India basin neighborhood association hires arc ecology to provide technical services for usepa technical assistance grant for the hunters point shipyard

In January 2011, the India Basin Neighborhood Association obtained final approval from the United States Environmental Protection Agency to contract with Arc Ecology to review the upcoming environmental cleanup documents for the Hunters Point Shipyard. India Basin is the neighborhood on the north western side of the Shipyard running from Cargo Way to the Shipyard gate on Innes Avenue.

Dealing with Trucks
Like the rest of the Bayview, the India Basin Neighborhood has been impacted in a number of ways by the pollution and cleanup of the Shipyard. Trucks carrying contaminated sediments rumble out of the Innes Gate on their way to disposal, trucks loaded with clean fill rumble their way back in. Dust and track out from these trucks have been an ongoing complaint of IBNA members and Bayview residents.

Living Shoreline
Recently IBNA weighed in on the Navy’s decision to destroy a newly forming beach on the Shipyard’s India Basin facing northern Parcel B shoreline to armor the site against erosion and the escape of residual contamination. Both IBNA and Arc Ecology argued that the armoring was unnecessary, destructive to the developing habitat, destructive to the community recreational opportunity created by the beach, and was not demonstrably technically more protective than creating what is called a living shoreline at the same location. A living shoreline would have enhanced the beach, created more habitat, room for Kayaking and have been a substantial improvement for the neighborhood and Bayview Hunters Point over the rock rubble the Navy has deposited instead.

Upcoming Reports & Decisions
The contract is particularly timely for IBNA and the community as the Navy has property transfer documents for Parcels B and G up for final review and will be producing a Feasibility Study for Parcels E and Proposed Plans for Parcels E and E2 - the southern shoreline - over the next six months to a year. The resolution of the Parcel E2 Dump cleanup plan is of particular importance to the community as it is the site of the six month long landfill fire of 2000. Arc Ecology’s roll will be to review critical documents, help IBNA and community members evaluate their contents and develop commentary that support community interests.