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U.S. EPA AWARDS $50,000 SUPERFUND GRANT FOR HUNTERS POINT

Release Date: 6/5/1997
Contact Information: Lois Grunwald, U.S. EPA, (415) 744-1588


    (San Francisco) -- The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA) has awarded a $50,000 Technical Assistance Grant to the Southeast Alliance for Environmental Justice (SAEJ) for the Bayview/Hunters Point community. The grant will be used to help the community learn more about environmental investigation of the Hunters Point Naval Shipyard Superfund site and participate in cleanup decisions affecting the site.

     The grant, offered through the federal Superfund program, will be matched by $12,500 in community funds or services, and will cover a three-year period. With grant monies, the SAEJ will provide information to the community in workshops or other forums.

     The SAEJ consists of seven community organizations at Hunters Point, which includes Hillside Village, Hunter's View Residents Management Council Inc., Innes Avenue Coalition, the Mariners Village and Morgan Heights homeowners associations, Northridge Cooperative Homes, and Ujamaa Westbrook Resident Management Corp.

     Contaminants at the Hunters Point Superfund site, a 522-acre shipyard, include hydrocarbons, oils, heavy metals, asbestos and volatile organic compounds. The Hunters Point Shipyard was the original ship repair facility for San Francisco Bay,  and was in use for 150 years. Most of the industrial wastes created from the ship repair and maintenance facilities were disposed of at the shipyard.  

   An extensive amount of field work is being performed to evaluate the nature and extent of the contamination. Results of the field work will be included in reports being prepared by the Navy. The Navy work includes enforceable schedules for the completion of the contaminant studies and cleanup. The U.S. EPA and state of California are parties to the agreement and oversee the Navy's efforts.

     In planning and approving cleanup efforts at a Superfund site, U.S. EPA seeks comments from individuals who live near these sites and who have an interest in proposed cleanup actions. This grant will provide residents with a better understanding of the technical issues concerning the site to help them provide thoughtful, informed comments.


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