OOPS - Old Burial Site -Reply

[Charles Willis <CAW@nrc.gov>]

Jesse,

There was/is a nuclear site in the Santa Susana hills between the San Fernando and
Semi valleys.  It is about 40 miles west of some parts of Los Angeles, e.g.
Glendora.  The Santa Susana site saw considerable nuclear activity in the days of
yore.  The Sodium Reactor Experiment (SRE) was there and I believe it was
operated for a while by Southern California Edison to produce some electricity for
the grid.  There was an accident in the SRE in 1959 where portions of 12 of the 43
fuel elements melted, releasing about 0.3 percent of the radioactivity; after the
core was replaced the SRE continued operating.  Later, prototype Systems for
Nuclear Auxiliary Power (SNAP) reactors, at least one of them, operated at Santa
Susana.  Some fuel fabrication and other nuclear activities were conducted at Santa
Susana but most of the radiologically "hot" work was done elsewhere, e.g. Idaho
and Oak Ridge.  My impression is that there has been little radiation work done at
Santa Susana, other than clean-up, in the last couple of decades but the people who
work there would know.  The best proof of the radiological safety of the Santa
Susana operation is the now-notorious "Rocketdyne workers study," where despite
the best efforts of the participating anti-nuclear activists, the results were clear: the
Rocketdyne (and Atomics International) workers were healthier than the general
population and were healthier than comparable non-nuclear workers.  Since the
radiation workers received far more radiation dose than did people who lived in the
area, there is not cause for concern about radiological effects off-site.  

There is one possible off-site adverse health effect and that is stress resulting from
alarmist proclamations from activist groups.  Gullible people actually can be
frightened by this sort of thing and it is not clear what can be done about it.  

Good luck with your worried resident.  I have no objection to your referring  that
person to me.  I worked at Santa Susana back when the radiological work was being
done there and I am now regulating such activities.  Unfortunately, worried people
rarely  want to talk to anyone who might dash their carefully-nurtured fears.  Still,
we try.

Charlie Willis
caw@nrc.gov
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