We investigate the environment of the nearby ( d \approx 40 Mpc ) broad-lined Type Ic supernova SN 2009bb .
This event was observed to produce a relativistic outflow likely powered by a central accreting compact object .
While such a phenomenon was previously observed only in long-duration gamma-ray bursts ( LGRBs ) , no LGRB was detected in association with SN 2009bb .
Using an optical spectrum of the SN 2009bb explosion site , we determine a variety of ISM properties for the host environment , including metallicity , young stellar population age , and star formation rate .
We compare the SN explosion site properties to observations of LGRB and broad-lined SN Ic host environments on optical emission line ratio diagnostic diagrams .
Based on these analyses , we find that the SN 2009bb explosion site has a metallicity between 1.7 Z _ { \odot } and 3.5 Z _ { \odot } , in agreement with other broad-lined SN Ic host environments and at odds with the low-redshift LGRB host environments and recently proposed maximum metallicity limits for relativistic explosions .
We consider the implications of these findings and the impact that SN 2009bb ’ s unusual explosive properties and environment have on our understanding of the key physical ingredient that enables some SNe to produce a relativistic outflow .