Mirant Plant closer to Bayview Hunters Point and operated by fossil fuel to be deactivated

A full twenty four hours before the news hit the Main Media - we announced here on IndyMedia about the SLOW closure of the Mirant Plan a former power plant that was operated by Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E).

The Mirant Power Plant is situated on the flat lands and NOT Potrero Hill as many that have not visited the site - mention - from time to time.

If it was really situated on Potrero Hill - by the famous, Goat Pizza place - there would have been a hue and cry - and the plant would have be shut down - a long time ago. White folks surely would have made this happened.

The Mirant Closure is part of Gentrification. Gentrification in this case - is the removal of mostly Black folks - using evictions, gang injunctions, dubious ploys all with the help of Sophie Maxwell the termed out District 10 Supervisor.

This Mirant Power Plant was operated by natural gas. Not COAL as many that migrated here from the East Coast - presuppose to be the case.

However, even natural gas is linked deeply to fossil fuel and it does not matter - if you use fossil fuel with a Turbine Engine that is antiquated - and lacking the latest technology - such old turbine engines can and will pollute the air - with dangerous, toxic - particulates - mostly PM 10s.

The closure of the Mirant Plant has been expedited by the Tran Bay Cable that some months ago - was tested and brings 400 Mega Watts of electricity from Pittsburg - where exists extra electricity. The electricity in Pittsburg is generated by fossil fuel and adversely affects those who live near by.

The issue at hand was how to convert the Direct Current to Alternate Current and do this - the expertise of the world renowned Siemen's Company was contracted. Special equipment costing millions was constructed and put in place. On placing this equipment, some initial problems were encountered - it took months to resolved this problem.

This process of bringing the Trans Bay Cable involved the community.

From the on set folks like Lynne Brown, Michael Boyd, Espanola Jackson, Francisco Da Costa, Steve Moss - before, others jumped on the band wagon to take credit for closing down the Hunters Point Power Plant and now in the near future the Mirant Power Plant.

The closure of all Power Plant in the San Francisco and wider Region comes under the jurisdiction of the California Independent Systems Operator (CAISO). CAISO is a private non-profit organization whose responsibility it is to maintain a stead flow of current using the GRID, through which electricity is delivered to all points - and avoid black outs and brown outs as far as possible.

Since, the year 2002 some Stakeholders started meeting at 77 Beale while our City and County of San Francisco and its Department Heads and Mayors - were pussyfooting around. Now, suddenly the jerks have come out and are taking credit - for something they had little to do. That is how our City work - many just talk the talk but few walk the walk.

A man who spews a lot of toxic hot air - is Mayor Gavin Newsom who is being termed out.

The good news is that soon there will be NO sighting of any Power Plant in the Southeast Sector - with a smoking stack - spewing the worst types of particulates.

The other good news is that stringent laws by the Bay Area Air Quality Management District (BAAQMD) can now be enforced - and these laws will force entities that have been polluting the air - take notice.

We have in the Bayview Hunters Point Area - where concrete and aggregate companies, the Sewage Treatment Plant, many industrial entities that pollute the air - have suffered from these very polluting sources. In San Francisco we have the Precautionary Principle but no one wants to enforce it - even though it is law.

Million of vehicles ply on the 3rd Street corridor - no real empirical data has been collected - studying the Cumulative Impacts of this and other pertinent, factors. Some one like the inept Mayor Gavin Newsom will appear at some event - like he did yesterday at the Mirant Plant and take credit for everything.

The closure of the Mirant Plant is a start - but as I mentioned the entire area is noted for being an industrial area - where many industries spew the worst type of particulates in the air.

At Pier 70 which is not too far away - thousands of tons of coal tar once critical for the factories that produced Steel and other materials - have been stored in huge underground bunkers and are leaching into the Bay. No one mentions a word about this - not even Potrero Hill's - Joe Boss who want to build an hotel - on this site.

There is also a large hot spot where an Ammonium spill occurred and this hot spot was never abated.

Near by the MUNI depot has had two large diesel spills - one amounted to over 100,000 gallons of diesel - which reached Islais Creek near by and was detected by San Francisco Public Utilities Commission - while conducting some water tests as part of their operations.

MUNI continued to prove their incompetence by having another smaller spill of about 60,000 gallons of diesel - astounding everyone - and were fined by the Environmental Protection Agency.

The reason I am relating the above factor to the readers is because the lay person presupposes that MUNI, Mirant, the concrete companies, the aggregate companies, the SF Port Authority, the SF Public Utilities Commission, the SF City and County of San Francisco and the many Departments - all maintain high standards and this not true.

I could give you a long list of ineptness leading to pollution of our air, our water, and our land - in and around San Francisco. For example we have over 450 toxic hot spots in the Bayview Hunters Point polluting the water shed. Over 250 hot spots in and around the Potrero Area - once the hub for industries such as the many Chrome plating companies.

This blatant pollution - adversely impacts all human life - and if you apply the Precautionary Principle that is on our books - these agencies should be taken to court and some one must go to jail.

It is common to hear, more to listen to folks bragging that we are a Green City in San Francisco.

This is far from the TRUTH. Many of us have no clue about the tons of Carbon Dioxide and other very toxic elements that spew into the air. We have landfills - all of Mission Bay is one area, then comes the area in and around Candlestick Point and Hunters Point Shipyard.

Over 40,000 tons of Methane Gas spews into the air every single year - this is a conservative astimate. One ton of Methane Gas equals 22 tons of Carbon Dioxide. This factor is never calculated in our bragging and screaming and shouting that we are a Green City.

At one time in and around Potrero Hill - there were many factories that did chrome plating and related operations.

The toxic waste would be piled on carts that took the waste and dumped it on the shoreline in the flat lands.

We have witnesses today - that will tell you that they did this work for a small sum - not having a clue how dangerous the work was - many of them falling prey to this dangerous work.

The point to remember is that the land belonged to the First People. For thousands of years they took care of it. In the last 150 years the watershed has been polluted by those that do not care for Mother Earth. Of course the GREEDY will not comprehend what I say.

SF Public Utilities Commission spews Methane Gas and used to more - before, they decided to capture some of it - to produce energy.

The Concrete and Aggregate companies by Pier 92 and beyond - pollute - mercury, lead, toxic dust, and so on - and on one really monitors these folks that have been milking the community.

The only entities that receive money are the politicians and leading the band of thugs - Sophie Maxwell. She tried to take credit yesterday at the Mirant Power Plant event - but, those in attendance knew better.

In earlier years having used the Department of Environment - Sophie Maxwell, by doling out some $112 million in grants - to Enola Maxwell High School, the Bayview Hunters Point Advocates, Literacy for Environmental Justice, the Conservatory at Golden Park, other mundane and crooked entities.

The $112 million given as mitigation money from the sale of the Mirant Plant by Pacific Gas and Electric - by the California Public Utilities. Money that should have been spent to help those that were adversely affected. As you can see - we all know that the Golden Gate Park is far away from the Southeast Sectors - as so is the Conservatory of Flowers - that receive $1 million from this grant. As I said behind this evil, dubious scheme - Sophie Maxwell.

Sophie Maxwell tried to bite the hand that fed her - tried to shut down the Department of Environment in partership with her evil nemesis Aaron Peskin - then President of the SF Board of Supervisors and now the Chairperson of the San Francisco County Central Democratic Committee.

Susan Leal was fired for opting to place some Combustion Turbines by the present Mirant Power Plant - to help shut down the Mirant Plant. The Combustion Turbines were to run on fossil fuel and made no sense. But, Susan Leal was not given an opportunity to explain her position. Mayor Gavin Newsom - fired her.

Mayor Gavin Newsom then hired Ed Harrington to replace Susan Leal as the General Manager of the SF Public Utilities Commission. Ed Harrington - who was present at the event at the Mirant Plant and the declaring of the Mirant Power Plants eminent, closure.

Ed Harrington made some remarks for once giving credit to the closure of the Mirant Plant to advocates and community stalwarts - many of whom were NOT present.

The present Mirant Plant will not go way totally - the better Turbine Engines will remain to operate in the future as needed. The dirty, toxic spewing turbines will be the ones dismantled.

Hopefully, particulate traps and other technology can be used to produce less particulates. These Turbine Engines using fossil fuel - will be kept on stand by - on a case by case bases.

In the interim most of the electricity we use in San Francisco some 980 Mega Watts will come from two sources. One source will be the Trans Bay Cable bringing in some 400 Mega Watts. The rest will come from the South - via the Jefferson Martin Transmission line and sources that come under the jurisdiction of Pacific Gas and Electric.

One must remember - right now PG&E has the complete jurisdiction of the major transmission lines all over San Francisco and beyond. They have had that distinction for the last one hundred and ten years - plus.

PG&E has also ungraded its transmission lines within San Francisco - one from Mirant by 18th Street to the old Hunters Point power site. The other from Martin Power Station to 9th and Mission and beyond. On San Bruno Avenue, Old Bayshore and the many other connecting Transmission Lines all underground - have been upgraded - throughout the City.

Upgraded Transmission Lines produce Electro Magnetic Fields (EMFs)- the newer ones have better resistance and do not leak as much as the older ones. They are more reliable - but, they all the same emit EMFs - and any life closer to these fields - are adversely impacted.

We must be educated on issues and not let devious politicians like Sophie Maxwell take us for a ride.

Sophie Maxwell - touts to the fools that she is an environmentalist.

The woman never ever has been to college and could not pass an Electrician's test in San Francisco. She has to go to Oakland to pass a test. She worked at the Post Office and for CalTrains - before, some idiots decided to get her involved in SF politics.

Here is her track record - I say this because she is the District 10 Supervisor being termed out. Her is her legacy - linked to Quality of Life issues - which includes her fake participation in the closing of Power Plants. She portends to do something but she does not. Here are some other operations that should foster Safety, Health, Transportation, and Educational issues.

Check Sophie Maxwell record:

1. Since Sophie Maxwell was the District 10 Supervisor more then 600 youth have been killed
and shot. Some one has BLOOD on their hands.

2. One in three children in District 10 go to bed hungry. Who should be ashamed of this record.

3. Over sixty percent of our youth in District 10 suffer from breathing ailments. Who gives a
damn about this blatant - injustice.

4. Over 20,000 people suffer from cancer - one form or the other. Where is the Main Media on
this. Where is the SF Health Department on this. Is this Racism or what?

5. Over fifty percent of the District 10 constituents are unemployed. Mayor Gavin Newsom has
contributed to this and so have those Supervisors who are attached to the hip of the Mayor.
On many occasion both Bevan Dufty and Sophie Maxwell support the Mayor and both of
these Supervisors - did not support the community on the Lennar issue.

6. Over 2560 acres of land come under San Francisco Redevelopment Agency - a small
Project Areas was expanded to a a large Survey areas without notice and without any
deliberation. SF Redevelopment continues to mess up the community. Again and again
tax increment money from the Bayview Hunters Point - is invested in other areas.

7. Sophie Maxwell has pushed for the development of the Shipyard - trying to build 10,500
homes on toxic land, a Superfund Site. She has taken money from Lennar - and pushed
for Lenanr a Rogue Developer to adversely impact our community.

8. Lennar bombarded the community a 3 mile radius - with toxic dust, radiological elements,
lead, asbestos and a host of other dangerous elements. The Bay Area Air Quality
Management District fined Lennar - $150,000 - the largest fine imposed on any single entity.
There must be some law to fine and jail the incumbent Supervisor - in this case Sophie
Maxwell.

9. Sophie Maxwell has done little to curtail toxic particulates - with lack luster transportation -
The Third Street Rail starts at 4th and King and ends in the middle of no where in the
Visitation Valley. Sophie Maxwell and her cohorts raked in money - even as they did with
Lennar and one Roy Willis on the Third Street Light Rail project. We have a worse
transportation system now - then we had before. No one bothers about justice and those
that take Public Transportation - in this Transit First so called policy that our City has
falsely - embraced.

10. Sophie worked with SF Public Utilities Commission, the SF Port Authority and Catellus to
compromise the Force Main taking over 300 million gallons of secondary effluents in the
Bay - (treated raw sewage). The Force Main was compromised because Sophie and others -
planned to dig three conduits under the Force Main - without any soil tests. To pull a fast
one over us. She did not take responsibility. Other agencies, that aid her and the rest of
the idiots - the San Francisco County Transportation Authority that expand grants - all
wasted millions of tax payers money - the conduits - a white elephant.

11. A bridge was build at a cost of over $35 million by Cargo Way - linked Cargo Way to
Marin Street. The bridge is too narrow and two vehicles cannot ply side by side. Sophie
did not bother to attend the meetings - nor did she take responsibility for this waste of
money.

12. MUNI by 18th Street had two large diesel spills one linked to 100,000 gallons of diesel and
another 60,000 gallons of diesel. Not a word from the dumb, inept, corrupt - Sophie
Maxwell. The watershed in the area, the Bay and other land was adversely, impacted.

13. Sophie Maxwell without any deliberation, any Town Hall meeting helped enforce Gang
Injunctions. The first one - was a one square block by Oakdale Public Housing. Other
Gang Injunctions followed - she did this with Dennis Herrera - but there has been no
Community Benefit. A better deal would have been sound Community Policing.

14. Sophie Maxwell legislated Infrastructure Monies to be divided among Bayview Hunters
Point, Little Hollywood, and Visitation Valley. When the time came - she lied and worked
with one Fran Martin to give all the money to Visitation Valley.

15. Without a single Community Meeting she changed the boundaries - moving the Old
Bayshore line to incorporate Executive Park as part of Visitation Valley. The old train
tracks always separated Visitation Valley from Little Hollywood and Executive Park. Sophie
Maxwell move the boundary line clear across Old Bayshore, passed the rail track, pass
Tunnel Avenue, pass Little Hollywood - over ten blocks to create a new boundary line with
one single Community Meeting - using her power as the Chair of the Land Use Committee.
Sophie Maxwell would notice the meeting - keep it in Committee for a month and then send
it without any discussion to the San Francisco Board of Supervisors. This woman is
despicable - and her terming out a blessing - good riddance of bad rubbish.

The history above is related so that all constituents who are citizens of this Nation - at any level must be educated on issues and not fall prey to our politicians and especially fall prey to the devious ploys and machinations of Sophie Maxwell.


Francisco Da Costa
Director
Environmental Justice Advocacy

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http://www.sescdc.org

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