Augusta Resource/Rosemont Copper Project
What do we want in our public forest reserves?
This? or This?
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1872
Latest News!
Court rescinds Rosemont's state air quality control permit
From RosemontTruth.com
�This Court concludes there was not substantial evidence to support the action of the AzDEQ, and the action of the AzDEQ was contrary to law, was arbitrary and capricious, and was an abuse of discretion,� the ruling states.
The ruling sends Rosemont's air quality permit back to AzDEQ �for further consideration using the proper criteria.�
read more....
Editor's Note: The same reality of rewriting a permit exists with the Rosemont APP [Aquifer protection permit] for water quality. The usual protocol is to apply for the APP after the Mine Plan has been approved. However, Rosemont rushed ADEQ to process the permit (for the standard fee), even though the Plan had not been finalized. The Mine Plan has changed considerably, so the APP will have to be rewritten at a cost to the State of Arizona. There is a ADEQ fee for a permit, but not for revisions. It could be surmised that the rush to get all permits was so Augusta could sell the property. Did they disclose this hurdle to the Buyer?
Point-counterpoint 2—Forest Service v. EPA over Rosemont
by Tony Davis
Arizona Star
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, a fierce critic of the Rosemont Mine for several years, recently wrote another round of critical comments on the U.S. Forest Service's latest report on the mine's impacts. The service's Supplemental Information Report was released in March.
Here is a sampling of both sides' views:
Wet-dry mapping of streams
Forest Service, Supplemental Information Report (SIR), page 38: "Wet/dry mapping has been conducted on Empire Gulch and Cienega Creek from 2006 through present. The past 2 years of mapping (2012 and 2013) have had the least amount of measured wetted stream length, suggesting a trend toward degrading aquatic habitat. However, when analyzed, there is no statistically significant trend."
EPA: ". . . the approach downplays the ongoing observed trend in wetted stream length, citing that there is not (a) significant statistical trend. This is misleading and may result in underestimating real impacts to aquatic organisms. For example, while a contracting wetted stream reach may show no significant statistical relationship, a contraction in a small linear distance can still have a large biological effect, especially when the available length of wetted channel is limited during the critical dry season."
Analysis of riparian area impacts
SIR, page 42: "The riparian analysis relied on the following basic assumptions:
-- That the flow observed at the USGS stream gage on upper Cienega Creek . . . from 2001 to 2013 (a period of severe drought) was a reasonable representation of flow conditions in the future. . . .
Read entire comprehensive and clear report: Forest Service v EPA
Editor's Note 1: It is Rosemont Mine's report. The U.S.F.S. do not write a word of the environmental impact reports.
Editor's Note 2: The EPA is a participant because of surface water impacts.
Augusta Resource executives purchased and sold stock in days leading up to and after HudBay takeover bid announcement www.rosemontminetruth.com/?p=2752#more-2752
Comments on the Final Environmental Impact Statement
AZ Game and Fish speak up for our wildlife and environment!
Letter to Coronado National Forest regarding lack of cooperation with AZ Game and Fish Agency
Game and Fish comments on habitat, wildlife and recreation loss
Game and Fish comments on revenue loss: $1,356,713 over 25 year life of the Rosemont mine
U. S. Department of Interior, Office of Environmental Quality and Compliance, makes extensive comments on the Rosemont project:
Comments on air and water quality concerns
Comments on conservation of Onyx Cave
EPA tells Forest Service that the Rosemont DEIS is inadequate and should be re-done.
EPA writes second letter to Army Corps outlining problems with Rosemont permit:
Latest: Honor our National Forests—they are up next for destruction by mining
Forest Service Inventory of trees to be destroyed by Rosemont mining operations
Praise for Nature--the experience of living in a National Forest and honoring the trees, flowers, birds and wildlife! Take a retreat in the woods to rejuvenate your spirit! No time-- take one vicariously and get inspired to take your own! You will get ideas of what you can do, look for and experience when you do have time to take a retreat in the woods for the restoring of your soul and energy!
You can download it to a computer, tablet, I-pad, I-pod--or your Kindle.
Your purchase will help fuel and fund the effort to save the trees in our National Forests!
Predictions of increased doubled or more fatialities and accidents on Highway 83:
Letter to Forest Service 11-7-2013
Breaking News!!
Check this out! Arizona mining scams in the late 20th century
Published by the Arizona State Drtment of Mines and Mineral Resources (2002)FROM Dick Kamp, Wick Communications: Analysis of Augusta Resource Board Members' Sargold operation--a major pollution fiasco in Sardania, Italy. Report from Sierra Vista Herald in Arizona: Speculaton gone bad: Augusta directors owned Sardinian mine pollution.
FROM Dan Shearer, GV-News Editor: Rosemont, and some big questions
FROM Tony Davis at the Star: Increased profits [7B], costs [1.2B] predicted for Rosemont MineRosemont changes their mining plan--they did not know how to differentiate between oxide and sulfide ores. Rosemont Letter to Coronado Forest Service
Just like they didn't know how to calculate copper content! Drill samples go from 1.32/1.57 to 0.45/0.17 in five years??The Forest Service has learned something about mining in the last 6 years.The Coronado Supervisor's reply: Coronado Letter to Rosemont
Rosemont replied that it was basically an economic decision. (Note: Phelps Dodge Morenci paid $210 million to switch their entire operations to SX-EW) Rosemont Reply to Coronado Supervisor
Note the anomolies: With the new plan there will be 5 more truckloads of concentrate per day... but less total truck loads. Again there will be more sulfide ore concentrate but less waste.... ???Thorough explanation of process of extracting metals from sulfide (copper) ore
By Ronald Woods, Griffith University, Queensland, AustraliaThe complete new feasibility plan filed with U.S. SEC:
Rosemont Copper Project, August 28, 2012Rosemont drilling mud spill went unreported. ADEQ is investigating
Worldwide academic support to save the scenic Santa Rita and Patagonia Mountains!
Elizabeth Bernays, Regents' Professor Emeritus, University of Arizona and writer initiated projcet
Letter to save biodiversity in Coronados signed by 333 professors from all over the world!
100 economists urge Obama to protect more public lands—The West's public lands contribute to our economic well being in a variety of ways, including resource extraction and recreation. These activities can and must coexist with expanding protections for America's world-class natural amenities.
Current Action: HELP! The trees in our National Forest are under seige! Check out the reality!!
Will the desertification of our National Forests affect the climate??Investment News:
InvestorPlace rates Augusta Resource stock "F" = "Strong Sell"
Stock gets F's in Earnings Growth, Earnings Momentum, and Earnings Revisions. Equity and Cash Flow also get F's.
See more...
Citibank lowers copper price forecast on weakness in global economyWeaker demand in Europe, the ongoing slowdown in Chinese manufacturing and uncertainty over the US economy prompted US-based Citibank to lower its copper price forecast Monday.
Reuters: LME copper dips...
Hedge funds and money managers meanwhile increased their net short position in copper to 4,813 contracts in the week to July 10, data showed on Friday.
ADEQ Aquifer Protection Permit (APP) is rejected as not adequate to keep region's water clean
Huckelberry, Pima County Administrator, lists problems with the permit
Local citizens file complaint with the Water Quality Appeals Board
NOTE! The APP does not refer to the open pit turning into a toxic lake BECAUSE the Reclamation Plan approved by Joe Hart, Arizona State Mine Inspector. Copy of letter
9.4 Open Pit The hydrogeology and geochemistry of the open pit are being investigated to determine if passive containment will be achieved and to determine the resultant water quality. Modeling is planned for this facility to verify the appropriate management and permitting scenario. Testing and analyses performed to date indicate limited potential for material exposed in the pit walls to generate acid. (Page 30) (Copy of reclamation plan)
More:
Report to Forest Service on ignoring the devastation of hardrock mining in their new Planning Rule
Other News!
David Fitzsimmons of the AZ Star tells it like it is! We're Rosemont, and we have a mile-wide crater to sell to you
Tim Vanderpool with Tucson Weekly: Stop this Mine
You can still comment! "If folks want to comment they should send letters/comments to Coronado National Forest, attn. Rosemont Copper Project Manager, 300 W. Congress, Tucson, AZ 85701"
Are you getting a good deal? Open letter to Augusta Resource investors and stockholders
Tony Davis from AZ Star: Rosemont seeking $404M in construction loans
EPA writes Army Corps of Engineers: protecting of Davidson Canyon/Cienega Creek outstanding waters
Water depletion map in region of Rosemont supply wells
Groundwater levels would decrease up to an additional 70 feet from the pumping, declining at a rate of up to 3.5 feet per year above and beyond existing groundwater declines. The geographic extent of the drawdown would be 3 to 4 miles from the Rosemont production wells during the first 20 years of pumping; the geographic extent of impacts would continue to expand an additional 1 to 2 miles for up to 140 years after completion of pumping. (Executive Summary, page xxiii) And 63 springs/seeps will be destroyed (page xxiv).
Freeman's comments on reliability of Augusta's consultant/contractor: SWCA
Freeman's comments at January 14 hearing: Hold the Forest Service personnel responsible for the destruction of 33,000 mature trees
Comments on Dust Issues for Rosemont's Air Quality Permit
Whitehouse's comprehensive comments on air, water, climate, fire, highway safety and economics
Community compiles a list of cumulative effects of Rosemont Copper Project
List of several administrative problems with the permitting of Rosemont Copper Project
Breaking News!: Save the Scenic Santa Ritas (SSSR) files securities complaints with SEC! SSSR posted on its website the thousands of pages of public records and publicly available information supporting its complaint to securities regulators in Canada and the United States, along with the formal complaints alleging that Augusta Resource Corporation officers, Donald Clark and Richard W. Warke, who apparently failed to disclose required and material information in securities filings. These documents can be found at:www.scenicsantaritas.org/news/securities-complaint-information
Compilation of excerpts from reports on mineral and financial holdings of Richard W. Warke
Augusta Board Members records and connections
Breaking News!: Rosemont/Augusta Resource tells investors that they have other properties to mine in Pima County—on the West side of the Santa Ritas!!
Facts from the Augusta Resource records:
The properties on the west side of the mountians are called out in the 2007 Rosemont Plan of Operations: �� the Peach-Elgin deposit occupies a klippe floored by a low-angle fault. The Copper World Mine deposit is situated in a complexly faulted sliver of Palaeozoic rocks. The Broadtop Butte deposit is located on the western side of a complex fault system, as is the Rosemont deposit.� (pg. 4) www.augustaresource.com/Theme/Augusta/files/doc_downloads/Final_MPO_071107.pdf
The 2009 ASU Carey School of Business states that the Project is �an open-pit mining operation to be developed on 15,000 acre site� (pg. 1)
www.rosemontcopper.com/assets/files/reports/ASU%20Final%20Report11-09.pdf
From their current Investor Presentation:
Our objective: �Build and operate the world-class Rosemont Mine; Develop a robust portfolio of copper assets in North America; Focus on early stage acquisitions and organic growth� Expected to be the 4 th largest copper mine in the U.S.
www.augustaresource.com/Theme/Augusta/files/doc_presentations/Augusta%20Investor%20Presentation%20January%202012.pdf
From their Financial Report:
�Mineralization also is known to occur in the Broadtop Butte, Copper World and Peach-Elgin deposits on the Rosemont Property, which could potentially add to the total mineral resource base of the Rosemont area�. A base case mining pit shell generated at metal prices of $1.75/lb Cu, $15.00/lb Mo and $10.00/oz Ag and anticipated operating costs was used to design an ultimate pit for mineral reserve estimation and subsequent mine planning.� (pg. 24) www.augustaresource.com/Theme/Augusta/files/doc_financials/AIFMarch292011.pdf
Just how many jobs are there going to be?
- Their 2011 financial report states 1,000 indirect jobs, and 450 mining jobs.
- Their webpage states 1,700 indirect jobs, and 406 direct jobs
- The DEIS states 2,400 jobs (during construction), and 350 to 480 annual jobs
- The Forest Service states 1,600 indirect jobs in their presentation in the hearings
Twenty-nine reasons they can fail financially —even if they were to be permitted. In their own words from Augusta Resource Corporation's Annual Information Form to stockholders for year 2010, dated March 29, 2011
No. 26 and No. 27 (page regarding "conflicts of interest" and indemnity and protection of officers and directors.
Freeman's Comments at Green Valley hearing: Who would the American owners of the National Forest be doing business with? Augusta Resource/Rosemont's record is questionable.
Rosemont denied air quality permit by Pima County Environmental Quality
The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation releases report: The Economics Associated with Outdoor Recreation, Natural Resources Conservation and Historic Preservation in the United States
Cultural Considerations on Public Lands:
Archelogical site of Hohokam includes ball court
with Chairman Ned Norris, Tohono O'odham Nation
and Bill Doelle, President, Center for Desert Archeology
Thanks to Green Valley photographer, Murray Bolesta
The truth about jobs: 355 unfilled mining jobs in Arizona—where are the applicants?
Augusta Resource claims they will have 400 direct jobs and 1700 indirect jobs. Give us a list of the 1700 jobs!!--or whatever number you are using this month!!
The truth about Augusta Resource Corp. being in business for 75 years and never has mined?
[See Corporate Structure, page 3 of 2010 Annual Report]
More on Augusta Resource Corporation (also doing business locally as Rosemont Mining Company, SanRita Properties, Dawson Properties, Karnarco Company). They claim to have acquired three properties: Guadalupe y Calvo, Mexico and Blue Moon Metals, California (2000), Nanavut, Canada (2002). What has happened on those projects? They now say that Rosemont is their sole property.
Augusta Group of Companies
Act Now on Rosemont Mine Environmental Issues:
Forest Service has released the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) for public comment:
(You don't have to read all these documents. See below to pick out your field of interest)
You can still make comments: send letters/comments to Coronado National Forest, attn. Rosemont Copper Project Manager, 300 W. Congress, Tucson, AZ 85701
Appendix with maps and Army Corp. of Engineers 401 permit comments
Toxic material spills (incidents) from NRC database (incidents since 1990 when NRC started posting data)
Cyrpus 1990 - 1999 = 55 incidents
Freeport-McMoran 2008 - 2012 = 24 incidents
Phelps Dodge = 1990 - 2008 = 98 incidents
More Information on Mining-law-reform.info
Ideas for comments on Federal Level and contact list
Forest Service letter on Mining Plan includes points on the need for water analysis in mining region...
Economic Issues: Analyses of Economic Costs of the Proposed Rosemont Copper Project
by THOMAS MICHAEL POWER, PhD, Consulting Economist, Power Consulting
Speak for the Trees
I, Nancy Freeman, counted the number of mature trees that would be destroyed by the Rosemont mining operation. I used this map in a 3 ft. x 4 ft. hard copy and divided it up into 4" squares. I only counted discernable trees, not small blurs of bushes or small trees.
See Rosemont Map
Total numbers of mature trees to be destroyed in our National Forest = 33,000 trees
It was impossible to discern on the map the mature oaks, over a century old, that would be destroyed = several thousand oaks
Please note on Rosemont Map that the mine pit is on Patented mining claims that were purchased by ASARCO for $2.50 an acre. So the pit will be on land that was formerly the Coronado National Forest--in spite of what Augusta claims and was included in the tree count. See map of operation in the Forest Service DEIS Appendix (page 16 in Figures Section) to verify this fact.
Map of patented claims of Rosemont pit
Tree counts at Rosemont conducted by Empire High (Vail) and Walden Grove High (Sahuarita) students
Take a photo tour of Rosemont, compliments of Bob Harris
Check out this reality—51 mines in Arizona on EPA's list
Forest Service Reports on their priority of watershed management
USGS investigates Watershed Contamination from Hard Rock Mining
Technical Reports on each Environmental Impact: You can choose your area of interest: Air, Biological Resources, Dark Skies, Geology, Palentology, Noise and Vibration, Riparian, Socioeconomics, Environmental, Soils, Reclamation, Transportation, Visual Quality, Water Resources
Comments from Federal and State Agencies on the Draft Enviromental Statement
Do not copy any of these reports, but use the information to inspire your own ideas and personal experiences.
EPA comments on water, air, tailings, reclamation plans
BLM comments on water quality, biological resources
BLM comments on biological resources (con't), endangered species
Preliminary comments from Arizona Game and Fish
Comments from local Environmental Groups
Center for Biological Diversity — Endangered Species
Sky Island Alliance — Comments on the DEIS
Understanding the Issues (the details)
The Coronado National Forest was created for urban recreation — states their website:
After the turn of the century [1900], attention turned to southeastern Arizona's Sky Islands for yet another resource, recreation. As early as the mid-1800's, areas such as Hospital Flat in the Pinaleño Mountains and the town of Oracle in the foothills of the Santa Catalinas were being used as refuges from the heat and malaria of lowland forts. At about the same time that 15 upland areas were designated U. S. Forest Reserves (between 1902 and 1907), residents of burgeoning desert communities began trekking to the mountains to escape the summer heat. Areas such as White House (Madera) Canyon in the Santa Ritas, Columbine in the Pinaleños, and Summerhaven in the Santa Catalinas were among the most popular of these forest retreats. [Note: In 1902, the Santa Rita section was the first forest reserve to be created in this region.]
First Report on proposed Rosemont Mine by Groundwater Awareness League/Delivered to Rep. Raul Grijalva and Rep. Gabrielle Giffords 4/5/2007
Protecting Water in Public Lands by Nancy Freeman, Groundwater Awareness League
Report by Fred Tahse, geologist, Hard Facts, who loved to roam in the Santa Ritas..
TENORM: Scoping comments at Sonoita
Transport/Highway Safety
Use of sulfuric acid:
Environmental Impact of Sulfuric Acid Leaching
Sulfuric Acid Spills
Information on Local Water for the Rosemont Project:
Rosemont claims rights to surface water meant for plants and wildlife in a national forest region!!
Questa Spring
Barrel Canyon
McCleary Canyon
Wasp Canyon
Rosemont Spring
Two unnamed springs
Rosemont outlines how they can take all the groundwater they want in an arid region
also see YouTube videos —
Rosemont can use Cienega Conservation Water?
Rosemont tanks up with water
Rosemont wells going dry
Map of water source
Patience—it's a long download
Lists of wells Rosemont has claimed
Water Impact Report
includes Federal Statutes for Groundwater Management
Augusta Recharges CAP water in Avra Valley
Report on use of low-quality CAP water in various scenarios
Report on CAP history and quality issues
General Information on environmental Issues:
Protect water levels in Public Lands
YouTube Commentary on protecting water in public landsRadioactive Materials
ReclamationGood lighting is necessary at mines
The Native Americans are not the only ones laid to rest in the Santa Ritas
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