Dear Friends and Aligned Organizations:

RE: Community information workshop on the Idaho Maryland Mine Project. To register go to: https://yubanet.com/regional/cea-nc-virtual-community-meeting-dec-17-6-pm-potential-impacts-of-re-opening-the-idaho-maryland-mine/

An environmental impact report is being prepared for the proposed REOPENING OF IDAHO-MARYLAND MINE. The Community Environmental Alliance Foundation(CEAF) invites you to PLEASE GET INVOLVED AND INFORMED.  To that end, tonight Thurs., Dec. 17, 2020, you are invited to join the Community Environmental Advocates Foundation for a virtual community meeting (via ZOOM at 6:00PM) to learn about the potential impacts of the Idaho-Maryland Mine. Special guest speakers for this session are Sol Henson from San Juan Ridge Taxpayers Association and Gary Pierazzi, East Bennett Road Resident. They will be doing a special presentation on the impacts to neighborhood wells and proposed mitigations. In this session, you’ll learn more about: • The potential impact and risk to neighborhood wells from the Idaho-Maryland Mine • Siskon Gold Corporation’s mine on the San Juan Ridge that was forced to shut down in the 1990s and lessons that can be applied today • Recommended talking points • A new CEA Campaign website and outreach tools

FYI: For those who are unaware, this mine is located near the intersection of Bennett/Brunswick/Greenhorn Road in Nevada County. The proposal is for a 24/7 operation that could potentially go on for some 80 years.

A junior mining company from Canada has arrived in Grass Valley with an eye to reopen the Idaho-Maryland Mine- and so far Rise Gold Corp. has not made a good impression. They have a horrible environmental track record at their other mines and have already started breaking the rules in Grass Valley. Despite all this, in May, the Nevada County Board of Supervisors voted 5-0 to authorize the preparation of a Draft Environmental Impact Report (DEIR) to study the risks of re-opening the Idaho-Maryland Mine – a project led by Canadian Company, RISE Gold. If the mine were to open, it would compromise Wolf Creek and the Bear River in perpetuity.

One major issue to open the mine is the impact of dewatering the miles of underground tunnels, requiring pumping out 2,500 acre feet of groundwater into South Fork Wolf Creek initially, and then perpetually pumping 1.2 million gallons a day after that. All of this water must be treated to remove pollutants and the water treatment facility will have to operate in perpetuity to prevent discharge of contaminated water, even after the mine closes in 80 years. These high, artificial water discharges into the creek will disrupt the natural flow and temperature regime in the creek, disturbing the life cycles of the organisms that sustain the ecology of this riparian corridor. Wolf Creek’s impacts would wash down into the Bear River.

In addition to the impacts of the proposed dewatering, the plan indicates that a long stretch of the creek will be encased in pipes to act as an underground storm drain for the entire property. “We are concerned about the non-stop discharge of large amounts of water from the mine into the creek,” stated Jonathan Keehn of the Wolf Creek Community Alliance.  South Wolf Creek should not be treated like a storm drain.”  Keehn added, “We are concerned about chemical pollution from mining operations and about local wells becoming polluted or going dry.”

The mine site is adjacent to Wolf Creek in a quiet neighborhood.

To find out more/register for it, PLEASE go to: https://yubanet.com/regional/cea-nc-virtual-community-meeting-dec-17-6-pm-potential-impacts-of-re-opening-the-idaho-maryland-mine/