"Philip said the city health department only found out this month that a type of plutonium called Pu-239 was detected in an air filter at the site when workers were grinding asphalt during field work operations last year. The plutonium levels were more than double the Environmental Protection Agency's "action level," when further steps must be taken to ensure public safety, according to the letter."
"Local health officials are asking the U.S. Navy why they were not warned about elevated radiation levels detected in the city last year. San Francisco Health Officer Dr. Susan Philip said plutonium was found at the decommissioned Hunters Point Naval Shipyard back in November 2024, according to a letter addressed to Navy officials in charge of base closures and environmental issues first posted by Mission Local."
Plutonium (Pu-239) was detected at the decommissioned Hunters Point Naval Shipyard during field work last year, reportedly in an air filter while workers ground asphalt. Detected levels exceeded the Environmental Protection Agency's action level by more than double. San Francisco health officials learned of the finding only recently and have requested an explanation and timely notification from the U.S. Navy. Officials warn that plutonium's long half-life allows radiation emission over decades and that inhalation can lodge particles in airways, increasing long-term lung cancer risk. The Navy had not responded to requests for comment.
Read at SFGATE
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