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Huerfano County approves 6-week excavation interval for carbon sequestration project
Summary
The Board of County Commissioners approved amending a conditional-use permit to change an excavation/closure interval from two weeks to six weeks for the Waferfront carbon sequestration project after the applicant and staff said local contractor capacity motivated the request.
HUE RFANO COUNTY — The Huerfano County Board of County Commissioners voted to amend a condition in the county’s conditional-use permit (CUP) for the Waferfront carbon sequestration project to allow six weeks between excavation phases, up from the two-week interval originally required.
County staff told commissioners the applicant, represented in the meeting by Ray, requested the change because local contractors generally lack the capacity to perform rapid back-to-back excavations and closures. "Not all of them have the capacity to do this as quickly as I originally stated," Ray said, identifying himself as a landowner and applicant. He added he supports a longer interval initially and is "willing to work towards reducing that over time as capacity builds."
Carl, county staff, summarized the CUP conditions under discussion and said the requested change would involve revising condition 3 to extend the allowable interval between excavation and closure phases. Carl noted the original shorter interval aimed to reduce erosion risk. Ray said the project’s site plan already includes an engineered uphill drainage system and a ponding area to capture excess storm flows; "we think ... we've engineered a good solution to keep erosion from the entire facility from becoming a problem," he said.
Commissioners made and seconded a motion to approve the certificate designation for the Waferfront Carbon Sequestration project and to amend condition 3 in both the designation and the underlying CUP from two weeks to six weeks. Chairman Spangler voted yes and the motion passed.
The amendment also calls for updating the CUP documentation to reflect the six-week interval; county staff indicated they could either write the modification into the documents and return it next week or proceed immediately with the change. The board directed staff to proceed with the modification during the meeting.
No roll-call vote tally was recorded in the transcript.
The project’s other CUP conditions, as recited earlier by staff, include annual surveys, a performance bond of $3,000 per phase for weed management, completion documentation requirements and seven-day notice requirements to the county billing/maintenance department before starting and after completing each phase.
