The cleanup of the former Hunters Point Naval Shipyard, a large site slated for a major redevelopment project in San Francisco, has been rocked by scandal, according to a report by the San Francisco Chronicle.
The project has allegedly been plagued by faked soil samples, falsified documents, two criminal convictions, and three federal lawsuits. The Navy’s effort to remove radioactive contamination from the site has relied on “decades-old, obsolete safety standards in order to avoid cleaning up dangerous substances,” the Chronicle reported.
That strategy lowers the Navy’s costs, but would increase the risk of people living or working on the site getting cancer. The500-acre Superfund site is one of the most contaminated places in the country.
A scientist working for a private watchdog group said that no one knows what is actually in the ground, even after decades of study and cleanup work.
Related Stories
Codes and Standards | Jan 24, 2019
OSHA unaffected by federal government shutdown
Agency fully funded for first nine months of 2019.
Codes and Standards | Jan 23, 2019
Hackers can easily take control of construction cranes
Potential for serious harm is real, say researchers.
Codes and Standards | Jan 22, 2019
Initiative will introduce open-source software for commercial and public building retrofits
Energy analysis tool will identify energy efficiency opportunities.
Codes and Standards | Jan 18, 2019
Texas city sues developer over changes in $1 billion mixed-use project
Revised plan eliminated 8-acre lagoon, trolley, show fountain, and reduced retail space.
Codes and Standards | Jan 17, 2019
First resilience benchmarks for U.S. communities released
Provides way to evaluate current state of resilience and guidance for areas of improvement.
Codes and Standards | Jan 16, 2019
California mass timber building competition kicks off January 15
Competition will award $500,000 in grants to teams who design innovative buildings.
Codes and Standards | Jan 15, 2019
Hazard mitigation provisions in codes save lives and protect property
New NIBS study finds that adopting 2018 Intl. Codes generate $11 benefit for every $1 invested.
Codes and Standards | Jan 10, 2019
Ontario building first to achieve zero-carbon designation by Canada GBC
Geothermal heating, living wall among notable features.
Codes and Standards | Jan 9, 2019
Policymakers need to act to alleviate affordable housing crunch
Moody’s economist says costs including mortgage rates worsening situation.
Codes and Standards | Jan 8, 2019
Pittsburgh launches task force on construction industry fraud
Focus will be on wage violations.