BRIEF

Policy Summary

The Soil and Groundwater Management Program provides monitoring requirements and management controls to help ensure groundwater, soil vapor, and soil contaminants at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab or LBNL) do not adversely affect human health or the environment and that soil and groundwater are handled, stored, disposed of, or reused on-site following applicable laws, regulations, and LBNL policies.

Who Should Read This Policy

All Berkeley Lab employees and subcontractors who may come into contact with potentially contaminated soil or groundwater, including those individuals responsible for penetrations into soil where a Permit to Penetrate Ground or Existing Surfaces of LBNL Property must be obtained or are responsible for new building construction in areas of potential soil or groundwater contamination.

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 61

Contact Information

Environmental Services Group
Environment, Health and Safety (EHS) Division
[email protected]

POLICY

A. Purpose

Soil, soil vapor, and groundwater contaminants in some areas of Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) pose potential health hazards to workers engaged in ground-penetration activities and to workers in new buildings who could potentially be exposed to the migration of soil vapor contaminants into indoor air. In addition, previously unidentified areas of contamination may be encountered, particularly during the redevelopment of older developed areas of the site. The Soil and Groundwater Management Program provides monitoring requirements and management controls to help ensure that soil, soil vapor, and groundwater contaminants do not adversely impact human health or the environment and that soil and groundwater are handled, stored, disposed of, or reused on-site following applicable laws, regulations, and LBNL policies.

B. Persons Affected

All Berkeley Lab employees and subcontractors who may come into contact with potentially contaminated soil or groundwater, including those individuals responsible for penetrations into soil where a Permit to Penetrate Ground or Existing Surfaces of LBNL Property must be obtained or those responsible for new building construction in areas of potential soil, soil vapor, or groundwater contamination

C. Exceptions

None

D. Policy Statement

Due to the potential risk to human health and the environment from soil, soil vapor, and groundwater contaminants at Berkeley Lab, the following controls are required:

1. Excavated soil must be handled, stored, disposed of, or reused on-site in accordance with requirements specified in the LBNL Soil Management Plan (SMP) and all applicable laws, regulations, and LBNL policies.
2. The Facilities Division Permit to Penetrate Ground or Existing Surfaces of LBNL Property requires that the Environment, Health and Safety Division (EHS) Environmental Services Group (ESG) be notified to initiate a preconstruction site evaluation for potential soil and groundwater contaminants whenever a permit is required to penetrate the ground surface.
3. Activities that may encounter contaminated groundwater must have written procedures for site monitoring, spill contingency, and discharge for any extracted groundwater. Groundwater may not be discharged to the storm drain or sanitary sewer unless in compliance with a discharge permit issued by the East Bay Municipal Utility District for the sanitary sewer or the Regional Water Quality Control Board for the storm drain.
4. New buildings cannot be constructed in areas where soil vapor concentrations pose a potential risk to future building occupants unless measures approved by the California Environmental Protection Agency Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC) are implemented (e.g., vapor mitigation system or cleanup of contaminants) to mitigate potential risks, or additional data are collected that show that the risks are within acceptable levels.

E. Roles and Responsibilities

F. Definitions/Acronyms

G. Recordkeeping Requirements

H. Implementing Documents

I. Contact Information

Environmental Services Group
EHS Division
[email protected]

J. Revision History

DOCUMENT INFORMATION

Source Requirements Documents

• 40 CFR, Parts 260–272, Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (Hazardous Waste Regulations)
• Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (42 USC Section 6901 et seq.)
• Toxic Substance Control Act (15 USC Section 2601 et seq.)
• 22 CCR, Division 4.5, Environmental Health Standards for the Management of Hazardous Waste, Sections 66001–67800.5
• California Water Code Section 13000 et seq.
• California Health and Safety Code Section 25249.5 et seq.
• Bay Area Air Quality Management District Rules and Regulations

Other Driving Requirements

• 40 CFR, Part 141, Safe Drinking Water Act
• San Francisco Bay Basin Plan and Amendments, Regional Water Quality Control Board