Work to repair instrument calibration facilities in Grand Junction, Colorado, is completed.
January 25, 2018
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The U.S Department of Energy Office of Legacy Management (LM) has completed repairs at the LM Grand Junction, Colorado, regional airport gamma-ray spectrometer calibration facility. The facility consists of five concrete pads containing known amounts of naturally occurring radioactive materials and were designed to calibrate aircraft-mounted radiation detection instruments. The pads are used to calibrate sensors used for uranium exploration, environmental remediation, and homeland security.
The facilities are recognized nationally as stable, well-characterized radiation sources and have been used by industry and government agencies since the mid-1970s. Users of the pads include DOE National Nuclear Security Administration, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), U.S. Geological Survey, Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, and private users. Although minimal maintenance is required for the facilities, due to concrete spalling and cracks, the 40-year-old airport facility required repairs. Staff from the EPA-Las Vegas, Nevada, Emergency Response Team were the first users of the rehabilitated airport pads in November 2017.
