San Francisco MGP Program – Beach Street Offshore Sediment Remediation Project
PG&E is working together with the Port of San Francisco and regulatory agencies to address impacts to sediments from historic operations of the former manufactured gas plant that was located at Beach and Powell Streets, upland from Pier 43½ to Pier 39 area (the Site). The California Regional Water Quality Control Board, San Francisco Bay Region is overseeing the environmental analysis and remediation work to remove residues. In 2022, the Water Board issued the Site Cleanup Requirements Order for the remediation of offshore impacted sediment across five areas at the Site. The work will be performed from the water using dredge and material barges.
Background
In the mid-1800s and early 1900s, before natural gas was available as an energy source, there were more than 1,500 Manufactured Gas Plants (MGPs) across the country. MGP facilities used coal and oil to produce gas for lighting, heating and cooking.
The adjacent area upland of the Site was used for industrial activities since the mid-1800s. PG&E and its predecessors operated the former Beach Street MGP nearby, between 1900 and 1931. In the mid-1950s, the MGP property was sold, and the gas holder and oil tanks were dismantled before the block was redeveloped for commercial use.
What Material is Being Removed
Residues found at MGP sites contain a mixture of many compounds, primarily polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). The materials found in MGP residues such as coal tar and lampblack are chemically similar to materials commonly found in the environment from natural and human activities that involve burning (e.g., fireplaces, forest fires, grilling meats and asphalt roads).
PG&E has no reason to believe there is any human health risk related to the former MGPs in San Francisco’s Northern Waterfront.
Control Measures
All cleanup work at the Site is being overseen by the Water Board and will comply with local, state and federal permits. Numerous control measures are built into the project design to ensure healthy work sites for construction crews and the public. Additionally, a marine mammal monitoring plan will be developed to prevent any impacts to sea lions and other sea mammals.
Work Timeline
The Port is working closely with PG&E to ensure the remediation project has limited impacts to the Port’s and our tenant’s operations. Where interruptions are unavoidable, we are working with individual tenants on equitable solutions including temporary relocation if needed. PG&E and Port leadership have partnered to identify potential business impacts and establish working groups to address these needs.
Regulatory agencies require all in-water work to occur June through November to protect wildlife and marine habitats. There may be additional mobilization and demobilization efforts outside of this timeframe during the multiyear remediation project.
The construction work will take place in five remedial areas across the Site. We estimate the start of construction for the first two of the five areas to begin in June 2025. Below is an estimated schedule for all five areas of work:
PG&E is leading the Beach Street Offshore Sediment Remediation Project. Please contact PG&E directly with any additional questions or comments at 1-866-247-0581 (toll-free) or remediation@pge.com. Calls are returned the same or next business day. An electronic copy of the Draft Feasibility Study/Remedial Action Plan and other documents for the former Beach Street MGP Site are available on the Water Board’s public GeoTracker website. Under “Tools” click on “Advanced Search” and enter Case ID number: T10000007367, then click on “Site Maps/Documents.”