In the Dark of the Valley

In 1959, a significant partial meltdown of a sodium reactor at the Santa Susana Field Lab led to a massive radiation leak, which many consider the most severe nuclear disaster in U.S. history. The gravity of the incident is heightened by its proximity, just 30 miles from Downtown Los Angeles. For two decades, this nuclear catastrophe was kept hidden from the public, and the resulting contamination was never entirely resolved. Subsequent investigations revealed numerous disastrous incidents and decades of mishandling radioactive materials, including open-air burn pits spreading radioactive clouds across the valley. Today, SSFL is regarded as one of the most polluted sites globally. Watch In the Dark of the Valley right here. This documentary is streaming online for free on platforms like cineby and 123Movies, offering a sobering look at the environmental impact of this forgotten disaster.