Environment & Health

Environment and Health

The Santa Susana Field Laboratory (SSFL) neighbors a number of local communities and serves as a habitat for native plants and animals. Extensive analysis from multiple federal and state agencies reveals that communities near Area IV are safe. However, there is contamination onsite that needs to be addressed.

A key part of the Department of Energy's mission is to address questions about how DOE protects past, present and future workers, and what the department is doing to monitor and protect the environment and surrounding communities. Learn about environmental monitoring, cultural and biological studies, engagement with the local community and former worker health and safety.

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Worker Health & Safety

DOE protects workers through programs that ensure the health and safety for DOE employees and contractors.

Environmental Monitoring

In the mid-1950s, Atomics International, then a division of North American Aviation, began initial plans for nuclear research at facilities in the west San Fernando Valley. Today, these facilities are known as SSFL.

Community Health Studies

Potential impacts from past nuclear operations at the Energy Technology Engineering Center (ETEC) have been studied though offsite sampling, exposure assessments and community health studies.

Cultural & Biological

Protecting the environment and history of Area IV at SSFL is one of DOE's key goals while conducting site studies and cleanup.