Council Calls Rocketdyne Cleanup Plan a Health Risk

Citing public health concerns, the Los Angeles City Council asked the U.S. Department of Energy on Tuesday to block a controversial cleanup plan for low-level radioactive waste at the former Rocketdyne research facility in the Simi Hills.

Council members said they were concerned that the proposed plan would leave 98%, or about 30,000 truckloads, of contaminated soil in place at the 270-acre site between Chatsworth and Simi Valley.

“There is a lot of nuclear waste ... which involves the health of millions of people in the area,” Councilman Hal Bernson said. “The Energy Department has not required the type of cleanup that is necessary to cure the problem.”

Councilman Nate Holden, who sponsored the motion, said the plan could be “catastrophic” for people, increasing the cancer risk, especially if homes are built in the area after the cleanup.

The council also objected that the city was not given proper notice of the plan.