Stormwater Modeling Response to a Wide Area Radiological Dispersal Device Incident
Citation:
Mikelonis, A. AND K. Ratliff. Stormwater Modeling Response to a Wide Area Radiological Dispersal Device Incident. U.S. EPA Office of Research and Development, Washington, DC, 2022.
Impact/Purpose:
This technical brief describes the capabilities of two stormwater models for tracking and quantifying radiological contamination after an explosion of a radiologic dispersal device. The information may be used by stormwater models, emergency responders, and public health officials to better understand stormwater modeling capabilities and to plan future training and planning exercises.
Description:
Managing the response to urban radiological terrorism requires advanced planning and rapid response to minimize health risks to residents and mitigate long-term impacts to municipal infrastructure and the environment. A radiologic dispersal device can result in a widespread depositional plume that presents both an immediate exposure risk and a potential long-term risk through processes such as storm-induced transport. A well-organized response is critical to effective management of potential transport and exposure pathways and to reduce further spread of radiological contamination. Stormwater modeling is one tool to explore the feasibility of different remediation and sampling options. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Office of Research and Development, Center for Environmental Solutions and Emergency Response has developed models of Detroit, Michigan and Buffalo, NY to track and quantify washoff of deposited Cesium (Cs)-137.