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Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station deputies responded to a report of a body found in the Santa Clara River wash in Canyon Country, officials said Friday.
Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station deputies responded to a report of a body found in the Santa Clara River wash in Canyon Country, officials said Friday.

Boxer Reintroduces Cemex Bill To Stop Santa Clarita Valley Mine

United States Senator Barbara Boxer reintroduced the Soledad Canyon Settlement Act that would resolve the 15-year-long mining dispute between the city of Santa Clarita and Cemex USA, officials said Tuesday.


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The legislation would require the Bureau of Land Management to cancel current mining contracts in Soledad Canyon and prohibit future mining at the site.

In a letter to Senate Interior Appropriations Subcommittee Chairman Jack Reed (D-RI) and Ranking Member Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), Boxer said, “Today, I am reintroducing The Soledad Canyon Settlement Act with changes that will result in a zero score from the Congressional Budget Office. The expected cost was a crucial impediment against moving forward with this legislation.”

The legislation was updated to make clear that it will have no cost to the federal government or taxpayers.

“By ensuring that this bill will have no cost to the government or taxpayers, I believe we have increased our chances of passing it,”  Boxer said. “This legislation has the support of the city of Santa Clarita and Cemez USA, and I am hopeful that we can work with both Republicans and Democrats in Congress to resolve this decades-long dispute and protect the people of the Santa Clarita Valley from pollution and traffic congestion.”

Senator Boxer is also sending a letter to Reed and Murkowski, requesting that the provisions of her bill be included in the Interior Appropriations bill if it is passed in this Congress. In addition, she sent a letter to Environment and Natural Resources Chairman Mary Landrieu and Murkowski asking for their support for the legislation as well.

In 2007, the city of Santa Clarita and Cemex USA announced that they would seek a compromise agreement that would avoid mining in Soledad Canyon while compensating Cemex USA for the value of the mining contracts.

“I’m extremely pleased to hear about the bill being reintroduced,” said Councilman Bob Kellar. “There have been some minor changes made to the bill. I’m extremely excited about this news. It’s not out of the question to get it through by the end of the year, if not the bill will move forward into the next session.”

Boxer’s bill, which has the strong support of Santa Clarita officials, would implement a balanced solution. The bill directs the BLM to cancel Cemex USA’s sand and gravel mining leases at Soledad Canyon and withdraw this site from future mining. The bill calls for the BLM to sell lands near Victorville, California that have already been identified for disposal and use the proceeds to compensate Cemex USA for the canceled contracts.

The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) has reviewed the revised language in the bill and concluded that it has a zero score. The measure would ensure that no cost would be incurred by the taxpayers to complete the agreement to cancel Cemex USA’s mining leases – either before or after the sale of the BLM lands.

Santa Clarita officials recently sent a letter to the Administration expressing their interest in donating the mine property to the federal government to serve as a gateway point for the recently designated San Gabriel Mountains National Monument, as the mine sits directly on the new monument’s northwestern boundary.  However, the mining dispute would first need to be resolved before the city could donate the property.

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Boxer Reintroduces Cemex Bill To Stop Santa Clarita Valley Mine

3 comments

  1. Finally, Barbara Boxer has done something For the people here in Santa Clarita. A Boll to cancel future mining in Solidad Canyon. That means No dump trucks going up and down the 14 Freeway, spilling gravel and dust onto our cars and air.

  2. Mr. Brancato, Senator Boxer has done plenty for the people of Santa Clarita. Senator Boxer has participated in many bills beneficial to Santa Clarita, particularly in green energy and transportation. Unlike Buck McKeon, our Congress Member for 22 years, Senator Boxer is the federal legislator who’s worked hardest to stop the Cemex mine. She nearly succeeded last November when she got the Soledad Canyon Settlement Act, S. 771 into a hearing, the farthest any Cemex bill has ever gone. You can see her impressive delivery on SCVTV http://scvtv.com/?p=11366 People said it was our last chance, but when S. 771 failed, she kept working, tweaking the bill to insure it’s passage. As the article states, Boxer and her cosponsor Senator Dianne Feinstein (D) have reintroduced the Soledad Canyon Settlement Act. This time, she’s even closer to getting it done.
    In his 22 long years as our Rep, McKeon’s effort at passing a Cemex bill were futile because he didn’t take the proper steps to shepherd one through to passage. Early on, McKeon introduced several Cemex bills but he didn’t get a cosponsor. Even when McKeon had cosponsors, even with Republican majorities, he never got a Cemex bill into committee. Remember the City’s “Thank you, Buck ” banners on the paseo bridges in 2006? Upon reviewing his career, “Thanks for nothing, Buck”, is the more appropriate message. His recent Cemex failure excuse is that under Republican House rules, Cemex is considered an earmark. With his seniority in the House and high ranking as Armed Services Chair he could have done it if he wanted to. He’s been able to push through lots of other earmark type legislation for his District, so it’s a lame excuse.
    When the Cemex mine goes away for good, we will have Sen Barbara Boxer (D) to thank.

  3. I think it’s over for cemex mining because the SAND FIRE has burned their mine in Lang and because all the dirt has been burned and their is purpose to not let the green come back. I really want to go off road in my ford raptor to the top of magic mountain truck trail but the view is gone. The main thing that they will move out becuse the soil will not be as good as it used to be. We have to thank Sen Barbara Boxer for making his move to get Cemex mining out.

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