BOARD BACKS MINE PLAN CITY'S EFFORTS FAIL TO SWAY.

Byline: Heather MacDonald Staff Writer

SANTA CLARITA - Federal officials this week rejected civic leaders' bid to derail plans for a massive sand and gravel mine in Soledad Canyon.

The Interior Board of Land Appeals, part of the U.S. Department of the Interior, ruled Tuesday that Azusa-based Transit Mixed Concrete's plans to mine 56.1 million tons of sand and gravel would not adversely affect the environment of the Santa Clarita Valley or harm endangered species.

``Of course we're disappointed, but we're not disheartened,'' said city spokesman Jason Smisko. ``This project, as proposed, poses significant environmental risk to the community. We'll exhaust all of our options and look at every avenue in order to reduce it.''

About 20 individuals and local groups and organizations joined the city of Santa Clarita's appeal of the Bureau of Land Management's August 2000 approval of the mine, claiming that the environmental documents and the administrative process used in making the decision were flawed.

Brian Mastin, TMC's environmental affairs manager, praised the decision, saying it affirmed the company's decadelong push to mine south of the Antelope Valley Freeway, between Agua Dulce Canyon and Soledad Canyon roads.

``City officials made a lot of claims, but it is clear that they did not have the facts behind their case,'' Mastin said.

BLM officials also lauded the ruling.

``We're gratified that the interior board has ruled the BLM did its job correctly,'' said agency spokeswoman Jan Bedrosian.

While Santa Clarita leaders contend that the mine will pollute the air, choke the freeways with traffic, lower property values and harm the Santa Clara River, TMC representatives say most residents will not even know it is operating.

TMC will pay the BLM $28 million over 20 years for the right to mine the federally controlled land.

The ruling by Judge C. Randall Grant Jr. requires TMC to implement several mitigation measures designed to protect the endangered southwestern arroyo toad, as ordered in October by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Once the added safeguards are in place, the massive gravel pit poses no jeopardy to any endangered species that live in the area, Grant found.

The city of Santa Clarita has already sued the BLM, claiming that plans for the mine violate the Endangered Species Act and threaten a half-dozen protected species. In addition, city leaders have asked that the entire 460-acre mine site be designated as critical habitat for the arroyo toad in an attempt to scuttle TMC's plans.

In order to move forward with its project, TMC must first obtain a surface mining permit from the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors, which is scheduled to take up the issue again Feb. 26.

The supervisors put off any action in November, the previous time the issue was before them, after county officials discovered that the mine's environmental impact report incorrectly assesses the significant effect of 744 daily tractor-trailer truck trips on narrow, winding Soledad Canyon Road and does not properly propose measures to correct the problem.

TMC representatives have met with county officials to discuss the traffic issue but have made no determination, Mastin said.