Sandblasted at the Shipyard
By Rebecca Bowe
Sandblasted at the ShipyardAug 11, 2023
Episode One: The Abandoned Naval Base
For generations, residents have highlighted health concerns in San Francisco's Bayview Hunters Point neighborhood. Heavy industrial operations are clustered in this part of the city, which is also the location of the Hunters Point Naval Shipyard. In this episode we hear from advocates who have tracked air monitor readings, sought to decode remediation documents, and initiated a biomonitoring survey to uncover what harmful elements may be present in people's bodies.
This audio series was created and reported by Rebecca Bowe. It was originally commissioned and produced by the nonprofit news organization San Francisco Public Press as part of an upcoming audio and text series called “Exposed,” with editing by Michael Stoll; archival, audio and photographic research by Chris Roberts and Stacey Carter; engineering and sound design by Mel Baker; fact-checking by Ambika Kandasamy and support from the Fund for Environmental Journalism and the California Endowment. “Sandblasted at the Shipyard” had additional audio engineering and sound design by Jacob Nasim, with support from the Breathe Network for Racial, Environmental and Climate Justice.
Episode Two: Radioactive Ships
Much of the nuclear waste left in the soil at the Hunters Point Naval Shipyard actually originated in the Marshall Islands, where the U.S. military conducted nuclear bomb tests between 1946 and 1958. The first Pacific nuclear test was Operation Crossroads, in July of 1946. Following that event, the U.S. Navy brought 79 contaminated vessels back to Hunters Point for "decontamination" studies.
This audio series was created and reported by Rebecca Bowe. It was originally commissioned and produced by the nonprofit news organization San Francisco Public Press as part of an upcoming audio and text series called “Exposed,” with editing by Michael Stoll; archival, audio and photographic research by Chris Roberts and Stacey Carter; engineering and sound design by Mel Baker; fact-checking by Ambika Kandasamy and support from the Fund for Environmental Journalism and the California Endowment. “Sandblasted at the Shipyard” had additional audio engineering and sound design by Jacob Nasim, with support from the Breathe Network for Racial, Environmental and Climate Justice.
Episode Three: The Naval Radiological Defense Laboratory
A lot was happening in the world when the Naval Radiological Defense Laboratory operated at the Hunters Point Naval Shipyard. The lab handled radioactive material and studied cleanup methods as part of its work. It also ran studies that exposed animals and humans to small amounts of radiation.
This audio series was created and reported by Rebecca Bowe. It was originally commissioned and produced by the nonprofit news organization San Francisco Public Press as part of an upcoming audio and text series called “Exposed,” with editing by Michael Stoll; archival, audio and photographic research by Chris Roberts and Stacey Carter; engineering and sound design by Mel Baker; fact-checking by Ambika Kandasamy and support from the Fund for Environmental Journalism and the California Endowment. “Sandblasted at the Shipyard” had additional audio engineering and sound design by Jacob Nasim, with support from the Breathe Network for Racial, Environmental and Climate Justice.