By Jon Bashor
Saying he believes the value of the scientific and technical research carried out by the national labs "is critical to our nation," Energy Secretary Federico Peña said those contributions make DOE too valuable an agency to be abolished.
Peña spoke to employees at DOE's Oakland Operations Office after attending the May 29 groundbreaking ceremony for the National Ignition Facility at Lawrence Livermore National Lab. He drew repeated applause for his praise of efforts by the Oakland office and the three DOE labs in the area--Berkeley, Livermore, and Los Alamos. He called for the labs to work more closely together and to "continue their world-class science." He also stressed the importance of communicating the many ways the labs' research contributes to the nation's well-being.
During a question-and-answer session after his remarks, Peña was asked about a Washington Post opinion column calling for DOE's dismantlement.
"I don't want to spend time on an issue that isn't going anywhere," he said. "DOE is not going to be abolished. I think it's more constructive to spend our time carrying out our important work."
As a result of work at DOE labs, small companies are being started to capitalize on new technology and research in areas such as cancer treatment that touch the lives of people in ways the public may not realize or appreciate, he said.
Referring to DOE's missions, Peña identified four key areas he wants to continue:
"If we can support the work of dozens of Nobel Prize winners, I think we can help millions of kids across the country," he said. "There's a great opportunity here for us to use our resources in a more creative way."
The Secretary described his work style as one that favors "product, not paper, and performance, not process."
He also called for improved communication within the DOE complex, calling it essential for successful teamwork. Many of the problems that led to his termination of the management contract at Brookhaven National Lab resulted from poor communication among everyone involved, he said. The result was a "confusing matrix of miscommunication" that obscured responsibility.
"We lost the trust of the community," he said. "That's completely unacceptable. We want all of our facilities to be good neighbors."
Photo: Energy Secretary Federico Peña (XBD9705-02385-02)
By Ron Kolb
Berkeley Lab's efforts to secure a permit modification for its waste handling operations were met with a citizens' lawsuit this week, with the support of funding from the cities of Berkeley and Oakland.
The suit, filed in Alameda County Superior Court on Monday by the Group to Eliminate Toxics, seeks a judicial order for the Lab to prepare "a new, subsequent or supplemental Environmental Impact Report (EIR)," and seeks to enjoin the Lab from taking actions related to the proposed permit modification unless an EIR is issued.
Laboratory Environmental Counsel Nancy Shepard said the Lab "will vigorously defend the lawsuit. We believe we have met and exceeded all analysis and review requirements established by the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) for projects of this type."
On May 9, Laboratory officials submitted a "subsequent mitigated negative declaration" to the state Department of Toxic Substances Control, indicating that Berkeley Lab had completed a thorough environmental review of the potential impacts of its proposed minor modifications to its Hazardous Waste Handling Facility operations. The CEQA determination is a prerequisite to the state's consideration and approval of permit changes.
In its analysis, the Lab concluded that, with mitigations, the proposed modifications would not result in any health or environmental impacts significantly different than those addressed in previous CEQA documents.
Earlier last month, the city councils of Berkeley and Oakland took unusual steps in reacting to the Laboratory's decision.
The City of Berkeley was the first to respond. Voting unanimously at its meeting on May 13, the city council authorized a contribution of $5,000 to $15,000 "to a community group, such as the Committee to Minimize Toxic Waste or COPE, that is found to have a bonafide proposal related to the EIR, as a one-time allocation until such time as guidelines are established." Councilmember Polly Armstrong placed the issue on the agenda.
Two weeks later, the City of Oakland was more specific. Again with a unanimous vote on a resolution forwarded by John Russo, Jane Brunner and Nancy Nadel, the city council authorized the city attorney to "negotiate and execute an agreement with a qualified entity, in an amount not to exceed $10,000 ... to bring legal action challenging the approval of the project without an EIR."
In both cases, Berkeley Lab representatives, led by waste management group leader Robin Wendt, had explained to city officials the elaborate process the Laboratory conducted to conform with CEQA requirements, including an EIR in 1990 for the new Hazardous Waste Handling Facility.
Under CEQA, a subsequent mitigated negative declaration is prepared when an EIR has already been done and a follow-up study shows that proposed changes to the previously approved project will not involve new, or substantially more severe, significant impacts.
The decision to issue a subsequent mitigated negative declaration was based upon information contained in a detailed "Initial Study" prepared for the modifications, plus written and verbal information received from the public and agencies during and after a 65-day public comment period. The study included consideration and response to 248 comments on its CEQA analysis from 153 individuals and organizations. The Lab also responded to 172 comments on general Lab operations. In addition, public meetings about the proposed modifications and the CEQA studies were held by the Lab on Oct. 12 and Nov. 16, 1995, and Feb. 5, 1996.
The lawsuit, filed by Berkeley attorney Michael Freund, states that approval of the subsequent mitigated negative declaration "allows the laboratory to expand and to alter quantities of the dangerous waste streams that are stored at the HWHF's, without the comprehensive environmental review of an EIR." The overall effect of the modifications requested, according to the complaint, "is to substantially increase the amount and potency of the waste streams by adding more gallons and curies of waste, especially mixed waste."
Most of the Lab's requested modifications accommodate on-site storage for mixed waste until off-site storage, treatment, and disposal facilities specified in the Lab's Site Treatment Plan can receive the Lab's waste. The modification to the "Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) Part B Permit," if granted by DTSC, would authorize the Lab to:
In April, Berkeley Lab began operations at its new state-of-the-art Hazardous Waste Handling Facility. The new building's activities will change only slightly under the proposed Part B permit modification.
The Laboratory has sought the modifications in part because the Department of Energy's Site Treatment Plan for the Laboratory requires treatment of most mixed waste off-site. Mixed waste treatment locations are currently limited but will likely open up in the near future. In the meantime, the Lab has asked for permission to slightly expand its storage capacity. Mixed waste storage limits requested in the modifications could be accommodated within the new facility and one additional storage locker.
The new treatment methods requested would not require modifications to the new facility.
The change, according to Lab security manager Don Bell, came after Laboratory management re-evaluated security and site access controls, and made some cost effective changes.
Until 1992, the Lab maintained its own in-house police force, with a combination of sworn police officers and security staff. In July 1992, the UC Berkeley Police Department assumed responsibility for police services at Berkeley Lab through a Memorandum of Understanding between the Lab and campus. The latest change will result in services more focused on Lab needs, Bell says.
New services
Some of the new services provided by Burns will include patrols of all buildings, day and night. Special emphasis to check building security and sensitive equipment will be included in the security officers' instructions, and offsite buildings will be targeted for more frequent checks.
Night escort service between buildings and parking lots is a new feature that will also be provided. To facilitate traffic flow and visitor guidance, there will be two security officers at the main (Blackberry) gate during peak traffic hours (6:30 a.m. to 10 a.m.). For visitors unsure of their destination, guide service will be available. Roving security officers will prepare daily reports that will cover a broad check of lab conditions, including information about unsecured property, inoperable lighting, possible safety issues and other observations. Burns will also provide an onsite security manager who will be located in Bldg. 65.
Operations hub
The hub of field security operations will be the Blackberry Gate kiosk. Berkeley Lab security alarms will be monitored there, and the security officer will have a radio console to dispatch patrols in response to alarms. Should the UCPD be required, a ring-down line to the police dispatch center will be available. The Blackberry facility will also monitor emergency phone calls (X7911) and dispatch security officers to provide traffic and crowd control as necessary.
"The message we're conveying to Burns is that we expect security and site access to be a proactive service with value added to the Lab," Bell says. "We want to ensure that people who have a legitimate requirement to be here, find their way to their destination with prompt and courteous service from security. Likewise, we want to consistently enforce Lab site access policy to ensure the safety and security of employees, guests and contractors. I will welcome employee feedback on the quality of service provided by Burns, and remain committed to continuous improvements in site access and security."
Burns officers will be easily identified by their uniform--white shirt with dark trousers and name tag. Patrols will be in cars marked with the Berkeley Lab logo and "Security." Effective July 1, Security may be reached by dialing X5472, or in an emergency, X7911.
In this issue we devote pages three and four to the subject of tritium and the Lab's National Tritium Labeling Facility. The NTLF has received recent attention by some members of the local community. The articles are intended to provide employees with factual information about both tritium and the work of the NTLF, and to allay possible concerns stemming from recent public discussions. We also include an important message from Lab Director Charles Shank.
As part of this move, the current Parking and Badging Office in Bldg. 65 will now become the Site Access Office, under the management of Sue Bowen, the Lab's new site access administrator. Lynellen Watson, a member of the Human Resources Department who has operated this office for several years, will assume new HR duties at Bldg. 938.
According to security manager Don Bell, the new position was created to coordinate lab-wide parking, badging, visitor access, reserved parking and to process visitors in a seamless manner at Bldg. 65.
The Site Access Office will also be the focal point for coordinating with the Burns Security Officers at the gates (see related article). Bell says he and Bowen are committed to improving customer service in all areas of site access, including facilitating access for guests; prompt and courteous service during the issuance of parking permits and ID cards; and prompt response to requests for service and problem resolution. They both welcome suggestions on improvements and will be working with the divisions in the coming months to develop solutions to long-standing issues.
Bowen will relocate to Bldg. 65-13 by the end of June. She may be reached at X6395.
Photo: Sue Bowen (XBD9706-02445)
A synchrotron light source, the Siam Photon Project, is presently under construction in Khorat, Thailand, and Kincaid explained how a light source contributes to the science, technology, and economy of the host country. Fred Schlachter of the ALS, who is a member of the International Advisory Committee for the Siam Project, arranged the visit. (XBD9705-02536) Photo by Roy Kaltschmidt
Robert Serber, who headed the Theoretical Physics Department at the Lab during its early days, died of complications following brain surgery on June 1 in Manhattan. He was 88.
Serber's knowledge of particle physics made him a key figure in the development of the atomic bomb in World War II and paved the way for future experimental physicists.
Author of many publications, he once published a manual called "Serber Says," in which he discussed the latest news in nuclear physics.
Born in 1909 in Philadelphia, he received his bachelor's degree from Lehigh University in Bethlehem, Pa., in 1930, and his Ph.D. in physics at the University of Wisconsin in 1934.
After graduating, Serber heard a lecture by Robert Oppenheimer, future director of the Los Alamos part of the Manhattan Project, and was so intrigued that he moved west to UC Berkeley to work with Oppenheimer. There, Oppenheimer became his mentor and close friend, and in 1941, chose Serber to be his assistant in the Los Alamos Project.
Known for his expertise of proton-proton interactions, Serber advised many experimental physicists about fission when they were designing the atomic bomb. He was a member of the first team sent to Nagasaki and Hiroshima to assess the damage caused by the bombs.
"Robert Serber was a fine gentleman, a good theorist and an especially good teacher," said Glenn Seaborg, Berkeley Lab's associate director-at-large. "He could communicate issues in nuclear science very well. At the time, I think his greatest contribution to physics was his understanding of elemental particles."
Ed Lofgren, who also knew Serber in the Lab's early days, remembers him as a highly respected and soft-spoken theoretical physicist.
After the war, Serber became a professor at UC Berkeley. In 1951, he moved to Columbia University after objecting to taking the oath of loyalty to the United States, which was then required of professors in California.
Serber is survived by his wife, the former Fiona St. Clair, and sons Zachariah and William. His first wife, Charlotte, died in 1967.
Photo: Robert Serber in 1958. (XBD9606-02894)
By Ron Kolb
An environmental risk assessment conducted for tritium releases at Berkeley Lab's National Tritium Labeling Facility (NTLF) has found that the tritium emissions result in a dose to the public that is well below the estimated "safe" limit permitted by federal guidelines.
For people working within a 100-meter radius of the NTLF, the study estimates the dose as one fourth the federal public standard. Compared to this estimation, a three-month urine study of employees within that radius showed a dose 40 times lower than the standard.
For those beyond the 100-meter zone, the dose is about 70 times below the standard.
The study was organized by Thomas E. McKone when he was a member of the Health and Ecological Assessment Division at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. McKone now works in Berkeley Lab's Environmental Energy Technologies Division and teaches in UC Berkeley's School of Public Health. Other contributors include Chao Shan, of Berkeley Lab's Earth Sciences Division, and Kevin Brand, now at Harvard.
The risk assessment was commissioned more than two years ago after members of the Berkeley community expressed concerns about the potential human health effects of the labeling facility's tritium emissions. It was independently reviewed by the California Department of Health Services, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The report has been delivered as resource material to the Tritium Issues Work Group, the independent community-based task force charged with monitoring and assessing tritium emissions as an adjunct to Berkeley Lab's monitoring program.
The Laboratory's risk assessment reports that, even when applying conservative assumptions about tritium exposure, the Lab's emissions result in an exceedingly small estimated increase in cancer risk beyond what an exposed individual experiences just by living in Berkeley. For the population of people working at Berkeley Lab and living and working near the facility (a total of about 122,000 in the assessment), the increased incidence of cancer resulting from tritium emissions is estimated to be far less than one per 100 years for the affected population.
Even these risk estimates are considered to represent an upper boundary, given that the following assumptions were used:
This collection of stories is designed to bring Berkeley Lab employees up to date on an issue that has generated public discussion over the past year--the National Tritium Labeling Facility and its minute levels of tritium that are emitted as part of its important work.
I want to assure all people who work and live at or near the Laboratory that this environment is absolutely safe and poses no health risk to you or members of the greater Berkeley community. We are confident that subsequent testing by a third-party monitoring group, plus our own continuing analysis program, will validate what has been proven through our own extensive, regulated monitoring for years.
I encourage anyone with further questions about this issue to contact David McGraw, division director for Environment, Health and Safety, or members of the NTLF staff.
Charles V. Shank
Laboratory Director
By Ron Kolb
The Tritium Issues Work Group, the so-called "third-party" monitoring committee that was established along with a $100,000 commitment of support from Berkeley Lab Director Charles Shank, is currently reviewing the Lab's existing environmental monitoring program and reported data.
Co-chaired by representatives from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the State of California's Department of Health Services, the Work Group is charged with reviewing and interpreting existing data on emissions from the Lab's National Tritium Labeling Facility (NTLF) and developing a plan for further sampling and evaluation.
Membership includes representatives from the cities of Berkeley and Oakland, the Department of Energy, University of California, Department of Toxic Substances Control, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Berkeley's Community Environmental Advisory Committee, and a citizens' group, the Committee to Minimize Toxic Waste. Berkeley Lab's participants are Ron Pauer, group leader for environmental protection, and Iraj Javandel, program manager for environmental restoration.
Since February, the Work Group has met once a month to establish a plan for independent surveying of tritium levels that would address community concerns about amounts and potential health risks. The task is expected to be completed in early 1998.
In the meantime, environmental activists continue to engage in an information campaign in the community, which includes weekend protests at the Lawrence Hall of Science. Visitors are greeted by demonstrators, some wearing protective masks over their mouths, handing out fliers which warn about radioactivity in the area. Hall of Science employees counter with handouts that reassure people of the safety of the Hall and its exhibits.
Protesters have also distributed literature at Sproul Plaza on the UC Berkeley campus and on the lawn at the Oxford Street entrance to the campus.
Berkeley Lab spokespersons have welcomed public forums in which to address the issue. In early May, EH&S Division Director David McGraw and NTLF facility manager Phil Williams were guests on KCSM-TV as part of a discussion on tritium. Lab representatives have made several presentations to staff members at the Lawrence Hall of Science about the work of the NTLF, emissions data and health risk assessments.
The tritium issue has been the subject of published letters in the local news media, and Lab personnel have responded to numerous community inquiries by mail and phone.
Photo: Phil Williams and Hiromi Morimoto of the National Tritium Labeling Facility conduct tritium labeling reactions in the tritiation workbox. Labeled products are used in a range of pharmaceutical and biochemical applications. (XBD9706-02505-01) Photo by Roy Kaltschmidt
Q: What is tritium?
A: Tritium is a radioactive form of hydrogen. Chemically, tritium behaves like stable hydrogen and is usually found attached to molecules in place of hydrogen. For example, a water molecule may exchange one of its hydrogen atoms for a tritium atom, resulting in "tritiated water." Tritium is constantly produced both by natural processes (the interaction of cosmic rays with the atmosphere) and by human-made processes. Tritium is used in a wide variety of consumer products, such as illuminated watches, thermostat dials, and exit signs. Both natural and human sources contribute to a worldwide background level of tritium.
Q: Why is tritium used at Berkeley Lab?
A: Berkeley Lab's National Tritium Labeling Facility (NTLF) was established as a National Institutes of Health national resource center in 1982. The Facility's role is to conduct research, help biomedical researchers study cell metabolism, and test new products that can be useful in curing disease. Facility staff and visiting researchers "label" pharmaceuticals and other materials with tritium (replacing hydrogen atoms with tritium atoms). For example, a potential cancer drug might be labeled so that researchers can trace where the tritium-labeled drug is deposited in the body and evaluate its effectiveness in treating a particular type of cancer. Because tritium is radioactive, it can be easily distinguished and measured, whereas the "nonlabeled" material could be hard to find in the body.
The NTLF is unique in the United States as it provides the technology to do labeling and analysis at the same location.
Q: What are the regulatory limits on exposures to radiation?
A: The government establishes exposure limits for radioactive materials. For the general public, the radiation limit is 100 millirem per year above background levels, for all exposure pathways. For occupational workers, the limit is 2,000 millirem per year. The radiation exposure limit established by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is an annual dose of 10 millirem for air emissions (inhalation pathway) above background to any individual. A Berkeley resident receives an average annual background radiation dose of approximately 260 millirem from natural and human-made sources. A goal of limiting radiation exposure to 4 millirem per year is the basis for the drinking water standards established under the EPA's Safe Drinking Water Act. (The drinking water standard for tritium, based on drinking 2 liters of water per day for 70 years, is 20,000 picocuries per liter (pCi/l). A picocurie is a trillionth, or 0.000000000001, of a curie).
Q: How much tritium from the NTLF goes into the environment?
A: Small quantities of tritiated water vapor (HTO) are emitted from the NTLF. Berkeley Lab takes samples of stack air emissions, ambient air, rainfall, groundwater, creeks, sewers, and vegetation to measure emission and environmental levels. The Laboratory publishes these sample results annually and sends the reports to various agencies, including the DOE, EPA, and to the Berkeley Public Library.
As required by EPA regulation, Berkeley Lab calculates the annual doses to members of the public using stack emission data and an EPA-approved method. In 1995, 50 curies of tritium were emitted from the NTLF, resulting in a maximum dose to the public (at the Lawrence Hall of Science) of 0.13 millirem for the year. Emissions were reduced to less than 3 curies in 1996, resulting in a maximum dose of less than 0.01 millirem. This dose is less than 0.1 percent of the 10 millirem per year public exposure limit established by the EPA. The National Committee on Radiation Protection has stated that anything less than 1 millirem represents negligible health risk to the individual.
Berkeley Lab has detected low levels of tritium in soil, rain water, groundwater, creeks and vegetation. Occasionally, the levels detected in rainwater, soil and vegetation at some locations around the NTLF have been above 20,000 pCi/l, which is the EPA threshold for drinking water. However, in these cases the drinking water standard does not apply since none of this water is used for human consumption, and none flows into sources of public drinking water.
Tritium has been detected in the groundwater in the vicinity of the NTLF. This groundwater tritium is being investigated as part of the Environmental Restoration Program at Berkeley Lab. An extensive system of monitoring wells has been installed at the Lab, including many in the vicinity of the NTLF. The highest levels of tritium detected in groundwater has been 35,800 pCi/l in a slope stability well. This water may have come from rain since a properly developed monitoring well five feet away has never exceeded 6,000 pCi/l. No tritium has been detected in groundwater at or outside the Laboratory fence line. Investigations will continue to fully characterize tritium in groundwater in coordination with federal, state and local regulators and with the community.
Q: What is Berkeley Lab doing to minimize tritium emissions?
A: Even though stack air emissions have been far below the dose standard prescribed by the EPA, the NTLF has pursued improvements to achieve even further reductions. Emissions have been reduced as a result of improvements in the efficiency of labeling techniques used at the NTLF, increased size of the tritium exhaust filters, changes in storage procedures, improved disposal methods, and redesign of equipment to contain the tritium. Today, about 80 percent of the tritium used in the research process is recycled and reused. Most of the rest is captured on silica gel and safely packaged for storage and eventual disposal. Less than one percent escapes to the environment.
Q: What are the community concerns?
A: There is currently a perception being promoted by a small group of community activists that tritium emissions from the Laboratory are higher than previously announced and are endangering the health of the surrounding neighborhoods. The group also charges that important information regarding tritium contamination has been suppressed, which the Laboratory strongly denies. The data identified by activists as having been withheld by the Lab was actually information gathered for an unpublished research paper and a student doctoral thesis. Neither the data nor the sampling procedures by which it was gathered and analyzed had been peer reviewed. Thus the Laboratory had not included it in official documentation of monitoring results. At the City of Berkeley's request, the Laboratory provided the raw data from its files. While some of the measurements showed elevated levels of contamination in selected data points, most of the results were consistent with previous laboratory reports. (The two researchers in question concluded their contracts and were not rehired, thus leading to additional community charges that the individuals were fired because of what they found. The Laboratory categorically denies this.)
Q: How can the community be assured that the Laboratory's tritium assessments are correct, and what is Berkeley Lab doing to resolve the issue?
A: The Lab has committed $100,000 to support an independent third-party tritium emission assessment. This will be led by a working group that includes regulatory officials from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the California Department of Health Services, the California Department of Toxic Substances Control, the City of Berkeley, the City of Oakland, UC Berkeley, and Berkeley community members. This group has been chartered to review current data, draft a new comprehensive sampling/monitoring plan, perform the sampling/monitoring, have the data independently evaluated/assessed, and communicate the findings to the public.
This independent assessment will be performed in addition to the Laboratory's current comprehensive monitoring program, which meets all regulatory requirements.
By Denise Rogers, Student Intern
During a physics demonstration to high schoolers a few years ago, members of the Nuclear Science Division's Nuclear Science Education Committee were stunned when students didn't know what an atom or its nucleus was. Realizing that the students didn't understand modern physics, committee members decided to remedy the situation by designing a nuclear physics wall chart.
Today, the "Nuclear Wall Chart" is on its way to becoming what the committee hopes is a fixture in every high school science room. The highly graphic color chart includes many topics and diagrams on the Big Bang, the elements, the basics of nuclear physics, and current research areas.
"The purpose of this chart is to excite students about physics and the benefits of research and applications," says Howard Matis, an NSD physicist and member of the committee. "It also gives teachers a tool to help in this subject and supplement their information."
The chart complements an earlier chart called the Standard Model of Fundamental Particles and Interactions, which was produced some years ago by the Contemporary Physics Education Project (CPEP)--a national organization of physicists and teachers who create and provide educational products for high schools and college students.
The chart has gone through several stages of development, revision and testing. In August 1995, the group presented their new chart to CPEP, which gave them feedback. After a year of revising, the physicists re-presented the new chart and CPEP accepted it.
"There was no reason why the teaching of nuclear science couldn't be modernized," Matis said. "This chart shows modern features of research topics and elements that are commonly taught. It is a way to bring the forefront of research to the classroom and anchor it in the curriculum.
"A lot of the development of the chart has been with input from high school teachers," Matis said. "They have given valuable suggestions of content and layout." Although students of all ages will enjoy the chart, it is mainly geared towards high school and lower division college students, he said.
The chart is now in its final stages of completion and has been sent around the world for field testing.
"Although it started at the Lab, there are people commenting on it all over the world," Matis said. "We want responses from both physicists and chemists."
The field test results, expected this week, will be used in the final revisions. The plan, Matis said, is to get CPEP's approval for the revised chart and to publish it by February 1998.
Committee members are also in the process of designing a booklet guide written at the high school level that will be given with the chart as a supplemental research tool.
The NSD Education Committee, a group of NSD members dedicated to creating educational projects for high schools and the community, received funding for this project from the Division of Nuclear Physics, American Physics Society, J.M. Nitschke Memorial Fund, and the Center for Science and Engineering Education. (Mike Nitschke is a Lab scientist who died in 1995 and left his estate for science education.) For more information, contact Matis at X5031.
Photo: Nuclear Science Chart
Starting Monday, June 16, the Laboratory will resume its shuttle bus service between the Lab's East Canyon buildings (62/66 and 74/83) and Hearst Mining Circle on campus. The UC Berkeley shuttle service, which has been handling transportation between the two areas, will end today (June 13).
The Lab shuttle buses will run every 15 minutes, with the first bus of the day departing Hearst Mining Circle at 8:55 a.m. The buses will make regular stops at Bldgs 74-83, Bldgs 62/66, and the Strawberry Gate. The last bus of the day will depart Hearst Mining Circle at 5:25 p.m.
Schedules will be posted at the bus stops. For more information, contact Lab bus supervisor Tammy Brown at X4165.
The Berkeley Lab Golf Club played its May 31 tournament at the Indian Valley Golf Course. Results are as follows:
First flight:
1st place: John T. Lee (67)
2nd place: Paul Quosig (69)
3rd
place: Ralph Sallee (69)
Second flight:
1st place: Judy Lee (66)
2nd place: Harvey Grasso (69)
3rd place:
Bruce Hongola (69)
Upcoming Golf Club tournaments are:
Saturday, June 21, San Ramon Golf Course
Saturday, July 12, Tilden Park Golf Course
Thursday, Aug. 7, Poppyridge (DOE Challenge)
Saturday, Aug. 16, Delta View Golf Course
The Golf Club recently welcomed the following new members: Ronnie Nelson, Gary Nelson, Wayne Cox, Cecil Smith, and John Christman. For more information or to join the club, contact Denny Parra at X4598.
Science Exploration Camp's (SEC) onsite summer program for elementary school-age children gets under way next month. So far, the camp still has openings for the first five weeks, July 21-August 22.
The camp is open to children and relatives of Berkeley Lab and UC Berkeley employees. It is a full-day camp with science activities in the morning and recreational activities in the afternoon. Extended care is available both before and after camp. The cost of the camp, which includes extended care, morning and afternoon snacks, and the cost of all field trips, is $160/week.
Weekly themes are based on research being done at Berkeley Lab and will include presentations and demonstrations by Lab researchers and staff. (If you would like to make a presentation to the campers, please contact the camp's organizers at the extension or e-mail address at the end of the article.)
Afternoon recreational activities include swimming two days a week at Strawberry Canyon, and trips to Tilden and other local parks. Each week, a field trip is planned to a local science museum, such as the Lawrence Hall of Science or the San Francisco Exploratorium, or to the UC Botanical Garden.
This year's camp director is Gordon Ferguson, teacher and chairperson of the science department at Chaboya Middle School in San Jose. He has also worked as a mentor to train teachers on how to incorporate age-appropriate science activities into their classrooms. Ferguson says his philosophy of teaching science to children is to "learn science by doing science." His goal for this summer's camp is to create an environment rich in discovery with plenty of hands-on science activities, and visits to the labs of Berkeley Lab researchers. Ferguson will be working closely with Lab staff to help them gear their presentations to the age range of the campers.
The camp is organized by the Science Exploration Camp, a non-profit corporation of Berkeley Lab employees and guests that is operated under a memorandum of understanding with Berkeley Lab. The camp is not subsidized by the Lab, DOE, or UC. All operating costs of the program are supported by camp tuition. This is the camp's third summer of operation.
More information about the camp and enrollment forms are available at SEC's Web site at http://eande.lbl.gov/ orEAP/SEC/secindex.htm. Inquiries also may be sent via email to sec@lbl.gov, or phone messages left at X6566.
All employees, former employees, and retirees are invited to participate in the second Berkeley Lab Craft Fair. The event will take place from 4 to 7 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 21 (the Friday before Thanksgiving) in the cafeteria. To reserve a space, contact Kathy Ellington (Bldg. 90-3147; KLEllington@lbl.gov; fax: X4089).
Currents is printed on recycled and recyclable paper, using soy-based inks. It may be recycled by placing it in one of the "white paper" receptacles provided by Richmond Sanitary.
The Laboratory welcomed the following new career employees during the month of May:
Bradley A. Gustafson, EET
Shana R. Salter, OPER
Eveyln M. Punch,
LSD
Cheryl Ventimiglia, ICSD
Allison L. Mills, OPER
Beatrice Edwards,
ICSD
Kathreen Bedford, OPER
Anna K. Agbayani, LSD
Christine Diesch,
OPER
Gerard M. Duncan,OPER
Christa Netel-Huisman, CSD
Robert Smith,
LSD
Linda Tripp-Sopher, ICSD
Jason L. Akre, ENG
Jacquelyn Johnson,
EH&S
Julie Larmi, OPER
Clorinda L. Lucero, EH&S
Susan L.
Bielen, OPER
Bibiann C. Lebechi, DIRC
The Berkeley Lab Calendar is published biweekly here on the World Wide Web and in Currents by the Public Information Department. Employees can list a meeting, class, or event in the Calendar by using this submission form. The deadline for submissions is 5 p.m. on Monday in the week that Currents is published.In addition to the events listed below, Berkeley Lab's Washington, D.C. Projects office is hosting a Science and Technology Seminars series.
Scientific Conferences
Noon-1 p.m. in Bldg. 90-4133.
Officer's meeting at 12:10 p.m. in Bldg. 2-100.
Noon-1 p.m. in Bldg. 90-4133.
Noon-1 p.m. in Bldg. 90-4133.
7:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m., Bldg. 54 parking lot.
BODYWORKS AEROBICS CLASS
Noon-1 p.m. in Bldg. 90-4133.
"Biodegradation and Bioremediation of Petroleum Components in Anoxic Environments" will be presented by Lily Young of Rutgers University at noon in Bldg. 50A-5132.
EETD Building Energy Seminar
"What People Really Want To Know About Indoor Air Quality" will be presented by Bernard Bloom, of the Office of Environmental Policy & Compliance in the Montgomery County (Maryland) Department of Environmental Protection at noon in Bldg. 90-3148.
Surface Science and Catalysis Science Seminar
"The Characterization of Fresh and Used Automobile Exhaust Catalysts" will be presented by G. Djega-Mariadassou of the Universite Pierre et Marie Curie, France at 1:30 p.m. in the Bldg. 66 auditorium.
Physics Division Research Progress Meeting
"Beautiful CP Violation" will be presented by Isi Dunietz of Fermilab at 4 p.m. in Bldg. 50A-5132; refreshments, 3:40 p.m.
"Cavity HOM Effects at the SRS" will be presented by Peter Mcintosh of Daresbury at 10:30 a.m. in the Bldg. 71 conference room.
"Miscellaneous Building Electricity Use" will be presented by Marla Sanchez & Jon Koomey of the EETD Energy Analysis Program at noon in Bldg. 90-3148.
"Possibility of Measuring Parity Nonconservation in Relativistic Ions" will be presented by Max Zolotorev of CBP at 10:30 a.m. in the Bldg. 71 conference room.
Items for the calendars may be sent via e-mail to currents_calendar@lbl.gov, faxed to X6641 or mailed to Bldg. 65B. The deadline for the June 27 issue is 5 p.m. Monday, June 23.
'80 LINCOLN Continental, Signature Series, clean, runs well, rebuilt eng., automatic pwr, all elec. dash controls, leather seats, landau roof, int. matches the ext., asking $2500/b.o. Yvonne, X6588, (209) 551-4966 (eve.)
'84 BMW 325e, white, low mi., CD player in dash & 5 CD disc changer in trunk, well maint., must sell by mid-June, moving out of state, $5500. Paul, X4417, 528-7285
'87 CHRYSLER New Yorker, full leather (gd cond.), pwr windows & locks, a/c, fuel injection, runs well, recently smogged, $2600/b.o. Jaime, X7979, 236-9798
'88 FORD Escort GL, gray, 5-dr hatchbk, a/t, p/s, p/b, AM/FM, 76K mi., body slightly scratched, gd cond., $1350/b.o. 549-2438
'88 HYUNDAI Excel, 4-dr, 100K mi., rebuilt eng., $2200. X5205
'88 JEEP Cherokee Laredo, blue, a/t, a/c, TC, new Michelin tires, alarm, exc. cond., $7.5K. Al, X4869, 652-1096
'88 TOYOTA truck, 4x4, 5-spd, roll bar w/KC lights, deluxe push bar, AM/FM cass., new tires, sliding rear window, 170K mi., very gd cond., $3100/b.o. X7840, 709-1395
'89 PLYMOUTH Voyager LE, family car, 123K mi., V6, a/t, a/c, exc. int., gd ext., loaded w/power options in working order, under warranty until 100K & all transmission upgrades made plus recent new suspension, brakes & tires, blue book pricing. Glen, X5358, 530-2810 (eve.)
'90 NISSAN 240 SX, 5-spd, a/c, pw, cruise, AM/FM/CD 10 disc., new tires, brakes & battery, $6500. David, 516-2358
'92 HONDA Civic DX, 4-dr sedan, phantom gray w/gray int., a/t, sec. system, AM/FM cass., no a/c, 18K mi., $9950 firm. X4943, 631-1131 (eve.)
'92 MAZDA 323 SE, 56K mi., a/t, a/c, p/s, new brakes, AM/FM cass., registration renewed in 3/97, outstanding cond., relocating overseas, $5450/b.o. Nik, X7802, 658-7807
MOTORCYCLE, '80 Yamaha 400 special, gd cond., runs great, new tires, chains & seat, 18K mi., must sell, $700/b.o. Andrea, 547-4270 (msg.)
TENT TRAILER, Sherwood '68, vintage, contains queen sz. bed & table w/benches, table can be made into bed for sm. child, $300. Mary, X6190, 825-3687
AUTOMOBILE, '90 Mazda 2-wheel drive pickup. Robert, 843-9368
BICYCLE RACK for a mini van. Tennessee, X5013
COMPUTER, used Mac w/CD ROM, color monitor, printer, etc., for teenager. Ian, X4174, 548-7102
FUTON, queen or king sz. Christa & Harrie, 653-5863 (msg.)
GLOBE (terrestrial), pre 1945 preferred. 526-2007
HOUSE TO SIT, avail. after 7/8, exp., exc. refs., plants & pet care too. Julie, 549-2927
HOUSE TO SIT, this summer, all or part, anywhere in Bay Area, exc. plant & pet care, refs. avail. Amy, 843-5433
MOUNTAIN BIKE, 16" to 18". Leonard, X4213
RBA Navy low frequency receiver. John, X6533, 849-1051
SINGLE BED or futon for visiting child, to borrow, 6/29-8/1. Cathie, X6439
TELEVISION, mini, desktop. Christa & Harrie, 653-5863 (msg.)
BABY ITEMS, Graco stroller, $20; Fisher Price high chair, $30; spare car seat, $5; Houdini playpen, $25; changing pad, $5; baby bath, $5. Steve, X4304, or Libby, X4332
COMPUTER, 2 gigabyte Maxtor hard drive, brand new, never used, $175. Deane, X5063, 549-0914
COUCH, love seat & chair set, off-white linen color, $350; 8-ft couch, camel color w/subtle multi-hues, $350. Bill, X7735, 932-8252
DINING RM TABLE, glass, 6 chairs, $50/b.o.; entertainment center wall rack, $10/b.o. 527-8410
EXERCISE EQUIP., CardioGlide (Health Rider clone), mint cond., w/adj. resistance & timer/computer, $75. Steve, X7256, 481-8315
EXERCISE EQUIP., Lifestyler Cardiofit plus, paid $260, take $120; director's fold up chair w/grn seat & back, $18; 170 MB IDE Conner hard drive, $30; 2X IDE CD-ROM w/driver, $20. Kris, X5571
FUTON, queen sz., oak w/side table, great shape, $150; fireplace insert, wood burning, Lopi, '96 Freedom Bay, heats entire house, great cond., $1500; entertainment center, blk, med. sz., holds 25"-27" TV, stereo compartment w/glass drs, storage comp., perfect cond., $50. David, 516-2358
FUTON, queen sz., pine frame, 6'' mattress, w/cover, <1 yr., $100.525-2977
FUTON BED, full sz., black frame & futon, $75; computer workstation, solid oak, portable, perfect cond., $100. Gail, 299-1262
GARAGE SALE, Sat. & Sun., 6/14 &15, 9 a.m.-4 p.m., 1815 Blake St., Berkeley, nr MLK & Dwight Way, antiques, furn., beds, Guatemalan items & more. David, 525-4470
GUITAR, FS: Ovation Legend, acoustic/electric, exc. cond., dk wood, amber sunburst, $500. Dan, X5124
LAWNMOWER, Craftsman, gas, exc. cond., seldom used, newly tuned, $100; chipper/mulcher, Mont. Ward, gas, low hrs., 3 HP, mulches leaves & branches up to 1/2", $250. Travis, 524-9281 (wrong no. last time)
MAC CENTRIS 650, 16MB RAM, 350MB HD, 20" color monitor, 350 MB ext. HD, keyboard & mouse, $1250. Jim, X5544
METAL CABINET for RBA Navy receiver, $25. John, X6533, 849-1051
MOVING SALE, Philips 20" stereo TV, $125; Sony Hi-fi VCR, $150; Kenwood surround receiver, $125; Onkyo 6-CD, $200; Sony dual cass., $125; CD boombox, $60; bed, desk, clothes, kitchen utensils & more, 2208 9th Ave. (nr Lake Merritt), Sat. 6/14, 9 a.m.-3 p.m.; home theater system, AC-3 ready Yamaha RXV990 pro-logic receiver ($1K in stores now), $750; Atlantic Technologies 225 dipole surround spkrs, $175; Infinity CC2 center channel spkr, $150, all items new, top quality, many features, prices negot. Sekou, X4270, 533-9075
MOVING SALE, new Sunbeam intermediate mixer, 10-spd, sits on base, self-rotating, incl. bread blades & bowl, $79.99, asking $32.50; toaster, used, exc. cond., $6; Interplak elec. toothbrush, exc. cond., $17.50. Reney, 653-6964
PC COMPUTER, Gateway 2K 486, w/200MB hard drive, 8MB RAM, software, monitor, $550; leather sofa, gray, $250; contemporary drwrs, 2 styles, $75 ea.; queen sz. bed, Sealy Posturepedic w/contemporary bed frame & custom headboard, $400, $250 w/o headboard; contemporary book shelves, $50-$75; contemporary light wood grain desk, $150; golf clubs, drivers, Titlelist Pro Trajectory 9.5 degree stiff steel shaft, $55; Taylor Made Burner Plus 9.5 degree graphite shaft, $80; Founders Club Judge 10.5 degree Easton graphite extra stiff, 44.5" shaft, $80; Joe Powell Classic Persimmon Driver, $55; 3 woods, Founders Club Judge 14 degree w/Aldila blue graphite shaft, $80, moving out of state. Paul, X4417, 528-7285
PUPPIES, St. Bernard, AKC, $550 ea. David, 652-3994
PIANO w/bench, exc. cond., Gulbranson, $890/b.o. X6878, 528-3408
SAILBOAT, CAL 20, 6HP Chrysler outboard, berthed Berkeley Marina, B-22, $950. Dave, X4024, 526-0552 (eve.)
SPEAKERS, Fisher, 3-way w/15" woofers, $75/pr. 938-8020
WORD PROCESSOR, Brother WP-3400,12" amber CRT, dual screen capability, grammar check & data merge, $125. X6578, 233-3615
YARD SALE, Sat., 6/14th, starting at noon, 385 45th St., Oakland
BERKELEY, Claremont Dist., 1 furn. bdrm + bth in pvt. house to be shared w/female architect, kitchen/laundry fac., walking distance to UCB, $500/mo.+utils. 238-6164, 548-2425
BERKELEY, Northside, furn. rm in 4-bdrm house, 5 blks from UCB, nr LBNL shuttle stop, 2 other visiting scholars live here, $500+utils. 841-2749
BERKELEY, lg. studio in triplex, unfurn., 2nd flr, 4 rms (1 sm. kit., 1 bath, 1 dining, 1 bdrm), no pets, walking distance to UCB, Shattuck Ave. & Channing Way, nr shops & BART, 6 mo. or 12 mo. lease, $500/mo.+utils. 843-1859
BERKELEY HILLS, 4-bdrm, 2-1/2 bth, tri-level A frame home w/view of Tilden Park, 2 mi. from LBNL, avail. 7/1-23. 527-8819
EL CERRITO, nr Fat Apples, 2-bdrm, 1-bth house, garage, yd, furn. (incl. dishes, pots & pans, etc.), washer/dryer, $1200/mo. Pat, X4128, Diane, 845-3679 (day), 741-8275 (eve.)
OAKLAND, roommate wanted for lg., furn. 3-bdrm, 2-bth house, w/hot tub & cat, $550/mo. incl. utils. 532-1935
OAKLAND, lg., furn. 3-bdrm, 2-bth house, w/hot tub & cat, avail. 6/15 - 8/15. 532-1935
OAKLAND, Glenview, 1-bdrm apt, piano, yd & laundry, 10 min. by car to UCB, 1 blk from shopping & bus, avail. mo. of July, $575. Susan, X4690, 531-4376 (msg.)
WANTED: house/apt for young working professional couple, Berkeley area, non-smokers, no pets, $750/mo. max., willing to exchange gardening/ydwork. Jonathan or Hiroko, 848-8350, Senta, 524-4654
WANTED: furn. 2-bdrm residence in No. Berkeley/Berkeley Hills, Albany or El Cerrito for visiting Japanese scientist & wife, 7/15-9/15. Jane, X6036
WANTED: long term rental of 2-3 bdrm house/apt in Berkeley or surrounding area for LBNL postdoc & spouse starting anywhere between 7/15-9/1, no smoking, no kids. Karen or Clem, (801) 581-4793 (work), (801) 463-6796 (home), schmeichel@biology.utah.edu
WANTED: 2-bdrm apt nr UCB from Aug.-June for under $1K/mo. Susan, 704-9213
WANTED: furn. accommodation, 1 bdrm & kitchen, from 7/8 to 9/8, for British Prof. w/wife, within walking distance from BART, prefer Berkeley, up to $1200/mo. Barbara, X5831, David, lyth@lancaster.ac.uk
WANTED: unfurn. 3-bdrm house to rent/buy for a new staff w/family, nonsmoker, no pet, July to Oct. w/possible renewable, prefer Moraga or Walnut Creek w/gd school dist. Weiming, (630) 840-8617 (wk), (630) 820-9269, weiming@fnal.gov
WANTED: unfurn. lg. studio or 1 bdrm in house, for LBNL employee. Steve, X6966
WANTED: 2-3 bdrm house/apt in Berkeley or surrounding area for LBNL postdoc & spouse, starting anywhere between 7/15 - 9/1, non smokers, no kids. Karen or Clem, (801) 581-4793 (work), (801) 463-6796 (home), schmeichel@biology.utah.edu
WANTED: July-Aug. (2 full mo.), furn. 3-bdrm house for visiting French scientist, wife, 3 children (1 daughter & her 2 girlfriends, all 16), non-smoker, quiet & nice place, No. Berkeley. R. Cheng, X5438, I. Shepherd, X6683, gokalp@cnrs-orleans.fr
WANTED: apt/house for visiting university scientists from Italy (married couple), 7/1 - 9/30, for under $1K/mo. (or house-sitting arrangement), they will also wish to buy an inexpensive car. 559-5687, 559-5773 (6/1-17)
WANTED: house to rent for 1 or 2 years, for French postdoc & family arriving Aug., 3 children (8, 7 & 3), nonsmoker, Berkeley, Albany, El Cerrito or surrounding area, can take care of pets. Alicia, X4251
WANTED: short term rental, 7/1 - 8/31, 1 or 2-bdrm apt/house or shared housing for French visiting scientist at UCB w/spouse. Brigitte/Olivier, 643-6013, 528-5419, bboitel@uclink2.berkeley.edu
WANTED: Italian visitor looking for lg. 2/3 bedroom, 2-bth gd home in a gd neighborhood, >1 yr. rent, unfurn. prefer equipped kitchen. X6304
WANTED: sm. house in gd No. Berkeley, Albany or close in El Cerrito area for visiting senior scientist & wife from Israel, July '97 thru March '98. Al, X5301, athodgson@lbl.gov.
WANTED: furn. house/apt for visiting scientist & family, approx. 7/7 - 9/13. Ian, X4174
WANTED: 3-bdrm house in No. Berkeley, Lab family w/mature children, no pets, long-term rental. Carol, X4812, chearls@lbl.gov
WANTED: furn. house for the mo. of July for visiting German Prof., wife & 3 children (4, 6, 10), Berkeley, Oakland, or surrounding areas OK. Jen, X4058
Real Estate
SONOMA COAST, 2.16 acres, Timbercove, Ft. Ross area, all utils. Nick, 527-1965
Vacation
LAGUNA BEACH, 2+bdrm, 1-1/2 bth house, washer/dryer, utils. incl., 2 blks to beach, walk to village, $2K/mo. or $1800/mo. for 3. 845-5563
LAKE TAHOE, Homewood, 3-bdrm, 2-bth house, pvt. beach, gourmet kitchen, frpl, furn. & stocked, maid service, $150/night, 3 nights min. 525-2368
SO. LAKE TAHOE, Tahoe Keys, 3-bdrm, 2.5-bth house, upstairs living, on the water, fenced yd, quiet area but nr attractions, views of water & mountains. Bob, 376-2211
Adorable kittens, 2 shorthaired. Linda, X5716 or 838-8088.
EDITOR: Mary Bodvarsson, X4014, mgbodvarsson@lbl.gov
STAFF WRITERS: Jeffery Kahn, X4019; Lynn Yarris, X5375
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS: Allan Chen, X6249; Monica Friedlander, X5122
PRODUCTION: Alice Ramirez
FLEA MARKET / CALENDAR: Mary Padilla, X5771
fleamarket@lbl.gov / currents_calendar@lbl.gov
Public Information Department, Berkeley Lab, MS 65A
One Cyclotron Road, Berkeley CA 94720
Tel: 510/486-5771 Fax: 510/486-6641
Berkeley Lab is managed by the University of California
for the U.S. Department of Energy
Please note also:
Published once a month by the Communications Department for the employees and retirees of Berkeley Lab.
Reid Edwards, Public Affairs Department head
Ron Kolb, Communications Department headEDITOR
Pamela Patterson, 486-4045, pjpatterson@lbl.gov
Associate editor
Lyn Hunter, 486-4698, lhunter@lbl.govSTAFF WRITERS
Dan Krotz, 486-4019
Paul Preuss, 486-6249
Lynn Yarris, 486-5375CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
Ucilia Wang, 495-2402
Allan Chen, 486-4210
David Gilbert, (925) 296-5643DESIGN
Caitlin Youngquist, 486-4020
Creative Services OfficeBerkeley Lab
Communications Department
MS 65, One Cyclotron Road, Berkeley CA 94720
(510) 486-5771
Fax: (510) 486-6641Berkeley Lab is managed by the University of California for the U.S. Department of Energy.
Flea Market is now online at www.lbl.gov/fleamarket
