Monday, August 19, 2013

Lawsuit filed against Rosemont mine aquifer protection permit

Last Thursday was the deadline for cooperating agencies to submit their comments to the Forest Service on the Final EIS for the proposed Rosemont copper mine south of Tucson.

On Friday, a group of organizations and individuals filed suit against the Arizona Water Quality Appeals Board to overturn their upholding of the Aquifer Protection Permit issued to Augusta Resources for the mine.  The group wants the WQAB decision reversed and the permit application sent back to the Arizona Dept. of Environmental Quality to be reconsidered using criteria the mine opponents say should have been used.  [Right, geologic cross section through proposed mine site.  Credit, Rosemont Copper]


Rosemont's been riding a wave of positive developments this summer with an Administrative Law Judge's upholding of the Aquifer Protection Permit followed by the WQAB decision, the release of the Final EIS, and last week's announcement that nearly $1 billion in financing has been secured to construct the mine.

There is widespread expectation that mine opponents will be filing numerous lawsuits to try to prevent or at least delay mine construction from beginning in 2014.

2 comments:

  1. martin9:12 AM

    Environmentalists will do anything to stop mining in America. It's OK to mine other countries but not here. I guess these people don't think about the metals that went into their cars, houses, computers, appliances, etc.

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  2. Anonymous5:46 AM

    I SAY LETS TURN OUT THE LIGHTS AND LET EM ALL LIVE IN THE DARK AGES. MINERALS ARE NECESSARY TO OUR VERY SURVIVAL AND MINERALS ARE HUGE IN ARIZONA. WE SUPPLY 68% OF U.S. COPPER PRODUCTION.
    SO WE CUT OFF OUR NOSE TO SPITE OUR FACE?
    MODERN MINING IS DONE IN A RESPONSIBLE MANNER. WE BREATH THE SAME AIR AND DRINK THE SAME WATER AS YOU DO AND WE RESTORE WHAT WE DISTURB. GET A CLUE GUYS.
    CAPS ARE INTENDED BY THE WAY.

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