Move to Clean Energy Sources and Support Environmentally Sustainable Plans

Move to Clean Energy Sources and Support Environmentally Sustainable Plans:

As devastating wildfires sweep across California, fueled by climate-driven drought, extreme heat and high winds, the need for action on climate change has never been more urgent. In response to Santa Clara County's declaration of a climate emergency, we urge that the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors:

• Phase Out Ban burning of coal and petroleum-coke in Santa Clara County, and

• Deny the 2019 Permanente Quarry Amended Reclamation Plan

Santa Clara County could greatly cut greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from stationary sources if coal and petroleum-coke burning industries switch to carbon-free energy and move to advanced production technologies.

The largest single source GHG polluter in Santa Clara County is Lehigh Southwest Cement Plant (Lehigh)

• Lehigh Releases nearly a million metric tons of GHG emissions per year based on its 2016 reported emissions
• Lehigh is Permitted to use coal as fuel, Lehigh uses 100% petroleum coke as a fuel source to manufacture cement
• Some are calling petroleum coke "one of the dirtiest, most carbon intensive fuels on the planet"
• There are cleaner technologies that exist today

The County must compel Lehigh and others to convert to cleaner-burning fuel to lower GHG emissions and reduce toxic air pollutants.

As one example of a promising alternative, we note that Heidelberg, Lehigh's German parent, is a co-sponsor of the CemZero pilot project in Sweden that has already demonstrated that "electrification is a viable alternative" for powering cement plants. 

Please also Tell the County Board of Supervisors to Deny the 2019 Permanente Quarry Amended Reclamation Plan.

The 2019 Amended Reclamation Plan from Lehigh is a drastic deviation from the existing County approved reclamation plan. It proposes a massive quarry expansion and operational intensification. We support the letters from the Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District, the cities of Cupertino, Los Altos, and Los Altos Hills, and the Sierra Club that oppose the 2019 Permanente Quarry Amended Reclamation Plan and are in favor of retaining the superior County approved 2012 Lehigh-Permanente Reclamation Plan.

The community appreciates the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisor's focus on our climate emergency in their consideration to ban coal and petroleum-coke in Santa Clara County and to deny the 2019 Permanente Quarry Amended Reclamation Plan. We are expecting a comprehensive analysis (EIR) of the Reclamation Plan in relation to environmental and health impacts for the county's residents, especially vulnerable populations such as children and seniors.

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