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| Waxman Veterans Administration nuke dump documents |
On August 8, 2007, Congressman Henry Waxman (D-Los Angeles) provided EnviroReporter.com, the Los Angeles Times and the
Associated Press the link to a page on Waxman's website that contains 86 documents with over 5,600 pages of material on the West Los
Angeles VA. These VA-related documents, given to Waxman by the now former Secretary of the VA, R. James Nicholson, contain much
information, some of which we have covered in "Nuke 'Em High" and "Million Dollar Maybe," are fully explored here as they relate to the
dump. Nicholson's cover letter reiterates VA concern over their own draft report that stated there is low-level biomedical nuclear waste
under Brentwood School's VA-leased athletic fields.
These document files highlight what we find interesting in each of the files and include the links to the original PDF's on Waxman's site.
We cover the information we have unearthed here which is part of our ongoing investigation of the biomedical nuclear and chemical
dump in Brentwood, California. Understanding this data is crucial to grasping the challenges posed by this dump that stretches
throughout VA land including under adjacent Barrington Dog Park and the 20 acres that Brentwood School leases from the VA.
These documents are listed according to the number they are designated on Waxman's website and are further encoded to indicate
which page certain sections are on according to the PDF page designation on the provided material. A letter after the designation refers
to separate snippets on one page. For example, the designations 13.4.a and 13.4.b refer to Waxman document 13, page 4, section a,
which is followed by section b on the same page. These designations facilitate any research into the original documents on the
Waxman's site and also make it easier to keep track of where the information came from.
These documents make clear what we have been reporting all along but raise many questions, not the least of which is 'has the VA or
Brentwood School ever bothered to read these reports?' and, if so, have they failed to comprehend what is in these documents or have
they simply chosen to ignore the facts of this admittedly complicated issue? Then the question becomes 'why?'
Associated Press the link to a page on Waxman's website that contains 86 documents with over 5,600 pages of material on the West Los
Angeles VA. These VA-related documents, given to Waxman by the now former Secretary of the VA, R. James Nicholson, contain much
information, some of which we have covered in "Nuke 'Em High" and "Million Dollar Maybe," are fully explored here as they relate to the
dump. Nicholson's cover letter reiterates VA concern over their own draft report that stated there is low-level biomedical nuclear waste
under Brentwood School's VA-leased athletic fields.
These document files highlight what we find interesting in each of the files and include the links to the original PDF's on Waxman's site.
We cover the information we have unearthed here which is part of our ongoing investigation of the biomedical nuclear and chemical
dump in Brentwood, California. Understanding this data is crucial to grasping the challenges posed by this dump that stretches
throughout VA land including under adjacent Barrington Dog Park and the 20 acres that Brentwood School leases from the VA.
These documents are listed according to the number they are designated on Waxman's website and are further encoded to indicate
which page certain sections are on according to the PDF page designation on the provided material. A letter after the designation refers
to separate snippets on one page. For example, the designations 13.4.a and 13.4.b refer to Waxman document 13, page 4, section a,
which is followed by section b on the same page. These designations facilitate any research into the original documents on the
Waxman's site and also make it easier to keep track of where the information came from.
These documents make clear what we have been reporting all along but raise many questions, not the least of which is 'has the VA or
Brentwood School ever bothered to read these reports?' and, if so, have they failed to comprehend what is in these documents or have
they simply chosen to ignore the facts of this admittedly complicated issue? Then the question becomes 'why?'
Waxman Document 13 shows how the VA and
MicroTech planned to deal with a pesky
investigative journalist who was asking too
many questions about the Brentwood VA
nuclear dump.
MicroTech planned to deal with a pesky
investigative journalist who was asking too
many questions about the Brentwood VA
nuclear dump.
Waxman Document 28 reveals how
MicroTech initially documented biomedical
nuclear waste being under the Shared
Property that forms Brentwood School's
football fields, then reversed itself under
pressure, and then reversed itself again.
MicroTech initially documented biomedical
nuclear waste being under the Shared
Property that forms Brentwood School's
football fields, then reversed itself under
pressure, and then reversed itself again.
Waxman Document 29 identifies buildings
that historically were involved in animal and
human biomedical radiation research. Those
building still stand today as part of the VA's
nuclear testing area.
that historically were involved in animal and
human biomedical radiation research. Those
building still stand today as part of the VA's
nuclear testing area.
Waxman Document 30 shows how
MicroTech completed its double-reversal and
where the information about radiation being
buried under Brentwood School's fields
came from in the draft
PricewaterhouseCoopers September 2005
report.
MicroTech completed its double-reversal and
where the information about radiation being
buried under Brentwood School's fields
came from in the draft
PricewaterhouseCoopers September 2005
report.
Waxman Document 41 is the contract
between the VA and Brentwood School. It
shows how the school should have known
about the contamination on its Shared
Property and how, despite rules against it,
has allowed alcohol consumption by parents
on this VA land where it should be prohibited.
between the VA and Brentwood School. It
shows how the school should have known
about the contamination on its Shared
Property and how, despite rules against it,
has allowed alcohol consumption by parents
on this VA land where it should be prohibited.
Waxman Document 77 contains numerous
VA environmental documents from
1981-1983 about the nuke dump, including a
1983 report showing that boring has already
taken place on the property and failed to find
radioactive waste. One document hints that
radioactive cadavers may be on the property.
VA environmental documents from
1981-1983 about the nuke dump, including a
1983 report showing that boring has already
taken place on the property and failed to find
radioactive waste. One document hints that
radioactive cadavers may be on the property.
Waxman Document 79 documents pollutants
plaguing the Brentwood School fields,
including syringes, and also reports how the
entire area was used a dump for decades.
plaguing the Brentwood School fields,
including syringes, and also reports how the
entire area was used a dump for decades.
Waxman Document 80 is a Locus report
from 2000 that documents extensive
contamination on the Shared Property and
includes maps of where possibly-radioactive
ash was buried on this VA property.
from 2000 that documents extensive
contamination on the Shared Property and
includes maps of where possibly-radioactive
ash was buried on this VA property.
Waxman Document 81shows that the soil
under Brentwood School fields, both upper
and lower, are contaminated with extremely
high amounts of poisonous arsenic and
thallium, even when testing for these toxic
heavy metals seemed to deliberately sample
in the wrong areas.
under Brentwood School fields, both upper
and lower, are contaminated with extremely
high amounts of poisonous arsenic and
thallium, even when testing for these toxic
heavy metals seemed to deliberately sample
in the wrong areas.
This June 19, 2001 Public Health Statement
from the Agency for Toxic Substances and
Disease Registry describes the properties of
this soft bluish-white metal that, until 1972,
was used for rat poison. According to a report
generated during the building of Brentwood
School's athletic fields, samples of soil said
to be representative of the entire property
from the Agency for Toxic Substances and
Disease Registry describes the properties of
this soft bluish-white metal that, until 1972,
was used for rat poison. According to a report
generated during the building of Brentwood
School's athletic fields, samples of soil said
to be representative of the entire property
Waxman Document 78 reveals that 134,000
cubic yards of dirt from underneath a helipad
on the VA south of Wilshire, was used for fill
at the Brentwood School fields. Copper, lead,
ethylbezene, Xylenes, and TPH-diesel were
detected in the samples.
cubic yards of dirt from underneath a helipad
on the VA south of Wilshire, was used for fill
at the Brentwood School fields. Copper, lead,
ethylbezene, Xylenes, and TPH-diesel were
detected in the samples.
This October 2004 document is the EPA's
Preliminary Remediation Goals for soil.
PRGs are levels that are protective of the
public and environment. Tests for heavy
metals at Brentwood School revealed that the
EPA’s "chronic" soil dermal-ingest combined
for thallium's PRG was exceeded on average
of 1.68 times with a high of nearly three times.
Such high levels of thallium are usually found
at toxic waste dumps.
Preliminary Remediation Goals for soil.
PRGs are levels that are protective of the
public and environment. Tests for heavy
metals at Brentwood School revealed that the
EPA’s "chronic" soil dermal-ingest combined
for thallium's PRG was exceeded on average
of 1.68 times with a high of nearly three times.
Such high levels of thallium are usually found
at toxic waste dumps.
This December 12, 2006 letter from former
VA Secretary Nicholson to Rep. Waxman
complains of the congressman posting the
PricewaterhouseCoopers draft report that
shows radioactive contaminants being under
Brentwood School fields, as we've covered in
"Nuke 'Em High." No corrected report exists.
VA Secretary Nicholson to Rep. Waxman
complains of the congressman posting the
PricewaterhouseCoopers draft report that
shows radioactive contaminants being under
Brentwood School fields, as we've covered in
"Nuke 'Em High." No corrected report exists.