Press Release:
November 28, 2001

November 28, 2001, San Francisco – Paul McConnell, Democratic Congressional candidate for San Francisco District 8, criticized Nancy Pelosi today for a lack of accountability with the Presidio Trust and the slow cleanup of the Hunters Point Shipyard.

Hunters Point Shipyard and the Presidio are both former military bases that have each taken different paths since their decommissioning.

Hunters Point Shipyard is a former naval base contaminated with radiation and a significant number of highly hazardous chemicals. The shipyard sits in a neighborhood plagued by environmental injustice.

On Hunters Point Shipyard, Mr. McConnell said, “Progress on the cleanup has been slow with a lot of animosity between the Navy and the neighborhood. Pelosi has not stepped forward as a leader for this cleanup. She has not been talking to the neighborhood or even been responding to ideas to support the cleanup. For example, we have a local company that has a new technology that can support the cleanup quicker and for less money. They have contacted Pelosi’s office and not even received a response. If this new technology works out, we have a cleaner shipyard, while at the same time supporting the local economy and creating much needed jobs.”

The Presidio is ocean-front property on pristine land near Richmond and Pacific Heights and is a developers dream. Pelosi sponsored the Presidio Trust Act that established an independent board to run the Presidio and required that the Presidio be financially self-sufficient. Neighborhood, civic, and environmental groups have roundly criticized the Presidio Trust for turning the Presidio into a for-profit venture.

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