Manufactured Gas Plants
Former Watsonville-2 Manufactured Gas Plant
A manufactured gas plant historically operated at 14 Walker Street in Watsonville, where a PG&E-owned construction yard is now located. Investigation and cleanup of the soil at this site has been completed as part of a voluntary program under the oversight of the California Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC).
PG&E conducted several phases of investigation to identify residual gas plant material at the site. Between fall 2009 and summer 2010 cleanup of residual gas plant material was conducted. Cleanup work included removal of affected soil, sampling of these areas to ensure contaminants were removed, backfilling with clean soil, and paving the site. Cleanup was completed in July 2010.
Throughout the duration of cleanup activities PG&E was committed to keeping the nearby community informed of site activities and minimizing the impacts associated with the cleanup work. We rerouted trucks to avoid the residential neighborhood, varied work hours to meet the needs of nearby residents and businesses, performed daily street sweeping and maintained the highest standard of housekeeping practices. These measures were in addition to the full health and safety plan developed for the project, which included extensive air monitoring and dust-control measures.
PG&E representatives also worked with state officials to hold public meetings and went door to door before, during, and after construction activities to maintain an open dialogue with the community.
The Watsonville former manufactured gas plant operated from 1905 to 1931. All buildings and plant structures were later torn down. PG&E built an underground gas regulating station onsite in the late 1950s and currently uses the site for storage of construction materials.
Recent News
Additional Resources:
- Public Notice – September 2010 (16.2010.PDF, 186 KB)
- Work Update – March 2010 (PDF, 129 KB)
- DTSC Resources & Contact Information
Site-related documents can also be found at:
Watsonville Public Library, 275 Main Street, Watsonville (831-768-3400)
Contact Information
Environmental Remediation
Information and Response Line
1-866-247-0581
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.
