  |
|
|
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 9, 1997
97-163
Contact: Jani Gilbert, Public Information Officer, (509) 456-4464
Sue Billings, Air Quality Unit Supervisor, (509) 575-2486
Oroville, WA - A public hearing is planned for Wednesday, October 15, 1997 in Oroville to give the public a chance to submit formal testimony about the draft air quality permit issued for the proposed Crown Jewel Mine in Okanogan County. The hearing will be held at 7:00 p.m. at Oroville High School Commons, 10th and Ironwood.
Washington state law requires that proposed new sources of air pollution apply for and receive an air quality permit before beginning construction. The Department of Ecology (Ecology) issued a draft permit for the Crown Jewel Mine in late September. With this draft permit came a 30-day public comment period that began September 25, 1997. The testimony and public comments will be taken into consideration when Ecology makes a final decision on the air quality permit.
"Ecology's draft permit contains several emission limits and operating conditions designed to assure that the facility complies with state and federal air quality standards," said Sue Billings, air quality supervisor for Ecology's central regional office in Yakima.
"The conditions include production limits, emission limits, air pollution control devices, stack emissions testing, and outdoor air quality monitoring," Billings added.
The Crown Jewel Mine is proposed for a site located about three miles east of Chesaw, by the Battle Mountain Gold Company and Crown Resources. An Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) was released early this year. In it, the U.S. Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management chose a "preferred alternative" for operation of the mine. The chosen alternative consists of an open pit mine that would operate 24 hours a day for about 10 years, including construction, operation and reclamation.
The air quality permit is among several pending local, state and federal permits required before mining operations can begin. Besides the air quality permit, the pending permits regulate the amount of water used, water quality, fish and wildlife habitat, surface reclamation, facility construction, zoning and public health. The purpose of the October 15 hearing is to receive comment on the air quality permit.
For more information, contact Christine Corrigan at (509) 454-7845.
Copyright © Washington State Department of Ecology. See http://www.ecy.wa.gov/copyright.html.
