Save Our Canyon

1
Save Our Canyon

• Citizens Opposed to
• Vulcan Materials Company
• Azusa Rock Quarry
• Mining Expansion Plan

2
Purpose of Meeting

• Information about Azusa Rock Quarry mining and
  proposed expansion
• Reclamation concerns
• Health concerns
• What can I do?

PROPOSED EXPANSION
PROPOSED EXPANSION
CURRENT OPEN PIT MINE
3
Save Our Canyon

• Information on Proposed Mining Expansion

4
History of Azusa Rock Mining

• Azusa City Council approved mining operations in
  1956 (Resolution 3546)
• In Sept. 1988 Azusa Rock applied for a special
  use permit, which the Planning Commission
  recommended be revoked (Resolution 2602)
• However, the Azusa City Council approved the
  current conditional use permit (CUP) (Resolution
  8553)
• Azusa Rock purchase by Vulcan Materials in 1999
• Renewal of CUP (pending approval of compliance to
  plan) slated for 2013
• Operations to be completed by 2038

5
Current Azusa Rock Proposal

• Request to expand CUP from 190 acres to 270 acres
  (land owned by Azusa Rock/Vulcan Materials)
• Discontinuation of mining on the east side of
  the quarry (but only partially!)
• New reclamation plans for Fish Creek and all
  mined areas
• East side easement of 6.16 acres of APN
  8684-008-014 (disturbed area)

6
Location of Azusa Rock Quarry
ANGELES NATIONAL FOREST
PROJECT SITE
Bradbury
Duarte
Glendora
Azusa
Covina
Irwindale
7
Azusa Rock Site
Source Google Earth
8
Propose Expansion (From East)
Expansion (80 Acres)
DUARTE
Current Boundary (190 Acres)
AZUSA
Source Google Earth
9
Propose Expansion (From West)
Current Boundary (190 Acres)
AZUSA
Expansion (80 Acres)
DUARTE
Source Google Earth
10
Swap ? 80 Acres!
64ac.
Source Figure 15, Mining Plan, page 61.
11
Azusa Rock Quarry
East Side
West Side
12
East Side Reclamation
Source Vulcan Materials
13
East Side Reclamation
14
East Side Reclamation
Cut
1,378,300 CYD excess 2,756,600 tons of
overburden
Fill
This reconstruction will require a significant
amount of earthwork that may appear to the
layperson to be mining, but is not. Mining Plan,
page 73.
15
2009 Proposed Mining Expansion West Side
16
2009 Proposed Mining Expansion West Side West ?
East
11.2 Slope
11.5 Slope
West ? East
17
2009 Proposed Mining Expansion West Side
18
2009 Proposed Mining Expansion West Side South ?
North
11.5 Slope
11.1 Slope
South ? North
19
Why is Vulcan Willing to Give Up the East Side
Mining?

• Azusa Rock has already removed a large amount of
  rock from the east side
• Additional mining of the east side would require
  removal of huge amounts of overburden

20
Comparison of West and East Side Mining
West Side
East Side
20,000,000 tons rock
105,000,000 tons rock
21
CUP Boundary Violations
22
Mining Boundary Excursions
23
CUP Boundary Violations
24
CUP Boundary Violations
Source Background, Revise Conditional Use
Permit, Page 23.
25
CUP Boundary Violations
Source Background, Revise Conditional Use
Permit, Page 23.
26
Esthetics
27
Save Our Canyon

• Reclamation Concerns

28
Fish Creek Restoration
Restored
Natural
Source Azusa Rock Quarry Update, Vulcan
Materials Company, June 2005.
29
Can Vulcan Materials Reclaim Fish Canyon as
Proposed?
Source Vulcan Materials Community Meeting,
Vulcan Materials Company, January 2009.
30
Question 2005Has Vulcan Done Micro-Benching?

• Answer No!

Question 2009Has Vulcan Done Micro-Benching?

• Answer Caltrans has!

31
Can Vulcan Materials Reclaim Fish Canyon as
Proposed?
Source Annual Review (Calendar Year 2004) of
Azusa Rock Quarry, January 26, 2005.
32
Can Vulcan Materials Reclaim Fish Canyon as
Proposed?
Source Annual Review (Calendar Year 2004) of
Azusa Rock Quarry, January 26, 2005.
33
Can Vulcan Materials Reclaim Fish Canyon as
Proposed?

• Jim Gore, Vulcan's project manager, said the
  company will not do the additional reclamation
  work, called sculpting, unless we get something
  for it.

Source Emanuel Parker, Vulcan draws Duarte's
ire San Gabriel Valley Tribune April 26, 2005
34
Fish Canyon Falls Trail
80 Acre Expansion
35
Trail Problem
AZUSA
Current Trail
New Trail
The preliminary alternatives tests created by
VMC indicate that a reasonably close relationship
to the existing trail can be achieved, which
would still provide a rich experience for the
recreational trail user.
However, this rich experience would probably
add at least another mile to the trail, plus 500
feet of switchbacks
DUARTE
36
Endangered Species Potentially Found in Fish
Canyon
Southwestern Willow Flycatcher Empidonax traillii
extimus
Least Bell's Vireo (Vireo bellii pusillus)
Cooper's Hawk Accipiter cooperii
Rufous-crowned SparrowAimophila ruficeps
canescens
Mountain yellow-legged frogRana muscosa
37
Does Vulcan Care for Azusa?
In order to breach the
impasse and facilitate the mining of the western
80 acre site, Vulcan has discussed entering into
a Development Agreement with the City which
would allow mining of the site with certain
conditions to be agreed upon by Vulcan and the
City. Vulcan's proposed conditions for a
Development Agreement include Vulcan voluntarily
agreeing to cease raining the eastern 80 acres of
the Property in exchange for the City's
confirmation of Vulcan's rights to mine the
western 80 acre site. Notwithstanding the
discussions, the City has failed to negotiate a
Development Agreement with Vulcan.
The City's long delay in making any
decision concerning Vulcan's vested rights
to mine the western 80 acre site is highly
prejudicial to Vulcan, which has been unable to
proceed with its intended mining activities.
Vulcan therefore requests an immediate resolution
of this matter by the City. If the City fails to
timely reach a decision concerning Vulcan's
rights to mine, Vulcan will be forced to bring a
legal action seeking, among other things, a
judicial declaration of its rights to mine the
entirety of the Property including the western 80
acre site without conditions. A Limited
Liability Law Partnership Including Professional
Corporations / Los Angeles San
Francisco 5097523x1
38
What Does Azusa Get?
70,000
Over the last 8 years Vulcan has paid only
44,000 in mining taxes Cemex has paid the city
over 5.7 million during that same period
60,000
50,000
40,000
Mining Tax Paid
30,000
20,000
10,000
0
1988
1990
1992
1994
1996
1998
2000
2002
2004
2006
2008
39
Save Our Canyon

• Health Concerns

40
Population Centers Near Quarry
41
Population Centers Near Quarry
Duarte
42
Population Centers Near Quarry
Population Centers Near Quarry
Mountain Cove, Azusa
43
Population Centers Near Quarry
Population Centers Near Quarry
Azusa
44
Solis/Waxman Congressional Report
1. Identify and quantify the specific pollutants
released to the air and water from the mining
operations
2. Provide all available monitoring data
regarding air and water quality in the area
3. Describe any air and water permit
requirements applicable to the mining operations
and the operations compliance with such
requirements and
4. Estimate the cumulative exposures of
residents of the identified area from all sources
of air and water pollution in the area, and
specifically from releases associated with gravel
mining operations.
45
Solis/Waxman Report
Environmental Effects of Gravel Mining in
Irwindale,CA Basic Information Is Not Available
to Assess Health and Environmental Risks to the
Community
It appears likely that the mining operations (in
the Azusa-Irwindale area) contribute
significantly to air pollution in Irwindale and
neighboring communities. But an accurate,
comprehensive risk assessment of the effects of
the gravel mining operations is currently not
possible given the available data
people most directly affected by the gravel
mining operations do not have access to any
meaningful health and environmental information
about a dominant industry in their community
Data on pollutant releases from the mining
operations to the air, surface water, and ground
water does not exist, was not provided, or is
outdated.
Moreover, an average citizen or community
group would be unlikely to have access, expertise
and time to conduct an investigation. . .
Many of the mining operations do not appear to
be required to report their air emissions
Many of the mining operations do not
hold environmental permits
There appears to be little direct monitoring
46
A Familiar Sight
47
A Familiar Sight
48
A Familiar Sight
49
A Familiar Sight
50
A Familiar Sight
51
Reliance Rock Dust
52
Air Resources Board PM10
PM10 consists of particles less than 10 microns
in diameter about 1/7th the thickness of a
human hair.
PM10 has been connected to asthma, bronchitis and
other lung diseases.
Children, the elderly, and those suffering from
asthma and bronchitis are especially vulnerable.
53
NRDC Particulate Pollution FAQs
More than two dozen community health studies have
linked particulate pollution to reductions in
lung function, increased hospital and emergency
room admissions, and premature deaths.
54
AQMD Air Pollution Children
Children spend more time outdoors than adults,
especially during periods when air pollution is
at its highest.
Children take in more air per unit body weight
than adults.
Over 12,000 students attend school daily in Azusa.
55
American Lung Association
Fine particles are easily inhaled deeply in the
lungs A recent study showed a 17 increase in
mortality risk in areas with higher
concentrations of small particles.
Recent research has also linked exposure to
relatively low concentrations of particulate
matter with premature death.
56
Monitoring Particulates

• South Coast Air Quality Management (SCAQMD) is
  monitors air quality around the mining
  operations.
• Two particulate sizes are monitored 10 mm and
  2.5 mm.
• PM10/PM2.5 levels in are available to the public
  at the California Air Resource Board website
  (www.arb.ca.gov).
• SCAQMD has a monitoring station in Azusa (803 N.
  Loren Ave).

57
Daily 24-Hour PM10 Data
100
80
60
Particulate Matter (mg/m3)
40
20
0
2008
2005
2006
2007
Air Resources Board website, 6/4/2009
58
Daily 24-Hour PM2.5 Data
PM
Data for Duarte and Azusa
2.5
60
50
40
30
Particulate Matter (mg/m3)
20
10
0
2008
2005
2006
2007
Air Resources Board website, 6/4/2009
59
Silica Causes Cancer
60
Vulcan Material Data Safety Sheet
repeated overexposures to very high levels of
respirable crystalline silica (quartz,
cristobalite, tridymite) for periods as short as
six months have caused acute silicosis.
Acute silicosis is a rapidly progressive lung
disease that is typically fatal.
61
OSHA Crytalline Silica Exposure
Chronic/classic silicosis, the most common,
occurs after 15-20 years of moderate exposures to
respirable silica.
62
SaveOurCanyon.org
63
What Can I do?

• Sign our online petition (SaveOurCanyon.org)
• Help us gather signatures in our neighborhood
  petition drive
• Write a letter/send an email to members of the
  Azusa City Council
• Write a letter to the editor
• Host a house party (Azusa preferred)