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The Honorable Board of Supervisors
June 2, 2004
Page 4

surface portion of the Project site is now owned by Santa Clarita. The sub-surface mineral
rights are owned by the United States under management of the SLM. The Lang Station area
in proximity to the subject property consists of other existing mining and industrial operations.
Santa Clarita is situated approximately one and one-half miles northwest of the Project site.
The nearest existing residential development to the Project site lies in unincorporated territory
approximately one mile from the site boundary.

The mining proposal underwent a dual federal/county review process, since environmental
and project approvals are required by both the SLM and the County. The SLM issued its
approvals of the federal environmental document and its Record of Decision (the federal
entitlement) for the Project in 2000.

The Los Angeles County Regional Planning Commission ("Commission") conducted a series
of public hearing sessions on the mining proposal and received testimony on April 21, 1999,
July 14, 1999, September 22, 1999, and December 1, 1999. The Commission unanimously
voted to deny the surface mining permit application on February 16, 2000. Following that
denial, Cemex determined to appeal the Commission's denial to your Board and also
determined to pursue a less intensive version of the proposal which reduced the amount of
storage of on-site mining spoils ("fines") on the northern side of the ridgeline on the Project
Site. This version is referred to as the Reduced North Fines Storage Area ("RNFSA")
proposal.

An extensive public hearing was conducted by your Board on the RNFSA proposal. Your
Board received voluminous oral and written testimony on January 23, 2001 . At that time your
Board requested that County staff, Cemex, and representatives of Santa Clarita and the Acton
and Aqua Dulce Town Councils meet to determine whether there were additional project
alternatives and mitigation measures which might be imposed on the proposal. Several
meetings were held among the involved parties. Additional mitigation measures were offered
by Cemex, including the complete elimination of the North Fines Storage Area, but these were
rejected by Project opponents. Your Board heard additional extensive testimony on the
proposal on April 24, 2001. At the conclusion of that session, your Board indicated an intent
to deny the Project as then-currently proposed, with the existing set of mitigation measures,
and continued the hearing so that staff could report back with recommendations on the range
of potential additional measures that had been recommended by Santa Clarita and community
representatives.

HOA.236756.1