Lehigh Hanson Cupertino facility to permanently shut

Lehigh Hanson will not be able to restart cement production at its plant and quarry near Cupertino after a legal ruling by Santa Clara County. Earlier this week, the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors unanimously agreed that the kiln, which has been closed since April 2020, would not reopen, reports The Mercury News.

Local residents and environmental groups have been campaigning for the closure of the plant for years over concerns regarding pollution. Lehigh Hanson announced in 2021 that it was ending cement production at the site, which Santa Clara County has been working towards making a permanent move ever since so that the site can be reclaimed and restored.

“This is a long overdue action to save our public’s health,” Supervisor Otto Lee said. “And for more than eight decades these emissions have caused air and water pollution, like rainwater runoff, like selenium, smog, acid raid, climate change and have certainly aggravated health conditions like asthma and emphysema.”

Over the last 10 years, Lehigh has accrued millions of dollars in fine due to pollution violations, reports The Mercury News.