A massive industrial development has been proposed in the heart of San Bruno Mountain—a regional jewel known for its natural beauty. The area is home to a diverse collection of plants and wildlife, including three federally endangered butterflies. Please use the form below to email the Brisbane City Council and tell them San Bruno Mountain is the wrong place for industrial development!
What’s Happening
The Guadalupe Quarry Redevelopment Project was originally planned as a giant Amazon-style warehouse and distribution center, but in recent weeks, the developers announced it would be changed to a data center and advanced manufacturing facility (with the potential for some warehouse capabilities). This change could worsen some of the project’s environmental impacts such as water and energy consumption, and could reduce some other impacts such as truck traffic. However, the fundamentals of the project remain the same – it’s a massive industrial development that will put giant buildings on a site that contains host plants for endangered butterflies.
The developers’ plan to include an advanced manufacturing facility in the project is particularly alarming in light of recent changes in state law concerning how these types of facilities are regulated. “Advanced manufacturing facility” is an extremely broad category that includes highly polluting facilities such as semiconductor manufacturing. SB 131, a state bill that was pushed through the Legislature in June with almost no opportunity for debate or public input, completely exempts advanced manufacturing facilities from the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) even when located on habitat for endangered species. This could mean that part of this huge industrial development will no longer require environmental analysis. Unless this extremely flawed bill is amended to fix this problem, San Bruno Mountain’s endangered butterflies will be even more at risk from this project, because the project will not undergo adequate environmental review or be required to take endangered species or their habitat into consideration.
Why It Matters
San Bruno Mountain is home to rich ecosystems and supports a diverse set of plants and animals. It is home to some of the only populations of the endangered San Bruno Elfin, Callippe Silverspot, and Mission Blue butterflies, which means that any development on the quarry site would jeopardize their ability to survive. Some of the host plants for these butterflies are currently growing on the quarry site, and if we allow the land to heal – rather than covering it with a highly polluting manufacturing facility – it could become the kind of ideal butterfly habitat that is needed to prevent these species from disappearing.
What You Can Do
Please use the form below to email the Brisbane City Council and tell them San Bruno Mountain is the wrong place for industrial development. Also, if you haven’t yet done so, please sign the petition from our partners at San Bruno Mountain Watch.