Santa Susana Field Lab’s

Wildlife

With more animals crossing

Shouldn’t we make sure it’s safe when they arrive?

The Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing is a massive victory for the wildlife of greater Los Angeles but leads directly to the Santa Susana Field Lab.

After all the efforts to ensure our wildlife is safer from human impacts, mainly the 101 Freeway, shouldn’t we also safeguard wildlife from the toxic chemicals of the Santa Susana Field Lab? There’s no excuse, especially when Boeing can clean up the site to its “background,” aka its natural state.

Obviously, a complete “background” cleanup would cost Boeing a lot more money than their current plan to leave most of the contamination behind, according to their “Settlement Agreement.” According to a year-long investigative report by Reuters, it could cost Boeing hundreds of millions of dollars to do a complete “background” cleanup.

But if Boeing doesn’t clean up all the contamination, how much will it cost to repair the damage to our wildlife? The long-lasting chemicals, toxic metals, and radioactive waste will harm our wildlife, water, and environment for centuries…or longer.

Our wildlife can’t afford that kind of loss. It’s time for Boeing to do the right thing and completely clean up the Santa Susana Field Lab.

Dr. Frank von Hippel
Ecotoxicology professor in the Northern Arizona University Department of Biological Sciences

“If the SSFL property is not safe for people, then it certainly is not safe for much of the wildlife.” 

Sensitive, Threatened, and Endangered Species at the SSFL

FEDERALLY ENDANGERED SPECIES:

  • Bird: Least Bell's Vireo (Vireo bellii pusillus)

  • Butterfly: Quino Checkerspot (Euphydryas editha quino)

  • Plant: Lyon's pentachaeta (Pentachaeta lyonii)

  • Plant: Braunton's milk-vetch (Astragalus brauntonii)

  • Crustacean: Riverside fairy shrimp (Streptocephalus woottoni)

FEDERALLY THREATENED SPECIES:

  • Amphibian: California red-legged frog (Rana draytonii)

  • Crustacean: Vernal pool fairy shrimp (Branchinecta lynchi)

  • Bird: Coastal California gnatcatcher (Polioptila californica californica)

  • Plant: Spreading navarretia (Navarretiafossalis)

  • Plant: California Orcutt grass (Orcuttia californica)

  • Plant: Conejo dudleya (Dudleya abramsii ssp. parva)

  • Plant: Santa Monica Mountains dudleya (Dudleya cymosa ssp. ovatifolia)

  • Plant: Marcescent dudleya (Dudleya cymosa ssp. marcescens)

FEDERALLY LISTED THREATENED SPECIES CANDIDATE:

  • Plant: San Fernando Valley spineflower (Chorizanthe parryi var. fernandina)

CALIFORNIA ENDANGERED SPECIES:

  • Plant: Santa Susana Tarplant (Deinandra minthornii)

CALIFORNIA FISH AND GAME: FULLY PROTECTED SPECIES

  • Mammal: Ring-tailed cat (Bassariscus astutus)

CALIFORNIA SPECIES OF CONCERN

  • Reptile: Coast Horned Lizard (Phrynosoma blainvillii)

  • Reptile: Two-striped Garter Snake (Thamnophis hammondii)

  • Bird: Loggerhead Shrike (Lanius ludovicianus)

  • Plant: Plummer’s Mariposa Lily (Calochortus plummerae): CNPS List 1B species

  • Plant: Slender Mariposa Lily (Calochortus clavatus var. gracilis) CNPS List 1B.2 species

Least Bell’s Vireo

The Santa Susana Field Lab is home to the Endangered Least Bell’s Vireo, a shy songbird.

A study on the Pollution-related changes in diets of two insectivorous passerines is especially relevant to the Least Bell’s Vireo here at the SSFL. In the study, two insectivorous birds were studied, living in areas polluted by a copper smelter. They examined the quality of food the birds gave to their young and their breeding performances. They did not find any differences in feeding frequencies or the amount of food that the parents provided their young. But the food quality was different. They found that heavy metal pollution affects bird’s breeding performances indirectly, due to the food quality given to their young. The study shows the importance of secondary environmental changes, like food quality, in addition to the direct impacts of pollutants.

Our local birds should be protected from the SSFL’s heavy metal contamination, in addition to toxic chemicals and radioactive waste.

Tevin Schmitt
Wishtoyo Foundation Watershed Scientist

“The watersheds surrounding the SSFL are home to sensitive and endangered amphibian species, which are particularly sensitive to endocrine disruptors, metals, and other waterborne contaminants.”

Tevin Schmitt, Wishtoyo Foundation’s Watershed Scientist, discusses the Santa Susana Field Lab and its impact on the local wildlife.