By Barry Eberling | DAILY REPUBLIC | August 08, 2008
Tomatoes are brought into the Campbell Soup Supply Co. by conveyor belt Friday morning. Photo by Brad Zweerink
DIXON - Campbell can expand its tomato processing plant business near Dixon without causing a huge increase in truck traffic or hurting water quality, according to studies conducted for Solano County.
The expansion proposal continues to be studied by county planners. Farmers say the larger processing plant would be a big boost for agriculture.
Campbell only processes tomatoes at its plant located at 8380 Pedrick Road. Papers filed with the county state the business would expand to process vegetables used in V8 beverages. Among the potential vegetables mentioned are beets, carrots, parsley, celery, lettuce, spinach and watercress.
The plant currently operates from July to October. The expanded plant would operate from mid-May to late October, stated a traffic study by Omni-Means of Roseville.
There would be a 'small' increase in truck traffic, the study stated. As many as 36 additional trucks could come to the plant on a given day, it stated. That's about 15 percent more than now, when daily summer totals reach as high as 240 trucks.
Campbell plans to build a truck docking building, a so-called 'filler' building and a 64-foot-high evaporator. The existing evaporator at the plant is 74 feet high.
Processing water from the expanded plant would continue going to fields for the watering of crops.
See the complete story at the Daily Republic online.
