Mine Would Not Harm Arroyo Toad, Agency Says

Plans to dig a 78-million-ton gravel mine in the Santa Clarita Valley would not jeopardize the survival of the endangered arroyo toad, federal officials said Thursday.

Biologists for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service did not find any adult toads on the property surrounding the proposed Soledad Canyon mine, where arroyo toad tadpoles were discovered last spring in pools along the Santa Clara River.

“Basically, the decision was whether the project would jeopardize the survival of this endangered species,” said Bureau of Land Management spokeswoman Jan Bedrosian. “Their answer was no, but they set terms and conditions for the project.”

The Mexican mining conglomerate Cemex must take steps to protect the toads, federal officials said, including continuous monitoring of ground-water levels to ensure there is enough water to sustain any tadpoles. Toads found on the property would have to be relocated, and the company would have to construct special fencing to prevent toads from wandering into areas where they might be killed.

Until this year, there had been no evidence of the arroyo toad within the 460-acre project area situated along the Antelope Valley Freeway, south of Agua Dulce and just east of Santa Clarita city limits.

The Bureau of Land Management, which owns surface mining rights to the property, approved the project last year. But federal officials decided to revisit the issue after tadpoles were discovered in May.

The project, which calls for unearthing about 78 million tons of sand and gravel, is opposed by the city of Santa Clarita. Cemex must still obtain a surface mining permit from the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors, which is scheduled to hear the issue Nov. 27.