A message from Gayle Hartmann, SSSR president:
Judge Soto’s recent decision has been a wonderful, first-round victory, as I’ve said before.
It’s as if a very large, red STOP sign has been erected around the edges of the proposed Rosemont operations: A STOP sign for which we are extremely grateful. And remember, this is just one of THREE cases filed related to the proposed Rosemont mine.
So, where are we now?
The deadline to submit an appeal to the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals is 2 October 2019. So far, neither Hudbay nor the Department of Justice has filed an appeal. If and when they do, it will be all over the media and we will, of course, send out a message. It is our understanding that it will take from 18 months to two years for an appeal to be heard – there is a significant backlog in the 9th Circuit.
The second case, focusing on impacts on endangered species, has not been decided by Judge Soto. It was one of the “consolidated” cases presented to him in July. We expect he will make a decision within the next month or so, but he could take longer. We really don’t know how long he will take.
The third case, focusing on the 404 permit granted by the Army Corps of Engineers, will be “briefed” over the next several months. That means the lawyers on both sides will send their opinions to Judge Soto. The deadline for him to receive all their briefs is not until May 2020, so that case will not be decided for quite a while.
So, it is time to take a DEEP BREATH, RELAX (a little) and, if you’re so inclined, go for a walk, a bike ride, a horseback ride, a picnic in the Santa Ritas. Find a big oak tree, spread out a blanket and ENJOY!
As always, thanks for all your loyal support over all these years; we will continue to work toward NO OPEN-PIT COPPER MINE IN THE SANTA RITAS — EVER.
Gayle Hartmann
