Andrew G. Fried If you don’t like the idea of the state bulldozing your home or church to clear the path for a high-speed train, then now is the time to be heard. The city of Santa Clarita is encouraging residents of Santa Clarita, Acton, Agua Dulce and the San Fernando Valley to attend an emergency...

Andrew G. Fried The game has changed when it comes to the dispute over whether Cemex will proceed with its plan to mine 56 million tons of aggregate from a site in Soledad Canyon just outside of Santa Clarita city limits. That much, at least, has been assured by the dueling letters between Cemex and...

Andrew G. Fried It would be understandable for anyone who has fought the long, hard fight to keep a massive sand and gravel mine out of Soledad Canyon to reflect upon the last-minute developments of the congressional session that ended just before the holidays, and come to a sobering conclusion: The...

Andrew G. Fried You would think that a big push to develop a massive gravel mine would at least be backed up by one significant factor: The need for one. As we’ve written previously, the proposed 56-million-ton CEMEX mine, just outside the City of Santa Clarita, would cause significant and irreversible...

Andrew G. Fried Over the past decade, Safe Action For the Environment Inc., along with the city of Santa Clarita and other community leaders, have battled to save Soledad Canyon from the planned Cemex mega-mine, seeking cancellation of two 10-year contracts in which 56 million tons of aggregate would...

Andrew G. Fried The First Amendment of our nation’s Constitution establishes five rights that the founding fathers considered so important, they listed them first in the Bill of Rights. Among them are guarantees of free speech, a free press, freedom to assemble, the right to petition our government...

Andrew G. Fried Even after a decade and a half of debate, we’re still learning new things about the proposed Cemex gravel mine in Soledad Canyon. Here’s a doozy: The mine would pit the policies of several federal agencies against each other. In fact, it places the Bureau of Land Management...

Andrew G. Fried Often, you only win the battle if you stick with it for the long haul. When it comes to the proposed Cemex sand and gravel mine in Soledad Canyon, it has been a long haul indeed, and the battle is not yet won. We’re talking almost two decades. That is part of our challenge: This battle...

Andrew G. Fried The truce is over. We learned of it May 31, when Cemex informed the City of Santa Clarita that the multinational mining giant would begin exploring all its options for Soledad Canyon. Those options include the long-dreaded development of a 56-million-ton megamine that will produce a steady...