West Hills Neighborhood Council

Woolsey Fire Interim Air Sampling Report from DTSC

Department of Toxic Substances Control December 2018 Interim Summary Report of Woolsey Fire

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 
The Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC) and a team of federal, state and local agencies evaluated impacts of the Woolsey Fire on conditions at the Santa Susana Field Laboratory (SSFL) site and in communities around the site.  This interim report summarizes work done between November 8 and 30, 2018 to address concerns about the impact of the Woolsey Fire on SSFL and to assess the possibility that the fire caused radionuclides and hazardous chemical waste on the site to migrate into surrounding communities. Over the course of three weeks, the agencies performed field inspections and computer simulations, took measurements and physical samples, conducted monitoring and reviewed available data from existing monitoring stations on the SSFL site and in nearby communities.  Taken together, the observations and data from these investigations provide multiple lines of evidence that no radiation or hazardous materials from SSFL were detected in communities following the Woolsey fire.   Overview  On November 8, the Woolsey Fire burned through a portion of SSFL. The Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC) evaluated the impact of the fire based on reports from fire responders, visual inspection of the site, measurements from hand-held instruments, and laboratory analysis of field samples collected on-site and in surrounding communities. DTSC also requested and received support from a Response Team of federal, state, and local agencies with expertise in evaluating possible releases of radiation and hazardous compounds and potential impacts from fires.  Response Team members confirmed that the SSFL facilities that previously handled radioactive and hazardous materials were not affected by the fire. Additionally, air samplers located adjacent to these buildings collected data during the fire that show radionuclide levels consistent with background levels. Based on the DTSC and Response Team members’ sampling results discussed in this report, all the measurements and analyses indicate that no radiation or hazardous materials associated with contamination of SSFL were released by the fire. The fire did damage portions of the SSFL stormwater collection and treatment systems. According to the Los Angeles Regional Water Quality Control Board, which oversees management and control of stormwater at SSFL, The Boeing Company took actions to prevent ash, debris, and stormwater from leaving the SSFL site and to ensure that surface water runoff samples were collected in the event there was a discharge at any of the outfall sampling locations.  While DTSC has completed its data collection and analysis, several Response Team members are still waiting for validation of some of their laboratory data. In the interest of contributing to this interim report, the Response Team members have provided summaries and conclusions based on their available, validated data and results. Once all their data has been validated and received, DTSC will incorporate the remaining data and issue an updated final report. This report includes:  A description of the role and work performed by members of the Response Team in assessing the impact of the Woolsey Fire on SSFL  A description of the methods and tools used for data collection  Summaries of the measurements, sampling data, and dates and locations where data were collected  Response Team analyses conducted to evaluate potential impacts  Maps showing sample data locations and the Woolsey Fire burn area in relation to SSFL  All data from soil, ash and air samples collected at SSFL and in surrounding communities (provided in attachments to the report).

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