Groom Mine Family Getting Forced Out?

There is a little-known exception to the boundary rules of Area 51, for the owners of Groom Mine. I won't go into history of the Sheahan family, you can Google it.

It has been known for many years that the military has been trying to get them off their mining claim. This claim is north of, and has a clear view of, Area 51. The family was there when the nuke tests were going off at the Nevada Test Site. The family has had this claim for 130 years.

It looks like the family is being offered a chunk of money to vacate their claim:
By Keith Rogers
Las Vegas Revlew Journal

Sixty years after the CIA and the Air Force found an old airstrip along the Groom Dry Lake bed to test the U-2 spy plane in 1955, the family that owns mineral rights to the Groom Mine and property within sight of the classified installation known as Area 51 has been given a final offer of $5.2 million to sell its stake in the land, Air Force officials said Friday.

Family spokesman Joe Sheahan, of Henderson, declined comment on a news release from Nellis Air Force Base announcing the offer.

The Nellis statement quotes Col. Thomas Dempsey, commander of the Nevada Test and Training Range, saying, "The Air Force has worked hard to be a responsible neighbor by actively working with the landowners and local neighbors to ensure our evolving missions and communities grew in a compatible, mutually beneficial manner.

"But in this case, the Air Force has exhausted all reasonable options to reach a settlement with the land owners," Dempsey said.

The Air Force claims the family's activities over the past several years have cramped its efforts to use the range for flight tests like those that have spawned the nation's stealth aircraft at Area 51, 90 miles north of the Las Vegas Valley.

A Facebook message from the "Save Groom Mine" website questions the accuracy of the Nellis release. And, a reader's tip submitted to the Las Vegas Review-Journal on Aug. 19 listing Sheahan cousin, Barbara Manning, as a family contact, says the Air Force "is trying to take control of their mine and land."

"It's been a constant battle since area 51 opened up and started testing," reads the tip. "The family's mill was bombed and put them out of business. They have been affected by radiation and been threatened with machine guns ... The AF has made attempts to purchase the land but at a fraction of the worth."

Manning answered a call Friday from the Review-Journal but said she couldn't talk.

Asked about the allegations, a Nellis spokesman wrote in an email that "at various times since the early 1980s, the Air Force and the landowners have discussed an enduring solution to the situation; however, for a variety of reasons no resolution was reached."

When asked about how the property owners access the restricted land, the spokesman, Master Sgt. Sanjay Allen, said they "are entitled to access to their property, and their short-notice access to a secure range area requires that scheduled test missions be halted and rescheduled at significant cost to the government."

"Civilian presence within the confines of this active test and training range represents both a safety and security risk," Allen said. "Whenever people are present on this parcel of land, test and training activities cannot take place, resulting in a significant negative impact on the Air Force programs and missions."

The "Save Groom Mine" Facebook page shows historic photos of Patrick and Avis Sheahan's home at the mine, which was established in 1889 for extracting lead and copper. One shows Avis with her great-grandchildren visiting Patrick's grave at the mine.

The Nellis news release quotes Jennifer Miller, deputy assistant secretary of the Air Force for installations, saying, "We are hopeful the family will accept our final offer" of $5.2 million for 300 acres of unpatented mine claims and 100 acres of property.

"We understand the landowners' connection to the land, but we must also consider the demands of national security," Miller said.

Contact Keith Rogers at [email protected] or 702-383-0308. Find him on Twitter: @KeithRogers2

However, there may be far more to this story if you check out their Facebook page, "Save Groom Mine":
www.facebook.com...

edit on 29-8-2015 by FosterVS because: (no reason given)

edit on 29-8-2015 by FosterVS because: (no reason given)

a reply to: FosterVS

There is a small parcel of land on the north east side of the NTTR where somebody managed to keep some land. That is, it shows up as a hole in the range. Getting access is probably impossible.

It would be interesting to know if the Groom Mine owners have an easement to access their land.

Pretty unfortunate. Surprised this hasn't gotten more attention. The FB page shares the local news clip and that the the full story of this will be aired on this coming Monday channel 8 at 5pm.

Can't the Government just take it through Eminent Domain laws?

That's what they're for right?

originally posted by: abe froman
Can't the Government just take it through Eminent Domain laws?

That's what they're for right?

They can take the land, but need to pay a fair price. Now precious minerals in the ground aren't much good if you can't get them out. (Think Afghanistan.) Given that they are boxed in by the feds, the land is worthless.

That wasn't the case with the land the DoD acquired for Creech. (if you haven't driven by Creech lately, the DoD now owns all the land east of 95 adjacent to the base.) There were actual businesses on that land. I had a Predator burger at the casino next to Creech when it was still open. In theory it was named after the drones, but they could have used ground up coyote.

you know they will 'gratefully' accept the offer....

a reply to: HomerinNC

There is much more to this story. As a co owner of this property I would rather walk with nothing then to be paid and have the atrocities committed against my family swept under a rug ,as if they never happened. I encourage all to watch the full interview being aired tonight on cbs Las Vegas news.

Why is always about "National Security "?

Is it me or does anyone else feel the Gov uses that word as a sort of scapegoat ?

a reply to: FosterVS

First I was about to say "not for a million dollar" ... but then, I read the Air Force offer ... which was actually 5.2 million - and that for sure should make a dandy dance.

The Facebook pg is "groom mine" a reply to: FosterVS

originally posted by: Jessiecox
The Facebook pg is "groom mine" a reply to: FosterVS

Thanks so much for chiming in, being a co-owner of the property. I realize the Facebook page is "Groom Mine", but I saw the top of the Facebook page where it said "Save Groom Mine". I was hoping some of the denizens here could visit and offer support.

I suppose in a lot of peoples eyes the money they are offering sounds like a fortune, but I am sure there is more to the story. I will for sure be somehow watching the Channel 8 full story.

I would be very interested in seeing the interview.

Is there any chance that a youtube copy will end up here?

They also just made a twitter account @groommine

originally posted by: smirkley
I would be very interested in seeing the interview.

Is there any chance that a youtube copy will end up here?

All the KLAS video on YouTube is pirated. The I-team video will be on the 8newsnow website eventually, but their servers are just awful. Lots of stalling on the video. (Serving video really takes a CDN (content delivery network).) Even youtube burps on occasion.

www.lasvegasnow.com...

The full video of the story, is now up on KLAS.

a reply to: weavty1

LVRJ reports they turned down the money. Well it will be entertaining if OathKeepers show up. Probably the base would hit them with less than lethal weapons, but you never know.

Ok. Wow.

After watching the video I am torn.

One, I feel the Air Force is correct when they say that this land is needed to protect what they do there. And I admire the family for stating they respect that.

Two, that said, the Air Force really needs to right the wrongs put upon the family. They will inevitably loose their land heritage. That will happen. But to offer the family what the Air Force likely spends in one minute of operations on that base as a reasonable settlement is outrageous. They dont negotiate that way when they are tending bids to Lockheed and Martin Merietta or the likes. Considering the importance of that land the offer should be substantially more, short of at minimum compensation for the 55 years of harassment given the family.

Tough spot to be in I am sure.

a reply to: smirkley

Look at the history of area. All the surrounding mines have failed. So is this mine really valuable? Probably not. You would have to go north to Round Mountain to find an actual profitable mine.

It isn't like you dig up refined metal when you mine. So there is a cost to extract the material and process it. Probably $50 million in the ground might only net $5 million, hence the USAF offer.

So rhe USAF "bombed" your mine? Well you take care of that when the event took place, not decades later.

The shell casings in the video look like Army to me. I have a few myself that I have found around the range, East of the ET Highway, believe it or not.

With luck, the USAF will put the money in trust should the family change their minds.

I feel for the family, it appears they've been very discreet over the years and don't seem to be doing any harm.

Which makes me wonder why now? After 60 years, when there are more images of Groom Lake available than ever, including Gariac's own excellent panoramas, why is the Air Force suddenly so keen to evict these people?

For some reason the USAF appear to be more worried than ever about them seeing something the Air Force would rather they didn't!

New project going to Groom.....

When I was last out there they seemed to be doing alot of supersonic tests creating very regular sonic booms.

But I think you may have touched on something stratsys. Something new and juicy coming up that is so secret and hi tek that the air force just cant risk even the most loyal neighbors from knowing about.

That said, it seems the air force would be making the buyout even more palatable to the mine owners to ensure a quick easy transfer of ownership.