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CHAPTER 3 PROJECT DESCRIPTION 3.1 INTRODUCTION The RMC Pacific Vernalis Quarry Mining and Reclamation Project site encompasses approximately 688 acres of land,of which approximately 590 acres are located within San Joaquin County and approximately 98 acres are located in Stanislaus County. The total acreage to he disturbed is 659 acres. In October 2003,a revised application and reclamation plan for a Quarry Excavation Permit was submitted to the San Joaquin County Community Development Department by the Applicant. The application requested the approval of a new quarry operation located in a rural area of San Joaquin County. A similar application for a Surface Mining Use Permit was submitted to the Stanislaus County Department of Planning and Community Development in June 2002 for the portion of the project located in Stanislaus County. The proposed operation consists of sand and gravel extraction and the processing of construction aggregate on property either owned or leased by the applicant. The project site is the eventual replacement for the Applicant's Tracy Facility that will be depleted of reserves within 10 years. The application proposes active mining for 26 to 60 years and the reclamation of all disturbed ►- land in phases, resulting in an ultimate end use of agricultural land and open space. i 69 3.1.1 ECONOMIC AND ENVIRONMENTAL CHARACTERISTICS In order to produce housing or roads,an area must have a source of reasonably priced building materials,including aggregate. The San Joaquin County General Plan notes that the State has r4 identified a number of regionally significant sand and gravel aggregate resource areas in the County, with the most significant of these located near Tracy. The General Plan also notes that the County is fortunate to have these deposits rather than having to import them and increase the cost of development. If the County is to sustain this growth and achieve a more diversified economic base, new financial and regulatory mechanisms must be established to ensure timely ` and cost-efficient provision of,and improvements to,the County's infrastructure. 3.1.2 PROJECT BACKGROUND am The Applicant has been supplying construction aggregate and ready mix concrete to the San Joaquin and Stanislaus County area since approximately 1972. This market area has been defined by the California Geological Survey as the Stockton-Lodi Production and Consumption Area. To r RMC Pacific Vernalis Quarry Mining and Reclamation Project 3-1 PSA/203015 Administrative Draft EIR March 2004 a�