Urge BLM not to skip environmental review for the Rainbow East mining project

The Western Mesquite Mine, owned by Equinox Gold, is proposing to expand its open-pit gold mine into a sensitive landscape in the California desert. Tell the US Bureau of Land Management to carry out a new environmental review for the project!

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Step 2: Personalize Your Comment

Send the sample letter below or personalize it with your comment. Tell the BLM to carry out an environmental assessment on the Rainbow East exploration project.

Project Lead

Jessica

Peltz

BLM El Centro Field Office

Field Manager

Matt

Lohr

BLM El Centro Field Office

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Your Comment

Pursuant to Title 43 CFR 3809.411(c), I am writing to comment on the Rainbow East Exploration Plan of Operations submitted by Western Mesquite Mines Inc. (DOI-BLM-CA-D070-2025-0012-EA.)  It would be unacceptable for BLM to approve this project based on 40-year old NEPA documents unavailable to the public, as was requested by the company.

Please carry out an Environmental Assessment (EA) to properly analyze the potential environmental impacts of the Rainbow East project. The EA must analyze how the project would impact sensitive biological and tribal cultural resources in the Picacho Area of Critical Environmental Concern (ACEC), and comply with the Conservation Management Actions (CMAs) as required by the Desert Renewable Energy and Conservation Plan. The EA must also analyze impacts to desert tortoise critical habitat and to the tribal cultural landscape under co-stewardship agreement with the Fort Yuma Quechan Indian Tribe. The EA must also analyze a range of alternatives to the proposed project, as well as the cumulative impacts of existing and reasonably foreseeable future projects. Please include a public scoping comment period to guide the EA, as well as a public comment period on the draft EA.

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