Tuesday October 6, 2026
The Fresno Bee —
A company that has mined the San Joaquin River since 1913 is looking for approval once again to dig a 600-foot-deep mine along the San Joaquin River — and critics of the plan are preparing to fight it.
The Mexico-based multinational company CEMEX has applied to modify the Rockfield Aggregate Facility on North Friant Road to allow them to dig and blast through hard rock as deep as two football fields for 100 years. The company processes gravel, sand and other building materials, and has applied before for such a project.
The application is set to go before the Fresno County Planning Commission at 8:45 a.m. Thursday in the chambers of the Fresno County Hall of Records, 2281 Tulare St.
Critics of the project were recently preparing to take on the application, which they argue could have long-term effects on the San Joaquin River, lead to air and noise pollution and add more heavy trucks to Friant Road.
Along with the concerns around pollution, the length of the 100-year request from CEMEX is concerning, according Sharon Weaver, the executive director of the San Joaquin River Parkway and Conservation Trust.