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- Governor signs historic SB-990 bill October 12 that will require
Santa Susana Field Laboratory to be cleaned up to strict federal
EPA Superfund levels
- "Boeing agrees it will clean up the Property for both radiological
and chemical constituents using a risk-based approach"
- Government oversight to be headed by Department of Toxic
Substances Control
- "Boeing agrees it will clean up the Property to levels acceptable
for residential use and that protect individuals living in the
vicinity of the Property"
- Transfer of 2,850 acre lab to State prohibited until cleanup
goals completed
- Schwarzenegger calls legislation historic, applauds Kuehl and
commends Boeing for "working with officials to come up with
solution that will protect the health of residents in adjacent
communities"
- Activists' focus turns to Runkle Canyon development adjacent to
lab and DTSC's role in assessing dangers of development
- Veteran Rocketdyne watchdog Dan Hirsch calls Kuehl's efforts
a "tremendous accomplishment" but cautions that "devil will be
in the details" when dealing with Boeing
- Boeing waives claims against State and indemnifies it against
future liability over astronomical pollution
- Historic battle over Rocketdyne unlikely to end anytime soon as
cleanup will take years as off-site contamination spreads
| WATCH Rocketdyne Meltdown over Simi Valley! |
| WATCH Santa Susana Field Laboratory Health Risks Briefing! Sen. Sheila Kuehl - April 5, 2007 |
Ventura County
Pay Dirt - Gov. Schwarzenegger signs Kuehl bill to
clean up Rocketdyne to Superfund standards; Boeing
agrees to pay for remediation and donate lab to State for
parkland
clean up Rocketdyne to Superfund standards; Boeing
agrees to pay for remediation and donate lab to State for
parkland
Boeing's disappearing act -- Rocketdyne's lab
in 1988 and what it may look like cleaned up
in 1988 and what it may look like cleaned up
| What a blast! State Senator Sheila Kuehl talks to EnviroReporter.com on what the passage of the Rocketdyne cleanup bill really means - Exclusive Interview |
October 13, 2007
The Promised Land - Gov. Schwarzenegger
terminates the uncertainty of Rocketdyne cleanup
with historic move that keeps California in charge
– for now
terminates the uncertainty of Rocketdyne cleanup
with historic move that keeps California in charge
– for now
| Rocketdyne News and Analysis |
January 24, 2008
- Long bitter battle of Rocketdyne resolved January 15, 2008 with State
negotiating highest cleanup standards for intensely-polluted Boeing lab
- Boeing signs October 12, 2007 Letter of Intent with State which includes
LOI summary
- Rocketdyne watchdog Dan Hirsch and Norm Riley face off at October
meeting arguing over cleanup standards issues later resolved
- Assemblyman Greg Smyth floats 30,000-acre park in early December
survey of constituents living close to Rocketdyne
- Environmentalists push Superfund listing in December 19, 2007 letter to
Gov. Schwarzenegger before changing goals and tactics
- Negotiations culminate with environmentalists signing onto deal with
California EPA Secretary Linda Adams in January 9, 2008 meeting
- Adams informs U.S. EPA that State will decline Superfund listing for now
- Cal-EPA's Department of Toxic Substances Control lead on site
characterization and cleanup codified with U.S. EPA heading radiation work
- State Sen. Sheila Kuehl relieved of obligation to roll back provisions of her
bill to clean up Santa Susana Field Lab to highest Superfund standards
- State Assemblymember Julia Brownley hails "amazing day"
- Radiation Rangers call breakthrough "Good News and Bad News" noting
that cancerous TCE is discovered in adjacent Runkle Canyon
November 21, 2007
Ventura County
Cleaning Up Rocketdyne - Citizen-inspired
remediation starts at lab-adjacent Sage Ranch
remediation starts at lab-adjacent Sage Ranch
- Department of Toxics Substances Control begins massive cleanup of
Rocketdyne dump next to Sage Ranch State Park
- Trio of environmentalists find debris field left denuded by fire
- DTSC's Norm Riley accompanies citizens to dump in June 2007
- DTSC oversees Boeing workers who excavate creek dump careful to
suppress airborne asbestos with water.
- Deadly debris likely from NASA's Liquid Oxygen Plant (LOX) activities
- Activists run CleanUpRocketdyne.org and Rocketdyne Information Society
- Over 800 truck trips anticipated hauling away hazardous waste bins stored
on Boeing property
- Northern drainage runs through dump and leads down to Simi Valley's
American Jewish University on Brandeis-Bardin campus
- Excavation of waste leaves large hole in creek bed sealed with colored
seeding material
- Torrents of rain water wash down creek through dump in late January 2008
Boeing worker shoots a load of water over the
debris field to keep asbestos dust down
debris field to keep asbestos dust down
30,000 rocket tests have left the Santa Susana Field
Laboratory polluted with chemicals. Radiation remains from
dumping, burning and partial meltdowns in 1959 and 1964.
Laboratory polluted with chemicals. Radiation remains from
dumping, burning and partial meltdowns in 1959 and 1964.
Read EnviroReporter.com's Rocketdyne investigation
articles here
articles here
Sage Ranch excavated and re-seeded here
in February 2008 photo by Christina Walsh
in February 2008 photo by Christina Walsh