Asphalt Production Committed to
Sustainability

It is our hope to provide you with the information you need to understand more about our proposal to develop Sonoma County’s most state-of-the-art asphalt facility located at the Canyon Rock Co. quarry site in Forestville.

Sunset at Canyon Rock Quarry

Background

  • Canyon Rock's home base operation is located at 7525 Hwy 116. This is one of the county's earliest and longest operating hard rock quarries, serving Sonoma County for over eight decades
  • Production of asphalt has been envisioned here since the quarry's first use permit was issued in 1957, which authorized an asphalt production facility. The current proposal provides for a more modern, environmentally-sensitive facility
  • Canyon Rock has recognized the increased need for local asphalt production due to antiquated asphalt plants serving the county and the transportation effects and related environmental consequences of transporting road surfacing materials to West County, which has more miles of roadway than any other part of the county. The current proposal is a manifestation of that public need

Project Overview

  • The right technology and capability at the right location
    The planned facility will have the capability to rapidly respond to on-demand production when road projects occur. Heated silos with sample storage will make running the asphalt facility at night largely unnecessary.
  • State-of-the-art facility
    Technological improvements for asphalt materials have dramatically changed in the last decade. Canyon Rock decided the time is right to construct a modern, environmentally sensitive asphalt facility that will meet its commitment to the community and best serve the county.
  • Complementary production of aggregates and asphalt
    Co-locating aggregate production with asphalt makes sense. It's the same reason that wine grapes are grown, harvested, and processed at the source. Trucking is minimized, reducing traffic, noise and air emissions.
  • Establishing a local asphalt production facility
    This addition would provide the only asphalt production facility in western Sonoma County. This facility would allow for shorter haul distances and more direct transport for local projects, creating environmental and economic efficiencies.
  • Reducing truck trips/emissions
    Currently, aggregate (a mix of rock, sand, and gravel) is transported from the quarry east to Santa Rosa asphalt facilities, only to return in separate trucks for West County roadway improvement and maintenance work. The asphalt facility is projected to reduce miles traveled by trucks supplying asphalt to county projects. The production of asphalt would not increase the existing annual quarry export, as the export of asphalt would replace the export of raw aggregate materials, not add to it. With the asphalt facility at the quarry site, the number of truck trips through Forestville would likely decrease, improving local traffic conditions.

Key Issues

TodayS Tomorrow

Operation Details

  • Facility would be powered using Liquified Natural Gas (LNG), a clean-burning, low-emission fuel.
  • Access to the asphalt facility would enhance the need to relocate a majority of ingress/egress traffic from the existing entrance to about 200 feet westerly, thereby reducing the trucking near the 116/Martinelli Road intersection.
  • NO increase in production will occur. A portion of the trucks now leaving carrying aggregate (a mix of rock, sand and gravel) would simply carry asphalt instead.
  • No changes would occur to the approved hours of operation.

Benefits

  • Reduced truck trips
    The project eliminates the need to transport materials to distant locations for asphalt production. Instead, it creates asphalt on-site, reducing truck trips along local roadways east of the quarry.
  • Co-located aggregate and asphalt production
    The project establishes the only site in Sonoma County where aggregate and asphalt production are co-located. Co-location increases the efficiency of material production and delivery while potentially decreasing impacts such as traffic and emissions.
  • Reduced greenhouse gas emissions
    The construction of a new, state-of-the-art facility reduces greenhouse gas emissions compared to other asphalt facilities.
  • Greenhouse gas reduction strategy
    The facility aligns with Canyon Rock's broader greenhouse gas reduction strategy by using state-of-the-art technology which furthers the reduction of greenhouse gases in the region and advances energy independence. The facility complements existing solar generation on-site.

Our Eye on Sustainability