21
The pumping recovery tests, which involved pumping the boreholes
completely dry and then observing the rate of water level rise, were
conducted in the tremie material.

These tests showed a very rapid

recovery in the water levels; in one case the water level rose 2 feet
in 5 minutes. Furthermore, water levels within the tremie concrete

corresponded very closely to sea: level and lagged only about 1/2 ‘hour

behind outside tidal fluctuations.
Thus, it appears that although the permeability of the soil-cement

mixture is quite low, the permeability of the tremie concrete is much

higher. Purthermore, in the tremie region there was relatively free
communication with the ocean, perhaps mainly along channels provided
by the oversize debris.
The soil-cement mixture was a moist, dense material that crumbled
in the hand and the tremie concrete, a dense, partially cemented

material.

The whole of the crater contents, however, was rather

impermeable to water except where there was channeling.
In sumnary, the cores showed that there are zones of incompletely
cemented tremie concrete.
This segregation of the concrete most likely
resulted because the tremie pipe was not always kept below the surface
ef the slurry, probably due to movements of the barge carrying the
injection equipment or failure to use a plug when each pumping sequence
was started. The soil-cement above the water level aiso did not
achieve the concrete-like character that was anticipated, possibly

because of bacterial effects of organic material which prevented proper
wn,

hardening of the concrete at the level of cement content used. Nevertheless, we believe that the keywall and concrete dome are satisfactory
for all likely situations that will occur.
4.3

Radioactive Contents
Samples taken from the cores and water samples from the holes were.
analyzed at the Lawrence Livermore Laboratory. Water samples also were
taken from two monitoring wells sunk outside the dome area, on the

lagoon side, in positions calculated to intersect water passing through
the crater and into the lagoon. The wells were fitted with unscreened
slotted polyvinylchloride pipe for use in future monitoring.

The results of these analyses have been given by Robison and

Noshkin (1981). ‘To summarize the data here, mean values have been
_Calcplated, omitting samples taken in the fallback zone. Results are

given in pCi/g and the range gives the high and low values for the set
of samples. Strontium and Pu were analyzed using wet chemistry methods
and the others, using gamma ray spectrometry.
.

*

°

339 T290py
Aeian

-~—!

tJ

cD

C™

**sr
**7es

CF)

.

Radionuclide

Mean

Concentration
|

|

Range

18.6

(46 - 1.6

2.8

6.3 = 0.20

20.6
8.7

'

$2- 5.5
27 = 0.24

”

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