Dozens Protest Rosemont Mine : AZ IMC

Early Tuesday morning dozens of intrepid Earth First!ers gathered at the Tucson headquarters of the U.S. Forest Service to demonstrate their opposition to the proposed Rosemont mine in the Santa Rita mountains.

The Rosemont copper mine is currently undergoing review by the Forest Service, which under the undemocratic 1872 mining act has sole authority over the necessary permits. Thousands of residents of Arizona participated in the public comment period authorized under NEPA (which ended in August 2008) to voice their opposition to this project. If built, the mine would permanently damage critical wildlife habitat and migration corridors, along with destroying an area popular for recreation activities such as mountain biking, hiking and camping.

Since first proposing the mine, the Rosemont Copper Company has been engaged in a campaign of greenwashing, purchasing advertisements on the local NPR affiliate claiming that the extracted copper will be used for "solar panels" and "hybrid cars". Yet the mine, if constructed, would use at least 8,000 acre feet of water per year (the average household uses about .25 acre feet) and cause permanent environmental and watershed damage from mine tailings and toxic runoff. The mine itself would be more than a mile wide, causing irreversible damage to this important and scenic landscape at the base of the Santa Rita Mountains.

The Rosemont Copper Company, based in Canada, claims that the mine will bring economic opportunities to southern Arizona; yet any economic gains will be offset by the impact of mining activities on the tourism attracted by this pristine Sky Island ecosystem and the draining of aquifers in Sahuarita and Green Valley.

More than 50 protesters remained in front of the Forest Service for several hours, demonstrating their opposition to the proposed mine and demanding that officials deny the permits. Prior to the demonstration, representatives of Chuk'shon Earth First! met with Forest Service officials, while protesters briefly blocked traffic on westbound Congress Street.

For more information on the proposed copper mine and local resistance, visit http://chukshonef.wordpress.com and http://www.savethesantaritas.org