The federal government is suing the city of San Francisco for allegedly dumping massive amounts of sewage into the San Francisco Bay. According to a lawsuit filed by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the city has disposed of, on average, 1.8 billion gallons of sewage annually since 2016.
The Department of Justice filed a lawsuit in federal court against the City and County of San Francisco on behalf of the EPA, the Attorney General of California, and the San Francisco Bay Regional Water Quality Control Board. The civil complaint accused the city of violating the Clean Water Act for nearly a decade.
The legal effort seeks to impose financial penalties on San Francisco and compel the city to improve its waste management infrastructure to comply with the Clean Water Act. A press release from the EPA states, “San Francisco failed to operate its combined sewer systems in a manner that keeps untreated sewage out of San Francisco Bay and its tributaries, streets, beaches and other areas with risk of human contact.”
EPA Pacific Southwest Regional Administrator Martha Guzman noted the effort to protect the bodies of water surrounding San Francisco in the interest of the environment and public health. She stated that the EPA would hold the city accountable.
“Protecting San Francisco Bay, the Pacific Ocean and public health are critical priorities for EPA, and this complaint is a major step to improve how the San Francisco sewer system is managed,” said Guzman. “EPA and our partners are committed to ensuring San Francisco comes into compliance with the Clean Water Act to protect clean water and local communities.”
Chair of the San Francisco Bay Regional Water Quality Control Board, Alexis Strauss, called out the issues with San Francisco’s waste management system, stating that the city is due to upgrade its infrastructure. “San Francisco’s aging wastewater system has exposed the public to risks for too long,” said Alexis. “This is the time to commit to an outcome which reduces sewage overflows and builds upgraded wastewater infrastructure. Our goal is to help San Francisco achieve a healthy Bay and coastline, which can be enjoyed by millions of residents and visitors every day.” Watch news coverage of the controversy below:
Earlier this year, KRON4 reported that San Francisco Baykeeper was taking legal action against the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission and the city after sewage and other runoff had been pouring into the bay at an “alarming rate” during heavy rainstorms.
Sejal Choksi-Chugh, Baykeeper’s executive director, stated, “There’s no excuse for polluting the Bay with sewage and trash, and those who pollute must be held accountable. Dumping millions of gallons of untreated sewage into Mission Creek and the Bay is unacceptable, avoidable, and illegal.”
“San Francisco is dumping raw sewage and trash directly into the Bay at a magnitude that’s almost incomprehensible,” said Baykeeper attorney Eric Buescher. “Sewage and stormwater pollution is, by volume, the single greatest source of pollution in the Bay, and San Francisco is likely the greatest source of that sewage pollution,” he added.
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