DOE's Energy Technology Engineering Center (ETEC) site team reflects on highlights from 2025.
Energy Technology Engineering Center
December 8, 2025
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As we reflect on 2025, the Department of Energy’s (DOE) Energy Technology Engineering Center’s (ETEC) site team continued community engagement, moved into a new office and honored the memory of a longtime staff member.
Other highlights from this past year include site visits from local officials and a social media influencer, and ongoing progress related to groundwater, soil and air monitoring activities at the Santa Susana Field Laboratory (SSFL).
Read about these activities below.
Cleanup Champion
The first quarter of 2025 brought somber news when the ETEC team learned about the passing of Stephanie “Stephie” Jennings, who dedicated more than a decade to cleanup efforts at SSFL as the former federal project deputy director. Jennings will be remembered for her more than 40-year career in environmental remediation project management. Read about Jennings’ legacy.
Site Visits
Throughout the year, DOE hosted a number of site visits at SSFL, including one for local officials and another for a social media influencer.
In May, Simi Valley City Councilmember Joseph D. Ayala, Simi Valley City Manager Samantha Argabrite, and Rancho Simi Recreation and Park District Director Eric Lundstrom came to the site to learn about its history, DOE’s past operations and ongoing cleanup. Read about their visit.
Social media influencer Andrew Walker returned to the site in July to collect footage for a video about DOE’s System for Nuclear Auxiliary Power (SNAP) program. He toured the basement of Building 4024, also known as the SNAP Environmental Test Facility, to see where research and development was conducted, including SNAP-10. Read more about the SNAP program.
Community Commitment
The ETEC team moved into its new office at 980 Enchanted Way in Simi Valley in January, kicking off the year with a fresh start in a new space. Remaining local was paramount to the team’s commitment to stay close to SSFL and remain part of the community it serves.
Engagement continued with the public scoping meetings held in March for the Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (SEIS) for cleanup at SSFL. The SEIS builds on the 2018 Final Environmental Impact Statement that includes cleanup alternatives for soils and groundwater and building removal at ETEC. Read about the SEIS meetings.
Additionally, DOE hosted a booth at the Simi Valley street fair in May. DOE was among nearly 400 vendors that participated in the event that draws thousands of community members. The fair is an opportunity for the ETEC team to share about the work at SSFL and hear from the public. Read about the street fair.
Ongoing Progress
DOE is continuously monitoring groundwater, soil and air conditions at the site as part of the ongoing efforts to remediate SSFL.
In August, an innovative groundwater remediation pilot study was started at SSFL. Known as in-situ biological and chemical reduction, the study involves injecting amendments into the ground that create a reductive environment in-situ (or in-place) to stimulate natural degradation of the contaminants present. Read about the pilot study.
Additionally, DOE has conducted several soil sampling events to collect data for total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPH), method reporting limits (MRL) and backfill sources. The TPH study was performed to address a data gap for a specific group of chemicals, while the MRL study aimed to understand the contaminant concentrations an instrument can reliably detect and report. Backfill sampling tests potential sources for material to replace any soil that may be removed during cleanup. Read about soil sampling events.
Air monitoring began in 2018 to establish the baseline level of particulate matter, volatile organic compounds and radionuclides at SSFL. That baseline helps distinguish between what is naturally occurring or what was previously present and if remediation activities might impact those levels. Read about air monitoring.