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07/25/2001 17:53 9708824476 Line Camp Gravel 1'it begins oper~ns this weetc CFAR hosts slide show on gravel pits DOLORES STAR PAGE 02 The Line Camp Gravel Pit, operated by Four States Aggregates, Inc., began operations this week about nine miles above Dolores on Highway 145. Citizens had protested the mining operations, citing dust, noise, and traffic hazards as the main concerns. CFAR (Citizens for Accountability and Responsibility) was organized in October, following several public meetings with the County Commissioners concerning the proposed pit. Concerns were also raised about the mercury levels in the water (see related mercury story). CFAR sponsored a talk and slide show on Tuesday evening, July 17. An audience of about 30 were in attendance, including State Rep. Kay Alexander, and two of the Commissioners Kelly Wilson and Gene Story. According to Pat Kantor of CFAR, they have done a lot of research, and learned a lot about potential dangers of mining in the floodplain of the Dolores River and the deficiencies in laws and monitoring. "We have shared our information with the Governor, Federal, State, and County flegislators and state agencies. We have informed our fellow citizens through our open meetings, the media, and informational material in both the Dolores and Cortez libraries. We are al{ learning together and that is what this meeting is about," said Kantor. According to Kantor, Gov. Bill Owens; Greg Watcher, Director of the Colorado Dept. of Natural Resources, and U.S. Senator Wayne Allard have all requested information. State Rep. Mark Larson, she said, had also .contacted them several times and. has spoken to the County Commissioners about visiting with representatives from the State Conservation Board. She continued that State Rep. Alexander has also been working with the group. Tom Perlic, director of the Western Colorado Congress, presented the slide show and state update on issues concerning gravel pits. He showed slides of the damage to floodplains and riverbeds gravel pits are doing. The slides showed cutbanks, dying trees, and damage to wetlands and riparian areas. Perlic said that, since 1973, over 3,2p0 applications have been filed with the State Mined Land Reclamation Board, and that only 18 have been denied in Colorado. He stated that it was up to the local people to "make the County Commissioners put restrictions on the gravel pits". When asked if he had done any research into what restrictions the Montezuma County Commissioners had already placed on the Line Camp Gravel Pit, he answered no. Dave Wuchert expressed his concerns about the water quality issues. He said that, after five hours of testimony, the State Mined Land Reclamation Board had not listened to them, and went ahead to issue the permit for mining gravel to Four States Aggregates, Inc.