[env-trinity] Sacramento Bee 3 2 2011

[Byron Leydecker]

 <http://www.sacbee.com/> sacbee.com


Study may limit permits for suction dredge mining


By Matt Weiser
mweiser at sacbee.com The Sacramento Bee 

Published: Wednesday, Mar. 2, 2011 - 12:00 am | Page 2B 

Last Modified: Wednesday, Mar. 2, 2011 - 9:01 am

An environmental study of California's suction dredge mining program could
cut the number of permits issued for that activity in half.

The draft report was prepared by the
<http://topics.sacbee.com/California+Department+of+Fish+and+Game/>
California Department of Fish and Game following a lawsuit by the Karuk
Tribe, which alleged suction dredging harms fish habitat and releases
pollutants left by historic mining.

Suction dredging involves using a powerful pump to vacuum up streambed
sediment to obtain gold and other valuable minerals. Some of the heaviest
activity occurs in Sierra, Plumas, Placer and El Dorado counties. 

Participation requires an annual Fish and Game permit that costs $47 for
residents, $185 for nonresidents.

A court ruling required the study, and Fish and Game suspended its permit
program in the meantime.

The study's "environmentally superior" alternative limits permits to 1,500
annually, compared to an average of 3,200 annually over the past 15 years.
It would also limit dredge nozzle size to 4 inches, compared to the current
maximum of 8 inches, and would limit dredging to 14 days a year for each
permit holder.

Five meetings on the study are planned this month, including one at 5 p.m.
March 29 at the Cal EPA Headquarters, 1001 I St., Sacramento.

 

 

Byron Leydecker, JcT

Chair, Friends of Trinity River

PO Box 2327

Mill Valley, CA 94942-2327

415 383 4810 land

415 519 4810 mobile

 <mailto:bwl3 at comcast.net> bwl3 at comcast.net

 <mailto:bleydecker at stanfordalumni.org> bleydecker at stanfordalumni.org
(secondary)

 <http://fotr.org/> http://www.fotr.org 

 

 

 

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