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Alternatives Considered but Eliminated from Analysis <br />Several potential transportation alternatives initially considered were <br />ruled out because either they did not reduce environmental concerns, or did <br />not match or improve the economics of the existing system: <br />1) The aerial tram was ruled out because of its hiyh visual impact, <br />inadequate and inflexible carrying capacity, and comparatively hiyh <br />capital cost. <br />2) A frontage road parallel to State Highway 133 (S.H. 133) was ruled <br />out because it did not resolve the concerns of persons along S.H. <br />133, nor did it offer sufficient economic benefit, even with tandem <br />trucks, in return for the significant capital investment required <br />for an overpass at Steven's Gulch Road and S.H. 133, since the haul <br />distance remained the same. <br />3) Similarly, modification of S.H. 133 to three or four lanes was <br />ruled out because it again did not address the concerns of persons <br />along S.H, 133 and had no economic benefit, the haul distance <br />remaining the same as at present and moreover, because use of tan- <br />dem trucks on this portion of Colorado 133 would not be allowed by <br />the State. <br />4) The private haul road across CWI riyht-of-way was ruled out because <br />of public opposition to transferring the impacts of trucking to a <br />new and laryer yroup of citizens. Four families were impacted <br />alony the existing S.H. 133 route, but many more on Garvin Mesa <br />• would be affected along the proposed private route. <br />CWI proposed studying the remaining options in further detail. These <br />represented the most environmentally acceptable and the least impacting <br />alternatives. The alternatives remaining for evaluation are: <br />1) Overland conveyor; <br />2) Steven's Gulch truck dump and short conveyor; and <br />3) Pneumatic capsule pipeline; <br />At the same time CWI argued that costs should be compared with the current <br />truckiny system to judye the economic feasibility of each alternative mode <br />of coal conveyance. <br /> <br />37 <br />