California dredging update:
We recently put up a post asking for people to call the Senators who passed SB637 brought forth by Senator Ben Allen (D-Hollywood) called “the suction dredge bill”. It required the CAWB (California Water Board) to evaluate whether or not suction dredging should be permitted in the state by having them look at the science and facts. They did, and said they were going to propose permitting dredging here in Cali. We asked you to express your displeasure with their dragging their feet on the release of that proposal to permit dredging by the Water Board.
In SB637, they were mandated to come up with a proposal, or denial for dredging in one year. It has now been three years. Three long years and when you couple in when the original moratorium hit in 2009, it has been 10 years. This by definition is a prohibition, not a moratorium.
Does anyone not know by now that suction dredging removes 98% of the mercury from the waterways, does not methylate the mercury in the cold water streams and creates fish habitat? Of course we all know the benefits by now, but this has never been about fish or fish habitat. It is about ideology and always has been. Like the push for Socialism currently underway in America, you cannot have “rogue” folks out there taking gold from public lands now can you?
After several meetings over the 3 years, testimony from many miners and groups, bringing forth SB1222 to clarify vague language calling pickup trucks, generators and track wheelchairs dredges…the CAWB did in fact decide to permit suction dredging and had planned to release that proposal to the public this past month.
Not surprisingly, right before the draft proposal was to go public, out of the 6 staff members working on this proposal, they had 4 of their staff members yanked out from under them at the very last minute and are now saying they do not have the staff (funding) to release this proposal to the public. They are now telling us it may be late this year….”may”.
Let that sink in for a minute…….
So Ben Allen passes his bill requiring the CAWB to evaluate dredging, CAWB determines from the science and facts that it should in fact be permitted and spends two years drafting the plan, only to have their staff pulled at the very last second because it doesn’t follow their agenda. Science be damned and ignore their own laws passed because they don’t like the outcome.
Politics? Absolutely. Illegal? YesProhibition? Zero doubt
So now we may face yet another legal issue in the corrupt state of California where the citizens may have to sue their own state to enforce their own laws. Can you get a fair trial in the state of California? Ask Brandon Rinehart or PLP.
It was a mandate by Allen’s bill to the CAWB to evaluate and permit or not permit. Because the science says permit, the politicians who oppose small scale mining ignore science, their own law and shut the release down.
Are you pissed yet? So are we.
We are not sure exactly what it takes for you people to get so pissed off that you rip the phone off your wall calling your Representatives, but apparently Facebook posts are enough.
We posted recently for people to call the Capital, how many of you did? To call the Water Board. How many have called their Senator, Representative or Assembly person? How many even know who their Representative is? Their Senator?
Folks, if you think one group or one person is going to save you, or small-scale mining, think again. This must be a joint effort. We must unite, make these calls, send these letters and stand the hell up to things like this.
We are miners. We are tough, independent and like our freedom. Our country right now is, let’s just face facts, under attack from within. There are those out there who hate us, hate our independence, hate the fact we can make money off of public lands, which they also despise. They believe you should ask permission before buying your toilet, that they need to tell you what lightbulbs you can use and what trees you can plant. They ignore their own laws, ignore science and think you’ll just sit down and shut up.
You like that freedom and want your kids or grandkids to enjoy that same freedom? Stand up for it.