Just a reminder that your letters to the NC Mining Commission are due on Friday November 26th.  Submit them to ncminingprogram@ncdenr.gov and ask for confirmation that they have been receoved.

Many of you across the country have called and emailed expressing concern for this 1,500+ acre open pit lithium mine nearly 500' deep in a populated area of Gaston County, NC by Piedmont Lithium.  They also intend to build a chemical plant to convert the concentrate into lithium hydroxide.  All very dangerous to the local citizens.

Locally we have great concern for our shallow potable water wells, our pristine creeks brimming with aquatic life, our wildlife populations, our domestic herds, and the fact that several streams flow into and across the proposed mine site.  Our land will be destroyed with blasting, vibrations, dust, noise, traffic, and light pollution all in an effort to be "GREEN."  It is not reversable and the surity bond in North Carolina is a mere $1m dollars for this $1B project.  

Your letters need to speak to one or more of the following concerns:

That any requirement of this Article or any rule promulgated hereunder will be violated by the proposed operation;

(2)       That the operation will have unduly adverse effects on potable groundwater supplies, wildlife, or fresh water, estuarine, or marine fisheries;

(3)       That the operation will violate standards of air quality, surface water quality, or groundwater quality that have been promulgated by the Department;

(4)       That the operation will constitute a direct and substantial physical hazard to public health and safety or to a neighboring dwelling house, school, church, hospital, commercial or industrial building, public road or other public property, excluding matters relating to use of a public road;

(5)       That the operation will have a significantly adverse effect on the purposes of a publicly owned park, forest or recreation area;

(6)       That previous experience with similar operations indicates a substantial possibility that the operation will result in substantial deposits of sediment in stream beds or lakes, landslides, or acid water pollution; or

(7)       That the applicant or any parent, subsidiary, or other affiliate of the applicant or parent has not been in substantial compliance with this Article, rules adopted under this Article, or other laws or rules of this State for the protection of the environment or has not corrected all violations that the applicant or any parent, subsidiary, or other affiliate of the applicant or parent may have committed under this Article or rules adopted under this Article.  

Please get your letters submitted to ncminingprogram@ncdenr.gov on or before November 26th.

Thanks for your help defeating this terrible idea of a hard rock lithium mine in our beautiful NW Gaston County.

best regards,