Solidus Communications Inc (SLDC)

[lmcat]

You said --- " With regards to the dust issue the prevailing winds are west to east. As CM is west of Owens lake the dust issue should be minimal. The location of the current known mineralization should not impact the lake or wildlife as the area does not drain to the lake area."

Sorry you can try but you can't move mountains! Conglomerate Mesa is EAST of Owens Valley NE, almost directly above Keeler and slightly west of Death Valley National Park!

http://www.mapquest.com/maps?city=Keeler&state=CA

http://pubs.usgs.gov/sim/3094/sim3094_pamphlet.pdf

a massive gold mine on Conglomerate Mesa, just east of Owens Lake in the scenic Inyo Mountains.

http://www.biologicaldiversity.org/programs/public_lands/mining/conglomerate_mesa_project.html

Wind currents blow down from mountain tops and the dust and diesel pollution would be blown into Owens Valley. Further, storm runoff and snow melt would carry the mineral pollution down the mountain!

Daytime heating and nighttime cooling of the hilly slopes lead to day to night variations in the airflow. At night, the sides of the hills cool by radiation. The air in contact with them becomes cooler and therefore denser and it blows down the slope into the valley. This is a katabatic wind (sometimes also called a mountain breeze). If the slopes are covered with ice and snow, the katabatic wind will blow, not only at night, but also during the day, carrying the cold dense air into the warmer valleys. The slopes of hills not covered by snow will be warmed during the day. The air in contact with them becomes warmer and less dense and, therefore, flows up the slope. This is an anabatic wind (or valley breeze).

In mountainous areas, local distortion of the airflow is even more severe. Rocky surfaces, high ridges, sheer cliffs, steep valleys, all combine to produce unpredictable flow patterns and turbulence.

http://www.allstar.fiu.edu/aero/fltenv4.htm