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idVegetation Sampling and Management
Card
labelBrief

Title:

Vegetation Sampling and Management

Publication date:

8/11/2021

Effective date:

6/26/2013

BRIEF

Policy Summary

Only trees in which tritium concentrations are indistinguishable from regional background levels may be removed from the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) site. Additionally, all trees within the designated tritium restricted area (see Environmental Services Group (ESG) Procedure 270, Appendix A) must be authorized by ESG personnel prior to cutting, chipping, relocating within, and/or removing from the designated area.

Who Should Read This Policy

Berkeley Lab Facilities employees, construction subcontractors, and their supervisors who:

  • Manage or perform tree trimming or cutting, or
  • Plan construction projects that require tree trimming or cutting.

To Read the Full Policy, Go To:

The POLICY tab on this wiki page

To Read the ES&H Program, Go To:

ES&H Manual Chapter 59

Contact Information

Environmental Risk Assessments (for Radioactivity) Subject Matter Expert
ESG
Environment, Health and Safety Division

Card
labelPolicy

Title:

Vegetation Sampling and Management

Publication date:

8/11/2021

Effective date:

6/26/2013

POLICY

A. Purpose

The Vegetation Sampling and Management Program at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) ensures that tritium-contaminated trees (either potentially or confirmed to have tritium concentrations above regional background) are not removed from the Berkeley Lab site.

B. Persons Affected

Berkeley Lab Facilities employees, construction subcontractors, and their supervisors who:

  • Manage or perform tree trimming or cutting, or
  • Plan construction projects that require tree trimming or cutting.

C. Exceptions

If analytical results show tritium concentrations are indistinguishable from regional background in a tree within the designated tritium restricted area, then that tree may be removed from the Berkeley Lab site (Department of Energy (DOE) Berkeley Site Office, 1999).

D. Policy Statement

  1. Only trees in which the tritium concentration is indistinguishable from regional background levels may be removed from the Berkeley Lab site.
  2. A flowchart of the process for assessing potentially contaminated trees is shown in Work Process A, General Requirements and Flowchart.
  3. The map showing the area where trees may not be removed without sampling for tritium and confirming concentrations are indistinguishable from regional background is in Work Process B, Map of Restricted Area Where Trees May Not Be Removed.

E. Roles and Responsibilities

Role

Responsibilities

Supervisors

  • Ensure that environmental laws, regulations, and policies are followed.
  • Request assistance from the Environmental Services Group for technical advice on vegetation management operations and what would be an appropriate compliance strategy.
  • Ensure that vegetation management activities are performed within acceptable operating standards and that any required records are current.
  • Notify the Environment, Health, and Safety (EHS) Division immediately of any unauthorized tree removal.

Employees

  • Follow applicable environmental laws, regulations, and policies.
  • Be fully aware of the environmental impact of their tree removal activities and comply with all requirements that govern those activities.
  • Take immediate action to stop unauthorized tree removal and report all instances of unauthorized tree removal to the EHS Division.

Environmental Services Group

  • Develops Laboratory policies and procedures to ensure that tree removal operations are conducted in an environmentally safe manner and in full compliance with all applicable environmental laws and regulations and DOE orders.
  • Prepares environmental compliance plans and reports as mandated by laws and regulations and DOE orders.
  • Assesses current and planned Berkeley Lab tree removal activities and assists in defining environmental protection compliance actions.
  • Reviews planned tree removal operations in accordance with ESG Procedure 270, Assessing Tritium in Trees Slated for Removal on LBNL Property.
  • Provides technical assistance and participates in discussions regarding tree removal operations with Berkeley Lab employees, regulatory agencies, concerned public citizens, community organizations, and the media.
  • Curtails or suspends any operations that pose an immediate danger to members of the public or the environment.
  • Investigates reports of unauthorized tree removal, 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

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.

Regional background

Tritium levels in trees in the region beyond the influence of Berkeley Lab activities, which may be less than the lowest activity the analytical laboratory can detect

Restricted area

An area surrounding Building 75 where tritium levels in trees may exceed the regional background (where tree removal is restricted), and where tritium sampling is required in order to remove trees

Unauthorized tree removal

Removing trees or wood chips from the restricted area without obtaining confirmation from ESG that tritium levels in the trees are indistinguishable from regional background levels

G. Recordkeeping Requirements

Supervisors must ensure that vegetation management activities are performed within acceptable operating standards and that any required records are current.

H. Implementing Documents

Document Number

Other Reference Number

Title

Type

07.09.009.001

N/A

Vegetation Sampling and Management

Program

07.09.009.002

N/A

Work Process A, General Requirements and Flowchart

Process

07.09.009.003

N/A

Work Process B, Map of Restricted Area Where Trees May Not Be Removed

Process

N/A

ESG Procedure 270

Assessing Tritium in Trees Slated for Removal on LBNL Property

Procedure

N/A

ESG Procedure 266

Soil and Vegetation Sampling for the Environmental Radiological Protection Program

Procedure

N/A

LBL-27170

Site Environmental Report (most recent)

Report

I. Contact Information

Environmental Risk Assessments for Radioactivity Subject Matter Expert
Environmental Services Group
EHS Division

J. Revision History

Date

Revision

By Whom

Revision Description

Section(s) Affected

Change Type

1/2/2012

0

Pauer

Rewrite for wiki (brief)

All

Minor

6/26/2013

1

Wahl

Rewrite for wiki (policy)

All

Minor

8/11/2021

1.1

J. Cummings

Periodic review: minor clarifications

All

Minor

Card
labelDocument Information

DOCUMENT INFORMATION

Title:

Vegetation Sampling and Management

Document number

07.09.009.001

Revision number

1.1

Publication date:

8/11/2021

Effective date:

6/26/2013

Next review date:

8/11/2024

Policy Area:

Environmental Protection Program

RPM Section (home)

ESH

RPM Section (cross-reference)

None

Functional Division

EHS

Prior reference information (optional)

ES&H MANUALES&H Manual Section 11.3.6 moved to Chapter 59

Source Requirements Documents

  • Department of Energy, Radiation Protection of the Public and the Environment, DOE Order 458.1 (September 15, 2020)

Other Driving Requirements

  • Nolan, Richard H. "Tree and Vegetation Management Program," memo from DOE Berkeley Site Office to David McGraw, EH&S Division Director, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (April 5, 1999)
  • Retired document, and information contained within it was promulgated to the appropriate ESG plans/procedures. Department of Energy, Environmental Radiological Effluent Monitoring and Environmental Surveillance, DOE-HDBK-1216-2015

Implementing Documents

Document number

Other Reference Number

Title

Type

07.09.009.000

N/A

Vegetation Sampling and Management

Program

07.09.009.002

N/A

Work Process A, General Requirements and Flowchart

Process

07.09.009.003

N/A

Work Process B, Map of Restricted Area Where Trees May Not Be Removed

Process

N/A

ESG Procedure 270

Assessing Tritium in Trees Slated for Removal on LBNL Property

Procedure

N/A

ESG Procedure 266

Soil and Vegetation Sampling for the Environmental Radiological Protection Program

Procedure

N/A

LBL-27170

Site Environmental Report (most recent)

Report

Show If
grouprpm2-admins
Card
labelAdditional Information

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Title:

Vegetation Sampling and Management

Document number

07.09.009.000

Revision number

1.1

Publication date:

8/11/2021

Effective date:

6/26/2013

Next review date:

8/11/2024

Policy Area:

Environmental Protection Program

RPM Section (home)

ESH

RPM Section (cross-reference)

None

Functional Division

EHS

Author name/contact info

Wahl



Revision 0 publication date

1/2/2012

Retirement date

n/a

Prior reference information (optional)

PUB-3000 Section 11.3.6 moved to Chapter 59



Inputs from more than one Functional Area?

No

List additional Functional Areas & contacts




Inputs from more than one Policy Area?

No

List additional Policy Areas & contacts




30-day notification needed?

No

30-day start date

n/a

30-day end date

n/a



LDAP protected?

No



Need TABL reminders?

No

Frequency

n/a

Brief reminder text:

n/a



Approval Sheet for this revision received (date) [Note: author is responsible}


Key labels/tags:

  • (Policy Area 1), (Policy Area 2), (Section)

New terms that need to be added to Glossary/Acronym list:

  • (list items not found and context (Policy Area name) – full definition would be included in Policy)

Implementing Documents restricted to department/functional use

(optional – these will be used for tracing between requirements and associated documents)

Document number

Title





Side bars:
Side bar 1 location (cite by Policy Section # - for example: Section D.2.a)
Sidebar 1 text:
Sidebar 2 location
Sidebar 2 text:
Sidebar 3 location
Sidebar 3 text: