The Boeing Co. asked a federal court to overturn a 2007 state law regulating cleanup of the rocket engine and nuclear testing facility.

The company contends only the federal government, not the state of California, has the authority to oversee cleanup at nuclear energy sites.

Overturning Senate Bill 990 would likely lead to federal standards applying to the multibillion-dollar cleanup at the former Rocketdyne lab in the hills between Chatsworth and Simi Valley, rather than the stricter state standards.

The Boeing lawsuit was filed Friday in the U.S. District Court in Sacramento against Maziar Movassaghi, acting director of the state Department of Toxic Substances Control, the agency overseeing the cleanup.

"We are reluctantly filing this case now because, despite many months of good-faith discussions, the state refuses to allow us to reserve our legal rights as they have done in many other cleanup orders," said Tom Gallacher, Boeing's director of Environment, Health and Safety for Santa Susana, in a written statement.

"We believe this matter can be resolved by the court efficiently and will not hold up the final cleanup."

Lawmakers, state officials and SSFL watchdogs reacted swiftly, accusing Boeing of attempting to

"Bottom line: We're disappointed Boeing chose to take this course," said Mercedes Azar, spokeswoman for the state Department of Toxic Substances Control. "For two years, Boeing had a commitment to meeting SB 990 requirements, and now it's calling that law irrational and arbitrary.

"Their claims of harm on natural and historic and cultural resources, and negative impacts on local residents and traffic, are exaggerated and intended to influence public opinion in an effort to avoid cleaning up the site to state legal standards."

The property was used starting in the 1940s for rocket tests and nuclear-energy research, and contamination has long been blamed for health problems in the local communities, including higher rates of cancer. Boeing owns about 2,400 acres of the 2,850-acre property and the federal government owns the rest.

The suit contends SB 990 singled out the lab, directing the company to comply with cleanup standards "far beyond what is required to protect citizens elsewhere in California."

Boeing officials maintained they were committed to cleaning up the site to levels safe enough for suburban homes. The state law requires Boeing to clean the site of radioactive and chemical pollution to agricultural standards.

Under the higher standard, Boeing contends it would have to remove enough contaminated dirt to fill the Rose Bowl three times, destroying sensitive ecological habitat and "natural, cultural and historic resources."

It also said the extra 100,000 dump truck trips would disturb nearby residents.

SB 990, authored by former state Sen. Sheila Kuehl, required the site to be cleaned up to higher standards before it could be sold or transferred to another owner.

Kuehl said Friday she believes the law will stand up under court scrutiny, calling the lawsuit a "hail Mary pass" attempt by Boeing. She said SB 990 governs cleanup of the property only in the event Boeing sells or transfers ownership to another party. The state has jurisdiction over such transactions, she said.

"I'm sure they think they can just bully us because they have lots of money for lawyers," Kuehl said.

She believes the company may have sued because it is feeling "isolated" as the federal agencies that own other pieces of the property - the federal Department of Energy and NASA - have been cooperating with the state cleanup efforts.

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, who signed SB 990, in 2007 negotiated a deal with Boeing that called for the company to clean up the property and donate it to the state for use as open space, while contributing $22.5 million to the state for maintenance.  

Schwarzenegger would only say Friday that he hopes for a quick resolution in court.

"The administration is committed to cleaning up the Santa Susana Field Laboratory consistent with state and federal law," Schwarzenegger said in a statement. "A quick decision by a federal judge clarifying the role of SB 990 would be in everyone's best interest."

Activists and local residents were angered by the suit.

"The whole thing is just outrageous," said Dan Hirsch, president of Committee to Bridge the Gap, a nuclear watchdog group. "Boeing promised repeatedly to obey the law. Now it's broken its word.

"It is a flaky suit intended only to delay, which will cause increased cancer risks to the community nearby. They should be ashamed."