Rocketdyne Lab Cited for High Mercury Levels
Boeing Co.’s Rocketdyne division has recently been cited for high levels of mercury in the water at its Santa Susana Field Laboratory near Simi Valley.
The Los Angeles Regional Water Quality Control Board notified the company that it had exceeded acceptable levels based on sampling submitted by the company since late 1998, said Steve Lafflam, Rocketdyne’s director of safety, health and environmental affairs.
The contamination is a result of Cold War-era nuclear testing on site. A cleanup effort is underway, and the company hopes by October to have removed mercury-contaminated soil from the location.
Lafflam said the mercury found in the water is not a health threat.
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