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SECTION 2 - OVERVIEW

This section presents a general overview of LLNL and SNL, Livermore, including descriptions of the location, history, and existing programs and operations of the facilities. More specific information is found in Section 4 and Appendix A.

2.1 AN OVERVIEW OF LLNL

2.1.1 Location of LLNL

Most LLNL operations are located at the Livermore site near Livermore, California. LLNL also operates Site 300 near Tracy, California, and conducts limited activities at several leased properties near the Livermore site. LLNL also has leased offices in Los Angeles, California, and Germantown, Maryland.

LLNL Livermore Site

The LLNL Livermore site, occupying a total area of approximately 1.3 sq miles (821 acres), is located about 40 miles east of San Francisco at the southeast end of the Livermore Valley in southern Alameda County, California. The City of Livermore's central business district is located about 3 miles to the west. Figure 2-1 and Figure 2-2 show the regional location of the LLNL Livermore site and its location with respect to the City of Livermore.

The various leased properties near the LLNL Livermore site, shown on Figure 2-2, include a storage area and office space at the Camp Parks facility in Dublin; a hangar at the Livermore Municipal Airport for an airplane that travels to and from DOE's Nevada Test Site, located north of Las Vegas, Nevada; a combination office, childcare, and classroom facility at Almond Avenue Site in Livermore; a storage warehouse with a service shop for the assembly of laser components at Graham Court in the City of Livermore; and a combination office and training center at 2020 Research Drive in Livermore. These properties are considered part of the LLNL Livermore site for purposes of discussion in this document.

Again, these offsite leased properties are generally not separately addressed in the EIS/EIR because they provide support services (e.g., administration) similar to those found in facilities onsite. Although LLNL conducts some operations at the Nevada Test Site, these operations are covered in separate NEPA documentation for that site and are not addressed in this EIS/EIR. LLNL activities at NTS are not discussed for CEQA purposes because they have no significant environmental effects in California (ERDA, 1977).

LLNL Site 300

LLNL Site 300, located about 15 miles southeast of Livermore in the sparsely populated hills of the Diablo Range, is primarily a non-nuclear high explosives test facility. The site covers approximately 11 sq miles (7000 acres), with about one-sixth of the site in Alameda County, and the remainder in San Joaquin County as shown in Figure 2-2.

2.1.2 History of LLNL

LLNL Livermore Site

Before World War II, when the LLNL Livermore site was part of the Wagoner Ranch, cattle grazing was the dominant land use. The Navy purchased the site in 1942, establishing the Livermore Naval Air Station as a flight-training base and engine overhaul facility. Runways were constructed diagonally across the site together with a rectangular grid street system along the southern portion of the site (UC, 1987). Facilities such as barracks and maintenance areas were constructed in this southern portion.

The transition from Navy operations to a research facility began in 1950 when the California Research and Development Corporation (a subsidiary of Standard Oil, Inc.), authorized by the Atomic Energy Commission (AEC), began construction of the Materials Test Accelerator facility on the Livermore site. In 1951, the University of California Radiation Laboratory in Berkeley, California, operated for the AEC by UC, began using some of the old Navy facilities in support of AEC-sponsored nuclear weapons research conducted by the Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory (now the Los Alamos National Laboratory) in New Mexico, also managed by UC.

In 1952, the AEC established the University of California Radiation Laboratory, Livermore site, LLNL's predecessor, as a second laboratory dedicated to nuclear weapons research. Since then, UC has managed and operated the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory for the Department of Energy (DOE) and its predecessor agencies, the Atomic Energy Commission from 1952 to 1975 and the Energy Research and Development Agency from 1975 until 1977 (DOE, 1982).

LLNL Site 300

To support the activities at the LLNL Livermore site, the AEC needed a high explosives test site, and to provide a public safety buffer zone, the site had to be located in a remote area. Yet, for program reasons, the site had to be relatively close to the LLNL Livermore site. In 1953, the AEC purchased the first 4000 acres of LLNL Site 300 and began high explosives testing in support of LLNL's mission in 1955. In 1957, 3000 acres were added to the site. In 1973, however, 100 excess acres were transferred to the California Department of Fish and Game for wildlife habitat. In 1991, 14 acres were added to the site.

2.1.3 LLNL Programs

LLNL's mission is to serve as a national resource of scientific, technical, and engineering capability with a special focus on national security. Over the years, this mission has evolved to include a wide variety of activities, such as (LLNL, 1991c):

• Research, development, and test activities associated with all phases of the nuclear weapons life cycle and related tasks;
• Strategic defense research emphasizing kinetic- and directed-energy weapons;
• Non-proliferation, arms control, treaty verification technology, and international security;
• Inertial confinement fusion for weapons physics research and for civilian energy applications;
• Atomic vapor laser isotope separation for defense and commercial applications;
• Magnetic fusion, including leadership of the United States effort on the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor;
• Other energy research in basic energy sciences, atmospheric sciences, fossil energy, and commercial nuclear waste;
• Biological, ecological, atmospheric, and geophysical sciences relevant to weapons, energy, health, and environmental issues, including assessment and guidance in the event of accidents and other emergencies;
• Charged-particle beam and free-electron laser research for defense and energy applications;
• Advanced laser and optical technology for military and civilian applications;
• Support of the Intelligence Community, the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD), the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), and other federal agencies;
• Technology transfer through patent and licensing of laboratory-developed technology, collaborative research with United States industry, and industry participation and partnership in LLNL programs;
• Science education through pre-college, university, and postgraduate programs; and
• Participation in the nationally directed initiative to understand the human genome at the molecular level, particularly gene ordering in the chromosomes, and molecular genetic toxicology and reproductive effects.

Current major programs are: Defense and Related Programs, Laser Fusion (also called Inertial Confinement Fusion), Laser Isotope Separation, Magnetic Fusion Energy, Biomedical and Environmental Research, Energy and Resources, and Environmental Restoration and Waste Management. These programs, which are discussed below, fulfill their missions through arrangements with scientific and institutional support organizations, scientific and technical personnel throughout the federal government, other national laboratories, and universities and industry throughout the world. Programs are conducted with a commitment to preserving the environment; ensuring employee and community health; and complying with applicable environmental, safety, and health regulations. In general, Laboratory facilities are grouped by program as illustrated in Figure 2-3.

Defense and Related Programs

The Defense Program's mission is to ensure that the nuclear weapons in the nation's stockpile are safe, secure, reliable, and effective. The program develops and maintains the capabilities and technologies required to offer a range of options for future weapons systems, provides insight into possible developments in the field of nuclear weapons, and provides technical support for national objectives in verification and arms control. The major LLNL program elements are (LLNL, 1991c):

Nuclear Design

This subprogram carries out theoretical and experimental research in the physics of fission and thermonuclear explosives. It is responsible for exploring new concepts for advanced development of nuclear explosives and for maintaining a basic understanding of weapons phenomena.

Nuclear Test—Experimental Science

This subprogram is responsible for conducting experimental underground detonations of nuclear weapons designs at the Nevada Test Site in a safe manner. It also performs physics experiments and measurements, including radiochemical measurements in support of these experiments.

Military Applications

This subprogram is responsible for the advanced development of weapons systems, including physics and engineering, as well as surveillance in production, stockpile, and retirement. It is also responsible for the Advanced Conventional Weapons Program, and for analysis related to both nuclear and conventional weapons systems.

Strategic Defense Initiative

The mission of this project is to conduct research for the technological advancement of a strategic defense system known as Brilliant Pebbles. This defense concept would ultimately place small spacecraft into a low earth orbit; these spacecraft would be capable of detecting and destroying ballistic missiles through high velocity collisions.

Non-Proliferation, Arms Control, and International Security

The Non-Proliferation, Arms Control, and International Security (NAI) directorate's primary mission is to manage LLNL interaction with DOE and other U.S. government agencies concerning matters of international issues including support for the foreign policy and foreign intelligence communities. Using LLNL's knowledge and capabilities in nuclear and non-nuclear technologies, NAI advises the government on interpretation of foreign weapons developments and on issues involved in the negotiation of arms control treaties. A major effort is devoted to developing an improved understanding of, and means of preventing, foreign nuclear weapons proliferation. This directorate also conducts the Laboratory's Treaty Verification projects, providing technical advice and assistance to arms control policy makers, and conducts studies on weapons systems and their effects.

The NAI also manages the LLNL Emergency Preparedness and Response Program, maintaining preparedness for onsite emergencies and providing technical support to federal agencies in responding to nuclear-related offsite emergencies.

Laser Fusion (Inertial Confinement Fusion)

In Laser Fusion, an array of high-power lasers focus on a tiny sphere containing a mixture of deuterium and tritium gases. The goal is to compress the gases to a high enough temperature for a long enough time period for the deuterium and tritium nuclei to fuse and release significantly more energy than is contained in the high-powered lasers.

The near-term mission of the Laser Fusion program is to provide a laboratory capability to study problems important to thermonuclear weapons design and performance. The long-term goal is to develop Inertial Confinement Fusion reactors for commercial power, space propulsion, and other military and civilian applications (LLNL, 1991c).

The areas investigated include details of thermonuclear burn; the radiation, thermodynamic, and hydrodynamic properties of materials at high temperatures and densities; the physics principles of advanced nuclear weapon concepts; the physics of nuclear effects; and the vulnerability of mechanical and electrical systems to those nuclear effects (LLNL, 1991c).

The mission of the Advanced Laser Applications program element is to exploit the investment made by DOE (and other agencies) and to apply the information gained from research to advanced technology development in solid-state lasers and electro-optics, charged-particle beams and accelerators, and image and signal processing.

Laser Isotope Separation

The goal of the Atomic Vapor Laser Isotope Separation (AVLIS) program is to develop and demonstrate a process for the separation of isotopes of various materials (LLNL, 1991b). In this process, a material consisting of a mixture of isotopes is heated and vaporized. Laser light directed on the vapor selectively ionizes isotopes of interest, which are then collected on electrically charged plates.

Another goal of the Atomic Vapor Laser Isotope Separation program is to develop potential applications for the defense and commercial sectors. DOE is studying additional applications for AVLIS technologies in the general areas of isotope separation, beam separators, lasers, and electro-optics with the key objective of commercializing these technologies to support U.S. industrial competitiveness.

The DOE Uranium-Atomic Vapor Laser Isotope Separation (U-AVLIS) program is designed for research, development, and demonstration of an advanced technology to enrich uranium for nuclear reactor fuel. The U-AVLIS Program is at an advanced stage of technology development with sufficient development of laser, separator, and uranium processing technologies to support demonstration of the technology with plant-scale systems and hardware.

The major objectives of the plant-scale technology demonstration are to validate the technology and engineering feasibility and to determine the validity of projected plant-scale economics. The plant-scale demonstration system referred to as the Uranium Demonstration System (UDS) is composed of four major subsystems: (1) separators, (2) lasers, (3) feed preparation, and (4) product processing. These subsystems currently exist at two DOE sites: the laser and separator subsystems are located at LLNL and the uranium feed and product processing subsystems are located at the Oak Ridge Gaseous Diffusion Plant (ORGDP) site near Oak Ridge, Tennessee.

Demonstration of uranium enrichment was conducted in 1991 and is in process in the 490 Building Complex at LLNL. Lower-level research and development (R & D) activities are expected to continue after the demonstration in support of uranium enrichment technology development and deployment. An environmental assessment (EA) for the demonstration of U-AVLIS at LLNL and a Finding of No Significant Impact, completed in May 1991, discussed the potential impacts to onsite and offsite environments predicted during the conduct of the Uranium Demonstration System at LLNL (LLNL, 1991b).

The collective goal of the U-AVLIS Program is to develop and demonstrate an integrated technology for low-cost enrichment of uranium for commercial nuclear reactor fuel. Information and data from demonstrations at both LLNL and Oak Ridge will be used in concert with an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS), economic assessments, and other information to support a decision by the U.S. government on whether or not to deploy a U-AVLIS production plant (DOE, 1990).

Magnetic Fusion Energy

The Magnetic Fusion Energy Program assists in the development and understanding of magnetic fusion technology, which is part of the international effort to harness the potential of thermonuclear fusion for use as commercial energy production (LLNL, 1991c). In magnetic fusion, a cloud (plasma) of ions and electrons confined by magnetic fields is heated by electromagnetic induction. If a plasma of deuterium and tritium can be kept at a sufficiently high temperature for a long enough period, their nuclei will fuse and yield energy.

The primary thrust of fusion development is to demonstrate the successful confinement of a burning thermonuclear plasma under conditions expected in a power-producing fusion reactor. The technical approach to achieving this goal is through development of the Tokamak concept (in which an axial magnetic field is superimposed on a toroidal [doughnut-shaped] magnetic field) (LLNL, 1991c).

DOE has also given LLNL the lead role in directing the United States effort in support of the International Thermonuclear Energy Reactor (LLNL, 1991c).

Biomedical and Environmental Research

The mission of the Biomedical and Environmental Research Program is to understand the potential health and environmental consequences of the development and use of various energy sources. In particular, LLNL is finding ways to identify and measure genetic damage as an indicator of human health effects. LLNL is also examining local and global-scale environmental changes involving the atmosphere, and studying a variety of ecological effects resulting from energy production and use (LLNL, 1991c).

The area of greatest growth in current biological research is the human genome initiative, an international effort to map the human genetic code. LLNL has been designated as one of three DOE Human Genome Research Centers and is participating in the international effort to construct a physical map of the DNA in the 23 pairs of human chromosomes. Such a map is expected to help identify and isolate genes involved in a multitude of human diseases with the goal of understanding the causes and finding treatments.

Environmental research comprises fundamental research in the development of long-term payoff energy technologies and technologies for the remediation of waste-contaminated soil and ground water. Closely related to this is risk analysis and management; predicting the transport, diffusion, deposition, transformation, and atmospheric effects of pollutants; and modeling atmospheric processes.

Energy and Resources

LLNL carries out major research in reactor safety, basic energy sciences, fossil energy, and conservation and renewable energy. As part of this research, LLNL is assisting DOE in meeting safety requirements for certain small reactors that are much smaller than production or commercial reactors and may thus use different procedures to ensure safe operation (LLNL, 1991c).

LLNL research in basic energy sciences includes projects in materials sciences, chemical sciences, and geosciences. The materials sciences projects are directed toward fundamental understanding of important materials and processes. Chemical sciences projects model the chemical kinetics of combustion in laboratory and applied environments, with emphasis on hydrocarbon fuels. LLNL geosciences projects are concerned with the source mechanisms of earthquakes in the western United States, the physical and mechanical properties of rocks, a predictive chemical model for petroleum generation, and investigation of volcanic systems.

LLNL fossil energy research focuses on producing liquid fuels from nonpetroleum sources such as shale, gas, and coal. The Laboratory's geothermal project supports DOE in the development and demonstration of geophysical techniques to monitor subsurface processes in geothermal fields, the development of seismic imaging methods for use in volcanic terrains, and the development of technologies needed for measurements in geothermal fields.

LLNL also has the responsibility for designing an engineered barrier system for the candidate waste repository at Yucca Mountain, Nevada. LLNL activities include development of design concepts for the system, characterization of candidate container materials, analysis of the near-field underground environment of the potential repository, and development of models to predict the behavior of emplaced nuclear waste.

Environmental Restoration and Waste Management

The Environmental Restoration and Waste Management Program's mission is twofold: to clean up contaminated soils and ground water; and to properly transport, treat, store, and dispose of wastes generated by LLNL operations (LLNL, 1991c).

Scientific and Institutional Support

An Environmental Technology Program was organized in late FY 1989 to develop, demonstrate, test, and evaluate technologies for reducing the costs and increasing the effectiveness of environmental restoration and waste management efforts. The program at LLNL emphasized characterization of contamination and hazardous wastes, development and demonstration of innovative clean-up technologies, waste treatment and waste minimization, process improvements, robotics, and educational programs. The work will include laboratory experiments, temporary pilot facilities, and field tests and demonstrations.

Scientific support organizations such as Physics, Engineering, Computation, and Chemistry and Materials Science provide assistance to various LLNL programs, while institutional support organizations provide the services needed to operate LLNL. These services include plant maintenance and construction, and technical information services. Institutional support organizations also provide security, administer occupational safety, protect employee health, and minimize the impact of LLNL operations on the environment and the public (LLNL, 1991c). (See Appendix A for additional details on scientific and institutional support organizations.)

2.1.4 LLNL Operations, Personnel, and Facilities

This section describes the operations, personnel, and facilities associated with current LLNL activities.

Operations

LLNL is a research laboratory with the infrastructure necessary to support its operations and personnel. Like a small town, LLNL has many of its own services such as police, fire, and medical departments. Cafeteria, banking, and limited shopping services are also available onsite. Electrical, sewerage, engineering, maintenance, and waste management activities support operations. Research is conducted using a variety of settings, from use of computers, to small bench lab experiments, to major facilities dedicated to experiments. To fulfill its mission LLNL uses state-of-the-art equipment and materials. (Additional operations and materials used onsite are described in Section 4 and in Appendix A.)

Personnel

As of September 1991, approximately 9300 UC employees and 2100 non–UC personnel, including DOE personnel and contractors, were located at LLNL. Of these, approximately 11,200 are located at the LLNL Livermore site and 200 at LLNL Site 300. Of the total UC employees, approximately 23 percent are scientists, 15 percent are engineers, 11 percent are management and administration, 29 percent are technicians, and 22 percent are other support staff, such as security, fire, and maintenance. Currently, 61 percent of these UC employees live within the neighboring cities of Livermore, Pleasanton, Tracy, and Manteca (LLNL, 1991a). The remaining 39 percent are distributed throughout the Bay Area and the Central Valley.

Existing LLNL Livermore Site Facilities

Operations at the LLNL Livermore site occupy 5.9 (adjusted for FY 1992) million gross sq ft of facilities, which includes existing space and areas under construction (LLNL, 1991c). This space is distributed among approximately 600 buildings, of which 350 are temporary structures. (See Appendix A for a more detailed description of LLNL facilities.)

LLNL Livermore site space is categorized into four use types: office/drafting, light laboratories/shops, heavy laboratories, and miscellaneous, including a fire station, a medical facility, and cafeterias.

Office/Drafting Areas

Offices house about 75 percent of the staff and are the most densely populated areas. LLNL Livermore site office space generally contains desks, chairs, file cabinets, computers and tables. Drafting areas generally are larger, containing drafting tables and chairs, and computer support equipment. Office and drafting areas constitute approximately 35 percent of the LLNL Livermore site total assignable space (i.e., usable work space excluding restrooms, hallways, elevators, etc.).

Light Laboratories/Shops

The light laboratories/shops, typified by smaller equipment and apparatus, house most of the remaining staff at the LLNL Livermore site. Light laboratories exist in many buildings throughout the laboratory and are generally characterized as wet or dry. Wet laboratories support a wide variety of chemical analyses, while dry laboratories support activities such as laser optics research. Most light laboratories conduct direct research, while shops may be devoted to supporting research or the Laboratory overall. LLNL shops are similar to those found at many large self-contained facilities, and include auto repair, maintenance, instrument repair and calibration, machine, paint, carpentry, and plating shops. Approximately 37 percent of the LLNL Livermore site assignable space consists of light laboratories/shops.

Heavy Laboratories

These facilities usually have high-bay construction, overhead cranes, and, in some cases, shielding. In most cases, heavy-laboratory space is adjacent to light-laboratory space. While scientists, technicians, and support staff work in these areas, usually their office space is elsewhere. An example of this type of building is Building 391 which houses the NOVA laser system. Heavy laboratories make up only approximately 8 percent of the LLNL Livermore site assignable space.

Miscellaneous Uses

Uses not belonging to the previous three groups are in this category. It includes the fire station, medical facility, cafeterias, administrative computer facilities, storage, and office support (conference rooms, auditoriums, classrooms, etc.). Adequate miscellaneous space is as important for effective Laboratory operation as office and laboratory space. This use constitutes approximately 20 percent of the LLNL Livermore site assignable space.

Existing LLNL Site 300 Facilities

LLNL Site 300 consists of approximately 340,000 sq ft of facilities within 63 buildings and 6 temporary structures. LLNL Site 300 is similar to the LLNL Livermore site in the types of facilities supporting the site's high explosives test activities. Generally, the site consists of 2 remote firing areas and 25 magazines to store high explosives, supported by a chemistry processing area and an administrative complex. The facilities at LLNL Site 300 include wet and dry laboratories and office space. In addition to laboratory, shop, and office space, LLNL Site 300 also has a fire station, medical services, cafeteria, storage facilities, and office support facilities.

LLNL Site 300 is primarily a high explosives test facility supporting LLNL Defense Programs in research, development, and non-nuclear testing associated with design and other aspects of nuclear weapons. This work involves processing explosives, including the preparation of new explosives and the pressing, machining, and assembly of components. It also includes hydrodynamic testing for experimental verification of computer codes, obtaining data on material behavior, evaluating the quality and uniformity of implosion, and evaluating performance of post–nuclear-test design modifications (LLNL, 1991c).

In addition, LLNL Site 300 operates a large accelerator in support of the Laser Programs for the development of high gradient accelerators and free electron lasers for civilian and military applications. Other programs based at the LLNL Livermore site including the Environmental Restoration and Waste Management Program have operations at LLNL Site 300. (See Appendix A for a more detailed description of LLNL Site 300 facilities.) Because of the large areas devoted to high explosives testing, LLNL Site 300 is almost entirely a high security area.

2.2 AN OVERVIEW OF SNL, LIVERMORE

2.2.1 Location of SNL, Livermore

Sandia National Laboratories (SNL), Livermore, is located on 413 acres next to and south of the LLNL Livermore site. Figures 2-1 and 2-2 show the regional location of SNL, Livermore and its location with respect to the City of Livermore. Land to the north is occupied by LLNL.

2.2.2 History of SNL, Livermore

In 1949, ordnance engineering was separated from nuclear design activities. Los Alamos Scientific Laboratories (now the Los Alamos National Laboratory) in New Mexico retained the nuclear design responsibility and Sandia Laboratory was established in Albuquerque to take charge of the ordnance engineering activities. Since that time Sandia National Laboratories (SNL), operated for DOE by Sandia Corporation , a wholly owned subsidiary of AT&T, has provided engineering, research, and development for the nuclear weapons program. In 1956, SNL established the Livermore location to provide a closer relationship with LLNL design work (SNL, 1989). The facility evolved into an engineering research and development laboratory by the early 1960s and into a multiprogram engineering-science laboratory during the 1970s. Currently about 60 percent of SNL, Livermore's effort is in support of DOE defense programs; 10 percent is research and development in energy technologies; and 30 percent is for agencies other than DOE, principally DOD.

DOE and AT&T have announced that AT&T will not seek to renew its contract to operate Sandia National Laboratories, which includes SNL, Livermore. The current contract does not end until September 30, 1993, until which time AT&T will continue to operate SNL, Livermore. DOE will select another contractor to manage and operate Sandia National Laboratories, including SNL, Livermore.

2.2.3 SNL, Livermore Programs

SNL, Livermore applies its scientific, technical, and engineering capabilities to meet its primary national security mission with principal emphasis on the development and engineering of non-nuclear systems and components associated with nuclear weapons. This includes generating new weapons designs, developing new weapons systems, and designing and implementing manufacturing and assembly procedures for these new weapons systems. SNL, Livermore has evolved into a multiprogram laboratory undertaking multidisciplinary fundamental and applied research and development activities in the fields of science and technology. In doing so, it interacts closely with scientists and engineers in universities, industry, and other laboratories.

More specifically, in fulfilling its mission, SNL, Livermore performs:

• Engineering research and development for all levels and phases of the nuclear-weapons life cycle;
• Tasks related to national security, including nuclear materials safeguards and security, treaty verification and control, intelligence on foreign technologies and weapons systems, waste management, and programs in support of the DOD;
• Basic and applied research and development for national energy programs:
• Development and application of laser diagnostic techniques to study fundamental physics and chemistry of combustion that support more applied work including:
  • research in fundamental Otto and diesel engine combustion processes
  • investigation of pulse combustion phenomena
  • experiments in toxic disposal using supercritical oxidation
  • coal combustion studies related to fouling and slagging and characterization
• Magnetic-confinement fusion energy, mainly on plasma/material interactions; and
• Fundamental and applied research related to materials and geosciences.

Weapons Programs

These programs conduct research, development, and engineering associated with nuclear weapons. Activities include the evaluation of new weapon concepts, component research and development, and design definition; nuclear safety, command and control, and survivability; testing and weapons effects simulation; nuclear directed-energy weapon concepts; and production support and stockpile surveillance (SNL, 1989).

Other DOE Defense Programs

These programs include the development of verification and control technologies to support arms reduction agreements and to provide intelligence on foreign technologies and weapon systems and concepts and systems for nuclear materials safeguards and security (SNL, 1989).

Energy Research and Development

SNL, Livermore studies conservation and renewable energy sources, basic energy sciences, fossil fuel technologies, magnetic fusion energy, waste management issues. In addition, there is research into the fundamental chemistry and physics of combustion including interactions between combustion products and the atmosphere (SNL, 1989). Energy research programs are conducted with universities through a visiting scientist and postdoctoral fellowship program, and with industry throughout the world.

Scientific and Institutional Support

Scientific, engineering, and technical support organizations assist various programs in the laboratory. They include Physics, Engineering, Computations, and Chemistry and Materials.

Institutional support organizations provide all the services needed to operate a research and development facility, such as plant maintenance and construction and technical information. They also provide security, medical services, employee and occupational safety services, and monitor and assess SNL, Livermore operations to minimize the impacts on the environment and the public.

2.2.4 SNL, Livermore Operations, Personnel, and Facilities

This section describes the operations, personnel, and facilities associated with current SNL, Livermore activities.

Operations

SNL, Livermore is a fully operational research laboratory with the infrastructure necessary to support its operation. Like LLNL, SNL, Livermore could be described as a small town. It has its own police and medical departments. Its emergency fire service is provided by LLNL. There are electrical, sewage, engineering, maintenance, and waste-handling activities to support operations. Research and development activities range from computer modeling to small bench-scale experiments and major facilities dedicated to experiments. Like LLNL, SNL, Livermore uses state-of-the-art equipment and specialized personnel to support its research goals. (Additional operations and materials used onsite are described in Section 4 and Appendix A.)

Personnel

As of 1990, approximately 1100 full-time and part-time employees and 400 contractor employees were employed by SNL, Livermore. Of this total, 10 percent are management, 70 percent are technical staff, and 20 percent are support staff such as administrative, security, fire, and maintenance. Sixty-nine percent of SNL, Livermore employees, including temporary employees, live within the neighboring cities of Livermore, Pleasanton, Tracy, and Manteca (SNL, Livermore, 1991). The remaining 31 percent are distributed throughout the Bay Area and the Central Valley.

2.2.4.1 Existing SNL, Livermore Facilities

Siting of facilities involves consideration of various criteria, including security and infrastructure. Location of facilities by program at SNL, Livermore is illustrated in Figure 2-4. Operations occupy 830,000 gross sq ft of facilities at the SNL, Livermore site. (See Appendix A for a more detailed discussion of SNL, Livermore facilities.)

Laboratory buildings are commonly categorized into four types: office/drafting, light laboratories/shops, test facilities, and miscellaneous.

Office/Drafting Uses

Offices and drafting areas house about 28 percent of the Laboratory's staff and are the most densely populated of the four use types. Office space at SNL, Livermore generally contains desks, chairs, file cabinets, computers, and tables. Drafting areas generally are larger containing drafting tables and chairs, and computer support equipment. Offices and drafting areas constitute approximately 31 percent of SNL, Livermore assignable space.

Light Laboratories/Shops

Constituting approximately 43 percent of SNL, Livermore assignable space, the light laboratories house most of the remaining staff and provide a work space for smaller equipment and apparatus. Light laboratories exist in many buildings throughout the site. A wide variety of functions ranging from traditional chemical analyses to combustion-related research employing state-of-the-art laser diagnostic techniques occurs in light laboratories. Most light laboratories conduct direct research, while shops may be devoted to support research or the Laboratory overall. SNL, Livermore shops include machine, model, maintenance, test assembly, carpentry, and plating shops. These shops make up approximately 5 percent of SNL, Livermore assignable space.

Heavy Laboratories

Heavy laboratories at SNL, Livermore include a test facility capable of testing components containing small quantities (less than a lb) of high explosives, a facility in which the explosive-containing components can be safely detonated, high-pressure test facilities, a large centrifuge, and mechanical shake tables and shock testers. Heavy laboratories make up approximately 3 percent of SNL, Livermore assignable space.

Miscellaneous Uses

Uses not in the three groups mentioned above fall into the miscellaneous category, including computer rooms, storage, medical, library, and office support (conference rooms, auditoriums, classrooms, etc.). Adequate miscellaneous space is as important for effective Laboratory operation as adequate office and laboratory space. This use constitutes approximately 18 percent of the Laboratory's assignable space.

SECTION 2 REFERENCES

DOE, 1982, Final Environmental Impact Statement, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory and Sandia National Laboratories—Livermore Sites, Livermore, California, DOE/EIS-0028, U.S. Department of Energy, Washington, D.C., July 1982.

DOE, 1990, Uranium Enrichment Enterprise, 1990 Strategy Report, U.S. Department of Energy, Washington, D.C., March 1990.

ERDA, 1977, Final Environmental Impact Statement Nevada Test Site, Nye County, Nevada, Energy Research and Development Administration, ERDA-1551, September 1977.

LLNL, 1991a, Employee Residence Analysis (computer printout), Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, CA.

LLNL, 1991b, Environmental Assessment for Demonstration of Uranium-Atomic Vapor Laser Isotope Separation (U-AVLIS) at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, CA, May 1991.

LLNL, 1991c, Institutional Plan FY 1992–1997, UCAR 10076-10, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, CA, December 1991.

SNL, 1989, Institutional Plan, FY 1989–FY 1994, Sandia National Laboratories, Albuquerque, NM and Livermore, CA.

SNL, Livermore, 1991, On-Roll Counts by City, (computer printout), Sandia National Laboratories, Livermore, Livermore, CA.

UC, 1987, Final Environmental Impact Report for the University of California Contract with the Department of Energy for Operation and Management of Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, SCH-85112511, University of California, CA.