Hudbay, Forest Service won’t appeal ruling blocking Rosemont Mine
By Tony Davis, Dec 12, 2022 Updated Dec 15, 2022

Hudbay Minerals and the U.S. Forest Service won’t appeal a federal appeals court ruling blocking construction of the Rosemont Mine, ending a major legal case but not closing the controversy over the mine itself.
The mining company and the federal agency let pass a Nov. 22 legal deadline for appealing the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals ruling from May 2022 without acting. Their inaction ceded the hard-fought battle to mine opponents, which include three tribes and four environmental and conservation groups. Those opponents filed suit in 2017 to stop mine construction, shortly after the Forest Service approved it.
The decision of Hudbay and the Forest Service not to appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court means Hudbay can’t bury nearly 2 billion tons of mine waste rock and tailings on Coronado National Forest land. Hudbay has not, however, ruled out trying to find a legal path later to allow that.
Letter: Proposed New Mines in Santa Ritas
By Dave Gamrath, Green Valley
Nov 27, 2022
“I am strongly opposed to Canadian mining company Hudbay’s proposed “Copperworld” project to establish new mines in the Santa Rita mountains. These mines will be a disaster for the local communities. Mining only accounts for roughly 2% of the local economy. Jobs from this proposed project will be insignificant. Water usage for these mines will be astronomical, which is entirely crazy given our scare water situation in Arizona and the Southwest. Other existing mines at not at full operation, and their production could easily be increased to meet any increased demand of minerals. Hudbay plans to sell minerals from Copperworld on the international market. We don’t need to destroy Arizona’s beauty to supply China with minerals. Pollution risks are many, including water, air, noise and light. These mines will result in increased traffic hazards, loss of land for recreation, and destruction of endangered species habitat as well as archeological sites. Arizona state government should support the citizens of Arizona over a Canadian mining company’s profit goals.”
Hudbay claims to be ready to start work on west side of Santa Ritas
A feature story in the Arizona Daily Star on April 6, 2022 by Tony Davis explains that Hudbay Minerals Inc., a Canadian mining company and parent of Rosemont Copper, is prepared to begin grading and other earthworks in its Copper World area of operations, on private land, located on the west side of the Santa Rita Mountains and just a few miles from the Sahuarita Highlands subdivision.
Links to recent news articles and letters – 2022
Recharging CAP water
Re: the March 15 letter “Rosemont recharge of CAP water.”
https://tucson.com/opinion/letters/letters-to-the-editor-april-4/article_d10c15f6-b0fe-11ec-92c8-6fbf4d2ad1cc.html
Arizona Daily Star Letter to the Editor by Stu Williams, Executive Director Save The Scenic Santa Ritas
April 4, 2022
Letter: We need Rosemont Mine
https://tucson.com/opinion/letters/local-issues/letter-we-need-rosemont-mine/article_1507ccae-aa34-11ec-b6cb-07c10d8bbc05.html
Arizona Daily Star Letter to the Editor by Robert Robak
March 28, 2022
Letter: Rosemont Mine
https://tucson.com/opinion/letters/local-issues/letter-rosemont-mine/article_6e738fd2-9b05-11ec-aced-7baf1cb304b7.html
Arizona Daily Star Letter to the Editor by Brian McCarthy
March 6, 2022
Letter: No on the Rosemont Mine
https://tucson.com/opinion/letters/local-issues/letter-no-on-the-rosemont-mine/article_3f2f557e-9a49-11ec-ad8f-037d325d48f4.html
Arizona Daily Star Letter to the Editor by Paul Reese
March 5, 2022
Letter: Yes on the Rosemont Mine
https://tucson.com/opinion/letters/local-issues/letter-yes-on-the-rosemont-mine/article_f9f422ee-98a1-11ec-baaf-f7e7c55c1eb3.html
Arizona Daily Star Letter to the Editor by James Tuthill
March 1, 2022
Tucson, CAP and Rosemont tangle over water storage
https://www.kold.com/2022/02/24/tucson-cap-rosemont-tangle-over-water-storage/
Bud Foster, KOLD News
February 23, 2022
Rosemont Mine project faces pushback over water storage
https://www.tucsonsentinel.com/local/report/021822_rosemont_water_shortage/rosemont-mine-project-faces-pushback-over-water-storage/
David Abbott, Arizona Mirror
February 18, 2022
Rosemont Mine is health threat
https://tucson.com/opinion/letters/letters-to-the-editor-feb-13/article_3faaa542-8abf-11ec-a2eb-478209652d6e.html
Arizona Daily Star Letter to the Editor by Elaine Wolter
February 13, 2022
US mining and exploration Snapshot: Eight companies with big plans
https://www.mining.com/us-mining-and-exploration-snapshot-eight-companies-with-big-plans/
Marilyn Scales, The Northern Miner
February 11, 2022
Hudbay’s plans
https://www.gvnews.com/opinion/letters_to_editor/hudbay-s-plans/article_af2884a0-893b-11ec-9f0d-2bb1d643322d.html
Green Valley News Letter to the Editor by S. Murphy
February 9, 2022
Pascua Yaqui chairman calls on Congress to fund ‘critical’ water infrastructure
https://tucson.com/news/state-and-regional/pascua-yaqui-chairman-calls-on-congress-to-fund-critical-water-infrastructure/article_223df30e-843a-51c6-a161-1417e4f358f4.html
Camila Pedrosa, Cronkite News
Feb 8, 2022
Pending Supreme Court case could undercut regulation of Rosemont Mine
https://tucson.com/news/local/subscriber/pending-supreme-court-case-could-undercut-regulation-of-rosemont-mine/article_8e98ea7e-824a-11ec-af21-c74543170b13.html
Tony Davis, Arizona Daily Star
February 8, 2022
Whose handful?
https://www.gvnews.com/opinion/letters_to_editor/whose-handful/article_1e3eb5e0-8698-11ec-addd-7f342da0facb.html?utm_medium=social&utm_source=email&utm_campaign=user-share
Green Valley News Letter to the Editor by Stan Hart
February 6, 2022
Letter: Proposed new mines in Santa Rita
https://tucson.com/opinion/letters/local-issues/letter-proposed-new-mines-in-santa-rita/article_18ad5324-8450-11ec-80e0-7bdffbe40b8d.html
Arizona Daily Star Letter to the Editor by Dave Gamrath
February 4, 2022
Support the mine
https://www.gvnews.com/opinion/letters_to_editor/support-the-mine/article_45b4ca10-83aa-11ec-83e2-f3be9f8646c7.html
Green Valley News Letter to the Editor by Robert B. Robinson
February 2, 2022
Tucson digs in against Rosemont copper mine in a dispute over a water storage project
https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/arizona-environment/2022/01/31/tucson-uses-dispute-over-water-recharge-renew-rosemont-opposition/9247404002/
Zayna Syed, Arizona Republic
January 31, 2022
Water for Foreigners
https://tucson.com/opinion/letters/local-issues/letter-water-for-foreigners/article_bc0f25d8-74e7-11ec-ba99-2706d6732cf4.html
Arizona Daily Star Letter to the Editor by Diane Stephenson
January 18, 2022
Rosemont gets approval to store CAP water in basins south of Tucson, over city’s objections
https://tucson.com/news/local/rosemont-gets-approval-to-store-cap-water-in-basins-south-of-tucson-over-citys-objections/article_c954fa12-6f45-11ec-9daa-0bd7899ea3fa.html
Tony Davis, Arizona Daily Star
January 8, 2022
Mayor Romero objects to Rosemont Mine water storage in facility owned partially by city
https://www.kgun9.com/news/local-news/mayor-romero-objects-to-rosemont-mine-water-storage-in-facility-owned-partially-by-city
Phil Villarreal, KGUN 9 News
January 7, 2022