The Fresno County Planning Commission voted last Thursday to approve a one-year extension of the conditional use permit for CEMEX’s Rockfield Quarry operation along the San Joaquin River, allowing the company to continue mining and processing aggregate materials through July 28, 2027.
CEMEX had originally requested a four-year extension in July of 2023, but at the time was granted only three.
The extra year allows the county to finish the ongoing environmental impact report (EIR) for the proposed 100-year deep-rock mining expansion project.
The extension applies to both the company’s plant site and quarry site, which have operated in the area for over a century.
In an email to the Fresno Chamber of Commerce, CEMEX Director of Public Relations and Communications Debbie Wells wrote, “We appreciate the Planning Commission’s decision to approve a one-year extension of our existing permit as the County completes the Final Environmental Impact Report for the Rockfield Modification Project.”
Thursday’s action does not approve the larger Rockfield Modification Project, which remains under environmental review. That proposal would allow continuation and modification of mining operations at the quarry and has been the subject of extensive public scrutiny and environmental analysis.
Business advocates and supporters have previously argued that the quarry is an important component of the region’s infrastructure supply chain and that shutting down operations would adversely affect the local economy.
The Rockfield area operations directly support more than 90 full-time employees in Fresno County, for example. Increased construction costs would also be an issue, as losing a local source of sand, gravel and aggregate could force contractors to haul materials from more distant quarries, increasing transportation costs and project expenses.
In a previous statement to the Chamber, CEMEX said, “Shorter haul distances reduce transportation costs, fuel consumption, and greenhouse gas emissions, as well as reducing construction timeframes, in turn reducing risks of safety incidents for road workers.”
However, the San Joaquin River Parkway and Conservation Trust, along with other environmental organizations and community members, raised concerns during a 45-day public comment period for CEMEX’s draft environmental impact report, which ended on March 10, 2025.
In a spate of letters to David Randall, Senior Planner with the County of Fresno Department of Public Works and Planning Development, the Trust and its allies detailed a list of negative environmental impacts on “local hydrology and water quality, habitat and movement corridors for both terrestrial and aquatic wildlife, local traffic, air quality, and noise.”
Those same opponents have called for CEMEX to start over, “beginning with revised Project objectives that allow for consideration of a reasonable range of alternatives that would be consistent with the General Plan—and prepare and recirculate a new, legally adequate DEIR,” one letter stated.
Sarah Parkes, Assistant Director at San Joaquin River Parkway & Conservation Trust, attended the June 4 meeting in opposition to the extension and said Cemex is working from an EIR that dates back to 1986.
“A one-year extension on CEMEX’s current CUP is not required to complete the Final Environmental Impact Report for the hard rock modification project. They are two separate processes. The new CUP is for a new project,” she said. “I wish that would have been articulated more clearly.”
Table Mountain Rancheria, which also opposes the extension, elected not to make a comment at this time.
Wells indicated that the Mexico-based company is following all necessary procedures: “Cemex remains committed to a transparent review process and looks forward to next steps,” she wrote.
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