An environmental group has filed a federal lawsuit, claiming that the US Navy and the Environmental Protection Agency are not adequately supervising the removal of radioactive waste from a large shipyard in San Francisco.
US Navy Accused of Failing to Remove Radioactive Waste
An environmental advocacy group, Greenaction for Health and Environmental Justice, has accused the service branch and agency of serious violations of federal laws, Courthounse News Service reported.
They claim that the handling of remediation efforts at the San Francisco Shipyard, previously known as Hunters Point Naval Shipyard, has been highly problematic.
According to the lawsuit, the Navy has allegedly failed to meet federal deadlines for reviewing progress on the $1.2 billion cleanup project. Additionally, the EPA has been accused of not enforcing an agreement between California and the Navy regarding the remediation effort.
The lawsuit alleges that the Navy did not fulfill its commitment to retest previously contaminated areas in the event of additional radioactivity problems. This comes after two supervisors from clean-up contractor Tetra Tech EC pleaded guilty in 2018 to falsifying records.
The Navy has acknowledged the presence of radioactive waste in various samples, including old deck markers from ships and contaminated glass chips.
San Francisco Shipyard Redevelopment Project
In the 1950s, ships involved in atomic weapons testing underwent decontamination at the San Francisco docks, resulting in the contamination of certain areas of the facility with radioactive waste.
The shipyard is located in close proximity to a neighborhood with a rich historical significance. This expansive 693-acre redevelopment project is set to transform the area and nearby Candlestick Point into a vibrant neighborhood with over 10,000 housing units.
Accoding to The Independent, the project is one of the most ambitious in the city, addressing the pressing need for more housing options. However, the decontamination effort is still pending.
Steve Castleman, from the Environmental Law Clinic at UC Berkeley Law, urged the Navy to acknowledge the situation and move forward.
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