124-549: The Santa Susana Field Laboratory ( SSFL ), formerly known as Rocketdyne , is a complex of industrial research and development facilities located on a 2,668-acre (1,080 ha) portion of Southern California in an unincorporated area of Ventura County in the Simi Hills between Simi Valley and Los Angeles . The site is located approximately 18 miles (29 km) northwest of Hollywood and approximately 30 miles (48 km) northwest of Downtown Los Angeles . Sage Ranch Park
248-619: A California earthquake forecast, which models earthquake occurrence in California. This is a partial list of earthquakes in Southern California. For a full list, see List of earthquakes in California . Note: Earthquakes with epicenters in the Los Angeles Metro Area are marked with the (#) symbol. Other earthquakes mentioned indicates shaking was felt in the region. As of the 2020 United States Census , Southern California has
372-444: A Consent Order for Corrective Action, outlining planning, risk assessments and schedules for remediation at SSFL. The Consent Order was focused exclusively on chemical remediation of soil and groundwater. It was silent on radiological remediation and nuclear decommissioning. The Consent Order established a timeline for site cleanup to be completed by 2017. In September 2007, Boeing issued “Radiological Release Process - Process for
496-636: A M w 6.7 earthquake or greater, such as the San Andreas Fault , which can produce M w 8.0 or greater. The largest known earthquake in California was the 1857 Fort Tejon earthquake that ruptured 200+ miles (320+ kilometers) of the San Andreas Fault from Parkfield to Wrightwood . With a recurrence interval of roughly 150 years, this part of the San Andreas fault is well within its window to produce another large earthquake. Along with
620-630: A finding of widespread deposition of radioactive particles.") but that two locations "contained high activities of radioactive isotopes associated with the Santa Susana Field Laboratory." In October 2006, the Santa Susana Field Laboratory Advisory Panel, made up of independent scientists and researchers from around the United States, concluded that based on available data and computer models, contamination at
744-581: A higher population, with 23.76 million residents as of the 2020 census . The sparsely populated desert region of California occupies a significant portion (part of which has even been proposed to be split into a new county due to cultural, economic and geographic differences relative to the rest of the more urban region) of the area: the Colorado Desert , along with the Colorado River , is located on Southern California's eastern border with Arizona , and
868-519: A large area in a short amount of time, and he does not specifically mention any native "rock art." The first non-native person known to have visited the site was Walter Brinkop, who was a member of the Pierre Agoure family, for whom the Agoura Hills area is named. Brinkop made several simple field sketches of the cave art in 1914, and he presented his drawings to Dr. Hector Alliott, the then Director of
992-606: A population of 23,762,904. Despite a reputation for high growth rates, Southern California's population has grown slower than the state average since the 2000s. This is due to California's growth becoming concentrated in the northern part of the state as result of a stronger, tech-oriented economy in the Bay Area and an emerging Greater Sacramento region. Southern California consists of one Combined Statistical Area , eight Metropolitan Statistical Areas , one international metropolitan area , and multiple metropolitan divisions. The region
1116-410: A population of approximately 4 million, Los Angeles is the most populous city in California and the second most populous in the United States. South of Los Angeles and with a population of approximately 1.4 million is San Diego, the second most populous city in the state and the eighth most populous in the nation. The counties of Los Angeles , San Diego , Orange , Riverside , and San Bernardino are
1240-532: A portion of the site owned by the U.S. government. The drawings within the cave have been termed "the best preserved Indian pictograph in Southern California." Several tributary streams to the Los Angeles River have headwater watersheds on the SSFL property, including Bell Creek (90% of SSFL drainage), Dayton Creek, Woolsey Canyon, and Runkle Creek. SSFL was a United States government facility dedicated to
1364-557: A separate and dedicated portion of the Santa Susana Field Laboratory to build and operate the first commercial nuclear power plant in the United States, as well as for the testing and development of compact nuclear reactors, including the first and only known nuclear reactor launched into Low Earth Orbit by the United States, the SNAP-10A . Atomics International also operated the Energy Technology Engineering Center for
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#17328550212701488-402: A soil cleanup remedy. In May 2007, US District Court Judge Samuel Conti found in favor of the plaintiffs stating that DOE had violated NEPA and should prepare a more detailed Environmental Impact Statement (EIS). In November 2018, DOE issued the final EIS, over 11 years after Judge Conti’s Order. As of January 2024, more than five years later, DOE has yet to issue a Record of Decision (ROD) on
1612-490: A soil cleanup standard for radionuclides and chemicals in Area IV. In March 2007, Boeing issued a paper, utilizing EPA data, that detection of radionuclides at a 10 risk level for an agricultural land use scenario, was technically infeasible. This was prepared in response to initial California Senate hearings on SB 990 that would become California law nine months later (see later). In August 2007, DTSC, Boeing, DOE and NASA signed
1736-754: A whole enacted the Alquist Priolo Special Studies Zone Act in the wake of the 1971 San Fernando earthquake . The act prohibits new construction of residential buildings closer than 50 feet (15 m) from a surface rupturing active fault zone. In addition, the act improved safety by requiring new structures (both residential and commercial) to be seismically retrofitted. It also required existing infrastructure to comply. Since 1972, numerous large magnitude earthquakes have struck Southern California with little widespread damage in part due to act. However, exceptions can be noted for epicenters that lie directly on top of densely populated regions such as
1860-547: Is a painted cave site located near Burro Flats, in the Simi Hills of eastern Ventura County, California , United States. The Chumash-style "main panel" and the surrounding 25-acres were listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1976, with a boundary decrease in 2020. The main panel includes dozens of pictographs in a variety of colors. The cave is in the mountains, near the bi-lingual Chumash/Fernandeno village of Huwam/Jucjauynga. The Burro Flats painted cave and
1984-469: Is adjacent on part of the northern boundary and the community of Bell Canyon is along the entire southern boundary. SSFL was used mainly for the development and testing of liquid-propellant rocket engines for the United States space program from 1949 to 2006, nuclear reactors from 1953 to 1980 and the operation of a U.S. government-sponsored liquid metals research center from 1966 to 1998. Throughout
2108-502: Is also home to a large surf and skateboard culture. Companies such as Vans , Volcom , Quiksilver , No Fear , Stüssy , RVCA , and Body Glove are all headquartered there. Skateboarder Tony Hawk ; surfers Rob Machado , Timmy Curran , Bobby Martinez , Pat O'Connell , Dane Reynolds , and Chris Ward live in Southern California. Some of the most famous surf locations are in Southern California as well, including Trestles , Rincon , The Wedge , Huntington Beach , and Malibu . Some of
2232-505: Is also known for its mountain resort communities, such as Big Bear Lake , Lake Arrowhead , and Wrightwood , and their ski resorts, like Bear Mountain , Snow Summit , Snow Valley Mountain Resort , and Mountain High . The inland desert city of Palm Springs is also popular. Southern California is generally considered the area of California south of the latitude 35°45', approximately one-third of
2356-670: Is an important government, arts and entertainment, and retail district. Downtown San Diego is the CBD of San Diego, though the city is filled with business districts. These include Carmel Valley , Del Mar Heights , Mission Valley , Rancho Bernardo , Sorrento Mesa , and University City . Most of these districts are located in Northern San Diego and some within North County regions. Los Angeles Orange County Riverside & San Bernardino San Diego Southern California
2480-476: Is called "Burro Flats Painted Cave," which is of itself actually only one site-locus. The 25 acres that were listed include at least 24 loci, many of which include pictographs, petroglyphs, and cupules. In the border reduction, it is referred to as the "Burro Flats Site", the title-case version of the "Burro Flats site" found in many sources. The work by the ASASC, Rozaire, Grant, and Fenenga, focused on and described
2604-410: Is home to Los Angeles International Airport , the second-busiest airport in the United States by passenger volume (see World's busiest airports by passenger traffic ) and the third-busiest by international passenger volume (see Busiest airports in the United States by international passenger traffic ); San Diego International Airport , the busiest single-runway airport in the world; Van Nuys Airport ,
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#17328550212702728-545: Is home to two extended metropolitan areas that exceed five million in population. These are the Greater Los Angeles Area at 17,786,419, and San Diego–Tijuana at 5,105,768. Of these metropolitan areas, the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Santa Ana metropolitan area , Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario metropolitan area , and Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura metropolitan area form Greater Los Angeles; while
2852-548: Is kept secret. Archeologists are allowed to occasionally visit the site for research purposes only – no casual visitors are allowed, and only members of the local Native American community are granted regular access. The Sky Valley/Burro Flats area was part of the Rancho San José de Nuestra Senora de Altagracia y Simi , and was used exclusively for cattle and sheep grazing throughout the Spanish and Mexican periods, and well into
2976-537: Is likely that the local Native American community continued to have access to the area, at least until Sky Valley Ranch was acquired by North American Aviation (the predecessor to the Santa Susana Field Laboratory) in 1954. Indeed, it is quite possible that the name "Sky Valley" may be an English translation of the old Indian name for the Burro Flats area. The polychrome "main panel" paintings came to
3100-401: Is low to moderate depending on the area. Rain is infrequent, but is often heavy when it does occur, making flash floods an aspect of living in Southern California. This climatic pattern was alluded to in the hit song " It Never Rains (In Southern California) ". While snow is very rare in lower elevations, mountains above 5,000 feet (1,500 m) receive plentiful snowfall in the winter. Since
3224-947: Is not necessarily the cause. During its years of rocket engine tests and nuclear research and operations, SSFL’s soil became contaminated with chemicals and radionuclides. Several accidents occurred in nuclear facilities, including the 1959 SRE core damage accident (see section on the Sodium Reactor Experiment). In addition, groundwater under SSFL is contaminated (principally with the solvent, TCE) following some 30,000 rocket engine tests. Extensive characterization has been completed for chemicals and radionuclides. The majority of SSFL buildings and facilities have been decommissioned and removed, and numerous interim soil cleanups have been conducted. DTSC leads site cleanup involving responsible parties (Boeing, DOE, and NASA), agencies (DTSC, LARWQCB, CDPH), and other stakeholders (activist organizations, community members, state and federal legislators, and
3348-528: Is real possibility of heightened exposure for area residents." In 2019, Risk Assessment Corporation (RAC) conducted soil sampling surrounding the SSFL, and performed source term estimation, atmospheric transport, and deposition modeling. The study reports published in 2023, concluded, Air measurement data collected during the Woolsey Fire, along with atmospheric dispersion modeling and an offsite soil sampling program designed specifically to look for impacts from
3472-618: Is undergoing a complex cleanup. Historical Resource studies and site protection are part of the process. Boeing transferred an easement to the North American Land Trust which requires their property to remain as open space and protected from residential and agricultural development by future owners. NASA has declared its part of the former Field Laboratory to be "excess government property" and will divest its holding, following area clean-up. Those acres will most likely become permanent open space also. The Chumash tribe has requested
3596-500: Is well within current limits today. 3) In 1964, the SNAP8ER experienced damage to 80% of its fuel. 4) In 1969 the SNAP8DR experienced similar damage to one-third of its fuel. A radioactive fire occurred in 1971, involving combustible primary reactor coolant ( NaK ) contaminated with mixed fission products. The sodium burn pit, an open-air pit for cleaning sodium-contaminated components,
3720-583: The El Centro metropolitan area and San Diego-Carlsbad-San Marcos metropolitan area form the Southern Border Region . North of Greater Los Angeles are the Santa Barbara , San Luis Obispo , and Bakersfield metropolitan areas. Los Angeles (with a population of approximately 3.9 million people) and San Diego (at nearly 1.4 million people) are the two largest cities in all of California, and are among
3844-745: The Los Angeles metropolitan area ( Los Angeles and Orange counties, with 13.3 million people), the Inland Empire ( Riverside and San Bernardino counties, including the Coachella Valley cities, with 4.3 million people), and the Oxnard–Thousand Oaks–Ventura metropolitan area (0.8 million people). In addition, Southern California contains the San Diego metropolitan area with 3.3 million people, Bakersfield metro area with 0.9 million, and
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3968-687: The Mojave Desert shares a border with Nevada to the northeast. Southern California's southern border with Baja California is part of the Mexico–United States border . Southern California encompasses eight metropolitan areas (MSAs), three of which together form the Greater Los Angeles Combined Statistical Area (CSA) with over 18 million people, the second-biggest CSA after the New York CSA . These three MSAs are
4092-734: The Newport–Inglewood-Rose Canyon Fault (located adjacent to SoFi Stadium and responsible for Signal Hill ), the Elsinore Fault (created Lake Elsinore ), the Garlock Fault (which marks boundary between of the Sierra Nevada and the Mojave Desert ), and the Hollywood fault (which is within feet of Capitol Records and is roughly parallel to Hollywood Boulevard ). The United States Geological Survey (USGS) has released
4216-740: The San Diego metropolitan area as they do with the Inland Empire . To the east, the United States Census Bureau considers the San Bernardino and Riverside County areas, Riverside-San Bernardino area as a separate metropolitan area from Los Angeles County. Newly developed exurbs formed in the Antelope Valley , north of Los Angeles, the Victor Valley , and the Coachella Valley with the Imperial Valley . Also, population growth
4340-483: The San Fernando Valley . The area of Santa Monica and Venice (and perhaps some of Culver City) is informally referred to as "Silicon Beach" because of the concentration of financial and marketing technology-centric firms located in the region. The San Bernardino-Riverside Area maintains the business districts of Downtown San Bernardino , Hospitality Business/Financial Centre , University District which are in
4464-475: The Santa Barbara , San Luis Obispo , and El Centro (Imperial County) metropolitan areas. The Southern California Megaregion (or megalopolis ) is larger still, extending northeast into Las Vegas , Nevada and south across the Mexican border into Tijuana . Within Southern California are two major cities, Los Angeles and San Diego , as well as three of the country's largest metropolitan areas . With
4588-520: The Transverse and Peninsular Ranges with their peaks, and into the large and small interior valleys, to the vast deserts of California . Note: Plate boundary faults are indicated with a (#) symbol. Each year, Southern California has about 10,000 earthquakes. Nearly all of them are too small to be felt. Only several hundred have been greater than magnitude (M w ) 3.0, and only about 15–20 have been greater than M w 4.0. California as
4712-606: The U.S. Department of Energy at the site. The Santa Susana Field Laboratory includes sites identified as historic by the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics and by the American Nuclear Society . In 1996, The Boeing Company became the primary owner and operator of the Santa Susana Field Laboratory and later closed the site. Three California state agencies (Department of Toxic Substances Control, Department of Public Health Radiologic Health Branch, and
4836-407: The U.S. Department of Energy . Throughout the years, approximately ten low-power nuclear reactors operated at SSFL, in addition to several "critical facilities": a sodium burn pit in which sodium-coated objects were burned in an open pit; a plutonium fuel fabrication facility; a uranium carbide fuel fabrication facility; and the purportedly largest "Hot Lab" facility in the United States at
4960-399: The United States ) as well as the Inland Empire (another large metropolitan area). The region generally contains ten of California's 58 counties: Los Angeles , San Diego , Orange , Riverside , San Bernardino , Kern , Ventura , Santa Barbara , San Luis Obispo , and Imperial counties. Although geographically smaller than Northern California in land area, Southern California has
5084-403: The entertainment industry . Other industries include software, automotive, aerospace, finance, biomedical, ports and regional logistics. The region was a leader in the housing bubble from 2001 to 2007, and has been heavily impacted by the housing crash. Since the 1920s, motion pictures, petroleum, and aircraft manufacturing have been major industries. In one of the richest agricultural regions in
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5208-558: The American Period, until the mid-20th Century. The Josiah D. Whitney Expedition arrived in February 1861. They were exploring and mapping California which had been acquired by the United States a decade earlier. Whitney himself was not with the group, which was led by William H. Brewer. Brewer's history of his explorations can be found in "Up and Down California in 1860–1864" (2003:45-46 University of California Press). Brewer's party explored
5332-660: The Atlas Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM), as well as the twin combustion chamber alcohol/liquid oxygen booster engine for the Navaho , a large, intercontinental cruise missile that never became operational. Later, Rocketdyne designed and tested the J-2 liquid oxygen/hydrogen engine which was used on the second and third stages of the Saturn V launch rocket developed for the moon-bound Project Apollo mission. While
5456-573: The Burro Flats cave art and the archaeological components of the site. The research begun in 1979, by the archaeologist John Romani, Edwin Krupp (the Director of the Griffith Observatory ), and others, showed that the site (complex) was utilized to predict and observe both the winter and summer solstices . This fact about its past use attracted peoples' attention, and generated a new level of interest in
5580-484: The California Supreme Court to review the case. The California Supreme Court denied the petition for review. Southern California Southern California (commonly shortened to SoCal ) is a geographic and cultural region that generally comprises the southern portion of the U.S. state of California . It includes the Los Angeles metropolitan area (the second most populous urban agglomeration in
5704-515: The Chumash 1965). The area was examined again in 1973 by the archaeologist Franklin Fenenga, who consolidated all 11 of Rozaire's "sites" into a single large site, although Rozaire's 11 "site" numbers continued to be cited by many researchers. Fenenga said that, "Because of its magnitude, the complex of features which are integral to it, the dramatic physiographic location, the unmodified natural landscape, and
5828-712: The DTSC, CDPH and Boeing, alleging that demolition debris from these buildings was LLRW and should be disposed out-of-state to a licensed low-level radioactive waste disposal facility. Five years later, in November 2018, the Superior Court of California found for the defendants. Five years later, in May 2023, the California Appeals Court reaffirmed the lower Court’s decision, denying plaintiffs’ petition. Subsequently Plaintiffs petitioned
5952-458: The Gap, Natural Resource Defense Council, Physicians for Social Responsibility - Los Angeles) and numerous others, are actively involved with steering the ongoing environmental investigation. The Santa Susana Field Laboratory is the focus of diverse interests. Burro Flats Painted Cave , listed on the National Register of Historic Places , is located within the Santa Susana Field Laboratory boundaries, on
6076-566: The J-2 was tested at the facility, Rocketdyne's huge F-1 engine for the first stage of the Saturn V was tested in the Mojave desert near Edwards Air Force Base. This was due to safety and noise considerations, since SSFL was too close to populated areas. NASA conducted Space shuttle main engine tests at SSFL from 1974 to 1988. The Atomics International Division of North American Aviation used SSFL Area IV as
6200-476: The Judge’s Order and still does not have a dose-based decommissioning standard or any numerical criteria for license termination of nuclear or radiological facilities. In March 2003, DOE issued an Environmental Assessment (EA) that proposed a radiological cleanup standard of 15 mrem/y, that was safe and protective of public health, consistent with EPA’s one-time, draft dose-base standards and more restrictive than
6324-532: The Los Angeles Area are the major business districts of Downtown Pasadena , Downtown Burbank , Downtown Santa Monica , Downtown Glendale and Downtown Long Beach . Los Angeles proper has many business districts, such as Downtown LA and those lining Wilshire Boulevard , including Mid-Wilshire , the Miracle Mile , Downtown Beverly Hills , and Westwood ; others include Century City and Warner Center in
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#17328550212706448-684: The Los Angeles Regional Water Quality Control Board) and three federal agencies (Department of Energy, NASA, and EPA) have been overseeing a detailed investigation of environmental impacts from historical site operations since at least 1990. Concerns about the environmental impact of past nuclear energy and rocket test operations, and waste disposal practices, have inspired several lawsuits seeking payments from Boeing. Litigation and legislation have also attempted to change established remediation and decommissioning processes. Several interest groups (Committee to Bridge
6572-399: The M w 6.7 1994 Northridge Earthquake and, to a lesser extent, the smaller M w 5.5 2008 Chino Hills earthquake . The Northridge earthquake occurred on a blind-thrust fault directly underneath the San Fernando Valley , which until the earthquake was previously undiscovered. Seismic retrofitting of existing and new construction is aimed to prevent damage and save lives in
6696-675: The NRC’s 25 mrem/y dose-based standard. In September 2004, NRDC, CBG and the City of Los Angeles sued DOE claiming that the 2003 EA had violated the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA) and Endangered Species Act (ESA). The lawsuit claimed that a full Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) should have been performed prior to selecting
6820-490: The Natural Resources Defense Council, and Dr. Richard Denning of Ohio State University – as well as a Q&A and discussion. All three experts agreed that there was not significant public harm from the release of radioactive noble gases, but held conflicting views about the amounts and health harms of other radioactive fission products potentially released. The Energy Technology Engineering Center (ETEC),
6944-663: The Release of Land and Facilities for (Radiologically) Unrestricted Use” which described the key steps in a generic decommissioning process typical of that used elsewhere in the United States. In October 2007, SB 990 (Kuehl) was passed in the California Senate, that mandated an agricultural risk-based cleanup standard for chemicals and radionuclides and transferred regulatory authority for radiological cleanup at SSFL from CDHS and DOE to DTSC. SB 990 became law on January 1, 2008. In October 2007, Boeing and Governor Schwarzenegger announced
7068-451: The Southern California desert system. Because of the barrier formed by the Tehachapi and Sierra Nevada ranges, cartographer George Wheeler observed in 1876 that Northern California was better connected to Oregon and Nevada than it was to Southern California. Following the acquisition of the territory of California by the United States, several pro-slavery politicians attempted to arrange
7192-517: The Southwest Indian Museum, in Los Angeles. Almost 40 years later, the Archaeological Survey Association of Southern California (ASASC) performed extensive archaeological excavations at the site. The thousands of artifacts recovered are at the Autry Museum of the American West . At about the same time Brinkop visited, members of the local Native American community told the anthropologist John Peabody Harrington that there had been "a very large rancheria" at Burro Flats, and that "There are painted caves" near
7316-429: The State, over SB 990. Between 2010 and 2013, Boeing demolished 40 remaining Boeing-owned non-radiological buildings in Areas I, III and IV based on DTSC approved procedures. Subsequent proposals in 2013 to demolish 6 remaining, released-for-unrestrictive-use, former radiological buildings in Area IV met with resistance. In August 2013, the Physicians for Social Responsibility - Los Angeles (PSR-LA) plus others, sued
7440-426: The U.S., cattle and citrus were major industries until farmlands were turned into suburbs. Although military spending cutbacks have had an impact, aerospace continues to be a major factor. Southern California is home to many major business districts. Central business districts (CBD) include Downtown Los Angeles , Downtown Riverside , Downtown San Bernardino , downtown San Diego , and the South Coast Metro . Within
7564-677: The United States Court of Appeals (Ninth Circuit) upheld and affirmed the lower Court’s judgement. Perhaps in anticipation of losing the SB 990 lawsuit to Boeing, in December 2010, DTSC “encouraged” DOE and NASA to sign two identical Administrative Orders on Consent (AOCs) in which both RPs agreed to (1) clean-up to background, (2) dispense with EPA’s CERCLA risk assessment guidelines, (3) define soil to include building structures, and (4) send all soil (and structures) that exceed background radionuclides to an out-of-state licensed low-level radioactive waste disposal facility. Boeing had refused to negotiate or sign its own AOC, being involved in litigation with
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#17328550212707688-432: The aftermath of a major quake, but it cannot guarantee that buildings will be unscathed if the epicenter is relatively close by. The 1994 Northridge earthquake was particularly destructive, causing a substantial number of deaths, injuries, and structural collapses. The quake caused the most property damage of any earthquake in U.S. history at an estimated $ 20 billion. Many Southern California faults are able to produce
7812-406: The area. The site is divided into four production and two buffer areas (Area I, II, III, and IV, and the northern and southern buffer zones). Areas I through III were used for rocket testing, missile testing, and munitions development. Area IV was used primarily for nuclear reactor experimentation and development. Laser research for the Strategic Defense Initiative (popularly known as "Star Wars")
7936-438: The attention of the general public due to the work of the ASASC. This was largely due to two of the crew members: the artist Charles La Monk, who made full-scale reproductions of several of the paintings, and who published a short report on his work in 1953, and Gordon Redtfeldt, who made several field sketches at this time. La Monk's paintings and Redtfeldt's sketches were circulated in the archaeological community, and knowledge of
8060-437: The basis for cleanup standards in use at SSFL, that were identical to standards used in the rest of the U.S. In 2001, the California Department of Health Services (CDHS) conducted a public hearing proposing to adopt by reference, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission’s 10 CFR 20 Subpart E, otherwise known as the License Termination Rule, that would codify the federal cleanup standard of 25 mrem/y. California, being an Agreement State,
8184-404: The cave in glass, but this was never done, in order to keep the site and surrounding area as pristine as possible. However, the site and surrounding area was fenced off, to keep unauthorized people out of the immediate area. In 1978, the pictographs were the subject of the documentary film, "Cave Paintings of the Chumash Indians." The Santa Susana Field Laboratory has been closed for many years and
8308-497: The centers of their respective metropolitan areas, composed of numerous smaller cities and communities. The urban area is also host to an international San Diego–Tijuana metropolitan region, created by the urban area spilling over into Baja California . The main barrier to urbanization along the Interstate 5 corridor is Camp Pendleton . The cities and communities along Interstate 15 and Interstate 215 are so interrelated that Temecula and Murrieta have as much connection with
8432-422: The chemicals he had breathed at work." The report also noted that "During their breaks, Palmer's crew would fish in one of three ponds ... The men would use a solution that was 90 percent hydrogen peroxide to neutralize the contamination. Sometimes, the water was so polluted it bubbled. The fish died off." Palmer's interview ended with: "They had seven wells up there, water wells , and every damn one of them
8556-400: The cities of San Bernardino and Riverside. In Orange County, has highly developed suburban business centers (also known as edge cities ) including the Anaheim–Santa Ana edge city along I-5; and another, the South Coast Plaza–John Wayne Airport edge city that stretches from the South Coast Metro to the Irvine Business Complex ; Newport Center ; and Irvine Spectrum . Downtown Santa Ana
8680-430: The development and testing of nuclear reactors , powerful rockets such as the Delta II , and the systems that powered the Apollo missions. The location of SSFL was chosen in 1947 for its remoteness in order to conduct work that was considered too dangerous and too noisy to be performed in more densely populated areas. In subsequent years, the Southern California population grew, along with housing developments surrounding
8804-413: The division of Alta California at 36 degrees, 30 minutes, the line of the Missouri Compromise . Instead, the passing of the Compromise of 1850 enabled California to be admitted to the Union as a free state , preventing the southern half of California from becoming its own separate slave state . Subsequently, Californians (dissatisfied with inequitable taxes and land laws) and pro-slavery Southerners in
8928-704: The end of WWII . The Rocketdyne division of NAA, which came into being under its own name in the mid-1950s, designed and tested several rocket engines at the facility. They included engines for the Army's Redstone (an advanced short-range version of the German V-2), and the Army Jupiter intermediate range ballistic missile (IRBM) as well as the Air Force's counterpart IRBM, the Thor. Also included among those developed there, were engines for
9052-492: The existence of the site and the paintings began to spread. In 1959–1960, Dr. Charles Rozaire performed the first general survey of the area and he recorded eleven more-or-less distinct "sites." These were given the State of California site numbers CA-VEN-151 to CA-VEN-161; the Burro Flats painted cave itself thus became CA-VEN-160. Rozaire also performed new excavations in the same area where the ASASC had worked some years earlier. This
9176-574: The facility resulted in an estimated 260 cancer related deaths. The report also concluded that the SRE meltdown caused the release of more than 458 times the amount of radioactivity released by the Three Mile Island accident . While the nuclear core of the SRE released 10 times less radiation than the TMI incident, the lack of proper containment such as concrete structures caused this radiation to be released into
9300-588: The fine state of preservation [it is] one of the major examples of aboriginal American art, one of the most important archaeological sites in America [i.e. in the United States] and it certainly meets the criteria for inclusion in the National Register of Historic Places ." The area that was first described by Rozaire in the 1960s, and later by Fenenga in 1973, was listed on the National Register in 1976. The listing
9424-427: The fire did not cause contaminants to be released from the site into Simi Valley and other neighboring communities and that the risk from smoke exposure during the fire was not higher than what is normally associated with wildfire. In 2021 a study which collected 360 samples of dust, ash, and soils from homes and public lands three weeks after the fire found that most samples were at normal levels, ("Data did not support
9548-548: The fire, showed no evidence of SSFL impact in offsite soils because of the Woolsey Fire. No anthropogenic radionuclides were measured at levels above those expected from global fallout. The soil sampling confirmed that no detectable levels of SSFL-derived radionuclides migrated from SSFL at the locations sampled because of the Woolsey Fire or from past operations of the SSFL. In 2020, the California Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC) stated in their final report that
9672-429: The first decade of the 21st century, droughts and wildfires have increased in frequency as a result of climate change . Southern California consists of one of the more varied collections of geologic, topographic, and natural ecosystem landscapes in a diversity outnumbering other major regions in the state and country. The region spans from Pacific Ocean islands , shorelines , beaches, and coastal plains , through
9796-738: The five most populous in the state, and are among the top 15 most populous counties in the United States. The motion picture , television and music industry are centered in the Los Angeles area in Southern California. Hollywood , a district of Los Angeles, gives its name to the American motion picture industry, which is synonymous with the neighborhood name. Headquartered in Southern California are The Walt Disney Company (which owns ABC ), Sony Pictures , Universal Pictures , MGM , Paramount Pictures , and Warner Bros . Universal, Warner Bros., and Sony also run major record companies. Southern California
9920-666: The hands of DTSC (who would require cleanup-to-background in the future 2010 AOC) and given it to EPA (who would implement a CERCLA risk-based cleanup). Boeing remained committed to the future of SSFL as open space, as evidenced by the April 2017 conservation easement recorded with the North American Land Trust (NALT) to permanently preserve and protect Boeing’s 2,400 acres at the Santa Susana site. In November 2009, Boeing sued DTSC over SB 990, following months of unsuccessful negotiations between DTSC, Boeing, DOE and NASA attempting to incorporate
10044-517: The intent to transfer SSFL to the State of California as open space parkland (following completion of remediation), along with an agreement from State Senator Sheila Kuehl that she would amend SB 990 to withdraw requirements for agricultural land use and DTSC land transfer approval. In January 2008, this agreement fell through, following objections by other parties (CBG, NRDC, Sierra Club, PSR-LA, SCFS, etc). These parties also objected to NPL listing by EPA since it would have taken control of cleanup out of
10168-565: The lightly populated "cow counties" of Southern California attempted three times in the 1850s to achieve a separate statehood or territorial status separate from Northern California . The last attempt, the Pico Act of 1859, was passed by the California State Legislature and signed by State Governor John B. Weller . It was approved overwhelmingly by nearly 75 percent of voters to form the proposed Territory of Colorado . This territory
10292-782: The media). Cleanup standards and remedial options (remedy selection) continue to be debated and litigated. DTSC’s Final Program Environmental Impact Report (2023) estimates that soil cleanup will take another 15 years. The following summarizes in a generally chronological order, key events related to cleanup standards for both land and building structures and associated remedial options. In March 1996, Rockwell proposed radiological cleanup standards for soil and buildings at SSFL. CDHS approved these standards in August 1996. DOE approved these standards in September 1996. Subsequently, Boeing issued final cleanup standards in February 1999. The soil cleanup goal
10416-428: The more serious charges related to illegal burning of hazardous waste. At trial, a retired Rocketdyne mechanic testified as to what he witnessed at the time of the explosion: "I assumed we were burning waste," Lee Wells testified, comparing the process used on 21 and 26 July 1994, to that once used to legally dispose of leftover chemicals at the company's old burn pit. As Heiney poured the chemicals for what would have been
10540-539: The more urban region) that have been left undeveloped. It is the third most populated megalopolis in the United States, after the Great Lakes megalopolis and the Northeast megalopolis . Much of Southern California is famous for its large, spread-out, suburban communities and use of automobiles and highways. The dominant areas are Los Angeles, Orange County , San Diego , and Riverside – San Bernardino , each of which are
10664-469: The old village (John P. Harrington Fernandeno Reel 106 notes; transcripts of Harrington's 19-teen notes were not published until 1986). In 1939 the Burro Flats area was acquired by the Henry Silvernale and William Hall families, who named their property "Sky Valley Ranch." Area historic research by Bob Edberg has shown that William Hall's family was familiar with the local Native American community, and it
10788-579: The other line connecting San Bernardino, Riverside, and Orange counties directly. Southern California is also home to the Port of Los Angeles , the country's busiest commercial port; the adjacent Port of Long Beach , the country's second busiest container port; and the Port of San Diego . The following table shows all airports listed by the Federal Aviation Association (FAA) as a hub airport: Burro Flats Painted Cave The Burro Flats site
10912-551: The paintings to be several hundred years old. The site was used to predict and celebrate the winter solstice . In 1971, Fernandeño Indians asked NASA (the property owner) to safeguard the site. At the time, Fernandeño tribal leader Rudy Ortega Sr. said, "We really know very little of our heritage. ... The paintings are one of the few physical links to our heritage. We hope one day to interpret their stories for our people." Tribal leaders expressed concern about damage that could result from vandals or weather and asked NASA to enclose
11036-508: The pit has been remediated by having 22,000 cubic yards of soil removed down 10–12 feet (3.0–3.7 m) to bedrock. On 26 July 1994, two scientists, Otto K. Heiney and Larry A. Pugh were killed when the chemicals they were illegally burning in open pits exploded. After a grand jury investigation and FBI raid on the facility, three Rocketdyne officials pleaded guilty in June 2004 to illegally storing explosive materials. The jury deadlocked on
11160-618: The requirements of SB 990 into the 2007 Consent Order. In April 2011, Judge John Walter of the United States District Court (Central District of California) issued an order in favor of Boeing, stating, “SB 990 is declared invalid and unconstitutional in its entirety under the Supremacy Clause of the United States Constitution” and “DTSC is hereby enjoined from enforcing or implementing SB 990.” In September 2014,
11284-406: The rest of the former Santa Susana Field Laboratory are not accessible to the public. Among the pictographs are two human figures wearing feathered headdresses. There are also "raked anthropomorph " motifs, possible comet figures, and many more naturalistic elements. The Burro Flats cave pictographs are some of the best-preserved Native American art in Southern California. Archaeologists estimate
11408-477: The return of the site to the tribe. The Santa Ynez Chumash have suggested that the general area be renamed The Sky Valley/'Alapay a 'altuqipin Traditional Cultural Property, and the tribe has nominated the entire former Santa Susana Field Laboratory to the National Register of Historic Places (the nomination is pending, as of May 2019). In order to guard the pictographs, the exact location of the cave
11532-430: The site have strongly urged a thorough cleanup of the site, citing cases of long term illnesses, including cancer cases at rates they claim are higher than normal. Experts have said that there is insufficient evidence to identify an explicit link between cancer rates and radioactive contamination in the area. Since 1947 the Santa Susana Field Laboratory location has been used by a number of companies and agencies. The first
11656-630: The site of United States first commercial nuclear power plant and the testing and development of the SNAP-10A , the first nuclear reactor launched into outer space by the United States. Atomics International also operated the Energy Technology Engineering Center at the site for the U.S. government. As overall interest in nuclear power declined, Atomics International made a transition to non-nuclear energy-related projects, such as coal gasification, and gradually, ceased designing and testing nuclear reactors. Atomics International eventually
11780-400: The site. Additional research in the early 1990s refined previous descriptions of the 25-acre National Register of Historic Places-listed site complex, which was re-recorded, generally following Fenenga's 1973 definition of the site boundaries, as CA-VEN-1072. The Burro Flats "main panel" (i.e. Rozaire's CA-VEN-160) thus became CA-VEN-1072, Locus 10. A replica of the pictographs can be seen on
11904-635: The site. After the fire, the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health found "no discernible level of radiation in the tested area" and the California Department of Toxic Substances Control , which is overseeing cleanup of the site, said in an interim report that "previously handled radioactive and hazardous materials were not affected by the fire." Bob Dodge, President of Physicians for Social Responsibility -Los Angeles, said "When it burns and becomes airborne in smoke and ash, there
12028-468: The sole county to vote for the GOP, with Orange County having been Democrat since 2012. Southern California is one of the largest economies in the United States. It is dominated by, and heavily dependent upon, the abundance of petroleum, as opposed to other regions where automobiles are not nearly as dominant, due to the vast majority of transport that runs on this fuel. Southern California is famous for tourism and
12152-566: The southern section of the San Andreas (in the Palm Springs region, which has not ruptured in ~400 years), the entire Southern California portion of the San Andreas Fault is ready to produce a powerful earthquake in the near future. Notable faults capable of large magnitude events include the San Jacinto Fault (a splay of the San Andreas that runs directly under the I-10 & I-215 interchange),
12276-461: The state, formed by the northern boundaries of San Luis Obispo , Kern , and San Bernardino counties, which are not exactly a straight line. Another definition for Southern California uses Point Conception and the Tehachapi Mountains as the northern geographical barriers, especially when defining California's bioregions . In this definition, Owens Valley and Death Valley are part of
12400-404: The surrounding environment. The radiation released by the core of the TMI was largely contained. According to studies conducted by Hal Morgenstern between 1988 and 2002, residents living within 2 miles (3.2 km) of the laboratory are 60% more likely to be diagnosed with certain cancers compared to residents living 5 miles (8.0 km) from the laboratory, though Morgenstern said that the lab
12524-434: The ten nuclear reactors had accidents during their operation. The reactors located on the grounds of SSFL were considered experimental, and therefore had no containment structures . The site ceased research and development operations in 2006. The years of rocket testing, nuclear reactor testing, and liquid metal research have left the site "significantly contaminated". Environmental cleanup is ongoing. The public who live near
12648-448: The ten nuclear reactors suffered accidents: 1) The AE6 reactor experienced a release of fission gases in March 1959. 2) In July 1959, the SRE experienced a power excursion and partial meltdown that released 28 Curies of radioactive noble gases. The release resulted in the maximum off-site exposure of 0.099 millirem and an exposure of 0.018 millirem for the nearest residential building which
12772-475: The third burn of the day, the blast occurred, Wells said. "[The background noise] was so loud I didn't hear anything ... I felt the blast and I looked down and my shirt was coming apart." When he realized what had occurred, Wells said, "I felt to see if I was all there ... I knew I was burned but I didn't know how bad." Wells suffered second- and third-degree burns to his face, arms and stomach. The 2018 Woolsey Fire began at SSFL and burned about 80% of
12896-590: The time of the meltdown are not yet accounted for. The reactor and support systems were removed in 1981 and the building torn down in 1999. The 1959 sodium reactor incident was chronicled on History Channel 's program Engineering Disasters 19. In August 2009, on the 50th anniversary of the SRE accident, the Department of Energy hosted a day-long public workshop for the community, employees, and retirees. The workshop featured three experts – Dr. Paul Pickard of DOE's Sandia National Laboratories, Dr. Thomas Cochran of
13020-495: The time. (A hot lab is a facility used for remotely handling or machining radioactive material.) Irradiated nuclear fuel from other Atomic Energy Commission (AEC) and Department of Energy (DOE) facilities from around the country was shipped to SSFL to be decladded and examined. The hot lab suffered a number of fires involving radioactive materials. For example, in 1957, a fire in the hot cell "got out of control and ... massive contamination" resulted. At least four of
13144-417: The top eight largest cities in the United States. In Southern California, there are also 14 cities with more than 200,000 residents and 48 cities over 100,000 residents. Many of Southern California's most developed cities lie along or in close proximity to the coast, with the exception of San Bernardino and Riverside. Southern California has drifted left since 2004, and is solidly Democrat. Kern County remains
13268-495: The west-central coast ranges of Santa Barbara, Kern, Los Angeles, and Ventura counties." As such, the painting were composed in what is now called the Chumash-style. This was confirmed by the noted rock art expert, Campbell Grant, who visited the site in the mid-1960s. Grant recorded the main panel in detail and gave it his number Ventura-4, and he described it as his Ventureno (i.e. Eastern Chumash) type site (see Rock Paintings of
13392-429: The world's busiest general aviation airport; major commercial airports at San Bernardino , Orange County , Bakersfield , Ontario , Burbank , and Long Beach ; and numerous smaller commercial and general aviation airports. Six of the seven lines of the commuter rail system, Metrolink , run out of Downtown Los Angeles, connecting Los Angeles, Ventura , San Bernardino, Riverside, Orange, and San Diego counties with
13516-435: The world's largest action sports events, including the X Games , Boost Mobile Pro , and the U.S. Open of Surfing , are held in Southern California. The region is also important to the world of yachting with premier events including the annual Transpacific Yacht Race , or Transpac , from Los Angeles to Hawaii. San Diego Yacht Club hosted the three America's Cup races from 1988 to 1995. The first modern-era triathlon
13640-474: The years, about ten low-power nuclear reactors operated at SSFL, (including the Sodium Reactor Experiment , the first reactor in the United States to generate electrical power for a commercial grid, and the first commercial power plant in the world to experience a partial core meltdown ) in addition to several "critical facilities" that helped develop nuclear science and applications. At least four of
13764-676: Was Rocketdyne , originally a division of North American Aviation (NAA), which developed a variety of pioneering, successful, and reliable liquid rocket engines . Some were used in the Navaho cruise missile, the Redstone rocket, the Thor and Jupiter ballistic missiles, early versions of the Delta and Atlas rockets, the Saturn rocket family , and the Space Shuttle Main Engine . The Atomics International division of North American Aviation used
13888-442: Was a government-owned, contractor-operated complex of industrial facilities located within Area IV of the Santa Susana Field Laboratory. The ETEC specialized in non-nuclear testing of components which were designed to transfer heat from a nuclear reactor using liquid metals instead of water or gas. The center operated from 1966 to 1998. The ETEC site has been closed and is now undergoing building removal and environmental remediation by
14012-459: Was also conducted in Area IV. Research, development and testing of rocket engines was conducted on a regular basis in Area II of the SSFL from the mid 1950s through the early 1980s. These activities were conducted by the U.S. Army, Air Force, and NASA. Subsequently, occasional testing took place until 2006. North American Aviation (NAA) began its development of liquid propellant rocket engines after
14136-473: Was also contaminated by the burning of radioactively and chemically contaminated items in it, in contravention of safety requirements. In an article in the Ventura County Star , James Palmer, a former SSFL worker, was interviewed. The article notes that "of the 27 men on Palmer's crew, 22 died of cancers." On some nights Palmer returned home from work and kissed "his wife [hello], only to burn her lips with
14260-466: Was at what Rozaire had recorded as CA-VEN-151. These two "sites" are adjacent to each other, but are distinct; there was no archaeological deposit in the painted cave, the floor of which is bedrock. The artifacts that Rozaire recovered were added to the ASASC collections, and they are now also in the possession of the Autry Museum. Of the Burro Flats cave art, Rozaire noted that they are most like "those in
14384-522: Was based on a dose rate of 15 mrem/y above background (300 mrem/y). This was consistent (and less than) NRC’s future 25 mrem/y License Termination Rule and USEPA’s proposed 15 mrem/y dose-based goal for CERCLA remediation sites developed during the late1990s. In May 1999, Senator Feinstein sent a series of letters to the Clinton Administration expressing concerns about nuclear decommissioning cleanup standards at SSFL. In June 1999, Boeing documented
14508-408: Was contaminated," Palmer said, "It was a horror story." In 2002, a Department of Energy (DOE) official described typical waste disposal procedures used by Field Lab employees in the past. Workers would dispose of barrels filled with radioactive sodium by dumping them in a pond and then shooting the barrels with rifles so that they would explode and release their contents into the air. Since then,
14632-515: Was grouped with other counties of the San Joaquin Valley , California's central agricultural valley. Southern California consists of a heavily developed urban environment, home to some of the largest urban areas in the state, along with the Deserts of California (part of which was even proposed to become a new county due to cultural, economic and geographic differences relative to the rest of
14756-646: Was held in San Diego's Mission Bay in 1974. Since then, Southern California, and San Diego in particular, have become a mecca for triathlon and multi-sport racing, products, and culture. Southern California has multiple sports franchises and networks, such as Fox Sports Net . Many of these locals and tourists frequent the Southern California coast for its beaches. Some of Southern California's most popular beaches are Malibu , Laguna Beach , La Jolla , Manhattan Beach , and Hermosa Beach . Southern California
14880-536: Was high in the Bakersfield-Kern County , Santa Maria , and San Luis Obispo areas. Most of Southern California has a Mediterranean -like climate, with warm and dry summers, mild and wet winters, where cool weather and freezing temperatures are rare. Southern California contains other types of climates, including semi-arid , desert and mountain , with infrequent rain and many sunny days. Summers are hot or warm, and dry, while winters are mild, and rainfall
15004-542: Was merged with the Rocketdyne division in 1978. The Sodium Reactor Experiment (SRE) was an experimental nuclear reactor that operated at the site from 1957 to 1964 and was the first commercial power plant in the world to experience a core meltdown . There was a decades-long cover-up of the incident by the U.S. Department of Energy. The operation predated environmental regulation, so early disposal techniques are not recorded in detail. Thousands of pounds of sodium coolant from
15128-905: Was obligated to utilize nuclear regulations, consistent with federal NRC regulations. In March 2002, the Committee to Bridge the Gap (CBG), the Southern California Federation of Scientists (SCFS) and the Physicians for Social Responsibility - Los Angeles (PSR-LA), sued CDHS, arguing that CDHS cannot adopt 10 CFR 20 Subpart E, and should comply with CEQA and the California APA, conduct an Environmental Impact Report (EIR) and conduct public hearings before adopting safe dose-based decommissioning standards. In April 2002 and June 2002, Judge Ohanesian, concurred with plaintiffs’ complaint. As of January 2024, twenty-two years later, CDHS (now CDPH) has ignored
15252-689: Was the name of a proposed new state which failed to get on the 2018 California ballot. The ballot measure proposed splitting the existing state into three parts. In December 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic , the state government led by Governor Gavin Newsom divided the state into five regions for the purpose of issuing stay-at-home orders. The Southern California region consisted of the following counties: Imperial , Inyo , Los Angeles , Mono , Orange , Riverside , San Bernardino , San Diego , San Luis Obispo , Santa Barbara , and Ventura . However, Kern County
15376-756: Was to include a portion of the much larger Tulare County and all of San Luis Obispo County . The proposal was sent to Washington, D.C. , with a strong advocate in Senator Milton Latham . However, the secession crisis following the election of Abraham Lincoln in 1860 and the subsequent American Civil War led to the proposal never coming to a vote. In 1900, the Los Angeles Times defined Southern California as including "the seven counties of Los Angeles, San Bernardino, Orange, Riverside, San Diego, Ventura, and Santa Barbara." This definition left out San Luis Obispo and Kern counties. Southern California
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