EPA Wants to Interview Past Santa Susana Field Lab Workers
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is seeking former Atomics International, Rocketdyne, or Rockwell employees who worked on nuclear and radiological projects at the now closed Santa Susana Field Lab, located near Los Angeles, Calif., to assist the agency in identifying potential radiological contamination at the lab, which will help overall cleanup of the lab property.
EPA is interested in interviewing past lab employees that have knowledge of spills, dumping, or other types of releases of radiological material to the land, air and water. The agency is planning a study of radiological contamination at the lab and a full understanding of past operations and events that may have caused contamination is critical to the study.
The interview can be conducted in-person with EPA representatives only, jointly with EPA and Department of Energy (DOE) representatives or with DOE representatives only. Interviews will be conducted in a manner most convenient to the former employee. In addition, EPA is seeking written information (i.e. documents, reports, photos, etc) associated with radiological activities, including spills and dumping of radiological materials that may assist with EPA's research.
If you are interested in assisting EPA, contact Andrew Taylor at 415.972.3129 or taylor.andrew@epa.gov, or leave a message at 800.231.3075.
Earlier this year, DOE provided the EPA with $38.3 million American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funds to conduct a radiological study on a portion of the site. The scope of the EPA study includes research into past nuclear operations at the site, a thorough scan of gamma radiation levels at the ground surface, and laboratory testing of soil, groundwater, and surface water.
Established in 1946, the Santa Susana Field Laboratory (SSFL) covers nearly 2,900 acres in eastern Ventura County. The site has been used for rocket engine tests, nuclear energy research and nuclear reactor development. The entire SSFL site is undergoing a joint environmental cleanup program performed by Boeing, DOE, and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration under the regulatory authority of the California Department of Toxic Substances Control.