Surveying and Remediation of Contaminated Small-Scale Residential Sites in Port Hope

Abstract

There are approximately 4500 small-scale properties in Port Hope, Ontario, Canada, a town

in which there were historic radium refining operations. It is expected that 200-400 of these properties are contaminated at levels above the Port Hope Area Initiative Clean-up Criteria (PHAI CC) and will need to be remediated.

In 2010, an initiative was implemented to (1) resurvey a representative number of the 4500 properties and (2) remediate up to six of the properties where the presence of historic Low Level Radioactive Waste (LLRW) contamination was confirmed. Information from the resurvey and remediation field work was intended to be used as the basis for developing procedures feasible for the overall resurvey and remediation work to be done as part of Phase 2 of the Port Hope Project.

Thirty-five small-scale properties, selected based on historical data, were resurveyed for the presence of interior radon gas and for exterior as well as interior gamma radiation levels. Objects and surfaces were surveyed for the presence of fixed and loose contamination at various locations including those with elevated gamma radiation levels. Boreholes and hand-augered holes were drilled to obtain soil samples for analysis of PHAI CC parameters; in addition, radiation profiles were recorded as a function of depth in the drilled boreholes. Based on the results obtained, the presence of LLRW was confirmed on several properties and deemed likely on several others. One of the more extensively contaminated properties was chosen for remediation.

This paper presents an overview of the techniques employed and results obtained during the SRCA field work as well as an account of the remediation work carried out. Overall conclusions are presented and recommendations drawn for the next phase of the work.