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,.. <br /> <br />ultimately will look like--will be determined by the operator himself. <br />Consequently, adequacy of reclamation will be a function of operator <br />economics. <br />4) Mr. Banta, August 8th, was asked why the MLRD continues to grant <br />quarry permits in view of the fact that even Mined Land Board <br />representatives concede that standards for °uarrv reclamation are presently <br />insufficient. Mr. Banta answered that prior approvai by local governments- <br />-county and city approval before state permit issuance--provided protection <br />for the citizenry. You on the Board--and Mr, Banta--full well know that S.B. <br />162 dellnked local and state permitting processes. There no longer exists <br />prior approval by local governments. Accordingly, the sequencing that <br />protected public Interests before Senate Bill 162 was enacted no longer <br />exists. Indeed, the only protection currently available to the public would <br />be the Mined Land Board's denial of a quarry application. <br />5) Particularly where a quarry 1s of the size and longevity of the <br />Winkler Light Quarry, 1t would be irresponsible of the Mined Land Board to <br />grant approval prematurely. We in Douglas County call the board's attention <br />to the enormous differences in size between the Colorado Springs quarries <br />and the Winkler quarry. <br />6) It was emphasized by those speaking August 8th that offsite impacts <br />are not regulated by the Division. For example, the MLRD has no jurisdiction <br />over fugitive dust. A vacuum currently exists with respect to both the <br />"whether" and the "who" of policing off site Impacts. <br />7) Local governments are not yet fully aware that Senate Bill 162 meant <br />that counties and titles can no longer add to reclamation requirements, add <br />to bonding requirements, or tighten up on incidents of reclamation such as <br />phasing, Presently, operators continue to represent to local governments <br />that they [the local governments) will be given a meaningful say in the <br />drafting and enforcement of reclamation plans and bonds. Consequently, <br />many political subdivisions [of which Douglas County is one] have not <br />wakened to the fact that their sphere of control and their scope of <br />jurisdiction have been reduced. The MLRD is under greater obligation than <br />ever before to proceed slowly on applications--and to deny or postpone an <br />application the magnitude of the Winkler Light Quarry. <br />II. <br />The operator for the Winkler Light Quarry, Hallett Materials, has a Douglas <br />County track record which indicates that Hallett Materials consistently <br />2 <br />