San Francisco health officials are asking why they were not warned about elevated radiation levels detected last year at an inactive U.S. Navy shipyard in the city.
Plutonium was found at the decommissioned Hunters Point Naval Shipyard back in November 2024, San Francisco Health Officer Dr. Susan Philip explained in a letter on Thursday that was sent to Navy officials.
Philip wrote that the city health department only found out in October that Pu-239, a type of plutonium, was detected in an air filter sample at Hunter’s Point as workers were grinding asphalt during work operations last year.
The level detected was more than double the Environmental Protection Agency’s “action level” when further steps must be taken to ensure public safety, according to the letter.
Plutonium exposure can be dangerous because its half-life is so long, allowing the material to emit radiation for decades, the San Francisco digital news site SFGATE told its readers.
According to SFGATE:
The Hunters Point shipyard was a key naval repair facility for nearly 30 years until it was decommissioned in 1974. Part of the shipyard, Parcel A, was transferred to the city for residential development in 2004. Other areas are still owned by the Navy and have been rented out by artists or residents. But the area has long been subject to concerns that contamination from the empty shipyard is affecting the health of nearby residents.
The plutonium found in November 2024 was detected in Parcel C of the shipyard, which is not inhabited or open to the public, as environmental cleanup continues on the site.
“The City and County of San Francisco is deeply concerned by both the magnitude of this exceedance and the failure to provide timely notification” Philip wrote.
She added, “Such a delay undermines our ability to safeguard public health and maintain transparency. Immediate notification is a regulatory requirement and is critical for ensuring community trust and safety.”
The U.S. Navy has not responded to local news outlets reporting on the radiation matter.
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