The Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) announced that it will conduct a virtual public hearing via Zoom for the Draft Site-Wide Environmental
Impact Statement (SWEIS) on Livermore Lab’s current and future operations.
This meeting is open to anyone who would like to attend from anywhere in the country. You do not need to live near Livermore or Tracy to have a valid voice and opinion about U.S. nuclear weapons development activities at the Livermore Lab.
The meeting is expected to include a presentation from the NNSA and Lab personnel as well as a public comment session where public comments will be recorded – and, under the law, must be responded to in the final review document.
The Virtual Public Hearing via Zoom:
Tuesday, December 13, 2022 from 6:00pm – 8:30pm
Meeting Link: http://tinyurl.com/LLNLSWEIS
Join by phone: (669) 900 -9128
Zoom Meeting ID: 852 6045 5697
Zoom Meeting Passcode: 975388
The hearing is part of its public participation process under the National Environmental Policy Act for the SWEIS, which is intended to analyze the potential environmental impacts of continued operations and proposed projects at both the Livermore Lab Main Site and its Site 300 high explosives testing range over the next 15 years.
The Draft SWEIS covers a huge array of existing and proposed programs and actions at the Lab. For example, the document describes 61 proposed projects, totaling approximately 2.9 million square feet, at the Livermore Site; and 14 proposed projects, totaling approximately 385,000 square feet, at Site 300.
In addition, it proposes 20 types of modernization/upgrade/utility projects – each involving several facilities. Under the Proposed Action, NNSA would also decontaminate and demolish about 150 facilities, totaling approximately 1,170,000 square feet.
The document also details proposed operational changes that would increase the tritium emissions limits in the National Ignition Facility (Building 581) and the Tritium Facility (Building 331), decrease the administrative limit for fuels-grade-equivalent plutonium in the Superblock (Building 332), increase the administrative limits for plutonium-239 at Building 235, and revise the National Ignition Facility radioactive materials administrative limits to be consistent with the Department of Energy’s Facility Hazard Categorization Standard.
To review the Draft SWEIS documents – Click here.
In addition to the virtual meeting there will be two in-person public hearings where the government agencies will also receive public comments on the Draft SWEIS
1) Wednesday, December 7, 2022 from 6:00pm – 8:30pm
At Garre Vinyard Bella Rosa Room – 7986 Tesla Road, Livermore
(Note: formal public hearing begins at 6:30pm, following an informal session)
2) Thursday, December 8, 2022 from 6:00pm – 8:30pm
At Tracy City Council Chambers – 333 Civic Center Plaza, Tracy
(Note: formal public hearing begins at 6:30pm, following an informal session)
Public comment can also be submitted by email to: [email protected]
Or they can be submitted by writing before 1/3/23 to: Ms. Fana Gebeyehu- Houston, LLNL SWEIS Document Manager, 1000 Independence Ave., SW, Washington, DC 20585
Tri-Valley CAREs’ staff is hard at work reviewing the documents and preparing comments, including sample comments for members of the public to consider using. We will be present at the in-person public hearings and on the Zoom call for the virtual public hearing.
We are also available to further assist with public comments, so feel free to email us.
- Scott Yundt, staff attorney – [email protected]
- Marylia Kelley, executive director – [email protected]
- Raiza Marciscano-Bettis, bilingual community organizer, for assistance with Spanish translation or to answer your questions in Spanish – [email protected]
Para leer esta información en español HAGA CLIC AQUÍ!
To read this information in Spanish CLICK HERE!
