On March 31, 2004, H.T. Johnson, Assistant Secretary of the Navy, signed the legally binding Conveyance Agreement, setting forth the terms and conditions for the cleanup and transfer of Hunters Point Shipyard to the San Francisco Redevelopment Agency. This historic milestone caps years of negotiations between the U.S. Navy and City, aided by local community leaders. The Agreement will take effect following its approval by the San Francisco Redevelopment Commission in late November 2004.
With the signing of the Conveyance Agreement, guidelines are in place for the first and subsequent transfers of the five Shipyard parcels. The agreement calls for the Navy to spend $120 million to clean up the parcels prior to transfer. Furthermore, the City will only accept conveyance following certification that the land is clean and safe for development by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the California Department of Toxic Substances Control, the California Regional Water Quality Control Board, and an independent City consultant. Parcel A, after undergoing federal, state and local regulator review, was transferred in April 2005.
Eventually the City will have the opportunity to receive all 500 acres of the Shipyard. As Parcels A through F are deemed clean and safe for development and are cleared for transfer by the above-named agencies, the Navy will transfer them to the City. The Navy designated the six parcels based on environmental cleanup needs. After nearly 150 years as one the West Coast’s most important commercial and naval shipyards, the site requires environmental and remedial treatment to ensure future safe use. Environment clean-up work is currently underway throughout the Shipyard.
