City, state officials say scans show no radiological readings above background; residents press for independent studies and screenings

San Francisco health officials told a special Rules Committee hearing that recent surface surveys by the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) found no radiological readings above naturally occurring background levels in the areas CDPH scanned, but residents pressed elected leaders for independent studies, on-island health screening and more neighborhood testing.

"The California Department of Public Health conducted radiological surface surveys of both publicly accessible and private residential areas on Treasure Island and found no radiological concerns or elevated readings above naturally occurring background radiation levels," said Amy Brownell, an environmental engineer with the San Francisco Health Department. Brownell said the Health Department sent residents an Oct. 5 letter with the CDPH reports.

Why cleanup can continue even when readings are near background was a central point of the hearing. Brownell told the committee that federal cleanup rules require the Navy to remove any levels detected above background to ensure future redevelopment and avoid leaving detectable sources, even when the existing configuration presents no current health risk. "You can have levels very high above background and not be a health concern," Brownell said, adding that regulators nevertheless require removal of any sources above background to protect future use.

Residents at the hearing repeatedly said agency assurances were insufficient and called for independent verification. Emily Rappaport, a Treasure Island resident and president of the Good Neighbors Association, urged a retrospective study of illnesses dating to the 1950s and stronger transparency. "There needs to be some study," Rappaport said, adding that families report cancers and other unexplained health problems.

Other speakers echoed calls for independent science and health services. Catherine Lundgren of the Treasure Island Health Network urged an on-island clinic, community education and independent studies "not done by the agencies" to rebuild trust. Eric Brooks of Our City and the San Francisco Green Party urged halting redevelopment at Treasure Island and the Hunters Point shipyard until independent investigations fully characterize contamination and sites meet residential cleanup standards referenced by Prop P.

Residents also raised near-term concerns: reports of green or brown tap water, trucks leaving sites without tarps and open gates at night. In response, Michael Timeoff, a Treasure Island Development Authority (TIDA) staffer representing SFPUC, said the Public Utilities Commission regularly tests for chemicals of concern and will conduct additional tap sampling at residents' taps to address recent discoloration reports.

On enforcement and oversight, officials said state agencies are active. Brownell said the Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC) had not issued violations to the Navy, while CDPH issued a notice of violation to the Navy contractor Shaw Environmental in June 2011; Brownell said Shaw corrected the problems to CDPH's satisfaction. Brownell and DTSC staff advised residents who observe possible violations to report exact location, time and activity to the TIDA hotline and agency contacts; TIDA set up a hotline, (415) 487-4841, committed to responding within one business day.

Supervisor John Avalos, a cosponsor of the hearing, and Supervisor Campos thanked residents for attending and said the city must do everything possible to allay concerns. Campos pressed officials to consider extra neighborhood testing even where regulators currently see no indication of contamination, arguing that additional testing could help rebuild trust.

Officials committed to several follow-ups: DPH Director Barbara Garcia will meet with the Treasure Island Health Network; the city will explore an on-island health assessment or screening day and invite partners such as UCSF; SFPUC will schedule tap sampling; and TIDA will operate the hotline for resident complaints and questions.

At the meeting’s close, the committee took a motion to file the item, which was noted as able to be filed without opposition, and adjourned.

What’s next: staff said they will follow up on neighborhood-specific scan requests, provide additional detail on the house numbers cited by residents, report back on tap-sampling results and coordinate a DPH meeting with the Treasure Island Health Network.