Lehigh, county discuss new reclamation plan
Lehigh Southwest Cement was the subject of a Cupertino county planning meeting Tuesday regarding the development of a new reclamation plan.
A reclamation plan would see a restoration on portions of the mined land in unincorporated county land near Cupertino. Any surface mining operation conducted without an approved reclamation plan is in violation of the State Mining and Reclamation Act.
The quiet and calm evening meeting at the Quinlan Community Center in Cupertino saw less than 50 attendees, including Lehigh staff members and members of the media. The public scoping meeting aimed to discuss the reclamation plan’s environmental impacts.
The proposed reclamation area is approximately 811 acres and encompasses all portions of the property that have been disturbed by mining-related operations. The application does not propose a new mining area; however, members of the public were skeptical.
Lehigh and the county are continuing ahead with a reclamation plan that was submitted July 29, following a decree from the state in July threatening to remove the company from the AB 3098 list, an official listing of mines in California that meet the requirements of the state’s Surface Mining and Reclamation Act. Mining operations on the list are permitted to sell their products to government agencies. Published under Cement News
