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There was a lot of rocking and running on Oct. 11 when Graniterock hosted its annual Rock and Run 5K race coupled with an open house dedicated to the company’s ongoing permit amendment project.
Over 300 people participated in the 5K, which raised $40,000 for Aromas School and San Juan Elementary School. Graniterock CEO Peter Lemon presented school principals Edith Garcia and Ethan Stocks with a $40,000 check.
Lemon also addressed many of the students who were participating in the race.
“It goes to all of you,” he said about the proceeds from the 5K. The race results are available here: https://tinyurl.com/5yvw2ard.
Attendees also had the opportunity to learn more about the company’s permit amendment project, which Graniterock Director of Communications Shanna Crigger said aims to continue the ongoing reclamation material operation in an adjacent location.
The project will cover about 5 percent of the Wilson Quarry site, but will not add new traffic or haul routes and does not change aggregate production operations, Crigger said.
There will be 15 independent technical studies prepared by Graniterock experts. San Benito County is responsible for peer review of the studies as part of the formal review for the permit amendment.
Ultimately, the San Benito County Board of Supervisors and Planning Commission will decide on the scope of the reclamation plan and use permit amendment.
Open house tour attendees enjoyed coffee, pie, juice and breakfast burritos as they perused the dozen or so tables of information about the permit amendment. There were also interactive points, such as the chance to guess the weight of a boulder. The person with the closest guess would have the boulder delivered to their home.
A popular offering at the open house was the quarry tours led by Keith Severson, a former employee and current consultant for Graniterock.
Participants rode in a bus through the site, where they learned about its history. The quarry, Severson said, was founded by A.R. Wilson in 1900.
Severson said about 100 staff members work at the quarry. Everyone is required to drive on the left side of the road so that they can be aware of berms and hills.
The quarry has “vested rights” or a fixed entitlement that cannot be taken away or changed by the government or another party without due process, Severson said.
A long belt extends throughout the quarry and, according to Severson, it must be covered as part of the current conditional use permit. Covering the belt, he said, protects it from dust, noise and also protects wildlife. The quarry’s working lands provide open space which allows wildlife to freely roam.
Jacquie Borges, who began as a Graniterock intern and is now an environmental engineer at the company, spoke about Graniterock’s conservation efforts. She said there are 364 oak trees on the site, counted annually. Height measurements are taken to ensure the trees are seven feet tall by their 17th year. Some trees, she said, are about 10 feet tall, adding that the team is “almost too good” at its conservation efforts.
Severson spoke about Graniterock’s involvement in the community, noting all of the employees and staff work and live locally.
While the employees’ years of service to the company differs, he said, one thing is the same for everyone: “dedication.”
“We all care,” Severson said.
Another tour of the Graniterock quarry is tentatively planned for Oct. 21 at 1 p.m. Learn at https://www.graniterock.com/news_events/events.
In related news, San Benito County, under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), completed an Initial Study and prepared a Mitigated Negative Declaration (MND) for Graniterock’s Enz Quarry Use Permit and San Benito County Reclamation Plan Amendment Project.
The approximately 1,345-acre project site is located at 1781 Limekiln Road, approximately 11 miles south of the City of Hollister and approximately five miles west of Hwy 25.
The Initial Study examined the effects of the proposed project, including relocation of an existing concrete ready-mix batch plant currently operating approximately 3.6 miles north of the project site. The proposed new facility would produce approximately 40,000 cubic yards of concrete annually, requiring approximately 5,500 inbound loads of raw materials and 4,000 outbound loads of finished concrete per year.
The Initial Study concluded that, although the project could result in potentially significant environmental impacts, implementation of the identified mitigation measures would reduce all potentially significant impacts to a less-than-significant level.
Accordingly, the county intends to adopt the MND for the project to address potential environmental factors including air quality, biological resources, noise, transportation and tribal cultural resources.
The public review period for the project began Oct. 16 and will end at 5 p.m. on Nov. 16.
The Initial Study, MND and all supporting documents are available for review at the San Benito County Resource Management Agency (2301 Technology Drive in Hollister).
Comments should be addressed to San Benito County Senior Planner Michael Kelly and include the project number, PLN240034. Written comments are preferred.
The BenitoLink Internship Program is a paid, skill-building program that prepares local youth for a professional career. This program is supported by Monterey Peninsula Foundation AT&T Golf Tour and Taylor Farms.
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