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Residents and family members press board on Bayview Hunters Point contamination and worker illnesses
Summary
Several members of the public and family members of former shipyard workers told the board about cancer, workplace exposures and alleged contractor misconduct at the Hunters Point Shipyard and called for investigation; Supervisor Malia Cohen said she had contacted EPA, state public-health officials and the contractor to seek information.
Multiple members of the public used the March 22 public-comment period to press the board and staff for action on suspected contamination and worker illnesses tied to the Bayview Hunters Point shipyard cleanup. Speakers recounted cases of cancer and other illnesses among local residents and workers, described family losses and asked the city to investigate claims that contractors mishandled contaminated soils.
Charlie Walker, a long-time Bayview resident, said the NBC report on allegations that contractors had moved contaminated material into neighborhoods showed contractors had intentionally spread toxic waste in areas where Black residents live. "There is an inordinate amount of Black people in Bayview dying of cancer," Walker said, and he urged supervisors to stop work and investigate. Several other speakers echoed concerns and recounted family members with cancer and other illnesses; one widow, LaRhonda Smith, described her husband Chris Carpenter's diagnosis of peripheral T-cell lymphoma after shipyard work and said he died following a protracted battle.
Supervisor Malia Cohen said she had reached out to federal and state agencies and to Tetra Tech (a contractor identified in media reports) to begin reviewing the allegations. "I've reached out to the EPA, DPH, as well as the California Department of Public Health, and Tetra Tech to begin to investigate many of these allegations," Cohen said on the record.
Other speakers tied the contamination concerns to broader issues of employment and opportunity in the shipyard cleanup and asked for stronger local oversight and hiring practices; a speaker representing the Blue Ribbon Coalition raised concerns about a lack of local hiring on large projects. Several speakers also asked the board to support victims and their families and pushed for transparency in cleanup contracting and oversight.
Why it matters: The Hunters Point site and shipyard cleanup have been longstanding civic concerns with health, environmental and equity dimensions. Public calls for independent review, contractor accountability and stronger oversight of cleanup contractors can prompt additional agency inquiries or legislative actions.
Next steps: Supervisor Cohen said she had reached out to regulatory agencies to gather information and would continue to pursue follow-up. Members of the public asked for the board to hold hearings and push for additional investigations.
