Laboratory For Energy Related Research

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The Laboratory for Energy Related Health Research, a surplus Department of Energy facility, is located 2.4 kilometers (1.5 miles) south of the main campus of the University of California at Davis and is currently undergoing environmental restoration activities. The University of California at Davis owns the 6-hectare (15­acre) site, and the Department of Energy has leased it since 1958.

LOCALITY MAP

Estimated Site Total

(Thousands of Current Year Dollars)
	FY 1996	1997	1998	1999	2000
Environmental Restoration	6,900	5,006	3,776	3,085	3,381	Grey shaded area reflects annual cost estimates for the first five years of the site BEMR Base Case (as of October 1995) and includes 3% annual inflation, see Readers' Guide.
Waste Management	371	199
Total	7,271	5,205	3,776	3,085	3,381
1996 Appropriation	4,054			These levels reflect the current estimates for compliance with applicable statutes and agreements (as of March 1996), see Readers' Guide.
1997 Congressional Request		4,563
(Five-Year Averages, Thousands of Constant 1996 Dollars)
	FY 1996-2000	2005	2010	2015	2020		2025	2030	Life Cycle*
Environmental Restoration	4,229								21,146
Waste Management	113								564
Total	4,342								21,710
* Total Life Cycle is the sum of the annual costs in constant FY 1996 dollars.

FACILITY MISSION

The Laboratory for Energy Related Health Research facility consists of a main administration and office building, two animal hospitals, a specimen storage room, a laboratory and support building, waste treatment facilities, and outdoor dog pens. Research at the Laboratory originally focused on the health effects of chronic exposures to radionuclides, using beagles to simulate radiation effects on humans. The Department's Office of Energy Research terminated its research program in 1988, and the buildings were transferred to the Environmental Management program in 1989 for cleanup and eventual transfer back to the University of California at Davis for unrestricted use.

SITE MAP

In May 1994, the site was placed on the Environmental Protection Agency's National Priorities List under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act. The schedule for cleanup activities is being negotiated with the Environmental Protection Agency and is expected to be formalized as part of the site's Federal Facility Agreement during FY 1996.

This estimate includes total project costs, although the University of California at Davis is also responsible for the environmental restoration project. A sidebar agreement is being negotiated with the University of California at Davis to determine their areas of responsibility for the cleanup of the site. The Department of Energy's costs will be adjusted according to the terms of this sidebar agreement.

In concert with the ongoing environmental restoration activities, a Waste Management program was established in 1994 at the Laboratory for Energy Related Health Research to manage the Department of Energy legacy waste generated from past Department of Energy, Office of Energy Research­sponsored research activities.

The University of California owns the land at the Laboratory for Energy Related Health Research, and the Department of Energy owns the buildings. The Environmental Management program is responsible for quarterly monitoring and building surveillance and maintenance. The scope of the Environmental Restoration program accounts for the costs of these activities. There are no nuclear material and facility stabilization activities required at the Laboratory for Energy Related Health Research.

FUTURE USE

The Oakland Operations Office and Laboratory have actively participated, coordinated, and reached agreement in future-use scenarios with the local community, regulators, and other interested stakeholders including the South Campus Oversight Committee. There are monthly forums to meet with these stakeholders to discuss issues. Although the Department of Energy anticipates continued Industrial use for the site, Industrial use at this site refers to use as a school for teaching, research, and laboratory use. Therefore, more stringent health risk standards than are typically applied for Industrial use may be needed. An agreement with the University of California at Davis has not been finalized.

ENVIRONMENTAL RESTORATION

The Department of Energy environmental restoration activity objectives at the Laboratory for Energy Related Health Research include: assessing the nature and extent of site contamination; determining and negotiating cleanup levels for its areas of responsibility; decommissioning contaminated buildings; removing onsite radioactive, chemical, and mixed waste sources; remediating contaminated soils and underground tank systems in Department of Energy areas as required; and verifying that the site and associated facilities have been adequately cleaned and meet established criteria for transfer to the University of California at Davis for use without radiological restriction.

Prior to returning the Laboratory to the University of California at Davis, the remaining contaminated facility (Cobalt 60 Building) and 500 outdoor dog pens will require decommissioning activities. In addition, soil remediation may be required, and others may need to design a treatment system for ground water. See the Site Map for the location of Environmental Restoration Program activities.

The Environmental Restoration program bears costs for managing waste generated during decommissioning activities.

Major Environmental Restoration Activity Milestones

TASK	COMPLETION DATE Fiscal Year
Decommissioning	1997
Assessment of Soil and Ground Water	2000
Remediation of Soil and Ground Water	2000

ASSESSMENT

The primary radionuclides used in research were strontium­90 and radium­226. Disposal of research­derived waste contributed to contamination in onsite trenches and possibly an onsite landfill. Site waste handling and disposal have impacted soil, gravel, and ground water. Ground water at the site has been found to contain nitrates, chromium, chloroform, tritium, and carbon­14 at levels above Environmental Protection Agency primary drinking-water standards.

REMEDIAL ACTION

This report assumes that the dog pen area soils will be excavated and disposed and that the landfill and trenches area will be remediated by capping for soils and by pumping-and-treating for ground water.

Department of Energy operable units are planned for completion by FY 2000. The Laboratory for Energy Related Health Research facilities will be transferred to the University of California at Davis for use without radiological restrictions once environmental restoration activities are completed. Current negotiations are under way with the University of California at Davis to determine what, if any, Department of Energy liability for remediation of the landfills, waste holes and ground water exists. This estimate assumes that the Environmental Management program will bear all costs.

The environmental monitoring program at the Laboratory for Energy Related Health Research consists of air, ground-water, surface-water, soil, and radiation monitoring at routine intervals. Ground-water sampling and analysis is being performed on a quarterly basis. The monitoring program will continue for the duration of the site restoration activities.

The Laboratory for Energy Related Health Research project operates an interim status storage facility under a Resource Conservation and Recovery Act Part A Permit. The major waste streams identified consist of residual waste from past research activities. This waste has been characterized, packaged and shipped to the Department of Energy's Hanford Site for disposal. To facilitate waste handling and loading from environmental restoration activities, an existing onsite facility has been renovated to serve as a waste staging facility prior to shipment and disposal to the Department of Energy's Hanford Site. No treatment of hazardous waste is conducted or will be conducted onsite. This baseline estimate anticipates that all waste disposal activities will be completed by FY 2000.

Decommissioning

The decommissioning activities at the two animal hospitals and the specimen storage room were completed in FY 1994, including verification by an independent contractor. Demolition of the Imhoff facility was completed in FY 1995. The tank trailer was dismantled and shipped offsite for supercompaction in FY 1995. The Cobalt 60 Building decontamination, including verification by an independent contractor, will be completed in FY 1996. The site also has more than 500 outdoor dog pens believed to be contaminated with radioactive materials and chlordane. These dog pens will undergo cleanup starting in FY 1996. Waste resulting from decommissioning activities will consist of low­level waste including sludge, dry active waste, and contaminated soils, as well as hazardous waste including asbestos, chemical waste, and biological waste. This report estimates that decommissioning activities from FY 1995 onward will generate 3,762 cubic meters (4,928 cubic yards) of low­level waste and 8 cubic meters (10.5 cubic yards) of low­level mixed waste.

Environmental Restoration Activities Cost Estimate

(Five-Year Averages, Thousands of Constant 1996 Dollars)
	FY 1996-2000	2005	2010	2015	2020	2025	2030	Life Cycle*
Laboratory for Energy-Related Health Research
Assessment	971							4,854
Remedial Action	1,486							7,429
Facility Decommissioning	451							2,254
Direct Program Management/Support	1,322							6,609
Total	4,229							21,146
* Total Life Cycle is the sum of the annual costs in constant FY 1996 dollars.

Direct Program Management/Support

The program support for environmental restoration activities at the Laboratory for Energy Related Health Research includes strategic planning, administrative support, progress tracking system reporting, contract management, personnel management and training, storage facility management, and financial management. Other support activities include: stakeholder/public participation; Resource Conservation and Recovery Act permitting; steering committee and technical advisory committee meetings; liaison activities with the Department of Energy, regulators, and auditors; and oversight of technical, health, safety, and quality assurance activities.

STAKEHOLDER INTERACTIONS The Oakland Operations Office conducted public participation activities for eight California sites: Energy Technology Engineering Center, General Atomics, General Electric Vallecitos Nuclear Center, Geothermal Test Facility, Laboratory for Energy-Related Health Research, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, and Stanford Linear Accelerator Center. The office make information about the report available and invited comments at a number of existing public involvement forums including the Energy Technology Engineering Center Community Work Group meeting, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory regulators meeting, San Francisquito Creek (Stanford Linear Accelerator Site) Coordinated Resource Management Plan Working Group meeting, Laboratory for Energy-Related Health Research community meeting, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory community work Group meetings, and the Lawrence Livermore Site 300 regulators meeting. The Oakland Operations Office newsletter, mailed to 2,000 stakeholders, featured an article about the 1996 report and announced availability of the 1995 report for review. In response to public comment, the narrative for the 1996 report was modified to provide additional information such as discussion of the removal of contaminated soils near Trailer 5475 at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. Comments relating to national issues were forwarded to Department of Energy Headquarters. Comments relating to national issues were forwarded to Department planned to take in response. If you would like more information about the report or have questions about the results for the these sites, please contact:
Public Participation Dave Christy (510) 637-1812 david.christy@oak.doe.gov	Technical Liaison Rich Fallejo (510) 637-1639 rich.fallejo@oak.doe.gov	Public Affairs Dave Christy (510) 637-1812 david.christy@oak.doe.gov

WASTE MANAGEMENT

Department of Energy­funded research at the Laboratory has ceased; therefore, there are no ongoing routine operations producing waste associated with Department of Energy programs. The Waste Management program at the Laboratory for Energy Related Health Research focuses on characterization, storage, and offsite transportation and disposal of the Laboratory for Energy Related Health Research legacy waste that is currently stored at the facility and not associated with environmental restoration activities. The program also operates an interim status Mixed Waste Storage Facility at the site for Resource Conservation and Recovery Act compliance. See the Site Map for the location of the storage facility. The Laboratory submitted a Site Treatment Plan to the State of California in compliance with the requirements of the Federal Facility Compliance Act of 1992. The site is currently operating under a Consent Order negotiated with the State of California governing low-level mixed waste.

TASK	COMPLETION DATE Fiscal Year
Major Waste Management Activity Milestones	1996

Low-Level Mixed/Low-Level Waste

The Department of Energy legacy waste at the site includes low-level waste and low-level mixed waste. The waste specifics are scintillation cocktails, biowaste, preserved biological specimens, radioactive sources, and spent research chemicals. Risk associated with the management of the legacy waste at this site is considered low.

GENERATION AND HANDLING

The University of California at Davis operated the Laboratory for Energy Related Health Research for the Department of Energy from 1960 to 1989 to study the long­term health effects of low-level radiation on laboratory animals. After the Department of Energy­funded research activities ended in 1989, some research materials were eventually classified as waste and turned over to the Department of Energy for management and disposal. Thirty-one drums of fully characterized radioactive mixed waste were shipped to the Department of Energy's Hanford Site for storage in January 1995. All potential legacy waste is fully characterized prior to offsite disposal.

TREATMENT

The Laboratory for Energy Related Health Research does not have a waste treatment facility onsite and does not conduct any treatment on its legacy waste. No waste treatment activities at the Laboratory for Energy Related Health Research are planned in the future.

STORAGE

The Laboratory for Energy Related Health Research operates an interim status Mixed Waste Storage Facility at the site pursuant to a Resource Conservation and Recovery Act Part A Permit application submitted to the Environmental Protection Agency Region IX in September 1989. The storage facility is a portable pre-fabricated chemical storage building, which contains three individual storage rooms. Each storage room has a design capacity of approximately 2,653 liters (700 gallons). Types of mixed waste permitted for storage in this storage facility are limited to low-level radioactive waste contaminated with flammable, combustible, and/or acid waste. The storage facility is operated in compliance with its permit conditions and applicable Resource Conservation and Recovery Act requirements.

Once the Department of Energy legacy waste at the Laboratory for Energy Related Health Research is all shipped offsite, a decision will be made on the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act closure of the storage facility. All legacy waste is scheduled to be fully characterized and shipped offsite by 1997.

DISPOSAL

This report assumes low­level waste and radioactive mixed waste will be disposed of at the Department of Energy's Hanford Site by FY 1997.

TRANSPORTATION

The Laboratory for Energy Related Health Research Waste Management program does not include a separate transportation program. Licensed commercial waste transporters are used for offsite waste disposal. Waste shipped offsite is packaged in accordance with applicable Department of Transportation regulations and the acceptance criteria of the receiving treatment, storage, and disposal facility.

Waste Management Activities Cost Estimate

(Five-Year Averages, Thousands of Constant 1996 Dollars)
	FY 1996-2000	2005	2010	2015	2020	2025	2030	Life Cycle*
Low-Level Mixed Waste
Storage and Handling	13							65
Disposal	53							263
Low-Level Waste
Storage and Handling	4							21
Disposal	18							92
Direct Program Management/Support	25							123
Total	113							564
* Total Life Cycle is the sum of the annual costs in constant FY 1996 dollars.

Direct Program Management/Support

The program management at the site supports the environmental management activities. The areas of program management for waste management include waste characterization, storage facility operations and regulatory compliance, offsite waste shipping and disposal, and general support (for example, Progress Tracking System reporting, cost/schedule control and reporting, and annual work plan submission).

DESCRIPTION OF PERSONNEL

Current Composition

The table below provides the detailed Full-Time Equivalent composition for the Laboratory for Energy Related Health Research Environmental Restoration program. Federal Full-Time Equivalents manage and oversee the Laboratory for Energy Related Health Research Waste Management program activities. They include a program manager and other management oversight and technical support. The contractor personnel for program management includes managers, engineers, professionals, administrators, scientists, and laborers who conduct the environmental management activities at the Laboratory.

Full-Time Equivalent Composition Table*

*The projection for Full-Time Equivalent employees are based on FY 1996 planning baselines (see Reader's Guide.)

Site Management Structure

Under the contract with the Department of Energy Oakland Operations Office, the Pacific Northwest Laboratory currently bears responsibility for site management of the Laboratory for Energy Related Health Research Environmental Restoration program and Waste Management program. Pacific Northwest Laboratory in turn contracts with separate subcontractors to accomplish the required environmental restoration and waste management projects. Pacific Northwest Laboratory maintains a project office at the site, which includes a senior project manager and a small staff. The Oakland Operations Office is currently in the process of awarding a five-year contract for the Laboratory for Energy Related Health Research.

CONTRACTING OPPORTUNITIES If you would like more information about performing work for the Department of Energy 's environmental Management program at this site, please contact:
Major Procurements Anthony Pino Director Program Acquisition and Assistance Division United States Department of Energy Oakland Operation Office 1301 Clay Street, MR 700-N Oakland, CA 94612 p: (510) 637-1850 f: (510) 637-2004 e-mail: anthony.pino@oak.doe.gov	Small Business Procurements Dorothy Martinez Program Acquisition and Assistance division United States Department of Energy Oakland Operation Office 1301 Clay Street, MR 700-N Oakland, CA 94612 p: (510) 637-1850 f: (510) 637-2004 e-mail: d.martinez@oak. doe.gov

Future Full-Time Equivalent Needs

The Waste Management program at the Laboratory for Energy Related Health Research is scheduled to be completed in FY 1997. Therefore, no Full-Time Equivalent needs for the site are anticipated for years 1999 and beyond.

The Environmental Restoration program is scheduled for completion in FY 2000. Full-Time Equivalents within the Environmental Restoration program are subdivided by groups, as illustrated in the preceding table.

FUNDING ESTIMATE

The following table presents estimated funding information for the Laboratory for Energy Related Health Research.

Nondefense Funding Estimate

(Five-Year Averages, Thousands of Constant 1996 Dollars)
	FY 1996-2000	2005	2010	2015	2020	2025	2030	Life Cycle*
Environmental Restoration	4,229							21,146
Waste Management	113							564
Total	4,342							21,710
* Total Life Cycle is the sum of the annual costs in constant FY 1996 dollars.

COMPARISON WITH PREVIOUS ESTIMATE

The 1996 life-cycle cost estimate is $22 million, a 40 percent decrease from the 1995 estimate of $43 million, after accounting for the 1995 expenditure. Designation of the Laboratory for Energy Related Health Research as part of the Small Sites Initiative has led to significant changes in costs, schedule, and scope. Under the Small Sites Initiative, Environmental Management Program activities will be complete in FY 2000 rather than FY 2025. This 25-year reduction in projected duration accounts for most of the life-cycle cost reduction.

Comparison Table

Activity	FY 1995 Life Cycle	FY 1995 Only 1	FY 1996 Life Cycle	Change in Dollars	Change in Percent
	Thousands of Dollars
Nuclear Mat. & Fac. Stab.	-	-	-	-	-
Environmental Restoration	33,822	5,838	21,146	­6,838	­24
Waste Management	752	-	564	­188	­25
Landlord	-	-	-	­	-
Program Management 2	8,736	1,219	-	-	-
Site Total	43,310	7,057	21,710	­14,543	­40
1 The FY 1995 life-cycle and annual costs are provided to determine the corrected FY 1995 cost. 2 Program Management was reported in an independent cost table last year, but is reported as a line item in the relevant program (Nuclear Material and Facility Stabilization, Environmental Restoration, and Waste Management) activity cost estimate tables for the FY 1996 Baseline Report.