JOIN THE
WELLS COALITION
If you have a well and live close to the Idaho-Maryland Mine in Grass Valley, CA
YOUR WELL IS AT RISK!
WHO WE ARE
The Wells Coalition is a grassroots effort to bring together well owners in the vicinity of Idaho-Maryland Mine in Grass Valley, California.
Our mission is to protect our only source of water, our wells.
The Issue
Rise Gold, a junior mining company with a questionable history, wants to reopen the Idaho-Maryland Mine which has been closed since the 1950’s. They're asking for an 80 year lease.
Mining is a risky business that requires extensive dewatering of existing and future mine tunnels. This presents a very real risk of damaging or destroying wells in the area. Asking our County to approve a mine in such a densely populated area is an unprecedented proposal.
Where We Stand
The Wells Coalition has reviewed Nevada County’s Final Environmental Impact Report (FEIR) on the Idaho-Maryland Mine and found it to be completely unacceptable. Huge risks to well owners are not being addressed.
We are asking Nevada County to REJECT the Final Environmental Impact Report (FEIR) for the Idaho-Maryland Mine and VOTE NO on the project.
Wells Coalition in Action
Well-Related Comments at Planning Commission Public Hearing
May 10, 2023
Click on the image above to open the recorded meeting. Use the timecodes to find a comment.
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5:03:20 – NID – Jennifer Hanson – $14M bond, revised threshold for well drawdown, 3 yrs well monitoring
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5:18: 45 – CEA Foundation – Ray Bryars – CEQA baseline and wells overview
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5: 24: 35 – Wells Coalition – Christy Hubbard – Presentation of group letter
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5: 27: 59 – Wells Coalition – Bob Hubbard – Comparable water supply not feasible
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5:33:09 – Wells Coalition – Linda Lanzoni – Well monitoring for 378 properties
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5:36:25 – Wells Coalition - Jill Shoemaker – Fixit plan and water tanks, no accountability
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4:39:34 – Wells Coalition – Eric Gibbons for Daniel Ketchum – NID feasibility issues – concrete examples
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6:07:23 – CEA Foundation – Kurt Lorenz – Protections offered to well owners in 1996
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6:54:41 – Wells Coalition – Beverly Blake – Well owner / realtor perspective
1:07:51 – CEA Foundation – Peter Allison - Threshold of significance for well drawdown
1:38:04 – Wells Coalition – Tony Lauria – Speculative promise for money vs devastation for well owners
1:48: 09 – Wells Coalition – Ricki Heck - Well program boundaries / tax revenue loss
2:11:36 – Wells Coalition – Elaine Blair – Civil engineer – dewatering and local natural springs
2:14:35 – San Juan Ridge Taxpayers Association – Brian Fry for Sol Henson – Cautionary tale, wells and accountability
2:31:41 – Wells Coalition – Laura Gagliosso – Smack in the middle of the EIR’s 30 properties to get NID
4:09:20 – CEA Foundation, Wells Coalition – Jennifer Burt – Dismissal of experts, e.g, hydrogeology
4:29:42 – Ricky Colby – San Juan Ridge personal experience with mine dewatering
4:56:08 – Wells Coalition – Gary Pierazzi – 20 years fighting the mine
Don't miss the fireworks during final deliberations and voting.
6:03:00 – Commissioner Terry McAteer questions NID's Jennifer Hansen, Rise CEO Ben Mossman, and more
Join the Fight!
Nevada County Supervisors will be making a decision about whether to approve the mine soon (est. August 2023). Here’s what you can do to help.
JOIN THE COALITION
If you’re a well owner or local resident whose property is within roughly a half mile of the mine’s mineral rights area, you are in the best position to make an impact with County decision makers.
Complete our "Concerned Well Owners" form to join our mailing list.
SHOW YOUR OPPOSITION
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Write a personal letter to County decision makers. www.MineWatchNC.org/send-a-letter
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Donate to the cause. The Wells Coalition has received operational and legal assistance from CEA Foundation, the leader of the MineWatch campaign against the mine. Make a donation and mention our name!
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Subscribe to the MineWatch mailing list to keep up with complete project news and learn about more volunteer opportunities.
Resources
Learn more by reading articles, opinions, and public comments given by members of the Wells Coalition and others in the community.
Wells Coalition Public Comments
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May 10 2023 - Group Letter to Planning Commissioners
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May 10 & 11 2023 - Core team comments at Planning Commission Public Hearing (PDF)
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April 2023 - Comments to Nevada County Board of Supervisors (PDF)
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March 2023 – Comments to Nevada Irrigation District (NID) Board of Directors [PDF]
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January 2023 – Comments to Nevada County Planning Commission [PDF]
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December 2023 – Comments to Nevada County Board of Supervisors [PDF]
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Bonus content: Press release [PDF]
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March/April 2022 – Group Comment Letter to Nevada County Planning Commission on the Draft EIR [PDF]
Articles and Opinions
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April 8, 2023 – Understanding the gaps: Local well owners organize in advance of May meeting on proposed mine reopening [The Union]
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April 6, 2023 - Christy Hubbard: Wake up call for well owners near the mine [The Union]
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April 5, 2022 – ‘Hung out to dry’: Well owners content with Idaho-Maryland Mine report’s findings [The Union]
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Mar 10, 2022 - Jonathan Keehn: The Siskon Mine well disaster (in nearby North San Juan) [The Union]
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Mar 1, 2022 - Ralph Silberstein: Rise Gold’s well fantasies [The Union]
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Dec 3, 2021 - Safeguards for Well Owners and the Idaho-Maryland Mine [MineWatch]
Nevada County Project Documentation
More Reasons
Wells are only one reason people in our community are concerned about reopening the Idaho-Maryland Mine. Learn more on CEA Foundation's MineWatch website.