Hunters Point Naval Shipyard

Overview

Hunters Point Naval Shipyard is an 866-acre former Navy facility in San Francisco, California. It operated as a shipyard from 1945 to 1974 and housed the Naval Radiological Defense Laboratory from 1948 to 1960. It was added to the EPA's National Priorities List (NPL) in November 1989. The site has not yet completed construction of its full cleanup, and it has not achieved sitewide readiness for anticipated reuse.

Contamination affects soil, groundwater, sediments, dust, and building structures across the property. Chemical contaminants include chlorinated solvents such as trichloroethene and tetrachloroethene, volatile organic compounds like benzene and toluene, heavy metals including arsenic, lead, mercury, and cadmium, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, and pesticide residues such as DDT and dieldrin. Radioactive contaminants include plutonium-239, cesium-137, strontium-90, cobalt-60, radium-226, uranium-235, and thorium-232, found in soil, groundwater, and structures.

The Navy is responsible for cleanup, with EPA and the California EPA overseeing and enforcing those efforts. The site is divided into eleven operable units covering distinct parcels. Parcel A required no cleanup action and was transferred to the San Francisco Redevelopment Agency in 2004. EPA confirmed in November 2020 that Parcel A is suitable for residential use and is no longer part of the Superfund site. Other parcels have seen soil excavation, groundwater treatment, soil vapor extraction, engineered caps, shoreline stabilization, and radiological removal actions. Radiological retesting is underway at multiple parcels, including Parcels B and C, with dust control and air monitoring in place during all fieldwork. The Navy is comparing test results against established cleanup levels to determine if more remedial action is needed. EPA's most recent five-year review, completed September 4, 2024, found that current response actions are protective of human health and the environment. Human exposure and groundwater migration are both currently under control.

The site is currently closed to the public except for special events, though the Hunters Point Shipyard Artists and a few other tenants operate in certain buildings. Community members can stay informed through the Navy's Administrative Record, the site's Public Information Repository, and by contacting EPA's Community Involvement Coordinator or Remedial Project Manager directly. EPA requested in August 2020 that the Navy complete a comprehensive evaluation of its community outreach program, particularly as radiological retesting results were expected to be announced.