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City Of Santa Clarita To Host Press Conference Regarding Major Breakthrough In Cemex Battle

After decades of battling, the City of Santa Clarita is set to host a press conference Thursday afternoon to discuss a major breakthrough in the fight against the Cemex mega mine.

UPDATE 3:10 p.m.: Officials with the City of Santa Clarita have release a statement regarding the Cemex decision reached by the Interior Board of Land Appeals. The text of this statement follows:

“The much-anticipated decision came down today, in what has been a two decades long battle over mining rights in Soledad Canyon. In August 2015 the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) canceled all CEMEX Corporation mining contracts for Soledad Canyon. A ruling that CEMEX had appealed to the Interior Board of Land Appeals (IBLA) in September 2015.  Today IBLA ruled that the BLM decision is “affirmed in part, reversed in part, set aside in part, and case remanded.” The key part of this ruling is, all of CEMEX’s mining rights in Soledad Canyon will expire in July of 2020. Today’s decision by IBLA will be the final word from the U.S. Department of the Interior, but CEMEX Corporation may still appeal the ruling in federal court.

“‘CEMEX has never done any mining in Soledad Canyon, and after today’s decision – they never will,” said Councilmember and CEMEX City Council sub-committee member Bob Kellar. “Even though their contract will not expire till 2020, it would take them at least three years to get their operation up and running. The importance of this decision cannot be understated – this is a monumental victory for our residents and our environment.”

The City of Santa Clarita has been fighting to prevent mining in Soledad Canyon since the CEMEX contracts were issued by the federal government in 1990. The CEMEX contracts would have allowed for the mining of 56 million tons of sand and gravel from Soledad Canyon which would have added up to 1,164 truck trips a day to local roads and freeways. This would have caused air quality issues and potential negative impacts to the Santa Clara River, the San Gabriel Mountains National Monument, and wildlife corridors connecting the Angeles National Forest, as well as fish, wildlife and plants in the area.

“’This community has worked hard to protect its air and water quality and the health of our citizens and life in the Santa Clarita Valley,” said Councilmember and CEMEX City Council sub-committee member, Laurene Weste. “This is a historic win for residents of the City of Santa Clarita. We have fought for the last 20 years to make sure our community was protected from the effects of this mega-mining project. It’s been a tough fight – fought by many, including our City, our elected officials and those at all levels of government, together with our community. I am ecstatic that all the hard work has finally paid off.”

“The Cemex mine has been an issue for our community for decades,” shared Congresswoman Katie Hill. “I am so proud that we were able to get IBLA to issue an early decision and finally give our City the answers they deserve.”

The City of Santa Clarita would like to thank all of our partners who fought to protect our community from mega mining.”

A press conference is scheduled for 3 p.m. at City Hall on Thursday, March 21.

Original Post: Since the 1990’s, the City of Santa Clarita has been battling against the creation of a Cemex mega mine in Canyon Country.

The U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM) awarded two contracts to Cemex in 1990 to extract roughly 56 million tons of sand and gravel in Soledad Canyon, according to officials.

City officials who have opposed the mine have stated that the extensive mining proposed for the site would have far-reaching negative effects over the entire Santa Clarita Valley, including air pollution and increased traffic.

Then, in March of 2015, the BLM rescinded Cemex’s contracts, forcing the mining company to appeal the decision to the Interior Board of Land Appeals. The decision was reportedly set to be made Wednesday.

City officials are set to release a press release later today with further details. Stay tuned to KHTS and hometownstation.com for more information.


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City Of Santa Clarita To Host Press Conference Regarding Major Breakthrough In Cemex Battle

3 comments

  1. Thank goodness! What a huge victory for SCV! Our watershed needs protection! Way to go!

    • Well, I can only state people in Canyon Country & SCV has believed the lies the City Council has spouted for many years and as recently as 2006 when we were annexed into the city. Example, “The CEMEX contracts would have allowed for the mining of 56 million tons of sand and gravel from Soledad Canyon which would have added up to 1,164 truck trips a day to local roads and freeways”. This is a lie and impossible yet, many believed it. So, the City Council never really stopped any mining, they just tied the process until the contracts are running out. more government lies.

  2. Finally something has been done. We had BUCK and STEVE in Congress for years and just got lip service.

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About Michael Brown

Michael Brown has lived in Santa Clarita his whole life. Graduating from Saugus High School in 2016, he continued to stay local by attending The Master’s University, where he achieved a Bachelor's Degree in Communication. Michael joined KHTS in January of 2018 as a news intern, and has since gone on to become the News Director for the KHTS Newsroom. Since joining KHTS, Michael has covered many breaking news stories (both on scene and on air), interviewed dozens of prominent state and federal political figures, and interacted with hundreds of residents from Santa Clarita. When he is not working, Michael enjoys spending time with his family, as well as reading any comic book he can get his hands on.