[Gavel]
>>chair: good evening and
welcome to the AUGUST 8th, 2023
work session of the gaston
county board of county
commissioners.
My name is chad brown, I serve
as CHAIRMAN Of the board, as
well as the commissioner from
the riverbend township.
I would like to welcome our
viewers, and thank spectrum and
cable and at&t for making this
possible for our citizens.
For our television audience, I
would like to present your
gaston county commission
beginning on my far right.
>> allen fraley, cherryville
township.
>> I'm ronnie worley, south
point township.
>> good evening, I'm kathi
cloninger representing the
dallas township.
>> bob hovis, crowders mountain
township.
>> good evening, tom keigher,
gastonia township.
>>
>>.
>>chair: thank you all.
Before I begin, I would like to
take a moment -- can you hear
me?
-- recognize a couple of
people.
First, our interim
superintendent for gaston county
schools, DR. Stephen laws, if
you'll please come up and --
you, too, come to the podium,
you can speed speak for a
second, he continues to say the
word interim, but we are vastly
trying to change that for him.
But I wanted to say DR. Laws,
thank you for your commitment to
gaston county schools, you've
been here for a number of years
but one of the things that comes
is I think every parent wants
our kids safe in school and
getting a quality education,
you've agreed to do this until
we can get someone, but I wanted
to say personally thank you from
this board, our board probably
communicating thank you for
coming to the dinner tonight.
But one of the things that I
want to challenge you with is
don't quit.
Whatever happens, you just keep
going until they tell you you're
done, but I wanted to say thank
you for your commitment.
I got to listen to you today and
talk to you, if you guys don't
think that things are changing
vastly in the way we do things
in the school system, DR. Laws
has come in running and thank
you, if you would like to a few
words?
>> I want to thank the board of
commissioners and you, MR.
CHAIRMAN, for inviting me
tonight and to all of you
citizens, we are excited about
the school year, it starts next
wednesday, coming in a hurry, we
think we're ready and you're
right, we have two primary
responsibilities to keep our
students safe, and our employees
safe, and the other is to do
what we say we will do.
And we're going to have a great
school year.
And I am an interim.
And the board is progressing on
finding our new permanent
superintendent and that should
be going forward in the next
couple of weeks, they'll get the
results of the applicants and
that's exciting for all of us,
so I'm a gaston county native.
I love gaston county.
And we live here, and we're
going to live here the rest of
our lives so it's a great place
to be.
Thank you for having me.
>>chair: thank you, sir.
[Applause]
I got a call, starting saying
the reminder from the school,
so.
Thank you, again, and thank you
for coming.
The next -- I would like to
introduce someone, he not here,
but met a gentleman this
morning, his name was mark hall
and he was a at the dentist this
morning and worried and you can
see and so I told him I would
shout him out on tv tonight if
he would not be scared to go
back and see the dentist, there
it is, mark hall from gastonia.
First item on the agenda is
proclamations, commendations and
awards and certificates.
And I would like to read a
little somebody, before I do, --
--
tom would like to play a little
music for you.
>> I don't know how that
happened.
>>chair: this is to commend
gems rsh -- richard back there?
Just give him -- I'll get --
>> I'm just clicking on this
work session.
>>chair: but one of the things
that we like to do here is have
a -- we like to commend people
for their work and the paramedic
paramedics captain, leannda
lowrance, christina cruse and
andrew adams for their heroic
actions on MAY 23rd, 2023, rend
erd in the line of duty, which
saved aid court service employee
at the gastonia county
courthouse, darlene lowrance.
I'll read this, vincent, come up
there a little closer, vincent.
There you go.
The gaston county board of
commissioners hereby presents a
certificate of commendation on
this day, AUGUST 8th, 2023, to
captain leannda lowrance,
paramedic, christina cruse,
paramedic, and andrew adams,
paramedic, and the gaston county
emergency medical services,
gems, for your heroic actions on
MAY 23rd, 2023, rendering in the
line of duty, which saved the
life of MS. Darlene lowrance, a
court service employee in the
gaston county who suffered a
near fatal heart attack at work.
The board further recognizes for
your ready sxns commitment to
serve on the frontline of
healthcare emergencies, your
service and dedication proudly
reflects the highest ideals of
the members of your team, and
gaston county.
And the paramedic os tv -- of
the united states, the -- I've
asked mark and his staff to come
up and also I think corporal
lowrance is going to come up and
speak a little bit as well.
On that.
So cliff, if you want to come up
and speak?
Mark, if you have and jamie and
the kids will come a little bit
closer, that way everybody can
see you guys and he has a
special presentation for you.
>> first, I want to give GOD all
of the honor and glory for
allowing us to be here tonight
and do this.
I want to start by thanking the
county commissioner, chairman
brown and DR. Eagle to honor
these paramedics tonight, a
special thanks to donna buff for
putting this on tonight's
agenda, I appreciate it from my
heart.
I would like to thank chief --
for their outstanding efforts in
saving lives, on MAY 23rd, 2023,
while working in her office here
in the courthouse, my wife went
into cardiac arrest, due to the
heroic efforts from everyone
involved, my wife has a second
chance at life.
The three paramedics that were
instrumental in saving her life,
christina cruse, abdrew adams
and captain leannda lowrance,
who happens to be my
sister-in-law.
If I could, real brief, before
we present the awards, there's a
couple of things on my heart
that stood out on this day that
I would like to share.
On MAY 23rd, when this occurred,
gems was on the scene just in a
matter of minutes.
It was just GOD aligned so many
things up that day, just
unbelievable.
And when I say they arrived, it
was cruse and adams on scene
first, to my recollection, they
knew exactly what to do and they
went to work doing it.
Shortly after leannda came in,
and she looked at me and saw me,
and she went immediately to
doing what she knows to do.
Save lives.
And after a couple of minutes
in, she looked at me, and she
stopped and she just stopped for
a second and she said, oh, my
GOD, I just realized who this
is.
And with tears running down her
face, she continued to work.
to save her life.
Once she was able to be
transported, in the ambulance, I
rode up front with jamie
mcconnell, who was so gracious
and continued to say all the
way, we're going to take care of
her, she's going to be fine.
Once we arrived in the er, all
of the staff, gems staff
continued to stay in the er and
help and assist and make sure
that I was taken care of.
My son was there.
To make sure he was taken care
of.
Moving forward, my wife was in a
medically induced coma for five
days.
On the sixth day, she came out.
They took her off the ventilator
and she was getting stronger,
the night she came out, the next
day, we got a call in the room
and cruse and adams were
downstairs and asked could they
come up and see her.
And I said, by all means, they
came up.
And so they all greeted each
other, and we stood around her
bed, my son was present, and
when they got ready to leave,
adams said, do you mind if we
pray?
And I said absolutely.
So we all held hands around her
bed and he led us in one of the
most beautiful prayers I've ever
heard.
To me, those things I mentioned
are going above and beyond of
just the regular call of duty.
It touched me and my time while
I was in the hospital I just
said I had to do more than just
say thank you.
How do you say thank you to
these folks?
That saved her life?
who gave us this opportunity to
be here tonight?
Just a few weeks ago, we
celebrated our 28th wedding
anniversary.
And we wouldn't have celebrated
it if it weren't for these three
folks.
I just want to present them
award tonight, just to let them
know from the bottom of both of
our hearts what they mean to us.
I'll read one of the plaques.
And I'll let my wife present
them.
It says life saving award
presented to paramedic christina
cruse, in recognition of your
courageous and life saving a in
a medical emergency, on MAY
23rd, 2023, your outstanding
efforts gave someone another
chance at life.
Gaston county ems MAY 23rd,
2023.
[Applause]
Thank you, again for allowing us
to be here.
>>chair: cliff, I wanted to say
something that you said, not
just your family, we're all
family.
You guys go above and beyond
every day.
We're especially grateful for
that day, but we're also
especially grateful for what you
do for our community and what
you do for our county, mark, you
guys have put together one of
the best programs around.
And this is an example we get to
see it on live tv today, but one
thing it is, is this love for
what you do, that we're very
appreciative of what you do, and
cliff, appreciate what you do
and your wife as well for --
that's a service, giving family
and we're very proud of you
guys, so thank you again.
>> my pleasure.
Thank you.
[Applause]
>>chair: the next recognition
is for MR. Donny hicks, economic
development director.
Upon his receiving of the north
carolina economic development
association award.
I'll let MR. Bob hovis,
vice-chair present MR. Hicks.
>> it's a distinct honor for me
to recognize another of our
exemplary gaston county staff.
Donny hicks finished college in
1983.
Immediately upon graduation, he
came to work for gaston county.
Within a year, he was named
director for the economic
development commission.
And I can't sit here and begin
to tell you the accomplishments,
the impact, the positive
entities that he has brought to
gaston county because we can't
stay here all night.
And I would only begin to start
by midnight.
We have been the beneficiary of
a very dedicated employee who
has worked tirelessly in strange
circumstances from time to time,
because when you get these
multinational -- multicultural
businesses who are looking to
relocate into the united states,
let alone in the north carolina,
it offers unique opportunities.
And I think that is an
understatement at best.
But donny has navigated those
waters, like he's sailed this
ship 1,000 times.
And I happen to be present at
the north carolina association
of the economic developers, the
group that does that statewide,
they had an annual meeting and i
had happened to be in wilmington
when he was presented the
PRESIDENT's award.
He's twice won the developer of
the year award.
For the state.
But this year, he was the
PRESIDENT's award recipient.
With that, that is a recognition
of his peers, others that do the
same thing across the state,
that donny does, people that
donny does battle with, from
time to time, and I use that
word battle in parentheses,
because I don't think there's
any bloodshed, although, some
would probably like to shed
donny's blood, because he's beat
them out on so many different
things.
But this man is so incredibly
humble, I was glad when I found
out about it, actually the night
before, I made the decision that
I was -- somebody from our staff
and our board was going to be
present with MR. Hicks when he
received this very pristine yous
award, so I told my wife, dear,
I can't wash dishes tomorrow,
I've got to go to wilmington and
she looked at me with this
puzzled face and said, okay,
because she knew it was
something.
And never looked back, but I was
very honored to be there and be
a part of that.
But I wanted gaston county to
know and the rest of this board
to express their appreciation
for all of the hard work that
donny hicks has done, all of the
things that he's brought to us
to diversify our tax base, and
put us back to where in the last
two years, we're just about
where we were before the textile
recession, and all of the text
tile business left gaston
county, the big sucking sound
that ross pe ro used to talk
about it.
We took it on the chin and had
it on the chin, and we've
recovered and we're doing so
much better, but this man right
here as created 90% of that, we
have given a little money and
incentives along with the state
to help some of this happen but
most of it has been on his
shoulders and his staff's
shoulders and we appreciate all
that he's done and I wanted to
recognize him before the
television awed you knows
-- audience and
you're welcome to toot your hon,
you won't, but you're welcome
to.
>> 930 members and they gave it
to me, that's a pretty sad
statement in a way.
But what commissioner hovis
didn't tell you was the people
that got different awards before
me made some very pointed and
negative comments about county
commissioners, which I didn't
partake in.
But it really showed me how
lucky I was to walk into a
system like we have here, we're
very well supported.
Supported financially, and we
have had a major hill to climb
to get where we're at today and
especially I think that's
recognized in the aaa bond
rating, we've done things
differently, there's a lot that
-- I got the award for an
individual but the collection of
work and the body of work that
the county has done for a long
time.
And if you go back and look at
where we started, when I came
here, there was no zone, we had
relatively limited water and
sewer capacity, almost no
extensions.
And we have done a lot of work.
And I think that's reflected in
that award, but it's also a
reflection of the consistency in
our approach that we've had.
Consistent investment in it.
Having good county commissioners
that believed in what we're
going to do.
And thought that we could make
this comeback and get to where
we wanted to be.
And that's a great gift to me
and to everyone in this county.
A lot of communities have fits
and starts, and they take
directions and they lose
momentum, we've never lost that
momentum, we've had it
consistently t commissioners
have given us a lot of support.
Four county managers have given
us a lot of support and
authority, and autonomy to do
what we needed to do.
I've had the luxury of waking up
every morning for 39 years and
not ever really wanting to be
anywhere else but here, and
that's a true gift, so thank
you.
[Applause]
>>chair: donny?
Donny?
You can take your recognition.
>> and I will add one note, MR.
CHAIRMAN, if I can.
Gaston county was the only
county represented at this
auspicious occasion by a county
commissioner.
That tells you something.
And that's -- we're here to
support you donny, and we mean
that.
thank you.
>>chair: donny, I wanted to say
something before it got too
mushy for you, don't think this
is easy for you.
For the people who don't know
what donny does, he goes out
with companies, they're wanting
to come and expand their
companies, overseas or inside of
the inside the united states
domestically to come into gaston
county, donny oversees that to
have the I's dotted and the t's
crossed, these are given by code
names so the governor can have
the splash of saying what the
company is.
And I think that's wrong.
I think that donny should be
able to say those things because
I'm going the tell a story on
donny, last year, a couple of
year as ago, you guys ride down
dallas cherryville highway,
you'll see a company called gnt.
Gnt was met with some issues
here, not by us, by the state.
And we had to do a about face
right there that night, we
changed out by next morning, we
had them over there, they're in
gaston county, had their
headquarters here.
And they're expanding.
And that's because of donny and
his team.
And when I mean they're making
an about face, you change asking
and going to work as a police
officer and the milkman
tomorrow.
A total change.
That's the examples that we see.
If you think about
infrastructure, you think about
all of the things that go
alongwater, sewer and land and
find large parcels.
Donny, you're well deserved of
that award and I'm just very
thankful that you work for us.
But you're not done.
So I expect something in two
weeks, you get --
[Laughter]
I'm going to -- .
>> more time than I need.
[Laughter]
>>chair: I like it.
Thank you, donny.
>> thank you.
[Applause]
>>chair: and I guarantee, we
will have an award -- something
come out in the next two week,
y'all listen up.
Certificate of appreciation is a
great pleasure for the gaston
county commissioners to honor
citizens who have given of their
time, talent and skills and
energy and service to an a point
tee of one of the many boards
and commissions, this type of
service is the foundation of
citizen involvement in our
county government and helping
shape the future of gaston
county's community.
We gratefully acknowledge the
work of the following
individuals and certificates of
appreciation have been garded on
to them.
DR. Edward smith, adult care
community advisory committee.
Vincent ginski, gary washington,
JR., and transportation advisory
board.
This will be a quick little
update for everybody, anybody
who is not speaking on anything
to do with the piedmont lithium
issue tonight, you will have the
opportunity now, is there
anybody on that list?
Okay.
So we'll go ahead and skip that
portion for citizens comments on
anything other than that.
Moving on to the presentation.
You will have a chance to speak,
just that was on totally
something different, we're going
to have that.
Also, I want to make sure that
we are the quorum tonight, mrez
do not clap, do not gesture, do
not do anything, let each side
or whoever wants to speak, let
them have their turn, so
everybody can hear.
There's going to be a lot of
questions tonight, especially
from our board.
And so I ask you to please bear
with me, and the people up here,
so we can hear tonight and that
way we can get all of this
together.
But I will now go to the next
agenda item, piedmont lithium
presentation, MS. Erin sanders,
senior vice PRESIDENT, corporate
communications and investor
relations along with malissa
gordon, vice PRESIDENT Of
government affairs.
Ladies?
>> thank you.
Good evening, CHAIRMAN Brown,
fellow commissioners, county
manager, DR. Eagle, county
attorney MR. Stetzer and other
staff members.
I'm erin sanders, CHAIRMAN Brown
just mentioned but I will make a
correction, monique parker will
be presenting with me and she'll
introduce herself shortly.
We appreciate the opportunity to
speak with you tonight.
It's been almost two years since
we've had the chance to appear
before you.
But a lot has happeneded in two
years.
I think for all of us.
I believe that piedmont lithium
is a different company than the
one that appeared before you in
2021.
And a different company than
maybe many of you have met in
the years prior.
Today, piedmont lithium is a $1
billion market cap company,
publicly traded on nasdaq with
projects in canada, ghana,
tennessee, and here in north
carolina.
And we are proud to be
headquartered here in gaston
county.
We celebrated a significant
milestone last week.
As our joint venture in quebec
made its first shipment of
lithium product marking our
shift from lithium developer to
a lithium producer and a revenue
generating company.
Piedmont now has a leadership
team that together has extensive
experience in the mining
industry, the lithium industry,
and in manufacturing the
environment, and community
engagement on projects such as
these.
But perhaps most importantly, we
have done extensive work since
2021.
To further develop and refine
our project plans for our
proposed carolina lithium
project.
Including a significant testing
and studies and meetings with
the county staff, about
utilities and how we plan to
mitigate the impact on neighbors
and the environment.
We've also met with countless
neighbors.
Whether over their kitchen
tables.
In our cherryville office.
Or out in the community.
talking about concerns and
answering their questions.
We recognize that there were a
lot of questions that we
couldn't answer in 2021.
And perhaps that we didn't
communicate properly.
Prior to that.
We've been working hard to
correct those errors.
And to help prove it, we will be
a good steward and a responsible
steward of this project and
within this community.
We hope to answer as many
questions as possible tonight.
To mitigate your concerns, and
potentially hopefully to open
the door to more dialogue.
That's our goal tonight.
And we appreciate the
opportunity.
So let me begin with our
proposed project.
Carolina lithium is what we call
it.
It's designed to create nearly
double the current U.S.
Production of battery grade
lithium, all coming from just
down the road right now, in
bessemer city and kings
mountain. But it is desperately
needed by the U.S. Electric
vehicle supply chain.
Combined with our tennessee
project, which is now permitted,
this would make piedmont lithium
one of the key producers of
american-made battery grade
lithium.
We are designing the project on
1548 acres.
To be one of the world's most
sustainable lithium hydroxide
operations.
Using modern technology,
practices and systems.
And we only contract another
2000 acres will help to provide
buffer around the project site.
We are targeting construction
for 2025 and first production in
27, of course, subject to
permitting approvals and
financing.
And as we are currently two
years away from potential
construction, we are still
developing and refining our
plan.
So we MAY need to update and
develop further specifics over
the next two years.
But we want to answer as many
questions as possible with the
information that we have today.
I think it's helpful to talk
about quickly the three primary
parts of the operation.
As we see on the right hand
corner of this map, the first
thing we do, it will do is
excavate the ore, that's the
rock containing the lithium,
call ed
called hodge mean and move it
and an enclosed conveyor some
where the rock is crushed and
the by-products of quarts, and
mikeca are separated out.
And then that crushed
concentrate will be conveyed to
a conversion facility that's
number 3 on the map to be
processed into lithium
hydroxide.
Or lithium salt, the battery
grade lithium that will sell to
auto makers or battery
manufacturers.
Now, people ask us fairly often,
why here?
Is this an important resource?
It absolutely is.
The belt is a geological wonder,
there is nothing like this known
currently in the U.S.
It is the most resource in the
U.S. In terms of rise -- size
and infrastructure, it runs from
virginia to south carolina but
its wider portions is linking
gaston county and cleveland
county.
Many of you know the history of
the belt.
That it once provided nearly all
of the world's lithium supply.
But then the U.S. Sent business
overseas.
To other countries.
And that is why today, china
produces 80% of the battery
grade lithium in the world.
But as we look to bring these
resources and jobs back to the
U.S., these resources in the
belt are extremely important.
This belt is believed to
potentially contain more than
three times the current known
resources in the united states.
And our geologists believe it's
only been 20% commercially
explored.
So that's why it's important to
us and to the U.S. Supply chain.
But we also believe that this
project could be an important
contributor to the economic
health and the prosperity to
gaston county.
We're planning to invest more
than $1.2 billion into building
the project.
And the construction will create
200 new jobs.
We will utilize a host of
vendors and suppliers as many
local as possible.
And we know that in addition to
those suppliers and vendor,
potentially customers, that
there will be a need for hotels,
restaurants, commercial space,
retail shops, on and on.
And once we're up and running,
we expect to employ 428
employees directly.
at a compensation that averages
$82,000.
And we're aiming to hire as many
local community members as
possible.
And that is why we will partner
with gaston college and the
school system to set up training
programs.
Beyond the 428 direct jobs, we
believe we'll create 1,000 jobs
in this community related to the
ripple effect of the project.
And according to our fiscal
impact study, $45 million in
fiscal revenue to gaston county
in the first five years.
And a total impact of nearly $4
billion in the first five years.
Now, I think the important thing
today, we're going to answer a
lot of questions and monique
will talk about the details of
water, and air and traffic, and
all of those things.
But I think what's important
right now is that over the past
two years, of working with the
staff, we're determined to make
four key commitments.
Commitments to neighbor
assurances, water line
extension, reclamation and
community funding.
So neighbor assurances.
We plan to put a financial
instrument in place that will
allow a property owner, if
they're unable to sell their
home or property, because of the
project, and a reasonable amount
of time, fair market value.
We will assist financially.
And that's a commitment we're
willing to make.
We also know there's concerns
about wells.
And monique will talk about that
more specifically, but if a well
runs dry on one of our
neighbor's properties,
properties, due to the project,
we will either drill a new well,
drill a deeper well, connect the
home to municipal water, and in
the meantime, we'll supply
water.
But we will also make a payment
to that homeowner.
That can help pay for water
bills and for their
inconvenience.
The water line extension.
We need municipal water for our
project.
So we have already agreed to
fund the engineering study.
We will also fund the
construction of the water lines.
And that extension will not only
help our project but it will be
available to neighbors and to
businesses.
And including those in the
future.
And we would like to help
establish a program that would
allow the neighbors to opt in if
they would prefer to connect to
municipal water and those
details will all be determined
in the community development
agreement.
As far as reclamation, we've had
a lot of questions about how
we're going to reclaim the land
that we work on.
We know that the state has $1
million maximum surety bond,
we're willing to put out a much
larger surety bond.
To help make sure that that the
long-term reclamation takes
place, both for the mining pits
and for the conversion facility.
And last but not least, our
community shared-value
commitment.
Piedmont lithium is committed to
sharing value with communities
that we work in.
So we will be putting together a
commitment that will be an
annual payment to gaston county
to help fund and support
well-being in this community.
All of the details of these
commitments will be determined
as we move forward with the
community's development
agreement.
Okay.
>> so I would like to go into
some of the stuff that we've
done from the environmental --
yes, sir.
My name is monique parker, I'm
senior vice PRESIDENT Of safety
environmental and health for
piedmont lithium.
One of the things that I wanted
to start with is, you know, when
I first came out of college, I
moved to gaston county.
My son was born in gaston
county.
So coming back to be able to
support this project is
extremely important to me.
I've done safety environmental
and health for the last 20
years, and I've done things
globally for the last 15.
And then the last almost 10
years worked in the lithium
market.
So again, when I joined, this
was near and dear to my heart to
one to come back to where I
started my career and also, to
be able to help build a project
that's going to be sustainable
for the economy and globally for
the world.
One of the things that I feel is
important and we want to share
tonight is all of the work that
we've done as erin mentioned
over the last two years to help
us understand better the
environmental impact and studies
and other things, so this is a
very extensive list of studies
that we've completed, since
2019.
And numerous tests on our
products on our impact, having
agency communications and
providing that information
publicly.
We have a ton of binders over
here about five thick binders
with all of these studies and
we'll also make these same
available at the cherryville
office, on main street, at the
gastonia public library and
also, we'll have a version
online so that everyone can see
any and any study that we've
completed and the details of
those studies.
Now, we've been provided with
question that we know have come
from various locations and so
I'm going to go through and try
to answer each one of those
questions and obviously, if
there are more that come, we're
happy to answer those following.
The first question we have is,
how will piedmont use municipal
water at carolina lithium?
As erin mentioned, we have to
have water, we have to have
municipal water for the lithium
hydroxide conversion plant,
because of the purity of the
water is extremely important.
So this picture here, the
circular process to show how
that water will be integrated
into our site, and how we will
discharge that water.
And as you can see, at the
beginning on the left-hand side,
this water will be supplied from
cherryville with a backup from
two rivers intooshgs, into a
circular process, a people and
process and fire prospective.
Fire, short and sweet to the
point, we bring that water in
and we fill our fire tank, that
will be there for emergency
response and other activities
that I'll go into later.
When we look at people,
obviously, we have to have
restroom, showers, drinking
water t list goes on in regards
to municipal water and then our
manufacturing process.
As I noted our lithium hydroxide
conversion plant needs water,
once we use the water in that
process, we will have an on site
waste water treatment facility
that will treat that water, and
then, we will send it to a waste
water pump station will it be
combined with the sewer water,
that will then be discharged
back to two rivers.
So one of the key points is, any
processed water from this
process, will go back into a
waste water treatment system
through our sewer lines.
I want to make a point there,
there's no discharge to streams,
and water ways, from our
processed water, I think that's
a very important part to make.
And one of the reasons why we
want to invest in including
water and sewer lines to our
property to support this effort.
The next question is.
How will the project impact the
water quality in wells,
groundwater and rivers and
streams?
So we've done extensive tests
that we've already showed and
talked about a little bit.
But one of things that we have
learnd is we will not materially
change the composition of the
groundwater.
So what does that really mean
and how do we say that?
One of the things I want to make
sure when I say we won't
materially change it, that means
we're not going to contaminate
wells.
I know that that's been, you
know, a question or a thought
that we continually get, how are
we going to impact the wells?
But based on the studies, we
should not have any
contamination to the wells.
And I mean, I think everyone
knows.
There's stringent regulations
that we have to meet in order to
even have our process and our
operations, we're going to do
extebsive monitoring and testing
throughout the operations of our
plant.
I'll show in a little bit of a
different pictorial that shows
how we're using the groundwater
and we're going to recycle that,
because when we open up the
mine, groundwater will come into
the pits and there's a recycled
process that we'll use.
We also have the two rivers that
I mentioned that all of our
process will go to.
And then one thing that I want
to make sure that we fine, a lot
of the mining operations have
ponds, the waste water that gets
stored in a pond and there's
failures associated with that.
Our project has no pond.
So that is something that we
will not have, and we'll talk
about how we'll do reclamation
and how -- where our waste will
go and how we will treat it.
The next question.
How will the project impact
local wells and water
availability for residents and
local businesses?
As I mentioned, studies indicate
there will be no widespread
drying up of wells.
I say we wouldn't contaminate
the wells but this is talking
about how are we going to impact
them from the quantity of water
that they're going to get?
We've done these studies and one
of the analogy
ies I want to give
is some people think that the
water table is like a bath
bathtub.
So you have this water table
sitting there and just waiting
for wells to come and pump out
of it.
But the reality of it is, you
know, when you have a bathtub
and you open up the drains and
all of that water flows out.
That's not what the water table
really is.
The water table sits in a layer
above hard rock and even the
material that we're going to
mine.
And therefore, that's how it
works.
And I'm going to show a
pictorial that gets into a
little bit more detail to be
able to see that pick toirly.
But I'll get back to the wells
and water availability.
Through the studies, there's
maybe ten parcels that are
nonpiedmont owned that could be
impacted by draw down of our
mining operation.
And so, with that, we've already
had the well mitigation plan,
which erin went into details of
how we will mitigate any wells
that are impacted but we also
have one of the solutions, which
is the extension of the water
and sewer lines to come to that
area.
So when we talk about wells
being impacted, and groundwater,
we feel we've put a good plan in
place to be able to understand
and support what that looks like
and ready to immediately
respond.
So fresh water, I mentioned,
what are we doing with
groundwater?
And I talked about the bathtub
analogy, with where the
groundwater is.
We open a mine.
That water is going to flow into
our pit.
Once it comes into our pits, we
will pump that water out, and it
will go into what we call
sedimentation pond.
Those sedimentation ponds are
there to rest, and allow us to
treat, and if we need to, we
will also -- ills I'm sorry,
rest, test and treat if we have
to.
Once it's in those ponds, we
plan to reuse that water.
So we're going to have a need
for water for dust suppression
and for our chemical and for our
concentrator plant, that's the
number two that we showed in the
pictorial of mining concentrate
tor.
We don't need the same quality
of water for the concentrator
prathss so that groundwater will
be able to source the water
that's necessary for that
process.
And any residual water that's
left in those sedimentation
ponds would then be discharged
to the streams and water ways
nearby.
But again, remember, we're going
to be testing and we will treat
if necessary, prior to those
discharges.
Now, once the water leaves our
concentrator plant, similar to
our chemical plant, we are also
going to pretreat on site any
processed water that comes from
that concentrator plant.
That processed water will then
be pumped to two rivers to the
waste water treatment system.
So that circular process starts
with groundwater, but ends from
a processing perspective, at the
two rivers for waste water
treatment.
On top of our pretreatment that
we're going to do on site.
So I mentioned sedimentation
ponds in the previous slide.
We have what we call
sedimentation basins and
sedimentation ponds.
And sometimes those can be used
interchangeablely, but they're
actually very different.
Our sedimentation basins are
what we use for basically
stormwater.
Our erosion and sedimentation
control.
So the stormwater actually goes
into those basin, we will then
test, as that water is going in
and before it goes out to
understand and treat, if
necessary, before release, and
that's the water, again, solely
stormwater from the site.
Now, our sedimentation pond,
that's the ponds that we use for
groundwater and stormwater.
From a combination of
understanding what that looks
like.
That's the same water that we'll
reuse at our concentrator plant
and the dust suppression and
then any water that's left would
be discharged into streams.
both of these discharges are
going to be covered under a
permit through the mpds system
with the state of north
carolina.
So we will have good
understanding of what's going
into these areas, and what's
going out of and make sure we
have stringent requirements
around them.
Arsenic, I know we've heard
many, many times about arsenic
and so the question is, well
will carolina lithium create or
release arsenic into the local
groundwater?
I think that there's a
misconception that arsenic is
used in lithium mines that, is
not true, we do not create,
release or use arsenic from our
operation.
When I talk about that,
obviously, I think many people
are very aware there's naturally
occurring arsenic in the
groundwater around us in gaston
county and other neighboring
counties.
That naturely occurring arsenic
comes from the rock, the soil,
and the groundwater due to
volcanic rock activity in that
region.
So it's not there because we're
mining it, because obviously we
haven't mined yet, but it is
there just naturely due to the
-- anomaly of the geology that's
there.
This helps me explain the thing
I was talking about earlier.
As you can see here we have the
water tables, the blue line that
is there, and below is the
volcanic rock and hosts the
spodumene ore.
It is below the water table.
We're going to be removing that
material and then pump or
dewater al of that water from
the mine or the pit area into
the sedimentation ponds that I
discussed.
So therefore, water can't drain
back into the water table.
Once it comets out, it's not
going to go back in, one of the
analogies that was given to me
is, you know, water likes the
path of least resistance, so
when it comes out, it's not
going to go into those tiny kref
sass that it came from, it's
going to go to where the large
spaces are.
And the that's why it comes into
the pit.
How will waste be disposed and
will it be hazardous?
I'm going to go through the
various waste, the first is like
any other plant, just normal
dumpster waste from our offices
and other areas.
Those things will go to a land
fill and be disposed of
properly, we will have a lab on
site.
That lab will have chemicals
that would be deemed hazardous
once we dispose of them.
There will be small amounts of
hazardous waste that come from
the site, primarily from the lab
operations.
Our conversion tailings.
So again, our conversion is that
lithium hydroxide plant, there
are waste and we call them
tailings that come from that
operation.
And those tellings MAY have some
beneficial reuse that we're
currently exploring and looking
for aggregate recycled.
But in the interim, they will be
disposed of off site, at a
properly permitted disposal
location.
And the last two pieces of waste
we have are what we call waste
rock.
Which is the rock that doesn't
have lithium or any of our
by-product materials in them.
That rock will going into the
comingling process to go back
into the pit, when I talked
about reclamation and erin was
mentioned the reclamation pond.
We will refill that pit with our
waste rock and our concentrator
tailings that is a very fine
sapped that comes from that --
sand that comes from that
operation.
Neither one of these are
hazardous, that material will go
back.
And again, I think it's poshlt,
you know, I talked about a
tailings pond earlier.
We won't have those tailings
ponds on our properties to host
this material.
It one is not hazardous, and
two, we have for reuse from a
reclamation perspective.
How will the project impact the
air quality in the area?
One of the things that's most
important to understand is there
will be no change to the air
quality that currently exists
differently from our property
boundaries today.
So the air that people are
breathing in that area is the
same air they're going to
breathe once to operations are
there.
We've done testing and modeling
to understand what is going to
come from our operations, and
looking at the controls we're
going to have in place, and
looking at our permit boundaries
to understand the extent of
that.
We have a lot of emission and
control equipment, we do
monitoring and testing, and
right now, we're in the process
of working with department of
air quality daq to obtain our
air permit to be able to run our
operations.
Will piedmont leave behind large
open pits?
The quick answer to that is no,
there will be one pit that will
remain open that we'll fill with
water, but again, as I've
mentioned previously, we're
going to be doing progressive
reclamation and back fill, we
will have one pit open at a
time, as I mentioned and then
the north pit, which you'll see
in this picture, noted 4 for
those that can see, will remain
open.
And we plan to own that area in
perpetuity, so we will always
understand what's there, what's
the quantity and quality there
and how we will control it.
One of the things that I think
is important is that from a
reclamation perspective, we want
to be able to free use this land
once it's done.
How loud and how long will each
blast be?
Modern blasts last seconds.
So I know in the past, there's a
lot of history of mining in this
area.
And there's stories we've heard
of when the blasts go off,
people having to go under deck
and those types of things,
today's modern technology does
that give that same result so
they last seconds. There's a
lot of federal regulatory
standards set in place and based
on studies over 40 years,
there's proof to show that if
blasting is done within these
federal regulatory standards,
there's no structural damage.
Obviously, you know, those
studies not done by us, because
we haven't been around for 40
years are evidence of what can
happen as long as you're
following in the guidelines.
When we talk about blasts
there's two things that we
normally hear, or get asked
about, structure and nuisance.
So I've mentioned structure.
And how that 40 year study and
we're going to less than 50%
below those federal standards.
But then there's nuisance, what
happens around the nuisance with
blasts?
There's a lot of factors in what
people are going to feel.
The factors come from the
direction that the blast is
coming.
What's the weather conditions
for that day?
How far are they from the
blasting?
Where are they located, indoors
or outdoors?
What we know based on studies is
those 2,000 feet from the blast
MAY have a wind or vibration
that they feel.
And the farther away you get
from that, the quickly it
rapidly diminishes that impact.
So I think that's important and
we have again many studies in
our book to show what that looks
like.
We're often asked how often and
will blasting occur?
Initially, we plan to start
blasting once a day, no more
than twice a day.
But there are also some
scheduling requirements that
will determine what that looks
like.
Due to the ordinance that was
put in place in 2021, we know we
can't blast one hour after --
until one hour after sunrise.
And we must stop one hour before
sunset, so that's a very short
window, depending on the season.
Of when blasting can occur into
that time frame.
And you'll note, no sundays and
certain holidays that have
already been defined, we will
follow those rules stringently.
If lithium high -- is lithium
hydroxide flammable?
I can say from a standpoint of
the chemistry of it, the answer
is no.
Lithium the high docks --
hydroxide is not flammable.
There's understanding, recently
lithium fires in the area, those
are were lithium metals, we will
not have them on the site, we
will not produce, manufacture
anything to do with lithium met
cals so we don't have that same
flamability profile.
It doesn't occur naturally in
nature.
So it's not like when you mine
it, you unsource lithium metal,
we unsource spodumene that host
lithium, that same risk isn't
there.
And as I mentioned and as erin
said earlier, lithium hydroxide
is a salt so the flamability
factors and the chemistry of it
don't allow it to do that.
The product that we produce will
go into batteries, we do not
produce batteries.
We produce the salt.
And then we sell it to battery
manufacturers or car
manufacturers that then put it
into batteries.
so there will be no batteries on
our property.
What is piedmont emergency
response plan?
As I mentioned earlier, we'll
have a fire tank.
We are a company that is
currently working on developing
our process, developing what our
site looks like.
So we are also developing that
emergency response plan.
What are we going to do?
How are we going to do it?
We're going to be like any other
manufacturing plant and have
that plan in place, we're going
to work with the local fire
departments and work with the
local emergency planning
commission, and so we can make
sure that we're meeting
everybody's needs and we have
the right procedures in place
and we can support each other.
From a volunteer perspective in
many cases or from an on site
perspective.
The protections we do have in
place as I mentioned is the fire
water tank, will be fully
sprinklered and fire hydrants
and visual and audible alarms to
make sure everyone knows what is
going on within the property.
What is the expected life span
of the carolina lithium project?
So I'm going to talk about the
mine and the lithium hydroxide
facility.
The lithium hydroxide facility
has a 30-year life, typical
manufacturing facilities put a
30 year life from a financial
perspective on their
manufacturing sites, we're no
different.
Now, the mine right now has an
11.5 year life span.
One of the reasons that that is,
is in order to define a mine,
you have to have what's called
technically available or
reserved -- ore reserves.
Base on what we know, it's 11
pat 5 years but as erin
mentioned, we know there's
double that amount of ore in the
ground versus what we have been
able to allocate for this 11.5
years, and because of that,
there is a potential that this
life span would extend.
But again, from a technical
legal perspective, ore reserves
have a very special definition,
which is why we had to give it
an 11.5 year life.
How will the facilities be
decommissioned at the end of
their useful life?
One of the things that I think
is important, we talked about
economic impact.
Once, you know, when and if this
plan is ready to be decommission
td, we will have a very skilled
workforce that will be able to
continue working in other
industries in the area, or go
other places.
Hopefully stay here because
obviously once you come to
gaston county, you never want to
leave.
But from a concentrator
perspective, we alled anticipate
removing that where the
concentrator plant is.
For the lithium hydroxide, that
could be repurposed if it cannot
be converted or repurposed, we
will have that surety bond in
place that, will ensure we have
the necessary funding to remove
and reclaim that land as
appropriate.
Property values.
What kind of impact does
piedmont expect to have on
nearby property values?
Research shows that properties
will not decrease but likely
increase.
So there's a phoenix center
study that underlines this point
--
>> one second.
We have already talked about
this.
Asked.
This is why.
I'm not going to allow it to
happen again.
I don't have -- you'll get your
time and we'll keep moving
forward.
[Inaudible].
>> I'm leaving.
>> bye.
>> make sure he's not coming
back in.
Go ahead, ma'am.
>> research by the phoenix
center under lies the point that
I just defined.
Results of higher economic use
of land is also seen when it
comes from the studies that have
been done.
As we talked about before, there
will be a fund available for
those that MAY be negatively
impacted that MAY not be able to
sell their homes or get a lower
property value, we're trying to
do everything possible to
support what we're stating in
that area.
I want to thank you all for your
time and attention, we
appreciate the opportunity to be
able to answer as many questions
that we were provided, we are
open and ready to take more, we
thank you for your time.
>>chair: thank you, ma'am.
[Applause]
>>chair: are there any
questions from the board of
commissioners on this matter?
Commissioner fraley?
>> I'll start with a couple, MR.
CHAIRMAN.
And MAY want to come back after
we move through the board here,
but.
I was a little shocked to see
11.5 years, I heard it was going
to be 11-25, that's more
concerning that it's only going
to be 11iers to disrupt all of
these people and their homes and
property and their water over
11-year project, but anyway.
Most of my questions tonight are
surrounding the water issue,
some of them you've covered.
Some of them you haven't.
But from the water collected
from the mine.
Exactly where does it go?
How is it treated?
And how is it discharged into
the streams and the water ways?
>> so as I mentioned before, the
water that's coming from the
mines, the bottom picture on
this screen, the sedimentation
pond, any water that goes into
the mine pit area will then be
pumped into the sedimentation
pont pond.
That water will be there, sit,
there, rest, test and treat.
We will treat it, but it will
also then be reused in our
chemical -- in our concentrator
plant for dust suppression.
Prior to any releasing of that
water to any water way, it will
go through that testing, and
then we have certain restriction
-- stringent requirements we
have to meet from a permitting
perspective before we can
release it.
>> what is it treated with?
>> it depends on what is in the
water.
obviously, you know, with this
being pry
imary
ily groundwater, we
anticipate there being arsenic
in the water, once we get it and
test it f the arsenic is there,
there's various methods that can
be used in order to treat it.
Sometimes it's the acid addition
in order to have a reaction and
settle out into a salt that we
will then collect and dispose.
But there are various methods
and we're exploring all of those
options.
So we can determine the best
able to respond, depending on
the concentration of the
arsenic.
>> I think it's important to
note that in those cases where
we might find elevated levels of
arsenic because it's naturally
occurring, and we rest it and
test and it treat it before
returning it, in those cases we
will be returning the water
better than when we found it,
so.
In those cases.
>> if you say so.
You talked of these discharge
ponds and sediment basins
designed for 20 five year flood
specification, isn't it likely
we will see one or more flood
events that would overwhelm your
design plan?
>> right now, as you mentioned,
designed to a 25 year flood
event, that's the requirements
and that's for the whole system.
The way ours are currently
designed, with the 25 year
event, we have the capacity for
five times the amount that's
anticipated for one of those
events.
So if we were to have extensive
flooding in the area, obviously,
there will be things that we
will be doing in order to
control and manage it.
But as a region, there will be a
lot of other opportunities that
would need to be maintaining not
only on our facility but in the
area to understand and be able
to manage that.
>> that would be a very scare
are and I concerning time if
that happened.
And, you know, governor cooper
said when you have two 500 year
floods within two years of each
other, it's pretty clear that
it's not a 500 year flood, so,
you know, there's a real
potential that we're going to
have to deal with that if this
comes and what the fallout is
going to be is very concerning.
You answered my next question.
Let's see.
What are the processes that
you're using to ensure that
suspended materials in the basin
don't escape?
>> so anything that's -- so
again, when we talk about the
rest and test, so we have to
have enough resting time for any
solids to rest out of the water
before it's discharged and so
those sedimentation basins are
designed to be able to allow
that rest period, which I
believe is three days.
Before that it can be discharged
into the water ways near them.
>> well, and, you know, some of
the words that I've heard, you
know, used that we expect, it's
our intention, we plan to, those
are -- those are worrying words
because they're not definite,
they're not giving definite
answer, we are intend to do
something and we're going to
try, we're going assist with
fund anding -- funding and
helping and we have to know
definite answers and what's
going to happen for sure, not
anticipating, because it's too
big of a deal, it's too big of a
project and it's, you know,
those things are a little
concerning, too.
But let me finish with a couple
of these other questions.
How many wells are within one
mile of the currently proposed
mine?
Do you know the answer to that.
>> I don't know the answer to
that.
But one of the reasons we don't
know the answer to that is many
wells aren't registered.
>> right.
>> so we don't know, unless we
go and knock on every neighbor's
door, that's the only way we'll
have a true accurate count of
that.
I can tell you with not right
now, but we do have the number
based on the wells that are
registered, I just don't have
that information ready available
today.
>> well, I would think over the
years that you've been working
on it, that would be a very
important thing to know, and to
be able to -- if you had to
knock on all of those neighbor's
doors and go to all of that
property, I think that should
have already been done,
personally.
>> so if I could respond to
that?
One of the things that we are
doing and one of the reasons why
we haven't connected that dot
for you yet, is because we are
doing a draw down study of that
area, working with the county
and their expert DR. Spurl,
we're looking at what impact our
mining operations will have, and
so we want -- obviously, when
you say one mile of our project,
mining only happens on a very
small portion of the overall
1500 acres.
And the so the draw down impact,
if any, will happen on that
portion of the mining
operations.
And we're working through to
validate that study so that we
can then do the door to door
knocking to understand the
long-term impact ts.
>> well, since you were not sure
of that answer, the next one I
can skip.
And you kind of went over the
possible impacts.
Discussed water lines --
discussed the water lines for
homes, what about the people
that do not want to be put on
municipal water?
You talked about digging deeper
wells, and doing that, but I
mean, I don't know that you can
out run, you know, a mine, I
mean, you just keep going deeper
and deeper and deeper, how deep
is the mine going to be and how
far can you actually go down
with new wells?
>> the water drawdown study that
monique referred to, preliminary
results show that only 10
properties will be impacted with
a draw down over 12 inches.
We don't know.
So there is not expected --
based on these tests which
DR. Sprul will comment on and
confirm, there's not expected to
be widespread drying up of these
wells, so.
>> not expected.
>> yes.
>> yeah.
>> and I'll comment, on your
question about that.
As a publicly traded company,
and my general counsel is
sitting here, we are legally
obligated to say expected to.
Should, we're not allowed to say
will.
Or has until we've done it.
So please understand that's the
language that we are required to
use as a publicly traded
company.
There's a lot of people out
there who like to see people for
saying it incorrectly.
So we would work with each of
those homeowner ifs their wells
were impacted, and we're talking
about 12 inches or more, so we
would take each of those cases
individually.
And work with them.
>> okay.
If there has to be a water line
built, how long after a well
would go dry or was contaminated
contaminated, which you said
that wouldn't happen, would a
person be able to get connected
to a water line?
>> I mean, to be able to say how
long, so right now, based on the
design of the engineering study
that's being done, we will have
a ring around our property.
And then there will be -- what
we're calling rural spurs that
come from that.
So depending on the location of
where that house is, would
really determine how long it
would take.
Once we were notified of the
issue, we would immediately
provide and make sure they have
water valuable to available to
them, so there would be no
interruption of clean water to
them x once we understand that
and understand where the closest
connection is, we will
immediately start the process.
Again, it's going be very case
by case, depending to understand
how long it will take.
Because it just depends on how
close they are to one of the
spurs that we will.
>> when you say available clean
water, taking bottled water to
their house or what are you
talking about.
>> it could be a water truck, it
could be a water tank that sit
there is, but it will be some
type of water, we're not going
to be bringing in, you know, I
don't know the right term, but
40 bottles of water to their
home, it will be a more
substantial way in order to
maintain their water.
>> you know, we had a deal with
the coal ash situation and there
were people for years that
actually had to have bottled
water taken to their house until
that was corrected.
And I don't want to see any of
our citizens put in that
position again.
How would you like to wake up
one morning and your well is dry
and you don't have any water
available to you, and at least
they were -- they had water,
they just couldn't drink it.
This case, if it's gone, it's
gone.
And if there's not water to
them, then, you know, that's
going to be a really bad
situation.
>> one thing that I would like
to note, we are going to have
monitoring wells around our
property.
so if wells are starting to lose
volume, we are going to know
before they would know, just
from a proximity to the location
of our operations.
So those wells around our
property are for monitoring
purposes to understand the depth
of the water and we will
understand the draw down before
it extends past our property.
>> you made the statement that
your process wouldn't
contaminate any wells, but let's
say 11.5 years and the project
is over with.
And water starts coming back up
into the mine or the pit or
whatever and it starts flowing
back into the rock, the water,
the, you know, the potentially,
would that not be contaminated
water at that point?
When you're long gone and
everybody has moved away but
everybody here is still dealing
with it, what's the potential of
those mines being contaminated
way down the road?
15, 20 years down the road?
>> I apologize.
So as I mentioned previously,
water goes the path of least
resistance so in the pictorial I
have or the graphic on the
screen, now, once that pit is
open and even if it starts
filling with water, if it were
to get to the water table, water
doesn't flow backwards into the
water table, because the decree
kref vas it comes from is so
small, based on what the
engineers have told me, that
deal with hydrology constantly,
not my field of study, they said
it's just not possible,
technically possible for that to
happen, to back flow in.
But what I will tell you, the
water that's in those pits, is
going to be the same groundwater
that those wells are pumping
from.
It's just going to be in one
central location, versus in that
water table that's sitting
there.
>> I know in lincoln county now,
there was an old lithium mine
there, and a lot of the
residents and citizens are
finding that the wells they're
operating now are contaminated
with high levels, unacceptable
levels of arsenic and I believe
that was in the 50s so fast
forward and that's what we're
dealing with, and we don't want
to put, you know, our children,
or grand children in that
position to be dealing with that
on this land that's been owned
by these people for some
generations.
And been paying taxes for a long
time.
And, you know, when you live in
a rural area, like we do,
that's, you know, you live there
for the reasons that you don't
want the deal with the stuff
that this mine is going bring,
it's very important that we get
all of these questions answered
and answered properly.
I'll yield for right now, MR.
CHAIRMAN.
>>chair: thank you.
Commissioner worley?
>> thank you, MR. CHAIRMAN.
You mentioned in the answers to
commissioner fraley, about 1500
acres.
The mine.
And I've had the maps.
That the primary mine is
approximately 1500 acres, but
piedmont now controls over twice
that many.
>> uh-huh.
>> about 3600 acres.
>> yes, sir.
>> and including several that
are noncontiguous tracts, is it
your intention to acquire all of
the land between the mine and
the disconnected tracts?
>> so the tracts that we own as
you mentioned that are not
connected, those were acquired
in order to do exploration
drilling, so as we mentioned
before, right now, within our
mine permit boundaries, we
understand that there's twice as
much of the spodumene that we
can call reserves, that give us
that 11.5 year life, now as we
continue mining operations and
we grow, we would like to
explore further.
Where that goes, and how that
goes, I can't speak to today
because right now we're working
on the 11.5 year mine but we
want to exend the life of our
operations, I don't know if
there's anything that you would
like to add, erin.
>> no.
>> well, that does bring me to
the next question.
That's I had.
Are you actively looking to
expand beyond this 3600 acres
that you now control?
So that's as yes, right.
>> currently, we are not doing
any exmroer ration work in --
exploration work in the area.
>> so it's not the bottom line
that you want to buy all of the
land in the ten spodumene build
that you possibly can, that's --
could you say yes or no to that.
>> not currently at this time,
we have plenty of -- as we've
said, the ore reserves that we
have defined are 11.5 years, we
believe we have twice that just
within the project boundary.
So, you know, we -- we continue
to look actually all over the
world for further spodumene
resources. Because as we
mentioned earlier, 80 percent of
the processed lithium, lithium
hydroxide is made by china,
we're looking for spodumene to
support the U.S. Supply chain.
As far as here, we're not
actively pursuing anything
further.
To my knowledge.
>> not out beyond that 11.5
years but -- you're saying the
11.5 year is sort of the ceiling
for now, but it could expand.
>> well, let me say this.
As erin mentioned, within our
boundaries, where we're saying
11.5 years now, there is more
spodumene that is underneath the
ground today.
>> sure.
>> so that 11.5 years as we mine
just what we have in our mine
permit today, will likely grow.
Past 11.5 year mark.
We just can't speak to what that
looks like.
Because technically, we haven't
done the work to be able to
transition those reserves and --
the indicated amounts that's
there into reserves that would
allow us to expand that life.
>> okay.
Well, maybe let me ask -- sort
of another way.
So if we were to approve this
initial project, later on,
gaston county could be asked to
approve a project -- a project
that is two to three times
larger than this, is that
feasible?
>> I wouldn't -- I wouldn't
speculate about the size.
but, you know, some of that land
is buffer.
For right now, all of it is
buffer.
So we are only looking at the
1548 currently.
If we wanted to expand beyond
that, yes, we would have to come
before you again.
>> and the followup to that, if
and when that the state mining
permit is issued, would you say
it would be easier to get
further approval from the state
to expand?
Would you think that would be an
easier process or the same?
>> so based on where the -- how
dimler is managing the mine
permit today, I can't say it
would be easier, we would have
to do the same due diligence we
have done to understand any
environmental impact, all of the
studies and update all of our
permits so it is not a slam dunk
I'll say that we get this mine
permit if we were to -- that any
expansions or modifications
would be easy.
I would not say that.
>> would piedmont agree to any
sort of agreement with the
county to limit the scope of the
project in any way?
Initially?
Would that be something.
>> beyond the current project
boundaries?
I think that -- that would have
to be discussed in the community
development agreement or some
other form.
>> okay.
I will have just one more follow
up question, MR. CHAIRMAN.
>>chair: yes, sir.
>> what would you see has the
potential options for
redevelopment of reclaimed land
once it was -- once the mining
operation were through, what
would be the value or what would
be any redevelopment options
that you would -- could see
further?
Because, you know, a lot of us
kind of feel like that this land
is going to be worthless when
piedmont leaves.
But if there's some options out
there that you see that's a
possibility, I would like to
know.
>> I mean, I think we have one
example in our backyard, with
the kings mountain mine, where,
you know, after they ceased
operations, I believe in the 80s
or 90s where they reclaimed it
to have trails and greenway,
this area could be used for the
same type of purpose in regards
to having greenways and trails
and other outdoor opportunities
for that area.
>> and that -- that's around the
mining area.
That's where people tend to
focus.
We will reclaim those, once
those pits are filled back in,
we'll cover it back up with the
soil.
And we replant.
But the other parts of the site,
if they were no longer in use,
could be repurposed for
industrial use or whatever use
the community wanted.
>> right.
Okay.
Thank you, MR. CHAIRMAN.
Thank you.
>>chair: commissioner
cloninger.
>> my questions relate to
blasting.
So I would like to know how many
people live now on the property
that they own within a half mile
of the future mine pit?
>>chair: can you step up,
please, so we can hear and state
your name for the record?
>> hi, I'm emily blackburn
winter, I'm a geologist and
community relations for piedmont
lithium.
And we have sent out community
mailers to engage with neighbors
of our project.
And the number that I can give
you is within 1500 feet from our
permit boundary.
There are roughly 550 parcels in
that area.
>> that's the entire project not
just the mining area.
>> okay.
So that includes the buffer and
all of that?
That includes everything?
>> anything outside of our mine
permit boundaries.
>> okay.
All right.
>> again, that's for the entire
1500 acres, not just the eastern
side, where the mines will be.
>> okay.
So how many homes will feel any
effect from the blasting done on
-- at the site?
>> we do have our blasting
expert here, he agreed to come
tonight to ask any questions
that were beyond our purview,
MAY we ask him to come up?
>>chair: please.
>> thank you.
>>chair: sir, state your name
and your occupation there,
expertise for the record.
>> good evening, sir.
My name is stuart bra sheer, I'm
technical service manager for
austin powder company out of
cleveland, ohio.
If you could rephrase your
question, I'll fly
try to -- .
>> how many homes will feel any
effect from the blasting done at
the site?
>> I haven't been involved as
closely, obviously, as the
people that have talked here.
So I don't numbers other than we
have looked at the whole site
and we've -- we've used other
quarries and operations in this
part of north carolina as a
model for how fast the
vibration, the energy a ten u
waits and we know typically a
3,000 foot distance where
there's no perception of
blasting.
Now, people are very sensitive
to vibration.
So some people will feel stuff
that others might not at the
same distance.
A lot of it has to do with
activities, if you're busy, you
don't notice it.
If you're sitting, and not doing
anything and waiting for it to
happen, you'll notice it.
So there will be -- I mean,
there will be perception, some
people surrounding the property
will know when we blast.
There's no doubt about that.
>> so is there a map that is
involved that can -- that will
impact or show that blasting
amount?
>> I believe that's --
>> we are working on two things,
so to answer your question, you
know, there are four pits.
And we will be blasting at
different times because we'll
only open one pit at a time.
So we'll be blasting in one part
of the pit.
And modern blasting is very
precise.
so, you know, it depends on what
part of the pit you're in and
how deep it is.
And so we could help provide
some radiance of an example, if
we're blasting in this pit at
this particular depth, what
direction the blast is going on,
etcetera.
But as monique explained
earlier, we will be -- we expect
to be less than 50% of what the
federal regulations are.
And that is partly to reduce the
level for thol folks.
We know if we're within the
prescription of the federal
regulation, we will not do
damage to homes.
But the other side of it is
nuisance, people feel something,
or hear something, so it is a
little bit difficult to answer
because there's four pits,
different depth and different
times.
Different types of homes.
Homes -- it depends on the
weather, if there's cloud cover.
That creates a different
scenario.
But we're happy to put more
information together.
The other thing that we're doing
is we're looking at our austin
powder is doing a study on each
property that is touching the
boundary of the mining side of
the project.
And we will have that
information available for each
of those homeowners, that's
specific to their property.
So they're working on that.
And we will make that available
to those homeowners.
>> okay, will that be a public
demonstration so people will
know what to expect?
>> we can do that.
we -- part of what we want to
do, going forward, this fall, is
hold town halls where people can
come and ask more questions and
talk to people like stuart and
really put their hands on
things.
But, yes, we can -- we can help
with that.
>> and if I MAY, we've been
talking about damage to
structures from blasting and
it's important to realized the
standards that we're held to are
not based on structural damage.
It's what's called threshold
damage, which is literally
anything, any extension of a
hairline crack, any opening up
of a crack in a little mortar
joint.
The way the regulations are
basically read.
And it's based on over 40 years
of research that we have very
finite standards.
For blasting.
And we know, again, based on 40
years of these standards, never
being shown wrong, that if our
levels stay below that, we have
statistically zero chance of
causing even cosmetic damage to
a structure.
Not structural damage.
But any change of condition as a
result of the blasting.
And that's what we stick to.
And the mine will be required to
have multiple size ma graphs out
and traced to the standards and
everything, they're very
accurate and give us realtime
data and our blasting operations
are changed shot by shot by
shot, based on the previous
results and we're constantly
changing, there's amazing things
that we can do in cancellation,
much like noise cancellation
headphones, we can do the same
thing in the ground.
Change the timing of our blasts
to cancel vibration out.
Things have changed a lot in the
last 20 years so we're very
adept to being a good neighbor
and minimizing the perception of
blasting, and that's our goal.
We don't worry about protecting
structures w e know we're going
to do that.
We're not going to hurt
anybody's property.
Our goal is to minimize
perception as much as possible
to get as close to 0 perception
in a community as we can.
>> what impact will blasting
have on pets or livestock?
Because this is a very rural
community.
>> understood.
Experience has shown personal
experience, as well as -- I
don't like to get into a lot of
studies because we all know
about studies you hate hearing
about them.
But animals are very adaptable.
A lot more than people in a lot
of cases.
And typically, they get used to
it real quick, and most animals
don't react to it at all.
Originally.
But those that do, pretty
quickly figure out it's no big
deal, and there's plenty of case
cases, aberdeen proving grounds
outside of baltimore where the
army does the munitions testing
is one of the largest
concentrations of bald eagles on
the east coast, because they
realized that nothing is going
to bother them there and they're
in the wide open, they have
gotten used to the racquet,
which is magnitudes greater than
what we would do, there should
be no problem at all with that.
>> or even with dogs who MAY be
terrified with fireworks or
anything else like that, that's
not going to --
>> typically not because the
sounds are very different from
fireworks.
It's -- we're just putting a
basically a pressure wave
through the air, it is like a
gust of wind more than anything,
it's barely audible.
And my experience with my own
pets and having everything from
horses to chinchillas, I live
very close to a quarry myself.
And there's -- they don't seem
to have an issue with it.
>> okay.
MR. CHAIRMAN, that's all of my
questions.
>>chair: commissioner hovis?
>> thank you, sir.
My questions are going to be
centered around your chemical
processing, what -- how you're
going to differentiate your
process versus other processes
that are used to take spodumene
and turn it into refine it?
And I think that the auto tech
process is what you're looking
at and I have a couple of
questions.
I believe that you're looking at
using this in tennessee and
maybe you've already started it
in tennessee.
Because you said you've already
produced ore.
>> so we have -- so we don't
have any operations that
currently working, we.
>> okay.
>> permits in tennessee.
>> gotcha.
>> but we haven't started any
construction.
>> will it be using that
process?
>> yes, sir.
>> okay.
And my -- in conjunction with
that, where is it being used in
production?
I understand it's pretty much a
table top lab design concept,
and hasn't been put into place
to my knowledge.
In a production basis producing
the volumes that we're talking
about needing to produce, to
meet the demand.
And the market.
Is it being done elsewhere?
>> so right now, auto tech
process is not in production for
lithium hydroxide production.
They do use the auto tech
pressure relation technology in
others such as gold.
And so to your point there is no
commercial operation using
technology.
>> that's because we're -- it's
kind of a little bit of a
leading edge question and that's
the reason I asked because be
nice to know it was proven and
you knew what the results and
all of the other unintended
consequences of that process and
what it will yield in terms of
this by-products because every
action has an equal and opposite
reaction.
I think I heard that somewhere
back when I was in school, back
when we used stone tablets and
hammers.
>> I'm there with you.
>> with that being said, it's
important to understand.
Because I happen to live
one-third of a mile from -- I've
lived one-third of a mile from
that processing plant ever since
-- well, excuse me, all of my
adult life.
That plant was built the year I
was born.
So it's been around for 69
years.
So I'm a little familiar with
the standard processing of
spodumene and the ore and this,
that and the other and you made
one comment earlier in your
comments, ma'am, that there
would be no tailings from this
process.
Yet, on slide 15, we talk about
tailings.
Now, I'm not trying to beat you
up.
>> to worries.
>> but explain to me why there's
no tailings when tailings are
mentioned on slide 15.
>> so I mentioned there would be
no tailings pond.
So tailings are a waste product
from the process.
Normal mining operations has wet
tailings that go into ponds.
We will have dry tailings.
So that's our concentrator plant
will have tailings and our
chemical -- lithium hydroxide
will have tailings but dry
tailings, that's the difference
wet versus dry.
>> will those be lined.
>> what.
>> will they be lined, mem lined
so any precipitation of
rainwater doesn't precipitate
into the soil.
>> the permit, I'm not sure if
any have read the adi3, dimler
is requiring us to put a liner
under that waste rock pile.
>> the conversion facility,
excuse me, the conversion
facility tailings are going off
site.
So what's coming from the
conversion facility is not --
those tailings are not being
stored on site.
>> off site where?
>> so right now, we're working
to get the testing, we know that
it's not hazardous.
So one of the first places that
we will look to dispose of those
tailings is the lab landfill.
The conversion plant fills could
be used as cover, there is
potential reuse of that
material, we're exploring those
options.
Aggregate uses.
So we haven't defined 100% which
landfill, because there's so
many other options that we have.
>> sure.
Sure.
And is there -- this technology,
this new technology, does
piedmont carolina lithium have
rights to that?
Have you purchased that?
Do you have someone in your
employ.
>> a licensed technology, so we
do not own the technology.
>> okay.
>> but we will purchase the
technology.
>> that's part of what I'm
trying to say, so you're going
to acquire the licensure to use
that process?
>> I wouldn't say licensure -- I
don't know the right technical
legal term for it.
>> we will purchase the system
from that, and I will go back to
what you said earlier, we will
not be the first to use it.
One of our customers that's
fairly well known is going to
use it first.
We will use it in tennessee.
Prior to doing it here.
So lessons will have been
learned along the way by us in
tennessee, that's our sister
plant that will be very much
like the one built here.
>> right.
>> but that one will go first.
And it will be used by others
before us.
>> do you have a 90% surety in
your mind set, this process will
yield the volume of product at
the cost necessary to market
your final product and not have
the other unintended
consequences of something that
you have -- that's unforeseen as
a by-product.
>> based on the pilot testing
and again as you referenced, you
know, the pilot testing is what
we have done, we have confidence
that we can produce the product
we need at the cost that we've
anticipated.
>> okay.
Those are all of my questions at
this time, MR. CHAIRMAN.
>>chair: thank you.
Commissioner keigher?
>> just a couple that have
popped up.
In another lifetime, I spent 25
years -- one of my top ten
accounts.
For 25 years.
And I actually had the
unfortunate experience of being
in a -- it wasn't an explosion,
it was more piping, something
happened, and piping just split
and it pulled the valves off and
I got burned pretty good.
I did have a face shield on.
But my clothes were burned so I
understand there's -- when you
mentioned that lithium hydroxide
is not flammable or explosive,
but what about the other
materials that you will have to
use?
I didn't hear anything about
those.
They've got to be highly
flammable and explosive.
>> so the process that you MAY
have been working around or been
around during that time was more
than after the leeching process.
>> in the 80s, 90s.
>> up until now, the production
of lithium hydroxide was done
with acid leaching, which is an
acid that once you heat it, it
will burn you.
So not surprised, according to
that, if that's the process that
you were around.
Our technology does not use acid
leaching at all, that's why we
have the metsal auto tech
process, the pressure --
>> no sulfuric or --
>> we will -- the acid that we
will have be pry marley used for
-- primarily used for cleaning
and in the waste water and not
the chemical processing.
>> okay, and the other thing,
the other question I wanted to
ask.
Two part.
Why is it taking so long for the
state to issue a permit and in
your opinion, is there any
chance the state would deny it?
.
>> so we get obviously we get
asked that question a lot.
Why is it taking so long.
One of the things that we
understand is lithium mining
hasn't been done in this area in
a very long time and so the
process that the state is going
through to ep ensure that
everything that we're doing is
adequate, to me is
representative of the diligence
that the state is putting into
it, to make sure it's done right
and for our benefit to make sure
that they -- there are minimal
risks that we impacted by
through our process.
Am I surprised it's taking so
long?
Not really, I actually
appreciate it, because I feel
like the risk of being mitigated
through this process.
I forget your second question.
I'm sorry.
>> is there any possibility in
your minds that the state would
deny it.
>> obviously, I don't have a
crystal ball, if I did, I would
have rubbed and gotten an answer
for that.
But what I will say is, I feel
like we're doing everything we
need to do to answer their
questions.
And as long as we do that, I
can't -- I wouldn't -- I
wouldn't anticipate them denying
the permit.
>> thank you.
>>chair: thank you, sir.
All right.
I guess I get the rest of the
time.
Going to be a lot here.
First of all, I want to say
thank you to the ones that
showed up.
I want to let you know that this
process today, like I stated
from the very first time you
came, can still possibly be the
worst rollout I've ever seen of
economic development.
Please.
I say that, look at all of these
people here in this crowd.
Your ceo refused to come
tonight.
He knew about this meeting
months in advance.
And we're sitting here today,
and we still don't see him.
and I've got to tell these
people that y'all are
trustworthy citizens that want
to help them, they still never
come.
That, to me, kills me inside
because I have to answer
questions from these people
every day.
I have media call me, every day.
About this issue.
And I have to answer it.
Your people, the only people
that come, I've seen you, ma'am,
two meetings, and now we come to
this and he's not here.
Is there any reason why -- does
he think it's not important?
Because this company is valued
on what this commission needs.
And it needs a leader, I promise
you that.
I'll go through my questions
now.
The commission will receive
questions, every day from
concerned citizens about these
proposed projects and different
thing, list of written
questions, why not, you guys
talked about open and
transparent in the last meeting
back in 2021.
We have tried to work with you
guys, we asked, hey, we had to
hire a hydrologist and an
outside communication, we asked
for that, would you like to
share that, so we could share
information.
Can you tell me why you guys
didn't want to after your lawyer
recommended that you should?
>> a hydrologist?
>> our hydrologist, we asked for
shared costs on different
outliers for the studies and
different things.
>> I'm not aware of that
request.
>>chair: the project has been
based on a lot of promises, I'll
ask, again, following this
information, will you guys put
this presentation on your
website?
Tonight's presentation?
All documents that have been
submitted from the state and
federal government related to
the required permits for the
project?
All of the studies that have
been referenced in said proposal
for this presentation tonight?
And before?
I noticed that we -- we raised
issues on the hydrologist study
by DR. Strul, you mentioned it
tonight in your presentation,
you failed to submit that.
To the north carolina, when you
were looking for their permit.
>> it's not complete, we can't
present it because it's not
complete.
>> you're meeting with sprul.
>> this is why it hasn't been
provided, as far as all of the
other studies you referenced,
yes, we brought the binders
tooted, -- today, they will go
in the library, in the
cherryville and we offered to
put them all online.
So it's easier to access than
having to go to the state.
>>.
>>chair: has our study not been
completed.
>> we are still -- they are
finishing out the modeling that
was done on the second study,
the data has been collected.
That they are back and forth
with hdr and DR. Sprul go back
and forth of the actual modeling
to be given.
>>chair: would you be willing
to share that, what you guys
found on your website as well,
asking and yes or no
questionnaire for that?
On what is found out in the
study?
>> once it's final, yes.
>>chair: okay.
You had mentioned earlier and I
might have to ask the blast
expert, when there's a blasting
situation, let's just say it's
25 feet deep.
What are the visual aspects that
I can see?
Dust?
What would I be able to see in
-- if I were sit agoing --
sitting away from it, what would
be the characteristics that I
would see?
>> thank you for the question.
In the type of mining that is
done and will be done here, it
will be very disappointing, you
continue see much at all --
won't see much at all.
It's not like a quarry like at
kings mountain where there's a
kind of a ledge that we blast
into for them to excavate,
because of the deposits of the
ore, they can't have the
material shift a lot because
they want to keep that
differentiation between the ore
and waste rock, otherwise,
financially, it gets to be a
mess so our blasts will be
designed not to move.
They will just fragment, lift
up, and sit down.
So there will be a minor amount
of dust, much less than in a
normal aggregate operation.
>>chair: but just in case it
could get into the air and shift
into one of these said streams,
ponds, that are nearby.
People we were told earlier
there would be nothing in the
air quality had changed.
>> there's no guarantees but
that's just the top of the
ground.
Yes, sir.
>>chair: with that, is it not
true that lithium hydroxide d
when it reacts with water, does
it not become a corrosive?
>> yes.
It is a corrosive once it gets
wet.
>>chair: you guys have
mentioned canada, ghana, north
carolina, tennessee, and
obviously you guys should be
very proud of that, but will you
sell -- when you think about the
entities that you have inside of
the united states and talking
about being a part of and
looking for a second source for
the next piece of the puzzle,
how many companies do you think
are in the united states right
now who offer those to you?
>> offer -- I don't know -- I
donald nant.
>>chair: what you would have to
have to make your -- to be able
to put with the battery, how
many different companies are out
there for resources that you MAY
have as customers?
To sell to?
>> oh, okay.
Well, there have been $80
billion worth of commitments
made by car manufacturers and
battery manufacturers, there are
numerous companies that we could
sell to.
We currently --
>>chair: more than 100?
>> I'll let our commercial --
chief commercial officer.
>>chair: I'm trying to figure
out because my question is
related to foreign entities
after the fact, you go and do so
much inside of the united states
if there's only a few companies,
so to speak.
I want to know if you're going
to sell this after you get a
permit or are you going to sell
it out?
Is that going to be something
that you guys look forward to,
say, hey, we did the leg work
and now we're going to sell it
to some foreign entity?
Or because we always want to be
-- we keep talking about wanting
to do everything inside of the
united states.
So that's why I'm trying to
figure out now for everybody
that we do, because I have
300,000 people I have to be
responsibler at the end of the
day, that's why I'm very
diligent and making sure that we
ask all of the questions,
regardless of how harsh, how
bad, I want these kids, and I
want these parents to
understand, that there's a
future if we do this.
>> thank you, CHAIRMAN Brown and
commissioner, I'm austin, chief
commercial officer for piedmont
lithium t answer to your
question, I've travelled all
over the world, selling lithium.
And I don't like traveling all
over the world.
My intent is to sell our lithium
products here in the united
states.
And when you look at what future
demand will be, erin referenced
the amount of investments made
by the automobile ev supply
chain.
And there are battery makers,
that are within a few hours of
our facility.
There are battery makers in
georgia, tennessee, they're in
ohio and so our customer base
and when you look at what the
demand for lithium products will
be, will far out strip the
potential supply here in the
united states.
So all of our products will stay
in the united states.
>>chair: thank you.
Back to you, if we self-test
these -- if you guys are
self-testing, what happens if a
test comes back and it's not
within your scope of work?
If it comes out outside of the
regular bound, will you shut
down the entire plant or will
you just work until you get that
mitigated?
>> which test?
>>chair: this here is usually
on the self-testing for the
water, that you guys are doing.
>> so with water, we will have
the ability to retain, depending
on which pond those are in, we
will have the ability to retain
that water.
Before it's released so we're
going to be testing as it goes
into the pond and if those
levels are high, we will as we
talked about before, rest, let
it sit, and test.
And then treat if necessary
prior to release.
>>chair: thank you.
I have questions on like 800
different pages of -- back to
the tailings.
If the tailings are
nonhazardous, why can't they be
set back into the refilling pit?
>> the lithium hydroxide plant
tailings, we feel there's a
potential for some items to
leach, if ph isn't properly
controlled and so therefore, we
want to ensure that those
materials are properly managed
in the proper locations.
>>chair: on to my last page, I
guess this is it.
>> here here as long as you need
us here.
>>chair: no, I just want to
make sure that we get all of
these questions out, and these
are going to go back to some of
the legal perspectives.
Has pl given assistance or
assurance to gaston county
commissioners that they have
already committed to approve
this project?
>> has who?
>>chair: have you guys given
the assurance that the gaston
county commissioner has already
approved this project to others,
maybe stakeholders or anybody
else, of that sort.
>> no, sir.
>>chair: do you have any reason
to believe that the gaston
county commissioners are a
biassed either and/or against
piedmont lithium in any way?
>> no, sir.
>>chair: has anyone made any
promises to anyone regarding the
outcome of rezoning processes
from our board or staff?
>> no, sir.
>>chair: are you willing to
work with our staff and
attorneys to establish the land
conditions that go beyond the
minimums required for the use of
the mining permit?
>> we've already been doing so
and we'll continue to do so.
>>chair: I know there's a
million dollar bond already for
closure.
Are you willing to accept the
higher bond?
>> yes, that's one of the four
commitments we were willing to
make.
>>chair: okay.
What enforceable promises can
you provide to us that state
that this -- if you are granted
the mining permit, that will not
be sold to a foreign operation?
>> chief legal officer of
piedmont lithium.
First of all, I don't think that
the mining permit can be sold or
transferred.
On its own.
We do not intend and have put
things in place from a corporate
perspective that would make it
difficult for other companies to
buy us.
But there's no guarantee that
anyone can give that someone
couldn't launch a hostile take
over, but the terms of the
permits themselves, would
restrict any buyer from just
coming in and operating, they in
turn would have to get approved
by whatever agency.
>>chair: I guess I'll be
looking for something on side
the publicly traded aspect, if
anyone were to acquire 51%
through that.
>> again, we're perfectly
willing to work with you, and
continue to work and maybe
that's part of the community
development agreement, and I
know there's some commentary
about, you know, some of our
language not being firm.
We expect to have all of these
issues addressed in the
community development agreement.
And that's where we will have
covenants and it will be a
contract between us and you.
>>chair: thank you.
>> and one point on the mine
life, I would just like to make,
the U.S. Has very specific rules
about reserves.
And as a public company, we have
to adhere to that, for example
in canada and australia, two
large mining jurisdictions,
their rules are a little bit
looser and they could -- our
mine life would be a lot longer
if we were following those
rules.
But we are in the U.S.
And we follow the sec's rules.
And that's the reason for the
11.5 year life, which as monique
has said, we firmly believe in
the mining area there's more
there but we can't technically
say it yet, so thank you for
your time.
>>chair: commissioner hovis?
>> thank you, MR. CHAIRMAN.
Your comment about the community
development agreement, that was
your slide six in your
presentation today.
All of those asterisks, appear
by every one of those important
caveats that all of these people
will understand and we certainly
won't understand.
So I think I understand this t.
But you correct me if I'm wrong.
That's the living document.
It's developing, it's being
fleshed out.
And as we along with you and
your legal staff, as we move
down this corridor, those items
will be discussed and written in
a manner that's acceptable to
this board prior to the issuance
of any kind of conditional
rezoning.
>> yes.
That is exactly right.
And that's why we put the
asterisk there, this has not
been negotiated yet.
>> no.
>> our intentions.
>> because those four points are
the four major concerns, which
you obviously understand.
>> yes, sir.
>> and if you have any draft
language and you can put draft
all over it, it would be good to
see where you think some of
those are earlier and then we
can tweak it and morph it and
when we get to that point to
where it needs to be.
That's part of of the
transparency issue that the
CHAIRMAN Was trying to speak to
so that we all are talking
openly and the public can see
this openly.
And we've got to make -- I do
not want to see, and this is a
hovis personal comment, I did
not want to see northwestern
gaston county become the next
love canal.
And that's the best
interpretation and concern that
I can express to you, to
understand, because when the
holloman b mine was constructed
in 1954, and mined until the
late 80s, there was no
requirements for remediation,
there was no requirements for
return to use.
And there was no overburden
regulations and that overburden
went up 280 feet.
And for my son's farm on -- road
in the winter time when the
leaves are off of the trees, ki
see those rocks and he lives 3.2
miles away, and I say that just
because of knowledge.
And these people have very valid
concerns.
And it's our responsibility as
their elected officials to
address and mitigate those as
much as possible.
and that's the reason for our
questions, that's the reason for
the CHAIRMAN's comment about
transparency.
And from what I've heard today,
it appears that you do wish to
do that.
And that's a good checkmark on
your side.
But I am the one who challenged
your ceo from this dais and our
meeting two years ago, to come
and apologize to these people
who he said, his words, had been
strong armed by individuals
working on behalf of acquiring
these properties by piedmont
lithium.
He said that.
Those are his words.
You can pull the tape up and
look at it again.
But I challenged him to come and
speak to these people
personally.
Face-to-face.
And you heard what our CHAIRMAN
Said prior to that, and that's
-- that's kind of a little
offensive to us.
Because this is gaston county.
And we are gaston county.
And we will make the decisions
that's right for gaston county.
>> yes, sir.
>> thank you.
[Applause]
>>chair: please don't.
>> we're doing business.
>>chair: commissioner fraley.
>> yeah.
A couple of followups, MR.
CHAIRMAN.
One, had been mentioned tonight
is the lighting, the project
apparently is going to be
running 24/7, is that rights,
7-days a week, what kind of
lighting are you using and what
can the neighbors expect, you
know, to have to deal with on
that?
Is it going to like the bank of
america stadium every night and
the noise and the trucks going
and the lights on?
I mean, how is that going to
affect the, you know, the area?
>> well, first of all, I believe
you're aware, gaston county has
an ordinance that dictates,
light, noise and all of those
things that have to be at our
property boundary, and it is
certain positions to residents
or other properties, we will
follow all of those ordinances
so in regards to lights, our
lights will be pointed down on
our property.
And they'll be set, they'll be
many buffers around us.
In regards to natural buffering,
also, in natural buffering with
berms and barriers and those
types of things, so we're doing
within our design, one, not only
to meet your ordinance, but to
be good neighbors in the area to
make sure that we're not
impacting negatively those
around us due to noise and
lights.
>> so the 500 parcels that have
been identified at night, at
midnight, when the lights are
on, they're not going to be
looking out the bedroom window
and seeing lights that's going
to be dark outside?
>> no, we can't say that -- .
>> I can't shai -- say that it's
going to be dark.
I can say it will meet the
ordinances for property.
>> maybe we need to make the
ordinances stricter.
Also, this MAY be a question for
the attorney.
The contract that was signed
with the city of cherryville,
was it your intention that that
contract with the city of
cherryville is enforceable?
>> -- we're using the word
intention and intent a lot
tonight so I thought I would
throw that in.
>> well, sure.
Yes, it was our intent that it
be enforceable and it is
certainly my belief that it is
enforceable.
Enforceable.
>> differences of opinion, so I
just -- that's why I wanted you
to get up here and make that
statement.
>> I'm happy to make it.
I believe it is enforceable.
We have fully intend and expect
that we will fulfill our
obligations under that contract
and the only way you would even
-- if we didn't do anything, and
you sued to enforce it, I
believe you would win in court.
And that would be the only time
you would have to do that.
But we expect to fulfill our
obligations and we've already
started that, so.
>> okay, thank you.
>>chair: I have one other
question.
Obviously, you guys have
agreements all across the board
with a lot o of people.
If someone were to want out of
one of those agreements, would
you -- would piedmont lithium
will willing to let them out.
>> you mean property owners.
>>chair: under a
confidentiality signing.
>> I think that's more of a
legal question.
>> stay up here.
>> sure.
I can't speak on behalf of the
whole company.
But, you know, haven't forced
anyone to close on any property
that they didn't want to, so
we've actually closed on a lot
of properties.
You know, at this point.
I mean, again, I'm not aware
that we've forced anybody to do
anything.
>>chair: so if I were to have
someone call me and ask me that
you had an agreement with, that
they were told to get a
appraisal, the appraisal came
back that said let's use a round
number, to
$20,000.
>>chair: and you guys valued at
6,000 and they said that wasn't
a good idea, but yet, you said,
well, we already have the
agreement, we'll sue you and
we'll get the property, is that
something that could have been
said on pl's behalf?
>> I'm aware that we have
agreements out there that have
appraisal options in it for the
seller.
I know there's one in
particular, and I'm not going to
litigate it up here.
But we are working with, you
know, that person and that
owner.
My -- the way it usually work is
if the appraisal is higher, it
moves to that side of the
ledger, not to our side of the
ledger.
So it's in fact in their favor.
>>chair: I just wanted you to
be on the record saying that,
the problem I have as we all do
this all together, we're trying
to be good neighbors and we all
want to be good citizens to each
other.
And the part that we've heard in
different instances of whatever,
like I said, my job is to
protect this county at all costs
and I want to make sure that you
guys understand what you're
doing is answering questions
that people have asked us or at
some point have come to us,
obviously by us knowing the
knowledge that we know, you guys
see that as well.
So I wanted to say thank you for
coming tonight.
On that behalf.
I'm going to do citizens
comments now, unless you guys
have something that you want to
finish with?
The commissioners, are you good?
So go ahead, ma'am.
>> I think our closing remarks
are first, since we mentioned
earlier, we want to thank you
all for your time tonight for
allowing us to answer the
questions that we had previously
and during this time.
We want to be good neighbors, as
we stated before and do the
right thing, so again, we want
to thank you for your time.
>>chair: thank you guys.
>> thank you.
And we'll be happy to answer any
future questions.
>>chair: we'll take citizens
comments and then we'll kind of
look and see how that looks for
us on you guys.
I don't want it to be a back and
forth, I want to get information
to you guys and we'll start
there.
The citizens -- I'm sorry.
The citizens recognition comment
period is not intended or
required for the commission or
the staff to answer any
questions, provide a response,
questions requiring a response
shall be answered as soon as
possible, through the county
manager's office or otherwise
directed.
The comment period will be
limited tonight, to three
minutes per person.
As I call your name, please step
to the podium, state your name
and address for the record, and
we will also please adhere that
that you'll see the green light,
and it will go to the yellow
light will start blinking and
once we get to the red light, I
don't mind you taking a few
things over, but try to wrap it
up as you see the red light,
that MAY it makes it easy
because I don't want to feel
like I have to be mean, I try
not to be mean, but it's in my
nature, so.
But what we'll do, I'll call you
up, I'll go ahead and through
the whole list, that way you
guys will see that and then that
way everybody will know where
they fall in line, if you want
to come right after another, as
you see, when your time comes
up, I'll keep doing as well.
Sandra foster and brian harper,
and locke bell.
And lisa strap.
Bryson lynn heart.
Jessica lynn heart.
Tim lynn hart.
Rich and warren snowden, that's
the way the group goes, if
that's all right x. We'll start
there and sandra, brian and
locke.
Locke.
>> thank you, commissioners.
My name is sandra foster.
I'm at 108 adder holt road,
that's in bessemer city.
I am known as the buffer zone
for the mine.
i have tried to get answers,
I've tried to get truth.
And it's just been impossible.
I work for ten years in the real
estate sector so common sense
tells you a lot of what's going
on in our neighborhood. And my
question to you tonight is why
should gaston county allow
piedmont lithium to come in to
our neighborhood and financially
devastate us and leave some
families to be homeless or to
live with poisons and dangers
that are associated with this
mine?
My house is within walking
distance of where I'm told the
mine will end.
I can see 133 adder holt road
from my yard.
Why should I be financially deaf
stated so they can make --
devastated so they can make
billions of dollars?
Thank you.
>>chair: thank you, ma'am.
>> good evening, I'm brian
harper, live in 1953 church
road.
Thank you for the opportunity to
speak.
Piedmont says there will be no
damage to homes and businesses
from their blasting, yet, they
have contacted or hired multiple
businesses, everyone out of
state to looking into the
blasting operations, how can
piedmont say there's no danger
to homes, businesses and the
environment when they do not
know who or how the blasting
will be done, you cannot know
how far the shock waves will
reach if the size of the blast
is not known.
Will piedmont tell us tonight
the type and amount of
explosives they will be using?
and if not, then they can cannot
say what damage will be caused
to the wells, homes, businesses,
and the environment.
Also, piedmont has told the
north carolina mining
commission, lit monitor itself
to ensure that it does not
violate any environmental laws.
Piedmont also says it will
report itself of any violations.
For years, piedmont has been
violating county laws by
allowing the erosion into the
beaver dam creek from logging
and -- that piedmont has
created.
If piedmont will not monitor and
report itself on something as
simple as erosion, why should we
believe them to do so with
chemicals going into the soil?
Also, can you imagine any other
mining or chemical producer not
being monitored?
Do you think that government
does not monitor other similar
industries such as fracking?
Piedmont must pay gaston county
for independent expert
monitoring which will report
directly to the county on at
least a quarterly basis.
And I will say that my
statements are not followed by a
disclaimer of forward looking
statements.
Thank you.
>> wells will go dry, we just
don't know how far out.
This lady said tonight that
piedmont lithium will look at it
and piedmont lithium will decide
what they're going to do.
Here's some problems.
Gaston county has a minimal
housing code.
It requires operable plumbing.
The minute that well goes dry,
the people in that house are in
violation of the minimum housing
code.
That then jeopardizes their
homeowner's policy.
And when your homeowner's policy
is cancel, you get foreclosed
on.
They will be deciding, it's
taken go years and we have no
answers for anything, we have no
new answers tonight.
They'll be deciding the fate of
these folks.
While they're in value
iolation.
I would like the answers to
these questions.
One, how do you wash your hair
with bottled water?
I mean, do you carry a case --
while they're decide, they're
going to give them bottled
water, might bring a tanker in,
how are you going to hook that
up to the water line?
Some of these houses you
couldn't in there with a tanger,
carry a case in there and
halfway through, tripping over,
how are you going to do it while
they're deciding?
How are you going to wash
clothes
clothes?
Think about it.
You're going to have stand in
front of the washer and wait for
the rinse cycle and then you're
going to have to pour another
case of bottled water in there,
this is while they're deciding.
I would like them to come up and
explain how does a 7-year-old
use bottled water to flush the
toilet?
These are things, they're going
to be just debating.
Whether to put you a new well
in, debating and to run water, a
water line, that's two years.
it's been two years now, we have
no idea, you have to noe idea
where they want to run a water
line.
At least I've never seen any
plans showing the water line.
Two years people are out there,
going to have a tanker parked on
top of the septic line?
No, this whole thing with the
water is jeopardizing these
folks and many others, it will
happen, and these will be the
losers.
Thank you very much.
>> bessemer city, I thank you
for allowing me this moment to
speak today, I do have
questions, it does appear that
the project scope shape and size
has substantially changed from
2021 to now.
My first question would be:
given these changes, what
regulatory permits have either
have been amended or are
required to be added to reflect
these changes.
How has the public been kept
abreast and then allowed the
availability to be able to
comment on these permits?
My second question will address
what is considered a dead spot
in the county currently?
The area that the project is
proposed to be in is kind of a
geographically isolated area
when it comes to cell phones and
internet usage.
We have spotty, very unstable
cell phone capability.
Pretty much nonexistent
broadband internet.
GOD forbid if this project does
get underway, and the citizens
who are stuck living around it,
and the potential employees of
this company, will be at
immediate risk if there is not
something put in place prior to
any groundbreaking that
establishes a stable, stable,
stable cell phone signal and
internet, communication cannot
be cut off from anyone in that
area.
Mining is a dangerous business.
I think that's very well known
from everyone in this room.
Not that we're wishing anything
would happen, but for public
safety, those things need to be
in place.
You can have emergency services
sitting next door.
That are absolutely useless if
no one can call for help.
My next question will be: in
the air quality permit and the
psd application submitted by
piedmont, piedmont states that
they were required to notify
agricultural producers their
emissions would affect crop
yields.
What crops will this affect, how
will it affect them?
And exactly how are you planning
to notify the agricultural
community?
Thank you.
>>chair: since you're a minor,
you don't are to give your
address on that, I have you
already here, okay.
>> all right.
>>chair: thank you.
>> my name is bryson lynn hart,
I live on white side road in
gaston county, the closest house
to this proposed mine.
I'm 15 years old.
I spend the majority of my time
outside, hunting, fishing,
camping anything that ki enjoy
in the fresh air, I don't think
it's fair that my little sister
and I have to worry about the
creek we play in, will be
polluted by hazardous chemicals
or even be able to catch fish
safely anymore?
Will we be forced to stay inside
in front of a screen because of
the blasting noise and dust?
How much of the woods around my
house will I be able to enjoy
because of the instruction from
piedmont lithium?
Piedmont lithium, the
destruction piedmont lithium is
trying to bring to my home.
>> my name is jessica lynn
heart, 115 -- in yous.
And I have a lot here and I'm
going try to get through all of
it.
Piedmont lithium an
inexperienced exploratory
company holding 3, -- five square
miles of residently zoned
property.
Their end goal is the lithium
hydroxide plant with an
operating life of around 30
years and deep mining pits
operating for as we know now
about 11 years APRIL of last
year.
According to their mining permit
applications submitted two years
ago, the estimated their water
usage to be between 800 and
28,000 and 3 million 312,000
gallons per day just for pit
dewatering, when asked by the
mining commission for
clarification on the mitigation
plan for residential locations
and proximity to the mine.
They state that it can take up
to 45 days for them to drill a
new will well or connected to a
municipal water supply, how can
you drill a well in 45 days if
all of the local wells have run
dry?
What happens if they drag fair
feet just like they have done
with everything else they have
been asked to do?
Hooking to the water supply will
take years.
It's already been two years and
they do not even have a fully
implemented plan for obtaining
water.
City water would be yet another
monthly burden that residents
MAY have no choice in paying
for.
As piedmont has also stated in
their application that they
would not be paying our monthly
water bills.
Despite the fact that it will be
directly caused by their
operation.
The proposed plan for the water
lines according to their mining
application will take up to 30
months to complete.
When piedmont was asked about
arsenic in the water, they
responded they do not use
arsenic in mining.
That answer is deliberately
designed to mislead.
Arsenic will leach in greater
amounts into the water in the
pits because of the mine.
If piedmont truly does not
believe that this is a common
occurrence, I invite any of
their employees to go over to
bessemer city and drink a glass
of water out of the open pit.
For the chemical plant, do you
know a website lithium hydroxide
both powered and solution forms,
as a toxic and flammable
substance, please remember they
want to build this facility
neighboring a school and a
daycare.
Piedmont lithium and the direct
quote says that in the future,
our property could be used for
future manufacturing
developments, parks, trails,
greenways, recreation areas,
commercial developments and
solar developments.
Noticeably missing are family
homes, residents and rural
farming.
Because they know that the land
will be unfit for habitation.
For hundreds of years, moving
forward.
Instead of the beautiful
pastoral views of life
sustaining crops that we now
have, we are left with man made
and filled craters.
Per their application, a toxic
leak of arsenic unfused unusable
water and piles of waste rock.
How does any of this in another
direct quote, focus on the
safety, health and well-being of
the community?
Seems to me that their focus on
the safety, health and
well-being of their paychecks.
>>chair: to follow.
>> I'm tim lynn hart, 115 -- I
would like to start today by
asking when will piedmont begin
telling the truth about where
the wells are around the
properties?
And where the closest neighbors
are?
Since they have done -- hold on,
I'll just go with my thing.
The current map says neither
correct, two years ago, piedmont
presented maps claiming all of
the wells that neighboring land
owners when shown that the maps
were from around 1972, they came
back and claimed that the map --
came back with another map from
2005.
My calculations, from now to
then, is 15 years.
Why do they not have a map for
now days?
let's see here.
I know personally, my will, well
is very shallow at 50 feet, not
going to last long.
And they would know this if they
would come and talk to the
people instead of sending
cookies and saying, hey, come to
our office.
If they cannot get their public
records right, then why should
we as land owners believe
anything that they say?
And I personally believe that
piedmont lithium does not care
about the community, they only
care about the money that they
will make off of the -- of our
homes.
And that's the end of my
comments.
>>chair: thank you.
>> good evening, my name is rich
-- long shoals road, it's about
a mile as the crow flies from
the east pit.
Piedmont intend to leave behind
a mound of rock over 280 feet
high.
There'll be about three miles
from cherryville, for how many
hundreds of years will the
citizen of gaston county have to
look at that mess once piedmont
has taken their money and moved
away?
Since the citizens of
cherryville will be able to see
it from their homes, will they
get the naming rights to that
mountain?
And piedmont has burned down 30
homes around me.
These were homes people lived in
until piedmont bought them out.
People could still be living in
these homes.
If piedmont had not burned them
to the ground.
Piedmont goes to belmont, says
it will hold -- it will help
build one habitat house for
needy family.
It puts itself in the paper
about it.
What about the other 29 families
with no place to live?
Piedmont does not care about the
poor people in gaston county.
And finally, the air quality
permit application says that
piedmont intends to operate 24
hours a day, 365 days a year.
Is this true?
Or is it more of piedmont's not
caring what they say on forms
and documents and just filling
in the blanks.
Thank you.
>> so I don't know about the
rest of my neighbors in the
room, but I think I have more
questions that I'm more
concerned and more confused
tonight than I was before I got
here.
I was hoping to get answers and
hoping to learn more tonight,
I'm really struggling because
I've got so many questions that
are unanswered.
But let me go ahead and
introduce mice, the
commissioners, council staff,
warren snowden, we own property
at 611 adder holt road so we are
-- we share over 8,000 linear
feet of property line with
piedmont lithium, we're not
thousands of feet away, we are
ground zero.
We share property lines.
We've not heard from piedmont
lithium in over two years, so I
don't know if they don't care, I
don't know if they're not
concerned about us.
But I know that all of the
reports by hdr refer to us as
the tree farm buffer to the
east.
And so I come before you this
evening
evening, only having received a
bag of -- box of cookies and a
bag of coffee.
And I would suggest to you, if
they really knew who their
immediate impacted neighbors
are, they would know that we
don't eat cookies.
We like ice cream!
We don't drink coffee, we drink
bourbon.
We don't -- they don't know us.
And so it's really frustrating,
two years later, we're still
waiting piedmont lithium to tell
this community how they intend
to be a good neighbor, how are
they going to protect the
citizens, they don't have a
north carolina mining permit,
they don't have the proper
zoning, no psd air permit, no
site plan approval and years
away from the having the
necessary utilities, electric
and gas to service this site.
I learned yesterday, they don't
even have a north carolina
geological license.
Let me repeat that.
How many years have they been in
our community the north carolina
geological board does not hold a
license for piedmont lithium or
any of its gee
ologist
geologists, so
tonight, I would like to address
something as simple as dust,
everyone knows that dust flows
from the west to the east, with
rethe immediate neighbors to the
east.
We have not been contacted.
Every time piedmont lithium
burns a house, they don't warn
us, we can smell smoke for
hours.
It blows from the west to the
east.
We have crops, we have trees, we
have wildlife, we have kids, and
we have our health.
And they don't reach out to us.
And so it's very challenging to
stand up here this evening.
When keith phillips spoke two
years ago in this room to these
very citizens, he said thingser
going to be different.
He said that piedmont lithium
would be happy to come every
month and hold informational
meetings, if needed.
Two years later, passed, no
meetings, no answers, and he's
not even here tonight.
So in piedmont lithium's MAY
2023 presentation, to their
investors, they said this
project will be a $456 million
steady state project with a 27%
annual return and a short
project pay back of 3.5 years.
Pretty lucrative.
Yet, they continue to cut
corners wherever they get a
chance.
When asked how they were going
to discharge water from the
site, they had four options and
they have chosen the least
expensive option, but the most
dangerous for the citizens.
Why does piedmont lithium
continue to not provide answers
and they choose profits over the
environment?
Over the community?
And over our citizens?
Why does piedmont lithium
continue to choose not to be a
good neighbor?
Why?
Thank you.
>>chair: thank you, sir.
Anyone wishing to speak that did
not get a chance to speak?
Yes, sir, please step up now.
>> motion to accept his
comments.
>> second.
>>chair: motion made by
commissioner worley, seconded by
commissioner hovis.
All in favor?
It is unanimous, MADAM Clerk.
>>
>>.
>>chair: please state your name
and address for the record, sir?
>> bobby at the time -- my
property board was lock bel's
property and properties that
have been sold.
And there's one thing that MAY
can stop this mine if this is
true.
Supposedly on hastings read
where it mets hephzibah church
road, if you look north there's
a clump of trees and I've been
told all of my life that that
indian graveyard.
If this is so, it needs to be
checked into by each and every
one of you.
We've heard a lot of things
about how good it is but we've
not heard some of the bad parts.
The columbia climate school used
large amounts of water and
specifically how much water was
used to water per ton.
Related pollution potential
increase in carbon dioxide,
mineral waste, increased
respiratory problems, alternate
high
ydrology that messes with the
water and the atmosphere also,
and the atmospheric system.
The concentration of lithium
reduced or completely inhibit
growth, causes necrosis on older
leaves on the trees, reduces
chlorophyll, which reduces plant
shoot and root biomass, causes
less purified oxygen to breathe.
And all of the trees, know what
trees do.
The necrosis is a scientific
term for the death of the plant
tissues, in other words it kills
the trees.
Old enough to remember bessemer
city when all of the tree was
dead around there, they said it
wasn't the mine, well, it wasn't
beetles because we didn't have
beetles then.
You see what is coming out.
And every time mined from what I
understand, if this is correct,
there's 15 tons of co2.
Now, I stand to be corrected by
you.
That is admitted to the air.
What's co2, is it good for you?
No, MAY include headache,
dizziness, pains and needles
feeling breathing, problems,
sweating increased heart rate,
high blood pressure, coma,
asphyxia and convulsions,
displaces normal oxygen in the
breathing air.
Now, this could not be correct.
But it says 400 to 2 million
liters of water per kill lo of
ton.
I stand to be corrected.
Where's the slurry going?
Our water treatment plants can't
con tall all of this surry.
Causes damage to local
ecosystems, and the army corps
of engineers and y'all probably
stop me o on this, the army
corps of engineers say it won't
harm the water supplies, well,
they're government affiliated
and the government out of
washington lies every day.
And that's a fact.
The chile's solar ra mine caused
the region to lose 65% of that
region's water.
Chile has the world's largest
right lithium reserves.
Air contamination to the water
and the soil.
-- toxicity of lithium is poor
concentrations and diarrhea.
From what I understand, else
about it, this dust, now, don't
correct me on this if I'm wrong,
this dust escapes to the
atmosphere it's explosive.
And if there's enough moisture
in the air, and humidity,
there's a possibility that it
can explode, as I said, y'all
can correct me on these matter,
that's all I've got, thank you
for letting me have my time.
>>chair: thank you, sir.
>> but I would like to talk
about the indian graveyard.
>>chair: yesterday
, sir.
What we will do, for everyone's
knowledge, I'm going to ask
piedmont lithium, if you would
like to rebut anything that you
guys have heard?
Give you that opportunity, but
what we would like to do, we'll
have once we get all of the
questions that were asked, from
the clerk's office, we'll have
our staff send them to you guys
and you can do it that way and
we can post that and we'll send
it out because we have the
record of how they signed up for
their questions, that way, we
want to make it as transparent,
if that's okay?
>> yes.
>>chair: make sure you're okay,
first, because I've got to make
sure you're good, would you care
to rebut tonight, anything that
you heard or talk or you would
rather take it as it's up to you
guys, usually we don't do this,
but I want to make sure that
everybody is on the table for
what we need.
>> certainly appreciate the
offer.
I think it would be best to not
come back can rebut, very happy
to answer the questions and have
that be part of the public
record.
>>chair: what we'll do, just
for everybody's forsake, if
that's okay.
We'll have -- once we get the
tape, but the questions back in,
send them to you this week,
we'll get it by -- give me date
there, esquire.
Look down at what you have on
your phone, what's that date on
there?
Next thursday?
>> next thursday.
17th.
>>chair: 17th, we'll have those
to you guys, if you can have
them back in ten days that, will
be the 27th.
And if that's okay?
If that sounds good enough.
That way we can post that, we'll
send it -- make sure that if
you're on this list, adam, can
you just put a list over there,
of anybody who spoke tonight,
put your e-mail down, you'll
have them directly to you.
And we'll work on that.
Because what we want to do is
make sure transparency is
covered through everything we
have.
That way, bill, you and tom can
get with him and that way y'all
can kind of put together some
back and forth, I don't want to
put anybody on the spot, but I
want to make sure that we don't
run from anything.
But I want to thank you guys for
coming.
Like I said, it's a tough --
it's a tough -- you knew that
when you come in here.
For folks in gaston county, our
job as commissioners, we're
going to make sure that we ask
the questions that you want
answered, you guys call, like I
said, somebody called me the
other morning at 5:00, it's
okay, I don't mind.
But we're going to listen.
And I'm proud of the staff that
we have, provided what you guys
have done, but also I want to
thank the board, for putting up
with a lot that goes on with
this, because it is a -- it's
tiresome, but also intense but
also has a lot of purpose.
And you guys have to understand
what they want.
And it's what's best for what
they have been doing for their
whole lives and you guys know
how it is when somebody comes in
and intrudes on you, it's kind
of different, you know, so we
want to make sure we're
respectful for everybody.
And what we do.
I want to thank you guys tonight
for being respectful with each
other.
This is -- this is a hard time.
But we're going to get it right
and we're going to make it
happen and make sure that we
work hard to answer all of the
questions that we have because
we're going to keep firing them
at you.
And that way you guys, thank you
for what's going on, you're good
with where we are so far?
Okay, good.
Are there any other matters that
need to come before this board
at this time?
>> MR. CHAIRMAN, I have another
matter.
>>chair: yes, sir.
>> this matter concerns the fee
of schedule for the new south
point park in the south point
township, the park that we
approved the lease agreement
duke energy, there's a fee
schedule that has been proposed
and I would like to discuss that
fee schedule.
>>chair: what I would like to
do, if it's pertinent, do you
have a problem if we delay that
to in next meet, I want to make
sure that everyone gets the same
fee schedule.
>> we table the fee schedule
until such time as we can
discuss it further.
>>chair: --
>> it's not in place now
currently anyway, but there's
nobody -- nobody charging a fee,
but I want to see --
>>chair: we can change it as we
go forward.
>> well, my main concern is,
there's no other park in gaston
county, that you pay to drive in
and park.
And the concern has been brought
from many residents, that they
feel like that if they would
like to go to this park, and sit
on a picnic table, and eat their
lunch, during their lunch break
and look at the nature and the
lake, that they shouldn't be
charged a $7 fee to get in to
that park to do that.
So that's the part that I'm
concerned about.
That any north belmont park, any
of those parks, and sit down at
a table and eat your lunch for
an hour, but in this particular
park, we're proposing a $7 fee
and I just don't think that's
reasonable to do that.
So I find that we bring it up at
a later time.
>>chair:
>> that's my concern.
>>chair: can we table it the
next meeting because that's our
voting meeting.
>> we can have it for discussion
at that meeting.
>>chair: we could do that, but
I didn't want to have a vote or
anything.
>> I would like feedback from
the staff to discuss what fees
should be applicable but what
should not be a fee for a
citizen to have as I said just
go and enjoy their lunch at a
picnic table in one of our parks
and that's right now what's
proposed, we would charge people
$7 and under this -- that's not
reasonable.
>>chair: DR. Eagle.
>>manager: we've heard some of
that concern, commissioner
worley, and started some
conversations internally about
some options for you all to talk
about.
This park is a bit different
because of the beach access.
But we understand the concern
and the need to differentiate.
And are already working towards
that discussion for the next
meeting.
>> that would be perfect.
>>chair: get that to everyone
and we'll add that to the
agenda, MADAM Clerk for
discussion.
On the tuesday of next.
Any other matters coming before
the board?
Well, I have one.
Our esteem ed
ed assistant county
manager turned yesterday,
vincent stand up.
If y'all don't no vincent wong,
if it's wong, I don't want to be
right.
Put his picture up there, 40th
birthday, if y'all don't know,
vincent works very hard for us
and we poke fun, look at that
picture of him and brian
together, making -- if you don't
know, they have the same shirt
on.
On the same day.
So very good.
But no, thank you.
Vincent, thank you guys for what
you do and brian, and tom, thank
you guys for working diligently.
Donny, congratulations, thank
you for that.
Many of our directors are here,
thank you guys for the tireless
work that you do, and being that
way, but with that, this
concludes our work session for
tonighter our next regular
meeting is tuesday AUGUST 22nd
at 6:00 P.M. Here at the harl by
b. Gaston public forum, thank
you for watching, if you have
questions, please send your
comments or questions to donna
s. Buff at 704-866-3196.
Good night, wonger.