Presidio of San Francisco

Restoration Advisory Board

Resolution

Excavation, Recycling and Off-site Consolidation

of Presidio Landfills, Fill Sites and Disturbed Areas.

Whereas, the Presidio’s future reuse and status as a National Park must be carefully protected so that it meets its fiscal goals of self-sufficiency; and

Whereas, the containment of waste at the Presidio of San Francisco may be inconsistent with the vision, goals and reuse scenarios of the Park; and

Whereas, institutional controls at the landfills, fill sites and disturbed areas would limit reuse options; and

Whereas, the location of Presidio landfills, fill sites and disturbed areas in ravines, valleys and low-lying areas where fresh water is known to flow yields ongoing pollution to the environment; and

Whereas, the landfills, fill sites and disturbed areas at the Presidio contain a variety of recyclable materials and that if those materials were recycled, when appropriate and feasible, the costs of excavation and offsite disposal would be substantially reduced; and

Whereas, excavation and off-site disposal of landfill, fill site and disturbed area materials has been routinely dismissed as prohibitively expensive without sufficient written estimates, while expenditure estimates of containing wastes on site have not fully considered all the costs of long-term monitoring and maintenance; and

Whereas, remedies have been selected for certain Presidio landfill sites without community acceptance; now, therefore

Be it resolved that the Presidio of San Francisco Restoration Advisory Board fully endorses the April 1997, Presidio Landfill Closure Principles; and

Be it further resolved that, with few exceptions, and until proven otherwise, the Presidio landfills, fill sites and disturbed areas should be excavated, fill materials recycled where appropriate, and remaining materials and hazardous waste consolidated at modern, appropriately designed and monitored off-site disposal facilities.