Appointed Planning Commission Votes Against Idaho Maryland Mine Project
People gather around the Rood Center
Parking around the Rood Center in Nevada City was packed tight both Wednesday and Thursday with automobiles spilling onto the lawns and nearby roads. There was little room to maneuver in the congested parking areas and the sheriff's vehicles were parked near the front entrance, positioning them for timely response in case of an emergency.
“No Mine” signs
On the steps of the County building a huge crowd gathered both for, but mostly against, reopening the mine. The familiar yellow and black “NO MINE” Minewatch yard signs seemed to be floating without the help of their owners because there were so many of them.
Crowds form around the Rood Center
Rise Gold Corp. and its supporters set up a couple of pop-ups near the right entrance and fielded questions from the press and the occasional angry citizen who wandered over to give Rise Gold a piece of their mind. There was a bit of heckling at times, especially as the rented black Escalades delivered pro-mine citizens to the roundabout, but the crowd was peaceful and even featured a live band.
In anticipation of the long meetings, Nevada County, according to its press release, invited food trucks to help serve refreshments and lunch to the spectators.
Crowds form around the Rood Center to show support of and to protest the Rise Gold mining proposal.
Rood Center Fills With Onlookers
Wednesday at nine o’clock sharp a man with a bullhorn rallied those in opposition to the mine into the boardroom as security opened the doors. The Board of Supervisors Chamber filled to capacity quickly and as many as 280 tickets were given out to those who wished to give public comment. Auxiliary viewing rooms for overflow were set up in the building and those too were close to capacity. Planning Commission chair William Greeno asked the public in the chamber to restrain their applause to the use of international sign language—waving both hands in the air. However, no such decorum was observed elsewhere in the building.
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Nevada County Staff Report
Senior Planner Matt Kelley and Nick Pappani were up first and outlined the scope of the project as set forth in the FEIR (final environmental impact report), showing project maps and building profiles, and gave figures on traffic and other impacts associated with their proposed use of the land. The project as submitted asked for variances for buildings that would be over the 45-foot county restriction, with the shaft headframe being the tallest at 165 feet. Tailings from the main would be deposited ideally for the first six years split between the “Centennial” location off Whispering Pines Road and on the main site just above the old sawmill operation. They also detailed that the discharge from dewatering the mine would start at 5.6 CFS (cubic feet per second) for the first six months and then reduce to 1.9 CFS over the life of the project.
Rise Gold Responds to Community
Ben Mossman of Rise Gold offered concessions in response to the concerns raised by the community and remarked that they reviewed every letter sent to them even outside of the 91 days that were set aside to submit them. Rise Gold agreed to fund an extension of the NID water main down Bennett Street and make that water source available optionally and at no cost to 30 separate parcels. They also agreed to well water monitoring systems to help protect residential wells within a certain distance from the mine. To alleviate noise concerns they agreed to move all rock-crushing underground and enclose the conveyor systems that were above ground. Their studies claimed that the nearest properties would hear the 24-hour activity at about 35 decibels, or about a whisper. Likewise, in reply to concerns about the 112 anticipated trucking trips to the Centennial site and the “unsightly” result of disturbing a large area within view of the freeway, they offered to keep all the mine tailings onsite as engineered fill until a market was established to sell the rock. Among other things, they promised several levels of minerals and asbestos abatement, air quality testing, and using electrically powered equipment wherever possible.
Nevada County Citizens Line Up to Speak
Public comment opened with a parade of members from prominent local non-profits including the Bear Yuba Land Trust (BYLT), Community Environmental Advocates (CEA), and the South Yuba River Citizens League (SYRCL). Former Nevada City Planning Commissioner Laurie Oberholtzer was the first to speak and did so on behalf of CEA. She brought out stacks of papers including 5,500 people’s signatures in opposition to the mine and 1,500 personal comments. An NID representative chimed in that they wanted a security bond deposited as part of the EIR for the proposed work on Bennett Street.
A few community members expressed their discontent with the mine through art. Armed with his guitar, Geoff Eido played his anti-mine-inspired song “Wells Run Dry” for the commission. Another speaker Joan Staffend of Grass Valley said, “I feel connected to the old miners, but I am against the EIR and the mine.” She continued with a poem she wrote for the occasion: “Water more valuable than gold, imagine the spilling of millions of gallons…”
Among the few people to speak in favor of the mine were those who were native to the area and expressed an interest in working for the company, citing the good wages, the history of the area as a mining town, and the safety mitigations Rise Gold is willing to take. Cindy Anderson, of Grass Valley, said that she worked at the sawmill when it was still operational and has not been able to earn an equivalent amount of pay ever since. She expressed that there “was a lot of tension in the room, due to personal opinions.” Anderson went further to say that she believed “that this project should be approved and that she is 100 percent behind it. For future generations and our children, and grandchildren, we can work and stay within our community and make a good wage.”
Planning Commission Delivers Their Verdict on Rise Gold with Thunderous Earthquake
After two full days of questions and answers between the Commissioners and applicants Rise Gold, along with over 100 public comments delivered in person, a decision was made in concurrence with the Nevada County Staff Report. “Things change,” as Commissioner Mike Mastrodonato put it, and even though this area has a rich history of mining, he “cannot support a recommendation to approve the project or the EIR–and won’t.” District II Commissioner Duncan concluded with her remarks on feeling that the project was “inconsistent with the [County’s] general plan.” Not long before the vote, the chamber was rocked by a relatively large earthquake that lasted several seconds. Undeterred by the vigorous shake, the hearing went on. The final vote was unanimous to deny the project’s EIR, rezoning request, and use permit. This determination and the Commission’s report will be forwarded to the Nevada County Supervisors for a final vote on the issue sometime after July.
Photo and video credit: Jason Tedder
