Baykeeper is working to halt plans by the oil industry for a major expansion of oil refineries on San Francisco Bay in order to process millions of barrels of oil for export to other states and countries. A significant increase in oil storage and processing along the Bay’s shores could drastically raise the risk of oil spills into the Bay and its watershed. Moreover, the expanded refineries and storage facilities could be flooded by rising Bay levels due to global climate change, causing even more pollution in the Bay.
As a result of Baykeeper’s lawsuit, SOS Steel Company, Inc. last week agreed to clean up its pollution of San Francisco Bay. Baykeeper sued the Santa Clara steel fabricator after finding that rainy-season runoff from the site was contaminated with toxic metals and chemicals.
For the third year in a row, Charity Navigator, the nation’s leading evaluator of nonprofit organizations’ financial performance, has awarded San Francisco Baykeeper its top 4-star rating for our effective use of resources in pursuing our mission to protect and restore San Francisco Bay.
An appeal court has ruled that San Francisco Baykeeper has the right to bring a lawsuit over claims that sand mining harms the public trust—the public’s right to access natural resources—in our lawsuit to stop excessive sand mining in San Francisco Bay. Too much sand is already being mined, disrupting the Bay’s ecosystem and contributing to erosion of Ocean Beach.
Scientists at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) have issued a report on the threats of climate change to 28 key estuaries around the nation. The agency’s research found that San Francisco Bay is one of six estuaries most sensitive to the effects of climate change.
Baykeeper’s Volunteer Pollution Investigators are helping us find out which industrial facilities are polluting San Francisco Bay. After completing their training last month, volunteers are out surveying the edges of industrial sites. They’re taking photos and looking for indications that pollution is being washed off the site and into the Bay when rain falls.
Mike Taugher, a former reporter for the Contra Costa Times who was an expert on water issues, died unexpectedly on July 27 while vacationing with his family in Hawaii.
Mike covered the environment, and especially water issues, in a way that presented all sides and enabled readers to understand complexities. When Mike turned to Baykeeper as a source of news, we knew he would understand and present what was at stake for San Francisco Bay and the Delta.
Steelhead trout and Chinook salmon will have a better chance of survival in San Jose’s Coyote Creek and in San Francisco Bay, thanks to Baykeeper’s successful legal action against GreenWaste Recovery, Inc.
GreenWaste, a San Jose recycling facility, has polluted Coyote Creek, which flows to the Bay, with contaminants that include heavy metals that are toxic to fish. GreenWaste recently signed a legally-binding agreement with Baykeeper requiring the company to stop the pollution.
July 25th is the first ever Swimmable California Day. The California Legislature has proclaimed Swimmable California Day to recognize Californians’ rights to coastal areas, beaches, estuaries, rivers, streams, and lakes that are clean and safe for swimming and other activities.
Baykeeper is joining with our nine California Waterkeeper organizations and with our statewide association, the California Coastkeeper Alliance, to celebrate healthy California waters and the regulations that protect them.
Super-fast sailboats are racing through San Francisco Bay this month and during August, leading up to the America’s Cup championship races in September.
If you’ll be watching the America’s Cup from a boat or from shore, check out Baykeeper’s tips for protecting the Bay as you enjoy the sailboats zooming by: