Thank you for the opportunity to comment.

I am very much opposed to any large-scale mining in Virginia. We must preserve what nature we have left. In Loudoun County, they are steadily tearing down the landscape and putting up giant data centers, that employ very few people, and are covered in loud, heat-producing, air conditioners to keep windowless buildings of computers cool. We have more and more "stray" wildlife running into traffic as their habitat is lost forever. 

Mining on a large scale will have a similar effect - lost of habitat, pollution, noise, and only a very few will profit from jobs.  People and animals will be displaced, water sources will be poisoned - honestly, we would do better to be reclaiming gold wire off computer chips. 

"Leave it in the ground"

Thanks very much,

Gail Itschner

Sterling, VA