Roadmap For Santa Susana Field Lab Cleanup Moves Forward

CHATSWORTH, CA — Los Angeles authorities on Thursday approved the second part of an accountability plan for Boeing related to the cleanup of the Santa Susana Field Laboratory after nearly six hours of public comment.

The decision comes despite opposition from activists and community groups, who argued that it's too deferential to the aerospace companies responsible for the pollution. The decision is part of a years-long process to hold Boeing and other responsible parties accountable for soil and water contamination at the Santa Susana Field Laboratory in Ventura County. The agreement did not include any binding deals with Boeing but rather a roadmap for easing restrictions contingent on Boeing's full cleaning of the site, according to Renee Purdy, Executive Officer for the Los Angeles water board.

The Los Angeles Regional Water Quality Control Board essentially approved a memorandum of understanding with Boeing that compliments an existing decision with the California Department of Toxic Substances and Control to create a framework for the site to be cleaned.

The state department on June 2 presented one part of the agreement with Boeing, which details the cleanup and restricts Boeing from litigating the clean-up requirements. The memorandum of understanding approved by the regional board on Thursday establishes the preconditions required for a future board to relieve some of the board's strict stormwater oversight.

It also mandates that Boeing must prove the success of its cleanup with years of water quality monitoring results before any oversight is loosened.

The timeline sits around nine to ten years before a future board will face a decision on lightening Boeing's restrictions, according to Purdy. The memorandum of understanding sets a framework for that future decision.

Background

Between 1947 and 2006, Rocketdyne, Boeing, NASA and the U.S. Department of Energy conducted rocket, nuclear and chemical laser testing at the Santa Susana Field Lab, resulting in massive soil and water contamination at the site including radioactive waste, according to the CA Department of Toxic Substances Control.

What followed was an arduous, years-long struggle to hold the actors accountable. Boeing, the Department of Energy and NASA have long been required to clean up the site's soil and groundwater, but disputes have delayed the process, according to the Department of Toxic Substances Control. Boeing and the Department of Toxic Substances Control entered mediation in January 2021.

Thursday's decision was a long overdue step forward to "solve a problem that has been literally generations in the making," said Jared Blumenfeld, the California Environmental Protection Agency's Secretary for Environmental Protection.

Community Concerns

Many advocacy groups and locals asked the board to vote no on the memorandum of understanding, including a group presentation from the Committee to Bridge the Gap, Parents Against Santa Susana Field Lab, Physicians for Social Responsibility and Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility.

Advocates argued the memorandum of understanding and related cleanup regulations are not comprehensive and would not lead to completely clean soil or stormwater runoff. Advocates argued the agreement allows Boeing to dictate too much of the cleanup.

Speakers noted the health impacts associated with the Santa Susana Field Laboratory contamination, including cancer, birth defects, developmental disorders and learning disabilities, according to Robert Dodge of Physicians for Social Responsibility.

Many community members made heartfelt personal pleas to the board, sharing stories about cancer and the fear associated with living near the lab. Some mentioned the 2018 Woolsey Fire, which helped spread radioactive material from the laboratory into Simi Valley and Thousand Oaks, a study showed.

Founder of Parents Against Santa Susana Field Lab Melissa Bumstead shared the story of her daughter, Grace, who was diagnosed with “an incredibly rare and aggressive form of leukemia” at the age of four. Bumstead and her organization found 81 self-reported cases of pediatric cancer within 10 miles of the field lab, she said.

“We don’t let our kids drink out of plastic cups with BPA. We don’t like pesticides in our kids’ foods. We certainly don’t want toxic chemicals in our kids’ waters,” Bumstead said. “And our children’s lives are more important than politics or Boeing's profit margin."

Learn more about the exposure risks facing local residents in this documentary.