Sandia National Laboratories/California

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Sandia National Laboratories/California is located in Alameda County, California, approximately 64 kilometers (40 miles) east of San Francisco. It occupies approximately 165 hectares (413 acres) of land in the Livermore Valley, and its boundaries start approximately 5 kilometers (3 miles) east of the Livermore City Center.

FACILITY MISSION

Sandia National Laboratories/California was established in 1956 to conduct research and development in the interest of national security, with principal emphasis on nuclear weapons development and engineering, excluding the nuclear materials. It was provided to establish a close working relationship with Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. This report assumes the Sandia site will continue its present mission and further support the nation's efforts in the integration and transfer of technology. The current landlord at the Sandia National Laboratory is the Department of Energy's Office of Defense Programs. This report assumes that Defense Programs will remain responsible for all landlord activities and associated costs. The Environmental Management program funding at this site supports the Office of Defense Program research activities for treatment, storage, and disposal of chemical, radioactive, and mixed waste. There are no current or planned nuclear material facility stabilization activities at the site.

FUTURE USE

This report assumes that the future use of the facility will remain Industrial, with access restrictions.

ENVIRONMENTAL RESTORATION

Contamination at the Sandia site is the result of hazardous waste disposal and accidental spills. A comprehensive assessment of contamination, begun in 1984, identified the potential for problems at several sites, including the site of a fuel-oil spill, an old Navy landfill, and the site of an old commercial car repair shop, known as the Trudell site. See site map for location of environmental restoration activities.

In 1988, questions were also raised about five other sites. However, contaminants in soil samples from these sites were found to be below the action levels specified in the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act. The California Regional Water Quality Control Board, who has the primary regulatory responsibility for the site, has informed Sandia that No Further Action is required at these five sites.

Environmental Restoration program activities are scheduled to be completed in FY 2000.

Operable Unit 1: Fuel/Oil Spill

ASSESSMENT

In 1975, an accidental puncture of an underground transfer line released about 225,000 liters (59,500 gallons) of diesel fuel from an above-ground fuel tank into the soil. The ground water has been monitored since 1985 and shows occasional low-level contamination with fuel-oil components. The total volume of soil contaminated with diesel oil is estimated at about 85,600 cubic meters (112,000 cubic yards).

REMEDIAL ACTION

Several bench-scale tests of methods for cleaning up the spill indicate the most effective means is in-place biological remediation. This technique uses bacteria that digests the oil, with nutrients and oxygen added to stimulate their activity. A pilot study of this technique is now in progress. It addresses approximately 18 percent of the total area of contamination. After the pilot study is completed, Sandia expects to start full-scale biological remediation. Cleanup is expected to proceed at a rate of 15,300 cubic meters (20,000 cubic yards) of soil per year and will be completed in FY 2000.

Pending full cleanup, the Regional Water Quality Control Board has directed Sandia to implement an interim treatment for ground water. This interim treatment uses carbon beds to filter out the contaminants and an oil/water separator. The estimate assumes this will be complete in FY 2035, and the costs are included in program management.

Operable Unit 2: Navy Landfill Site

ASSESSMENT

The Navy landfill, located at the southern end of the Sandia site, was used intermittently from 1940 to 1960 for the disposal of general construction debris and machine turnings. During the last five years, quarterly monitoring of ground water beneath the landfill has consistently shown chromium and nitrate concentrations higher than drinking water standards and nickel concentrations above the 1993 maximum concentration limit. However, several investigations have found no evidence that hazardous materials were buried at the landfill.

REMEDIAL ACTION

Because no evidence of hazardous waste disposal has been found, Sandia has submitted a recommendation of No Further Action to the Regional Water Quality Control Board. The Board has reviewed the results of the investigations at the Navy landfill and Sandia is now requesting a formal closure plan. This estimate assumes that the No Further Action petition will be accepted.

Sandia intends to implement other actions at the Navy landfill because of risks identified in the Environmental Impact Statement; namely, the possibility an earthquake could affect the stability of the landfill and pose a potential threat to onsite workers. Sandia plans to cap the landfill and to use other stabilization and erosion control measures, as appropriate. These activities will be completed in FY 1997.

Operable Unit 3: The Trudell Site

In 1987, the Department of Energy purchased the Trudell Site, which housed a commercial car repair shop. The purchase agreement indicated the Department would remediate the site. The site was remediated in 1989 and 1990, and soil contaminated with oil, lead, and low levels of chlorinated solvents was shipped offsite to an approved landfill for disposal. The Regional Water Quality Control Board certified the cleanup as complete in December 1990. Long-term surveillance and monitoring is assumed to continue to FY 2035, and the costs are included in the program management estimate.

Direct Program Management/Support

General Program Support activities are those functions critical but ancillary to the mission of the Environmental Management Programs at Sandia. They include strategic planning, program management, quality assurance, administrative support, information services, training, facilities management/engineering and maintenance, safeguards and security, logistics support, utilities, procurement, contract management, legal support, and human resources. Specific program support activities include environmental safety and health, permitting, regulatory compliance, waste minimization/pollution prevention, technology development, and stakeholder-related and information/outreach activities.

Most program management support activities for Sandia's Waste Management Program are integrated within the Environmental Operations Center, and organizational element of the Laboratories Services Division. These support activities include project management systems (project controls), stakeholder involvement, information management services (records, technical reference, computer resources, financial), and compliance assessment/regulatory support (legal support, audit management). Other centers within the Laboratories Services Division provide additional program management support activities. Examples include strategic planning, emergency management, security and safeguards, facilities planning, facilities construction, health and safety oversight, and shipping and receiving.

WASTE MANAGEMENT

The Office of Defense Programs generates four types of waste at the Sandia site: low-level radioactive waste, low-level mixed waste, hazardous chemical waste, including substances controlled by the Toxic Substances Control Act (e.g., asbestos, polychlorinated biphenyls), and biohazardous waste. Low-level and mixed waste are generated from the site's research and development activities. The generation rates for low-level mixed waste and hazardous chemical waste are expected to remain fairly constant through FY 2000. This report assumes Waste Management support of Defense Programs at the site will continue until FY 2070, and the Waste Management program estimate includes pick-up, characterization, packaging, treatment, storage, and disposal. See the Site Map for the location of waste management activities. The waste minimization program at Sandia is an oversight program that provides regulatory guidance and training to the site technical organization as well as training on site policy. The Pollution Prevention Opportunity Assessment program provides guidance to line organizations regarding assessments by reviewing data and suggesting waste minimization opportunities.

Mixed Waste

The low volumes of newly generated mixed waste, such as tritium scintillation vials and nonhalogenated clear solvents are shipped offsite to commercial facilities for treatment and disposal. Inventoried, backlogged mixed waste has been shipped to Sandia National Laboratories/New Mexico for treatment and disposal in accordance with the Federal Facility Compliance Act regulations. Prior to shipment, waste is stored in Building 961. This estimate assumes that operations at the site will generate 33.4 cubic meters (43.7 cubic yards) during the life cycle. One and one-half cubic meters (2 cubic yards) will be transferred to commercial facilities, the remaining 31.9 cubic meters (41.7 cubic yards) going to Sandia/New Mexico.

Low-Level Waste

Low-level waste was generated from the cleanup and transition activities of the former Tritium Research Facility and were disposed at the Nevada Test Site. Prior to shipment, the waste was stored in Buildings 961 and 968/129 until a full truckload was certified for disposal at the Nevada Test Site. No future low-level waste is anticipated; therefore, this estimate does not include any low-level waste requiring treatment, storage, or disposal.

Hazardous Waste

The majority of hazardous waste is generated by the Office of Defense Programs. Hazardous waste is typically compacted, consolidated, or commingled to reduce volume, liability, and costs before treatment and disposal. Storage of hazardous waste will continue in Building 962-2 until shipment. All hazardous waste will be transported and disposed of at a licensed commercial facility. This life-cycle estimate assumes 7,386 cubic meters (9,660 cubic yards) will be transferred to commercial facilities.

Direct Program Management/Support

Program management represents crosscutting activities associated with all waste types and not directly in support of specific operations or projects. Program management activities include support for the environmental safety and health program; quality assurance; training personnel and subcontractors; emergency response; centralized engineering and maintenance; safeguards and security; fire protection; regulatory compliance support; public participation; and management of the Waste Minimization/Pollution Prevention program. Costs are also included for personnel to develop and validate cost estimates; manage program cost, schedule, and technical baselines; formulate and execute budget requirements; develop performance reports; and support audits, reviews, and validations.

DESCRIPTION OF PERSONNEL

Current Composition

There are currently approximately 73 federal and contractor employees at the Sandia site. The labor mix by speciality, consists of a manager, a budget administration specialist, scientists, engineers, and technicians. In addition, project support is provided through commercial contracts and Integrated Contractor Orders. The table below presents the federal and contractor work force by labor category.

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

Site Management Structure

Sandia National Laboratory is operated for the U.S. Department of Energy by Lockheed Martin Corporation under a cost-plus-award-fee management and operating contract. Some work is subcontracted to private companies or to other federal facilities through Integrated Contractor Orders. These contracts are usually annual contracts or contracts for specific portions of projects that span several years. Commercial contracts are competitively bid. Two of the primary Environmental Management subcontracts support the Fuel Oil Spill Project and the Hazardous Waste Program.

Future Full-Time Equivalent Needs

Full-Time Equivalent needs are expected to remain unchanged through FY 1998. Beginning with FY 1999, these needs are expected to remain as delineated above and this report assumes that the required labor mix will not change substantially beyond FY 1999.

FUNDING ESTIMATE

The following tables present estimated funding information for the Sandia National Laboratories/California.

COMPARISON WITH PREVIOUS ESTIMATE

The estimated life-cycle cost for the Laboratory has decreased 16 percent from the FY 1995 estimate. However, estimated Environmental Restoration program activity costs have doubled. The 16 percent reduction in the Laboratory's life-cycle cost estimate reflects revisions to waste generation rates and greater program efficiencies. Also, in the 1995 Baseline Environmental Management Report, most Waste Management program sites remained operating until 2030. In the 1996 Baseline Environmental Management Report, the site's activities are assumed to continue until 2070. This increase in scope is offset by the fact that costs for the Waste Management program support activities were allocated to the Albuquerque Operations Office in 1996.