Arambula proposes bill to block CEMEX’s controversial quarry expansion in Fresno County

Asm. Joaquin Arambula (D–Fresno) is looking to prevent CEMEX from expanding its gravel mining operations along the San Joaquin River. 

Arambula’s bill, which is still in development, has already won the support of Fresno Mayor Jerry Dyer, who, in part, fears that city taxpayers would be on the hook for tens of millions of dollars in impacts to city roads. 

The backstory: CEMEX, a major building materials company headquartered in Mexico, wants to dig up to 600 feet at the Rockfield aggregate quarry a few miles north of Fresno near Friant. 

• In 2023, the Fresno County Board of Supervisors approved a three-year extension to keep operating along the San Joaquin River while working through the proposal for the expansion. 
• The City of Fresno appealed a decision by the Fresno County Planning Commission to support the extension ahead of the board’s approval, saying at the time that a lawsuit could be filed if the county ultimately grants CEMEX approval to expand. 

The big picture: According to a report from McClatchy, Arambula is currently crafting Assembly Bill 1425, which in its current state is a placeholder bill. 

• AB 1425 would prohibit pit dewatering in the San Joaquin River Basin in areas shallower than 50 feet below ground. That would prevent CEMEX from moving forward with its proposal to dig up to 600 feet deep. 

What we’re watching: Arambula plans to finalize the language to AB 1425 in the coming weeks when it is referred to the Assembly Natural Resources Committee, according to McClatchy. 

What they’re saying: “I am committed to preserving the San Joaquin River and find deeply troubling the mining proposal that could adversely impact the river,” Arambula told Fresnoland. 

• Fresno Mayor Jerry Dyer told Fresnoland that his staff estimates that the potential expansion could cause over %60 million in road impacts that city taxpayers would have to cover. 
• “This burden is unacceptable,” Dyer said. “We must do everything we can to protect the sensitive river bottom area, which is vital to our region’s ecological health and long-term sustainability.”