Posted: Thursday, November 16, 2017 12:00 am
Debbie Haldeman, Regional Natural Resources Manager, CEMEX

The excavation of aggregate has been a major source of construction material for the Livermore community since the early 1900s. CEMEX’s Eliot Facility has served an important role in preserving this legacy by providing quality construction materials for local public infrastructure, homes, businesses, as well as regional projects that include the Bay Bridge, the new Transbay Terminal and BART extension.

As CEMEX’s rock quarries continue to serve a role in growing our local economy and job creation, a reclamation plan is being developed to determine how best to transition our quarry operations to a more natural state when the time comes for material excavation activities to wind down.

Very recently, we announced plans to make a significant revision to our existing reclamation plan. Most notably, CEMEX will NOT resume mining in Lake A, a decision that will certainly please our immediate neighbors. And, in the coming months, this decision will be reflected in a revised reclamation plan that will be submitted to Alameda County that will also address ongoing mining operations for the balance of the Eliot facility located between Stanley Boulevard and Isabel Avenue, including Lakes B and J.

If the plan is approved by the county, CEMEX can begin the process of restoring the property to a more natural state even as excavation is underway. This will promote a timely return of CEMEX’s mining operations to beneficial uses in a condition that includes a chain of lakes, open space, agriculture, and new pedestrian and bike trails.

The plan also calls for conveying Lake A to the Zone 7 Water Agency at no cost as part of the Chain of Lakes after installing the necessary water conveyance facilities and completing landscape improvements. This will provide a new and reliable source of water supply for the Livermore community, a major investment that will take on added importance in times of drought.

To learn more, we invite you to visit www.cemexeliotfacility.com for project updates and to participate in a Neighborhood Survey that will assist us in developing a plan that earns the support of our longstanding neighbors and community.

While our plan has changed, our goal remains the same: In the near term, Eliot Facility will continue to provide an affordable source of quality construction material for the region and as it is retired from operation, to restore the property to a state that can benefit our neighbors for generations to come.