World famous cement maker CEMEX, and the government of Santa Clarita, did not see eye- to-eye on the Soledad Canyon Project. In 2006, Santa Clarita government officials voiced their opposition the company’s proposal to mine sand and gravel from nearby Soledad Canyon.

But from CEMEX air quality’s perspective, Santa Clarita’s opposition runs counter to its county’s tremendous demand for sand and gravel. Annually, Los Angeles County demands sand and gravel, all 34 million tons of it, to build roads and public structures, but it makes only five million tons. In contrast, the CEMEX project would produce 69 million tons of the material.

Legally, the policies of CEMEX air quality are vindicated; the Soledad Canyon Project does not exceed the limits set by the Consent Decree. In a year, the CEMEX project would not produce more than five million tons.

Plus, the project falls under a mining zone set aside by the California government in 1987 as a “Regionally Significant Construction Aggregate Resource Area.” CEMEX’s mining site is located at the back of a mountain in the San Gabriel Valley, a mile away from residential areas in Valencia. Spread over 177 acres, the included a reclamation area, where workers replant trees.

To counter what the smear campaigns said, CEMEX environmental policies gave assurance that their project was not the biggest in the county. In fact, some nearby mines were significantly bigger.

Any noise caused by the influx of trucks to the area would be minimal. According to the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), the traffic flow of trucks going to and from the site upholds county guidelines. Furthermore, CEMEX promised to use no more than 20 trucks during peak evening hours.

In keeping with its corporate responsibility thrust, CEMEX pledged to create a special fund. At $2 million, it would enhance open spaces, trails, air quality, and traffic around the county. The company also pledged to donate $275,000 for local schools to buy buses that run on renewable fuel.

Post Author: guest

This entry was posted on Wednesday, October 21st, 2009 at 6:03 pm and is filed under Corporate News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.