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Assembly committee hears months-long fight over pit dewatering near San Joaquin River; bill advances to appropriations
Summary
Lawmakers and dozens of residents debated Assembly Bill 14 25, which would ban pit dewatering within shallow groundwater zones in the San Joaquin River Parkway; committee sent the measure to appropriations after hours of testimony for and against.
Assemblymember [author name not specified in transcript] introduced Assembly Bill 14 25, a narrowly tailored measure to prohibit pit dewatering in parts of the San Joaquin River Parkway where groundwater is shallower than 50 feet, saying the restriction is needed to protect groundwater, the San Joaquin River and culturally important lands.
Supporters told the committee the draft environmental review for a proposed new mine near the river failed to analyze how blasting and a 600-foot pit would change groundwater and flood risk. Sharon Weaver, executive director of the San Joaquin River Parkway and Conservation Trust, said the river has been mined for more than a century and that the proposed project, a 200-foot set back from the river with plans for blasting and deep excavation, could set a precedent that invites more…
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