I'm concerned about the lack of public awareness regarding our local nuclear and rocket engine testing facility, Santa Susana Field Laboratory (SSFL), currently the subject of controversy worthy of public involvement.

Contamination has been discovered on and off site. Decades of staggering endeavors into unorthodox waste disposal, the performance of over 30,000 rocket engine tests and the worst nuclear accident in United States' history (the Sodium Reactor Experiment, 1959) have resulted in the need for painstaking research, investigation, cleanup and tireless efforts among community members and state officials to keep the polluters honest.

Former workers, ill as a consequence of exposure to radiation and toxic chemicals, languish under an ineffective government program. Developers remain poised to redevelop communities once dominated by the aerospace and atomic industries, posing a potential risk of releasing latent contamination during various phases of construction.

Polluters have recently attempted to ignore state law SB990 and take advantage of impending administrative change in an effort to dodge higher standards of cleanup and protective measures for our communities. Despite this abundance of newsworthy topics, SSFL's existence, history and current crises are so well hidden that those living in its shadow remain in the dark.

Our papers advertise upcoming community meetings beneath headlines like "Scoping Meeting," likely leading the average reader to think a proctology conference is in town. How about real headlines and an agenda?

Our community lacks backstory on SSFL; therefore, occasional updates make little sense. The fact that they're often published with inaccurate and misleading diagrams of SSFL doesn't serve the public.

One paper hired a journalist so new to the topic, the importance of the issue was lost. Another is hesitant to hire a writer who is "personal" about SSFL, unaware of the paradox created here: By learning anything about SSFL, it is impossible not to be affected. Facts are facts; this is a topic where the tenacity to continue gaining knowledge is fueled by personal conviction.

SSFL is a testament to the dedication of Southern California during the Cold War and Space Race.

According to a NASA representative, during SSFL's prime, approximately 6,000 of our community members were employed there. From accomplishments to catastrophes, SSFL is an integral part of our past, and its story is far from over.

I remain hopeful that through consistent and accurate reporting by an individual dedicated to this issue, public awareness will grow. D'Lanie Blaze Burbank Blaze operates the website www.TheAeroSpace.org.