2008-05-13_REVISION - M1980244 - Laserfiche WebLink

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Application from Anglo Gold Ashanti mining Page 2 of 3 hillside referenced as part of the Historic District. Take a look at the attached photos showing the current view from the Heritage Center (and from the entire town), and the mine's proposed strip mining of the Hillside and resultant view. On August 25, 2004, the mine (Anglo Gold Ashanti)applied to the Teller County commissioners for a mining permit area roughly equal to the outer perimeter of their property. The commissioners, then and now, didn't live in the city of Cripple Creek and had no problem granting this permitted operating area. I suspect that the mine provided Teller County with some benefit for their uncontested approval. On April 15, 2008, the mine applied to begin strip mining within their permitted boundary. The only location where their proposed operation will actually touch the permitted boundary is directly east of the city of Cripple Creek. The strip mining will be 1200 feet from the eastern most street in Cripple Creek (Silver Street). All other operations will be kept well within the boundaries approved years ago. Because this is just outside the city limits, our town — Cripple Creek — has no say, no ability to control what happens to our hillside. The beautiful Gold Camp Trail (part of the American Discovery Trail) — built with funds from the Colorado Lottery — will be relocated to a gulley alongside of Highway 67. Even this will need to be "cleared" during daytime blasting operations. When asked about the elk herd, the mine said that experience has shown that Elk disperse to surrounding areas but `quickly' return to the reclaimed terrain. Since reclamation won't be for 15 -20 years, the elk will be dead by then. At their open house, we were shown a photo from 1877 showing our hillside quite devoid of trees. The implication was that after strip mining, a denuded hillside would be "historically correct". In reality, it took 50 to 75 years for those trees to grow and, guess what, the 6 inch tall pine trees they will plant as their reclamation will take another 50 years to mature. The three Teller County commissioners - and the DMRG, have an opportunity to return the mine's application for amendment of their operating area — they could ask them to revise it to protect the hillside facing Cripple Creek. All of their other plans are just fine with the community except for the elimination of most vegetation on our beautiful hillside east of town. The commissioners and you now have an application to extend mine operations to within 1200 feet of the city of Cripple Creek. The mine intends to remove the Aspens, Pine and Spruce trees from the hillside and replace them with waste rock. Blasting will likely close a relocated Gold Camp Trail (planned now to follow the gulley next to Highway 67). It is yet to be determined if, while blasting, the Heritage Center will need to be evacuated. Take another look at the picture of the view from the Heritage Center now — and after strip mining. 5/14/2008