Nye County Water District backs AngloGold Ashanti exploratory borehole near Beatty, 5–0

The Nye County Water District Governing Board voted 5–0 on May 27 to support a future request by AngloGold Ashanti to the Nye County Board of Commissioners for approval of an exploratory reconnaissance borehole on county‑owned land near Beatty.

Representatives from AngloGold Ashanti introduced themselves and described a staged plan beginning with a reconnaissance borehole to clarify subsurface conditions on a county parcel adjacent to AngloGold land. "We want to ... get an idea ... what's the depth of bedrock?" consultant Jay Dixon said, explaining that the initial test is intended to reduce uncertainty before any larger production well or water‑supply project is advanced. AngloGold said it has presented the concept to the Beatty Town Advisory Board and the Beatty Water and Sanitation District and obtained letters of support from those entities.

Allison Anderson, AngloGold’s community relations manager, and Steve Yops, vice president of permitting and communities, described the long‑range concept as potentially creating a municipal/nonpotable water supply system that could serve both the town utility and, if needed, an eventual mine (Project Arthur). The company said the reconnaissance borehole would be a limited test using exploration rigs already operating in the area.

Jay Dixon outlined the proposed location identified in the company materials as "AD 7" and said the purpose is to better define alluvial thickness, bedrock depth and target transmissive zones—information the company said it needs before proposing a production well or pursuing a large‑scale project. "We want to determine, quantify what X is," Dixon said, describing the goal as establishing sustainable yield and how any future development would protect existing rights and comply with the State Engineer’s permitting process.

The board heard public comment from Naomi Ferraras of Tonopah, who traveled to the meeting to raise longstanding community concerns about arsenic in drinking water and urged that regional funding and planning include Tonopah and Rye Patch. Ferraras asked the board to consider allocation of federal funding to address treatment and infrastructure in northern Nye County.

After discussion, a board motion to support AngloGold’s forthcoming request to the Nye County Board of Commissioners was moved and seconded and passed unanimously; roll call recorded Helene Williams, Bruce Holden, Ernie Jackson, Michael Locke and Ed Goodhart voting "aye." The board’s support was for a future county filing and did not itself authorize drilling or change any water right or county land use approvals.

AngloGold representatives said a reconnaissance borehole is a first step; any later production well, water sales or inter‑basin transfers would require separate permitting, potential State Engineer review of beneficial use and, for transfers to a different hydrographic area, additional approvals. The company also discussed water quality considerations: Beatty’s EW4 well has fluoride and arsenic issues that currently require blending and treatment; the proposed testing would include water‑quality profiling and zone‑specific tests to evaluate potential treatment needs.