Cerro Gordo is in Danger

[4X3Lander]

I can’t say it any better than Brent did in his video at Cerro Gordo…
A Canadian mining company wants to stake claims to all the mines in all the surrounding areas and strip mine the land with cyanide.

Since I know many OB members have been there and made videos, I urge anyone that cares to watch the video and use the links in the video to take action.

Sounds like there is only a couple of weeks left to do this.

 

[minengr]

Saw that. I wouldn't worry too much. I can't see a permit for a heap leach operation getting approved in that part of CA.

 

[ThundahBeagle]

Perhaps I could do with some clarification. I'm not sure Brent explains this well enough, not in this video anyway. Though I get the main premise thr details are unclear.

I'm not a fan of strip mining or open pit, for the environmental destruction it causes. So I'm with him there. But to be against it because it is not "romantic" is just odd. I mean, tunnel mining was damn dangerous. Still is, ask anyone from Sago.

How he came to own the place without knowing that the land claims would not fall to him, I dont know. Seems like something I'd want lawyers to do some due diligence on before buying.

@minengr says he doubts CA will allow this. "Mine" is in his name and he's new.

I sure dont want to see nature destroyed. Is K2 strictly a gold operation? Seems like anyone doing strip mining would take advantage of every mineral they could. Is there lithium in those hills?

Why would someone wait so long before reaching out? Or are there other videos I need to see? Iguess I still have a lot of questions still.

 

[ptgarcia]

I struggle with this one, too. I've ridden my dual sport to Cerro Gordo a couple times (before it burned) and it's really cool, the area is awesome, and I hope to ride up there again. I also like what the new owner is trying to accomplish. But the mining company owns the claim, and if allowed by law has the right to mine it. It sounds to me like the new owner made the mistake of not tying up the claims in the purchase of the town, and now the consequence of not doing so is showing itself.

 

[minengr]

Let me expand on my other post. Most of my experience in the mining industry has been with underground coal. However, I also spent a little over a year in the Environmental Department at a large surface gold mine in Central NV. I spent some time dealing with permits, but I am far from an expert. I've never heard of K2 and I only spent a few minutes on their web site. As a company with only $4mil in cash, they seem pretty small time to me. Permitting a mine is quite involved and expensive. Historical surveys, archeological surveys, public comment periods, posting reclaimation bond (a big one). Factoring CA, it's proximity to Death Valley, and a few other things into the equation, I just do not see this getting very far. If it was that great of a prospect companies like Kinross, Barrick, Newmont, or Rio Tinto would be looking at it.

 

[ThundahBeagle]

Thanks for th update.

Interestingly, Brent mentions little time being left (2 weeks? A few days?) to try to stop this but he doesnt really mention anything solid in terms of notifications, meetings or permitting process dates. Unless that was at the very end of his video, and I missed that.

This is contrary to the anti-glamping work that was being championed at the Gallatin River

 

[shoredreamer]

More information here from Friends of the Inyo. Conglomerate Mesa – Friends of the Inyo You can make your voice heard if you’d like, just needs to be done before August 30th. I have yet to visit Cerro Gordo and Conglomerate Mesa but have explored a lot around that area. Still on my list. Hopefully I still will be able to in the future. Gotta go see these places before their closed, burnt up, or overpopulated. Time is too short.

 

[ThundahBeagle]

More information here from Friends of the Inyo. Conglomerate Mesa – Friends of the Inyo You can make your voice heard if you’d like, just needs to be done before August 30th. I have yet to visit Cerro Gordo and Conglomerate Mesa but have explored a lot around that area. Still on my list. Hopefully I still will be able to in the future. Gotta go see these places before their closed, burnt up, or overpopulated. Time is too short.

That's the kind of work I was hoping had already been going on. This has been happening since before April 2020.