Debbie Coffey  Copyright 2011  All Rights Reserved.

                   Investigative Journalist/PPJ

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 “The farmers and ranchers know they won’t be able to truly tell, until the passage of time, if there  IS interconnectivity between the valleys.  If there is interconnectivity, it will be too late to stop what could be disastrous effects on their farms and ranches. “

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Part 3

Mining companies are buying up ranches left and right, just to get the water rights.  Then all they have to do is get a permit to change the use from irrigation to mining.  Once appropriated, the water rights are not available for any other development, even if the mine never opens, unless the mine is willing to sell the water rights. 

At a Nevada Division of Water Resources hearing in December, 2010, an admirable group of Nevada farmers and ranchers, who’ve had water rights in their families for generations, protested the appropriation of water rights of Kobeh Valley Ranch, owned by mining company General Moly.  General Moly wants to change the use of water rights on Kobeh Valley Ranch from irrigation to mining for their Mt.Hope mine.  This is in addition to other water rights General Moly has already purchased from other farms surrounding the valley.

To give you some background, General Moly is 25% owned by Hanlong USA Mining, a  subsidiary of Sichuan Hanlong Group, a Chinese “private enterprise.”  Sichuan Hanlong Group recently received a $1.5 billion loan from the Export-Import Bank ofChina (China Eximbank) to support its investments in overseas mining opportunities, with $745 million towards General Moly.  The Export-Import Bank of China is fully owned by the Chinese government and under the leadership of the State Council.  It’s a “government policy bank.”

BlackRock Trust Company, which is associated with billionaire George Soros, seems to be the 2nd top owner of shares in General Moly.  BlackRock Trust is also the 5th top owner of shares in agricultural company Monsanto. More