News release
Rep. George Whitesides, D-Agua Dulce, has introduced the Containing Effects of Mining Extraction (CEMEx) Act, which would address the potential harms caused by large-scale mining operations near populated areas, according to a news release from the congressman’s office.
Cemex, a building materials company headquartered in Mexico, purchased mining rights just east of Santa Clarita in 1990, and its plan to mine 56 million tons of aggregate from Soledad Canyon has sparked outrage from community members and decades of opposition from the city of Santa Clarita.
The planned Santa Clarita mine could cause additional noise, water, and air pollution in the city, as construction and operation would use a significant amount of water and resources, Whitesides’ release said.
The legislation would create new federal standards for mining extraction projects, requiring a series of assessments, management, and conservation plans before construction could be approved, the release said. It would directly address the community’s concerns and ensure any potential mine is developed responsibly and with input from impacted residents, according to the release.
“We expect a level of transparency when it comes to major developments and construction projects that will impact the surrounding community, and Santa Clarita residents deserve to know how their lives will be affected by Cemex’s proposed mining operation,” Whitesides said in the release. “My bill will ensure that their plan – and any other future developments – will not disrupt local roads and pollute essential waterways that communities depend on. In Congress, I’ll keep pushing to make sure residents in our area are heard, for this and any future mining operations.”
In the release, Santa Clarita Mayor Laurene Weste applauded Whitesides’ legislation.
“The city of Santa Clarita has advocated for over three decades to protect Soledad Canyon from a proposed large-scale mining project,” Weste said in the release. “The ‘Containing Effects of Mineral Extraction Act of 2026’ is a critical piece of legislation to that effort, establishing a set of new federal requirements for mining contractors that have projects within a close proximity to cities or areas of critical environmental concern. I commend Congressman Whitesides for his work on this legislation and prioritizing such an important issue for those living in the Santa Clarita Valley. I remain committed in our fight to protect our vast open space areas, natural resources, and wildlife corridors that have become synonymous with who we are as a city. I look forward to continuing to work with the congressman and the rest of our federal delegation to ultimately secure enactment of this critically important legislation.”
Andrew G. Fried, president of Safe Action for the Environment, an organization formed to oppose the mine, echoed the sentiment.
“In the mid-1980s, the state of California designated a corridor following the Santa Clara River Watershed as a Regionally Significant Construction Aggregate Resource Area, setting the stage for what has become the biggest environmental and political challenge the Santa Clarita Valley has ever encountered,” Fried said in Whitesides’ release. “In 1991 Transit Mixed Concrete Co., now CEMEX, executed two 10-year contracts with the Bureau of Land Management to mine 56.1 million tons of sand and gravel over a 460-acre site and an additional 40 acres for concrete processing facilities … (Whitesides) understands the extensive problems with the project including significant air quality and major traffic issues, combined with water requirements created by mining in the middle of a drought-affected growing community. Therefore, SAFE appreciates and fully supports the new legislation introduced by Congressman Whitesides designed to protect the health and well-being of the entire Santa Clarita Valley and surrounding communities.”
If signed into law, the Containing Effects of Mining Extraction (CEMEx) Act would:
- Require companies to work with state and local agencies on a haul route impact assessment and trip management plan.
- Mandate that companies measure ways in which hauling could negatively impact the environment through debris and emissions.
- Order the creation of a water use and conservation plan that ensures a “net-zero” water impact on the local community.
- Ensure that applicants demonstrate they will implement submitted plans, coordinate with local governments in good faith, and obtain the necessary water rights.
