OVERVIEW
FACTS:
The Santa Susana Field Lab is a headwater for the Los Angeles River and reaches Ventura County’s Calleguas Creek Watershed through the Arroyo Simi. Both watersheds terminate at the Pacific Ocean.
The Los Angeles and Calleguas Creek Watersheds provide drinking water, crop irrigation, fishing, and recreation and support wildlife.
When it rains, the Santa Susana Field Lab can discharge 187,000,000 gallons of contaminated rainwater from the site into local waterways, per day (1).
The Santa Susana Field Lab is located on a plateau, so contaminated water from the site naturally wants to flow down to the communities in the valleys below.
Contaminants of Concern
There are approximately 350 Contaminants of Concern (COC)s at the Santa Susana Field Lab, many of which have been detected in the groundwater, surface water, and/or rainwater runoff from the SSFL. This list shows some of the more common COCs detected in the SSFL water.
TCE: It’s estimated that 500,000 gallons of toxic trichloroethylene (TCE) remain in the groundwater below the Santa Susana Field Lab. Several TCE plumes exist throughout the site. (2) TCE is not a naturally occurring substance and should not be present at background concentrations… The groundwater beneath the SSFL site continues to remain contaminated with TCE, with current data indicating concentrations as high as 110,000 ppb (State and Federal drinking water limits of 5 ppb). This release is attributable to the SSFL site because TCE has been used extensively throughout its operational history. (2)
PCBs and PFAS: Study pending by NASA. Guardian News published a story that PCBs and PFAS in the Los Angeles River may be coming from the Santa Susana Field Lab. (3) The EPA has stated that “Forever Chemicals” can be dangerous in very low levels. (3a)
Benzene (4)
Vinyl Chloride (4)
Perchlorate was detected in 56 of 277 wells at the SSFL. The highest concentration was measured at 1,600 parts per billion. The California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment lists the public health goal for perchlorate in drinking water at 0.001 parts per billion. (5)
DRINKING WATER
Water Study Quotes
“Golden State Water Company operates two municipal drinking water wells (Niles Well and Sycamore Well) that are located between a three to four mile radius to the northwest of the SSFL site. The groundwater is blended [to meet California maximum contamination limits] at the Niles Blending Station with the Calleguas Municipal Water District… Although TCE has not been detected in the Golden State Water Company municipal drinking water supply, the above population may be subjected to potential future contamination from the SSFL site… “
“… Groundwater samples obtained from the aforementioned [Golden State Water] wells, perchlorate, and trichloroethylene (TCE), with concentrations of less than the Maximum Contaminant Limit and Detection Limit but equal to or greater than “trigger” levels, have been reported to the California Department of Health Services files.”
“…It is apparent that hazardous waste constituents have migrated from the unlined pond at the Sodium Disposal Facility… and Chatsworth Formation groundwater system… migration is likely to continue…. early evaluation and evidence of groundwater contamination beneath the SSFL site suggest that there is a high likelihood that migration of contaminants, from leaky surface impoundments, has contributed to groundwater contamination.”
Potential for Offsite Exposures Associated with SSFL: Chapter 4: Water, page 64
Is my drinking water safe?
Your drinking water meets the legal EPA Safe Drinking Water Act regulations that are meant to keep drinking water safe. However, the Act only regulates 90 contaminants, and the SSFL has 350 known contaminants. Drinking water sources near the SSFL may not be tested for these additional contaminants.
Simi Valley’s Golden State Water
30% of Simi Valley residents (approximately 45,000 people) drink partial well water from Golden State Water Company. The two Golden State Water source wells (Niles and Sycamore Wells) are downhill and less than four miles from the Santa Susana Field Lab.
The well water is so heavily contaminated with perchlorate (a toxic chemical) that the well water must be mixed with imported water to meet California's maximum contamination limit (MCL) for perchlorate. However, Golden State Water can serve water that is just below the MCL and can consider it a “non-detect.”
After a meeting with Golden State Water in 2018, we were told that they have tested for tritium (radioactive water) twice in the last twelve years, even though tritium is a well-known contaminant from the SSFL.
We have learned that Golden State Water uses 10-67% well water at any time.
What we don’t know:
Has Golden State Water again for tritium?
What is keeping Golden State Water from testing for tritium regularly?
When does Golden State Water use 10% well water, and when does it use more?
How often does Golden State Water test for contamination after blending their water? Do they test when they use the least well water or the most?
GroundWATER
The groundwater at the SSFL is treated differently than the SSFL surface water. The Los Angeles Regional Water Quality Control Board (LARWQCB) oversees the contaminated surface water that runs off the SSFL during the rain, polluting local waterways and watersheds. But surface water isn’t the only problem; the groundwater at the SSFL is an enormous problem.The groundwater is regulated by the Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC).
Climate Change
Due to climate change's impacts, future generations of Californians might depend on the groundwater. Even if Boeing were to start aggressive groundwater treatment now, it could take over a century to complete. We owe it to future residents to make sure it’s clean and safe when they need the groundwater under the Santa Susana Field Lab.
Unlined Ponds
Several ponds exist at the SSFL; some are unlined, allowing contamination to potentially seep directly into the groundwater. In Boeing’s NPDES Permit, they are allowed to re-route contaminated rain runoff to into the unlined Silvernale and R-2 Ponds. The DTSC and Boeing have stated that the naturally existing clay prevents contamination from reaching the groundwater. However, PASSFL has strongly criticized this statement and has asked the LARWQCB to demand Boeing do a study in order to back up their statements with data.
Groundwater Talks and Tours
In 2024, the DTSC focused on the groundwater issues in a series of webinars and a site tour. The webinars were held “in cooperation” with the SSFL’s Responsible Parties: Boeing, NASA, and the Department of Energy, a blatant conflict of interest. Boeing’s experts introduce themselves as independent researchers, but in reality, they’ve been hired by Boeing and their bias was obvious.
Groundwater Tour Recap: Boeing’s Groundwater Plans
On Saturday, April 6th, residents were invited to go on a tour of the Santa Susana Field Lab to discuss the groundwater contamination. Here's Melissa Bumstead’s recap of Boeing’s presentation:
The cleanup option Boeing’s experts pushed the hardest for was natural attenuation which is literally doing nothing for centuries, which is obviously the cheapest and slowest option for cleaning the SSFL groundwater. How convenient for Boeing that their experts would recommend the cheapest option, even if it leaves our groundwater contaminated and Simi's drinking water at risk.
Boeing's scientists showed us core samples from the SSFL and talked a lot about how they were preeminent experts on hydrology. I asked them to clarify their relationship with Boeing at which point they admitted they were paid consultants, but also educators too, and they claimed no conflict of interest. I found that hard to believe when one of the experts kept saying how "insignificant" the pollution at the SSFL is (there's a huge TCE plume, in addition to other contamination) and how it was a "mystery" how the groundwater got contaminated (decades of rocket engines tests and spills/leaks from nuclear reactors did it).
Boeing's expert said that the complete cleanup of the Santa Susana Field Lab's groundwater would cost tax-payers a billion dollars and wouldn't we rather put that money towards schools, roads, and emergency services? I reminded him that Boeing will pay for the groundwater cleanup on Boeing's property, not tax-payers, at which point he changed the subject.
The Boeing experts told us that the contaminated groundwater isn't coming offsite or into the local seeps or springs. I told them that the pollution had been found offsite at the Brandeis Bardin campus well, at which point they said that there is some migration offsite and they haven't seen it at the seeps and springs because it might take a while longer for the contamination to reach them.
The brought us to Boeing's Groundwater Extraction Treatment System (GETS) and told us how effectively it was cleaning groundwater at the SSFL. Jeni pointed out that the GETS hadn't been running for two years, at which point he told us that it was offline because it hadn't been doing a good job but they had every intention of turning it back on soon, once they figure out how to fix it.
Overall, I was shocked by the levity of Boeing's experts towards our groundwater's contamination. They left out important details and clearly had an agenda that will profit Boeing and not the public.
NPDES PERMIT
An National Pollution Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit regulates how much contamination can flow offsite during rain events, however, Boeing’s limits for the Santa Susana Field Lab are regularly exceeded.
Local Watersheds
The Santa Susana Field Lab is connected to two tributary (contributing) waterways of important watersheds in Southern California.
The SSFL is a headwater of the Los Angeles River. The LA River Watershed is far-reaching, making it important to prevent impact from contamination at the SSFL as it has the potential to impact millions of Angelinos.
The backside of the SSFL drains into the Arroyo Simi (without being filtered first) which is a tributary of the Callagues Creek Watershed.
References
Citation 1
Citation 4
Preliminary Assessment/Site Inspection Report Santa Susana Field Laboratory Simi Valley, California: Although other volatile organic compounds, such as trans-1,2-dichloroethylene, vinyl chloride, Freon-113, toluene, and benzene, also have been detected, TCE is the compound detected with the highest concentration and greatest frequency. (PDF page 12)
Citation 5
Santa Susana Field Laboratory Groundwater Investigation
Perchlorate was detected in 56 of 277 wells at the SSFL. The highest concentration was measured at 1,600 parts per billion. (PDF page 8)
NPDES Permit Proposal, PDF page 197: “The SSFL has the potential to discharge approximately 187,000,000 gallons per day of stormwater runoff that may contain pollutants from the facility.”
Citation 2
2007 Preliminary Assessment/Site Inspection Report SSFL California:
Extensive use of the most predominant hazardous substance at the site, trichloroethylene (TCE), has impacted the groundwater beneath the site. Several TCE plumes exist throughout the site. (PDF page 7)
It is estimated that up to 800,000 gallons of TCE were used to clean and flush out rocket engines after testing. Spent TCE was discharged from the test stands to a series of drainage channels and surface impoundments. Many of the drainage channels and impoundments were either unlined or lined with poorly maintained concrete. As a result, the groundwater beneath the site was contaminated with TCE. High concentrations of TCE remain in the groundwater. (PDF page 17)
TCE is not a naturally occurring substance and should not be present at background concentrations… The groundwater beneath the SSFL site continues to remain contaminated with TCE, with current data indicating concentrations as high as 110,000 ppb (State and Federal drinking water limits of 5 ppb). This release is attributable to the SSFL site because TCE has been used extensively throughout its operational history. (PDF page 14)
Citation 3
Citation 3a
FURTHER READING
2019: NBC4 News: Woolsey Fire Crippled Boeing Water Safety Systems at Toxic Site
2012: EPA Final Radiological Characterization of Soils Area IV and the Northern Budder Zone
2006: Radioactive Contamination of Water at the Santa Susana Field Laboratory
2006: Potential for Offsite Exposures Associated with SSFL, Chapter 4: Water
2004: Report of Results Phase 1 of Northeast Investigation Area Groundwater Characterization