Environmental and community groups submitted  hundreds of pages of detailed comments this week to the City of San Francisco explaining their concerns about upcoming America's Cup sailing events and associated waterfront development.

An estimated 1.6 million visitors are expected to crowd San Francisco Bay shores during the America’s Cup races 2012-2013, dramatically increasing impacts to our sensitive coastal habitats, our clean air, and our water quality.

Race support vessels and spectator boats, new development on piers at the Port of San Francisco including a new cruise ship terminal and superyacht marinas, and transporting crowds to and from waterfront parks, greenbelts and other shoreline viewing areas threaten established environmental conditions we have worked for decades to secure. The increased trash, air pollution, and water pollution in sensitive wetland habitats must be accounted for and eliminated where possible. 

The comments submitted by the groups provide measures and recommendations for greening the America's Cup and preventing harm to the SF Bay Area environment.

Click here to download SeaTurtle.org's comments (Turtle Island Restoration Network).

Click here to download the America's Cup Environmental Council cover letter that summarizes concerns. For a copy of the detailed Council comments please contact Teri Shore at tshore@tirn.net