Study Reveals Mining Will Results In A 76% Increase In Materials For Vulcan; "Even Swap" Theory Discredited

An analysis by A.G.I. Geotechnical, Inc. shows that Vulcan’s available mining material will increase by approximately 76% if allowed to move to the westernmost 80 acres of the site; a far cry from the even swap the company has touted since it first introduced the expansion plan in 2009 to the community.

The A.G.I. analysis reveals that volumetric information previously produced by Lilburn Consulting – the firm that prepared the mine expansion Environmental Impact Report (EIR) on behalf of the City of Azusa – contains a critical error that results in a drastic understatement of magnitude of the mine expansion. Lilburn utilized a 22 year old topographical map when calculating the current amount of material existing on the east side of Fish Creek thus resulting in an erroneous conclusion that 52.5 million cubic yards are available to mine under the pre-existing mining plan.

A.G.I. Geotechnical, utilizing the correct topographical map concluded that the amount of material available under pre-existing mining plan is only 34.6 million cubic yards. If the new west side project, at an estimated 60.9 millon cubic yards, is approved, it would authorize a 76 percent increase in the amount of minable material for Vulcan. The increase would be so large that the Company would have more material available to mine under the new expansion plan than it originally had when the CUP was first approved in 1988 (57.5 million cubic yards). “Even using the Azusa consultant’s numbers, this is far from an even swap,” commented Duarte City Manager Darrell George. Adding, “it makes one question the accuracy of the other portions of the EIR; a point we have been raising from the very beginning.”

The volumetrics review conducted by A.G.I. Geotechnical, Inc., was commissioned by the City of Duarte and submitted in writing to the City of Azusa in response to the ongoing debate on the validity of the Vulcan Environmental Impact Report (EIR) and Revised Conditional Use Permit currently under consideration for approval by the Azusa City Council. The Azusa City Council originally postponed a decision on whether to allow Vulcan to move its mining operations to the west side of its property on April 26th to provide its staff time to review and prepare answers to questions raised in A.G.I.’s initial geology report and other recently received comments on the Vulcan EIR submitted by the South Coast Air Quality Management District, City of Hope, and the City of Duarte. The hearing will continue on May 17th starting at 6:30 pm at Azusa City Hall. Interested parties are encouraged to attend.

Vulcan has a permit from the City of Azusa to mine 190 acres of its 270-acre property. It is seeking approval to move its mining operations from the currently approved 80 acres on the east side of its property to 80 acres on the west above Duarte.

In 2008, the Duarte City Council established a $700,000 fund entitled the “Fight Against Vulcan Expansion” fund (FAVE) in response to the anticipated expansion plans by Vulcan and its potential adverse impact on Duarte residents. For more information about the City of Duarte’s Fight Against Vulcan Expansion activities, call Duarte Deputy City Manager, Karen Herrera at (626) 357-7931, ext. 221.