L.A.'s apparently worried that the cleanup approved by the DOE will be inadequate - particularly in light of Rocketdyne's attention to encourage construction of houses on some of the poisoned land.
Now, the Department of Energy, which is responsible for cleaning up the radioactive contamination at the lab, has proposed a cleanup that it says would allow the land to be safely reused for any purpose — including residential development.
Environmental groups, however, argue that the plan would leave behind 99% more radioactive soil than an alternative proposal that the agency rejected, and expose the land's future residents to higher risks of cancer.
The current cleanup plan would cost $85 million, while the more thorough alternative would add $195 million.
The property is owned by Boeing Corp's Rocketdyne division, which has successfully lobbied in recent years to defeat state legislation that would ban housing at the site. Boeing declined to comment on the possibility of a lawsuit.
It's odd and sad that the city's only now starting to look after its own, since Rocketdyne has been blamed since the 80s for the exotic cancers that killed numerous Valley folk who live next door: This suit joins several more, filed by neighbors of Rocketdyne in Simi Valley and the San Fernando Valley. They blame their own high rates of exotic cancer on Rocketdyne's thundering rocket tests, long-unchecked use of carcinogenic chemicals and legacy of experimenting with atomic reactors (the last went offline in 1988), which tainted the water, land and air in their neighborhoods.
As with any federal lawsuit, don't expect a quick resolution - it's a fair bet that some of Rocketdyne's current neighbors will be dead of cancer - or perhaps even old age - by the time L.A.'s suit struggles through its last appeal. But you can count on NRDC and CBG to follow it to the bitter end. I know these guys, some of them personally - they're pit bulls.
