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COURT HALTS RUSSIAN RIVER GRAVEL MINING
For more information:
Westside Association to Save Agriculture (WASA): Marc Bommersbach (415) 860-2116,
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Russian Riverkeeper: Don McEnhill (707) 217-4762,
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North Coast Rivers Alliance (NCRA): Frank Egger (415) 456-6356,
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Attorney: Stephan Volker (510) 496-0600,
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Santa Rosa – Today a coalition of community organizations representing conservationists, farmers, fishermen and recreationists announced their victory in Sonoma County Superior Court overturning the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors’ approval of Syar Industries’ proposal to resume terrace gravel mining of a 36-acre site west of the Russian River for three more years. Terrace gravel mining by Syar and other companies over the past 40 years has devastated the Middle Reach of the Russian River. Gravel mining has transformed this once verdant, fertile valley of vast vineyards, oak woodlands, and riparian forests towering above the Russian River into a barren landscape pockmarked with deep stagnant pools incapable of any form of agricultural production. Excavation of gravel pits, which reach 90 feet in depth, has substantially depleted the storage capacity of the Russian River’s Middle Reach aquifer. The resulting loss of agricultural production and aquifer storage capacity is permanent and irreparable.
In a 12-page ruling, Superior Court Judge Robert Boyd agreed with WASA, Russian Riverkeeper and NCRA that Sonoma County violated the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) by failing to (1) prepare a separate Environmental Impact Report addressing the significant adverse impacts of Syar’s proposed terrace gravel mining, (2) adequately explain why the alternative of terminating mining and reclaiming the disturbed land for other uses was not feasible, and (3) provide an adequate discussion of alternative gravel sources including importation of gravel from outside the County and development of existing and proposed quarries within the County.
Syar’s gravel mining project had been approved by a bare 3-2 majority of the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors. The two Board members who voted against the project, Supervisors Mike Reilly and Valerie Brown, opposed it because the County had agreed in 1994 to end terrace gravel mining along the Russian River by April 2006. Judge Boyd upheld their position that the April 2006 deadline for halting gravel mining could not be changed without substantial further environmental review. The Board’s approval of the project violates the commitment previously made by the County to move to less environmentally harmful sources of gravel.
Stephan Volker, attorney for the plaintiffs, explained that the lawsuit was only brought as a last resort. “These community organizations have pleaded with the Board of Supervisors for nearly a decade to persuade them to honor their solemn commitment to terminate terrace gravel mining along the Russian River because of its severe environmental impacts. Although two members of the Board of Supervisors agreed that the County must move to other less harmful and readily available sources of gravel, unfortunately the gravel mining industry still held sway over the other three supervisors,” explained Mr. Volker. “We are gratified that Judge Boyd has ruled that the County’s approval violated the law. We hope that with this ruling the County will finally take seriously the environmental community’s resolve to end this extremely damaging and completely unnecessary method of supplying the County with gravel. We look forward to the day when the County will work with us to develop the alternative sources of gravel that would spare the Russian River further damage and provide adequately for the County’s construction needs,” added Mr. Volker.
Plaintiff Westside Association to Save Agriculture (WASA) is a community organization formed to promote stewardship of the land and to protect both agricultural uses and natural resources of the Middle Reach of the Russian River.
Plaintiff Russian Riverkeeper was formed in 1993 to preserve, restore, and enhance the natural systems of the Russian River through citizen action, scientific research, and expert advocacy. It has hundreds of members residing throughout Sonoma County.
Plaintiff North Coast Rivers Alliance (NCRA) is an environmental organization that works to protect the Russian River and other rivers of California’s north coast from the adverse effects of excessive water diversions, ill-planned urban development, harmful resource extraction, pollution, and other forms of degradation.
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