[2] SSFL was used mainly for the development and testing of liquid-propellant rocket engines for the United States space program from 1949 to 2006,[1] nuclear reactors from 1953 to 1980 and the operation of a U.S. government-sponsored liquid metals research center from 1966 to 1998.

The first was Rocketdyne, originally a division of North American Aviation (NAA), which developed a variety of pioneering, successful, and reliable liquid rocket engines.

Concerns about the environmental impact of past nuclear energy and rocket test operations, and waste disposal practices, have inspired several lawsuits seeking payments from Boeing.

Several interest groups (Committee to Bridge the Gap, Natural Resource Defense Council, Physicians for Social Responsibility - Los Angeles) and numerous others, are actively involved with steering the ongoing environmental investigation.

Burro Flats Painted Cave, listed on the National Register of Historic Places, is located within the Santa Susana Field Laboratory boundaries, on a portion of the site owned by the U.S.

The location of SSFL was chosen in 1947 for its remoteness in order to conduct work that was considered too dangerous and too noisy to be performed in more densely populated areas.

Later, Rocketdyne designed and tested the J-2 liquid oxygen/hydrogen engine which was used on the second and third stages of the Saturn V launch rocket developed for the moon-bound Project Apollo mission.

The workshop featured three experts – Dr. Paul Pickard of DOE's Sandia National Laboratories, Dr. Thomas Cochran of the Natural Resources Defense Council, and Dr. Richard Denning of Ohio State University – as well as a Q&A and discussion.

[24] The Energy Technology Engineering Center (ETEC), was a government-owned, contractor-operated complex of industrial facilities located within Area IV of the Santa Susana Field Laboratory.

The ETEC specialized in non-nuclear testing of components which were designed to transfer heat from a nuclear reactor using liquid metals instead of water or gas.

After a grand jury investigation and FBI raid on the facility, three Rocketdyne officials pleaded guilty in June 2004 to illegally storing explosive materials.

"[38] Bob Dodge, President of Physicians for Social Responsibility-Los Angeles, said "When it burns and becomes airborne in smoke and ash, there is real possibility of heightened exposure for area residents.

In 2019, Risk Assessment Corporation (RAC) conducted soil sampling surrounding the SSFL, and performed source term estimation, atmospheric transport, and deposition modeling.

"[37][43][44] In October 2006, the Santa Susana Field Laboratory Advisory Panel, made up of independent scientists and researchers from around the United States, concluded that based on available data and computer models, contamination at the facility resulted in an estimated 260 cancer related deaths.

[49][50] The following summarizes in a generally chronological order, key events related to cleanup standards for both land and building structures and associated remedial options.

This was consistent (and less than) NRC’s future 25 mrem/y License Termination Rule[55] and USEPA’s proposed 15 mrem/y dose-based goal for CERCLA remediation sites developed during the late1990s.

In March 2002, the Committee to Bridge the Gap (CBG), the Southern California Federation of Scientists (SCFS) and the Physicians for Social Responsibility - Los Angeles (PSR-LA), sued CDHS,[63] arguing that CDHS cannot adopt 10 CFR 20 Subpart E, and should comply with CEQA and the California APA, conduct an Environmental Impact Report (EIR) and conduct public hearings before adopting safe dose-based decommissioning standards.

[64][65] As of January 2024, twenty-two years later, CDHS (now CDPH) has ignored the Judge’s Order and still does not have a dose-based decommissioning standard or any numerical criteria for license termination of nuclear or radiological facilities.

[70] In May 2007, US District Court Judge Samuel Conti found in favor of the plaintiffs stating that DOE had violated NEPA and should prepare a more detailed Environmental Impact Statement (EIS).

In March 2007, Boeing issued a paper, utilizing EPA data,[73] that detection of radionuclides at a 10−6 risk level for an agricultural land use scenario, was technically infeasible.

In August 2007, DTSC, Boeing, DOE and NASA signed a Consent Order for Corrective Action, outlining planning, risk assessments and schedules for remediation at SSFL.

[88] Perhaps in anticipation of losing the SB 990 lawsuit to Boeing, in December 2010, DTSC “encouraged” DOE and NASA to sign two identical Administrative Orders on Consent (AOCs)[89][90] in which both RPs agreed to (1) clean-up to background, (2) dispense with EPA’s CERCLA risk assessment guidelines, (3) define soil to include building structures, and (4) send all soil (and structures) that exceed background radionuclides to an out-of-state licensed low-level radioactive waste disposal facility.

In October 2020, DTSC and DOE signed an Amendment to Order on Consent for Interim Response Action at the Radioactive Materials Handling Facility (RMHF) Complex.

Use of a risk assessment approach would be consistent with the Grant Deeds of Conservation Easement and Agreements that commit Boeing’s SSFL property, including Area IV and the NBZ, to remaining as open space.

[102] In June 2023, following community input, DTSC issued its Final Program Environmental Impact Report for the Santa Susana Field Laboratory.

[103] DTSC stated that the PEIR was not a decision document (i.e. ROD), but nevertheless made it clear that it still supports the 2010 AOC requirements to cleanup radionuclides and chemicals to background, that is in conflict with DOE’s and NASA’s preferred alternatives in their respective Final EISs.

[107] In August 2022, a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) was signed between Boeing and LARWQCB that describes future storm water management requirements following completion of SSFL soil remediation.

The SSFL CAG recommends that all responsible parties execute a risk-based cleanup to EPA's suburban residential standard that will minimize excavation, soil removal and backfill and thus reduce danger to public health and functions of surrounding communities.

However, SSFL Panel believes the CAG has a conflict of interest, as it is funded in large part by a grant from the U.S. Department of Energy, and three of its members are former employees of Boeing or its parent company, North American Aviation.

In 2021, the three hour documentary In the Dark of the Valley depicted mothers advocating for cleanup of the site who have children suffering from cancer believed to be caused by the contamination.