Simi Hills
Mountain range of the Transverse Ranges in California
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We include updates on Spahn Ranch, Calabasas, California, Bell Canyon, California, Westlake Village, California, California's 30th congressional district, Rocketdyne, California's 25th congressional district, Santa Susana Field Laboratory, Oak Park, California, Conejo Valley, Santa Susana Pass, El Escorpión Park, Chatsworth Peak, Upper Las Virgenes Canyon Open Space Preserve, Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area, Topanga Fire ... and more.
| 2024 |
Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing
Construction work continues, with expected completion by early 2026.
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| 2023 | Plaintiffs petitioned the California Supreme Court to review the case, which was subsequently denied. |
| 2023 | The RAC study report was published, concluding that air measurement data and soil sampling showed no evidence of SSFL impact in offsite soils from the Woolsey Fire. |
| October 2023 | The current National Pollution Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) Permit for the Santa Susana Field Laboratory was issued, regulating surface water discharge limits for radionuclides and chemicals. |
| June 2023 | DTSC issued the Final Program Environmental Impact Report for the Santa Susana Field Laboratory after considering community input, reaffirming support for the 2010 Administrative Order on Consent (AOC) requirements for cleanup of radionuclides and chemicals to background levels. |
| June 2023 | DTSC released a revised version of the draft PEIR with unspecified deletions and additions, the purpose of which was not immediately clear. |
| May 2023 | The California Appeals Court reaffirmed the lower Court's decision, denying the plaintiffs' petition regarding the demolition of buildings. |
| 2022 |
Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing
P-22, the project's original inspiration, died, which further stimulated awareness and fundraising for the wildlife crossing.
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| August 2022 | Boeing and the Los Angeles Regional Water Quality Control Board (LARWQCB) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) detailing future storm water management requirements after the completion of SSFL soil remediation. |
| May 2022 | DTSC and Boeing signed a Settlement Agreement committing Boeing to cleanup chemicals to a residential risk-based garden standard and cleanup radionuclides to background levels in Area I, III, and the southern buffer zone. The agreement was criticized by community groups and local governments for being conducted secretly without public input. |
| April 2022 |
Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing
Caltrans officially begins construction of the wildlife crossing in spring 2022, with initial work focused on relocating public utilities.
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| April 2022 |
Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing
Donations for the wildlife crossing project reached over $87 million, with contributions from more than 5,000 people, foundations, agencies, and businesses.
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| April 22 2022 |
Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing
Groundbreaking ceremony held on Earth Day for the Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing, attended by Governor Gavin Newsom, Wallis Annenberg, wildlife biologists, public officials, and community members.
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| 2021 | A study collecting 360 samples of dust, ash, and soils found that while there was no widespread deposition of radioactive particles, two locations contained high activities of radioactive isotopes associated with SSFL, suggesting limited spread of radioactive microparticles. |
| 2021 | A three-hour documentary titled 'In the Dark of the Valley' was released, featuring mothers advocating for site cleanup due to children suffering from cancer believed to be linked to site contamination. |
| May 2021 |
Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing
The Annenberg Foundation pledged $25 million to the project, contingent on raising an additional $35 million.
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| 2020 | The California Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC) issued a final report concluding that the Woolsey Fire did not cause contaminants to be released from the site into neighboring communities. |
| 2020 |
Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing
Wildlife biologists discover the first evidence of physical abnormalities in the isolated mountain lion population, highlighting the critical need for genetic exchange.
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| October 2020 | DTSC and DOE signed an Amendment to Order on Consent covering the demolition and disposal of eight DOE-owned facilities, mandating that all demolition debris be disposed of out of California to a licensed Mixed Low-Level Radioactive Waste (MLLRW) disposal facility, despite most buildings being confirmed as clean or having no radiological history. |
| September 2020 | NASA issued its Record of Decision (ROD) for the Supplemental EIS, identifying Alternative C (Suburban Residential Cleanup) as the Agency-Preferred Alternative, which did not fully comply with the DTSC 2010 AOC 'cleanup to background' mandate. |
| July 2020 | NASA issued its Final Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for Soil Cleanup Activities at the Santa Susana Field Laboratory. |
| May 2020 | DTSC and DOE signed an Order on Consent for Interim Response Action at the Radioactive Material Handling Facility (RMHF) Complex, requiring all demolition debris to be disposed of outside California at a licensed radioactive waste disposal facility. |
| 2019 | Boeing funded a Risk Assessment Corporation (RAC) study that conducted soil sampling around SSFL and performed atmospheric transport and deposition modeling related to the Woolsey Fire. |
| 2018 |
Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing
The Woolsey Fire burned through the wildlife corridor, significantly impacting the area and necessitating habitat restoration efforts as part of the wildlife crossing project.
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| November 2018 | The Woolsey Fire began at the Santa Susana Field Laboratory (SSFL), burning approximately 80% of the site. The fire raised concerns about potential radioactive material dispersal. |
| November 2018 | The Superior Court of California ruled in favor of the defendants in the demolition debris lawsuit. |
| November 2018 | DOE issued the final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS), which came over 11 years after Judge Conti's original order. |
| 2017 |
Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing
The draft environmental document for the Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing was released, outlining the project's environmental considerations and design details.
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| September 2017 | California Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC) issued its Draft Program Environmental Impact Report (PEIR) for the Santa Susana Field Laboratory, initiating a comprehensive environmental review process. |
| January 2017 | DOE issues its Draft Santa Susana Field Laboratory Area IV Environmental Impact Statement. |
| 2015 |
Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing
The California Coastal Commission granted $1 million to Caltrans for environmental assessment of the wildlife crossing project.
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| 2015 |
Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing
The Resource Conservation District of the Santa Monica Mountains published a design for a wildlife crossing and overpass, aimed at providing a safe passage for animals across a major transportation route.
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| 2014 |
Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing
The California Wildlife Conservation Board awarded a $650,000 grant to the Resource Conservation District of the Santa Monica Mountains for the crossing's design.
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| 2014 |
Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing
The National Wildlife Federation, Santa Monica Mountains Fund, and #SaveLACougars campaign began a funding campaign for the wildlife crossing, inspired by P-22, a mountain lion who survived crossing two freeways.
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| March 2014 | NASA issued its Final Environmental Impact Statement for Proposed Demolition and Environmental Cleanup Activities at Santa Susana Field Laboratory, addressing potential environmental impacts of cleanup efforts. |
| 2013 | Boeing proposed demolishing 6 remaining former radiological buildings in Area IV, which faced significant local resistance. |
| August 2013 | Physicians for Social Responsibility - Los Angeles (PSR-LA) and other groups filed a lawsuit against DTSC, CDPH, and Boeing, challenging the demolition and disposal of building debris. |
| 2012 | The Community Advisory Group's petition was approved. |
| 2010 | Boeing began demolishing 40 remaining non-radiological buildings in Areas I, III, and IV of Santa Susana Field Laboratory, following procedures approved by the Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC). |
| March 2010 | A petition to form a Community Advisory Group (CAG) was denied by DTSC (Department of Toxic Substances Control). |
This contents of the box above is based on material from the Wikipedia articles Santa Susana Field Laboratory & Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing, which are released under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.