Planning commission hears CEMEX mining amendment, postpones recommendation after public comment on mercury and reclamation

The Yolo County Planning Commission on Oct. 9 heard a staff presentation and public comment on CEMEX’s proposed amendment to its mining and reclamation permits for its 1,902‑acre Cache Creek operation east of Interstate 505 near Madison, but did not take a final vote and was told it must re‑notice the matter for a Nov. 13 public hearing after a newspaper‑publication error.

County contract planner Heidi Chudin told commissioners the proposal would extend mining rights through 2047, increase total permitted tonnage by about 21,400,000 tons, change the maximum simultaneously disturbed acreage, and alter the configuration and timing of approved reclamation — moving some reclaimed acreage to habitat and lakes, and removing Phase 7 on the west side of I‑505 from the approved footprint. Chudin said the application is accompanied by a subsequent environmental impact report (SEIR) that tiers from the original 1996 EIR and the 2019 Cache Creek Area Plan update EIR, and staff is prepared to recommend certification of the SEIR and approval of the amended permits after the item is re‑noticed.

Why it matters: The proposal would allow continued extraction from a long‑running Cache Creek gravel operation and change how and when mined areas are reclaimed, affecting future parkway connections, habitat acreage and agricultural returns. The county’s decision also must address ongoing findings about methylmercury in off‑channel pits, a regional concern with potential human‑health and ecological implications.

Most important facts - Applicant: CEMEX; consulting project manager Yasha Sabre and CEMEX director Robert Cutter presented the proposal and said the company is seeking a 20‑year extension of the permit term (through 2047) to mine existing approved footprints and to optimize mining for its electric wet‑mining equipment. Sabre said the proposal would not expand the overall mining footprint and that Phase 7 would be removed. - Key technical changes described by staff and the applicant: extension of the permit term to 2047; an increase in the total permitted tonnage (~21,400,000 additional tons); a…