The Stop the Mine Task Force Makes a Major Contribution
Dear Congregation,
Our Justice Team Task Force was a major force! When the five County Planning Commissioners voted unanimously to recommend rejecting the Rise Gold Corp. (the Mine) proposal, many of us in the packed (several hundred attended) Nevada County Board Chambers cried tears of joy. The Commissioners cited our overwhelming Community opposition as one of the important reasons they voted no.
Our Task Force was second only to the MineWatch organization in actively opposing the project. We initially enabled Community members to write 359 letters of opposition to the County citing heinous damage to our people and environment by reopening a huge gold mine. We set up and ran information tables at key locations around the area and attracted hundreds of citizens who signed the MineWatch stop-the-mine petition (over 5,500 signatures were submitted to the County.)
We developed reports, fact sheets, handouts, posters, and presentations identifying the negative environmental impacts. One of our Task Force Members even wrote to the Rise Gold Corp. Board of Directors in Canada asking them to consider the destructiveness of their huge industrial factory in the midst of family residences. We submitted detailed analysis to the County on the economic reports that falsely claimed the Mine’s financial benefits to our Community. Our letters to the Editor of The Union were posted on the MineWatch Web sites.
We became a resource for the Board of Supervisors and had meetings with three. In addition, when the Planning Commissioners made their declarations at the Hearing, they used our material and identified our Task Force Leader as one of two contacts. Overall, there wasn’t a single public meeting regarding the Mine where we were not present.
One of our contributions was making public the Mine’s attempt to erase an earthquake fault line running though their industrial facility. After the revelation of that attempt at the Hearing, there was an earthquake that shook the Chambers and set off alarms! What could be more improbable?
Our work is not done. We need to help the Supervisors make the final decision in August.
Proudly,
Jim Bair, Leader of the Stop the Mine Task Force, UUCM Justice Team
