Blue Mountain Minerals Expansion

HELIX Environmental Planning (HELIX) prepared an EIR for the expansion of the existing 309-acre Blue Mountain Minerals quarry site located in Tuolumne County in northern California. In July 2013, an IS/MND was prepared for the project by Tuolumne County. The appellant, Central Sierra Environmental Resource Center (CSERC), challenged the project, stating that the IS/MND lacked a proper analysis of impacts to biological resources and aesthetics and had an insufficient alternatives analysis. The applicant was not satisfied with the CEQA document prepared by others, and retained HELIX to prepare the IS/Final MND and responses to comments. The IS/Final MND stood ground in both the Planning Commission and Board of Supervisors hearings and was approved unanimously. When the appellant threatened to sue, the County decided to rescind the approved MND and prepare an EIR to avoid a potential lawsuit. HELIX was awarded the contract to prepare the EIR in April 2014 and the Final EIR has been certified with no future legal challenge anticipated.