Dear NM cyclists,

Please read the message below. An old friend from Hillsboro and the community of Hillsboro want me to share this message, below, with you about the opening of Copper Flats Mine.

I will try to find out where a commenting section to the BLM can be accessed.

Thanks, David Rutledge (ZIAVELO)


-------- Forwarded Message --------
Subject: Question about bikes
Date: Wed, 2 Mar 2016 09:56:26 -0700
From: Robert Shipley <bobship10@gmail.com>
To: David Rutledge <rutledge@nmsu.edu>


Hi David,

Since you and some of your friends cycle on State Highway 152 I would like some help with preparing a comment to a BLM environmental impact statement regarding a proposed operation of the Copper Flats Copper mine.

The situation:

Owners of the mine east of Hillsboro intend to resume operation of the mine if the BLM will grant them a permit to operate. The BLM is involved because much of the mine property is on BLM land.

If the time goes into operation, dozens of trucks carrying some 35 tons of copper ore concentrate will enter Highway 152 at Mile Marker 55 and head to east to I-25 every weekday. These are round trips from and to the mine. Since cyclists use this road and there is no shoulder I would like to get information on how the riders will be impacted by this heavy truck traffic.

I remember that some of your races use 152 from Hillsboro west to the Pass and return. Do you or your friends ever use 152 going east? If so, you might be able to guess at an approximate frequency and quantity of riders that would use that road east from Mile Marker 55.

So let me know if you can give me some useful info regarding cyclists use of the road. Thanks.

Bob Shipley