about us
By advocating for the complete remediation of the SSFL, site of one of California’s most toxic and radioactive Superfund sites, Parents Against SSFL aims to protect nearby communities from exposure to the site’s toxic and carcinogenic contamination. PASSFL was founded by mothers of children diagnosed with rare cancers and seeks to reduce, to the greatest extent possible, the number of local families who have to hear the words, “Your child has cancer.”
documentary
The Emmy-Nominated Documentary In the Dark of the Valley is currently offline. It follows members of PASSFL, cleanup advocates, and cancer families as they fight for the complete cleanup of the Santa Susana Field Lab.
values
Cancer doesn’t discriminate - neither does Parents Against SSFL. We intentionally engage in meaningful relationships with people of all backgrounds and value systems.
We are a strictly nonpartisan group.
We prioritize people and relationships.
We always “take the high road” and stay true to the good people we are.
Though we focus on work surrounding the SSFL, we actively engage with many toxic-sister-sites across California and the USA.
climate change commitment
Climate change is intensifying extreme weather events, creating new and urgent challenges in protecting communities and ecosystems from toxic, hazardous, and radioactive contamination—especially at sites not designed to withstand these conditions.
Events like the 2018 Woolsey Fire, which began at the Santa Susana Field Lab, demonstrate these risks. Fueled by extreme winds, the fire carried toxic and radioactive particles through ash and smoke into surrounding communities. This threat is not isolated. Rising sea levels are placing coastal nuclear waste sites at risk, while extreme weather can mobilize contamination from legacy industrial sites into the air, soil, and water.
PASSFL, in partnership with environmental justice communities and coalitions, is working to prevent the spread of toxic contamination driven by climate change. This includes advancing policy and agency reform, advocating for complete cleanups of contaminated sites, and working to limit the creation of new waste.
work we do
PASSFL works to hold the Responsible Parties, elected officials, DTSC, and CalEPA accountable for a complete and protective cleanup, while translating complex scientific information into accurate, accessible, and engaging public education through graphics, social media, art, and other creative tools.
We educate, organize, and empower communities affected by SSFL contamination, protect watersheds, and monitor air pollution to reduce ongoing exposure risks. PASSFL also works to safeguard other communities from the mismanagement of toxic and radioactive waste, collaborates with NGOs and coalitions to drive lasting reform within regulatory agencies, supports communities facing similar contamination worldwide, and advocates for renewable energy solutions to prevent future nuclear harm.
PASSFL Scientific Advisors
-
![Dr. Frank Von Hippel]()
Frank von Hippel, PhD
Dr. von Hippel is a professor of environmental health sciences in the Mel & Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health and the lead of the One Health Research Initiative at the University of Arizona.
-
![Marco Kaltofen]()
Marco Kaltofen, PhD
Dr. Kaltofen is a Massachusetts-licensed civil engineer and the principal at Boston Chemical Data Corp. His research area is the study of nuclear forensics.
-
![Leryn Gorlitsky, PhD]()
Leryn Gorlitsky, PhD
Dr. Gorlitsky is a lecturer at UCLA in the Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Department for the past 10 years, offering courses that specialize in Restoration Ecology.
-
![Nicholas Spada, PHD]()
Nicholas Spada, PHD
Dr. Spada is a scientist with the Air Quality Research Center at the University of California, Davis which operates the CSN and IMPROVE air monitoring networks.
-
![Tevin Schmitt]()
Tevin Schmitt
Tevin Schmitt’s work as a watershed scientist for the Wishtoyo Chumash Foundation has focused on the protection and restoration of the Santa Clara River, in addition to SoCal beaches, watersheds, and wetlands,
-
![Dr. Robert Didge]()
Dr. Robert Dodge
Dr. Bob Dodge is a recently retired family physician practicing in Ventura, California. He is the Co-Chair of the Security Committee of Physicians for Social Responsibility - USA
PASSFL leadership team
-
Melissa Bumstead, Co-Director, Founder
Melissa became an accidental activist for the SSFL cleanup after her four year-old daughter was diagnosed with a rare and aggressive form of leukemia in 2014. In her previous life she was a stay-at-home mom, before that, a graphic designer. She lives in West Hills with her husband, daughter, son, dogs, cats and chickens. She believes that it should be a basic human right to live in an uncontaminated environment.
-
Dr. Martita Martinez-Bravo, Cultural Advisor
Dr. Martinez-Bravo has not only been a vital resource for PASSFL but also serves as Councilmember for the City of Camarillo. She is the Executive Director of Friends of Fieldworkers and is a powerful voice for justice and equity in our community. She resides in Ventura County with her husband and three children.
-
Seti Cane, Research Consultant
Seti is a recent graduate of Lewis and Clark College and attended UCSC for their undergrad. Having previously worked at Committee to Bridge the Gap, she has in-depth knowledge about the SSFL. She lives in Portland, Oregon, with her puppy, Little Meatball, and their wife, Angie. Seti recently passed the bar in Oregon.
-
Jeni Knack, Co-Director
Jeni jumped into activism for the SSFL cleanup after learning that her drinking water could have as much as 67% well water mixed in, contaminated by the Santa Susana Field Lab. She’s a well-known face in the community as she collected nearly 400 soil samples from local homes after the Woolsey Fire. She holds a degree in Anthropology from UCLA and lives in Simi Valley with her husband and daughter.
-
Lauren Hammersely, Community Advocate
Lauren lives with her husband and four children in Simi Valley. Since her daughter Hazel’s cancer diagnosis in 2013 and subsequent passing in 2018, Lauren has worked tirelessly as an advocate and fundraiser for childhood cancer and environmental justice. She also helped found Parents Against the Santa Susana Field Lab.
-
Marissa Lopez, Community Organizing Consultant
Marisa lives in Oxnard with her husband, son, and daughter who has glioblastoma brain cancer. Marisa formerly worked at United Way as the Volunteer Director. She served as a leader in loal, state, and national Volunteer Management coalitions including the Points of Light Foundation and California Volunteers.
-
Denise Duffied, Senior Advisor
Denise is the Associate Director for Physicians for Social Responsibility- Los Angeles (PSR-LA.) Denise leads PSR-LA’s efforts to fully clean up the Santa Susana Field Laboratory (SSFL), a contaminated nuclear and rocket-engine testing site near Los Angeles. She also serves with Back from the Brink, a national grassroots campaign that brings communities together to abolish nuclear weapons.
-
Alexandra Arneri, Legal and Policy Adviser
Alexandra Arneri is a Partner at Cittone Demers & Arneri LLP, where she practices media and corporate law and maintains a pro bono human rights practice. She also produces and presents Gravity FM, a podcast on planetary health and human rights and is the President of Global Witness Foundation, supporting human rights investigation and advocacy.
elected support
Current Elected Officials who support the Background cleanup:
Senator Alex Padilla
Senator Adam Schiff
Congresswoman Julia Brownley
Congressman Brad Sherman
California State Senator Henry Stern
State Assembly Member Jesse Gabriels
State Assembly Member Steve Bennet
LA Mayor Karen Bass
LA City Councilmember John Lee
LA Supervisor Lindsay Horvath
Ventura County Supervisor Janice Parvin
Ventura County Supervisor Vianey Lopez
Ventura County Supervisor Matt Lavere
Ventura County Supervisor Jeff Gorell