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Marv+ v M � � e ` a4 §{ , t x r- What is Site 300? Site 300 and the Environment Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory's Site 300 is Site 300 employs more than 100 people,with expertise Site 300 has unique environmental qualities.It is home a U.S. Department of Energy National Nuclear Security in such fields as engineering,chemistry, biology and to a large plant and wildlife population, including Administration experimental test site operated by environmental restoration. In addition to its scientific rare and endangered plants such as Amsinckia Lawrence Livermore National Security, LLC. It is staff, the site also has a fire station (as part of the grandiflora. Noted wildlife includes the rare Alameda situated on 7,000 acres in rural foothills approximately Alameda County Fire Department),security force, and whipsnake and California tiger salamander, raptors six miles southwest of downtown Tracy and 15 miles administrative and facility support personnel. such as the golden eagle and the red-tailed hawk, southeast of Livermore. and many varieties of small birds. Access to these Throughout its more than 50 years of operation,Site 300 unique populations is controlled, and site operations Site 300 was established in 1955 as a non-nuclear has maintained a stellar safety and security record.All have successfully co-existed with them for more than explosives test facility to support Livermore employees and contractors requiring access to the site 50 years. Laboratory's national security mission.The site gets its must undergo site-specific safety training.Site security is name from the early days of Lawrence Livermore, maintained by stringent access controls,including Environmental stewardship at Site 300 also involves when the main laboratory was called Site 200 and the the careful restoration of portions of the site armed security personnel. test facility was called Site 300 (Lawrence Berkeley contaminated by past releases of chemicals from *nal Laboratory was Site 100).Today,work at Site various early program activities.The U.S. Department To help minimize offsite impacts,such as minor blast of Ener be an investi ation and characterization of upports the Laboratory's nuclear weapons Energy g g pressure and noise to neighbors and debris to the contamination at Site 300 in 1981, following the program by assessing the operation of non-nuclear g weapon components using hydrodynamic testing and local on-site environment from explosives testing, detection of contaminants in shallow aquifers onsite. advanced diagnostics,such as high-speed optics and Site 300 constructed the Contained Firing Facility in In 1990, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency X-ray radiography.These efforts support the nation's 2000.This concrete-reinforced,28,000-square-foot placed Site 300 on the National Priorities List (Superfund Stockpile Stewardship Program (SSP),which is facility allows the Laboratory to conduct explosives program).Throughout this time,due to improved designed to ensure the safety,security and reliability tests indoors.These include hydrodynamic tests, operational practices and the cooperative efforts of the U.S. nuclear weapons stockpile. which involve explosive detonations that create of the U.S. Department of Energy, U.S. Environmental temperatures and pressures so great that solids Protection Agency and the State of California, behave like liquids. These tests use replacement significant progress has been made to cleanup Site 300 Operations metals such as steel, copper and depleted uranium contaminated soil and ground water. This has been Site 300 operates several facilities that perform unique in place of nuclear materials that would actually accomplished with no adverse impacts on the surroundingenvironment. experiments,such as shock physics,which examines be used in a weapon. On days when outdoor tests how materials behave under high pressure and are planned,Site 300 monitors the atmosphere to With its rural setting and unique technical capabilities, temperatures.Site 300 also fabricates explosives that determine when conditions are best for minimal Site 300 will continue to play a pivotal role in are instrumental to the Laboratory's SSP. sound travel. Livermore.Laboratory's national security mission.