20211118_J-Vrla

From:
Vrla, Justin
To:
NCMiningProgram
Subject:
[External] Piedmont Lithium
Date:
Thursday, November 18, 2021 4:35:28 PM
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Regardless of how any of us may "feel" about selling our properties or a pit mine where our homes
used to be, I think the Piedmont Lithium Carolinas project may be just too important of a source of
Lithium for the entire country over the next decade or two. The processing plant is also an
important key to the supply chain for the country's plan to move to a majority EV society. While my
wife and I love our property and EVERYTHING about it, for the right price we can find something just
as amazing, albeit likely in a neighboring county. My concern is for those of us that will be living just
outside the current project perimeter. Others have already brought up concerns of water usage and
private well levels and contaminations. Part of the solution offered is that PL will be bringing in City
of Gastonia supplied water. Those of us with functional and supple private wells do not believe it
should be our burden to now be forced to purchase water, from any source, and incur a new
monthly utility bill. If the Lithium project is approved as -is, us paying the City for water is like us
paying $100+ per month for our "neighbor" to use our well water while we no longer can. Should
we be subsidizing their business? My next concern is the distance from a home or neighboring
property line blasting is allowed. If I read the current regulations correctly, a mining operation could
possibly perform blasting as close as 100 yards from a home and even closer to a neighboring
property line. An average golfer can nearly hit a golf ball 100 yards with their 9 iron! In contrast,
when hunting waterfowl a hunter is required to be 500 feet (166+ yards) from an occupied dwelling,
which is more than 1 and a half times further than a mining operation is required to use a much
heavier and more powerful explosive! How is it that the miniscule controlled explosion of a shotgun
shell requires so much more distance than an explosive that will dwarf the charge even in the largest
3.5" shotgun shell? This is insane!
Please elaborate, for blasting purposes, as to how far Piedmont Lithium will be required to be from:
1) a neighboring property line
2) from an occupied dwelling
Does the shed our goats sleep in or the coop our chickens roost in qualify as an occupied dwelling,
they are a major part of our rural living and the stress of daily blasting could ruin them.
Thank you,
Concerned yet optimistic,
Justin Vrla