The Presidio Trust Environmental Remediation Program cleans up waste sites from when the Presidio of San Francisco was a U.S. Army post.
The program began in 1999 when the Presidio Trust, the National Park Service, and the Army reached an unprecedented pact in which the Army agreed to transfer environmental cleanup responsibility for the entire Presidio to the Presidio Trust, and to provide $99 million to the Trust to fund the effort. This significant agreement marked the first time that federal agencies developed a partnership to conduct comprehensive environmental cleanup of a closed military base.
Cleanup Successes
Over the past decade the majority of known sites have been cleaned up with the goal of reducing risk to levels that are protective of human health and the environment. Underground fuel tanks have been excavated, pipes have been removed, and lead-based paint has been taken out of soil.
The Presidio Trust is also remediating a total of 15 landfill sites where the Army disposed of waste. These range in size from one to five acres and contain primarily building debris and fill soils. The landfills sometimes contain metals, pesticides, or other chemicals.
To date, a combined 350,000 tons of landfill waste have been removed from the park. This work allows Presidio Trust resource specialists to restore native habitats and forest groves, and to build new trails and ball fields for the public to enjoy. Learn about key remediation projects that have been completed.
Remaining Sites
The remaining remediation sites will be addressed in the next several years with input from the community. These include:
Public Participation and the Restoration Advisory Board
California’s Department of Toxic Substance Control (DTSC) and the Regional Water Quality Control Board provide the remediation program with regulatory oversight and guidance. Before cleanup actions begin, a Draft Remedial Action Plan (RAP) is released for public comment. This plan evaluates environmental contamination at a site, identifies cleanup alternatives, and proposes a cleanup remedy. The Final RAP responds to comments received and describes how a cleanup site will be addressed.
The Presidio Trust Environmental Remediation Program is also supported by a Restoration Advisory Board (RAB) made up of volunteer community members. The RAB has been active in the remediation program since its inception. RAB meetings are open to the public. They are held on the second Tuesday of each month at 7 pm at the Golden Gate Club, 135 Sheridan Avenue, Main Post.