The Grand Junction Planning Commission voted 7-0 on Tuesday to approve a conditional use permit for a sand and gravel pit located near the Colorado River. The proposed gravel pit would sit on about 28 acres on C 1/2 Road, in an area zoned for community services and recreation. The area that is within 100 feet of the river will not be mined, according to a city staff report. Some of the vegetation on the site has already been cleared in anticipation of construction, Grand Junction Principal Planner Kristen Ashbeck said. The site will be mined over 10 years, Ashbeck said, with operations focusing on a small area at a time.

Related article: 

• Sierra Nevada Ally: Report highlights dirty legacy of mining in the West