US Department of Energy

Site Name:

Ernest Orlando Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL)

Operation Office Information
Office:	Oakland Operations Office
Address:	1301 Clay St. Room 700 N Oakland, CA 94612
Contact:	Steve Black Phone: (510) 637-1595
Site Information
Operator:	Ernest Orlando Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
Address:	1 Cyclotron Road, Berkeley, CA 94720
Contractor Contact:	Henry H. Tran, C.H.P. Phone: (510) 486-7623
DOE Site Contact:	Carl Schwab Phone: (510) 486-4298

The Ernest Orlando Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) is a multi-program national laboratory managed by the University of California (UC) for the US Department of Energy (DOE). The Berkeley Lab’s major role is to conduct basic and applied research in biology, physics, chemistry, materials, and energy. The Berkeley Lab, birthplace of the cyclotron, was founded by the late Nobel Laureate Ernest Orlando Lawrence in 1931.

Berkeley Lab operates facilities which contain Radioactive Material Areas (RMAs) or Radiological Storage Areas (RSAs) that are subject to the radioactive air emission regulations of the "National Emission Standard for Hazardous Airborne Pollutants other than Radon from DOE Facilities" (NESHAPs) or 40 CFR Part 61, Subpart H. Figure 1 illustrates the Berkeley Lab general site configuration and locations of facilities with RMAs or RSAs. Table 1 identifies the buildings illustrated in Figure 1. Figure 2 identifies other Berkeley Lab off site locations (Buildings 1, 3, 903, and 934) that potentially involve radioactive air emissions.

Radiochemical and radiobiological studies performed in many on site/off site laboratories at Berkeley Lab typically use millicurie quantities of a variety of radionuclides. (One millicurie is equal to 3.7x10⁷ Becquerel (Bq).)

Figure 1. LBNL on Site Buildings

Table 1. Key to LBNL Buildings Shown in Figure 1

Berkeley Lab is situated upon a hillside above the main campus of the University of California at Berkeley (UCB). The 80-hectare (200-acre) site is located on the west and southwest-facing slope of the Berkeley Hills, at elevations ranging from 150 to 300 meters (500 to 1,000 feet) above sea level within the Cities of Berkeley and Oakland. It is located about five kilometers (three miles) east of San Francisco Bay and about 25 kilometers (fifteen miles) east of the City of San Francisco (Figure 3).

Berkeley Lab is located in an urban environment on land owned by the UC. On all sides of the Laboratory is a buffer zone of UC-owned land. In addition, the Laboratory maintains a landscape buffer zone between its facilities and the site boundary. Beyond the northern sides of the buffer zone there are predominantly single-family homes and beyond the west side are multiunit dwellings, student residence halls, and commercial districts. The area to the east and south, which is part of the University lands, is maintained in a largely natural state and includes recreational facilities and the University Botanical Garden. Although the population within 80 km (50 miles) of LBNL increased by about 20% during the 1970s and 1980s from 5 to 6 million, the populations of Berkeley and Oakland, the two cities immediately adjacent to LBNL, declined. Changes in population statistics from the 1990 census have not produced significant differences in dose.

The Laboratory’s activities are conducted on site and off site. Berkeley Lab activities take place in structures totaling 186,000 gross square meters (gsm), or 2,000,000 gross square feet (gsf). The buildings are on the Berkeley Lab hillside site, plus additional facilities located on the University campus, notably the Donner Laboratory of Biology and Medicine (Building 1) and the Melvin Calvin Laboratory (Building 3). The main site space consists of 157,000 gsm in 190 permanent buildings and trailers. Off site space consists of 11,000 gsm in various University buildings on the UC at Berkeley (UCB) campus and 18,000 gsm in leased facilities in Emeryville and Berkeley.

Almost 3,000 scientists and support personnel work at Berkeley Labs main site. In addition, Berkeley Lab typically hosts 1,900 guests who worked at the site for varying lengths of time

The climate of the Berkeley Lab site is greatly influenced by its close proximity to the Pacific Ocean and its exposure to the maritime air that flows in from San Francisco Bay. Seasonal temperature variations are small, with an approximate mean temperature difference between the summer [17^oC (63^oF)] and winter [9^oC (48^oF)] of only 8.5^oC (15^oF). The site proximity to San Francisco Bay and the Pacific Ocean keeps the humidity relatively high. The average annual rainfall is about 68 cm (27 inches). About 95% of the rainfall occur from October through April, and intensities are seldom greater than 1.3 cm/hr (0.5 in/hr). Thunderstorms, hail and snow are extremely rare. Winds are usually light, but summer sea breezes can reach up to 9-13m/s (20-30 mph). Winds from winter storms can reach speeds of 13 to 18 m/s (30 – 40 mph). The predominant wind directions are westerly and northwesterly during fair weather and southeasterly in advance of storms.

Figure 3. San Francisco Bay Area Map

Berkeley Lab has been in full compliance with the requirements set forth in 40 CFR Part 61, Subpart H since 1995. Prior to reaching full compliance, a Federal Facilities Compliance Agreement (FFCA) with Region IX EPA was in force since August 1993. The US/EPA sent DOE written confirmation in November 1995 that Berkeley Lab had satisfactorily completed all requirements of the FFCA.

As a part of the FFCA, Berkeley Lab formalized all phases of its NESHAPs program and proposed a graded strategy for performing the "periodic confirmatory monitoring" called for in Section 61.93 (b)(4)(i) of the 40 CFR 61. Monitoring requirements are determined by dose modeling results that do not take credit for emission controls in place. Table 2 summarizes the US/EPA approved NESHAPs compliance strategy for stack monitoring which Berkeley Lab has followed since the beginning of 1995.

Table 2. Summary of NESHAPs Compliance Strategy for Monitoring Emissions in 1998

Berkeley Lab uses a wide variety of radionuclides in its radiochemical and biomedical research programs. In addition, radioactive materials are inevitably produced by the operations of the charged particle accelerators. Table 3 summarizes the radionuclides potentially used/monitored at Berkeley Lab during 1998.

Table 3. Radionuclides Potentially Used/Monitored at Berkeley Lab During 1998

Of these radionuclides, the most commonly and widely used radionuclides in the research program are: H-3, C-14, F-18, P-32, S-35, and I-125. Radioactive gases produced by the accelerator operations are mainly short-lived radionuclides such as C-11, N-13, O-15, and Ar-41. These induced radioactive gases are normally produced in areas where the beam strikes beamline components.

During 1998, 21 laboratory buildings at Berkeley Lab had areas with the potential to emit radionuclides into the atmosphere. These areas are called Radioactive Material Areas (RMAs) or Radiological Storage Areas (RSAs) at Berkeley Lab. Based on historical operations and monitoring data, one source release point was identified for 1998 that was potentially within Category I; Building 75. All other Berkeley Lab’s sources that were operational during 1998 are "small sources." That is, the effective dose equivalent (EDE) from each source is much less than 0.1 mrem/yr (1.0E-3 mSv/yr), the NESHAPs threshold limit for continuous real-time monitoring. Table 4 is a list of RMAs and RSAs at Berkeley Lab and NESHAPs sources by category derived from the Radiation Protection Program database.

Table 4. Potential NESHPs Sources by Category

NESHAPs Compliance Strategy Category
Buildings with Radioactive Material Areas (RMAs)	Category I	Category II	Category III	Category IV	Category V		TOTAL
1	0	0	3	0		10		13
2	0	0	0	0		0		0
3	0	0	0	0		3		3
6	0	0	0	0		1		1
26	0	0	0	0		3		3
55	0	0	1	0		7		8
56	0	2	0	0		0		2
70	0	1	4	0		4		9
70A	0	0	5	0		12		17
71	0	0	0	0		6		6
72	0	0	0	0		2		2
74	0	0	0	0		11		11
75	1	2	0	0		2		5
75A	0	0	0	0		2		2
75C	0	0	0	0		1		1
76	0	0	0	0		1		1
83	0	0	0	0		8		8
85	0	2	0	0		0		2
88	0	2	1	0		3		6
903	0	0	0	0		1		1
934	0	0	0	0		15		15
TOTAL:	1	9	14	0		92		116

During 1998, air discharge points with the most significant potential for a routine or an accidental release were continuously monitored (sampled and analyzed) or periodically sampled and analyzed. Many very small sources, that is, sources with potential for routine annual off site EDE impacts of less than 1.0E-3 mrem (1.0E-5 mSv) are, in general, not sampled/monitored (category V sources). Instead of sampling or monitoring these category V sources, Berkeley Lab evaluates the potential impact of these sources with engineering calculations based on the annual usage quantities. The total number of category V sources reported this year is based on the number of RMAs and RSAs in the database maintained by Radiation Protection Group. All the potential RMAs and RSAs locations, rather than physical stacks, are counted in this category, regardless of whether there were any usage/storage of radioactive material within these locations.

Many Berkeley Lab release points qualify as "grouped sources" as described in the NESHAPs DOE guidance for the preparation of this document. The following grouping criteria were used:

Using this grouping scheme, Berkeley Lab created 15 NESHAPs sources (Table 5). For each source, Berkeley Lab used the EPA-approved atmospheric dispersion dose calculation computer code CAP88-PC to estimate the Effective Dose Equivalent (EDE) to an offsite maximally exposed individual (MEI). The fifteen CAP88-PC computer model assessments were separately performed to simulate nine point sources and six grouped sources for dose assessment during 1998. The remainder of this section will discuss the results of these assessments.

As identified in Figure 2, Buildings 1, 3, 903, and 934 are located outside of Berkeley Lab’s main perimeter and should technically be labeled as separate "facilities" since they are not on one "contiguous site." However, Building 1 and Building 3 are located on the adjacent UC-Berkeley campus and are within walking distance from the main Berkeley Lab site. Buildings 903 and 934 are about five kilometers west of the main site. Annual radioactive air emissions from these offsite buildings and associated EDE at each local receptor is several orders of magnitude lower than the highest emissions and doses from the main Berkeley Lab site. Thus, it would be inappropriate and misleading to model and report these much lower EDEs separately. Therefore, for reporting and dose modeling purposes, all of these offsite buildings will be considered as being on one contiguous Berkeley Lab site.

Table 5. Berkeley Lab NESHAPs Point and Grouped Sources During 1998

1. Building 1 (Donner Laboratory): Donner Laboratory conducts research in nuclear medicine through the use of new chemical probes and new instrumentation for applications to aging, atherosclerosis, and cancer. The building is located at the eastern edge of the University of California at Berkeley campus. The predominant nuclides used are H-3, C-14, P-32, S-35, and I-125 as labeled amino acids and DNA precursors. Many non-LBNL employees (i.e., UC) also share this building for various other research activities. Work is mostly done on bench tops and in hoods. Releases are from building vents and hoods. Many of these release points are classified as Category V. Three stacks in Building 1 are sampled and analyzed monthly for I-125, C-14, gross alpha, gross beta, and tritium. A summary of the CAP88-PC source term input parameters and EDE results for this release point is presented in Table 6.

Table 6. Building 1 Release Point Characteristics and Dose Impacts

2. Buildings 2 and 6 (Center for Advanced Material Laboratory, Center for X-Ray Optics and Advanced Light Source): The Center for Advanced Material does fundamental research in areas of materials science that US Industry and DOE Technology Offices have identified as critical to their missions and objectives. In this way it provides a basic research underpinning for more applied and development work in industrial, government, and academic laboratories. The Center for X-ray Optics addresses national needs in the technical areas of efficient and high precision transport, focusing and spectroscopic analysis of electromagnetic radiation in the soft x-ray and extreme ultraviolet (EUV) regions of the spectrum. Progress in the physical, chemical, and life sciences is enhanced by the broad availability of these new resources.

The Advanced Light Source (ALS) is the world's brightest synchrotron radiation source in the extreme ultraviolet and soft x-ray regions of the spectrum. The ALS is a national facility open to qualified scientists and engineers in a broad range of disciplines. The ALS injector produces stray neutrons during its operation, which activate the air in the injector vault. Since the ALS is a low power accelerator, compared to LBNL’s other accelerators, its inventory of air activation products is substantially lower than the 88-inch Cyclotron. The maximum potential annual releases of N-13 and O-15 (the important air activation products of the ALS) are computed to be 0.084 Ci (3 x 10⁹ Bq) and 0.006 Ci (2 x 10⁸ Bq), respectively.

Buildings 2 and 6 are classified as Category V release points and the radiological inventory is controlled by Radiological Work Authorization/Permit (RWA/RWP) and periodic evaluation. No monitoring is required. A summary of the CAP88-PC source term input parameters and EDE results for this release point is presented in Table 7.

Table 7. Building 2/6 Release Point Characteristics and Dose Impacts

3. Building 3 (Calvin Laboratory): The Calvin Laboratory conducts basic research on the dynamics of living cells and on the interaction of radiant energy with organic matter. The Laboratory has made significant contributions to our understanding of the molecular mechanisms of photosynthesis and of the effects of environmental pollutants on plant and animal cells. Cell and molecular biology studies are performed in this laboratory. As with Building 1, this building is located in the eastern portion of the University of California at Berkeley campus. The predominant radionuclides used are H-3, P-32, S-35, and C-14 as labeled amino acids and DNA precursors. ¹⁴CO₂ is also used in this laboratory as an "incubant." Building 3 is wholly occupied by Berkeley Lab personnel. Work is done on bench tops and in hoods. Releases are from building vents and hoods. Building 3 is classified as a Category V release point and the radiological inventory is controlled by Radiological Work Authorization/Permit (RWA/RWP) and periodic evaluation. No monitoring is required. A summary of the CAP88-PC source term input parameters and EDE results for this release point is presented in Table 8.

Table 8. Building 3 Release Point Characteristics and Dose Impacts

4. Building 26 and 76 (Medical Services and Bioassay, Radiation and Analytical Measurements Laboratory): Low-level radiochemical analyses of bioassay and environmental samples and hazardous waste are performed by Berkeley Lab's Radiation and Analytical Measurements Laboratory (RAML). In addition, Building 76 has some counter calibration sources. RAML is the only radionuclide user in these buildings. Only trace quantities of radionuclides are used in sample spiking and standards preparation. The Building 26/76 grouping is classified as a Category V release point and the radiological inventory is controlled by Radiological Work Authorization/Permit (RWA/RWP) and periodic evaluation. No monitoring is required. A summary of the CAP88-PC source term input parameters and EDE results for this release point is presented in Table 9.

Table 9. Building 26/76 Release Point Characteristics and Dose Impacts

5. Buildings 55 and 56 (Research Medicine & Radiation Biophysics, Biomedical Isotope Facility): The Research Medicine & Radiation Biophysics and Biomedical Isotope Facility develops radiopharmaceuticals and advanced medical imaging technologies including positron emission tomography (PET), single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT), and nuclear magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and applies them to the study of atherosclerosis, heart disease, aging, neurological and psychiatric diseases, and cancer. The primary radiological activities carried out in Building 55 are PET using F-18, and metabolic studies using I-125. The radiological activities take place in 2 laboratories and a PET camera room. Operations with radioiodine are done in a HEPA and Tetraethylene Diamine (TEDA)-doped carbon-filtered enclosures. One stack in Building 55 is sampled and analyzed monthly for I-125, gross alpha, and gross beta. Building 56 houses a small accelerator to produce F-18 for PET and other experimental studies. Airborne emissions from Building 56 are limited to positron emitters from air activation and F-18 production. Two locations in Building 56 are continuously monitored (real-time) for positron emitters. A summary of the CAP88-PC source term input parameters and EDE results for this release point is presented in Table 10.

Table 10. Building 55/56 Release Point Characteristics and Dose Impacts

6. Buildings 70 & 70A (Nuclear, Materials, Chemicals, Earth Sciences, and Life Sciences): The Nuclear Science programs include nuclear structure and reactions, relativistic nuclear collisions, nuclear & particle astrophysics, nuclear data evaluation, and nuclear theory. The Materials Sciences Division performs research in the discovery, creation, characterization, and development of new materials and materials phenomena. The Chemical Sciences Program conducts research in the areas of chemical physics and the dynamics of chemical reactions, the structure and reactivity of transient species, electron spectroscopy, surface chemistry and catalysis, electrochemistry, chemistry of the actinide elements and their relationship to environmental issues, and atomic physics. The Earth Sciences programs perform fundamental and applied research related to energy and environmental resources. Programs carried out in these facilities include super-heavy nuclear studies, waste migration studies (tracer amounts), and nuclear chemical studies. There are also two biological science groups in 70A. Research activities using radioactive material are carried out by various research groups in 26 of the many small laboratories within the two buildings. Sixteen sources in Building 70 and 70A are classified as a Category V release points and the remaining 10 locations are sampled continuously and analyzed periodically; one is analyzed weekly, and nine are analyzed monthly. Monitoring analytes include I-125, C-14, gross alpha, gross beta and tritium. In calculating the dose, it is more conservative to assume that gross alpha and gross beta radionuclides are Thorium 232 (Th-232) and Strontium 90 (Sr-90), respectively. A summary of the CAP88-PC source term input parameters and EDE results for these release points is presented in Table 11.

Table 11. Buildings 70&70A Release Point Characteristics and Dose Impacts

7. Buildings 71 and 72 (Heavy Ion Accelerator, National Center for Electron Microscopy (NCEM)) The Heavy Ion Accelerator is no longer in operation. The NCEM provides the electron microscopy community with advanced instrumentation for electron-optical characterization of materials. With the highest resolution (1.6Å) electron microscope in the US and the highest-energy microscope, NCEM is a national facility open to qualified researchers in materials science and associated disciplines. The Building 71/72 grouping is classified as a Category V release point and the radiological inventory is controlled by Radiological Work Authorization/Permit (RWA/RWP) and periodic evaluation. No monitoring is required. A summary of the CAP88-PC source term input parameters and EDE results for these release points is presented in Table 12.

Table 12. Buildings 71/72 Release Point Characteristics and Dose Impacts

Table 13. Buildings 74/83 Release Point Characteristics and Dose Impacts