Augusta faces another roadblock: State regulator says Rosemont mine may need to revise air quality permit

Posted on October 24, 2012 by admin

Augusta Resource Corporation’s clean air permit application for its planned Rosemont copper mine could be facing further delays after a state regulator said the application may need to be revised.

The Arizona Daily Star reported Monday that recent changes to Augusta’s mining plan calling for a 22 percent increase in sulfide copper production above the projections Augusta used when it submitted its air permit application in 2011 is raising concerns with regulators.

Trevor Baggiore, deputy director of the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality’s air quality division, told the Star that if higher sulfide production produces more emissions, Augusta “would have to come back and revise their permit before they increase production.”

Vancouver, B.C.-based Augusta, which owns the Rosemont Copper Company, made sweeping changes in July to its mining plan for the proposed open-pit copper mine in the Santa Rita Mountains on the Coronado National Forest south of Tucson. Continue reading →

Posted in Air Quality, Feasibility Study | 1 Comment

Rosemont Deception of the Day: Copper mine engineering work ceased in July 2011

Posted on October 22, 2012 by admin

Buried deep in the middle of a 328-page, August 28 regulatory filing (large file warning) Vancouver, B.C.-based Augusta Resource Corporation makes the stunning disclosure that engineering work at the company’s Rosemont copper project was suspended 15 months ago.

“The initial capital cost estimate is an update of the 2009 Updated Feasibility Study and reflects the status of engineering at the suspension of work in July 2011.” (Emphasis added.)

The statement, which can be found on page 226 of Augusta’s 2012 Updated Feasibility Study prepared by M3 Engineering and Technology Corp., appears to be the first and only time, that Augusta has publicly disclosed that it suspended engineering work more than a year ago for the proposed open-pit copper mine it wants to build in the Santa Rita Mountains on the Coronado National Forest south of Tucson. Continue reading →

Posted in Deceptions | 1 Comment

Augusta keeps open option to mine oxide ore at Rosemont

Posted on October 9, 2012 by admin

Augusta Resource Corporation is backing off its announcement last summer that it was abandoning plans to mine and process 64 million tons of oxide copper ore at its planned Rosemont copper mine in the Santa Rita Mountains on the Coronado National Forest south of Tucson.

The Vancouver, B.C. speculative mining company is now stating that mining oxide ore located near the surface of the planned massive open pit copper mine remains an option.

Augusta plans to use sulfuric acid to leach a copper solution from the oxide ore dumped on to large leaching pads. An “electro-winning” facility would extract the copper from the sulfuric acid solution.

Augusta has been using its July announcement to abandon the oxide ore to place pressure on the Forest Service to quickly issue a key environmental permit by the end of the year. Continue reading →

Posted in Feasibility Study | 4 Comments

Survey: Hunters and Anglers Overwhelmingly Support Reform of the 1872 General Mining Act

Posted on October 2, 2012 by admin

A National Wildlife Federation survey of its members in August found overwhelming support to reform the General Mining Act of 1872.

The 1872 mining act makes mining the top priority use on most federal public lands and does not levy a royalty on minerals extracted.

Hunters and anglers strongly support updating the mining law to ensure public lands are protected and royalties are imposed and used to clean up abandoned mines. Continue reading →

Posted in Wildlife | 3 Comments

Rosemont Deception of the Day: Forest Service Casts Doubt on Company’s Truthfulness

Posted on September 25, 2012 by admin

We’re not the only ones questioning the veracity of Augusta Resource Corporation’s statements concerning its Rosemont Copper Company subsidiary.

Now, the U.S. Forest Service is publicly stating it is reviewing the truthfulness of Rosemont Copper’s submissions made in the environmental permitting process to build a massive open pit copper mine in the Santa Rita Mountains on the Coronado National Forest south of Tucson.

Eyebrows were raised in early July when Rosemont abandoned plans to mine 70 million tons of oxide copper ore located near the surface of the proposed open-pit mine. At the same time, the company reported a 32 percent increase in sulfide copper ore reserves located deeper in the pit. Continue reading →

Posted in Deceptions, Transportation, water | 1 Comment