Project Description

The project is a combined application for a Conditional Use Permit and Reclamation Plan to reinitiate underground mining and gold mineralization processing of the Idaho-Maryland Mine within unincorporated Western Nevada County. The proposed project would be located on two properties owned by Rise Grass Valley, which are referred to as the Brunswick Industrial Site and the Centennial Site. As proposed, the project would be comprised of approximately 175 total surface acres and approximately 2,585 subsurface acres to which the applicant retains the mineral rights.

As proposed, the project would include the following elements:

• Surface access to subsurface mining. 
• Dewatering of the existing underground mine workings.
• Mining existing and new underground mine workings.
• Processing gold mineralization and rock.
• Placing engineered fill at the Brunswick and Centennial Industrial Sites
• Export of engineered fill from the Brunswick Industrial Site to support local construction projects.
• Operation of pumps and a water treatment facility to dewater the underground mine workings.
• Construction of a water pipeline to transport treated water to an outfall located in South Fork Wolf Creek.
• Construction of the necessary aboveground facilities at the Brunswick Industrial Site (to include but not limited to, headframes and hoists, surface structures, a mineral processing plant) to support underground mining and mineral processing.
• Underground mining, including drilling, blasting, and gold mineralization removal.
• Gold mineralization and rock processing at the Brunswick Industrial Site and off-site transport of gold concentrate.
• Transport of engineered fill from the Brunswick Industrial Site and placement at the Centennial Industrial Site.
• Transport of engineered fill from the Brunswick Industrial Site to off-site construction projects.
• Placement of engineered fill at the Brunswick Industrial Site.
• Construction of a potable water pipeline to supply residences along a portion of East Bennet Road.

As proposed the project would include a Rezone application to rezone the parcels located at the Brunswick Industrial Site from Light Industrial (M1) with Site Performance Combining District (SP) to Light Industrial (M1) with Mineral Extraction Combining District (M1-ME) to allow for sub-surface mining operations and to provide for public awareness of the potential surface mining to occur where adequate information indicates that significant mineral deposits are likely present.  The project would also include a Reclamation Plan and required Financial Assurance Cost Mechanisms to reclaim the project site to a condition suitable for industrial uses as allowed by the Nevada County Land Use and Development Code, Section L-II 2.5 – Industrial Uses and Table L-II 2.5.D – Light Industrial.

In addition to the entitlements listed above, the project would also include the following entitlements:

• Variance to the Building Height Limits to allow for the construction of several structures up to a height of 165 feet, where 45 feet is the maximum height limit allowed pursuant to the Light Industrial Zoning District.
• Management Plan to allow for development within the required 100-foot setback of the Riparian Area of a Perennial Watercourse, at the Brunswick Industrial Site and to minimize the direct impact to special-status plant species, at the Centennial Industrial Site.
• Management Plan to allow for development within the required 100-foot setback from the high water mark of existing Perennial Streams, 100 feet from all Wetlands and Riparian areas and 50 feet from the high water mark of Intermittent Streams at the Centennial Industrial Site.
• Management Plan component to allow development within locations of areas of steep slopes that are in excess of 30% at both the Centennial Industrial Site and the Brunswick Industrial Site.
• Management Plan component to allow for development within a building setback fault zone at the Brunswick Industrial Site.
• Boundary Line Adjustment that would transfer approximately 46.27 acres for three separate parcels (APN: 009-630-039, 006-441-034, 006-441-003) to reconfigure their property lines to resolve an issue of proposed buildings crossing property lines at the Brunswick Industrial Site.
• Subdivision Map Amendment to amends Lots 7 & 8 of the Bet Acres Subdivision Map to remove the 200-foot Building Setbacks on each side of the designated Fault Line as shown on the subdivision map.