Manufactured Gas Plants
Former North Beach Manufactured Gas Plant – Marina District, San Francisco
The former North Beach manufactured gas plant operated in what is now known as the Marina District of San Francisco, near the area north of Bay and Buchanan Streets. PG&E was formed in October 1905 and operated the North Beach manufactured gas plant from then until April 1906, when it was destroyed in the Great Earthquake. The earthquake also destroyed most other buildings in the area. PG&E no longer owns the property, with the exception of a small parcel between Bay and North Point Streets that it uses as an electrical substation.
It is probable that any materials left from plant operations are underground where direct contact has been unlikely. This is due to how plant waste disposal was handled; the filling and grading that took place after the earthquake; and the filling and grading that took place following the burning and subsequent demolition of the 1915 Panama-Pacific International Exposition.
Starting in 2010, PG&E is conducting a voluntary program under the oversight of the California Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC) to sample for residual materials that may be present at the site of the former North Beach manufactured gas plant. If the DTSC determines that remediation activities are necessary, we’ll work closely with that agency, residents and City health and environmental departments to design the most effective remediation program for the site.
PG&E is contacting private property owners in the area to inform them of this work and to schedule appointments for those properties within the survey area. The survey is expected to take several months to complete and sampling is expected to begin by the end of 2010.
PG&E is conducting similar work at two other historic gas plant sites in San Francisco, near the area west of Fillmore Street and Bay Street also in the Marina District and near the intersection of Beach Street and Powell Street in the Fisherman’s Wharf area.
PG&E is also working with the San Francisco Recreation and Parks Department on its Marina Yacht Harbor Renovation Project for the East Harbor (Gashouse Cove) as its plan to deepen the harbor involves dredging sediments impacted by a variety of sources, including former gas plant and other operations in this area.
Latest Update
In spring 2010, soil vapor samples were collected from nine of PG&E’s junction boxes in the Marina District to assess what volatile organic compound (VOC) residues, if any, are present. The results will help inform where additional sampling should be conducted, and can be found through this link.
Additional Resources:
If you would like more information about our program, please call us at 415-973-0270 or email us at marinaresource@pge.com.
You also can visit us in person at our neighborhood office:
1593 North Point St.
San Francisco
Monday-Friday - 10:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Evenings and Weekends - by appointment
Contact Information
For more information on former San Francisco MGP sites, please call:
415-973-0270
or email us.
Important Health & Safety Information
There is no indication that PG&E's former MGP sites pose any health concerns to the public, based on our testing, experience, and extensive review of medical literature.
“PG&E” refers to Pacific Gas and Electric Company, a subsidiary of PG&E Corporation. © 2009 Pacific Gas and Electric Company. All rights reserved.
