Re: April 29, "Mine leaders want it their way; ignore possible impacts," by Greg Martin, environmental attorney. Mr. Martin didn't mention why he is writing such distortion and untruths about mining and the Idaho Maryland Mine, in particular.

He talks about the mine shaking the ground like an earthquake - malarkey, Martin. Let's look at the controlled explosions that take place in a round used to drive a drift underground:

Each drill hole in a round is drilled in a pattern, and in a burn cut some holes in the center aren't loaded with explosives. Each hole loaded with explosives goes off in a predetermined sequence - each loaded hole breaking to the open space created by the previous exploding drill hole. The first holes to detonate break to the unloaded holes in the burn cut. The next holes to detonate break to the void created by the previous detonating holes. There is no great explosion underground causing an earthquake.

Years ago, I helped George Pello put in a round at the Sleeping Beauty Mine. There were two adits close together. One was in gabbro with no sign of a vein, the other followed a quartz vein. George was following the quartz vein and was in about 150 feet where it was directly below the other adit.

They were separated at this point by about 35 feet of solid gabbro rock. George said he was making each fuse about three feet longer than normal. Then before he ignited the fuses he smiled and said, "Pat, I want to show you something in the upper adit after I light the fuses."

After igniting the fuses we went down the drift and out the portal and entered the other adit. About 150 feet in, George said that we were over the face of the other adit so we stopped and sit down. George said, "Put your hand on the tunnel wall, be quiet and listen carefully."

Soon we heart a faint ping followed by another and then another. You could not feel any vibration with your hand as each shot went off. And we were only separated by about 35 feet of solid gabbro rock.

But Mr. Greg Martin tells us that shots going off hundreds and hundreds of feet from the Idaho Maryland Mine will create vibrations like an earthquake. The only earthquake vibration will be a figment of Mr. Martin's imagination.

I wonder if he has ever been in an operating underground mine?

Mr. Martin talks of nitrates and ammonia from the mine reaching Wolf Creek and harming organic farmers downstream.

Highly improbable, but if it did happen aren't they both fertilizers? Doesn't Mr. Martin realize that there have been two recent sewage spills in Grass Valley? Now E. coli from these spills could contaminate the farmers' produce.

Why can't Greg Martin and others opposing the reopening of the mine wait for the completion of the draft Environmental Impact Report (EIR)?

People were given many opportunities at scoping meetings at the Love Building in Grass Valley to submit concerns.

These concerns are being addressed in an EIR prepared by environmental consultants present at the scoping meetings. The consultants were hired by Grass Valley and are being paid by Grass Valley from money put up by the mine.

If Greg Martin was at the scoping meetings, he would have known that concerns could not be addressed at that time. However, if possible impacts were found, the EIR would address them and propose possible mitigations.

It is not a given that the Grass Valley City Council will OK the Idaho Maryland Mine or any other project that comes before it. The EIR is only one factor in their decision.

Playing by the rules is like getting a jury trial with all the evidence evaluated. The city council members are our elected representatives - chosen like jurors to look at all the evidence. Our founding fathers didn't believe in pure democracy. Our founding fathers believed in elected representative government.

The way of Mr. Martin and those behind the initiative is mob rule, or pure democracy - like a lynch mob in a frenzy of emotion.

Are opponents afraid the truth about the mine will make them look like a bunch of Don Quixotes fighting windmills? Their tactics such as spreading untruths and initiatives shows how little faith they have in our system of using government to solve problems.

If problems can be mitigated, why would anyone be against creating 400 high-paying jobs.

Patrick Hurley lives in Grass Valley.