We finally got some media coverage of the Hearing that took place two weeks ago in Hillsboro. The Las Cruces New Mexican ran two articles on the mine, one covering the Hearing and the other giving a timeline of the mine. I link to both articles.
I had a Cassandra moment. It thought the city might be planning to extend water out to the airport and dig a new well out there. That would be a massive burden on the people who are already paying for years of neglect of the water system in compounding repairs.
An insider's view of how elections are conducted at polling places by a poll worker for many years suggests nepotism and lack of training for election officers are a problem.
Trump may want more emphasis on paper-ballot voting and counting, but States still control voting. Despite our voting system vendor selling out to a Republican, it looks like nothing much will change, at least not in the upcoming election.
We asked tough questions of Whitehead and she answered promptly. That should make voters feel more secure about the election.
Copper Flat Mine needs so much water to operate that it will have long term impacts on the water use in this county for decades to come. It also needs a huge amount of electricity. How will that consumption affect the rest of us electricity users?
How many times have you experienced extremely low water pressure, yet the city issued no boil-water order? This time City Manager Gary Whitehead was responsible and truthful and issued one.
Guest Contributor Norm Gaume is a water resources engineer, former director of the New Mexico Interstate Stream Commission and president of New Mexico Water Advocates. He has worked on New Mexico water policy and management for decades.
Those who think about the economy in Sierra County should be comfortable with dollars and sense. Here is a dollar and sense way to think about copper mining at Copper Flat.
Continuing to think about the 500 acres of stacked tailings and what can keep the tailings from sliding downhill, I turn to the mine’s submitted technical studies on this subject. These studies do not give assurance that the miners know the answer to that question either. This is dangerous.
Several months ago, a PAWA member asked me what kept the big stack of tailings (500 acres and 200 feet deep) proposed at Copper Flat Mine from sliding down the hill. I try to answer that question. This is the first of a two-part article.
We owe the one and a half year turnaround of the city's wastewater treatment plant problems to City Manager Gary Whitehead. He's saved the people a lot of time, money and liability.