FITTING THE SQUARE PEG INTO THE ROUND HOLE - REGULATING COMPLEX CONTAMINATED SITES

The Santa Susana Field Laboratory (SSFL) is located 30 miles northwest of downtown Los Angeles in southeastern Ventura County, near the crest of the Simi Hills at the western border of the San Fernando Valley. A former rocket engine test and nuclear research facility, the 2,849-acre field laboratory is currently the focus of a comprehensive environmental investigation and cleanup program, conducted by Boeing, the United States Department of Energy (DOE) and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), and overseen by the State of California - Department of Toxic Substances Control.

The site is situated on fractured sandstone that makes characterization and cleanup difficult and expensive. In addition, the environmental activities are being conducted under the Resource Conversation and Recovery Act, which contains requirements and processes that did not envisioned the complexities associated with a fractured-rock contaminated site. Finally, public involvement and passions are heighted for the site and the communication of complex and technical information is a challenge.

This presentation presents a case study about: the challenges of overseeing the complex characterization and cleanup of contaminated groundwater at a fractured-bedrock site; navigating regulatory requirements; and managing public expectations and preconceived views.