ISLAIS CREEK STINKS TO HIGH HEAVEN WITH HALF TREATED SEWAGE
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October 15, 2004 around 9:30 a.m. there was a huge explosion at the Phelps Raw Sewage Treatment Plant. Witnesses who saw the explosion called the Police and both the San Francisco Fire Department and the SF Police Department arrived at the scene to put out the fire and shut the immediate operation down.
As reported in the Chronicle a welder using a torch ignited the methane gas from the huge tank and set off a huge fire. The welder was not badly injured but this incident could have created a huge fire and polluted the air which would have adversely impacted the thousands of people who live in the immediate residential area. The Islais Creek near by has a strong stench of feces and the stench coincides with the explosion of the tank in the middle of the Phelps Raw Sewage Treatment Plant situated in a residential area that is the Bayview. Even today the stench is very strong. We have heard no comment from Susan Leal who is busy firing good people like Edward Smeloff but cannot take care of critical business. The Phelps Raw Sewage Treatment Plant should be considered a critical site as part of any Emergency Preparations. The blast should have had in place all the training and preparation that AnnMarie Conroy says she has in place. Where is Homeland Security? None of the near by residents were contacted. The stench is very strong and as I have mentioned the Islias Creek is stinking to high heaven. This happens every time there is a malfunction. Without any notification the residents are kept in the dark and this is wrong. No emergency plan was executed as demanded by the Homeland Security Protocol. I would like to know who is in charge of such protocol and what has been done to date. Today is Sunday, October 17, 2004 and nothing much has transpired to inform and protect the constituents being adversely impacted from lack of health and safety precautions. In New Orleans recently the SF Public Utilities Commission was given an award one of many given to utilities Nation wide for a Secondary Treatment Plant in San Francisco that is situated at Ocean Beach near the Zoo. This plant takes 20% of the city's raw sewage. 80% of the City sewage goes to Phelps Raw Sewage Treatment Plant plus all the raw sewage from Daly City, Colma, Bisbane, and Burlingame. The Phelps Raw Sewage Treatment plant is good enough for the City and County of San Francisco to send its raw sewage to. Even the Presidio of San Francisco sends all its raw sewage to Phelps in the middle of Bayview. Pollutants in the air from the Phelps Raw Sewage Treatment Plant daily bombard thousands of innocent residents. It is the worst stationery-polluting source in the City and County of San Francisco. An explosion occurs and according to protocol the community should be informed and the community is being kept in the dark. Pertinent information should be distributed as soon as possible as to what happened and what emergency plans were in place and executed. Also, in future what happened on October 15, 2004 would not be ever repeated. General Manager Susan Leal should take responsibility for a lousy job done. Mayor Gavin Newsom should be given a full report and it is time Mayor Gavin Newsom visits the site and the neighbors and comforts them. Many of the constituents living near the Phelps Raw Sewage Treatment Plant are suffering from various chronic illnesses. Mosquitoes abound and the West Nile Virus disease is waiting to explode. The huge tanks with collapsed lids encourage the mosquito population. There are many questions that have gone unanswered and some one is not doing their job. It is time we have protocol in place on all emergency situations. It is time the constituents from Bayview are given full protection. The Bayview has the highest home ownership and as such pay the highest taxes to the City and County of San Francisco. It is time this City has the best and fine tuned emergency plan in place. It is time Homeland Security step in and correct the ineptness of what happened October 15, 2004. Also, silent the most ignorant, inept, and arrogant District 10 Supervisor - Sophie Maxwell. |
