La Plata County officials want robust water monitoring and pressure taken off County Road 120 as federal agencies analyze the King II coal mine’s expansion plans.
The Bureau of Land Management and Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement recently announced a collaborative effort to conduct an environmental assessment of GCC Energy’s plans to expand operations at the company’s Hesperus coal mine by 950 acres.
County commissioners submitted a letter Tuesday addressing their concerns, which included a request to consider alternative routes to and from the mine.
Trucks use County Road 120 to access the mine as a condition of GCC Energy’s county-issued land-use permit, which was obtained in 2016 after years of disagreement over the terms. Use of the road, and the company’s pledge to make multi-million dollar improvements to it, was a pivotal part of negotiations.
The county also asked the agencies to scrutinize impacts to the La Plata River basin and how much water would be drawn for the project.
Jimbo Buickerood, public lands coordinator for San Juan Citizens Alliance, advised the county to keep an eye on potential oil and gas development in the area, and how that could impact water quality.
About five years ago, the BLM proposed 12,000 acres of land near the mine for oil and gas leases. The leases were deferred but could circle back, Buickerood said.
“In meetings I’ve had with community members over the years, they’re concerned about water resources,” he said. “People are concerned with surface waters, wells, water changing colors. And who knows if it’s related to the mine or not, but we do know the hydro-geology out there is complicated.”
BLM Tres Rios Office Field Manager Connie Clementson said the Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement asked the BLM to collaborate on the environmental assessment.
Such a document was completed about six years ago, when GCC Energy first announced future expansion plans, but coal production has increased since then, and the environmental assessment is outdated.
It’s unclear why the agencies decided to pursue additional environmental scoping. Surface Mining Reclamation and GCC Energy officials did not return requests for comment.
As the BLM and Surface Mining Reclamation pursue this study, La Plata County is considered a “cooperating agency,” which means the county is expected to have ample opportunity to provide input throughout the process.
“Commissioners spent enough of the last year, and staff spent enough of the past three years to work on the land-use permit for GCC,” said La Plata County Commission Chairwoman Julie Westendorff. “I hope our engagement will help avoid the problems that happened the first time. We spent a lot of time unwinding that mess, and hopefully now we’re moving forward.”
The public comment period ends Sunday.
Maps and additional scoping materials on the proposed expansion can be found at http://bit.ly/2jryNZw.
jpace@durangoherald.com
To comment
The public can submit comments on the environmental scoping process for the proposed expansion of the King II coal mine until Feb. 5.
Comments can be emailed to coalcommenttresrios@blm.gov or mailed to the BLM Tres Rios Field Office, Attn: King II Coal Mine EA, 29211 Highway 184, Dolores, Colorado, 81323.
