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On September 5, the California legislature finally passed SB990 to clean up the radioactive waste at the Rocketdyne test site in the Chatsworth hills area. The Santa Monica Mountains chapter, led by Dorothy Reik, and aided by Marcy Winograd and the Los Angeles chapter, was instrumental in creating a groundswell of support that finally overcame the dissent of Rocketdyne and Boeing. These two corporations have managed to stop its passage for years.
When Reik learned that SB990 was moving to a vote in the Assembly, she swung into action, creating an action alert that was distributed throughout the state of California using the PDA network. CA PDA members did their part—contacted their Assemblymen and women, passed the alert on to friends and family, and drummed up constituent support to pass the bill. It worked!
This is no small victory. This clean-up will make a real difference in the lives of the people who live in this community now and for generations to come. It serves to remind us that committed people can make an important difference when we unite behind a common cause.
To show appreciation for PDA’s assistance, Assemblywoman, Julia Brownley of the 41st AD sent the following letter:
“I want to take this opportunity to publicly thank all my Progressive friends whorallied in support of SB 990, Senator Sheila Kuehl’s legislation to cleanup the highly-contaminated former Rocketdyne engine testing site in the Chatsworth hills to the very highest EPA standards.
For decades, radioactive and chemical waste was recklessly disposed of on this site, with wind, rain, and runoff dispersing it great distances. Boeing, the current property owner, has fought every effort to clean up to the site properly, promising instead a level of cleanup that would leave 99% of the contaminants behind, with residential development a possible future use.
It was thrilling to be a part of getting SB 990 passed out of the Assembly, and it is now headed for the Governor’s desk.
Special thanks to Dorothy Reik and Marcy Winograd of the Progressive Democrats of the Santa Monica Mountains, and to Tim Carpenter and his great leadership of the Progressive Democrats of America. They grabbed this bill and their network mobilized at light speed to help gather the needed votes in the Assembly.
Senator Kuehl has carried bill after bill over the years to try and have this site cleaned up, but Rocketdyne and Boeing kept killing it. The success this time could not have happened without the passionate advocacy from the community.
Once again, Progressives rock!”
Julia Brownley, Assemblywoman, 41st AD
“Proud Progressive!”
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