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29 April 1988 In reply refer to 88RC0510 0

NASA HeadquartersCode NXGWashington , DC 20546

Attention : Hr . Michael 3 . Green

Subject : Preliminary Assessment/Hazard Ranking Scoring for NPL :NASA Area I I

Gentlemen :

This communication is to acknowledge the NASA transmittal date dApril 11, 1988 concerning the review of the P reliminary Assessment ofthe Hazardous Ranking Scoring for the Rockwell InternationalCorporation . Rocketdyne Division ' s Area II at the Santa Susana FieldLaboratory .

It is Rocketdyne ' s current understanding (following your discussionwith Environmental staff member Norma Fujikawa ) that NASA will forwardthe eleven ( 11) volumes of documentation plus the enclosed PA/HRS tothe EPA with the Rocketdyne responses to your comments attached . Asmentioned , Rocketdyne is in the p rocess of having more copies of theentire response package rep roduced and will send you a full set foryour files once the task is completed .

Attached is Rocketdyne ' s clarification of data in the PreliminaryAssessment and Hazardous Ranking System reports as well as anothercopy of each as you have requested .

BNA 6091 5

CONFIDER'T1At

Sta-os District C, --' 'Ft flip i ;Fa G .. :e ,i..! C: : ; :e3fic 3 I~' C• ;Yt ; =t''y Sias

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Should you have any questions concerning the submittal, please contactMrs . Norma Fujikawa at (818 ) 700-5714 or Mr. Gene Matsushita at(818) 700-6112 .

Very truly yours ,

ROCKWELL INTERNATIONAL CORPORATIONRocketdyne Divisio n

SQL4 .._S . R . Laf 1 m, ManagerEnvironmental Uni tFacilities & Plant Operation s

SRL/sj-0317 H

Enclosure : Addendum to the PA/HRSGRC Reports 9640 .M30 and 9640 .M31, dated March 3, 1988

cc/w attached clarification letter :1 . Nick Morgan , 215 Fremont St . (7-4-A) San Francisco 941052 . NASA /C . Mueller (A844 )3 . Groundwater Resources Consultants, 1020 So . Euclid, Tucson 8571 9

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ATTACHMENT

ADDENDUM TO THE PRELIMINARY ASSESSMENT/ HAZARD RANKING SCORING FOR NPL :NASA AREA I I

NASA comment :

1 . 'The HRS Report , page 1, last sentence , states ' Potential release ofhazardous substances th rough the air , potential harm from ignitableor explosive substances, and potential harm from direct contact withhazardous substances stored in Area II were not addressed and are notincluded in the final MRS score.' A clarification is needed t oexplain that these factors do not present a p roblem at SSFL .'

Rocketdyne response : The guidelines accompanying the forms to be completedcarried the following statement in the int roduction , page 1 .

'The goal of the pro-remedial phase applies to both the PA and the SI andinvolves :

1 . gaining a better and more rounded understanding of the nature of thethreat posed by a site ;

2 . if the site does pose a threat, developing data to correctly scorethe site using the Hazard Ranking System ( MRS) ;

3 . identifying sites that require immediate response .

The PA and SI are limited to determining if the site ever handledhazardous substances and if they have released or have the potential torelease into the environment . '

Additionally , this was followed on page 3, where recommended exemptionsfrom further actions were cited and these included : ' release is fromnatural or synthetic petroleum natural gas p roducts . '

Rocketdyne tests rocket engines for the United States government inArea II . The technology utilized at these test stands has been publicknowledge for decades , and the safety systems have been in place to limitany pressure excursions to minimize potential releases to theenvironment . Any accidents are reported to the responsible agencies .Rocketdyne has had an excellent safety record . Potential re lease or-potential harm would involve a very unusual set of circumstances that,under normal operating procedures , would never take place .

There are no unpermitted releases to the atmosphere . Rocketdyne ispermitted by the Ventura County Air Pollution Cont ro l District todischarge its engine combustion products to the air within the limits of a-specified maximum for those engines in the Alfa and Bravo areas using akerosene ( i .e . petroleum ) based fuel and liquid oxygen ; the Coca tes t

CONFIDENTIAL - UNDER PROTECTIVE ORDER. UnttadStates District Court for the Central Dis-mcc of aohcNo . CV 97.1554,

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stand utilizes hydrogen and oxygen and only generates steam ; the Deltatest stand was last used in the early 1970s and was dismantled in 1992 .The results of soil testing at Delta and at the P ropellant Load Facility(PLF) have been p rovided in the Hydrogeological Assessment Report . AtPLF, there is no engine testing : the storable propellants are loaded intothe fourth stage of the Peacekeeper missile .

Additionally , the SSFL facility has weathered earthquake temblors quitewell because of its solid rock foundation ( the Chatsworth Formation, goingdown at least 600 feet ) while the neighboring valleys (the San Fernando .and Simi ) have sustained noticeable damage , as in the 1271 Sylmar and 1987Whittier Fault events . In summa ry, add ressing the matter as proposed Inthe guidelines , Rocketdyne believes that the site does not pose a threatwith respect to potential releases of hazardous substances th rough the airor potential harm from direct contact with hazardous substances stored inArea It .

With respect to fire and explosion , the instructions under 7 . 0, page 49, FIREAND EXPLOSION , state : ' Compute a score for the fire and explosion mode ,SFE, when either a state or local fire marshall has ce rtified that thefacility presents a significant fire or explosion threat to the public or tosensitive environments or there Is a demonstrated firs and explosion threat .based on field observations ( e .g ., combustible gas indicator readings) . . .'No such certification of threat has been issued to Rockstdyne ; on thecontrary , the local fire departments have requested (and received ) the help ofthe Rocketdyne Fire Department in training their personnel .

NASA comment :

2 . 'The PA form has several blank compartments within Part 3,Description of Hazardous Conditions and Incidents . An entry , such as'None Observed or Alleged, ' would indicate that these topics havebeen considered . '

Rocketdyne response :

Rocketdyne has addressed this subject in the answer to-NASA's firstcomment . The record should state , 'Rocketdyne has p rovided the records/documentation of any /all hazardous conditions and incidents to theregulatory authorities during the active period of the site ( from 1948 tothe present time) . The specific references to waste characteristics andmaterials that have been used at the site have been documented In theHydrogeological Assessment Report which was submitted as part of thereferences accompanying the PA/HRS . '

NASA comment :

3 . "According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), feedstockslisted in the Appendix to the PA forms need to be identified in PartII, Section V, if present on the facility . Please review this itemto ensure that the appropriate information is being provided . "

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Rocketdyne response : The record should state the following data in the PA, .Part 2-Waste Information , Item V., Feedstocks : 'There are no chemical processplants in Area iI and none of the listed feedstocks are used to support the .rocket engine testing that is performed in Area II . '

NASA comment :

4 . '1n Section IV, Hazardous Substances , hydrazine is identified as anorganic substance . The proper designation should be an inorganicsubstance . "

Rocketdyna response : Hydrazine has been listed as an organic substance in the"Handbook of Chemistry and Physics,' but the authoritative text, 'TheChemistry of Hydrazine' by Audrieth and Ogg , views hydrazine in thehydronitrogen series, and inorganic from that viewpoint . It should bedesignated as an inorganic substance with -the category identification of IOC .

CONFIDENTIAL - UNDER PRO F ~IilE C?Ft!?! R niters

Statos District Cou rt for tha Contral Dnstroct of CantarlLa

No, CV 97=1554, - ._ .

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2 May 1988DAT D/292 RUTGOING CORRESPONDINCE

OUTDOING LETTER NUMBER

88RC 05100ALLDEN A.L. ACIIALLINAN A. LA23

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DATA NOT.DEWOLF J .DIXON M.T.

-PPINQ W .N/INS J .EZELL W.

FELLER F.FINANCIALFLANAGAN J .FOWLER P .E .FRAMER D .FULLER P.N .

GAONA R.J .GEIGER D.A.GORMAN J .GRIGGS H .K.

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