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Read GV Resident Tony's Lauria's short, but powerful argument for why the dangers of the Mine outweigh any rights to a financial profit. You can also read this in The Union. Analyzing this proposal at the basic level of common sense, I see no gray areas for dispute. The risks of permitting a heavy industrial mining operation, under residential property, outweigh any rights to financial profit. When you truly consider what this proposal is all about, it is money. It’s not about the health, safety and welfare of the thousands of residents in the area. It’s about taking. Taking away our clean, proficient wells. Taking away our clean air. Taking our energy resources. Taking away our quiet natural environment. Taking away our life’s investment in our homes and properties. Taking away the beauty of our natural habitat. Proponents of this proposal have an interest in making money for themselves. What is unspoken, but true, is that this money will be made off the backs of the citizens who live here. We have seen it before. It is written in history, all around us. If there’s any doubt, take a look at this documentary of the most recent gold mining travesty inflicted on our county: https://vimeo.com/120747168. Anyone in a position of power and charged with upholding the best interests of the residents of this community must stop this egregious attack on our town. I don’t believe any of the multitude of impacts can ever be mitigated to less than significant. They will devastate our community. There are no studies or reports that can 100% guarantee a safe outcome for any one of these impacts.

Did you know that large noisy gravel hauling trucks will run an average of 100 trips (one way) per day, and up to 200 trips? Running 16 hours per day, 7 days per week, that means a truck will pass by every 9.6 minutes, and as often as every 4.8 minutes. Added to that would be numerous other daily cement and materials trucks.

Dear MineWatchers, MineWatch held a virtual community film-screening about the re-opening of the Idaho Maryland Mine and a panel discussion on Thursday, February 25th at 6:00 pm. See the recording here. Rise Beyond Gold tells the story about a proposal to re-open the Idaho Maryland Mine in Nevada County, CA. The community faces a junior mining company with questionable experience that wants to take the gold from under their property and leave a toxic legacy behind. Rise Beyond Gold also raises more critical questions for the world at large. Why do we desire gold, and ultimately, is it worth it? The movie, created by Catalyst Communications, premiered at the flagship Wild & Scenic Film Festival in January of 2021. Join MineWatchers for a special Zoom screening of Rise Beyond Gold (13-minutes) followed by a panel discussion afterward. The Panel: -Greg Thrush, Sierra Fund will moderate the panel discussion -Jennifer Ekstrom, Filmmaker, and Principal Storyteller, Catalyst Communications -Menkin Nelson, Film Producer -Ralph Silberstein, Community Environmental Advocates Foundation -Carrie Monahan, Sierra Fund -Christy Hubbard, Impacted Homeowner QUICK FACTS: Did you know that large noisy gravel hauling trucks will run an average of 100 trips (one way) per day, and up to 200 trips? Running 16 hours per day, 7 days per week, that means a truck will pass by every 9.6 minutes, and as often as every 4.8 minutes. Added to that would be numerous other daily cement and materials trucks.

Beating the Pebble Mine in Alaska is no small feat. It’s been going on for more than 10 years now. Big money and big politics are involved. But recent setbacks make the prospects of opening the mine very dim. And it’s a great lesson in strategies for beating Rise Gold and the proposed Idaho-Maryland Mine in Grass Valley. 1) Force them to prove they will do no harm. If they can’t, you win. Knowing the law matters. “The Army Corps of Engineers on Wednesday denied a permit under the Federal Clean Water Act for the proposed Pebble Mine in Alaska, likely dealing a death blow to a long-disputed project that aimed to extract one of the world’s largest deposits of copper and gold ore, but which threatened breeding grounds for salmon in the pristine Bristol Bay region… In a statement, the Army Corps’ Alaska District Commander, Col. Damon Delarosa, said the mine, proposed for a remote tundra region about 200 miles from Anchorage, would be “contrary to the public interest” because “it does not comply with Clean Water Act guidelines.” 2) Look for and expose dirty business. "In September, the future of the multibillion dollar project appeared in doubt when secret recordings of company executives suggested that they were planning for a much larger mine, and one that would operate far longer, than what had been proposed to the Corps. The recordings were obtained by an environmental advocacy group, with two members who were posing as potential investors in the project meeting by video with two project executives. The executives described how the mine could operate for 160 years or more beyond the proposed 20 years, and how its output could double after the first two decades. In the fallout from the recordings, one of the executives, Tom Collier, chief executive of the Pebble Partnership, resigned." Read the full article here.

In a full-page Christmas letter advertisement by Rise Gold’s Ben Mossman, he assured readers his gold mine won’t have any ill effect on Grass Valley. He invited readers to send him a letter, providing his email. And yet, a letter sent to him suggesting alternative uses for the mine property went unacknowledged and unanswered. Is this the kind of business we want here? One that pretends to care but doesn’t really? Read the full letter in the Union.

Once again, a junior mining company from Canada has arrived in town with an eye to reopen the Idaho-Maryland Mine. So far, Rise Gold Corp. has not made a good impression. If you’re new to the area, or your memory fades on the subject, here’s a quick refresher: Every 5 or 10 years, gold mine investors get excited about the idea of re-opening an abandoned mine. These investment companies are often from out of state. In particular, “junior” mining companies from Canada operate in California because they enjoy funding loopholes that encourage speculation. The last such company, Emgold, threw in the towel after it was unable to complete the permitting process in 2012. Read the full "Other Voices" column in The Union here.

By Tom Behlmer, Grass Valley Resident January 22, 2021 Read this Opinion piece in The Union. Every once in a while, I run into someone in person or online who seems to be in favor of reopening the Idaho Maryland Mine. Their reasons for doing so simply tell me they really haven’t thought this thing through yet. The most common pro-mine argument seems to be based on some type of misguided nostalgia: “This town started with mining,” they say. At the time, the town thought of it as prosperity, but today, we know that hard rock mining is the single largest source of toxic waste in the U.S. We used to have above ground atomic bomb tests north of Las Vegas and we used to dump toxic DDT barrels off the Southern California coast that later leaked. The second argument, “it will create jobs,” seems reasonable at first, but a closer look opens up a long list of questions. Rise Gold states that 300 jobs will be created by opening the mine. Has this number been verified? I believe it has not. Could it be an empty promise? It would not be the first time a company has promised one thing and under delivered. Jobs for whom? Ask yourself does the local area have people with mining skills or willing to be trained to work deep under ground? Will workers from outside the area be brought in to fill these jobs? If so, where will they live when we have a very tight rental and real estate market? Will they drive up rents, pushing out local essential workers? Will this affect small businesses? With workers more able to work from home due to COVID-19, the area may see an influx of workers from urban areas boosting the local economy and lessening the need for an industrial facility. If the county wants to attract jobs, how about finding a buyer or occupant for the empty Grass Valley Group complex off of Providence Mine Road by offering tax abatement for a period? And that leads to the third argument: “You shouldn’t have bought property next to a mine,” which assumes that through some personal failing, only a few people are affected. Seriously? It was closed for almost 70 years. The property Rise wants to develop has been zoned for light industrial use — not mining — for a long time now. If we flip this around, then Rise Gold should not have bought the property with the intention to open a mine in a residential neighborhood. The reality is that the impact from the mine is likely to affect more than the homes in the immediate area. Don’t think that since you live a distance away from the mine, there is no need to be concerned. When industrial mining was done here, there were not the following issues for the community: — Awareness of the toxicity of dust containing arsenic and silica. The dust is generated by loading, transporting and off loading of ore. The discarded ore will eventually reach a height of 70 feet and would be located off of Centennial Street in Grass Valley. I would not want to be downwind of the discard pile. Also the issue of added pollution from diesel exhaust from trucks running 14 hours per day, seven days a week. — Potential devaluation of property values. Lower property values leads to less property tax for the county and lower Realtor commissions, which largely gets fed back into the local community. — Potential liability to the county if there is an environmental “mishap.” We have had two sinkholes in Grass Valley or Nevada City in the past five years. Will emptying the mine shafts of water and using explosives for blasting risk more sinkholes? There are 367 miles of tunnel under the old Empire Mine. The CEO of Rise has a checkered history at best of leaving behind messes from not adhering to regulations. Please see the commentary in The Union from Dec. 7, 2020: “Rise Gold Shouldn't Be Trusted. Here's Why.” If just three of the five Nevada County supervisors approve the permit, which would grant an 80-year operating period, the project is likely to go forward. The issue should be decided by a countywide vote. I think it would be an extreme example of government abuse of power to have it decided by three people. What’s next? This is a battle of a community against corporate interests. Your help is badly needed. If you oppose the mine or wish to prevent government overreach, please contact your local county supervisor. If unsure who it is please refer to this https://www.mynevadacounty.com/2175/Supervisorial-Districts.

Dear MineWatchers, Do you have plans this Saturday? Have you been looking for a movie on Friday night? Join us for this month’s workshop (and see a movie!) Mining Gold Again in Nevada County? — Sat. Jan. 23 at 4pm Join Nevada County leaders and conservation activists as they discuss the proposed reopening of Idaho Maryland Mine and offer actions you can take now to help prevent it. This proposal by a foreign corporation is the topic of the film, Rise Beyond Gold, which premiers in the "Local Love" film session. This Activist Center Workshop explores the impacts the community would face if Nevada County allows the mine to open. It offers insights from trusted community leaders, highlights ways to stay informed, and includes tips for influencing decision makers. Pascale Fusshoeller, esteemed editor of YubaNet and 21-year veteran of the Nevada County news scene, will moderate the panel featuring: • Jennifer Ekstrom, Filmmaker, Rise Beyond Gold • Ralph Silberstein, Community Environmental Advocates Foundation • Shelly Covert, Secretary, Community Outreach, and Spokesperson, Nevada City Rancheria Nisenan Tribal Council • Dr. Carrie Monohan, Program Director, The Sierra Fund Be sure to check out the film Rise Beyond Gold in the Film Festival’s "Local Love" session. You can watch it on Friday (or any time during the Festival) Film guide | Wild & Scenic Film Festival (eventive.org) Wondering when the public will see the environmental documents? Well, we have an update. According to recent conversations with the County, they are now reviewing revised technical documents. The County expects that the Draft Environmental Impact Report might be out in late Spring or early Summer. You can learn more about the public process and when to expect opportunities for the public to be involved with a short overview of the timeline here: CEQA Timeline for Idaho-Maryland Mine - CEA Foundation on Vimeo FUN FACTS: Did you know that a study to determine the vibrations from blasting was prepared? The analysis uses the standard of shock waves up to 0.4 inch per second as "an acceptable standard" because only 8% of the population will complain! Did you get forwarded this newsletter from a friend? Subscribe to MineWatch here.

Hello MineWatchers - We have some encouraging news to start off the new year: Your actions made a difference! -The Mine is now one of the County’s top four focus areas this year. The Union’s front page article on New Year’s Day gave a run-down of the top four issues facing the County in 2021, listing the proposed re-opening of the Idaho-Maryland Mine as one of four, along with the vaccine roll-out, economic recovery, and PSPS/Wildfire concerns. In a switch from past articles that were decidedly pro-mine, this article sized up the debate-to-come by presenting the opposition as credible and well organized, while putting Rise Gold in a defensive position and forcing them to explain CEO Ben Mossman’s bad history. A big piece of this win is due to you -The article remarked on this community’s visible and vocal presence at board of supervisor meetings over the past few months. Thank you! Your respectful participation in our government’s process is earning us the credibility we need in order to win this fight. If you haven’t heard about Mossman’s past yet, the facts are based on Bob Hubbard’s Opinion Editorial from December, "Rise Gold Shouldn’t Be Trusted. Here’s Why." Help us stay credible - We believe that interactions with our elected officials and public servants should always be done with respect and politeness, and never with threats or intimidation. So far, most of our community has done just exactly that and we thank you for it. Please join us in encouraging a positive, productive relationship with our County’s decision makers. We have the tools to defeat this mine project if we use them wisely. Let us start the new year with a focus on civility and trying to work together. It's a new year -- time to get the word out - Join our group on Facebook and check out our new campaign website MineWatch Nevada County (MineWatchNC.org). We hope this new site will serve as a resource for everyone. It includes talking points, recent news, and fact sheets to help answer your questions and educate our community. Thank you for all that you do! The Team at CEA Foundation

By Martha Turner, Grass Valley Resident January 5, 2021 Dear Mr. Ben Mossman, president, Rise Grass Valley Inc.: How could I miss your full page ad in The Union on Dec. 23, 2020? It was a slap in the face to all of us who live in Grass Valley. You wishing us all a Merry Christmas while publishing what I believe to be falsehoods about what high standards Rise Gold Corp. will follow and presuming to know what the reopening of your mine means to our community. Read Martha's full article in The Union.

Denise Bellas, Grass Valley Resident May 15, 2020 Read this article in The Union. As a local Grass Valley resident, I want to pose questions and voice my opinions in regards to the reopening of the Idaho Maryland Mine by Rise Gold Corp. Mr. Benjamin Mossman, as CEO of Rise Gold Corp., is currently enticing investors with high expectations of gold returns, but seems to neglect an awful lot of information in their marketing campaign. I understand that their primary goal is to acquire money to restart the Idaho Maryland Mine in our town. The CEO has been in the marketing phase of pushing that forward through his many videos and website articles. I understand that our community has many views on mining. Looking forward, it seems to be very questionable as to how this will impact our town. We all enjoy the history of mining, but I doubt that very few of us would appreciate an active mine in our backyard and mining debris running through the Nevada County tributaries. As a homeowner who lives on Wolf Creek, I often see adults and kids fishing, swimming and enjoying the environment of the creek. With this in mind, I have to ask myself are the benefits of this mine worth the potential risk to Wolf Creek and our community? We will be allowing Rise Gold to release water from the mine down and into Wolf Creek. This could impact our children and our community, also our property values. I was rather upset when I thought about this scenario. So, I googled Mr. Benjamin Mossman to get an idea of how ethical he has been in the past and looking for some signs of integrity. He markets the company and the project in such a glowing way. I believe, that the past often predicts the future. I found information on one of Mr. Mossman recent past projects, Banks Island Gold Limited in Canada. As president and CEO, Mr. Mossman created a company that ended in bankruptcy, was charged with many environmental violations and had their $420,000 security bond confiscated by the Ministry of Energy and Mines to clean the polluted site. According to the Government of Canada’s website, “on July 13, 2018, Mossman was found guilty of one violation of the Fisheries Act ($7,500) and one violation of the Provincial Environmental Management Act ($7,500).” I was so upset that we are even considering a company run by this person. I personally believe, based on his past actions, I do not trust that he is a person of integrity. I do not believe that he will act in an ethical way. I do not believe he will value the preservation of our community and our environment over maximizing profits. Even in the best of circumstances, mining will impact our community. Whether through day-to-day operations or some unforeseen consequences. Because of this, I believe we as a community need to think long and hard before reopening the Idaho Maryland Mine. I have thought long and hard about this and I do not think this mine should ever be reopen. And, certainly not by a company like Rise Gold. Are they just a song and dance management, with a shady past? Can we really trust this company? I fear not. Denise Bellas lives in Grass Valley.

Don Rogers - The Union July 19, 2020 Ironically enough, the way to clean up the environment around the old Idaho-Maryland Mine might well be reopening it. You’d think nearby residents and environmental advocates would be eager — or at least willing — to explore this possibility before trying to smother the baby in the crib. To see whether tailings polluting the ground these past seven decades might finally be removed. Whether a million gallons a day of fresh drinking water might be welcomed in a thirsty county. All this under strict state scrutiny. Read the full article in The Union. Read Ralph Silberstein's response.

Ralph Silberstein - CEA Foundation July 23, 2020 Columns published by a community newspaper generally endeavor to address issues in a factual and respectful manner. The publication of columns such as The Union publisher’s July 10 piece “Not so fast with writing off the mine” seem to cross the line in a way that is a disservice to the community. Here are just a few of the many points that were misguided: Regarding the claim that people should support the mine because it will clean up the existing tailings: the legacy tailings are being cleaned up regardless of whether or not the mine project is approved. The clean-up is an ongoing project under the California Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC). Even if the permit to open the mine is never granted, RISE is required to clean up the tailings. That is a good thing. No one is trying to stop that. Read the full "Other Voices" column in The Union.

Tom Behlmer - Grass Valley Resident August 25, 2020 If Rise Gold is serious about being a good neighbor, they should use electric trucks instead of diesel for the 50 to 100 round trips each day, seven days a week. Electric trucks are made by Volvo, Daimler, BYD and Nikola. This would reduce noise, soot and pollution. Second, for those whose wells are dewatered, require Rise to reimburse the homeowner for water until the homeowner’s well can be safely restored and to secure this obligation with a bond. The hydrology report says only a few wells are at risk. Then why is Rise unwilling to reimburse for water to all affected home owners? These two mentioned items should be a requirement imposed on Rise by the Nevada County Board of Supervisors before considering a permit. Read full "Other Voices" column in The Union.

As a resident whose property is bisected by South Wolf Creek, I write to express my vehement objection to approval of this gold mining operation. Impacts to the creek would be severe due to the extensive dewatering. Riparian habitat, ground water, and wells along this beautiful and currently healthy creek would be immeasurably harmed in the near term and for generations to come. We are still monitoring Nevada County from the effects of mining operations of the 20th century. Read full Letter to the Editor of The Union.

By Bob Clark, Grass Valley Resident October 5, 2020 If you are thinking of buying shares of Rise Gold think again. As you probably know Nevada County is considering issuing permits to a Canadian Company called Rise Gold to reopen mining in Grass Valley. The reason for this letter is because of my decades of knowledge and experience in the finance industry and my desire to protect you and my neighbors from what would most certainly result in financial loss. Perhaps you have considered buying shares in Rise Gold thinking this could be your get-rich-quick opportunity. Regardless of if you are for or against the mine, please don’t. Please consider the following facts: Read Bob Clark's complete "Other Voices" column in The Union.

FAST FACTS The Idaho-Maryland Mine was acquired from Emgold Mining by Rise Gold Corp, another junior mining company from Canada. The new owner has recently completed exploratory drilling at the New Brunswick site. This site is situated at the headwaters of the pristine South Fork Wolf Creek near where Bennett Street intersects Brunswick Road.

By Community Environmental Advocates Foundation Grass Valley, CA - December 22, 2019 The county staff are currently reviewing the application and preparing to start the CEQA process. The application overview can be viewed here. The project details per the applicant’s documents can be viewed here. CEA Foundation (aka formerly CLAIM-GV) was among the agencies and groups that were contacted and invited to submit preliminary comments to provide additional information at this early stage. A comment letter was produced by the collective efforts of CEA Mining Committee and submitted on Dec16. The Mining Committee drew heavily upon experience from prior mining projects to produce this document. See:IdahoMarylandMine_App_CEA_comments_13Dec2019 Download This is the start of the permitting process which will probably take more than a year. Once the application is deemed complete and a CEQA Notice of Preparation (NOP) is recorded, public scoping meetings will follow in which possible impacts are identified for study for the Draft Environmental Impact Report (DEIR). At this preliminary phase, CEA has identified many areas of great concern. Most notable: Possible misguidance to investors – The obstacles to permitting and high costs of development and operations are not adequately delineated. Significant GHG emissions – Initial electric usage will be at least 50 GWH/yr, or about 20% of Nevada County’s total usage. Significant fossil fuels will also be used. It needs to be net zero. Impacts of dewatering – Among other things, plans to dewater into South Fork Wolf Creek were rejected in prior DEIR process due to impacts of permanent flood stage downstream. Ground water risks – Potential pollution risks from operations, tailings, explosives, gold processing and threat to local wells beyond the area currently identified. Truck traffic – Up to 16 trips/hour for up to 80 years. Noise – 24/7 Operations, high velocity fans, aggregate trucks loading, etc. Subterranean reclamation – Risks of toxic leaching over time from 500 tons/day of slurry backfills Economic impacts – Negative impacts on local housing, tourism, high tech businesses Regulatory challenges – Constant monitoring will needed on numerous operations. Habitat loss -Replacing large areas of forested woodlands with barren gravel fill, including “engineered fill” covering 75 acres to depths of 30-70 feet. Sept 29, 2019 – RISE Gold has obtained over $3.5M in funding and is preparing to apply for a mining permit. As in the previous case with Emgold Mining Co, this junior mining company from Canada is spinning a fantastic story about the prospects of the Idaho-Maryland Mine and finding speculators willing to throw their money at the project. (See risegoldcorp.com) June 1, 2019 – The noise stopped. RISE Gold apparently completed their exploratory drilling operations. This is a great relief to the area residents who have been suffering from the noise. Drilling Noise – Residents in the area have been very impacted by the 24/7 drilling noise. Numerous complaints were made to Nevada County officials for noise violations. However, since a previous sound study by an independent acoustical consultant showed that the sound levels were marginally within legal limits, County officials were not responsive. Residents then challenged the validity of the sound study due to the placement of the metering and due to the fact that the drilling operators had full knowledge that the metering was taking place. Measurements of the noise by residents showed noise levels in excess of the legal limits during the hours of 10:00 PM – 7:00 AM. Supervisor Dan Miller made a site visit and agreed that the noise level in a neighboring house was unacceptably loud. As no action was being taken by the County, in May 2019 a number of people made public comments to the Board of Supervisors requesting that the drilling at least be shut down during the night. Unfortunately, no code violations were issued and no initiatives were undertaken by the BOS. Apparently, in order to compel action with the county, the residents would have to pay for a costly sound study to show that noise levels are in violation. 10/1/18 RISE violations continue — CEA Foundation continues to monitor the activities of RISE Gold Corp, the new owner of the Idaho Maryland Mine. RISE has now acquired most of the land that was previously owned or lease-optioned by Emgold, in addition to some other parcels. Since Fall 2017 they have been doing extensive drilling at the “New Brunswick” site located near the intersection of East Bennett and Brunswick Rd, adjacent to the old SPI site. (Millsite Rd). In mid-September 2018, RISE moved their drilling operations from near the old SPI site to the newly constructed pad at the west side of their holdings (12603 East Bennett Rd). In setting up their equipment, RISE again violated the 100’ setback from the creek! This was in spite of having been required to hire a biologist to prepare a Biological Management Plan as a consequence of prior violations last winter (see below). Also, there has been some controversy regarding their method of measurement for establishing the 100’ setback. County ordinance requires that the setback be measured from the high water mark or the top of bank, which is apparently not the case here. The County is now requiring the biologist to reflag the correct setbacks and possibly restore a larger area in the riparian zone. Local residents have filed complaints about noise from the drilling operations. To mitigate that, RISE has constructed a sound wall.

By Ralph Silberstein - Community Environmental Advocates Foundation January 20, 2020 While Canadian mining company RISE Gold Corp was promoting the gold mine potential and alluring prospects of gaining permits to reopen the Idaho-Maryland Mine (IM Mine) in Grass Valley, CA, federal and state regulatory agencies were focusing on the polluted tailings that cover most of the 56.4 acre site and taking steps leading towards a Superfund Designation. There has been little public disclosure of the contaminated legacy IM Mine tailings, but correspondence from the EPA dated Sept 26, 2019 indicates that IM Mine’s potential designation as a Superfund site was conditionally deferred because RISE entered into a cleanup contract with the California Department of Toxic Substance Control (DTSC).[1] On August 13, 2019, RISE Gold CEO Ben Mossman signed agreements to cleanup the site, also known as the Centennial site.[2] According to the DTSC records, RISE has been dealing with this issue from at least as early as March 13, 2019, when the first Scoping Meetings with the DTSC took place.[3] Tests conducted in 1993 by Vector Engineering showed elevated levels of arsenic, chromium, copper, mercury, lead, and nickel over two large areas of the legacy tailings, one area originating from the Mercury gold extraction processing that took place prior to 1926, and a second area being from the Cyanide extraction processing that took place from 1936 until the mine closed around 1956.[4] More recent reports from the DTSC determined that lead, arsenic, nickel, and mercury are present at hazardous levels.[5] Contaminated tailings cover roughly 2/3 of the 56.4 acres with depths ranging from 2 to 20 feet. As an additional complication, RISE Gold’s recent bid to re-open the mine includes plans to use the site for disposal of 1.6 million tons of mine waste rock and tailings as “engineered fill” over the course of 5 years, covering 44 acres and creating a built-up area 30 to 70 feet above current grade. However, a recently posted geotechnical report indicates that the legacy tailings are not structurally adequate for use underneath the engineered fill, so they have to be completely excavated before the dumping can take place.[6] The full extent of the contamination within the tailings is not yet clear, but even if some of the tailings are clean they will all have to be extracted and then remixed with other aggregates before they would be stable enough to be built upon as planned.[7] Rise Gold has not yet revealed what procedures will be used to get the legacy tailings off the bedrock and safely dealt with before the new waste rock and tailings from mine operations can be deposited. Nor is it clear whether the contaminated tailings will need to be sequestered separately on site, whether they can be integrated into the engineered fill, or whether they need to be trucked to a waste disposal facility. According to the agreement, the entire remediation process will be overseen by the DTSC. However, Nevada County and other government agencies will be overseeing all operations with respect to the IM Mine re-opening permits, which is independent of the DTSC permitting and is a separate project with a separate time frame. [1] US EPA Transmittal of Preliminary Assessment Report,Sept 26, 2019 [2] Cleanup Agreement, Signed by RISE Aug 13, 2019 [3] Ibid., Exhibit E [4] “Contaminant Assessment of the Bouma-Erickson-Toms Property”, Vector Engineering, Nov 1993 [5] Centennial Geotechnical Report, NV5 [6] Centennial Site History, DTSC [7] Idaho-Maryland Mine Project Description, Nov 2019, pg 16

By The Union September 17, 2020 See original article here.

By Ralph Silberstein - Community Environmental Advocates Foundation July 25, 2020 Once again Grass Valley has to deal with a Canadian junior mining company trying to open the Idaho-Maryland Mine. Rise Gold Corp’s application to re-open the mine is not yet deemed complete by Nevada County Planning Department, but a review of currently available documents provides a into the nature of the project and the many ways it would impact our community. Here’s just one. Mining will take place 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at the New Brunswick site at the corner of East Bennett and Brunswick Rd. About 1500 tons of waste rock and tailings will be removed from the mine daily. Of this, 500 tons per day will be mixed with cement to form a paste backfill and re-deposited into the mine. The remaining 1000 tons per day will be loaded and trucked over to the 56 acre former mine site along Idaho-Maryland Road (between De Martini RV Sales and Centennial Drive). This means that waste rock and tailings from the mine will be transported by trucks making up to 100 round trips per day, 16 hours per day, 7 days per week. There are a lot of residences in that area. To get to the Centennial Drive site, the heavily laden gravel trucks will turn left onto Brunswick Road, pass through the East Bennett Rd intersection and turn onto Whispering Pines Lane to reach Centennial Drive. Then, using bulldozers, graders, and rolling compactors, a mountain of gravel will be formed covering 44 acres up to 70 feet high. A subsequent second mountain of tailings is also planned for on the southern portion of the New Brunswick site along Brunswick Rd. These operations will run for at least 11 years. Grass Valley has designated the Idaho-Maryland Road site as Business Park and Urban Medium Density Residential, but Rise Gold intends to get this changed to Industrial. Given the housing shortage, and considering the anticipated development of hundreds of homes at Loma Rica Ranch just beyond this site, one might ask why the City of Grass Valley doesn’t just summarily tell the mine to go away now and save a whole lot of trouble. It would be incredibly bad judgment to put a “reverse” gravel quarry at this location just while Loma Rica will be trying to sell homes. Just think, if the proposed Dorsey Marketplace is approved, the 172 units of high end apartments will be built directly above and looking down on this dusty noisy gravel operation as well. What makes sense is to stick with the Grass Valley General Plan, not allow a rezone. We need to promote a walkable housing and business park community at this close-to-downtown location. It is one of the few places left in our city where this kind of infill development can take place. It would be a bad idea to go with mine waste mountains instead.

By Ralph Silberstein - Community Environmental Advocates Foundation Grass Valley, CA – March 11, 2020 Rise Gold Corp’s application to re-open the Idaho-Maryland Mine is not yet deemed complete by Nevada County Planning Department, but a review of currently available documents provides a glimpse into the nature of the project and how it may impact our community. The main mine access and processing facilities will be located at the 119 acre New Brunswick site located at the corner of Brunswick and East Bennett Roads. Operations will also utilize the 56 acre Centennial site on Idaho-Maryland Road west of Centennial Drive to dispose of mine waste.[1] Mining will take place 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. About 1500 tons of waste rock and tailings will be removed from the mine daily. Of this, 500 tons per day will be mixed with cement to form a paste backfill and re-deposited into the mine. The remaining 1000 tons per day will be deposited at the Centennial site and at a 31 acre area along Brunswick Road just south of the processing facility and bounded by neighborhoods on Cedar Ridge Drive, Elk Lane, and Mink Court. Waste rock and tailings from the mine will be transported by trucks making up to 100 round trips per day, 16 hours per day, 7 days per week. To get to the Centennial site, they will turn left onto Brunswick Road about 0.4 miles south of East Bennett Rd, pass through the intersection of East Bennett and Brunswick and turn left onto Whispering Pines Lane to reach Centennial Drive. At the Centennial site, an area of 44 acres will be built up with “engineered fill” to depths of up to 70 feet, eventually forming a 37 acre graded surface that may be utilized for future development. Similarly, the mine waste dumped at the Brunswick Road site will eventually cover an area of 31 acres and be built up as much as 90 feet to form a 21 acre graded area for possible future industrial uses. The trucks will be loaded with rock with a front-end loader. Hauling will take place 6:00 AM – 10:00 PM, 7 days a week. After the rock is dumped, it will be graded and compacted 7:00 AM – 3:30 PM, 7 days a week, using bulldozers, graders, and rolling compactors. [2] This activity will take place continuously for 11 years or until both build-up areas are maximized. After that, mine waste materials will have to be hauled out via Brunswick Road to Glenbrook Basin in order to access Hwy 49 for transport to sites not yet identified. In terms of energy use, the permit application estimates a PG&E power net load of 6000 Kilowatts (KW). Planned diesel backup power generation capacity is 6000 KW. Electricity utilization is estimated at 42,757,000 Kilowatt-Hours (KWH) per year.[3] This is equivalent to the electric use of about 5000 houses.[4] Full operations of the mine, including fuel for equipment, electricity, and other operational uses are estimated to produce around 9,000 metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions per year.[5] Cement, explosives, diesel, and various other chemicals will be regularly transported to the site and stored. Cement will be mixed with tailings and pumped back underground and used to backfill mining voids. By one estimate, the backfill paste will use approximately 25 tons of cement daily. Explosives will include ANFO (Ammonium Nitrate and Fuel Oil), and Ammonium Nitrate Emulsion. Up to 28,000 lbs. of explosives will be stored onsite underground.[6] Diesel fuel storage will consist of a 30,000 gallon aboveground storage tank. A number of other chemicals will be utilized for processing the gold using the sulfide flotation system and other activities. Industrial buildings covering 122,000 square feet are proposed for the New Brunswick site. Noteworthy among these would be the gold processing plant with dimensions of 425 feet by 70 feet and 65 feet high, and the shaft headframe building with a height of 165 feet. Running between these buildings will be a 365’ long enclosed conveyor system. Tailings will be stockpiled onsite while waiting for transport. The application to re-operate the Idaho-Maryland mine states that 312 jobs would be created by the mine operations. Of those jobs, 242 jobs are specialized technical positions likely taken by people recruited from outside the area. The remaining jobs, truck transport of mine waste, and mineral processing, could provide 70 jobs for current local residents. Content provided by Community Environmental Advocates Foundation (CEA Foundation) [1] Project application documents may be viewed on the Nevada County website here. Unless noted, see Idaho-Maryland Mine Project Description, Nov 2019 [2] Noise and Vibration Analysis, Table 9 [3]Air Quality and greenhouse Gas Emissions Analysis Technical Report for the Idaho-Maryland Mine Project, Feb 2020, pgs 73-74 [4] Average energy usage per CA residence = 667 KWH / month = ~8000 KWH / year. IMM will use equivalent to 42,757,000 / 8000 = 5344 houses. https://www.electricchoice.com/blog/electricity-on-average-do-homes/ [5] Ibid [3] [6] Environmental Factors of Blasting Report for the Proposed Idaho-Maryland Gold Project

FAST FACT The grading work that was done was reportedly not in conformance with the submitted plans, resulting in failed inspections failing in December/January. In addition to failing to protect against storm runoff into South Fork Wolf Creek, grading work was done in violation of the 100′ setback from the creek and a large number of trees had been logged and staged within the setback. Because of these violations and encroachment into the setback zone, a comprehensive Management Plan, to be prepared by a qualified biologist, was requested. (as per Nevada County Land Use and Development Code Section L-II 4..3.17.) County reported back that RISE must submit revised plans showing accurate depiction of work completed, erosion control measures, 100ft setback, and site survey. This submission and a biologist recommendations will be reviewed by county.

FAST FACT In addition to the County grading violations, Idaho-Maryland Mine owner RISE Gold Corp failed to submit the required timber harvest plan and timberland conversion document, as per the local CalFire (CDF) Forester in charge of permits.

By San Juan Taxpayers Association Matt Kelley, Senior Planner Nevada County Planning Department The following are comments of the San Juan Ridge Taxpayers Association on the Notice of Preparation of an Environmental Impact Report for the Idaho-Maryland Mine Project. We are an organization that includes many residents of Nevada County who regularly visit Grass Valley and rely on its businesses, agencies and schools, and as we do not have significant urban development in our area, consider Grass Valley to be part of our home. Read full article by San Juan Taxpayers Association here.