CEA Foundation has taken initial steps to bring a “citizen lawsuit” against Rise under the Clean Water Act in order to compel Rise to address mine drain pollution. According to Ralph Silberstein, President of CEA Foundation, “Our goal is simply to compel Rise to stop polluting the creek, to follow the law and apply for a NPDES [Discharge] Permit.
For Immediate Release: September 23, 2024
Contacts:
CEA Foundation
PRESS RELEASE
CEA Foundation Begins Legal Action Against Rise Gold to Stop Mine Drain Pollution
Grass Valley, CA – Local non-profit Community Environmental Advocates Foundation (CEA Foundation) has sent Rise Grass Valley, Inc. a subsidiary of Rise Gold Corp, a Notice of Violation, and is preparing a lawsuit to address contaminated mine water effluent discharging into Wolf Creek.
Currently, the Idaho-Maryland Mine discharges contaminated water from several mine drain points directly into the main branch of Wolf Creek, including the Eureka Drain and the East Eureka Drain. The illegal contamination levels were identified in testing done in 2019 by the EPA as well as in Rise Gold’s 2020 Environmental Impact Report. The tests show that the mine effluent exceeds safe values of Arsenic, Lead, Manganese, Barium, and other heavy metals in clear violation of the Clean Water Act (CWA).
CEA Foundation has made efforts to address the ongoing problem since 2021. Following the denial of the Use Permit to reopen the mine by the Nevada County Board of Supervisors on Feb 16, 2024, the plans to temporarily treat mine effluent during mine operations are no longer applicable and there are no provisions for long term treatment.
CEA Foundation has taken initial steps to bring a “citizen lawsuit” against Rise under the Clean Water Act in order to compel Rise to address the contamination problem.
According to Ralph Silberstein, President of CEA Foundation, “Our goal is simply to compel Rise to stop polluting the creek, to follow the law and apply for a NPDES [Discharge] Permit. This will likely require Rise to build a permanent water treatment facility along Wolf Creek similar to the one for Magenta Drain in Empire Mine State Park.” The Notice of Violation gives Rise 60 days to respond before the lawsuit is filed in the US District Court in Sacramento. (See https://www.cea-nc.org/notice-of-ongoing-violations-and-intent-to-file-a-citizen-suit-under-the-clean-water-act/ )
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Community Environmental Advocates Foundation (CEA Foundation) performs research, education, and advocacy to promote responsible land use and environmental protection policies in Nevada County. www.cea-nc.org. CEA Foundation is the leader of MineWatch, a campaign that brings together a coalition of nonprofit organizations, residents, and businesses opposed to the mine. www.MineWatchNC.org.