OCII

office London N. Breed
MAYOR

Nadia Sesay
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Miguel Bustos
CHAIR

Mara Rosales
Dr. Carolyn Ransom-Scott
COMMISSIONERS

One S. Van Ness Ave.

5th Floor
San Francisco, CA
94103

415 749 2400

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450-2202019-002 Agenda Item No. 51d)

Meeting of June 18, 2019

INFORMATIONAL MEMORANDUM

TO: Community Investment and Infrastructure Commissioners

FROM: Nadia Sesay, Executive Director

SUBJECT: Update on the California Department of Public Health Radiological Health
and Safety Survey and Associated Final Reports for Hunters Point Shipyard
Parcel A

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

The Hunters Point Shipyard (?Shipyard?) is divided into two development projects: Phase 1,
which consists of Navy Transfer Parcel and Phase 2, which includes all remaining
Shipyard land. Parcel A is further divided into Parcel A-1, commonly known as the Hilltop,
and Parcel A-2, commonly known as the Hillside. The land in Phase 2 is an environmental
superfund site, which required clean-up and is owned by the Navy.

In June of 2018, in response to public concerns and at the request of the City and County
of San Francisco (?City?) and Speaker Nancy Pelosi, the California Department of Public
Health agreed to perform a phased approach radiological survey to assess the
health and safety of the public and the environment at Parcel A of the Shipyard.

CDPH conducted that survey, testing first Parcel A-1 and then Parcel A-2 in July through
November of 2018. CDPH completed a Final Report for Hunters Point Shipyard Parcel A-
1 on February 5, 2019 followed by a Final Report for Parcel A-2 on April 24, 2019.

Both CDPH reports concluded that no residents, workers or visitors are being exposed
to radiological health and safety hazards at Parcel A. At the request of the Office of
Community Investment and Infrastructure CDPH has agreed to appear at the
Commission meeting of June 18, 2019 to discuss the findings and conclusions of the
reports.

450-2202019002 Page 2

BACKGROUND
SHIPYARD PHASE 1

Parcel A was removed from the Superfund National Priorities List in 1999 and in 2004 was transferred
from the Navy to the former San Francisco Redevelopment Agency, pursuant to the Conveyance
Agreement between the Navy and the Agency governing transfer of the Shipyard. The CDPH and the
EPA have determined it is safe for people to live and work there. Most of Parcel A has since been
transferred to, and is being developed by, OCll?s development partner, Lennar. Land not owned by
Lennar is owned by or the City and consists of the parks and open spaces, community facilities and
affordable housing. Development on Parcel A-1 is well underway, with 439 homes completed and an
additional 66 homes currently under construction. Parcel is scheduled to begin construction in late
2019, and is expected to provide 404 new homes.

PHASE 2

The Navy owns, and is responsible for environmental remediation of, Phase 2 of the Shipyard. A portion
of Phase 2 is now the subject of an investigation into alleged fraud committed by a Navy contractor hired
to test the Phase 2 parcels after the Navy completed its environmental remediation. Consequently, the
Navy has agreed to re-test portions of Phase 2 land where this contractor performed work, beginning with
Parcel G, and has issued a draft Parcel Work Plan. The EPA and other regulators are currently reviewing
that Parcel Work Plan. The contractor against whom the allegations of fraud were made is no longer
working on the Shipyard, and will not be used to re-test the Phase 2 land. Included in Phase 2 land are
Parcels and D-2, which were transferred from the Navy to in 2015. No development
has occurred on these parcels. These parcels contain the roads that provide access to areas beyond
OCll?s property and are currently under a protective durable cover, mostly made up of asphalt. Parcels
UC-1, and D2 are also scheduled to be retested. No construction is currently occurring on any of
the Phase 2 parcels.

The Navy?s remediation is overseen by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Regional
Water Quality Control Board and the Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC). Though
CDPH is not one of the regulatory agencies responsible for oversight of clean?up on Phase 2 of the project,
the agency does provide radiological review through its Division of Radiation Safety and Environmental
Management which consists of the Radiologic Health Branch and the Environmental Management Branch
aSsisting DTSC.

450-2202019-002 Page 3



PARCEL A-1

in June of 201 8, in response to public concerns and at the request of the City, the EPA, and the US. Navy,
the CDPH agreed to perform a phased approach radiological survey to assess the health and safety of
the public and the environment at Phase 1. CDPH conducted the survey for Parcel under a July 3,
2018 work plan prepared by Radiological Health Branch. The survey involved walkover (?hand
scans?) and towed array scans of publicly accessible areas (uncovered areas, landscaped areas, streets
and sidewalks) as well as private common areas between homes, a large stockpile, and slopes. CDPH
reported that it found 110 anomalies, and all but one were determined to be naturally occurring Potassium~
40, normally found in plants, animals, various foods-and our bodies. The only non?naturally occurring
element CDPH detected was associated with a naval deck marker, approximately 1.5 inches in diameter,
containing radium (the "Marker?) that was buried under approximately 10 inches of soit, located near the
intersection of Galvez Avenue and Donahue Street in an undeveloped, fenced, non-public area. CDPH
determined that the small amount of radiation from the Marker would not have resulted in a health or safety
hazard to anyone who happened to be at that spot previously. A Navy contractor removed the Marker
under CDPH observation. Scans of the hole that contained the Marker and of the removed soil around the
Marker detected no radiation above background levels, which indicated that the Marker was intact and
that no radium had leaked out of the Marker.

Additionally, CDPH also stated that it would follow-up with one additional test for a reading they described
as ?barely detectable? on a publicly inaccessible hillside that originaliy retested as normal. CDPH advised
that detection of potassium-40 is not unusual for a radiation scan of this type and is not a health or safety
concern for people or for the environment. The CDPH Parcel Final Report concluded that residents,
workers, and visitors are not being exposed to radiological health and safety hazards.

PARCEL 

CDPH conducted a survey of Parcei under an October 15, 2018 work plan prepared by 
Radiological Health Branch. Like the Parcel survey, the Parcel survey involved walkover and
towed array scans. At Parcel these scans covered the entire land surface; this was feasible because
Parcel is undeveloped. CDPH detected only naturaily occurring potassium-40 on Parcel 
Potassium-40, a naturally occurring element, was detected by CDPH 102 times while scanning. The
CDPH Final Report concluded that there are no radiological health and safety hazards.

450-2202019-002 Page 4

RESIDENTIAL DUST WIPES

CDPH also performed an optional window dust survey in homes and artist studios at Parcel A-1.
Procedures for this survey published by CDPH on January 31, 2019 described the methods for obtaining
dust samples and for assessing samples for alpha and beta radiation. CDPH collected over 200 dust wipe
samples in over 70 private residences and artist studios.

Survey results were provided to each individual resident or artist in sealed envelopes to ensure privacy.
The Final Dust Sampling Report will contain a summary of results but, to maintain privacy, will not provide
individual survey information. The Final Dust Sampling Report will be publicly posted on website.

COMMUNITY OUTREACH AND MEETINGS

From July 2018 through February 2019 CDPH conducted community outreach and numerous meetings
with the Shipyard Homeowners Association and the Hunters Point Shipyard Citizen?s Advisory Committee.
CDPH also staffed an onsite public informational booth from 8 am. to 5 pm. daily, from July 16, 2018
through July 27, 2018. CDPH also released weekly progress reports online during the Parcel A survey.
Other CDPH outreach efforts included an email address designated to receive questions and comments
about the Parcel A survey, numerous responses to press inquiries and interviews with media outlets, and
responses to public records requests.

(Originated by Kasheica McKinney, Assistant Project Manager)

4.: 
5/ 


Nadia Sesay
Executive Director

Attachment A: Parcel Map of Hunters Point Shipyard

No nNa vy Pr
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Shipyard Phase 1

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Parcel A-2

Parcel B-2

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Shipyard Phase 2

No active construction; Navy to retest parts of site

Parcel D-1

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Parcel F

A-1 (Hilltop)
Currently under
IR 7/18
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A-2 (Hillside)
Currently no active
development

Parcel UC-3

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Attachment A

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HUNTERS POINT NAVAL SHIPYARD
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PARCEL MAP OF
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