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Wilk, Valladares Introduce Bill To Allow More Public Input In Large-Scale Projects

State Senator Scott Wilk, R-Santa Clarita, introduced a bill coauthored by Assemblywoman Suzette Valladares, R-Santa Clarita, that aims on allowing the public to have a second chance to provide input on large-scale projects approved more than 30 years ago before they can move forward, such as the CEMEX mega-mine.

Introduced as Senate Bill 520 (SB 520), the bill would give the public a second opportunity to weigh in on large projects approved more than 30 years ago before those projects can move forward, such as the CEMEX mega-mine.

“A lot can happen in 30 years, and a large project that was initially approved in the 1990s may no longer be the right fit for a community in 2021,” Wilk said in a statement Friday. “In our community, the CEMEX mega-mine is one such project that I believe the public has a right to weigh in on before it moves forward. Giving the public the ability to make its case for or against such projects after decades of inactivity should be part of the process.”

The City of Santa Clarita has been fighting to prevent the mega-mine in Soledad Canyon since the CEMEX contracts were issued by the federal government in 1990, which would have allowed for the mining of 56 million tons of sand and gravel from Soledad Canyon, adding up to 1,164 truck trips a day to local roads and freeways.

“SB 520 will allow community members and locally elected officials the opportunity to make a case to state regulators as to why such major projects, such as the CEMEX mega-mine, would be disastrous to their communities,” Wilk said.

See Related: Scott Wilk Introduces Bill To Give Public Opportunity To Weigh In On Cemex Mega Mine

SB 520 is an iteration of a bill Wilk previously introduced last year, which did not receive a hearing due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This new bill would re-open the public protest period on a State Water Resources Control Board water permit application when a decision has not been made within 30 years of the application’s original filing date. 

While the Water Board can currently opt to re-open a protest period, SB 520 would require that it does so after 30 years of inactivity.

“Our families deserve to have a voice in major projects that will impact our community. What looked promising back in 1990 may not be what is best for our families today, and they must have their voices heard,” Valladares said in a statement Friday.

SB 520 is set to be referred to the appropriate Senate policy committees for hearings in the coming months.


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Wilk, Valladares Introduce Bill To Allow More Public Input In Large-Scale Projects

One comment

  1. Check your Junk mail for more Big Tech Liberal Censoring! Found several decent people intended Conservative E-Mails in Junk without being seen/read! Including Valladares, cartoonist Branco & Brix as well as others from the LAGOP and members of the decent Conservative people’s Party!

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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.