Sierra communities battle massive gold mining project near Mammoth

"“What's at risk here is an extremely ecologically sensitive area,” said Wendy Schneider, the executive director of local environmental nonprofit Friends of the Inyo. “Hot Creek is not only beautiful, it's sort of the gateway to Mammoth Lakes. So you'd be able to see the mine when you get off the 395 and head into town. There will be noise and lights 24/7 and big trucks rumbling around, just messing up our public lands.”"

"Friends of the Inyo was among several organizations that successfully appealed the project in 2024 on the basis that it violated NEPA procedures. With new reforms to the policy, KORE Mining was able to quietly resubmit its plans, according to Emily Markstein, the co-founder of the local campaign No Hot Creek Mine."

"The new NEPA regulations no longer require mining projects to employ a public comment period prior to approval, Markstein said. Locals learned that KORE had resubmitted its plans at a Mammoth Lakes town council meeting, when an official broke the news in a single sentence at the end of the session."

"“Because of all those changes, KORE saw an opportunity for reapplication,” Markstein said. “Because Trump said, 'Drill, baby, drill.'”"

Conservationists warn that an open-pit gold mine could devastate the Hot Creek Geologic Site in Inyo National Forest near Mammoth Lakes. The Hot Creek geothermal creek bed is described as ecologically sensitive and as a gateway view into the town. Local groups say changes to National Environmental Policy Act procedures under the Trump administration enabled Canadian company KORE Mining to resubmit a project that was previously rejected by the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals in 2024. The plan calls for 24-hour, 365-day mining operations, including noise, lights, and heavy truck traffic. Advocates say the new NEPA regulations remove the requirement for a public comment period before approval, and locals learned of the resubmission at a town council meeting.

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