SENATE BILL 670
6-Aug. 2009 - TEMPORARY HALT FOR SUCTION DREDGING IN CALIFORNIA
Although the moratorium does spare rivers from dredges, other forms of mining are unaffected.
On August 6, 2009, Governor Schwarzenegger signed Senate Bill 670 into law which has placed a statewide moratorium on suction dredging in California until the Department of Fish & Game (DFG) completes an updated Environmental Impact Report (EIR).
This EIR process has already begun.
Under the present schedule, public hearings will begin in November of this year.
The DFG is presently projecting to complete the process by the spring of 2011.
Stay informed! The review process will also include several opportunities for public involvement, both via public meetings and through solicitation of written comments and suggestions. Initial public meetings to discuss the scope of the environmental analysis are currently being planned for November 2009 in Fresno, Sacramento and Redding. Additional details, including time and place of the meetings, will be posted on the DFG Web site, www.dfg.ca.gov, as they become available.
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"Less an issue of environmental protection and more of an issue of certain organized individuals and groups"
The bill calls for the closure of all California streams and rivers to suction gold dredging until the California Department of Fish & Game “has completed the environmental review of its existing suction dredge mining regulations, as ordered by the court in the case of Karuk Tribe of California et al. v. California Department of Fish and Game et al., Alameda County Superior Court Case No. RG 05211597.”
The environmental issues related to suction dredging have been addressed in numerous studies over several decades. Each study has come to the same conclusion—suction gold dredging is a de minimums activity, which means that it has no significant impact on the environment.
The best summary of suction gold dredge studies so far was completed in 2007 by Joseph C. Greene, a research biologist who recently retired from the Environmental Protection Agency.
After reviewing all of the available data, Greene summarized his findings in a report for the California State Water Resources Control Board. Greene determined that suction gold dredging does not negatively impact water quality, fish, turbidity, water temperature, water chemistry, mercury pollution or the environment in general.
Greene concluded, “The issue of localized conflict with suction dredgers and other outdoor recreational activities can be put into a more reasonable perspective using the data provided... The issue against suction dredge operations in the streams of the United States appears to be less an issue of environmental protection and more of an issue of certain organized individuals and groups being unwilling to share the outdoors with others without like interests.”
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"The purported legislative finding is without basis in fact, and is a political, not a scientific, conclusion."
SB 670 is written to stop river dredging, when in fact river dredging has held and still holds the respect of people as a right and legal method of the miner to retrieve the valuable metal from the river bottom. For the legislature to stop this activity without evidence of damage to the river eco-system is a false cause to protect the environment. It does not justify such restriction of the people’s right to dredge our river bottoms.
This is an attack on the rights of the people based on false cause and a clear disrespect by certain people in our State legislature who falsely represent their constituents and their obligation to defend the constitutional rights of the people.
Please help by standing up to those who would destroy our freedoms.
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Keep The Public Lands Open To The Public
PRESERVING AND PROTECTING PUBLIC LAND USE FOR THE PEOPLE ~
PLP is a non-profit organization that is fighting to restore the rights of suction dredgers, but they can only accomplish this task with our support.
For more information, and to contribute, please visit their website at; www.plp2.org
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• 09/15/2009 PLP files federal lawsuit against State of California to lift suction gold dredging ban;
• 11/03/2009 Scoping meetings scheduled; Notice of Preparation/Initial Study released
• 11/17/2009 Strong support at suction dredge meetings
• 11/17/2009 PLP's Constructive Notice and Comment given to the the CA Fish & Game at the Sacramento meeting
