The Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) in California should enhance its communications and information management processes to enhance emergency management, the Department of Energy’s Office of Enterprise Assessments (EA) found in a newly released report.
EA assessed the lab’s program with test scenarios for personnel of LLNL managing contractor Lawrence Livermore National Security (LLNS). One scenario involved a simulated tritium release, while another involved the release of transuranic waste from a storage area.
The test results showed a unified command between the Alameda County Fire Department – which responds to fire incidents on laboratory property – and LLNS protective forces, as well as timely notifications of DOE and off-site agencies by the contractor’s emergency operations center, the report said. It noted, however, some “inadequate communications and information management that degraded situational awareness.”
For instance, emergency operations center staff did not provide recommendations to incident commanders on safe locations or personal protective equipment for the tritium facility event, even though responders were in an area with projected exposures that exceeded protective action criteria, the report said. Staff also inappropriately calculated off-site shelter-in-place distances and some text messages sent to on-site personnel included confusing instructions.
EA therefore concluded that while the laboratory’s emergency management procedures were adequate, some weaknesses remained – specifically, “LLNS has not provided continuous, effective, and accurate communications among response components.”
The assessment recommended that the lab contractor and National Nuclear Security Administration field office at Livermore pay additional attention to improving the site’s emergency management program. Additionally, “EA should follow-up on the LLNS evaluation, issues tracking, and corrective actions programs, as well as LFO oversight,” EA said.
