Lehigh Hanson’s Permanente Cement plant is in Cupertino, California, east of the Rancho San Antonio Preserve. A major greenhouse gas emitter, the quarry faces scorn from local environmentalists, and is under EPA violation for air and water pollution. Despite this, the plant does not get a lot of attention — likely because few local citizens realize it’s there at all.
For Monta Vista junior Anita Chamraj, who has been in YAPA’s Environment advocacy group for two years, it’s still hard to believe. “It was…really interesting to find out that there's this huge cement plant that's a gigantic polluter right next door,” Chamraj said. “I didn't even know that existed before I joined the group.” read more
What did we do?
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Hosted many guest speakers to group meetings to discuss:
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Environmental laws and regulations
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Local concerns to the environment
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Recent developments in our community with environmental impacts
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Researching and spreading information on the Lehigh Cement Plant
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Promoting the issue through social media
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Communicating data about the effects the plant has on the environment
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Guest Speakers
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Catherine Moore
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City Council Member
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Mark Rose
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Environmental Lawyer
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Robert Cave
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Physics Expert
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Paula Wallis
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Local Video Journalist
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Helen Wolter
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Project Manager for MidPen Housing, expert on policy analysis and community relations
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Andrea Grindeland
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Communications expert and advisor for non-profit and for-profit organizations
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Roger Lee
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Assistant Director of Public Works for the City of Cupertino
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