César Chávez Park – Closed Landfill, State Water Board Survey

On December 30, 2024, the City of Berkeley submitted its completion report of its Cesar Chavez Park field survey results to the San Francisco Bay Regional Water Quality Board (Water Board). The Water Board requested the surveys to assess potential impacts from industrial waste delivered more than a half-century ago to Berkeley’s former landfill. In the 1960s, a Richmond-based business known as Stauffer Chemical Company delivered the same type of waste to four other former Bay Area landfills in three other cities: Albany, Benicia, and two in Richmond. The Water Board believed Berkeley’s landfill may have accepted waste that could present a health or environmental risk.

The surveys tested pesticides underground and radiation above and below ground at Cesar Chavez Park. The survey results, conducted with the partnership of UC Berkeley Nuclear Engineering researchers, found no areas of concerns with ground radiation. Public access to Cesar Chavez Park has been and continues to be safe.

The report concludes the following:

• Ground radiation were consistent with naturally occurring background levels. The highest reading of radiation levels at Cesar Chavez Park was lower than cosmic radiation levels of simply residing in Denver, Colorado, which is exposed to more radiation due to its high elevation.
• No pesticides were detected under the surface of Cesar Chavez Park.
• Radiation in the groundwater underneath Cesar Chavez Park – between 6 and 34 feet deep and inside secured wells inaccessible to the public – was detected. The City proposed to perform additional sampling and testing. The City will follow guidance from the Water Board on possible next steps.

The City has met all regulatory requirements and has collaborated closely with regulators throughout the process. The City will continue its due diligence and collaboration with regulations to ensure all environmental concerns in Cesar Chavez Park are addressed.

Timeline: 

The Water Board will be reviewing the City’s report.  There is no established timeline for the Water Board’s review process.

Links

• Cesar Chavez Park Closed Landfill Improvement Project