PG&E to pay up to $190 million for pollution cleanup at Marina Small Craft Harbor

San Francisco City Attorney Dennis Herrera announced Friday PG&E has agreed to pay the city up to $190 million to settle a legal battle that has lasted two decades over cleanup at the Marina Small Craft Harbor.

The city first sued PG&E back in 2001 over pollution coming from the utility’s former coal gasification plants near the harbor after chemical compounds were discovered in the subsurface soils and sediments at the East Harbor.

Herrera said in a statement:

“I’m pleased that PG&E is finally doing the right thing in this instance and paying to clean up its pollution. It’s unfortunate we had to take them to court and then negotiate for years to get this outcome. But at the end of the day, this settlement is going to benefit not only the residents of this area, but all San Franciscans by increasing opportunities for waterfront recreation.”

According to Herrera, once the cleanup process at the harbor is completed, the city’s Recreation and Parks Department will move forward with plans to improve the harbor, including replacing failing docks in the East Harbor and increasing recreational access to the waterfront.

Recreation and Parks Department General Manager Phil Ginsburg said:

“The cleanup of the East Harbor site will restore habitat, improve public access to the Bay, expand recreational opportunities and improve the long-term viability of our marina. I appreciate PG&E’s commitment to this settlement, which will give San Francisco a clean, healthy waterfront for us all to enjoy.”

Under the settlement, PG&E will pay between $160 and $190 million to cover the cost of the improvement project, Herrera said.

Before being finalized, the settlement requires a review by the San Francisco Recreation and Parks Commission, with final approval by the Board of Supervisors.