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This local resident was puzzled by the constant flow of Cadillac Black SUVs circling the parking lot at the County's public hearing for the mine on May 11. Apparently, Rise Gold's Ben Mossman thought this would either impress or intimidate our community. So out of touch with our down to earth and environmental friendly community. Read Barbara's full letter to the editor in The Union.

This local farmer notes that when the mine fails in their testing, poisoned water will go through canals and reservoirs. There are many other local ranches and farms relying on this water. This letter to the editor was originally published in The Union. Are there many problems with Rise Gold's proposed reopening of the Idaho Maryland Mine? Yes there are! My main concern as a Nevada County farmer is the pumping of millions of gallons of water out of the mine for the next 80 years. Rise Gold will be responsible for testing the purity of the water they pump. When the mine fails in their testing, this poisoned water will go through (NID's) Nevada Irrigation Districts canals and reservoirs. This is the water I have farmed with for 37 years. There are many other local ranches and farms relying on this water. Who will be held liable? The Canadian mining company, NID, Nevada County, me the farmer or you the rancher? We don't need this problem and it should not be allowed to happen. The county should deny the Idaho-Maryland Mine project and should not certify this flawed Final Environmental Impact Report. Mike Pasner Indian Springs Organic Farm

Why did County staff recommending denial of the mine project but approval of the EIR? Only denying the Mine and the EIR will defeat it for good. This opinion piece was originally published in The Union. Community Environmental Advocates Foundation Board: If certified, the Mine EIR will haunt us; Only denying the Mine and the EIR will defeat it for good. May 10, 2023 The Nevada County Planning Department has, for good reason, recommended that the County Planning Commission vote to deny the Idaho Maryland Mine zone change and variance. That may sound a lot like a “No”, but the devil’s in the details. Staff continues to recommend certification of the Final Environmental Impact Report (EIR). Certifying the EIR would be tantamount to leaving an opening to the future approval of a mine at this site. Only denying the Mine and the EIR will defeat it for good. If there is no mine there is absolutely no need for an EIR The county is under no obligation to certify the EIR if the project is denied. Case law is clear on this topic e.g., Las Lomas Land Co., LLC vs City of Los Angeles (2009) Cal.App.4th 83. Why the EIR must not be certified The EIR is totally deficient. It fails to disclose and evaluate the Mine’s significant negative environmental effects, it does not analyze a reasonable range of alternatives to the Mine, and it fails to identify adequate mitigation measures. Here are a few examples: The EIR relies on groundwater data that is over 15 years old as the baseline for determining whether the Mine will have significant impacts on water quality and water supply. It fails to mitigate the Mine’s air quality impacts, even though the EIR acknowledges they will be significant; and similarly, it dismisses significant greenhouse gas emissions and their contribution to climate change. Even if the project is denied, the certified EIR could be relied on in the future to support the approval of yet another mining proposal at this site. Rise Gold, or even a new applicant, could come back in the years ahead with a new mine proposal. However, if the EIR is certified, a new application could use the County’s officially sanctioned EIR to satisfy environmental review requirements, perhaps with minor additions. This would constrain the County’s discretion and leave it vulnerable to a claim that it is required to approve a proposal without the analysis and mitigation necessary to address the significant impacts of a future mining project. If the EIR is certified, the community will be forced to watchdog the county for years to come, waiting for a new mine proposal and the need to fight this battle again. The solution is simple, and the County needs to make it clear: Only denying both the EIR and the Mine will put this project and future ones like it to rest once and for all. When you attend the May 10 hearing (8 am, Rood Center) please join the 26 organizations in the CEA Foundation/MineWatch Coalition and thousands of residents in asking the County Planning Commission to deny the project AND the final EIR. Learn more at https://www.minewatchnc.org/post/all-hands-on-deck-may-10.

Mining is our Past. Not Our Future. Subscribe to eNews Protect our air, water, and quality of life. Stop the Idaho-Maryland Mine. Rise Gold, a junior mining company with a questionable history, wants to reopen the Idaho-Maryland Mine in Grass Valley, CA. Learn more Thank you Nevada County Planning Commissioners for your unanimous vote to Just Say No to the Idaho-Maryland Mine! Your diligence and patience in listening to community concerns is deeply appreciated. We hope the Board of Supervisors will accept your recommendation in August. The MineWatch Community why stop the mine? Residents and businesses from all walks of life know that putting a toxic business in the middle of our beautiful community today is a really bad idea. Nevada County Planning Commissioners have recommended a NO vote on both the project and the Final Environmental Impact Report (FEIR). Supervisors are expected to make the final decision "no sooner than" August 2023. ​ The FEIR includes significant and unavoidable environmental impacts that endanger this community's health and quality of life, including traffic, noise, and aesthetics. There are also serious deficiencies in the FEIR that put the County’s air, water, and more at even greater risk. A few jobs and uncertain tax revenues just aren't worth the risk. Learn from experts and business leaders in the MineWatch Coalition . Read the on e-pager with top reasons to say no to the mine . Read a bit more about why the County should deny the FEIR and the proje ct . See why the results of the Economic Impact Report were questionable. Here are our 6 top reasons . Risks our Health HURTS CLIMATE Pollutes our Air HURTS LOCALS Drains our Water SHOULDN'T TRUST RISE GOLD Learn More 26 GROUPS CALL For COUNTY TO 'JUST SAY NO' 26 local and state groups call for denial of the reopening of the Idaho-Maryland Mine in Grass Valley, California. In a lengthy letter to the Nevada County Planning Commission and Board of Supervisors, the MineWatch Coalition cites environmental and economic reasons to deny the project. ​ “…the reopening of the Idaho-Maryland Mine is not supported by a majority of Nevada County constituents. Nevada County is no longer a resource extraction county. We have shifted onto a new 21st century green economy. And our residents support this shift. Are a few jobs and uncertain tax revenue worth the risk?” ​ Read more JOIN THE FIGHT Follow us online ​ 1. 2. 3. Read an email or two a month to keep up with the latest project news and learn about volunteer opportunities. We won't share your info. ​ ​ Write a letter. Tell Nevada County Board of Supervisors (BOS) and Planning Commissioners to Just Say No to the Mine. Send a letter. Show your opposition. Send an email to request a Yard sign | Pin Donate - make a tax-deductible donation to help fund research, community education, and legal fees. Get a free pin Tell us where to send it Get a yard sign Please tell us your address $10 donation recommended Subscribe to eNews 4. Donate businesses ARE against the mine Businesses against the mine FEATURED news & Opinions Earthshaking News: Planning Commission Rejects Mine We have a lot to celebrate! All five Planning Commissioners voted unanimously against the Idaho-Maryland Mine at the end of Nevada... The County should deny the Idaho-Maryland Mine and should not certify the Final EIR The County's Final Environmental and Economic Impact Reports have been published. Pivotal decisions will be made at the Public Hearing on... Jim Steinmann: Mine jobs – Harsh, few, and not for locals Rise Gold is touting jobs, jobs, jobs. But reality is not all it's cracked up to be. All this hoopla for 132 local jobs? 12 hour shifts?... John Vaughan: The tale of a wolf, and a gold mine This delightful fable reveals the absurdity of the Rise Gold's financial promises. Vaughan is a retired CIO of Pride Industries. This... Community Review of Economic Report - Dec 2022 Meeting Listen to a powerhouse panel of community experts review the conclusions of Nevada County's Economic Impact Report for the proposed... ★ ‘Hung out to dry’: Well owners contend with Idaho-Maryland Mine report’s finding Want to know why people are so worried about impacts to wells and groundwater? This Union article is a must-read. By Shira Moolten Eric... ★ Rise Gold Shouldn’t Be Trusted. Here’s Why. Rise Gold CEO Ben Mossman's prior company polluted tribal waters, went bankrupt, and left Canadians with a bill to pay. Mossman is... Press Release: 250 Businesses reject idaho-maryland mine proposal Opposition to the Idaho-Maryland Mine runs deep in Nevada County. 150 business leaders submitted a letter to the County Supervisors. In... CONTROVERSY - RISE GOLD "STUFFING THE BALLOT BOX" During the comment period for the Draft Environmental Impact Report, Rise Gold submitted 1,600 reply cards and form letters as “comments”... A new gold rush pits money and jobs against California’s environment Companies are seeking to open old mines and explore in new sensitive regions, amid resistance from Californians who want the Gold Rush to... Press Release: Community Submits Petition Signatures Opposing Gold Mine Over 5,500 signatures From Nevada County residents and others were collected online and in person by an army of volunteers... showing... A California gold mine’s toxic legacy: Inside the fight over reopening a treasure trove For five years Rise Grass Valley has been trying to get a permit, but the people of Grass Valley are overwhelmingly rejecting the mine.... READY TO LEARN MORE? BROWSE our library. Play Video Play Video 02:16:31 No Mine Concert - Nevada City The community continues to stand strong against the proposal to reopen the Idaho-Maryland Mine in Nevada County California. We come together for a concert and picnic to celebrate our resolve, to educate and inspire those who have not joined the opposition yet. CEA Foundation (Community Environmental Advocates), leads the charge in thwarting this bid to grab gold and risk everything from water to clean air. Learn more at www.MineWatchNC.org This free concert was held on July 31, 2022, organized by the Concerned Citizens Roundtable and co-sponsored by CEA Foundation. Play Video Play Video 03:07 Wells Run Dry - Geoff Eido (Official Music Video 2022) This is the official music video for WELLS RUN DRY. The song and video are about an actual Gold Mine that a Canadian company is presently trying to open in Grass Valley, California, which would have devastating effects on the environment including draining the wells of many of the local residents. Featured in the video is a LIVE PROTEST against the mine, as well as a FLASH MOB staged at Robinson Plaza in the heart of Nevada City, CA. Eido wrote this song to inspire people to take a stand against this mine, and to help shift the paradigm for all of us to embrace living in harmony with the environment and honoring the earth, rather than blindly plundering it. ➡️ Get this song: https://songwhip.com/geoffeido/wells-run-dry 🔔 Subscribe: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC9Uy50Mafr9Jx0fvHXsPhbQ 🚨 Follow Geoff Eido: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/geoffeido Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GeoffEido LYRICS -- CHORUS Wells run dry and the people are thirsty Wells run dry and the people awake… You might say your mining claim is what everybody needs Beneath your lying promises is the heart of your greed We won’t let you slip it into the ground beneath our feet Rape our land of treasures that our people sorely need CHORUS Won’t you please do us the decency of not pretending like you care While you fill our space with toxic waste and contaminate our air Rivers have no memory of poison in their veins We will fight for every drop til you abandon all your claims CHORUS It’s time to put the planet back to the place where it belongs The sacred, righteous architect of each and every song Take dominion, exploitation, and greed without remorse Bring harmony and dignity and honoring our source CHORUS -- ✍️ Sign the Petition: Wells Run Dry is inspired by the attempt of a Canadian company to reopen a mine in Grass Valley, California. You can help fight this by signing the petition against it here: https://www.minewatchnc.org/petition 🗒 The effect of this mine would be a massive increase in cancer risk, toxic waste, air pollution, noise pollution, river pollution and the dewatering of many of our neighbors wells. this song is an anthem for the earth and a declaration that THIS WILL NOT PASS! 🎤About Geoff Eido: Geoff Eido is a singer, songwriter, and activist. His passionate spirit inspires maverick music for the masses. The musical expression of Geoff Eido weaves wisdom, laughter, and even rage. Acting as an entertaining antidote to the distortions of our modern society. #GeoffEido #WellsRunDry #OfficialMusicVideo2022 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R4W08pYKmmw Play Video Play Video 02:54 Anti Idaho Maryland Mine for planning Commission Play Video Play Video 13:11 Rise Beyond Gold Documentary film about reopening the mine - featured at Wild & Scenic Film Festival 2021. This community faces a foreign-headquartered company that would mine gold under its feet and leave behind a toxic legacy. Questions are raised about why we desire gold, and ultimately, is it worth it? Bonus content: - Questions & fact clarifications - https://www.cea-nc.org/the-idaho-maryland-mine/review-of-the-film-rise-beyond-gold/ - SYRCL Workshop including panelist Shelly Covert, Nevada City Rancheria Nisenan Tribal Council - https://youtu.be/Kw-NF85XlYo Play Video Play Video 00:50 How To Help Stop The Mine Even small actions make a BIG difference. Listen to MineWatch volunteer Dr. Hazel-Grace Yates talk about why she thinks its important to take action. Play Video Play Video 12:02 Water For Gold A cautionary tale. This nearby mine shut down in the mid-90's after draining resident's wells. Play Video Play Video 03:21 Native Wildlife at Risk Rise Gold's wildlife assessment didn't find any deer, but their neighbor's trail cam tells a different story. Read more at https://www.minewatchnc.org/post/mike-shea-too-good-to-be-true Rise Gold's biological assessment report on the 129 acre Brunswick site says they "did not record any observation of deer," but their next door neighbor, Mike Shea, calls them out on their absurd claim and talks about how privately-funded reports can easily distort science. Play Video Play Video 08:53 83 Negative Impacts. Oh My! Nevada County is evaluating the Draft Environmental Impact Report (DEIR) for the proposed Idaho-Maryland Mine. Listen to what KVMR Radio Host, Martin Webb has to say about it. See more videos become a minewatcher Sign up for our newsletter to get updates and meeting invitations. Subscribe

SAve the date All hands on deck! Join us at the County's Public Hearing for the Idaho-Maryland Mine. If you attend one meeting this year, let this be the one! ACTION ALERT! Send A Letter! The d ecision is coming soon. It’s time to tell the County to Just Say No to the Idaho-Maryland Mine! ​ Even if you' ve written a letter before, please write a new one. Our handy new online letter-writing tool makes it quick and easy. ACTION ALERT! TO THE IDAHO-MARYLAND MINE SAve the date All hands on deck! ​ Join us at the Public Hearing. If you attend one meeting this year, let this be the one! Send A Letter! The decision is coming soon. ​ Use our letter- writing tool to make quick work of sending a letter to decision makers. ACTION ALERT! TO THE IDAHO-MARYLAND MINE SAve the date All hands on deck! Join us at the Public Hearing. If you attend one meeting this year, let this be the one! Learn more The decision is coming soon. ​ ​ U se our letter- writing tool to make quick work of sending a letter to decision makers. Send A Letter!

one stop action shop ACTION ALERT! TO THE IDAHO-MARYLAND MINE SAve the date All hands on deck! Join us at the Public Hearing. If you attend one meeting this year, let this be the one! Learn more The decision is coming soon. ​ ​ U se our letter- writing tool to make quick work of sending a letter to decision makers. Send A Letter! JOIN THE FIGHT Follow us online ​ 1. 2. 3. Read an email or two a month to keep up with the latest project news and learn about volunteer opportunities. We won't share your info. ​ ​ Write a letter . Tell Nevada County Board of Su pervisors (BOS) and Planning Commissioners to Just Say No to the Mine. Send a letter. Show your opposition. Send an email to request a Yard sign | Pin Donate - make a tax-deductible donation to help fund research, community education, and legal fees Get a free pin Tell us where to send it Get a yard sign Please tell us your address $10 donation recommended Subscribe to eNews 4. Donate Donate Your donation helps with political advocacy, community education, and legal fees - including hiring the best legal experts from the highly respected environmental law firm, Shute, Mihaly, and Weinberger. Your donation goes to our sponsor, Community Environmental Advocates Foundation. Our tax ID is 94-3352465. Donate thank you for your support The approval process for the mine is regulated by California's Environment Quality Act (CEQA), making the whole effort a marathon, not a sprint. Here is a quick view of major milestones. For a detailed timeline, visit the Nevada County project page . July 2020 Jan thru Apr 2022 Thru End of 2022 Notice of Preparation open for Community Review Draft Environmental Impact Report open for Community Review County Reviews Community Comments - Will likely recirculate the Draft Environmental Impact Report 2023 Nevada County Board of Supervisors makes a Decision County economic impact report released - Public Meeting December 15 WE ARE HERE Learn how to help understand the process Listen to retired Capital Planner, Paul Schwartz, explain the timeline, process, and decision points for the Draft Environmental Impact Report (DEIR). The County is required to produce an environmental report per the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). His DEIR Explainer presentation begins at 18:00 minutes >>> ​ View Nevada County's detailed project timeline chart here . Need quick access to our best links for sharing or next-step actions? Get a list of our favorites. become a minewatcher Join our newsletter for updates and monthly meeting invitations. Subscribe