Clean Water Program
Keeping San Francisco Bay Clean: The Port of Oakland's Clean Water Program
When people think about the Port of Oakland, they likely think about the giant cranes and the busy port area. But the Port also runs the Oakland International Airport and manages commercial shoreline property like Jack London Square. The Port is committed to conducting its operations in the most sustainable and environmentally sensitive manner possible. The Port's Clean Water Program is one example of this commitment to environmental stewardship.

Since 1992, the Port has collaborated with over 40 of its tenant industrial facilities to raise awareness about water pollution problems and to insure specific measures are used to prevent these problems.

Storm water, which includes contaminants washed from streets, homes, gardens, businesses and industrial areas is the largest source of pollution in the San Francisco Bay. Motor oil, brake pad dust, pesticides, dirt and litter wash into storm drains leaving a clean street, but adding contaminants to the bay. Some of these contaminants can poison small fish, or be taken up and stored in their body tissues. As larger fish or birds feed on the small fish, certain contaminants accumulate and can be consumed by shoreline fishermen and their families.

The Port of Oakland has worked cooperatively with Port tenants to conduct pollution prevention training sessions, perform regular inspections at the Port and tenant facilities, and test and monitor storm flows to assure no contaminants are reaching the bay. For the past nine years, the Port of Oakland has managed a successful program that has reduced contaminants from industrial areas.

Training
The Port holds annual training sessions for all personnel involved in fueling or maintaining vehicles, airplanes and equipment and handling or storing chemicals. Personnel are trained to perform maintenance indoors, provide covered storage for all chemicals and use absorbent material to clean up spills rather than washing them into drains. Other techniques include the use of drip pans underneath vehicles, rapid clean up of all spills and frequent sweeping to control dirt and other particulate pollutants.

Inspections
The Port inspects each of its industrial tenants annually. The Port works with the tenants to make sure all potential problem areas are addressed and that the tenants are aware of their responsibilities. Tenants are required to perform winter inspections for oily sheen or contaminants in runoff and must report any observed problems to the Port for immediate action.

Monitoring
The Port completes a comprehensive chemical testing program for stormwater. The Port collects samples and analyzes them for a wide range of chemical constituents. The results of the chemical monitoring program has been a marked improvement in the quality of the water entering the bay from the Port.

Improving
The Port continues to improve its own operations and those of its tenants to assure clean water is all that leaves the Port and enters the bay. During the nine years since the first step was taken, the Port's industrial stormwater coordinator has found that the Port area in general has become cleaner and that many pollutants have decreased in concentration, or have been eliminated from the stormwater runoff. For the past nine years, the Port has sponsored community shoreline cleanups. In 1999 over two tons of garbage was removed from the shoreline of the estuary.