Azusa community group officially opposes mining plan for San Gabriel Canyon
By Daniel Tedford, Staff Writer
Posted: 06/21/2009 07:04:45 AM PDT
View from the top of the Reliance/Azuza Rock plant at
the base of the San Gabriel Mountains. Vulcan Material's
plans are to start an extensive resurfacing and
reclamation project on the site. (SGVN/Photo by Angelica
Chong)AZUSA - A group opposed to mining in the San Gabriel Canyon formally laid out its argument this week against a plan to take rocks out of the canyon's west side.
Leaders of Save Our Canyon say officials from Vulcan Materials, an aggregate company, are distorting facts to dig more material out of the mountain.
"Basically, we are concerned because some of the information presented is actually not true at all," said Save Our Canyon spokesman Richard Deem.
Vulcan said the allegations are untrue and that all the facts will come out in the government-mandated review process.
"We dispute (Deem's statements)," said Vulcan spokesman Todd Priest.
Vulcan has permission to mine 80 acres on the east side of the canyon, but they claim they have not started mining in that area yet and want to abandon the plan. They are seeking permission to instead mine 80 acres on the canyon's west side.
In return for permission to move west, Vulcan would mine only 2-foot benches instead of the 40-foot-tall benches it currently uses. The small benches leave far less scarring and are easily concealed by plants, Vulcan officials say.
The application to Azusa is currently in the environmental review stage and is being watched closely by elected officials in neighboring Duarte.
Leaders of Save Our Canyon said Vulcan already mined part of the east canyon and that company officials are trying to mine aggregate from both sides.
"The issue is that there is going to be a whole lot more mining coming out from the west than (Vulcan) would get just continuing their current mining. I would rather have (Vulcan) doing it where they are now because it is not going to be as visible."
Vulcan officials say the company has not mined the east side and that any apparent scarring is from a rock slide.1
"There will be a visual improvement on both sides under the plan. Once people learn the facts of the plans through the public process, the people will see the benefits," he said.
Azusa City Council members have been instructed by the City Attorney not to comment on the application.
Officials in neighboring Duarte said they are concerned with the visual blight and environmental impacts of mining the west side of the canyon, which faces Duarte.
"We just want all the T's to be crossed and I's dotted every step of the way along this process and we will make sure of that," said Duarte City Manager Darrell George. "There is just a lot of information that needs to surface regarding this process and we want to make sure they are up front with every detail of their project."
daniel.tedford@sgvn.com (626) 962-8811, Ext. 2730
References
- This claim is a lie and is even contradicted by their own publications. See What is the Extent of Expansion of the Azusa Rock Quarry Plan? for more information.
All information and images provided by Save Our Canyon
(626) 629-8335
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