Whereas:
The following situation presently exists in Silver City, Nevada:
For the past weeks Comstock Mining, Inc. has conducted core drilling operations within and immediately adjacent Silver City, Lyon County, Nevada. Drilling operations and associated road construction, pad clearing, and maintenance and support operations produce noise, dust, and traffic which completely disrupt the peace and quiet which are fundamental elements of our town. The noise from the heavy equipment is a constant, pulsing low-level roar punctuated by bursts of acceleration and backup horns. This all can be heard indoors and out, at almost every residence in town. This begins at 6 a.m. on weekdays, at 8 a.m. on weekends, and lasts until 6 p.m. Maintenance and bulldozing often begin earlier, and continue until after the drill rigs have shut down. The noise and activity are having an immediate and damaging effect on the quality of life in Silver City, and has the potential for serious negative impacts to property values.
We, the citizens of Silver City, respectfully move that the Lyon County Board of Commissioners address the following questions:
Why is an industrial-scale drilling operation allowed to take place within the Silver City townsite, an area designated in the Lyon County Master Plan as Suburban, and zoned for residential use?
Why is this activity, which clearly is the first step in a major mining project, allowed in an area in which such an activity is inappropriate?
Why are unrestricted earth moving and landscape alteration activities being allowed within the Comstock National Historic District?
Why are earth moving and landscape alteration being allowed without taking into account the potentially harmful effects on the surrounding area—effects such as drainage richand erosion problems, damage to the watershed, and disturbance of chemically contaminated mill tailings?
