The Alameda County Waste Management Authority is moving forward at an alarming pace to build a recycling dump in the Sunol Valley. A dump that will initially accept over 600 tons of rotting food and green waste daily. A dump that would generate in excess of 52 tons of ammonia and other pollutants into the air. A dump that would contaminate our water system as well as the system that supplies 50% of Fremont, Newark and Union City. This amount could easily double or triple as the dump expands.

Most residents believe recycling is a good thing. One’s first reaction when they think of recycling is yard trimmings that are picked up and recycled, or the back-yard compost bin. Add to this all the waste from your meals and garbage from potentially every restaurant, grocery store and meat market from all of Alameda County. The plant will generate litter, toxics, an inconceivable odor and infestations resulting in potential health problems for people living miles away. Accurate meteorological studies need to be taken to determine just how wide an area will be exposed to these contaminants.

While your first reaction may be that you feel sorry for the people of Sunol, this is not simply a Sunol issue. This will have a far-reaching potential impact on the quality of life Mission San Jose District of Fremont, Castlewood, and South Western areas of Pleasanton. This is to say nothing about the thousands of commuters that pass through the Sunol Valley daily.   

With the geological make up of the Sunol Valley, its wildlife, and water resources it comes down to location, location, location. This is not a good location! 52 tons of ammonia annually into the atmosphere plus other contaminants… and that’s just the beginning.

Below are excerpts from the Draft Environmental Impact Report (DEIR). The full DEIR can be found at http://www.stopwaste.org/organics. The final EIR has been released with responses to comment letters to the DEIR.  Alameda County residents have only until May 24, 2006 to convince the ACWMA Board members not to approve the EIR and the compost facility in Sunol. The proposed project location is just off Highway 680 on Andrade Road.

Please read this response to DEIR, provided by Douglas Environmental.  It is extremely well-written and representative of our concerns. The report reviews the DEIR and points out issues that render the project ill-advised, as well as inconsistent with the intent of Measure D. The report also points out the whole project to be against the rules set forth in The East County Area Plan.

The report declares:

1. There is a significant and unavoidable incompatibility with existing land uses in the vicinity.

2. There is a significant and unavoidable impact in this compost facility resulting in a cumulative loss of agricultural resources.

3. The proposed compost facility has a significant and unavoidable potential to contribute to the loss of non-native grassland habitat, raptor foraging habitat and the potential loss of special-status species.

4. Emissions from the proposed facility would contribute to local and regional increases in ozone precursor and particulate pollutants.  The proposed compost facility would also contribute to increases in nonvolatile organic compound emissions.  This was documented as significant and unavoidable even after attempted mitigation.

5. Operation of the compost facility would result in cumulative air quality impacts that even after mitigation are significant and unavoidable.

6. There are significant and unavoidable impacts from grading, paving, noise levels.

7. There are significant and unavoidable impacts of operating the proposed compost facility affecting cumulative hydrology and water quality impacts.

8. Significant and unavoidable cumulative impacts associated with geology, soils, mineral resources and seismiscity.

9. Significant and unavoidable risk of releasing hazardous materials in the Sunol Valley.

10. Significant and unavoidable cumulative visual impacts.