Rocketdyne Environmental Assessment

* I fully agree with your sentiment that residents in the community surrounding the Department of Energy’s (DOE) Energy Technology Engineering Center (ETEC) “deserve a thorough review to confirm that the cleanup efforts are completed satisfactorily and that there is nothing to fear from the site.” (“EIS Warranted at Rocketdyne,” Ventura County editorials, June 4).

Cleanup of ETEC began in the early 1970s, and all of the reactors and other nuclear facilities were decommissioned by the end of the 1980s. More than 99% of the man-made radioactivity generated at the site was removed over a decade ago and properly disposed of as radioactive waste.

We are working closely with the state of California to complete the remaining cleanup activities. Our work has benefited over the past several years from quarterly meetings with state regulators, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency officials and local citizens.

By September, we will begin an environmental assessment. This will determine whether there is enough of an impact from DOE’s plans for ETEC to require an environmental impact statement on alternative ways to complete cleanup. If the need to do so is identified at any point during the environmental assessment’s preparation, an environmental impact statement will be written.

Before any conclusions are reached, we will hold two public meetings, and there will be a 45-day comment period during which anyone can comment on the scope of the assessment. DOE will develop a draft of the environmental assessment that will describe planned activities, appropriate alternative paths and impacts to workers, the public and the environment. The public will then be given a chance to review and comment on the draft.

DOE takes its cleanup responsibilities very seriously. We will restore ETEC to the satisfaction of the community.

JAMES T. DAVIS

Assistant Manager for

Environment and

Nuclear Energy

U.S. Department of Energy

Oakland