MOORPARK : Mining Firm Gets Temporary Permit

A mining company about four miles north of Moorpark was given a temporary permit to mine tons of gravel to level a dangerous hillside as long as the firm did not increase the amount of trucks it sent onto county roads.

The Ventura County Planning Commission voted Thursday to allow Transit Mixed Concrete Co. to cut into a 250-foot-high hillside, which officials believe could crumble otherwise. The temporary permit will also limit the number of gravel truck trips from the mine to 388, said county Planning Commissioner Mike Wesner said.

The mine, which has been operating without a permit since 1986, is seeking a permit and permission to increase production and truck traffic, but county officials are waiting for a detailed environmental review of those plans--set to be released by the end of the year--before they rule on issuing a new permit.

The mining operation delivers from 1.2 million to 1.8 million tons of gravel and sand each year. Transit Mixed wants to increase its operation to 3.4 million tons a year for the next 50 years.

Complaints from nearby homeowners about noise, dust and traffic have plagued the operation since 1986. Mining began there in 1948.

Recently, residents said as many as 1,600 trucks were traveling past their homes during a single 12-hour period. Wesner said county planners were trying to determine what was an acceptable level of truck traffic before they issue a permit for the mining operation.