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DOE OSTI2025

Evaluating Movement Patterns of the Rattlesnake Hills Elk Herd on Hanford for Calendar Years 2019-2024

Biologists first documented elk on the Hanford Site in 1972; since then, the elk herd known as the Rattlesnake Hills Elk Herd (RHEH) has grown substantially (PNNL-13331, Population Characteristics and Seasonal Movement Patterns of the Rattlesnake Hills Elk Herd: Status Report 2000). Through the 1990s, the core range of the RHEH was focused on the portion of the Hanford Reach National Monument known as the Fitzner-Eberhardt Arid Lands Ecology (ALE) Reserve. More recently, larger numbers of elk have been occupying the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), Hanford Field Office (HFO), formerly the DOE, Richland Operations Office managed portion- of the Hanford Site, known as central Hanford (Figure 1-1). This began with bachelor groups of bulls occupying the site intermittently, and the herd has grown to resident herds, including bulls, cows, and calves. The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) established a target herd size for the RHEH of less than 350 animals to minimize damages on adjacent private agricultural lands (Washington State Elk Herd Plan–Yakima Elk Herd [WDFW 2002]). Attempts to control the RHEH population through hunting on private lands and a relocation effort during 2000 have failed to limit growth of the population toward the WDFW target, and the herd exceeds 1,600 according to recent counts (PNNL-13331; DOE/RL- 2023-20, Hanford Annual Site Environmental Report for Calendar Year 2022). Although elk are present on central Hanford year-round, they continue to move between areas offsite, the ALE Reserve, and central Hanford throughout the year, and it is these movements that result in many of the elk-vehicle collisions (EVC) that occur along Hanford Site roads and on the Washington State highways bordering the site. In addition, changes in management strategies on the ALE Reserve, including recent and potential future tribal elk hunts, may alter herd behavior and result in additional animals transiting onto and off central Hanford.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

DOE OSTI2026

Central Hanford Ecological Integrity Assessments: Final Report

The Hanford Site is comprised of an expanse of shrub-steppe habitats that provides exceptional ecological value to plants and animals located on the site and in the surrounding greater Columbia Basin. The U.S. Department of Energy, Hanford Field Office (HFO)-managed portion of the Hanford Site, referred to herein as Central Hanford, has been the focus of various ecological monitoring efforts, such as vegetation monitoring. The scope and goals of vegetation surveys have varied greatly since the Hanford Site was established, but studies have documented a rapidly changing landscape, making it clear that routine vegetation monitoring is integral to understanding ecological changes and preserving the ecological value of the Hanford Site. A new vegetation monitoring effort was initiated in calendar year (CY) 2023 and continued through CY 2025 using methods based on ecological integrity assessments (EIA) (NHR-2024-04, Field Manual for Applying Rapid Ecological Integrity Assessments in Upland Plant Communities of Washington State ) developed by the Washington Natural Heritage Program (WNHP), a division of the Department of Natural Resources (DNR), and NatureServe.® The methods were modified and supplemented to meet monitoring goals at the Hanford Site. The EIA monitoring effort consisted of field surveys to evaluate vegetation and soil conditions for upland habitats throughout Central Hanford. Vegetation cover estimates were used to score a variety of metrics for vegetation condition. This report summarizes monitoring methods, monitoring results, and provides management recommendations.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

DOE OSTI2024

Hanford Site Roadside Bird Surveys Report for Calendar Years 2021-2023

The U.S. Department of Energy, Hanford Field Office (HFO) conducts ecological monitoring on the Hanford Site to collect and track data needed to ensure compliance with an array of environmental laws, regulations, and policies governing HFO activities. Ecological monitoring data provide baseline information about the plants, animals, and habitats under HFO stewardship at Hanford which is required for decision-making under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA). The Hanford Site Comprehensive Land Use Plan (CLUP, DOE/EIS-0222-F), which is the Environmental Impact Statement for Hanford Site activities, helps ensure that HFO, its contractors, and other entities conducting activities on the Hanford Site are in compliance with NEPA.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

DOE OSTI2026

Townsend's Ground Squirrel Conservation on the Hanford Site for Calendar Year 2025

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), Hanford Field Office (HFO) conducts ecological monitoring on the DOE-managed portion of Hanford Site (hereby referred to as Central Hanford) to collect and track data needed to ensure compliance with an array of environmental laws, regulations, and policies governing HFO activities. Ecological monitoring data provides baseline information about the plants, animals, and habitat under HFO stewardship on the Hanford Site, which is required for accurate ecological impact assessment decision making under the National Environmental Policy Act and the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act. In addition, ecological monitoring helps ensure that HFO, its contractors, and other entities conducting activities on the Hanford Site are in compliance with DOE/EIS-0222-F, Final Hanford Comprehensive Land Use Plan Environmental Impact Statement. HFO places priority on monitoring plant and animal species or habitats that have specific regulatory protections or requirements; that are rare and/or declining (federal or state listed endangered, threatened, or sensitive species); or are of significant interest to federal, state, or tribal governments or to the public.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

DOE OSTI2024

2023 Central Hanford Ecological Integrity Assessments Monitoring Report

The Hanford Site is comprised of an expanse of shrub-steppe habitats that provides exceptional ecological value to plants and animals located on the site and in the surrounding greater Columbia Basin. The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE)-managed portion of the Hanford Site, referred to from here on as Central Hanford, has been the focus of various ecological monitoring efforts, including vegetation monitoring. The scope and goals of vegetation surveys have varied greatly since the Hanford Site was established, but previous studies have documented a rapidly changing landscape, making it clear that continued vegetation monitoring is integral to preserving the ecological value of Central Hanford. A new vegetation monitoring effort was initiated in 2023 using methods based on ecological integrity assessments (EIA) (Natural Heritage Report [NHR] 2020-05) developed by the Washington Natural Heritage Program (WNHP), a division of the Washington State Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and NatureServe®. The methods were modified and supplemented to meet monitoring goals at the Hanford Site. The 2023 EIA monitoring effort consisted of field surveys to evaluate vegetation and soil condition across Central Hanford. Surveys were focused on upland habitats, and areas under consideration for upcoming projects were prioritized. Vegetation cover estimates were used to score a variety of metrics for vegetation conditions in each area. In 2023, approximately half of the site was surveyed. Monitoring methods and results for the 2023 field season are summarized in this report, and management recommendations are also provided.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

DOE OSTI2024

Feasibility Study for Cathodic Protection of Waste Tanks at Hanford

The Hanford Nuclear Reservation site contains approximately 211 million liters of radioactive and chemically hazardous waste arising from nuclear weapons production, beginning with World War II, and continuing through the Cold War. The waste is stored in 177 carbon-steel underground storage tanks, of which 149 are single-shell tanks (SSTs) and the remaining are double-shell tanks (DSTs). The mission of an ongoing River Protection Project is to retrieve the waste from the underground storage tanks and then treat and immobilize (i.e., vitrify) it for disposal. Waste from the older SSTs is being progressively retrieved into the newer DSTs for storage pending treatment, immobilization, and disposal. Waste chemistry controls are in place to mitigate general corrosion, pitting corrosion, and stress corrosion cracking (SCC) and minimize corrosion risks to the carbon steel tank liners of DST at the Hanford Site. The chemistry control program focuses on preserving liner integrity while balancing the need for caustic/nitrite additions that have large downstream impacts on vitrification. Some of the DSTs store salt cake or sludge waste layers contain out-of-specification interstitial liquids that contact the primary tank bottom or sidewall. Remediation of such layers through chemical additions is not practical. At the present time, the most significant leak integrity concern at Hanford is for corrosion of the tank bottoms of DSTs where the solids layer is out of specification because of hydroxide ion depletion and consequently, pH values that are less than 12. Cathodic protection (CP) has been proposed as a possible way to protect the liners of such tanks against corrosion. The objective of this project was to investigate the feasibility of applying CP to Hanford DSTs to mitigate internal corrosion of the carbon steel tank primary liners. The scope of the project included (1) a literature review on the application of CP to storage tank systems, in general, and to waste tanks at the Savannah River Site (SRS) and Hanford, (2) a review of the finite element analysis (FEA) model recently developed to evaluate potentials for a DST, and (3) the development of a boundary element analysis (BEA) model for CP for a DST. Tank AN-107, one of the Hanford DSTs, was selected for this work because (1) the bottommost waste layer in the tank is out-of-specification, and (2) electrochemical and resistivity data, based on recent waste sampling and testing, are available for this tank. The overarching conclusion of this study is that, based on the available information, it is feasible to apply CP to mitigate internal corrosion of the primary liners of the Hanford DSTs. However, significant additional information and work are required before a CP system can be designed. Recommendations for next steps in the design of the CP system will be presented.

WIERSMA, BRUCE↗

DOE OSTI2025

Hanford Site Rare Plant Monitoring Report for Calendar Year 2023-2024

This report summarizes rare plant monitoring data collected in calendar years (CY) 2023 through CY 2024 and provides management recommendations accordingly. DOE/RL-2021-35, Central Hanford Rare Plant Management Plan, guides the approach to rare plant monitoring and management at the Hanford Site. In CYs 2023 and 2024, rare plant monitoring efforts occurred on the portion of the Hanford Site managed by the Hanford Field Office (HFO; Figure 1-1), referred to herein as Central Hanford. The goal of monitoring is to collect data to evaluate the conservation status of rare plant species. Surveys conducted in CY 2023 through CY 2024 built on previous monitoring efforts, tracking the abundance and distribution of rare plants at Central Hanford. Results from previous monitoring efforts are included for reference. Monitoring data are submitted to the Washington Natural Heritage Program (WNHP) to evaluate statewide conservation statuses.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

DOE OSTI2026

Hanford Site Mule Deer Monitoring Report for Fiscal Years 2024 and 2026

The U.S. Department of Energy, Hanford Field Office (HFO) conducts ecological monitoring on the Hanford Site to collect and track data needed to ensure compliance with environmental laws, regulations, and policies governing Department of Energy activities. The vision for the HFOmanaged portion of the Hanford Site, hereby referred to as Central Hanford, focuses not only on the cleanup of nuclear facilities and waste sites but on the protection and restoration of the Hanford Site lands. As the HFO moves toward accomplishing this vision, understanding of the ecological resources present and the need for conservation and/or protection of those resources will be critical for making informed decisions for responsible site stewardship. Ecological monitoring data provides baseline information about the plants, animals, and habitats under HFO stewardship at Central Hanford required for decision-making under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA) and Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

DOE OSTI2024

Nitrate and Nitrite at Hanford – From Tanks to Natural Attenuation

Washington River Protection Solutions, LLC (WRPS) contracted Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) in support of their maturation testing and analysis to develop and deploy an ambient temperature solidification/stabilization process for low-activity waste (LAW) (referred to as “grout” in this report). The intent of this effort is to support a sample-and-send regulatory and processing strategy in the Hanford 200 West Area, specifically considering grout waste forms disposal at Hanford in the Integrated Disposal Facility (IDF). Currently the disposal of grouted LAW is not an option because the IDF is not permitted to receive this waste form. The material presented in this report is intended to help inform the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), the site operating contractors, regulatory agencies, and stakeholders of the future implications of IDF disposal of a grouted LAW waste form, specifically for the behavior of nitrate (NO 3 - ) and nitrite (NO 2 - ) at the Hanford. The only calculation of nitrate release from a hypothetical grouted LAW inventory in the IDF showed that the overall release was slightly above the compliance limit of 45 mg/L nitrate and 3.32 mg/L nitrate after 1000 years (Asmussen et al. 2019). As such, uncertainty around the impact of nitrate and nitrite release from the IDF was identified in the recent National Academies of Sciences study of Hanford supplemental LAW by both the national laboratory team and Hanford stakeholders (Bates et al. 2023). However, these calculations (and others for the IDF involving secondary waste grout) may be conservative as no nitrate and nitrite retention in the grout waste form was assumed, nor any attenuation in the subsurface. There is evidence from the literature of processes that can attenuate nitrate migration both in the waste form and in the Hanford subsurface. If found to be technically defensible and likely to occur in the IDF and associated subsurface, then these processes should be included in modeling of the IDF to represent the behavior of nitrate and nitrite more accurately. Doing so would remove unnecessary conservatism in the modeling projections and reduce the uncertainty in assessments of facility compliance of a grouted LAW waste form in the IDF.

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗

DOE OSTI2025

Summary of Analytical Services for the Hanford Site Radionuclide NESHAP Program

This document is a summary of the point source analytical requirements used to demonstrate compliance for the Department of Energy (DOE) Hanford Site operations with 40 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 61, “National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants,” (NESHAP) Subpart H, “National Emission Standards for Emissions of Radionuclides Other Than Radon From Department of Energy Facilities,” and the Washington Administrative Code (WAC) 246-247, “Radiation Protection – Air Emissions.” This reference collects information from multiple source documents and is not intended to create, supersede, replace or over-ride any existing contractual, DOE, federal or state statutes, regulations, compliance agreements, orders, permits, licenses or other requirements. The requirement source document governs where any difference may exist. The Hanford Mission Integration Solutions (HMIS) Environmental organization has been contracted by DOE to manage and report data collected from the sampling and monitoring of radioactive air emissions point sources, colloquially called stacks. The Environmental organization coordinates the analyses and reporting of samples collected at various facilities across the Hanford Site. These facilities operate approximately 52 stacks that require sampling, monitoring or estimating radioactive air emissions. The stacks are operated by Bechtel National, Inc. (BNI), Central Plateau Cleanup Company (CPCCo), Hanford Tank Waste Operations & Closure (H2C), Hanford Laboratory Management and Integration (HLMI), and Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL). Stack samples from CPCCo, HLMI and H2C facilities are collected by the operating contractor staff, delivered to HMIS, and then shipped to an offsite contracted laboratory for analyses. The field and laboratory sample data uploaded into the Sample Management and Analytical Results Tracking (SMART) database are used to calculate sample volumes and concentrations. Sample concentrations are evaluated for compliance with federal and state regulations, permits, and license requirements. The SMART database also calculates total curies released for sampled point sources and stacks. Point source effluent concentrations and releases are published annually in publicly available reports. The BNI and PNNL operate several DOE-Hanford Field Office (HFO) stacks subject to the requirements of 40 CFR 61, Subpart H and WAC 246-247. The concentrations, curies released and dose modeling evaluation for these stacks are included in the DOE-HFO annual radionuclide NESHAP report. The sample collection, analyses and emissions estimates for these stacks are outside the scope of HMIS contracted responsibilities and not addressed further in this document.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

DOE OSTI2025

Hanford Reach Fall Chinook Salmon Redd Monitoring Report for Calendar Year 2024

The U.S. Department of Energy, Hanford Field Office (HFO) conducts ecological monitoring on the Hanford Site to collect and track data needed to ensure compliance with an array of environmental laws, regulations, and policies governing HFO activities. Ecological monitoring data provide baseline information about the plants, animals, and habitats under HFO stewardship at the Hanford Site required for decision making under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act. DOE/EIS-0222, Final Hanford Comprehensive Land-Use Plan Environmental Impact Statement, (CLUP) evaluates the potential environmental impacts associated with implementing a comprehensive land-use plan for the Hanford Site for at least the next 50 years, and ensures that HFO, its contractors, and other entities conduct activities on the Hanford Site in compliance with NEPA.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

DOE OSTI2025

Hanford Reach Fall Chinook Salmon Redd Monitoring Report for Calendar Year 2023

The U.S. Department of Energy, Hanford Field Office (HFO) conducts ecological monitoring on the Hanford Site to collect and track data needed to ensure compliance with an array of environmental laws, regulations, and policies governing HFO activities. Ecological monitoring data provide baseline information about the plants, animals, and habitats under HFO stewardship at the Hanford Site required for decision making under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act. DOE/EIS-0222, Final Hanford Comprehensive Land-Use Plan Environmental Impact Statement, (CLUP) evaluates the potential environmental impacts associated with implementing a comprehensive land-use plan for the Hanford Site for at least the next 50 years, and ensures that HFO, its contractors, and other entities conduct activities on the Hanford Site in compliance with NEPA.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

DOE OSTI2026

Hanford Site Rare Plant Monitoring Report for Calendar Year 2025

This report summarizes rare plant monitoring data collected in calendar year (CY) 2025 and provides management recommendations accordingly. DOE/RL-2021-35, Central Hanford Rare Plant Management Plan, guides the approach to rare plant monitoring and management at the Hanford Site. In CY 2025, rare plant monitoring efforts occurred on the portion of the Hanford Site managed by the U.S. Department of Energy, Hanford Field Office (HFO; Figure 1-1), referred to herein as Central Hanford. The goal of monitoring is to collect data to evaluate the conservation status of rare plant species. Surveys conducted in CY 2025 built on previous monitoring efforts, tracking the abundance and distribution of rare plants at Central Hanford. Results from previous monitoring efforts are included for reference. Monitoring data are submitted to the Washington Natural Heritage Program (WNHP), part of the Washington State Department of Natural Resources (WA DNR), to evaluate statewide conservation statuses.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

DOE OSTI2025

Hanford Site Freshwater Mussel Monitoring Report for Calendar Year 2024

The U.S. Department of Energy, Hanford Field Office (HFO) conducts ecological monitoring at the Hanford Site to collect and maintain data to ensure compliance with an array of environmental laws, regulations, and policies governing HFO activities. Ecological monitoring data provides baseline information about the plants, animals, and habitats under HFO stewardship at the Hanford Site that is required for decision making under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 and the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980. In addition, ecological monitoring helps ensure that HFO, its contractors, and other entities conducting activities at the Hanford Site are in compliance with DOE/EIS-0222-F, Final Hanford Comprehensive Land-Use Plan Environmental Impact Statement. HFO places priority on monitoring those plant and animal species or habitats with specific regulatory protections or requirements that are rare and/or declining (i.e., federal or state listed endangered, threatened, or sensitive species) or are of significant interest to federal, state, or tribal governments or the public.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

DOE OSTI2025

Townsend’s Ground Squirrel Conservation on the Hanford Site for Calendar Year 2023: Translocation to Support At-Risk Ground Squirrel Populations

The U.S. Department of Energy, Richland Operations Office (RL) conducts ecological monitoring on the Hanford Site to collect and track data needed to ensure compliance with an array of environmental laws, regulations, and policies governing RL activities. Ecological monitoring data provide baseline information about the plants, animals, and habitat under RL stewardship at the Hanford Site, which is required for accurate ecological impact assessment decision making under the National Environmental Policy Act and the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act. In addition, ecological monitoring helps ensure that RL, its contractors, and other entities conducting activities on the Hanford Site are in compliance with DOE/EIS-0222-F, Final Hanford Comprehensive Land Use Plan Environmental Impact Statement. RL places priority on monitoring those plant and animal species or habitats with specific regulatory protections or requirements; or that are rare and/or declining (federal or state listed endangered, threatened, or sensitive species) or of significant interest to federal, state, or tribal governments or the public.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

DOE OSTI2026

Hanford Reach Fall Chinook Salmon Redd Monitoring Report for Calendar Year 2025

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

DOE OSTI2024

Hanford Site Raptor Nest Monitoring Report for Calendar Year 2022

The U.S. Department of Energy, Richland Operations Office (DOE-RL), conducts ecological monitoring on the Hanford Site to collect and track data needed to ensure compliance with an array of environmental laws, regulations, and policies governing DOE-RL activities. Ecological monitoring data provide baseline information about the plants, animals, and habitats under DOERL stewardship at the Hanford Site required for decision making under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA) and Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980. DOE/EIS-0222, Final Hanford Comprehensive Land Use Plan Environmental Impact Statement, (CLUP) evaluates the potential environmental impacts associated with implementing a comprehensive land-use plan for the Hanford Site for at least the next 50 years and ensures that DOE-RL, its contractors, and other entities conduct activities on the Hanford Site in compliance with NEPA.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

DOE OSTI2024

Hanford Reach Fall Chinook Salmon Redd Monitoring Report for Calendar Year 2022

The U.S. Department of Energy, Richland Operations Office (DOE-RL) conducts ecological monitoring on the Hanford Site to collect and track data needed to ensure compliance with an array of environmental laws, regulations, and policies governing DOE-RL activities. Ecological monitoring data provide baseline information about the plants, animals, and habitats under DOE-RL stewardship at the Hanford Site required for decision making under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act. DOE/EIS-0222, Final Hanford Comprehensive Land-Use Plan Environmental Impact Statement, (CLUP) evaluates the potential environmental impacts associated with implementing a comprehensive land-use plan for the Hanford Site for at least the next 50 years, and ensures that DOE-RL, its contractors, and other entities conduct activities on the Hanford Site in compliance with NEPA.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗