The Santa Clarita Valley’s congressman is calling on the Army Corps of Engineers to deny the permits Cemex would need to mine sand and gravel for the next 20 years in Soledad Canyon.
In a statement, U.S. Rep. Steve Knight said he led a bipartisan effort by sending a letter Tuesday afternoon to Lt. Gen. Thomas Bostick, Commanding General and Chief of Engineers at the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, urging the agency to deny Cemex the necessary permits to move forward with the mine.
Neighboring Democratic lawmakers Rep. Judy Chu and Rep. Brad Sherman of the San Fernando Valley, who have opposed the mine in the past, also signed the letter, Knight said.
Soledad Canyon mining area | Photo: SAFE Action for the Environment
“Cemex has failed to comply with state and federal law, and must not be permitted to move forward with a mine in Soledad Canyon,” said Knight, R-Palmdale. “This message makes this abundantly clear and I am excited that my colleagues are joining me in reaffirming this fact.”
The letter is the latest in a long correspondence between various elected officials, government agencies and stakeholders, dating back to Rep. Knight’s tenure as a California State Senator. Knight said it reiterates the concerns of Jim Kenna, California State Director of the Bureau of Land Management, who has expressed doubts that Cemex can proceed with the development. It also lays out specific reasons for the Army Corps of Engineers to deny Cemex a permit, such as its failure to comply with the California Environmental Quality Act and the negative effects the mine would have on local protected species, he said.
“I will explore and exhaust every available avenue to prevent this mine and the devastating effects it will have on our community,” Knight said.
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3 Comments
Keep up the good work. We cannot have CEMEX mining in the Soledad wildlife corridor. Thank you!
What a long journey this has been. Let’s get CEMEX out of our backyard once and for all!
Hipocracy ! Instead of remaining neutral on this issue, or better yet, protecting the low income communities of Littlerock and Sun Village, Knight is supporting the City of Santan Claritas witch hunt against Cemex. If this mine is not allowed to open , aggregate haulers providing material to the San Fernando Valley region will be forced to haul an additional 22 Miles, dramatically increasing impacts on highways , increasing diesel emissions, and driving up the cost of aggregates and concrete. Unfortunately The residents of Sun Village , East Palmdale, and Littlerock do not have the benefit of a massive natural mountain barrier to protect them from the dust , and noise .