Bucking a generally anti-business climate elsewhere in California, the Board of Supervisors in Lassen County voted unanimously to approve an asphalt and aggregate facility operated by CalAPA member Hat Creek Construction & Materials.

The 5-0 vote of the Lassen County Board of Supervisors on Aug. 25 to approve the Skyline Aggregates and Recycling Facility came after a lengthy hearing from a packed room of local residents, with nearly all of the testimony favorable. Many of the comments centered on the importance of investing in rural communities, and the connection between local industry, jobs and the quality of life for residents. The company was also lauded for its strong ties to the community, and delivering of high-quality transportation improvement projects in the area where safe and well-maintained roadways are essential.

The 460-acre site is located just east of State Route 139 near the community of Susanville, or about 180 miles north of Sacramento. A website established to promote transparency and provide the community with information about the facility is HERE.

“We’ve been community oriented forever,” Hat Creek Construction President & CEO Perry Thompson told Asphalt Insider. “This is about being a true community partner, turning around and investing in the communities we operate in, being a good steward of resources. Our employees live and work in these communities, and these rural communities are slowly shrinking. If you want any growth, it begins with aggregates and asphalt.”

Thompson added, “The most humbling thing for me was there were roughly 200 people at the meeting, and about 190 were there to support the project. They gave up their Tuesday evening to sit through the hearing. It was incredible.”

The Board of Supervisors action approved a 50-year use permit for the facility, which had undergone a full Environmental Impact Report (EIR). In the company's research they noted that California has not approved another new facility of this size in nearly a decade. The permit included 78 mitigation requirements across 10 categories, as well as a signed Memorandum of Understanding with the Susanville Indian Rancheria. It is estimated the facility will support more than 100 direct jobs and more than $25 million a year staying in the community. Construction materials will also be developed locally, with a significant recycling component, reducing long hauls from out of the area that contribute to air pollution.

The local economy has been hard hit by the long-term decline of the lumber industry and the recent closure of a state prison in Susanville, so the new investments were welcome news. Lassen County has a total population about 28,000 residents.

Ron Criss, Materials Division Manager with Hat Creek Construction & Materials, and a CalAPA Board Member, said he was "very excited" about the approval. "It took a long time and significant investment, but we were able to get it through."

The company and Caltrans recently received recognition from Caltrans and the American Society of Civil Engineers, Sacramento Chapter, for the Chester Causeway Rehabilitation Project on Highway 36 (pictured), which connects Lassen and Plumas counties. A Caltrans press release about the project is HERE. It is that kind of improvement project, with major community benefits, that would be supported by locally sourced construction materials, it was noted.

Registration is now open for a special daylong asphalt training class to be held Nov. 17 in West Sacramento delivered by two of California's most noted asphalt experts.

CalAPA's popular "Asphalt Pavement 101" will be married with a new offering, "Five Trends Impacting Your Pavements." The daylong in-person session will feature lunch and refreshments, and a workbook for future reference.

Space is limited, and advanced registration is required. On-line registration for the full day of training is HERE.

CalAPA presents a full day educational opportunity focused on asphalt pavements! This two-part education session will occur in-person at the CalAPA offices in West Sacramento. Join your colleagues and meet other asphalt pavement stakeholders from across the State as noted asphalt pavement experts lead discussions to assist our goal to maximize the value of our asphalt pavement infrastructure. 

CalAPA’s “Asphalt Pavement 101” class provides a comprehensive overview of everything asphalt, which includes how asphalt pavements are designed, constructed and maintained. This class contains useful information for engineers, contractors, paving crews, quality control specialists, lab personnel and others who interact with asphalt pavements. Roger Smith will lead the class that covers the asphalt terminology, pavement structure design, asphalt mixture characteristics and components, mixture production operations, pavement construction, quality assurance protocols and project specifications.

Because so much is changing in the world of asphalt pavements, particularly as it relates to specifications, test methods, technology and best practices, the class provides a comprehensive overview that is good for those new to the field or a refresher for experienced personnel. The class is a recommended prerequisite for other CalAPA technical classes, such as “Quality HMA Paving, Caltrans Section 39 Specifications,” “Essentials of Pavement Smoothness” and “Quality HMA Paving.”

Roger Smith, a former senior materials engineer with Caltrans and the Asphalt Institute, as well as a former executive director of CalAPA, will lead the class. Attendees of AP101 can earn PDHs via a nationally recognized Registered Continuing Education Program (details are on the website).

As a bonus offering, the day of training will feature a new offering, "Five trends impacting your pavements," led by CalAPA Technical Director Brandon Milar. Successful owners and managers of asphalt pavement assets rely on technological innovations to effectively ensure the sustainability of their pavement infrastructure. This session will explore five current trends that practitioners are utilizing in their pavement programs. Participants will explore and discuss the challenges asphalt pavement practitioners experience and how innovative strategies provide insight into ensuring the continued long-term sustainability of asphalt pavements.

Milar, P.E., a prominent leader in technical committees at the local, state and national level, introduces participants to the various innovative strategies that are changing the asphalt pavement space.

Refreshments and lunch will be provided to all attendees, as well as a handbook for future reference, and a certificate of completion.

For more information on CalAPA's technical training program, click HERE. Contact CalAPA for information on how to host a CalAPA technical training class at your facility, which provides a low-cost and convenient way to access quality asphalt training.

High pump prices are one of the most visible examples of voter discontent over the high cost of living in California and across the nation, and politicians are feeling the heat. The California Legislature recently wrapped up its two-year session without taking up proposals to suspend the fuel tax devoted to transportation to provide some relief for consumers. And in Washington, Congress similarly did not take up a gas-tax holiday idea even as long-term federal funding for transportation expired Sept. 30 Programs are being funded via a short-term extension that extends through December.

But as politicians stump for votes in advance of the Nov. 3 midterm elections, the gas tax continues to be a prominent campaign issue. In a hotly contested race for California's 6th Congressional District, for example, Republican turned independent Kevin Kiley (pictured with Brian Handshoe, gesturing, during a tour of CalAPA member company Kenco Engineering in Roseville) took his Democratic opponent, Dr. Richard Pan, to task for voting on SB1, a 2017 transportation gas tax measure, when Pan was in the Legislature.

Steve Hilton, a Republican running an uphill race for governor against Democrat Xavier Becerra, has also campaigned on a gas-tax reduction. His gas tax platform is HERE. And State Sen. Tony Strickland, a Republican from Huntington Beach who spoke at last year's CalAPA Annual Dinner in Los Angeles, authored the unsuccessful SB1035, dubbed the "Gas Tax Relief Act," which ultimately did not advance in the Legislature. His reaction is HERE.

The political brickbats tend to drown out all the work that is happening statewide thanks to the fuel-tax investments. A recent report released by Caltrans put the total value of transportation improvement projects at more than $17 billion. The official website that catalogues the projects, accessible HERE, estimated that the number of jobs supported by all the work at more than 200,000.

Nevertheless, when politicians are fighting to seek or retain elected office, identifying with an issue that is causing pain for voters will continue to be an attractive target.

For more information on transportation funding in California, the Fair Transportation Funding Coalition has a website of resources HERE.

A Nigerian federal transportation official who became a fixture at CalAPA educational events over the years returned to his home country over the weekend after completing his Master's Degree in engineering at the University of California, Davis, and participating in research on Reclaimed Asphalt Pavements (RAP).

"It was a rollercoaster experience," Andrew Onoja told Asphalt Insider as he traveled from Davis with his family to San Francisco to board an international flight. "Now I'm going back more informed, and I'm ready to do more, and make an impact in the engineering profession."

In addition to his studies, Onoja participated in field research at the University of California Pavement Research Center (UCPRC), where studies are advancing knowledge on the impact on higher percentages of RAP in asphalt pavement mix performance. He is pictured at the UCPRC earlier this year with Caltrans State Materials Engineer Jackie Wong. He also received a special "Asphalt Ambassador" commendation from CalAPA and now-retired Caltrans State Materials Engineer Tim Greutert.

He expressed appreciation for the welcoming atmosphere he received at UCD, and in California, and for the many relationships he developed along the way. Upon returning home, he will be pursuing a Ph.D. related to construction materials.

A previous Asphalt Insider story about Onoja is HERE. He was also profiled in CalAPA's magazine HERE.

Each week we highlight a word, acronym or other term commonly used in the asphalt pavement industry in California.

DYNAMIC SHEAR RHEOMETER (DSR): Test equipment used to measure the shear characteristics of asphalt binders by applying a load to a small sample of asphalt binder between two plates. The test results are used to grade asphalt binders.  

Each week we highlight a key point or best practice of interest to asphalt paving crews, inspectors and others working in the field. We welcome suggestions. More tips can be found in our "Asphalt Parking Lot Construction Checklist" HERE. Information on the CalAPA "Quality Paving Certificate" program is HERE.

COMPACTION/DENSITY: The plans and specifications should specify that density is tested. The inspector needs to monitor the specified compaction density with a gauge to ensure that final target densities are achieved. Regular visual inspection of the mat during compaction is also required: look for segregation, indentations, properly sealed joints, and under-compacted areas.

Each week we highlight a term that is specific to climate-change issues related to the asphalt pavement industry. This feature is intended to raise awareness of the asphalt industry's climate-change initiatives and the specialized terminology that goes with them. More information on "The Road Forward" asphalt industry climate initiative can be found HERE. A recent CalAPA magazine story on the topic is HERE.

OUR COMMON FUTURE: The 1987 United Nations report that defined sustainable development.

Editor's Note: As a convenience to our readers, Asphalt Insider reports the most current Caltrans "Statewide Crude Oil Price Index" posting. The department posts this monthly on its public website HERE. The index is used to calculate payment adjustments for paving asphalt under special provisions section "Payment Adjustments for Price Index Fluctuations" in those projects containing the section. The department posts the index on or about the first business day of the month using the daily Brent crude oil prices from the previous month as reported by Business Insider. Inquiries about the index should be directed to Caltrans at: Oil.Index@dot.ca.gov .

Oct. 2026: $557.6 ($/ton)

Last month: $481.3.4

1 year ago: $364.5

"Great things are not done by impulse, but by a series of small things brought together."

– Vincent van Goh

We hope you enjoy CalAPA's Asphalt Insider newsletter, widely regarded as the most influential publication of its type in California. We are committed to providing you with the most up-to-date information on technical issues, regulation, news, analysis, people, events and trends in California that is of interest to the asphalt pavement industry and our various agency partners. To subscribe to the newsletter, click HERE. For comments, questions or to suggest a story idea, click HERE. We are committed to promptly notifying our readers of any errors in this publication. Please click on the comment link above to alert the editor of any errors or omissions.

Sincerely,

Russell W. Snyder, CAE

Executive Director

The California Asphalt Pavement Association (CalAPA)®