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Hudbay opposition (Cathy McGrath, Vail Voice)

August 4, 2022 By Stu Williams Leave a Comment

I don’t know about you, but I have been deeply concerned about all the recent news about Hudbay and their sudden intrusion on the west side of the Santa Ritas. I have spent a lot of time researching this since I found a letter stuck on my gate from Hudbay advising me of their plans to do some test drilling next to my property back in April. I did a parcel search on Pima County’s website under ROSEMONT and found they own 31 parcels of various sizes all around the mountains, big and small totaling over 1,000 acres. They say they have 4,500 [acres], so I missed a few. They own all the private land on the west side of Sycamore Canyon from the mountains to a 40-acre parcel of state land (they are currently attempting to buy that). On the north end of that state land is where Sycamore Canyon subdivision is currently building. If they get the state land, that should connect them to acreage they own on Alvernon, which will get them to Sahuarita Rd and the Interstate. That gets them around the subdivision.

I moved out here to the Vail/Corona de Tucson area 23 years ago because I was drawn to the beauty and peacefulness of it. We have enjoyed the wildlife that the open desert areas provide habitat for. I gotta believe a lot of people reading this came here for the same reasons.

Assuming you have read a few of the many articles about this, I want to point out a few things about the current situation. I am referencing from Hudbay’s June press release as well as several articles by Tony Davis in the Daily Star.

Construction of Phase I is supposed to last three years, meaning mining could start in 2027. Phase I will operate exclusively on the west slope for the first two years.

Hudbay believes it doesn’t need a Clean Water Act permit to discharge dredge and fill material in washes on the west slope. Because the washes that they are currently dumping in and grading over only flow after it rains, they are not considered “waters of the United States” which would be protected by the Clean Water Act. Several conservation groups and three tribes have filed notices of intent to sue to stop the company’s ongoing grading.

Cathy McGrath, Corona de Tucson.

Letters to the Editor for July 2022

Filed Under: News, Rosemont, Rosemont in the News, SSSR News

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Recent Posts

  • More water cuts coming to Arizona (Christopher Conover, Arizona Public Media) August 16, 2022
  • Feds announce short-term cut in Colorado River water for Arizona (Tony Davis, Arizona Daily Star) August 16, 2022
  • Hudbay opposition (Cathy McGrath, Vail Voice – Part 2) August 12, 2022
  • The cost of green energy: The nation’s biggest lithium mine may be going up on a site sacred to Native Americans (Chloe Atkins and Christine Romo, NBC News) August 11, 2022
  • Conservationists file notice of intent to sue EPA over Queen Creek mining waste (Ron Dungan, Arizona Public Media) August 11, 2022

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Rosemont News

More water cuts coming to Arizona (Christopher Conover, Arizona Public Media)

Feds announce short-term cut in Colorado River water for Arizona (Tony Davis, Arizona Daily Star)

Hudbay opposition (Cathy McGrath, Vail Voice – Part 2)

The cost of green energy: The nation’s biggest lithium mine may be going up on a site sacred to Native Americans (Chloe Atkins and Christine Romo, NBC News)

More Posts from this Category

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Members of the Tohono O'odham Legislative Council, by Jeanne S. Broome
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People
Economy
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Hiking at the Rosemont Site, by Dennis Caldwell
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Litigation Update

There have been two recent judicial rulings on the Rosemont Copper Company projects — one favorable and one unfavorable.

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