Laserfiche WebLink
Presently, the RWQCB oversees all investigations and clean-up efforts relating to the <br />trichloroethylene (TCE) and its degradation products, and tritium contamination which <br />have been found to come from other pits. There is no evidence that this contamination is <br />coming from either Pits 1 or 7. <br />I. FACILITY DESCRIPTION AND LOCATION <br />LLNL-Site 300 is owned by the Federal Government and is operated by the University of <br />California (UC). Site 300 is located in the counties of Alameda and San Joaquin. It <br />occupies 11 square miles of steep hills and rugged canyons with rolling hills and benches on <br />its southern portion. The site is located about 15 miles southeast of Livermore and 8.5 <br />miles southwest of Tracy (shown in Figure 1). Site 300 operations consist of hydrodynamic <br />testing of non-nuclear high explosives; charged particle beam research; physical, <br />environmental and dynamic testing; and high explosives formulation and fabrication. These <br />operations are located at different areas: the West and East Firing Area; the General <br />Service Area (GSA); Process Area; Chemistry Area; and Environmental Test Area. <br />Specifically, LLNL is closing two hazardous waste landfills (Pits 1 and 7) (shown in <br />Figure 2). Pit 7 is located in the Pit 7 complex at the West Firing Area about 2500 feet east <br />of the property boundary. The Pit 7 complex has three other landfills (Pits 3, 4 and 5) <br />which are inactive and in which a groundwater investigation is being conducted under the <br />oversight of the RWQCB. <br />Pit 1 is located in the East Firing Area about 2700 feet south of the property boundary. <br />DHS issued an Interim Status Document (ISD) to Site 300 on March 30, 1981 which <br />authorized them to continue to operate its existing hazardous waste units including Pits 1 <br />and 7. However, on June 30, 1988, Site 300 withdrew its application to operate the two <br />landfills. This resulted in EPA's and DHS' decisions to terminate the ISD for the operation <br />of Pits 1 and 7. As required, Pits 1 and 7 ceased to receive waste or operate on <br />November 8, 1988. <br />II. PIT 1 DESCRIPTION <br />Pit 1, located in the East Firing Area, is about 11,800 square yards or about two -and -a -half <br />acres with a total volume of approximately 58,964 cubic yards of mixed wastes. Cover <br />material was applied to the landfill every time there was a change of gravel at the firing <br />table and just prior to the onset of the rainy season. This means that the specified volume <br />of mixed waste above also consists of copious amount of clean fill soil. The facility started <br />operating in 1961 and ceased to operate on November 1988. <br />Solid wastes generated from the hydrodynamic test of non-nuclear explosives were <br />disposed here and to other landfills on-site. The wastes consist of contaminated gravel and <br />rubble (wood, cardboard, packaging, scrap metal) produced by detonation of test <br />assemblies on gravel -covered firing tables. <br />