As part of the ongoing legal battle filed by Duarte against Azusa’s approval of Vulcan Materials Co.’s Azusa Rock Quarry mining project, the three parties will have a meeting next Tuesday.

In a case like this, the court mandates a settlement hearing for the three sides to discuss any options that could prevent the issue from going to court. A mediator for the meeting is possible, officials said.

All three parties will be there, but expectations are limited. Previous settlement talks between the groups have broken down, and since then heated rhetoric has been exchanged between both city staffs.

Azusa’s City Manager Fran Delach said the city remains open to talks with Duarte, but that he has no expectations going into the meeting.

“I think there is always a possibility of getting a settlement,” he said.

Email: daniel.tedford@sgvn.com | Twitter: @dgtedford @sgvtribune | Facebook: SGVTribune

And here we go….

Duarte, after getting permission to do so from the City Council, officially filed its lawsuit against Azusa to try and stop Vulcan Materials Co.’s mining plan.

Specifically, Duarte will attack the environmental impact report done by Steve Lilburn, a consultant for Azusa, and the inadequacies Duarte believes exist in the document. If that is found to be flawed, it would then lead to overturning the entire decision to approve by the council.

In addition, Duarte will seek to prove Azusa violated the Brown Act when they voted, without it being on the agenda, to reconsider Vulcan’s proposal after initially turning it down.

Here is Duarte’s statement they released Tuesday evening:

“With the filing of this lawsuit, the City of Azusa will no longer be able to turn a deaf ear to Duarte. It will now be up to a judge in a court of law. We are very confident that the judge will be in agreement with the City of Duarte,” said Duarte City Manager, Darrell George.

Email: daniel.tedford@sgvn.com | Twitter: @dgtedford @sgvtribune | Facebook: SGVTribune