[READ the BLM letter]

[KHTS] – A federal agency sent a letter Monday withdrawing support for Cemex to mine Soledad Canyon.

The Bureau of Land Management’s 2000 approval was conditional upon “significant conditions,” officials said.

“It’s unclear how, or if, this development can proceed,” officials wrote in a letter to Cemex dated Friday.

The letter seems to indicate the federal government, i.e. the Bureau of Land Management, has reversed its position, based on new information, a city official said Monday.

“What this letter says to us is that the BLM finally agrees with the city,” said Mike Murphy, intergovernmental relations officer for Santa Clarita, “that siting this mine in Soledad Canyon is not a good idea.”

The federal government previously opposed a legislative deal struck at the congressional level that would have compensated the mining company with land in Victorville, if the company agreed to give its two 10-year contracts for mineral rights in Soledad Canyon.

“The city is very appreciative of our legislative delegation that continues to work so hard on this issue for us,” said Santa Clarita Mayor Pro Tem Bob Kellar, who’s also been working on the issue for a number of years.

The federal government cited a need for aggregate, as well as concern over the precedent of selling federal land to compensate a private company as previous reasons for its objection.

Exactly what it means for the future of Soledad Canyon mining is unclear at this time, officials said.

Soledad Canyon mining area | Photo: SAFE Action for the Environment

However, the letter represents a drastic shift in federal policy toward the mine site, noting significant changes to the Santa Clarita Valley and surrounding areas since the contracts were first approved around the turn of the century.

“It’s the BLM’s assessment that Cemex has not completed the necessary consultations and has not obtained all of the necessary approvals and permits to begin operations,” in a letter signed by James G. Kenna, state director for the Bureau of Land Management.

“Second, Cemex must comply with the Mitigation and Monitoring Program,” the letter continued, and “failed to exercise due diligence in fulfilling the terms of its two mineral sales contracts.”

The letter continues that conditions have changed since the original permits were granted, officials said.

“With the administration’s announcement, the equation has changed,” said Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-California. “It is clear there is broad agreement that Cemex should not mine in this populated area.”

Since the federal government initially sold the rights to mine Soledad Canyon — on land the city has since bought the surface rights to — there have been several changes: Traffic loads have changed; the San Gabriel National Monument, which is adjacent to the mining site, was designated in 2014; the environmental documents and any permits would no longer be valid; and the opposition to the mine has grown stronger as Santa Clarita’s population has grown.

Additionally, during the past 14 years, the BLM has supported Cemex in litigation and done nothing to stand in Cemex’s way, according to Kenna’s letter.

Due to all these circumstances, Cemex’s position in negotiations should be reconsidered, according to federal officials.