SITE INFORMATION AND CORRESPONDENCE

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WASTEWATER MONITORING inorganic nonradioactive report presents a thorough The Livermore site discharges constituent was found to public health evaluation of about 950,000 liters of exceed primary drinking water the sampling data (see ATSDR wastewater daily to the City standards in any off-site well. Public Health Assessment on of Livermore sanitary sewer Plutonium 239 Sludge at system. This is 3.8% of the total Shallow groundwater in certain http://www-envirinfo.11nl.gov). flow to the City's system. areas beneath Site 300 contains volatile organic compounds LLNL released plutonium Sewage flow from the Livermore (VOCs), tritium, nitrate, Freon, below permitted levels to the site to the Livermore Water perchlorate, and depleted Livermore sanitary sewer in Reclamation Plant (LWRP) uranium. These present no the 1960s. The plutonium is monitored continuously. current health risks because could be found at very low If any significant releases of the shallow groundwater is not levels in sewage sludge made radioactivity, metals, or high used as a water supply source. available to the public as a soil or low pH water are detected, amendment. the wastewater is redirected to SOIL AND SEDIMENT a sewer diversion system before MONITORING No health risk from the it leaves the Livermore site. It plutonium in the sludge was is then treated and disposed of Most analyses of 2003 on-site found at that time or since. appropriately or returned to the soil samples did not detect any Over the years, state and sanitary sewer if it meets permit nonradiological contaminants federal regulatory agencies conditions. labeled as potential constituents have confirmed that finding of concern. A few analyses after many detailed, public These were no wastewater detected either trace amounts investigations. permit violations issued in 2003. of contaminants or naturally occurring background DRINKING WATER concentrations. Radiological OFF-SITE VEGETATION MONITORING results were unchanged from very low levels of previous AND WINE MONITORING In 2003, the maximum tritium years. Elevated concentrations In general, off-site monitoring activity measured in off- of depleted uranium continue for tritium in vegetation and site drinking water was less to be found at some locations wine showed low values not than 0.2% of the regulatory within Site 300. Findings are significantly different from maximum contaminant level. within the ranges seen in the those for the past few years. past and present no threat to Gross alpha and gross beta employees or the public. As usual, there was slightly radioactivity measurements more tritium near the were also well below regulatory ATSDR REPORTS Livermore site than was found levels of concern. at more distant locations. The federal Agency for Toxic Potential ingestion dose GROUNDWATER Substances and Disease Registry estimates were well below MONITORING (ATSDR) confirmed that in regulatory levels of concern, 2003 there was no threat to even with organically bound In the Livermore Valley, no human health from plutonium tritium taken into account. monitored radioactive or in old sewage sludge. The 2 Environmental Community Letter October 2004