BCNA

At its September 19, 2017 meeting, the Coalition of San Francisco Neighborhoods (CSFN) (of which BCNA is a member) addressed the recent action by the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (SFPUC) to add groundwater to our Hetch Hetchy drinking water. CSFN and an advocacy group called the San Francisco Safe Water Coalition is raising the alarm about the potential health concerns and water quality impact of this plan, which took effect April 18th. BCNA supports CSFN’s efforts to ask the Board of Supervisors to overturn the SFPUC’s plan.

Please review the information about this issue, and if you share our concerns, sign the petition asking the Board of Supervisors to stop SFPUC from mixing contaminated groundwater with our drinking water at http://www.sfsafewatercoalition.com/

Summary by the San Francisco Safe Water Coalition:

• Groundwater has health risks: There are unsafe levels of nitrates, chromium 6, manganese, radon-222, pesticides, and herbicides in our groundwater, which may increase risks of cancer, birth defects, and serious illness. Testing every few months won’t help. Even “legal limits” are too high!
• Groundwater isn’t necessary: Even with expected future growth and droughts, San Francisco can meet its drinking water needs well beyond 2040 with continued conservation and efficiency measures. It’s not an emergency water supply. A week after an earthquake or other disruption, a “Do Not Drink” order would be mandatory.
• Stop wasting drinking water on irrigation, firefighting, and street cleaning: Use groundwater instead.
• Voters were misled: Prop A was approved in 2004 for earthquake upgrades to our Hetch Hetchy system. There was no mention of spending $66 million to add polluted groundwater to our drinking water supply. We, the voters were misled by the SFPUC.

For more information, email sfsafewater4all@gmail.com.

The Barbary Coast Neighborhood Association and the Coalition for San Francisco Neighborhoods, of which BCNA is a voting member, took an active role in opposition to San Francisco Senator Scott Wiener’s Senate Bill 384, which would have allowed for the extension of bar, restaurant, and hotel alcohol service closing hours from the current 2 a.m. to 4 a.m. With our opposition and that of other individuals and organizations, the bill was killed in the California Assembly and replaced by a provision for a Task Force with diverse representation to report on the issue by the end of 2019. Later, the bill was amended further to strike the study and address a completely unrelated subject.

We are pleased to report that we contributed to a successful effort to protect our neighborhood and other neighborhoods from the negative impacts and costs associated with late night noise, rowdiness, and potential increase in traffic accidents. For further details on the decision and two different perspectives:

A positive perspective: http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/last-call-for-wieners-4-am-bar-bill-300513319.html

A critical perspective: http://www.latimes.com/politics/essential/la-pol-ca-essential-politics-updates-last-call-stays-the-same-as-lawmakers-1504291960-htmlstory.html

The trial originally scheduled to begin September 11 in the lawsuit filed by the State Lands Commission against the City of San Francisco challenging Proposition B has been postponed. The tentative new trial date is January 10. 2018.

Prop B, passed by San Francisco voters in June 2014, requires voter approval before a developer can exceed the height limits set on San Francisco Port waterfront properties.

BCNA is tracking the lawsuit and will continue to provide updates.