California Health & Safety Code Section 42301.6 requires that prior to approving a permit to construct equipment that emits toxic air emissions and is located within 1,000 feet of a kindergarten through grade 12 school-site, the Monterey Bay Air Resources District (MBARD) shall notify the parents or guardians of children enrolled in a school that is located within one-quarter mile of the proposed new or modified source and to each address within a 1,000 foot radius of the source.

MBARD received an application, on behalf of Pottery Planet, from Weber, Hayes and Associates requesting to install and operate an Air Sparge (AS) and Soil Vapor Extraction (SVE) groundwater remediation system at the Pottery Planet gasoline Underground Storage Tank (UST) release site, located at 2600 Soquel Avenue in Santa Cruz.  The remediation system is required by the Central Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board and the State Water Resources Control Board to remove the remaining gasoline hydrocarbons in the groundwater. The proposed project is located within one quarter mile of the outer boundary of Harbor High School, Green Acres Elementary School, VHM Christian School, Live Oak Elementary School & Tierra Pacifica Charter School and may result in emissions of benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, xylenes and methyl tert-butyl ether.

MBARD evaluated the permit application for the proposed project and has made a preliminary determination that the project will comply with all applicable air district, state and federal air quality-related regulations, including the health risks resulting from toxic air contaminant emissions. The preliminary recommendation is to issue an Authority to Construct for this project.

There is a 30-day period for public response to this proposal. Anyone wishing to comment on the proposed issuance of this permit should submit their comments in writing by January 17, 2025, to the following address:

Monterey Bay Air Resources District
Attn: Chathura Viswanath
24580 Silver Cloud Court
Monterey, CA 93940

All comments received during this 30-day period will be reviewed and considered by MBARD staff before a final decision is made on this application.