From 1944 to 1966, chemical companies dumped DDT and dieldrin into the Richmond Inner Harbor. A mid-1990s EPA cleanup failed. Contamination has exceeded cleanup goals every year since 1999, leaving more DDT now than before the cleanup. The EPA has worked on a second plan since 2012 and has said they will release a draft for public comment in mid- to late September 2026.
The Problem: The EPA is legally required to involve the community, but it has shut residents out. This is an unfair burden on a community that has endured over 80 years of cancer-causing toxic pollution and waited 13 years for a real, lasting solution.
Our Solution: When federal regulators failed to act, a coalition of the Richmond Shoreline Alliance, SF Baykeeper, and the Sierra Club SF Bay Chapter stepped up—developing a Community Cleanup Plan grounded in local knowledge and community priorities. The plan has already earned real political weight: the Richmond City Council endorsed it unanimously, 7-0, and Contra Costa County Supervisor John Gioia has backed it too.
Take Action: The U.S. EPA and California Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC) need to hear from you.
Send a message telling regulators to adopt this community-backed plan—because Richmond deserves a toxic-free future.
Photo by SF Baykeeper
