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Santa Susana Field Laboratory Consent and Administrative Orders on Consent

Cleanup of soil, groundwater, and related media at SSFL is primarily being conducted under the Corrective Action Program of the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA), which provides a framework to remediate hazardous waste sites in the United States.

RCRA Investigation and cleanup requirements at SSFL are defined in the 2007 Consent Order for Corrective Action (2007 Consent Order). The 2007 Consent Order is the initial agreement that DTSC and the three Responsible Parties (RPs) entered into to define the requirements for investigating contaminated soil and groundwater, and to implement the cleanup at SSFL.

In 2010, NASA and DOE entered into subsequent, separate Administrative Orders on Consent (AOCs) with DTSC that establish the process to investigate and clean up soil to a background standard. The AOCs apply to the areas of cleanup for NASA (Area II and a small portion of Area I) and DOE (Area IV) and are regulated under the State Superfund Authority, specifically Chapter 6.8 of Division 20 of the California Health and Safety Code. Both the NASA AOC and the DOE AOC can be found in the SSFL Document Library. Boeing did not sign a supplemental agreement and is not subject to investigation and cleanup of soil to a background standard.

The 2007 Consent Order prescribes the groundwater investigation and cleanup requirements for all of SSFL, and soil investigation and cleanup requirements within Boeing’s administrative areas.

The 2007 Consent Order does not dictate a particular cleanup level for contaminants or radiological contamination. Various disputes between DTSC and Boeing over cleanup levels have long delayed progress at the site.

To put an end to ongoing delays and anticipated litigation, the parties entered into mediation in January 2021.

In May 2022, Boeing and DTSC entered into a Settlement Agreement. As part of the Settlement Agreement, Boeing has agreed not to litigate a stringent risk-based cleanup standard selected by DTSC, up to and including a “resident with garden” standard where soil cleanup levels would be protective for people to live onsite and eat homegrown produce from their backyard. In addition, Boeing agreed to clean up radiological contamination in soil to background levels. The Settlement Agreement also expedites and streamlines the contaminated soil cleanup.

The Settlement Agreement is part of a framework establishing a path for comprehensive soil cleanup protective of human health and the environment. Additional information can be found on DTSC’s Boeing Cleanup Settlement Agreement page.