MOVING TOXIC SOIL AROUND BAYVIEW

Bayview Hunters Point has a lot of people who own homes over 65 per cent. They rest rent. All over the City and County of San Francisco about 65 per cent rent and the rest own homes. This fact is not known to many. Most think Bayview Hunters Point is full of crime and that people are very poor and the streets dirty. In fact some of the best views can be found at Bayview Hunters Point. It is this wrong perception that favors some crooks to come into our neighborhood and dump toxic dirt and anything and everything they consider waste. Now, all of us know there are the dumps and all of us know that permits are mandatory to move stuff like toxic dirt through neighborhoods. By Caroll Street near Candlestick Park a tucking company that is from the East Bay on Super Bowl Sunday chose to move 450 truckloads of dirt from PacBell Park. About 20 trips were made before a stop was put to the operation. The remaining 430-truck load of dirt remains to be moved and the City and County of San Francisco is on the ball. So is the Mayor's Office of Neighborhood Services and others. At last the City is awaking up to the nonsense that has been going on for decades. Mayor Willie Lewis Brown Jr. - we need your help and we need it now. Now at second thought there are piles and piles of toxic dirt by Mission Bay just a few hundred feet from PacBell Park. Now, I want to say but I hope it is not true - I hope the organizers of the dirt bike show did not move the dirt from Mission Bay into PacBell Park. If this were the case thousands of people would have been exposed to toxic dirt. It is important that Park and Recreation which monitors all great events as was the dirt bike event - be diligent and ask the right questions and get the right answers. If 450 truckloads were brought into PacBell for the event, the Public has a right to know - where did the dirt come from and after the show where would the dirt be sent? Right now the organizers have stated they wanted the dirt stored so that they can use it again when they put on another show. They have been asked again and again if the dirt is toxic and they do not say a word. They also do not know where the dirt has come from exactly. All over Mission Bay we have toxic piles most of these piles were not covered until I brought it to the notice of the authorities. Many a time the City's Department of Public Works can play a major role but does not. There have been documented instances where SF DPW has dumped toxic dirt - much of it on Port property. It is paramount that the City and County of San Francisco have in place a stringent Enforcement Policy and that there be Accountability and Transparency to benefit the community. Especially our youth. Dirt is dirt when it is clean. Dirt that is toxic should be covered and should not be exposed to thousands of people. This has happened again and again - especially at Mission Bay and by Catellus Corporation, which has clout in high places. Our infants should not die in vain. Our youth and elders should not be put in harms way. In fact no innocent person should be put in harms way. Yet again and again this has happened with toxic dirt which harms and kills people slowly. Environmental Justice Advocacy has taken a stand to work hard for the community. This fight has not been easy. For a long time we did not have a representative from the Mayor's Office to be there for the people at ground zero in the Bayview Hunters Point. There was a representative but she was on disability. Today, we have Joseph Flood and I keep in touch with him - I hope Ron Vinson and his representatives from all the neighborhoods work hard to keep our City and County of San Francisco from crooks who dump toxic dirt without any conscience. That the Mayor team work for all the people in fair and equitable manner. Our constituents should be informed but what is more be better educated. Our Health Department should take a leading role but it has not. Our State and Federal agencies have NOT done their duty and address testing soil, water, and air samples to collect empirical data to fight the cause of various illnesses. The time has come to work as a team and help those who need help most. Our City and County of San Francisco permit crooks to get away with murder. This should stop. Huge fines should be levied on Cattelus Corporation, other big firms who break the law and pollute our land, our waters, and our air. We can talk the talk but we must walk the walk. We must have in place on the City level to bring about swift enforcement and garner fines to bring income into City coffers to address mitigation factors. This is the City and County of San Francisco -the City that knows how. We have not been diligent, it is our duty to safeguard our health and better our community. Make our community safe from all that may harm our community. This Earth was given to us to leave it a better place for future generations. This is what the First People always practiced - respect for Mother Earth. If we abuse the Earth - it is logical we will abuse the land, the air and the waters. It is logical we will abuse our fellow men. Think about it. We have those amongst us to think well but it is time to act better. The time has come to address environmental issues for the benefit of every single human being.

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