20211126_L-Young

From: Lisa Young
To: NCMiningProgram
Subject: [External] Gaston County Lithium Mine
Date: Friday, November 26, 2021 3:20:52 PM
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®❑ Lisa & David Young Letter 11.25.21.docx

Sent via Email to: ncminingprogramancdenr.gov
November 24, 2021
Dear NC Mining Commission,
We are David and Lisa Young and own property at 436 Aderholdt Road,
immediately across Aderholt Road from land that Piedmont Lithium now
has under option at 429 Aderholdt Road. Thank you for your time to come
to Gaston County and let us have an information and hearing about this
proposed mine. Reading the information you provided, I have grave
concern that this mine will have the following impacts on our family and our
neighbors:
#2 That the operation will have unduly adverse effects on potable
groundwater supplies, wildlife, or fresh water, estuarine, or marine fisheries;
#3 That the operation will violate standards of air quality, surface water
quality, or groundwater quality that have been promulgated by the Department;
#4 That the operation will constitute a direct and substantial physical
hazard to public health and safety or to a neighboring dwelling house,
school, church, hospital, commercial or industrial building, public road or
other public property, excluding matters relating to use of a public road;
was at the hearing on November 15 in Gastonia and was shocked that
citizens could register in person at the meeting to speak after specifically
being highlighted on your NC Mining Commission website that you had to
register by noon on November 15t". Had I known this, I and many other
citizens would have been prepared to speak in person that night particularly
given the meeting ended nearly an hour early. Citizens were limited to two
minutes apiece to speak on a proposed 2,500 acre project that could
forever change their lives and their land and it was unfortunate that the
meeting ended with sixty minutes unused at the end of the meeting. I was
also shocked that Piedmont Lithium would submit to the NC Mining
Commission nearly 1,200 pages of technical reports that should be
deemed null and void as they are based on inaccurate information
gathering, false assumptions and without any true public engagement to
simply ask basic questions about our water.

In the July 2, 2019 TM Groundwater Model on page 33 — Predicted
Drawdown, it shows my groundwater dropping up to 50'. This is the first
time I've ever seen or heard about offsite impacts to us, the immediate
neighbors, and never expected such glaring negative results to our land.
They have known this for over two years and just now alerting neighbors
through your mining application permit process? This was the first time we
have ever seen legible scaled map presentation boards for our review.
In the updated August 30, 2021 Appendix H TM Groundwater page 6 under
Introduction it suggests ..." groundwater model updates a refined model
grid, revised pit shell geometries, and transient simulations of pit
dewatering." I was hopeful to find better news in this updated report but on
page 23, what I found was that my wells are not even shown in their model.
Every house in this area is on well and septic. It should be blatantly
obvious that if they show a house on the model, it will have a potable water
well, that we now know we will be impacted. I started asking my
neighbors if their wells were accurately shown this page 21 map, and they
are not. I stopped counting how many wells were not correctly depicted
after learning in my most immediate area off Aderholdt Road that most
existing drinking wells we simply not shown. How can the model relied
upon for any decision if the data is simply wrong and Piedmont Lithium has
never even taken the time to ask me about my wells?
went to page 24 still hopeful for better news in this updated report
regarding the potential draw down of my wells and see that in year 2 my
water level is already impacted by the pit dewatering. On page 32, my well
is severely impacted and I imagine most likely my potable drinking source
has gone dry. Piedmont Lithium suggests that they will rectify the problem
by drilling me a new deeper well below the 500' depth of the open mining
pit? How is pulling drinking water from a depth below the bottom of the
mine pit with all the processing, various chemicals, naturally occurring
arsenic, and sludge from the nearby mine going to make me feel confident
they are providing me with clean water? This is simply not acceptable and
needs to be solved before Piedmont Lithium ever puts a shovel in the
ground forever changing our current hydrology.
This NC Mining Commission simply cannot move forward with
consideration of this mining permit based on inaccurate information that
directly impacts the local citizenry. How can the model even be trusted if

the data is simply wrong and Piedmont Lithium and HDR has never even
been on my adjacent property or asked me about my wells? They have
known this since July 2019 and have never even reached out to me to
discuss my most critical need for life — my water? What type of neighbor
steals your water and never even has the decency over two years to alert
you of their known impacts to you?
We suggest that the NC Mining Commission must slow this permit process
down and not issue a permit for due consideration of the impact to the
surrounding citizens. The concept that Piedmont Lithium will be the judge
and the jury to determine which wells are impacted and to what extent they
are required to provide new wells is preposterous. A new independent (not
HDR I Piedmont Lithium) hydrology report must be commissioned that
includes all the onsite and off -site wells, streams, springs, ponds, and water
in an area much greater than 1,000' from the property lines that jointly
takes into consideration the proposed blasting and vibration to deliver an
accurate representation of the true come of depression for our hydrology.
Thank you for your consideration and the recognition that you simply
cannot issue a permit based on false, misleading and incomplete data.
There are too many residents in this area of Gaston County that will have
significant impacts from this proposed open pit mine operation.
Best regards,
Lisa & David Young
436 Aderholdt Road