241,456 / 86.4% Yes votes ...... 38,095 / 13.6% No votes

See Also: Index of all Measures

This measure arises out of the long negotiation process between the City, Bayview Hunters Point community members, and the Navy. Hunters Point Shipyard was placed on the EPA’s National Priorities List in 1989. The Navy is accused of acting too slowly to clean up the City’s only Superfund site, which reached high levels of contamination and toxicity under the Navy’s control. The Navy has also stated that full cleanup to the level of unrestricted use is too costly, and is working on less expensive solutions that would contain contamination on the site. This measure was brought to and sponsored by members of the Board of Supervisors as a means of increasing public pressure for the Navy to perform a complete cleanup of the Hunters Point Shipyard.

This proposition is a declaration of policy. City Charter states that the Board of Supervisors has the duty to enact ordinances to bring an approved declaration of policy to effect. However, declarations of policy are often interpreted as non-binding expressions of community sentiment. Therefore, even if passed by the voters, Proposition P would not necessarily implement nor enforce any new law or program.

Summary of Arguments FOR Proposition P:

The Navy’s current proposals will not clean Hunters Point Shipyard to the level of unrestricted use. The Navy’s proposals would leave significant contamination at the site that would impede future development through land use restrictions.

This proposition would help apply public pressure to the Navy to make sure that San Francisco does not have to pay for future cleanup efforts.

Residents of the neighborhood surrounding the former base are afflicted with the highest levels of cancer, respiratory diseases and other illnesses in San Francisco. Proposition R would give notice to the Navy that the people of San Francisco are not willing to risk their health to save dollars.

Summary of Arguments AGAINST Proposition P:

Proposition P would not accomplish anything. It is non-binding; the Navy can ignore it.

The Navy should be allowed to devise reasonable solutions to this problem under expert supervision from the EPA.

League of Women Voters

• Voters Guide - nonpartisan Pros & Cons of all propositions in PDF format (74K)
• Send an email to our Program Director at office@leagueofwomenvoterssf.org to order Chinese and Spanish versions