Toxic Sites & Pollution

Para ver en español, haz clic en "Select Language" en la parte inferior de la página y selecciona "Spanish"

EPA has a long industrial and agricultural past which have left behind scars of polluted sites and groundwater — as well as ongoing air and water pollution from current industrial sites. See below for more information on the status and plans for key polluted sites in the city.

Key polluted sites

Romic Corp

Romic Environmental Technologies was a hazardous waste processing facility at 2081 Bay Rd, near Cooley Landing. For over forty years, Romic brought toxic waste into the community, often handling it irresponsibly, leading to repeated chemical spills into the surrounding community and injuring employees. The facility was shut down by advocacy from community groups including YUCA in 2007.

The site is still very polluted, and the federal government is currently assisting with cleanup efforts. They have installed a cleanup system which uses microbes to break down the toxins in the soil and groundwater. The site is currently part of the Ravenswood Business District — a series of planned residential and commercial developments along the east end of Bay Road. The project is still in the planning phases and resident input is important — please see here for more information on the project and outreach events and see the draft plans for the site here.

Cooley Landing

Cooley Landing was used as a trash dump for the whole county for nearly 30 years until 1963. Trash was burned at the site which contributed to high levels of toxins found in the soil.

The site has since been redeveloped into a city park. A thorough renovation process has placed a protective layer beneath the soil to protect residents from the polluted soil below. The city is currently evaluating the risks of sea level rise to the site and the pollutants buried beneath it.

Environmental history of EPA

Map of polluted sites

There are over 150 registered polluted sites in the city, including sites with pollution from past uses and existing facilities handling hazardous materials. The city has 20 hazardous waste generation sites, 24 underground chemical storage tanks it’s working to clean up, and 11 sites with regulated air polluting emissions. See here for a map of regulated sites in the city.