No Superfund Status for Rocketdyne Site

California has rejected a proposal to list a polluted nuclear testing facility as a federal Superfund site. State officials believe they can clean it up more quickly and thoroughly.

1 minute read

January 14, 2009, 7:00 AM PST

By Judy Chang


"Enacted last year, Senate Bill 990 requires lab owner Boeing, the U.S. Department of Energy and NASA to clean the hilltop property to a level suitable for residential and agricultural use.

Residents near the hilltop facility had long pushed for such a standard, fearing that anything less would subject them to downstream health risks associated with soil contaminated by years of rocket and nuclear testing.

A Superfund-administered cleanup would allow Boeing and its partners to meet a lower federal standard, Adams told reporters in a conference call.

'We feel under the state's watch we can accomplish a cleanup that goes further,' Adams said.

Adams' announcement was hailed by citizen watchdogs, who praised the secretary for refusing to back off of tougher requirements despite intense lobbying."

Tuesday, January 13, 2009 in Los Angeles Times

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