Water, not copper, our most vital resource

Water, not copper, our most vital resource

Letter to the editor | Arizona Daily Star | March 15, 2012

Re: the March 3 column “We’re Rosemont, and we have a mile-wide crater to sell you.”

David Fitzsimmons called it a satire, but it was right on target.

Southern Arizonans know that our most important resource is water, not copper. We also know that our real treasures are the Sonoran Desert and our Sky Island Mountains.

Fortunately for us, with each passing day, it is more unlikely that we will have to witness the destruction of the northern Santa Ritas. The Environmental Protection Agency has called the Draft Environmental Impact Statement one of the worst it has ever seen. Potential violations of the Clean Water Act and the Clean Air Act are among the worst offenses.

The proposed mine would likely cause permanent damage to the water quantity and quality in Cienega Creek and Davidson Canyon and also give us dirty air. No amount of cash lavished on local good causes by Rosemont will eliminate these devastating impacts.

So, let’s not despair. The Clean Water Act and the Clean Air Act are the law of the land for a reason: to protect us from disasters such as this proposed open-pit copper mine.

Gayle Hartmann

President, Save the Scenic Santa Ritas, Tucson