VOLUME V, #42 APRIL 2017 Boeing repairs potholes dotting Woolsey Canyon Road as promised (Summit Life, Feb. 2017). Based on government remediation plans, however, wear and tear on the roadway from heavy truck traffic will most likely continue for several more years (see story on page two). SANTA SUSANA MOUNTAIN PARK ASSOCIATION OPPOSES DOE’S PROPOSED TEN-YEAR SANTA SUSANA ENVIRONMENTAL CLEANUP PLAN; The 45-year-old organization opts instead for two-year “Conservation Of Natural Resources” alternative based on Field Lab’s commitment to open space ummit residents would most likely need the help of sev- eral environmental scien- tists to decide which of three Stechnically complex Department of Energy remediation alternatives offered up over the past two months would best settle long-standing pol- lution issues hanging cloud-like over Boeing’s Santa Susana Field Labora- tory and much of the neighboring West San Fernando Valley including Canoga Park, Chatsworth, Simi Val- ley and West Hills. Fortunately, however, the non- profit Santa Susana Mountain Park Association (SSMPA) has already done the heavy lifting, submitting their findings a month ago on the DOE’s recently published Environmental Impact Statement (EIS). Of the three cleanup options for the 2,800 acre site offered in the EIS, only the least invasive Directors of the Santa Susana Mountain Park Association (shown one makes sense, according to from left) are Dean Wageman, Darlene Wageman, Board President “ ” the SSMPA, an organization with Teena Takata, Robert Bob Dager, Warren Stone, John Luker, Board over 700 members and followers. Vice President Tom Nachtrab, and Wendi Gladstone. Diane Brown/ Summit Life photo. This alternative would call for approximately 148,000 cubic yards use of the site. All cleanup alternatives (“No of contaminated soil removal over The property is located in the Action” Alternative aside) provide a 2-year period involving about Simi Hills on the west side of the for cleaning up soil to suburban 18,400 heavy truck round trips up San Fernando Valley. The DOE site, residential standards or cleaner and down Woolsey Canyon Road. combined with the rest of the Boeing (S-12). Suburban residential cleanup Summit Life concurs with SSMPA’s and NASA properties, encompasses standards assume residential use by insightful analysis. Here in part is approximately 2800 acres and serves humans who live on the site for life. their letter response to the DOE: as a key portion of a wildlife habitat Therefore the risk statistics cited in “The Santa Susana Mountain and migration corridor in the western the DEIS (S-38) are considerably Park Association (“SSMPA”) has San Fernando Valley and the eastern higher than would be incurred in reviewed the DEIS for Area IV Simi Valley. This corridor provides occasional recreational use, rather and parts of the Northern Buffer significant access points for animals, than constant presence on the land. Zone (January 2017) and offers the as well as plants, to move between the We note cleanups traditionally following comments. Santa Monica Mountains National use risk-based standards such as In formulating our comments, Recreation Area and the Los Padres suburban residential, open space (a we note the property that is the National Forest to the north. This site lesser level of cleanup), or agricultural subject of the EIS is owned by represents one of the largest parcels in (a higher level of cleanup since food is Boeing, who has publicly stated on the Rim of the Valley study area that is grown on the land), but soil cleanups multiple occasions that this property expected to become open space in the to background LUT values are will be used as open space after the future. Long term use of the site will extraordinarily uncommon. cleanup, with restrictions to ensure include hiking trails and public use as The “Cleanup to AOC Look-Up open space will be the permanent open space. Table Values Alternative” has been SUMMIT LIFE APRIL 2017 PAGE 2 SANTA SUSANA MOUNTAIN PARK ASSOCIATION OPPOSES DOE’S PROPOSED TEN-YEAR SANTA SUSANA ENVIRONMENTAL CLEANUP PLAN; The 45-year-old organization opts instead for two-year “Conservation Of Natural Resources” alternative based on Field Lab’s commitment to open space shown through the DOE EIS to place a heavy financial burden on taxpayers, and carries significant TOM NACHTRAB IS WORRIED THAT ONE DAY IN THE negative impacts to nearby residents due to haul truck traffic and related NOT-SO-DISTANT FUTURE, NO ONE WILL BE ABLE pollution impacts over many, many years.(S-38) We see no rationale TO RECALL WHAT MOUNTAINS OR HILLS LOOKS LIKE for removing background-level Simi Hills because the original chemicals that are not typically By Marci Wormser group members lived in Chatsworth, tested for, and are not generally according to Tom. Carla Bollinger, a viewed as dangerous to humans. Staff Writer former Association board member We oppose the “Cleanup to and current Chatsworth Nature AOC LUT Value Alternatives.” It Tom, who is vice president of Preserve Coalition member, used is excessive with severe negative the Santa Susana Mountain Park to live at the Summit, and many environmental effects for many Association, has reason to worry. Association members reside in years as trucks continue to haul soil On a recent tour of the Santa Chatsworth Lake Manor. with inconsequential contamination Susana Mountains with some local “Development is happening through local communities to schoolchildren, the youngsters were around us. The more contiguous distant dump sites. As the Santa shocked to see the natural habitat. places we can keep free of Susana Field Laboratory (SSFL) “Many of the kids here in the [development], the better off we’ll shifts to its long term use as open Valley have never seen anything be,” he says. space, it would continue to be other than pavement,” relates Tom. As an advocacy group, the impacted by the unresolved absence It’s for that very reason that Tom Association holds educational of “adequate” replacement soil. The says he joined the Association. meetings and writes and circulates removal of additional chemicals SSMPA was formed as an petitions pertaining to local under the “AOC LUT Values advocacy organization in 1970 in development. Alternative” does not serve any order to preserve and protect the To that end, the Association has useful purpose, and yet entails many Simi Hills, Santa Susana Mountains taken a stand against the contracts years of traffic and related pollution and regional open space, along with entered into by the Department effects. habitats for plants and animals that of Energy and NASA regarding We feel that minimizing the are native to the local area. the controversial cleanup of the proposed action to provide cleanup According to the organization, Rocketdyne site. to suburban residential standards is “We also seek to provide passive According to Tom, the SSMPA, effective and imposes much milder recreational and environmental which gave an official comment negative effects on surrounding recreational opportunities; support report, supports doing a “reasonable communities. The long term use of the acquisition of new public parks, cleanup but not overdoing it.” the site as open space, combined open space and conservation The DOE and NASA contracts, with the presence of significant easements; expand existing natural he says, “would mean severe native cultural artifacts and native parks; and participate in planning of excavation and run the risk of vegetation on the site, including park infrastructure and programs.” spreading contamination and several uncommon and rare native “We focus mainly on the Simi raising noxious dust over the nearby plants, guides us to a risk-based Hills, which is where the Summit communities.” cleanup approach. is located,” says Tom, adding that After the site cleanup is complete, Based on the above discussion, the Simi Hills and Santa Susana the organization is calling on the our preferred alternative is the Mountains are the last places left U.S. National Park Service to arrange “Conservation of Natural Resources in the northwest corner of the San acquisition of over 400 acres of Alternative.” This provides the fewest Fernando Valley that have open land owned by the government and truck trips, the least soil removal, space. administered by NASA. and the fewest trips to replace soil The group also focuses on the Continued on Page 4 and the least cost to taxpayers.” v SUMMIT LIFE APRIL 2017 PAGE 3 Nachtrab/continued from page 3 big, dangerous places for wildlife the biggest dangers to natural habitat It’s also circulating a petition for right now,” he says, adding that three preservation. the Park Service to preserve the 400 mountain lions have been killed in the “People are busy and don’t want acres as open space and parkland. last six months on the 118 Freeway, to get involved,” he says. “We find it’s The organization has also taken including a mother and her cubs. hard to attract younger people to this an official stand on the usage of the The organization is fighting a preservation.” Chatsworth Reservoir. The reservoir, potential development near Aliso However, he warns, “If the says Tom, was supposed to be a nature Canyon, which is located near Porter development keeps going through the preserve, but it’s been sitting in the Ranch. The development was put on hills...you will need to go to Alaska to same state for five decades. hold because of the massive natural see nature.” “It should be maintained as a gas leak in the Aliso Canyon Oil Field He urges members of the nature preserve and managed by that began in October 2015. community to “work locally” to DWP as a nature preserve, not as an Tom says he worries that if the preserve and protect the surrounding excess property,” says Tom.