April 27, 2025
Dear Mayor and Councilmembers,
As residents and members of the East Palo Alto and Menlo Park community, we write to respectfully urge these Cities to partner with community-based organizations, like the Peninsula Accountability for Contamination Team (PACT), to advance urgently needed research on contaminant mobilization and exposure in our neighborhoods.
Research shows that soil contaminants, such as volatile organic compounds (VOCs) found at legacy industrial sites, can travel into cracked storm and sanitary sewer pipes and enter nearby homes, impacting indoor air quality and public health. This letter is not a policy or funding ask, it is simply a request that the City allow testing for volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and other contaminants in City-owned sewer laterals. PACT is currently seeking funding and partners for this research, research that may be conducted through our existing partnership with Dr. Kristina Hill at UC Berkeley, a local researcher who has done similar testing in other communities.Â
Testing sewer laterals and indoor air in buildings near contaminated sites for VOCs can identify whether toxic vapor intrusions are beginning to affect indoor air quality for residents living near contaminated sites. Understanding the presence and movement of these substances is essential to protecting public health and ensuring environmental safety, especially in communities like ours that have historically borne a disproportionate share of environmental burdens. Even remediated industrial sites should be revisited to assess contamination risk with groundwater and sea level rise and to protect residents from health impacts (SPUR Look Out Below).
Community-led research, grounded in transparency and collaboration, is key to building trust and finding solutions that reflect the needs of East Palo Alto residents. We ask for your support in enabling this testing so that we can move forward together toward a healthier and more resilient future.
Thank you for your time and commitment to our community.
Sincerely,
The Peninsula Accountability for Contaminant Team (PACT)
[Sign the letter here]