Cities oppose ‘biofuel facility’ proposed by Stanislaus County. ‘Is it the best we can do?’
Stanislaus County’s far-reaching plan for bioindustrial manufacturing, as a way to boost family incomes, ran into some opposition Tuesday.
Officials in Patterson and Newman urged county supervisors to remove the Crows Landing Industrial Business Park site from consideration for a bioindustry innovation campus for research and product development.
The cities’ leaders oppose a purported plan to transition the development focus of the former Crows Landing airfield from an industrial park to a biofuel production facility.
In letters addressed to the Board of Supervisors, the cities said they are prioritizing the health and well-being of their residents in opposing the project, which they said could affect the area’s air quality and risk water contamination. They also raised concerns about the economic benefits and criticized a $10 million allocation made without community input as a “cause for concern.”
“The health of our community must come before any potential economic gain,” reads a letter from Patterson Mayor Michael Clauzel.
Newman Mayor Casey Graham, in his letter, urges the board to stick to the original plan of developing the former Crows Landing air base with clean uses.
Supervisor Channce Condit, who represents the west part of the county, made a motion to take the former Crows Landing base off the table, but his motion died without a second.
Condit expressed opposition to considering the site, calling it unusual for the county to commit $10 million to a project without knowing the location. He emphasized his preference for a hospital to be built there, arguing that bioindustry would become the defining feature of the air base and influence any future developments.
“Is this really the best we can do? Is this the best introduction to attract other industries, to attract other businesses?” Condit told The Bee after Tuesday’s meeting.
The Board of Supervisors voted 4-1 to commit an additional $8.74 million in American Rescue Plan Act funds for BEAM Circular to implement projects and programs to further advance the Stanislaus 2030 blueprint for bioindustrial manufacturing, a growing industry that turns ag wastes into valuable products.
BEAM, which stands for BioEconomy Agriculture & Manufacturing, is a hub organization founded to work across government, industry and community to execute programs and facilitate development of bioindustries in the region.
Another decision authorized $9.24 million for BEAM Circular’s costs of leading the initiative and delivering programs from July 1 through December 2026.
Stanislaus 2030 is the main thrust of a $30 million economic development effort, funded by ARPA, that emerged in 2021 and hopes to create thousands of living-wage jobs in a county where half the residents struggle to pay bills.
Bioindustry manufacturing uses innovative processes to convert crop wastes to sustainable plastics, building materials, fuel and other products.
Residents of western Stanislaus County are not impressed, as they have historically lived near garbage incineration, a tire plant and recycling of other wastes hauled in from outside the county. To them, bioindustry proposals sound like more of the same.
“We want Patterson to be an oasis,” Joanne Marci said. “We have a loving community spirit. We are tired of you putting (harmful) things in our community and not taking care of us.”
Condit asked if the Northern San Joaquin Valley will become an “inland port” for agricultural wastes coming from other areas of the state. Consultants assisting the county said operations would be sourcing waste materials from other locations.
Site evaluations are under way
Stanislaus 2030 is moving into site evaluations for an innovation campus. Karen Warner, chief executive officer of BEAM Circular, explained the campus will be a center of excellence for research and product development. Manufacturing won’t take place at the campus, but it will include a critically needed test bed facility for developing technologies.
Crows Landing is just one possible site for the innovation center.
Supervisor Vito Chiesa said the reference to biofuel production at the Crows Landing base was about testing small amounts to perfect the fuel-making process. County CEO Jody Hayes said he didn’t see biofuel production in the plans for Crows Landing.
The site selection for the innovation campus will draw on findings of an industrial land analysis conducted by ECONorthwest, focused on high-potential sites in Stanislaus, San Joaquin and Merced counties. The campus will include lab and office space, training and education facilities and a community visitor center.
We visited the lab guiding Stanislaus’ quest for bioindustry jobs. Here’s what we learned.
Warner said the search for potential sites also will give planners an inventory of suitable sites for bioindustry companies that want to operate in the Valley.
The BEAM Circular team has raised $45.8 million in private investments for developing the so-called biocircular economy, a project guided by BEAM Circular, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and University of California partners. HawkTower has committed $30 million in venture capital funding for bioeconomy startups in the Northern San Joaquin Valley, according to Tuesday’s presentation to county leaders.
BEAM Circular said it emphasizes bioeconomy development that reduces pollution, limits the use of fossil fuels and toxic chemicals, and supports regenerative agriculture. It supports commercial efforts that don’t increase water or air pollution, are carbon neutral and don’t involve incineration.
Supervisor Terry Withrow said he was disappointed to hear some of the critical comments from public officials, which he characterized as misinformation. “We are doing this to benefit disadvantaged communities,” he said.
