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Ski ><((((°>
Joined: 28 May 2005 Posts: 12842 | TRs | Pics Location: tacoma |
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Ski
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Thu Jul 20, 2006 5:56 pm
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If you log onto the "Gifford Pinchot Task Force" website ( this was my first visit there ), you'll find a blinking "alert" about a proposal for a 3000-acre
copper mine in the immediate vicinity of Goat Mountain- one ridge north of Mt. Margaret down by Mt. St. Helens.
I climbed Goat Mountain about 10 years ago and remember looking down
into those river valleys in the middle of the night and seeing all those tiny lights flickering from flashlights and campfires, and listening to some lonely coyote cryin' his heart out near the lake below me.
It just doesn't seem like a good idea to me. You might want to check it out
and send a rant off to NFS in Vancouver and the BLM in Oregon.
Thanks.
"I shall wear white flannel trousers, and walk upon the beach.
I have heard the mermaids singing, each to each."
"I shall wear white flannel trousers, and walk upon the beach.
I have heard the mermaids singing, each to each."
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MtnGoat Member
Joined: 17 Dec 2001 Posts: 11992 | TRs | Pics Location: Lyle, WA |
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MtnGoat
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Thu Jul 20, 2006 6:10 pm
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We should evaluate the quality of the ore body as well and take a look at the economics. If sufficient bond can be posted, it may be worth consideration, I believe the US imports more copper than it produces.
Diplomacy is the art of saying 'Nice doggie' until you can find a rock. - Will Rogers
Diplomacy is the art of saying 'Nice doggie' until you can find a rock. - Will Rogers
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Snow_Knot Member
Joined: 15 Jul 2006 Posts: 439 | TRs | Pics Location: Snohomish County |
Im OK with it, we cant freak out every single time we decide to try and do something " at home" ...
The cost of metals are going through the roof, It costs over 3 cents to make a penny...
Now that I think about it, maybe we should all just turn in our penny's to the recycler.
"Pinky, are you pondering what I'm pondering?"
Well, I think so, Brain, but "apply North Pole" to what?
"Pinky, are you pondering what I'm pondering?"
Well, I think so, Brain, but "apply North Pole" to what?
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LittleHikerMom Mom to a little girl
Joined: 08 Jul 2004 Posts: 1855 | TRs | Pics Location: Everett, WA |
Yeah, I got the email from WTA. I don't think they should destroy beautiful scenic places like that. They should mine stuff in deserts or elsewhere. They need to leave our forests alone. The WTA suggests writing your senators and such to show that you do not support the destruction of such fine forestland.
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MtnGoat Member
Joined: 17 Dec 2001 Posts: 11992 | TRs | Pics Location: Lyle, WA |
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MtnGoat
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Sat Jul 22, 2006 1:53 am
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Quote: | They should mine stuff in deserts or elsewhere. |
There is a problem with that approach.. you can only mine where the ore *is*. You don't get a choice of where it is. you can build a house, a road, a factory, a power plant, nearly anywhere... but you can only mine where the ore deposits are in the first place.
One other problem is that there is nowhere, anywhere, that someone will not find a reason to oppose a mine. Desert. Forest. Grassland. Beach. Ocean. In every one you will find some unique ecosystem.
Civilization runs on resources, they *must* come from somewhere.
Diplomacy is the art of saying 'Nice doggie' until you can find a rock. - Will Rogers
Diplomacy is the art of saying 'Nice doggie' until you can find a rock. - Will Rogers
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Stones funk soul brother
Joined: 08 Apr 2004 Posts: 1594 | TRs | Pics Location: in your soul kitchen |
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Stones
funk soul brother
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Sat Jul 22, 2006 7:53 am
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MtnGoat wrote: | We should evaluate the quality of the ore body as well and take a look at the economics. If sufficient bond can be posted, it may be worth consideration, I believe the US imports more copper than it produces. |
Yes, posting a bond, a real bond, not a "good faith bond" is the way to go. This, I believe is a regulatory requirement. Unfortunately, mining companies have had a history of walking away from their obligations in the past by declaring bankruptcy. Most of the streams and rivers in the western United States have been adversely impacted by mining. That's why posting a bond is essential so that there is funding for restoration and post-closure maintenance. The company I work for is doing quite well from mine cleanup and restoration work. The proposed project will have to go through the NEPA process since it's on federal land. This way the environmental impacts will be assessed and the public will have an opportunity to comment. National Forests are for multiple uses and mining is one of those uses. We have to understand, as MtnGoat indicated, that metals come out of the ground from somewhere. As a geology student many years ago our professors preached that quite often. That makes me laugh when people talk about liberal college professors. The modern world needs copper, especially in the age of computers, notorious power consumers.
Let me stand next to your fire
Let me stand next to your fire
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Jake Member
Joined: 13 Jun 2004 Posts: 257 | TRs | Pics Location: monroe, Wa. |
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Jake
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Sat Jul 22, 2006 9:12 am
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Until someone comes up with a way to get minerals from thin air we will have to mine them. As said above; we have to go where the minerals are. We can't place them where we want them and then do the mining.
And there is no place in the U.S. including off shore that someone wont like.
As they say: "If it can't be grown it's got to be mined."
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scm007 Member
Joined: 19 Jul 2006 Posts: 261 | TRs | Pics
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scm007
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Sun Jul 23, 2006 5:48 pm
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It really depends. I'm not too well versed on what regulations are in place, but if it is done with minimal destruction, and with sufficient bond money to repair the land, then I'm OK with it. Can anybody tell me what the new rules are regarding mining?
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Jake Member
Joined: 13 Jun 2004 Posts: 257 | TRs | Pics Location: monroe, Wa. |
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Jake
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Sun Jul 23, 2006 7:08 pm
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Quite a bit of rules and laws that must be followed. Not enough room on this entire form to describe them all.
However, they must mitigate all local problems such as roads, environmental issues, community impact and so on.
Now state, federal and local laws differ slightly and I have no idea who owns the property to be mined. I would guess it may be a mix of federal, state and private.That would all have to be taken into consideration too.
Regardless, they must also post a reclamation bond to recover the land and wildlife to it's prior condition...well, as best it can be.
Seems the problem is not so much with the laws as it is enforcing them. Sometimes the county, state, federal or local authorities look the other way as mining companys slip out the back door. This seems to have been the case with the Bren Mac mine up the North Fork of the Sultan River above Spada Lake back in the 70's when they left a mess that to my knowledge never did get cleaned up.
The Midnight mine near Spokane ran out of money and left it to the Super Fund to deal with.
Make no mistake, I am very much for mining, but someone does need to keep a finger on these people as they mine and as they pull out.
The vast majority of mining companies do act responsibly but it's the shoddy ones we hear about and they give the entire industry a black eye as they say.
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yew non-technical
Joined: 12 Dec 2005 Posts: 1173 | TRs | Pics Location: Bellingham |
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yew
non-technical
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Wed Jul 26, 2006 10:31 am
mining overseas
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Maybe it'd be better to import a lot of our copper from overseas?
People in countries like Peru are poor and really need those mining jobs. Recycling of copper will become less economically attractive if we keep increasing the supply with new mines here in the US. If there's an incident that causes geopolitical instability and the US is cut off from overseas copper, than the price will increase and we can then open up the Goat Mtn mine and elsewhere? Just an idea, perhaps a bad one.
Some places ought to be off-limits to mining even if we use a lot of minerals. Who's for opening the mine near Glacier Peak within the boundaries of the Wilderness Area?
"I aint jokin woman, I got to ramble...We gonna go walkin through the park every day." - Led Zeppelin
"I aint jokin woman, I got to ramble...We gonna go walkin through the park every day." - Led Zeppelin
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Jake Member
Joined: 13 Jun 2004 Posts: 257 | TRs | Pics Location: monroe, Wa. |
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Jake
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Wed Jul 26, 2006 10:55 am
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Please count me as one who does not want to mine the Glacier Peak Wilderness. That site cannot be mined anyway as the patented claims are too narrow to allow open pit mining by county regulations and underground would not be cost effective.
This Goat Mountain mine???? I've never been there so I can't say. But what was said above is true; you have to mine where the minerals are and if that's at Goat Mountain then the area should be looked at as a POSSIBLE MINE SITE.
As for importing copper from abroad, my heart is with the poor people of Peru and other poor nations but out trade deflict sucks as it is and we do already import minerals from other counties.
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andrew e Member
Joined: 13 Feb 2006 Posts: 147 | TRs | Pics Location: Seattle |
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andrew e
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Wed Jul 26, 2006 12:52 pm
Goat Mountain mine proposal
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Stones funk soul brother
Joined: 08 Apr 2004 Posts: 1594 | TRs | Pics Location: in your soul kitchen |
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Stones
funk soul brother
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Wed Jul 26, 2006 1:00 pm
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FYI on copper content in pennys from the US Mint:
Quote: | The alloy remained 95 percent copper and 5 percent zinc until 1982, when the composition was changed to 97.5 percent zinc and 2.5 percent copper (copper-plated zinc). |
Let me stand next to your fire
Let me stand next to your fire
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Ski ><((((°>
Joined: 28 May 2005 Posts: 12842 | TRs | Pics Location: tacoma |
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Ski
><((((°>
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Wed Jul 26, 2006 4:27 pm
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andrew e wrote: | I think it's worth reminding folks that this proposed 3,000-acre mine would be situated on mountain just two miles from the northern boundary of Mount St. Helens National Monument. |
I have to wonder what this thread would look like had the original title on it been "Copper Mine proposed 15 miles north of Mt. St. Helens".
"I shall wear white flannel trousers, and walk upon the beach.
I have heard the mermaids singing, each to each."
"I shall wear white flannel trousers, and walk upon the beach.
I have heard the mermaids singing, each to each."
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Malachai Constant Member
Joined: 13 Jan 2002 Posts: 16101 | TRs | Pics Location: Back Again Like A Bad Penny |
We could have a contest to try and distinguish it from St. Helens
"You do not laugh when you look at the mountains, or when you look at the sea." Lafcadio Hearn
"You do not laugh when you look at the mountains, or when you look at the sea." Lafcadio Hearn
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