Press Release: Forest Service Now Accepting Critical Public Comments on Adverse Impacts of Proposed Rosemont Copper Mine

Posted on October 13, 2011 by admin

Rosemont Opposition Coalition to hold press conference Friday October 14 following USFS press conference.

(Tucson, Ariz.)—Concerned citizens have an opportunity to formally comment on the adverse environmental and economic impacts of the Rosemont Copper Company’s proposed open-pit mine in the Santa Rita Mountains, following the Forest Service’s release today of the draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS).

The Forest Service is required by law to hold a 90-day public comment period that will begin shortly. At the end of the comment period, the Forest Service must consider these comments and address them prior to issuing the Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS).

“This is a crucial opportunity for public engagement that could lead to the Forest Service requiring more studies before it decides whether to allow Rosemont to destroy more than 3,500 acres of public lands,” says Gayle Hartmann, president of Save The Scenic Santa Ritas, a broad-based citizen’s group opposed to the mining project. “Now is the time for Arizonans to let the Forest Service know why we oppose the mine that would forever destroy one of the mountain ranges that make Tucson a great place to live and work,” she said.

Based on the information it receives, the Forest Service could require Rosemont Copper to prepare additional environmental reports.

Unlike Rosemont, other copper mines in Arizona have been located in rural areas with existing large-scale mining operations nearby and no meaningful local opposition. The Rosemont Mine would be located in an area by recent mining and adjacent to a growing metropolitan area with more than 1 million inhabitants.  The Rosemont Copper project also faces strong opposition throughout southern Arizona.

The Rosemont opposition coalition will hold a press conference on Friday, October, 14, 2011 at the Pima County Board of Supervisor’s Hearing room at 130 West Congress, 1st floor, Tucson, AZ.  The press conference will start immediately following the U.S. Forest Service’s press conference which is scheduled to start at 1 p.m.

For more information on mine impacts, please visit www.ScenicSantaRitas.org and www.RosemontMineTruth.com.

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MAJOR SETBACK FOR ROSEMONT COPPER IN COUNTY’S DENIAL OF AIR POLLUTION PERMIT

Posted on September 29, 2011 by admin

(Tucson, AZ)–In a major blow for Rosemont Copper, Pima County today denied a crucial air quality permit for the the mining company’s planned open-pit copper mine in the Santa Rita Mountains southeast of Tucson.

The County said in a statement that the Canadian company failed to disclose “material facts” and that it will be a major source of air pollution.

Long-time mine opponent Dr. Tom Purdon, said today,  “clearly Rosemont has failed to demonstrate that it will comply with federal, state, and county air quality regulations.”

According to Purdon, an area physician, “Rosemont is apparently more concerned with green washing than providing sufficient information to regulatory officials who protect the air we breathe from the dust and other air pollutants this mine will create. Rosemont cannot hide the fact that the proposed mine will be a major source of pollution.”

Rosemont’s failure to secure the required permit places the company’s plans to operate an open pit copper mine south of Tucson in serious jeopardy.

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Disclosed Documents Refute Senators, Representative’s Claims on Forest Service Environmental Impact Documents

Posted on September 1, 2011 by admin

Environmental Impact Report Delayed by Rosemont Copper’s Failure to Comply with Agency’s Requests

According to an article published in the Arizona Daily Star, a letter sent by Arizona Senators John McCain and Jon Kyl along with Representative (and Senate candidate) Jeff Flake blames the Forest Service for the delay in the release of the draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) for the Rosemont Copper Mine in the Santa Rita Mountains southeast of Tucson.

This Congressional letter, however, does NOT disclose that Rosemont Copper has, in fact, contributed significantly to these delays. According to publicly available Freedom Information Act (FOIA) documents consisting of internal Forest Service emails and Rosemont project meeting documents, there is ample evidence that Rosemont Copper has slowed down this EIS process.

These documents refer to Rosemont’s “dawdling”, timeline delays resulting from Rosemont not providing needed reports, and that the Forest Service made “repeated request for reports” from Rosemont.

“As indicated by this letter, Senators McCain and Kyl and Rep. Flake are apparently more concerned about expediting the Rosemont Copper project to enrich their investors than ensuring that the devastating and permanent environmental impacts are analyzed”, said Frances Causey of Rosemont Mine Truth.

 

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So is it a TREO study or a Rosemont Study that TREO is shilling?

Posted on July 24, 2011 by admin

According to an article in Sunday’s Arizona Daily Star, we learn that Tucson Regional Economic Opportunity (TREO) is just one more tool in the shed for Rosemont Copper’s green washing efforts.

Something does not smell right about this apparently biased economic analysis.  On the first page of the consultant’s report, it says, “[t]his analysis is based on the best available information and is intended to aid Augusta Resource Corporation in demonstrating the impacts of the Rosemont Copper Project on Pima County.”

However, in the cover letter from TREO’s Joe Snell, he says, “[a]s you know, it is standard for us to prepare such reports for all projects that we work on.” Continue reading →

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Key Facts About the Proposed Rosemont Mine

Posted on May 4, 2011 by admin

Junior Canadian mining company Rosemont Copper and its parent company, Augusta Resource, are spending significant amounts of money attempting to convince southern Arizonans that their proposed, massive open pit copper mine in the Santa Rita mountains will not adversely impact our quality of life.

When one looks beyond Rosemont’s PR spin and examines key facts about this project, it becomes clear that the proposed Rosemont Mine is bad for our environment, our economy and our communities.  These facts are supported by either Rosemont’s own documents and/or 3rd party sources. (Note:  Click here to download a printable one-page version of these facts) Continue reading →

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