FRESNO COUNTY, Calif. (KMJ/KFSN) — A mining company on the San Joaquin River wants a long-term commitment from Fresno County.
CEMEX is located on Friant Road near Willow Avenue and is proposing to extend mining operations for the next 100 years.
On Thursday, the San Joaquin River Parkway and Conservation Trust hosted the first of two meetings, inviting the public to share their thoughts on the possible extension.
The company’s proposal calls for utilizing hard rock mining blasting and drilling a 600-foot deep pit.
According to its website, CEMEX is a global building materials company specializing in creating custom ready-mix concrete.
Since the project’s DEIR was released in January, the nonprofit has facilitated these community meetings to educate those on submitting letters for public comment to the County’s Senior Planner.
Close to 30 people attended Thursday’s meeting, sharing one of the biggest concerns: the noise from the hard rock blasting along the San Joaquin River.
“It’ll be like being in a war zone,” said John Telles.
Others say it comes down to geography.
“We need aggregate. I don’t have any problem with that. This is the wrong location. We don’t need it from this hole,” explained Neil Thompson, a retired architect, contractor, and developer.
“Most of the environmental projects that are happening that disseminate our natural area happen in Latino communities,” said Pedro Hernandez, a public lands advocate with Green Latinos,
“So, it’s really important to protect one of the few natural areas that we have left.”
One of the issues highlighted is mitigating the footprint left behind by a 100-year mining project.
It’s an expansion that could leave more answers than questions.
“Is there going to be noise from that? Is there going to be debris flying in all directions?” asked Fresno County Supervisor Nathan Magsig.
“Is there going to be a lot of pollutants that are going to be released?”
In a statement, CEMEX told KMJ’s News Partner, ABC30 Action News that it is “also committed to environmental restoration and wildlife protection through its reclamation plan for the site.”
That includes planned parkway trails and planting native vegetation once the site’s supply of hard rock is depleted.
“If this project goes on for 100 years, not even children, or grandchildren are going to see that happen and what assurance do we have that that will actually happen?” asked Sharon Weaver with the San Joaquin River Parkway and Conservation Trust.
“Based upon the answers in that EIR, and how the monitoring is going to take place, how impacts are going to be mitigated, is going to really be the determining factor on how I vote,” said Magsig.
On Monday, 30,000 postcards were mailed to those living along the traffic corridor who will be most impacted by the high truck traffic from this project.
“We would like to do something different in Fresno,” said Weaver.
“Haven’t we turned the corner and we want to be known for better things — green spaces, good community rather than blight?”
The next meeting at the San Joaquin River Parkway and Conservation Trust is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. on Friday.
This is the only stage in the process of the project where the County is required to respond and address those public comments.
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