EDITORIAL: Gold-mine NIMBYs short economy, workers

Source: Albuquerque Journal, N.自存倉M.July 28--State Rep. Brian Egolf, D-Santa Fe, says opposition to Santa Fe Gold Corp. re-starting gold mining in the Ortiz Mountains is "not about 'not-in-my-backyard,' it's about protecting the environmentally friendly activities we've been nurturing and growing here for a long time."Indeed, those "environmentally friendly activities" consisting primarily of "arts and tourism" are vital to the state's economy and culture. But there is absolutely no good reason not to give fair and serious consideration to economic activity that falls outside Egolf's idea of what an economy should be.And that brings us to the proposal by Santa Fe Gold to open two open-pit gold mines about 10 miles southwest of Madrid.Before summarily killing off a plan proponents say would generate millions of dollars in wages and billions in economic activity simply because we like "arts and tourism" better, shouldn't Santa Fe Gold be allowed to go through the process with a fair shot at a fair outcome?That multiyear permitting process includes a detailed environmental evaluation, public notice, meetings and hearings. And consideration should be given to the actions of the company at its Summit mine near the Arizona border, where it reached commercial-scale production of about 400 tons of ore per day last year.Company officials say they will not use controversial cyanide leaching to extract gold from ore but will instead rely on gravity extraction through fl迷你倉新蒲崗tation in water.And they say the two open-pit mines planned in the Carache and Lucas canyons will pay out $10.5 million annually in direct wages and salaries to folks who will extract up to 1 million ounces of gold over 10 years -- generating $2 billion in economic activity, including $484 million in local earnings.While extractive industries prosper or struggle as world prices fluctuate, the health of the arts and tourism markets also is dependent on a robust national economy and disposable income.And not everyone can or should work in the government, arts or tourism sectors.If the permitting process shows Santa Fe Gold can re-start an area industry that dates to the 1800s in a safe and environmentally responsible manner, then New Mexico's elected officials have a responsibility to all of their constituents to give the jobs and economic impact it will provide a fair hearing.And not tarnish the process with a knee-jerk NIMBY attitude.This editorial first appeared in the Albuquerque Journal. It was written by members of the editorial board and is unsigned as it represents the opinion of the newspaper rather than the writers.Related posts:1. Settlement opens way for gold mine2. Planned Gold Mine To Move Forward3. Firm proposes Ortiz Mountains gold mine4. Going for the goldCopyright: ___ (c)2013 the Albuquerque Journal (Albuquerque, N.M.) Visit the Albuquerque Journal (Albuquerque, N.M.) at www.abqjournal.com Distributed by MCT Information Services迷你倉出租