Las Animas County approves helium plant permit amid road concerns
Commissioners approved Desert Eagle’s helium plant only after adding road, fire and water safeguards for heavy truck traffic and a 400-barrel tank.
Las Animas County commissioners approved Desert Eagle Operating LLC’s helium processing permit on June 25, but only after tightening conditions on road use, fire protection and compliance for a project that could send 65,000- to 75,000-pound tanker trucks onto county roads.
By allowing the project as a non-conforming use under existing zoning rules, commissioners moved the helium plant forward while also spelling out what Desert Eagle must do if the facility starts putting extra strain on county systems already under pressure from drought, wildfire risk and rural infrastructure limits.
Road protection drew the first hard questions. Commissioners focused on how the county would verify approved haul routes, monitor compliance and respond if the trucks begin traveling where they should not. The permit includes a formal condition requiring Desert Eagle to follow the county’s updated road use agreement, with revised language covering haul routes, responsibility for damage and wider infrastructure impacts. That gives the county a written basis to enforce the permit once construction and regular truck traffic begin.
Fire protection and water availability came next. Although helium itself does not burn, commissioners pointed to propane-powered compression equipment as a possible ignition risk in a county with a long wildfire memory. They added a condition requiring a 400-barrel water tank on site for fire suppression, tying the project directly to local emergency response expectations. Desert Eagle also said a water truck could be available if needed, though not as a dedicated resource.
The board pressed the company on what comes after the first phase. Commissioners asked about future expansion beyond the initial four wells, spacing and wildlife corridor concerns, and how the land would be reclaimed at the end of the project. Desert Eagle said additional wells are planned and that the property would be returned to its original condition under state and landowner requirements.
No one spoke in public opposition, and the permit passed unanimously with conditions attached.
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