Request that Pima County work with Rosemont is probably dead on arrival
by Hugh Holub on Jun. 17, 2011, under environment water and energy, politicsThe following press release was issued by the Metropolitan Pima Alliance asking Pima County to collaborate with the Rosemont mining company:
MPA ENCOURAGES PIMA COUNTY TO COLLABORATE WITH ROSEMONT MINE
by Hot Off The Press (Release) on Jun. 16, 2011, under Press Release
TUCSON (June 8, 2011) – The Metropolitan Pima Alliance (MPA) is dedicated to advocating for responsible development in the Pima County metropolitan area by collaboratively working through various public processes. As active participants of the community, the MPA Board of Directors (Board) performed its due diligence in becoming educated on the various issues surrounding the Rosemont Copper Mine. First, MPA hosted a breakfast in which both Rosemont Copper Mine and its opponents presented their respective positions. Following this meeting, members of the Board and staff toured the mining site, viewed the County mine model, and separately met with Rosemont Copper Mine representatives as well as Pima County staff members.
Knowing the Mine will create jobs and generate millions of dollars annually during its 20-year life, the Board insists that the years beyond the Mine’s lifespan are just as important as the immediate benefit the Mine will have on our community. Recognizing that Rosemont Copper Mine presented a reclamation plan, the Board believes the Mine is making a good faith effort to be good stewards of the environment. Furthermore, the direct revenue to the County, and the number of jobs created, is significant for our community.
After careful consideration of the economic benefits and possible environmental implications of the Mine, the Board of Directors votes to support the mining operations as proposed by Rosemont Copper Mine. However, as an organization that works to facilitate collaborative processes, we urge representatives of the Mine and Pima County to work together in creating a reasonable and balanced reclamation plan in which the concerns and issues of both parties are carefully considered.
Copper mining has always been one of our State’s core industries while also establishing itself as a necessary commodity for our everyday lives. The County has the opportunity to embrace the economic benefits of the Mine while constructively engaging with Rosemont Copper Mine representatives to ensure the environmental and residential concerns of the Mine are addressed. We encourage Pima County to partner with Rosemont Copper Mine and work towards a mutually beneficial resolution.
MPA welcomes the opportunity to assist in reaching common ground.
Please contact Executive Director Amber Smith for additional information.
Mission: “Metropolitan Pima Allianceis dedicated to advocating responsible development in the Pima County metropolitan area and furthering the interests of the real estate and development industry through education, public policy advocacy and networking.”
Amber Smith
Amber@mpaaz.org
520.878.8811
COMMENT: Pima County and espcially County Supervisor Ray Carroll and County Adminstartor Chuck Huckelberry and his staff have made it their life mission to block the Rosemont mine project.
The chances of Pima officials now sitting down and trying to work collaboratively with Rosemont are right up there with peace breaking out between Israel and Palestine.
The folks in the region should be asking several questions right now about the vehemence of Pima County’s fight against Rosemont:
How much taxpayer money has Pima spent to date fighting Rosemont?
What is the relationship between Ray Carroll and mine opponent Nan Walden, the Center for Biological Diversity and Save the Scenic Santa Ritas? Like disclose all letters and emails Carroll has sent or received relating to Rosemont.
What is the relationship betwen Chuck Huckelberry and his staff with Walden, CBD and SSSR? Same thing…disclose all letters and emails sent and received relating to Rosemont.
What about meetings between County officials and staff with mine opponents?
And…before I forget…someone really needs to look at all the threats Mr. Carroll has made to folks who support the mine or even dare to publish the mine’s ads…like the Green Valley News.
I strongly suggest if some paid newspaper type dug around deep enough in the relationship between Pima County officials and staff and the opposition to the mine, it would stink to high heaven.
Pima County is nothing more than a branch office of the Center for Biological Diversity, Save the Scenic Santa Ritas and the Walden family in pursuing the anti-mine agenda….and Pima taxpayers are footing the bill.
June 17th, 2011 on 9:05 am
As a representative of the county government, and involved in the issue of approval/disapproval of the Rosemont operation, whom would you expect to pay the bills?
I dislike using any Obama quotes, but in this case, the used-to-death one about putting lipstick on a pig doesn’t alter the fact that a pig is still a pig, seems appropriate; And no amount of lipstick can make an open pit mining operation anything other than what it is – forever destruction of the environment in which it is located and the depletion of our most precious resource – water.
We know as well, by experience, that if the price of copper should fall, the mine would be shut down without regard to all the promises made by its operators, and that all those pie-in-the sky projections would be as meaningless as the words used to make them.
This is not an environmentally-conscious operation – it is a for-profit operation and, if the enviroment has to be sacrificed to achieve profit, then it will be.
It is true there would be beneficiaries – those who actually work in the mines, their families and, to some extent, the communities in which they live – but the greatest benefit would be to the foreign-owned business enterprise which plans to use archaic US laws to plunder and destroy American soil. They have no emotional stake in the mine, only financial. It is not in their back yard.
June 17th, 2011 on 9:35 am
Michael…I hope the taxpayers are not paying for your jihad.
One point…” depletion of our most precious resource – water”….
I find it completely fascinating that while Rosemont is buying CAP water for recharge in the Tucson AMA…and is trying really hard to have direct CAP recharge in the Green Valley area…Pima County and the Waldens are fighting this effort!
You cannot claim Rosemont is depleting our precious water because that is flat NOT TRUE.
And you cannot attack Rosemont on water when Pima is opposing the CAP recharge for Rosemont.
If you are so concerned about water resources (1) demand FICO and Freeport who each pump around 30,000 acre feet a year from the Green Valley aquifer to 100% recharge their groundwater use with CAP water and (2) stop interfering with Rosemont’s efforts to recharge CAP water in Green Valley.
Until Pima does those 2 things you have zero credibility in the water resource management community and you are clearly using a campaign of lies to oppose that mine project.
June 17th, 2011 on 2:49 pm
Thanks, Michael. You said it very well.
Hugh,
Exactly how is taxpayer’s money supporting Michael’s right to express his opinion?
Rosemont will be depleting the groundwater supply.
There is nothing to negotiate. The citizens either preserve the Santa Ritas or they end up with a 10 square mile monstrosity where native oak, grasslands, springs, rare plants and wildlife once existed.
It’s a no-brainer for those of us who care about the environment.
June 17th, 2011 on 3:35 pm
He says “As a representative of the county government” and one could assume he works for them. And if he is some kind of activist volunteer “representing’ Pima County…how come the folks who want jobs aren’t also “representing” Pima County?
And Glennh…I happen to know a whole lot about water issues around here and the claim that Rosemont is going to deplete the groundwater supply is flat not true. Every time you and your cohorts say that your noses must grow longer.
And I find it really interesting that FICO (which pumps 5 times the groundwater) wants to channelize 12 miles of the Santa Cruz River to convert their pecan orchards into thousand of homes….and not one peep out of your side.
If you are so concerned about depelting groundwater, how about support efforts to mandate FICO and Freeport recharge every drop of groundwater they pump from the Green Valley area…that’s something like 60,000 acre feet a year.
Suggest an alternative…there are many square miles of actually much more significant environmental lands around here that really need to be protected….
Used to be the case (Vail for exmaple) when a developer wanted to blade some ground for houses Pima County got land preserves in exchange… look into where the Cienega Creek Natural Preserve came from.
There are thousands of square miles of native oak, grasslands, springs, rare plants and wildlife around the area…..which need to be saved… wasn’t there a priority list for the Sonoran Desert Conservation Plan and a bond election to buy lands and buying the Rosemont mine property was not even on that list? Wasn’t such an important place back then.
June 17th, 2011 on 11:18 am
Follow the money. Not only do Huckleberry and Carroll need to disclose their ties to the Waldens, but FICO needs to give us their real motives for opposing the mine. FICO has sizable land holdings in Green Valley, over the hill from proposed mine site. Rarely mentioned are FICO’s connections to the Chicago investment firm of Henry Crown and Co, with major holdings in professional sports teams, leisure, aerospace, banking and real estate, throughout the U.S. A. Steven Crown, general partner of Henry Crown & Co, is also a director of FICO. You connect the dots. FICO’s environmental concerns of a proposed mine are heart-warming; but this has the appearance of a rent-seeking business firm obtaining government intervention to further their own bottom line at the expense of competing interests. My bet is on the mine and the rule of law.
June 17th, 2011 on 5:37 pm
I did not move to Corona De Tucson to get a mine view! I disapprove of the Rosemont Mine operations. Save The Scenic Santa Ritas!
June 17th, 2011 on 6:36 pm
The mine will not be visible from Corona de Tucson.