Thanks to Community in Our Fight Against EBMUD Quarry Plan

Dear Editor,
I wanted to take this opportunity to thank the community members of San Leandro and Castro Valley for your incredible support in our fight against EBMUD’s plan to turn the Quarry site into an infill dirt dumpster for the next 40 to 80 years. Due to your efforts, and the tenaciousness of our EBMUD Board Member, April Chan, we have stopped the project for the foreseeable future. EBMUD notified the owners of the Quarry that they were not exercising their option to purchase the site, which expired in October. Kat Wellman, the chair of the Save Lake Chabot Road coalition, was the catalyst for this result. Her leadership, professionalism, and organizational skills were the driving force to galvanize our coalition members and communities into action to oppose this project, which also generated the unanimous support of the San Leandro City Council and the Castro Valley MAC.

When we met with EBMUD General Manager Clifford Chan and his staff last February they asked us to help them find alternatives for their pipeline replacement dirt. We offered several possible alternatives. Paul Merrick of our group was able to locate a viable option at the South Bay Salt Pond Restoration Project, where EBMUD is now conducting a pilot project much more suitable to their needs.

We are continuing to pursue a good steward to purchase the Quarry site to protect it from any further detrimental plans to destroy the beautiful, natural open space we currently enjoy and we will keep you apprised of this exciting potential development.

Thank you again for your overwhelming response to this monumental project. Your voices were heard and you made the difference in preserving our communities and the valuable surrounding environments of Lake Chabot Park, Fairmont Ridge and our local San Leandro Parks.

–Anne Cawood, San Leandro