Department of Energy Washington, DC 20585 January 6, 1997

Sherry M. Kelly, City Clerk
City of Berkeley
City Clerk Department
Martin Luther King, Jr., Civic Center Building
2180 Milvia Street
Berkeley, CA 94704

Dear Ms. Kelly:

I am responding to your September 24, 1996, resolution to President Clinton urging the closure of the National Tritium Labeling Facility (NTLF) at the E.O. Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab). Your letter expressed concerns about possible air, water and ground contamination resulting from the operation of the NTLF.

The Berkeley Lab is a world-class scientific research facility operated for the Department of Energy (DOE) by the University of California. The DOE sponsors research at the laboratory and oversees its operations, including that of the NTLF. As part of its oversight, DOE, together with other Federal and State of California agencies, actively monitors the Laboratory’s performance to ensure that it is operated safely and with minimal impact on laboratory workers, the public and the environment. This includes regular reviews of the Berkeley Lab’s compliance with applicable health and safety standards for air, water and soil contamination.

I share your concern that a facility which poses a significant threat to the health and safety of the public or the environment should not operate. However, our experience indicates that Berkeley Lab is operating well below the applicable health and safety standards. Given that, and the fact that the NTLF is supporting research in the national interest, I do not think it is appropriate to close it.

Though overseen by the DOE, the NTLF is a national user facility funded by the National Institute of Health. It produces tritium-labelled compounds used in research into cell functions, disease processes, and drug behavior. It also trains researchers from all over the world in the preparation and use of these compounds. For example, researchers have used labelled compounds produced at the NTLF to better understand the cause of diseases such as Alzheimer’s and viral infections.

Given that the NTLF is conducting research in the national interest and is performing well within applicable limits to maintain environmental quality and public health, I do not think it is appropriate to terminate NTLF operations. However, it is critically important for the DOE and the other agencies to maintain vigilance in their monitoring of NTLF operations. Accordingly, I have asked our Oakland Operations Office to review the NTLF tritium emissions monitoring program (in cooperation with other responsible Federal and State of California agencies) to verify its comprehensiveness and accuracy and ensure that public health, safety and environmental quality are protected for all citizens of Berkeley.

If you have further concerns or questions, please contact Mr. Richard Nolan, the DOE Site Manager at the Berkeley Lab, at (510) 486-4345.

Sincerely,

Franklin G. Peters
Acting Associate Deputy Secretary for Field Management
Department of Energy