SB 108, a bill that would endanger the Chuckwalla Valley near Joshua Tree National Park by streamlining a resumption of mining, is sitting on the California Governor’s desk. Below is an urgent note from Chuckwalla Valley activist Donna Charpied with more information, and a sample letter you can edit and send to Brown. We must persuade Governor Brown to veto this bill. Please contact him today. And do forward and reshare this message to those you feel may be interested. — CC

Dear Friends,

Tricky things are happening at Kaiser’s abandoned mine at Eagle Mountain, in the form of SB 108.

SB 108 is on the Governor’s desk.  The Department of Conservation has an oppose position, but the bill can only be stopped by a Governor’s veto.  Under current law, Eagle Mountain Mine is considered abandoned and must be reclaimed.  This bill would allow the Eagle Mountain Mine operator to simply indicate a desire to continue mining to get out of abandoned status. 

You can read the bill at http://www.legislature.ca.gov/the_state_legislature/bill_information/bill_information.html. Search on Senate Bill 108.

Attached below is a sample letter asking the Governor to veto SB 108.  The instructions for contacting the Governor can be found at http://gov.ca.gov/m_contact.php.  Letters must be received before October 1st.  I apologize for the lack of timely notice.  You can’t “attach” a letter, but after clicking on “submit” from the link to contact the Governor, you can type or paste one in.  Of course, you can always send it via snail mail (best), or by fax.

It does not matter if you do not belong to an organization, your letter is important.

You all may recall that we have a campaign, Give It Back!, that is designed to restore 29,775 acres of land in the Eagle Mountains to Joshua Tree National Park.  If SB 108 is not vetoed, our campaign will be shot dead in the water.  This has implications for the dump (yes, it can come back), the hydroelectric project, future big solar projects in the Chuckwalla Valley, and the resources of our Park, Joshua Tree.

Please encourage as many people as possible to oppose this bill.

In Solidarity,
Donna Charpied

The Honorable Edmund G. Brown, Jr.
Governor, State of California
State Capitol
Sacramento,  Ca 95814

RE: SB 108 (Rubio)-Request for Veto

Dear Governor Brown:

[On behalf of the members of [Organization]], I am writing to respectfully request your veto of Senate Bill 108.

Current law requires surface mining operations that remain idle for more than a year with the intent to resume to obtain an Interim Management Plan (IMP).  Mines that do not obtain an IMP within the mandated time frame are considered abandoned and must be reclaimed.  The purpose of this law is to prevent mines that are closed from adding to the legacy of abandoned mines so prevalent in California.

SB 108 would allow abandoned mines to be reopened under reclamation plans that do not meet current minimum state wide reclamation standards.  Mineral resources are vital and necessary to California’s economy, but SB 108 would reward mine operators by imposing no consequences for ignoring State law in an attempt to pay lower annual reporting fees.  Mining fees are based on reported mineral production.  SB 108 would allow mine operators who incorrectly reported mineral production in prior years to simply file adjusted reports without provided verifiable proof of “corrected” production.  SB 108 is simply bad public policy.

Mines that have become abandoned should at least be required to obtain a reclamation plan that meets current reclamation standards prior to being allowed to reopen.  Mine operators should not be allowed to change reported production unless they provide verifiable proof that information is correct.

For these reasons, I respectfully request your veto of SB 108.  Please do not hesitate to contact me should you like to discuss our position on the measure or have any questions.

Sincerely,

[NAME]

[Position]
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