Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (site 300) (USDOE)
EPA #: CA2890090002
State: California(CA)
County: Alameda/San Joaquin
City: 15 miles east of Livermore
Congressional District: 10
Other Names: Other Names:
Description and History
NPL Listing History
NPL Status: Final
Proposed Date: 07/14/89
Final Date: 08/30/90
Deleted Date:
The 11-square mile Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (Site 300) was developed in the 1950s as a research facility. It is operated by the Lawrence Livermore National Security, LLC, for the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) primarily as a high-explosives and materials testing site in support of nuclear weapons research. Approximately 350 people who work in the area are provided with drinking water from groundwater in the area. Most are laboratory employees and State of California employees who work in a nearby State vehicular recreation area. Adjacent ranch houses and a State fire station also draw drinking water from the aquifer.
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Contaminants and Risks
Contaminated Media:
Groundwater
Soil and Sludges
Groundwater and soil have been contaminated with solvents and other volatile organic compounds (VOCs), tritium, uranium-238, high explosive compounds (HMX, RDX), nitrate, and perchlorate. The primary health threat is drinking contaminated groundwater.
Who is Involved
DOE is the lead agency. EPA, DTSC, and RWQCB are signatories to the FFA.
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Investigation and Cleanup Activities
This site is being addressed through a combination of removal actions and remedial actions. The Site has been divided into 9 operable units to administratively track the progress of remediating contamination.
Initial Actions
Initial Actions: In the spring of 1991, DOE installed a groundwater extraction and treatment system to curtail the migration of a VOC contamination plume near the southern boundary of the site. In the fall of 1992, another plume of VOC-contaminated groundwater was discovered. A second extraction and treatment system was installed to control this plume. DOE also began capping two landfills to prevent rainwater runoff from causing contaminant migration. In 1995, DOE signed an interim groundwater Record of Decision (ROD) for the Building 834 OU (OU 2). In November 1995, DOE/LLNL and the regulatory agencies agreed to streamline the cleanup process by implementing removal actions where appropriate. In 1997, DOE signed a final ROD for the General Services Area OU (OU1). In 1998, groundwater pumping at the site boundary of the High Explosives Process Area OU (OU 4) was decided upon in an Action Memorandum. In 2001, an Interim ROD was signed for most of the remaining contaminated areas. In 2008, a Final ROD was signed for groundwater in OUs 2-8.
Site Studies
Entire Site: Site investigations have been conducted under the facility's Environmental Restoration Program. The Site Wide Remedial Investigation Report was finalized in April 1994. The Site Wide Feasibility Study was finalized in November 1999. In March 2001, an Interim ROD was signed for the following areas of contamination: Building 834 OU, Pit 6 Landfill, HE Process Area, Building 850 OU (excluding Pit 7 complex), Building 854 OU, Building 832 Canyon, Building 801 Dry Well and Pit 8 Landfill, Building 833, Building 845 Firing Table and Pit 9 Landfill, and Building 851 Firing Table. In 2006, DOE finalized a Remedial Investigation (RI) and Feasibility Study (FS) for the Pit 7 complex, a subarea of OU 5. In 2008, a Final ROD was signed for groundwater in OUs 2-8. DOE conducted a non-time-critical removal action for PCB contaminated soil in OU5. The RA construction completion for all of OU5 will be documented in 2011.
Remedy Selected
Site Studies
An RI/FS is being prepared for the Building 812 OU (OU9). It is scheduled to be completed by 2013.
A Federal Facilities Agreement was signed between EPA, DOE, and the State agencies in June 1992. It outlines DOE's responsibilities and milestones for addressing site contamination.
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Cleanup Results to Date
Groundwater is being pumped and treated at several locations (GSA, Building 834, HE Process Area, Building 832 Canyon). Soil Vapor Extraction to treat VOCs in the vadose zone is being conducted at GSA and Building 834 and Building 832 Canyon. Treatability studies have been conducted for perchlorate; perchlorate is treated by ion exchange and/or bioreactors.
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Potentially Responsible Parties
Potentially responsible parties (PRPs) refers to companies that are potentially responsible for generating, transporting, or disposing of the hazardous waste found at the site.
DOE is responsible for contamination at this site. They are the lead Agency. Their work is overseen by EPA, as well as the State of California.
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Public Information Repositories
The most complete collection of documents
is the official EPA site file, maintained at
the following location:
Superfund Records Center
Mail Stop SFD-7C
95 Hawthorne Street, Room 403
San Francisco, CA 94105
(415) 820-4700
Enter main lobby of 75 Hawthorne street,
go to 4th floor of South Wing Annex.
The public information repositories for
the site are at the following locations:
Livermore Public Library,
1000 South Livermore Avenue,
Livermore, CA 94550
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Contacts
|
Name |
Phone Number |
Email |
Address |
| EPA Site Manager |
Kathy Setian |
415-972-3180 |
Setian.Kathy@epamail.epa.gov |
Mail Code SFD81
75 Hawthorne Street
San Francisco, CA 94105 |
EPA Community
Involvement Coordinator |
David Cooper |
415-972-3245
1-800-231-3075 |
Cooper.David@epamail.epa.gov |
Mail Code SFD63
75 Hawthorne Street
San Francisco, CA 94105 |
EPA Public Information
Center |
|
415-947-8701 |
r9.info@epa.gov |
|
| State Contact |
Jacinto Soto |
510 540-3842 |
JSoto@dtsc.ca.gov |
DTSC |
| PRP Contact |
Claire Holtzapple |
925 422-0670
|
claire.holtzapple@oak.doe.gov |
DOE Livermore Site Office |
| Community Contact |
Marylia Kelley |
925 443-7148 |
marylia@trivalleycares.org |
Tri-Valley CAREs
http://www.trivalleycares.org/new/ |
| Other Contacts |
|
|
|
|
After Hours
(Emergency Response) |
US EPA |
(800) 424-8802 |
|
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