EPA and the Navy Announce Milestone in Cleanup of Hunters Point Superfund Site in San Francisco

EPA and the Navy Announce Milestone in Cleanup of Hunters Point Superfund Site in San Francisco

September 26, 2024

SAN FRANCISCO (September 26, 2024) -The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Navy today announced a plan to clean up contamination at the last of the distinct areas designatedforenvironmental restoration at Hunters Point Naval Shipyard Superfund site. The plan announced today will see the Navy addressingcontaminated underwater sediment from an approximately 443-acre areaof the San Francisco Bay around the former Hunters Point Naval Shipyard-known as Parcel F-with EPA and California Department of Toxics Substance Control and Regional Water Control Board oversight.

"Today we've reached a milestone in finalizing the cleanup plan for the final parcel of the Hunters Point site, marking a significant step in ultimately returning this area to productive use for the local community," said EPA Pacific Southwest Regional Administrator Martha Guzman. "EPA will continue playing our critical oversight role at Hunters Point, to include review of the Navy's cleanup work, to ensure the community and the Bay are protected."

"This Record of Decision is a milestone for the Navy and all the agencies that worked together to agree on the cleanup approach for Parcel F," said Danielle Janda, Base Closure Manager for Hunters Point Naval Shipyard."Under the plan, the Navy will address sediments surrounding the former Shipyard using proven techniques to reduce contamination and will help the health of the San Francisco Bay. The Navy remains committed to protecting public health and the environment, and we will have a long-term monitoring and maintenance program in place to ensure the remedies continue to protect the community and the environment here at Hunter's Point."

The cleanup plan selected by EPA and the Navy for Parcel F-memorialized in a "record of decision" document-addresses sediments in San Francisco Bay that are contaminated with polychlorinated biphenyls(PCBs), copper, lead, and mercury. The objectives of the cleanup are to lower the risk to animals that live in the sediment, risks to birds from eating contaminated fish and sediment, and reduce human health risks from eating contaminated shellfish and fish harvested from the Bay around the former Hunters Point Naval Shipyard. This work is expected to begin in 2027 after the remedial design and planning documents are completed.

Contaminated sediments will be removed or remediated with a variety of technologies depending on the location, depth, and concentration of the sediments. Dredging, treatment in place, capping, monitored natural attenuation, and institutional controls will be performed to protect public health, welfare, and the environment. The Navy will dispose of the sediment in a landfill at a site still to be determined.

Parcel F of the Hunters Point Superfund site shares a boundary with the adjacent private Yosemite Slough cleanup site. EPA has worked closely with the Yosemite Slough private entities and the Navy to ensure the Parcel F remedy is consistent with cleanup work at the Yosemite Slough site. EPA and the Navy will continue to work closely with the Yosemite Slough entities to ensure the remedies at both sites are implemented in a coordinated and timely manner. This work, in concert with the California Department of Parks and Recreation's restoration work in the area, will deliver significant community benefits to a historically-underserved area of San Francisco.

With EPA's oversight, the Navy will undertake a series of steps during the cleanup to ensure contaminated sediment that is removed does not impact public health during transport and handling. Trucks entering and leaving the site will pass through a portal monitor those screens for radiation. All means of transporting contaminated material will be designed and managed to minimize dust generation and address air quality concerns in accordance with a site-specific dust control plan. During cleanup activities, the Navy will conduct daily monitoring for air quality, both upwind and downwind during construction activities.

On-site air monitoring equipment will monitor all construction activities. The air monitoring data is submitted to the Bay Area Air Quality Management District (BAAQMD) and the California Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC). Trucks entering and leaving the site will pass through a portal monitor those screens for radiation. If any elevated radiation is detected, the monitor will sound an alarm and further evaluation of the truck load is conducted.

EPA and the Navy will continue to hold regular meetings with the community to hear and address any concerns with the cleanup of Parcel F and other aspects of the overall cleanup of the Hunters Point Naval Shipyard site.

After signature, the record of decision document will be available on the Navy's website for the Former Naval Shipyard Hunters Point.

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