Bayview Hunters Point

Earth Day Appeal to San Francisco Mayor London Breed and the Board of Supervisors: From Coronavirus to the Contaminated Hunters Point Shipyard Superfund Site, It is Time to Protect the Health & Environment of Bayview Hunters Point! Click here to read the letter. 
Greenaction Mourns the Passing of Marie Harrison
Click here to read News Articles regarding Marie Harrison’s Life and Passing

Bayview Hunters Point (BVHP) is a low-income community of color located on San Francisco Bay in southeast San Francisco. The residents and environment of BVHP are disproportionately impacted by many stationary and mobile pollution sources, including radioactive and toxic contamination at the Hunters Point Naval Shipyard Superfund site and dozens of other contaminated sites along the waterfront and throughout the community. Other pollution sources include the Southeast Sewage Treatment plant, under-regulated and unregulated dirty industries, diesel freight transport, the Port of San Francisco, and two freeways.  Residents suffer from a high rate of asthma and cancer, and the state’s CalEnviroScreen ranks BVHP as one of the communities in the state most at risk from pollution. Large mega-developments proposed for new upscale residents threaten to gentrify the community, and would likely result in displacement of longtime residents and small family owned businesses.

Campaigns and Programs

Hunters Point Naval Shipyard Superfund Site Radioactive and Toxic Cleanup Campaign

Greenaction and a community coalition are campaigning to get the Navy, government agencies and the developer Lennar/Five Points to thoroughly and safely cleanup toxic and radioactive contamination at this massive federal Superfund site.

Revoke Tetra Tech’s Licenses and Contracts

We have filed administrative petitions with the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission and California Department of Public Health to revoke the licenses and contracts of Tetra Tech and their subsidiaries involved in massive fraud in the “cleanup” of radioactive waste at the Shipyard Superfund Site. See the documents including sworn affidavits from whistleblowers.

Stop Gentrification and Displacement of Low-Income People of Color

Greenaction is leading the fight against City Hall and mega-developers to stop gentrification that would result in massive displacement of low income and people of color residents and small family owned businesses. Lennar/Five Points hopes to build more than10,000 upscale townhouses at the Shipyard, and Build LLC hopes to build approximately 1,400 mostly upscale homes at India Basin – even though both sites are contaminated.

Stop the India Basin Mixed-Use Development

We are opposing Build LLC’s India Basin Mixed Use Development. The Board of Supervisors approved the project despite the Environmental Impact Report’s finding that the development would result in significant, unhealthy, ongoing, unavoidable air pollution that would likely violate regulatory limits.

Read Greenaction & BVHPMFC Comment Letter to BCDC Jan 21, 2021

Read Greenaction objections to the project

Read our Appeal of project approval

September 5, 2019: Greenaction calls on San Francisco Board of Supervisors to Revoke permit for proposed India Basin Mixed Use Project after Bay Area Air Quality Management District acknowledges pollution impacts would be unacceptable.

Read Greenaction’s Press Release here. Read Bay Area Air Quality Management District letter to San Francisco Board of Supervisors here.

Rising Sea Levels & Climate Change threaten waterfront contamination sites

Climate change is causing sea levels of San Francisco Bay to rise, threatening to inundate radioactive and toxic contamination being left along the waterfront of BVHP and other communities.

Bayview Hunters Point Environmental Justice Task Force

The BVHP EJ Task Force was launched by Greenaction in 2015 as a multi-stakeholder problem solving collaboration bringing together residents, some businesses and local, regional, state and federal government agencies to protect health by responding to community pollution complaints. The Task Force is part of the statewide Identifying Violations Affecting Neighborhoods (IVAN) network.

We established www.bvhp-ivan.org to provide residents an easy and quick way to report pollution violations that we then forward to government agencies.

BVHP Community Air Monitoring Project

Greenaction, in partnership with four community organizations, has begun a multi-year community air monitoring project to identify and reduce particulate matter pollution. Funded with a grant from the California Air Resources Board, a network of air monitors will be placed in locations chosen by residents.

Reduce Diesel Emissions

Greenaction is working with truckers, businesses, schools and residents to stop the illegal and unhealthy idling of diesel vehicles. 

Toxic Fish and Healthy Diets

Greenaction is educating fishers and people who eat toxic fish from San Francisco Bay on how to eat healthy when consuming bay fish.

BVHP Youth Environmental and Climate Justice Leadership Academy

Greenaction and our partner Literacy for Environmental Justice are working together to educate, train, empower and involve youth and young adults as leaders and activists for environmental, climate and social justice.

Important Documents

Resources

Announcements and Upcoming Events

Reports, Articles, & Factsheets

  • September 3, 2020: “Three SF supervisors, environmental groups seek ouster of health official after Chronicle investigation” Read the San Francisco Chronicle article here.
  • September 2, 2020: Read article “The air is bad all over the city. It’s way worse in Bayview Hunters Point”. Read the 48 Hills article here.
  • September 2, 2020: Request to Attorney General to Investigate San Francisco Department of Public Health regarding Bayview Hunters Point & Treasure Island. Read the letter here. 
  • September 1, 2020: Re: India Basin Project Advocacy Letter (National Lawyers Guild San Francisco/Greenaction/BVHP Mothers and Fathers Committee). Read the letter here.
  • August 28, 2020: Read article “Extremely unlikely that they will find anything. A helicopter scan for radioactivity at SF’s former bases had limited value. The city relied on it anyway”. Read the San Francisco Chronicle article here. 
  • August 19, 2020: “Bayview Hunters Point can’t breathe”. Read the SF Bay View newspaper article here.
  • August 18, 2020: “Standard Environmental Requirements, Code  Amendments and Call for strengthening of the CEQA process in San Francisco” Letter to San Francisco Board of Supervisors. Click here to view.
  • August 2, 2020: “Doing No Harm: Ahimsa Sumchai. Doctor tracks health of Bayview residents affected by toxins from former shipyard” Read the San Francisco Examiner article here. 
  • June 9, 2020: Read article “Green Space: Environmental groups fight for racial justice. Environmental justice activists have long fought some of these systemic acts of racial violence that are often less reported in the news” Read the SF Examiner article here.
  • May 12, 2020: Bayview Hunters Point featuring Greenaction and Dr. Ahimsa Sumchai. “Toxic Metals Found in Shipyard Neighbors but Source Still Unknown” by Chris Roberts. Read the San Francisco Public Press Article here. 
  • March 9, 2020: “Bayview Hunters Point tests its air” Finding sites for the Marie Harrison Air Monitoring Network puts the needs of the Bayview back in the hands of the community. Read the 48Hills article here.
  • December 19, 2019: “Where the air is never spared” Bayview Hunters Point activists install air monitors to honor the memory of activist Marie Harrison. Read the 48Hills article here. 
  • December, 12 2019: Bayview Hunters Point Biomonitoring Project Awarded Packard Foundation Grant. Read the San Francisco Bayview article here. 
  • November 7, 2019: Read this letter to Navy regarding the Navy’s Draft Addendum to the Fourth Five-Year Review (Evaluation of Radiological Remedial Goals for Buildings), Hunters Point Shipyard Superfund Site.
  • September 17, 2019: Formal Petition to the Navy to Reestablish the Hunters Point Naval Shipyard Restoration Advisory Board. Read the formal petition here. The Petition is submitted by Greenaction for Health and Environmental Justice, the Bayview Hunters Point Mothers and Fathers Committee, Literacy for Environmental Justice, and Bayview Hunters Point Community Advocates on behalf of our members in Bayview Hunters Point, and supported by 240 residents of Bayview Hunters Point who signed the attached petition, and Dr. Ahimsa Porter Sumchai. 
  • Read Comments on testing plan at Hunters Point Shipyard Superfund Site Parcel G from Environmental Law and Justice Clinic of Golden Gate University School of Law on behalf of Greenaction: Additional Comments to HPNS Parcel G Work Plan, Duchnack Victim Impact Statement, Extension Request of Closing of Comment Period for Draft Parcel G Removal Site Evaluation Work Plan, RESRAD Peer Reviews
  •  Golden Gate University School of Law and Greenaction’s Report on Concrete Manufacturers at Port of San Francisco Operating With Permit Violations, and Regulatory Failures of Bay Area Air Quality Management District 
Media Coverage

October, 2019: Some Noise Podcast Series: “Frisco”, Bayview Hunters Point, Shipyard, Marie Harrison. Listen to Part I, Part II, Part III. 

September 5, 2019- Air District Reverses Prior Support for India Basin Development Project due to ‘Unacceptable’ Air Pollution. Read the San Francisco Bayview Newspaper Article here.

March 19, 2019- Greenaction Issues Health & Pollution Warning for India Basin Park. Read San Francisco Examiner here. 

March 16, 2019- Greenaction & Bayview Hunters Point residents Protest Lennar’s Luxury Home “Open House” to vent to raise health and pollution concerns. Read San Francisco Examiner

January 9, 2019- Suspected shipyard contractor gets huge state deal for Camp Fire cleanup. Click here to read more.

August 16, 2018- BAYVIEW HUNTERS POINT- FRONT PAGE NEWS! Bayview residents blast SF officials over shipyard cleanup, CLICK HERE to read SF Chronicle article.

July 29, 2018: BAYVIEW HUNTERS POINT- FRONT PAGE NEWS! Bombshell exposé about Hunters Point Shipyard Superfund site, ‘Working in a Wasteland”,  CLICK HERE to read SF Chronicle article.

July 26, 2018: BAYVIEW HUNTERS POINT- Will the Hunters Point Shipyard ever be habitable? Greenaction’s Sheridan Enomoto speaks on the environmental justice struggle of the Bayview Hunters Point community. CLICK HERE to listen.

July 26, 2018: BAYVIEW HUNTERS POINT- BREAKING NEWS! Greenaction Files New Petition with California Department of Public Health to Revoke Tetra Tech’s California Radiological Material License, CLICK HERE to read press release.

July 16, 2018: BAYVIEW HUNTERS POINT- Community Protest Delays Start of State’s Controversial Scanning as State Officials Hide Out inside Lennar Corporation’s “Welcome Center” and Refuse to Speak to Community Members CLICK HERE to read press release, CLICK HERE to read SF Examiner article.

July 9, 2018: BAYVIEW HUNTERS POINT- BREAKING NEWS! Testing plan released for residential site at Hunters Point Shipyard does not include homes. Click here to read more.

July 6, 2018: BAYVIEW HUNTERS POINT- Greenaction & Bayview Hunters Point Residents Denounce State’s Refusal to Conduct Comprehensive Soil Sampling for Radioactive and Toxic Contaminants of Soil Under Homes. Click here to read press release.

April 12, 2018: BAYVIEW HUNTERS POINT- Hunters Point Shipyard Cleanup Called into Question. Click here to listen to the Podcast.