ETEC Prepares for Final Stage Cleanup

In the early 1960s, the U.S. government established the Energy Technology Engineering Center (ETEC) as a “center of excellence” for liquid metals research, located in Area IV of Santa Susana Field Laboratory in the southeast corner of Ventura County, California. All nuclear energy activities and research within Area IV ceased in 1988 and DOE shifted its focus to facility decontamination and demolition (D&D), and environmental cleanup.  So far, DOE has safely demolished more than 250 buildings at the site and has successfully performed major soil and groundwater remediation activities at key locations. Remaining cleanup includes the demolition of 18 DOE-owned buildings, groundwater remediation, and soil remediation. In 2007, DOE stopped active cleanup when a federal court held that DOE must complete an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) and issue a Record of Decision (ROD) pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act. From 2009-2014, some 10,000 soil samples were collected to investigate the nature and extent of contamination at the site. In December 2018, DOE issued its Final Environmental Impact Statement for Area IV and the adjoining Northern Buffer Zone.  The next step is issuance of a Record of Decision. The Department is ready and eager to begin final stage cleanup.

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