By Dani Zacky
With rising global temperatures and this winter’s bout of heavy rains and flooding, sea level rise has been at the top of many of our minds. Like other climate change impacts, sea level rise will disproportionately affect marginalized and underserved communities. Already, this can be seen in Richmond’s AstraZeneca site. This area is a major example of environmental injustice, and rising water levels will only exacerbate the situation.
The AstraZeneca site sits just along the shoreline in Richmond. It was formerly owned by the Stauffer Chemical Company before being bought by AstraZeneca in the 1980s. Stauffer primarily manufactured sulfuric acid at the site by roasting pyrite ores, and for decades the company dumped the iron pyrite cinders into the marsh nearby. Additional toxic releases resulted from Stauffer’s later manufacturing of fertilizers, herbicides, and pesticides. Today, chemicals found on the site include volatile organic compounds such as benzene, heavy metals including lead, arsenic, and uranium, and pesticides like DDT.
How might such a contaminated site be impacted by sea level rise? Well, because salt water is more dense than freshwater, a rising sea will push fresh groundwater up. Recent research led by UC Berkeley professor Dr. Kristina Hill shows that rising groundwater in the Bay will act as a vehicle to move toxic contamination up through soil and possibly into the Bay Area’s notoriously cracked piping systems. While more accurate modeling of groundwater rise is in the works, current models suggest that groundwater can carry toxic particles up to three miles from the source of pollution. Knowing this, the highly contaminated AstraZeneca site is a ticking time bomb.
Richmond community members, especially those active in the Richmond Shoreline Alliance and Richmond Community Advisory Group, have been advocating for a more complete clean up of the site in light of groundwater rise. In the face of the proposed development of over 4,000 housing units on the site, the clean up becomes even more pressing. The commitment of these advocates to the health of the Bay and their community is not only inspiring, but it has spurred some advances by state regulators.
Recently, the site’s new project manager for the California Department of Toxic Substances Control asked for greater analysis of the cleanup plan, based on up-to-date sea level rise projections. This is promising news, but we will be watching closely to make sure that revisions to the plan are based on the best available science and the strictest protections for the health of residents in this city already overburdened by environmental injustice.
The work of these community members can serve as inspiration to us all, and it must continue to ensure that environmental justice is upheld here in the Bay. There is a place for everyone in this fight, and we need your help. Our Sierra Club Bay Alive program offers opportunities to participate in local clean ups, education events, discussion of policies, and much more. If you are interested in becoming a Bay advocate and care deeply for the Bay, our communities, and our unique ecosystems, make sure to email me, Dani Zacky, at dani.zacky@sierraclub.org.