A Hudbay Minerals Inc. subsidiary plans to begin clearing and grading this month on the southern Arizona site for a planned new mine with five open pits.
Rosemont Copper’s planned work will take place on private land on the Santa Rita Mountains’ western slope south of Tucson, the Arizona Daily Star reported.
Hudbay Vice President Javier Del Rio notified Pima County regional flood control officials recently that the company plans to start seeking environmental permits later this year from state agencies for construction of the Rosemont Copper World project.
A company statement said it “will take great care to ensure that we minimize disturbances to the environment and comply with all federal, state and local requirements.”
Hudbay said it had no specific construction date for the site east of the Green Valley retirement community.
A law firm representing three Arizona tribes responded to Hudbay’s letter to the county by sending the company a notice that it intends to file suit, alleging that grading and clearing would violate the federal Clean Water Act’s prohibition of “any unpermitted discharges” into federally regulated washes.
Hudbay said it has all required approvals for its initial site work and denied its planned activities would damage federally regulated washes.
Republished with the permission of the Associated Press.
