On April 8, a Navy contractor reported they found radiological material in a cabinet in a secure building at the former Hunters Point Naval Shipyard (HPNS). The material was unrelated to project work being done at any time over the course of cleanup operations at HPNS. Upon further inspection of the building, the Navy and the contractor also found boxes that contained other chemicals that require further characterization and disposal.

The cabinet and boxes were located in a secure building with no public access; there are no public or contractor health and safety issues related to this incident. The discovery is unrelated to active work at the site. The material was believed to be placed in the building by a former subcontractor at the site, and may have violated Radiological Material License requirements.

The contractor was not authorized to store this material in the building that they were occupying as part of their Navy work. The Navy is coordinating with regulatory agencies and the contractor to ensure proper management and off-site disposal of the material.

The incident was reported to regulatory agencies by April 10, including the Nuclear Regulatory Commission and the California Department of Environmental Health as required by law. The incident has also been reported to Naval Criminal Investigative Service and the Navy Office of the Inspector General. The Navy contacted regulatory agencies and City of San Francisco representatives to bring the issue to their attention.

Additional details about this incident will be shared with the community at the next Hunters Point Shipyard Community Advisory Committee (CAC) Meeting on June 15 (click here for upcoming meeting details).