City asks about new dig
Tuesday, December 10, 2007
By Bethania Palma, Staff Writer
Article Launched: 12/10/2007 08:27:50 PM PST
AZUSA - The Planning Commission held off approving a mining company's annual report last month partly over concerns that the company might be operating outside its designated area of operation, officials said.
Although a city-appointed consultant said Vulcan Materials Company was "substantially" in compliance with its operating permit, planning commissioners expressed concern that an aerial photograph seemed to show activity outside mining boundaries.
The commission will bring Vulcan Materials Company representatives back Wednesday to address the issue before the report is accepted.
Vulcan Vice President Brian Ferris said since he has not seen the aerial picture, he could not respond directly.
"There's no mining that I'm aware of outside the boundaries," he said. "There really isn't much to say. We're in substantial compliance with our permit. That's the conclusion of the city's consultant."
Planning commissioner Jorge Rosales said aerial photos of the Azusa Rock quarry show disturbances beyond Vulcan's current 190-acre mining area.
"It looks like mining. It doesn't look like vegetation or roads," he said of the east side of the quarry.
On the west, he said, "they almost appear to be getting ready to move vehicles into the 80 acres."
Vulcan has been trying to mine 80 acres on the west side of its rock quarry property since 2005, but city officials maintain they must first obtain a conditional-use permit.
The company countered that they've owned the property with the intent to mine, giving them vested rights to the entire quarry.
The disagreement led to talk of litigation, but the company offered a compromise last month involving immediate reclamation on the east side of the property in exchange for mining the 80 acres on the west, with a permit.
City officials said they do not believe Vulcan is mining outside its boundaries.
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