The latest North Bay Business Journal research (Lists.NorthBayBusinessJournal.com) focuses on firms with local offices that design and implement technologies, equipment and processes to deal with contamination and environmental impact.

The list of environmental consulting and engineering firms is ranked by 2020 North Bay environmental billings. Other information provided includes annual environmental billings companywide, number of employees and professionals with advanced degrees, number of North Bay offices, year established, percentage of work in various categories, services offered, North Bay 2019-2020 projects, and top local executive.

Detailed information from the list is available for purchase as a spreadsheet via the links above.

Want to have your company surveyed for this and other lists? Contact Research Director Michelle Fox at michelle.fox@busjrnl.com or call 707-526-8682.

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GILROY (KPIX) — Big tech may be making a huge mark on southern Santa Clara County.

The City of Gilroy is soliciting bids in order to determine the environmental impact of Amazon’s Gilroy Data Center, or GDC, one of two major projects the tech giant is pushing forward in the South Bay.

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“Gilroy has put out a request to get consultants outside of the city to come in and assist us with fully understanding what the benefits of such a project might be, as well as some as what the drawbacks might be, and what opportunities we have as a city to try to mitigate some of those negative impacts,” said Gilroy Vice Mayor Peter Leroe-Munoz.

Leroe-Munoz, who is also General Counsel and Senior Vice President at the Silicon Valley Leadership Group, said the city has been working behind the scenes for years to attract tech companies into the city, but added city leaders would not be “rubber stamping” projects.

“We certainly want to be very thoughtful, as we are with every applicant that comes to our city. We have a lot of resources that we offer here. We have a very diverse, young and growing workforce. So there are benefits that we offer to innovation industries that want to locate here in Gilroy. And we certainly want to work with them, but we want to make sure it’s a good fit for both partners,” said Leroe-Munoz.

The GDC would sit atop a 66-acre parcel behind the Gilroy Unified School District, along the eastern side of Highway 101.

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The details are still being worked out, but the data center would likely consist of several buildings totaling around 500,000 square feet, to “reliably meet the increased demand of the digital economy,” the company said in a statement.

Less than a mile south, Amazon is also moving forward with plans to build a large distribution center and warehouse, dubbed “Project Garlic,” on a 60-acre parcel located at the northeast corner of Camino Arroyo and Highway 152. The company is also working out plans that would total 400,000 square feet, along with a six-acre commercial development.

Less than a mile south of Project Garlic is yet another project from another tech giant. In 2019, Google purchased a 40-acre rectangular plot to build a nursery in order to grow their own trees for the company’s real estate developments.

“I think Gilroy has had a moment for quite some time. I think it’s time that Silicon Valley finally recognized that the southernmost city in Silicon Valley is certainly open for business and has so much to offer,” said Leroe-Munoz.

The vice-mayor assured citizens that the city would not abandon its agricultural roots.

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“We recognize that history. We recognize its importance to our local economy and it is something that we are going to protect, in addition to bringing a diversity of jobs and economic opportunities to our communities,” said Leroe-Munoz.

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SAN FRANCISCO (KPIX 5) — Environmentalists are not looking kindly upon a proposal by Governor Gavin Newsom to send vehicle owners a $400 debit card to help cover the higher costs of gasoline.

Pumping back $400, or even $800 if you own two vehicles, back into the wallets of drivers when gas prices are spiking sounds like relief. But many environmental groups don’t believe this is the right approach.

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“It’s like a bandaid that doesn’t really do anything for the current problem we’re in,” said director of Environment California Laura Deehan.

Instead of spending $9 billion for $400 rebates, the non-profit Environment California wants to see that money used for more electric vehicle charging stations, transit system improvements, and programs that would drive more people to use electric bicycles.

The rebates, they say, would conflict with efforts to reduce dependence on fossil fuels.

“It reminds me of a glass of wine for an alcoholic. It feels really good when you’re struggling. But the problem is we’re dependent on this fuel to power our lives that is hurting your health and planet,” said Deehan.

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Bay Area Environmental groups like Food and Water Watch want the Governor to address fossil fuel dependence more aggressively.

“He needs to take on the fossil fuel industry, do more to speed that transition which means stopping the expansion of fossil fuels and moving towards a robust and quick and just 100% renewable energy,” said Mark Schlosberg of Food & Water Watch.

Newsom’s proposal would also provide relief to non-drivers by providing free rail and mass transit service for three months. State lawmakers have introduced their own proposals, regardless of whether you own a car. One would provide rebates of $200 for each taxpayer and dependent, and excludes the top 10% of earners.

On Thursday, the Democratic-led Assembly rejected a GOP-proposed suspension of the gas tax, which would immediately reduce the price of gas by 51 cents per gallon.

“We need to have a very rapid and aggressive transition to 100% renewable energy with investments in electrification and transportation,” said Schlosberg.

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OAKLAND (BCN) – Following a recommendation by the Oakland Planning Commission Wednesday night, the city council will consider whether to certify an environmental report for a new Oakland A ballpark in the city.

The city council will likely consider certifying the final environmental impact report at a meeting in February, city officials said.

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The Planning Commission’s recommendation is just another step toward the city’s final approval or rejection of the Waterfront project.

“(The) recommendation from the planning commission that the final environmental impact report be sent to the City Council for certification is a major win for our entire region and brings Oakland one step closer to building a pioneering waterfront ballpark neighborhood with the highest environmental standards,” said Mayor Libby Schaaf said in a statement Wednesday night.

“For this EIR, our city has provided an extended public comment and review period and has responded in writing to more than 400 comments,” Schaaf added.

“A new waterfront neighborhood will provide a long-term home for our beloved Oakland A’s, 18 acres of beautifully landscaped public parks, 3,000 units with much-needed market price and affordable housing, and more than 25,000 union buildings and 7,000 permanent jobs will bring to our area,” Schaaf said.

Not everyone is as excited as the mayor.

“We’re disappointed,” said leaders of the East Oakland Stadium Alliance, a coalition of groups working to keep the Oakland A’s in East Oakland. “The lack of thorough analysis and inadequate response to public comments from the City of Oakland and the A’s has resulted in a planning commission recommendation that continues to put our community and the port at risk.”

EOSA executives said: “The final EIR does not address significant concerns related to traffic, air quality and pollution remediation, among others, at the proposed baseball field site at Howard Terminal.

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“Given the serious flaws in this document, we hope that the City Council will examine the report with greater care, recognize its obligation to protect our community from harmful development and vote no to certify the EIR,” said EOSA leaders.

But the commissioners have been very supportive of the EIR, Oakland A’s president Dave Kaval said in an interview Thursday, even as the A’s consider moving the team to Las Vegas.

The commissioners commented on the report’s “quality, prudence and robustness,” and two said it was the best EIR they had read, Kaval said.

Regarding baseball, Kaval called the planning commission’s recommendation “probably a solid single” for Oakland. He added that it’s important to keep runners moving.

Oakland needs to take more steps to keep the A in town. A number of documents need to be prepared by the city and sent back to the A’s, Kaval said, stressing that there is now a lot of work for the city court to do.

The A’s are still putting a lot of effort into the possibility of moving the team to Las Vegas. A study found Las Vegas to be a viable market for the A’s, Kaval said.

The next step is deciding on a Las Vegas location for the team, he said, and the A’s now have a handful to choose from.

The chair of Oakland’s planning commission did not respond to a request for comment Thursday morning.

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OAKLAND (CBS SF / BCN) – It’s finally here: Oakland officials say they expect to release the final environmental impact report on the proposed new stadium for the Oakland A’s at the Howard Terminal on Friday morning.

The report is expected to be posted on the city’s website at 8:00 a.m. City officials will recommend that the Oakland Planning Commission certify the report and send it to the city council for approval.

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The planning commission will take up this recommendation on January 19th and the city council can approve the report in February.

“The release of the final environmental impact report is an important milestone in our journey to building a new waterfront ballpark area that will create up to 18 acres of beautiful public parks, more affordable housing and good jobs for Oaklanders,” said Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf.

Oakland A released renders of their planned new ballpark at Howard Terminal near Jack London Square in Oakland (courtesy Bjarke Ingels Group)

“The 3,500-page document is thorough and comprehensive and ensures that the project is environmentally friendly and sustainable,” said Schaaf. “The completion of the EIR also keeps us on track to bring the 2022 project to the final vote in the city council – and brings us one step closer to keeping our beloved A’s rooted in Oakland.”

The final EIR does not contain any “material” new information and does not need to be re-circulated, thereby delaying a vote on it.

A’s proposal not only envisages a new stadium with around 35,000 seats, but also apartments, a hotel and a performance venue with 3,500 seats as well as commercial space.

The entire development would be on approximately 55 acres in the Jack London Square area.

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The approval of the overall project consists of an environmental assessment, project assessment and project agreements. The city and the A’s are well advanced in the approval process, although the A’s are considering moving the team to Las Vegas.

A’s President Dave Kaval has said it’s Howard Terminal for the A’s or they are moving out of Oakland.

The approval of the final environmental impact assessment by the city council would complete the environmental assessment process.

City officials are waiting for the A’s to revise the plans and present them to the city as part of the project appraisal process. The two now draft and negotiate the project agreements, which are of a financial nature.

A lawsuit could delay the project, but for a limited time. Assembly Bill 734 sets a limit for the duration of a lawsuit over the project.

Frequent questions raised by the draft EIR included railroad safety, parking, bridges over the railroad tracks near the proposed park, and questions about why a ballpark cannot be built at the Oakland Coliseum site. City officials answered any of the questions or concerns.

Answers to these questions were not available on Thursday, but the answers will be part of the final EIR released on Friday. More than 400 comments were made on the draft EIR.

The Oakland A’s did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the publication of the final EIR on Thursday afternoon.

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