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| Monday, Jan 6, 2020
cemex megamine bill sb 797
Soledad Canyon mining area | Photo: SAFE Action for the Environment.

 

SACRAMENTO – In his first order of business for the 2020 legislative session, Senator Scott Wilk (R-Santa Clarita) has introduced Senate Bill 797, a measure that would give the public the opportunity to weigh in before the Cemex megamine can proceed.

“I have been committed to stopping this mining project for years and will continue that fight with Senate Bill 797,” said Wilk, who represents the 21st Senate District.

“The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) ruled last year that Cemex owes the government more than $25 million in ‘in lieu of’ production payments because the mega-mine never went into production,” Wilk said. “While it is another nail in the coffin, we want to use every tool in the shed to ensure this mining proposal is done for good.”

If passed and signed to law by the governor, SB 797 will re-open the public protest period on a State Water Resources Control Board application when a decision has not been made within 30 years from the megamine application’s original filing date.

“We can’t control what the federal government does, but we can impact how the state looks at these issues. A project of this magnitude should never be allowed to proceed after 30 years without allowing public comment,” Wilk said. “SB 797 will allow community members and locally elected officials the opportunity to make a case to state regulators as to why the Cemex megamine would be disastrous to the Santa Clarita Valley.”

SB 797 will be referred to the appropriate Senate policy committees for hearings in the coming months.

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3 Comments

  1. jim says:

    Wait just a minute…

    Didn’t we hear in this same forum that the combination of Feds, State & local agencies and interests had won the war against this massive gravel mine just east of Canyon Country?

    Hasn’t everybody who is anybody already jumped for joy and said it is dead?

    Have the new plans for hundreds of new homes just northeast of this marvel made it impossible?

    I guess not. So what exactly will this particular state-only bill do? Since it is up to the Feds to decide if the “mine” (aka mountains of gravel removal along Soledad Canyon Rd from the 14 crossing east and past Aqua Dulce Cyn Rd) will or will not go forward, what exactly will this bill, aka “SB797” do?

    Ahem, the above says it will allow for public comment on this already agreed upon plan. To what end? What the Heck does that ever mean when millions of dollars of profit are at stake?

    “Who’s runnin’ this thing, man?”*

    *Duane Allman of the Allman Bros Band at SUNY Stoneybrook, NY 9/19/71. I suggest you find that link/album and listen to the song “Dreams”.

    • SCVNews.com says:

      The BLM will cancel the contracts if mining hasn’t started by date-certain. Reopening the state’s comment period delays mining until (past) date-certain.

  2. Jim says:

    “Can I get a little Mike?”*

    Well maybe that is what Scott is talking about…

    *Duane Allman of the Allman Bros Band at SUNY Stoneybrook, NY 9/19/71. I suggest you find that link/album and listen to the song “Dreams”.

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