A battle between big business and Vallejo is brewing in Vallejo: At issue, a toxic material.
A company based in Ireland wants to build a “green” cement manufacturing facility to replace the General Mills flour processing factory across from Mare Island and is willing to invest $50 million in the community.
But is it safe?
Peter Brooks fears there will be cancer risks for the neighborhood, because he said the Environmental Impact Report doesn’t state how many contaminants exist and “and what type of contaminants we can expect.”
The report claims the Orcem Americas green plant, based in Ireland and Texas will generate “green” high performance, environmentally favorable concrete. The company’s president says the unique cement has been used of the building of the 49ers Levi Stadium and the eastern span of the Bay Bridge.
But Brooks and others are worried that levels of mercury and other toxic material might be shipped in and trucked out of Vallejo.
"You want to know if the factory is being straight up with the residents with the amount of dust it is creating and the toxicity of the dust," Clinton Davidson said.
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"It's going to be a lot of noise a lot of pollution and a lot of trucks," Jesse Santana added.
Andrea Ouse, Vallejo’s community and economic development director, did not respond to NBC Bay Area for comment. But she did respond to a concerned resident via email, which NBC Bay Area reviwed, who is worried about toxic emissions at existing plants in other areas.
In the email, she sidestepped the question by saying that information would have to be provided by the applicant.
A public meeting is scheduled for Oct. 27.
