BEATTY -- The U.S. Department of Energy National Nuclear Security Administration Nevada Site Office will hold an open house Feb. 18 from 5 to 8 p.m. at the Beatty Community Center, 100 A Ave. South to discuss the groundwater affected by historic underground nuclear testing at the Nevada Test Site (NTS).

The open house will give the community an opportunity to speak directly with the scientists, engineers, and other professionals working to safeguard the public, the environment, and NTS workers.

In addition, DOE staff will be on hand to answer questions about the recently released Phase I Central and Western Pahute Mesa Transport Model and the upcoming release of the Central and Western Pahute Mesa Corrective Action Investigation Plan.

These documents support the information released in the 1997 Regional Groundwater Flow Report stating that radioactively contaminated groundwater is predicted to travel off the northwestern boundary of the NTS.

The Pahute Mesa Computer Model predicts migration of tritium and carbon-14 off the NTS within 50 years of the first nuclear detonation (1966) in the Western Pahute Mesa region. The investigation plan will outline a new well drilling campaign which will involve drilling nine wells during the next two to three years to gather further data regarding the establishment of a long-term monitoring system.

This well drilling campaign will begin in May 2009.

Detailed information on groundwater contamination, well monitoring, computer modeling, and well drilling will be available, with subject matter experts representing the Underground Test Area Sub-Project, the Community Environmental Monitoring Program, the Community Advisory Board for NTS Programs, and the fields of flow modeling, hydrology, drilling, monitoring, source term, transport, risk and health physics will be available.