SITE INFORMATION AND CORRESPONDENCE

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Taayar 2003 LLNL fokomwfa/Camwilty Letter several decades ago. The source of the plutonium was millirem received from all sources, mostly natural back- LLNL releases under permitted levels to the Livermore ground sources. Federal radioactivity exposure standards sanitary sewer in the 1960s. No health risk has been are highly protective of the public and limit the annual found by regulatory agencies after several investigations. dose an individual can receive to 10 millirem. LLNL has never exceeded the federal standards for the public. Vegetation and Foodstuff Monitoring for Tritium In general, monitoring showed low values not significantly different from those for the past few years. AIR, WASTEWATER, AND WATER COMPLIANCE LLNL must meet federal, state, regional, county and local As usual, there was slightly more tritium near the environmental requirements. For example, in 2001, the Livermore site than was found at more distant locations. Bay Area Quality Management District issued or renewed Potential ingestion dose estimates were well below regu- 110 operating permits for the Livermore site. The San latory levels of concern, even when organically bound Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District issued or tritium was taken into account. renewed permits for 45 air emissions sources at Site 300. LLNL has permits for underground and aboveground storage tanks and for discharge of treated groundwater, GROUNDWATER REMEDIATION industrial and sanitary sewage, and storm water. Site 300 Since 1989, treatment facilities at the LLNL Livermore has additional permits for inactive landfills, cooling tower site have processed over 6.5 billion liters of groundwater. discharges, operation of the sewer lagoon, septic tanks, Nearly 1238 kilograms of VOCs were removed during and leach fields. The Laboratory complies with all require- treatment. ments for self-monitoring and inspections conducted by the regulatory agencies issuing these permits. About 198.3 kilograms of VOCs were removed from soil and groundwater by treating 772 million liters of ground- ENDANGERED SPECIES water at Site 300. These efforts reduced the length of the previously off-site trichloroethylene plume to where it is The Laboratory meets the requirements of the U.S. now inside the site boundary. There is no longer an off- Endangered Species Act and the California Endangered site plume of contamination. Species Act. In 2001, a new monitoring strategy for the California red-legged frog was implemented at the Livermore site. Biological assessments were conducted WASTE MINIMIZATION AND POLLUTION for 45 Laboratory projects at Site 300 with the potential PREVENTION to disturb special-status species. At Site 300 there were Waste generation at LLNL continues to drop dramatically. no active San Joaquin kit fox dens but three occupied There were reductions in three categories: radioactive, American badger dens were found. Also, eight active hazardous, and sanitary. Mixed waste (radioactive and western burrowing owl dens were discovered. A popula- hazardous waste combined) did not diminish. Total LLNL tion of California tiger salamander continued to be nonhazardous waste diverted from landfills in 2001 was monitored. Three rare plant populations were also 10,000 metric tons. That means the Laboratory diverted monitored at Site 300: the large-flowered fiddleneck 61% of its nonhazardous waste. (Amsinckia grandiflora), the big tarplant, and the diamond-petaled poppy. RADIOLOGICAL DOSE ASSESSMENT Every year a theoretical dose to the public is calculated INTEGRATED SAFEGUARDS AND SECURITY based upon what an individual would receive if he/she MANAGEMENT lived for a year where the highest radiation dose from The Laboratory has an Integrated Safeguards and Security releases to the air would occur. For the Livermore site that Management(ISSM) System to ensure systematic integra- dose is 0.017 millirem in 2001. For Site 300, it is 0.054 tion of security, environment, safety, and health considera- millirem. These values are well within the range of those tions. This allows management and work practices to be estimated over the past decade and are very small accomplished while protecting the public, workers, and compared with an average radioactive dose of 360 the environment. Work Smart Standards are an important cowfinaed on pays 4