Asphalt plant up for final OK next week

<p>A proposal for a new asphalt plant on the southern outskirts of Petaluma comes before the Board of Supervisors Tuesday afternoon, Dec. 9, for final approval.</p><!-- Nothing to do. The paragraph has already been output --><p>So far, there have been four public hearings and the project was blessed by the Planning Commission last month on a 3-1 vote, with commissioner Sharon Wright abstaining.</p><p>Dutra Materials, a supplier of aggregate rock from a San Rafael quarry and former operator of the now-closed Petaluma quarry, is proposing the asphalt plant for a 38-acre site between the northbound Highway 101 off-ramp at Petaluma Boulevard South and the railroad tracks.</p><p>The project has raised the hackles of animal lovers and environmentalists alike because it is proposed to be built right across the river from Shollenberger Park and on property containing a dozen eucalyptus trees that are now nesting grounds for herons and egrets.</p><p>Dutra, long criticized by Marin environmentalists, is now in the hands of the next generation, which, according to friend and foe alike, has been more concerned with playing by the rules than getting away with bad behavior.</p><p>“Aimi has a better attitude than the earlier generation,” said Gerald Moore, chairman of the Petaluma Wetlands Alliance, referring to current Dutra CEO Aimi Dutra. But he’s sanguine about the development’s chances. </p><p>“I think it’s a foregone conclusion they are going to approve the project,” Moore said. “We don’t want air and water pollution and we are assured new plants are much better. We’d like it in writing.”</p><p>Dutra plans to manufacture new asphalt, used primarily for road paving, and recycle up to 160,000 tons of torn up asphalt at the site. Most of the materials would be hauled in by barge and moved to the plant on a conveyor belt situated near the bird rookery and passing over a railroad track.</p><p>About 250 Great Egret, Snowy Egret and Blue Heron chicks have been born on the site since park docents started counting in 2003.</p><p>As planned, the plant will operate from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily and at nights when necessary, as approved by the Planning Commission last month.</p><p>“Staff recommended this project,” county planner Steve Padovan said. “We recommended no nighttime operation during nesting season, February through August, and no offloading of barges where the conveyor belt goes near the rookery. They could run asphalt if they needed to, but the conveyor couldn’t be in operation. As it’s designed right now, the conveyor belt will be within 50 to 100 feet of (the rookery).”</p><p>Dutra will be required to use new, less polluting Type 2 diesel engines in its barges and trucks to lessen air quality impact. “We required them to update to new engines last year and they will upgrade to even better Type 3 engines when they are available within 10 years,” Padovan added.</p><p>Another specific mitigation will be to fully cover the conveyor belt moving asphalt into the plant to prevent spillage and dust and to keep its noise to a minimum.</p><p>The project also requires rezoning the property from light to heavy industrial.</p><p>Moore noted that the Petaluma River gets dredged every four years based on commercial tonnage mostly brought in by Jerico, Dutra and Pomeroy. “We don’t want to run any of these guys out of town, because that would reduce our chances of getting dredging funded. We’ll see if we can get the best response out of the county and go from there,” Moore said.</p><p>The rookery may survive the asphalt plant only to be displaced by future Highway 101 improvement projects. There are plans to convert another 17 acres into a suitable nesting site in the future, Moore noted.</p><p>The environmental impact report on the project stated the expected impacts of the project on air quality, noise and scenery would be “significant and unavoidable.”</p><p>The asphalt plant “would dominate the views in the area, standing out against the setting and attracting attention away from the surrounding landscape,” the report concluded. “Due to the project’s scale, many other visual characteristics of the area would be diminished.”</p><p>Plant operations would also exceed daytime noise standards for nearby residents and users of Shollenberger Park, the report found.</p><p>The Board of Supervisors will take up the matter on Tuesday, Dec. 9. It is the last of three items that will be discussed starting at 2:10 p.m. at the board chambers in Santa Rosa. There is a possibility that the decision will be postponed if the prior two hearings take up too much time.</p><p>(Contact Jay Gamel at argus@arguscourier.com)</p>