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occurrence here. Turkeys, in particular, are intolerant of industrial operations such as mining. <br />Colorado Parks and Wildlife identifies the proposed quarry site as a primary elk residence and <br />migration area. More than 100 species of birds have been documented using the area, and the <br />stream corridors are known to be important movement areas for wide-ranging animals such as <br />mountain lions, black bear, mule deer, and elk. There are unconfirmed reports of the presence of <br />Canada Lynx, an endangered species recently reintroduced into Colorado, in the area. The <br />proposed mining plan does not appear to provide an adequate buffer to protect the use of <br />intermittent stream corridors by these sensitive species. <br />Vegetation. Whoever prepared the vegetation analysis sections of the application apparently <br />didn't spend much time on the site. The quarry site provides high quality foothills plant <br />communities that are rapidly being converted to development north and south of this area. The <br />dry (xeric) tallgrass sites along the Front Range are also rarely found in the high quality condition <br />in evidence at this site. It contains excellent to good examples of globally -imperiled mountain <br />mahogany/needlegrass conununity, an excellent occurrence of globally vulnerable piflon <br />pine/Scribner needlegrass community, as well as an excellent occurrence of mesic oak thicket <br />community. The lodgepole pine and blue spruce mentioned repeatedly in the application do not <br />appear in significant numbers, while the white pine, which is very common at the site, is not <br />mentioned at all. <br />Noise and Air Contamination. Quarrying requires drilling and blasting with explosives, which <br />create vibrations, noise, and dust. Once this process is completed, rock crushing machines crush <br />the rock, conveyor belt machines move the rock around the processing plant; trucks are loaded <br />and unloaded. The process and heavy machinery required to mine, is intrusive and creates <br />significant noise and air pollution; thus having a direct impact on the surrounding areas and <br />community. Air quality is compromised and diminished by the fugitive dust associated with <br />aggregate mining. Dust generated by mining often contains silica, a common naturally occurring <br />crystal found in most rock beds. Prolonged exposure to silica may result in silicosis. According <br />the Centers for Disease Control, "silicosis is a disabling, nonreversible and sometimes fatal lung <br />disease caused by over exposure to respirable crystalline silica. Over exposure to dust that <br />contains microscopic particles of crystalline silica can cause scar tissue to form in the lungs, <br />which reduces the lung's ability to extract oxygen from the air we breathe." In addition to <br />silicosis, inhalation of crystalline silica particles has been associated with other diseases, such as <br />bronchitis and tuberculosis. This is a health issue for the abutting and nearby residential home <br />owners and their livestock. <br />Transportation. Transportation in the Highway 115 area is unique in that the normal hierarchy <br />of roads does not exist. Highway 115 is the lifeline upon which residents depend. It is the only <br />means of transportation into, out of, and within the community. There are no other alternatives, <br />and residents cannot avoid using Highway 115 for their life-sustaining transportation needs. Thus, <br />the condition and safety of Highway 115 are primary concerns of all residents. According to the <br />El Paso County Major Transportation Corridors Plan (MTCP), Highway 115 south of Fort <br />Carson's main gate is functionally classified as "congested". Major sections of the highway are <br />two lanes, including the point at which Transit Mix proposes to access the highway. The <br />proposed highway access point is also located at a historically dangerous place, with multiple <br />fatal traffic accidents in recent years. Unfortunately, the 2040 MTCP Roadway Plan does not call <br />for any improvements to Highway 115 through the year 2040, so the highway we have now is <br />what we will live with for many years to come. If the Hitch Rack Ranch Quarry is allowed to <br />proceed, an already congested highway, currently bearing truck traffic from three active quarries, <br />will be burdened by as many as 624 additional trucks per day when the quarry is at full <br />production. This additional traffic will exacerbate traffic hazards not only for the local residents, <br />2 <br />