County pledges to quash Indian casino

PLACERVILLE, Calif. -- El Dorado County can expect a long, expensive and difficult fight against the federal government to stop plans for an Indian casino proposed off Highway 50 at Shingle Springs.

"The fight will be expensive and it is always difficult to predict the outcome of lawsuits, but we believe that our position in the litigation is fully supported by the law and facts," read a statement Tuesday by the El Dorado County Board of Supervisors.

The lawsuit filed against the National Indian Gaming Commission, the U.S. Bureau of Indian Affairs and the Interior Department contends the government agencies failed to consider the environmental impacts of the proposed casino.

The board also recognizes the casino would be detrimental to South Shore casinos.

"Many people do not understand the enormity of what is being proposed," the board said. "Existing gaming compacts with the state allow up to 2,000 slot machines per facility. This means a casino 25 percent larger than the largest currently at Lake Tahoe."

How expensive the fight will be remains to be seen. So far $300,000 has been spent in legal fees since the the county filed its lawsuit in January. The county has used $100,000 from its legal fund and $200,000 from a contingency fund to pay the Sacramento-based law firm of Diepenbrock and Associates.

It may get more expensive as court motions continue to be made to stop the Miwok Indians from building a 381,250-square-foot casino complex at Shingle Springs. It would include a 250-room, five-story hotel.

"We are prepared to do whatever we can to prevent the casino from being built in El Dorado County," Supervisor Dave Solaro said. "We feel it is not only worth it, but feel we have a good chance of prevailing even if it takes a few years."

Telephone calls to the Miwok tribal office were not returned.

The county also contends Caltrans approved construction of an overpass at the casino site without proper environmental criteria.

In both cases, South Lake Tahoe filed a brief supporting the county.

Solaro, who represents Lake Tahoe, said a study the tribe provided to the county found the proposed casino could mean a 20 percent job loss at casinos.

An economic study provided by the county's attorney says South Shore could lose $45 million annually.

The casino operation will require additional public safety officers, ambulance services, road and school funding, according to the county supervisors. If a private business of the size of the casino were to be built, the county would collect about $2.8 million a year in property taxes to fund those public services, the supervisors said.

"Since Indian tribes pay no local taxes, the additional hardship the casino will place on local governmental services and the local schools will have to be borne by the taxpayers of the county," the supervisors said.