Santa Susana nuclear accident

[Jim Eshelman]

July 13, 1959, time unknown, Santa Susana Field Laboratory, Simi Hills, CA 34N13'51", 118W14'47"

Some people call this the worst nuclear disaster in U.S. history, with many of the details covered up. NBC in LA did an in-depth investigation (you can find it online easily) and found the situation was far worse than previously reported. Some hyper-sensational "expose" sites have more dramatic versions of the story, but the NBC/LA reporting is probably the most credible.

The gist is: From this location (formerly and famously called Rocketdyne), leaks began July 1, 1959 that accelerated until they reached crisis level July 13 1959. At that point, the plant (under U.S. contract) began releasing excess radiation in to the atmosphere - which they did for weeks - across the densely populated San Fernando and Simi Valleys and adjacent areas. It wasn't made public. Some assessments say it regionally accelerated cancer rates by 60%.

I thought I should work this one up so we can compare it to Three Mile Island and Chernobyl. I'll use noon as a convenient time. (I'll take this from the public release of radiation July 13, not the start of the crisis June 1.)

Year: Capsolar {+1? +2?}
Sun on WP 1°23'
Neptune on N 1°53' [sq. non-foreground Uranus 1°36']
Venus [and Sedna] more widely foreground
Moon-Mercury sq. 1°48'

Bridge {+2}
t Neptune sq. Capsolar Asc 0°44'
t Uranus co. CanQ Moon 0°50'

Quarter: Arisolar (Silent.) Moon-Saturn.

Month: Caplunar (6/22) {+2}
Saturn on Dsc 2°48'
-- Jupiter-Saturn sq. 1°19' PVP

Week: Canlunar (7/6) {-1}
(Possibly this chart deserves a high score because it was a week they seemed to have it more under control.)
Venus on MC 0°03'
Jupiter on Asc 1°14'
Mars on Z 0°53'
Pluto widely foreground
-- Mars-Jupiter sq. 0°43'
-- Venus-Jupiter sq. 1°16 M
-- Venus-Saturn sq. 2°49' PVP

Week: Liblunar {+2}
Saturn on IC 1°01'
Moon-Sedna mundane opposition)

Day: Capsolar Quotidian & Transits {+2? +3?}
p Asc co. t Saturn (1°+)
p MC sq. s Sun (< 1°+)
---------------------------------
t Neptune sq. s Asc 0°44'

Day: Cansolar Quotidian
t Uranus co. p Moon 0°50'
p MC op. s Venus (< 1°)