FoundSF

Historical Exhibit

by Stacey Carter

DECOMMISSIONED: The History of Hunters Point Shipyard was curated by Stacey Carter at Building 101 at the HP shipyard, June 5 - August 2, 2025

Building 815: The Naval Radiological Defense Laboratory Headquarters 1955-1969

In 1955 the new NRDL headquarters, Bldg. 815, was dedicated at HPS. The 6-story, windowless structure was devoted exclusively to the development of defense against radiation. The building was also constructed as a Class I Bomb Shelter, capable of protection from radioactive fallout and blast over-pressures up to 10 pounds per square inch.

U.S. NAVAL RADIOLOGICAL DEFENSE LABORATORY (NRDL)

The U.S. Naval Radiological Defense Laboratory (NRDL) was established at Hunters Point Shipyard in 1946 (officially named in 1948) to manage the cleanup of Navy ships contaminated during nuclear weapons tests at Bikini Atoll, known as Operation Crossroads. What began as an emergency response quickly became a major Cold War research center focused on radiation safety, nuclear fallout, and decontamination. Operated until 1969, NRDL was one of the only labs of its kind in the country and played a key role in shaping military and scientific understanding of nuclear hazards.

In 1955, NRDL moved into a six-story, windowless concrete building at the shipyard—Building 815—designed to withstand fallout and nuclear blast pressure. At its peak, the lab employed over 600 civilians, including more than 100 scientists with advanced degrees. That same year, 30,000 test animals were used in studies to understand the biological effects of radiation. NRDL scientists also participated in every U.S. nuclear test in Nevada and the Pacific from 1946 to 1963.

Hunters Point was chosen for its deep-water port, access to the Pacific, and proximity to top scientific institutions like UC Berkeley, Stanford, and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. San Francisco’s status as a livable city helped attract skilled scientific researchers during a time when such expertise was in high demand.

NRDL helped set national standards for radiation protection and emergency response—essentially writing the Navy’s manuals for surviving nuclear war. Many of its studies are still referenced today. The lab was closed in 1969 due to Navy budget cuts, but its scientific legacy—and environmental impact—remains an important part of Hunters Point history.

RADIOACTIVE WASTE DUMPING AT SEA

What Oscar James heard from his father was true—tons of radioactive waste were brought to Hunters Point and dumped at sea in the 1950s. In an interview, Oscar James recalled how he learned about the toxic dumping from his father and his father’s friends, who worked at the shipyard. They would talk about their work after watching the “Friday Night Fights” at the James' home, unaware that young Oscar was eavesdropping from his hiding spot under a table.

Years later, in 1974, Oscar became involved in efforts to shut down naval operations at Hunters Point. When he raised concerns about the leftover toxins, city officials dismissed him. However, his suspicions were confirmed when a dive team discovered the USS Independence, a ship contaminated from the Bikini Atoll nuclear tests, sunk near the Farallon Islands. The ship had been packed with radioactive waste from various Bay Area labs before being scuttled.

Oscar’s claims were further validated by records from the Naval Radiological Defense Laboratory (NRDL). A 1956 report confirmed that Hunters Point was the only facility on the West Coast authorized to dispose of radioactive waste. That year alone, 980 tons of radioactive waste were dumped at sea, including 19 barge loads, 2,913 large drums of liquid, and 53 concrete blocks filled with radioactive solids. Excerpts from this 1956 report are shown here.

LEGACY OF CONTAMINATION AND CLEANUP

The Fallout of Nuclear Research

NRDL’s experimental work, waste handling, and ship decontamination left behind a legacy of radiological contamination at Hunters Point. Sites once used for research, fuel burning, and waste storage are now under long-term environmental cleanup. The Navy and regulatory agencies continue to investigate and remediate radioactive material—a process that has spanned decades and remains ongoing.

Public trust was severely damaged when Tetra Tech, a Navy contractor, was caught falsifying soil samples—swapping clean soil for contaminated material to pass inspections. The fraud, revealed by whistleblowers in 2016–2017, led to a federal investigation, widespread resampling, and delays that continue to impact the site’s future. Cleanup at Hunters Point remains one of the most complex and controversial environmental remediation.

NRDL AND OPERATION REDWING

Testing the Limits of Nuclear Warfare

In 1956, the U.S. conducted Operation Redwing, a major atmospheric nuclear test series in the Marshall Islands involving 17 detonations at Bikini and Enewetak atolls. These included some of the largest thermonuclear devices ever tested. The Naval Radiological Defense Laboratory (NRDL) played a key role in the design and execution of Redwing's radiological safety program.

As part of Joint Task Force 7, NRDL personnel were responsible for radiation monitoring, fallout prediction, and exposure mitigation across all branches of the military. They issued dosimeters to thousands of test participants, tracked radioactive plumes, and trained service members in radiological safety. Their work included managing emergency evacuations and decontamination, and collecting critical data on radioactive exposure and environmental contamination.

NRDL's contributions to Redwing expanded the military's understanding of nuclear weapons effects and helped shape Cold War civil defense planning. But these tests also released vast amounts of radioactive fallout across the Pacific-raising ethical and environmental questions that remain unresolved.

The 49ers and Cold War Radiation Testing

Human Experimentation at Hunters Point, 1955

According to letters and one witness’s recollection four decades later, a U.S. Navy researcher in 1955 recruited members of the San Francisco 49ers football team to participate in a science experiment at the U.S. Naval Radiological Defense Laboratory, headquartered at the Hunters Point Shipyard.

Capt. Albert Behnke, Jr., a Stanford-educated physician and renowned expert in hyperbaric medicine and body composition, believed that elite athletes might be likeliest to survive a nuclear attack and its aftermath. Behnke proposed injecting players with radioactive chromium and having them drink irradiated water, techniques known as “nuclear medicine” that would allow for quick analysis of muscle, fat, and other physical traits. He described the planned procedures as “special examinations,” claiming they would benefit both science and the team. While no final report was found, one scientist later recalled watching the 49ers undergo these tests.

Text by Chris Roberts
Journalist and author of Exposed: How a San Francisco Navy Lab Became a Hub for Human Radiation Experiments, San Francisco Public Press Publisher, 2023.

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Decommissioned: Naval Radiological Defense Laboratory 1946-1969