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Date: February 15, 2005 To: Delta County Planning Department, Surface Creek APC, Delta County Planning Commission, and Delta County Comissioners From: Gregory D. Lazear, resident of Coalby Valley, Delta County, Colorado Subject: SD05-001 Benson Brothers New Gravel Pit Application This letter is my public comment regarding the above application and should be included intact in the public record. While only seven land owners were contacted (properties within 1000 ft. of the site) this application constitutes a major development that will impact residents throughout the area (see attached map). The application contains many inaccuracies that are addressed below. The application is not for a gravel pit, as stated, but is for a rock quarry. This distinction is significant with regard to the nature of the operation and the impact to the local area. After discovering that this application was in the works, about 20 concerned residents arranged a meeting with the Benson Brothers to tour the property and get first hand information regarding their plans. This tour took place on February 10, 2005, and provided the following information, which differs from the application in several regards. • Benson Brothers purchased the quarry property within the last six months from Richard Beldon, and are newcomers to the neighborhood. • The permit area is approximately 30 acres of previously undisturbed Pinyon/Juniper woodland, bordered on the south by the Rollins Sandstone cliffs. • The project is expected to take a minimum of 12 to 15 years to break even economicalty. • Hours of operation are from 7 am to 5:30 pm five days a week, year around, with potential for additional hours as business dictates. • Electric power source will be diesel powered generators. • Groundwater will 6e pumped from the Red Canyon Mine spring, or from proposed water wells on site at a rate of 3,000 to 4,000 gallons per day. • Water usage is for misting of the rock crusher to mitigate dust. This is the only process that will involve dust mitigation. • Truck traffic is estimated at an annual average of 5 semi's per day, but peak usage could be 30 semi's per day (60 round trip). • Haul routes include both up and down Ward Creek road, and Slaughter Grade. Jake brakes will be used for hauling on these steep grades. • Operations on site include: ^ ripping of shale bedrock by bulldozers; ^ pushing of ripped material down slope to collection areas; ^ processing of material through an electric rock crusher powered by diesel generators, and breaking up of larger pieces by hammers run from diesel powered compressors; ^ loading of company dump trucks and semi's for transport to stockpiles in Austin, as well as on-site sales to contractors. The scale of this operation, the level of heavy truck traffic, the wmbined noise of diesel compressors, a rock crusher, bulldozers, back-up beepers, Jake breaks on trucks, and ripping and breaking of bedrock is staggering for this rural residential area and will have a major impact on the lives of local residents. It constitutes a major public nuisance that is completely incompatible with the current usage of the area. The application, as summarized by the Delta County Planning Department, is very misleading, and I will address specific points from the application in the following paragraphs.