General Moly’s Mt. Hope mine: let’s hope the “Eureka moment” doesn’t spell disaster

01-01-11 • The PPJ Gazette

Nevada is one of the most seismically active states in the U.S.A., ranking third after California and Alaska. Nevada’s many faults are found at the base of almost every mountain range. A proposed molybdenum mine at Mt. Hope, near Eureka, Nevada, (owned by General Moly) seems to be located near the Diamond Valley Fault zone, the Western Diamond Mountains Fault zone and the Diamond Mountains Fault zone. On Feb. 21, 2008, a magnitude 6.0 earthquake shook Wells, Nevada and caused extensive building damage. This earthquake occurred on a previously unmapped fault. The U.S. National Park Service states “While earthquakes don’t occur at any regular interval, historically the frequency of an earthquake of magnitude 6 or higher has been one every 10 years, and for magnitude 7 or higher, one every 27 years.” Even the drilling from geothermal projects causes little earthquakes. A magnitude 4.5 was reported at The Geysers in Lake and Sonoma counties in California.