DOE Explodes Radioactive building at ssfl

Faulty Study

In the fall of 2021 the Department of Energy (DOE) demolished the last remaining building at the Santa Susana Field Lab- Building 4462, the Sodium Test Pump Facility. Elected officials, community groups, and residents were outraged about the way the demolition of the radioactive building was handled- especially as the explosive demolition was done without dust mitigation and during fire season, just three years after the Woolsey Fire burned the same area.

The 2010 “AOC” cleanup agreement specified that all SSFL building debris must go to licensed low-level radioactive waste site. However, the DOE said it would send the debris from the 2021 demolitions to a hazardous waste site instead, which is considerably less protective.

Parents Against SSFL and Committee to Bridge the Gap (with help from D’Laine Blaze of CORE Advocacy) found paperwork documenting the historical radioactive activity in building 4462, one of the buildings that the DOE intended to demolish.

During the DOE public hearing we learned that a radioactive study on building 4462 had been conducted, but the results were kept private, though the DTSC is supposed to publish all studies on their website.

We demanded a copy: ETEC Radiological Survey Report for Buildings 4462 and 4463

The report is fundamentally flawed as the background samples were taken only a few feet from the biased sentinel (radioactive) measurement locations. This isn’t just a one-time mistake, it’s consistent through the entire report! It’s no wonder that the DTSC didn’t want this to be public. The study, ironically, still detected some radiation.

The DTSC refused to admit their error, but did agree to send Building 4462’s debris to a LLRW site out of “an abundance of caution.”

Explosives on Radioactive Building

Residents and elected officials were horrified when the DOE released footage of the Sodium Pump Test Facility’s demolition using explosives and no dust mitigation, despite the DTSC approved Standard Operating Procedure that listed water cannons were to be used. Similarly, it appears the DOE didn’t have permits from the Ventura County fire department. The demolition took place during fire season, not far from where the Woolsey Fire began three years before.

Parents Against SSFL has repeatedly asked the DOE for copies of the following information. The DOE has not responded to our requests. We assume the demolition was done without the proper permits in place.

  • Ventura County Fire Department Permit

  • Ventura County Explosives Permit

  • Explosive Transportation Permit

  • Asbestos Removal Permit

  • The contractors, North Wind Portage Inc., Northwest Demolition, and CDI Demolition don’t appear to have licenses to work in California.