Our View: The dust from the San Gabriels
Posted: 06/29/2009 05:40:01 PM PDT
DURING the race for two Azusa City Council seats last March, two incumbents - the ultimate winners - declined to give their positions on, or even address, the plan by Vulcan Materials to shift mining operations from the east to the west side of San Gabriel Canyon.
The lack of candor from City Council members Keith Hanks and Robert Gonzales is indicative of the troublesome nature of the permitting process for a project that will have a wide effect on Azusa residents and a more direct effect on Duarte residents.
It's also one that affects all residents of the San Gabriel Valley who gaze upon the beautiful San Gabriels.
There's nothing unusual about Vulcan Materials submitting mining plans through the Azusa Planning Commission and, we hope, the Azusa City Council. That is the process. But we would contend this process is flawed because it treats the project as local instead of as what it is - a truly regional issue. With the borders of two cities so close, and the regional implications of mining the entrance to a federal recreation area in play, a one-city vote seems inadequate.
First, Duarte residents would be most affected by a plan to mine aggregate - gravel and rocks - from 80 acres of untouched canyon located west of the mining company's current operations. The new spot is much closer to Duarte homes than Azusa homes. Yet Duarte residents and the Duarte City Council do not have a vote in the process. Second, Azusa could gain financially from an approval. It could conceivably see an increase in revenues from its per-ton mining tax. And it would save money on legal fees from an inevitable legal challenge if the City Council voted against the plan.
Already, there appears to be a broadening of opposition to Vulcan's plans. The grass-roots group Save Our Canyon now includes people from both Duarte and Azusa. It is challenging Vulcan's assertions that this would benefit the canyon's environment by obscuring any new mining footprint. In addition, the city of Duarte has set aside $750,000 to fight Vulcan, which includes suing the company if necessary.
There's no doubt that local residents and the city of Duarte are serious about stopping Vulcan. But before we see this matter end up in court, we'd like to see an opening up of the process to include broader use of the California Environmental Quality Act. All San Gabriel Valley residents should be paying attention to required environmental reports of the don't-call-it-an-expansion by Vulcan. And these reports should be widely distributed. We agree with Duarte City Manager Darrell George, who told our reporter last week: "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 the project."
Some of those questions are: What kind of air pollution effects will new mining have? What are the health effects? How will new mining operations be better or more hidden and less seriously ugly than the existing mining scars known as the "Mayan steps?" As part of a required "no project" alternative, can Vulcan be bought out of its site or perhaps agree to mine a different parcel outside the San Gabriel Valley as part of a land swap?
There are many questions left unanswered. Only an extended period of time to examine such a potentially detrimental project to our environment and our region can begin to create a clearer picture or present reasonable alternatives.
All information and images provided by Save Our Canyon
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