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May 30, 2007
PLANNING COMMISSION POSTPONES
VOTE ON DIAMOND ROCK MINE
More Than One
Hundred Concerned Residents and
Forest Users Attend Hearing, Demand a Ban on Turning
Scenic Highway 33 into an Industrial Trucking Route
Santa Maria, Calif. - Today, the Santa Barbara County
Planning Commission decided to postpone its vote on the proposed
Diamond Rock Sand and Gravel Mine. The mine, if approved, could
send as many as 138 gravel truck trips per day on Scenic Highway
33 through the heart of the Los Padres National Forest.
A standing-room only crowd of more than 160 concerned residents
attended the hearing, many of them arriving by bus from Ojai.
They urged the commissioners to ban truck traffic on this
dangerous, narrow, winding mountain road, and to adopt strong
monitoring and enforcement procedures in the event that the ban
is violated.
But at the end of the day, the Commissioners decided to postpone
any decision on the mine until July 11, giving the decision
makers additional time to consider the project. Over the next
few weeks, the County will work to revise the Environmental
Impact Report ("EIR") and possibly make other changes to the
proposal.
A truck emerges from one of
three tunnels near Wheeler Gorge
in the Los Padres National Forest. Photo © LPFW, Inc.
During the hearing, ForestWatch provided a formal presentation
to the Planning Commission. Our presentation summarized the
findings of our three-month study on truck safety on Highway 33,
including photos and police reports of 22 truck accidents that
have occurred on the Scenic Highway over the past few years.
Because of the overwhelming amount of public opposition to
additional trucks on Scenic Highway 33, the County proposed to
ban all trucks through the forest and Ojai. However, the ban
contained several loopholes. ForestWatch and others at the
hearing urged the Commission to adopt a permanent and meaningful
ban on truck traffic on Scenic Highway 33, and to improve the
EIR to reflect the dangers involved in turning this narrow road
into an industrial trucking route. We also demanded that
monitoring and enforcement begin immediately, not at some
indefinite time in the future, as proposed by the County.
Other organizations providing formal presentations included the
Stop the Trucks Coalition, an Ojai-based group consisting of
representatives from the City of Ojai, Ojai Chamber of Commerce,
the Ojai Unified School District, the Ojai Valley Board of
Realtors, and local residents and business owners. Also, several
residents near the mine site in the Cuyama Valley explained how
the mines and trucks would affect their rural quality of life.
Ventura County Supervisor Steve Bennett also presented testimony
at the hearing.
What's Next
The County will
spend the next several weeks making changes to the EIR in
response to public comments. A revised final EIR will be
released before the July 11 hearing.
ForestWatch will
continue to monitor this proposal and to demand a permanent ban
on new truck traffic through the heart of the Los Padres
National Forest.
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