BILL ANALYSIS
AB 102
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Date of Hearing: April 14, 2009
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON WATER, PARKS AND WILDLIFE
Jared William Huffman, Chair
AB 102 (Smyth) - As Introduced: January 8, 2009
SUBJECT : Santa Susana State Park
SUMMARY : Requires the Director of the Department of Parks and
Recreation (DPR) to establish the Santa Susana State Park
Advisory Committee no later than February 1, 2012.
Specifically, this bill :
1)Requires the Santa Susana State Park Advisory Committee
(SSSPAC) to be responsible for assisting the department, in an
advisory capacity, to plan for interim and permanent land uses
and facilities.
2)Requires the director to terminate the advisory committee
after the adoption of a general plan for the state park.
3)Requires the director to convene, appoint and select the
members of the advisory committee.
4)Requires the advisory committee to include, but not be limited
to representatives from local, state, and federal agencies,
environmental, historic preservation, and cultural
organizations, museums, educational institutions and
organizations, individuals and private sector entities, and
community-based organizations, including Asian Pacific
American, Chinese American, and Latino community
organizations, and other interested ethnic groups.
5)Requires DPR to coordinate the implementation of the Santa
Susana Field Laboratory (SSFL) project, survey statewide and
community preferences in a range of park services appropriate
for the setting of the SSFL site, and seek input from a
variety of local, state, and federal agencies, and community
based organizations
6)Requires the advisory committee to identify and recommend to
the director priorities for long-range plans for the SSFL site
that meet the needs of Californians and the general public,
including park and recreational facilities and programs
serving residents within communities surrounding the SSFL site
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in Ventura County.
7)Prohibits the transfer of the SSFL property to the state and
prohibits the opening of a park until after the site has been
cleaned pursuant to SB 990 (Kuehl).
8)States that it is the intent of the Legislature to provide
park and recreational opportunities for the Ventura and Los
Angeles region and provide stakeholders with the opportunity
to participate in project planning and development for the
Santa Susana State Park.
9)Makes various legislative findings and declarations.
EXISTING LAW requires DPR to develop, operate, and maintain
State Parks. SB 990 (Kuehl), enacted in 2007, requires the
thorough remediation at the SSFL site for both chemical and
radioactive contamination, as determined by the Department of
Toxic Substance Control, prior to any sale, lease or transfer of
all or any part of the property.
FISCAL EFFECT : Unknown
COMMENTS : This bill directs the director of DPR to establish
the Santa Susana State Park Advisory Committee, which would
assist in the creation of a general plan for a potential state
park on the SSFL site. The SSFL consists of 2,850 acres of land
in eastern Ventura County about 30 miles northwest of downtown
Los Angeles between Simi and San Fernando Valleys. This land is
presently owned primarily by the Boeing Company, with other
parcels owned by the Department of Energy and NASA.
The SSFL was established after World War II by the United States
government to develop and test nuclear reactors and engines for
missiles, spacecraft and rockets. The site was originally
intended as a remote field laboratory to conduct work too
dangerous for populated areas, including rocket and nuclear
projects. The first commercial nuclear-power producing reactor
inside the United States was built at SSFL. The reactor powered
over 1,100 homes in the Moorpark area of California for a short
period of time. SSFL, however, also became home to the first
meltdown of a power-producing reactor in the United States on
July 26, 1959. Today, all nuclear research and most rocket
testing has stopped. At least half a million residents
currently live within 10 miles of the SSFL.
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In 2007 the Legislature passed, and the Governor signed, SB 990
(Kuehl) which requires thorough remediation of the SSFL site for
both chemical and radioactive contamination, as determined by
the Department of Toxic Substance Control (DTSC), prior to any
sale, lease or transfer of all or any part of the property. SB
990 was intended to address the numerous accidents, spills and
releases at the SSFL site over the decades that resulted in
widespread radioactive and chemical contamination of the
groundwater, surface water and soil on the site and the
surrounding area.
This bill explicitly states that a state park would only proceed
after the site has been decontaminated pursuant to SB 990 and
certified by DTSC. Cleanup at the site has not yet begun, and
it is estimated that it will take at least until 2017 to
complete. The parties are still in negotiations as to the
degree of contamination and the level of cleanup required at the
site. Boeing has publicly committed to delivering the SSFL as
an undeveloped open space upon completion of the cleanup,
although Boeing has not committed the land to the state,
federal, or local governments at this time.
The SSFL site does provide critical wildlife habitat to several
species including 70 species of birds, and a 40 mile long
wildlife corridor. The SSFL is also home to historical
artifacts of national importance. In particular, this site is
home to the Burro Flats Painted Cave which contains well
preserved Chumash Tribe pictographs.
Prior Legislation: Last session (07-08), AB 1842 (Smyth), was
introduced, amended, and was held in Assembly Appropriations
Suspense File. The final amended version of AB 1842 is
identical to AB 102 with the exception that AB 1842 required
that the advisory committee be formed by February 1, 2011, and
AB 102 requires the advisory committee to be formed by February
1, 2012.
Issues Committee may wish to address :
Is this bill premature, given the fact that the SFFL
cleanup of the site has not yet begun, and is not expected
to be completed until 2017 or beyond?
What kind of cost pressure does this bill place on DPR,
given the department is already backlogged with maintenance
and repair for parks throughout the state?
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REGISTERED SUPPORT / OPPOSITION :
Support
Valley Industry and Commerce Association (VICA)
Opposition
None on file.
Analysis Prepared by : Lindsey Scott-Fl?rez / W., P. & W. /
(916) 319-2096