To: Debbie Raphael, director of Dept of Toxic Substances Control, Matthew Rodriquez, Secretary, CalEPA, Rick Brausch, SSFL Project Director, Legislative Director, DTSC, The California State House, The California State Senate, and Governor Ga...
Santa Susana Field Lab CAG community advisory group
A Community Advisory Group under California Health and safety code 6.8 provides for a community driven transparent public participation process so questions and concerns of the affected communities can be heard and considered. The first petition cleanuprocketdyne.org submitted in 2009 was illegally denied by the department (a first in California history). Instead, they created a PPG (public participation group) which was DTSC led. Unfortunately, after a year and a half of sincere participation by the public members, the department has discontinued the process without explanation and has not held a formal public meeting all year long despite the many divided issues where decisions are being made and the public is going unheard, as well as uninformed (on any real detailed level that is understandable to the general public).
We seek public input and transparency into the implementation decisions before us, that are so important. For this to be possible, we need accountability and accessibility so the public can get their questions and concerns answered by the experts and regulators instead of the tabloids.
Why is this important?
There has not been a general meeting for the Santa Susana Field Lab nuclear and chemical investigation and cleanup, slated for 2017 as completion date based on the signed AOCs between the State and Responsible Parties Boeing, NASA, and DOE.
We need accountability and accurate information so the public can be educated on these important decisions moving forward. We want to be involved in how the cleanup progresses so that the current environment and sensitive species are protected as well as the people living below the site. The idea is not to reinvent the process, but to convert the existing PPG to a properly formed CAG with the community driven mechanism for agenda issues with all relevant regulators and responsible parties at the table participating, so transparency and accurate education of the issues can be achieved for all.