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- Idaho Maryland Mine - Rise Grass Valley
Idaho Maryland Mine - Rise Grass Valley
Project Contact: Senior Planner, Matt Kelley
Email: Idaho.MMEIR@co.nevada.ca.us
Our Role
This is an application for a proposed Conditional Use Permit and Reclamation Plan for the Idaho Maryland Mine, owned by Rise Grass Valley, a private company. The County’s role will be to process and review the application for consideration by the Nevada County Planning Commission and Board of Supervisors in accordance with the requirements of the County General Plan, Land Use and Development Code, California Environmental Quality Act, and other appropriate state and federal laws.
How to Get Involved
As part of the review process, there will be opportunities for the public to provide comments on the proposed project. These opportunities will include upcoming noticed Public Meetings as part of the environmental review process and noticed Public Hearings on the draft and final environmental documents. Please sign up using the link below to receive these notifications as well as other project updates and information.
To request alerts for updates on this project, as well as information on upcoming opportunities to provide comments, please click here Version OptionsIdaho Maryland Mine - Rise Grass ValleyHeadlineProject DescriptionProject DocumentsEnvironmental Impact Report (EIR)Scoping Meeting - July 2020.
Please visit these pages to see upcoming Planning Commission and Board of Supervisor meetings.
Idaho Maryland Mine EIR Process
Please note:
- The row highlighted in GREY indicates where we are in the process.
- The text bubble icon indicates steps in the process when public hearings will be held.
STEPS | DESCRIPTION | CURRENT STATUS |
---|---|---|
1 | Project Application Submitted to the Nevada County Planning Department | Completed |
2 | Notice of Preparation (NOP) of Environmental Impact Report (EIR) Scoping Meeting and Comment Period | Completed |
3 | County Consultant drafts EIR based on submitted technical studies and application documents prepared by the applicant and peer reviews and public comments | Completed |
4 | Draft EIR Page is released 60-day public and agency comment period as required by the California Environmental Quality Act. See Revised NOA that includes an extension through April 4, 2022. | Completed |
4a | Completed See Agenda for this meeting. and Staff Report. Watch recording. | |
5 | County Consultant drafts Final EIR which contains responses to all comments received during the public Draft EIR public comment period. | Completed |
6 | Final EIR released for public comment period for no less than 10 days. Final EIR Notice of Availability. | December 16, 2022 |
7 | May 10 and continued to May 11 as needed. Learn more: Notice of Public Hearing Info. Watch recording May of 10. Watch recording of May 11. | |
7a | Nevada County Planning Commission makes a recommendation on the project to the Nevada County Board of Supervisors. | May 11: See recommendation. |
8 | Rise Grass Valley filed a petition for recognition of vested rights to conduct mining operations at the Idaho Maryland Mine. The petition was submitted to the County on Friday, September 1. Learn more, visit Petition for Vested Rights. Discussed on August 8, 2023, at the Board of Supervisors meeting.) | |
8a | Nevada County Board of Supervisors makes a final decision on the project. |
- Project Description
- Environmental Impact Report Documents
- Project Documents
- Scoping Meeting - July 2020
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.
Environmental Impact Report Documents (EIR)
The Nevada County Planning Department will be the lead agency and will prepare an Environmental Impact Report (EIR) for the Idaho-Maryland Mine Project (proposed project). There will be opportunities to provide comments throughout the process. To be notified of these opportunities and when new material becomes available, please subscribe here.
Project Documents
As part of the application process, the applicant has submitted technical studies and other documents which are available for public review here Version OptionsIdaho Maryland Mine - Rise Grass ValleyHeadline. Documents available for review include:
Application Materials
Plans and Elevations
Technical Reports
Safety Data Sheets
The newest materials are listed at the top, with older materials at the bottom, including the Initial Application documents provided by Rise Grass Valley.
Application Documents - Idaho Maryland Mine - Rise Grass Valley
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Rise Grass Valley Files Petition for Recognition of Vested Rights at Idaho Maryland Mine
Rise Grass Valley filed a petition for recognition of vested rights to conduct mining operations at the Idaho Maryland Mine in Grass Valley. The petition was submitted to the County on Friday, September 1. Learn More -
Rise Grass Valley to Petition for Recognition of Vested Rights at Idaho Maryland Mine
Rise Grass Valley plans to petition for recognition of vested rights to conduct mining operations at the Idaho Maryland Mine, according to a letter sent to Nevada County by its attorney Monday, August 21, 2023. Learn More -
Save the Date: Supervisors Public Hearing for Idaho Maryland Mine Project Scheduled Oct 2 & 3
The Board of Supervisors Public Hearing for the proposed Idaho Maryland Mine – Rise Grass Valley Project is scheduled for October 2nd and 3rd. Learn More
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Planning Department
Physical Address
950 Maidu Avenue, Suite 170
PO Box 599002
Nevada City, CA 95959-7902
Phone 530-265-1222, option 2Fax 530-265-9854
Hours
Monday - Friday
Open from 8:00 - 5:00
New Project Submittals: 8 – 3:30
Appointments are available. Book an appointment..