Would You Try Opening A Gold Mine In California?

[mn90403]

Here is an article with some interesting information about possibly reopening a gold mine.  I am not so much interested in 'this' mine as much as the author's information about other aspects of mining.  How accurate is it?  I think there are a few readers here with some competitive knowledge.

 

https://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2022/01/gold-mines-reopening-california/621403/ 

[GhostMiner]

1 hour ago, mn90403 said:

Here is an article with some interesting information about possibly reopening a gold mine.  I am not so much interested in 'this' mine as much as the author's information about other aspects of mining.  How accurate is it?  I think there are a few readers here with some competitive knowledge.

 

https://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2022/01/gold-mines-reopening-california/621403/ 

I'll post my thoughts on this subject tomorrow when I have some time. I have done multiple mining Plans of Operation in California on our company claims. For now I will say that the state of California is not mining friendly. More on all this tomorrow. 

[Norvic]

If it were Lithium or Rare Earth Magnets mining being proposed would be a goer, but not gold, tis out of favor with the world current "fashionable thinking lot".

[Valens Legacy]

With all the rules and new laws that are in place one would have to be nuts to even consider it.

I will stay out of California as long as possible due to the crazy people there.

[Northeast]

No, I'd probably steer clear of it at the moment...the commute would be a bitch  😉

[Gold Catcher]

Rather than in the Motherlode I would consider some of the old mines in the Mojave/Colorado deserts. In particular some of the smaller placer operations that also had some drift mining appear interesting. Many are still gold bearing but got shut down as per order L-208 in WW2 and most never resumed operations. Northern California is too densely populated and the original motherlode belt is for the most part highly urbanized. So, getting mining permits in one of the famous gold rich areas there is virtually impossible. Even finding areas there where you can still do detecting is very hard, since so much is either city-, state- or private land or otherwise off limits. Apart from very few spots you need to go into the higher Sierras and away from the traditional gold belt in order to do prospecting. However, in the CA deserts getting permits seems to be (comparably) easier, so I hear. A small team of geologist, engineers and mining experts will be needed though to make sure the investment would be worthwhile. I am actually considering this adventure once I retire (together with partners of course). Still a distant dream though. BTW, CA still has some nice people, so it's not all bad. Also, the diversity of breathtaking landscapes, all gold rich, is hard to beat. And yes, still plenty of gold in the ground! Just the bureaucracy sucks.

GC

[Clay Diggins]

The article contains several "facts" without substance. I'm not sure the writer has any experience in mining or the history of gold values.  It seems more like a fluff piece to promote investment in wannabe miners with no successful history or knowledge of mining.

There are several very large mining companies now in the process of permitting large gold mining operations in California. They have no interest in rehabilitating old mine shafts. There are several large, rich, virtually untouched, proven, near surface gold deposits in California. These companies have the will and the resources to mine them.

California is probably one of the worst places in this hemisphere to try to permit a mine but the gold is good and the mining industry is flush with cash right now. Several of these mining companies are very much committed to changing how California deals with serious miners. I hope they succeed.

[GhostMiner]

   Plans of Operation are usually not too difficult to obtain. I have done them succesfully.  However, you are limited to 1000 cubic yards of disturbance. Go over that & you trigger SMARA which is the SURFACE MINING AND RECLAMATION ACT of 1975. That's when mining became difficult to do. To get an approved special use permit you will need to work with the Federal, State, & county government. The application fee is a little over $2000 which doesn't sound too bad but don't be fooled. This is only the beginning. You will likely need an experienced engineer to work up and submit a plan. You will need to pass a miriad of environmental impact studies. The process is lengthy and expensive. It could take anywhere from a year to 5 yrs or longer with expenses of hundreds of thousands of dollars or more. There is no guarantee you will be approved. The state has a way of getting you close to an approval and then throwing more hurdles in front of you. The idea is to discourage you and break you financially. Anything to do with creeks or water supply licensing is getting harder as well. What is the best way to make a million dollars gold mining in California? Start with three million. 

[klunker]

 It can be done California if you keep it small, keep it simple and keep it clean and don't "invest" more than you can afford to loose. My biggest problems arise from constant turnover of agency personnel and thus new interpretations of regulations and forest rules after a plan has been approved. Know what you are getting into before you get into it.

Here in the Northern Sierras the "toxic" minerals in native soil can exceed "safe" PPM.

[GhostMiner]

2 minutes ago, klunker said:

 It can be done California if you keep it small, keep it simple and keep it clean and don't "invest" more than you can afford to loose. My biggest problems arise from constant turnover of agency personnel and thus new interpretations of regulations and forest rules after a plan has been approved. Know what you are getting into before you get into it.

Here in the Northern Sierras the "toxic" minerals in native soil can exceed "safe" PPM.

Yes, we have mined "small" many times. You keep the disturbance under 1000 cubic yards. Those are laws and has nothing to do with who is working for the Forest Service. However, I do agree that constantly changing personal who are unaware of your previously approved activities is a pain in the ass. That's why I have personally stopped involving the Forest Service in small operations. I find that they are constantly making up their own rules and interpretting laws to their own bennefit.

   Here's an example : we had an approved Plan of Operation on a claim. Part of the plan included a 300 ft access road being built to get in there to the dig site. We asked the agent if the road would be consider disturbance and count towards the 1000 yards. No they said, we won't count that. We didn't get to that project for a yr & the agent had changed. The new one told us it did indeed count as the disturbance. I could go on & on.