Research Projects

Community Environmental Monitoring Program

PI: Ted Hartwell

Project Period: 2000 - Present

Right: Monitoring station in Beatty, Nevada.

Keywords: environmental monitoring, public, radiation, radioactivity, weather

Project Description

The Community Environmental Monitoring Program (CEMP) is a network of 28 monitoring stations located in communities surrounding and downwind of the Nevada Test Site (NTS). The mission of the program is to involve stakeholders directly in the monitoring of the airborne environment for manmade radioactivity that could result from past or ongoing NTS activities. The CEMP is a joint effort between the National Nuclear Security Agency, Nevada Site Office (NNSA/NSO), and the Desert Research Institute (DRI) of the Nevada System of Higher Education. The network stations, located in Nevada, Utah, and California are comprised of instruments that collect a variety of environmental data, include weather conditions. To manage the stations, DRI employs local citizens, many of them high school science teachers, whose routine tasks are to maintain the equipment, collect air filters and route them to DRI for analysis. These Community Environmental Monitors (CEMs) are also available to discuss the monitoring results with the public, and are available to speak to community and school groups. Program funding and equipment are provided by NNSA/NSO. DRI manages the program, provides technical direction, employs and trains CEMs, conducts public outreach activities and collects data to be analyzed by an independent laboratory.

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