Sandia National Laboratories/California strives to minimize the impact of its operations on the environment. The site's commitment to environmental stewardship is established in the SNL/CA Environment, Safety, and Health Standard of Performance. In support our environmental goals, SNL/CA maintains an Environmental Management Department comprised of six functional program areas, with responsibility for managing the SNL/CA Environmental Management System or EMS. For a summary of the site's EMS view the publication, EMS – The Basics. A description of each functional environmental program follows. For more detailed information about program activities see the Annual Site Environmental Report for SNL/CA.

Air Quality

The Air Quality Program supports site environmental goals by: obtaining and maintaining permits/registrations; assisting in compliance with permit conditions and regulatory requirements; and assessing potential impacts of air pollution sources through regulatory analysis, emissions calculations, and risk assessments. The Air Quality Program also implements SNL/CA's Spare The Air initiatives.

Environmental Monitoring

The Environmental Monitoring Program monitors water quality at SNL/CA through routine sampling and analysis of storm water runoff, wastewater effluent, and groundwater from onsite monitoring wells. The Environmental Monitoring Program also monitors gamma radiation in ambient air to ensure that site operations are not contributing significantly to the ambient radiation dose in the surrounding environment.

Environmental Planning and Ecology

The Environmental Planning and Ecology Program supports the site with National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) compliance and monitors ecological resources found at SNL/CA. In 2002, the Department of Energy, National Nuclear Security Administration, analyzed potential impacts of site operations through the NEPA process and published the results in the Final Site-Wide Environmental Assessment of the Sandia National Laboratories/California.

Hazardous Material Management

The Hazardous Materials Management Program supports all projects and activities involving the handling or use of hazardous materials at SNL/CA. The Hazardous Materials Management Program is responsible for tracking hazardous materials, providing Material Safety Data Sheets, and for compliance reporting under various hazardous material regulations.

Pollution Prevention and Waste Minimization

The Pollution Prevention and Waste Minimization Program supports our environmental goals by providing technical assistance across the site, workable recycling programs, and strategies for reducing waste generation and use of natural resources. With assistance from the Pollution Prevention and Waste Minimization Program, SNL/CA applies source reduction, affirmative procurement, waste minimization measures, and recycling principles to all site operations.

Waste Management

The Waste Management Program assists the site workforce with management of hazardous, radioactive, and mixed radioactive waste. The Waste Management Program provides site-specific waste generator training, provides a pick-up and disposal service for hazardous and radioactive waste streams generated on-site, and maintains our waste storage facilities. The Waste Management Program works closely with waste generators as well as the Pollution Prevention and Waste Minimization Program and the Hazardous Materials Program to minimize the amount of waste generated at SNL/CA.    

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