I joined over twenty environmental justice groups to protest the California EPA and the California Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC) in Sacramento on Monday. 

We were there to fight the environmental racism of the government agency meant to protect us from dangerous contamination, and to demand they stop protecting polluters and corporate developers instead of people.

My twelve year-old daughter is a two-time cancer survivor and I believe the contamination from the Santa Susana Field Lab (SSFL), one of California’s most toxic sites, caused it. I know that if the site was cleaned, like the DTSC promised us a decade ago, the children in my community would be safe from dangerous radioactive and chemical contamination.

In the middle of the protest we were joined by CalEPA Secretary Jared Blumenfeld and DTSC Director Dr. Meredith Williams. They said how much they appreciate us and understand our pain and frustration. They said they use the strictest cleanup standards and they hold the polluters accountable. 

But that’s not true.

My group has had meetings with DTSC and they keep saying they’re going to change Boeing’s cleanup standards for the Santa Susana Field Lab, called the SRAM2. We keep showing them that changing it would weaken the cleanup by 80% and would delay the cleanup for years. It’s exactly what Boeing wants. It’s exactly what will cause generations of our children to get cancer. The DTSC won't listen to us.

I interrupted Dr. Williams while she spoke at the protest, yelling for her to leave the SRAM2 alone. I drove six hours each way to be heard, I wasn’t going to let the opportunity go.

“I’m afraid you’re not fully up to date on the SRAM2,” Dr. Williams shot back. 

I am though. I’ve been working with experts for months to understand it. And I’ve spent years working with experts to understand the site’s contamination, it’s dangers, and what it would take to protect our kids. 

My kids are at risk of being exposed to dangerous contamination every day. I have a huge vested interest in knowing everything I can about the SSFL and the SRAM2. 

I’m just one of many “citizen scientists” living near contaminated sites across America. We’re residents who have become experts through time, research and experience. Even though we lack degrees, we know what we're talking about. We could be one of the DTSC’s best assets- and we consult for free! Instead we’re patronized and seen as annoyances. 

But even if they won’t listen to us, we know what we’re talking about. 

We’re going to keep pushing for the smartest, safest, and most comprehensive cleanups to protect people. We’ll keep pushing for permits that protect people living in environmental justice communities from toxic waste sites. We'll keep exposing the corruption within the DTSC. We'll keep fighting the environmental racism.

We’ll keep making noise until they finally listen. We refuse to stop until our kids are safe. 

Warmly,
Melissa Bumstead

p.s. to learn more about the protest, the groups that participated, and our site specific demands, please visit www.ej-ca.com