What is the latest with the NNSA proposal to massively increase the number and size of open air explosive experiments at LLNLs Site 300? There are residential developments in the process of building upwards of 10,000 new homes on both sides of I580 near Corral Hollow Road in the South Tracy.
11 comments:
Sort of like building your home next to an airport and then complaining about the aircraft noise.
"Sort of like building your home next to an airport and then complaining about the aircraft noise."
Not true. If you look at the timeline, the Tracy Hills and Ellis projects were well underway long before the proposed massive expansion of LLNLs Site 300 explosive experiments.
from 1997:
https://str.llnl.gov/content/pages/past-issues-pdfs/1997.03.pdf
"...SOMETIME in 2000, far fewer loud "BOOMS" will resonate from Site 300, the Laboratory's explosives test complex. Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory's new Contained Firing Facility (CFF) will begin operation that year to provide indoor testing of high explosives, and most open-air experiments at Site 300 will be discontinued..."
"...CFF will drastically reduce emissions to the environment and minimize the generation of hazardous waste, noise, and blast pressures. Although emissions from open-air testing at Site 300 are well within current environmental standards, the CFF is an "insurance policy" that will allow continued high-explosives testing should environmental requirements change. Future residential development in an area less than a mile away will also benefit from the facility's environmental precautions..."
"...Contained firing" implies complete containment of all blast effects associated with the detonation of cased high-explosive materials, including noxious gases, aerosolized and chunky particulate matter, and impulse noise. The CFF project is based on a "near-zero discharge" policy. An occasional, inadvertent discharge would still be well within the limits of more stringent future regulations..."
"...The elimination of most open-air testing at Site 300 will significantly reduce the amount of contaminated firing-table gravel waste. Livermore estimates that the CFF will reduce total solid waste to about one-tenth the amount generated in comparable shots today..."
"...Given the growing importance of LLNL's science-based stockpile stewardship program, the new CFF will give Lawrence Livermore the capability to continue high-explosives testing if environmental standards make open-air testing more difficult. According to Milt Grissom, Site 300 manager, "By the time the Contained Firing Facility is complete in 2000, it will indeed be a building for the 21st century--protecting the environment, worker health and safety, and our nation's nuclear arsenal."..."
But not before all the historical and well documented Site 300 explosive experiments. Is one highly disturbing and disruptive explosion a week better that 20? The airport gets bigger, you knew there was an airport.
“But not before all the historical and well documented Site 300 explosive experiments. Is one highly disturbing and disruptive explosion a week better that 20? The airport gets bigger, you knew there was an airport.”
How about:
1. “You knew I had a cab over camper when you bought next door. Now I have a 40’ Class A Motorhome, so too bad.” Well actually it’s going to depend on City ordinances and neighborhood HOAs.
2. “You knew I had an 8’ Redwood tree when you bought next door to me. So what that it is now 50’ tall and shading your solar panels, too bad”. Some cities will make the owner of the 50’ Redwood tree prune it down so that it no longer shades the neighbors solar panels.
3. “Neighbors Fighting Livermore Airport Expansion Plan Due To Potential Noise From 737s”
https://www.google.com/amp/s/sanfrancisco.cbslocal.com/2021/03/03/neighbors-fighting-proposed-livermore-airport-expansion-plan-due-to-potential-noise-from-737s/amp/
FYI:
UC/LLNL was founded in 1952, LLNL Management knew there was a City of Tracy nearby that was founded in 1878.
Thank you guys for such a great debate!
4/12/2021 11:10 AM
The US Army founded Los Alamos in 1943. A city called Santa Fe nearby was founded in 1610. So what?
"The US Army founded Los Alamos in 1943. A city called Santa Fe nearby was founded in 1610. So what?"
Well if you were following the (false) premise that once something was purchased, planted, or built that you were aware of before you moved nearby, you have no recourse to prevent their expansion. I think the Livermore neighbor's with their $1,000,000+ homes near the Livermore airport may disagree with that premise.
Remember what the Site 300 manager said in 1997, "By the time the Contained Firing Facility is complete in 2000, it will indeed be a building for the 21st century--protecting the environment, worker health and safety, and our nation's nuclear arsenal." And, "Future residential development in an area less than a mile away will also benefit from the facility's environmental precautions..."
It's time for the NNSA to beginning moving some or all of Site 300 operations to NTS facilities like BEEF.
4/13/2021 7:28 AM
Oh yes, people with $100,000 homes are very special and should have special rights.
Site 300 has been a charity case for decades. If weren’t for the LANS takeover, it would have been shut down long ago.
"Oh yes, people with $100,000 homes are very special and should have special rights."
Years ago there was a huge Tracy, CA tire fire that officials essentially let burn itself out apparently for lack of a better solution. A Central Valley problem, given the winds were blowing west to east at the time moving tire soot away from the Bay Area. Sometime after the Tracy, CA tire fire, another smaller tire fire occurred in Westley, CA, but this time the winds were blowing from east to west and tire soot was landing on cars and homes in Silicon Valley, and officials promptly brought in a team from Texas to put the Westley, CA tire fire out. Hmm.
I don't think people with $100,000 or $1,000,000 homes should have special rights, and I don't think clean air, or clean water are special rights, which takes the conversation back to the possible expansion of Site 300 operations question.
Well, aren't you egalitarian.
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