NEW ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING SERVICE SPEEDS CLEANUP

A new Tri-Cities environmental services business - known as Northwest Environmental Services, Testing and Training (NESTT) - is part of an alliance between the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory and a private-sector company - a partnership that's already paying off in benefits to the local economy.

The new environmental services business, NESTT, was the result of a CRADA between Beckman Instruments, Inc. (Palo Alto, California), Washington State University, and the Laboratory. The new business uses the capabilities of the Unsaturated Flow Apparatus (UFA) in environmental characterization and remediation.

The UFA was originally developed to measure the hydraulic conductivity in unsaturated soils and whole rock cores for waste remediation efforts. Movement of water through these materials could have serious consequences for the integrity of waste packages over long storage periods. Using the UFA method, predictions regarding water movement can be based on reliable experimental data.

The hydrologic modeling made possible by the UFA is also applicable to the migration of contamination into drinking water supplies. Sparse data exist at present to model the transport of water, hydrocarbons, or contaminants in unsaturated zones. Water from these zones recharges the aquifers and water tables from which most of the southwestern United States obtains its drinking water.

The UFA technology was developed jointly by engineers at Beckman Instruments and scientists at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory and Washington State University to model and predict the transport of water, hydrocarbons, or contaminants through unsaturated soils, sediments, and rock formations on the Hanford Site. Under a CRADA with Beckman Instruments, the Laboratory and its partner tailored the UFA for commercial use in environmental remediation, agricultural, and other applications.

For more information, contact Marv Clement (509) 375-2789; fax: (509) 372-4589; email: m_clement@pnl.gov.

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