Annual Site Environmental Report: 2010 (ASER)

Abstract

This report provides information about environmental programs during the calendar year of 2010 at the SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory (SLAC), Menlo Park, California. Activities that overlap the calendar year - i.e., stormwater monitoring covering the winter season of 2010/2011 (October 2010 through May 2011) are also included. SLAC is a federally-funded research and development center with Stanford University as the M&O contractor. Under Executive Order (EO) 13423, Strengthening Federal Environmental, Energy, and Transportation Management, EO 13514, Federal Leadership in Environmental, Energy, and Economic Performance, and DOE Order 450.1A, Environmental Protection Program, SLAC effectively implements and integrates the key elements of an Environmental Management System (EMS) to achieve the site's integrated safety and environmental management system goals. For normal daily activities, SLAC managers and supervisors are responsible for ensuring that policies and procedures are understood and followed so that: (1) Worker safety and health are protected; (2) The environment is protected; and (3) Compliance is ensured. Throughout 2010, SLAC continued to improve its management systems. These systems provided a structured framework for SLAC to implement 'greening of the government' initiatives such as EO 13423, EO 13514, and DOE Orders 450.1A and 430.2B. Overall, management systems at SLAC are effective, supporting compliance with all relevant statutory and regulatory requirements. During 2010, there were no reportable releases to the environment from SLAC operations. In addition, many improvements in waste minimization, recycling, stormwater management, groundwater restoration, and SLAC's chemical management system (CMS) were continued. The following are among SLAC's environmental accomplishments for 2010. To facilitate management and identification of future potential greenhouse gases (GHG) reduction opportunities, SLAC voluntarily completed GHG inventories for calendar year (CY) 2008 and CY 2009 and submitted the results to The Climate Registry. A Lead Management Plan was completed to reduce the potential of lead impacting the environment, and two large legacy tube-trailer modules, each containing 38 tubes of compressed ethane, were reused or recycled by an outside contractor, resulting in hazardous waste avoidance and cost savings of approximately $100,000 in transportation and disposal costs. SLAC continues to make progress on achieving the sustainability goals of EOs 13423 and 13514, which include, but are not limited to reductions in the use of water, energy, and fuel, building to green standards and reductions in GHG emissions. Phase I of the SLAC Advanced Metering project for electrical and natural gas systems was completed. Phase I included the design of the metering system and purchase of the enterprise software. The planning, design, and installation of an advanced water metering system for select buildings, landscape, and process systems were completed. In addition, the last major onsite chiller containing a Class I ozone-depleting substance was taken out of service, and SLAC continued to replace conventional vehicles with electric vehicles. In 2010, there were no radiological impacts to the public or the environment from SLAC operations. The potential doses to the public were negligible and far below the regulatory and SLAC administrative limits. No radiological incidents occurred that increased radiation levels to the public or released radioactivity to the environment. In addition to managing its radioactive wastes safely and responsibly, SLAC worked to reduce the amount of waste generated. SLAC shipped 2,891 cubic feet of low-level radioactive waste, half of which was legacy waste, to appropriate treatment and disposal facilities for low-level radioactive waste. SLAC also continued its efforts to reduce the inventory of materials no longer needed for its mission by permanently removing 125 sealed radioactive sources from the inventory. Ninety-seven of the sealed sources were returned to the manufacturer, and 28 were sent to Energy Solutions for processing before being sent to the Nevada Test Site for burial. In addition, 87 concrete blocks which had been stored in an area known as the Bone Yard were surveyed for potential surface contamination and volumetric activation prior to off-site release. Based on the comprehensive measurements, all 87 blocks were qualified for release and were disposed of as ordinary materials at a landfill. In 2010, the SLAC Environmental Restoration Program personnel continued work on site characterization and evaluation of remedial alternatives at four sites with volatile organic compounds in groundwater and several areas with polychlorinated biphenyls and low concentrations of lead in soil.