Idaho-Maryland Mine Public Hearing Notice

Idaho-Maryland Mine Public Hearing Notice - Jan. 6

Published on Jan 5, 2009 - 7:00:25 AM

Notice is hereby given that the Grass Valley Planning Commission will hold a public hearing on Tuesday, January 6, 2009 at 7:00 p.m., or as soon thereafter as this matter can be heard, in the Council Chambers at Grass Valley City Hall, 125 East Main Street, Grass Valley, California, for the following:

Public Hearing on the Draft Environmental Impact Report (EIR) for the Idaho-Maryland Mine Project: The purpose of the hearing is to accept oral comments on the adequacy of the Draft EIR. The Idaho-Maryland Mining Corporation (IMMC) proposes to reopen the historic Idaho- Maryland Mine and develop precious and industrial mineral deposits into gold and high quality stone ceramic products. Specific applications include: 1) General Plan Amendment, 2) Prezoning, 3) Annexation, 4) Development Review, and 5) Mineral Extraction. The Idaho- Maryland Mine project comprises three properties that encompass a total of 139 acres of land located with the City of Grass Valley and unincorporated Nevada County. These properties include the:

(1) Idaho-Maryland site (101 acres);

(2) New Brunswick site (37 acres); and

(3)Round Hole site (a 1-acre easement within an 8 acre parcel). The annexation of the Idaho- Maryland site includes an additional 26.7 acres of land for a total of approximately 128 acres.

The project sites are located east of State Routes 20/49; the Idaho Maryland and Round Hole sites are located south of Idaho Maryland Road, west of Brunswick Road, and north of East Bennett Road, and the New Brunswick site is located southwest of the intersection of Brunswick Road and East Bennett Road.

Information on this proposal is available at the Community Development Department, Planning Division at Grass Valley City Hall during normal business hours. The Planning Commission will consider all statements and testimony at the public hearings for and against these proposals. After considering all written and verbal testimony, the Planning Commission shall take whatever final action is determined necessary and appropriate. Any public hearing may be continued to a later date.

If you challenge the Planning Commission's action on appeal to the City Council or in court, you may be limited to raising only those issues you or someone else has raised at the public hearings for the particular projects described in this notice, or in written correspondence delivered to the Planning Commission at, or prior to, the public hearing.

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Comments

Terry Anderson
02 Jan 2009, 01:05

As a Nevada County resident, I am not in favor of the Vancouver Canadian Emgold Corporations' interest in opening up the Idaho Maryland mine. I moved here from Alaska, where gold mines are mostly Canadian owned and have witnessed once promised local jobs evaporate with the areas clean water after operating permits are granted. What has also happened in Alaska is a high degree of pollution in the mine areas with high toxicity in local watersheds, an increase in air pollution and traffic on local highways. The environmental trade off for a few labor jobs from a Canadian managed industry should only be considered in remote non-populated areas....like Alaska.

P.S. Be sure to read this months issue of the high cost to society from Gold extraction in the January issue of National Geographic. Lets don't gamble our environmental riches in Nevada County for a fools strike at gold.