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Kathy Borgen champions causes that help protect, care for, and nurture a love of our planet. She is also passionate about the work of the Institute
Where We Work Westwide - Policy Reform Mining
Mining in the West
Despite the promise of jobs, business income, and tax revenues, it is widely known that the environmental impacts of extracting minerals from the ground are often profound and permanent. Some places are clearly better suited for mining than others in terms of how economic benefits are weighed against environmental and social costs. With years of experience examining mining projects across the West, the Sonoran Institute understands the economic importance of mining and the need for copper and other metals.
Rosemont Mine Project May Deplete Area Water Resources
Released April 2012 - A newly released study of possible effects on ground-water resources underlying the Sonoita Plain in southeastern Arizona indicates potentially dramatic declines in ground-water levels owing to flow of water into an open pit if copper is mined at the Rosemont site. The communities of Sonoita and Elgin could see water tables drop by about 1,000 feet and 700 feet respectively. The study indicates that water tables could drop as far away as 25 miles from the proposed mine. The report or "Statement of Concern" was filed formally with the U.S. Forest Service in February, 2012.
Click here to read the report "Ground-water Resources of the Sonoita Plain" by Dr. Osterkamp
Click here to read the full report with comments
Emily Martin Brott Mining video:
“The Sonoita Plain is home to many working ranches and farms, including wineries, which underscore the economic importance of available water resources,” says Emily Brott, a project manager for the Sonoran Institute. “Placing a new open-pit mine in this area, we believe, may jeopardize and even eliminate these water resources – which would be devastating to the local economy.”
News & Updates
Rosemont Mine May Eliminate Area Water Resources
April 25, 2012 - A study released by the Sonoran Institute indicates potentially dramatic declines in ground-water levels would result from the flow of water into the open pit copper mine proposed by Augusta Resources Corporation. The communities of Sonoita and Elgin could see water tables drop by up to 1,000 feet and 700 feet respectively. The study further indicates that water tables could drop as far away as 25 miles from the proposed mine. Read the press release. Read the report.
Mine-impact Study "Inadequate"
Feb. 26, 2012 - The EPA gave the lowest possible rating to a draft environmental impact statement for the proposed Rosemont copper mine. It's one of about a dozen times the Environmental Protection Agency's San Francisco regional office has done so since 1989. Click here to read the Arizona Daily Star article.
Judge Sides Against Foes of Rosemont
Feb. 10, 2012 - A federal judge has dismissed a lawsuit filed by opponents of the Rosemont Mine that had accused the Forest Service of violating two federal laws in its handling of the mine issue. Click here to read the Arizona Daily Star story. Also, read the EPA Letter on Rosemont here.
Rosemont Permit Hits EPA Roadblock
Jan. 20, 2012 - The EPA says it's not ready to recommend approval of a federal permit for the Rosemont Mine under the Clean Water Act, and that it has major concerns that could further delay the project. Click here to read the Arizona Daily Star article.
500 Attend Final Hearing on Rosemont
Jan. 16, 2012 - The last of seven public hearings on the proposed Rosemont mine's draft environmental report showed clear differences between supporters and opponents of the billion-dollar project. Click here to read the Arizona Daily Star story.
Stories
Stand Up and Say No
April, 2012 - It is not often that the Institute publicly opposes a proposed resource development project. 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.
Read our April 2012 Western Dispatch
Not All Sites Proposed for Mines are Inappropriate