The Santa Susana Field Laboratory (SSFL) is located on 2,850 acres in the Simi Hills, nearly 30 miles northwest of downtown Los Angeles, California, in southeastern Ventura County. The SSFL first opened in 1948, and it became a center for the development and testing of rocket engines for defense and exploration purposes. It was also a test site for advanced energy research programs. SSFL is divided into four "Administrative Areas" and additional undeveloped areas of land to the north and south. Areas I, III, and IV and the undeveloped areas are owned and operated by the Boeing Company. Area II, consisting of 409.5 acres, along with 41.7 acres in Area I, are owned by the U.S. government and administered by NASA. The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has long held a lease on the land in Area IV.
All research and testing activities have ceased at SSFL, and environmental cleanup activities are underway to remove chemicals in the environment that remain from past operations. NASA, Boeing, and DOE are each responsible for cleanup in areas in which they operated historically. California’s Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC) is overseeing the cleanup.
NASA remains firmly committed to achieving a cleanup at SSFL that is protective of public health and the environment, uses the best available science and technology, and preserves the site’s natural, historic, and Native American cultural resources for future generations.
For more information, visit the Cleanup page.
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