Category: Richmond CA

Asbestos Training Schools for WWII today are still schools and sites of charitable organizations in San Francisco

Support for Families with Children for Disabilities, The San Francisco Pride Office, Aids Legal Referral Project and the National Housing Law Project are at 1633 Mission St. San Francisco whic was one of many vocational schools used to train civilians to wrap pipes on ships with asbestos for the war effort. The site also taught welding and other skills necessary in ship building.

I ran into this listing for Treasure Island in the journal “Asbestos” while doing a search of a periodicals database and this led me to the “San Francisco War Production Training School” and its multiple sites listed below.

Asbestos 1944-08: Vol 26 Iss 2
Asbestos 1944-08: Vol 26 Iss 2

“San Francisco War Production Training School”

I found this pamplet describing the courses and locations. I will note if the site is still a school today and its google map location. Unforunately the courses were probably the same courses in each facility. I noted the Asbestos Training course and its description, they also taught welding and htis was very important in the shipbuilding for World wAr II. The Kaiser shipyards in Richmond were able to produce an entire liberty ship in 4 hours of time. The Japanese thought this was propaganda until they were able to confirm it. An amazing accomplishment that required training of hundreds of people at a time. I noted the 1633 mission site as it was the Shipbuilding School.
“San Francisco War Production Training School” – Pamplet –

San Francisco Public Schools – War Production Training Program.

Introduction:
This is short pamplet describes the San Francisco School system’s World War II training programs.

San Francisco Public Schools

War Production Training Program

Free training for War Production workers is offered by the United States Government in cooperation with the San Francisco Public Schools with classes conducted in the following locations:

  • Shipbuilding School – 1663 Mission St. Google Map
  • Samuel Gompers Trades School – 22nd and Bartlett Sts. Note: Currently City College of San Francisco – Mission Center – Article on the Samuel Gompers Trade School building – Google Map
  • Balboa High – Onondaga Ave. and Cayuga Ave. Note: Still a High School Google Map
  • James Denman Junior High – Onondaga Ave. and Otsego Ave. Note: Still a Junior High School Google Map
  • San Francisco Junior College – Balboa Park – is currently San Francisco City College Note: Link on the history of the site – Google Map
  • Abraham Lincoln High – 22nd Ave. and Santiago St. Note: Still there, still a school – Google Map
  • George Washington High – 32nd Ave. and Anza St. Note: Still a school – Google Map
  • Presidio Junior High – 30th Ave. and Geary St. Note: Name change to Presidio Middle School still in operation – Google Map
  • Roosevelt Junior High.- Arguello Blvd. near Geary St. Note: Still in operation Name change Roosevelt Middle School – Google Map
  • Marina Junior High – Fillmore and Bay Sts. Note: Still in operation, Name change to Marina Middle School – Google Map
  • Galileo High – Van Ness Ave. and Francisco St. Note: Still in opration, Name is Galileo Academy of Science and Technology – Google Map
  • Polytechnic High – Frederick St. and Arguello Blvd. Note: The good news it is new construction, no longer a school

Other Locations:

  • Treasure Island – Chemical, Biological and Radiological training site that used Mustard Gas and all land contaminated with chemical weapons are by law not capable of being transfered to civilian authorities. The sale to the City is against the law, DOD regulations and the Chemical Weapons Convention which has a deadline for compliance of December 31, 2023.
  • Aquatic Park
  • Sperry Gyroscope Co.
  • Maritime Hall
  • Ship Invader

Offices: War Production Training
93 Grove St.; Joseph E. Clisham, Director

Shipbuilding School, 1663 Mission St.

Samual Gompers Trades School
Room 214, 22nd and Bartlett Sts.

Supervisors:
T. Paul Dutcher, Paul O’Rourke, E. A. Wolfe

Entrance Requirements

Those interested in enrolling in War Production Training Classes may obtain information at the United States Employment Service, 1690 Mission Street, or may enroll directly at the school where the instruction is given. This instruction is free and is available without discrimination to all persons, male or female, employable in War Production Work.

Capable interviewers are on duty from 8 a.m. until 9 p.m. at the Samuel Gompers Trades School, 22nd and Bartlett Streets, and at the Shipbuilding School, 1663 Mission Street. Those interested in additional information as to the courses offered or the employment possibilities are welcome at these two locations.

All courses are designed for the needs of the industry concerned. Hours are arranged for the convenience of the majority of the students. New classes are started as the need demands.

These courses have the endorsement of the War Manpower Commission, Labor, Management, and the United States Employment Service.

Training is Offered in the Following Trades:

Aircraft Engine Mechanics
Aircraft Assembly Mechanics
Aircraft Sheet Metalsmith
Aircraft Mechanics (Pan-American Airways)
Acetylene Welding
Arc Welding
Communications (Land-line Morse, Teletype, Mux)
Asbestos Pipe Covering
General Machine Shop
Marine Drafting and Layout
Marine Electrical Installation
Marine Machine Shop
Marine Steamfitting and Pipefitting
Seamanship
Sheet Metal Fabrication and Layout
Radio Repairman – (Signal Corps)
Shipfitting
Ship-Lofting
Shipwright and Joiner

Asbestos Pipe Covering

All ship steam pipes, hot water lines, and steam boilers are covered in a fireproof jacket of asbestos. Refrigeration systems are all insulated with cork and hair felt. This material is then covered with canvas that must be sewed or pasted, The work is not heavy, and workers in this field are in great demand at all times. Only men are employable at the present time. The industry encourages those in allied fields such as painting, plastering, brick laying, tile setting, and cement finishers, to take this training.

This is a pre-employment course, and those who complete the work begin employment at journeymen’s rate of pay.

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Tracerlab dumping Nuclear Waste At Sea, building looted in Richmond CA

Major Nuclear Site in Richmond CA looted. Never cleaned up and it is within walking distance of the California Department of Public Health which is responsible for cleaning up these precise type of sites!

6 Nuclear sites within walking distance of California Department of Public Health Building, UC Berkeley Richmond and EPA Region 9 Lab

My article on Tracerlab:

Tracerlab at 2030 and Berkeley Scientific at 2200 Wright Avenue Richmond CA – Nuclear Devices and testing

“Statement of Tracerlab, Inc., On Waste Management Operations by Samuel S. Auchincloss, President, Tracerlab, Inc.”
United States. Congress. Joint Committee on Atomic Energy. Special Subcommittee on Radiation. Industrial Radioactive Waste Disposal.: Hearings Before the United States Joint Committee On Atomic Energy, Special Subcommittee On Radiation, Eighty-Sixth Congress, First Session. Washington: U.S. G.P.O., 1959.

Continue reading “Tracerlab dumping Nuclear Waste At Sea, building looted in Richmond CA” →
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6 Nuclear sites within walking distance of California Department of Public Health Building, UC Berkeley Richmond and EPA Region 9 Lab

If the State and the Feds cannot look out for its own people how can we rely on them to protect the public?

The Califormia Department of Public Health (CDPH) regulates all of the radiological contamination in the State of California. The California Department of Public Health (CDPH) Building, EPA Region 9 lab and the University of California Berkeley Richmond Campus are located right in the heart of Nuclear Alley in Richmond CA. This series will highlight 6 nuclear industry companies in the Port of Richmond that held Atomic Energy Commission Licenses for Nuclear Waste, worked directly with radioactive isotopes (radioactive elements like Uranium, Plutonium, Strontium 90, Cesium 137, Cobalt 60, Carbon 14 etc) and built machines used in the Nuclear Weapons industry.

Tracerlab/EAL building at 2030 Wright Avenue has been looted, it is a nuclear waste site and made radiological equipent for the Nuclear Industry. Google maps street view

All are within walking distance of these government facilites and they have never been cleaned up for their nuclear purposes. These government facilities need to be evacuated, because they were constructed after the contamination, which means:

  • Every surface exposed during contruction inside the walls and out will have to be swabbed to determine alpha and beta particles for identification of the isotopes as well as gamma readings for radiation.
  • All samples taken as evidence for all of Region 9 which includes, CA, OR, WA, HI, NV, the Pacific and the 148 Tribal Nations in all cases where the EPA and CDPH buildings have existed will have to be thrown out and resampled.
  • And most importantly every employee and every living being who stepped in these facilties will have to be evacuated and monitored for exposure for the rest of their lives.

Stauffer Chemical in Richmond CA processed uranium NRC records 1962
Stauffer Chemical Richmond on list of 153 Sites for the Nuclear Weapons Industry
Nuclear Fuel Rods Transported to and from the Port of Richmond CA
Tracerlab at 2030 and Berkeley Scientific at 2200 Wright Avenue Richmond CA – Nuclear Devices and testing
Tracerlab dumping Nuclear Waste At Sea, building looted in Richmond CA
Ocean Transport of Richmond dumped nuclear waste at sea – 1 of 6 Nuclear Weapons sites within walking distance of CDPH building, UC Berkeley Richmond and EPA Region 9 Lab
Chevron Richmond CA dumping nuclear waste at sea and burying on site

Also note the Navy dumped nuclear waste directly into San Francisco Bay in 1946 and they covered it up by making sure to not notify the barge operators what they were dumping. Here is that COVER UP Document and a separate set of orders for all Navy Bases on the West Coast, the Pacific and Norfolk Naval Bases.

1946-12-04 ACID AND OTHER DECONTAMINATING SOLUTIONS USED IN CLEARING SALT WATER SYSTEMS MAY BE DISCHARGED INTO HARBORS

Safety Regulations have changed over the years and all sites cleaned up in the past, those standards are nuclear accidents today. All sites need to be re-evaluated for radiological contamination.

Safety levels of nuclear radiation have changed over the years making previous cleanups are now nuclear accidents

EPA Regulations on proximity means the UCSF and UC Berkeley Ergonomics Lab is within 200 feet of the Stauffer Chemical Plant making it part of the site.

The EPA has regulations on Proximity to toxic waste sites. I went into the law in detail in this article on the contamination range of Treasure Island to San Francisco.

Downtown San Francisco within Contamination Range of Treasure Island Atomic, Biological and Chemical Warfare training sites

To the EPA everything within 200 feet of a site is on the site. In this case of UC Berkeley everything to the east of Egret Way, which is where the UC BErkeley Bus drives down to unload students is within the 200 feet fo the Stauffer Chemical Company.

Near Neighbors are everything from 200 feet to a quarter of a mile and that makes the EPA Region 9 Laboratory within that range.

A Second Near Neighbor class is everything from a quarter of a mile to a mile away and that encompases the California Department of Public Health.

Then you have ranges for water and dust contamination that can go 4 miles, so these sites are all within a mile of the California Department of Public Health and all sites are within the wind range contamination of each other and the city of Richmond.


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Nuclear Fuel Rods Transported to and from the Port of Richmond CA

GE Nuclear in Vallecitos Nuclear Center in Pleasanton, transported Nuclear Reactor Fuel Rods to Richmond to be sent to France to be processed in their Breeder Reactors and then sent back to GE through the Port of Richmond. To move nuclear materials you have to lay out the route and if you ever have seen the movie Superman these trucks are oversized. This also happened in the Port of Oakland. the shipping agreements are below.

San Jose CA – GE Nuclear Fuel Processing Facility at The Plant Shopping Center

They expected more shipments under this regulatory supervision.

Continue reading “Nuclear Fuel Rods Transported to and from the Port of Richmond CA” →
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Tracerlab at 2030 and Berkeley Scientific at 2200 Wright Avenue Richmond CA – Nuclear Devices and testing

Tracerlab processed biological samples from the nuclear tests in Nevada and the Pacific. They were flown in Alameda Naval Air Station and trucked into Tracerlab in Richmond. Tracerlab was the principle contractor to create the Radiological Mobile Laboratory used at the Atomic Tests. They built devices used in radiation work including devices used in nuclear power plants as well as selling radio-isotopes where they bombarded elements to change their atomic number. All this was right down the street from the CDPH building and within range of the EPA Region 9 lab and UC Berkeley Richmond Campus. It is the Eberline building.

In this map, Berkeley Scientific is the building on the left at 2200 Wright Avenue and Tracerlab is the building immediately to its right, next to the CVS and the complex on the right is the California Department of Public Health.

Google map showing the damaged Tracerlab/Everline building surrounded by a fence today.

Continue reading “Tracerlab at 2030 and Berkeley Scientific at 2200 Wright Avenue Richmond CA – Nuclear Devices and testing” →
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Chevron Richmond CA dumping nuclear waste at sea and burying on site

Chevron Richmond dumped radioactive waste directly onsite in Richmond. Chevron dumped nuclear waste into the Pacific and I covered this in the following article and below.

Ocean Transport of Richmond dumped nuclear waste at sea – 1 of 7 Nuclear Weapons sites within walking distance of CDPH building, UC Berkeley Richmond and EPA Region 9 Lab

Additional Information on the Dumping of Nuclear Waste at sea which includes Chevron designated “CR” in the tables below the Atlantic Ocean sites.

Continue reading “Chevron Richmond CA dumping nuclear waste at sea and burying on site” →