Valley Springs, CA…On Tuesday, April 19, MyValleySprings.com submitted a citizen-prepared environmental study on the proposed asphalt plant in Valley Springs to the Calaveras County Air Pollution Control District (APCD) and the County Planning Department. The APCD is the Lead Agency for California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) review of the asphalt plant. The document submitted is titled, “Citizens & MyValleySprings.com Initial Study – Hot Mix Asphalt Plant Proposed at Hogan Rock Quarry, Application for Authority to Construct (ATC), Prepared by Citizens and MyValleySprings.com, April 16, 2016.”

The Board of Supervisors determined in February that a Conditional Use Permit is not required for the proposed asphalt plant. MyValleySprings.com and local Valley Springs residents were concerned about the potential lack of environmental review for the project. Even though the asphalt plant still needs an Authority to Construct (ATC), there was a strong possibility that the environmental review for the ATC would be limited to Air Quality, not a broad review of all environmental impacts such as traffic and water. The applicant and some county officials had asked for a “focused” air quality study; and responses to inquiries at the APCD and Planning were unclear as to the scope of a review or whether an initial study was being conducted.

MyValleySprings.com and local citizens worked together for 2 months to research, write, and produce their own Initial Study, a checklist and review of all potentially significant impacts of the asphalt plant project. Out of 18 State-listed environmental factors, the group checked, discussed, and gave evidence for impacts in 13 categories: Aesthetics, Agriculture, Air Quality, Biological Resources, Greenhouse Gas Emissions, Hazardous Materials, Hydrology/ Water Quality, Land Use/ Planning, Noise, Population/ Housing, Public Services, Transportation/ Traffic, and Mandatory Findings of Significance.

The Citizens Initial Study is intended to help the County prepare an Environmental Impact Report (EIR) for the asphalt plant, to establish issues of concern to be studied, and
to support staff conclusions that an EIR is needed for the project. The Initial Study is attached and will be posted on www.MyValleySprings.com .
About MyValleySprings.com

MyValleySprings.com is a local grassroots organization that advocates for sustainable land use, healthy communities and economies, and the preservation of rural character. It is the mission of MyValleySprings.com to promote responsible growth and development through public participation in community planning in order to preserve the quality of rural life in the greater Valley Springs area.
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