header image

[Sign Up Now] to Receive Our FREE Daily SCVTV-SCVNews Digest by E-Mail

Inside
Weather


 
Calendar
Today in
S.C.V. History
March 28
1934 - Bouquet Canyon Reservoir, replacement for ill-fated St. Francis Dam & reservoir, begins to fill with water [story]
Bouquet Reservoir


| Tuesday, Nov 26, 2013

Gravel has been mined on a relatively small scale in Soledad Canyon for decades, as seen in this late-1960s photograph. If the BLM's plan holds, the mountains in the background would be gone in 50 years. | Click image to see more. (James Krause/SCVHistory.com)

[KHTS] – If you think a 56-million-ton “mega mine” in Soledad Canyon is a big deal, just wait.

The landscape of the Santa Clarita Valley would be altered forever if a federal agency’s 50-year plan to mine sand and gravel goes through, as presented in Senate testimony Wednesday.

Cemex owns two back-to-back mining contracts for Soledad Canyon, each 10 years in length, entitling the company to extract up to 78 million tons of earth to yield about 56 million tons of usable aggregate.

But that’s just the tip of the iceberg.

The canyon has the potential to produce 356 million tons of sand and gravel, meaning Cemex’ $28 million worth of contracts are a fraction of the land’s half-billion-dollar potential – an amount federal bureaucrats are hesitant to pass up to stop a new mine near Santa Clarita.

Moreover, the hundreds of millions of tons of gravel in Soledad Canyon will be needed for development over the next half-century, a federal official told the Senate last week, and Sen. Barbara Boxer’s proposed legislation, S.771, would take that away.

Steven A. Ellis, the BLM’s acting deputy director, was the only person – but an influential one – to speak in opposition to S.771 at the Senate subcommittee hearing.

Because S.771 cancels the future ability to mine the region, the legislation poses a real problem to the BLM.

 

The history

For more than a decade, Santa Clarita and Cemex officials have been trying to work out their differences over the company’s mining contracts.

Mining that much gravel would snarl traffic on Highway 14, hurt air quality, take away irreplaceable habitat and open space, and deplete “the quality of life for our citizens,” said Santa Clarita Mayor Bob Kellar.

“Fourteen years ago, when the environmental documents were released, the city of Santa Clarita began administratively and legally challenging the size and scope of the project,” Kellar testified.

From 1999 to 2006, the two sides engaged in “an aggressive legal and public relations battle,” and Santa Clarita spent more than $7 million to fight the mine before a truce was called in 2008.

Legislation has been introduced in each of the past six sessions of Congress, Kellar said, mostly to limit Cemex to “historic” mining levels. Much smaller amounts of sand and gravel have been mined in Soledad Canyon at least since the 1930s and are still being mined today.

S.771 is the latest product of the cooperative effort between the city and Cemex. Rather than just limiting mining, it calls for the cancellation of the mining contracts. In return, BLM land in Victorville would be sold, and the proceeds would be used to compensate Cemex.

For its part, a spokeswoman for the international mining conglomerate said, “Cemex wants to be a good neighbor” and is willing to accept cash in exchange for the contracts.

But in front of U.S. Senate Subcommittee on Public Lands, Forests and Mining, the BLM’s Ellis said his agency is unequivocally opposed to the bill.

 

Money and precedent

The issue for BLM officials extends beyond the 20-year length of the contracts, and also involves a troubling precedent, Ellis said.

“The (BLM) opposes S.771, which would use taxpayer funds and public resources to buy out valid contracts that the contract holder has not fulfilled,” he told the committee.

“The department is concerned about the precedent of buying out valid contracts with taxpayer funds, loss of royalties to the U.S. and state treasuries, and the sale of public lands to compensate a private entity,” he said.

The minimum royalties to the federal government from the two Cemex contracts total $28 million, based on the original 1989 bid amount of 50 cents per ton for 56 million tons.

Since the contracts require periodic reappraisal, that figure is likely to reach more than $100 million, Ellis said.

But federal revenues and precedents aside, there’s a greater concern to the BLM.

“The elimination of this aggregate deposit from use would result in a shortage of aggregate supplies to the northern Los Angeles County region,” Ellis said. “This region has a 50-year demand for 476 million tons of aggregate, with only 77 million tons of permitted aggregate resources … less than 10 years of aggregate supply.”

In other words, just 77 million tons are permitted for extraction now. Hundreds of millions more tons, not yet contracted out, will be needed in the not-too-distant future.

If mining in the region ceases per the terms of S.771, he said, the permitted supply of aggregate resource would drop to less than five years, and the bulky resource would need to be transported from greater distances.

 

The next step

“It’s our goal to reach a mutually beneficial decision, so we fully support (S.711),” said Sara Engdahl, director of communications for Cemex USA.

U.S. Rep. Howard “Buck” McKeon, R-Santa Clarita, termed the legislation the most important issue facing the Santa Clarita Valley, and the bill’s author pointedly referenced its bipartisan support.

“We are all united – the state of California, the city of Santa Clarita, (McKeon) and I are all united” in support of S.771, Boxer said. “It preserves a fragile, natural habitat, and it has the support of Cemex and Republicans and Democrats alike.”

The plan now, McKeon said, is to reach what legislators call a “zero score,” so that the bill costs taxpayers nothing.

To that end, the city of Santa Clarita has agreed to pay if there is a difference between the value of the San Bernardino County lands and the value of the mining contracts.

“To date, Cemex has elected not to fulfill its valid, existing contract obligations in deference to the city of Santa Clarita’s concerns,” Ellis acknowledged.

But that’s likely to change if S.771 doesn’t make it to the floor of the Senate, officials said.

“If we cannot bring closure to the issue during this session, Cemex has indicated that they will have no choice but to go forward and obtain the final permits leading to mining of the site,” Kellar told the Senate subcommittee.

“Many years of cooperation and trust will be lost,” he said, “and more importantly, the community will be changed forever with the establishment of large-scale mining.”

Comment On This Story
COMMENT POLICY: We welcome comments from individuals and businesses. All comments are moderated. Comments are subject to rejection if they are vulgar, combative, or in poor taste.
REAL NAMES ONLY: All posters must use their real individual or business name. This applies equally to Twitter account holders who use a nickname.

0 Comments

You can be the first one to leave a comment.

Leave a Comment


SCV NewsBreak
LOCAL NEWS HEADLINES
Wednesday, Mar 27, 2024
California Launches New Youth Suicide Prevention Campaign
The California Department of Public Health launched the “Never a Bother” campaign, a youth suicide prevention public awareness and outreach campaign for youth, young adults, and their parents, caregivers, and allies.
Wednesday, Mar 27, 2024
April 20: Santa Clarita Master Chorale’s Cabaret, Cabernet Fundraiser
The Santa Clarita Master Chorale invites the community to "Let the Sunshine In," a delightful evening of food, wine and song at the annual Cabaret & Cabernet fundraising benefit.
Wednesday, Mar 27, 2024
Schiavo Introduces Bill to Prohibit ‘Derogatory’ School Mascot Names
California State Assemblywoman Pilar Schiavo (D-Chatsworth) and Assemblyman James Ramos (D-Highland) have introduced AB 3074 the "School or athletic team names: California Racial Mascots Act."
Keep Up With Our Facebook

Latest Additions to SCVNews.com
1934 - Bouquet Canyon Reservoir, replacement for ill-fated St. Francis Dam & reservoir, begins to fill with water [story]
Bouquet Reservoir
The California Department of Public Health launched the “Never a Bother” campaign, a youth suicide prevention public awareness and outreach campaign for youth, young adults, and their parents, caregivers, and allies.
California Launches New Youth Suicide Prevention Campaign
The Santa Clarita Master Chorale invites the community to "Let the Sunshine In," a delightful evening of food, wine and song at the annual Cabaret & Cabernet fundraising benefit.
April 20: Santa Clarita Master Chorale’s Cabaret, Cabernet Fundraiser
The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health cautions residents who are planning to visit the below Los Angeles County beaches to avoid swimming, surfing, and playing in ocean waters:
March 27 Ocean Water Warning
As an integral ingredient necessary to help the Santa Clarita Valley to flourish, feedback from the business community is the secret sauce for achieving great things.
SCVEDEC Asks For the Business Community’s Opinion on Santa Clarita
Raise your heart rate while raising funds for the Santa Clarita Sister Cities Dollars-for-Desks campaign to provide school desks for students in Sariaya, Santa Clarita's Sister City in the Philippines.
April 13: Sister Cities Zumba-thon Fundraiser
Remo, Inc. is is the world's leading manufacturer and developer of synthetic drumheads and shells. They’ve been in business for 60 years
SCVEDC Company Spotlight: Drumming Up Big Business with Remo, Inc.
California State Assemblywoman Pilar Schiavo (D-Chatsworth) and Assemblyman James Ramos (D-Highland) have introduced AB 3074 the "School or athletic team names: California Racial Mascots Act."
Schiavo Introduces Bill to Prohibit ‘Derogatory’ School Mascot Names
Los Angeles County’s Justice, Care and Opportunities Department  in collaboration with Local Initiatives Support Corporation Los Angeles is proud to announce the 2nd Annual Pitch Competition for the cohorts of JCOD's Incubation Academy.
March 28: JCOD Incubation Academy Helps Grassroots Non-Profits For the Second Year
Children’s Bureau is seeking foster families and now offers two virtual ways for individuals and/or couples to learn how to help children in foster care while reunifying with birth families or how to provide legal permanency by adoption.
April 18: Children’s Bureau Hosts Virtual Orientation
The Sunburst track was constructed in 1887 by the Southern Pacific Railroad and was a part of the main line running between San Francisco and Los Angeles.
Enjoy Spring With a Ride On The Sunburst Track
California State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond hosted a Personal Finance Summit today where he announced his support for Assembly Bill 2927 (McCarty), legislation that would require a personal finance education course for California high school graduation.
State Superintendent Announces Support for Personal Finance Graduation Requirement
1847 - Probable birth date of Pico Canyon oil driller Charles Alexander Mentry [story]
C.A. Mentry
The first Music Jam Session at The MAIN was held on Thursday, Feb. 22 and was a hit. Come out and join in for the next one on Thursday, March 28 7 p.m.-9 p.m.
March 28: The MAIN to Host Musicians’ Jam Session
Los Angeles County Inspector General Max Huntsman of the Office of Inspector General has issued a report entitled "Tenth Report Back on Implementing Body-Worn Cameras in Los Angeles County."
Office of Inspector General Issues Latest Report on LASD Body Cams
College of the Canyons women's tennis played to a convincing 7-2 conference win over Ventura College on Moica to strengthen its potential playoff resume.
Canyons Closes Out Ventura 7-2 in Final Home Match
Join the Santa Clarita Valley Chamber of Commerce with the Latino Business Alliance at the Cinco de Mayo Networking Celebration on Tuesday, May 7.
May 7: Latino Business Alliance Cinco de Mayo Celebration
The Los Angeles County Department of Animal Care and Control is hosting March Meowness promotion where all cat adoptions are just $15 from now until April 9.
Adopt a Cat During March Meowness at Castaic Animal Center
California State University, Northridge is partnering with the Fernandeño Tataviam Band of Mission Indians and the Tataviam Land Conservancy to battle the impact of climate change in disadvantaged communities throughout the San Fernando Valley by establishing “urban forests.”
CSUN Partners with Fernandeño Tataviam Band to Build Urban Forests
Join the Santa Clarita Artists Association on Monday, April 15, 6:30-8:30 p.m. at Barnes and Noble, 23630 Valencia Blvd., Valencia, CA 91355, for the SCAA monthly meeting and guest demonstrator.
April 15: SCAA Presents Debbie Abshear Watercolor Demo
Residents are invited to join members of the Santa Clarita City Council for a special ribbon-cutting ceremony to celebrate the addition of Santa Clarita's 38th park, Skyline Ranch Park, 18355 Skyline Ranch Road, Santa Clarita, CA 91351, to the Santa Clarita parks system on Saturday, April 6, at 10 a.m.
April 6: Grand Opening for Santa Clarita’s 38th Park
The Santa Clarita Valley Senior Center is preparing for the annual fundraising event, Celebrity Waiter, with the theme “California Dreamin’” on Saturday, April 27 at Bella Vida, 27180 Golden Valley Road, Santa Clarita, CA 91351.
Table Sponsorships Still Available for Celebrity Waiter Dinner
Springtime in Santa Clarita brings not only vibrant blooms and opportunities to embrace the outdoors with warmer weather, but also an array of free, family-friendly events and this Saturday is no exception.
Ken Striplin | A Fun, Festive, Egg-Filled Day
SCVNews.com