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San Francisco school board backs halt-and-study approach for Hunters Point Parcel A
Summary
After hours of public testimony and competing expert statements, the San Francisco Board of Education unanimously adopted an amended resolution urging the City and County to make independent analyses public and to halt further Parcel A work if independent studies find risks to students and families.
The San Francisco Board of Education on Sept. 20 adopted an amended resolution urging city officials to make independent health analyses public and to support an immediate halt to construction at Parcel A of the Hunters Point Naval Shipyard if any independent study shows threats to students and families. The measure passed after community leaders delivered emotional testimony alleging increased nosebleeds, asthma and other illnesses near the project and after the city's public health director defended the regulatory review of the site.
The board suspended its rules to consider the resolution on second reading and then debated amended language that asked the City and County of San Francisco to release independent assessments (including those by the Centers for Disease Control and the EPA where applicable), to cooperate with the district and to require anticipatory action consistent with San Francisco's precautionary-principle policy. The final roll call on the amended text was unanimous in favor of adoption.
"We are here because parents, principals and community members are reporting health problems they did not experience before," said Christopher Mohammed in a presentation the board allowed the community to make. Mohammed described community-collected data and alleged gaps in site monitoring, and urged a temporary stoppage and an independent health and safety assessment coordinated with the district's School Health Programs Office.
Dr. Mitchell Katz, the city's health director, told the board the Department of Public Health (DPH) and other regulators reviewed Parcel A prior to grading and that the evidence does not show the construction to date has increased health risks to surrounding residents or students. Katz acknowledged early operational problems with watering and some monitors but said regulatory procedures and follow-up inspections reduced the risk to nearby schools.
Board members voiced differing views during debate. Supporters emphasized the precautionary principle and the community's call for transparency; others warned the board's authority is advisory and cautioned against language that could imply a district budgetary commitment. After negotiation, the board adopted amended language that (1) calls for publication of independent analyses and (2) urges the mayor and city agencies to halt Parcel A work if independent studies identify threats to children and families.
The resolution directs the superintendent to work with city officials on an "environmental safety action plan" and report back to the full board with timelines. It does not, on its face, impose district expenditures or a legally binding stop-work order; those powers remain with the city and other regulatory bodies.
The vote capped more than an hour of public comment by dozens of residents, clergy and researchers who described nosebleeds, asthma spikes, rashes and other health concerns nearby the shipyard. Several community presenters cited independent sampling and historical studies they said point to elevated exposures; others recounted family and school-level observations.
The board's action requests transparency and independent testing and makes a formal appeal to city leaders to place student and community health first in decisions about ongoing construction activities.
