Regional Water Control Board Meeting Recap
Basically the water board is working on “de-designating” the groundwater under the RMK site from its current MUNI designation, as evidence supports that it has always been salty. RMK and the water board seem to be in agreement on this course of action. This de-designation means it will be easier for RMK to wrap up the closing of the mine. The voluntary surveys about the wells in the DiamondXX are for supporting the assertion that our area has salty groundwater in places. As the surrounding area is called “Salt Springs,” this would seem to be self-evident, but apparently the surveys would add support to this.
An issue that we each have to consider is what might happen with the data that the water board collects. While they gave us assurances it would only be used for the above purpose, It doesn’t take too much imagination to see how a report of poor wells in our area could become a problem, even if you have a great well on your property, as many of us do.
So let your conscience, your common sense, and your natural rural skepticism be your guide as you decide if you want to turn in the survey. The RMK guy at the meeting said they are NOT requesting that we fill out the surveys, so don’t feel any obligation on their part.
The water board people said residents and property owners could also write or email information apart from the survey. Here is their info:
– Sue McConnell, P.E., smcconnell@waterboards.ca.gov, 916 464-4798 (Senior Engineer)
– Patrick Pulupa ppulupa@waterboards.ca.gov, 916-341-5189 (Staff Counsel)
– Gene Davis, gmdavis@waterboards.ca.gov, 916-464-4687 (Geologist)
Thanks to the water board and RMK for having the meeting and clarifying things, and thanks especially to Sue for bringing zucchini bread!
By the way, please submit any comments to this article. I have to review comments before they appear on the site, as we have had spam problems in the past, so it may take a day or so for your comment to show up.
Jim
Comments are closed.
To all of our neighbors who attended the Saturday meeting: You most certainly impressed upon the Water Board our shared sentiments that there is no need to impose upon you for your water well information. As I said at the meeting, we also believe all the data the Board needs is available from either RMK or public information.
To those that voiced support for the final closure of RMK, the Basin Plan Amendment (BPA) process going forward at RMK, and for the Water Board to acknowledge that there is in fact plenty of naturally salty water in and around the RMK site: THANK YOU.
I appreciated the verbal comments directed at the Water Board to “get it done” regarding final closure of RMK. If you submit further comments as the Board requested, you could report on the common knowledge that the area in and around the RMK site is well-known to have natural occurrences of salty springs and salty wells of a random and variable nature, including good wells, wells that are salty at all times, and wells that become salty when pumped during normal use. They are sometimes within a rock’s-throw from each other.
You also could comment that you do not think it is necessary for the Board to collect information about private wells outside of the information that is already in the public domain, or provided by RMK permit compliance reports and technical studies.
Any statements you may choose to provide in support of a Basin Plan Amendment that leads to final regulatory closure of the RMK site will help in representing the very-important community perspectives on this subject. As state attorney Palupa indicated, your voices as our actual neighbors are very powerful on subjects like this and often outweigh those of certain lawyers’ groups that will claim to be representing you, “the public” during this regulatory process.
And finally, while many of you spoke with a very clear voice, the Water Board wanted comments submitted after the meeting; I suspect that many of your important thoughts will not be acknowledged in the bureaucratic record unless submitted by a phone call or in writing to the Water Board as they requested. Be heard!
I hope anyone with questions about RMK will contact me at 775-850-3700 ext 3770 or email me at adam.whitman@yamana.com. We will also continue to update our neighbors through our newsletters. Let me know if you are not receiving those mailings and want to be added to the mailing list. We will also forward a copy of the mailing for Jim to consider posting here on your website.
Sincerely,
Adam Whitman
Meridian Beartrack Co–RMK