Statement: Public health and safety is the Navy’s first priority in the cleanup at Hunters Point Naval Shipyard (HPNS). The Navy has worked extensively with federal, state regulators and city agencies to ensure the safe transfer of Hunters Point to the City of San Francisco. The Navy develops a specific work plan for every parcel at HPNS and each undergoes regulatory review.

The Navy has successfully remediated and transferred bases across the country, and leverages its expertise to design the most protective solutions for each individual facility, including Hunters Point. One solution used to protect public health from exposure to naturally occurring asbestos and metals in soil at Hunters Point is called a “durable cover.” Environmental engineers and scientists determine the correct type of cover – usually pavement or soil – and the cover’s thickness required to ensure public safety.

The use of durable covers was determined to be a suitable protective measure for most Hunters Point parcels. These determinations are consistent with the federal Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) which defines the federal cleanup process. This process includes stakeholder input before such decisions are finalized.

At Hunters Point, durable cover solutions are currently in place at Parcels B, C, D-1, D-2, E, G, UC-1, UC-2, and UC-3 as permanent protective measures to ensure public safety by preventing exposure to naturally occurring asbestos and metals in soil. Information on the use of durable covers was shared with the public as part of CERCLA process over many years.

To ensure that the covers remain protective, the Navy monitors and maintains these covers through regular inspections of pavement conditions, cracks in building foundations, settlement, and accumulation of surface water, the condition of survey benchmarks and signs of vandalism. The durable cover protectiveness is also assessed as part of the ongoing Five-Year Review process required under CERCLA.

After property is transferred to civilian control, the City can develop the property in accordance with regulatory procedures and controls that take the durable covers into account. Additionally, the requirement to inspect and maintain the durable covers continues after property conveyance and development.

More details and updates about the Navy’s cleanup work at Hunters Point are available at bracpmo.navy.mil/hpnsrc.