Committee advances $500,000 appropriation for independent Hunters Point sea-level and groundwater study

The Budget & Appropriation Committee advanced an ordinance on March 27, 2024, to appropriate $500,000 from the city's General Fund reserves to the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission for an independent analysis of sea-level rise and groundwater impacts at the Hunters Point Naval Shipyard. Chair Supervisor Connie Chan moved to excuse President Aaron Peskin earlier in the meeting and then called the item, which Supervisor Shamann Walton sponsored and recommended with a positive vote.

The measure was described by committee staff as a carryover from a previous hearing that required an amendment to change the fiscal year. Supervisor Walton told the committee that, after recent discussions, allocating the study funds from the General Fund Reserve was the preferred approach. Chair Chan said she had received confirmation from SFPUC management that SFPUC ratepayer-restricted reserves could not be used for this purpose.

The item drew multiple public commenters who urged stronger cleanup and independent oversight at the Hunters Point Superfund area. An unidentified speaker who said they would send a letter to Mayor London Breed asked the committee to approve the general-fund allocation. Anne Colachita of the San Francisco Grey Panthers told the committee that the city needs executive leadership that prioritizes community health over development and cited the Civil Grand Jury's findings on cumulative sea-level risks. Ronnie Diamont Wilson, a former nurse practitioner, recounted seeing respiratory and other health impacts among Bayview Hunters Point residents and said community voices remained unheard. Other commenters, including Art Persico and Michael Lyon, called for a full, 100% cleanup of radioactive and toxic contamination rather than capping and urged the city to hire independent experts, citing the Civil Grand Jury's 2022 report "The Bayview Hunters Point Naval Shipyard in a Time of Climate Change." Those speakers also alleged past testing and cleanup efforts have been inadequate or flawed; the committee record does not include a direct response from the Navy or EPA during this hearing.

After public comment, the committee voted to forward the ordinance to the full Board of Supervisors with a positive recommendation. The roll call recorded four ayes with member Peskin excused; the clerk said the item is expected to appear on the Board of Supervisors' agenda on April 2 unless otherwise stated.

The ordinance would fund an independent SFPUC-supported study of sea-level rise and groundwater impacts in the Hunters Point Shipyard for fiscal year 2023-24; it does not itself require the SFPUC to undertake remediation. Next steps: the ordinance will be scheduled for the full Board of Supervisors, where supervisors may further amend funding sources, scope, or conditions.

Provenance: Committee discussion and clerk description of the ordinance; multiple public comments urging comprehensive cleanup and independent review.