Treehouse California Almonds Expansion (PSP 23-064)

Treehouse California Almonds Expansion (PSP 23-064)

Treehouse California Almonds sells a full range of roasted and manufactured almonds, including blanched whole, sliced, and diced almonds, almond meal, almond butter, and natural whole almonds. The almonds are hulled and shelled in the Treehouse Almonds plant near Delano in Kern County. This shelled raw product is then trucked to the Earlimart site for processing. The proposed Project is located at 6914 Road 160, Earlimart, CA 93219 and is located on five (5) parcels (APNs 319-060-019, -022, -037, and 318-290-005& -006) totaling approximately 140 acres. The Project is split into two (2) development areas with the existing Earlimart processing facility located within the ±61.2-acre northern project area and the proposed new wastewater treatment facility (WWTF) proposed within the ±77.8-acre southern project area. The proposed Project consists of an expansion of the existing processing plant into four (4) phases, including construction of additional processing, warehouse, and canopy space, solar canopies, and a new WWTF to treat process wastewater for irrigation. • Phase 1: Construction of a 644 sq. ft. metal building addition, a 4,966 sq. ft. canopy, and (2) 5,013 sq. ft. fumigation room buildings with (2) 902 sq. ft. canopies for a total of 5,915 sq. ft. ea. as additions to an existing to an existing warehouse. It will include the relocation of an existing 750 sq. ft. scale house. It will also include the construction of a water treatment facility. Wastewater will flow via pipeline from the Treehouse plant to the treatment area. This water will flow over a screen separator. The final separated solids will be collected and mixed with what is separated and collected at the plant. The solids will be hauled off and used for animal feed. The water will then gravity flow into the first of two anaerobic ponds. The two anaerobic ponds (88’ x 88’ x 19’) will be operated in series and continuously mixed. Water will then gravity flow into an aeration pond (280’ x 87’ x 13’) where it will be aerated by submerged diffusers pressurized by blowers adjacent to the pond. Water from the aeration pond will be pumped into a clarifier. The clarifier (24’ diameter x 12’) will settle the remaining solid particles, returning them to both the anaerobic and aerobic ponds. The clarified water will gravity flow into the storage pond (466’ x 280’ x 27’) for use in crop irrigation. A floating pump in the storage pond will deliver treated water to the irrigation system of the fields. A Report of Waste Discharge (RWD) was submitted June 5, 2023, to the Regional Water Quality Control Board (RWQCB) outlining the treatment process, pond design, and nutrient management of the crop irrigations. The RWQCB approved the High Density Polyethylene (HDPE) double liner pond design on July 21, 2023, allowing for the construction of the ponds. The issuance of a Waste Discharge Requirements (WDR) Order is awaiting the completion of the Tulare County Use permit. • Phase 2: Construction of a 5,176 sq. ft. canopy, a 6,263 sq. ft. fumigation room building with a 1,127 sq. ft. canopy for a total of 7,390 sq. ft., and a 1,275 sq. ft. fumigation room with a 230 sq. ft. canopy for a total of 1,505 sq. ft. as additions to an existing warehouse. • Phase 3: Construction of a 162,000 sq. ft. warehouse. • Phase 4: Construction of a 4,433 sq. ft. solar panel canopy, a 6,975 sq. ft. solar panel canopy, and a 7,182 sq. ft. solar panel canopy. The Project would allow the applicant to diversify the packaging of materials on-site and use additional property for wastewater treatment and irrigation of crops. The Project will not increase operational hours. The Project will not increase the volume of raw almond product coming into the facility from Delano, nor will it increase the amount of processed or finished product shipped out of the facility. The facility currently operates two (2) 10-hour shifts, four (4) to five (5) days a week, depending on the season, with 87 employees working the day shift and 49 employees working the night shift. The proposed Project is anticipated to add an additional eight (8) employees.

Earlimart

Tulare

Unincorporated

California Air Resources Board (ARB), California Department of Conservation (DOC), California Department of Fish and Wildlife, Central Region 4 (CDFW), California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE), California Department of Parks and Recreation, California Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC), California Department of Transportation, District 6 (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, Central Valley Fresno Region 5 (RWQCB), Central Valley Flood Protection Board, Office of Historic Preservation, State Water Resources Control Board, Division of Water Rights

Other (Agricultural processing plant)

Special Use Permit

Aesthetics, Agriculture and Forestry Resources, Air Quality, Biological Resources, Cultural Resources, Cumulative Effects, Drainage/Absorption, Energy, Flood Plain/Flooding, Geology/Soils, Greenhouse Gas Emissions, Growth Inducement, Hazards & Hazardous Materials, Hydrology/Water Quality, Land Use/Planning, Mandatory Findings of Significance, Mineral Resources, Noise, Population/Housing, Public Services, Recreation, Schools/Universities, Septic System, Sewer Capacity, Solid Waste, Transportation, Tribal Cultural Resources, Utilities/Service Systems, Vegetation, Wetland/Riparian, Wildfire