Between Livermore and Tracy, a Dangerous Proposal at Site 300

The Livermore Lab’s 11-square mile Site 300 high explosives testing range near Tracy is about to become more dangerous, if the nuclear weapons designers get their way.

In late 2017, the government quietly released a shocking proposal to increase the amount of high explosives used in open-air tests at Site 300 from 100 pounds per day to 1,000 pounds per day, a 10-fold increase.

Similarly, the proposal increases the annual amount of high explosives used in open-air detonations from 1,000 pounds per year to 7,500 pounds per year, a more than 7-fold increase.

The detonations would occur on a flat, outdoor “firing table” measuring more than 7,000 square feet. The huge open-air tests employ no air pollution control technology.

The document containing the proposal, called an “Environmental Assessment” or EA for short, is often hyper-technical and runs 117-pages long, including a permit application to begin the tests. The reason for the tests is nuclear weapons, according to the EA.

Although the large open-air explosions could pose serious threats to workers, the public and the environment, the government limited public comment to a 45-day period during the major holiday season and ending December 22.

More than 120 hazardous poisons will become airborne in these tests, according to tables in the EA. Many of the listed pollutants are known to damage organs, cause cancer and other diseases and may lead to prompt or premature death, including beryllium, vinyl chloride, phosphine, hydrogen cyanide and dioxin.

The proposal does not include radioactive materials, which are currently used in high explosives tests conducted at Site 300’s Contained Firing Facility. However, the tests will occur in an area with radioactive contamination already in soils there – and so potential re-suspension of radioactive particles is a major issue.

In addition to toxic – and possibly radioactive - airborne releases, the open-air detonations will result in extraordinarily sharp, loud noises and other problems. Site 300’s nearby neighbors include Tracy Hills, a new development consisting of 5,500 homes, and a State Park (the Carnegie State Vehicular Recreation Area and Campground). The EA refers to Site 300’s neighbors as “receptors.”

As noted above, the EA fails to adequately consider that these new tests will occur on a firing table already heavily contaminated by past explosions, including many that involved radioactive material.

Indeed, this firing table is at the precise location where Site 300 personnel inadvertently found 80-pounds of uranium-238 a few years ago. The radioactive metal was found in chunks measuring 3-inches or more in diameter and scattered in the topsoil. Additional soil tests found more areas of elevated radioactivity in the area.

The proposed blasts will also complicate cleanup. Site 300 policy states that any cleanup will be delayed for as long as the firing table remains active.

The Environmental Protection Agency placed Site 300 on its “Superfund” list of most contaminated locations in the country in 1990. Due to already-extensive contamination of soils, surface waters and springs, and multiple groundwater aquifers the cleanup is expected to be multi-generational, lasting up to 80 more years.

Tri-Valley CAREs aims to prevent these huge, open-air explosions from happening. In fact, this proposal is similar to the plan for bigger blasts that we did stop ten years ago. (Livermore Lab proposals are like zombies, they often come back from the dead.)

We are confident that vigilance - and an active public opposing this plan - can stop it again now!

Toward that end, Tri-Valley CAREs initiated a petition and a campaign to increase public comments (even during the holidays!). We are thrilled to report that approximately 2,000 people submitted comments opposing the proposal - some were submitted after the deadline although most people did submit their comments on or before December 22.

Tri-Valley CAREs submitted a lengthy technical comment, which is available on our website at www.trivalleycares.org. We can report also that the City of Tracy submitted a letter opposing the plan, and the Tracy Hills developers submitted comments outlining their concerns as well.

We are still collecting signatures on our paper and electronic petitions to oppose this project and to instead permanently close the Site 300 open-air firing tables. While the public comment period on the EA has closed, the government has yet to publish a final document.

Moreover, the proposal to increase open-air blasts at Site 300 cannot go forward without a permit from the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District – and we will insist that the Air District sponsor public comment opportunities and public hearings on the proposal.

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