By Brad Jones
GPAA Managing Editor
The American Mining Rights Association presented its case against Senate Bill 637 at a hearing in the California state Capitol yesterday to a standing-room only crowd of prospectors, miners.
AMRA President Shannon Poe said there were more than 80 miners and four representatives from environmental activist groups, including the Sierra Fund, at the Environmental Quality Senate Committee hearing in Sacramento.
To watch a YouTube video of the hearing, go to California Senate Hearing on Suction Gold Mining 4-29-2015
In a statement issued by AMRA President Shannon Poe, the organization has called on miners to oppose the bill by contacting California state Senators.
"We testified ... clear, concise and full of facts, science and truth. This bill was obviously decided long before this ..." Poe said in the statement. "It now moves to the Appropriations Committee and we are asking everyone to call the senators listed below and voice your opinion, on how you believe they should vote."
Public Lands for the People, Western Mining Alliance and other mining rights groups as well as Gold Prospectors Association of America members strongly opposed the bill, which calls for more restrictions on prospecting and mining activity on public lands, which is a right under the Mining Law of 1872.
The bill would require small-scale suction dredge miners to buy a dredging permit through the California State Water Resources Control Board in addition to any future permits issued by the California Department of Fish & WIldlife.
"This bill adversely affects the middle and lower class, has omitted data making the information contained in the bill false," Poe stated. "The bill has blatantly false information about mercury as proven by the studies provided by the miners, he added.
"It's just plain bad for Californians. This is an unnecessary bill and needs to be killed," Poe said. 
In January, California Superior Court Judge Gilbert Ochoa ruled that the state cannot pre-empt federal mining laws under the Supremacy Clause of the United States Constitution.
Public Lands for the People had requested that the state water board be included in the Mandatory Settlement Conference ordered by Ochoa one year ago. An enjoinment hearing was granted, however, Ochoa denied the PLP request to enjoin the water board.
Poe said the water board regulates pollutant discharges and since dredging does not add any pollutants to streams or rivers, but rather removes toxic materials such as mercury and lead along with gold, the water board should not be involved in the permitting process.
Meanwhile, miners are waiting for a court order from Ochoa that is expected to spell out how and when dredging regulations, if any, will be implemented by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife after a statewide moratorium was imposed by the state in 2009.
AMRA, PLP and WMA are urging miners to contact the senators listed below:
Senators on the Appropriation Committee:
Richard Lara, Chair
Capitol Office
State Capitol, Room 5050
Sacramento, CA 95814
Phone: (916) 651-4033
Pat Bates, Vice Chair
State Capitol, Room 4048
Sacramento, CA 95814
Phone: (916) 651-4036
Fax: (916) 651-4936
Jim Beall
Capitol Office
State Capitol, Room 5066
Sacramento, CA 95814
Phone: (916) 651-4015
Fax: (916) 651-4915
Jerry Hill
Capitol Office
State Capitol, Room 5035
Sacramento, CA 95814
Phone: (916) 651-4013
Fax: (916) 651-4913
Connie Leyva
Capitol Office
State Capitol, Room 4061
Sacramento, CA 95814
Phone: (916) 651-4020
Fax: (916) 651-4920
Tony Mendoza
Capitol Office
State Capitol, Room 5061
Sacramento, CA 95814
Phone: (916) 651-4032
Fax: (916) 651-4932
Jim Nielsen
Capitol Office
State Capitol, Room 2068
Sacramento, CA 95814
Phone: (916) 651-4004
Brad Jones is the Managing Editor/Communications Director for the Gold Prospectors Association of America and the Lost Dutchman's Mining Association. He can be reached at bjones@goldprospectors.org
From the Change.org petition page:
SB637 gives The Sierra Fund, an extreme environmental organization, millions of taxpayer dollars and the right to use suction dredges to mine minerals and heavy metals out of California rivers and streams.
Permitted, small scale California gold miners were already cleaning heavy metals out of California rivers and streams FOR FREE! In fact, because they pay for permits, they were adding to the state's economy.
Let me spell this out in simple terms:
- Miners pay for permits, dredge for gold, and in the process remove harmful heavy metals (lead and mercury) from rivers and streams. Taxpayers win.
- The Sierra Fund CHARGES taxpayers MILLIONS of dollars to dredge for and remove harmful heavy metals (lead and mercury) from rivers and streams. THEY KEEP THE GOLD THEY FIND. Taxpayers lose.
While The Sierra Fund CLAIMS studies show adverse environmental impact due to raised mercury levels down river from small scale suction dredge mining, their own studies show the EXACT OPPOSITE. AND, if suction dredge mining actually harms the rivers, WHY ARE THEY DOING IT? (I'll give you a clue; they're being paid millions of dollars)
In fact, actual studies show that since a moratorium on small scale suction dredge mining was enacted in 2009, mercury levels have RISEN in previously mined rivers. That's a bad thing, right Environmentalists?
The Sierra Fund is already stealing taxpayer dollars at their Lake Combie project. They are receiving taxpayer money to dredge. Permit dredgers are denied access. The Sierra Fund doesn't like fair competition. They want all of the gold in California rivers and streams. Oh, and they want to get paid to get it. Paid by YOU AND ME.
So, not only is SB637 not necessary, it actually adversely affects the poor and middle class of CA. Literally tens of millions of dollars are lost to the rural communities with the money they would have spent going to their claims, purchasing gas, food, hardware and equipment.
SB637 takes away from California citizens and fills the pockets of a dangerously powerful, extreme environmental group, The Sierra Fund.
Let's not miss this nugget: The Sierra Fund and SB637 are only going after SMALL SCALE SUCTION DREDGE GOLD MINERS, not other, more drastic, dredging operations. Again, why? I suspect it's because those of us who are small scale suction dredge miners are hard working, middle class Americans who don't have lawyers on retainer to fight battles like this for us.
Visit the page to learn more and sign the petition
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