The San Francisco Health Department is sounding the alarm over high levels of radioactive “plutonium 239” detected in the air in Hunters Point.
Plutonium 239 is used for nuclear weapons and has been linked to lung disease and cancer.
City officials said the Navy never notified them of the findings for almost a year.
The Navy operated the shipyard from 1945 to 1974, and it’s responsible for cleaning radioactive elements to allow the city to move forward with a long-planned redevelopment of the area.
In a letter to the Navy obtained by NBC Bay Area, Health Officer Susan Phillip said they were notified this month of air samples taken last November. It showed levels of “plutonium-239” that twice exceeded the “action level.”
The letter from the health department reads in part, “San Francisco is deeply concerned by both the magnitude of this exceedance and the failure to provide timely notification. Such a delay undermines our ability to safeguard public health and maintain transparency.”
They’re also requesting multiple actions and documents by next week.
The Navy has agreed to meet with them tomorrow.