Board to make decision today on America's Cup pollution report
Dan Schreiber
SF Examiner
01/24/2012
Air quality impacts and San Francisco Bay water pollution brought by the America’s Cup yacht race will be vetted today by the Board of Supervisors, which is set to decide on an appeal of plans for the regatta that is coming to The City.
Supervisors will also weigh in on whether the environmental impact report for the event adequately addresses the impact of waterfront development rights that race officials will receive from The City in exchange for financing pier improvements, including the creation of a state-of-the-art cruise ship terminal.
A consortium of environmental groups, including the Sierra Club, brought the appeal shortly after the Planning Commission approved the environmental impact report for the race in December.
Their grievances with the document include that it fails to adequately address public safety; recreational impacts on the popular swimming area at Aquatic Park; and water turbidity that could result from a boat-mounted Jumbotron screen kicking up sediment from the Bay floor.
Board President David Chiu said that while San Francisco should expect the race to bring thousands of new jobs and a sizable economic boost, he thinks the plans need work.
“I do have some concerns about the environmental impacts and the long-term real estate deal that the Board of Supervisors will be working on in the coming weeks,” Chiu said.
Aaron Peskin, the former board president who has been working with the environmental groups, said the Port should be careful about the fiduciary impact of giving up rights to a slew of waterfront properties under the deal.
