By Therese Dunphy, Editor in Chief

Arizona

A Maricopa County advisory board comprised of five residents and five industry members should be expanded by another member to make it more effective. According to The Arizona Republic, that was the opinion of a resident member who suggested the expansion to break a pattern of deadlocked votes. The Maricopa County Mining District Recommendation Committee mediates disputes between residents and mining operators in the Agua Fria riverbed and makes recommendations to county supervisors. Committee Chairman Joe McCord told the news-paper that “the way this committee is set up almost guarantees a stalemate.” He suggested adding a state mine inspector or a representative from that office as a board member or dissolving the committee. The board will vote on the proposal at its next meeting, to be held in June.

California

After a seven-hour hearing, the Azusa Planning Commission voted 3-to-1 to recommend the city council approve a new mining plan for Vulcan Materials Co. Pasadena Star-News reports that Vulcan has a permit for 190 acres and wants to swap 80 acres of land on its eastern boundary for the ability to mine 80 acres near its western property line. The company has agreed to mine with micro-benches that are much smaller than the 40-foot ones used in current mining. City staff members who recommended the project noted that the mining technique was much more natural and appealing. Azusa City Council is expected to hear the proposal this month, but officials in neighboring Duarte continue to oppose the proposal.

Florida

Palm Beach Aggregates officials have asked Palm Beach County for permission to mine another 2,300 acres of their operation 15 miles west of West Palm Beach. The Palm Beach Post reports that a group of Palm Beach County and Broward County water utilities have expressed interest in buying a pit there for use as a reservoir. The utilities have commissioned a study that concluded another stadium-sized rock pit could help meet some of South Florida’s future water needs. The county’s zoning commission was expected to hear the mining petition at the beginning of the month, while the county commission will consider it on April 22.