Rosemont Copper

Rosemont Copper
Rosemont Copper

Location of the Rosemont Copper Mine in Arizona

Coordinates: 31°51′05″N 110°45′26″W / 31.85139°N 110.75722°W / 31.85139; -110.75722Coordinates: 31°51′05″N 110°45′26″W / 31.85139°N 110.75722°W / 31.85139; -110.75722
Country United States
State Arizona
County Pima County
Protected area Coronado National Forest
Time zone MST (UTC-7)
  Summer (DST) no DST (UTC-7)
Area code(s) 520

Rosemont Copper is the name of a proposed new and large open pit copper mine project pursued by the Canadian mining corporation Hudbay Minerals. It is in a permitting review process under the direction of the United States Forest Service and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.[1] The project site is located within the Santa Rita Mountains and Coronado National Forest, in Pima County of southern Arizona.

Introduction

The Rosemont Copper Mine site is approximately 30 miles (48 km) southeast of Tucson. The nearest established communities are Sonoita, Patagonia, Sahuarita, Green Valley, Corona de Tucson, and Vail.

Opponents argue that the mine will pollute surface and subsurface water and damage aquifer quality and quantity, destroy natural habitats and endangering populations of vulnerable and unique wildlife, cause regional air pollution, and harm the local tourism industry.[2]

Proponents argue that the project will create jobs, generate tax revenue and reduce American dependence on foreign sources of copper.[3]

Proposed Mining Plan

In 2007, Augusta Resource Corporation, Rosemont Copper's parent company, filed a Mine Plan of Operations with the U.S. Forest Service for a proposed open-pit mine in the Santa Rita Mountains section of the Coronado National Forest.[4]

The property contains three mineable copper/molybdenum/silver ("Cu/Mo/Ag") skarn deposits: Rosemont, Peach-Elgin, and Broadtop Butte.[5] Annual production of copper is expected to reach 243 million pounds, which would equal approximately 10% of total U.S. copper production. The mine is expected to produce 5.4 million pounds of molybdenum each year along with 2.9 million ounces of silver and 17,000 ounces of gold.[6]

The Mine Plan of Operations contains details about all manners of the project, including the location of access roads, water conservation, open-pit plans, ore processing and transport, production schedule, drilling patterns, waste rock storage, air quality and dust control methods and land reclamation.[7] It is currently under review by the United States Forest Service.

Location, land status and mineral rights

The Rosemont Copper property is located in Pima County, approximately 30 miles southeast of Tucson. It straddles two historic mining districts: the Rosemont Mining District and the adjacent Helvetia Mining District.[4][8] The property coordinates are approximately 31° 50′ N and 110° 45′ W.[4]

Copper became the focus of mining in the Santa Cruz Valley and elsewhere in Southern Arizona beginning in the late 1880s.[9] By 1907, Southern Arizona led world copper production.[10] Sporadic prospecting reportedly began in the northwestern portion of the Rosemont property, in the Helvetia Mining District, in the mid-1800s. Production from mines on both sides of the northern Santa Rita Mountains brought forth construction and operation of the Columbia Smelter at Helvetia on the west side of the Santa Rita Mountains and the Rosemont Smelter in the Rosemont Mining District on the east side of the Santa Rita Mountains.[4]

Copper production ceased in 1951. In the decades since, the area continued to be the site of successive exploration efforts. In 1956, the American Exploration and Mining Company began exploring the Broadtop Butte prospect. Banner Mining Company acquired most of the claims in the area by the late 1950s. Anaconda Mining Company acquired the claims to the property in 1963 and undertook a major exploration campaign that identified the Rosemont deposit as a major porphyry copper ore body. The company also advanced the Broadtop Butte and Peach-Elgin prospects. The project continued after Amax and Anaconda formed the Anamax partnership and ceased in 1986 when Anamax sold the property to a real estate company during the dissolution of Anaconda. ASARCO purchased the property in 1988, renewed exploration of the Peach-Elgin prospect and initiated engineering studies. ASARCO sold the entire property to real estate interests in 2004. Augusta acquired the Rosemont Property in 2005.[4]

Mineral rights

The core of the Rosemont property consists of 132 patented lode claims that encompass an area of 1,968 acres.[11] A patented mining claim is one for which the federal government has passed its title to the claimant, making it private land.[12] A contiguous package of 850 unpatented lode mining claims with an aggregate area of approximately 12,000 ac surrounds the core of patented claims. An unpatented mine claim is one in which land is essentially leased from the government for the purpose of extracting minerals.[13] Most of the unpatented claims are on federal land administered by the United States Forest Service. In addition, a limited number of claims in the northwest portion of the Property are on federal land administered by the Bureau of Land Management.[11]

Market

The Rosemont Copper Mine is projected to earn $6.9 billion after-tax income over the course of its 21-year lifespan and become the third largest copper mine in the United States.[14][15]

Reserves and resources

Rosemont has proven and probable reserves of 5.9 billion lbs of copper and 194 million lbs of molybdenum and inferred sulfide mineral resources of 1.1 billion lbs of copper and 35 million lbs of molybdenum.[16]

Geology

The regional, local and property geology of the Rosemont deposit consists of Precambrian sedimentary and intrusive rocks, which form the regional basement under a Palaeozoic sequence of quartzites, siltstones, and carbonate rocks. Sedimentary deposition ceased for a time during uplift and formation of a widespread unconformity in the early Mesozoic, and then resumed with the deposition of continental and shallow marine deposits.[17]

Subsequent granitic intrusions and felsic volcanic eruptions dominated the late Mesozoic and early Cenozoic, corresponding to the Laramide Orogeny when most of the porphyry copper deposits of the region formed. Compressional tectonics during the Laramide Orogeny created both low-angle thrust faults and high-angle strike-slip faults. Extensional tectonic activity followed the Laramide Orogeny and was accompanied by voluminous felsic volcanic eruptions. Numerous low-angle normal faults formed during this time. These faults have been particularly important in the Rosemont area. The extensional tectonics eventually produced the large-scale block faulting that produced the present Basin and Range Province throughout the southwestern United States.[7]

Permitting

Rosemont Copper submitted an initial mine plan in 2006 and then a revised mine plan in July 2007.[18] The official start to Rosemont Copper's National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) process began in February 2008.[1] Rosemont Copper has secured the following major permits necessary to begin construction on the proposed mine:

Rosemont has received the following approvals:

As of April 2013, the final permit before mining operations can begin is the Clean Water Act Section 404 permit, issued by the Army Corps of Engineers, which is expected as part of the Forest Service's Record of Decision.[37]

NEPA Review

In October 2007, Rosemont Copper submitted the Rosemont Project Mining Plan of Operation to the United States Department of Agriculture and the Coronado National Forest.[7] In March 2008, The Coronado National Forest began their NEPA process, starting with the Environmental Impact Statement.[1]

The Department of Agriculture, Forest Service's website states regarding Rosemont Cooper's Environmental Impact Statement:

Scoping the proposal is the starting point in the Environmental Impact Statement process under NEPA. Over 11,000 scoping comment submissions were received. From scoping, issues were identified and used to develop alternatives to the proposal. Feasible alternatives, which allow the claimant to reasonably exercise their statutory rights and vested property rights in minerals while seeking to minimize adverse environmental impacts on National Forest surface resources, are then described and analyzed in the Draft Environmental Impact Statement. The Final Environmental Impact Statement and Record of Decision will follow once comments on the Draft Environmental Impact Statement are analyzed and incorporated into the document.[1]

The Draft EIS for Rosemont contained approximately 400 reports on topics such as air quality, water resources, soils and reclamation, and biological resources. A full list of all 400 reports can be viewed on the Forest Service's website.[38]

The public comment period for Rosemont's draft EIS closed on January 31, 2012.[39]

The Coronado National Forest planned to release the Final Environmental Impact Statement in December 2012, but postponed the release to an undisclosed date. The United States Fish and Wildlife Service, State Historic Preservation Office, and the Army Corps of Engineers, are still completing their analysis.[40] The Forest Service Southwestern Regional Office released their Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) and draft Record of Decision (ROD) for the Rosemont Copper Project on December 13, 2013.[41]

Controversy

The controversy over the proposed Rosemont Copper mine revolves around potential risks to the environment, with water being the number one concern.[42]

In general, opponents argue that open-pit copper mines pollute surrounding air and water supplies with mercury, lead, arsenic or other elements and that the mine will damage regional tourism.[43]

Proponents argue that the Rosemont mine will provide economic benefits to the region, including jobs and tax revenue,[44] as well as help reduce U.S. dependence on foreign sources of minerals.[45]

Opposition to the project is led by Save the Scenic Santa Ritas (SSSR) and includes the Center for Biological Diversity, Coalition for Sonoran Desert Protection, Defenders of Wildlife, Sierra Club, Sky Island Alliance, and Tucson Audubon Society.[46]

The Rosemont Copper project has been endorsed by Arizona Builders' Alliance,[47] Alliance of Construction Trades,[48] Tucson Hispanic Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors,[49] Tucson Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce,[50] Marana Chamber of Commerce,[51] Southern Arizona Contractors Association,[52] Tucson Utility Contractors Association,[53] Arizona Contractors Association,[52] City of Benson,[54] Southeast Arizona Economic Development Group,[55] and Northern Pima County Chamber of Commerce.[51]

Arguments against the proposal

Arguments in favor of the proposal

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 US Forest Service EIS
  2. Save the Scenic Santa Ritas - Rosemont Arguments, Scenic Santa Ritas
  3. Rosemont Benefits, Southern Arizona Business Coalition
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 Mine Plan of Operations, Augusta Resource
  5. "Rosemont shows investors new sites", Arizona Daily Star December 8, 2011
  6. What We Mine, Rosemont Copper Mine
  7. 1 2 3 Mine Plan of Operations, US Forest Service EIS
  8. Copper Deposits of Part of Helvetia Mining District, Pima County Arizona
  9. "Mining Booms", Santa Cruz Valley Heritage Alliance
  10. "Mining Booms", Archaeology Southwest
  11. 1 2 "Mine Plan of Operations", Rosemont Copper Mine
  12. "Mineral Patent Application", Bureau of Land Management
  13. "Mining Claims", Rosemont Copper Mine
  14. 2010 Arizona Mining Review, Arizona Geology Magazine, September 22, 2011
  15. "Higher costs, profits forecast for Rosemont Mine" Arizona Daily Star, September 1, 2012
  16. Mineral Resources Estimate, US Forest Service EIS
  17. Geology and Seismotectonic Review, Vector Colorado
  18. AERMOD Modeling Report to Assess Ambient Air Quality Impacts, Arizona Department of Environmental Quality
  19. "Aquifer Protection Permit Issued", Arizona Department of Environmental Quality
  20. Aquifer Protection Permit, Arizona Department of Environmental Quality
  21. Construction Storm Water General Permit Issued, Arizona Department of Environmental Quality
  22. Construction Storm Water General Permit, Arizona Department of Environmental Quality
  23. Agriculture Land Clearing Permit Issued
  24. Agriculture Land Clearing Permit
  25. Air Activity Permit Issued, Pima County Department of Environmental Quality
  26. Air Activity Permit, Pima County Department of Environmental Quality
  27. Air Quality Permit Issued, Arizona Department of Environmental Quality
  28. Air Quality Permit, Arizona Department of Environmental Quality
  29. Groundwater Withdrawal Permit Issued, Arizona Department of Mines and Mineral Resources
  30. Groundwater Withdrawal Permit, Arizona Department of Mines and Mineral Resources
  31. Aquifer Protection Permits Issued, Arizona Department of Environmental Quality
  32. 1 2 Tucson Electric Power Transmission Line Permits Issued, Arizona Corporation Commission
  33. Rosemont Ranch Reclamation Plan, Arizona State Mine Inspector
  34. Arizona Mining Permitting Guide
  35. Hazardous Waste Identification Number Issued, EPA
  36. Hazardous Waste Identification Number, EPA
  37. Arizona Mining Project Wins Crucial Permit, The New York Times Green blog, February 4, 2013
  38. List of Reports, US Forest Service EIS
  39. Public Meetings Notice, US Forest Service EIS
  40. Analysis Continues, US Forest Service EIS
  41. Final Environmental Impact Statement for the Rosemont Copper Project: A Proposed Mining Operation, Coronado National Forest, Pima County, Arizona. Tucson, AZ: United States Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Southwestern Region, 2013.
  42. 1 2 A Clash Over Mining and Water, The New York Times, March 21, 2012
  43. Analyze Socioeconomic Impacts, Scenic Santa Ritas
  44. Rosemont Copper Mine would benefit economy and community but is buried in bureaucracy, Tucson Citizen, April 14, 2011
  45. Support of Rosemont Copper, Arizona Senate
  46. Groups Opposed to Rosemont Copper, Canyon Echo
  47. Builders group endorses Rosemont Mine, Arizona Daily Star, January 27, 2011
  48. Construction Trade Group Among Endorsers of Rosemont Mine, Arizona Public Media, March 17, 2011
  49. Tucson Hispanic Chamber Endorses Rosemont Copper, May 16, 2011
  50. Tucson Chamber supports Rosemont copper mine, Inside Tucson Business, July 2, 2010
  51. 1 2 Chamber Alliance Urges Rosemont Process Move Forward, Tucson Chamber, February 1, 2012
  52. 1 2 The Arizona Contractors Association Supports Rosemont Copper Mine in Southern Arizona, June 10, 2010
  53. Builders group lines up in favor of mine, Arizona Daily Star, January 28, 2011
  54. Chamber concerned by threat, San Pedro Valley News-Sun, June 9, 2010
  55. Rosemont Copper Mine Project, Southeast Arizona Economic Development Group Blog, September 13, 2011
  56. Remaining Permits and Decisions Needed by Rosemont, April 2013
  57. 1 2 Pima County's other new copper mine: Any problems for Oracle Ridge?, Southern Arizona News-Examiner. June 12, 2012
  58. 1 2 Economic Impacts of the Proposed Rosemont Mine, Save the Scenic Santa Ritas
  59. "Rare footage of jaguar in the Santa Rita Mountains outside Tucson" (video). Los Angeles Times.
  60. Center for Biological Diversity.org: "Rosemont Mine would destroy El Jefe's home and severely hamstring recovery of jaguars in the United States" . accessed 8 May 2016.
  61. Tony Davis, (May 7, 2016). "Imperiled wildlife can live with Rosemont, US report says". Arizona Daily Star. Accessed 8 May 2016.
  62. The Environmental Protection Agency Comes-a-Copper, Forbes, May 12, 2011
  63. Initial Two-Year Water Supply Already Stored for Augusta's Rosemont Copper, Augusta Resource Press Release, June 28, 2007
  64. Supporting the Rosemont Copper Mine in Southern Arizona, Arizona State Legislature
  65. Tucsons News Now voices support for Rosemont Copper Mine, The More You Dig, June 26, 2012
  66. Construction industry rallies to support Rosemont mine proposal, Inside Tucson Business October 21, 2011
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