AN OPEN LETTER TO THE U.S. NAVY ON PARCEL E-2 (10/24/11)

The United States Navy has harmed millions of people all over the world. In recent times using missiles and other dangerous bombs sometimes with justification at other times without. It is no exception at Hunters Point Naval Shipyard - in San Francisco at Bayview Hunters Point.

The U.S. Navy took a large area of land over 800 acres by eminent domain as part of its World War II operations and contaminated pristine land. It filled the pristine wetlands and destroyed two hills containing serpentine rock, crushed the rock containing and released Asbestos structures and spread the contaminated material all over Hunters Point Naval Shipyard - as part of the fill in operations and created of the piers and naval operations.

The United States Navy known well for its "jettison orders" from around 1850 to late 1970s continued to contaminate the entire Hunters Point Naval Shipyard. When the U.S. Navy shut down its operations in 1974 - it leased the Shipyard to entities like AAA Shipyard Repairs who further contaminated the Hunters Point Naval Shipyard - dumping contaminated wastes of the worst order.

Most egregious behavior of the U.S. Navy was the desecration of the Hunters Point Naval Shipyard by spreading the remains of the Ohlone the First People of San Francisco and the immediate area. The U.S. Navy well knows that it cannot run away from its obligation to first apologize and then offer restitution. The U.S. Navy has shunned addressing the archeological survey mandated by Federal Regulation and linked to the First People in this case the Ohlone.

Thus as the Spokesperson on all matters linked to Base Closures, Infrastructure and related issues representing the Muwekma Ohlone, the First People of the San Francisco area and having Patrimonial Jurisdiction over Hunters Point Naval Shipyard - I said; and stand by my statement: " No good will ever come at Hunters Point Naval Shipyard". Aho.

The United States must apologize and do it soon - if it does not - Mother Earth will teach the corrupt a lesson and it does not matter what remediation, abatement; the unjust have in mind and what Environmental Impact Report or California Environmental Quality Act or other act is evoked and followed.

The presentation offered by some Navy personnel at the Land Use meeting at City Hall on October 24, 2011 in Room 263 was to say the least drab, more shallow, and a very pathetic representation of the ability of the United States Navy to tell the truth and facilitate an open dialog with the constituents of the Bayview Hunters Point and neighboring areas. More San Francisco and San Franciscans; our politicians have told their souls and Big Developers want to take pride building 10,500 homes on very contaminated land. Go Figure!

In the year 2000 the voting constituents in San Francisco by an overwhelming majority of eighty seven percent voted for Proposition P - and mandated that the entire Hunters Point Naval Shipyard be cleaned to the highest standards.

Local politicians; led by Diane Feinstein, Nancy Pelosi, Willie L. Brown Jr., Sophie Maxwell, Gavin Newsom pressured the U.S. Navy to hand over Parcel A against the wished of the people. Today Parcel A is contaminated and daily reports some of us receive - show elevated Asbestos Structures on Parcel A. However, the wind carries these dangerous particles all over the Shipyard and beyond.

Some of us in the know including myself because of my position working at the Presidio of San Francisco for Sixth U.S. Army and Presidio of San Francisco having had access to manifests and other sensitive documents and know a lot about the landfill material and its containment at Parcel E and more at the much seriously contaminated, Parcel E-2.

The U.S. Navy's own document the Final Historical Radiological Assessment Report and the following amendments all of which I have copies and are available at the San Francisco, Main Library at 11 Grove Street - reveal in detail the contents of this very polluted area. Elements; more radiological in nature with very, very high and dangerous levels of toxic elements, methane gas, and of course radiological in nature because of the atomic bomb experiments, depleted uranium, and other tests all sensitive and part of the World War II operations.

One Atomic Bomb left Hunters Point to be dropped on Japan during World War Two. The U.S. Navy has an obligation whatever the amount to clean up the entire Hunters Point Naval Shipyard. Now.

The Naval Radiological Defense Laboratory was located just outside Parcel E-2. You do not have to be a Rocket Scientist to know why and this close proximity to Parcel E-2; - contains so much of Radiological Waste that the United States Navy lies about any opportunity it gets.

The U.S Navy wants to cap the area using some plastic material which in the Bay Area on many sites has failed. At Midway Village; off Geneva Avenue in Daly City and by the Cow Palace - Pacific Gas and Electric; experimented on this so called plastic cap and it has failed miserably. What are more hundreds of people have died from Cancer in this area and more will die slowly in the future. The United States Navy knows about this area; is devoid of understanding, less compassion, and is on a deliberate course to challenge the community and for this very reason will fall on its knees and face; and regret for not listening to the community and those that have spoken and told the TRUTH.

None of the models for abatement and mitigation have been vetted by the community. The U.S. Navy failed; because may be for the first time in the history of the United States Navy and its link with the history and formation of all the Restoration Advisory Boards (RABs) the U.S. Navy chose and went against the wishes of the people to dismantle the only body that could give a qualified opinion and represent the community at large at Hunters Point Naval Shipyard.

By dismantling the Restoration Advisory Board (RAB) the U.S. Navy clearly demonstrated that it does not want to shoulder its responsibilities, has something to hide, and is a despicable, coward. More a disgrace to this Nation and I served well as the last Congressional Liaison of Sixth U.S. Army and Presidio of San Francisco and won two Commander Awards. I also participate in Desert Shield and Storm and was awarded for my participation at the highest level. The United States Navy should feel ashamed of itself for the cover up, dishonest behavior, unbecoming on any so called professional organization. President George Washington would feel ashamed of such behavior and so would a President such as President Jimmy Carter.

My work as the Congressional Liaison gives me a unique purview of the U.S. Navy and its shallow and unprofessional manner of operating - the word "jettison" is well known to the United States Navy and that "word" and many operations linked to that word - were common at the Hunters Point Naval Shipyard - more during World War Two and the many sordid experiments much before the Environmental Protection Agency came to be an off shoot of the National Radiological Defense Laboratory established first at Hunters Point now carried on at Lawrence Livermore Laboratory and other sites.

All the experiments conducted at "Bikini Islands" the exposure of the many ships in close proximity to the experimental Atomic Bombs. The large animals that were exposed on purpose and radiated to be tested latter, the many other experiments that one can review today - through the Freedom of Information Act and written in many books - are clear about the experiments and the adverse impacts to the Polynesian People the people that were adversely impacted on Bikini Islands and the neighboring islands and the Pacific Ocean.

The ships that participated in these experiments were towed to Hunters Point Naval Shipyard and sand blasted as part of the cleanup operations. The particles collected landed mostly on Parcel E and Parcel E-2 for burial - but knowing the nonchalant, hazarded behavior of the United States Navy - they buried and dumped all over the place. In keeping with its mentality - "jettison".

Large animals that were radiated were buried on Parcel E and Parcel E-2. We have witnesses who are alive and live in the community who can testify to this. These witnesses will not talk to the U.S. Navy - they are afraid that they will be killed.

This all happening in the year 2011. These men earned more for doing the burying and tell us that these animals were cut open and tested by University of California San Francisco. They gave us details; how the animals were transported, where they were transported to, at what time of the night these burials were performed, and how much money they were paid. Of course the U.S. Navy with all its investigative operations, highly trained operatives; pretend they are NOT aware of such nefarious and shameful operations. "Nothing good will happen at Hunters Point Naval Shipyard". I said this before and I say it again.

The UCSF still has a laboratory on the edge of the U.S. Navy Shipyard at Hunters Point by the Palou Gate - now mostly conducting experiments on rats and other such animals like monkeys. Such devious experiments by the UCSF; but UCSF often times likes to boast about the Bio-Medical operations at Mission Bay. But, rarely mentions its devious and sly operations at Hunters Point Naval Shipyard adversely impacting our community. So, much for our politicians that I have mentioned, the sell outs that are many and of Lennar the Rogue Developer and its minions who want to build 10,500 homes at Hunters Point and adjoining Candlestick Point.

In the year 2000 there was a raging fire that went on for over two months. The U.S. Navy was fined a measly; $250 but the people living by Mariner's Village, Kiska Road, beyond - suffered from the many ailments - severe headaches, burning of the eyes and throats, vomiting and so on.

We discussed this issue of the raging fire in the year 2000 at the Restoration Advisory Board and were told lies and the matter was delayed. Years later a model from the East Coast was brought to the West Coast that is San Francisco to explain the fire. When we asked in what direction was the wind blowing; the culprits fully understood their model would not work. The wind caused most of the trouble and we knew in what direction the wind was blowing, causing untold misery to the community. It is the same with the Asbestos Dust and other toxic dust some from the operations of the U.S. Navy and others from the Rogue Developer - Lennar - even today nothing much has changed. The community daily in adversely impacted by clandestine operations going on at Hunters Point Naval Shipyard conducted by the United States Navy and Tetra Tech the Prime Contractors whose term will soon - expire.

The United States Navy must be ashamed of itself. It should adhere to Proposition P passed in the years 2000 and many proposals vetted at the Restoration Advisory Board and bring back the Restoration Advisory Board. Failure to do that the people will STOP the operations.

The U.S. Navy and the failed politicians, the sell outs, the many Poverty Pimp Pastors, cannot fool all the people all the time. Aho.

The Muwekma Ohlone demand the entire Hunters Point Naval Shipyard restores the once pristine wetlands. Clean the watershed and remove all the contaminants. Conduct an Archeological Survey and initiated the process of Restitution. In the year 1991 the Muwekma Ohlone Tribe exercised its Rights of First Refusal. All Bases Closed under BRAC and declared Excess Property must first contact the Native American Tribes closely associated with the deactivated base and having jurisdiction - in this case Patrimonial Jurisdiction.

The United States Navy deadline for this proposal and its abatement and mitigation of Parcel E-2 was October 24, 2011 - this was extended to November 21, 2011. Written comments can be sent to:

Mr. Keith Forman
BRAC Environmental Coordinator
BRAC Program Management Office West
1455 Frazee Road, Suite 900
San Diego, California 92108-4310
Telephone: (619) 532-0913
Cell Phone: (415) 308-1458
Fax: (619) 532-0995
E-mail: keith.s.forman@navy.mil

Here are some photographs of the meeting at the Land Use at City Hall:

photos


top - back