In the San Francisco Bay Area as a strategy to minimize regional sprawl, reduce the impacts of automobiles, and provide affordable housing, there has been increasing residential redevelopment within industrial urban corridors, such as West Oakland and West Berkeley.

Historically, these areas have been home to heavy industries (steel casting and manufacturing), high tech and clean industry (health foods, clean energy and computer), recycling (scrap metals, computer, aluminum), ports, railroads, trucking centers, and shipyards.

As new residences and population density are increasing, the dual goals of affordable housing and preserving local industry are leading to a health crisis.

The result is an area of “mixed use” zoning where homes, childcare centers and schools are next door to large toxic polluters. There is no breathing space or buffer zone to protect these residents from industrial emissions. A fundamental question has not been addressed by this new wave of zoning: due the high toxic burden, should we really be allowing mixed residential/industrial zones? If so, then what kinds of health protections should exist for community members?

To further complicate the problem, such areas have little or no air quality monitoring that would enable assessment of health threats or policies aimed at health protection.

In West Oakland, a predominantly low-income community of color, diesel and other particulate matter cause or contribute to asthma and other respiratory illnesses. Asthma rates in the area exceed county averages, and statewide rates. From facilities we have monitored, the most likely impacts are kidney disease, neurological damage, cancer and asthma. Dioxin (a cancer causing and reproductive toxin) may come from one facility.

Our work in West Oakland has grown from an innovative project in a high school class leading to increasing focus on one of the largest industrial polluters in the area. As a result of increased air monitoring and regulatory scrutiny and legal action, we are now in a promising position where the community, the polluter and government are agreeing on a solution of industrial relocation.

In 2006, GCM (partnering with the Rose Foundation) introduced McClymonds High School students to community-driven pollution sleuthing and enforcement and training in assembling “bucket-brigade” style air pollution monitoring devices.

In 2007, students patrolled around the Custom Alloy Scrap Steels (CASS) scrap metal processing plant located five blocks from McClymonds and took particulate fallout samples around the school complex. Lab analysis found dangerous levels of lead and chromium.

In 2008, GCM organized residents who formed West Oakland Air Monitors (WOAM) to monitor emissions and noise from CASS, organize their complaints and secure meetings with agencies and their city council person. As a result, a series of inspections and enforcement actions began, which has resulted in violation notices being issued to CASS. Evidence of heavy metals in health threatening concentrations was presented to the Bay Area Air District, which agreed to increase inspections and monitor emissions from the facility for an entire year.

Concurrently, WOAM leaders and GCM convinced CASS top management to meet with neighbors to begin a dialogue aimed at resolving community concerns through a Good Neighbor dialogue.

In 2010, GCM settled a legal action with CASS over illegal run off discharges into the San Francisco Bay that resulted a $500,000 investment by CASS to build berms to contain run off, enclose the “battery dismantling” area, and properly fence off all properties.