Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory Site 300 is an 11-square-mile high-explosives and materials testing facility operated for the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) near Livermore, California. It was placed on EPA's National Priorities List (NPL) in 1990, and cleanup has been underway under a Federal Facility Agreement signed by EPA, California regulators, and DOE. The site is divided into nine operable units, each targeting specific buildings or areas.
Operations since the 1950s left soil and groundwater contaminated with more than 70 substances. Key contaminants include volatile organic compounds (VOCs) such as trichloroethene and tetrachloroethene, chlorinated solvents, heavy metals including lead and uranium, radioactive materials such as tritium and uranium-238, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), dioxins, perchlorate, and explosives-related compounds like RDX and HMX. These contaminants are found in soil, groundwater, and surface water across multiple areas of the site.
DOE has installed 20 treatment systems, including 5 soil vapor extraction units and 15 groundwater extraction and treatment systems. Since 1991, those systems have treated roughly 458 million gallons of groundwater and over 1.2 billion cubic feet of soil vapor, removing about 630 kilograms of VOCs. The Eastern General Services Area groundwater plume remediation is complete. Most other plumes have shown contaminant concentration decreases of one to two orders of magnitude. Tritium and uranium plumes in the Pit 7 and Building 850 area are hydraulically contained. Current assessments indicate human exposure is under control across the entire site, with no unacceptable exposure pathways identified. Groundwater migration is also stabilized with no unacceptable discharge to surface water.
Cleanup work is still ongoing. EPA is reviewing cleanup plans for Building 850 (perchlorate) and Building 865 (linear accelerator), with a Record of Decision expected in 2026. Building 812 and other areas remain in investigation and feasibility study phases, with remedial design and action expected between May and October 2027. A five-year review was completed in September 2024. Full construction completion and deletion from the NPL have not yet been achieved. Institutional controls, including zoning restrictions that prevent residential development, remain in place to protect public health.
Community members can register for tours of the facility via the facility's website (llnl.gov/community-education/tours). Tri-Valley CAREs (Communities Against a Radioactive Environment) serves as the Technical Assistance Grantee for the site and can be reached at (925) 443-7148. The EPA's Community Involvement Coordinator is also available to answer questions.
