While the proposed Rosemont mine is currently our main area of focus, we do keep and eye on other mining proposals in southern Arizona, and we will post information about other mine proposals on this page.

New mineral exploration in the Patagonia Mountains

In recent months the Forest Service notified the public of two new minerals exploration projects in the Patagonia Mountains on public land. The first is Wildcat Silver’s Hermosa project Plan of Operation (PoO) to drill 15 holes 2500-ft deep. The second is Oz Exploration’s Providencia PoO to drill 7 holes up to 2300-ft deep. Both mineral exploration projects would be in operation 24 hours a day, 7 days a week for 25-42 weeks, would require the use of current roads for large equipment trucks and the construction of new roads, and could have serious impacts to surface and groundwater quality and quantity within the watershed of the Town of Patagonia. The scoping period for the Hermosa project has ended, and we are waiting to hear whether the Forest Service will require an Environmental Assessment (EA) or Categorical Exclusion (CE) for the proposal. The scoping period for the Oz Providencia proposal began on August 18^th, and comments are due within 30 days. There is also a third drilling proposal by yet another company in the Patagonia Mountains being considered by the Forest Service, but documents have yet to be released to the public for review. Although each of these proposals are in the early stages of development, it is possible we will see these projects develop into full mining proposals, similar in scope to the proposed Rosemont mine.

Scoping Notice: OZ Exploration

(notice posted on Patagonia Area Resource Alliance's facebook page):
http://www.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=154348557980390

Plan of Operation: OZ Exploration
http://a123.g.akamai.net/7/123/11558/abc123/forestservic.download.akamai.com/
11558/www/nepa/79042_FSPLT2_055791.pdf

Please review the document and write your scoping comments by SEPTEMBER 19, 2011.

Email your comments to:
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it and cc to: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
Please state "OZ Minerals Exploration NEPA" in the subject line.

Wildcat Silver's proposed Hermosa (aka Hardshell) mine

Wildcat Silver Corporation has submitted a proposal to start drilling on public land. Please review the documents and write your scoping comments by JUNE 28, 2011! Email your scoping comments to: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Scoping Notice:
http://www.fs.fed.us/r3/coronado/documents/WSscopingnotice.pdf

Plan of Operation:
http://www.fs.fed.us/r3/coronado/documents/WCSHardshellPoO2011.pdf

Please state "Arizona Minerals Exploration NEPA" in the subject line.

Remember, scoping comments raise issues of environmental concerns involving:

Air & Water Quality
Wildlife & Vegetation Impacts
Hazardous Substances
Road & Traffic Concerns
Soil Impacts
Noise & Lighting Issues

Please put forward your concerns about how this drilling project may affect where you live, work, or play.

Did you know that the Arizona Trail is along parts of Harshaw Road where the truck traffic will travel? This proposal is at the top of our town watershed. Do you live, work, or play near the Harshaw Creek/Sonoita Creek watershed?

Please contact the Patagonia Area Resource Alliance (PARA) for more information on the NEPA process and writing relevant scoping comments. We are here to help. We have until JUNE 28,2011 to submit our comments. We need to submit as many as we can!

What's the Hermosa Project?

Canadian-based Wildcat Silver is currently doing exploratory drilling just south of Patagonia. Their plan is to have an open pit mine & processing plant for mainly silver & manganese.

The open pit will be at least 600 feet deep (the height of a 60 story building), 107 acres & potentially, put waste rock/tailings on up to 2,800 acres of surrounding national forest. On average, the mine would use at least 1/2 million gallons of water per day. A minimum of 10 heavy weight semi-trucks per hour will drive through Patagonia. These trucks will be carrying cyanide, diesel fuel, sulfuric acid & blasting materials including ammonium nitrate. A spill of any of these truckloads in our watershed would be environmentally catastrophic.

This mine will change Patagonia as we know it!
Trucks will be coming through town, by the Post Office, 24 hours a day & 7 days a week for the life of the mine, which is proposed to be 15 years.
Air quality will be negatively affected by the mining/blasting activity, burning of sulfur by the processing plant & the dust from the truck traffic.
24 hour mining activity will cause noise & light pollution with additional losses of wildlife and human habitat.
Recreational activities such as camping, birding, hunting, biking, & hiking on our public lands in the Patagonia Mountains will be contending with mine activity & truck traffic along Harshaw & Forest roads 49 & 58.

Here is a list of other potential mine projects in Eastern Santa Cruz County Mines: Patagonias, Canelo Hills, San Rafael Valley:

Contact the Coronado National Forest to find out the status of these mine projects that were approved with little or no public input or notification. Ask to be on the mailing list for all mining and mineral exploration projects in the Nogales Ranger District and the Sierra Vista Ranger District. Some of the companies behind these projects are closely connected with Augusta Resource/Rosemont Copper.

Press Release, Wildcat Silver, July 3, 2008 (This company is closely linked to Augusta Resource, and are trying to destroy the Patagonia Mountains as well as the Santa Ritas.)

1) Four Metals:  Black Pearl Minerals Consolidated, Inc.
Mining Plan Of Operations 5/51/06, Completed.
11/26/07, Mining Plan of Operations, Exploratory Drilling (phase 2), Forest Service Action: Currently under review by Forest Service, and reconsideration by the operator who may be considering the submission of a revised Plan.

2) Italian Canyon, Black Pearl Minerals Consolidated, Inc.
10/10/07 Mining Plan Of Operations, Proposed drilling and road work, Status: Comment period has not commenced, delayed pending review of proposed plan by Forest specialists.

3) Hermosa Silver Mine (aka Hardshell), Wildcat Silver Corp.
Current Activity: Road maintenance for exploration on patented mining claims (private land).

4) Providencia Copper Mine, White Cloud Resources, Inc.
Current Activity: Exploratory Drilling (5 holes to 1,500 feet depth on Forest Service land), existing road maintenance, new road construction.

5) Patagonia Jewel, Southwestern Minerals.
Mining Plan Of Operations 8/6/07, Activity: 5 years Mining, Status: Plan under revision, FS Action:  Evaluation by Specialists, NEPA scoping.

6) TM Project, American Copper Nevada , Inc.
6/1/07 Mining Plan Of Operations, Rev 8/30/07. Activity: Drilling 6 holes from 2 sites, FS Action: NEPA is completed, but approval is delayed pending receipt of a requested plan revision delaying commencement of operations until next fall .

Please contact the Forest Service at the address below and request to be put on the mailing list for these projects in Eastern Santa Cruz County.   You will then be notified of all public meetings and comment opportunities.

Richard Ahern
Coronado National Forest
300 West Congress St.
Tucson, AZ 85701
520-388-8327 This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

You can help make sure the Santa Ritas, Patagonia's, Canelo Hills and San Rafaeal Valley stay free of open pit mines, and our communities stay healthy. Go to our Action and Support Us pages to see how you can help.

If you have not already done so, please contact the Forest Service at the address below and request to be put on the mailing list for the mines in Eastern Santa Cruz County.  You will be notified of all public meetings and comment opportunities.

Beverley Everson (520-388-8428)
or
Richard Ahern (520-388-8327)

Coronado National Forest
300 West Congress St.
Tucson, AZ 85701