Plans call for removing the U.S. Department of Energy’s last remaining basement at the former Santa Susana Field Laboratory near Simi Valley, as the focus of demolition work shifts underground.
The timeline for that demolition is not yet clear. Officials developed plans over the last year, proposing work to remove the former testing facility and help protect the surrounding area, from controlling dust to preventing stormwater runoff, said Luke Hill, project manager with North Wind, a consultant for the Department of Energy.
“We will be working closely with (California Department of Toxic Substances Control) for all these plans and procedures that we’re putting together,” Hill said during a Jan. 28 community meeting in Simi Valley.
Starting in the 1950s, the federal agency operated a research facility in an area on the 2,850-acre site. Decades later, it is one of several agencies responsible for cleaning up contamination that remains.
The former field laboratory sits on a plateau in the Simi Hills. For years, Boeing and its predecessors, along with NASA and the Department of Energy, worked on research and development, testing rocket engines, small-scale nuclear reactors and chemical lasers at the location. It also was the site of a partial nuclear meltdown in 1959.
A long-delayed cleanup is underway, and Boeing and NASA share responsibility for the work.
What work happened at the Santa Susana Field Lab?
The Department of Energy leased 90 acres within what was known as Area IV.
The work, which ended decades ago, focused on researching nuclear energy and liquid metals, not weapons applications, said Josh Mengers, the department’s federal project director for the site.
Mengers also spoke at this week’s meeting, which launched a new series by the department to provide updates and answer questions on cleanup activities.
At one time, the department had over 270 structures on the site, he said. Along with cleaning up contaminated groundwater and soil, officials must remove structures.
In 2021, the last of the department’s above-ground buildings were demolished. Now, the underground basement, two vaults and building slabs remain, Mengers said.
The decision to focus above ground was made after the Woolsey Fire, which started on the property during fierce Santa Ana winds in November 2018. Officials wanted to make sure those buildings were gone because of the potential risk if another fire burned through the area.
The basement expected to be demolished next was part of the Systems for Nuclear Auxiliary Power or SNAP, program, Hill said this week. It’s also known as Building 4024.
What’s next at the former Santa Susana Field Lab?
The site was used to research small nuclear reactors in a simulated space environment. The program sought a device capable of powering a satellite in space.
The basement extends roughly 35 feet below ground, Hill said. Along with proposals to remove the facility, officials are planning how to deal with dust, contaminated material, excavated rock and other factors. Surveys were done inside and around the building, and officials will study subsurface conditions.
Hill described it as critical to know details from the depth of bedrock and groundwater to the components in the soil.
“We need to understand the subsurface around the building to help us with critical decisions and demolition approach,” Hill said.
Over the next year, officials expect to work with the state’s Department of Toxic Substance Control to review plans. While the timeline has yet to be set, demolition could start by late 2027, Hill said.
More information about the series of community updates is available at energy.gov/etec/connect-series.
Cheri Carlson covers the environment and county government for the Ventura County Star. Reach her at cheri.carlson@vcstar.com.
This article originally appeared on Ventura County Star: Plans call for removing underground facility at Santa Susana Field Lab
Reporting by Cheri Carlson, Ventura County Star / Ventura County Star
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