Several agencies are concerned with comments made by the U.S. Department of Energy in the March 25 edition of the Iowa State Daily.

The U.S. Department of Energy ignored the comments and objections made by the Iowa Departments of Health and Natural Resources when it published its “Record of Decision” about the Ames Chemical Disposal Site.

This “Record of Decision” refers to an area north of Scholl Road and Ontario Street. Ames Laboratory used this area between 1958 and 1966 to dispose of waste. Some of that waste contained radioactive material and other hazardous substances.

At a meeting in August, 1996, the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, Iowa Department of Public Health and Iowa State University told the U.S. Department of Energy that the existing data did not support any of the conclusions they made.

The Department of Energy published a document in July, 1996, called the Phase II Remedial Investigation Report/Proposed Plan. This document summarized the results of sampling done by the Department of Energy after a contractor removed the waste at the Ames Chemical Disposal Site. The conclusions of this document were the same as the statements made in the Iowa State Daily on March 25.

We feel the testing data, as of yet, simply doesn’t show the site is “safe and clean” as reported by the Daily. Soil and vegetation were sampled only twice. The last time was in August, 1995. There have been no water samples taken since April, 1996.

In December 1996, the U.S. Environmental Agency joined with the Iowa agencies in telling the Department of Energy that the data did not support the conclusions. Iowa State University developed a sampling and monitoring plan that would address the concerns of all regulatory agencies.

There may be no additional hazard at this location. It is also possible that no additional removal is necessary. It is also possible that there is no need for any restriction whatsoever.

The problem is that there is not enough data to support any of those conclusions.

Donald Flater

Chief-Bureau of Radiological Health

Iowa Department of Public Health