Radiation Threatens Massive Bay Area Development Project

According to a new U.S. Navy report and other documents obtained by The Bay Citizen, radiation contamination on Treasure Island is worse than previously acknowledged. Will the findings alter plans for a massive 20,000 resident development?

1 minute read

August 18, 2012, 1:00 PM PDT

By Jonathan Nettler @nettsj


Tantalizingly located between San Francisco and Oakland, plans to redevelop the former Naval Base on Treasure Island circulated for at least 15 years before a $1.5 billion project was approved by the San Francisco Board of Supervisors last year. 

However, redevelopment efforts have been dogged by the need to cleanup remnants of the island's past as a training facility and "ground zero for repairing, scrapping,
recycling and incinerating material from ships that might have absorbed
radiation from atomic bomb tests in the Pacific."

According to Matt Smith, "Although the Navy and one state agency say cleanup has been effective
and remaining radiation levels are low, the state Department of Public
Health expressed alarm as recently as May, saying earlier studies
showing fewer radioactive sites led to a botched cleanup effort and the
potential spread of contaminants both on and off the island."

"The findings," notes Smith, "appear likely to complicate the environmental cleanup and
new construction on Treasure Island after years of debate – much of it
shielded from the public – over the island's radioactive hazards." 

 

Friday, August 17, 2012 in The Bay Citizen

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Cover CM Credits, Earn Certificates, Push Your Career Forward

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

July 16, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Green vintage Chicago streetcar from the 1940s parked at the Illinois Railroad Museum in 1988.

Chicago’s Ghost Rails

Just beneath the surface of the modern city lie the remnants of its expansive early 20th-century streetcar system.

July 13, 2025 - WTTV

Blue and silver Amtrak train with vibrant green and yellow foliage in background.

Amtrak Cutting Jobs, Funding to High-Speed Rail

The agency plans to cut 10 percent of its workforce and has confirmed it will not fund new high-speed rail projects.

July 14, 2025 - Smart Cities Dive

Worker in yellow safety vest and hard hat looks up at servers in data center.

Ohio Forces Data Centers to Prepay for Power

Utilities are calling on states to hold data center operators responsible for new energy demands to prevent leaving consumers on the hook for their bills.

July 18 - Inside Climate News

Former MARTA CEO Collie Greenwood standing in front of MARTA HQ with blurred MARTA sign visible in background.

MARTA CEO Steps Down Amid Citizenship Concerns

MARTA’s board announced Thursday that its chief, who is from Canada, is resigning due to questions about his immigration status.

July 18 - WABE

Rendering of proposed protected bikeway in Santa Clara, California.

Silicon Valley ‘Bike Superhighway’ Awarded $14M State Grant

A Caltrans grant brings the 10-mile Central Bikeway project connecting Santa Clara and East San Jose closer to fruition.

July 17 - San José Spotlight