- New Victory to Stop Hazardous Waste
- Why Is the State Selling the Bay’s Sand?
- Preventing Algae Blooms—With the Help of Our Tipsters
- Take Action: Baseball Fields Should Be Pollution Free
- The Oakland Coal Terminal Lurches Forward
- Join Us as Our New Finance & Administration Associate
New Victory to Stop Hazardous Waste
This year’s legislative session is done—and in a welcome victory, Newsom vetoed a bill that would have created a loophole for hazardous waste from metal shredders. Thanks to everyone who responded to our action alert urging the governor to oppose this bill!
The governor also signed into law several bills that we supported, including for biodiversity protections. Unfortunately, Newsom rejected legislation targeting forever chemicals and microplastics. We’ll keep pushing for better safeguards on these and other Bay pollutants!
Photo: Baykeeper patrol footage of the Radius (formerly Schnitzer) facility, a major source of hazardous waste pollution affecting the Bay and Oakland communities.
Why Is the State Selling the Bay’s Sand?
Sand quite literally shores up the Bay and coast, providing a buffer between cities and rising seas.
But, sadly, the Bay’s sand is dwindling. And state agencies are partly to blame.
The State Lands Commission is proposing to allow a private company to harvest over 17 million cubic yards of sand before it can reach the shoreline.
We won an important case in 2018 requiring sand mining be done sustainably. Now, our experts are reviewing this latest proposal to make sure Bay sand is protected.
Photo, at top: Ocean Beach by Robb Most
Preventing Algae Blooms—With the Help of our Tipsters
After devastating algae blooms in 2022 and 2023 killed thousands of Bay fish, we launched a community algae monitoring program as an early warning system for outbreaks. This year, we expanded the program, collecting 137 algae samples at nine sites around the Bay.
Fortunately, no major algae blooms or fish deaths occurred this year.
Big thanks to our tipsters for alerting us to potential outbreaks! If you see red or unusually discolored water in the Bay, contact our pollution hotline.
Photo: Our algae monitoring team found elevated, but not harmful, levels of Chaetoceros, a non-toxic algae species (pictured under a microscope).
Take Action: Baseball Fields Should Be Pollution Free
A plan is underway to cover 20-acres in San Francisco’s Crocker Amazon neighborhood with synthetic turf, effectively blanketing the area with plastic.
Unlike living lawns, artificial turf contains heavy metals, PFAS (“forever chemicals”), and microplastics. Synthetic turf isn’t permeable, so rainwater doesn’t soak into the soil. Instead, it accumulates in polluted streams that flow down storm drains.
Baseball fields shouldn’t become pollution pathways to the Bay. Our science team conducted detailed analysis of the plan, encouraging the city of San Francisco reconsider.
If you live in San Francisco and want to advocate against artificial turf, please reach out to the Recreation and Parks Commission.
Photo: Wikimedia Commons
The Oakland Coal Terminal Lurches Forward
For over a decade, we’ve worked with our partners to stop a massive coal terminal project in West Oakland. As our executive director Sejal Choksi-Chugh told the San Francisco Chronicle, the terminal would be bad for public health, bad for the Bay, and bad for the climate.
Unfortunately, a court recently ruled that the project can, legally, move forward. But it’s far from a done deal. We’ll support our Oakland partners and keep fighting for the health of the community.
Image: Dani Zacky for Sierra Club
We’re Hiring! Join Us as Our New Finance & Administration Associate
Baykeeper is looking for an entry-level Finance & Administrative Associate to join our passionate and collaborative team.
Our new associate will report to the Finance and Administration Director and have some experience supporting finance, accounting, and office administration. We’d also want them to have a high attention to detail, a proven ability to stay organized, and a dedication to the health of San Francisco Bay.
Do you match this description, or know someone who does? Learn more about the position here.
