Research Capabilities
Performance and Risk Assessment
A key to quantitative evaluations of near-term operational environmental impacts and long-term performance and risks associated with waste and natural resource management alternatives is understanding of the proposed actions and options in the context of the physical, hydrologic and biological framework of the impacted environment. Reliable and quantitative information on the environmental consequences of past, present and future human-induced activities at impacted compliance boundaries and receptor points at the site and within the region provide valuable input to decisions on site management, mitigation of environmental impacts and protection of natural resources.
PNNL hydrologists have considerable experience and expertise integrating subsurface and surface water flow and transport predictive tools with analysis capabilities of other multi-disciplinary teams to assess local- and regional-scale water quality, human health and ecosystem impacts. PNNL staff have developed cost-effective and efficient technical approaches to evaluate impacts from individual facilities and to assess the cumulative and superposed impacts from multiple facilities. PNNL multi-disciplinary teams have conducted assessments over a wide range of environmental conditions and have analyzed a variety of radioactive and hazardous waste-disposal approaches and technologies.