Problem pieced together
Frustration over the threat of contaminants left behind at the Santa Susana Field Laboratory has been a strong un dercurrent in numerous stories and editorials published in area newspapers over the years. Logic simply told us, "Something's not right up there."

But for more than two decades, no government agency, state or federal, would take a stand for the site's inclusion on the "Superfund National Priorities List," a collection of the country's most severely contaminated properties, despite the assertions of countless activists and watchdog groups.

In the meantime, the land remained polluted by the chemical and radiological substances left behind from years of rocket engine and nuclear reactor testing, possibly threatening the groundwater supplies beneath Simi Valley and Moorpark.

Now the United States Environmental Protection Agency- nearly 28 years after it first labeled the property as a potential hazardous waste site- is saying the field lab does deserve Superfund status, stating in a letter to Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger that "activities resulted in extensive chemical contamination of onsite soil and groundwater." Not only that, but "contamination from the site has the potential to impact municipal drinking water supplies in the future."

The EPA's determination was made after a sevenmonth assessment of the site that for the first time took into account all previous studies over the years on different sections of the 2,850acre property, which is jointly controlled by Boeing and NASA. The EPA said it acted because of ongoing public outcry.

A doctor doesn't do a physical exam by making separate diagnoses of the head, stomach and feet. He or she looks at the body as a whole, taking into account factors discovered in various places. Doesn't it make sense for the EPA to do the same?

It probably won't be long until the governor accepts the EPA's recommendation and Washington, D.C. does the same, putting in motion a flurry of resources that will ensure that the field lab is finally cleaned up to the highest residential standards.

And while we can all rejoice that the site is finally getting the attention it's deserved all along, we're only left to wonder why the situation couldn't have been addressed years earlier, and whether local residents' health has been adversely affected.