Barber calls for new environmental impact statement on Rosemont

by David Safier

Ron Barber is absolutely right about the need for a new environmental study at Rosemont.

U.S. Rep. Ron Barber today asked Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack to order a new Environmental Impact Statement of the proposed Rosemont mine southeast of Tucson because of major changes to the mine’s plan of operation.

When Rosemont changed the way it planned to mine and process the ore and the length of time it planned to stay in business, it meant the previous studies are out of date. Ray Carroll agrees:

Ray Carroll, a member of the Pima County Board of Supervisors who represents the site of the proposed mine, agreed with Barber’s call for a new Environmental Impact Statement and commended his leadership on the issue.

You can read Barber's Media Release below the fold.

U.S. REP. RON BARBER CALLS FOR NEW ROSEMONT ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT
 
Congressman says proposed changes to mine’s plan of operations could have major environmental, economic impacts
 
TUCSON – U.S. Rep. Ron Barber today asked Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack to order a new Environmental Impact Statement of the proposed Rosemont mine southeast of Tucson because of major changes to the mine’s plan of operation.

“Every aspect of the Rosemont proposal has carefully been studied by the staff of the Coronado National Forest, other local, state and federal agencies and the public,” Barber said today. “This substantial change in the operating plan must undergo the same level of careful evaluation. We must be prudent in evaluating the long term impacts that this mine could have on our local economy.”

In July, Rosemont officials said they were altering their proposed plan of operation for the mine because of an increase in the estimated amount of minerals that could be recovered. The company also proposed to drop one of the ways it planned to process copper ore at the mine site in the Santa Rita Mountains.

Because of the change, the mine would be operating longer and the amount of material to be disturbed would be increased.

In his letter to Vilsack, Barber said the proposed changes are significant and a new Environmental Impact Statement should be prepared – not simply an updated or revised version of the previous EIS.

“I am writing to express the need for enough time and opportunity for community stakeholders to fully analyze, understand and comment on these changes,” Barber wrote to Vilsack. “It is clear that these modifications to the mining plan will have far-reaching environmental and economic impacts that are not addressed in the current version of the Environmental Impact Statement.”

Ray Carroll, a member of the Pima County Board of Supervisors who represents the site of the proposed mine, agreed with Barber’s call for a new Environmental Impact Statement and commended his leadership on the issue.

“Numerous agencies have spent a lot of time reviewing Rosemont’s proposed operating plan – only to now have Rosemont introduce major changes to the plan,” Carroll said today. “I applaud Congressman Barber for aggressively pressing for a new EIS and I fully support this renewed effort. The present and future residents of Pima County deserve nothing less.”