Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL)
Overview
Located in Livermore, California, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) serves as a national resource in science and engineering, focused on national security, energy, the environment and bioscience, with special responsibility for nuclear weapons. Lawrence Livermore National Security, LLC (LLNS), made up of University of California, Bechtel National, Babcock & Wilcox Technical Service Group, Inc. (B&W TSG), and the Washington Division of URS Corporation, manages this site for the Department of Energy.
Mission
- Responsible for verifying that the nation's nuclear weapons remain safe, secure and reliable.
- Applies expertise to prevent the spread and use of weapons of mass destruction and strengthen homeland security.
Recent Accomplishments
- The National Ignition Facility, a 192-beam laser, designed to achieve fusion in a laboratory setting, will be completed in March 2009.
- Developed detection technologies to provide increased speed, accuracy and specificity in identifying biological, chemical, nuclear and high-explosive threats.
- LLNL scientists made significant contributions to the Nobel Prize-winning work on climate change in 2007.
Contract/Budget
- LLNL has an annual budget of about $1.6 billion.
- LLNS assumed management in October 2007.
Infrastructure
LLNL's main facility is located on a one square-mile site. Site 300, a 7,000-acre remote explosive/experiment testing site, is situated about 15 miles to the southeast.
Workforce
- A staff of 6,800 employees.
- LLNL is the largest employer of Livermore and the fourth largest in Alameda County.
Community Impact
LLNL payroll is more than $660 million, making a significant impact on the local economy. Funding comes primarily from the federal government, with roughly $1 billion of this being spent in California. One-third of LLNL's annual budget is spent on procurements, with more than $258 million spent in California annually and approximately $191 million spent in the San Francisco Bay area. About $200 million in annual procurements goes to small businesses, small disadvantaged businesses and women-owned businesses.
