Many people are concerned about the impact of the reopening of the mine as it relates to aesthetics. Here are a few facts pulled from Rise Gold's application materials.
A large build up pad of “engineered fill” composed of mine waste rock and tailings will be created at the Centennial site, covering 44 acres of the 56 acre site.
Industrial buildings covering 122,000 square feet are proposed for the Brunswick site. Noteworthy among these would be the gold processing plant with dimensions of 425 feet by 70 feet and 65 feet high, and the shaft headframe building with a height of 165 feet. Running between these buildings will be a 365 foot long enclosed conveyor system. Tailings will be stockpiled onsite while waiting for transport.
"Subjective" The reports descriptions of the viewsheds are in their owned words subjective.
The Aesthetics Technical Study includes both the IMM site and the Centennial Industrial Site
The Photographic Simulations are powerful. Those that stand out are View Point 1&2 (view from Sierra Nevada Memorial Hospital looking toward Demartini RV Sales and View Point 8 (post fill at the IMM site from the Brunswick entrance.) In both cases the post fill dominates the viewshed.
Approximately 1.6 million tons of fill will be placed at the Centennial Site and 2.2 million tons of fill will be placed at the Brunswick Site
Regarding reclamation: “The Brunswick and Centennial Industrial Sites fill slopes will be revegetated with an erosion-control seed mix to reduce erosion and maintain fill slope stability. The fill pads will be maintained until they are used or sold for future industrial purposes.” i.e. a dead zone
[1] https://www.mynevadacounty.com/DocumentCenter/View/31023/Applicants-Project-Description, pp. 16-17, Nov 2019
[2] https://www.mynevadacounty.com/DocumentCenter/View/31023/Applicants-Project-Description, pp. 17-19, Nov 2019
[3] Introduction, https://www.mynevadacounty.com/DocumentCenter/View/33582/Aesthetics-Technical-Study---Added-3-9-2020
[4] 2.1 Overview https://www.mynevadacounty.com/DocumentCenter/View/33582/Aesthetics-Technical-Study---Added-3-9-2020
[5] 3.3 Photographic Simulations https://www.mynevadacounty.com/DocumentCenter/View/33582/Aesthetics-Technical-Study---Added-3-9-2020
[6] Project Description pages 15 and 16 "Centennial Industrial Site" and "Brunswick Industrial Site"
[7] Groundwater Hydrology and Water Quality Analysis Report – Added 4/24/2020