Along a winding country road, far away from the sight of the city of Durango, a group of neighbors live in harmony among serene nature. For about 4 minutes. Suddenly, as if on cue, a rumbling can be heard off in the distance, like an ominous warning for all to get out of the way.
And then a coal truck will roll into sight, passing by as quickly as an 18-wheeler can at 10 miles per hour. Not to be outdone, another and another until a full 120 trucks make the first of their two appearances (240 per day) heading both east and west along County Road 120 North before departing onto their various final destinations – none of which are Durango.
Since 2012, a series of contentious negotiations between the residents making their homes there, and the former King coal mine, now the Grupo Cementos de Chihuahua, have taken place. Affectionately known as GCC Energy, the company bought the rights to National King Coal/King Coal I in 2004 amid no issues, and the neighbors and the company were able to cohabitate peacefully.
For those who have never driven C.R. 120, it is a beautiful area with softly rolling hills and majestic views of the mountains. I grew up with old townie friends who enjoyed hanging out in our rural peace and quiet, far away from the hustle and bustle of “city” life. This is no longer true, for in 2012, Grupo Cementos began ramping up production and pumping out coal trucks at an unbelievably excessive rate to meet the demands of their contracts. The company flourished, which is impressive considering the rest of the country was in a recession. The multimillion-dollar company prospered while exploiting the safety, health, and welfare of the local residents. And, it managed to accomplish all of this without a La Plata County class 2 land-use permit.
When residents began questioning the increased number of coal trucks in 2012, we discovered that the company was indeed noncompliant and has been operating illegally since 2006. In 2010, our county informed GCC that a land-use permit was required to continue operating. It’s unfortunate that Grupos Cementos continued to expand for six years, knowing full well that it did not possess the proper permit.
Sadly, GCC’s corporate greed has managed to divide a small, close-knit community, as no local residents desire their county road to be used as a GCC private haul road. The reality is that when we, La Plata County residents, purchased our land and built our homes, the permitted number of trucks along 120 North was 18 to 28, as noted by the latest BLM Environmental Assessment, dated June 18, 2001. This number was acceptable, peaceful and retained the character of 120 North. Today, that number has escalated to 120 coal trucks, or 240 round trips, past our doorsteps.
Allow me to introduce you to the family that resides where the pavement ends. My father moved from Sterling, Illinois, to Durango in the spring of 1979 to chase the “Western Dream.” Shortly after, my mother followed him to the bottom of 120 North. They built their home at the Old Wright Mine and have been linked to the history of Hay Gulch coal ever since. They often assisted stranded miners and truck drivers with use of their home and telephone. They are kind people, full of integrity and possess a strong sense of tolerance. However, when 288 30-ton semi-trucks rumbled past their home, it was time to join the neighborhood movement.
The residents’ main request was for fewer trucks utilizing their narrow farm-to-market road. Ironically, there are alternate routes that access the mine; however, 120 North has the lower population density and fewer students waiting at the bus stop. Therefore, the message received is that our lives are expendable. In addition to 120 North being GCC’s selected haul route, the residents have been asked to monitor the roads for truck speeds, dust levels and noise violations. Consequently, GCC is not held accountable for current violations.
On May 18, a site visit was conducted by GCC and the neighbors to show the scale of impacts to La Plata County commissioners. They did not experience what our daily living conditions are truly like as only two coal trucks passed during their 20-minute visit. If what they witnessed was a real representation, then we would have neither issues nor complaints, and GCC would not be mandated to improve our county road.
Based on our past experiences, we have little faith in Grupos Cementos and its promises. While it says neighborhood safety is of utmost importance, it has repeatedly failed to cease hauling coal in inclement weather, endangering locals. Though county code states that corporations are not to haul water, it has managed to defer the “cease date” for over two years. If that’s not enough, the EPA’s annual toxic waste report disclosed lead and mercury had been disposed in La Plata County at the King Coal I Mine.
As a close-knit group of neighbors, we are slowly coming to terms that our lives have forever been changed as our county road has been deemed GCC’s own private haul road. We are being forced to adapt to meet GCC’s needs in lieu of our own. As good folks living along 120 North, we will continue to demonstrate to Grupos Cementos how to be neighborly as we watch 240 trucks roll by our homes, 24 hours a day, six days a week.
This decade-long debacle has taught us that even though county, state and federal agencies contain codes, laws, rules and regulations, it is easier to sacrifice the quality of life of a few than to enforce the law of the land.
In the last 20 minutes, 13 trucks rumbled by. It’s been 3 minutes and 40 seconds since the last one – and I can already hear the next.
Conner McCue is a long-time resident of Hesperus, near the Grupo Cementos de Chihuahua coal mine. Reach him at cjmccue1221@gmail.com.
