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.
Permit Application
At its regular June 5, 2025 meeting, the Commission approved the permit application for Cargill’s Project by a vote of 20-0-0. The Commission previously considered and approved at its regular May 1, 2025 meeting the Final Environmental Assessment (EA) in compliance with BCDC’s regulations implementing its certified regulatory program as CEQA lead agency. (See further discussion below under “Environmental Assessment.”) Upon the Commission’s approval of the permit application on June 5, 2025, the EA is now deemed “final.” (Reference 14 CCR section 11524(a).) Pursuant to Public Resources Code section 21080.5(d)(2)(E) as well as 14 CCR sections 10524 and 11525(a) of the Commission’s regulations, BCDC has filed a Notice of Determination (NOD) with the Secretary of the California Natural Resources Agency through the Governor’s Office of Land Use and Climate Innovation CEQANet web portal at https://ceqanet.lci.ca.gov/2020080442/11
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 (provided at the link below) was updated and circulated for a new 30-day public comment period from August 21 through September 23, 2024. BCDC finalized the EA (see link to the Final EA below) to address the comments received and reflect tribal consultations. The Final EA was approved by the Commission at their May 1, 2025 meeting. Three public comment letters were received for the meeting. The permit will go before the Commission on June 5, 2025.
BCDC Permit Analyst
Sam Fielding sam.fielding@bcdc.ca.gov
BCDC prepared this Notice of Intent in April 2025 which informs potentially-interested persons of BCDC’s preparation of the Final EA for the Project and describes how to attend the upcoming May 1 Commision hearing in person or virtually.
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.
In 2023, BCDC 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) has held three 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. The third meeting was held September 11, 2024.