SHIFT STRATEGIES ON OPEN PIT MINING PROJECT?
Is it time to shift strategies on how to oppose the open mining issue?
We believe the DOI/BLM authorities in Washington are deceiving and distracting us from the basic issues.
And we believe that the DOI/BLM folks in Washington have secretley decided to approve the leases-regardless of how many opposing signatures are submitted to them.
If true, then we need to shift our strategy and put all our attention on letters, email and voice calls to Senator Reid and Congresswoman Titus to submit a legislative amendment to remove BLM’s authority to grant mining leases at the site in question near Anthem and Inspirada. As a reminder of the situation:
· 100% of NV Congressional Members Publicly Oppose the Mining Leases, But the Project Lives On.
Because thousands of personal objections were received in the past 2 years, ALL of Southern Nevada’s elected members of The Congress have written and spoken out in STRONG OPPOSITION to BLM plans to award 30-year mining leases for operating an open pit mine for building materials near I-15, Sloan Canyon, Anthem, and Inspirada. This unique, 1-square-mile area of BLM land is on the proposed extension of Democracy Road–West of the Madeira Canyon development and near Las Vegas Boulevard. It a really bad initiative that must be killed. BLM should not waste any more money “studying” the idea, but BLM can not unilaterally kill the project.
But, even after 2 years of aggressive opposition by many thousands of Southern NV homeowners with all NV members of Congress, the BLM project continues to waste funds studying the impacts as the leases head towards a Washington DC decision. The lack of a clear decision to terminate the lease suggests problems are ahead.
· The Henderson City Council Has Serious Conflicts of Interest.
Strangely enough, the City of Henderson supports BLM’s plan for the mining leases. A few years ago, the City secretly signed a long-term support agreement with certain mining and development companies. The full facts behind this situation could become embarrassing for some past and present members of the Henderson City Council and Planning Commission. While Henderson is unlikely to reverse its position, we can ask them to explain why it can not be absolutely neutral.
Common sense should have told those involved at all levels (especially in the City of Henderson) it was a really bad idea to agree to an open pit mine that was planned for:
(1) SOUTHWEST of the massive Anthem development projects with tens of thousands of upscale and/or senior residents,
(2) Immediately SOUTH of another massive housing development that was subsequently named Inspirada, and
(3) Surrounded by the long-range gaming/business development corridor extending for many miles along both sides of South Las Vegas Blvd. and South I-15.
· BLM’s National Director is Bob Abbey (From Reno, NV) See this link:
http://www.blm.gov/wo/st/en/info/newsroom/2009/august/NR_0807_2006.html
Director Abbey had to be well known and personally sponsored in 2009 by Senator Reid and Congresswoman Titus to be appointed to BLM by President Obama. From 1999 through 2005, Abbey was chairman of the Executive Committee for the implementation of the Southern Nevada Public Lands Management Act. Prior to being selected for BLM Director, Bob Abbey served as a partner in a private consultant firm called Abbey, Stubbs, & Ford, LLC. with offices in Las Vegas and Reno Nevada.
Most importantly, Mr. Abbey had previously served for 8 years as Nevada State Director for the U. S. Bureau of Land Management. He provided direction and oversight for 48 million acres of public land managed by BLM in Nevada. It was during those Nevada years that a few legislative sentences were mysteriously inserted in the land management act to allow the unusual exception for the leases in question. We should not expect Director Abbey to favor anything except to move ahead with approving the mining leases.
· BLM Does Not Give Priority to Our NV Citizenry.
The Federal Government (BLM and other agencies) collect hundreds of millions of dollars from federal mining leases throughout Nevada, and other Western States, but NV does not receive those revenues.
BLM Director Abbey controls over 80% of the land in Nevada–vastly more than Nevada’s Governor. But, Abbey is not accountable for his “land management” actions to our Nevada citizens.
And, while BLM employees in NV are required to follow certain procedures and make recommendations, they do not make the final decisions. The final decisions are made by Washington DC politicians and lobbyists. In the past, Washington has not demonstrated much interest in the needs and concerns of Nevada citizens.
· It Therefore Appears Reasonable to Conclude That:
1. National BLM Director Bob Abbey has been personally aware of and quite involved in the NV BLM processes leading to the creation of the so-called “do-nut hole” exemption legislation, and subsequent BLM mining leasing actions. And, Abby and his BLM Washington DC committee structure are likely to be motivated to approve the granting of the mining leases—no matter how many letters of objection have been received by BLM.
2. Business and federal government interests have trumped citizen/homeowner interests on this matter from the start. No matter how many opposing letters are produced under the EIS, we should expect the Washington political power system to approve the mining leases, and provide empty words to deceive us in the meantime.
BLM can be expected to disregard the facts that the proposed mine is:
(a) in the middle of massive home development projects,
(b) immediately adjoining the Sloan Canyon National Preserve,
(c) planning to consume hundreds of millions of gallons of the critically-short ground water in the Las Vegas aquifer, and
(d) surrounded by the I-15 commercial development corridor along South Las Vegas Blvd.
3. The legislative plans and BLM actions used to create this open pit mining fiasco and enable it to continue appears to be a deceptive, political process. Citizens have been led to believe their voices can make a difference in the outcome, but that is extremely unlikely. There appears to be serious conflicts of interests by BLM Director Bob Abbey, his former business partners, some Henderson officials, and the leading NV members of The Congress-especially those of Senator Reid and Congresswoman Titus. We can not trust the current BLM process to respect our urgent, medical and lifestyle needs.
Bottom Line:
1. We appear to being treated by the national political system like old, ignorant fools. The leasing project should have been terminated over a year ago. It was not, so we have to believe the FIX is in, and the leases will be approved by Hqs. BLM–unless we follow a modified approach in the future that concentrates on modifying the law that allows BLM to lease the unacceptable mining area.
2. BLM Director Abbey, Senator Reid, Congresswoman Titus, and other NV Congressional and their business associates have not initiated the critical actions needed to terminate the mining lease projects. All they would have to do is use the political authority they have in this Administration to insert just a few words into just about any House or Senate Bill, and the mining lease matter could be over.
3. The decision to approve the leases is likely to be made without regard to how many citizens oppose the mining operations. To avoid unnecessary expenses and efforts, we need to initiate much more aggressive actions and demand that the project be killed via legislative amendment–immediately. Our focus should be on getting Reid and Titus to sponsor the amendment needed to remover BLM authority to lease the mining operations in the area of our concern.
When we think of the authority used by Senator Reid on his earmarks, and on the so-called “Cornhusker Kickback” and the “Louisiana Purchase” agreement, Senator Reid could have terminated this mining lease matter at any time during the past two years. We need to focus on getting Senator Reid to do what only he can do–remove BLM’s authority to lease the mining area of concern.
Our Southern Nevada citizens need to insist that the thousands of signatures already gathered opposing the open pit mine are sufficient to justify that legislative action be taken immediately to terminate the mine leasing program in question. We urgently need to submit hundreds/thousands of more letters and emails and phone call to Sen Reid and Congresswoman Titus and insist they submit modifications to the legislation that removes BLM’s authority to lease the properties. Can you agree to help in this regard?
Robert and Kay Frank
Henderson, NV 89044
April 7, 2010
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