- Felicia Matlosz
- 559-304-9286
SACRAMENTO – Assemblymember Dr. Joaquin Arambula (D-Fresno) has issued this statement regarding Assembly Bill 1425, following Monday’s vote by the Natural Resources Committee:
“I am greatly disappointed that the Natural Resources Committee on Monday rejected AB 1425 and its merits to protect the San Joaquin River from irrevocable harm and ruin. This happened despite strong support for the bill from residents in Fresno County who are deeply concerned about the future of the waterway.
“The importance of the San Joaquin River cannot be overstated. It is much more than a place that offers recreational and health benefits for our communities in Fresno County. It is a lifeline for the Central Valley, a river with an abundance of natural resources and wildlife habitat. It is a crucial water resource for our farming communities.
“This is why I and so many Fresno County residents oppose the CEMEX proposal to expand its operations at a specific spot on the river. These plans include a new way of pit dewatering that uses explosives to extract rock – from a pit that would be 600 feet deep. The CEMEX proposal raises the risks of groundwater contamination, river contamination, and other negative impacts. And, as our tribal communities have so rightly stated, culturally identified sites could be destroyed and lost forever.
“AB 1425 sought to prevent this from happening. For decades, residents, community leaders, and river preservationists have tirelessly fought to safeguard the river and develop its 22-mile parkway. In fact, the State has invested millions of dollars toward this effort, which has led to the creation of jobs to improve public access to the river, trails, and natural green space on the parkway.
“Despite the bill’s fate Monday, we should all be heartened by the people who traveled to Sacramento to support AB 1425, the hundreds of people who attended a town hall last Thursday on this subject, and the hundreds who submitted opposition comments to the Draft Environmental Impact Report that will come before the Fresno County Board of Supervisors. We should all commit to continuing to fight to preserve the waterway for generations to come and to find a viable option that protects the river and the people who depend upon it.”
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