Pete SandersLead, Environmental Protection Team
U.S. Department of Energy, NNSA Nevada Site OfficeCommunity Environmental Monitoring Program Workshop
July 26, 2011
DOE, DRI and the Community:Moving CEMP into the Future
Together
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Log No. 2011-224
CEMP: A Joint Effort
• U.S. Department of Energy, National Nuclear Security Administration Nevada Site Office
• Desert Research Institute (Nevada System of Higher Education)
• Local communities
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Log No. 2011-224
CEMP in the Community• CEMP began operating in
1981 with15 monitoring stations located in California, Nevada, and Utah
– The original locations of Austin, NV and Salt Lake City, UT are not shown on this map
• Program expanded and currently consists of 29 monitoring stations
Current CEMP stations Original CEMP stations
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Log No. 2011-224
DOE Establishes CEMP• Identified need to establish a relationship with communities surrounding
the Nevada National Security Site formerly the Nevada Test Site
– Address public concerns regarding nuclear testing activities
• Recognized success of Citizen’s Monitoring Program (CMP) instituted in 1980 for the Three Mile Island nuclear power plant
• Modeled CEMP after the CMP
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Log No. 2011-224
CEMP Goals• Monitor offsite environmental conditions and communicate
environmental data relevant to past and continuing activities at the NNSS
• Engage the public hands-on in monitoring environmental conditions in their communities relative to activities at the NNSS
• Communicate environmental monitoring data to the public in a transparent and accessible manner
• Provide an educated, trusted, local resource for public inquires and concerns regarding past and present activities at the NNSS
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Log No. 2011-224
How Are We Doing?• Is the CEMP aligned with current NNSS missions, activities, and
cleanup efforts (soil, facilities, groundwater)?
• What is the level of community awareness regarding CEM efforts?
• Is CEMP data understood and is it increasing confidence and credibility in DOE?
• Is CEMP data communicated effectively?
• What methods and venues will best reach the most residents?
• Is DOE’s current level of involvement in the community appropriate?
