Parents Against SSFL is suing the California Department of Toxic Substances Control over the Santa Susana Field Lab (SSFL), along with Physicians for Social Responsibility - Los Angeles, and Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER).
The SSFL is one of California’s most toxic sites, yet over 800,000 people in Los Angeles and Ventura Counties live within ten miles of it. Because my daughter has fought cancer twice, I know firsthand why a complete cleanup is needed to protect our children. Our kids deserve to grow up safe from the daily threat of exposure to toxic and carcinogenic contamination. Their health and quality of life matter more than Boeing’s profit.
The Boeing Company signed health-protective agreements with DTSC to clean up the SSFL by 2017. They didn’t even start. Instead, five years after the cleanup was to be completed, Boeing and DTSC signed a new “Settlement Agreement.” It allows Boeing to leave 95% of the contaminated soil behind, polluting the air and local drinking water with toxic, “forever” chemicals.
The Settlement Agreement didn’t follow the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). The deal was negotiated behind closed doors, without any public or local government input. That’s why we’re suing. If we win, it will force the DTSC and Boeing back to the drawing table, giving us a chance to demand a cleanup that will protect our community, our local wildlife, and our drinking water.
We’ll need to raise over $25,000 for the lawsuit. As of right now, this lawsuit is the only chance we have to get back the cleanup.
Will you help with a donation that will help protect our families from the greed of Boeing and the corruption of the Department of Toxic Substances Control? In advance, thank you. We couldn’t do this work without supporters like you.
Warmly,
Melissa Bumstead and Jeni Knack
Lawsuit Press Release | See the complaint | Look at the supporting brief | Examine deficiencies in Boeing’s cleanup deal | Read Lawrence Yee’s statement