Striking gold or striking out? Final hearing on reopening of Nevada County mine continued to Friday

NEVADA CITY — Will mining company Rise Gold Corp. strike gold or strike out in their controversial bid to reopen a historic gold mine in Nevada County? The community should have its long-awaited answer on Friday.

The final hearing to decide if the Nevada County Board of Supervisors will accept Rise Gold’s petition to reopen the Idaho-Maryland mine and certify the environmental impact report (EIR) first started at 9 a.m. Thursday.

Public comment lasted until 7 p.m. with dozens still left to speak. The hearing was continued to Friday morning so everyone could have their voice heard.

“This is not happening here. This is not what we want,” Wendy Thompson told CBS13 after the meeting, where she was the last to give public comment. “There is so much support against the mine. You wish they would just go away and get it.”

There was hardly an empty seat in the packed chamber all day as people cycled in and out to speak at the podium.

The backlash to reopening what was once one of California’s top-producing gold mines has been years in the making. The mine sites sit just a few miles from downtown Grass Valley and right in the middle of a residential area.

“Please do not gamble with the safety and the future of this town that we love,” said one man in public comment Thursday night. “Reject this ill-fated project.”

The mine has been shuttered since the mid-1950s and the argument against reopening it has become fierce throughout the community.

“It’s gold, which has value of its own, no question about it, or quality of life, which is the reason we all live here. For me, it’s about quality of life,” said another man of the argument in public comment.

Back in May 2023, CBS13 reported that the county’s planning commission voted unanimously to recommend the board of supervisors reject both the EIR and the project proposal entirely.

Then, in December 2023, CBS13 reported that the board voted Rise Gold did not have a “vested right” to reopen the mine that they purchased without county approval.

“We already have a legacy of gold mining here and we are still cleaning up after it. And that was 100 years ago,” said Thompson.

The gold rush town largely has one message: mining is our past, not our future.

“We have enough gold. We don’t need to mine anymore in my community or in anyone else’s. Please say no to the mine,” said a young child at the podium Thursday.

The community and advocacy organizations like Mine Watch are most worried about air pollution, access to water and environmental impacts if the mine were to resurrect.

Many in public comment Friday pointed out that environmental advocates have sounded the alarm about the EIR that claims the mine will be safe and responsible, calling the report flawed.

“Do we trust this company who threatens to force a mine opening with a suit? Do we trust them to have our best interests and health in mind?” asked one woman at the podium. “If we are creating additional issues with heavy metals, how is that within the overall context of a community trying to clean up widespread heavy metal contamination for decades?”

If the mine moves back in, some say it will send them packing.

“Everyone will have to ask the question, ‘Do I stay?’ ” Bevan Iredell told CBS13. “I invested in this place. I live here. It’s a nice place to live. I have a house I will draw equity out of. If this looks like it will depreciate that investment, I’m not married to this community. I will sell and move on.”

Following Thursday’s hearing that spanned 10 hours, public comment will pick back up at 9 a.m. Friday at the Nevada County Government Center. It is expected the Nevada County Board of Supervisors will announce its final decision following the conclusion of the hearing.

CBS13 approached the CEO and president of Rise Gold Corp., Joseph Mullin, after the meeting. He did not wish to comment on this story.