Nevada court favors NEMThe Nevada Supreme Court has rejected a watchdog group's appeal of a lower court order favoring renewal of a permit for a Newmont Mining operation east of Winnemucca.
The high court decision upholds a Carson City District Court decision against a petition filed by Great Basin Mine Watch based on its concerns about renewal of a water pollution control permit for Newmont's Lone Tree Mine.
The mine watch group argued that the state arbitrarily approved Newmont's permit renewal and the lower court erred in concluding there was no appeal available from the state's decision to classify work on a leaking tailing pond at the mine "a minor modification."
Great Basin Mine Watch wanted the tailing pond shut down and had sought a public hearing as part of a broader review of the project, but was blocked by the "minor modification" status.