Environmental Concerns

Due to Alviso being below sea level it has be plagued by legal and illegal land filling. Since not all of the material dumped was inspected there are many locations in Alviso that contain contaminated soil. This contamination can involve oils, asbestos, and other toxic fill. Back in 1994 Alviso was part of a SUPERFUND ran by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). This study found high amounts of asbestos in the levees the city built around Alviso after the 1983 flooding event. It also found evidence of other contaminations such as buried gas tanks from gas stations and illegal dumping. The EPA determined that all work yards should be paved to reduce the community's exposure to dust that contains asbestos. After these findings Alviso residents sued multiple land owners for unsanctioned land uses. Many operated heavy equipment such as semi trucks and ran unlicensed operations. Organization De Communidad Alviso was one of the main groups involved in helping protect the community. They later settled in court with the land owners and the business owners. They agreed to fix their operations by applying for permits from the city. Unfortunately, due to lack of enforcement of these conditions over the years many of the issues related to the lawsuit have returned. Many Alviso residents have made reports throughout the years to city code enforcement but many go unheard.