Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory

The Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) was established in 1952 at the height of the Cold War. Its mission was to meet urgent national security needs by advancing nuclear weapons science and technology. Renowned physicists E.O. Lawrence and Edward Teller argued for the creation of a second laboratory to augment the efforts of the laboratory at Los Alamos. Environmental programs begun in the 1960s have led to novel groundwater remediation technologies in use at Superfund sites, models that are contributing to understanding the human impact on global climate change, and the establishment of the National Atmospheric Release Advisory Capability (NARAC) at Livermore.

The energy crisis in the 1970s invigorated energy research programs at LLNL, which are part of the government-industry partnership to develop long-term reliable, affordable, clean sources of energy. After the United States halted nuclear testing in 1992, LLNL helped the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) define the Stockpile Stewardship Program, which ensures the safety, security, and reliability of the nation’s nuclear deterrent without nuclear testing. LLNL continued to advance and apply science and technology to ensure national security within the global context. LLNL successfully completed a life-extension program for the nation’s most modern Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM) warhead, the W87, that will enable it to remain in the U.S. strategic arsenal well into the 21st century. LLNL also initiated major efforts in energy security. This work is aimed at the development of sustainable energy resources and technologies while reducing their environmental impacts and increasing our understanding of climate change.

City of Livermore, CA

Alameda County, CA

Lawrence Livermore National Security, LLC (LLNS) – Management & Operations

• LLNS is made up of Bechtel National, University of California, BWX Technologies, and Amentum.

Federal Government

• U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D)

• U.S. Senator Adam Schiff (D)

• U.S. Rep. Kevin Mullen (D) (CA-15)

State Government

• Gov. Gavin Newsom (D)

• State Sen. Jesse Arreguin (D) (District 7)

• State Rep. Rebecca Bauer-Kahan (D) (District 16)

Local Government

• City of Livermore Mayor John Marchand

Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory

• Breanna Bishop, Acting Director, Public Affairs

  • Phone: (925) 423-9802; Email: bishop33@llnl.gov

Livermore Mayor’s Office

• Phone: (925) 960-4020

Soil and Groundwater Remediation

In March 2024, the Office of Environmental Management released a Strategic Vision for 2024-2034.

Planned Cleanup Scope 2024–2034

At Site 300, EM will address the remaining legacy cleanup scope by moving forward with selecting and implementing remedial actions for Building 812, Building 865, and Building 850 groundwater. An amended Record of Decision (ROD) documenting the selected treatment path forward is expected to be issued in 2028. Implementation of the selected path forward is anticipated to be initiated in 2031, and responsibility for the completed actions are anticipated to be transferred to the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) in 2033.

The full LLNL Strategic Vision is available here.