Azusa Quarry Expansion Fails to Gain Approval, but Reconsideration Likely

On May 17, in a dramatic meeting that lasted until midnight, the Azusa City Council finally voted on the controversial proposal by Vulcan Materials Company to expand its Azusa Rock Quarry westward immediately adjacent to the City of Duarte. After an initial 3-2 vote to certify the Environmental Impact Report, the Council then voted 2-3 not to approve the modified conditional use permit (CUP) that would make the expansion possible.

Councilman Uriel Macias was the swing vote, voting to approve the EIR but not the CUP. He, Mayor Joe Rocha and Councilman Robert Gonzales expressed several concerns about the proposal, including the adverse visual impact of destroying Van Tassel Ridge above Duarte, the relatively low level of revegetation survival proposed by Vulcan in using an untried microbenching technique on mined slopes, and Vulcan's weak financial performance guarantees.

However Councilman Macias said he was open to considering Vulcan's CUP application if it were modified, and he has since submitted a list of revised environmental and financial conditions for Vulcan's consideration. At the June 7 City Council meeting, he asked for reconsideration of the proposal in light of his recommended changes. At its June 21 meeting the City Council directed city staff to prepare a report for did vote to hold another public , the item may be scheduled for a new vote at the Council's July 5 or July 19 meeting.

The Sierra Club's San Gabriel Valley Task force will continue to oppose any proposal that reduces or defaces Van Tassel Ridge or causes further desecration to Fish Canyon, which has already been drastically modified by previous mining. The Task Force will also seek to increase public access through the quarry property to the stream-side trail leading to Fish Canyon Falls, a prized and heavily used destination for hikers of all ages. After nine years of tireless battle, the Coyote Hills Task Force experiences victory. photo by shirley gregg