DTSC invites public comment on first of 10 Rocketdyne reports

The state's Department of Toxic Substances Control has opened a public comment period through July 25 for residents who want to weighin on the results of its chemical contamination investigation into four sites located in Rocketdyne's former Santa Susana Field Laboratory.

The sites included in the first of DTSC's 10 reports into large, interrelated portions of the field laboratory were: the former sodium reactor experiment complex, the old conservation yard, the building 64 leach field and the new conservation yard.

These areas are located on the northwest side of the field laboratory in the hills just to the southeast of Simi Valley.

To create its draft "Group 6 Resource Conservation and Recovery Act Facility Investigation report," the DTSC sampled known and potential chemical use areas to determine the nature and extent of contamination, as well as analyzed current and future risks "to potential human and ecological receptors," according to the report's executive summary.

The Santa Susana Field Laboratory was built in 1948 by North American Aviation and consists of 2,850 acres in eastern Ventura County.

Over the years, it has been used as a test site for experiments involving nuclear reactors, high-powered lasers and rockets.

It is jointly owned by The Boeing Company and NASA.

The report states that its purpose is "to characterize the nature and extent of chemicals in the environmental media, evaluate risks to potential receptors, gather data to support the next phase of the RCRA Corrective Action Program, the Corrective Measures Study and identify areas for further work."

DTSC has placed this 128page report and associated historical documents on its website at www.dtsca.ca.gov (see info box).

The very large file is in PDF format and may take minutes to download.

Copies of the report are also available at the Simi Valley Library at 2969 Tapo Canyon Road.

Comments may be sent up until July 25 to Laura Rainey, senior engineering geologist, Department of Toxic Substances Control, 5796 Corporate Ave., Cypress, CA 90630.

E-mail comments should be sent to LRainey@dtsc.ca.gov.

The DTSC Glendale office maintains the complete administrative record for the field laboratory. For an appointment, call Jone Barrio at (818) 5512886.

For more information, members of the public can call Nathan Schumacher or Susan Callery, public participation specialists, at (866) 495-5651 or e-mail them at nschumac@dtsc.ca.gov or scallery@dtsc.ca.gov.

- Kyle Jorrey

Acorn Bits

To view a copy of the Department of Toxic Substances Control's latest contamination investigation into field laboratory sites near Simi Valley, go to www.dtsc.ca.gov/ sitecleanup/projects/upload/ SSFL_RFI_group62.pdf.