[Note: The Arizona Department of Environmental Quality is holding a public hearing on the Rosemont Aquifer Protection Permit on Thursday, January 5 at 5:00 PM at Palo Verde High School, 1302 S. Avenida Vega]
In 2009, Rosemont Copper submitted an Aquifer Protection Permit (APP) application to the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) addressing nine specific “discharging” facilities related to the proposed Rosemont copper mine. [DEQ “Fact” Sheet]
It is interesting that DEQ released its public notice that it is proposing to approve this permit during the Christmas/New Years holiday season. One wonders if DEQ is really interested in receiving meaningful public input on this important matter. Also, it is not clear what the rush is. The public notice from DEQ indicates that the APP may have to be amended pending the outcome of the Forest Service’s NEPA process for the proposed Rosemont Mine.
When you examine the permit itself, it is pretty remarkable in how bold Rosemont is in its efforts to get its mine permitted at the expense of southern Arizona’s future. This permit does not set discharge limits of pollutants from the covered Rosemont facilities. Rather, it just requires monitoring and then the applicant (Rosemont) recommends discharge limits for these pollutants. In other words, this permit could allow Rosemont to contaminate our drinking water with potentially harmful contaminents before ROSEMONT recommends a discharge limit.
Why wait to set discharge limits? In Arizona, copper mining is a mature industry whose environmental impacts are well known. Waiting needlessly compromises our water supplies for future generations. Moreover, the Rosemont permit is inconsistent with APP’s for other mines in Arizona.
Rosemont likes to boast about its relatively small economic contribution to the region. Southern Arizona’s regional economic future directly depends on the availability of drinking water. Rosemont’s slight economic contribution will be just a drop in the bucket when you consider the economic devastation and lost jobs that will occur if it is allowed to contaminate the region’s drinking water.
This permit is further indication that Rosemont’s promises about environmental sustainability are nothing more than PR ploys. Continue reading
Video Report from the Elgin Public Meeting
Here is the video report from the Forest Service’s public meeting held in Elgin on Saturday. It is interesting to note that Rosemont supporters had to be bussed in.