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Secondly,the matter of water contamination and loss in the vicinity of the proposed site is of <br /> considerable concern to our neighbors in the Little Turkey Creek and Red Rock Valley areas.As fresh <br /> water is such an important aspect of our mountain living,with many of us are entirely dependent upon <br /> the fractured underground system,we are totally in support of our neighbors demands for absolute <br /> certainty that their water supply will not be affected. If there is any doubt,the CMLRB should not <br /> approve this application. <br /> Thirdly,the environmental impacts of the proposed mining operation will be severe.The surrounding <br /> area is one of the few remaining Front Range access corridors for wildlife moving between the <br /> mountains and the plains. It also contains numerous vegetation types that cannot be easily replaced. It <br /> is not coincidence that the lands immediately adjacent to the Hitch Rick Ranch property,upon which the <br /> mining site will be situated,are controlled by the Bureau of Land Management,the Nature Conservancy <br /> and the Ingersoll Trust/El Pomar Foundation.These reputable organizations,along with the Audubon <br /> Society,are all apparently against this application. Even the County of El Paso has already recommended <br /> that the lands be designated as a conservation area.We find it unacceptable that a mining company, <br /> already with the reputation for failure to adequately reclaim their existing Front Range mines,could be <br /> granted the approval to destroy another environment. <br /> Lastly,there are two points of interest that should also be noted.As residents of the State of Colorado, <br /> we object to the notion put forward that this application is about the rights of a Colorado company to <br /> pursue its normal business interests.Transit Mix is a subsidiary of an out of state entity,the Continental <br /> Materials Corporation of Chicago, Illinois.Transit Mix has also stated that there is no viable alternative <br /> to the proposed mining site.This is questionable.We are aware of other nearby mining sites, including <br /> our own Menzer Quarry,that can easily provide sufficient material, albeit at cost of extraction.Other <br /> options include rail delivery of material directly to the Transit Mix current city location.This is a viable <br /> alternative that is already practiced by their competitors. Multiple other business solutions are available <br /> but are apparently not being seriously considered. <br /> Our association again stresses that we are not against mining and we do recognize the need for <br /> reasonable business growth. However,the circumstances of this application for mining are not <br /> conducive to this community area.Apart from the mining site, it is now highly likely that Transit Mix will <br /> attempt to follow any approval of this application with a request to rezone adjacent property to allow <br /> the move of their Batch Plant from North Nevada Avenue in Colorado Springs.This will result in even <br /> more environmental issues which will have to be addressed at the County level.The potential for <br /> disaster is too high to be ignored and will be irrecoverable, if realized. We strongly recommend that the <br /> CMLRB again eny this application. <br /> Sincerely, <br /> C.M. Burnell, esi nt <br />