Notice of LEHR CERCLA Five-Year Review

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Legacy Management (LM) is conducting the first Five-Year Review of the remedies for the environmental cleanup of the DOE areas of the former Laboratory for Energy-Related Health Research (LEHR) at the University of California, Davis, under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA). DOE successfully completed removal actions at DOE areas of LEHR, which significantly reduced impacts to human health and the environment. However, residual contaminants remain at the site with concentration levels that have the potential to impact groundwater quality in the future and prevent unrestricted use of some areas. As a result, DOE has implemented the following remedies:

  • Long-term groundwater monitoring
  • Soil management plan for any soil disturbance in areas with residual contamination
  • A restriction prohibiting residential use in one area of the site

The purpose of the review is to ensure the remedies remain protective of human health and the environment. The review team will study site reports, past and present monitoring and inspection data, monitoring and surveillance practices, and conduct a physical inspection of the site. In addition, interviews will be conducted with select land owners, students, researchers, and environmental professionals at the University of California, Davis, and State of California regulatory agencies to obtain comments and concerns regarding the effectiveness of the remedies and administration of the site. The review will begin in June 2015 and conclude in January 2016.

A Five-Year Review Report will be prepared at the conclusion of the review to document and present the findings. The report will be available on the LM LEHR website at http://www.lm.doe.gov/lehr/Sites.aspx.

For more information visit the website or contact:

Cliff Carpenter
LEHR Site Manager, DOE LM
(304) 413-0807 • cliff.carpenter@lm.doe.gov
or
Bob Darr
Public Affairs Contractor, Stoller Newport News Nuclear
(720) 377-9672 • bob.darr@lm.doe.gov