RESOURCE MANAGEMENT AGENCY - H. MAVROGENES 

Receive Informational Report on Offsite Consequences Analysis and Hazards Buffer Report for Trical, Inc. Facility prepared by EMC Planning Group, Inc. and Dr. Ranajit (Ron) Sahu. Receive comments from ABSG Consulting, Inc., which is conducting a peer review of the report prepared by EMC Planning Group, Inc.

SBC FILE NUMBER: 790

In November 2016 the Board of Supervisors adopted an amendment to General Plan Policy HS-6.9 in settlement of litigation.  The amended policy is:

HS-6.9 Sensitive Uses near Industrial Facilities

A buffer shall be maintained between new sensitive land uses (such as residential subdivisions, schools, day care centers, hospitals and parks) [emphasis added] and commercial facilities that conduct bulk-scale receiving, unloading, handling, blending and/or loading of industrial and/or agricultural chemicals regulated as potentially hazardous by state and/or federal environmental protection agencies. The appropriate buffer shall be established on a case-by-case basis. Factors to be considered in establishing the buffer shall include: (1) the impact of development of sensitive land uses on the ability of regulated facilities to continue current operations, (2) federal and state environmental laws and regulaions, (3) the degree of hazard associated with individual industrial facilties, (4) therecommendations of the County Fire Marshall and Environmental Health Department, and (5) emergency response, contingency, and other comparable plans submitted to and/or filed with federal, state, or local agencies. This buffer does not apply to feed and supply stores, hardware stores, gas stations or similar facilties that handle such chemicals in retail trade. (Adopted by County of San Benito Resolution No. 2016-92, November 8, 2016.)

The Strada Verde Innovation Park (SVIP) proposal for the 2,777 acre property adjacent to and south of the Trical, Inc. bulk agricultural chemical facility was submitted to the RMA department in May of 2019. The soil fumigant chemicals received by rail tanker cars and tanker trucks are regulated as potentially hazardous by state and/or federal environmental protection agencies.

The County contracted with EMC Planning Group, Inc. to prepare an analysis to aid the County Board of Supervisors in establishing an appropriate buffer for sensitive uses that are proposed to be included in the SVIP development project.  A report dated July 9 on the results of that analysis was submitted to the County.  The authors of the study will present a summary of the results for the information of the Board of Supervisors and the public.

Because of the importance of the buffer to protect the public health and safety in the vicinity of the Trical facility, and the significance for development of the SVIP or other projects in the area, and to verify the assumptions contained in the EMC report, the County is contracting for peer review of the report for future consideration by the Board of Supervisors before establishing the appropriate buffer. No action on the report is recommended at this time.