From The Pueblo Chieftain (Anthony A. Mestas):
The Pueblo County commissioners adopted a resolution Monday to approve findings on revegetation and land restoration efforts by Colorado Springs Utilities under its 1041 permit for the Southern Delivery System.
The findings would allow the release of about $674,000 in bonds held for the 17-mile route of buried SDS pipeline through Pueblo County.
The resolution paves the way for other issues in the permit, the largest concerning stormwater issues dealing with SDS.
The findings for the revegetation items were heard in a public hearing Jan. 25.
“We attempted to be as thorough as we possibly could with this discussion and as fair as we could, not only with the applicant, but also critically important to us, fair to our own citizens,” said Commissioner Terry Hart.
“We want to establish a precedent that any of the conditions that are associated with this project are perpetual and continue as long as the SDS pipeline is in place and functioning.”
As part of the agreement, Colorado Springs Utilities must establish about 90 percent of the vegetation that was there before the project and was disturbed by construction.
“Our experts have gone through and analyzed the area and they say that it has substantially been met,” Hart said.
“There are some areas that still need some work and so that’s what our findings show.”
Hart said the resolution also is in place to make it clear that over time Pueblo County and Colorado Springs will be watching the revegetation to make sure that it maintains itself as well as the restoration.
Hart said the next big obstacle is stormwater issues related to the pipeline.
“That is the biggest of the issues. We are working on that right now,” Hart said.
“Pueblo County is suffering terribly from the conditions that are going on in Colorado Springs. So we are looking for good action to begin to control that problem.”
