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Sargent Ranch Quarry

Draft Environmental Impact Report (EIR)

Application materials

If you would like to be added to the Interested Parties List for future Sargent Quarry informational e-mails, please fill out the form below:

Address

Frequently asked questions

Sargent Ranch is located approximately four (4) miles south of the City of Gilroy, California, and west of Highway 101 in Santa Clara County. Sargent Ranch is approximately 6,400 acres, and majority of the property is within Santa Clara County.

Sargent Ranch Location Map

Sargent Quarry is a proposed sand and gravel mining operation that would include construction and operation of four (4) mining pits and associated aggregate processing facilities on approximately 320 acres of the Sargent Ranch property. The mineral resources proposed to be quarried include approximately 40 million tons of sand and gravel aggregate, which would be extracted in four (4) phases over approximately 30 years, following each quarry phase the mining sites would be reclaimed.

The remaining approximately 6,083 acres of the Sargent Ranch are proposed to be maintained in their current conditions, with the primary ongoing use being cattle ranching. The site has an existing oil extraction facility under a different Use Permit, and the facility would also continue the operation.

Mining operations are proposed to occur year-round at the site Monday through Saturday between 4:30 a.m. and 5:00 p.m.

In accordance with the Surface Mining and Reclamation Act and County Ordinance requirements, reclamation of the quarry and material processing area would be undertaken when mining at each phase is complete. Reclamation is the process by which impacts of surface mining are minimized and mine lands are returned to a beneficial end use. Disturbed lands would be restored to agricultural uses (e.g., grazing).

The County of Santa Clara is currently evaluating the extent of tribal and cultural resources that exist on the Sargent Ranch site as a part of Environmental Impact Report preparation process, in compliance with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and Assembly Bill 52. The County has consulted with the Amah Mutsun Tribal Band regarding identification of tribal cultural resources on the site and feasible mitigation measures for impacts from the proposed project to the any tribal cultural resources.

Assembly Bill No. 52 requires the County to consult, prior to the release of a negative declaration, mitigated negative declaration, or environmental impact report for a project, with a California Native American tribe that is traditionally and culturally affiliated with the geographic area of the proposed project.

The County is currently preparing an Environmental Impact Report that will include responses to the comments made on the Draft Environmental Impact Report and include text edits and clarifications as needed. The Draft EIR was created in accordance with Assembly Bill 52, with tribal consultation with the Amah Mutsun Tribe. Following publication of the Final EIR, the project will be scheduled for a hearing before the Planning Commission.

As a part of the environmental report preparation process, the County will disclose significant impacts on tribal resources and identify associated mitigation measures. If a significant impact cannot be mitigated to a less-than-significant level, the County Planning Commission cannot approve the project unless it adopts a Statement of Overriding Considerations explaining the reasons for the approval despite significant and unavoidable impacts having been identified.

The quarry operation could have a lifespan of 50 years or more based on consumption rates. However, the operator is requesting a 30-year term for the Use Permit.

County of Santa Clara Planning Commission is the decision-making body for approval. The Planning Commission’s decision may be appealed to the Board of Supervisors by any person dissatisfied with the Commission’s decision.

The Planning Division will send out notification of updates to whom persons on the Interested Parties List. If you would like to join the Interested Parties List, please fill out the form on the Sargent Quarry webpage.

Additional information about Sargent quarry application can be found on the Sargent quarry webpage.

For more information on the project, contact Robert Salisbury, (408) 299-5785.