Extended Agreement Allows for Continued Partnership and Progress at ETEC

U.S. Department of Energy contractors provide oversight of trenching activities in April during the installation of an automated pumping system in the Former Sodium Disposal Facility at the Santa Susana Field Laboratory.

SIMI VALLEY, Calif. - An agreement between the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), state officials and local tribal governments has been extended for 10 years, allowing cleanup to continue at the Santa Susana Field Laboratory (SSFL).

DOE, California State Historic Preservation Officer (SHPO) Julianne Polanco and the Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians signed an amendment to their Programmatic Agreement under the National Historic Preservation Act. The agreement provides a roadmap for making decisions that affect cultural resources at the Energy Technology Engineering Center (ETEC) in Area IV, a 290-acre portion of SSFL.

SSFL is a 2,850-acre former rocket engine testing and nuclear research facility with four operations areas located northwest of Los Angeles, California. DOE's Office of Environmental Management (EM) is charged with cleanup of residual contamination remaining in Area IV.

The amended agreement extends the agreement another 10 years and allows DOE to continue making progress toward cleaning up its portion of SSFL. The agreement, which was developed with input from many interested parties and the public, documents an agreed-upon process to avoid, minimize or mitigate impacts on cultural resources from DOE's cleanup activities. Important cultural resources at ETEC include archaeological sites and a cultural district associated with the practices and traditions of local Native American communities.

Agreements like this ensure that DOE follows the many laws related to environmental cleanup while preserving the rich history of the local area.

"A lot of things go into a successful cleanup - safety, cultural and biological considerations, and community perspectives - and extending this agreement is just one piece of the puzzle that allows us to keep making progress," said Josh Mengers, EM's federal project director for ETEC. "We're gathering input and coordinating with the relevant state and federal agencies so we can keep everyone informed and involved with what's going on at the site."

DOE followed the agreement, which was executed in September 2019, when it completed the above-ground demolition of its 18 remaining buildings, disposal of all waste offsite and installation of several new wells.

More recent progress includes the May installation of a groundwater interim measure system. The automated solar-powered groundwater system was installed near the Former Sodium Disposal Facility and has pumped more than 19,000 gallons of water to date.

"The amended Programmatic Agreement allows DOE to continue moving forward with cleanup activities following a step-by-step process that includes continued coordination with the SHPO, tribal governments and the public," said Karen Foster, cultural resources manager at the ETEC site.

The agreement will help DOE with ongoing groundwater monitoring and interim cleanup actions like removing more than 40,000 gallons of contaminants from the groundwater at ETEC. It will also guide future actions like initiating final groundwater treatment approaches and beginning soil remediation.

Read the agreement and accompanying annual reports on the ETEC website to learn more about DOE's recent activities at SSFL.

-Contributor: Melissa Simon