County to consider BLM drilling agreement
Agreement is in regards to operations on Conglomerate Mesa
The Inyo County Board of Supervisors at its meeting this morning is set to receive a presentation from staff and consider approval of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between Inyo County and the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) regarding exploratory drilling at Conglomerate Mesa, according to the meeting’s agenda.
County staff notes that Mojave Previous Metals (MPM) has submitted an amendment to it existing, BLM-approved Plan of Operations for mineral exploration.
The Plan of Operations was approved in May 2018 and this proposed modification requests exploration access via overland travel, which would disturb up to 15 acres at up to 30 locations with a total of 120 boreholes.
Prior to determining that an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) was necessary, the BLM had begun the analysis of this project under an Environmental
Assessment (EA).
It can be found at: https://eplanning.blm. gov/eplanning-ui/project/2013863/510/.
The BLM sent a draft Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to the county to formalize participation in the EIS process as a cooperating agency.
The BLM, according to county staff, is the primary permitting agency for the project, as well as the lead agency under the National Environmental Protection Act (NEPA).
Inyo County has no permitting authority over this project; however, it will still have the responsibility under the state Surface Mining and Reclamation Act (SMARA) to ensure a reclamation plan is prepared and implemented.
Based on the existing MOU with the BLM, regarding mining in the county, the EIS may be used for the environmental evaluation of the reclamation plan and the county should participate at this higher level in the process as the EIS will be used for the reclamation plan to
the extent appropriate.
Staff is recommending approval so the county can participate in the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) process since it can be used for the reclamation plan to the extent appropriate.
With the approved agreement, the county would have the right to participate in activities including providing guidance on public involvement strategies, identifying data needs, suggesting management actions to resolve issues raised during scoping, identifying effects of alternatives, suggesting mitigation measures, and providing written comments on working drafts of the EIS and supporting documents.
Conservation groups, such as Friends of the Inyo, have voiced opposition to Mojave Previous Metals’ proposed drilling operations and have sent out “action alerts” regarding this item on today’s board agenda.
According to Friends of the Inyo, “this is an opportunity to show the BLM and Inyo County that we care about Conglomerate Mesa and don’t want to see it destroyed by a mining company for shortterm gain!”
Some points members of the conservation group are expected to raise include:
• Conglomerate Mesa is a special place worthy of protection because of its thriving Joshua trees, endangered Inyo rock daisies, dark desert skies, and solitude.
• Inyo County has a duty to follow the Surface Mining And Reclamation Act (SMARA) and the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and ensure that research reports are thorough and accurate.
• The mining exploration and a possible future mine are not in the best interest of Inyo County as they will have a detrimental effect on outdoor recreation, which is the county’s main economic driver.
According to the agenda, the board is scheduled to consider the agreement after its lunch break today.
The Inyo County Board of Supervisors meets in regular session at 10 a.m. today with the agenda available at the county website, www.inyocounty. us. The meeting will be held in the Board Chambers at the County Administrative Center in Independence, 224 N. Edwards St. You can stream meetings live and participate via Zoom through the county’s website at www.inyocounty. us/.