FEDERAL LAND USE IRKS CITY LEADERS.

Byline: Heather MacDonald Staff Writer

SANTA CLARITA - City leaders, saying a sand and gravel pit planned in Soledad Canyon will devastate the Santa Clarita Valley, criticized federal officials Wednesday, saying they do not care about the community.

Council members and civic leaders encouraged valley residents to attend the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors hearing at 9 a.m. Tuesday in downtown Los Angeles to urge county officials to reject Transit Mixed Concrete's

application for a surface-mining permit.

``The federal government - its Bureau of Land Management - has proven once again that it has no interest in protecting the residents of Santa Clarita,'' said Mayor Laurene Weste, speaking at a pep rally outside City Hall.

Weste and the other council members condemned the BLM for opposing about a dozen measures recommended by the county regional planning staff to protect the environment.

The BLM owns the mineral rights to the 460 acres south of the Antelope Valley Freeway, between Soledad Canyon and Agua Dulce Canyon roads, proposed to be mined. Azusa-based TMC will pay the federal government $28 million for the right to mine the land for 20 years.

Under federal law, the supervisors can only impose reasonable environmental measures on the mine and are prohibited from rejecting it outright.

In a letter to the supervisors, BLM State Director Mike Pool wrote that city recommendations for restrictions on hours of operations, truck trips and the amount of aggregate mined are unreasonable and would violate the contract between the BLM and the mining company.

Pool also said six measures proposed by the county staff, including strict reporting and monitoring requirements, are unnecessary and burdensome.

TMC opposes the same county staff recommendations, according to its written response sent to the supervisors.

``We agree in part and disagree in part, much like the BLM, with the county staff report,'' said Brian Mastin, TMC's environmental affairs manager.

City leaders, however, contend that even the county staff recommendations do not go nearly far enough.

Children sporting dust masks flanked the lectern as city officials spoke Wednesday.

``These masks will have to become part of these students' uniforms if the mine moves forward,'' Councilman Bob Kellar said.

Community residents said they were disappointed that many of the City Council's recommendations were rejected by county staff members who found that some would do more harm than good to the environment and make the mine unprofitable.

``This mine will clog our roads and drain the Santa Clara River,'' said Diane Terito, president of the Acton-Agua Dulce Town Council. ``This community rejects the big lie put forth by TMC.''

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Photo:

(ran in SAC edition only) Children carry dust masks Wednesday at a rally led by Santa Clarita Mayor Laurene Weste, at the lectern, against a sand-gravel mining plan and the truck traffic it would generate.

David R. Crane/Staff Photographer