We still have a lot of resistance working against us

[Jeff95531]

Some here have questioned how we in CA let all the restrictions happen to us. Truth is, we didn't know much which is the way they wanted it. We also didn't know the scope of pressure behind the scenes pushing for these changes and land grabs.

So this morning, I decided to play devil's advocate. I Googled:

is gold mining bad for the environment
Google came back with 1,110,000 hits

Then I typed in:
is gold mining good for the environment
Google came back with 11,400,000 hits

Obviously I didn't look at them all, but suffice to say all I saw was derogatory in BOTH queries and many specifically say "small scale miner".

And the one who made it to the top of the list in BOTH questions Brilliant Earth.

Dirty Gold Mining Facts & Issues - Conflict Gold

And yet, the above sells diamonds...no doubt from Africa, dangerously mined and slave wages to all. No conflict there right? They sell "green" diamonds..."conflict free"

And a surprise basher. The SMITHSONIAN.
The Environmental Disaster That is the Gold Industry | Science | Smithsonian

Problem is, when you hear Gold Mining BAD 12,000,000 times, people tend to believe it.

Thought you should know.

 

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[Bonaro]

Now that's funny Dan

I am a naturally funny person, Reed. You should know that about me by now

Guys (and Moderators) Lets not forget that Desertphile has at least one friend on here (forget his name) and possibly others who just lurk.
Don't type a singe word on here that you don't want the left to see or to have quoted in some green rag somewhere

 

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[goldog]

I really don't understand the greens aversion to dredging. To me it seems to be the least invasive way to prospect.

I realize there is a lot more to it. Milking the gov to "clean up" some mythical evil we do seems to be as much on their agenda as anything.

I've got an idea. "The mercury removal challenge."

I'll work out some details in a new thread.

 

[fowledup]

I really don't understand the greens aversion to dredging. To me it seems to be the least invasive way to prospect.

I realize there is a lot more to it. Milking the gov to "clean up" some mythical evil we do seems to be as much on their agenda as anything.

I've got an idea. "The mercury removal challenge."

I'll work out some details in a new thread.

If most took the time to look into it what they are protesting they wouldn't be protesting it. It's simple- they are joiners. it's more important for them to be a part of something, to belong. Facts be damned. It's all about the movement and doing what is perceived as "good". Most are simply misguided folks taking the words of others as gospel- they're sheeple. The others are egomaniacal manipulators who know how to exploit the willing for their own political and financial gain.

 

[ratled]

I really don't understand the greens aversion to dredging. To me it seems to be the least invasive way to prospect.
.

You still assume it's about the dredging, salmon etc


ratled

 

[Bill_saf]

Wow! He did one thing that no one have ever been able to do before. He got one of my posts deleted by the mods. That comment he made about miners killing Americans just got me P.O.ed. Any one want to give odds on how long before he's back with a different name and I.P. address?

Your not the only one that got their post deleted and I under stand way. (slap on hand is a good thing from time to time for me)

Pulltab you mean you ate that big bowl of popcorn all by yourself. Dang it man!

 

[enamel7]

Banned Desertphile : We do not promote the deaths of Americans or any people for the sake of gold. Please abide by the site rules if you should return.
I also would ask if you are new and have not read the rules please do.

Thank you very much!

 

[OregonGold76]

Yes it is!!!

 

[Tnmountains]

It's all good guys. It is fun to have a good discussion and even to disagree on mining techniques . It is a hot topic on both sides.I understand it more than I weigh in. But we can still be civil and passionate with out wishing death and destruction on our opponents. Here is some popcorn.

 

[Reed Lukens]

Wellllllll hehe

 

[Jimmydolittle]

I really don't understand the greens aversion to dredging. To me it seems to be the least invasive way to prospect.

I realize there is a lot more to it. Milking the gov to "clean up" some mythical evil we do seems to be as much on their agenda as anything.

I don't own a dredge, but when I stick my shovel in the creek, and lift out material to put in my highbanker, the fish have a feeding frenzy. I can only amuse it would be the same using a dredge.

 

[kayakpat]

We are still trying at the taxpayers expense, to turn our orange rivers and streams back to normal, All our water supplys have to be filtered and chemically neutrialize from the acids and metals in the water, leaking from the old mines. In some rare areas good water still exist but hard to find.. However we need a billion taxpayers dollars to clean up the plutonium and urainum buried along the river that is leaking into the water table that feed the water supply the whole way from PA down the Mississippi to the Gulf of Mexico, that was left over from private mining and industry concerns. I can understand why there are agencies like the EPA and Greenies, they can save the taxpayers much money and save people from the outrageous cancer rates like around those areas. And the rivers in Ohio have not caught fire all the time like they did. Needless to say I have mixed feelings about the things Enviorment people do sometimes. I guess That is what the courts are for. Come east to see for yourself

 

[Clay Diggins]

I'm not sure what your writing about kayakpat. You implicate plutonium and urainum (sp?) pollution in the east with mining? There are no plutonium or uranium mines there. If you have pollution problems from plutonium and uranium waste it certainly has nothing to do with mining.

There are potential issues with acid mine drainage but those deposits produced acids long before they were mined. Acid water is the natural state around highly mineralized zones whether they are mined or not. Blaming miners for natural chemistry isn't going to change that fact.

I lived in New York. There were big problems with water pollution there but it was all the result of dumping of industrial waste - not mining. Humans that foul their environment for profit and then point fingers at others are pretty low in my estimation. There is some mining related pollution by large corporations in this country but almost all of that is due to greed and avarice - not normal mining by small miners.

I think mercury pollution in the west is more about deflecting blame for the massive dumping of phenols, MTBE and other toxic chemicals. These pollutants have been sanctioned by governments to help boost taxes and fees from the profits generated by substandard practices. To this day it is possible to pay for a permit to dump those pollutants into the environment. Money talks. A lot more people are sickened by those "legal" pollutant sources than mine waste or mercury ever did.

Miners need to keep their mining clean, that's a given. Blaming the current state of the Eastern states water supply on mining is ignoring the facts of the source and types of pollutants found in those tainted waters.

Heavy Pans

 

[fowledup]

What's going on out west with mining has little to do with what today's miners are doing, or about anything that removing miners from the equation will solve. It's about making money, and removing an obstacle that is keeping them from doing so. We are told there is a problem and they know how to fix it. However....when you can prove unequivocally that the problem is not as it seems, that people aren't being hurt, that the problem can be solved for less money using better technology- and no one that should, will listen or investigate it....... well then that's not the real problem is it?

 

[kayakpat]

We had a large company Babcock and Wilcox, who used uranium and plutonium for military, when no one was looking they buried waste from their use and alot of these material in long trenches. The ground and radioactive stuff have leeched into the surrounding ground and down into the abandoned coal mines filled with water and mine waste and spread all thru the area and into the river. Big Big Mess

 

[Jeff95531]

We had a large company Babcock and Wilcox, who used uranium and plutonium for military, when no one was looking they buried waste from their use and alot of these material in long trenches. The ground and radioactive stuff have leeched into the surrounding ground and down into the abandoned coal mines filled with water and mine waste and spread all thru the area and into the river. Big Big Mess

I admit I am not familiar with the incidents you speak of. What I do know is no matter what you do or where you go, the world is filled with bad people who do bad things. They are not the majority however. If what you state is true, the EPA can sue and recover superfund reclamation costs and that's how it should be.

I can also state ALL of the prospectors that I know have a deep respect for the environment, property, claims, land usage and land restoration and leave nothing behind but footprints. When you see acts by others that do not conform to this line of thinking, their actions are criminal and should be reported and handled as such.

BTW, welcome and kudos to you for joining, voicing your opinion and keeping an open mind. That's how we operate here.
Jeff

 

[goldenIrishman]

Yup! We're all glad to see different points of views here. All we ask for the most part is that you be able to back your statements up with facts and be polite.. It's good to be passionate about things as long as you take the time to find out the truth and not allow yourself to be led by everything you see and read in the media.

There is no reason that mining and being "green" can't go hand in hand. In most cases it does and it works very well.

 

[kayakpat]

ii would like to get a dredge, but until they figure this out, no use investing in one. good luck with the fight, dredging looks like the way to go as the old timers could not.

 

[Prospector70]

WELP.

 

[Prospector70]

We are still trying at the taxpayers expense, to turn our orange rivers and streams back to normal, All our water supplys have to be filtered and chemically neutrialize from the acids and metals in the water, leaking from the old mines. In some rare areas good water still exist but hard to find.. However we need a billion taxpayers dollars to clean up the plutonium and urainum buried along the river that is leaking into the water table that feed the water supply the whole way from PA down the Mississippi to the Gulf of Mexico, that was left over from private mining and industry concerns. I can understand why there are agencies like the EPA and Greenies, they can save the taxpayers much money and save people from the outrageous cancer rates like around those areas. And the rivers in Ohio have not caught fire all the time like they did. Needless to say I have mixed feelings about the things Enviorment people do sometimes. I guess That is what the courts are for. Come east to see for yourself

I did quite a bit of growing up back east. Too frequently they would have chemical leaks from the umpteen big chemical companies in the area (Union Carbide, DOW, ETC.) or a train derailment that causes residents to "shelter indoors" where you are to seal off rooms and put wet towels under the doors.
I can't recall ever sheltering in place from a mine leak.

 

[scoy]

From an environmental stand point I see dredging as a good thing. Mercury for example is 13.6 times heavier then water. So it will stay in the pan or the sluice.

Down side that I can see is how do we miners get rid of the mercury we recover in a legal manner. I think in the long run it would help not hurt. I also think the state should A) Reward us for cleaning up the environment and B) Put a provision into place to accept the mercury waste we do recover with no fines fee's or charges. Lets not forget the lead we bring out also. I don't find a lot of gold when I go out but I usually find some shot gun shot.