SF Port digs a hole.

S.F. PORT AND THE BACK LANDS

Some three hundreds ago much of what we see around Piers 98,96,94,92, and around Piers 80 and 82 was PRISTNE. The first people of San Francisco the Ohlone roamed freely and never ever thought their land would be stolen. And after it was stolen disrespected and polluted.

There were acres and acres of land consisting of real wetlands. There was plenty of fish, birds and even animals such as deer and bear.

Then came the strangers and they in the name of GREED destroyed all that was GOOD. Today, there are some that want to create a fake ECOPARK not so much to treat the land with RESPECT but to make MONEY of it.

Recently I took a tour of the back lands much closer to the Henson operation and further away from Bode Gravel and soon to be operational RMC. Specialty is there too and so is Ramirez. All these business deal with sand, concrete, and aggregate of all sizes.

At one time Mission Bay located some of these businesses. Then came Catellus and just like that all the business had to relocate and pay a heavy penalty for relocation. The San Francisco Port collects over 2 million dollars from these businesses but they have no standard infrastructure to serve their clients who are at the mercy of the Port.

One would think there would be a road but there is no road that meets any decent standard. One would think there would a system so that the run off from the drain storms and other operational run off would NOT flow into the Bay but there is none. One would think it WRONG to push toxic material into the Bay - but low and behold that is exactly what is happening with one business that has connections in Sacramento.

The proposed development of the back land to create an ECOPARK needs a vision that the San Francisco Port Authority does not have. Even as the proposed plan is being discussed some CROOKS are already planning how to divide the riches from the proposed ECOPARK.

Again and again injustice is done to the community. We saw it when I took the lead and got rid of the toxic soil at Pier 92. Now, the same scenario is showing its ugly face - the proposed ECOPARK by Pier 96 closer to the Henson Operation.

This area predominantly is covered with toxic soil from past operations of the near by Bay being dredged. Near by the Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E) plant continues to pollute the general area. In fact when the wind does an all about turn all the pollutants float over the proposed ECOPARK.

When Hunters Naval Shipyard ruled supreme the Navy dumped some barrels containing atomic waste. When the Navy saw that the barrels continued floating they fired at them and saw that they sunk. When the dredging was done much of what was once in the barrels was moved from the Bay and into the area around Pier 96 as fill in.

A worker digging a hole in the general area of Pier 96 very near Specialty Crushing created a huge flame when his backhoe struck moving Methane Gas. In fact much like Heron's Head Park which was built on a toxic dump - much of Pier 96 consists of the same soil. Much of the land consists of garbage, waste material, and from the 1950 to mid-1980 most of the landfill was toxic material from all the businesses generating toxic stuff from as far as Potrero Hill to Downtown San Francisco. Stuff came in loads from the Mission, all over the City and even the Presidio of San Francisco.

Lucky for us we have living people with an institution memory. They tell us what types of toxins they moved from which businesses for how much. We also have documentation when tests were done in a fair manner after the Environmental Protection Agency regulated standards that very clearly stated the contents of the soil around Pier 96.

In 1979 there was an Earthquake and in this infamous quake part of the area around the proposed ECOPARK site fell into the Bay. It is paramount that some quality seismic tests are done. That the PUBLIC gets a good analysis of the soil assessment and that every precaution is taken to abate the area in question for the good of the environment.

Do not count on the San Francisco Port to do any of the spadework. They are very good at bluffing the public especially when it comes to taking the pains to do tests to put any issue at rest. They talk the talk but do not walk the walk.

We have seen them play games at Pier 92. They continue to push for Cruise Ships that will pollute our air. They knew about the conduits and the illegal activities of the contents of the conduits and did not tell the PUBLIC.

Today they continue to push for Heron's Head Park and think that taking our children on to a toxic dump will not put our children in harm way. It is no wonder that many feel that the San Francisco Port should hand over the Public Trust Land to the State from which they inherited it in the first place in 1968.

The proposed ECOPARK has methane gas and this should be taken care of. It is important that the toxic soil be abated. It is most important to fight for the closure of the near by PG&E Hunter Point.

It is important before any plans are really executed we have a Blue Print. Just like they do where most White folks live. For example why is there the Darlin Plant on Port Property and remember Darlin was there before Bode or Specialty or the guy who has close ties to Willie Brown and owns a huge Container business and proposes to expand.

Public Trust lands under the SF Port call for Maritime Uses. It also calls for businesses that are Environmentally Friendly. Public Trust lands belong to all the people of California. No where is it stated that some Crooks from the community should control any Public Trust Land. If any should it is the First People the Muwekma Ohlone who were here first and from whom the land was stolen.

It is important to have good roads. A system that controls the run off and a sewer system second to none. Good lighting system that does not put innocent people and operators in harm way. A security and police patrol that does not exists. It is important to maintain a Quality of Life standard that helps the constituents of San Francisco

The areas where the concrete, sand, and aggregate businesses operate do make a big difference. The operators do reach out to the community. They are business men and women who have to make a living and they help the City and beyond with their concrete, sand, and aggregate that builds and mends much of what we see anywhere in the City and County of San Francisco.

We should have a nice ECOPARK but hopefully we will also pay attention to the factors that I have stated. We should not build anything without standards. Check out the Bode Gravel site it does justice to modern technology but is also environmentally friendly. We hope we frankly can say that of the other businesses and keep a straight face.

As to the San Francisco Port Authority soon Willie Brown will be history. With his departure we hope to see a lot of the corruption gone for good. We hope the businesses who are suffering now will do better. For all the rent the concrete and sand businesses give the Port, they get little if not anything. This is not fair. On top of that it is easy to say that the businesses do this and that - but a lot of the this and that is never qualified with sound reason.

The Southern Waterfront Advisory Committee is what it states Advisory. No where does it state they can adjudicate. From time to time they take that role and play god. It is time the S.F. Port tell them in no uncertain times that the SWAC is not the Port Commission never was and never will be.


Flammable toxic waste unearthed from the hole.

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