Washington, D.C. — The evidence continues to stack up against San Francisco activists and plaintiffs who have made claims against Tetra Tech EC at Hunters Point Shipyard. A new preliminary filing from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission indicates that Tetra Tech EC is credible when the company states it did the work properly and to Navy standards at the former naval shipyard in San Francisco.
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (“NRC”) has initially rejected a petition by Greenaction for Health and Environmental Justice (Greenaction) to revoke Tetra Tech EC, Inc.’s NRC license, because the NRC found the petition failed to present significant new information.
“[T]he Nuclear Regulatory Commission’s Petition Review Board has made an initial recommendation to reject the 2.206 Petition filed by Greenaction for Health and Environmental Justice to revoke Tetra Tech’s License. The basis for this initial rejection was… the failure of the Petition to present new significant information,” according to an email statement Feb. 25 from the NRC to Tetra Tech EC.
“We are pleased that the NRC has made the initial determination to reject the Greenaction Petition against Tetra Tech EC,” said Davina Pujari of the law firm Hanson Bridgett, the company’s legal counsel handling the matter. “Tetra Tech EC’s remediation at Hunters Point was done in full compliance with contractual requirements, and all misconduct was disclosed and thoroughly investigated by the regulatory agencies many years ago.”
Greenaction, along with the Environmental Law and Justice Clinic of the Golden Gate University School of Law, filed a petition in 2017 with the NRC, the federal agency charged with radiological materials licensing. Greenaction’s petition sought to revoke Tetra Tech EC’s license. Greenaction will have another opportunity to address the Board’s rejection before the NRC makes a final decision.
In response to the allegations in Greenaction’s petition, Tetra Tech EC provided the following factual clarifications to the NRC:
— There is no evidence that Tetra Tech EC management directed or encouraged the falsification of site data at Hunters Point Shipyard.
— Tetra Tech EC has cooperated with all investigations, including the NRC’s prior investigations at Hunters Point Shipyard.
— Petitioner’s allegations regarding Parcel A are implausible, despite petitioner’s deceptive statements.
— There is no evidence that contaminated soil was backfilled at Hunters Point or shipped offsite.
— The Navy’s review of site data did not confirm data manipulation at the site.
— Tetra Tech EC did not compile a report for release of Parcel A.
— There is no identified health risk to any Hunters Point Shipyard workers or the public.
“We are pleased with the preliminary decision by the NRC,” said Tetra Tech General Counsel Preston Hopson. “Tetra Tech EC stands by its work at Hunters Point, and the facts fully support the rejection of this petition. The public should know that Tetra Tech EC operated professionally and properly performed the work it conducted at the site, while under the supervision and oversight of the U.S. Navy and state and federal regulators.”