Environmental Monitoring

Title:	Environmental Monitoring
Publication date:	9/13/2021
Effective date:	2/19/2013

BRIEF

Policy Summary

Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) monitors Laboratory activities with potential to adversely impact public health or environmental quality. Berkeley Lab's environmental monitoring program consists of four major activities:

Effluent Monitoring: The collection and analysis of samples, or measurements of liquid and gaseous effluents, for the purpose of characterizing and quantifying contaminants, assessing radiation exposures to members of the public, providing a means to control effluents at or near the point of discharge, and demonstrating compliance with applicable standards and permit requirements.
Environmental Surveillance: The collection and analysis of samples, or direct measurements, of air, water, soil, vegetation, and other media from the Berkeley Lab site and its environs for the purpose of determining compliance with applicable standards and permit requirements, assessing radiation exposures to members of the public, and assessing the effects, if any, on the local environment
Meteorological Monitoring: The collection of representative meteorological data to characterize atmospheric transport and diffusion conditions in the vicinity of Berkeley Lab, and to represent conditions that are important to environmental surveillance activities, such as air quality monitoring and exposure assessments
Preoperational Monitoring: An environmental study conducted prior to the start-up of a new facility, or a process for the purpose of establishing a baseline for environmental conditions

Who Should Read This Policy

All Berkeley Lab employees, visitors, affiliates, and subcontractors who measure potentially harmful environmental discharges or emissions and report the information to the Department of Energy (DOE) or external regulatory agencies

To Read the Full Policy, Go To:

The POLICY tab on this wiki page

To Read the EHS Program Details, Go To:

ES&H Manual Chapter 62

Contact Information

Environmental Protection Group Manager, Environmental Releases Program Manager
EHS Division

Title:	Environmental Monitoring
Publication date:	9/13/2021
Effective date:	2/19/2013

POLICY

A. Purpose

Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) monitors Laboratory activities that have potential to adversely impact public health or environmental quality. Berkeley Lab's environmental monitoring program consists of four major activities:

Effluent monitoring. The collection and analysis of samples or the measurement of liquid and gaseous effluents in order to characterize and quantify contaminants, assess radiation exposures to members of the public, provide a means to control effluents at or near the point of discharge, and demonstrate compliance with applicable standards and permit requirements.
Environmental surveillance. The collection and analysis of samples or direct measurements of air, water, soil, vegetation, and other media from the Berkeley Lab site and its environs in order to determine compliance with applicable standards and permit requirements, assess radiation exposures to members of the public, and assess the effects, if any, on the local environment.
Meteorological monitoring. The collection of representative meteorological data to characterize atmospheric transport and diffusion conditions in the vicinity of Berkeley Lab, and to report conditions important to environmental surveillance activities such as air quality monitoring and exposure assessments.
Preoperational monitoring. An environmental study conducted prior to the start-up of a new facility, or a process to establish a baseline for environmental conditions.

B. Persons Affected

All Berkeley Lab employees, visitors, affiliates, and subcontractors who measure potentially harmful environmental discharges or emissions and report the information to the Department of Energy (DOE) or external regulatory agencies

C. Exceptions

None

D. Policy Statement

Berkeley Lab's Environmental Monitoring Program helps ensure that Laboratory activities are conducted in a manner that protects public health and maintains environmental quality.
The Environmental Services Group prepares, implements, and maintains the Environmental Monitoring Plan and performs the environmental monitoring activities.
Information about environmental monitoring activities is reported annually in the Berkeley Lab Site Environmental Reports.
Meteorological monitoring data is collected every 15 minutes from a 20-meter weather tower located on-site. The tower measures wind speed and direction, temperature, dew point, barometric pressure, solar radiation, and precipitation.

E. Roles and Responsibilities

Role	Responsibility
Principal Investigators and Supervisors	Ensure that environmental laws, regulations, and policies are followed. Request technical advice from the Environmental Services Group on environmental requirements and an appropriate compliance strategy. Provide employee training in operational requirements pertaining to environmental protection, and maintain records of such training. Ensure that activities are performed within acceptable operating standards and that required records are current. Notify the Environment, Health and Safety and (EHS) Division immediately of unplanned accidental releases
Employees	Follow applicable environmental laws, regulations, and policies. Must be fully aware of the environmental impact of their activities, and comply with all requirements that govern those activities. Adhere to all environmental requirements contained in Berkeley Lab air permits for their facility. Perform activities within acceptable operating standards, and maintain current records whenever required. Ensure that exposures of the public and the environment to radioactive emissions are kept as low as is reasonably achievable. Participate in programs for energy conservation, recycling, pollution prevention, and waste minimization. Take immediate action to stop unplanned releases to the environment, and report all instances of unplanned environmental releases to EHS. Complete all required training provided by supervisors and EHS.
Environmental Services Group	Develops Laboratory policies and procedures to assure that operations are conducted in an environmentally safe manner and fully comply with all applicable environmental laws, regulations, and DOE orders. Prepares environmental compliance plans and reports as mandated by environmental laws, regulations, and DOE orders. Assesses current and planned Berkeley Lab programs, and assists in defining environmental protection compliance upgrades and corrective actions. Identifies significant institutional environmental compliance issues, and develops cost-effective mechanisms for resolving them. Performs environmental dose assessments to document that radiation doses to the public and environment are maintained well below applicable standards and regulations. Prepares budget requests for, and manages, environmental protection upgrades and corrective actions for institutional projects. Provides training, makes presentations, and participates in discussions regarding environmental protection matters with Berkeley Lab employees, regulatory agencies, concerned public citizens, community organizations, and the media. Manages the preparation of environmental operating permit applications. Curtails or suspends operations posing an immediate danger to members of the public or the environment. Monitors Laboratory emissions and discharges to the environment to verify compliance with applicable regulations and permits. Investigates reports of unplanned environmental releases, and notifies federal, state, and local authorities in a timely manner, as required. Coordinates and represents Berkeley Lab activities during environmental audits and inspections by regulatory agencies and the DOE. Responds to information requests from the public. Participates in DOE audits of off-site analytical laboratories to ensure the quality of analytical results received for environmental monitoring programs.

F. Definitions/Acronyms

Term	Definition
As low as reasonably achievable (ALARA)	An approach to radiological management and control intended to keep exposures (individual and collective) to the general public and the environment at levels as low as is reasonable, taking into account social, technical, economic, practical, and public-policy considerations. As used in the Berkeley Lab Environmental Monitoring Program, ALARA is not a dose limit but a process with the objective of attaining doses as far below the applicable controlling limits as is reasonably achievable.
Bay Area Air Quality Management District (BAAQMD)	The local agency that regulates stationary sources of regulated or hazardous air pollutants in the San Francisco Bay Area
Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC)	The department within the California Environmental Protection Agency that regulates remedial actions
East Bay Municipal Utility District (EBMUD)	The local municipal wastewater treatment facility that accepts and regulates sanitary sewer discharges from Berkeley Lab
Effluent	Any treated or untreated liquid discharge from Berkeley Lab or from a Laboratory facility
Emission	Any filtered or unfiltered substance released to the air from Berkeley Lab or from a Laboratory facility
Environmental monitoring	The collection and analysis of environmental samples or direct measurements of environmental media. Environmental monitoring consists of three major activities: effluent monitoring, environmental surveillance, and meteorological monitoring.
Environmental occurrence	Any sudden or sustained deviation from a regulated or planned performance at an operation that has environmental protection and compliance significance
Environmental surveillance	The collection and analysis of samples, or direct measurements of air, water, soil, foodstuff, biota, and other media from Berkeley Lab and its environs in order to determine compliance with applicable standards and permit requirements, assess radiation exposures of members of the public, and assess the effects, if any, on the local environment
Hazardous air pollutant	Any pollutant listed in Section 112(b) of the Clean Air Act
Publicly Owned Treatment Works (POTW)	A general term used for sewage treatment plants. The EBMUD plant is the POTW that accepts sewage from Berkeley Lab.
Radionuclide	A natural or manmade atom that spontaneously undergoes radioactive decay
Regulated air pollutants	Pollutants controlled by standards authorized by the Clean Air Act. They include the classes of substances defined as nitrogen oxides, volatile organic compounds, toxic air contaminants, or ozone-depleting substances.
State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB)	The agency responsible for promulgating the California General Permit for Storm Water Discharge Associated with Industrial Activities. At Berkeley Lab, this permit is administered and enforced by the San Francisco Regional Water Quality Control Board, with assistance from the city of Berkeley.
Underground storage tank (UST)	A stationary device designed to contain an accumulation of hazardous material or waste. A UST is constructed primarily of non-earthen material, but its entire surface area is totally below the surface of, and covered by, the ground.
United States Environmental Protection Agency	A federal agency responsible for enforcing environmental laws. In California, some of this responsibility is typically delegated to state and local regulatory agencies.

G. Recordkeeping Requirements

Environmental Site Reports maintained by EHS

H. Implementing Documents

Document Number	EH&S Reference	Title	Type
07.09.011.001	ES&H Manual (PUB-3000), Chapter 62	Environmental Monitoring	Program
07.09.011.002	ES&H Manual (PUB-3000), Chapter 62, Work Process A	Environmental Monitoring	Process
07.09.011.003	LBNL-PUB-3180-2009	Environmental Management System Plan	Plan

I. Contact Information