USC study links Santa Susana neighbors to higher disease rates Play

The old U.S. government rocket engine testing facility 20 miles north of Malibu has always been suspected as a cancer-causing worry. We're referring to the Santa Susana Field Lab. It was a federal research laboratory that actually had a nuclear meltdown back in 1959.

The U.S. government for 40 years tested rocket engines for the U.S. space program, and that left the ground coated with hazardous chemicals. Some of those have yet to be cleaned up by the current owner, the Boeing Corporation.

The problem for Malibu is that Malibu Creek drains part of that area. And now a USC study finds that residents living closest reported higher rates of bad diseases than people living further away — things like autoimmune disease or endocrine or metabolic disorders.

Among residents living within five miles of Santa Susana, 18% reported autoimmune disorders. That compares with just 4% of residents living further away. Disorders of the endocrine or metabolic systems were reported by 15% of those living within five miles of Santa Susana, compared with 2% in the more distant group. And more than one-third of the respondents reported at least one chronic diagnosis since moving to the area.

A few important notes: correlation is not causation. Researchers caution that the findings do not establish that contamination of the former nuclear and rocket testing site actually caused the illnesses. And it's very important to note this is a self-reported study, which could skew the findings significantly. Still, USC medical researchers call the results significant.