UC Richmond Field Station - Public Health Activities

The California Department of Public Health (CDPH) conducted an comprehensive evaluation of exposure to contaminants at the University of California at Berkeley (UC) Richmond Field Station (RFS) site.

The site

The UC RFS (formerly California Cap Company) site is located between San Francisco Bay and state highway 580, and between Point Isabelle on the southeast and Marina Bay residential community on the northwest. The site is adjacent to the Zeneca site (formerly Stauffer Chemical). Starting in the late 1800s, explosives were manufactured on the southeast portion of the UC RFS site, resulting in mercury contamination. Furthermore, arsenic-containing materials from the Zeneca site were deposited on some parts of the UC RFS site. Since the 1950s, the UC RFS site has been used as a research center, library storage facility, and laboratory. The regional park Marina Bay trail crosses the marsh portions of both sites. Click here for a map of the area.

On March 3, 2009, CDPH released the public health assessment for the UC RFS site, which presents an evaluation of exposure to contaminants at the site and includes an overview of workers' health and exposure concerns reported to CDPH.

Click for the UC RFS Public Health Assessment

Click for a summary of the draft evaluation prepared by the Contra Costa County Health Services Department

How CDPH got involved

As of May 2005, the California Department of Toxic Substances Control is providing oversight of the investigation and cleanup of the Zeneca and UC RFS sites. (More information on CDPH's evaluation at the Zeneca site).

In mid-May 2005, the Contra Costa County Health Officer requested the assistance of the Environmental Health Investigations Branch in CDPH, in responding to exposure and health concerns arising from the two sites. After speaking with people working near the two sites or on the UC RFS site, the two health agencies pledged to comment on the possible health consequences from current exposure by the end of June 2005.

A joint provisional health statement was released on June 22, 2005, and updated on February 1, 2006. In August 2007, upon release of the draft public health assessment, information about exposure and health concerns related to the UC RFS were removed from the provisional health statement.

More information

• A Community Advisory Group convened by the California Department of Toxic Substances Control meets the second Thursday of every month to discuss clean-up issues related to both sites.  
• For additional information related to the UC RFS site, please visit the UC Facility Services website and the UC Richmond Field Station website. 
• For additional information related to the Zeneca site, please visit the California Department of Toxic Substances Control website, and the Campus Bay website.