Sunol Gravel Quarry

The SFPUC and Alameda County Planning Commission approved a lease to the Mission Valley Rock Company to begin gravel quarrying and destroy 200 acres of publicly owned land in the Sunol Valley north of Highway 680. In May 2002, Save Our Sunol, Alameda Creek Alliance, and Preserve Area Ridgelands Committee filed a lawsuit against Mission Valley Rock (MVR), Alameda County and the City of San Francisco challenging the quarry approval. The lawsuit alleged improper permits and unmitigated impacts to endangered species which require a supplemental Environmental Impact Report, and demanded a vote by the electorate of Alameda County under Measure D, the county Open Space Initiative passed by the voters in November 2000.

After testimony from Save Our Sunol and the Alameda Creek Alliance, including documentation of numerous violations by MVR of their air quality and water discharge permits, the S. F. Board of Supervisors passed a resolution in April 2001 requesting the SFPUC and the City Attorney's Office to do whatever was necessary to rescind the quarry expansion lease. To date, the SFPUC has not responded to the resolution.

The proposed quarry threatens several sensitive native species, as the noise, dust, runoff, roads, lights, and other associated impacts from the quarry will harass and drive off numerous wildlife species from the Water Temple area. Breeding populations of the California red-legged frog and the California tiger salamander, federal threatened species, occur adjacent to Water Temple Field, where the proposed quarry pit will be dug. Quarrying will further fragment threatened populations of the Alameda whipsnake and block a critical migration corridor designated as Critical Habitat for the species by the US Fish and Wildlife Service.

The SFPUC was informed of whipsnakes and tiger salamanders inhabiting the vicinity of the quarry area in 1994, as well as the western pond turtle, a federal species of concern, and knew of nesting of several sensitive birds, including golden eagles, white-tailed kite, and loggerhead shrike. The SFPUC hid this information from the public during environmental review of the project.

The expanded quarry pits will also draw additional water out of Alameda Creek, reducing stream flow and degrading habitat for amphibians and native fish, such as the threatened steelhead trout.

We lost the lawsuit when Alameda County Superior Court Judge Sabraw ruled in October 2003 that the quarry could proceed, despite voter approval of Measure D, which specifically prohibited this quarry. Save Our Sunol and the ACA filed an appeal in March 2004 with the state Court of Appeals, which ruled against us. In February 2005 the California Supreme Court denied our Petition for Review, ending our state litigation. The SOS and ACA are exploring potential action under federal regulations such as the Clean Water Act and Clean Air Act.

Read the ACA's April 24, 2001 press release on the gravel quarry issue - S.F. Supervisors Reject Sunol Quarry Plan

Read S. F. Supervisor Chris Daly's April 23, 2001 press release - Daly Cites Bay Area Air and Water Quality in Opposing Sunol Quarry

Read the ACA's April 9, 2001 press release - Sunol Quarry Violated Water Discharge Permit

For more information on the Sunol quarry issue visit the Save Our Sunol web site.

Save Our Sunol/ACA appeal quarry decision - news article 12/30/03