Environmental Justice: STOP A Foreign Owned Strip Mine Threatening 800 Forested acres just south of Prescott, AZ.

 I just signed the petition "Stop A Foreign Owned Strip Mine Threatening 800 Forested acres in a Residential Neighborhood just South of Prescott, AZ" and wanted to see if you could help by adding your name.

Our goal is to reach 35,000 signatures and we need more support. You can read more and sign the petition here:

Thanks!
Rudy

Rudy Arredondo 
President/Founder 
Latino Farmers & Ranchers International, Inc. 
Latinofarmers@gmail.com 
301-366-8200

https://chng.it/2tfDmf9Fs6

STOP A Foreign Owned Strip Mine Threatening 800 Forested acres just south of Prescott, AZ.

Why this petition matters

Our community, encompassing Walker, Potato Patch, Groom Creek, Hassayampa Lake, Whispering Pines and Misty Mountain among others is under threat. A strip mine owned by an affiliate of the Chinese Government (Gold Paradise Peak Inc) has begun operations in our residential neighborhood without ANY prior notice to the area residents. This operation plans to strip over 800 acres of forest and excavate the mountain side along Senator Hwy up to 900 feet deep, devastating this area for centuries to come. The impact is already visible on our property which lies adjacent to the mining operation. Trees have been destroyed without permission for road widening activities that disregard private property. 

Blasting along Senator Hwy has already begun which posses a significant threat of causing irreparable harm to the foundations and integrity of our homes, and especially the 90+ year old dam at Hassayampa Lake within very close proximity to the blasting sites. The miners have confirmed that blasting will be a regular occurrence as part of their industrial operations to extract primarily gold and silver, as well as other mineral resources, potentially including uranium which was found on the Super Fund Site per the environmental report of 2002. Their compliance history with the EPA shows they have been out of compliance since January 2022 and this quarter at least 1 violation was noted. 

According to their own Mine Development Plan and Exploration Work already conducted, Phase 1 expects to operate for up to 20 hours per day, at 50ft depths excavating approximately 200 tons per day on average through our residential neighborhoods which will then be transported as crushed rock to Los Angeles for shipment back to China. Phase 2 will utilize the profits from the Gold Ore to fund much more substantial excavation at depths from 570 feet to 900 feet deep. 
The consequences are far-reaching and devastating for our environment as well as our community's safety and peace. The Hassayampa River water quality is at risk due to excavation activities which could ultimately affect the drinking water for millions of Arizonans as the Hassayampa River Basin is a key water source for the Phoenix Active Management Area, Arizona’s largest groundwater source.

Wildlife including endangered species like the Mexican Spotted Owl and Bald Eagle are losing their habitats. These birds use these forests as breeding and feeding grounds which are now being decimated. Bear, mountain lion, deer, elk, turkey and many other animals rely on the Hassayampa River for a clean water source. The EPA has previously invested millions of tax dollars remediating old mines in the area from the 1800s because of the devastating effect those mines had on the environment. A Strip Mine of this scale would be far more detrimental to the environment. Here is a recent video and picture of water directly from our kitchen faucet discolored by historic mining contamination in the area.

Furthermore, there are significant safety concerns with large commercial vehicles trespassing on private property causing not just nuisance and damages but also danger to the residents. Families are afraid to walk along Walker Road for fear of these large industrial vehicles. See several large trucks stopped on a neighbor’s private property after the truck driver instigated an aggressive confrontation with the neighbor for merely documenting their presence, as requested by the EPA. Excessive dust from mining operations and their industrial vehicles engulfs properties causing further distress and health concerns. See a recent video of large industrial truck activity driving without permission on a 1/2 mile stretch of private road that has no public access easements.

This mine affects everyone in our community - it's not just an environmental issue but a violation of rights to quiet enjoyment among other issues like road safety due to unlawful widening activities and large commercial and industrial vehicles utilizing a primitive residential drive along Walker Road without any regard to the safety or rights of the area residents. Area residents are actively suffering each day from noise pollution, light pollution, dust pollution, chemical pollution, water pollution and traffic pollution. 

We call upon relevant authorities, especially ADEQ Executive Deputy Director Karen Peters and Attorney General Kris Mayes, to help halt this destructive mining operation immediately before more irreparable damage is done to both nature and human life in the Walker area communities just south of Prescott, AZ. We demand respect for private property rights along with stringent measures against such harmful industrial practices that threaten residential areas' peace, safety, privacy and natural beauty. 

Please join us in this fight against environmental degradation and intrusion into our peaceful living spaces by signing this petition today to stop the Senator Mine and Ten Spot Mine owned by Gold Paradise Peak Inc (a foreign company). Also, please leave a comment how the mine has already or will likely affect you and your family. 

Please forward this petition to all family members, friends and neighbors affected by the foreign owned mine that seeks to exploit our residential community and turn our lush forest into a barren industrial field riddled with ecological damages for decades or centuries to come.