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NASA NTRS2023

Launch Complex 34, SWMU CCO542022 DNAPL Source Zone Operations, Maintenance, and Monitoring, Site-Wide Long-Term Monitoring, and Hot Spot 6 Air Sparge System Annual Performance Monitoring Report Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida

This Annual Performance Monitoring Report (PMR) for the Dense Non-Aqueous Phase Liquid (DNAPL) Source Zone (DSZ), Site-Wide Long-Term Monitoring (LTM), and Hot Spot (HS) 6 Air Sparge (AS) System presents the results of Year 13 operation of the hydraulic containment (HC) Interim Measure (IM), the results of performance monitoring direct-push technology (DPT) sampling and monitoring well sampling conducted in the DSZ, results of the biennial site-wide LTM event, and the results of operations and performance sampling of the HS 6 AS IM at Launch Complex 34 (LC34), located at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station (CCSFS), Florida. This site has been designated Solid Waste Management Unit (SWMU) CC054 under the Kennedy Space Center (KSC) Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) Corrective Action Program. For the site-wide biennial LTM event, a total of 55 monitoring wells were sampled for volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in February 2023 and one well was sampled for polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in December 2022. One well planned for VOC sampling was found to be destroyed and could not be sampled (CW0002). The LTM wells are screened in two lithologic zones: Layer 1 (0 to 25 feet below land surface [bls]) and Layer 2 (25 to 30 ft bls), and are located in the outlying areas of LC34 to monitor groundwater conditions within the Low-Concentration Plume (LCP), defined as concentrations exceeding Groundwater Cleanup Target Levels (GCTLs), and the High-Concentration Plume (HCP), defined as concentrations exceeding Natural Attenuation Default Concentrations (NADCs). Results from the biennial sampling event indicated overall plume stability and delineation for the plume, which extends over 300 acres. The operational period for Year 13 of the HCS was from April 1, 2022 to March 31, 2023. Operational runtime for the system was 90 percent during Year 13, with downtime events attributed to planned maintenance, system repairs, and power outages. As of March 31, 2023, a total of 313,673,241 cumulative gallons of groundwater containing 88,337 pounds of VOCs have been removed by the HCS. Influent concentrations of trichloroethene (TCE) have decreased since startup from approximately 280,000 μg/L (January 2010) to 12,000 μg/L (March 2023). During the reporting period, all effluent concentrations from the HCS (aqueous and vapor) were below regulatory reporting limits, indicating the system continues to operate as intended. Performance monitoring was conducted in December 2022 within the DSZ to evaluate TCE contamination. Groundwater samples were collected via DPT at nine locations, consistent with previous events between 2017 and 2021. Full vertical profile sampling was completed at each DPT from 8 to 98 feet bls, at 5-foot intervals. The DPT performance monitoring results are summarized in this PMR. The results revealed TCE remains at concentrations greater than 11,000 μg/L in the DSZ (1-percent solubility, indicative of DNAPL) at eight of the nine DPT locations and at depths ranging from 8 to 98 feet bls. In addition to DPT sampling, groundwater samples were collected from deep monitoring wells in the DSZ area (Layers 7 and 8) in December 2022 to verify vertical delineation. Layer 7/8 monitoring well results were non-detect in December 2022, with exception of three wells (IW0162, IW043D2, and IW044D2), where TCE, cis-1,2-dichloroethene (cDCE), and/or vinyl chloride (VC) were detected above GCTLs. These wells are screened 105 to 115 feet bls, which is below the existing recovery well capture zone. TCE was first detected in IW0162 in December 2021 and has since been sampled at least monthly to monitor TCE concentrations. The maximum TCE concentration during this operational period was 15,000 μg/L at IW0162 in March 2023. Because of the increased TCE concentrations in this well, a new recovery well (RW21D), screened 86 to 106 feet bls, was installed in January 2023 and incorporated into existing HCS operations. The HS 6 AS IM was initiated in 2018 with 160 AS wells, and expanded in 2019 with an additional 140 AS wells. Quarterly performance monitoring was reduced to semi-annual in 2020. The HS 6 AS system remained operational during the reporting period covered under this report. The results of the HS 6 system operation and semi-annual performance monitoring are summarized in this report. Semi-annual monitoring results collected in April and October 2022 show concentrations of contaminants of concern (cDCE, trans-1,2-dichloroethene, and vinyl chloride) are generally decreasing and not impacting the surface water drainage canal, indicating the HS 6 IM is meeting objectives. A Phase Two Expansion of the HS 6 AS IM was recently completed. As of the date of this report, the expansion became operational in August 2023 and the first quarter of monitoring was conducted in November 2023. Details of the construction, start-up, and performance monitoring will be included in a future Annual PMR. Overall, the tasks associated with Year 13 operation of the HC IM, operation of the HS 6 AS IM, and biennial site-wide sampling were performed in accordance with recommendations included in the previous 2021 LC34 (Year 12) annual report. Evaluation of results from the HC IM and HS 6 IM show that these systems are operating as designed and meeting performance objectives. Results from the site-wide biennial LTM program also show that the overall network of monitoring wells is adequate to continue monitoring plume-wide conditions.

Complex 34↗

NASA NTRS2024

Base Support Building Solid Waste Management Unit (SWMU) 014 PlumeStop Injection Pilot Study Work Plan

This document is a Pilot Study Work Plan (PSWP) for a PlumeStop® permeable reactive barrier (PRB) at the Base Support Building (BSB; the Site) located at the John F. Kennedy Space Center (KSC), Florida. The Site has been designated as Solid Waste Management Unit (SWMU) 014 under KSC’s Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) Corrective Action program. This document was prepared by AECOM Technical Services, Inc. (AECOM) for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) under Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity Contract 80KSC019D0010, Task Order 80KSC021F0096. This PSWP details the permeable reactive barrier (PRB) being installed at the BSB to decrease concentrations of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in downgradient groundwater using PlumeStop®. PlumeStop® is a colloidal activated carbon that PFAS compounds readily adsorb to. This PSWP outlines the design criteria, injection plan, and performance monitoring schedule for the proposed PlumeStop® PRB study that will guide the possible selection for use and future design of future full-scale PlumeStop® PRBs at KSC.

PFAS↗

NASA NTRS2024

Former Central Heat Plant SWMU 045 Year 2 Air Sparge System Performance Monitoring Report

This Air Sparge (AS) Performance Monitoring (PM) Report (PMR) presents Year 2 operation, maintenance, and monitoring (OM&M) activities, PM results, and monitoring well installations supporting the AS Interim Measure (IM) at the Former Central Heat Plant (CHP) at Kennedy Space Center (KSC), Florida. CHP has been designated Solid Waste Management Unit 045 under the KSC Resource Conservation and Recovery Act Corrective Action Program. An AS IM was installed at CHP between 2019 and 2021, which included the installation of an AS system to treat a chlorinated solvent groundwater plume. Contaminants of concern (COCs) identified at CHP for the AS IM include tetrachloroethene (PCE), trichloroethene (TCE), cis-1,2-dichloroethene (cDCE), and vinyl chloride (VC). The completed AS system includes a network of 267 AS wells, which treat approximately 1.3 acres of contaminated groundwater. “Hot” compressor technology is used to treat the source zone, while a “cold” compressor is used to treat two hot spot (HS) areas (HS1 and HS2) and the high concentration plume (HCP). The AS system began operation in June-July 2021 and this document includes Year 2 of operation. The overall runtimes for the AS system for the Year 2 reporting period (October 2022 to September 2023) were approximately 69 percent for the cold trailer and 71 percent for the hot trailer. Air samples and vapor screening results collected during the reporting period showed concentrations less than applicable human health and air emissions permit criteria. Groundwater performance monitoring results show that AS treatment continues to be effective in reducing COC concentrations at CHP. At the shallow interval, COC concentrations were all non-detect, less than, or met their respective State of Florida Groundwater Cleanup Target Levels (GCTLs) at the end of Year 2 in September 2023. In the deep interval, 10 of the 15 PM wells detected COCs greater than their respective GCTLs, with two of these wells also exceeding the Natural Attenuation Default Concentration for VC. Based on Year 2 OM&M and PM results, continued operation of the AS system is required to meet the IM objective. It is therefore recommended to continue with AS IM operations at CHP with the following plan for Year 3.

Kevin Alex Murphy↗

NASA NTRS2024

Launch Complex 34 SWMU CC054 Hot Spot Area 6 Expansion - Phase Three Implementation Work Plan

This Hot Spot (HS) Area 6 Air Sparge Expansion – Phase Three Implementation Work Plan (IWP) was prepared by Tetra Tech, Inc., for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) under the Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity Contract 80KSC019D0011-80KSC019F0067, for the implementation of an Air Sparging (AS) Interim Measure (IM) at Launch Complex 34 (LC34), located at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station (CCSFS), Florida. LC34 has been designated as Solid Waste Management Unit (SWMU) CC054 under the Kennedy Space Center (KSC) Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) operating permit. Expansion of the HS 6 IM will include installation of an additional 192 AS wells to depths of approximately 40 feet below land surface (bls) to remediate contaminated groundwater within two areas located west and northeast of the existing HS 6 AS treatment area. These areas were delineated via direct push technology investigations in September and October 2023. The expansion will target “hot spot” concentrations of cis-1,2-dichloroethene (cDCE) and vinyl chloride (VC), which are the contaminants of concern in these areas with concentrations greater than 10-times Florida Department of Environmental Protection Natural Attenuation Default Concentrations. The highest cDCE and VC concentrations detected in the proposed phase three expansion area were 58,000 micrograms per liter (μg/L) (32 to 36 feet bls) and 12,000 μg/L (23 to 27 feet bls), respectively. The objective for this expansion is to remediate contaminated groundwater within the treatment zone to support transition to long-term monitoring. This phase three expansion will add an additional 9.4 acres of treatment area to the HS 6 IM, which currently covers approximately 26.9 acres.

Launch Complex 34↗

NASA NTRS2024

Components Refurbishment and Chemical Analysis Facility, Hot Spot 1 Solid Waste Management Unit #041 Year 4 Annual Performance Monitoring Report Kennedy Space Center, Florida

This Year 4 Annual Performance Monitoring Report (PMR) presents the operations, maintenance, and monitoring activities for the Hydraulic Containment System (HCS) Interim Measure (IM) at the Components Refurbishment and Chemical Analysis (CRCA) facility located at John F. Kennedy Space Center (KSC), Florida. The primary objective of the HCS is to attain hydraulic control of the dissolved-phase chlorinated volatile organic compound (CVOC) plume, with the secondary objective to reduce concentrations of CVOCs in the high-concentration plume to support transition to monitored natural attenuation (MNA). CRCA has been designated Solid Waste Management Unit 041 under the KSC Resource Conservation and Recovery Act Corrective Action Program. The timeframe for activities documented in this Year 4 PMR extends from November 2022 through September 2023. Baseline sampling activities were completed in June 2019, and full-scale startup of the HCS IM was completed in July-August 2019. The operational runtime of the HCS for the Year 4 reporting period was approximately 94%, with the majority of downtime attributed to associated groundwater sampling events, maintenance, and Hurricane Nicole. Almost five million gallons of groundwater were treated during Year 4 of HCS operations, and concentrations of the site’s contaminants of concern (trans-1,2-dichloroethene and vinyl chloride) have been reduced by over 99%. This PMR describes the activities that were performed during Year 4 to operate and monitor the HCS IM, which includes three extraction wells, seven injection wells, and conveyance piping to a modular structure containing the control panel and an air stripper. Influent and effluent sampling results from the air stripper show that the system is operating as designed and is reducing concentrations of contaminants of concern to below detection limits. In addition to HCS operation, this PMR also discusses performance monitoring that has been implemented to assess progress of the HCS IM and overall plume conditions through scheduled groundwater (quarterly and semi-annual) and sub-slab soil gas (quarterly) sampling and analysis. Two ambient air samples were also collected on a quarterly basis in the vicinity of the modular structure and the paved driveway east of the Solvent Reclamation Area during routine operation and maintenance (O&M) activities to ensure safe breathing zone air quality for on-site personnel. All sub-slab soil gas and ambient air sampling conducted during the Year 4 operational period showed results below applicable regulatory air screening limits. Predictions made during the Year 2 groundwater model updates were in close correlation to post Year 4 plume conditions. A supplemental DPT study conducted in 2022 and 2023. This study indicated that low-concentration plume conditions, where concentrations exceed State of Florida Groundwater Cleanup Target Levels, expanded westward to Kennedy Parkway North and northward to the vicinity of the railroad tracks. Based on these results, recommendations were made to install 14 wells to monitor the downgradient and boundary conditions of the expanded LCP. The contents of this Year 4 PMR were presented during the November 2023 KSC Remediation Team meeting, where Team consensus was reached on several items including continued O&M of the HCS, and continued monitoring of groundwater, ambient air, and sub-slab soil gas. Sampling for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances at CRCA is ongoing and will be submitted under separate cover.

K. Alex Murphy↗

NASA NTRS2024

Monitoring Well Installation Completion Report for Ransom Road Landfill, Vertical Processing Facility, and Environmental Health Facility, Solid Waste Management Units: 003, 077, and 079

The intended purpose of the Monitoring Well Installation project is to support the Kennedy Space Center (KSC) Environmental Remediation Department’s Resource Conservation and Recovery Act Program by installing new monitoring wells. The wells are installed in accordance with the Brevard County Health Department and St. Johns River Water Management Districts rules and guidelines.

Well Installation↗

NASA NTRS2024

Monitoring Well Abandonment Completion Report for KARS Park1, Mobil Service Station, and Hypergol Maintenance Material North Solid Waste Management Units: 084, 093, and 090

The intended purpose of the Monitoring Well Abandonment project is to support the Kennedy Space Center (KSC) Environmental Remediation Department’s Resource Conservation and Recovery Act Program by abandoning monitoring wells throughout KSC that have been identified and prioritized as locations that no longer serve usefulness to program. The monitoring wells were abandoned in accordance with the Brevard County Health Departments and St. Johns River Water Management Districts rules and guidelines.

Timothy M Jellett↗

NASA NTRS2024

Area South of K7-516, SWMU 100 Performance Monitoring Report Kennedy Space Center, Florida

This Performance Monitoring Report (PMR) presents operations, maintenance, and monitoring information and performance monitoring results for the air sparging (AS) groundwater Interim Measure at the Area South of K7-516 (516S) located at Kennedy Space Center (KSC), Florida. AS expansion activities are also included in this PMR. The 516S site has been designated Solid Waste Management Unit 100 under the KSC Resource Conservation and Recovery Act Corrective Action Program. The timeframe for activities included in this report extends from January 1, 2023, through December 31, 2023.

Mark J. Jonnet↗

NASA NTRS2024

Launch Complex 34, SWMU CC054 2023 DNAPL Source Zone Operations, Maintenance, and Monitoring, Site-Wide Long-Term Monitoring, and Hot Spot 6 Air Sparge System Annual Performance Monitoring and Phase Two Expansion Construction Completion Report Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida

This Annual Performance Monitoring Report (PMR) for the Dense Non-Aqueous Phase Liquid (DNAPL) Source Zone (DSZ), Site-Wide Long-Term Monitoring (LTM), and Hot Spot 6 (HS 6) Air Sparge (AS) System presents the results of Year 14 operations and performance monitoring of the hydraulic containment (HC) Interim Measure (IM), details associated with construction and implementation of the HS 6 AS system expansion (Phase Two), and the results of operations and performance sampling of the HS 6 AS IM at Launch Complex 34 (LC34), located at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station (CCSFS), Florida. The timeframe for activities documented in this PMR extends from April 1, 2023 to March 31, 2024. LC34 has been designated Solid Waste Management Unit CC054 under the Kennedy Space Center (KSC) Resource Conservation and Recovery Act Corrective Action Program. The objective of the HC IM at LC34 is to contain the shallow and deep DSZ and surrounding dissolved-phase trichloroethene (TCE) high concentration plume via operation of a hydraulic containment system (HCS). The pre-IM design 300 micrograms per liter (μg/L) TCE groundwater contour was used to establish the deep zone capture area for deep recovery wells, and the shallow zone capture area was defined by the DSZ. The system began operating in 2010, and in 2015, the system was expanded to provide HC for areas within the 300 μg/L TCE groundwater isocontours of HS 3 and 4. In 2018 and 2019, an investigation was conducted to recharacterize the DSZ, which included investigating TCE mass in Layer 7. This data was subsequently used to optimize the pumping rates of the HCS and install additional recovery wells in Layer 7 to more adequately capture residual contaminant mass. The operational period for Year 14 of the HCS was from April 1, 2023 to March 31, 2024. Operational runtime for the system was 94 percent during Year 14, with downtime events attributed to planned maintenance, system repairs, and power outages. As of March 31, 2024, a total of 344,849,634 cumulative gallons of groundwater containing 94,656 pounds of chlorinated volatile organic compounds (CVOCs) have been removed by the HCS. During the reporting period covered under this report, the HCS recovered 31,176,393 gallons and approximately 6,319 pounds of CVOC mass. Total combined influent concentrations of TCE have decreased since startup from approximately 280,000 µg/L (January 2010) to 25,000 µg/L (March 2024). During the reporting period, all effluent concentrations from the HCS (aqueous and vapor) were below regulatory reporting limits, indicating the system continues to operate as intended. Performance monitoring was conducted in January 2024 within the DSZ to evaluate TCE contamination. Groundwater samples were collected via DPT at nine locations, consistent with previous events between 2017 and 2022. Full vertical profile sampling was completed at each DPT from 8 to 98 feet below land surface (bls), at 5-foot intervals. The DPT performance monitoring results are summarized in this PMR. The results revealed TCE remains at concentrations greater than 11,000 µg/L in the DSZ (1-percent solubility, indicative of DNAPL) at eight of the nine DPT locations and at depths ranging from 28 to 98 feet bls. An overall decreasing trend of TCE concentrations was observed in DPT samples during this reporting period, which is a reduction from the previous event (December 2022) and the peak event in December 2021, where TCE percentages appeared to increase in all depth zones because several recovery wells were turned off during the AS pilot study in the DSZ. The maximum TCE concentration in January 2024 was 1,600,000 µg/L in the 53 feet bls depth interval at DPT594 (previous maximum result in 2022 was 1,800,000 µg/L in the 48 feet bls depth interval at DPT599). This maximum concentration in the 53 feet bls depth interval is in the deep capture zone. During the January 2024 DPT event, the largest portion of TCE mass was observed in the 48 feet bls interval above/within Layer 4. This trend remains consistent with previous years and appears to indicate continued mass discharge from Layer 4 (fine-grained unit). In addition to DPT sampling, annual groundwater samples were collected from 11 deep monitoring wells in the DSZ area (Layers 7 and 8) in December 2023 to verify vertical and horizontal delineation. Three of the wells were also sampled biweekly to evaluate operations of recovery well RW21D (screened 86 to 106 feet bls), which was installed in January 2023. Of the Layer 7/8 monitoring sampled only annually, results were non-detect or less than groundwater cleanup target levels GCTLs in December 2023, with the exception of one well, IW45D2, which had a cis-1,2-dichloroethene (cDCE), detection greater than the GCTL. Of the three wells sampled biweekly during the operational period, the well located closest to Layer 7 recovery well RW21D (IW44D2, screened 105 to 115 feet bls) had concentrations of TCE, cDCE and vinyl chloride (VC) greater than GCTLs throughout the operational period, but displayed a decreasing trend since the peak concentrations in September 2023. The maximum TCE concentration during this operational period was 190,000 µg/L at IW44D2 in September 2023, but reduced to 700 µg/L in March 2024, indicating the HCS is still effectively removing mass from the source area. Expansion of the HCS and addition of new recovery wells is ongoing and will continue to be evaluated as the groundwater recovery scheme is optimized. Details of the expansion and optimization will be provided in a future PMR. The HS 6 AS IM was initiated in 2018 with 160 AS wells and expanded in 2019 with another 140 AS wells. An additional expansion of the HS 6 AS IM was completed during the reporting period covered under this report and details of the construction implementation and startup of the expansion are detailed in Section III of this report. The new expansion, referred to as Phase Two, was implemented between August 17, 2022 and August 28, 2023, and included the installation of 190 air sparge wells to treat an additional 11.2 acres. The original configuration (referred to as Phase One) operated until Phase Two came online, then all but 52 AS wells were turned off so the components could be moved and utilized in the Phase Two area. The 52 AS wells that remain on are in a barrier configuration preventing contaminated groundwater from impacting the treated area. The HS 6 AS system (both Phase One and Two) operated normally during the reporting period covered under this report. Semi-annual performance monitoring of the Phase One configuration was conducted in April and November 2023, consistent with previous years. For the Phase Two configuration, 21 new monitoring wells were installed and sampled quarterly, with a baseline event in July 2023, and quarterly events in November 2023 and February 2024 summarized in this report. Semi-annual monitoring results collected in April and October 2023 show concentrations of contaminants of concern (cDCE, trans-1,2-dichloroethene, and VC) have decreased to less than GCTLs in nearly all wells and not impacting the surface water drainage canal, indicating the HS 6 IM continues to meet objectives. The baseline and quarterly sampling for the Phase Two configuration indicate generally decreasing concentrations in wells within and around the perimeter of the treatment area. At least two more quarters of monitoring will be conducted and once those results are evaluated a reduced the sampling frequency may be considered. Overall, the tasks associated with Year 14 operation of the HC IM and operation of the HS 6 AS IM were performed in accordance with recommendations included in the previous 2022 LC34 (Year 13) PMR. Evaluation of results from the HC IM and HS 6 IM show that these systems are operating as designed and meeting performance objectives.

groundwater remediation↗

NASA NTRS2024

Hypergol Maintenance Facility North, SWMU 090, Year 3 Air Sparge System Performance Monitoring Report, Kennedy Space Center, Florida

This Performance Monitoring Report (PMR) presents Year 3 Air Sparge (AS) System operation, maintenance, and monitoring (OM&M) activities and performance monitoring results for the AS Interim Measure (IM) at the Hypergol Maintenance Facility North (HMFN) at Kennedy Space Center (KSC), Florida. HMFN has been designated Solid Waste Management Unit (SWMU) 090 under the KSC Resource Conservation and Recovery Act Corrective Action Program. The timeframe for activities included in this report extends from September 2022 to August 2023. The HMFN AS IM was implemented in 2019-2020 to treat a chlorinated solvent groundwater plume that resulted from historical operations supporting the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Space Program. The system includes 213 AS wells, with screen depths ranging from 25 feet to 45 feet below land surface (bls) and treats approximately 1.62 acres of contaminated groundwater. The objective of the AS IM is to actively reduce groundwater concentrations exceeding Florida Department of Environmental Protection Natural Attenuation Default Concentrations (NADCs) (identified as the High Concentration Plume [HCP]) to levels that facilitate transition into a Long-Term Monitoring program. The AS IM targets all of the HCP, except for a source zone area within the HCP where trichloroethene (TCE) concentrations exceed 11,000 micrograms per liter (μg/L) at depths greater than 45 feet bls. This is because site lithology was found to not be conducive to the AS treatment technology at these deeper depths. NASA will re-visit plans for potentially utilizing another remedial technology for residual deeper contamination following completion of the AS IM. OM&M activities and results from Year 3 indicate that the AS system at HMFN is operating as designed and is meeting performance criteria. Groundwater performance monitoring results indicate that following the third year of AS system operation, TCE concentrations in wells across all treated depth intervals have been reduced by an average of more than 99 percent. Overall, the areal extent of the plume showed a reduction following Year 3 of AS operations; however, continued operation of the AS system is required to meet the IM objective.

VOCs↗

NASA NTRS2024

KSC Child Development Center (PRL 149) Confirmatory Sampling Report and Interim Measures Work Plan

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) permit requires identification and evaluation of known Solid Waste Management Units (SWMU) located at the Kennedy Space Center (KSC). The KSC Child Development Center (KCDC), the “site,” is designated as potential release location (PRL) 149 under the NASA RCRA permit. This report summarizes the results of the Confirmatory Sampling (CS) activities carried out on March 19, 2022, and May 16, 2023, at KCDC, PRL 149, KSC, Florida. This report additionally presents the results of an assessment conducted between July 7 and July 27, 2023, to determine whether construction activities in 2023 to replace certain playground equipment and the rubberized play surface released arsenic (As) contaminated soil.

CDC↗

NASA NTRS2024

Shallow Soil Polychlorinated Biphenyl Site Assessment Report: General Services Administration Reclamation Yard Solid Waste Management Unit 010

This report presents a summary of the shallow soil polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) site assessment activities that occurred from December 2020 through July 2022 at General Services Administration Reclamation Yard, Solid Waste Management Unit (SWMU) 010, located at the John F. Kennedy Space Center (KSC), Florida. The site is monitored under KSC’s Resource Conservation and Recovery Act Corrective Action Program, which also meets the requirements of Chapter 62-780, Florida Administrative Code. For the purposes of this report, three separate shallow soil plumes, known as the Northeast Shallow Soil PCB Plume, Southeast Shallow Soil PCB Plume, and West Shallow Soil PCB Plume, were identified for this site. The activities presented in this report include seven field events conducted between December 2020 and July 2022, which include shallow soil sample collection in the Northeast, Southeast, and West Shallow Soil PCB Plumes. AECOM Technical Services, Inc., personnel collected 330 soil samples from 118 boring locations. The samples were collected at 0.5-foot depth intervals to various depths based on analytical results and depth to groundwater. The soil samples were submitted to a fixed-based laboratory for analysis by United States Environmental Protection Agency Method 8082A for total PCBs. Several soil samples had PCB concentrations above the State of Florida Direct Exposure Residential and Industrial Soil Cleanup Target Levels (SCTLs), and two soil samples had PCB concentrations above the State of Florida Leachability for Groundwater. No soil borings were located beneath impervious surfaces, such as concrete or asphalt. The current Land Use Control Implementation Plan (LUCIP) covers PCBs in soils above the residential SCTL, which includes the paved areas.

soil assessment↗

NASA NTRS2025

Converter Compressor Building, SWMU 089 Monitoring Well 21 Area Implementation Work Plan Kennedy Space Center, Florida

This Implementation Work Plan (IWP) was prepared by Tetra Tech, Inc., for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) under Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) Contract 80KSC019D0011/80KSC019F0070, for the implementation of a bioremediation Interim Measure (IM) at the Converter Compressor Building (CCB) site located at Kennedy Space Center (KSC), Florida. The location of CCB within KSC is shown on Figure A-1. CCB has been designated as Solid Waste Management Unit (SWMU) 089 under KSC’s Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) Corrective Action Program. The overall Corrective Action Objective (CAO) for CCB is to reduce concentrations of trichloroethene (TCE), cis-1,2-dichloroethene (cDCE), trans-1,2-dichloroethene (tDCE), and vinyl chloride (VC) to less than State of Florida Groundwater Cleanup Target Levels (GCTLs). The objective for the IM associated with this IM is to reduce groundwater concentrations for the contaminants of concern (COCs) to less than their Natural Default Attenuation Concentrations (NADCs) within the Monitoring Well 21 Area (herein referred to as MW21 Area) via bioremediation injections to support transition to long term monitoring (LTM). This IWP describes the activities that will be performed for the treatment of the MW21 Area. The Revision 1 CCB MW21 Area Interim Measure Work Plan (IMWP; NASA, 2024), which was approved by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) on December 26, 2024, was used as the design basis for this IWP.

Mark Jonnet↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Design of an AI Trash Sorting Machine for Use on the Moon and Mars

As NASA prepares for Mars colonization, resource conservation will be critical for survival. Artificial Intelligence (AI) powered waste sorting technologies, already emerging on Earth, offer promising solutions for recycling and material recovery. These systems use advanced sensors and machine learning algorithms to identify and separate materials with remarkable accuracy. On Mars, where every item has significant value, efficient recycling will be essential to reduce resupply needs and support closed-loop life support systems. This paper explores how terrestrial AI-based trash sorting technologies can be adapted for Martian conditions, focusing on challenges such as the harsh surface environment, minimizing system mass, power, volume, and estimating waste composition. Addressing these issues will be key to enabling sustainable operations on the Red Planet.

Sorting↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Design of an AI Trash Sorting Machine for Use on the Moon and Mars

AI↗

DOE OSTI2020

Treatment of Problematic Reactive Metal Wastes Using GeoMelt ICV - WM2020 Conference Paper

Decommissioning of sodium-cooled reactors and fast reactor technologies has generated a number of reactive metal waste configurations that are problematic to treat and typically lack cost effective treatment methods and disposition options. As a result, Veolia Nuclear Solutions, under contract with Idaho National Laboratory (owned by the U.S. Department of Energy and managed and operated by Battelle Energy Alliance, LLC) demonstrated its GeoMelt® In-Container Vitrification (ICV)™ technology to safely convert sodium metal to a non-reactive vitrified oxide form. The demonstration project, supported by glass formulation and crucible testing, consisted of a series of ICV™ melts that processed elemental sodium into stable non-reactive glass. INL is currently implementing GeoMelt® technology as a means to safely and reliably convert radioactive reactive metal residues that contaminate sodium cooled reactor components into waste forms that comply with existing disposition pathways. Reactive metal wastes require treatment in order to remove the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) reactivity and ignitability characteristics to comply with land disposal restrictions. GeoMelt®, which is an alternative to other potential treatment approaches, provides a robust approach that chemically converts the reactive metals to an inert oxide while also immobilizing radionuclides in a vitrified waste form with durability equal to or better than vitrified nuclear fuel reprocessing wastes (very robust and inert waste forms). Most other treatment approaches generate hydrogen gas which is problematic. In 2016, Veolia Nuclear Solutions first demonstrated the effectiveness of the GeoMelt® ICV™ process in deactivating reactive sodium metal. Crucible, bench-scale, and engineering-scale demonstrations were conducted on several surrogate waste configurations with various ratios of sodium metal and glass-formers. Each ratio and configuration demonstrated complete deactivation of the surrogate sodium metal. Follow-on work in 2017 demonstrated the deactivation of reactive sodium by GeoMelt® ICV™ at a higher waste loading relative to previously demonstrated work performed in 2016; the higher waste loading optimized glass chemistry while enhancing the economical full-scale treatment of reactive metals. Additionally, follow-on demonstration testing in 2018 and 2019 focused on more complex shapes and other reactive-metals (mocked up Experimental Breeder Reactor II [EBR-II] subassembly, sodium filled heat exchanger, and a can containing sodium potassium alloy) which were all performed at engineering-scale. Since 2018, a 10-metric ton full-scale GeoMelt unit (GeoMelt® Richland) was designed, installed, and commissioned at Perma-Fix Northwest in Richland, Washington for the treatment of reactive metal wastes. As of September 2019, over 900 55-gallon drums containing a total of around 3,500 lb of sodium with low levels of radioactivity have been treated at GeoMelt ® Richland, with resulting glass monoliths disposed at the Nevada National Security Site (NNSS). A full-scale radiological demonstration melt on an actual EBR-II subassembly has also been performed using the full-scale melter in 2019. The GeoMelt® technology is a proven radioactive waste treatment technology capable of immobilizing radioactive wastes, including bulk rubble such as drums and other steel vessels usually without pretreatment. Utilizing the GeoMelt® technology to treat reactive metals eliminates pretreatment steps resulting from having to separate the reactive metal from steel containers or jackets as GeoMelt® can easily operate at temperatures sufficient to melt the steel and expose the reactive metal for treatment. Eliminating handling steps of reactive metals is a significant safety advantage since reactive metals are pyrophoric. The results generated as a part of the 2018-2019 demonstration program are presented in the paper.

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗

DOE OSTI2021

A Circularity Assessment for Silicon Solar Panels Based on Dynamic Material Flow Analysis

Solar photovoltaics (PV) are the fastest growing renewable energy technology for clean, inexpensive, and sustainable electricity generation. Along with numerous technical roadmaps to improve system cost, performance and reliability, the PV industry should also plan to handle large volumes of silicon panel waste, which is initially estimated to be ~13 million metric tons (MT) by 2050 in the U.S. alone. Understanding the magnitude of material needs and how material flows throughout the PV panel life cycle could respond to design, operational and different end-of-life (EOL) circular pathways will help transition into a circular, resource-conserving economy. Herein, we introduce a dynamic material flow analysis (DMFA) framework based on electricity generation to quantify time-series stocks and flows of bulk PV materials (e.g., solar glass and aluminum frames) throughout the life cycles of utility-scale silicon PV systems in the U.S. in the period 2000-2100. We apply the model to a range of scenarios to understand how material demands depend on selected PV-related parameters, different material circularity strategies, and recent module design trends (e.g., bifacial, frameless). We found that float glass and aluminum in PV installations would likely reach 100 million MT and 12 million MT by 2100, respectively, in the baseline scenario. The most influential parameters for PV installation and subsequent waste reduction are found to be module lifetime, module efficiency, annual degradation, and material reduction. Module recycling and component remanufacturing were found to be the most effective material circularity strategies for waste minimization. Panel reuse has negligible savings on waste under current module efficiencies compared to replacements with newer generations with higher efficiency. Ongoing trends to produce larger power frameless modules could save 10 million MT of glass and ~9 million MT of aluminum. Our results enable advanced planning for future materials needs and provide insight into potential opportunities to minimize waste.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗

DOE OSTI2021

A Circularity Assessment for Silicon Solar Panels Based on Dynamic Material Flow Analysis: Preprint

circular economy↗