In Baykeeper’s latest victory to clean up toxic industrial pollution, Pinole Rodeo Auto Wreckers has agreed to prevent contaminated rainwater from running off its site into San Francisco Bay.
Baykeeper sued the company under the Clean Water Act after the company’s own reports showed that during rain storms, water running off the site contained high levels of oil, grease, and total suspended solids (a measure of small particles, including industrial waste).
Pinole Rodeo Auto Wreckers is an auto dismantler, with most of its inventory stored uncovered on a two-acre site. When exposed to rain, the auto parts have been releasing pollutants into storm water flowing from the site into the Bay via storm drains. Baykeeper was also concerned about the impact of the site’s contaminated runoff polluting nearby Rodeo Creek, which flows into San Francisco Bay.
Baykeeper worked with the company to develop a pollution control plan. The facility has agreed to prevent excess water from flowing onto the site, prevent toxic fluids from mixing with storm water with an expanded concrete pad for dismantling activities, and install a basin to capture and treat rainwater before it flows off the property. Once these improvements are in place, the company will continue to test its runoff for contaminants, and Baykeeper will monitor the test results to ensure the facility is no longer releasing polluted water.
The legally-binding agreement with Pinole Rodeo Auto Wreckers marks the 36th victory in Baykeeper’s Bay-Safe Industry Campaign. The campaign targets the widespread problem of heavily polluted, illegal storm water runoff that flows into San Francisco Bay from Bay Area industrial facilities. Baykeeper is cleaning up toxic industrial pollution to create a San Francisco Bay that is healthier for wildlife, safer for recreation, and more sustainable for all.
