A hearing for Senate Bill 520, authored by Sen. Scott Wilk, R-Santa Clarita, was canceled by Wilk last month.

The bill would allow the public to comment on large mining projects — like the proposed CEMEX sand and gravel mine in Soledad Canyon, which had its water-appropriation permit application filed with the State Water Resources Control Board more than 30 years ago — before the board reaches a decision on the application.

Originally scheduled for a hearing before the Assembly Committee on Water, Parks and Wildlife on June 17, the bill is now set for a hearing in January, according to a prepared statement from Wilk’s office.

“In the meantime, I am closely monitoring the status of the federal litigation regarding CEMEX’s mining contracts as this is an issue that directly impacts residents of Santa Clarita,” said Wilk in a prepared statement, noting the bill passed the Senate without dissenting votes.

In 2019, CEMEX, an international mining company, filed a lawsuit seeking to restore its federal contracts for sand and gravel mining.

The case is still in federal court where it awaits a ruling from Judge Carl J. Nichols.