Southern Oregon Botanical Areas Threatened by Nickel Laterite Mining
| Last spring, Spruce Ridge Resources, a Canadian-based mineral exploration company, staked 115 mining claims totaling 2,376 acres on the west side of Eight Dollar Mountain in Josephine County, Oregon. Spruce Ridge, who recently changed its company name to Homeland Mining, claims that Eight Dollar Mountain contains nickel laterite deposits. |
| These mining claims are on the Eight Dollar Mountain Botanical Area, on public lands managed by the Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest. Boardwalks and interpretive sites for the area are managed by the Bureau of Land Management. The claims also border the Wild and Scenic Illinois River. A U.S. Forest Service Brochure states: “Eight Dollar Mountain is one of the most significant botanical sites in Oregon, representing a major area of species endemism in the state. Since the 1880s, botanists have noted the area as being an important focal point for uncommon plants.” For an excellent discussion of Eight Dollar Mountain’s serpentine soils, serpentine plant communities, and rare serpentine endemic plants, please go to the following U.S. Forest Service website: https://www.fs.usda.gov/wildflowers/beauty/serpentines/index.shtml. |
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| The extraction and processing of nickel laterite is devastating. It is a surface mining process known as open-pit mining or strip mining. The first step is to use bulldozers to clear all the vegetation, topsoil, and non-valuable overburden to expose the ore deposit. All this material is piled nearby. Once the physical pit mine infrastructure is built, the process of drilling, blasting, excavation, loading, and transporting of the nickel laterite ore begins. Like the overburden the waste rock is piled in a “waste dump” near the edge of the pit. Because of the cost of transportation, the ore is processed near the mining pit. First, the nickel laterite rock is run through a mill and ground into a wet pulp. Then, the pulp is processed by a high-pressure acid leach which uses sulfuric acid under high pressure and temperature to leach out the nickel and other minerals. The processed ore, known as “tailings,” is pumped into a settling pond until the water evaporates. These tailings ponds are often toxic due to the presence of unextracted sulfide minerals. All these mining activities will be uphill and adjacent to the Wild and Scenic Illinois River which, not far downstream, merges with the Wild and Scenic Rogue River. While the Mining Law of 1872 gives mining companies a lot of freedom as to how they extract and process minerals, the U.S. Forest Service must also follow more recent laws concerning the environmental impact of mining operations. No actual mining can be permitted until a full analysis of the impacts of the mining is completed. Given the above description of the impacts of nickel laterite mining, you would think that such a devastation would not be permitted by the U.S. Forest Service. However, the article titled “The Role of Nickel in the Renewable Energy Revolution” in the September 20, 2023 Innovation News Network (a newsletter that reports on the latest innovations in scientific and technological developments) points out the growing global demand for nickel: “The critical role of nickel in electric vehicle (EV) battery manufacturing cannot be understated – it is instrumental in green technology that will help forge a net zero future. Central to this journey is lithium-ion batteries – the lifeblood that fuels these eco-friendly transportation alternatives. These batteries power our EVs and are crucial components in various modern technologies. Among the key ingredients of lithium-ion batteries, nickel stands out due to its unique properties. Its energy density and capacity retention make it essential in EV battery manufacturing. The demand for nickel in EV battery manufacturing is on an upward trajectory, given the surge in EV production worldwide, thereby shedding light on its indispensable role within the industry.” Imagine the money and political forces that will unite to support Homeland Mining’s extraction of nickel-laterite on Eight Dollar Mountain. Fortunately, the “River Democracy Act”, introduced by Senator Ron Wyden includes protections for serpentine wetlands. This Senate Bill, S.4449 is very specific about “withdrawing” Eight Dollar Mountain from all potential mining activity. On June 12, 2024, the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources Subcommittee on Public Lands, Forests, and Mining began hearings on S.4449. |
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| Please thank Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley for sponsoring the “River Democracy Act” in the Senate and share with them your commitment to protecting special botanical areas like Eight Dollar Mountain. – Dave Garcia, Siskiyou Chapter Conservation Committee |