As County Supervisor Sue Hoek said, it’s the year of the heart. Our Justice Team is taking a step in that direction by having a Justice Lunch – at lunchtime – after our regular service on February 19th. We will have a short update on the Rise Gold Mine approval process, and Q&A. Here’s an idea of what’s going on.
‘Just before Christmas, when all through the town, all creatures were stirring, even our County was purring. When up from Sacramento arose a huge pile of prose, a final wish that all was well, and have no fear, here comes the gold.’ Well, the rhyme may not work, and the process to ensure the safety of our community may not either.
The process is defined by CA State law and if followed reasonably, it can protect us from significant environmental damage. A 10,000-page report has been dutifully written about the potential negative environmental impact of the proposed Rise Gold Mine. But, that report, the FEIR (Final Environmental Impact Report), has been written to refute, dismiss and counter our Comments on the DEIR (Draft Environmental Impact Report).
A heart-felt response is needed to get the County government to consider that we don’t want the mine. No matter how proponents spin the “benefits”, the real beneficiaries are a handful of out-of-town investors who will reap the profits. We love our community, and want it to be a wonderful place to live for us and our children. UUCM has made over 350 comments on the inadequacy of the DEIR, and we feel the County should act on our message.
We can be heard at the to-be-scheduled Planning Commission hearing on the Mine impacts. Our presence at that meeting will be felt by the planners. We can also speak at the meeting – stay tuned for the date.
One of the most frightful and lethal air pollutants from the Mine is asbestos. More money than I can imagine has been spent around the world to remove asbestos. There’s no question that it is toxic in the smallest amounts. Chris Newsom, MD, stated to a hundred attendees at our Stop the Mine Forum (Sept.27), that even a few asbestos fibers can cause lung cancer (mesothelioma). Asbestos fibers are so small, they are difficult to filter and they penetrate deeply into our lungs. As Jeff Kane, MD, said at the Forum regarding our children, “They’ll be around their whole lives breathing this toxic soup” (front page headline, The Union, Sept. 28).
There are many more dangerous impacts, which hundreds of people commented on in the DEIR, but weren’t property addressed in the FEIR. We need to let the County know!