The U.S. Bureau of Land Management has issued an immediate, temporary closure of 31,000 acres of public lands in the Clear Creek Management Area in southern San Benito and western Fresno counties to all public use, and it's probably for a couple of years, said Bureau of Land Management Public Affairs Officer David Christy.
The closure is to protect the public's health and safety from exposure to asbestos, according to the press release. The BLM has closed the area that serves for off-highway vehicle use, hunting, rock climbing and other activities in a response to a human health risk assessment.
The assessment released by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency concluded that the exposures measured by the EPA for recreational activities at CCMA are above the EPA acceptable risk range of cancers, according to the press release.
Christy said the area usually opens in October, but will be closed until a management plan is made up. It will take a few years to have the management plan done, he said.
Christy said the next step is to continue a scoping period through June 21 to determine what should be considered for the management plan, then develop a draft of the proposal and have a final document drawn up after that.
There are around 35,000 visitors a year to Clear Creek, he said.
The BLM has scheduled two public workshops to discuss the planning process and will be hosting an separate informational meeting for EPA representatives to present assessment findings to the public. The EPA will not be at the two public workshops, Christy said.
Christy said the first informational meeting will be an open-house format from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Thursday at which people can ask individual questions. Starting at 6 p.m., it will be a regular public meeting with presentations, and people can ask questions then, too, he said.
Public workshops for BLM closing
■ Veterans Memorial Building in Hollister, 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. May 19
■ Martin Luther King Jr. Library in San Jose, 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. May 21
■ Convention Center in Santa Clara, 3 p.m. to 5 p.m., then 6 p.m. May 8
Kristen Tolleson Kristen Tolleson covers San Benito County and education for the Free Lance. Contact her at ktolleson@freelancenews.com or (831) 637-5566, ext. 335.
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