Newsletters

March 2022

Lead Story:  Frontline Communities Under Pressure from Energy Transition Mining

As societies shift away from fossil fuels to combat climate change, business and government are eager to increase mining to provide metals for replacement technology. New devices, machines, and infrastructure will require an increase in metals such as lithium and copper, considered “critical minerals” by the United States. What will be the consequences of energy transition policies that encourage aggressive mineral extraction? …

 

December 2020

Lead Story:  WHAT PRICE LITHIUM:  Proposed Thacker Pass Mine

Nevada Lithium Corporation sees the ancient caldera in northwest Humboldt County as a rich source of profits from a proposed open pit lithium mine. Ranchers, sportsmen and conservation groups see the water, beauty and wildlife values of the Montana Mountains into which the Thacker Pass Lithium Mine footprint may intrude …

December 2019

Lead Story:  LONG CANYON MINE Water and Culture Sacrificed for Gold 

The destruction of cultural sites for the sake of gold and massive groundwater pumping is all too familiar in the Great Basin…

 

December 2018

Lead Story: The Destruction of the Sacred 

There’s a very serious lack of legal protection for Native American sacred lands. For example, the Native American Religious Freedom Act is narrowly interpreted by the courts; so long as an action is not forcing Native people from doing something against their religion, then their religious freedom is not being affected despite the loss of a cultural area…

 

December 2017

Lead Story: Newmont Proposes Treating Toxic Mine Water Forever 

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) defines “treatment (of mine sites) in perpetuity” as 500 years or greater; in other words, no end in sight. This is what Newmont Mining Corporation is ef- fectively proposing for acid mine drainage from the Phoenix Mine, located southwest of Battle Mountain. For Nevadans, a proposal in which waste requires perpetual treatment conjures up the multigen- erational nuclear waste dump proposal for Yucca Mountain….

 

December 2016

Lead Story:  Tosawihi : Another Threatened

Western Shoshone Treasure

When we wrote this, small advances were being made in North Dakota to protect land sacred to the Standing Rock Sioux tribe and the waters of the Missouri River from the Dakota Access Pipeline. In Michigan, the Menominee Tribe is currently finding few means to save the waters of the Menominee River, burial sites and other tribal legacies from a proposed mine project which could ultimately affect the Great Lakes.  …

 

December 2015

Lead Story:  Mining and Nevada’s Water

According to state of Nevada pumping data1 the mining industry is the second largest water user in the state, behind agriculture and ahead of municipal and quasi-municipal users….

 

December 2014

Lead Story:  Bald Mountain Mine Threatens Sensitive Wildlife

Barrick Gold Corp. continues to expand its Bald Mountain gold mining operations south of the Ruby Mountain range in Elko County. BLM released for comment “Exploration Plan Amendment #17” on the Bald Mountain Mine, to which GBRW sent comments, focusing mostly of impacts to sage grouse and Mule deer….

 

December 2013

Lead Story:  Taking on the Industry in the Courts thanks to Roger Flynn 

Perhaps you have wondered how Great Basin Resource Watch with its small budget can take on the mining industry in federal courts. The answer is: Roger Flynn and the organization he founded, Western Mining Action Project (WMAP)…

 

Spring 2013

Lead Story:  Comstock Residents Continue to Challenge Open Pit Mining

In the Summer 2011 and Spring 2012 issues of Bristlecone, we featured stories about the mining project initiated by Comstock Mining, Inc. (CMI) in Lyon and Storey Counties….

 

Spring 2012

Lead Story:  Controversial Mt. Hope Moly Mine – Inadequate Environmental Review 

The Mt. Hope Molybdenum Mine project would be one of the largest new mines that Nevada has seen for many years, moving roughly 60 million tons of rock annually…

 

Summer 2011

Lead Story:  FIGHTING THE DESTRUCTION OF A SACRED PLACE — MT. DENABO 

The cultural impact to the Western Shoshone from the Cortez Hills mine is so severe that in 2008 GBRW decided to “pull out the stops” to prevent Barrick Gold Corporation from developing this large open pit mine at Mt. Denabo…

Comments on Extractive Industry Projects

February 3, 2023: Scoping comments on Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for Ioneer Rhyolite Ridge LLC’s Proposed Rhyolite Ridge Lithium-Boron Mine Project, Esmeralda County, NV

September 6, 2022: Comments on the Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the Proposed Gibellini Mine Project, Eureka, NV

August 29, 2022:  Comments on the Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the Proposed Goldrush Mine Project

May 27, 2022: Comments on the Draft Environmental Impact Statement Robinson Mine Plan of Operations Amendment and Proposed Resource Management Plan Amendment

March 7, 2022: GBRW appeal of State of Nevada Thacker Pass Water Pollution Control Permit NEV2020104

December 8, 2021: Thacker Pass Proposed Lithium Mine, Comments on the New Water Pollution Control Permit NEV2020104

November 18, 2021: Fortitude/Reona-Phoenix Project, comments on state of Nevada Water Pollution Control Permit NEV87061 renewal.

November 18, 2021:  Thacker Pass Proposed Lithium Mine, comments on the Nevada Class II Air Quality Operating Permit.

September 9, 2021:  Goldrush Project Scoping, Comments for the federal Environmental Impact Statement

April 30, 2021:  Rhyolite Ridge Project, State of Nevada Water Pollution Control Permit NEV2020107 -comments on draft

January 11, 2021: Scoping Comments on Yerington Anaconda Mine Site Disposal, Environmental Assessment (DOI-BLM-NV-C020-2020- 0010-EA) – sale of BLM land at the mine site to Atlantic Richfield Corporation.

December 29, 2020:   Comments on the Thacker Pass Lithium Mine Project – Final EIS and Proposed Record of Decision, 

September 15, 2020: Scoping comments on Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for the Proposed Gibellini Mine Project, Eureka, NV 

September 13, 2020:  DEIS Comments, Thacker Pass Plan of Operations and Reclamation Plan (BLM Casefile NVN-098586) and the Thacker North-South Exploration Plan of Operations and Reclamation Plan (NVN-098582)

June 29, 2020:  Scoping comments on Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement Robinson Mine Plan of Operations Amendment and Proposed Resource Management Plan Amendment, White Pine County, Nevada

June 22, 2020:  GBRW Update to the Nevada State Environmental Commission Regarding Eureka Moly LLC’s Mount Hope Mining Project

June 2, 2020:  Comments on the Silicon Exploration Project Environmental Assessment DOI- BLM-NV-B020-2020-0017-EA 

May 26, 2020: renewal and major modification of a Water Pollution Control Permit (WPCP) for the Rochester Mine Project

February 27, 2020:  Scoping comments on the proposed Thacker Pass Lithium Mine and  Exploration Plan of Operations and Reclamation Plan to prepare and Environmental Impact Statement.

July 10, 2019:  Comments on the draft Environmental Impact Statement for the Proposed Marigold Mining Company—Marigold Mine—Mackay Optimization Project Humboldt County, Nevada

June 28, 2019:  Comments on the Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the Proposed Hycroft Mine Phase II Expansion Project, Humboldt and Pershing, Counties, Nevada

May 30 2019:  Comments on 2019 Newcrest Exploration Project

May 22, 2019:  Comments on draft Environmental Impact Statement (DOI-BLM-NV-B020-2018-0052-EIS) for the Gemfield Mine Project.

April 5, 2019: Scoping comments on the Notice to Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for a modification to a Plan of Operations (POA11) submitted by Coeur Rochester Inc., Pershing County, NV

December 5, 2018:  Comments on the draft Deep South Expansion Project Environmental Impact Statement

November 9, 2018: Comments on Preliminary Environmental Assessment Keystone Overdumping Amendment (Robinson
Mine)

August 31, 2018:  Comments on Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) Greater Phoenix Mine Project

June 12, 2018:  California Open-Pit Metallic Mine Backfill Regulations – Pit Lakes

June, 8, 2018:  Comments on draft COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT AND PARTICIPATION PLAN (CIPP) ANACONDA COPPER MINE SITE

May 31, 2018: Supplemental Comments on the Environmental Assessment for the Cortez Refractory Ore Amendment to the Plan of Operations 

May 25, 2018:  Comments on the Major Modification of the Water Pollution Control Permit NEV87061, Fortitude/Reona (Phoenix) Project 

May 24, 2018: Comments on the Environmental Assessment for the Cortez Refractory Ore Amendment to the Plan of Operations

January 28, 2018: Comments on renewal of Water Pollution Control Permit NEV2003107, Hollister Mine Development Block Project

January 17, 2018:  Letter to the Nevada Division of Environmental Protection, Bureau of Mining Regulation and Reclamation regarding the Phoenix Mine Expansion.

November 21, 2017:  Eagle relocation permit scoping comments submitted by Western Watershed Project with GBRW as a signatory.

October 16, 2017:  Comments on Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) Greater Phoenix Mine Project (DOI- BLM-NV-B010-2016-0009-EIS)

September 14, 2017:   Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) Greater Phoenix Project; request for comment extension period 

September 8, 2017:  Comments of the Mule canyon Mine Water Pollution Control Permit (NEV94110) renewal

May 1, 2017:  Scoping Comments for the Proposed Deep South Expansion Project – Crescent Valley, Nevada

February 10, 2017:  Scoping comments for the Rain Mine Final Permanent Closure Plan

July 25, 2016:  Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) for the Barrick Gold U.S Inc. proposed Bald Mountain Mine North and South Operations Area Projects

January 12, 2015:  Comment on the Draft Environmental Assessment, Horse Canyon/Cortez Unified Exploration Project Plan of Operations (NVN- 066621 [13-1A]) and Reclamation Permit No. 0159 Plan Modification, Addendum, and Amendment,

February 28, 2014:  Comments on the Lone Tree Mine Water Pollution control Permit- NEV0090058-2014 Renewal 

 

Letters, Reports, Presentations, and Media Releases

March 1, 2023 Media Release:  Ninth Circuit Green-lights Imminent Destruction of Thacker Pass

February 27, 2023 Media Release:  Conservation Groups Ask Ninth Circuit to Block Destruction at Thacker Pass

February 21, 2023 Media Release:  Conservation Groups Seek Emergency Halt of Destructive Lithium Mine Pending Court Appeal

February 7, 2023 Media Release: Court rules the Bureau of Land Management broke the law in approving Thacker Pass Lithium Mine

January 3 2023 Media Release: Conservation and Public Accountability Groups to argue the Illegality of the proposed Thacker Pass Lithium Mine

June 24 2022. Media Advisory:  Great Basin Resource Watch Appeal Hearing to NV Commission on Faulty Lithium Mine permit

April 21, 2022. Report prepared for Great Basin Resource Watch: Prediction of Seepage from the Clay Tailings Filter Stack (CTFS) at the Lithium Nevada Thacker Pass Mine, Northern Nevada.

March 30, 2022.  Media Release:  Nevada Gold Mines to Drop Long Canyon Mine

March 9, 2022. Media Release:  Great Basin Resource Watch Appeals State of Nevada Thacker Pass Lithium Mine Permit

February 15, 2022. PresentationPit Lakes in Nevada Recommendations for Public Policy

September 8, 2021. Media Release: International Lithium Group Stands in Solidarity with Peehee mu’huh / Thacker Pass Communities 

June 8, 2021. Media Release:  Digging Further Delayed at the Thacker Pass Lithium Mine Site

May 27, 2021. Media Release:   Conservation and Public Accountability Groups Ask Court to Block Construction of the Thacker Pass Lithium Mine

February 26, 2021. Media Release: Conservation and Public Accountability Groups File Legal Challenge to the Thacker Pass Lithium Mine 

January 12, 2020. Media Release:  BLM Land Sale at Anaconda Mine is Not in the Public Interest 

August 5, 2020.  Media Release: NEVADA GOLD MINES PUTS LONG CANYON EXPANSION ON HOLD – Potential Harm to Wildlife, Cultural Resources Prompts New Review

April 10, 2020. Letter to Governor Sisolak: PLEASE SUSPEND PERMITTING OF MINES DURING COVID-19 EMERGENCY

April 7, 2020. Media Release: FORMAL WATER PROTESTS IN GOSHUTE VALLEY (REGARDING LONG CANYON GOLD MINE PROPOSED EXPANSION) 

October 26, 2018: A PUBLIC INTEREST REVIEW OF THE PROPOSED DIAMOND VALLEY GROUNDWATER MANAGEMENT PLAN

December 4, 2017.  Media Release: TRUMP EPA ABANDONS SAFEGUARDS PROTECTING TAXPAYERS FROM MINE CLEANUP COSTS 

August 9, 2017.  Media Release: NEW ANACONDA MINE CLEANUP STRATEGY  – COMES WITH SERIOUS IMPLICATIONS

July 20, 2017.  Media Release: NEW STUDY – 74% OF U.S. GOLD MINES POLLUTE WATER

July 20, 2017:  U.S. GOLD MINES SPILLS AND FAILURES REPORT 

The Track Record of Environmental Impacts Resulting from Pipeline Spills, Accidental Releases and Failure to Capture and Treat Mine Impacted Water.  This report is coauthored with Earthworks.