With a focus on health concerns in addition to support for other commenters' concerns with tourism, MBCA sent a comment letter opposing the Supervisors' August 18 impending vote to approve a recommendation that would remove the county from the permitting of mining operations with federal approval. Federal environmental guidelines have been changed to reduce effective review. The specific concern addressed is fine particles of the radioactive element Thorium unearthed in the mining operation that could be windblown toward Twentynine Palms and beyond. MBCA "opposes the proposed revision ... unless appropriate language is included requiring environmental analyses provided by compliance with the California Environmental Quality Act."