Judge Rules Against Colorado Quarry

Garfield District Court Judge Anne K. Norrdin issued an order granting Garfield County, Colo.’s motion for summary judgment in a lawsuit filed by Rocky Mountain Industrials (RMI) against the county two years ago, according to SILT. In her June 26 order, Judge Norrdin ruled that the county special use permit “does not authorize unrestricted or unregulated mining activities by RMI, nor does it insulate RMI from action by the Board of County Commissioners.”

The dispute began in November 2018 when members of the Glenwood Springs Citizens’ Alliance (GSCA) filed a complaint with Garfield County over suspected permit violations at the limestone quarry operated by RMI. The Garfield County commissioners directed county staff to investigate the complaint and report back. With the staff report in hand by early March 2019, the commissioners held public hearings in March and April, and then issued a formal Notice of Violations on May 13, 2019.

RMI filed a lawsuit against Garfield County less than two weeks later. The suit alleged that because the quarry is on federal land, the county government did not have authority to regulate the company’s mining operations.

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