The Doctor is In

On Monday, Dr. John Balmes, Professor of Medicine at the University of California, San Francisco, appeared before the Bayview-Hunters Point Citizens Advisory Committee to discuss his role in evaluating conditions at Hunters Point Shipyard.

Dr. Balmes is chief of Occupation and Environmental Medicine at San Francisco General Hospital where he frequently treats members of the Bayview-Hunters Point community. He is widely acknowledged as an expert in the field of environmental causes of respiratory illness.

Dr. Balmes has conducted a review of air monitoring data at the Shipyard at the request of community members and ministers. His time and expenses are being paid for by Lennar but he reports directly to the community and his findings are fully independent.

After careful study and a tour of the Shipyard, Dr. Balmes has concluded that naturally occurring asbestos found at the site poses no “significant long-term health risk to the community.” Furthermore, Dr. Balmes concluded that health concerns reported by some residents “predate construction and involve symptoms that are not associated with exposure to naturally occurring asbestos.”

Dr. Balmes independent findings are consistent with determinations made by the San Francisco Department of Public Health as well as state and federal officials. We believe they are further proof that Lennar’s construction of a new, vibrant neighborhood is a positive development that can only serve to improve residents’ quality of life.