Wrightwood Residents Challenge Quarry Project Approved Without Public Awareness
Residents of Wrightwood, California, are actively opposing a large-scale quarry project planned for Lone Pine Canyon, near Mt. Baldy. The project, which involves extracting ultra-high purity calcium carbonate by blasting down 1,600 feet across open pits on 420 acres, received a key approval in 2019 when the San Bernardino County Planning Commission granted 'vested rights' to the quarry. This decision exempted the project from a comprehensive environmental review, following only two public meetings where minimal public input was recorded. Residents claim they were largely unaware of these plans until recently, leading to the formation of the Lone Pine Canyon Protection Alliance. This nonprofit has petitioned for a reconsideration of the Planning Commission’s decision, citing concerns about toxic dust, water table pollution, and potential impacts on wildfire evacuation routes. State wildlife officials have also raised concerns regarding the project's effect on local wildlife, including bumblebees, desert big...
