There will be no physical testing of the soils at Keller Canyon Landfill for traces of radioactive waste, with a consultant’s report determining a “95 percent confidence level” that no such waste was dumped there between 2011 and 2017.
The Contra Costa Board of Supervisors accepted a report from TRC Solutions Inc. that, based on a study of documents including special waste authorization agreements, investigation reports and bills of lading and manifests of loads in and out of the landfill, among other data from a construction project at the former Hunters Point Naval Shipyard in San Francisco during those years, it’s unlikely any radioactive soils ended up at the landfill on Bailey Rd. in between Concord and Bay Point.
County staff recommended against pursuing environmental field sampling at Keller Canyon, and the supervisors on Tuesday voted unanimously to accept that recommendation.
Jonathan Scheiner of TRC Solutions told the supervisors that to achieve absolute certainty about the radioactive waste, field testing of the leachate liquid that has percolated through the landfill would be necessary. Contra Costa County staff recommended against pursuing that testing, and the supervisors voted to accept the TRC Solutions forensic audit report.
News reports in April 2018 said that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency learned soil testing results from Hunters Point were fabricated before waste soils were taken from there to several regional landfills, including Keller Canyon. The EPA said Keller Canyon may have received soils tainted by radioactivity.
Two former supervisors with Tetra Tech, the firm testing the soils at Hunters Point, in May 2018 pleaded guilty in federal court to falsifying soil sample results.
The issue generated enough concern for Supervisor Federal Glover’s office to convene a public meeting in June 2018 in Bay Point, where representatives from federal, state and local regulatory agencies — including the Radiologic Health Branch of the California Department of Public Health — discussed the investigation and answered questions about the potential impact of radiological waste to local communities.
TRC’s forensic audit was finished in May 2019, and concluded it was “very unlikely” that radioactive materials from Hunters Point ended up at Keller Canyon. Follow-up county work was postponed as the COVID-19 crisis diverted resources, but virtual public meetings on the Keller Canyon soils were held on June 21 and Nov. 9 of this year.
I can’t imagine it costs that much to sample test the site. Probably less than the hearings and studies that were done.
“I can’t imagine it costs that much to sample test the site.”
You have NO idea… Ever sample has to be verifiably traced, logged, and all the results vetted and certified — it’s more paperwork than actual sample testing, before it’s all said and done. This sort of thing could run into six figures EASILY, and might push seven depending on how comprehensively it’s done. NOT chump change we’re talking about, here.
Wow so taking one test
Why not make dang sure
Since it’s the people who will suffer
But yeah again the supervisors have not a clue
Yet you gave them absolute power
To do what ….nothing but rule you and take your money
Here they have a chance to actually
Speak for the safety of the people but they declined to get a second opinion
Or even ask the public if they are satisfied before
Deciding for us we are safe with their non certified knowledge of soil and contamination
You berated a potus for not tying his shoes how you wanted
Or for not making sure state mayors actually were protecting people and not locking them down for political gain
Yet these people are not geologist or educated in soil or contamination
They say it’s good to build and place people on
I would think if your even concidering others or yourselves living there with their families you would demand they do their due diligence and get a second opinion or a better analysis
Unless you actually trust them with your lives
I don’t
The documentation of everything that was hauled in there would include every shred of HazMat paperwork connected to every ounce of soil brought in. They did a total forensic audit of all of it. IF there’s nothing in that barge full of paper that raises concern, then testing would be just a redundant, added expense laid at our feet as taxpayers.
Now, the article does include this element:
“Two former supervisors with Tetra Tech, the firm testing the soils at Hunters Point, in May 2018 pleaded guilty in federal court to falsifying soil sample results.”
It is important to note of what is NOT being claimed:
There is NO claim being made that “falsified soil sample results” were a cover for dumping radioactive soil. You’re meant to assume that part. And if this were a Hollywood movie that’s exactly what would be going on, here; it’s a PERFECT fit for the usual script. Here we have our two greedy corporate bad guys. And there YOU are; the savvy, young, too new to be taken seriously investigative journalist out to take on the dirty corporation alone, and dig up the real dirt that blows the lid off their scandalous operation. And there’d be a tense car chase, and lots of running down alleyways, and you’d find yourself captured. And then a photogenic, discontented corporate insider would sneak in, and bust you out… and you could write the whole rest of the script because it’s formulaic.
Don’t think it’s not formulaic just because it’s “the news.”
You might be blown away to find out just how many things you think are true, that have come into your head via exactly that Hollywood movie kind of inference. No specific truth claim was ever made, but you think it’s true because that’s how it goes in all the movies that rock the box office.
That is the state of the “news” business in 21st Century America.
HUGE numbers of claims are implied; never actually stated.
There’s no direct evidence, so claims are fed into the public conversation entirely by inference, instead. Millions of the American Idle go about thinking certain things are true that aren’t.
Back in the day the mantra was “QUESTION AUTHORITY.”
Well, these big “news” corporations have set themselves up as authorities on what’s true and what’s not; why has questioning them come to be regarded as a revolutionary act?
Typical Random rant, A bit difficult to comprehend, tangentially political, and thoughts spewed based on opinion in lieu of facts. You should have logged in and watched the meeting, and watched Mr. Scheiner’s comprehensive presentation. For example, you would have seen that each truckload of soil was scanned for radioactivity before leaving the site and scanned again at the Keller Canyon entry point. No radioactivity was detected at either test location. There’s more evidence too.
Darrin-
To paraphrase Shakespeare I’d say- Darrin
does protest too much, methinks. Or- There’s
something rotten in Pittsburg about your logic.
It seems to me like you have been prompted
or compensated to write your very long winded
reply’s. You admit the paperwork was doctored
but that doesn’t bother you. There was radioactive
material found at Hunters Point. Huge amounts
of that soil was hauled to Pittsburg and dumped
using falsified documents. You say the cost to
investigate is too high. The cost is actually a trifle
compared to the possible dangers of exposure to
radiation. Check out the half life of these materials.
It’s well worth making sure that NO ONE is being
exposed to cancer causing radiation.
“There was radioactive material found at Hunters Point. Huge amounts
of that soil was hauled to Pittsburg and dumped using falsified documents.”
As substantiated…where?
Documents were falsified about soil that was hauled.
In what way were they falsified?
There was radioactive soil in the area that soil came from.
Where’s proof radioactive soil got hauled, and not just other unaffected soil from nearby?
Too many missing links to go about hair on fire.
Daniel Hirsch the recently retired director of the
Program on Environmental Nuclear Policy at UC
Santa Cruz said- However sensitive the monitors
at the dump are, they aren’t sensitive enough for
low-level radiation that can potentially be very
hazardous. He said they are designed to go off
when there is something really big, but the
level of radiation to cause cancer in 5 to 20 years
is vastly lower than the amount seen by a portal
monitor. He also said this is not the fault of the
landfill owner. They were told this was okay waste.
He said this doesn’t make it harmless, it’s just the
opposite, that’s why they shipped it out. This
information should be cause for concern by The
County Board of Supervisors.
I thought I saw a 3 eared, huge jack rabbit hopping across that area on a recent motorcycle ride up that way!! YIKES!
That was Newsome…
@SimonPure He said Jack Rabbit not Jack Ass…
@ redrazor ~ That reminds me…
I always wake up in a good mood and have a good thought… or maybe it’s the good thought that puts me in a good mood, but anyway…. i woke up this morning and crawled out of the OP when it suddenly occurred to me that we are so blessed & fortunate that God never saw fit to cross breed skunks and porcupines with grizzly bears.
I’ve been riding along on that happy thought all day!
3 eared jackrabbit… really?
well …..
this remark means maybe just maybe someone is listening
addle
Typical Random rant, A bit difficult to comprehend, tangentially political, and thoughts spewed based on opinion in lieu of facts.
and yet you have described this state and governor in one sentence
thank you for proving my point across the board
i commend you for your due diligence of deciphering
your comment shows that all is not lost in this state as you mentioned
just as a public servant of the law and police say
it only takes one to make it worth it …..right
again your due diligence is noteworthy
now take your animosity towards me and my posts and look at the government running this state from gov to boards to AG to DA
all are…. A bit difficult to comprehend, tangentially political,
and thoughts spewed based on opinion in lieu of facts.
be proactive