Once again a foreign company is attempting to open the Idaho-Maryland Mine, the third time I have seen this “once every decade” fiasco occur.
Once again it is being portrayed as beneficial to our community. Another attempt to translate the now-faded glory of the 1800s and early 1900s into today’s very different world, it merely sucks up time and money from the county and local residents rather than living up to the fables Rise Gold portrays.
It is uncertain if they actually would resurrect the mine or are simply hyping up the prospect to gather in money from stockholders to feather their nest — and bank accounts — before fading into the woodwork with the funds, as has happened before.
It is the wrong business at the wrong time and these new mine owners are once again putting their own benefits ahead of the needs and desires of this community.
Yes, one can slant the numbers to show widespread support for another potential environmental disaster such as they have caused in in Canada, and are still in defensive litigation about, for environmental damage.
A heavy trucking, noisy, air-fouling industry is far from being in the best interests of the Grass Valley area. And if there is such widespread support as they claim, why is The Union filled with letters from those in opposition, with most of the meager support coming from those with vested interests in the mine?
What the area does need is more high tech industries, such as were exemplified by the Grass Valley Group and others, with that legacy now being carried on by the likes of Telestream and AJA Video and being supported by training programs, such as those at Nevada County Media.
Greater emphasis on the clean, well-paying jobs they provide would be far more beneficial to the residents of Grass Valley, Nevada City and the rest of Nevada County.
Bob Zuelsdorf, Alta Sierra
This letter was originally published in The Union.