Public meeting on Rosemont mine

U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords will appear at a public meeting Saturday in Green Valley with an official overseeing the Forest Service to discuss the controversial Rosemont Copper mine proposal.

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Rosemont Copper president answers questions on proposed mine: http://www.gvnews.com/articles/2009/10/20/letters/00rosemontqa1021.txt

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Department of Agriculture Deputy Under Secretary Jay Jensen will appear in Green Valley and Elgin to hear community comments on plans by Augusta Resource Corp. to build an open-pit mine on the eastern slope of the Santa Rita Mountains. Jensen is responsible for Natural Resources and Environment and has oversight of the Forest Service, the agency now analyzing the mine’s potential environmental impacts.

The meeting will be from 2:15 p.m. to 3:45 p.m. at the Desert Hills Social Center, 2980 S. Camino del Sol in Green Valley and will follow one from 10:15 a.m. to 11:45 a.m. at Elgin Elementary School, 23 Elgin Road, Elgin.

The Green Valley meeting will include brief presentations by Pima County Administrator Chuck Huckelberry; Gayle Hartmann, president of Save the Scenic Santa Ritas (SSSR); and Mike Carson of the Empire Fagan Coalition, all opposing the mine.

Speakers at the Elgin meeting include Santa Cruz County Supervisor John Maynard; SSSR board member Morris Farr; and Farmer’s Investment Co. Vice President Nan Walden of the Rosemont Coalition.

An overwhelming majority of local government officials have opposed the mine proposal since it was announced in 2005. Many fear it would cause irreparable damage to the area’s environment and quality of life.

Augusta, based in Vancouver, Canada, claims the mine will produce 221 million pounds of copper per year and has pledged that it will replace the groundwater it will use in its first 20 years of operation. Critics say new technology could extend the life of the mine and its annual water consumption for decades more.

Those planning to attend are asked to RSVP by noon on Friday to:

520-881-3588 or to RSVPGiffords@mail.house.gov in order to help plan space, but the meetings are open to the public and an RSVP is not required.

Giffords and U.S. Rep. Raul Grijalva, both D-Ariz., on Sept. 10 asked USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack to review the opinion given by Coronado National Forest Supervisor Jeanine Derby that she cannot consider a No Action alternative (non-approval) on the mine plan of operations.

The members of Congress also invited Jensen to tour the proposed mine site and meet with residents of nearby communities before the Forest Service releases a draft Environmental Impact Statement. That document was scheduled for a November release, but now has been delayed indefinitely.