Should San Benito County approve a revised reclamation plan to continue streambed mining in the San Benito River?
The San Benito River, which runs along the west side of Hollister and meets the Pajaro River just north of San Juan Bautista, has historically been mined in areas with high-quality sand and gravel deposits. In particular, in-stream mining occurred from 1959 to 1989 in a 4500’ reach of the river north of Nash Road and just west of Hollister. In 1989, the County ordered mining to cease due to a legal dispute over the scope of vested rights under the 1977 Hillsdale Rock Company Reclamation Plan.
Now, Sandman Inc. is applying to resume operation under the Proposed Nash Road Quarry Reclamation Plan (Proposed Reclamation Plan), claiming vested rights to mine based on the 1977 Reclamation Plan, a 1959 Use Permit, and court decisions regarding the vested rights in 2000 and 2001. The Sierra Club believes San Benito County should minimize the extent and duration of mining, implement substantial mitigation and monitoring measures, and fully reclaim the land with adequate soil replacement and tree planting.
An environmental document for the Proposed Reclamation Plan will released soon. The proposed Reclamation Plan covers some ecological impacts related to hydrology (erosion, groundwater, flooding), biological resources, and hazardous materials. However, many other impact areas still need to be addressed, such as aesthetics, air quality, recreation, transportation, water quality, water supply, etc. It will be necessary for community and environmental advocates to review and comment on the environmental document and the Proposed Reclamation Plan.
Does San Benito County care about its river? Just upstream from this proposed mining, the County is working to develop Riverview Regional Park and a River Parkway that extends north along the river and appears to conflict with the mine. Clearly, the County and residents want the opportunity to enjoy and experience the river landscape. The noise, traffic, and visual impacts of this mine are not compatible with that.
The extent of vested rights, project mitigation and monitoring measures, and review of reclamation requirements are required to limit the short- and long-term damage this mining will create. The Board of Supervisors needs to hear that San Benito County residents are concerned about the impacts of mining and the proposed indefinite duration of the mining operation. Contact Sierra Club Guadalupe Region Conservation Chair Katja Irvin (katja.irvin@lomaprieta.sierraclub.org) to get involved.
Nash Road Quarry Proposed Reclamation Plan and reference documents.
https://www.cosb.us/departments/resource-management-agency/planning-and-land-use-division/nash-road-quarry-reclamation-plan
News article about the project.
https://benitolink.com/residents-concerned-about-reopening-riverbed-quarry/