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Piorkowski, Robert E.

Publications and source records attributed to Piorkowski, Robert E..

Inspection Status Report of Site A/Plot M (Report for 2020)

The Site A/Plot M, Decommissioned Reactor Site was inspected on September 24, 2020. Site A/Plot M is located in the Palos Area Preserves, operated by the Forest Preserve District of Cook County. The site was found to be in good condition with minimal erosional concerns across the grass covered mound at Plot M. Landscaping timbers installed along the footpath north of Plot M is effective in reducing erosion down the hill. Erosion concerns at Plot M are being addressed by Argonne National Laboratory (ANL). The bike trail installed by Cook County Forest Preserve to the east of Plot M has helped reduce traffic at the site. The Plot M monument appears solid with no visible cracks. The Site A monument has several cracks present that will possibly widen over time. No cause for a follow up inspection was identified.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

Surveillance of Site A and Plot M Report (2019)

The environmental surveillance program discussed in this report is an ongoing activity that resulted from the 1976-1978 radiological characterization of the former site of Argonne National Laboratory and its predecessor, the University of Chicago's Metallurgical Laboratory. This site was part of the World War II Manhattan Engineer District Project and was located in a forested area southwest of Chicago, IL, owned by the Forest Preserve District of Cook County, now known as the Palos Area Preserves. Research was conducted at two locations in the Palos Area Preserves: Site A, a 19-acre area that contained experimental laboratories and nuclear reactor facilities; and Plot M, a 150 ft x 140 ft area used for the burial of radioactive waste. The location of the Palos Area Preserves is shown in Figure 2.1. The locations of Site A and Plot M are shown in Figure 2.2. Previous comprehensive reports on this subject provide additional detail and illustrations on sampling locations and provide descriptive material along with the results through 1981. Annual reports are available for 1982 through 2018. While earlier data will not be repeated in this report, reference is made to some of the results.

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗