San Rafael Rock Quarry

By Susan L. Adams

A critical challenge has been bringing the San Rafael Rock Quarry into compliance with state and local laws and best practices.

The San Rafael Rock Quarry is one of the major issues I have been tackling since coming into office. In 1982, under a former owner/operator, the quarry was rezoned from an industrial category to a mixed use residential/retail designation. Under this zoning the quarry became an incompatible use, but mining activities were grandfathered in and allowed to continue with the condition that expansion of use would not be allowed. The community was given the impression that this rezoning indicated that the quarry would finish extracting what was allowed by their mining permits and the property would then be sold and converted to mixed use within a ten-year time frame. Things changed when The Dutra Group took over the property and expanded operations.

From 1986 through 2000, there were many problems. Eleven buildings were built or modified without permits, a septic system was not approved, the Dutra operations violated the mining permits by blasting deeper and wider in the bowl, helicopters were landing, truck traffic was increasing, nearby residents began experience blast shaking that felt like earthquakes and increased dust from the blast plumes and the diesel emissions. In 2000, a grand jury report identified many of these problems and, as a result, the county, the state attorney general and members of the community initiated legal action.

After taking office in 2003, I took a course in mining operations and attended two different mining conventions to learn about best practices. I learned that there are mining operations far away from residential communities that are using best practices to mitigate dust and noise and other mining related problems. I worked with county staff to bring about code enforcement actions on the 11 illegal buildings, septic and helicopter landings. The courts ruled that an administrative process would be needed to determine whether or not the Quarry should remain in operation and if so, at what level. An environmental review process was initiated.

Public scoping sessions for the Environmental Impact Reports (EIRs) on the operating permit and amended reclamation plan were held in 2007 and the reports released to the public in 2008. Several public meetings with the Board of Supervisors were held in 2009 and public comment taken as to the adequacy of the reports. After lengthy public comment, discussion and expert testimony, the Board of Supervisors certified the EIRs as adequate and complete. Since then the Department of Public Works has been meeting with the parties involved to attempt to identify operating conditions that would be acceptable to all concerned.

During the process of litigation and administrative review, I brought together the Quarry and the parties representing the surrounding neighborhoods in an attempt to identify areas of greatest impacts and opportunities for the Quarry to mitigate these impacts. Much has been achieved, including an agreement by the Quarry to change out the decks of their barges to concrete, to lower the noise level during the loading process, change all of its internal material-moving equipment to the latest technology in diesel trucks in order to reduce particulate matter associated with diesel engines, cover the loads of trucks leaving the Quarry to reduce dust impacts along Pt. San Pedro Road, meter the trucks leaving the Quarry to reduce the congestion from truck traffic westbound along Pt. San Pedro Road, and cover some of the rock crushing operations to reduce ambient dust and noise impacts.

The state's position is that an operational quarry is an important mineral resource. It is up to the County to issue the permit that allows operation. If the quarry continues to operate, my focus will be to ensure that the quarry is operating using best practices (especially those already being used in the mining industry) and with the least adverse impacts to the community. The final determination will be made at the permitting hearings in 2010.