Industry News
Thanks to a categorical exclusion granted to Canadian mining company KORE, exploratory drilling for gold will begin this summer just ten miles outside of Mammoth Lakes. The area proposed for drilling is in Hot Creek Geologic site; a world-class fishing, angling, and hiking destination, as well as the ancestral homeland of the Kootzaduka Tribe which still utilizes and inhabits the area today.
That is unless the organization No Hot Creek Mine can do anything about it. Founded immediately after the National Forest District 5 Ranger signed the exclusion on September 27, 2021, the group has organized to protect all the natural beauty at stake in Long Valley.
One of the particularly important areas to protect is the headwaters of the Owens River. This river is not only home to several unique plant and animal species, such as the Bi-State Sage Grouse which has been petitioned to be added to the endangered species list, but it also provides drinking water for Los Angeles.
No Hot Creek Mine notes that if KORE proceeds with the drilling, there is potential for an open pit, cyanide heap leach mine. The process, called cyanide heap leaching, is a process for recovering gold and silver by trickling cyanide solutions through low-grade ore stacked in open-air pads.
Cyanide (before being mixed with other substances) is one of the most rapidly lethal poisons known to man. When combined with solutions used for mining it is still highly toxic and capable of substantial environmental impacts and health risks such as major fish kills and contaminated drinking water according to earthworks.org.
In an effort to prevent this, No Hot Creek Mine is gathering again on Saturday, July 29th at Stellar Brew in Mammoth Lakes. The organization will show a short film by Ethan Fitchner titled “Sunrise Gold” made in honor of the cause, then have a conversation about working as a community to stop KORE.
To get involved or show support, you can visit No Hot Creek Mine’s take action page or reach them at nohotcreek@gmail.com.
