The Santa Susana Field Laboratory (SSFL) is located in eastern Ventura County, California, adjacent to Los Angeles County. The site is comprised of four distinct operational areas with two adjacent undeveloped properties.
The Department of Energy (DOE) is one of three responsible parties, along with The Boeing Company and NASA, charged with cleaning up SSFL. While DOE does not own any land, the department is responsible for remediating Area IV and the Northern Buffer Zone.
From the 1950s to 1988, DOE and its predecessor agencies conducted nuclear and liquid metals research at the Energy Technology Engineering Center (ETEC) site in Area IV, which served as a center for cutting-edge technology development that supported U.S. nuclear and space programs during the Cold War.
In 1988, DOE ended all nuclear research operations at ETEC.
The department has been cleaning up the site for more than 40 years. There were once more than 270 structures in Area IV, but as of October 2021, DOE completed demolition of all above-ground buildings.
DOE has conducted years of careful study and is committed to cleaning up the site so it can be safely enjoyed.
SSFL is a complex of industrial research and development facilities located on about 2,850 acres of land in an unincorporated area of Ventura County in the Simi Hills between Simi Valley and Los Angeles in Southern California.
In 1947, North American Aviation (NAA) bought the first parcel of what today is the roughly 2,850-acre SSFL.
Characterization and cleanup activities at SSFL, including Area IV, are governed by many regulations and various regulators.
A broad range of energy-related research, testing and development projects have been conducted at Area IV (ETEC).
DOE regularly updates this library with the latest information about Area IV at SSFL. These documents, videos and photos are important community resources on characterization and cleanup work, as well as past operations.
View the below links for additional information about SSFL: