Glossaries
Each employee at the Lawrence
Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) has a responsibility to protect
the environment from any harm that potentially could arise from Laboratory
operations. Part of this responsibility involves keeping informed about
environmental matters through the media of Laboratory publications and
information programs.
To be effectively informed,
LLNL employees must understand the terminology used in relation to environmental
matters. In environmental science, as in every other field of human
inquiry, a special language has been developed to address complex situations
in a shorthand manner. Persons who are not familiar with this special
language will not be able to fully grasp the meaning of environmental
information.
This glossary has been prepared
by the Guidance and Monitoring Division of LLNLs Environmental Protection
Department to define terminology commonly used in relation to environmental
matters. Revisions to this glossary will be issued as needed to maintain
currency and relevance of the environmental terms and acronyms.
We hope that this glossary
will help all Laboratory employees to better understand environmental
problems and, thereby, to better fulfill their responsibilities in protecting
the environment.
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A
| B | C | D | E
| F | G | H | I
| J | K | L | M
N | O | P | Q
| R | S | T | U
| V | W | X | Y
| Z
A [Back
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AAQS:
Ambient Air Quality Standards. Air Standards established by EPA to protect
human health and environment.
ACGIH: American Conference
of Governmental Industrial Hygienists.
Accumulation Start Date:
That point in time when hazardous waste is first placed into a container.
This accumulation start date begins the 90-day accumulation period for
hazardous wastes stored without special permits from environmental regulatory
agencies.
Administrative order:
An official, legally enforceable order issued by EPA or the RWQCB to
force a facility's owner or operator to address potential threats to
human health or the environment resulting from activities at the facility.
Administrative orders can be used to force a facility to comply with
specific regulations, to take corrective action, and to perform monitoring,
testing, and analysis.
Administrative record:
All information gathered regarding an EPA action, including public comments.
EPA makes decisions based on the information contained in the administrative
record.
AEA: Atomic Energy
Act. Establishes requirements for managing radioactive materials and
waste.
AEC: Atomic Energy
Commission.
Afy: acre-feet per
year.
AIHA: American Industrial
Hygiene Association.
Air pollution control
devices: Mechanisms or equipment that "clean" air emissions from
a process. These devices remove pollutants (particulate matter, acid
gases) that would otherwise be released to the atmosphere.
ALARA: As low as reasonably
achievable.
Alluvium: Sediment
deposited by flowing water.
Annular Space: The
open space formed between the borehole and the well casing or between
the interior and exterior walls of double tanks.
ANSI: American National
Standards Institute.
APHIS: Animal and
Plant Health Inspection Service.
Aquiclude: A saturated
but relatively impermeable geologic formation that is incapable of transmitting
significant quantities of water to wells.
Aquifer: A geologic
formation that can store, transmit, and yield significant quantities
of water to wells and/or springs.
Aquitard: A saturated
but poorly permeable stratum that impedes groundwater movement and does
not yield water freely to wells, but that may transmit appreciable water
to or from adjacent aquifers and, where sufficiently thick, may constitute
an important groundwater storage zone. Sandy clay is an example of an
aquitard.
ARAC: Atmospheric
Release Advisory Capability.
ARAR: "Legally Applicable"
or Relevant and Appropriate laws, standards, requirements, criteria,
or limitations as used in CERCLA.
Askarel: A combination
of PCBs and trichlorobenzenes used in dielectric transformer fluids.
B [Back
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BACT:
Best available control technology.
Baghouse: An air pollution
control device that filters particulate from flue gases generated during
incineration and from machining operations.
BAT: Best available
treatment (economically achievable).
BDAT: Best demonstrated
available technology. As identified by EPA, the most effective commercially
available means of treating specific types of hazardous wastes. The
BDAT for a particular waste may change in the future as new advances
in treatment technologies are made.
BOD: Biochemical
(biological) oxygen demand. A measure of the amount of oxygen consumed
in biological processes that break down organic matter in water; a measure
of the organic pollutant load. It is used as an indicator of water quality.
C [Back
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CAA:
Clean Air Act. Federal law that authorizes the EPA to set air quality
standards and to assist state and local governments to develop and execute
air pollution prevention and control programs.
CAI: Controlled-air
incinerator. An incinerator with at least two combustion chambers, where
the amounts and distribution of air are controlled.
Categorical Process (Industry):
A specific process or industry that EPA has designed as subject to specific
discharge standards.
CCl4: Carbon
tetrachloride.
CERCLA: Comprehensive
Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act of 1980. Also
known as Superfund, this law authorizes the Federal government to respond
directly to releases of hazardous substances that may endanger health
or the environment. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is responsible
for managing Superfund. The major step in the Superfund process is the
Remedial Investigation/Feasibility Study (RI/FS).
In 1986, the President signed
into law the Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act (SARA), which
amended and reauthorized CERCLA for five years at a total funding level
of $8.5 billion. SARA also strengthened state involvement in the clean-up
process, and encouraged the use of treatment technologies and permanent
solutions.
CFC: Chlorofluorocarbon,
or Freon. Chemical substance associated with the depletion of Earth's
ozone layer.
Cfs: Cubic feet per
second.
CFR: Code of Federal
Regulations. A series of documents that contain all regulations developed
and finalized by federal government agencies. RCRA regulations are contained
in Volume 40 of the Code of Federal Regulations.
Chain of custody:
Method for documenting the history and possession of a sample from the
time of its collection through its analysis and data reporting to its
final disposition.
Ci: Curie.
Class D-D: Neutral
meteorological stability, day.
Class D-N: Neutral
meteorological stability, night.
CME: Comprehensive
monitoring evaluation. Type of inspection by EPA, DHS, and the RWQCB
to evaluate compliance with groundwater monitoring requirements.
CO2 : Carbon
Dioxide.
Cobble: A rock ranging
in size between 64 and 256 millimeters (2.5 and 10 inches).
COD: Chemical Oxygen
Demand. A gross analytical test for the presence of organics in water.
CPE: Chemical protective
equipment.
CPS code: Continuous-point-source
computer code for plume dispersion and deposition calculations.
CRP: Community Relations
Plan: The CRP outlines specific community relations activities that
will occur during the remedial response at a site. The CRP also outlines
how the public will be kept informed of work at the site and the ways
in which citizens can review and comment on decisions that may affect
the final site actions. This document is typically placed in the information
repository(s) established for the site.
Curie: A unit of measurement
of radioactivity, defined as the amount of radionuclide in which the
decay rate is 37 billion disintegrations per second, which is approximately
equal to the decay rate of one gram of pure radium.
CWA: Clean Water Act.
Federal Water Pollution Control Act Amendments of 1972, with 1977 amendments,
the objective of which is to maintain the integrity of the nations
waters. This Act also promotes the protection of navigable waters and
their beneficial uses.
D [Back
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D38:
Depleted Uranium, 238 U.
dB: Decibel, a measurement
of sound level.
dB(A): Decibel, with
specific frequency weighting to more closely reflect the attenuation
of the ear canal.
DBE: Design-basis
earthquake.
DCA: Dichloroethane.
DCE: 1,1 dichloroethylene.
dEIR: Draft Environmental
Impact Report.
Delisting: A process
whereby a type of waste that is listed as hazardous by EPA can be excluded
from hazardous waste regulation. If the generator can demonstrate that
a particular waste does not pose risks to human health and the environment,
the waste can be delisted.
DFW: U. S. Department
of Fish and Wildlife. Federal agency within the Department of the Interior
that is responsible for protection of endangered species.
DOC: U. S. Department
of Commerce.
DOD: U. S. Department
of Defense.
DOE: U. S. Department
of Energy. DOE owns the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory and has
an agreement with the University of California whereby the University
administers the day-to-day operations of the Lab.
DOI: U. S. Department
of the Interior.
DOT: U. S. Department
of Transportation. Federal agency that sets regulations for transportation
of hazardous materials and waste over public roads.
draft permit: A preliminary
permit drafted and published by regulatory agencies. The draft permit
is subject to public review and comment before the agency takes final
action on a permit application.
DRE: Destruction and
Removal Efficiency. A percentage that represents the number of molecules
of a compound removed or destroyed in an incinerator relative to the
number molecules of the compund that entered the incinerator system.
A DRE of 99.99 percent means that 9,999 molecules of a compound are
destroyed for every 10,000 molecules that enter the incinerator. A DRE
of 99.99 is referred to as "four nines."
DWFT: Decontamination
and Waste Treatment Facility.
E [Back
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EA:
Environmental Assessment. A report that identifies potential significant
environmental impacts from and federally approved or funded project
that may change the physical environment. If an EA shows significant
impact, an EIR is required.
ECC: Environmental
Compliance and Cleanup Program.
EDC: Emergency Dispatch
Center.
EDF: Environmental
Defense Fund.
EIR: Environmental
Impact Report. A detailed report on the significant environmental impacts
from any project that is carried out, approved, or funded by a local
or state (California) public agency that may change the physical environment.
EIS: Environmental
Impact Statement. A detailed report on the significant environmental
impacts that a pending structure or development will have on the environment.
An EIS must be prepared by a government agency when a "major"
federal action that will have "significant environmental impacts
is planned.
Environmental Restoration
Program: A DOE program to clean up environmental contamination caused
by past waste practices at DOE facilities.
EP&RP: Emergency
Preparedness and Response Program.
EPA: U. S. Environmental
Protection Agency. Federal Agency responsible for enforcing environmental
laws. Although some of this responsibility may be delegated to state
and local regulatory agencies, EPA retains oversight authority to ensure
protection of human health and the environment. EPA administers the
Comprehensive Environmental, Response, Compensation, and Liability Act
(CERCLA), or Superfund, as it is commonly known, and works with state
and local agencies to provide technical oversight for cleanup activities
at federal facilities regulated by the Superfund program.
EPD: Environmental
Protection Department (LLNL).
EP TOX: Extraction
Procedure Toxicity Test. An EPA procedure for evaluating the availability
of certain metals and pesticides from a semi-solid or solid waste.
ERDA: Energy Research
and Development Administration. A predecessor agency to DOE.
Erg: A measure of
energy.
ERPG: Emergency Response
Planning Guidelines (LLNL).
ESA: Endangered Species
Act of 1973. The large flowered fiddleneck (Amsinckia grandi flora),
which grows at Site 300, is protected under law.
Eutrophic: A body
of water characterized by a high level of plant nutrient, with correspondingly
high primary productivity.
F [Back
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Feasibility study:
A study made on the basis of a remedial investigation to determine the
feasibility of correcting the release, or threat of release, of hazardous
substances, pollutants, or contaminants.
Federal Facility:
A facility that is owned or operated by the Federal government. With
the passage of SARA, Federal facilities became subject to the same requirements
that other responsible parties must adhere to once they are placed on
the Superfund National Priorities List.
Federal Register:
A document published daily by the federal government containing notification
of government agency actions. The Federal Register contains notification
of EPA and DOE actions, including notification of EPA and DOE decisions
concerning permit applications.
FEIS: Final Environmental
Impact Statement.
FFA: Federal Facilities
Agreement. A document that specifies required actions at a federal facility
as agreed by various agencies (EPA, DHA, RWQCB, and DOE).
FIFRA: Federal Insecticide,
Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act. Federal law that regulates pestiside
usage and disposal.
Fissile: Any material
fissionable by neutrons of all energies (e. g., 235U, 239Pu).
Fluvial: Produced
by the action of a stream or river.
FONSI: Finding of
No Significant Impact. A conclusion that may be reached after the preparation
of an environmental assessment under NEPA.
FPPA: Federal Plant
Pest Act. Requires persons who intend to import or transport a plant
pest in interstate commerce to obtain a permit from the U. S. Department
of Agriculture (USDA). FPPA is administered by the Animal and Plant
Health Inspection Service (APHIS).
Friable: A rock or
mineral that crumbles naturally or is easily broken, pulverized, or
reduced to powder, such as a soft or poorly cemented sandstone.
FS: Feasibility
Study. A study that evaluates and develops remedial action alternatives
to prevent or mitigate migration or the release of hazardous substances
or contaminants.
Fugitive emissions:
Releases of vaporized pollutants to the atmosphere that occur at all
sites at which hazardous materials are managed. Fugitive emissions can
occur when vapors are vented from containers or tanks and can also be
caused by spills occurring during the unloading of hazardous wastes
or products from vehicles that transport the material, leaks through
pipes and valves, and through operation of equipment.
FWA: Fish and Wildlife
Act.
FWPCA: Federal Water
Pollution Control Act. This Federal Law is also referred to as the Clean
Water Act (CWA).
G [Back
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g:
gram.
g: gravity.
GCD: Greater confinement
disposal.
Generator: The specific
employee within a Program or Department who generates or produces hazardous
wastes as a by-product of operations.
gpm: gallons per minute.
GSA: General Services
Area at Site 300.
H [Back
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ha:
hectare.
Hazardous Waste Label:
A label that gives (1) the name and the building of the person generating
the waste; (2) phone number; (3) accumulation start date; (4) hazardous
properties of the waste; and (5) composition and physical state of the
waste. In accordance with current environmental regulations, this label
must be affixed to all containers receiving hazardous wastes.
Hazardous Waste Management:
The collection, source preparation, storage, transportation, processing,
treatment, recovery, and disposal of hazardous waste.
Hazardous wastes:
Wastes exhibiting any of the following characteristics: ignitability,
corrosivity, reactivity, or EP-toxicity (yielding toxic constituents
in a leaching test). In addition, EPA has listed as hazardous other
wastes that do not necessarily exhibit these characteristics. Although
the legal definition of hazardous waste is complex, the term more generally
refers to any waste that EPA believes could pose a threat to human health
and the environment if managed improperly. RCRA regulations set strict
controls on the management of hazardous wastes.
HAZMAT: Hazardous
materials team (LLNL).
HAZWRAP: Hazardous
Waste Remedial Action Program.
HCD: Hazards Control
Department (LLNL).
HCS: Hazards Communication
Standard (OSHA).
HDPE: High-density
polyethylene.
HE: High explosives.
HEPA: High-efficiency
particulate are (filters).
HESQA: Health, Environment,
Safety, and Quality Assurance. A committee at LLNL consisting of representatives
from each associate director.
HMTA: Hazardous Materials
Transportation Act, 1974.
HMX: Cyclotetraimethylene
tetranitramine.
HSWA: Hazardous and
Solid Waste Amendments of 1984 to RCRA. These amendments to RCRA greatly
expanded the scope of hazardous waste regulation. In HSWA, Congress
directed EPA to take measures to further reduce the risks to human health
and the environment caused by hazardous wastes.
HT: Tritiated hydrogen
gas.
HTO: Tritiated water
(and water vapor).
HVAC: Heating/ventilation/air
conditioning (system).
HWC: Hazardous Waste
Control Act of 1972, 1977, 1980. California Health and Safety Code.
HWCL: Hazardous Waste
Control Law. The California law that promotes protection of the environment
through proper waste handling.
HWM: Hazardous Waste
Management Division of the Environmental Protection Department (LLNL).
Hydraulic gradient:
In an aquifer, the rate of change of total head (water-level elevation)
per unit distance of flow at a given point and in a given direction.
I [Back
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ICRP: International
Commission on Radiological Protection.
Inorganic Compounds:
Compounds that either do not contain carbon or do not contain hydrogen
along with carbon. Inorganic compounds include metals, salts, and various
carbon oxides (carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide). These compounds do
not combust in incinerators, although incinerators may generate inorganic
compounds.
In situ: Refers
to treatment of contaminated areas without excavation or other removal,
as in the in situ treatment of soils through biodegradation of
contaminants on-site. The term is not currently used with consistency
of the industry.
Interim status: A
legal classification that applies to hazardous waste incinerators or
other hazardous waste management facilities that were under construction
or in operation by November 19, 1980, and can meet other interim status
requirements. Interim status facilities may operate without a permit
until EPA has made a final decision on the permit application.
IPS Code: Integrated-point
source LLNL computer code.
IPSCT Code: Atmospheric
dispersion code.
ISD: Interim status
document. Issued by DHS to enforce state and federal interim status
standards at facilities that treat, store, or dispose or hazardous waste.
J [Back
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J: Joule (a measure
of energy).
K [Back
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kWh: Kilowatt hours.
L [Back
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L: Liter.
Land Ban: A regulatory
program that identifies hazardous wastes that are restricted from land
disposal. The regulations incorporate a phasing-in of restrictions in
three stages.
LBL: Lawrence Berkeley
Laboratory.
Less that detection limits:
A phrase indicating that a chemical constituent was either not identified
or not quantified at the lowest level of sensitivity of the analytical
method being employed by the laboratory. Therefore, the chemical constituent
either is not present in the sample, or it is present in such a small
concentration that it cannot be measured by the analytical procedure.
Liner: A continuous
layer of natural or man-made materials lining the bottom and/or sides
of a surface impoundment, landfill, or landfill cell that restricts
the downward or lateral escape of hazardous waste, hazardous waste constituents,
or leachate.
LLNL: Lawrence Livermore
National Laboratory.
LLW: Low-level radioactive
waste.
LSA: Low specific
activity.
LUST: Leaking underground
storage tanks. These are tanks found through required monitoring to
leak hazardous constituents to the ground.
LWRP: Livermore Water
Reclamation Plant. The city of Livermores municipal wastewater treatment
plant, which accepts discharges from the LLNL Livermore site.
M [Back
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MATHEW/ADPIC codes:
Transport and diffusion codes used to determine concentration of pollutants
at a distance from the source.
MBA: Materials balance
area.
MCi: megacurie.
MCL: Maximum contaminant
levels in drinking water.
MEK: Methyl ethyl
ketone.
MeV: Million electron
volts.
mgd: Million gallons
per day.
MMG: Materials Management
Group.
MPC: Maximum permissible
concentration.
mrem: Millirem.
MSDS: Material safety
date sheet. Contains descriptive information on hazardous chemicals
under OSHAs Hazard Communication Standard (HCS).
MWI: Medical waste
incineration.
N [Back
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NAAQS: National Ambient
Air Quality Standards. (See AAQS).
NCP: National Contingency
Plan. The National Oil and Hazardous Substances Pollution Contingency
Plan, 40 CFR, Part 300.
NEPA: National Environmental
Policy Act. A federal statute that imposed the first requirements on
federal agencies to consider the environmental effects that may result
from agency actions. One Provision of NEPA requires the preparation
of an Environmental Impact Statement by federal agencies when "major"
actions are taken.
NESHAP: National Emission
Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants. Found in the Clean Air Act.
Standards are set for such pollutants as beryllium and radionuclides.
NFPA: National Fire
Protection Association. Organization that sets standards to prevent
fire hazards.
NIEHS: National Institute
of Environmental Health Services. A branch of the U. S. Department of
Health and Human Services. Conducts and supports basic environmental
research.
NIOSH: National Institute
for Occupational Safety and Health. Agency that researches and recommends
appropriate occupational standards for OSHA.
NMFECC: National Magnetic
Fusion Energy Computer Center (LLNL).
Non-point source:
Any nonconfined area from which pollutants are discharged into a body
of water (i. e., agricultural runoff, construction-site runoff, parking-lot
drainage).
NOD: Notice of Deficiency.
A reply from EPA or DHS to a facility owner or operator applying for
a hazardous waste permit. The Notice of Deficiency requests the applicant
to supply further information before a preliminary decision on the permit
application can be made.
Notice of Intent to Deny:
Notification by EPA of its preliminary decision to deny a permit application.
NOV: Notice of Violation.
Also referred to as a Warning Letter. This letter contains a listing
of potential violations observed during an inspection of hazardous waste
management units and requires corrective action to be taken.
NOx: Nitrous oxides.
NPDES: National Pollutant
Discharge Elimination System. This federal regulation, under the Clean
Water Act, requires permits for discharges into surface waterways. LLNL
holds NPDES permits at Livermore for groundwater discharges to the arroyos
and for cooling-tower discharges at Site 300.
NPL: National Priorities
List. EPAs list of the top-priority hazardous waste sites in the country
that are subject to the Superfund Program.
NCR: Nuclear Regulatory
Commission.
NRDC: National Resources
Defense Council.
NSPS: New Source Performance
Standards. Operational and emission control standards for new sources
of air pollutants.
NSR: New Source Review.
Program established under provisions of the Clean Air Act to evaluate
impacts of new air-pollution emission sources.
NTS: Nevada Test Site
(DOE).
0 [Back
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ORNL: Oak Ridge National
Laboratory.
OSHA: Occupational
Safety and Health Administration. Sets and enforces workplace standards.
DOE has an equivalent program and so is not subject to OSHA enforcement.
OSP: Operational Safety
Procedure.
P [Back
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Part B permit: The
second, narrative section submitted by generators in the RCRA permitting
process. Covers in detail the procedures followed at a facility to protect
human health and the environment.
PCBs: Polychlorinated
biphenyls. PCBs are highly regulated compounds. Incineration and handling
of PCBs is regulated under TSCA, rather than RCRA. Incinerators that
burn PCBs must achieve DREs of 99.9999.
PCE: Perchloroethylene,
also known as tetrachloroethlyene.
PCM: Procedures for
controlled materials.
Performance standards:
Specific regulatory requirements established by EPA limiting the concentrations
of designated organic compounds, particulate matter, and hydrogen chloride
in emissions from incinerators. Permit applicants must show that the
incinerator can meet the performance standards under specific operating
conditions specified in the RCRA permit. EPA also establishes performance
standards for concentrations of metals and organics in wastewater.
PETN: Pentaerythritol
tetranitrate.
PGA: Peak Ground Acceleration.
Used to determine seismic design requirements for a new hazardous waste
management facility.
Physiography: The
surface features of the earth, with an emphasis on the mode or origin.
PICs: Products of
Incomplete Combustion. PICs are organic compounds formed when combustion
occurs. These compounds are generated in very small amounts and are
sometimes toxic. PICs are heat-altered versions of the original material
fed into the incinerator. For example, charcoal is a PIC from burning
wood.
Piezometer (Geol.):
Generally a small-diameter, non-pumping well used to measure the elevation
of the water table or potentiometric surface.
POHCs: Principle Organic
Hazardous Constituents: Specific hazardous compounds monitored during
an incinerators trial burn. POHCs are selected on the bases of their
high concentration in the waste feed and their difficulty to burn relative
to other organic compounds contained in the waste. For each waste feed,
one or more POHCs may be designated.
Point source: Any
confined and discrete conveyance (i. e., pipe, ditch, well).
Porter-Cologne Act:
State of California Act that established two-tier administrative organization
to enforce its water-quality legislation: Regional Water Quality Control
Boards, and the State Water Resources Control Board.
POTW: Publicly Owned
Treatment Works. General term used for sewage treatment plants. The
Livermore Water Reclamation Plant is the POTW that accepts sewage from
LLNL.
ppb: Parts per billion.
A unit of measure for the concentration of a substance in its surrounding
medium. For example, one billion grams of water containing one gram
of salt has a salt concentration of one part per billion.
PPE: Personal Protective
Equipment. Safety Gear.
ppm: Parts per million.
Pretreatment: Any
process used to reduce a pollutant load before it enters the sewer system.
Pretreatment regulations:
National wastewater pretreatment regulations adopted by EPA in compliance
with the 1977 Amendments to the Clean Water Act, which required that
EPA establish pretreatment standards for existing and new industrial
sources.
Priority pollutants:
A set of organic and inorganic chemicals identified by EPA as indicators
of environment contamination.
PRP: Potentially Responsible
Party. An individual, business or organization most likely responsible
for a pollution incident. EPA, for example, seeks payment from PRPs
for the costs of cleaning up NPL sites.
PSD: Prevention of
Significant Deterioration. Program established under the Clean Air Act
to protect air quality.
PSES: Pretreatment
Standards for Existing Sources. Standards set under provisions of the
Clean Water Act, which requires treatment of wastewater from certain
processes prior to discharge to the sanitary sewer.
psig: pounds per square
inch gage.
PSNS: Pretreatment
Standards for New Sources. Wastewater treatment standards for new sources
discharging to the sanitary sewer.
Public comment period:
A specified amount of time allowed for members of the public to express
their views and concerns regarding an action by EPA. The public comment
period begins after EPA publishes a draft permit or a Notice of Intent
to Deny.
Public Hearing: A
formal gathering of officials and the public where the views and concerns
of members of the public are verbally expressed regarding a public agencys
action. The agency is required to consider the comments in its evaluation
of the action being taken.
Public notice: Notification
by an agency informing the public of agency actions, e. g., the issuance
of a draft permit. For draft permits, EPA must follow procedures to
ensure proper public notice, including publication of the notice in
newspapers and broadcast of the notice over radio stations.
PVC: Polyvinyl chloride.
Q [Back
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QA: Quality assurance.
QC: Quality control.
R [Back
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RAMATROL: Radioactive
Materials Control.
Raptors: Birds of
prey.
RCRA: Resource Conservation
and Recovery Act of 1976. RCRA is an amendment to the first federal
solid waste legislation, the Solid Waste Disposal Act of 1965. In RCRA,
Congress established initial directives and guidelines for EPA to regulate
hazardous wastes.
RDX: Cyclotrimethylene
trinitramine.
Remedial Investigation:
An investigation conducted to fully assess the nature and extent of
the release, or threat of release, of hazardous substances, pollutants,
or contaminants and to gather necessary data to support the corresponding
feasibility study.
Requisition form:
A form issued by the Hazardous Waste Management Division (HWM) of the
Environmental Protection Department. The form is filled out by the generator
of hazardous waste prior to transport of the waste by HWM for treatment
and/or offsite disposal.
Response to comments:
A document that addresses all significant public comments received by
EPA during the public comment period on a proposed permit or action.
The document includes a summary of each comment, as well as EPAs response
to each comment.
RI/FS: Remedial Investigation/Feasibility
Study.
Riparian: Inhabiting
the bank area along or about a body of water.
Risk assessment: The
use of established methods to measure the risks posed by an activity
such as hazardous waste treatment. Risk assessments evaluate (1) the
relationship between exposure to toxic substances and the subsequent
occurrence of health effects, and (2) the potential for that exposure.
ROD: Record of Decision.
Rotary kiln incinerator:
A type of incinerator that includes a rotating combustion chamber. A
constant rotation of the combustion chamber keeps waste moving, allowing
the wastes to vaporize for easier burning.
RWMP: Radioactive
Waste Management Project (REECo).
RWMS: Radioactive
Waste Management Site.
RWQCB: Regional Water
Quality Control Board. A California state agency that maintains water
quality standards for areas within its jurisdiction and enforces state
water quality laws. The Livermore site is regulated by the San Francisco
Bay Region; Site 300 is regulated by the Central Valley Region.
S [Back
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SAD: Safety Assessment
Document. A DOE-required document for some non-nuclear facilities or
operations to demonstrate adapting of the hazard classification and
identify lists. It is less detailed than a SAR.
SAR: Safety Analysis
Report. A DOE-required document used to demonstrate that activites for
high-hazard and moderate-hazard nuclear activities are conducted in
accordance with environmental, safety, and health objectives.
Sampling and Analysis
Plan: A detailed document describing the procedures used to collect,
handle, and analyze groundwater samples for detection or assessment-monitoring
parameters. The plan details quality control measures that will be implemented
to ensure that sample-collection, analysis, and data presentation activities
meet the prescribed requirements.
Satellite Accumulation
Area: Accumulation of hazardous wastes at the point of generation
(e. g., laboratories). Up to 55 gallons of hazardous wastes and up to
1 quart of extremely hazardous wastes may be stored in a Satellite Accumulation
Area.
Satellite accumulation
start date: The date on which the container receiving waste at a
Satellite Accumulation Area was filled. The waste container must be
moved to a Waste Accumulation Area within three days of this date.
Saturated zone (phreatic
zone): A subsurface zone below which all rock pore-space is filled
with water.
scfh: standard cubic
feet per hour.
SARA: Superfund Amendments
and Reauthorization Act of 1986. Modifications to CERCLA enacted on
October 17, 1986. Title III of this act is also known as the Emergency
Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act of 1986.
SCBA: Self-Contained
Breathing Apparatus. Breathing equipment designed to provide clean air
in a hazardous atmosphere.
SDWA: Safe Drinking
Water Act. Federal law that established a program to protect the quality
of drinking water.
SFBRWQCB: San Francisco
Bay Regional Water Quality Control Board (see RWQCB).
SITE: Superfund Innovative
Technology Evaluation. EPA-supported research, development, and demonstration
projects designed to develop new remediation technologies.
SJCAPCD: San Joaquin
Country Air Pollution Control District.
SJLHD: San Joaquin
Local Health District. The health department that enforces underground-tank
regulations.
SLD: Shallow land
disposal.
SNARL: Suggested
No Adverse Response Level. Drinking water standards established by EPA,
but that are not enforceable by law. SNARLs suggest the level of a contaminant
in drinking water at which adverse health effects would not be anticipated
(with a margin of safety).
SNL: Sandia National
Laboratories, located in Livermore and Albuquerque. The Livermore location
discharges its sanitary sewage from a common monitored outfall with
LLNL.
SNM: Special nuclear
material.
SOx: Sulfur oxides.
SPCC: Spill Prevention
Control and Countermeasure. Facilities that could accidently discharge
oil to navigable waters are required to develop this plan on how they
will respond in the event of a spill.
STLC: Soluable Threshold
Limit Concentration. A method and value that can be used to determine
if a waste is hazardous.
Subduction: The process
of one lithospheric (crust and part of the upper mantle) plate descending
beneath another.
Superfund: The common
name used for the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation,
and Liability Act of 1980 (CERCLA). CERCLA is a federal statute that
gives the federal government the ability to respond to hazardous waste
releases that pose a potential threat to human health and the environment.
California has also established a "State Superfund" under
provisions of the California Hazardous Waste Control Act.
Surface impoundment:
A facility or part of a facility that is a natural topographic depression,
man-made excavation, or diked area formed primarily of earthen materials,
although it may be lined with man-made materials. The impoundment is
designed to hold an accumulation of liquid wastes, or wastes containing
free liquids, and is not an injection well. Examples of surface impoundments
are holding, storage, settling, and aeration pits, ponds, and lagoons.
SWDA: Solid Waste
Disposal Act. This was the federal law that preceded the Resource Conservation
and Recovery Act (RCRA).
SWRCB: State Water
Resources Control Board. A state agency that develops and adopts statewide
water quality plans and policies; issues permits pertaining to property
rights to use water; and acts as an appellate agency for actions of
the Regional Water Quality Control Boards.
T [Back
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TCA: Trichloroethane.
TCE: Trichloroethylene.
TCLP: Toxicity Characteristic
Leaching Procedure. An analytical method designed to determine the mobility
of both organics and inorganics present in liquid, solid, and multiphase
wastes. It is used to determine applicability of Land Ban to a waste.
TDS: Total Dissolved
Solids. The portion of solid material in a wastestream that is dissolved
and passed through a filter.
TNT: Trinitrotoluene.
TOC: Total organic
carbon.
TOX: Total organic
halogens.
TPCA: Toxic Pits Cleanup
Act. Californias requirements for land-disposal closures.
TRU: Transuranic (containing
transuranium nuclides).
TSCA: Toxic Substances
Control Act. The federal statute under which the storage, use, treatment,
and disposal of PCBs are regulated.
TSD: Treatment, Storage,
and Disposal. A term used to describe hazardous waste management options.
TSDF: Treatment, Storage,
and Disposal Facility. A facility that manages hazardous waste under
provisions of a permit.
TTLC: Total Threshold
Limit Concentration. A method and value to determine if a waste is hazardous.
TTO: Total Toxic Organics.
A list of organic compounds for which EPA has established discharge
limits for specific processes/industries.
TTU: Transportable
treatment unit. Any unit that is designed to treat hazardous waste and
is installed on a vehicle.
U [Back
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238U: Uranium
238, also known as D-38 (depleted uranium).
UCRL: University of
California Radiation Laboratory, Livermore. The name of LLNL in 1952.
Unsaturated zone:
That portion of the subsurface in which the pores are only partially
filled with water. The direction of water flow is vertical in this zone.
Also referred to as the Vadose zone.
USDA: U. S. Department
of Agriculture.
USGS: U. S. Geological
Survey.
UST: Underground
Storage Tank. A stationary device designed to contain an accumulation
of hazardous materials or waste. A tank is constructed primarily of
non-earthen material, but the entire surface area of the tank is totally
below the surface of, and covered by, the ground.
V [Back
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Vadose zone: The partially
saturated or unsaturated region above the water table that does not
yield water to wells.
VHS: Volatile Halogenated
Solvents. A term used by LLNL for analysis of the solvents detectable
by EPA Method 601.
VOA: Volatile Organic
Analysis. General name for analytical methods for determining concentration
of volatile organic compounds.
VOC: Volatile organic
compound. Liquid or solid organic compounds that have a tendency to
spontaneously pass into the vapor state.
Volatile constituents:
Solid or liquid compounds that are relatively unstable at standard temperature
and pressure and that undergo spontaneous phase change to a gaseous
state.
VSI: Visual Site Inspection.
An inspection required by EPA as part of the RCRA permit process to
identify solid waste management units that could have had, or continue
to have, releases of hazardous constituents to the environment.
W [Back
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W: Weight of structure.
Includes dead weight plus percentage of live load assumed to be effective
during an earthquake.
WAA: Waste Accumulation
Area. A temporary (less than 90 days) storage area for hazardous waste.
WAC: Waste Acceptance
Criteria.
Wastewater treatment system:
A collection of treatment processes and facilities designed and built
to reduce the amount of suspended solids, bacteria, oxygen-demanding
materials, and chemical constituents in wastewater.
Water table: The water
level surface below the ground at which the unsaturated zone ends and
the saturated zone begins. It is the level to which a well screened
in the unconfined aquifer would fill with water.
WET: Water Extraction
Test. The analytical method prescribed by California to determine toxicity
of a waste (see CAM WET).
WIPP: Waste Isolation
Pilot Plant.
X [Back
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XRFA: X-ray Flourescence
Analysis: Identification of elements through characteristic x-rays generated
by excitation. The sewer-monitoring system uses this technology for
metal detection.
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