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At the Final Hearing for the Idaho-Maryland Mine on February 15 & 16, 2024, Nevada County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously 5-0 to deny the certification of the Final Environmental Impact Report (EIR) and deny the Rise Gold project, fully rejecting Rise Gold’s plan to re-open the Idaho-Maryland Mine! Please, if you haven’t already done so, take a moment to thank our Supervisors by sending an email to bdofsupervisors@nevadacountyca.gov. This is a huge victory, but it's important to know that it's possibly not over yet. Rise Gold has stated repeatedly that intend to sue the County. They still claim they have a vested right to mine, and that the County has violated their due process rights in the processing of the application. CEA Foundation attorneys, Shute, Mihaly, & Weinberger, analyzed their vested rights claims and assert they "will be dead on arrival in court." An Exhausting But Rewarding Marathon American Activist Dorothy Height, once said “Without community service, we would not have a strong quality of life. It's important to the person who serves as well as the recipient. It's the way in which we ourselves grow and develop.” And grow we did. Opposition to the mine has brought this community together like perhaps no other issue. Over the last almost 4 years, thousands of residents, hundreds of businesses, and dozens of activist groups have come together to voice their opposition to the mine. In the meantime, County planners and executive staff spent exhaustive hours working to process the application thoroughly and fairly. Together – this community provided an example of how to participate in the process with a respectful presence and well researched analysis of the issues. Fortunately, our efforts were well rewarded. Our County’s planning department and commissioners reviewed the risks and stood up for the people. Our Supervisors and their executive staff created an outcome that will protect our air, water, and quality of life in the future. There really are thousands of people to thank for this outcome. Civil servants, researchers, writers, speakers, demonstrators, educators, organizers, project managers, typists, filmmakers, minstrels, and more. It took ALL of us to get to where we are today. You know who you are. Please pat yourself on the back. This was an incredible community effort! Hearing Highlights Hundreds of people of gathered at the Rood Center for the hearing – despite chilly, rainy weather – proudly displaying “no mine” stickers and signs. Almost 90 people provided passionate public comments against the mine. At the same time, the County’s YouTube channel recorded over 1,500 views on the first day and 1,000 on the second. Watch Supervisors’ Final Comments and Vote (apx 35 min) Or re-watch your favorite parts by watching the YouTube recordings of the full hearing. BOS Hearing Feb 15 Part 1 - 4:33 BOS Hearing Feb 15 Part 2 - 5:11 BOS Hearing Feb 16 – 4:26 In final comments, District 4 Supervisor Sue Hoek summed it up succinctly when she said, “This one doesn’t fit this spot anymore”. “I just don't see it,” said District 3 Supervisor Lisa Swarthout whose district includes the mine. “I don't see the promise of potentially 300 jobs to override people's quality of life”. “It’s clear that this community wants to move forward to a cleaner economic future and not go back to mining,” said District 1 Supervisor Heidi Hall. “Brunswick Road is certainly not rural,” said District 2 Supervisor, Ed Scofield. “It’s right on the outskirts, right adjacent to the city limits to Grass Valley… That means that this operation will have the possible impact of 1,000s of people, if not more, if something goes wrong.” Hardy Bullock, Board Chair and District 5 Supervisor wrapped up the final comments. “The final EIR has adequately described – the key word ‘described’ – the potential significant and unavoidable impacts. But the project in my mind, has not adequately removed or mitigated these environmental threats which threaten our community, our way of life for cultural and economic prosperity here.” Lisa Swarthout made the final motion that was unanimously approved: “I make the motion that we deny the certification of the Environmental Impact Report and that we deny the Rise Gold project.” In the News Local News 2/17 – TheUnion.com | 'This one doesn’t fit this spot anymore': Supervisors deny proposed mine project 5-0 2/16 – TheUnion.com | BREAKING: Supervisors vote 5-0 against reopening Idaho Maryland 2/16 – YubaNet.com | Supervisors Deny Rise Grass Valley’s Idaho Maryland Mine Project 2/16 – KNCO.com | Final Rejection Of Idaho Maryland From Supes Other Insightful Summaries 2/20 CapRadio.org | Nevada County rejects controversial gold mining project 2/20 BNNBreaking.com | Nevada County Says No Amid Community Concerns TV News ABC 10 News 2/16 - Nevada County supervisors unanimously reject reopening historic gold mine 2/15 - Historic Nevada County gold mine to see final meetings before decision CBS News Sacramento 2/16 - Nevada County denies bid to reopen historic mine after days of public comment 2/16 - Nevada County supervisors reject reopening Idaho Maryland Project 2/15 - Heated debate unfolds Thursday over proposed Idaho-Maryland Mine project FOX 40 News 2/16 Nevada County officials reject Grass Valley mine reopening 2/15 - Dozens of community members speak out against proposal to revive mine 2/15 Nevada County supervisors to have final say on Idaho-Maryland mine project

Read the opinion and legal analysis. CEA Foundation's attorneys weighed in on the Rise Gold's threat of legal action against Nevada County just before they unanimously denied approval of the Idaho-Maryland Mine project. "The County's decision to deny the [Vested Rights] Petition was sound and a court is unlikely to overturn it," said Ellison Folk, Attorney for Shute, Mihaly & Weinberger LLP. "No matter what sort of takings claim Rise tries to assert, it will be dead on arrival in court." Below is the full text of an opinion piece by CEA Foundation President, Ralph Silberstein followed by the legal analysis. The opinion piece was originally published in The Union on February 13, 2024... three days before the Nevada County Supervisors voted 5-0 to reject the project and not certify the Environmental Impact Report. Ralph Silberstein: Rise Gold’s Constitutional takings prospects - Dead on Arrival February 13, 2024 Ralph Silberstein, President CEA Foundation After receiving a unanimous rejection of the Idaho-Maryland Mine project from the Planning Commission, Rise Gold resorted to claims of bias and unfair handling, which gained little traction, followed by an unsuccessful effort to circumvent permitting with a Petition for Vested Rights to the Board of Supervisors. Subsequently, at the vested rights hearing and afterwards, Rise has made repeated accusations of “takings” and unfair treatment under the Constitution, threatening legal actions in federal court if the Board denies their project. Since both the Planning Commission and the Planning Staff Report have now recommended denying the project and not certifying the Environmental Impact Report (EIR), it seems likely that the Board will follow suit at the final hearing on February 15,16. In that eventuality, the question arises: how realistic is it that Rise could prevail in a legal challenge? We look to an assessment of Rise’s potential legal actions, written by the law firm of Shute, Mihaly & Weinberger, LLP, and summarized here, to consider the likelihood of such a prospect. Regarding Rise’s vested rights petition, it is doubtful that State court — where the challenge must begin — would second-guess the Board’s fact-bound, thorough, and impartial decision to deny Rise’s petition. The petition contained major flaws and the mine has been abandoned since the 1950s. The burden would fall on Rise to overcome the “presumption of correctness” of the County’s findings and convince the court that the County’s “decision is contrary to the weight of the evidence.” Rise has also accused the County of bias, thus depriving Rise of due process. The bias argument has no merit. The County’s staff reports and related materials explained in scrupulous detail the legal principles and factual context necessary to make a determination on Rise’s petition. This included a point-by-point analysis, supported with numerous factual exhibits, addressing the many misleading or simply incorrect statements in the petition. That the County’s analysis reached different legal and factual conclusions than Rise does not mean County staff were biased: it means they did their jobs. And in terms of “takings,” state and federal law are unambiguous that the County’s denial of the project would not amount to a taking. Rise has only two options for demonstrating that the County’s actions would constitute an unconstitutional taking. First, they would have to prove that the County’s denial of the project deprived Rise of all economically viable use of its property. But the properties owned by Rise have multiple other permissible uses that are consistent with existing zoning, including light industrial use, rendering that argument moot. Secondly, Rise could attempt to argue a takings under the multi-factor test set forth in Penn Central Transportation Co. v. City of New York, but would be hard pressed to satisfy that test, which sets an extremely high threshold for a takings claim. In short, no matter what sort of “takings” claim Rise tries to assert, it would likely be dead on arrival. (Scroll down to see the full text of the analysis by Shute, Mihaly, & Weinberger, Legal Considerations Surrounding Idaho-Maryland Mine Permitting Decisions.) So why would Rise file a legal challenge to the Board decisions, anyway? One possibility is that, having perpetrated a false narrative about the high quality of their EIR and the project’s benefits, Rise’s leaders may now believe their own falsehoods. Another possibility is that they have succumbed to incompetent legal counsel regarding vested rights and takings case law. A third and more cynical explanation for Rise filing suit is that they know they are on the losing side but imagine that launching a legal challenge in federal court would be so prolonged and costly that the County would seek a settlement agreement to end the fiscal drain on County resources. Or it could be all three reasons. Regardless of motivations, a legal challenge would likely be another big mistake for Rise because the Board, a huge coalition of environmental groups, and most of this community have already proven that they do not easily cave in to shoddy projects, marketing spin or threats. Furthermore, it’s one thing for one to lose one’s own money in a gamble or bluff, but another thing entirely to squander the capital of investors and bleed out shareholders’ equity on meritless lawsuits. Rise still owns 119 acres in Grass Valley. If faced with a no vote on their project, they should do the responsible thing and stay away from baseless legal challenges, consider the will of the community, sell the land, and move on. Ralph Silberstein, President CEA Foundation Legal Considerations Surrounding Idaho-Maryland Mine Permitting Decisions Full text: February 7, 2024 Via Electronic Mail Only Board of Supervisors Nevada County 950 Maidu Avenue Nevada City, California 95959 bdofsupervisors@nevadacountyca.gov Re:     Board’s Consideration of the Idaho-Maryland Mine Project Dear Board Members: On behalf of the Community Environmental Advocates (“CEA”) Foundation, we write regarding the County’s ongoing consideration of Rise Grass Valley, Inc.’s (“Rise’s”) proposed Idaho-Maryland Mine Project (“Project”). On December 14, 2023, the Board unanimously voted to deny Rise’s Idaho-Maryland Mine Vested Rights Petition (“Petition”), concluding that Rise does not hold a vested right to mine on the Project site. Previously, the County’s Planning Commission had unanimously recommended (1) to deny Rise’s applications for a rezone and a variance, each of which is necessary to develop the Project; and (2) to decline to certify the Final Environmental Impact Report (“EIR”) prepared for the Project. The Board will consider those recommendations at a public hearing on February 15, 2024. We commend the County for reaching the correct decisions to date regarding the Petition and the Project entitlements. On behalf of CEA Foundation, we urge the Board to adopt the Planning Commission’s recommendations, which are well-reasoned and were delivered only after a thorough process that afforded Rise and the public ample opportunity to be heard. We also write in response to threats that Rise will challenge these decisions in court.[1] As set forth in this letter, any claims that Rise could bring against the County in connection with the Project are unlikely to succeed. In particular, it is doubtful that a court would second guess the Board’s fact-bound, thorough, and impartial decision to deny the Petition. Additionally, Rise would have no viable claim that the County has taken its property without just compensation in violation of the state or federal constitutions. In short, the County should not be swayed by Rise’s empty threats of litigation. The Board should adopt the recommendations of the Planning Commission and County staff[2] to deny certain Project entitlements, decline to certify the EIR, and put an end to Rise’s misguided Project once and for all. I. The County’s decision to deny the Petition was sound and a court is unlikely to overturn it. At the outset, it is important to emphasize that if Rise wishes to challenge the County’s vested rights decision, it must pursue that claim in state court. Longstanding precedent from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit is unequivocal on this point. In Eilrich v. Remas (9th Cir. 1988) 839 F.2d 630, 632-33, the plaintiff attempted to bring a claim against his former city employer in federal court under 42 U.S.C. § 1983, arguing that his discharge violated his First Amendment rights. The Ninth Circuit held that the claim could not move forward, as a city administrative body had already rejected that exact argument in an adjudicatory proceeding and the plaintiff did not challenge the city’s decision in state court. Id.; see also Miller v. County of Santa Cruz (9th Cir. 1994) 39 F.3d 1030, 1037-38 (reaffirming Eilrich). Thus, Rise could only contest the County’s denial of its Petition by seeking a writ of administrative mandamus in state court. See Cal. Code Civ. Proc. §§ 1094.5, 1094.6; Eilrich, 839 F.2d at 633; Miller, 39 F.3d at 1038. Any court reviewing Rise’s claims must afford the County’s findings a “strong presumption of correctness.” Fukuda v. City of Angels (1999) 20 Cal.4th 805, 817. The burden would fall on Rise, as the challenger, to overcome that presumption and “convince the [trial] court” that the County’s “decision is contrary to the weight of the evidence.” Id. Rise cannot possibly carry that burden. As the County explained at length at the hearing and in its written materials, there is ample evidence that any vested right to mine that may have once existed has long been abandoned. By comparison, and as the County also pointed out, there is virtually no evidence indicating that previous owners of the Project sites continuously intended to resume mining operations during the seven decades when the mine sat unused. The quality and the volume of the evidence that the County relied upon exceeds that in cases where courts have affirmed findings of abandonment. See, e.g., Hardesty v. State Mining & Geology Bd. (2017) 219 Cal.Rptr.3d 28 (unpublished); Stokes v. Bd. of Permit Appeals (1997) 52 Cal.App.4th 1348. Indeed, had the County found that any vested right was not abandoned in spite of the clear historical record, a court likely would have overturned that decision. See Keep the Code, Inc. v. County of Mendocino (2018) A147544, 2018 WL 6259477 (unpublished)[3] (overturning county’s determination that company had vested right to mine aggregate; included as Attachment A). Taking a different tack, Rise has also vaguely alleged that the Board was biased when it unanimously voted to deny the Petition, and thus Rise was deprived of procedural due process.[4] Rise has tried this exact strategy before.[5] Its allegations of bias are no more compelling now than they were the last time Rise raised them. The County’s staff reports and related materials explained in scrupulous detail the legal principles and factual context necessary to resolve Rise’s Petition.[6] This included a point-by-point analysis, supported with numerous factual exhibits, addressing the many misleading or simply incorrect statements in the Petition.[7] That these materials happened to reach different legal and factual conclusions than Rise and its counsel does not mean County staff were biased; it means they did their jobs. As for the Board itself, it is blackletter law that a decisionmaker is not biased simply because they have some attenuated connection with a group that takes a stance on the project at issue. See Petrovich Dev. Co., LLC v. City of Sacramento (2020) 48 Cal.App.5th 963, 971, 974 (holding a councilmember’s active membership in a neighborhood association opposed to a project on which the councilmember voted “did not establish bias” in and of itself); see also Cohan v. City of Thousand Oaks (1994) 30 Cal.App.4th 547, 559 (“[A] councilperson has a right to state views or concerns on matters of community policy without having his voted impeached.”). Rise’s complaints of bias were meritless when they were levied against the Planning Commission eight months ago, and those same repurposed allegations remain meritless today. The overall process that the County afforded Rise in connection with the Petition more than satisfied the requirements of state and federal law. Rise was able to present hundreds of pages of legal analysis and factual evidence to the Board. County staff considered those materials and disclosed their own thorough conclusions well in advance of a duly noticed public hearing. Then, over the course of that multi-day hearing, Rise and its counsel were able to present their case, rebut the conclusions of County staff, and address the Board’s questions. And the specific basis on which the Board denied the Petition—abandonment—was addressed extensively in the written materials and at the hearing itself. Rise was entitled to nothing more. See Calvert v. County of Yuba (2006) 145 Cal.App.4th 613, 627 (indicating procedural due process requirements are satisfied in the vested rights context where interested entities receive “reasonable notice and an opportunity to be heard in an evidentiary public adjudicatory hearing before the vested rights claim is determined”); see also Eilrich, 839 F.2d at 633-35 (indicating that where a state administrative proceeding has these basic characteristics, a federal court must give its decisions preclusive effect). In sum, Rise received all the process that it was due. That process resulted in the Board reaching a decision that was not just well-reasoned, but was the only legally defensible conclusion available. A court would not second guess the County’s sound determination regarding the Petition. II. Rise would not have a viable takings claim against the County. Rise has repeatedly asserted that if the County denies the Project, the County will have committed an uncompensated “taking” of Rise’s property in violation of the state and federal constitutions.[8] This is flatly incorrect. State and federal law are unambiguous that the County’s denial of the Project would not amount to a taking.[9] Here, Rise has only two options for demonstrating that the County committed an unconstitutional taking. First, Rise could attempt to prove that the County’s denial of the Project deprived it of all economically viable use of its property. See Lucas v. South Carolina Coastal Council (1992) 506 U.S. 1003, 1019. This is not a test that Rise could ever hope to pass. The parcels making up the Project site have multiple other permissible uses that are fully consistent with their existing zoning designations. Indeed, the EIR for the Project expressly acknowledges this. See Draft EIR pp. 6-11 through 6-13 (explaining how the Brunswick Industrial Site as currently zoned could be developed with over half a million square feet of new office, business, and/or industrial uses). This is more than sufficient to defeat a Lucas claim. See Shea Homes Limited Partnership v. County of Alameda (2003) 110 Cal.App.4th 1246, 1267 (“[I]f permissible uses exist, a development restriction does not deny a property holder [all] economically viable use of his property.”). Rise’s only alternative would be to argue that the denial of the Project amounts to a taking under the multi-factor test set forth in Penn Central Transportation Co. v. City of New York (1978) 438 U.S. 104. See 438 U.S. at 124 (listing the relevant factors as (1) the economic impact of the government’s action, (2) the extent to which the action interfered with “investment-backed expectations,” and (3) the character of the action). But for much the same reason that Rise cannot bring a successful Lucas claim, it will not prevail under the Penn Central test, either. Courts applying the Penn Central framework have repeatedly emphasized that a government action must deprive a property of virtually all economic value to amount to a taking. Colony Cove Properties, LLC v. City of Carson (9th Cir. 2018) 888 F.3d 445, 451 (emphasizing that even “diminution in property value because of governmental regulation ranging from 75% to 92.5% does not constitute a taking”). Again, that simply would not be the effect of the County’s denial of the Project, given the many other permissible uses of the property. Additionally, Rise would have no “reasonable investment-backed expectation” in any additional economic value it hopes to attains from operating the reopened mine. Allegretti & Co. v. County of Imperial (2006) 138 Cal.App.4th 1261, 1279 (holding a “claim of loss of anticipated profits or gain is not compensable, as it demonstrate[s] no more than a possible restriction upon more economic uses of its property.” (citation omitted)). In short, no matter what sort of takings claim Rise tries to assert, it will be dead on arrival in court. III.  The Board should follow the recommendations of the Planning Commission. Any legal challenge that Rise could bring against the County is highly unlikely to succeed. However, the County would violate CEQA and State Planning and Zoning law if  the Board were to reverse the recommendations of the Planning Commission and County staff by certifying the EIR and granting the Project all necessary approvals. The recommendations to deny the re-zone and the variance are clearly correct on the merits, for the reasons that the Commission, staff, and general public have explained. Just as importantly, though, the EIR prepared for the Project is grossly inadequate. As we have discussed at length in previous letters to the County,[10] the EIR suffers from numerous fatal defects, ranging from an improper project description and environmental baseline, to a flawed analysis of Project alternatives, to inadequate analysis and mitigation of impacts to groundwater, air quality, energy, and climate change. The County cannot approve the Project unless it corrects the flaws in the EIR. ———— Again, we applaud the County for its careful consideration of the Project. The Board, Planning Commission, and County staff have repeatedly reached the correct decisions by faithfully applying the law and the facts and by resisting misleading and irrelevant claims. The Board should continue that practice by voting to deny the Project and decline to certify its EIR. Very truly yours, SHUTE, MIHALY & WEINBERGER LLP Ellison Folk Ryan Gallagher Attachments: A.      Keep the Code, Inc. v. County of Mendocino (2018) A147544, 2018 WL 6259477 cc:     Julie Patterson Hunter, Clerk of the Board, clerkofboard@nevadacountyca.gov Katharine Elliott, County Counsel, county.counsel@nevadacountyca.gov Matt Kelley, Senior Planner, matt.kelley@co.nevada.ca.us Laurie Oberholtzer, CEA Foundation Ralph Silberstein, CEA Foundation 1740001.4 [1] See Rise Gold Corp., Rise Gold Reports Result of Vested Rights Hearing 2 (Dec. 14, 2023), https://www.risegoldcorp.com/uploads/news_item/article/ARTICLE_126.pdf (quoting Rise Gold CEO Joe Mullin, who stated after the Board’s decision to deny the Petition that he “look[ed] forward to having our rights vindicated by the courts”); id. at 1-2 (implying the Board’s denial of the Petition was procedurally and substantively improper and suggesting that it would amount to an unconstitutional taking were the County to deny both the Petition and all necessary Project approvals). [2] See Brian Foss, Board Agenda Memorandum 2-3 (Feb. 2, 2024), https://www.nevadacountyca.gov/DocumentCenter/View/52237/Board-of-Supervisor-Staff-Report-. [3] Although the Hardesty and Keep the Code decisions are not published, they provide helpful guidance regarding how a court is likely to approach similar issues and facts. [4] See id. at 1-2 (alleging the Board relied on a “biased” staff report and implying the Board was not an “impartial tribunal” when it considered the Petition). [5] See Letter from Ben Mossman, President, Rise Grass Valley Inc., to Nevada County Board of Supervisors (June 1, 2023) (claiming Planning Commission was biased when it issued its unanimous recommendations regarding the Project entitlements and FEIR); see also Letter from Ellison Folk, Shute, Mihaly & Weinberger LLP, to Nevada County Board of Supervisors (June 27, 2023) (addressing Rise’s previous allegations of bias). [6] Katharine L. Elliott & Diane G. Kindermann, Nevada County Board of Supervisors Board Agenda Memorandum (Nov. 28, 2023), https://www.nevadacountyca.gov/DocumentCenter/View/51714/2-Staff-Report; Katharine L. Elliott et al., Nevada County Board of Supervisors Board Agenda Memo (Dec. 13, 2023), https://www.nevadacountyca.gov/DocumentCenter/View/51825/Rise-Grass-Valley-Vested-Rights-Petition-Supplemental-Staff-Report-. [7] Katharine L. Elliott & Diane G. Kindermann, County’s Responses to Petitioner’s Facts and Evidence in the Vested Rights Petition (Including County’s Exhibits 1001-1027) (Nov. 28, 2023), https://www.nevadacountyca.gov/DocumentCenter/View/51712/4-Nevada-County-Responses-to-Facts-and-Evidence-in-the-Vested-Rights-Petition-w--County-exhibits. [8] See, e.g., Rise Gold Corp., supra note 1, at 2; Letter from G. Braiden Chadwick, Mitchell Chadwick LLP to Nevada County Planning Commission, at 4 (May 5, 2023). [9] As relevant here, state courts have interpreted the takings clause in the California constitution “congruently” with the federal takings clause. California Building Industry Assn. v. City of San Jose (2015) 61 Cal.4th 435, 456 n.10. [10] See Letter from Ellison Folk, Shute, Mihaly & Weinberger LLP to Matt Kelley, Senior Planner, Nevada County (Mar. 20, 2023); Letter from Ellison Folk, Shute, Mihaly & Weinberger LLP to Matt Kelley, Senior Planner, Nevada County (Mar. 30, 2022); Letter from CEA Foundation to Matt Kelley, Senior Planner, Nevada County (Mar. 30, 2022). Download the brief and attachment.

Interested in learning about the latest developments in the fight against the mine? Rereading recent newsletters is a great way to catch up.

DUMPS Mine Waste Rise Gold owns the toxic Centennial Site and is obligated to clean it up. That’s good for the community, but if the Mine is approved, they’ll use it to dump more mine waste. pre-superfund site UNDERSTAND THE PROJECT Rise Gold owns two sites, the Centennial site near downtown Grass Valley off of Idaho-Maryland Road, and the larger Brunswick site at the intersection of East Bennett and Brunswick Roads. The Centennial site is a historically toxic site that is facing EPA Superfund designation. ​ That designation has been "conditionally deferred" for the time being because Rise Gold has agreed to clean up the site under the supervision of the CA Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC). And now, the proposed Idaho-Maryland Mine project plans to use it as the first place they’ll put their “engineered fill” using waste rock and tailings extracted from the mine. ​ Environmental advocates like CEA Foundation fully support the cleanup, but are opposed to dumping mine waste on the site. ​ The goal is to restore the property to a healthy natural state, including reestablishing vegetation, reclaiming some wetlands, and letting existing seasonal creeks continue to flow. Per the zoning planned by the City of Grass Valley, open spaces would be developed as a mixed-use Business Park with some Medium Density Housing. Rise Gold is paying for the work. ​ The project was started in August 2019 and is completely independent of the Mine project, which is managed by the Nevada County Planning Department. For the Centennial Site cleanup, DTSC is the lead agency. It uses different inspectors. And there is no dependency on the mine being approved. ​ ​ NEXT STEPS ​ A Preliminary Endangerment Assessment (PEA) was published in 2020 that evaluated the contaminants and guided the planning for the Centennial Site. The first draft of a Remediation Action Plan (RAP) was published in July 2021 and the public was invited to commen t. Under CEQA, this is a "Mitigated Negative Declaration", which examines the impacts and proposed mitigations (such as how to mitigate the damage to wetlands that will get dug up during the cleanup.) DTSC has not published a schedule for the second draft yet. ​ Learn more about comments that were provided by CEA Foundation and coalition partners . Key ISSUE A key issue related to the Centennial Site is the fact that the County's Final Environmental Impact Report excludes the Centennial Site from the full analysis of the impacts of the proposed Idaho-Maryland Mine project. This prevents the County from understanding the full environmental impacts and is a clear violation of CEQA, which requires that impact assessments be based on current conditions, not a speculative future condition. ​ Read more about why the County should deny the Final EIR and the project . The Centennial Site is close to downtown Grass Valley, the hospital, and several senior facilities. Listen to Barbara Rivenes from the Sierra Club as she explains the EPA's requirements for cleaning up Centennial site and how that relates to the proposed reopening of the Idaho-Maryland Mine. Have you searched for 'superfund' in our library? become a minewatcher Join our newsletter for updates. Subscribe

SIGN THE PETITION Tell the Nevada County Board of Supervisors you want them to... ​ Stop The Idaho-Maryland Mine ​ Why Stop The Mine? ​ Pollutes our air with fugitive dust from rock crushing, loading, and truck hauling Wrecks our neighborhoods with drilling, blasting, and truck traffic for 80 years Devours our power using 12% of Nevada County’s consumption annually and putting our power grid under further strain Completely erases our County’s plan to cut greenhouse gas emissions Drains our water using South Fork Wolf Creek as a storm drain Threatens 300+ private wells Reduces property values and property tax revenue ​ ​ First Name Last Name Email Address Phone Street Address City Postal / Zip code Comments Example - feel free to cut and paste Dear Nevada County Supervisors, Businesses, homeowners, and conservationists in Nevada County are joining together to protect our neighborhoods, our local economy, and our quality of life from the Rise Gold proposal to re-open the Idaho-Maryland Mine. We, the undersigned, urge the Board of Supervisors to reject this destructive proposal and instead protect our community. Sign the Petition Frequently Asked Questions ​ Why are you asking for my street address and phone? We need complete and verifiable information to present to the Nevada County Board of Supervisors, including which petitioners live in each of their districts. Can I sign this petition even if I don't live in Nevada County? Yes! It's important that our Supervisors know we have broad-based support beyond the County lines. Who will receive my information? We will only share this petition and your information/comments with the Nevada County Planning Commission and Board of Supervisors. By signing this petition, the only mailing list you will be added to is MineWatch. You can opt-out at any time. become a minewatcher Join our newsletter for updates and monthly meeting invitations. Subscribe

why stop the mine? 7 Reasons Rise Gold, a junior mining company that has never opened a mine and never made a profit, applied to re-reopen the Idaho-Maryland Mine here in Grass Valley. The Nevada County Board of Supervisors unanimously rejected the project on February 16, 2024. Here are some of the key concerns about the project. Scroll to learn more. drains our water GROUNDWATER and wells at risk Water is one of the most precious resources we have, but Rise Gold plans to pump out 1.2 million gallons every day for up to 80 years putting 300+ private wells at risk. Learn More Risks our health 80 years Hardrock mining is the single largest source of toxic waste in the United States. Rise Gold wants to put a heavy industrial mining plant into the middle of our peaceful residential community. 24 hours a day. 7 days a week. For up to 80 years. pollutes our air failing grade Grass Valley gets an “F” for air quality today. The mine will make it worse with escaped dust from continuous rock crushing, loading, hauling, unloading, spreading, and compacting. With chronic lung disease deaths already at twice the state average, we can't afford any more. Learn More HURTS CLIMATE greenhouse gas The mine calls for massive energy usage and would produce large quantities of Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Emissions - completely erasing the county's plans to cut residential power consumption and curb climate change. Learn More Shouldn't trust rise gold Toxic Spill Their recent CEO's last venture polluted tribal waters, went bankrupt, and left Canadians with a mess to clean up. And many question their claims about the current project. Learn More hurts business & Homeowners While Rise Gold shareholders profit, the local community gets little. The few jobs gained are offset by big quality of life impacts for local homeowners, risks for tourism and industry, and 10’s of millions lost in property values. $10's of millions Learn More QUESTIONABLE ECONOMIC RETURN INCONCLUSIVE A panel of community experts reviewed the County's Economic Impact Report and found many reasons to question the conclusions. Learn More become a minewatcher Join our newsletter for updates . Subscribe