Mojave Life of Mine Reclamation Plan Amendment Project by CalPortland Company
Summary
SCH Number
2024081205
Lead Agency
Kern County
Document Title
Mojave Life of Mine Reclamation Plan Amendment Project by CalPortland Company
Document Type
NOP - Notice of Preparation of a Draft EIR
Received
Present Land Use
Wind turbines, vested limestone and construction materials mining, processing, and cement production facility / Zoning: A (Exclusive Agriculture), A WE (Exclusive Agriculture, Wind Energy Combining), A-1 (Limited Agriculture), A-1 WE (Limited Agriculture, Wind Energy Combining), M-3 (Heavy Industrial), M-3 FP (Heavy Industrial, Floodplain Combining), M-3 WE (Heavy Industrial, Wind Energy Combining), E(20) RS (Estate – 20 acres, Residential Suburban Combining), NR(20) (Natural Resource – 20 acres), FPP (Floodplain Primary) / Kern County General Plan: 7.3 (Heavy Industrial), 7.3/2.4 (Heavy Industrial - Steep Slope), 7.3/2.5 (Heavy Industrial – Flood Hazard), 8.2 (Resource Reserve), 8.2/2.4 (Resource Reserve – Steep Slope), 8.4 (Mineral and Petroleum), 8.4/2.4 (Mineral and Petroleum – Steep Slope), 8.4/2.5 (Mineral and Petroleum – Flood Hazard), 8.5/2.4 (Resource Management – Steep Slope); Cameron Canyon Specific Plan: 8.2/2.5 (Resource Reserve – Flood Hazard), 8.4/2.4 (Mineral and Petroleum – Steep Slope), 8.4/2.6 (Mineral and Petroleum – Erosion Hazard)
Document Description
The proposed Mojave Life of Mine Reclamation Plan Amendment Project consists of reclamation activities within the approximately 4,367- acre project site located on 16 parcels, such as recontouring, stabilizing, revegetation, and monitoring of final slopes and disturbed mining areas; reclamation of roads and ancillary equipment and facilities; and removal of the processing and cement plant facilities. Although some reclamation activities are and would continue to be performed concurrent with ongoing mining and processing, reclamation activities for final site reclamation would occur after the completion of mining and processing operations. On March 15, 2021, Kern County determined that mining and processing activities are a legal nonconforming (vested) use on approximately 6,658 acres of land owned by the project proponent, inclusive of the approximately 4,367 acres covered by the proposed project. As such, vested and continuing mining activities such as drilling, blasting, material recovery, material movement (with the exception of material movement pertaining to reclamation, e.g. redistribution of stockpiled growth media to aid in revegetation efforts), processing, cement production, and material transport for sale are not subject to discretionary approval by Kern County and are not part of the proposed project. The project proponent proposes to continue to develop its limestone and construction materials resources within the existing vested properties and to increase the life of the mine by approximately 200 years to continue cement and construction materials production. The proposed project would not involve changes to the existing vested mining operations including, for example, production levels, mining systems or processes, and ultimate throughput from the cement plant. Reclamation of continued operations would require the County’s approval of the proposed project which would amend the existing 1979 reclamation plan through approval of a reclamation plan applicable to approximately 4,367 acres of the vested properties. The proposed reclamation plan encompasses the approximately 1,542 acres currently subject to the 1979 reclamation plan and would add an additional approximately 2,825 acres to the reclamation plan boundary for a total of approximately 4,367 acres.
Contact Information
Name
Randall Cates
Agency Name
Kern County Planning and Natural Resources Department
Job Title
Planner III
Contact Types
Lead/Public Agency
Phone
Email
Location
Coordinates
Cities
Mojave, Tehachapi
Counties
Kern
Regions
Unincorporated
Cross Streets
Willow Springs Road and Oak Creek Road
Zip
93501
Total Acres
4367
State Highways
n/a
Railways
Union Pacific
Airports
n/a
Schools
n/a
Waterways
Multiple ephemeral drainage features and Oak Creek
Township
11N
Range
13-14W
Section
Multi
Base
SBB&M
Other Location Info
Assessor's Parcel No.: 237-032-01, 237-053-01, 237-071-02, 237-071-03, 237-071-04, 237-071-07, 237-073-01, 237-073-02, 237-091-01, 237-091-02, 237-091-04, 237-091-05, 237-091-17, 237-093-01, 237-101-06, 237-102-01
Notice of Completion
State Review Period Start
State Review Period End
State Reviewing Agencies
California Air Resources Board (ARB), California Department of Conservation (DOC), California Department of Fish and Wildlife, Central Region 4 (CDFW), California Department of Parks and Recreation, California Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery, California Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC), California Department of Transportation, District 6 (DOT), California Department of Transportation, District 9 (DOT), California Department of Water Resources (DWR), California Governor's Office of Emergency Services (OES), California Highway Patrol (CHP), California Natural Resources Agency, California Regional Water Quality Control Board, Central Valley Fresno Region 5 (RWQCB), California Regional Water Quality Control Board, Lahontan Victorville Region 6 (RWQCB), Central Valley Flood Protection Board, Office of Historic Preservation, State Water Resources Control Board, Division of Drinking Water, State Water Resources Control Board, Division of Water Rights, California Native American Heritage Commission (NAHC)
State Reviewing Agency Comments
California Native American Heritage Commission (NAHC)
Development Types
Other (Reclamation)
Local Actions
Use Permit
Project Issues
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, Public Services, Schools/Universities, Septic System, Sewer Capacity, Solid Waste, Transportation, Tribal Cultural Resources, Utilities/Service Systems, Vegetation, Wetland/Riparian, Wildfire
Public Review Period Start
Public Review Period End
Attachments
Draft Environmental Document [Draft IS, NOI_NOA_Public notices, OPR Summary Form, Appx,]
Notice of Completion [NOC] Transmittal form
State Comment Letters [Comments from State Reviewing Agency(ies)]
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