A correction has been appended to this text.
A Bay Space development firm that received the thumbs up from the San Jose Metropolis Council for a redevelopment undertaking at its services within the southern a part of the town was sued earlier this yr for releasing poisonous pollution into two of San Jose’s waterways and has agreed to pay a $325,000 penalty.
The council accepted the redevelopment proposed by Graniterock unanimously on Tuesday evening — a transfer that can enable for a serious growth within the output of uncooked supplies for concrete and asphalt that helps construct the Bay Space’s skyscrapers and roads.
The request by Graniterock, a widely known Watsonville-based agency established over a century in the past, comes lower than two months after it was sued by the Santa Clara County District Legal professional in February for unleashing dangerous toxins that threatened delicate species of fish, frogs and salamanders in Guadalupe River and Coyote Creek.
The violations reportedly occurred on the firm’s cement facility on 11711 Berryessa Highway and recycling plant on 100 Granite Rock Means. Tuesday’s council vote entails a close-by website on 120 Granite Rock Means.
Based in 1900, Graniterock is a provider of concrete, sand, asphalt and different development supplies which have contributed to main South Bay initiatives, together with Levi’s Stadium and San Jose Mineta Worldwide Airport. Its flagship quarry is positioned in Aromas, 45 minutes south of San Jose.
In its lawsuit, the Santa Clara County District Legal professional’s Workplace claimed that the corporate launched contaminated storm water that included cement, sand, concrete, chemical components and heavy metals, in keeping with newly launched court docket data.
Steelhead trout, the California Tiger Salamander and the California Crimson Legged Frog all have been in danger because of the poisonous storm water, the lawsuit states. Environmental consultants assert that the chemical compounds launched by Graniterock might have far-reaching penalties for each the species’ reproductive course of and the quite a few homeless residents who reside alongside the town’s rivers.
In an settlement between Graniterock and the county unveiled final week, the corporate pays $200,000 to the county, $50,000 to the state and $75,000 to Gilroy-based non-profit CHEER, which focuses on habitat restoration. The 2 events are awaiting a choose’s signature on the settlement.
Other than the financial penalties, the corporate additionally has agreed to put in storm water remedy programs at its services as a part of its decision with the county.
Neither the settlement nor the unique lawsuit gives further particulars on the extent to which Graniterock allegedly polluted the rivers — or when the discharge of poisonous storm water occurred. The corporate has beforehand acknowledged it has been in talks with the county for “a number of years” about mitigating its impression on the encompassing surroundings.
Each the DA’s workplace and Graniterock declined to touch upon the lawsuit.
Graniterock requested approval from the Metropolis Council to demolish 4 of its buildings, totaling over 15,000 sq. ft on a 22-acre website. The corporate then plans to elongate its rail-offloading system, establishing 9 122-foot-high storage silos and constructing new concrete and asphalt manufacturing services.
The corporate will now have the ability to course of almost 10 instances the quantity of uncooked materials that can ultimately turn out to be concrete and asphalt — from 150,000 tons per yr to 1.3 million. As well as, the undertaking intends to surround most of the industrial processes the corporate undertakes to reduce the quantity of mud launched throughout manufacturing. The filth roads on the positioning additionally will get paved.
“It's significantly better from a mud and air-quality standpoint,” stated Erik Schoennauer, a land use marketing consultant behind the undertaking, concerning the paved roads. “And extra development supplies are going to be supplied to the marketplace.”
The location slated for redevelopment was initially bought by the San Jose Brick Co. in 1882, in keeping with Schoennauer, with Graniterock buying it in 1971.
The undertaking was unanimously accepted by the Planning Division in March — and an environmental impression report accomplished by the town discovered no main dangers if the undertaking went ahead.
The redevelopment plan acquired early reward from Councilmember Bien Doan, whose district consists of the Graniterock website.
Regardless of the lawsuit with the DA, Doan stated he’s assured that the corporate will act responsibly going ahead. He stated the undertaking might assist bolster much-needed tax income the town has struggled to usher in for many years.
“We want that tax income,” he stated. “To rent extra public security officers, maintain our infrastructure, construct a extra thrilling downtown and assist our unhoused residents. In the event that they’re not (following) the legal guidelines of the Environmental Safety Company, the county and the town, then there are different repercussions that we are able to take to verify they adjust to the legal guidelines.”
A earlier model of this story reported the unsuitable settlement quantity. Graniterock faces $325,000 in fines.