A-Infos (en) WASHINGTON: Mining Action Alert - Save Buckhorn Mountain

[amccombs@mail.wiscnet.net (A. I. McCombs)]

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WASHINGTON: Mining Action Alert - Save Buckhorn Mountain

February 6, 1998
Faxed from Mineral Policy Center
1612 K. St. NW
Washington, DC  20006
Ph: 202-887-1872
FAX: 202-887-1875
mpc-us@msn.com
www.mineralpolicy.org

Immediate Action Needed

The Washington Department of Ecology will soon decide whether to allow
Battle Mountain Gold to mine Buckhorn Mountain. Your comments are needed
now to insure the state knows that more people than just the mining
industry are interested in its decision, and that the state is required to
comply with the Clean Water Act.

The Threat to Buckhorn Mountain

Battle Mountain Gold Co. (BMG) has proposed the first large scale open-pit,
cyanide heap-leach mine in Washington state. BMG's plans to to blast the
top off Buckhorn Mountain, crush it up, mix the powdered waste rock with
cyanide to leach out the microscopic particles of gold, and dump 9 million
tons of tailings on top of Marias Creek behind and 250 foot high earthen
dam and 100 million tons of waste rock on the hillside. If permitted it
would have potentially irreversible environmental impacts.

Who Would Be Affected?

Citizens are concerned that the long term economic health of north-central
Washington State is integrally connected to environmental quality that
would inevitably suffer from BMG's proposal. This mine would significantly
and permanently impact the area's land and water resources. This proposal
is opposed by virtually the entire Washington State conservation community.
However, recent statements of Tom Fitzsimmons, the Director of the state
Department of Ecology (DOE), indicate that he believes this project should
go forward. This is not in the public interest.

Help Local Citizens Enforce the Clean Water Act

BMG now wants to convince DOE that the pit lake that would form in the 900
ft. crater after mining would not be subject to a Clean Water Act section
401 water quality permit because the water would not be subject to federal
jurisdiction. This is patently wrong. It is DOE's duty to protect all the
waters for the public interest according to the Clean Water Act. The
Department has recently gone to the US Supreme Court to defend the State's
right to protect/abuse our waters. Contamination in the pit lake is
predicted to exceed water quality standards. DOE can and should deny BMG
water quality certification and enforce the Clean Water Act.

What can you do?

Write letters....call....email

*  Please ask the Governor to instruct his administration to deny BMG's
water quality certification as the technical facts, federal laws, state
laws, and sound public policy require.

*  Explain to Mr. Fitzsimmons that BMG's large open pit mine is not wise
management of our air, land and water for the benefit of current and future
generations.

*  Remind Mr. Fitzsimmons that the Department of Ecology's mission is to
protect, preserve and enhance Washington's environment.

Governor Gary Locke
Office of the Governor
P.O. Box 40002
Olympia, WA 98504-0002
360-902-4111
governor.locke@governor.wa.gov

Tom Fitzsimmons, Director
Department of Ecology
P.O. Box 47600
Olympia, WA  98504-7600
360-407-7001
tfit461@ecy.wa.gov

For more information, contact:

David Kliegman
Okanogan Highlands Alliance
509-485-3361
kliegoha@televar.com
www.televar.com/~kliegoha



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