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HOW TO GET YOUR MINING PERMITS DESPITE ENVIRONMENTAL OPPOSITION
Environmental article by Harold Hough Feb/March 2009

The biggest threat to the mining industry with the Obama administration isn’t legislation, but the incoming Obama appointees, who will use the bureaucracy to slow down or even stop new mining projects. Mining companies will have to go through more legal hoops and face more opposition from local and national environmental groups that are opposed to any mining, especially in their backyard.

Yet, over the years, many mining companies have shown that they can successfully battle radical environmentalists to a standstill and obtain permitting by carrying out public affairs campaigns within the local community. In some cases, the locals have even told the radical environmentalists that came in from outside to get out and let the locals decide what is best for them.

So, how can you carry out a campaign like this? Here are some hints.

FOCUS ON THE PEOPLE WHO COUNT. Forget Greenpeace or the Sierra Club. The key to any permit approval lies with the local voters.

There are two reasons for focusing on the local community. One, if the voters are behind your plan and they let their representatives know it, the politicians will let the regulators know this, and the bureaucrats will be forced to approve the mine. The second reason is local pressure. If you carry out your campaign properly, the local voters will see the environmentalists as the enemy and tell them to leave. The remaining local environmental radicals will be marginalized.

It’s also important to contact community leaders and politicians early in the process. That includes more than elected politicians. Contact people in both parties, including party leaders like county and district party chairmen. They have a lot of influence with politicians and the political activists that can either make or break your project. The fact is that a presentation at a meeting of precinct captains will do more to help your public relations campaign than several sparsely attended public meetings. Even that Democratic Party county chairman, who you might want to ignore, can put pressure on people who can help you.

LET THE VOTERS KNOW WHAT YOU ARE DOING. The biggest mistake mining companies make is not keeping the locals informed. And, if the mining company isn’t telling its side of the story, than the only version coming out is the radical environmental version.

Be the first to tell the community that you are planning a mine and tell them about what you intend to mine, how you will process it, and how you will reclaim the land after you are finished. And, be honest about it. If you plan to use cyanide, tell them up front and explain how you will protect the environment. Don’t let the opposition be the first to tell the community because then you will immediately be perceived as dishonest.
If you are engaging in any controversial mining process, explain why you are doing it. Tell them why other options won’t work and why you reached the conclusions you did. For instance, you can explain that with the recovery rates of cyanide leaching, the envisioned mine will have a longer life because it can process more ore and keep its workers employed longer.

Go and talk at places where you will find local people. Go to local events and fairs, and set up a booth (be sure to give away something for adults and kids). Speak to local organizations. Make sure your executives go to local restaurants for coffee. Give out detailed literature (with a good summary and pictures) telling what you will be doing. If it is a small community, host a local barbeque and take the opportunity to let them know what you are planning. Make sure that company people are seen everywhere and available for answers anytime. Most of all make sure that they listen and respond to the community’s concerns.

RECLAIM FOR THE COMMUNITY, NOT ENVIRONMENTLISTS OR ACADEMICS. While a unique reclamation plan may win support from the permitting authorities, and even some environmentalists, it may actually antagonize the locals. Many mining companies acquiring land that was open range or federal land immediately close to the community that once used it for leisure activities. Walking paths, ATV trails and hunting areas that were once used by the locals may be put off limits. And, there is nothing that will turn a person against a mining company faster than a hiker or hunter whose favorite spot is now closed.

You can have a model reclamation plan that brings back endangered species and offers grants to the local university for environmental studies, but if it entails cutting off the locals from land they once used, you can bet that the next time you need a permit to enlarge your operation; you will run into stiff local opposition. Avoid that by remembering that you and your land must be a benefit to the local community.

BE A MEMBER OF THE LOCAL COMMUNITY. Being perceived as a member of the community requires more than being a member of the local chamber of commerce and buying some supplies in town. It means showing an interest in everyone. And the more your company is perceived as a friend to each family in the community, the better it is.

One example of how a mining company can win widespread support from a small community is to offer scholarships to every graduating high school student in the community. Since most mining communities are not densely populated, that probably will mean a few dozen scholarships a year. And, it will give every family in the area that has kids (or grandkids) a vested interest in the health and wellbeing of you mine. Nor will it be as expensive as you think. Scholarships for the graduating kids of a small community probably will cost no more than a full time public affairs person and be more effective. You can be sure that when a radical environmentalist comes to town to fight a mine expansion, the community will come to the mine’s assistance and force the radicals to leave in defeat.

Remember, winning the permit battle is one that is won in the community. If you remain focused on the locals, you will win nearly every time.