Latest News
Lake Mead's Water Level Plunges as 11-Year Drought Lingers
By PAUL QUINLAN of Greenwire
August 13, 2010 - New York Times
Community Water Company (CWC) and Rosemont Copper have proposed a pipeline project to bring in CAP water to Green Valley. Read this commentary to find out why this is BAD for Green Valley:
Guest Commentary: Rosemont ‘water grab’ is bad for GV
By Tom Purdon, July 27, 2010
The Coronado National Forest issued the following statement on April 30, 2010:
SCHEDULE ADJUSTMENT ANNOUNCED FOR ROSEMONT COPPER PROJECT DRAFT ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT
TUCSON, AZ (April 30, 2010) – Due to the complexity of the proposed Rosemont Copper Project, the schedule for release of the Draft Environmental Impact Statement is being adjusted. Coronado National Forest personnel are currently involved in ongoing discussions with participants in the NEPA process to determine a schedule to facilitate a thorough evaluation of the proposal and other alternatives.
The additional time will allow the Forest to complete field surveys for a native plant (Hexalectris revoluta) that is found coincident with alternative project sites on National Forest land. The time will also accommodate detailed groundwater hydrology studies which are being conducted on potential impacts and mitigation measures for alternatives under evaluation. The studies are expected to be completed during July. A revised schedule for the Draft Environmental Impact Statement will be announced within the next two months.
Download the official press release from the Forest Service.
See Augusta's latest press release.
See the latest article about the delay from the Arizona Daily Star, May 1, 2010.
BILL WATCH: Update on AZ House Bill HB2617
This bill has now passed both the AZ Senate AND House, and awates Governor Brewer's signature.
TAKE ACTION! Contact Governor Brewer and tell her that we can't afford to loosen restrictions so mining companies can make a greater profit at the expense of our water. Contact the Governer via email at azgov@az.gov, fill out this contact form online, or call her at (602) 542-4331 or toll free at 1-(800) 253-0883.
Here are a few good resources for information on this bill:
Info on the bill from the source: www.azleg.gov
The Sierra Club's position/info from Sandy Bahr
Recent article in the Green Valley News
Read the recent article by Gayle Hartmann and Morris Farr from the Arizona Daily Star, March 9, 2010:
Rosemont mine benefits are small, short-term, negatives lasting, costly
CORONADO NATIONAL FOREST ANNOUNCES LOCATIONS OF PLAN REVISION OPEN HOUSES
TUCSON, AZ (February 12, 2010) –From March 3 to March 18th the Coronado National Forest is hosting a series of six open houses for the public to review and discuss the initial working draft of the revised Forest Land and Resource Management Plan. The events will be held in various locations across southeastern Arizona and in southwestern New Mexico. Each will focus on a specific geographic area of the Forest.
The open house meetings will be an opportunity for the public to get an overview of the draft document with a short presentation describing the various plan components. Information about the review and comment process, how to stay involved, and the timeline for completion of the revision process will also be presented. This presentation will be repeated once each hour to allow people to attend at the most convenient time. Forest staff and revision team members will be available for one-on-one questions and comments.
The working document to be presented will cover draft management direction in the form of desired conditions the forest hopes to achieve over time, objectives, guidelines, standards, and suitable uses. Reports on areas that have been assessed for potential inclusion into the National Wilderness Preservation System will also be presented.
Participants at prior workshops have been very involved in identifying ways to improve the management of the Forest. This is the fifth in a series of public meetings which began in 2008.
Visit www.fs.fed.us/r3/coronado/plan-revision/ for more information or download the press release, and plan to attend one of the open houses.
February, 2010 update
Success - Hearing in Washington, D.C.
A message from Gayle Hartmann, President, SSSR
For those of you who may not have heard yet, Congressman Grijalva’s Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests and Public Lands heard testimony on January 21 on his bill, “The Southern Arizona Public Lands Protection Act of 2009.” The bill would withdraw from the mining and mineral leasing laws of the U.S. all National Forest and BLM lands in Pima County and Santa Cruz County from mining and mineral leasing. (The bill is H.R. 2944). Visit the House Natural Resources Committee's website for specifics on this hearing. You can also view video of relevant segments from the hearing at the website of the Hilton Ranch Road Community Organization.
Testifying in favor of the bill were Morris Farr, vice-president of Save the Scenic Santa Ritas and resident of Sonoita; Chairman Ned Norris, Tohono O’odham Nation; Chuck Huckelberry, Pima County administrator; and Nan Walden, FICO. Congresswoman Giffords also attended the hearing and testified in favor of the bill.
Testifying in opposition to the bill was Manny Armenta representing the United Steelworkers of America.
This bill would prevent FUTURE mining on National Forest and BLM lands, but would not stop Rosemont. However, it would require Rosemont to validate all its claims. This is a lengthy and expensive process. And, we believe, the result would present serious problems for Rosemont.
At any rate, introducing the bill is an important step in coming to grips with mining issues in our part of the world. We’ll keep you posted as the bill moves through Congress.
Please send an E-mail or snail mail letter to Grijalva and Giffords, thanking them for their work on this issue.
Congressman Raúl Grijalva
810 E. 22nd St.
Suite 102
Tucson, AZ 85713
Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords
1661 N. Swan, Suite 112
Tucson, AZ 85712
And, as usual, THANKS to all of you for your continued support and hard work!
- Gayle Hartmann
Tired of hearing the Rosemont Copper sponsorship spots on KUAZ 89.1 FM?
Thanks to many of you who made donations to help SSSR sponsor programming on KUAZ 89.1 FM, we have reached our goal of raising $1,000, which will be matched by one of our board members. If you would still like to make a donation to support the cause, you may - additional donations will allow us to sponsor additional programming, giving us more opportunities for our name and mission to be read and heard on the air.
You can make a donation online on our website via paypal (just click the "donate online" link on the right near the of this page) or you can send a check to:
Save the Scenic Santa Ritas
8987 E. Tanque Verde #309-157
Tucson, AZ 85749
Please be sure to write "KUAZ matching gift" in the memo line.
Thank you for your support!
Help us remind Senator McCain why the the proposed Rosemont mine is a bad idea! Write to him today!
Although Senator John McCain has not officially endorsed the proposed Rosemont Mine, he said recently at a meeting in Green Valley that it "can be good for our economy." Write to him today and tell him that jobs are not the only factor to consider, and that 400 jobs could never make up for the impacts on water, eco-tourism, the environment and overall quality of life.
Fax, mail or email letters to Senator McCain’s Chief of Staff, Mark Buse:
Mark Buse, Chief of Staff:
PH: 202-224-2235
Fax: 202-228-2862
Address; 241 Russell Senate Office Bldg- Washington, DC 20510
Email: mark_buse@mccain.senate.gov
(make sure to include the underscore ( _ ) between mark and buse in this email address)
November, 2009 update
Recently there have been questions raised about the scope of the Southern Arizona Public Lands Protection Act, HR 2944. Some people fear that this bill will close off all access to National Forest lands in Pima and Santa Cruz Counties, stopping all public use of these lands. These questions have been reviewed by Congresswoman Giffords' staff with legal expertise in mining and public lands law. They have clarified that the language in the bill meets the original and limited purpose of the legislation. This bill was introduced to primarily address mining on public land and will not have any impact on other uses of public land.
On Nov. 1, 2009 Congresswoman Giffords issued the following statement regarding the bill:
"HR 2944, the Southern Arizona Public Lands Protection Act, has been carefully drafted to apply restrictions only to mining, mineral activities, geothermal energy development, and means of obtaining private ownership of public lands. The bill was drafted by experts in mining and public lands law to achieve this limited purpose, and independent legal experts have confirmed this interpretation. If passed, the bill would in no way constrain or modify rules of access to public lands for other activities, including grazing, hunting, fishing, or other forms of recreation. I remain committed to working with all interested stakeholders to ensure the final bill achieves its limited purpose."
Forest Service revises release date for the Rosemont Environmental Impact Statement
New release scheduled for the second quarter of 2010.
U.S. REP. GABRIELLE GIFFORDS TO HOST TWO PUBLIC MEETINGS ON PROPOSED ROSEMONT MINE
Top official from U.S. Department of Agriculture will attend the Oct. 24th meetings.
Read the full story
See our Events page for more details.
Conservation and Native American Groups Challenge Bush-Era Mining Givaways
Lawsuit Filed to Overturn Public Land Mining Regulations
Read the joint Press Release
Read the article by Dick Kamp in the Green Valley News from October 20th.
Rosemont Environmental Impact Statement Delayed!
Read the story in the Sahuarita Sun, Oct. 17, 2009
Coronado National Forest Rosemont Copper Project EIS Website
This site is still in beta version, but you can search the over 11,000 comments by name, or words. The list of Cooperating Agencies, updates on the process, and other documents are also available on the site.
Read a fact sheet on S 140, the Abandoned Mine Reclamation Act of 2009
Denver Post, Salazar: Now's time to revamp 1872 Mining Law, July 15, 2009
Physorg.com/Associated Press, Interior halting uranium mining at Grand Canyon, July 21, 2009
The new Water Law Reading Room includes a comprehensive case law index, the National AgLaw Center publications, an overview article, a federal statute compilation, and a compilation of each state's water laws and regulations. The room also contains valuable links to federal agencies, a listing of states' water offices, water organizations, and other resources.
Rosemont Mine Validity Exam Information (from Pima County)
Help protect the nation's waters - The Clean Water Restoration Act
More info on the Clean Water Restoration Act
EPA and Congress: Restoring the Clean Water Act, Wick Communications, Richard Kamp, Mar. 3, 2009
Toxics Release Inventory
Mar 19, Washington, D.C. -- Today the Environmental Protection Agency published the most recent Toxics Release Inventory. Once again the nation's largest polluter is the metal mining industry: of 4.09 billion pounds of toxics reported, 1.15 billion pounds were released by mining -- more than 28% by just one industry.
Stimulus Bill could generate work in mine cleanup across the West, Feb. 16, 2009
Read a Report on the Rosemont Mine Tour! Send us your report and we'll post it here!
Arizona Daily Star, Feds, state must cooperate on area land uses, Jan. 4, 2009
HELP PROTECT DAVIDSON CANYON!
Go to our webpage on Davidson Canyon for the latest info.
Dec. 18, 2008: Army Corps of Engineers requires AZ-Cal Portland Cement to file individual Section 404 Permit under the Clean Water Act for their limestone mine in Davidson Canyon <more>
Arizona Daily Stary, Santa Cruz is ruled "navigable", Dec. 5, 2008
USEPA Letter, Dec. 3, 2008
Mike Carson, Local Hero! Tucson Weekly, Dec. 25, 2008
Read the Fall 2008 issue of The Scenic News!
Read The Dominion Paper, a Canadian paper, Nov. 2008 Issue #55: State of Mine, special edition on mining, including an ad by Save the Scenic Santa Ritas
--See their video library on mining in Canada
Show your support for SSSR and our efforts to stop new mining in Southern Arizona! Check out the groups who have Endorsed us, and have your group endorse us, too.
We never know the wealth of water till the well is dry.
Thomas Fuller 1732
