·
Who and what are the top polluters in your
zip code?
·
What percent of the homes in your zip code
have lead-based paint?
7% of houses in San Francisco County have a high risk of
lead hazards
·
Are there Superfund sites in your
zip?
A Superfund Site
is any land that is contaminated and improperly managed which includes
hazardous waste that has been dumped and left out in the open. These sites are
identified by the EPA as in need of cleanup due to the risks the sites impose
of human health and the environment. There is currently one Superfund Site in
San Francisco County. This Superfund Site is the Treasure Island Naval Station-Hunters
Point Annex.
·
What can you tell us about the Superfund
sites that are near where you live?
This Superfund Site encompasses 522 acres of dry land and
414 acres submerged in the San Francisco Bay. Operations of the facility over
many decades generated a wide variety of solid and liquid wastes, including
paints, solvents, fuels, acids, metals, PCB’s, and Asbestos. This site is
currently at stage 7 of cleanup: Construction Underway. This stage involves the actual construction
or implementation phase of Superfund site cleanup. This is reassuring that the
site is underway for cleanup but still very concerning because it has been a
site of hazardous waste since it was purchased from Drydock in 1869. Also the
fact that it is partially submerged in the bay means that the chemicals and
toxins have access to water and can easily be spread.
·
What did you learn about the air quality in
your zip code?
Based on EPA’s most current data, this county ranked
among the dirtiest/worst 10% of all counties in the US in terms of an average
individual’s added cancer risk from hazardous air pollutants. This is
concerning for me because I have had asthma since I was age 3 and I am assuming
the air quality and pollution in San Francisco played a factor in my diagnoses.
·
How about the water quality?
San Francisco County contains 3 watersheds. 30% of
surface waters in the area are impaired or threatened uses due to loss in water
quality. There are 29 reports of water bodies with problems in attaining to
water quality standards.
·
How did your zip code fair on a social
justice / environmental justice basis?
Low-income communities and communities of color may
suffer greater impacts from environmental degradation than other groups.Toxic chemicals have a greater release rate where low income families live. This is very concerning and more needs to be done to protect vulnerable populations who are exposed to more harmful chemicals.
That is mind blowing that 7% of houses in San Francisco contain lead. I understand that most houses are old, but wow. When I did my ScoreCard, all I could think about was the different communities that live within my county (San Mateo) and I feel like that is similar to your county as well. There are so many different neighborhoods in San Francisco and I wonder if the amount of toxic chemicals changes based on those neighborhoods. Thank you for the great information!
ReplyDelete-Kera
Hello Marisa,
ReplyDeleteI am surprised by Chevron - and very disappointed. I don't use their gas, but I'm sure you've heard the commercial - Chevron keeps your engine clean. However, it seems that their products are harming the environment with over 11,000+ pounds of gunk. In addition, knowing how San Francisco is clustered it wasn't surprising that the air quality is horrible. One positive is that the Bay is absorbing the carbon dioxide, but on the flip-side it is killing the marine life. It brings up the question of how much longer will we continue to destroy the environment?
Hi Marisa,
ReplyDeleteLike yourself, I was very surprised to find that low-income and communities of color are suffering from environmental injustices. In an area that is proclaimed as one of the most coveted American communities to live in, I'm surprised to find that we have high amounts of pollutants and are unjustly distributed.
Carmen