Nevada County Board of Supervisors this morning approved moving forward with an Environmental Impact Report for the reopening of the San Juan Ridge Mine. The   Mine operated from 1993 through 1997  exploring and mining gold,  but the mine  ran into some problems when drilling drained are area aquifer,  draining some of the wells in North Columbia.  San Juan Ridge resident Erin Noel told supervisors the mining tunnel would pass adjacent to the only Medical Clinic on the San Juan Ridge and most of the major employers that provide over 200 jobs.

Click here to listen to Erin Noel

County Supervisors voted 5-0 to  execute a contract with PMC of Rancho Cordova, to prepare the E-I-R in the amount of  just under $180,000. The San Juan Mining Corporation would cover the cost of the EIR plus an additional ten percent to cover administrative costs. The EIR process for the San Juan Ridge Mining Project is expected to take about one year.