The Boeing Company has been in the news for their airplane failures and complete disregard for public safety. But Boeing is hiding more. In the hills just outside Los Angeles is one of California's most toxic sites, the Santa Susana Field Lab, primarily owned by the Boeing Company. The company doesn't want to clean up the dangerous chemicals, toxic metals, and radioactive waste in the soil and groundwater. Instead of paying for a complete cleanup, Boeing has opted to take a cheaper route and hired scientists who are willing to sway the data in favor of Boeing's interests.
The California Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC), in collaboration with Boeing, hosted a Zoom with groundwater scientists Dr. Cherry and Dr. Parker in preparation for DTSC revealing its cleanup plans at the Field Lab...or lack thereof.
Dr. John Cherry and Dr. Beth Parker, told the community during a public webinar that the Santa Susana Field Lab is a "paradox." People might assume the Lab's groundwater would be very dangerous after decades of leaks, spills, and accidents, but surprisingly, Cherry and Parker discovered it's safe. How convenient for Boeing.
But it's not safe. One member of the community testified that his daughter was born with birth defects caused by the same type of contamination found in the Field Lab's groundwater. My daughter is a two-time cancer survivor. She's one of 80 kids in the community with cancer. The soil and groundwater are incredibly contaminated and it's making us sick. Boeing knows, but they care about money more.
In their webinar introductions, Dr. Parker and Dr. Cherry didn’t reveal if they were paid by Boeing for being there. A member of the public asked them to admit if they were in Boeing’s pocket. How much they had been paid for the presentation? How much had they been paid total over the 30 years they had worked for Boeing?
They repeatedly refused to answer. It was shocking.
We were all thinking the same thing- it wasn't independent science. Dr. Cherry and Dr. Parker were presenting exactly what Boeing wanted, asserting that Boeing shouldn’t be required to clean up its groundwater contamination. That certainly is the cheapest way for Boeing, even if it means that people will keep getting sick for a long time.
Will you help?
If you live in Ventura County or Los Angeles you can use our preformmated email form, to contact your County Supervisor and tell them we need a cleanup that will remove all man-made contamination in order to protect the water, wildlife, and people living nearby. It'll take a lawsuit to do that and we need them to act now.