The San Rafael Rock Quarry will be allowed to continue its mining operations through 2044, according to the Marin Independent Journal. The Marin County board of supervisors approved a plan that extends the reclamation plan for another 20 years, despite opposition from some in the community.
The Dutra Group, the operator of the quarry, has a vested right to continue its operations without regard to the depth of the mine pit or the duration of the mining. State law, however, requires all surface mines in California to operate in compliance with an approved reclamation plan. The quarry’s plan was scheduled to terminate on Dec. 31, 2024. Bill Dutra, CEO of the Dutra Group, said, “We have had a great collaboration over the last decade, and we are getting even stronger in our communication.”
Dan Sicular, an environmental consultant advising the county, said it had no legal basis to deny the request for extending the reclamation plan, unless it could show that the extension would result in new or substantially more severe environmental impacts.