Stormwater runoff—that slurry of toxic pollutants, grime, and trash that flows from Bay Area streets down storm drains—is the biggest single source of pollution in the Bay.
That’s why one of our longest running campaigns has been to investigate and stop this type of pollution at the source. By focusing strategically on the worst offenders, we’ve prevented streams of harmful pollution from flowing into the Bay.
That’s the case in our latest industrial stormwater win against the Morgan Advanced Ceramics facility in Hayward. The company, which produces industrial-grade materials for aeronautics and other commercial uses, is located near Alameda Creek, which connects to the Bay at the Eden Landing Ecological Reserve.
Our field investigators took water quality samples that showed Morgan’s runoff contained illegally high levels of heavy metals and other pollutants. And our drone footage clearly demonstrates why: Morgan was leaving its toxic materials in open containers and strewn around its site (pictured). The site was also releasing significant amounts of pollution in the air that settled on the facility grounds. When it rained, all that contaminated water washed right into storm drains that led to the Bay.
So, our lawyers took action. We sued the company and have now reached a settlement in which it’s required to improve pollution controls and increase water quality monitoring. Plus, to make up for their past pollution, the company has agreed to pay $50,000 to the Healthy Planet Project, which will use the funds to support environmental projects related to water quality in the San Francisco Bay-Delta watershed.
This win is part of Baykeeper’s larger effort to investigate and stop industrial pollution. Do you know of an industrial facility or other polluter that’s releasing toxic runoff into the Bay? Send us a tip.