Carroll rebukes plan for CAP water delivery

A Green Valley water company’s plan to bring Central Arizona Project water to the area drew another a sharp rebuke Thursday by Pima County Supervisor Ray Carroll.

Carroll spoke to the board of representatives of the Green Valley Community Coordinating Council.

He criticized several aspects of mining company Rosemont Copper’s plans to develop the mine east of the Santa Rita Mountains east of Green Valley and of its plan to build a pipeline to carry CAP water to the area which would serve Community Water Co. of Green Valley.

Community Water President Arturo Gabald—n was in the audience and later faulted the supervisor for what he said were inaccurate statements.

For one thing, Gabald—n said, the water company is not supporting Rosemont’s plan to build the mine. It’s only interested in securing the CAP delivery pipeline, he said.

Carroll also described his visit Friday to Rosemont’s well site near Sahuarita, which he called a dust bowl with dust three inches deep.

The county issued a dust control citation to the company.

Carroll said the 12-inch well that Rosemont drilled there “dumped a million and a half gallons of water into the wash.”

The water flowed away into an otherwise dry wash, Carroll said. He said the pump ran all weekend.

Nearby nervous neighbors called on Carroll for help, fearing the new well would seriously affect their domestic wells.

Rosemont is a subsidiary of Augusta Resource Corp., which Carroll refers to as Augusta Sumitomo. Japanese mining company Sumitomo Metal Mining Co., is a partner in the Rosemont mine.

A letter of intent between Augusta and Community Water and other documents indicates the mining company will build a 20-inch pipeline 9 to 12 miles long to a water recharge site for the water company.

The pipeline could be larger to bring more water to a recharge facility. There will be a valve in the pipeline that could be used to send more water directly east, the letter of intent said.

The Arizona Corporation Commission plans a fact-finding meeting here Dec. 5. It’s not scheduled to take sworn testimony.

At Thursday’s meeting, Gabald—n said the commission also won’t look into the mine proposal, just the water deal for Community Water.

Earlier this month, the GVCCC’s executive committee issued a position paper on the proposed CAP pipeline.

Among other things it said it opposed the agreement between Community Water and the mining company, saying, “we believe the agreement will facilitate both the federal and state permitting process for the mine” and that it will help the company’s ability to attract investors.

It also said, “we suggest the county administrator’s position that the CAP pipeline should be of sufficient size and design to serve the entire Green Valley Region.” Administrator Chuck Huckelberry has said a much larger pipeline would be needed to meet the Green Valley water needs in the coming years.

Water company President Gabald—n has said the CAP pipeline is just one step in securing enough water to serve the region.

jlamb@gvnews.com | 547-9749