Community Impacts
Tourism Economy:
The expansion of the quarry has the potential to impact Glenwood Spring’s historic tourism economy which represents $500 million for the communities’ retail and tourism economy, threatening more than 2,000 tourism-based jobs.
Quality of Life for The Community:
The noise from blasting and the resulting dust will have a major affect on the population at large, including tourism and the residents who live in the area. Some residents live within 1000 feet of the open pit strip mine.
Environmental Concerns:
Strip mining can pollute our water source, in this case change the alkalinity levels of our drinking water and the Colorado River. It alters and scars the landscape, damages roads, homes and other structures, and destroys wildlife and its habitats. Strip mining has the potential to erode soil and reduce its fertility.
Air Quality and Pollution:
Winds carry the alkaline dust toward our water source during the day, and then back over subdivisions and town when the winds change direction in the evenings. Glenwood Springs air quality is rated at an 84 of a possible 100 compared to 58.4 of a possible 100 for the average of the rest of the United States.
Outdoor Recreation:
Access to one of our main outdoor recreation gateways, the Transfer Trail, will be impacted by an increase in truck traffic, expected to be 450 one-way truck trips per day.
Water Health & Safety:
Water quality in Glenwood Springs, Colorado is 99 on a scale to 100 (higher is better). The EPA has stated that a healthy watershed is closely related to drinking water quality.