Environmental Assessment for the Cargill, Incorporated Solar Salt System Maintenance and Operations Activities Project
Cargill, Incorporated (“Cargill”) has applied for a new permit from BCDC for the continued authorization of maintenance and operation activities at Cargill’s solar salt system in Newark and Redwood City (the “Project”). For purposes of the California Environmental Quality Act (“CEQA”), BCDC is the lead agency for the Project. See below for a location map of the Cargill salt pond facilities.
Environmental Assessment
Under its regulatory program certified by the Secretary of the California Natural Resources Agency as meeting the requirements of Public Resources Code section 21080.5 (see 14 CCR section 15251(h)), BCDC drafted an Environmental Assessment (EA) for the Project in 2021. At that time, BCDC circulated the Draft EA for public comment for 30 days, receiving public comments. However, the Draft EA was not finalized at that time due to, among other reasons, changes to the scope of the project as described in the Draft EA. Four public comment letters were received at the time. Read more about the 2021 Environmental Assessment documents. The Draft EA has been updated and circulated for a new 30-day public comment period from August 21 through September 23, 2024. BCDC is now finalizing the EA, and the document and the permit will be presented to the Commission for consideration at a public meeting in the first half of 2025. The Final EA and the permit will be posted on this website in advance of the meetings.
Send comments to
Sam Fielding sam.fielding@bcdc.ca.gov
BCDC prepared a Notice of Intent which informs potentially-interested persons of BCDC’s preparation of the Draft EA for the Project and describes public information sessions and the timeline for public comment.
Public Meetings
Two community meetings were held on September 4 and 5, 2024 during the Draft EA public comment period to explain what is in the EA and receive public input. View slides, recordings, and transcripts of these meetings at the links below.
BCDC has previously hosted two information sessions for the community on the permit application for and CEQA review of the Cargill, Incorporated Solar Salt System Maintenance and Operations Activities Project.
The Engineering Criteria Review Board (ECRB) to date has held two meetings to review engineering issues regarding the stability of the berms that contain mixed sea salts (MSS) at the Cargill, Inc. salt ponds Newark Plant 2. A third meeting will be held September 11, 2024.