Runkle Canyon
Runkle Ranch is the site of a proposed housing development to the west of the Santa Susana Field Laboratory (SSFL). As part of the environmental impact studies for this project, various soil sampling programs have been implemented at Runkle Ranch. These are listed chronologically below.
- Results of Preliminary Soil Sampling at Runkle Ranch in Simi Valley, California, February 1999 for the 550 acre parcel (1.5 MB)
- Final Report - Runkle Ranch Site Investigation - Simi Valley, California, October 1999 (9.1 MB)
- Site Investigation Report of the Western 350 Acre Parcel, September 2003 (3.5 MB)
- Site Investigation Report of the 550 Acre Parcel, September 2003 (5.5 MB)
- Site Investigation Report of the 715 Acre Parcel, September 2003 (4.3 MB)
In April 2005, Dade Moeller and Associates prepared a report for the Runkle Ranch developer evaluating the radiological health risk to people that may live on the property in future residential developments. The report concluded that health risk to future residents is less than one in a million.
In 2005 the California Department of Health Services (DHS) performed soil sampling at the Runkle Canyon locations that had shown the highest levels of strontium-90. All samples were non-detect, and the DHS failed to confirm the prior elevated levels.
In 2006, DHS was asked by the City of Simi Valley to perform a risk assessment of the earth moving operations preliminary to housing construction, and the associated risk from generating airborne strontium-90 contaminated dust.
- DHS Letter to Mike Sedell, Simi Valley City Manager, November 8, 2006. The DHS concluded that "the planned Runkle Canyon site development activities do not pose significant health & safety concerns to nearby residents or to site workers from strontium-90 that has been reported to exist at the site."
In April 2007, DHS responded to a variety of questions from community members.
- Letter from Gary Butner (DHS) to Mike Sedell (Simi Valley City Manager), “DHS Response to Community Questions”, April 10, 2007