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ADEQ Approves Key Water Use Permit for Hudbay's Open Pit Mine
Despite massive objections from local communities, environmental groups and concerned citizens, as well as an incomplete project permit plan, the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality approved a key water use permit for Hudbay’s Copper World Mine in the Santa Rita Mountains
This ends a contentious water use debate over the proposed Copper World permit and is a major setback for everyone who provided thoughtful comments and science-based opposition at two public meetings blasting the project's monitoring well network, its ability to self-monitor groundwater wells for possible contamination, and the current lack of state groundwater quality standards for uranium. This leaves only an air quality permit approval from ADEQ before construction and eventual mining of 26 sq. miles of the Santa Rita mountains can begin.
As a reminder, the permit is for the approval 16 facilities at the site, five open pit mines, a massive waste rock disposal area and multiple tailings disposal areas. ADEQ has estimated that Copper World's mine life will be about 15 years, although Hudbay has said about 20 years for its first phase. The company has also said it could be mining the entire area site — including the former Rosemont Mine site — for a total of 44 years.
The mine will extract about 60,000 tons of sulfide ore and 20,000 to 45,000 tons of oxide ore daily.
Save the Scenic Santa Ritas Association, stated, "Once again ADEQ has adopted a head-in-the-sand approach to AZ mining regulations. They approved an aquifer protection permit for a 2022 Copper World application that does not match up with Hudbay’s latest mining plan. Although ADEQ says that they can always amend the permit later to match on-the-ground reality, we think that’s backwards. The permit should be withheld until ADEQ evaluates everything Hudbay is proposing to do. SSSR and other concerned neighbors will be considering next steps."
There is still time to voice your concerns!
A final public forum is scheduled for Tuesday, September 10th, from 6pm to 9pm, at Corona Foothills Middle School 16705 S. Houghton Road, Vail, AZ. This is your opportunity to speak directly to the leadership of the ADEQ.
Please plan to attend, invite your family and friends. Even if you don’t speak, let’s fill up the seats and the room to overflowing! There is power in numbers.
See you there
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Review the Save the Scenic Santa Ritas Association's in-depth "Economic Impact of the Copper World/Rosemont Mine Complex." analysis detailing its negative impact on the local community and environment
Highlights include:
- The project's serious depletion of groundwater.
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How the project creates “mounds of tailings dust hundreds of feet high.
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The mine’s "new jobs" are not a big boost to the local economy
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Copper from the mine is not essential for the United States
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