Summary#
This bill would stop the Department of the Interior from processing or approving any federal application to expand limestone mining at a specific quarry area near Glenwood Springs, Colorado. The main change is a federal ban on approvals for expansion of limestone operations on certain Bureau of Land Management (BLM) parcels identified by township, range, and section. The bill appears intended to protect Glenwood Hot Springs by preventing quarry expansion near it.
- Main change: The Secretary of the Interior must not process or approve any application for expansion of existing mineral operations, or any mineral material sales contract/application for limestone, on BLM land in the listed sections in Garfield County, Colorado.
- Which land: Specified parcels described by township and range (parts of T. 6 S., R. 89 W., Section 4; T. 5 S., R. 89 W., Sections 25 and 36; and T. 5 S., R. 88 W., Sections 30 and 31).
- Scope: Applies to applications under general mining laws, the Materials Act of 1947, and the Surface Resources Act of 1955, as those laws govern federal mineral approvals and material sales.
- What it does not clearly say: The bill does not clearly state whether it would affect current, already-authorized quarry operations, state or local permits, or private land uses.
What it means for you#
- Mid-Continent Limestone Quarry / operator: The quarry operator would be unable to obtain federal approval from the Interior Department to expand limestone operations on the named BLM parcels.
- Workers and contractors: If an expansion depended on federal approval, planned growth that would create jobs or contracts could be blocked. Existing jobs from current operations are not directly addressed by the bill.
- BLM and Department of the Interior: Staff must stop processing or approving any federal applications for limestone expansion on those parcels.
- Local government and residents near Glenwood Springs: The bill could prevent a federal-authorized expansion of the quarry in those specific parcels. Any local effects (traffic, noise, water impacts, tourism) would depend on whether expansion would otherwise have occurred and whether state or local permits are needed.
- Anyone seeking mineral material sales or permits on those parcels: Federal approvals for limestone sales or new expansion applications would not be processed or approved under this law.
Expenses#
No publicly available information.
- The bill text or supplied material does not include a fiscal note or estimate of costs.
- This could mean unknown effects on federal receipts from mineral sales, agency workload, or local economic activity, but the bill itself gives no numbers or fiscal analysis.
Proponents' View#
- The bill appears intended to prevent expansion of limestone mining in specific parcels near Glenwood Springs.
- A possible argument for the bill is that stopping federal approvals for expansion could protect nearby resources or uses (for example, the Glenwood Hot Springs as referenced in the bill title).
- Supporters may view the change as a precise, location-specific way to prevent future federal authorization of activities they consider harmful to the area.
Opponents' View#
- One concern is that the bill does not say whether it affects existing, already-authorized operations or only future expansion applications.
- The bill could limit the rights or economic opportunities of mining claim holders or contractors who planned to expand, but it does not explain compensation or alternatives.
- It is unclear how the ban interacts with state or local permits or private land rights; the bill only addresses federal processing and approvals.
- Because no fiscal note is provided in the supplied material, it is unclear what the bill would mean for federal receipts, local tax revenue, or employment tied to an expansion.