California’s Hunters Point Redevelopment Project under the Spotlight

LA Testing provides asbestos, lead and comprehensive testing services to protect the public and the environment from toxic hazards.

Garden Grove, CA

The Treasure Island Naval Station-Hunters Point Annex, also known as the Hunters Point Naval Shipyard, was established in 1869 as the first dry dock on the Pacific Coast. It is located in southeastern San Francisco, California. In 1940, the Navy obtained ownership of the shipyard for ship building, repair and maintenance activities. After World War II, activities shifted from ship repair to submarine servicing and testing.

The Navy operated Hunters Point Annex as a shipbuilding and repair facility from 1941 until 1976. Between 1976 and 1986, the Navy leased most of the shipyard to Triple A, a private ship-repair company. The shipyard consists of 936 acres: 493 on land and 443 under water in San Francisco Bay.

In 1987, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), trichloroethylene and other solvents, pesticides, petroleum hydrocarbons and metals including lead were confirmed at a number of shipyard locations. These finding resulted in the EPA placing Hunters Point Shipyard on the National Priorities List in 1989. In 1991, the Department of Defense listed the shipyard for closure. On January 22, 1992, EPA signed a Federal Facilities Agreement (FFA) with the Navy and the State of California to coordinate the environmental investigation and cleanup.

Recently the property was given a new lease on life by a major property development firm. The redevelopment promises new use of the land, but many area residents have major concerns. These concerns were brought to light last month at City Hall when the Board of Supervisors held a hearing about the San Francisco Department of Public Health (DPH) and the developers.

“The meeting at City Hall was due to allegations that there were unsafe levels of asbestos in the area and that this was not being made public,” reported Ben Sublasky, National Director of Client Services for LA Testing and EMSL Analytical, a leading asbestos testing laboratory. “To determine if asbestos fibers are becoming airborne and impacting nearby neighborhoods can be accomplished quickly through regular monitoring and public disclosure of the test results,” he continued.

A public outreach video was recently sponsored by LA Testing and EMSL about the hazards posed by asbestos. It can be seen at:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CCpQYuK8ge8

To learn more about asbestos and testing services please visit www.LATesting.com, email info@LATesting.com or call (800) 755-1794.

About LA Testing and EMSL Analytical, Inc.
LA Testing and EMSL Analytical are providers of environmental testing services and products to professionals and the general public. The companies have an extensive list of accreditations from leading organizations as well as state and federal regulating bodies.

Contact Information

Ben Sublasky

National Director of Clients Services/Operations Manager

EMSL Analytical, Inc.

Contact via E-mail