I’m a longtime Elton Gallegly supporter who has come to believe someone else should represent our community. Here’s why:

In 1989, the well-meaning Mr. Gallegly established the Santa Susana Field Laboratory Workgroup, which was intended to help share information among the agencies and community members involved with the old Rocketdyne site cleanup.

One of the community members assigned by Mr. Gallegly is an anti-nuclear activist from Northern California.

More than 50 years ago, Santa Susana hosted America’s first commercial nuclear power plant.

Today, anti-nuclear activists use the site to radiate self-serving exaggerations designed to convince some about the horrors of nuclear power.

I’m not buying their exaggerations. I’m a former employee who spent 16 years managing cleanup and closure projects at SSFL. I have come to believe that politics, not contamination, is what stops the site from being finally cleaned up.

A recent example: Last month, a group of community members petitioned for a truly representative community group to be formed under a law established in the 20 years since Mr. Gallegly set up the SSFLWorkgroup.

Sadly, the state agency in charge of the law (also an SSFLWorkgroup member) declined the request to follow the law.

At a recent SSFLWorkgroup meeting, Elton Gallegly’s representative reaffirmed Elton’s support for the workgroup.

For now, the Northern California member with an agenda has more of a voice with the SSFLcleanup than you or I.

Mr. Gallegly stands in the way of a representative Santa Susana community group which would be fairly elected, able to hire appropriate technical assistance and keep the focus on the cleanup rather than politics.

After 20 years of SSFLpolitics, Elton Gallegly likes things the way they are. He turns his back on California law and getting the Santa Susana cleanup finished.

Since Elton Gallegly is running unopposed, I can only leave his box empty on Election Day.

I simply can’t support a politician who will not stand aside and let California law decide who should represent the community at Santa Susana.
Brian Sujata
Thousand Oaks