For the previous seven years, a sprawling ranch simply south of Gilroy has been on the heart of a pitched battle between traders who need to mine the land – a transfer that would play a big position within the Bay Space economic system within the coming a long time – and opponents who argue the challenge could be a catastrophe for the atmosphere and desecrate land Native American Indians think about sacred.
Now, a long-awaited and newly launched 652-page environmental report commissioned by Santa Clara County provides probably the most detailed look but right into a proposed 403-acre sand and gravel quarry estimated to generate 35 million cubic yards of supplies, beginning in 2025.
After investigating greater than a dozen methods the mine may have an effect on the land and surrounding space, the report got here to blended conclusions on the core points inflicting controversy, equivalent to: Air high quality and animal motion could be considerably affected, however the habitats of threatened fish, owls and badgers wouldn't be as negatively impacted if sure measures had been taken to guard them.
On the identical time, the report states that it's “important” that supplies like sand and gravel are sourced regionally to offset the greenhouse fuel impacts and prices from hauling within the materials from exterior California. It additionally states that the mine would “contribute to decreasing a regional deficit” of fabric over the following three a long time because the closest two comparable mining websites to Sargent Ranch have already eaten into their reserves. The fabric that's excavated shall be used to make concrete and asphalt for the Bay Space’s future buildings and roads.
It’s now as much as the Santa Clara County Planning Division to resolve whether or not to permit mining on the 5,154-acre Sargent Ranch, however the challenge virtually actually shall be appealed both option to the Board of Supervisors for a ultimate vote.
The property sits on the backside of Santa Clara County 4 miles south of Gilroy. Knobbly inexperienced hills and hundred-year-old oak bushes speck a panorama bordered by the coastal mountain vary to the west and the Diablo Vary to the east.
At the moment used for cattle grazing, the ranch is house to 12 lively oil wells, the one place in Santa Clara County the place crude drilling is going on. Through the years, varied concepts on methods to develop the land have been proposed, from a on line casino to residential properties to golf programs.
The mine itself would take up about 8 % of the property. Underneath the present proposal, development crews would dig for 30 years and to a most depth of about 300 ft — and take away sufficient materials to fill about 10,000 Olympic sized swimming swimming pools. After the mining operations stop, the excavated parts of the land could be refilled for extra cattle grazing. Sargent Ranch LLC at the moment owns the property and is the applicant for the mine, which might make use of as much as 15 employees.
The environmental affect report discovered that even when efforts are made to scale back the unfavorable results of the challenge, the sand mining operation would nonetheless considerably affect wildlife motion and current tribal sources on the property, like Betabel Bluff, which has been utilized by the Amah Mutsun tribe for therapeutic ceremonies and overlaps with a part of the mine.
Alice Kaufman, Coverage and Advocacy Director at Inexperienced Foothills, a Palo Alto-based environmental group that's vocally against the mine, mentioned disturbing wildlife motion may very well be detrimental to space’s animals.
“The EIR makes it very plain that this is able to actually have a severe affect on the power of animals emigrate out and in of the Santa Cruz mountains,” mentioned Kaufman. “Significantly for bigger mammals, like mountain lions, they want a variety so as to discover meals and mates. I believe everybody is aware of that inbreeding isn't a very good factor.”
The report additionally discovered that even with a deliberate synthetic hill constructed to partially block the view of the mine, the challenge would trigger main aesthetic modifications for motorists driving by on Freeway 101.
For his half, Valentin Lopez, chair of the Amah Mutsun tribe, views the mine as one more injustice to Native Californians.
“I see this simply as a continuation of that brutal historical past that sought to wipe out our tradition, our spirituality, the environment and our humanity,” mentioned Lopez, whose tribe refers back to the land as “Juristac” and says an ancestral determine by the title of Kuksui used to dwell within the hills.
To offset the impacts, the report outlines sure protocols to be adopted, equivalent to having development crews cease all actions in a 50-foot radius if human stays are discovered and a coroner to be introduced on web site. Sargent Ranch can also be suggested to put aside land on the property for the Amah Mutsun tribe. As well as, the report famous that by following sure different outlined protocols, the challenge would have solely a average affect on a lot of the habitats of animals situated within the space – just like the California red-legged frog – tribal archaeological websites and human stays, soil, water high quality and the discharge of greenhouse gases. Noise additionally wouldn't be a significant concern, the report discovered.
However Lopez mentioned he's unhappy with the report — and felt that even the efforts to offset any impacts to his tribe’s sources are nonetheless unacceptable. He’s hoping the county votes down the challenge outright.
Verne Freeman, who helps handle the property, identified environmental benefits to the challenge, like sand and gravel being sourced regionally.
“Domestically sourcing issues that you really want to eat as a tradition is healthier,” mentioned Freeman, who mentioned he thinks the county did a “honest job” with the EIR however didn’t remark additional on the findings.
As for the Amah Mutsun tribe, Freeman acknowledges the “horrible tales” related to the colonization of the world. However he is also skeptical about how that applies to right now’s actuality.
“What's the value we've to pay for all of that?” he requested. “Does it imply we are able to’t mine the sand that’s right here?”