M3.4: Air Pollution

Zip Code: 94109

·       Who and what are the top polluters in your zip code?

• Top Polluters
• San Francisco Drydock, Inc.
• Chevron Production, San Francisco Terminal
• PG&E, Hunter’s Point Power Plant

o   Top Pollutants

§  Xylene (Mixed Isomers)

§  N-Butyl Alcohol

§  N-Hexane

§  Benzene

§  Toluene

§  Copper Compounds

§  Ethylbenzene

§  Naphthalene

§  Mercury

·       What percent of the homes in your zipcode have lead-based paint?

• Seven percent

·       Are there Superfund sites in your zip?  

• A superfund site is, simply put, an EPA sanctioned fund that provides funds for the cleanup of areas where hazardous materials were dumped or stored in the past.  Here in my area, it shows that the Treasure Island Naval Station Hunter’s Point Annex is a Superfund site.

·       What can you tell us about the Superfund sites that are near where you live?

• The Treasure Island site was the first privately owned dry dock on the Pacific coast established in 1869.  The Navy started using the area to repair ships and eventually purchased it in 1939.  Since its establishment, various operations at the facility have produced variety of solid and liquid wastes, including paints, solvents, fuels, acids, bases, metals, PCBs and asbestos. 

·       What did you learn about the air quality in your zipcode?

• In 1999, the area ranked in the top ten percent of the dirtiest/worst air quality in the country in terms of pm-2.5 emissions.

·       How about the water quality?

• Both the percentage of surface waters with impaired or threatened uses, and the number of impaired waterbodies, rank above the 50 percent mark indicating they are nearing the dirtiest/worst end of the spectrum.