I am opposed to locating the Liberty Quarry on the border between San Diego County and Riverside County, next to the Santa Margarita Ecological Reserve and the Santa Margarita River.
San Diego State University has millions of dollars invested in sensitive scientific research that would be rendered useless by the proposed quarry in that location. The quarry would affect the river, which provides potable water to the United States Marine Corps Base downstream at Camp Pendleton and is the only river remaining in California in its relatively pure state. The silica blown into the air would be a serious health hazard to the surrounding communities of Temecula, Rainbow, Fallbrook, and Murrieta. 1600trucks per day would be entering and leaving the quarry site at the Rainbow entrance to the I-15 Freeway, increasing congestion and traffic hazards.
In addition, operation of the quarry would require large amounts of water, a resource now in very short supply in this area.
There is no shortage of granite deposits in Southern California and, surely, other locations would be less harmful. The proposed benefits to the community, 100 jobs and minimal tax revenue, do not out-weigh the drawbacks.
These jobs in all likelihood would still be available at some other nearby quarry location that is not as harmful as the proposed site.
