ADEQ Grants
Contested
Open Pit Mine
Air Quality Permit
Despite opposition from local residents and numerous environmental groups detailing permitting flaws and misinformation spread by Copper World's open pit mine request, the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality(ADEQ) announced it has granted an air quality permit to the project, clearing a regulatory hurdle for the controversial mine being planned for the beautiful Santa Rita Mountains. With this decision, the project has now received all three state-level permits.
In response, the Save the Scenic Santa Ritas website stated, “While we knew this moment was coming, it is no less disappointing. We have begun reviewing the terms of the permit and the responses received from ADEQ and are in active conversations about next steps due to this decision.
They went on to say, “In addition, we are proceeding with a lawsuit against the Arizona State Land Department and continue to advocate for a dust mitigation plan for Santa Rita Road and the project site.
Russ McSpadden, southwest conservation advocate for the Center for Biological Diversity, was quoted in a Tucson Sentinel article as saying: “The state’s flawed air permit for Copper World is another dangerous gift to the mining industry. It’s riddled with loopholes, it misclassifies controllable emissions as ‘fugitive,’ and it allows pollution beyond legal limits. We’re exploring all options to protect the Santa Rita Mountains and surrounding communities."
The Living Desert Alliance will continue to keep our members informed of ongoing issues concerning this matter, including how we can participate in actions to educate the public and methods to stop this environmental disaster from happening. More to come.
All key permit documents are linked below:
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Final Permit | View >
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Final Technical Support Document | View >
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Responsiveness Summary | View >
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Letter to Commenters | View >
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Public Comments | View >
Note: Comments submitted to the ADEQ include:
Tohono O’odham Nation, Pascua Yaqui Tribe, the Center for Biological Diversity, Save the Scenic Santa Ritas, Sierra Club—Grand Canyon Chapter, Sky Island Alliance, Friends of Madera Canyon, Tucson Audubon, Coalition for Sonoran Desert Protection, Arizona Mining Reform Coalition, Patagonia Area Resource Alliance, Great Old Broads for Wilderness—Tucson Broadband, Calabasas Alliance, Living Desert Alliance, and Wild Earth Guardians.
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