Cargill Solar Sea Salt System Maintenance and Operations Activities
4 Documents in Project
Summary
SCH Number
2020080442
Lead Agency
San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission
(BCDC)
Document Title
Cargill Solar Sea Salt System Maintenance and Operations Activities
Document Type
FED - Functional Equivalent Document
Received
Present Land Use
Solar sea salt system maintenance and operations activities
Document Description
This Final Environmental Assessment (EA) analyzes the environmental impacts of the proposed continued maintenance and operation activities of Cargill, Incorporated’s (Cargill’s) Solar Salt System in Newark and Redwood City, California (Project). A Draft EA (Draft EA) for the proposed Project was previously released on April 28, 2021. Subsequent to the release of the April 2021 Draft EA, Cargill proposed changes to the Project, and BCDC determined it appropriate to recirculate the Draft EA reflecting the revised information. The Recirculated Draft EA (RDEA) for the proposed Project was released on August 22, 2024. The Final EA incorporates the RDEA and responds to comments received on the RDEA.
With respect to Cargill’s proposed Project, the San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission (BCDC or Commission) serves as the lead agency for purposes of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). However, BCDC is exempt from typical CEQA requirements of a lead agency to prepare an environmental impact report, negative declaration, or mitigated negative declaration for Cargill’s proposed Project because it instead implements a regulatory program that has been certified by the Secretary of the Natural Resources Agency as meeting the requirements of CEQA. (See Public Resources Code section 21080.5; 14 CCR section 15251(h).)
Therefore, BCDC has prepared this Final EA in compliance with its regulations implementing its certified regulatory program as codified at 14 CCR sections 11511 to 11524. As specified in the associated notice, the Final EA is agendized for consideration and possible vote at the May 1, 2025 Commission meeting. Information regarding how to participate at this public meeting can be found in the associated notice.
Contact Information
Name
Michael Ng
Agency Name
San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission
Job Title
Senior Staff Attorney
Contact Types
Lead/Public Agency
Phone
Email
Name
Sam Fielding
Agency Name
San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission
Job Title
Bay Resources Analyst
Contact Types
Lead/Public Agency
Phone
Email
Location
Cities
Newark, Redwood City
Counties
Alameda, San Mateo
Regions
San Francisco Bay Area
Other Location Info
The Newark Plant 1 complex is located west of Fremont, extending from Coyote Hills Slough/Alameda Creek (also known as the Alameda Flood Control Channel) on the north to the Union Pacific Railroad ("UPRR") right-of way and the lower reach of Newark Slough to the south. The Plant 1 Project area encompasses approximately 4,100 acres and is located within the Don Edwards San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge (the "Refuge"). SR 84, the approach to the Dumbarton Bridge, and Newark Slough traverse the southern portion of the complex. Baumberg Pond B-3C, an approximately 166-acre pond, is located north of Coyote Hills Slough/Alameda Creek, and adjacent to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife’s Eden Landing Ecological Reserve. The Newark Plant 2 complex is located south of Newark Plant 1. It is bounded by the UPRR right-of-way to the northwest, northeast, and east; by Mud Slough/Coyote Creek to the south; and by the Bay to the southwest. Plummer, Mowry, and Albrae Sloughs traverse or border the Plant 2 complex area. Plant 2 includes concentrators as well as crystallizers and encompasses approximately 6,400 acres. Approximately 3,020 acres are owned by Cargill and the remainder is within the Refuge. The Redwood City Plant is on the west shore of the Bay and is bordered by Redwood City to the west and south, Menlo Park to the southeast, and Redwood Creek and commercial/industrial facilities to the northwest. Westpoint Slough and Flood Slough form the northern and eastern borders between the Redwood City Plant and Greco Island. (Greco Island is part of the Refuge.) The Redwood City Plant encompasses approximately 1,430 acres. The brine pipeline alignment connecting the Redwood City Plant to Newark includes a 10-foot-wide strip of land extending south and east from the Redwood City Plant to the Redwood City Maintenance Pond. This pond is a very small pond located at the northeastern corner of US Fish and Wildlife Service Pond SF-2, immediately southeast of SR 84.
Notice of Completion
State Review Period Start
State Review Period End
State Reviewing Agencies
California Air Resources Board (ARB), California Coastal Commission (CCC), California Department of Conservation (DOC), California Department of Fish and Wildlife, Bay Delta Region 3 (CDFW), California Department of Fish and Wildlife, Marin Region 7 (CDFW), California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE), California Department of Parks and Recreation, California Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery, California Department of State Parks, Division of Boating and Waterways, California Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC), California Department of Transportation, District 4 (DOT), California Department of Water Resources (DWR), California Energy Commission, California Governor's Office of Emergency Services (OES), California Highway Patrol (CHP), California Native American Heritage Commission (NAHC), California Natural Resources Agency, California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC), California Regional Water Quality Control Board, San Francisco Bay Region 2 (RWQCB), California State Coastal Conservancy (SCC), California State Lands Commission (SLC), Office of Historic Preservation, San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission (BCDC), State Water Resources Control Board, Division of Drinking Water, State Water Resources Control Board, Division of Water Quality, State Water Resources Control Board, Division of Water Rights, State Water Resources Control Board, Divison of Financial Assistance
Development Types
Other (Solar sea salt system maintenance and operation activities)
Local Actions
Ministerial permits, if any
Project Issues
Air Quality, Biological Resources, Cultural Resources, Cumulative Effects, Flood Plain/Flooding, Geology/Soils, Hazards & Hazardous Materials, Hydrology/Water Quality, Noise, Solid Waste, Vegetation, Wetland/Riparian
Public Review Period Start
Public Review Period End
Attachments
Final Document(s) [Approved_Certified draft environmental documents]
Disclaimer: The Governor’s Office of Land Use and Climate Innovation (LCI) accepts no responsibility for the content or accessibility of these documents. To obtain an attachment in a different format, please contact the lead agency at the contact information listed above. For more information, please visit LCI’s Accessibility Site.