MOORPARK : City Opposes Cement Company Expansion

Alarmed by the prospect of 1,700 truckloads of sand and gravel rolling through Moorpark daily, the City Council is urging the county to turn down a mining company’s request to double the size of its operation.

Moorpark officials agreed Wednesday to send a letter to the county planning department warning that, if approved, the plan by the Transit Mixed Concrete Co. could lead to more than one truck passing through the city every two minutes during the 12 hours a day that the plant will be operating Monday through Saturday.

Company officials said activity at the site four miles north of Moorpark would be no greater than in the past, but a recent environmental impact report indicates otherwise.

The mining operation, run by Blue Star Ready Mix until it was sold last fall, mined 1.2 million to 1.8 million tons of gravel and sand every year.

Transit Mixed Concrete Co. wants to increase its operation to 3.4 million tons a year over the next 50 years.

In its letter to the county, the Moorpark City Council asked that the county limit the truck traffic to 1986 levels--or about 810 trips per day--and issue a permit lasting no longer than 10 years.

The county Planning Commission has not yet scheduled a hearing.

Copies of the environmental impact report are available for viewing at the county planning department at the Government Center in Ventura until Oct. 20.