2018-12-12_REVISION - M2018016 (7)

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' counties where the bulk of Colorado tourism dollars for skiing and outdoor ' activities flow. Economic losses to government include reductions in Empire property taxes ' compared to collections absent the DMRM. While gravel-pit property taxes and mineral rights will likely make up the difference, the expanded need for highway maintenance will increase costs substantially without a compensatory increase in ' highway tax revenue. Finally,the costs of damage to wildlife,water systems, and incomplete remediation will be bourn by CPW, federal government agencies, Clear Creek County and non-profit organizations. ' The only externality that can be assessed with some precision is the immediate certainty that property values located within three miles of the DMRM will decline. But there are ways to compensate the property owners affected. Either Clear Creek County could directly compensate owners upon the sale of their property or DMRM could provide a bond to do so. Some property owners, however,will feel that living ' next to a gravel pit reduces the amenities of living in Empire far beyond any compensation they would receive. ' While the risks of externalities to health, traffic congestion,wildlife and the environment cannot be estimated with precision,they are real and have potential negative outcomes that multiply with each contingency. The consequences of ' multiple sites of risk and vulnerability may well be costly for Colorado as a whole. If even one, let alone several negative outcomes occur, we will have failed our ' communities, our economy, and our environment. One example we do not want to follow is that of Cerrillos, New Mexico. In the mid- ' 1990s, a small gravel sifting operation located one mile north of Cerrillos was partnered with a larger gravel operator. 86 Soon heavy industrial traffic overwhelmed the peace and quiet of village life. The community opposed the expanded project indicating that it impinged on quality of life with four D's - dust, diesel, decibels and danger. Finally, county commissioners suspended the operation because it was discovered that the operator did not have the water rights required ' for the operation and that they had over mined the mine zone by at least 10 acres. It would be much easier not to permit the DMRM operation than to force Empire residents to fight its impact once the negative impacts became all too apparent. ' Gravel pit locations could be developed with fewer externalities if they were situated (i) away from small vulnerable communities, (ii) away from major ' interstate tourism routes, and (iii) away from Colorado's most vulnerable wildlife and water resources. At this point DMRM would be the only winner if the sand and gravel mine were approved. The losers would be Clear Creek residents,travellers ' on 1-70, CDOT, Colorado tourism, and Colorado wildlife and the environment. 86 http://www.raintreecounty.com/Recycle.html 32 1