Hunters Point Power Plant Closure and Cleanup
Dust Control (including naturally occurring asbestos)
Breathing airborne dust can be harmful to health both because of the dust itself and because of other materials that can become airborne with the dust . Here, those other materials could include naturally occurring asbestos (NOA) and metals (both naturally occurring and from power plant operations). NOA is present because portions of the former power plant were built on fill material. The fill was derived from local serpentine rock (which is the natural source of NOA), which is present throughout the Bayview Hunters Point community and many other areas of California. For all of these reasons dust control is a high priority.
More on health and safety:
Dust Prevention Methods
PG&E has a number of precautionary measures in place to minimize any dust generation from on-site activities.
These measures include:
- Preventing dust during cleanup activities
- Applying water (JPG, 110 KB) during excavation activities
- Using equipment with a longer reach so that the bucket can drop the soil in the truck from a lower height
- Direct load soil into trucks for disposal to limit stockpiles on site
- Applying soil stabilizer (a binding agent that reduces dust)
- Installing a wind screen (JPG, 37 KB) and water misters (JPG, 37 KB) along the fence line
- Covering stockpiles of soil/fill (JPG, 31 KB)
- Preventing vehicles from generating dust
- Limiting vehicle speed (JPG, 119 KB) to 5 MPH
- Minimize the number of vehicles in work area
- Washing vehicle tires (JPG, 114 KB) as they leave exclusion zones and inspecting trucks exiting the washing station
- Covering loads of soil/fill in trucks (JPG, 41 KB)
- Monitoring site conditions
- Monitoring dust using real-time monitors (JPG, 74 KB) located along the fence line
- Analyzing dust monitoring results using certified laboratories
- Using personal dust monitors (JPG, 43 KB) to limit exposure to site workers
Additional measures are often put in place when site conditions (such as high winds) or the lab analysis of air monitoring results show a need for increased dust suppression. These additional methods include, as needed:
- Increased frequency of spraying water or volume of water and soil stabilizer
- Increased amount of soil stabilizer/change method of application
- Decreased drop heights from buckets of excavations and/or loaders
- Increased rate/volume of misting
- Increased frequency of street sweeping at exits or change method (water area or vacuum)
- Increased traffic control measures, such as speed limits
- Stoppage of work involving soil excavation and handling when appropriate
Our dust control measures are continuously analyzed and adapted as needed to ensure the safety of the community.
Applying water during excavation activities
Installing wind screen along fence line
Installing water misters along fence line
Covering stockpiles of soil/fill
Limiting vehicle speed to 5 MPH
Washing wheels of vehicles leaving exclusion zones and inspecting trucks exiting the washing station
Double bagging loads of soil/fill in trucks
Monitoring dust using real-time monitors located along the fence line
Using personal dust monitors to monitor site conditions and protect workers
