Each year, Ernest Orlando Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory prepares an integrated report on its environmental programs to satisfy the requirements of U.S. Department of Energy Order 231.1. The Site Environmental Report for 1997 is intended to summarize Berkeley Lab’s compliance with environmental standards and requirements, characterize environmental management efforts through surveillance and monitoring activities, and highlight significant programs and efforts for calendar year 1997. The report was prepared under contract number DE-AC03-76SF00098.

This report is structured into three basic areas that cover a general overview of the Laboratory, the status of environmental programs, and the results from surveillance and monitoring activities. The report is separated into two volumes. Volume I contains the body of the report, the list of references, a list of acronyms and abbreviations, the glossary, Appendix A (NESHAPs annual report), and Appendix B (distribution list for volume I). Volume II contains Appendix C, the individual data results from monitoring programs.

Each chapter in volume I begins with an outline of the sections that follow, including any tables or figures found in the chapter. Readers should use section numbers (e.g., §1.5) as navigational tools to find topics of interest in either the printed or the electronic version of the report. Although a printed version of volume II (Appendix C) is not part of the report’s initial distribution, it is available on request (see below).

The report follows the Laboratory’s policy of using the International System of Units (SI) or metric system of measurements. Whenever possible, results are also reported using the more conventional inch-pound system of measurements because this system is referenced by some current regulatory standards and may be more familiar to some readers. The tables included at the end of the glossary are intended to help readers understand the various prefixes used with SI units of measurement and convert these units from one system to the other.

This report was prepared under the direction of Patrick Thorson of the Environmental Protection Group (Ron Pauer, Leader). Iraj Javandel, Ginny Lackner, Mike Ruggieri, Patrick Thorson, and Henry Tran were the primary authors of the report.

Other key contributors of programmatic information include David Balgobin, David Baskin, Robert Fox, Rich McClure, Gale Moline, Ron Pauer, Nancy Rothermich, Jack Salazar, Nancy Shepard, Brian Smith, Charles Smith, Dave Tudor, Mark Turner, and Steve Wyrick.

This report was prepared through Berkeley Lab’s Technical & Electronic Information Department (Dennis Hall, Head). Maryann Aberg managed technical editing, design, and production of the report, assisted by Rich Albert and Hilary Mullins (editing); Jean Wolslegel (composition); Flavio Robles, Jr. (illustration); and Chris Lema and Erik Richman (Web services).

Readers are encouraged to provide feedback on this report by completing the online survey.

Copies of the report are available from several resources: the Office of Scientific and Technical Information and the National Technical Information Service (see disclaimer), the Berkeley Lab Web site (choose "Site Index"), or the following contact:

Requests for the printed version of volume II should also be directed to Patrick Thorson.