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.
