Contacts - Mining

Joe Marlow
Land Economist
520-290-0828, ext. 1146
 
Emily Brott
Southern Arizona Project Manager, Sun Corridor Legacy Program
520-290-0828, ext. 1144

Featured Video - Mining in the West

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    Home 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

    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.

    thumb brottphoto“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. Read the press release

    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

    Luther Propst Opinion – Arizona Republic

    April 3, 2010 - The Sonoran Institute is no fan of mining. The environmental impacts of extracting minerals from the ground are often devastating. We also understand, however, that for many Western communities, a local mine historically offered good jobs and hope for prosperity. Mining helped build Arizona and the West, while its busts caused hardship and forced economic diversification. As long as our economy craves copper and other essential metals, mining companies will continue to search for new supplies to meet the demand. The presence of minerals below ground, however, should not automatically justify a mine; in terms of how economic benefits balance environmental and social costs, some places are clearly better suited for mining than others. The principal federal law regulating the siting of mines on public lands has not been meaningfully updated since 1872. This law, which treats all potential mining sites as equal, should be reformed. Click here to read the entire opinion piece.