Proposed Concrete Batch Plant
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OPPOSING THE CONSTRUCTION OF A CONCRETE BATCH PLANT ON
NM HIGHWAY 220
aka “AIRPORT ROAD” or
“BILLY THE KID TRAIL”
Please help. Tax Deductible donations to the Alto CEP may be made in several ways:
Preferred: A check or money payable to Alto CEP sent to:
P.O. Box 1213, Alto, NM 88312
Network for Good - https://altocep.networkforgood.com
Via link to PayPal at the Alto CEP website: altocep.org:
Overview
Roper Construction Inc. has applied to the New Mexico Environment Department (NMED) for an Air Quality Permit associated with the construction of a Concrete Batch Plant (CBP) 0.35 miles east of the intersection of Highways 48 and 220 on the north side of Hwy. 220 (Airport Road). The permit application is available online here: https://www.env.nm.gov/air-quality/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/06/AQBP-Roper-AltoCBP-Application-Recv-2021.06.22.pdf
Given proximity to a number of neighborhoods & other businesses, and the White Mountain Wilderness Area, hazardous air emissions, the enormous volume of water used in manufacturing concrete, production of wastewater and potential ground & surface water contamination, road degradation, noise, impact on wildlife, nighttime lighting etc., anyone would be hard pressed to make the argument that rural, pristine acreage is a “reasonable use of property” as cited in New Mexico statutory law.
The location of the proposed CBP, and its relationship to local area points of interest are illustrated here.
Due to the level of public interest (objection) to the proposed concrete batch plant, the New Mexico Environment Department (NMED) has granted a public hearing regarding the facility's air quality application. The hearing was held February 9, we are awaiting the outcome. Thank you to those who participated.
The Alto Coalition for Environmental Preservation & The Ranches of Sonterra
The Alto Coalition for Environmental Preservation (Alto CEP) has been formed to facilitate a legal objection to the proposed CBP. The Alto CBP consists of individual residents, neighborhood property owner associations and businesses in the Alto-Ruidoso-Ruidoso Downs area. The Alto CEP’s mission is to consolidate the resources and opinions of the members and provide a coherent legal opposition to the permitting, construction, and operation of the proposed CBP.
The briefing given by Mark Severance describing the organization of the Alto CEP is available here.
The Alto CEP has been included as a committee member to the Ranches of Sonterra Property Owners Association (ROSPOA), a registered 501.3 non-profit corporation. The ROSPOA has initially provided $50,000 to engage and pay for initial work by Attorney Thomas Hnasko of Hinkle Shanor LLP in Santa Fe. Mr. Hnasko is a well-known and highly regarded specialist in environmental and natural resources law. Mr. Hnasko’s Letter of Engagement with ROSPOA can be found here.
For the most up to date information, please check the altocep.org website.
Funding for the Alto CEP
Given the complexity of our case, the legal fees are anticipated to be substantial.
We need funds to cover legal fees, please donate.
Anyone wishing to know the status of the account, may contact Brenda Restivo, brendarospa@gmail.com or by phone 575-336-2002. You must be a property owner of the Ranches of Sonterra.
The identity of all donors will be anonymous.
How Else Can You Help?
A letter was recently mailed to you concerning the concrete batch plant proposed to be developed in our area. If you would like to personalize the letter, please download it here. Feel free to pass this letter on to others who are opposed to this plant being developed in our area. We need you to help keep this from happening. Mail the letter which was sent to you, or download it and personalize it to be mailed off. Please email a copy of your correspondence to Mark Severance at: mseverance@comcast.net for our records. Copies of all letters of objection will be used as evidence in the upcoming NMED Hearing.
NEXT STEP
Now that the hearing is over, we need to keep our letters coming. Please send your letters of concern to:
Governor Michelle Lujan-Grisham through her comment portal at:http://www.governor.state.nm.us/contact-the-governor/ or via postal mail:
490 Old Santa Fe Trail, Room 400, Santa Fe, NM 87501
New Mexico Environmental Secretary via email: James.Kenney@dtate.nm.us, by phone 505-470-6161, or postal mail sen to:
PO Box 5469, Santa Fe, NM 87502-6161
OPPOSING THE PROPOSED CONCRETE BATCH PLANT
IN CONJUNCTION WITH
THE ALTO COALITION FOR ENVIRONMENTAL PRESERVATION (ALTO CEP)
The Alto Lakes Golf & Country Club Board of Directors has issued a statement regarding their position on the proposed concrete batch plant. That statement can be read in full here:
https://altocep.org/2021/10/27/algcc-board-10-26-21-statement-about-the-proposed-concrete-batch-plant/
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