Stand Up and Say No     

Devastating Water Impacts Would Result if Copper Mine Proceeds

Friends, 

 

It is not often that the Sonoran Institute comes out publicly in opposition to a proposed resource development project - in fact, in our 22 years, we have never done so - until now.

 

The Institute, after all, operates on the premise that thorny issues can usually be resolved when well-meaning people are willing to come together to find a solution, and we protect our niche as a source of thoughtful and positive alternatives. But, some projects are just so ill-conceived and contrary to sensible thinking, that we have no choice but to stand up and say, "No."

 

The proposed Rosemont Copper mine near Sonoita, Arizona, is one of these projects.

 

The Institute has publicly shared our reservations about the mine before. But, there is new research that deepens our opposition and underscores just how devastating the mine could be.  

Dr. Waite Osterkamp, a highly respected research hydrologist retired from the U.S. Geological Survey's National Research Program and the University of Arizona has revealed extensive threats to the vital and sensitive water resources of the Sonoita Plain - which surrounds the target area for the mine. The research indicates that the mine could essentially drain pristine water supplies for miles around, including water for the nearby communities of Sonoita and Elgin.

The Sonoita Plain - A Special Place

The Rosemont project would dig an enormous open-pit mine next to one of the most beautiful and ecologically important areas not just in Arizona but in all of the American Southwest. Located 30 miles southeast of Tucson, the mine proposed by the Augusta Resource Corporation would cover 4,750 acres of Coronado National Forest, and some privately held lands.  

Just to the east of the site lies the Sonoita Plain, which, including Las Cienegas National Conservation Area, has one of the last remaining relatively natural grassland ecosystems of the semiarid Southwest. Also in this area are Davidson Canyon and Cienega Creek, both designated by the state of Arizona as "Outstanding Arizona Waters" because of their exceptional ecological and recreational significance and the presence of 7 federally threatened or endangered species.

The Sonoita Plain is a very special place environmentally, but it is also important economically. In addition to the communities of Sonoita and Elgin, the area has significant livestock production, agriculture, vineyards, and historic sites. The area is also home to about 2,500 residents, most of whom rely upon individual wells for drinking water. In 2008, the Institute released an economic analysis showing that approximately $2.95 billion is spent annually for tourism and outdoor recreation activities in Pima and Santa Cruz counties.

Our report concludes that if the proposed project displaces just one percent of travel and tourism-related spending in the area, the economic loss would be greater than the entire annual payroll of the proposed Rosemont mine.

Devastating Water Impacts

All human-related activities in the Sonoita Plain rely on ground water pumped from wells, and all of the grasslands and water-sensitive bottomlands depend on moisture derived from the natural processes of precipitation, streamflow, infiltration, and spring discharge and seepage.

According to this new study by Dr. Osterkamp, open-pit mining in the area could decrease or even eliminate these water sources by draining water from the carbonate rocks - the limestones and dolomites-that are the main "transmitters" of water in the area.
 
"The open pit mine will go through the carbonate rocks to a level that is considerably lower than what the level is of those rocks underlying the Sonoita Plain," says Dr. Osterkamp. "The potential, therefore, is that there can be drainage into the open pit that will dewater, partially or even completely, the carbonate rocks-and dry up wells, dry up springs, and eliminate the water resource of the entire area."

A major concern is if dewatering in the area of the mine occurs, we could see a die-off of the healthy, mature cottonwood groves that are the signature of Las Cienegas. Also, mine-related impacts to the flow of year-round water in the area could also devastate critical habitat for endangered fish.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) cited our 2008 economic study in its highly critical response in February to the draft environmental impact statement (EIS) for the mine project. Giving its lowest possible rating to the draft EIS, the EPA concluded that, "Based on the information currently available, the EPA finds this project will result in the significant degradation of waters of the U.S., including substantial and unacceptable impacts to ARNI [Aquatic Resources of National Importance]."

We Know the People and the Land

Less than an hour's drive from our Tucson headquarters, the Sonoita Plain is close to home. But it is also close to our hearts.

We were intimately involved in helping create Las Cienegas National Conservation Area in 2000. Notably, this special designation garnered a unanimous vote of support from the U.S. Congress - an amazing achievement that sadly seems unmatchable these days. The point is that everyone recognized how unique, special, and worthy of protection this area is.

In the 1990s, the Institute organized community visioning workshops in the Sonoita Plain to help residents and others who care about the area organize and plan for change. Many of the outcomes of the visioning exercise still guide the community today. As Emily Brott, southern Arizona project manager for our Sun Corridor Legacy Program says, "We have invested more than 20 years in the Sonoita Plain and the Cienega Basin, and we know these communities. We know these people."

The Institute recognizes that for many Western communities, a local mine historically offered good jobs and hope for prosperity. The more we look at the proposed Rosemont project, however, the more convinced we become that it is a loser economically, environmentally and socially.

Knowing what we do about this pristine landscape and its residents, and with respect for everything else living on the Sonoita Plain, we say "No" to the Rosemont Copper mine project.

We urge you to say "No" as well.

 

 

Sincerely,    

 

Luther Propst

Executive Director