"The resubmitted plan calls for the installation of 12 drill pads on public land adjacent to the creek, bringing round-the-clock light pollution, dust, and heavy truck traffic to a region prized for its quiet, dark skies."
"Local conservationists point to the potential for a future open-pit mine, warning that the intended extraction method of cyanide heap leaching poses a dire threat to the area's groundwater."
"This administrative change, paired with a significant reduction in the National Environmental Policy Act oversight, has allowed the U.S. Forest Service to bypass the rigorous public comment periods and environmental impact statements."
"The battle over Hot Creek is not new; a previous iteration of this project was defeated in 2021 after the USFS was found to have improperly applied 'categorical exclusions' to avoid thorough environmental assessments."
KORE Mining has resubmitted a proposal for exploratory gold drilling in Mono County, California, following federal policy changes that reclassified gold as a critical mineral. This allows the U.S. Forest Service to bypass extensive environmental reviews. The plan includes 12 drill pads near Hot Creek, raising concerns about light pollution, dust, and heavy traffic. Local conservationists fear this could lead to a future open-pit mine, with cyanide heap leaching posing risks to groundwater and the Eastern Sierra ecosystem.
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