Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory
In 2007, the management of Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory was awarded to a University of California-led LLC called Lawrence Livermore National Security, LLC. The partners in this LLC are the University of California, Bechtel National, BWX Technologies, and AECOM.
The Lawrence Livermore lab provides design and engineering for several nuclear warhead types and conducts simulated experiments to evaluate warheads. Department of Energy funding for the Lab in FY2019 was $1.56 billion, of which 86% comes from the NNSA’s Weapons Activities Appropriations. http://universities.icanw.org/uc_california
The Lawrence Livermore lab provides design and engineering for several nuclear warhead types and conducts simulated experiments to evaluate warheads. Department of Energy funding for the Lab in FY2019 was $1.56 billion, of which 86% comes from the NNSA’s Weapons Activities Appropriations. http://universities.icanw.org/uc_california
Lawrence Livermore Natl Lab (site 300) (USDOE)
The 11-square-mile Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (Site 300) was developed in the 1950s as a research facility. It is operated by Lawrence Livermore National Security, LLC (LLNL), for the U.S. Department of Energy (USDOE) primarily as a high-explosives and materials testing site in support of nuclear weapons research. Facility operations contaminated soil and groundwater with hazardous chemicals. The site’s long-term cleanup is ongoing. This rugged site consists of rolling hills ranging in elevation from 500 to 1750 ft above sea level, and is located approximately 6 miles southwest of Tracy and 15 miles east of Livermore – ranches and windfarms (Altamont Pass) and an off-road State park surround it.
In 1981, the Water Quality Resources Control Board began environmental investigations and the site was listed on the NPL in 1990. EPA, the California Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC), and the SF Bay Regional Water Quality Control Board (RWQCB) are signatories to the site’s 1992 Federal Facility Agreement (FFA). The FFA outlines DOE's responsibilities and milestones for addressing site contamination.
The Livermore Facility (Main Site or Site 200), a separate NPL Site, was developed in the 1950s as a research facility by the U.S. Atomic Energy Commission, predecessor to DOE, primarily as a research and design laboratory in support of nuclear weapons research, and is located 15 miles west of Site 300.
Risks and pathways addressed by the cleanup include health risks from people ingesting or touching contaminants in soil and groundwater.
In general, volatile organic compounds (VOCs) like TCE, PCE and other VOCs, Depleted Uranium (part of bomb cores and projectile tips), tritium, PCBs and dioxins (from capacitors and transformers), perchlorate and nitrates (from explosives), and Freon (accelerator coolant) are the primary contaminants found at the site.
The 11-square-mile Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (Site 300) was developed in the 1950s as a research facility. It is operated by Lawrence Livermore National Security, LLC (LLNL), for the U.S. Department of Energy (USDOE) primarily as a high-explosives and materials testing site in support of nuclear weapons research. Facility operations contaminated soil and groundwater with hazardous chemicals. The site’s long-term cleanup is ongoing. This rugged site consists of rolling hills ranging in elevation from 500 to 1750 ft above sea level, and is located approximately 6 miles southwest of Tracy and 15 miles east of Livermore – ranches and windfarms (Altamont Pass) and an off-road State park surround it.
In 1981, the Water Quality Resources Control Board began environmental investigations and the site was listed on the NPL in 1990. EPA, the California Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC), and the SF Bay Regional Water Quality Control Board (RWQCB) are signatories to the site’s 1992 Federal Facility Agreement (FFA). The FFA outlines DOE's responsibilities and milestones for addressing site contamination.
The Livermore Facility (Main Site or Site 200), a separate NPL Site, was developed in the 1950s as a research facility by the U.S. Atomic Energy Commission, predecessor to DOE, primarily as a research and design laboratory in support of nuclear weapons research, and is located 15 miles west of Site 300.
Risks and pathways addressed by the cleanup include health risks from people ingesting or touching contaminants in soil and groundwater.
In general, volatile organic compounds (VOCs) like TCE, PCE and other VOCs, Depleted Uranium (part of bomb cores and projectile tips), tritium, PCBs and dioxins (from capacitors and transformers), perchlorate and nitrates (from explosives), and Freon (accelerator coolant) are the primary contaminants found at the site.
Lawrence Livermore is included in the report “Bases and Facilities with Significant Historical U.S. Nuclear Weapons or Naval Nuclear Propulsion Missions - 2002” Radioactive
Compiled by Stephen I. Schwartz, 2002
https://www.brookings.edu/bombs-in-the-backyard/
Operable Units (OUs):
1. General Services Area – debris burial trenches w/ craft shop debris, solvents for degreasing; rinsewater disposed in dry wells.
2. Building 834 – 12 buildings used for thermal-cycling experiments conducted on weapons components; releases from storage tanks, above and below-ground piping, septic systems
3. Pit 6 Landfill - LLNL/Livermore Facility and Lawrence Berkeley Lab waste buried in 9 unlined debris disposal trenches and animal pits (lab waste (including tritium) lab equipment, craft shop debris, biomedical waste
4. High Explosives Process Unit (HEPA) –sources include unlined disposal lagoons (replaced with lined units in 1984; these were closed in 2005), a HE burn area, and releases from chemical formulation, mechanical pressing and machining of high explosive compounds into shaped detonation devices
5 .Building 850/Pit 7 Complex – Pit 7 complex is a group of landfills/Building 850 source (firing table) and tritium-contaminated sand pile (perchlorate and PCBs). Currently working on a Perchlorate RI/FS (B850P).
6. Building 854 – 13 buildings - test stability of weapon components. Six buildings had cooling loops that used TCE as a fluid.
7. Building 832 Canyon (includes Buildings 830 and 832). Building 830 complex has 1 building used to conduct experiments involving explosive chemicals and weapons components. Building 832 has 8 buildings used for experiments
8. Site Wide OU (contains a number of landfills and firing tables that have minimal contamination), except for recent discoveries of Depleted Uranium at the B851 firing table.
9. Building 812 complex was used for explosives tests (firing table). Chemicals (e.g., photographic wastes) were discharged to septic systems and a dry well. 90 mm navy artillery gun in one building. Depleted Uranium and VOCs. Created wetlands – now Red Legged Frog habitat. Currently working on an RI/FS.
10. Building 865 - High-energy laser tests (Star Wars Program); the complex also housed a 275 foot linear accelerator for charged beam particle research. Solvents were used in site operations. Freon and PCE are COCs in Groundwater. Currently working on an RI/FS.
View a full list of contaminants of concern for this site.
Want to know more? https://cumulis.epa.gov/supercpad/cursites/csitinfo.cfm?id=0902742
1. General Services Area – debris burial trenches w/ craft shop debris, solvents for degreasing; rinsewater disposed in dry wells.
2. Building 834 – 12 buildings used for thermal-cycling experiments conducted on weapons components; releases from storage tanks, above and below-ground piping, septic systems
3. Pit 6 Landfill - LLNL/Livermore Facility and Lawrence Berkeley Lab waste buried in 9 unlined debris disposal trenches and animal pits (lab waste (including tritium) lab equipment, craft shop debris, biomedical waste
4. High Explosives Process Unit (HEPA) –sources include unlined disposal lagoons (replaced with lined units in 1984; these were closed in 2005), a HE burn area, and releases from chemical formulation, mechanical pressing and machining of high explosive compounds into shaped detonation devices
5 .Building 850/Pit 7 Complex – Pit 7 complex is a group of landfills/Building 850 source (firing table) and tritium-contaminated sand pile (perchlorate and PCBs). Currently working on a Perchlorate RI/FS (B850P).
6. Building 854 – 13 buildings - test stability of weapon components. Six buildings had cooling loops that used TCE as a fluid.
7. Building 832 Canyon (includes Buildings 830 and 832). Building 830 complex has 1 building used to conduct experiments involving explosive chemicals and weapons components. Building 832 has 8 buildings used for experiments
8. Site Wide OU (contains a number of landfills and firing tables that have minimal contamination), except for recent discoveries of Depleted Uranium at the B851 firing table.
9. Building 812 complex was used for explosives tests (firing table). Chemicals (e.g., photographic wastes) were discharged to septic systems and a dry well. 90 mm navy artillery gun in one building. Depleted Uranium and VOCs. Created wetlands – now Red Legged Frog habitat. Currently working on an RI/FS.
10. Building 865 - High-energy laser tests (Star Wars Program); the complex also housed a 275 foot linear accelerator for charged beam particle research. Solvents were used in site operations. Freon and PCE are COCs in Groundwater. Currently working on an RI/FS.
View a full list of contaminants of concern for this site.
Want to know more? https://cumulis.epa.gov/supercpad/cursites/csitinfo.cfm?id=0902742
City of Livermore Utility Details Serves: 27,000 Data available: 2012—2017
https://www.ewg.org/tapwater/system.php?pws=CA0110011
Source: Purchased surface water Contaminants Detected 7 EXCEED EWG HEALTH GUIDELINES
20 Total Contaminants
EWG's drinking water quality report shows results of tests conducted by the water utility and provided to the Environmental Working Group by the California State Water Resources Control Board, as well as information from the U.S. EPA Enforcement and Compliance History database (ECHO). For the latest quarter assessed by the U.S. EPA (January 2019 - March 2019), tap water provided by this water utility was in compliance with federal health-based drinking water standards.
Legal does not necessarily equal safe. Getting a passing grade from the federal government does not mean the water meets the latest health guidelines.
Legal limits for contaminants in tap water have not been updated in almost 20 years.
The best way to ensure clean tap water is to keep pollution out of source water in the first place.
https://www.ewg.org/tapwater/system.php?pws=CA0110011
Source: Purchased surface water Contaminants Detected 7 EXCEED EWG HEALTH GUIDELINES
20 Total Contaminants
EWG's drinking water quality report shows results of tests conducted by the water utility and provided to the Environmental Working Group by the California State Water Resources Control Board, as well as information from the U.S. EPA Enforcement and Compliance History database (ECHO). For the latest quarter assessed by the U.S. EPA (January 2019 - March 2019), tap water provided by this water utility was in compliance with federal health-based drinking water standards.
Legal does not necessarily equal safe. Getting a passing grade from the federal government does not mean the water meets the latest health guidelines.
Legal limits for contaminants in tap water have not been updated in almost 20 years.
The best way to ensure clean tap water is to keep pollution out of source water in the first place.
The California Water Board tested one well in Livermore in 2019 and found 23.5 ppt of PFAS & PFOA, 14.1 ppt of "other PFAS" for a total of 37.6 ppt. See First round of PFAS sampling for CA Public Water Systems - April 1st to June 30th 2019
Source https://www.waterboards.ca.gov/water_issues/programs/pfas/
In the News
Pleasanton City Council Talks Groundwater Contaminants Nov. 7, 2019
https://www.pleasantonweekly.com/news/2019/11/06/city-council-talks-groundwater-contaminants
The Coming National Water-Quality Crisis Jan. 14, 2020
New California testing guidelines that take effect this month are expected to reveal widespread groundwater contamination from the chemicals associated with Teflon.
"I opened Google and typed in 'PFAS chemicals Pleasanton,'" she said. "What I found absolutely floored me."
https://www.eastbayexpress.com/oakland/the-coming-national-water-quality-crisis/Content?oid=28444997
94550 94391 94551 94568 94566 Altamont Pleasanton Ulmar Asco
