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The 625 acre Sage Ranch is adjacent to the Santa Susana Field Labs but the clean up is unrelated to the two issues at SSFL. Those two issues being the clean up from the 1950's nuclear accident and the second indiscriminate percolate dumping as well as other chemicals from the site testing.
Boeing will fund and conduct the cleanup of the former shooting range area and is currently drafting technical plans for the cleanup tentatively set to begin August 2022.
DTSC, the state department charged with protecting California’s people and environment from dangerous chemicals, will supervise the planning and implementation of the cleanup.
Anticipated dates for key project milestones (pending landowner approval and any required permits) are listed below:
- Consent Order issued – March 17, 2022
- Boeing submits Draft Removal Action Workplan/Implementation Plan – May 16, 2022
- DTSC issues its decision on the Final Removal Action Workplan/Implementation Plan – July 15, 2022
- Commencement of excavation activities – August 1, 2022
- Completion of excavation activities and verification of cleanup goals – October 31, 2022
- Site restoration measures in place – November 21, 2022
- Boeing submits Implementation Report – December 1, 2022
- DTSC issues its decision on the Implementation Report – January 2023
- DTSC approves the Implementation Report and rescinds the Fence and Post Order, allowing the owner to reopen the Loop Trail – Early 2023
If the Removal Action Workplan and Implementation Plan are not approved by July 15, or if necessary third party approvals are not received by August 1, the cleanup will start in late spring 2023.
According to the state Department of Toxic Substances Control
- 31 acres of the 625 acre park were contaminated - with lead shot, skeet fragments and clay pigeon.
- The cleanup is being fast-tracked to protect some species of birds that may consume lead shot remnants and that may be eaten by other wildlife, from potential exposure to lead and to allow the
- The entrance to the trail is currently fenced off and closed to the public due to the lead contamination.
- It is the popular hiking area, the Loop Trail, which is closed
Former Shooting Range History and Contamination
- Between 1992 and 2018, Boeing conducted numerous soil, debris, and lead shot voluntary removal actions in the former shooting range area.
- These voluntary cleanup efforts results in the removal of approximately 410 tons of visible lead shot, soil, and debris.
- Between 2007 and 2010, Boeing excavated portions of the former shooting range area closest to the firing platform to remove any remaining clay pigeons and elevated PAH concentrations in response to Orders issued by DTSC and the Los Angeles Regional Water Quality Control Board.
- These excavations resulted in the removal of approximately 7,000 cubic yards of soil and debris.
- During 2016 and 2017 the RCRA Facility Investigation sampling conducted utilized an incremental sampling methodology (ISM) to divide the former shooting range and overshot area into 29 decision units.
- Surficial soil samples within each decision unit were collected and analyzed for lead, PAHs, antimony, and arsenic.
- Discrete soil samples also were collected along the Loop Trail and analyzed for lead.
- Based on concentrations of lead detected near the hiking trail, DTSC required that the trails in the investigation area be fenced off until the impacted soil was removed.
The land is owned by the Mountains Recreation & Conservation Authority
- A joint powers agency comprised of
- Conservancy
- Conejo Recreation and Park District
- Rancho Simi Recreation and Park District
- It was previously leased by a prior owner to the Gun Club, which consisted of employees of Rocketdyne and their families.
- Boeing acquired Rocketdyne as part of its purchase of Rockwell International in 1996.
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