The so-called environmental project
Targets
In February 2010, Marina neighbors received a letter inviting them to an open house to discuss an environmental project concerning three of the four MGPs located along the northern waterfront of San Francisco. The invitation included a fact sheet with background information and a brief description of the project. The so-called environmental project targeted residential parcels in the Marina with exposed yards. Ten years and over a hundred million dollars later, the environment has barely been touched but some neighbors have been impacted in ways not always considered positive.
- Ten neighbors moved out of their homes permanently.
- More have accepted deed restrictions (LUCs).
- A small fraction of MGP contamination has been removed.
Pipeline
Parcels enter the pipeline with an access agreement and a test plan. Test results largely determine the fate of the parcel.
Parcels which do not receive a pass, or NFA, remain in the pipeline for years. Most (but not all) non-NFA parcels are remediated by having contaminated soil removed.
In theory, a remediation might be sufficient without an LUC.
Bold indicates an LUC has been recorded.
Italics indicates an LUC is scheduled or a future activity.
* indicates an LUC without removing soil.
(v) indicates a VMS, or vapor management system.
Outcomes
As of February 2020, 36 residential parcels have been tested. The results for the parcels are summarized below. Behind each parcel is a neighbor.
- 5 parcels have been given a pass, or NFA. These parcels are not required to have an LUC.
- 10 parcels have been acquired and have or are likely to have an LUC.
- 16 parcels remain in private hands but have or are likely to have an LUC. Two of the 16 installed a VMS as a precaution.
- 5 parcels are uncertain (TBD). Test results do not indicate NFA but also do not clearly indicate an LUC. For three of the five, LUCs are implied by their listing on a future activities list.
Click on the number in the table to open a new window with summary information for the parcel and links to source documents.
Of the 26 residential parcels indicating LUC, nine have had an LUC recorded. The remaining 17 are still in the pipeline, presumably in a queue.
Curiously, four residential parcels received LUCs without removing soil. One of the four actually imported additional soil to raise up the yard. The result is there are more LUCs than remediations.
In addition to the 36 residential parcels, three commercial parcels not listed in the table have been evaluated. All have or are likely to have an LUC.
Not Superfund
Ten of the 25 parcels tested under the Not Superfund project were retested under the so-called environmental project with strikingly different outcomes. In the Not Superfund project, all parcels received the equivalent of an NFA. Thirty years later, eight of the ten parcels retested have or are likely to have an LUC. Three of the eight were acquired.
| NFA | PGE | LUC |
|---|---|---|
| 0463A009 | 0445A050 | 0445A027 |
| 0463A010 | 0463A011 | 0445A028 |
| 0463A012 | 0445A030 | |
| 0463A012A | ||
| 0466A012 |
Cost
(in $M)
| NOB MGP | FIL MGP | BCH MGP | Gashouse Cove | Overhead | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | $0.4 | $0.3 | $0.0 | $0.0 | $1.3 | $2.1 |
| 2011 | $0.8 | $3.1 | $0.0 | $0.0 | $0.8 | $4.7 |
| 2012 | $3.9 | $7.1 | $0.0 | $0.0 | $0.6 | $11.6 |
| 2013 | $4.6 | -$1.0 | $0.0 | $0.0 | $0.7 | $4.4 |
| 2014 | $8.3 | $2.2 | $0.1 | $0.6 | $0.5 | $11.7 |
| 2015 | $4.1 | $6.4 | $0.1 | $1.6 | $0.2 | $12.4 |
| 2016 | $19.1 | $0.0 | $1.5 | $4.0 | $24.6 | |
| 2017 | $14.6 | $9.0 | $3.3 | $2.9 | $29.8 | |
| 2018 | $23.2 | $5.9 | $3.9 | $2.8 | $35.8 | |
| Total | $78.9 | $33.0 | $8.9 | $12.0 | $4.2 | $137.0 |