As personnel at the Lehigh Southwest Cement Company continue operations on two fronts – renewing the permit to operate the cement plant and establishing a reclamation plan to expand mining in the Cupertino quarry – nearby residents and environmentalists are mounting opposition.
Residents against quarry and cement plant operations expressed their reservations to members of the Bay Area Air Quality Management District during a Sept. 17 meeting in Cupertino when district officials invited comments on renewing the permit to operate the plant. Lehigh mines limestone and manufactures cement at the site.
Santa Clara County officials held a public hearing in June on Lehigh’s quarry reclamation plan. The 25-year plan, now undergoing a geologic study, includes provisions for some land repair but also includes quarry expansion and the excavation of a second hole.
Approximately 30-35 speakers stated their cases, citing a range of pollution issues and health concerns that have dogged the quarry for decades.