The Fresno County Supervisors approved a 300-ft-deep blast mine on the San Joaquin River banks.
The board greenlit the CEMEX proposal despite an in-person recommendation from the Department of Fish and Wildlife to reject the mining project because it posed a “catastrophic risk” to a billion-dollar investment in the San Joaquin salmon run.
A majority of supervisors ultimately ignored the recommendation, which state officials said they had never done on a project before, after the board’s key swing vote, Garry Bredefeld, got CEMEX to agree to fund up to an extra $150,000 a year for the city of Fresno’s roads.
Bredefeld also occupies a seat on the San Joaquin River Board Conservancy.
Thursday’s 3-2 fell exclusively along partylines, with the board’s three Republican members — Bredefeld, Buddy Mendes and Nathan Magsig — supporting the mine blast and the two Democrats, Brian Pacheco and Luis Chavez, casting the opposing votes.
This story will be updated.
