Azusa, Duarte skirmish over Vulcan limestone quarry

A stone quarry in the San Gabriel Valley has pitted the cities of Azusa and Duarte against each another. KPCC's Molly Peterson says the fight is over the best place to mine for limestone.

Vulcan Materials holds a long-term permit to quarry limestone that doesn't expire for decades. The fight now is about where in its 270- acre parcel Vulcan will work next. Azusa is home to the quarry. That city’s permitted the company to operate there for another 28 years. But the part of the quarry Vulcan wants to mine near Fish Canyon is closer to the city of Duarte. People there have been fighting mine operations since the late 19-eighties; the city's current mayor wants the mine closed. Regional air regulators say that working on the west side of the quarry won't damage air quality or the environment. But Duarte homeowners aren't convinced. They are certain that their view will change for the worse; the mining will alter a 100-foot waterfall. The Azusa city council plans to vote Monday night on Vulcan's conditional use permit and its agreement for development. Before that vote, the council’s likely to hear from Duarte officials and environmental activists from both cities during public comment.