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Representatives of the Idaho-Maryland Mining Corp. are preparing to revise a draft environmental impact report to better reflect their plans for de-watering mine shafts and cleaning up environmentally sensitive areas around the proposed mine.
The company plans to further detail how it plans to clean up mine tailings on the historic site, which shut down in 1956, and revise plans for piping water discharged from the flooded mine shafts, president and CEO David Watkinson said.
Originally, representatives planned to pour water from their New Brunswick mine into the south fork of Wolf Creek. The company now plans to install a pipeline from the mine under East Bennett Street, to the main mine at the Idaho-Maryland site on Brunswick Road, where the mine water would be treated and then piped into the main branch of Wolf Creek.
Before de-watering, a Nevada Irrigation District line would be installed to provide water for nearby homes on existing wells to ensure residents receive adequate water pressure.
The previous EIR did not contain that level of detail, Watkinson said.
In addition, the company plans to delineate the cleanup and testing of hazardous materials left on the original mine site before they proceed with construction.
The site would be cleaned up at the mine's expense.
The Idaho-Maryland Mine Corp. paid $1 million to the city of Grass Valley for the initial draft environmental impact report, which was completed in October and is required by the state.
The company would reimburse the city of Grass Valley for any revisions to the environmental report.
The company recently raised $6 million from stock sales to finance the study and continue development of the Idaho-Maryland Mine project.
A draft revision would take three to six months, Watkinson said.
“It's an extra step that we've added,” he said. “We're trying to be responsible and give everyone a chance to comment before we move on.”
Joe Heckel, Grass Valley's community development director, told the City Council late Tuesday of the group's desire to revise the draft environmental impact report. A consultant paid for by the Idaho-Maryland Mine will analyze the results of the new environmental impact report for the city.
“Our understanding is the basic elements of the mine remain the same,” Heckel said.
When the EIR is updated, a new comment period will start.
One representative of a group opposed to the original plan welcomed the revisions Wednesday.
“Everything they can do to remove the impacts is a step in the right direction,” said Ralph Silberstein, a former planning commissioner and member of the group CLAIM-GV. While he applauded the decision to pipe treated water into Wolf Creek instead of the south fork, Silberstein said questions about noise and traffic remain.
While the revision may add extra months to the project, Watkinson said the company is committed to a facility that extracts gold, processes aggregate and makes ceramic tile while employing about 400 people at its peak.
Those jobs are still at least two years away. The company plans to produce 2,400 tons of gold a day when the mine opens, in addition to ceramic tiles and aggregate rock, Watkinson said.
The company plans to further detail how it plans to clean up mine tailings on the historic site, which shut down in 1956, and revise plans for piping water discharged from the flooded mine shafts, president and CEO David Watkinson said.
Originally, representatives planned to pour water from their New Brunswick mine into the south fork of Wolf Creek. The company now plans to install a pipeline from the mine under East Bennett Street, to the main mine at the Idaho-Maryland site on Brunswick Road, where the mine water would be treated and then piped into the main branch of Wolf Creek.
Before de-watering, a Nevada Irrigation District line would be installed to provide water for nearby homes on existing wells to ensure residents receive adequate water pressure.
The previous EIR did not contain that level of detail, Watkinson said.
In addition, the company plans to delineate the cleanup and testing of hazardous materials left on the original mine site before they proceed with construction.
The site would be cleaned up at the mine's expense.
The Idaho-Maryland Mine Corp. paid $1 million to the city of Grass Valley for the initial draft environmental impact report, which was completed in October and is required by the state.
The company would reimburse the city of Grass Valley for any revisions to the environmental report.
The company recently raised $6 million from stock sales to finance the study and continue development of the Idaho-Maryland Mine project.
A draft revision would take three to six months, Watkinson said.
“It's an extra step that we've added,” he said. “We're trying to be responsible and give everyone a chance to comment before we move on.”
Joe Heckel, Grass Valley's community development director, told the City Council late Tuesday of the group's desire to revise the draft environmental impact report. A consultant paid for by the Idaho-Maryland Mine will analyze the results of the new environmental impact report for the city.
“Our understanding is the basic elements of the mine remain the same,” Heckel said.
When the EIR is updated, a new comment period will start.
One representative of a group opposed to the original plan welcomed the revisions Wednesday.
“Everything they can do to remove the impacts is a step in the right direction,” said Ralph Silberstein, a former planning commissioner and member of the group CLAIM-GV. While he applauded the decision to pipe treated water into Wolf Creek instead of the south fork, Silberstein said questions about noise and traffic remain.
While the revision may add extra months to the project, Watkinson said the company is committed to a facility that extracts gold, processes aggregate and makes ceramic tile while employing about 400 people at its peak.
Those jobs are still at least two years away. The company plans to produce 2,400 tons of gold a day when the mine opens, in addition to ceramic tiles and aggregate rock, Watkinson said.
