Residents, advocates press council on contamination, groundwater and Safer Bay levee alignment

During public comment residents and conservation groups urged the council to prioritize remediation, groundwater monitoring and transparent timelines for flood-control measures tied to the Safer Bay project.

Divina Gentry, an East Palo Alto resident and local realtor, said moving forward under either study scenario "will substantially impact the community and its natural environment," and asked the city to make remediation a top priority and to be transparent about known risks and planned outcomes. Several commenters referenced concerns about rising groundwater, legacy contamination at sites such as 2020 Bay Road and the need for clear remediation strategies.

Eileen McLaughlin of the Citizens Committee to Complete the Refuge told the council that certain levee alignments cross critical marsh channels and could require major rehydrology work to preserve wetlands: "inevitably, you're damaging the major water channel, the no name slough, that brings water to the marshes..." she said, urging detailed consideration of marsh hydrology and agency permitting. Staff replied that the JPA is leading Safer Bay design, that the recommended alignment choices try to avoid contaminated soils, and that remediation and agency review (Water Board, BCDC and others) will operate alongside the plan process.

What happens next: staff said SEIR mitigations and standard environmental review steps will be carried forward; the Council directed staff to continue coordinating with the JPA and agencies and to return with final SEIR materials for Planning Commission review in November.