Military mystery: San Francisco health officials slam Navy over high levels of plutonium in shipyard

High levels of plutonium have been detected by public health officials at San Francisco’s Hunters Point Naval Shipyard. 

The San Francisco Department of Public Health (SFDPH) wrote a letter Thursday calling for accountability from Navy Director of Base Realignment and Closure, Program Management Office West Anthony Megliola. 

“The City and County of San Francisco is deeply concerned by both the magnitude of this exceedance and the failure to provide timely notification,” the letter stated. “Such a delay undermines our ability to safeguard public health and maintain transparency.”

Megliola, who agreed to meet with SFDPH officials on Friday, has been asked to provide information requested in the letter by Nov. 7. 

At the meeting, Megliola said the Navy would be “transparently sharing the information we have compiled, which demonstrates no threat or risk to human health of the environment,” according to an email sent to NBC Bay Area. 

The Navy, which oversaw the shipyard from 1945 to 1974, is tasked with cleaning radioactive elements for future city redevelopment, the outlet reported. 

According to the outlet, plutonium 239 is a radioactive metal that has been associated with cancer and lung disease.