Diamond Pet Foods in Ripon has planned for some time to add a fourth production line within its existing facility.

For that, the City of Ripon recently posted the Draft Environmental Impact Report for the public to view and evaluate the potential environmental effects of the proposed project.

The Draft EIR is available at http://cityofripon.org/connect/city_communication/public-notice.

The City will be accepting written comments – can be submitted to the City of Ripon Planning, 259 N. Wilma Ave. Ripon CA 95336 or via email at kzuidervaart@cityofripon.org – from now until 5 p.m. Friday, Oct. 16.

According to Notice of Preparation of a Draft EIR for this proposed project review, the existing facility is a 366,000-square-foot structure that currently consists of three production lines.

“The expansion would be contained almost entirely within the existing physical structure of the production plant. The addition of a four-production line would increase the total production capacity of the facility from 780 tons (per) day to 1,040 tons (per) day,” according to the Draft EIR.

The City is considering approving this Major Site Plan Permit, which also required an environmental review under the California Environmental Quality Act.

In recent years, the residents complained about odor from the local pet-food processing plant.

Diamond Pet Food – processors of kibbles for 100 different brands, from the Dick Van Patton Natural Balance to the Taste of the Wild varieties – has done plenty in an effort to control the issue, including, in 2018, the installation of Regenerative Thermal Oxidizers considered “The Ferrari” of the odor abatement equipment.

City of Ripon Planning Director Ken Zuidervaart can provide more information on the project. He can be reached at 209.599.2108.