Preventing the Flow of Industrial Runoff to the Bay

There are more than 1,300 industrial facilities within the San Francisco Bay Area that discharge polluted runoff. Industrial runoff typically contains high concentrations of pollutants such as toxic metals and petroleum hydrocarbons.

Baykeeper's recent analysis shows that 95% of the 1,331 industrial facilities in the Bay Area have violated the Clean Water Act in the last five years. Due to the state's limited resources, however, California agencies annually inspect and require improvements at fewer than 5% of all industrial facilities in the region.

These industrial facilities include scrap metal yards, boat and ship yards, trucking terminals, landfills and semiconductor manufacturers. As seasonal rains descend on the Bay Area, rainwater washes built-up contaminants into storm drains that lead to the Bay, or sometimes directly to the Bay.

Industrial chemicals place a heavy burden on the health of fish and animals in the Bay. Health problems caused by toxic metals can have subtle but important impacts; for example, salmon exposed to copper pollution lose their senses of smell and their ability to find their natal spawning streams.

Under the Clean Water Act, industrial facilities are required to implement to limit the flow of chemicals to local waterways. Baykeeper investigates violations of the Clean Water Act and requires facilities to employ measures such as placing covers over exposed work sites; positioning absorbent barriers to collect runoff from work areas; and installing storm water treatment systems on site.

Baykeeper has a long history of winning improvements at industrial facilities around the Bay Area. In September 2011, we settled our lawsuit against Hanson Aggregates, and we are currently monitoring implementation of our 2010 settlement agreement with Cemex.