[CPEO-MEF] Nuclear waste fears may delay project

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California
Nuclear waste fears may delay project
Steve Ginsberg

The transfer of land at Hunters Point slated for 1,600 new homes may be
delayed after the U.S. Navy found documents that could lead to the
discovery of more contaminated sites at the Naval shipyard.

Investigators found about 100 boxes of unreviewed documents pertaining
to former radiological operations on the San Francisco site and want to
interview former shipyard workers to assess the possible dumping of
nuclear waste at the 500-acre site.

The Navy took out ads in local daily newspapers on Jan. 28 requesting
current and former Navy personnel, civilian employees and contractors
who worked at the shipyard's radiological operations to volunteer for
interviews.

The ads in part said: "The Navy is interested in obtaining open and
honest oral histories. The Navy is not interested in pursuing adverse
action against interviewees based on information supplied during
interviews that may describe improper handling, use or disposal of
radioactive material."

The new radiological documentation will delay the Navy's final
Historical Radiological Assessment of Hunters Point, and without its
completion the land can't be released for redevelopment. The final
report was scheduled to be completed by the end of January, but now the
Navy is saying the report will be completed sometime in 2003. Navy
radiological investigators based in Virginia will continue to look for
hot spots on the former shipyard although Parcel A — the parcel set
aside for developer Lennar/BVHP's first phase — has already been
certified as safe by the Navy and State of California.

This article can be viewed at:
http://sanfrancisco.bizjournals.com/sanfrancisco/stories/2003/02/03/story4.html

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