When a Canadian mining subsidiary showed up last year
in the 1,500-person mountain community of Yarnell, Ariz., mine
officials announced they were re-opening an open-pit gold mine that
had been closed since 1942. Angry locals immediately formed
Guardians for the Rural Environment, and members hope they can halt
the cyanide heap-leach mine. They’ve asked the Bureau of Land
Management to deny the company’s request for an additional 116
acres of public land. “They’ve already told us they’ll be blasting
800 feet from residents,” says Guardians director Warren Haskins,
“so we’re going to keep fighting until they go away.” Mark Montoya
of Yarnell Mining Co., which is owned by Bema Gold, concedes his
company has not received a warm reception. “The bottom line is that
they don’t want us here,” he admits. The BLM plans to release its
draft environmental impact statement this fall. For more
information, call Guardians for the Rural Environment,
520/427-3448, and Yarnell Mining Co., 520/427-3353.
This article appeared in the print edition of the magazine with the headline Mine your own business.
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