In Oro Fino Gold Mining Corp. v. County of El Dorado (1990) 225 Cal. App. 3d 872, a gold mining corporation petitioned for a writ of mandate seeking to set aside the county's decision denying a special use permit for mineral exploration until drafting of an EIR, and seeking an order to approve an MND recommended by the planning staff. The trial court denied the petition. The Court affirmed, holding there was substantial evidence to support the county's determination that it could be fairly argued the mining project could have a significant environmental impact. The court ruled that citizens' personal observations about the significance of noise impacts on their community constituted substantial evidence that the impact may be significant and should be assessed in an EIR, even though the noise levels did not exceed general planning standards. ( Id. at pp. 881-882.)