Bill barring quarry mine near Pechanga sacred site gets hearing

Tuesday, August 23, 2011  

The California Senate's Natural Resources and Water Committee holds a hearing today on AB 742, a bill that would bar a quarry mine opposed by the Pechanga Band of Luiseño Indians.

The bill bars any state or local agency from approving a quarry mine "if the operation is located on or within 2,000 yards of the external boundaries of an Indian reservation and is on or within 5,000 yards of a Native American sacred site, and is on or within 4,000 yards of the Santa Margarita River or an aquifer that is hydrologically connected to the river, unless the tribe whose reservation is nearest the operation consents to the operation."

Those conditions only apply to the Liberty Quarry mine site, which is 500 yards from the Pechanga Reservation.

The hearing takes place at 9am Pacific time and will be broadcast at sntr.senate.ca.gov/agenda.

Get the Story:
Quarry clash looming as session nears end (The Riverside Press-Enterprise 8/23)
Anti-Liberty Quarry bill set for committee hearing Tuesday (The North County Times 8/23)

Related Stories:
Pechanga Band clashes with developer at hearing on quarry mine (8/16)
Pechanga Band pushes bill to stop quarry mine near sacred site (8/5)
Opinion: Pechanga Band helps build case against quarry mine (6/29)
Pechanga Band continues fight against proposed quarry mine (6/23)
Pechanga Band says quarry mine will destroy sacred site (4/27)