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Residents tell SFUSD board children may be exposed to toxic dust at Bayview-Hunters Point development; ask for special hearing
Summary
Multiple Bayview-Hunters Point residents and community advocates told the board they believe construction by Lennar Corporation is producing toxic dust with naturally occurring asbestos and metals and urged the board to hold a special hearing and test children; the board agreed to refer the matter to Buildings & Grounds and asked staff to work with supervisors and committee members.
A string of public commenters from Bayview-Hunters Point urged the San Francisco Unified School District board to investigate alleged toxic dust from a development by Lennar Corporation on a former Superfund site and requested a special hearing to examine possible student exposure.
Minister Christopher Mohammed told the board the development had "exposed children that attend schools in this community to toxic dust, asbestos laden dust," and said the developer and local agencies had refused to stop work for testing. "We asked the redevelopment agency... they refused. We asked the board of supervisors... and in a 6 to 5 vote, they decided to allow Lennar to keep working out there," he said, and requested a special hearing.
Francisco De Costa, director of an environmental-justice group, said a dust-mitigation plan in the disposition and development agreement had not been followed and cited Article 31 of the San Francisco health department as a relevant document. "Lennar has not followed this legal document," he said, and urged the board to take a stand for children.
High-school student Octavio Solorzano described repeated hospitalizations for respiratory problems and declining grades he attributed to dust exposure: "I myself have been hospitalized many times during the school year with respiratory issues such as asthma," he told the board and asked for help for children and elderly residents in the area.
Pastor Dan Solberg and others appealed to the board—whose duties they tied to custody of children in public schools—to use its influence to bring attention to the issue. Dennis Kelly of United Educators of San Francisco explained how asbestos testing is done (air sampling and scanning electron microscopy) and described the long-term health risks if asbestos fibers are present in ambient dust.
In response, the chair said the concern would be sent as an informational item to the Buildings & Grounds committee and encouraged Supervisor Bevan Dufty to agendize the matter for the city select committee; the chair also pledged to contact speakers to notify them of any committee meeting date.
The board did not vote on policy changes at the meeting; it agreed to refer the issue for further review and potential committee consideration so the board and city agencies could examine evidence and next steps.
