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1 <br />CHAPTERTHREE <br />Affected Environment , ~ <br />services agencies. Some of the following information was also excerpted from the Commercial <br />Mine Plan -Yankee Gulch Sodium Minerals Project (Steigers 1998b). <br />3.14.5.1 Public Schools <br />The Rio Blanco County RE-1 School District indicates that schools within the district have <br />adequate capacity to accommodate approximately 40 to 60 additional students in each of the <br />elementary, middle, and high schools. <br />Conversely, schools within the Garfield County RE-2 School District are currently near capacity. <br />According to the District, the elementary and middle schools in Rifle aze operati~tg at <br />approximately 95 percent of capacity, and the high school is operating at about 9D percent of <br />capacity (Steigers 1998b). If population growth continues to follow the recent tr~:nd, public <br />schools in Rifle would reach their capacity within a few years. Should that be thy; case, the <br />school district would have to increase class sizes, add mobile/modular classrooms, construct new <br />schools, or bus students to other less crowded schools in Silt or New Castle. <br />The town of Parachute and the community of Battlement Mesa lie within the Garfield County <br />RE-16 School District. According to the District, the local high school is currently near capacity, <br />while the middle school and elementary schools have capacity to serve another 260 additional <br />elementary students and up to 110 additional middle school students. Although the high school <br />could be expanded and remodeled to hold up to 250 additional students, there are currently no <br />specific plans to undertake this construction (Steigers 1998b). <br />3.14.5.2 Medical Facilities <br />Medical services within the study area are primarily provided at Claggette Memorial Hospital (a <br />capacity of 32 beds), the Colorado State Veterans Nursing Home (] 00 beds), the Grand River <br />Medical Clinic in Rifle, the Pioneer Hospital, and the Meeker Family Clinic. Medical services in <br />Parachute and Battlement Mesa are limited to several medical offices and clinics in these <br />communities. Individuals requiring hospitalization or more advanced medical treatment <br />typically travel to Rifle, Glenwood Springs, or Grand Junction. <br />3.14.5.3 Law Enforcement and Fire Protection <br />Law enforcement services are currently provided by municipal police department:; in Rifle and <br />Parachute. The Rifle Police Department currently has seven vehicles and a staff of 14 <br />individuals. The Parachute Police Department has two vehicles and a staff of fow~ officers. In <br />unincorporated azeas, law enforcement is provided by the Rio Blanco County Sheriff's <br />Department and the Garfield County Sheriff's Department. Fire protection servia~s in Rifle aze <br />provided by the Rifle Fire Protection District, which is mostly staffed by volunteers. Parachute <br />and Battlement Mesa are served by the Grand Valley Fire Protection District, whi~:h is also <br />staffed primarily by volunteers. Fire protection in Rio Blanco County (including ]Meeker) are <br />provided by the Rio Blanco Fire Protection District. <br />3-58 Socioeconomics <br />