Stop Exploratory Gold Mining on 49 Creek

Target: Honorable Michelle Mungall, Minister of Energy, Mines and Petroleum Resources

An application has been submitted to initiate exploratory gold mining processes above 49 Creek, accessed via May & Jenny Rd, in the community of Blewett BC. There are over 70 water licenses issued on 49 Creek and many other community users dependent on surface wells to provide safe drinking water to their families. Blewett residents are concerned for Aquifer 511 as corporate greed, drought, and climate change have already put increased pressure on its supply. This permit will negatively impact our community in the following ways:

- Cutting down trees, digging trenches and drilling holes on steep slopes, contribute to increased landslide susceptibility with our historical heavy rainfalls. The slope stability in the proposed area was rated as Potentially Unstable, Level IV. This rating indicates it is not recommended to excavate this site without having an engineer preform an on-site assessment. The permit has been submitted without a site visit being performed.

- Unearthing rock can result in acid rock drainage which contributes to increased acidity and ability of water to hold dissolved metals. The process can create hostile conditions in our creek which will endanger fish and aquatic life. Noise pollution, vibrations, physical and chemical contaminants, would affect animals that live or travel through this untamed corridor.

- Property value decreases on parcels near work-site and along access road. In the event of water contamination, there would be a drastic drop in value of all property dependent on the watershed, and hefty costs would ensue for cleanup or restoration efforts.

- The proposed application is missing vital information, especially regarding emergency plans and safety measures. This community will not accept mining in our watershed and we are willing to take action to stop this project from starting. Please add your name to show support for clean drinking water. The future of our community depends on it.

"We the undersigned, call on Michelle Mungall, Minister of Energy, Mines and Petroleum Resources, to refuse the application file # 98771222 – 004 submitted by Kelly Funk, regarding exploratory gold mining above the residential area of Blewett BC, on 49 Creek. The application does not adequately consider the dangerous consequences that would be inflicted on the local watershed and the people it sustains, if sufficient mineral deposits were found, and further mining ensued. Nor does it adequately address the potential negative impacts on slope stability, damage to community roadways, and impacts on aquatic and wildlife populations. Refusing this permit is protecting a limited natural resource, clean water, which we all depend on for survival."