Citizens turn up heat on radiation-troubled field lab

By Sylvie Belmond, The Acorn
Published July 19, 2024

SURVIVOR—Justin Mikita, a pediatric cancer survivor who grew up in Simi Valley, speaks at a July 13 rally advocating for a full cleanup at Santa Susana. Courtesy Judy Bumstead

Coinciding with the 65th anniversary of what they consider “one of America’s worst nuclear meltdowns,” Santa Susana Field Lab cleanup advocates hosted an “action assembly” at Strathearn Historic Park in Simi Valley July 13 hoping to get the Board of Supervisors of both Ventura and Los Angeles counties to file a lawsuit against state regulators in charge of cleaning up the site’s radioactive soil.

The event marked the beginning of a 10-day action plan that ends July 23 and coincides with a deadline set by activists for the supervisors to file their suit against the Department of Toxic Substances Control demanding a full cleanup.

Many residents are still unaware of how toxic the site is, organizers said. It lies in the hills between the Simi and San Fernando valleys, just north of Calabasas.

Speaker Justin Mikita, a two-time Tony Award-winning producer, shared how he was diagnosed with pediatric cancer while growing up in Simi Valley near the 2,850-acre field lab. He thinks his diagnosis is linked to the site’s contamination.

CALL TO ACTION— Former Ventura County Supervisor Linda Parks, who was a staunch advocate for the field lab’s cleanup during her 26-year public service career, speaks at the July 13 action assembly. Photos courtesy Judy Bumstead

“It’s time to clean up the Santa Susana Field Lab for my kids, for your kids, and for this great community—our children’s lives are literally at stake,” Mikita said.

Dr. Robert Dodge, a physician who practices in Ventura and is co-president of Physicians for Social Responsibility- Los Angeles, gave a science-based presentation about how the contamination at the SSFL can impact human health.

“We all want and demand a cleanup of the site to background. Our elected officials over the years have long pledged to do so, yet we know this (the complete cleanup) has not started and because of that, the health of our community and future generations continues to be at risk,” Dodge said.

Former Ventura County Supervisor Linda Parks was also present. She received an Environmental Legacy Award for her efforts while in public service to clean up the field lab.

Former Los Angeles County Supervisor Sheila Kuehl was given an SSFL Civic Legacy Award.

Also attending were, above from left, Lauren Hammersley of Simi Valley, Larry Yee of Ojai, Ventura County Supervisor Janice Parvin, Melissa Bumstead of Parents Against SSFL, Ventura County Supervisor Vianey Lopez, and Paulina Rivera from Assemblymember Steve Bennett’s office.

The Rocketdyne Cleanup Coalition earned the action assembly’s Humanitarian Award. Rocketdyne, an American rocket and engine design company, was the former owner of the Santa Susana Field Laboratory.

Melissa Bumstead, founder of Parents Against Santa Susana Field Lab, said the 10-day action-plan period is “full of simple but impactful ways the public can get involved to help get the complete ‘background cleanup’” at the Santa Susana Field Lab site.

Poor environmental and safety practices are said to have caused the radioactive fires in the 1959 incident, and at least four of the reactors suffered significant accidents, including a partial nuclear meltdown.

While a sodium reactor in Area IV of the field lab was being tested, a blockage in the sodium coolant tubes caused the equipment to overheat and release gases into the air.

“It’s estimated that the Santa Susana Field Lab’s Sodium Reactor Experiment released more radiation than the infamous Three Mile Island incident,” the group Parents Against Santa Susana Field Lab said in a statement.

“Sixty-five years later, the site remains dangerously contaminated,” the group said.

In a statement this week, the federal Department of Toxic Substances Control said they are “committed to ensuring the safety of human health and the environment during the interim soil cleanup at Boeing’s Area I Burn Pit (at SSFL.)”

The agency created a new air monitoring webpage where it will be posting Boeing’s air quality monitoring data. To view the information go to tinyurl.com/SSFLAirQuality.

To view the July 13 action assembly speeches, go to tinyurl.com/mrxjdswt.