Environmental advocates worry new project could bring more pollution to Stockton
STOCKTON - Environmental advocates in south Stockton are fearful that a new renewable energy project could bring more pollution to the port of Stockton and the surrounding neighborhoods.
What if you took wood scraps and turned them into a new form of energy?
Patrick Blacklock is the CEO of Rural County Representatives of California (RCRC), and that's exactly what he and the RCRC are looking into.
"A big tree can go to a mill and be turned into lumber, but smaller biomass is put into a place where it's slash-piled and burned. One, it's not great for the environment, and two, it's not sustainable from an economic standpoint either," Blacklock said.
They aim to work with UK-based company Drax, which turns wood and scraps into small pellets that can replace coal burning, according to their website
If this project goes through, the materials would come by truck to a railyard to then be loaded on and brought to Stockton.
All that transportation is where some environmental groups have an issue.
"When you're considering bringing an industry into a community, an overburdened community that is actively trying to overcome these conditions," Gloria Alonso Cruz said.
She is the environmental justice coordinator with Little Manila Rising in south Stockton. A January report found Stockton has the 41st worst air pollution across the country, and Cruz feels projects like these could make it worse.
"It's undermining. We suffer from these conditions year-round," she said.
Because this project is so early on, Stockton Port Director Kirk DeJesus says they are waiting for the environmental impact report to be completed before agreeing to anything.
This will tell the public and potential partners what this project would do to communities and wildlife. As of now, the port has merely been notified.
The Golden State Natural Resources (GSNR), which is leading the efforts in this project, says they're working on the draft for the environmental impact report (EIR) right now.
There are obviously a lot of steps to get through before this project can get underway.
One thing both parties agree on is how necessary community inpurt and feedback is.
GSNR partnered with local organizations to eventually hold public meetings and get input before the final EIR is produced.
