Banned from Boeing? Post-Woolsey Fire Edition (Updated)

[Last Updated 4/23/19 5:12 PM PT—Boeing official response added]

I was excited to celebrate Earth Day by taking a community hike at Santa Susana Field Laboratory, a former rocket engine and energy test center that was both historic and controversial.

I hadn't visited it since I took the public bus tour in 2014.

Photo: circa 1990, U.S. Department of Energy (Public Domain, via Wikimedia Commons)

I'd signed up for several "Rocket Walks" since then, but could never seem to wake up early enough to drive the 50 miles to the Santa Susana Mountains to get there in time for a early start. But today was different, probably because I was particularly curious to see the site in the aftermath of the Woolsey Fire.



But when I was driving up Woolsey Canyon Road towards the Boeing security checkpoint, I was greeted by masked protestors telling me to "turn back."



I stopped and said hello to each group of them, requesting a photo and asking why they were telling would-be hikers not to "support" Boeing by participating in its Earth Day activities. "Give me your pitch," I said.



I, of course, knew the dangers—having already visited five years ago and having (perhaps stupidly) spent time in Chernobyl in 2017. But all they could do was tell me that it wasn't safe—and that if I insisted on going, I should wear a mask (they provided one that's perfectly suitable for dust but not radioactive material), wash my clothes as soon as I got home, and leave my shoes outside the door.



Of course, they're right. And I believed the local woman who told me about her own health issues, as well as those of her daughters. The decades of thyroid cancer, autoimmune diseases, mystery illnesses—it's all pretty well documented.

Photo: Santa Susana Community Tours

In fact, the Santa Susana site is so contaminated that I can't think of a better place to focus on for Earth Day. The event was promoted under the premise of transparency. Boeing supposedly wants to share its progress on the cleanup and update the status of wildlife and vegetation.

Photo: Parents against Santa Susana Field Lab Nuclear Disaster Facebook group

Having gotten my attention while so many other cars sped past me with my hazards on, the protestors begged me not to go. I told them not to worry: "They're probably not going to let me in anyway."



Because although I'd received my confirmation email three days ago, when I logged in to double-check the address earlier this morning, I discovered yet another email in my inbox.



This one, from two days ago, read, "We host separate site tours for community members and media representatives.  Since you are a KCET contributor, please follow up with our Environmental Communications focal...so you can schedule a media tour in the future."



I thought that was curious, since I wasn't attending as a media representative and definitely hadn't been assigned a story about the hike or Santa Susana in general. My KCET column is pretty fluffy—goat yoga, coffee culture, superblooms, and the like—and therefore innocuous.

You'd think, anyway.

I replied to their email—but it was so early in the morning, I suspected they might not receive it right away. So, I decided to show up anyway and try to clear up what must've been a simple misunderstanding.

But when I got there, my name wasn't on the list at the security checkpoint. The officers had me proceed past the kiosk and pull my car over.

One called the Boeing rep from Environmental Community Relations on his walkie. When he gave her my name, she responded, "Can you call me?"

When he returned to my car after calling her, he said, "They told me not to let you in."

There was a bit of back-and-forth after that, but it was clear that there was no getting in. So, I turned around and drive back past those protestors.

They nodded knowingly when I said that I was turned away for being "media."

Boeing couldn't possibly be blacklisting me because they didn't want journalists showing up, could they?

I mean, after all, everybody's a blogger or some kind of social media influencer these days. And although my Avoiding Regret readers are loyal, there's not a staggering number of them.

Boeing's confirmation email even encouraged photography and promoted the hashtag #SantaSusanaOpenSpace.

So what are they hiding? What would I, as a writer (or "media" person), pick up on that members of the general public would not?

What didn't they want me to see or hear?

What didn't they want me to tell?

The secret's already out about the Sodium Reactor Experiment nuclear meltdown of 1959 (one of the fourth-worst nuclear accidents in all of history, Ed 4/24/19: Though there's some dispute on how bad it was, and whether it was a meltdown, accident, incident, or intentional release of radioactive material).

And then there's the subsequent illegal disposal of nuclear waste.

What else could there possibly be?

Here's what I know from the internet:

• The Boeing Company has lined up a number of "third-party allies," including a Pennsylvania-based conservation management organization called North American Land Trust—a 501(c)(3) non-profit that holds a perpetually binding Conservation Easement on the property. 
• Boeing has been certified by another 501(c)(3) non-profit—a DC area-based conservation organization called Wildlife Habitat Council, which works with corporate landowners to use their holdings in a way that's sensitive to wildlife.
• Other organizations working with Boeing include Santa Susana Mountain Park Association, San Fernando Valley Audubon Society, Southwestern Herpetologist Society, Pollinator Partnership (which has conducted onsite studies), and the Chumash and Tataviam Native American Tribes. 
• Boeing isn't the only landowner of the former Rocketdyne site, but it's the only one to commit to permanently conserving its holdings (2,400 acres) as open space. NASA and the Department of Energy have put their parcels up for sale.
• There has been a movement to establish the site as a National Historic Monument, but no updates are available.
• Most documents and position statements available online are from 2013-17. There's nothing on the California Department of Toxic Substances Control's SSFL Document Library for 2018. It's hard to know exactly what's happening now and what's been decided—but originally, the SSFL was already supposed to be cleaned up by 2017.
• The public comment period for the the DTSC's Draft Environmental Impact Report has closed. Not sure when the final report will be released.

Meanwhile, the air quality report from 2Q 2018 shows that concentrations of at least one volatile organic compound—ethylbenzene, a possibly carcinogenic solvent used in the production of styrene—were higher at SSFL than what the EPA recommends for a residential area.

Levels of radioactive particles (a.k.a. radionuclides, like plutonium, radium, and uranium) were tested by collecting samples from glass fiber—but their method of testing introduced interference in all samples, which created a low bias in the results. 

According to publicly available materials, there are two prevailing concepts that are largely informing Boeing's approach to the cleanup:

1. That the contamination is isolated to the site, and therefore
2. That the cleanup only needs to be held to the standards of an "occasional use" open space.

And there are two problems with those arguments:

1. As we know from Chernobyl, radioactive material does, in fact, drift—with wind (which Santa Susana has plenty of), rain, and the resulting runoff. Polluted water pools at the lowest spot, which is both the "Southern Buffer Zone" (where the hike was held) and the neighboring communities below. Tests in surrounding communities have found Rocketdyne-associated contamination in groundwater and soil samples.
2. People are already living so incredibly adjacent to the SSFL site—not the least of which are two mobile home communities, Summit and Mountainview Estates, both since 1979. A more recent addition includes the "upscale" and "prestigious" residential subdivision of Woolsey Canyon View Estates. The home closest to Boeing's security kiosk is a mere 1.1-mile drive away—or 0.7 miles as the crow flies.

For Boeing's position, you can read their Backgrounder sheet and one-pager on the EIR.

To hear the protestors' side of the story, you can visit the websites of such community-based alliances as Santa Susana Field Laboratory Work Group, Protect Santa Susana from Boeing, and Rocketdyne Cleanup Coalition.

I wish Boeing had given me the chance to see the recovery myself. I'd love to see some birds and lizards and plants and bees up there.

But maybe I dodged a radioactive bullet by being unceremoniously ejected from the site.

Nevertheless, it raises a bright, red flag.

Update 4/23/19: 

Boeing Communications responded to my inquiry today with the following:



In part, it reads:

We host media events separately in order to be able to give reporters our complete attention and answer questions they have. In this case, because you are a member of the media and your personal blog is referenced on KCET’s website – the Santa Susana team provided you with the same guidance they shared with other reporters: that this tour was for community members only and that you would need to coordinate with Communications for a future media visit.  

This event was focused on allowing community members the opportunity to see the conservation efforts underway and take advantage of the significant progress that has been made to clean up the property in order to make it safe for visitors and wildlife to thrive. In fact, Boeing is committed to completing a cleanup that is fully protective of human health and the environment, consistent with Santa Susana’s future as open space habitat.

I guess that means a writer can't be a member of the community—no matter what they write about.

And I guess that means they must be Googling the names of all the registrants to make sure they're not "reporters."

This post will continue to be updated as new information comes in. 

Related Posts:
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Photo Essay: The First-Ever Public Tour of Blue Cloud Movie Ranch

If anything will perk up my ears, it's hearing that any particular place is "never open to the public"—except this one time.



Such was the case with Blue Cloud Movie Ranch in Saugus, which offered its first-ever public tour through the Santa Clarita Cowboy Festival this year.



To be considered an official "movie ranch," a production facility needs to be at least 50 contiguous acres and have a buffer zone between it and the local residential area. Blue Cloud has 250 acres that are located in a wilderness area, partially bordering Los Padres National Forest and the City of Santa Clarita's Haskell Open Space.



It first opened for business in 2001 under the leadership of movie actor and stuntman Rene Veluzat—a member of the Veluzat family, who's got the Santa Clarita movie ranch market cornered. He sold it to new owner Dylan Lewis in 2015. 



Lewis and his team has renovated and expanded Blue Cloud Movie Ranch since that time...



...including adding a 3,000-square-foot mission-style church.



Eventually, it will anchor a town plaza-themed set...

...because what center of town doesn't have some kind of church?



The exterior could easily double as California...



...or Mexico.



But once you pass through those big wooden doors and go inside...



...it's more of a blank canvas, waiting to be dressed by production designers and set decorators.



Like the rest of the sets on the ranch, there's no potable water and no electricity (though it's wired for it, so productions can bring in their own generators).



One of the most famous sets at Blue Cloud Ranch is the insensitively-named "Third World Town"...



...where we saw Tony Stark as Iron Man come "to the rescue" [click for clip] in Afghanistan.



This set also functioned as Afghanistan for an episode of HBO's True Blood...



...although it's designed to portray the bustling side streets of any traditional Middle Eastern town (or even Mexico or Asia).



And because of its remote location, excessive noise (like explosions and helicopter landings) is permitted from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. As well, production companies can film here 24/7.



Clint Eastwood's production of American Sniper chose this set to portray an Afghan village...



...where Navy SEAL Chris Kyle (portrayed by Bradley Cooper) dines with a family of insurgents...



...and discovers a cache of weapons in the floor [click for clip].



As soon as it starts to seem real, you turn a corner and you're reminded that it's all just a Hollywood set.



However, one of two fully functional military base simulations at Blue Cloud—Forward Operating Base #1—is as authentic as any Middle Eastern "training towns" I've seen on real bases.



Between the tents, barracks, offices...



...guard towers, and other military infrastructure, it feels like you're right on the front lines.



Given Blue Cloud's proximity to undeveloped land—its oak trees and scrub oaks located on the Ranch are protected by state law—it can't exactly dig through the natural landscape if it needs a tunnel.



So, it built a free-standing culvert...



...that leads to a labyrinthine cave system that feels underground but is entirely above ground (and artificial, like everything else).

Visiting Blue Cloud Movie Ranch feels like stepping back in time—before LA was overcrowded and everything was owned by just a handful of corporations.

It's nice to see an independently-owned movie ranch thriving. Especially when the ones in the San Fernando Valley, Simi Hills, and Santa Susana Mountains got crowded out (or burned down).

But movie ranches like Blue Cloud do feel like an endangered species.

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Photo Essay: Bridging the Gap Between Northern and Southern California

If nothing else, the construction of the "Ridge Route" mountain highway connected Southern California to our neighbors to the north. Some say that California might've split into two different states (North and South) without it.

That's why the Ridge Route Communities Museum and Historical Society, founded in 1996 and relocated to Frazier Park in 2003, covers all of the areas north of Castaic and south of Bakersfield.



Those mountain communities lie within the borders of three separate counties (Ventura, LA, and Kern) and across two national forests (Angeles and Los Padres, the latter formerly known as Pine Mountain Forest Reserve and Santa Barbara National Forest).

circa 2015

Driving on the Ridge Route is one thing—and was my bucket list item—but I wouldn't have known about it in the first place, had I not stopped to gawk at the museum's replica of a 1920s-era gas station.

circa 2015

One like this would've been located somewhere along the Ridge Route—in fact, in several places along the highway, since the harrowing ride necessitated services being available around every curve.

circa 2015

Gas would've been hand-pumped by a station attendant, who'd feed it into your Model T's gas tank by gravity.

circa 2015

And a mechanic would've been standing by—maybe under a shade tree—to fix a flat, faulty wiring, or anything else that kept you going on your merry way.

circa 2015

It turns out that the Ridge Route Communities Museum also functions as a repository for relics from the lost businesses of the Ridge Route—like the lampposts from the Spanish Colonial Revival-style Lebec Hotel, which burned and was razed in 1971.



Traveling on the Ridge Route now requires a good imagination—because you're pretty much only looking at where gas stations, rest stops, and hotels used to be.



The collection at the Ridge Route Communities Museum makes the memories of those lost businesses more tangible—even if just through broken shards from Caswell's or Sandberg's Summit Inn.



The Ridge Route may be abandoned now...



...but once upon a time, it was hopping.



On the museum grounds, you can even spot remnants of the road itself—historical "C" markers, put in place by California Highway Commission to provide survey points and mark the right-of-way. These markers were representative of the program to expand transportation services across the country.

circa 2015

You can also see antique equipment that was used in the building of the Ridge Route...

circa 2015

...including a cement mixer used from 1915-25 that was drawn by mules...



...with a drum that was run by 2-cylinder gas engine.

circa 2015

Other industrial relics onsite speak more to the communities surrounding the Ridge Route, rather than the route itself...

circa 2015

...including a horse-drawn "sulky plow," the riding plow that replaced walking plows when it was invented for John Deere in 1875.

circa 2015

Knobs, spigots, and wheels abound, with no obvious purpose...



...though some make for some mighty fine decoration.

circa 2015

You can also see the log cabin of the first non-Native American settlers at the Ventura/Kern county line, just west of Frazier Park.

circa 2015

The Cuddy family established the Lake of the Woods area—named by Mrs. Florence Hollenbeck Cuddy—although the reservoir "lake" has since been emptied.

circa 2015

These communities may have outlived this "dead" or "ghost" highway, but they might never have been established without it.

Maybe one day the 5 Freeway will become obsolete—either because we need even more lanes or because we're flying over it or tunneling under it.

And there's still talk of splitting California into two (or three) states.

So who knows what the future will bring?

I'm still trying to understand the past.

Related Posts:
Photo Essay: The Forgotten Highway Between LA and Bakersfield
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