The Fight Goes On.  This from DRMS about how the process will unfold.

There is only one public comment period for applications, and that has closed for the Dawson Gold Mine Application.  The DRMS reviews all public comments and considers them as part of our review of the permit application.  All those that submitted timely public comments will be notified of the next steps, which is basically as follows:  after the DRMS reviews responses to our adequacy questions, and if we determine all issues are addressed adequately (this may require another round of adequacy questions), the DRMS will write a letter of rationale covering why we believe the Application should be approved (if we don't think it should be approved, that would be the focus of our rationale letter); the rationale letter is then distributed to all timely commenters and the Applicant; we will then schedule a pre-hearing conference where all timely commenters are invited (and are required to attend or send a proxy if they wish to speak at the Mined Land Reclamation Board Hearing); then we will have the MLRB hearing where timely commentors that were present at the pre-hearing conference will be given time to address the MLRB.

Details of how all this works will likely be sent out in January to all timely commentors.

Tim Cazier, P.E.Environmental Protection Specialist III - Engineering