-30-
HW-80991
operation guides (Figure 11) until early September when an unplarined
131
release of I
occurred from a chemical separations facility. Early recog-
nition of the abnormal condition and immediate action successfully retained
a major portion of the I
131
within the plant.
The concentration of I
131
meas-
ured in air about the plant perimeter increased temporarily, but this did not
significantly affect the longer range annual exposure from inspired air.
Measurement of I 131 in air at locations about the plant perimeter indicated
the average concentration during 1963 was less than 0.05 pe/m?,
If such a
concentration were sustained in inspired air, the resulting annual dose to
the thyroid of the "standard man" would be less than 1 mrem.
F.
Radionuclides in Milk and Agricultural Produce
The radioactivity in locally grown agricultural produce can be influ-
enced by deposition of air-borne radionuclides, or by irrigation with water
containing reactor effluent radionuclides.
Chemical separations facilities
are generally considered to be the principal local source of air-borne radionuclides.
Under certain condition, ventilation stacks of the reactors or lab-
oratory facilities could possibly become of some small interest.
The closest
farming area to the separations facilities is about 13 miles away, and under
most meteorological conditions this distance affords adequate dilution before
the radioactive effluents reach the farming areas.
Most of the irrigated farm land near the Hanford plant uses water
from the Yakima River, or from the Columbia River above the project,
How-
ever, the Ringold farms and the Riverview district west of Pasco, which are
about 15 and 30 miles downstream from the reactors, respectively, take
water from the Columbia River for irrigation.
Some of the reactor effluent
' radionuclides can be traced through the irrigation water to milk and other
farm products.
The Ringold farms, approximately 13 miles east of the pro-
duction areas, involve about 20 people working some 500 acres of land with
fruit as their principal product.
The Riverview farm area has about 30 fam-
ilies that raise fruit, vegetables, beef, and dairy herds.
This area is located
about 30 miles southeast of chemical separations plants.
Another agricultural
area near the project is Benton City, located on the Yakima River about 20
miles directly south of the separations facilities.