 300 individual survey reports;
- Performed gamma spectroscopy measurements to differentiate between Tl-208 and K-40.
