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Parents, union leaders urge Stockton Unified to press Port and regulators over incoming fly ash shipment
Summary
Union members and parents told the Stockton Unified board that a vessel carrying thousands of tons of fly ash at the Port of Stockton could threaten nearby schools, urging the district to demand safeguards and regulatory oversight.
Union representatives and community members urged the Stockton Unified School District board Wednesday to press the Port of Stockton and regulators for transparency and safeguards after a vessel carrying a large load of fly ash arrived at local docks.
Joshua Renwick, an ILWU Local 54 longshoreman, told trustees that fly ash is not "harmless dust" and described it as a fine industrial waste that can cause eye damage, skin irritation and long-term respiratory harm. He said the material contains crystalline silica and lead and voiced particular concern about proximity to schools such as George Washington Elementary, which Renwick said is less than a mile from the dock handling the material. "We would never knowingly allow a hazardous substance inside a classroom," Renwick said, asking the board to "seek transparency, demand safeguards, and advocate for policies that put students' safety first."
Nicholas Viela, president and business agent of ILWU Local 54, told the board a vessel named Fair Ocean was at Dock 5 and 6 ready to discharge about 2,500 tons of fly ash within 24–48 hours. Viela said longshore workers are contractually required to handle the cargo and said company and port assurances do not address potential community exposure: "They will not monitor your homes and schools to ascertain levels of exposure," he said, urging trustees to contact the port, state and federal agencies.
A third union speaker, Joaquin Jaramillo, repeated the request for board action and urged the district to contact the mayor and EPA. He described fly ash as harmful to respiratory, cardiovascular and reproductive health and asked the board to help prevent future shipments.
Trustees did not take immediate action during the public-comment period. The speakers asked the district to use its influence with elected officials and regulatory agencies; the board did not provide a formal response on record during the meeting.
The board packet and meeting transcript show the remarks were voiced during the non-agenda public-comment period; no port official or district environmental-health staff provided a response on the record in the session recorded here.
Next steps: callers at the port and relevant agencies were requested by speakers, and the union asked the board to apply pressure on port leadership and regulators to prevent future discharges near schools.
