Rep. Steve Knight (CA-25) this week declared victory for his constituents in a prolonged fight against CEMEX which resulted in the cancellation of the firm’s mining contracts in the Santa Clarita Valley.
A proposed aggregate mine in Soledad Canyon was resisted by many in the community for about two decades; the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has annulled the contracts, essentially halting mining in the area.
“Today marks a major victory for our community, which we have fought for many years,” Knight said.
Knight has been a long-standing opponent of the mine. While in the state legislature, he joined the city of Santa Clarita, U.S. Sens. Barbara Boxer and Diane Feinstein and other leaders in the community in supporting legislative and regulatory efforts to block the mine. Once on Capitol Hill, Knight led a federal effort to solve the issue, working with the BLM and the Army Corps of Engineers to have the Mexican-based company’s contracts canceled, even threatening legislative action, if necessary.
“Preventing CEMEX from breaking ground on this mine has been my top priority since I took office,” Knight continued. “After eight months, I can proudly say that we have reached a turning point that was almost unheard of just a year ago.
Knight’s 25th Congressional district includes communities throughout the Antelope, Santa Clarita and Simi valleys.
