BURN SITE-A photograph of the Area I burn site in the Santa Susana Hills, once used by Rocketdyne for the disposal of toxic chemicals. The cleanup of the Santa Susana Field Laboratory near Simi Valley hit another impasse last month when the state's Department of Toxic Substances Control placed a cease-and-desist order on Boeing's plans for removal of contaminated soil from the site's Area I Burn Pit.

The DTSC last week admitted to concerned citizens they made a mistake by overlooking crucial information contained within 700 pages of historical data provided by Boeing. Because of newly discovered information, the agency now wants the Area I Burn Pit to undergo a screening to check for possible radiological waste before Boeing goes forward with its planned cleanup.

"We moved way too fast without sharing information and we went forward without having meetings," admitted Watson Gin, the deputy director of hazardous waste management for the DTSC.

The burn pit was established by Rocketdyne in 1958 for the "safe disposal of chemical fuels by combustion," according to historical documents now owned by Boeing, which acquired the property in 1996. The 6-acre site consists of three earthen ponds and three concrete ponds that can hold between 200 and 10,000 gallons of chemicals.

Rocketdyne executives at the time believed that it would be safer to burn used chemicals on-site rather than transport them through the neighboring suburbs of the San Fernando Valley. Containers of the toxic substances were placed in one of the six ponds and then ignited by a shot from a high-powered rifle.

"There weren't many people living near the site back in that time and they thought it was a safer way to manage the waste," said Dan Becker, a spokesman with Boeing.

The burn pits were used heavily between 1958 and 1971, according to Boeing officials. During the 1980s, the site was renamed a "thermal treatment center." The treatment center continued to burn toxic chemicals in the open air but did so in much smaller quantities.

Officials at Boeing pushed for an "interim cleanup" of the site earlier this year after it was discovered to contain levels of dioxin and heavy metals deemed unsafe by standards set by the Environmental Protection Agency.

Boeing officials were also concerned that the recent Topanga fires could cause the chemicals to be carried off the site with excessive surface water.

While the cleanup of contaminated soil typically involves a fourtier system that can take years to complete, interim measures allow for the immediate cleanup of sites that present a serious hazard to public well-being. Also, interim cleanups do not require an environmental impact report.

Partial cleanups were performed in the area between 1981 and 1982 and also in 1993. During these cleanups nearly 1,000 cubic yards of soil and metallic debris were removed from the site.

New findings

The DTSC had approved Boeing's plans to perform an interim cleanup of the Area I Burn Pit but canceled the removal of the toxic soil because of an eleventhhour discovery.

The historical documents the department received from Boeing revealed that materials from Rocketdyne's Canoga Avenue offices and Area 4 test site had been disposed of in the Area I Burn Pit.

Since Area 4 centered on nuclear energy experiments and had been known to contain radiological waste, DTSC officials determined that the Area I Burn Pit must undergo a screening to make sure that no harmful radiological products are released during its cleanup.

The setback in the interim cleanup process also forces Boeing to prepare a winterization plan for the site. Since the cleanup will not be completed before the rainy season, Boeing will lay down geotextiles, hydro mulch and silk fences to prevent the escape of any contaminants through surface water run-off.

"We want to clean up this site and work with the Department of Toxic Substances Control to make sure it is done right," Becker said.

During a public meeting held last week by the DTSC at Simi Valley City Hall, residents expressed dismay over the department's lackluster performance regarding the cleanup of the Santa Susana Field Laboratory.

Even though Gin admitted that the department has made mistakes, the public did not seem willing to accept his apology.

"Why are these 50-year-old documents suddenly being released after the retirement of top officials at Boeing?" asked Kristina Walsch, an activist with cleanuprocketdyne.org.

Residents also expressed concern that the bureaucratic system guiding the cleanup is actually hindering the process. Toxins, radioactive items, polluted groundwater and polluted surface water are all monitored by different government agencies.

"It's as if the left hand doesn't know what the right hand is doing," said Sue Bunker, an Oak Park resident and cancer survivor.

DTSC officials promised residents their concerns will be addressed and there will be a full report by Oct. 1 on contaminants contained within the Area I Burn Pit.

"From now on, we promise no more surprises," Gin said.