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Local Opinion: A rush to mine should not trample environmental protections

The following is the opinion and analysis of the writer. Robert Peters works for Defenders of Wildlife:

On March 31, President Joe Biden used the Defense Production Act to order the federal government to step up production of strategic minerals “to meet the requirements of the clean energy economy,” notably to produce next-generation batteries that can store electricity from wind and solar generators.

We indeed need these technologies but must carefully assess environmental risks.

READ MORE…

County, South32 reviving controversial land donation talks

The Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors will once again consider a controversial land donation from mining giant South32 during a special meeting next Wednesday.

And while previous discussions of the land in question have drawn heavy criticism due to the board’s lack of transparency on the matter, the county is still making limited efforts to be forthcoming in advance of the pending special session.

The item listed on the meeting agenda published Thursday says only that there will be a “presentation regarding a proposed land donation from Arizona Minerals Inc. to Santa Cruz County for the purpose of providing a public park.” Arizona Minerals Inc. is part of South32.

READ MORE…

~ Nogales International 3/24/2022

Conservation Activists oppose mine in Arizona’s Sky Islands

PATAGONIA — Carolyn Shafer walked along a winding creek bed in the Patagonia Mountains, where oak trees and junipers dotted the grassy slopes of the canyon.

The creek was mostly dry, except for a puddle in the rocky stream bed.

Shafer said she’s deeply concerned about what would happen to this creek, and surrounding water sources, if the Australian mining company South32 is allowed to conduct an exploratory operation nearby called the Hermosa Project.

South32, acting through its U.S. subsidiary Arizona Minerals, aims to extract silver, lead, zinc and manganese. The company says these minerals will feed the United States’ growing demand for base metals as the country moves toward producing more electric vehicles.

READ MORE…

~ AZ Central 2/22/2022

Bruce Babbitt: desalination is not the answer to Arizona’s water woes

Former Gov. Bruce Babbitt said desalination, which his successor Doug Ducey is currently touting as part of a billion-dollar water plan, is not the answer to Arizona’s water problems, at least not for many years to come.

Babbitt, who negotiated the Arizona Groundwater Management Act in 1980 and is a senior adviser on water issues at the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy, called for a long-term solution to groundwater issues during a press conference at the Arizona Capitol on Tuesday. While the historic law he signed 42 years ago regulates groundwater use in the Phoenix and Tucson areas and other limited regions of the state, a solution is still needed in most of rural Arizona.

“Desalination will not be an answer to Arizona’s water crisis in the next generation,” Babbitt said when asked about the issue.

READ MORE…

– AZ Mirror 2/23/2022

First two permits approved for South32

State environmental regulators are one step closer to giving South32 permission to pump millions of gallons of water out of the ground and pour it into Harshaw Creek, south of Patagonia.

A spokeswoman for the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality said in an email that the department would grant the Australia-based mining company a modification to an Arizona Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permit, one of two approvals the company is currently seeking in order to dewater an underground area where it’s hoping to mine silver, lead, zinc and manganese.

“ADEQ has made the determination to issue the (permit modification) and it will become effective when payment is received,” the spokeswoman wrote.

The permit modification will allow South32 to discharge up to 6.48 million gallons of water per day into Harshaw Creek. The initial proposed modification was changed after a first round of public comments earlier this year, with the revised modification adding tighter limits on the levels of contaminants like lead and mercury that are allowed in the water.
~ Nogales International, 7/26/2021

Emails show mining industry, hom-builders pused for changes in water bill – and got them

Newly released emails reveal that lawyers and lobbyists for mining companies, developers and the agriculture industry had a hand behind the scenes in shaping Arizona’s newly adopted law on clean-water rules for rivers and streams.

The emails show the involvement of these influential groups went beyond their public endorsements of the legislation. Their lawyers and lobbyists were given access to offer input while the final legislation was being drafted, and the emails show they suggested specific language, offered “wordsmithing” tweaks and requested significant changes that state officials incorporated into the bill.

The Arizona Department of Environmental Quality released more than 400 emails in response to a request by The Arizona Republic under the state’s public records law.
~ Azcentral, 5/10/2021

Rosemont Mine wins big legal victory due to Trump administration rule changes

The proposed Rosemont Mine has won a big victory on the regulatory front, with a new agency decision it no longer needs a federal Clean Water Act permit.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers decided Wednesday that the mine no longer is covered by the Clean Water Act because of Trump administration changes to what’s been known as the federal “Waters of the U.S.” rule.

Those changes, approved in June 2020, meant development of ephemeral washes that only run after storms is no longer regulated under the act.

The Corps says the streams that would be affected by mine construction are mostly ephemeral, and that those that do sometimes carry water have no connection in normal years to rivers such as the Santa Cruz. So now, no permit is needed.

A Clean Water Act permit had been considered a crucial permit for the mine because to build the project, the mining company would have to discharge 42 acres of dredge and fill material from those washes, essentially covering some of them up.

The decision doesn’t mean the mine is home free, however. Hudbay Minerals Inc., which proposes to build it in the Santa Rita Mountains southeast of Tucson, still must get a higher court to overturn a U.S. District Court ruling from July 2019. A federal judge in Tucson threw out the U.S. Forest Service’s approval of the $1.9 billion project. That case is now awaiting a ruling from the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals.

If Hudbay wins that case, it must also secure federal sign-off on a new biological opinion covering Rosemont’s impacts on imperiled species. The District Court also overturned approval of an earlier biological opinion, which must be rewritten because Hudbay only appealed part of the ruling.
~ Tucson.com , 5/8/2021

Arizona mining fight pits economy and EVs against conservation and culture

Early last year, Darrin Lewis paid $800,000 for a hardware store in a tiny Arizona town where mining giant Rio Tinto Plc hopes to build one of the world’s largest underground copper mines.

Rio buys materials from Lewis’s Superior Hardware & Lumber for its Resolution mine site, accounting for a third of the store’s sales and helping to keep it afloat during the coronavirus pandemic.

But U.S. President Joe Biden put the mining project on hold last month in response to the concerns of Native Americans who say it will destroy sacred land and of environmentalists who worry it will gobble up water in a drought-stricken state.

That’s fueled anxiety among Lewis and others here in Superior, Arizona, who want to reap the economic benefits of a mine that would harvest more than 40 billion pounds of copper.

“I sunk everything I have into this place,” said Lewis, surrounded by hammer drills, wrenches and other goods in his store. “It would absolutely devastate us if this mine doesn’t open.”

In halting the project, Biden reversed a decision by predecessor Donald Trump that would have given Rio land for the mine. Biden ordered more government analysis of the project.

The ongoing fight pits conservationists and Native Americans against local officials and residents who support its economic benefits. The complex debate is a harbinger of battles to come as the U.S. aims to build more electric vehicles, which use twice as much copper as those with internal combustion engines. The Resolution mine could fill about 25% of the demand for U.S. cooper.

The Arizona dispute centers on Oak Flat Campground, which some Apache consider home to deities known as Ga’an. Religious ceremonies are held at the site, near the San Carlos Apache Reservation, to celebrate teenage girls coming of age. Many Apache ancestors are buried under the volcanic rock.
~ MSN , 4/19/2021

How recent jaguar sightings give experts hope for species recovery on both sides of the Arizona-Mexico border

Deer, javelinas and a black bear filled the screen as Ganesh Marin scrolled through hundreds of photos taken by one of the trail cameras used for his borderlands wildlife study.

His flicking finger paused on one.

“I saw something spotted and I knew,” said Marin, a doctoral student at the University of Arizona, who has been studying borderlands wildlife for over a decade. “I would like to say I started to shout and jump, but no. It was a deep joy to know I am right here in jaguar country.”

A pair of jaguar sightings and the results of a recent study are renewing the hopes of wildlife experts that the endangered species is slowly beginning to recover both north and south of the Arizona-Mexico border.

But new sections of border wall were built by the Trump administration in the middle of the habitats, forming a barrier that conservationists fear could hamper the jaguars’ recovery. Following the Biden administration’s pause of wall construction along the U.S.-Mexico border, researchers are searching for ways to support the big cats’ return.
~ Azcentral, 4/15/2021

Trump’s border wall scarred sacred lands, displaced wildlife and drained water. Can it be taken down?

Along the southernmost edge of Arizona, where the San Pedro River once flowed freely over the border from its headwaters in Mexico, a 30-foot steel wall slices across the channel. The barrier resembles a fortress, with massive floodgates, a concrete bridge and light poles that tower over the riverbed.

Before the Trump administration broke ground on the new wall, the river and the shady forest along it had cut through the only opening in a stretch of 40 miles of fence. Now, environmentalists and others who live near the border fear for the animals that will hit an impenetrable barrier on their journeys north and south and they wonder what will happen the next time dangerous floods rush through.

The river, which provides habitat for a diverse array of wildlife, has emerged as a symbol of the ecological damage that conservationists say was inflicted when new segments of wall severed wilderness areas across the borderlands.
~ Azcentral, 4/15/2021

Arizona’s best small towns: 5 places where you can slow down and enjoy the scenery

After a year of living our lives on a smaller scale, maybe you’re ready to venture out and explore Arizona’s wide-open spaces and historic communities.

If a road trip beckons, take the opportunity to rediscover the small-town charm of rural Arizona. Get out of the city and head for quiet places where life moves at a slower pace. Go on a hike, explore a museum, savor a piece of pie. There are no Zoom meetings out here.

Be sure to check your destination to get a sense of what’s open, what’s closed and any COVID-19 measures that may be in place.
~ Azcentral, 4/12/2021

The new gravel Mecca: Patagonia, Arizona

Have you ever been to one of those places where people tell you, ‘be careful, if you drink the water, it means you’ll be back’?

The same goes for Patagonia, Arizona, but with a twist: If you ride the gravel, you’ll probably be back.

The tiny town, nestled in the borderlands between Tucson and Nogales, Mexico boasts some of the best gravel riding in the American southwest. The roads wind through the stunning sky island ecosystem, and you can ride for days without repeating the same route.

For a century, ride to the border and back, like in The Spirit World 100 gravel race. For a chardonnay, take the gravel route to Rune Winery in neighboring Sonoita.

And gravel isn’t the only thing in the water. Patagonia also blushes with birds and butterflies, is bisected by the hiker and biker-friendly Arizona Trail, and boasts a smattering of local businesses offering fine food and art.

For all of these reasons, Heidi and Zander Ault, the co-founders of The Spirit World 100, have decided to make Patagonia home. The Aults and Kristi and Tim Mohn own and operate The Gravel House, a lovely oasis in the heart of Patagonia. The property is available to rent and is set up so that gravel riding tourists can keep their bikes safe and their bellies full in a relaxing and scenic setting.

Drink the water, ride the gravel — just consider yourself forewarned: once you come to Patagonia, you’ll probably want to come back.
~ VeloNews, 4/8/2021

Biden infrastructure plan would spend $16 billion to clean up old mines, oil wells

President Joe Biden’s $2.3 trillion plan to transform America’s infrastructure includes $16 billion to plug old oil and gas wells and clean up abandoned mines, a longtime priority for Western and rural lawmakers from both parties.

Hundreds of thousands of “orphaned” oil and gas wells and abandoned coal and hardrock mines pose serious safety hazards, while causing ongoing environmental damage. The administration sees the longstanding problem as an opportunity to create jobs and remediate pollution, including greenhouse gases that contribute to global warming.

Biden said last week he wants to put pipefitters and miners to work capping the wells “at the same price that they would charge to dig those wells.”
~ PBS news hour, 4/1/2021

Jaguar Sighting Near Arizona-Sonora Border Bring Hopes For Expansion Into The U.S.

Researchers have captured new footage of a jaguar just a few miles south of the border in neighboring Sonora, Mexico. Conservationists say that could be a sign that the species’ breeding range may be extending north. That would be good news for efforts to reestablish a population in Arizona.

Videos of the young male jaguar named “El Bonito” were captured on four cameras on the “Cuenca Los Ojos” conservation ranch in northern Sonora between December and March.

“This is great,” said Ganesh Marin, a doctoral student at the University of Arizona who has placed 100 camera traps in the area to study the movement of wildlife in the borderlands, in collaboration with various groups from both sides of the border. “It is showing us that the connectivity is there, and we are not far from the populations of jaguars.”

He and others say signs that breeding populations of jaguars are so close to the U.S. point to the possibility of the cats reclaiming territory in Arizona, where populations were wiped out by hunters more than 100 years ago. But that can only happen if wildlife corridors remain unimpeded by border walls, highways and other barriers, and if populations in Mexico are protected so they can continue to grow.

That will require commitment on the part of both the United States and Mexico, Marin said, and will also require removing parts of the border wall that prevent jaguars and other species from crossing the border.

The videos of “El Bonito” were taken just three miles from where border wall construction stopped, he said, adding that his study is working to identify critical pints where the border wall is blocking animals’ movement.

He added that protecting jaguars and the wildlife corridors they use will also benefit other species in the borderlands.

“If jaguars are here and if we can promote connectivity between the two countries, this is not only helpful to jaguars, but also for other species,” he said. “And I think that’s the most important part of having jaguars in the United States – not only to protect the jaguar, but also because we want to ensure the connectivity for black bears, for pumas, for bobcats and for other species that are not the stars in the news.”
~ Fronteras, 3/26/2021

Patagonia council pushes back on South32 permit expansion

South32 is asking state regulators to tweak a permit and allow the mining company to discharge several million gallons per day of treated water into Harshaw Creek, south of Patagonia.

The Patagonia Town Council says: Not so fast.

In a letter approved unanimously at their March 10 meeting, the town’s five-member council asked the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality to make Arizona Minerals, a subsidiary of South32, apply for a new permit rather than letting the company expand an existing permit that currently allows for less than 200,000 gallons of discharge per day in a different location.

South32, the Australian mining company behind the Hermosa Project, is seeking to develop a silver, lead, zinc and manganese mine several miles south of Patagonia.

“The (Harshaw Creek) discharge point, in our opinion, requires its own permit due to the higher quantity of discharge that affects the quality of the water,” the town council wrote in the letter. “Harshaw Creek merges with Sonoita Creek, which runs through our town, (and) may eventually affect the underground water quality that our town wells draw, in supplying water to our 874 citizens.”

“It was for something totally different from the first permit,” Patagonia Mayor Andrea Wood told the NI. “It needs to be a separate (permit) because it’s a different thing they’re asking for.”

In a presentation last summer to the Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors, a South32 representative said the minerals the company wants to take out of the ground are currently stuck beneath groundwater. The modified water discharge permit, along with an Aquifer Protection Program permit, would effectively let them pump the water out of the way to get access to the mineral deposits.

The town council’s letter doesn’t go as far as opposing the discharge permit; it just asks ADEQ to make South32 go through another step in asking for permission. But the letter does highlight the town’s willingness to challenge the mining company’s plans, which contrasts with the Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors, who have taken a less questioning stance.

The town’s letter is the latest twist in a battle over the discharge permit that’s seen the federal Environmental Protection Agency and U.S. Rep. Raul Grijalva, a Tucson Democrat whose district includes Santa Cruz County, jump into the fray.

But it apparently hasn’t caught the attention of County Supervisor Bruce Bracker, whose district includes Patagonia. Bracker insisted last week that he wasn’t aware of South32 seeking a permit modification related to Harshaw Creek, though he was present at the July 2020 meeting when a South32 representative talked about it in detail.

And Wood didn’t sound optimistic about the prospect of county elected officials taking an interest in the issue.
~ Nogales International, 3/23/2021

Picnic table effect’ highlights Patagonia’s birding scene

~ Nogales International, 3/12/2021

How To Spend A Day In Quirky Patagonia, Arizona

Equal parts outdoor hotspot and artsy Western outpost, Patagonia, Arizona, packs an improbable number of fun attractions into its community of fewer than 900 people.

Located about 18 miles north of the U.S.-Mexico border, charming Patagonia is among the communities known as Sky Islands (Sonoita, Elgin, and Patagonia) for their relatively high elevation and adjacent mountain ranges.

While stories vary on how the nearby Patagonia Mountains got their name, one theory is that miners who had spent time in Chile and Argentina named the area after the famous mountains of South America. The story certainly seemed plausible to me after taking in the golden slopes and grasslands bordered by mountain peaks.

From Tucson, Patagonia can be reached either by heading south on Interstate 19, or by traveling east on Interstate 10, and then turning south onto the Sonoita-Patagonia Scenic Road, Highway 83.

A visit to Patagonia could be a day trip from Tucson, but a better idea is to spend several days exploring the Sky Island region and taking in Arizona Wine Country along the way.
~ TRAVEL AWAITS, 3/12/2021

Patagonia council pushes back on South32 permit expansion

South32 is asking state regulators to tweak a permit and allow the mining company to discharge several million gallons per day of treated water into Harshaw Creek, south of Patagonia.

The Patagonia Town Council says: Not so fast.

In a letter approved unanimously at their March 10 meeting, the town’s five-member council asked the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality to make Arizona Minerals, a subsidiary of South32, apply for a new permit rather than letting the company expand an existing permit that currently allows for less than 200,000 gallons of discharge per day in a different location.

South32, the Australian mining company behind the Hermosa Project, is seeking to develop a silver, lead, zinc and manganese mine several miles south of Patagonia.

“The (Harshaw Creek) discharge point, in our opinion, requires its own permit due to the higher quantity of discharge that affects the quality of the water,” the town council wrote in the letter. “Harshaw Creek merges with Sonoita Creek, which runs through our town, (and) may eventually affect the underground water quality that our town wells draw, in supplying water to our 874 citizens.”

“It was for something totally different from the first permit,” Patagonia Mayor Andrea Wood told the NI. “It needs to be a separate (permit) because it’s a different thing they’re asking for.”

In a presentation last summer to the Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors, a South32 representative said the minerals the company wants to take out of the ground are currently stuck beneath groundwater. The modified water discharge permit, along with an Aquifer Protection Program permit, would effectively let them pump the water out of the way to get access to the mineral deposits.

The town council’s letter doesn’t go as far as opposing the discharge permit; it just asks ADEQ to make South32 go through another step in asking for permission. But the letter does highlight the town’s willingness to challenge the mining company’s plans, which contrasts with the Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors, who have taken a less questioning stance.

The town’s letter is the latest twist in a battle over the discharge permit that’s seen the federal Environmental Protection Agency and U.S. Rep. Raul Grijalva, a Tucson Democrat whose district includes Santa Cruz County, jump into the fray.

But it apparently hasn’t caught the attention of County Supervisor Bruce Bracker, whose district includes Patagonia. Bracker insisted last week that he wasn’t aware of South32 seeking a permit modification related to Harshaw Creek, though he was present at the July 2020 meeting when a South32 representative talked about it in detail.

And Wood didn’t sound optimistic about the prospect of county elected officials taking an interest in the issue.
~ Nogales International, 3/23/2021

Picnic table effect’ highlights Patagonia’s birding scene

~ Nogales International, 3/12/2021

As Arizona lawmakers consider clean-water rules, critics say the proposal falls short

When the Trump administration rolled back protections for many streams and wetlands, Gov. Doug Ducey’s administration supported the change and convened a series of meetings to develop a “local control” approach to regulating Arizona’s waters.

A proposal emerged from those meetings in December, and a bill that’s now working its way through the Arizona Legislature would establish a new state surface water regulatory program.

The proposed legislation, House Bill 2691, was introduced by Rep. Gail Griffin, R-Hereford, and has been supported by representatives of the mining industry, agriculture and developers, among others.
~ Azcentral, 2/19/2021

Letter: Reason for worry

~ Nogales International,1/29/2021

Letter: Our Precious Water

~ Nogales International,1/15/2021

PARA asks state agency to delay permit process for South32’s Hermosa Project in the Patagonia Mountains in December 1 press release

South32 has asked the AZ Department of Environmental Quality (AZDEQ) to issue permits for a massive dewatering project in order to access its target minerals. South32 proposes to treat and discharge up to 1.6 billion gallons of water per year for up to four years into Harshaw Creek as part of the mine dewatering process.

Patagonia Area Resource Alliance (PARA Watchdogs) retained the services of two hydrologists to model the proposed discharge into Harshaw Creek and its impact on the watershed. The study shows that the mining company has not adequately analyzed the impacts of such a persistent discharge upstream of the Town of Patagonia over a range of normal climate conditions, including periods of stormwater runoff, nor has it fully examined the impacts of mine dewatering on the watershed.  PARA Watchdogs has asked AZDEQ to suspend the review process until such time as the mining company addresses the deficiencies identified by the hydrologists.

~ Patagonia Area Resource Alliance, 12/01/2020

PARA spreads awareness of local water, roads, and power concerns in October 1 press release

Patagonia Area Resource Alliance (PARA), a grassroots environmental nonprofit founded in 2011 to help monitor and protect the Patagonia Mountains from the damage created by extractive industries like hardrock mining, today announces the three mining impacts that are currently facing the Town of Patagonia in an effort to spread awareness of regional environmental concerns leading up to the November 3, 2020 election.

Over the last three months, senior Australian mining company South32 has announced plans for the Hermosa Project’s exit route, water usage, and power source. These plans will not only impact the 450+ acres of private land upon which operations will happen; they will also likely affect the community of Patagonia and the incredible biodiversity of the Sky Island region.

~ Patagonia Area Resource Alliance, 10/01/2020

Once a boom town, now a ghost town, always a hometown

Not everyone welcomes the prospect of renewed mining: The Patagonia Area Resource Alliance (PARA), a local environmental organization, fears that South32 could deplete the region’s water supply and pollute the surrounding environment.

“They go through aquifers when they drill to get their core samples,” said Glen Goodwin, a longtime local resident and PARA co-founder, explaining that the company would need to draw large volumes of water in order to reach the deposit. “They claim that there is no cross-contamination. How they can guarantee that, I don’t know.”

~ High Country News 9/28/2020

Five organizations in southern Ariz. continuing to pursue bold environmental projects amid the pandemic

Recently, environmental organizations have had to slow down much of their efforts to promote the safety of staff and an awareness of other pressing societal issues. Some believe that this is even resulting in opportunities for the government to sneak in and break apart environmental regulations, without the defense systems of environmental organizations.

Still, environmental initiatives held by a diverse range of organizations in southern Arizona are proving resilience during these difficult times. Five companies, Patagonia Area Resource Alliance, Sky Island Alliance, the Sonoran Institute, Zero-Mass Water and Local First AZ are showing that environmentalists can feel some optimism despite the whirlwinds hitting American society and the environment.

~ AZ Daily Wildcat 6/29/2020

How a small Arizona town is building ecological resilience

With a population of around 800, Patagonia is an ecotourist and ecoactivist’s paradise. As in so many other Western rural communities, conservation efforts here have been steered by a group of financially secure, older white residents. Now, local nonprofits are trying to change that by reaching younger, more ethnically diverse activists. The environment’s sustainability, they argue, depends on the commitment and hard work of young environmental shepherds.

Without them, places like Patagonia will age out, losing ecological resilience and the ability to face daunting challenges like climate change. A small group of activists hopes to combine the traditional spirit of conservation with the renewed sense of urgency felt by younger generations.

~ High Country News 5/26/2020

Mine clean-up complete at former Trench Camp site in Patagonia Mountains

South32 announced on Friday, Jan. 17, that it had completed a multimillion-dollar remediation project at the former Trench Mine site on the company’s present-day Hermosa Project site in the Patagonia Mountains.

[Subscription to Nogales International required.]

~ Nogales International 1/29/2020

‘We’re all by ourselves’: Arizona’s two abandoned-mine inspectors face daunting task

Jerry Tyra started working underground in 1960, drilling ore samples to help mine companies figure out whether to develop a mine site.

Since 2007, the 75-year-old has been doing a different kind of exploration: scouring the state for the thousands of abandoned mines some of his former employers may have left scattered throughout the Arizona desert. When he finds one, Tyra uses wire and metal posts to fence it off, placing warning signs on the wire.

~ AZ Central 1/2/2019

Patagonia mine developer to be sold to minority shareholder

Canada-based Arizona Mining, owner of the controversial Hermosa-Taylor zinc-mining project in Santa Cruz County, has agreed to sell its remaining shares to a current minority owner based in Australia. South32 Limited, based in Perth, owns 17 percent of Arizona Mining’s stock and has agreed to acquire the remaining 83 percent in an all-cash offer of $1.3 billion, or 50 percent more than the shares’ closing price on June 15, the companies said.
~ Arizona Daily Star 6/27/2018

An owl fly-by prompts a second look at an Arizona mine

Arizona Mining Inc. has been drilling to map mineral veins, the first stage in an underground mine that could produce for up to 50 years. As it ramps up production around 2020, it’s expected to need federal permits to expand. But with the owl sighting, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is “leaning in” to see how the operation has grown — and what threats it might pose to local wildlife —since the agency last thoroughly examined it. Depending on what it finds, future mine expansion could be impeded.
~ High Country News 6/15/2018

Lawsuit Launched to Protect Rare Borderlands Moth in Arizona

The Patagonia Area Resource Alliance, Defenders of Wildlife, and the Center for Biological Diversity have filed a notice of intent to sue the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to protect the Patagonia eyed silkmoth under the Endangered Species Act. Cattle grazing has been the primary historic cause of habitat loss for the moth and continues to play a major role in the precarious situation of the species. Mining and climate change also threaten to destroy the last vestiges of potential silkmoth habitat on both sides of the border.
~ Defenders of Wildlife 5/4/2018

Patagonia mine leakage prompts a need for permanent fix

The Patagonia Area Resource Alliance (PARA) conducted a monitoring visit in March 2018 and discovered orange sludge trailing down the creek from the 1940s mine. This is an issue that first came to the attention of Glen Goodwin in 2011. “All that you could see was this dark iced tea,” Goodwin said. The reemergence of the strange substance came about once again 2014. Goodwin noted the Monsoon rains accelerate the flow of contaminants down the watershed.
~ KVOA Tucson 4/16/2018

Patagonia truck rules stand up to AG’s scrutiny

The Arizona Attorney General’s Office has rejected a state lawmaker’s challenge to Patagonia’s new limits on heavy trucks, finding that the ordinance does not conflict with state law. The conclusion issued Wednesday is a practical and symbolic victory for the town government, which set limits on the number of trips heavy trucks can make on town roads in an effort to protect the safety and tranquility of the tiny community, then stood its ground after Republican state Rep. Vince Leach, a mining advocate from Pinal County, filed an objection that threatened a devastating loss of state-shared revenue.
~ Nogales International 1/19/2018

Business advocate accuses Patagonia mining watchdog of hypocrisy

A pro-mining advocate is taking aim at the leader of a local group opposed to Arizona Mining’s efforts to conduct large-scale mineral extraction in the Patagonia Mountains, accusing him of hypocrisy for allegedly using a U.S. Forest Service well without proper permission. In response, a member of the watchdog Patagonia Area Resource Alliance called the complaint an overreaction that shows the Canadian-owned mining giant’s frustration over PARA’s insistence that it abide by environmental regulation.
~ Nogales International 6/20/2017

 

Forest Service gives crucial OK to Rosemont Mine

The U.S. Forest Service gave a major boost to the proposed Rosemont Mine today by approving a formal decision authorizing the project.
~ Arizona Daily Star 6/7/2017

 

Forest Service Issues Premature Approval of Rosemont Mine

The U.S. Forest Service today signaled its approval of the proposed Rosemont open-pit copper mine, despite the fact that key permits and reviews are lacking.
~ Center for Biological Diversity 6/7/2017

 

Outside expert called in on conflict of interest, email spats

The Patagonia Town Council was advised to create email addresses for elected officials and learned about conflicts of interest – especially as they pertain to small towns – during a special meeting last Wednesday. The workshop, hosted by Tom Belshe, deputy director of the League of Arizona Cities and Towns, was held in response to residents and councilmembers calling for a training after a resident accused Mayor Ike Isakson of having a conflict and the mayor said Councilman Michael Stabile sent inappropriate emails.
~ Nogales International 5/30/2017

 

Test finds high levels of lead in youth center soil

The Patagonia Youth Enrichment Center will temporarily close so that environmental authorities can replace soil on its grounds that showed levels of lead higher than the state cleanup standard. Caroline Oppleman, spokeswoman for the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ), the agency that conducted the soil sample test, wrote in an email that “out of an abundance of caution, ADEQ is leading and funding an early response action in these areas used by the youth center that will remove affected soil and backfill these areas to eliminate potential exposure.” Oppleman said other metals found in the soil, like arsenic, will also be removed.
~ Nogales International 5/30/2017

 

Scientists Struggle to Study Border Wall’s Effects on Wildlife

Arizona and Sonora, Mexico are one ecosystem—a diverse and rugged desert—but they’re split by hundreds of miles of fences and vehicle barriers. Scientists want to know how the current U.S.-Mexico border wall affects wildlife, and what will happen if that barrier is made more impenetrable. As KNAU’s Melissa Sevigny reports, doing research in this region is fraught with complications.
~ KNAU 5/17/2017

 

Study: Trump’s Border Wall Threatens 93 Endangered Species

President Trump’s border wall threatens 93 endangered and threatened species, including jaguars, ocelots, Mexican gray wolves and cactus ferruginous pygmy owls, according to a new study by the Center for Biological Diversity. The study also found that 25 threatened or endangered species have designated “critical habitat” on the border, including more than 2 million acres within 50 miles of the border.
~ Center for Biological Diversity 5/16/2017

 

Forest Service to decide on Rosemont Mine in early June

After a decade of planning, debates and numerous studies and reports on the Rosemont Mine, one of two key decisions on the proposed project is due early next month.

The U.S. Forest Service announced in the Federal Register on Monday that it expects the Coronado National Forest supervisor will sign the decision then on the $1.9 billion project proposed for the Santa Rita Mountains southeast of Tucson.
~ Arizona Daily Star 5/8/2017

 

Financial report: Hudbay plans to develop three open pit mines in Santa Rita Mountains

A detailed analysis in an online financial publication is reporting that Toronto-based Hudbay Minerals is planning to develop three open-pit copper deposits at its proposed Rosemont Mine project in the Santa Rita Mountains on the Coronado National Forest southeast of Tucson.
Hudbay is currently seeking federal approval to construct a single massive open pit mine that would be a mile in diameter and more than a half-mile deep. The waste rock and mine tailings from the mine would be dumped on more than 3,000 acres of Coronado National Forest.
~ Rosemont Mine Truth 5/3/2017

 

Fire’s ash may pose hazard to wildlife in conservation area near Tucson

Large patches of brown leaves dotted the aging cottonwood trees lining Empire Gulch Tuesday morning. Below, blackened fields of grass alternated with streaks of white ash on the ground. Many mesquite trees wore blackened surfaces. But it will be a while before the significance of this superficial scarring of the just-ended Sawmill Fire becomes clear along the gulch or elsewhere in the 42,000-acre Las Cienegas National Conservation Area, officials say.
~ Arizona Daily Star 5/3/2017

 

AMI Seeks to Purchase Public Land

Arizona Mining Inc. (AMI), a Canadian mineral exploration and development company, has recently submitted a Small Tracts Act application to purchase 14 acres of public land adjacent to their private patented lands on the east side of Harshaw Road, situated in the Coronado National Forest. The Forest Service, which has discretion to deny their request, is currently evaluating the application according to Daisy Kinsey, Sierra Vista District Ranger, Coronado National Forest. The Forest Service advised Patagonia Area Resource Alliance to file a Freedom of Information (FOIA) request in order to learn more about AMI’s application.
AMI has about 20,000 acres of patented and unpatented claims approximately nine miles south of the town of Patagonia at the intersection of Harshaw and Flux Canyon roads. AMI acquired 152 acres of private patented land in 2006 and 300 acres in 2016 and has drilled 331 holes over the past ten years on these two pieces.
Environmental protections for private lands are substantially different from the protections required for federal lands. Those who oppose this sale of public lands may contact the Coronado National Forest at 4070 S. Avenida Saracino, Hereford, AZ 85615 or email ckinsey@fs.fed.us. 
~ Patagonia Regional Times May 2017

 

Paton Center Welcomes Spring Visitors

A dozen avid aviary admirers, acting on the advice that the early bird gets the worm, arrived well before the official opening time of 7:00 a.m. at the Paton Center’s Spring Wing Fling on Saturday, April 8. The “worm” in this case was not only sightings of the winged wonders that make the Paton Center for Hummingbirds one of the premier destinations in the entire realm of birdwatching, but hot coffee and donuts as well, for those willing to lower their binoculars long enough to grab a bite or a drink.
~ Patagonia Regional Times May 2017

 

Tirion Featured Speaker at FOSC Annual Meeting

Friends of Sonoita Creek (FOSC) members and guests gathered in Cady Hall on April 15 to review the organization’s activities over the past year and to hear Kate Tirion, owner of Deep Dirt Farm and its affiliated institute, describe her journey from childhood in Wales to her present life as a highly-respected practitioner and teacher of permaculture.
~ Patagonia Regional Times May 2017

 

Water Pollution

Did you know that while 70% of the Earth’s surface is covered in water, only 2.5% of that is freshwater? The rest is saline and ocean-based. With most freshwater trapped underground or in glaciers, only 1% of that is accessible by humans. Furthermore, of earth’s 0.025% of precious water that we should actually be able to drink, tragically much has been rendered useless by pollution. From improper sanitation to careless dumping of sewage into rivers to just plain accidents, such as the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, the world’s supply of water is getting filthier each day.
~ Patagonia Regional Times May 2017

 

Town councilman’s emails on mining cause flap

Patagonia Mayor Ike Isakson said Councilman Michael Stabile sent two personal emails in which he inappropriately mentioned his role on the Patagonia town council while discussing mining issues, and he wants the council to consider a policy to address such communications.
~ Nogales International 4/28/2017

 

Our Turn: Feds have no clue how to save Arizona jaguars (but we do)

Arizona needs female jaguars to sustain the population. But the feds continue to drag their feet without explanation.
~ Arizona Republic 4/26/2017

 

Grijalva joins suit targeting border wall proposal

A lawsuit filed Wednesday in U.S. District Court in Tucson by U.S. Rep. Raul Grijalva and the Center for Biological Diversity takes aim at the Trump administration’s proposed border wall and other immigration enforcement measures, calling for an investigation of the proposal’s environmental impacts.
~ Nogales International 4/14/2017

 

Grijalva, wildlife group file lawsuit over Trump’s proposed border wall

A conservation group and U.S. Rep. Raúl Grijalva have filed what they say is the first federal lawsuit against the proposed border wall. The lawsuit was filed Wednesday in Tucson by Grijalva, D-Arizona, and the Center for Biological Diversity. Wildlife conservationists say the wall would be detrimental to rare animals such as jaguars and ocelots that are known to traverse the international line.
~ Arizona Daily Star 4/12/2017

 

Arizona Mining says it hopes to begin production in 2020

Arizona Mining announced that it expects to begin the state permitting process and break ground on a tailings, or waste material, facility this year. In a news release issued April 3, the Canadian-based company said it hopes to begin extracting zinc, lead and silver from its Hermosa Project property in the Patagonia Mountains by 2020. The news release said the company needs to secure state permits such as aquifer protection and air permits, a process expected to take 12-18 months.
~ Nogales International 4/11/2017

 

Pristine section of Sonoita Creek is ‘extremely rare,’ expert says

A pristine portion of Sonoita Creek that was discovered last fall is providing local environmentalists with inspiration as they work to restore eroded sections of the stream.
~ Nogales International 4/7/2017

 

Feds want to ease jaguar protections to build border wall

While one branch of the U.S. government reviews a plan to bring back the endangered jaguar, another branch wants to waive legal protections for the species to build the border wall.
~ Arizona Daily Star 3/30/2017

 

Public given more time to comment on plans to clean up old mine sites

The Coronado National Forest has indefinitely extended the public comment period for a plan to clean up two abandoned mines north of Patagonia after evaluation of the area indicated the need to develop an additional alternative.
~ Nogales International 3/28/2017

 

Environmental groups say more research is needed on reintroducing jaguars to Southwest

Reintroducing the jaguar into the United States is an idea whose time has come, says a Tucson-based environmental group. A national conservation group says it’s at least an idea worthy of more analysis than the federal government has given it.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, which manages endangered species, doesn’t agree. It says the best use of its resources is to focus on what it sees as the jaguar’s core areas in Mexico, not on “secondary” jaguar habitat in the southwestern U.S.
~ Arizona Daily Star 3/21/2017

 

Conservationists: Wild jaguars can make US comeback

Conservationists are making another push to get federal wildlife officials to devote more resources to the re-establishment of wild jaguars in the U.S. Only three jaguars have been seen in recent years, but conservationists like Rob Peters, a senior representative for Defenders of Wildlife, believe they can call the United States home again with a series of conservation measures including translocation and establishing a larger habitat area by federal officials.
~ ABC 15 3/21/17

 

Rosemont, homebuilders would benefit from Trump’s proposed water rule change

The proposed Rosemont Mine and real estate projects across Southern Arizona would be big winners if President Trump’s proposed change to the “Waters of the U.S.” rule goes through. Changing the rule as Trump has proposed would remove costly, time-consuming yet environmentally protective requirements for landowners to get federal permits for building projects near many Southern Arizona washes and streams. Most affected would be ephemeral streams and washes, which carry water only after big rains.
~ Arizona Daily Star 3/11/2017

 

Episode 306: Face to Face With a Jaguar

Most commonly associated with South and Central America, jaguars are also native to Arizona, and there is limited knowledge about the large cat. But that knowledge has been growing in the last 30 years along with an increasing number of jaguar sightings in the U.S., including in Arizona along the U.S.-Mexican border.
~ Arizona Public Media 3/11/2017

 

Comments sought on mine cleanup near Patagonia

The Coronado National Forest is seeking public comment on a plan to clean up two abandoned mines north of Patagonia. The CNF has prepared a draft report of the engineering evaluation and cost analysis for the cleanup of the Hosey and Dixie mines in the Mansfield Canyon watershed. The report concludes that the sites have environmental concerns related to arsenic, lead and antimony. The recommended alternative is to remove, relocate and perform on-site encapsulation of mine waste and soil.
~ Nogales International 3/10/2017

 

Public input sought on draft report on abandoned mines in Santa Cruz County

Officials with the Coronado National Forest are requesting public comment on the Draft Report of the Engineering Evaluation/Cost Analysis for the Mansfield Canyon Watershed Mines: Hosey Mine and Dixie Mine (Site), two abandoned mines located on the Nogales Ranger District, Santa Cruz County, Nogales, AZ. All public comments are due by close of business, Monday, March 20, 2017. Comments will also be accepted by sending an e-mail to: gpedrego@fs.fed.us (please reference “Mansfield Canyon Mine Sites EE/CA” in the subject line).
~ Tucson News Now 3/8/2017

 

Rare jaguar sighted in mountains of Arizona

Wildlife officials say they have evidence of a rare jaguar sighting in the United States, giving conservationists hope that the endangered cat is re-establishing itself here. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service released a photo Thursday from a trail camera that was taken in November and recently retrieved. It shows the spotted cat wandering through the Dos Cabezas Mountains in Arizona about 60 miles north of the U.S.-Mexico border. Fish and Wildlife spokesman Jeff Humphrey says it’s the farthest north of the border that a jaguar has been seen in decades.
~ Daily Courier 3/6/2017

 

Another jaguar discovery in Southern Arizona adds to border-wall debate

The discovery of a jaguar in the Dos Cabezas Mountains near Willcox marks the third time since 2015 a new one has been photographed in Arizona, and the seventh time the elusive cat species has been documented in Arizona or New Mexico in the last 21 years.
But this new addition to the region’s known jaguars, disclosed Thursday, does little to quell the longstanding dispute between state and federal biologists and conservationists over their significance in Arizona. The discovery has also amplified environmentalist concerns about President Trump’s plans to build a fence or wall spanning the entire U.S.-Mexican border.
~ Arizona Daily News 3/3/2017

 

Mining workers provide boon to Patagonia’s service sector

Drilling opponents, however, argue that the economic benefit to the town will be short lived and that full-fledged extraction would ultimately harm the tourist industry.

“There’s no mine ever that’s kept a small town in a boom situation forever. It’s a short-term thing,” said Cliff Hirsch, president of mining watchdog Patagonia Area Resource Alliance (PARA). “They come in here and they take minerals, and when they’re gone, they’re gone.”
~ Nogales International 3/3/2017

 

New jaguar photographed in Southern Arizona; third seen here since ’11

A new jaguar has been documented to exist in Southern Arizona — the second in the past four months and the third since 2011. It’s the seventh jaguar documented to have been in the Southwest since 1996, after only one was known to occur in this region in the previous 20 years. The jaguar was photographed on Nov. 16 in the Dos Cabezas Mountains in Cochise County, about 60 miles north of the U.S.-Mexican border, Arizona Game and Fish officials said in a news release Thursday morning. The jaguar’s sex couldn’t be determined by the photo, taken on a U.S. Bureau of Land Management-owned trail camera, Game and Fish said.
~ Arizona Daily News 3/2/2017

 

A Closer Look: Border Wall Impact on Wildlife

President Donald Trump made the border wall a central platform of his presidential campaign and within his first 7 days in office signed an executive order to build a wall along the remaining U.S.-Mexican border— all 1,254 miles of it. In addition to the effects on human communities, the wall will harm a diversity of wildlife and vast expanses of pristine wildlands and waterways, including critical wildlife movement corridors. Harm will be amplified by wall-related infrastructure and activities, including construction, improvement and maintenance of border patrol roads, camps and facilities, removal of vegetation, and traffic from patrols. Regrettably, all border wall construction can be accomplished under waivers allowed by the 2005 REAL ID Act. The act is sweeping, allowing the waiver of any federal, state, or local laws.
~ Defenders of Wildlife 3/1/2017

 

EPA Delays Rule for Miners to Give Cleanup Assurances

Facing pushback from industry and Republicans in Congress, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency delayed on Friday a proposal that would require mining companies to show they have the financial wherewithal to clean up their pollution so taxpayers aren’t stuck footing the bill.
~ Fortune 2/25/2017

 

El Jefe, Arizona’s mighty jaguar, is missing in action

El Jefe, Tucson’s lone male jaguar, caught the attention of Arizonans while residing in a tree in Southeastern Arizona.
For three years, pictures from trail cameras flooded conservationists’ computers and proved that El Jefe had created his home in the Santa Rita Mountains.
It’s been a year since trail cameras caught footage of the wandering jaguar, and the news is not good. El Jefe is missing.
~ Arizona Republic 2/17/2017

 

El Jefe the Jaguar Is Also Not a “Bad Hombre”

Just about a year ago, a YouTube sensation emerged from an unlikely place: the rugged wilderness of Arizona’s Santa Rita mountains. He made just one video, but those 41 seconds of footage—compiled from remote motion-sensor cameras—were enough to solidify his claim to fame as the only known wild jaguar living in the United States. A group of Tucson schoolkids won a nationwide naming contest, christening the big cat El Jefe, Spanish for “The Boss,” a nod to his apex predator status and Mexican heritage.

El Jefe, however, has recently become headline worthy for another reason. On January 25, our newly elected president signed an executive order calling for “the immediate construction of a physical wall on the southern border.” Now our beloved boss cat represents the threat that barrier would pose to wildlife.
~ onEarth 2/15/2017

 

How the Proposed Wall Across Mexico Will Impact the Endangered Jaguar Population

Countless species are already struggling to survive, and now one that has been endangered in the U.S. for over three decades — the jaguar — is facing the possibility of a 2,000-mile barrier that could have a devastating impact on a species as a whole. With a nearly nonexistent population in the U.S. and a struggling population in Mexico, the jaguar is already paying the price for decades of human interference.
~ One Green Planet 2/14/2017

 

Town tables trucking regulations due to legal fears

After months of discussion, the Patagonia Town Council tabled a vote on new truck regulations last week after mining representatives said they would have a lawmaker challenge the ordinance, and residents expressed fear of losing state funds.
“We wanted to investigate (the ordinance) further, make sure that whatever we propose is not in violation, is not unconstitutional,” Vice-Mayor Andrea Wood said during a phone interview last Friday.

The new ordinance would have allowed heavier trucks to drive on Patagonia’s roads, but it restricted the number of trips they can take. While councilmembers have cited public safety and road quality as the catalyst for the revised rules, this issue is also tied to Patagonia’s mining debate because many of the heavy trucks passing through town are heading to mining projects.

Wood said that after Town Manager David Teel and Town Attorney Michael Massee met Feb. 6 with Greg Lucero, vice-president for community and government affairs at Arizona Mining, and his lawyer, Teel alerted the council to an Arizona law that allows lawmakers to ask the state attorney general to investigate town ordinances. If an ordinance is found unconstitutional and is not revised in 30 days, the state can withhold funds from the town.
~ Nogales International 2/13/2017

 

Where the wild things swim — again

One clear November morning in 2015, Arizona Department of Game and Fish biologist Ross Timmons struggled to match the morphology of a fish that he’d caught in the shin-deep Santa Cruz River with that of the western mosquitofish, an exotic species that flourishes in Arizona’s waterways. “All of a sudden I realized: My God, we’ve got a Gila topminnow,” Timmons said. He’d caught a federally endangered fish, an exciting—and long awaited—find.
~ High Country News 2/9/2017

 

Where wildlife is up against the wall

The Santa Rita Mountains, a chain of forested peaks that rise from the desert southeast of Tucson, Arizona, rank among the Southwest’s premier biodiversity hotspots. The region’s most notable resident is a 160-pound, Mexican-born male jaguar called El Jefe, who was first spotted on American soil in 2011. While El Jefe rules the Santa Ritas, he’ll likely have to return to Mexico to produce an heir. The United States hasn’t hosted a verified female jaguar since 1963.
For El Jefe and the border’s other wild inhabitants, searching for love is a complicated proposition. The United States shares a 2,000-mile border with its southern neighbor, nearly 700 miles of which is blocked by fences and vehicle barriers. Still, it remains relatively crossable for wildlife; some stretches of the Santa Ritas, for instance, are too rugged for fencing. But the border’s permeability to animals may not last.
~ High Country News 2/7/2017

 

Upgrades in the works at popular backyard birding site in Patagonia

A world-famous backyard hummingbird feeding station in Patagonia has temporarily closed while the site is enhanced for the birds and humans that flock to see them.
~ Nogales International 1/31/2017

 

Council OKs water study application, tweaks truck rules draft

Patagonia’s Flood and Flow Committee received permission to apply for a grant to fund a watershed study during Wednesday evening’s well-attended town council meeting.

Also during the meeting, councilmembers made what they said will be the final changes to truck regulations following debates surrounding the possibility of mining extraction beginning near the town.
~ Nogales International 1/27/2017

 

Trump’s Border Wall Will Harm People, Halt Recovery of Jaguars, Other Wildlife

President Trump is expected to announce today that his administration will pursue a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border, a project that would perpetuate human suffering, harm border communities and halt the cross-border movement of jaguars, ocelots, wolves and other wildlife. Among animals, the wall would be particularly harmful to highly endangered jaguars. Two jaguars have been photographed north of the border in recent years, but the U.S. population will never reestablish if migration from the small population in northern Mexico is blocked.
~ Center for Biological Diversity 1/25/2017

 

Yellow-Billed Cuckoos Found in Wider Arizona Habitat Range

Audubon Arizona survey efforts identified additional types of Cuckoo habitat in Arizona’s Important Bird Areas.
~ The Birding Wire 1/18/2017

 

Mining advocate, environmentalist offer contrary outlooks on Trump administration

A proponent of mining in the Patagonia Mountains hopes President-elect Donald Trump’s administration will ease up on regulation of the industry while an environmentalist fears the new government will be a disaster for the region’s environment and human population.
~ Nogales International 1/17/2017

 

Trump’s Wall Threatens Last Jaguars in the U.S.

Jaguars need vast amounts of land to survive and reproduce. There are only two males of the species left in the United States—and the closet known females are on the Mexican side of the border.
~ Daily Beast 1/16/2017

 

Rosemont Mine would cause water quality violations, Corps district says

The proposed Rosemont Mine would “cause or contribute to” violations of Arizona water quality standards and trigger “significant degradation” of federally regulated washes, said a lower-level Army Corps of Engineers office in recommending against granting it a key federal permit.
In a recent letter to the mine company’s general manager, a top Corps official for the first time revealed these and other reasons underlying that office’s recommendation last year to deny a federal Clean Water Act permit for the $1.5 billion, Tucson-area project.
~ Arizona Daily Star 1/14/2017

 

Water troubles continue for residents east of city limits

“I’ve been without water for two months, and I have three little kids 2, 4 and 5 at home,” Francisco Martinez said, making a plea to the Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors last Wednesday to help him cut through the red tape and get water flowing again at his home on North River Road.
~ Nogales International 1/10/2017

 

Walks highlight a birdwatching mecca

Decked out in khaki and hiking boots, armed with birding field guides and binoculars, and wearing every sort of pack imaginable – backpack, fanny pack, lumbar pack – around 20 people flocked to the Sonoita Creek Trailhead at Patagonia Lake State Park for a guided bird walk Friday morning.
They came from as nearby as Patagonia and Sonoita, and as far away as Pennsylvania and Toronto, Canada. Many of the out-of-towners have camped their mobile homes within the park, located four winding miles northeast of marker 12 on Highway 82.
~ Nogales International 1/10/2017

 

Tequila makers, volunteers lift endangered bats off the mat

An unusual alliance of volunteer researchers and tequila makers have helped rescue a crucial American Southwest pollinator known as the lesser long-nosed bat from the brink of extinction, according to U.S. wildlife managers who want the bat removed from the endangered and threatened species list.
~ Tucson Sentinel 1/9/2017

 

Rosemont decision will come under Trump, but OK isn’t a done deal

A key permit decision on the proposed Rosemont Mine — which would be the country’s third-largest copper mine — won’t be made until after President-elect Donald Trump takes office. The Army Corps of Engineers said last week it doesn’t expect to issue its decision on a Clean Water Act permit for the mine until after Jan. 20, when Trump is inaugurated. It declined in response to a question from the Star to give a timeline for the decision.
~ Arizona Daily Star 1/7/2017

 

Company retreats — for now — on project in Ariz. forest

A Canadian mining company has withdrawn its bid to explore a federal tract for zinc, lead and silver at the U.S.-Mexico border.

But Arizona Mining Inc. isn’t abandoning its hopes of tapping its 13,654 acres of mining claims in the Coronado National Forest southeast of Tucson.

The company’s planned Hermosa-Taylor mine is opposed by environmental groups concerned about the project’s impact on America’s only known jaguar, called El Jefe, and other endangered and threatened species — ocelots, lesser long-nosed bats, Mexican spotted owls and western yellow-billed cuckoos — that live in moist mountain forests towering over the desert.
~ E & E News 1/6/2017

 

New councilmembers in Patagonia recognize the responsibility of their service

Michael Stabile, Ron Reibslager and Melissa Murrietta were sworn in as Patagonia Town councilmembers on Wednesday evening, and the first meeting of the new council went smoothly.

“Our first vote was 4-0,” Mayor Ike Isakson joked when accounts payable was unanimously approved.

Even so, members acknowledged that future meetings could be tense due to strong opinions over mining projects in the Patagonia area.
~ Nogales International 1/6/2017

 

Mayor rejects allegation of conflict of interest on truck rules

An environmental activist accused Patagonia Mayor Ike Isakson of having a conflict of interest when it comes to local truck regulations, but the mayor said legal authorities have given him a green light on the issue.

“Respectfully speaking, you shouldn’t even be discussing this because you have a conflict,” Carolyn Shafer told the mayor during a discussion of the regulations at last Wednesday’s town council meeting. Shafer, a board member with the Patagonia Area Resource Alliance (PARA), a mining watchdog organization, also accused the council of “bending over backwards” to accommodate heavy trucks.

The issue of heavy truck traffic is tied to Patagonia’s mining debate because many of the trucks passing through town are heading to mining projects.
~ Nogales International 1/3/2017

Report Advises Trump on Survival Needs of Jaguars, Nine Other Endangered Species

As President-elect Trump prepares to take over the executive branch, the Washington, D.C.-based Endangered Species Coalition today released a Top 10 list of endangered wildlife in need of strong protective measures. The report, “Removing the Walls to Recovery: Top 10 Species Priorities for a New Administration,” highlights the most significant threats to vanishing species ranging from elephants to corals and including jaguars, directly threatened by border walls. Center for Biological Diversity 12/21/2016

 

Environmentalists criticize proposed jaguar recovery plan

Environmental groups are criticizing the details of a proposed recovery plan for the northern jaguar released Monday by U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, arguing that the plan is too weak to protect the species from extinction. Tucson Sentinel 12/20/2016

 

Steller: Jaguars belong in Southern Arizona, whatever the number

Don’t get too excited by the new jaguar.
He’s just a stray cat, wandering the northern limits of his species’ range. He’s just a curiosity in today’s Arizona, insignificant in the greater scheme.
That’s the message from officialdom now that we know there is another new male jaguar roaming the Arizona borderlands. Arizona Daily Star 12/18/2016

 

Arizona Mining- Banks Slam Manganese Concerns

Zinc-concentrate-penalty-thresholds don’t usually come up over lunch. But they have become a hot topic in the mining industry this week, as analysts try to wrap their heads around Taylor, a large zinc deposit in the US. Global Mining Observer 12/13/2016

 

New jaguar roams Southern Arizona, photo indicates

A male jaguar — likely the sixth documented in the Southwest since 1996 — was photographed last week on Fort Huachuca, authorities said Wednesday.
The jaguar is believed to be separate from the male jaguar known as “El Jefe,” who was photographed from 2012 to 2015 in the Santa Rita Mountains, authorities said. It was the first confirmed jaguar sighting ever at Fort Huachuca, said Angie Camara, a Fort Huachuca spokeswoman. Arizona Daily Star 12/7/2016

 

Rosemont Mine not a done deal under Trump, experts say

On its face, the ascension of Donald Trump to the White House should be a boon for the long-delayed $1.5 billion Rosemont Mine, which would be this country’s third-largest copper mine.
But it’s not that simple, say three outside experts who have worked for federal environmental agencies under both major political parties. With a final federal decision on Rosemont approaching soon, a pro-business Trump administration would undoubtedly be more favorably inclined than some Obama administration officials have been. But that doesn’t make Rosemont a done deal, say the experts — two law professors and a top official for a nonprofit water group. Arizona Daily Star 12/4/2016

 

AMI Withdraws Request to Drill On Forest Service Land

According to the US Forest Service (USFS) website, Arizona Mining Inc. has withdrawn their request to expand exploratory drilling onto Forest Service land. That request was the subject of public comments sent in to the USFS by many local residents a few months ago. The PRT learned of this development just before going to press, and we expect to know more about the reason for AMI’s withdrawal, and to report on it, in our next issue. Patagonia Regional Times 12/2016

 

Watershed expert to speak in Patagonia

Laura Norman, a research physical scientist with the U.S. Geological Survey, will give a talk at 10 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 17, at the Patagonia Public Library.
Norman has spent 18 years modeling watersheds in the U.S.-Mexico border region and her master’s thesis investigated the flow of water and erosion processes associated with acid-mine drainage in the Patagonia Mountains. Her upcoming talk will include the following topics: Nogales International 11/29/2016

 

Council gets ‘proactive’ on drought and trucks

The Patagonia Town Council’s special workshop on Tuesday was all about “being proactive,” said Councilwoman Meg Gilbert. In preparation for possible low water levels and road damage caused by an increase in trucks driving through Patagonia, council members and around 20 residents gathered to discuss drafts of a new drought response plan and heavy vehicle ordinance.
Although it was never mentioned at Tuesday’s meeting, mining is related to the topics discussed because mining operations use large amounts of water and heavy trucks. As [Town Manager David] Teel said afterward, mining “underlies everything that happens in Patagonia.” Nogales International 11/25/2016

 

Former Rosemont Mine lobbyist on, off Trump’s Interior transition team

A former Rosemont Copper lobbyist served as the head of President-elect Donald Trump’s Interior Department transition team before being removed this week in an apparent purge of lobbyists from the team. Arizona Daily Star 11/25/2016

 

Public Debate on AMI’s Drilling Dominates Town Council Meeting

It seems that the town of Patagonia has agreed to disagree and move forward, knowing that exploratory drilling is taking place and that real mining may come, and that they must work together so that the town isn’t torn apart. There are certainly committed factions in town—that was clear at the last town council meeting on October 26. Patagonia Regional Times 11/2016

 

Forest Service Issues Scoping Notice For Taylor Project

Late this summer Arizona Mining (AMI) submitted a plan of operation to the Forest Service, proposing to extend their drilling onto public land. The Forest Service issued a Scoping Notice to the public in September asking for citizen comments. On its website, the Forest Service explains: “Citizens often have valuable information about places and resources that they value and the potential environmental, social, and economic effects that proposed federal actions may have on those places and resources. NEPA’s requirements provide you the means to work with the agencies so they can take your information into account.” Patagonia Regional Times 11/2016

 

Vehicle Weight Limit Reviewed By Town Council

At a council meeting in June, Patagonia’s Town Council voided the ordinance (Sec. 11-4-4) created in 2011, which imposed weight limits for use of town roads by double axle vehicles. The ordinance, which limited vehicle weight on town roads to 17,500 lbs., had not been enforced and was determined to be problematic. Mayor Ike Isaksen stated that enforcement would require that every street in town display signs stating the restriction, and it was noted that the town would have to purchase a weight scale to check incoming truck traffic. Both measures were said to be beyond the town’s budget. Patagonia Regional Times 11/2016

 

Over 13,000 Attended Fall Festival

Over 140 vendors filled Patagonia’s expansive park October 7-9, attracting over 13,000 visitors, according to the Fall Festival’s manager, Bonnie Maclean. Young and old enjoyed a variety of entertainment. El Jefe, the Jaguar, roamed through the crowd as the mascot for the Patagonia Area Resource Alliance, serving as a reminder of the unique biodiversity of our local environment and the precious natural balance of this place we call home. Patagonia Regional Times 11/2016

 

Fall Festival fills Patagonia with art and crafts

Although most of the vendors traveled from outside the area to attend the festival, there was a definite local flavor to the event. The Patagonia Area Resource Alliance, which works to preserve and protect the Patagonia mountains, also offered face-painting, decorating people as jaguars in an effort to publicize the efforts to protect the animal’s habitat in Southern Arizona. Patagonia librarian Laura Wenzel, dressed in a jaguar costume, posed for photos and answered visitors’ questions about this endangered species. Nogales International 10/14/2016

 

Enviros Fight Another Mining Proposal in Jaguar Range

Exploratory drilling is already underway at another mining site within a mile of the proposed Hermosa-Taylor drilling area near the U.S.-Mexico border. Photo by Gooch Goodwin, courtesy of Defenders of Wildlife.
Environmentalists are gearing up to battle another mining proposal within the home range of America’s only known jaguar.
Coronado National Forest officials have just started reviewing the proposed Hermosa project, exploratory drilling about 50 miles southeast of Tucson, Ariz., near the U.S.-Mexico border. E&E 10/13/2016

 

Southern Arizona’s Mountain Empire: Sanctuary for Rare and Unusual Species

Imagine a little-known national treasure — a largely wild land home to ocelots, exotic and imperiled birds like elegant trogons and Mexican spotted owls, imperiled reptiles and amphibians like the threatened Chiricuahua leopard frog, and El Jefe, the only jaguar currently living in the United States. This is the Mountain Empire of southern Arizona, a place as special as Yosemite or Yellowstone, and worthy of international recognition. Extending across the border into northern Sonora, Mexico, this region is bounded by mountains that rise from the flat desert floor to touch the sky. With one of the richest concentrations of biodiversity in the U.S., the Mountain Empire is a sanctuary for imperiled species. But even a sanctuary can be threatened. Defenders of Wildlife Blog 10/4/2016

 

Lawsuit Filed to Protect Endangered Ocelots in Arizona, Texas From Government Killing

The Center for Biological Diversity and the Animal Welfare Institute today filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to ensure that endangered ocelots aren’t inadvertently killed as part of the Department’s long-running program to kill coyotes, bears, bobcats and other wildlife in Arizona and Texas. The Department’s Wildlife Services program kills tens of thousands of animals in the two states every year using traps, snares and poisons. Center for Biological Diversity 10/4/2016

 

Public can comment on drilling plan until Oct. 11

The Coronado National Forest is accepting public comments on a proposal by Arizona Minerals to develop eight exploratory drill holes at three sites near Patagonia.
The Hermosa-Taylor Deposit Drilling Project calls for the drilling to be done on National Forest land in the Patagonia Mountains, six miles southeast of the town. Nogales International 9/29/2016

 

Scoping period for Arizona Minerals, Inc. Hermosa-Taylor Deposit Drilling Project

The Coronado National Forest (CNF) is accepting your comments on a proposed Plan of Operations (Plan) for the Hermosa-Taylor Deposit Drilling Project, submitted by Arizona Minerals, Inc. (AMI).
Although time periods for scoping are not legally mandated, typically a scoping period is 30 calendar days.  Based on publication of the Legal Notice in the Nogales International on September 9, 2016, and taking into consideration the weekend of October 8 and Columbus Day, Monday October 10 being a federal holiday, the end date of the scoping period for this proposal will be October 11, 2016. willcoxrangenews.com 9/28/2016

 

San Carlos Apache, environmentalists fight drilling plan near Superior

The San Carlos Apache Tribe and environmental groups have filed two related lawsuits against the U.S. Forest Service and Tonto National Forest supervisor Neil Bosworth, objecting to approval of a mining company’s plans to start preliminary activities on its proposed mine waste site. Arizona Daily Star 9/17/2016

 

Water well expert to speak in Patagonia

Geologist Gary Hix, an expert on private water-well maintenance, will speak at Cady Hall in Patagonia at 10 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 24. His talk is titled “The Connection between Surface Water, Groundwater and Private Wells” and is presented by the Friends of Sonoita Creek advocacy group. Refreshments will be served and admission is free and open to all. Nogales International 9/15/2016

 

Further cleanup needed at Lead Queen Mine in Patagonia Mountains

An environmental cleanup, conducted in Feb. 2016 at the Lead Queen Mine in the Sierra Vista Ranger District, will be getting an upgrade, according to a news release from the U.S. Forest Service. Tucson News Now 9/2/2016

 

More repairs needed at leaky mine near Patagonia

Rainy weather has once again wreaked havoc on repairs performed at the leaky Lead Queen Mine near Patagonia, forcing the Coronado National Forest to design a system to augment existing environmental cleanup work at the site. Nogales International 9/2/2016

 

Three candidates elected to Patagonia council

The three open seats on the Patagonia Town Council were decided outright in Tuesday’s primary election with Michael Stabile, Ron Reibslager and Melissa Murrietta each earning votes on a majority of ballots, leaving no room for incumbent Gilbert Quiroga. Nogales International 8/31/2016

 

Patagonia’s overweight truck policy getting overhauled

Trucks traveling on town roads in Patagonia could face some new, more relaxed rules if revisions discussed at a workshop last week are adopted by the town council. But questions remain as to whether new regulations will be applied any more strictly than the current, essentially non-enforced rules. Nogales International 8/30/2016

 

Defenders of Wildlife Welcomes Recovery Plan for Ocelot; Concerns Regarding Habitat Threats Remain

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service released a recovery plan that will guide restoration and protection of the ocelot populations in Arizona and Texas and in bordering Mexican states of Sonora and Tamaulipas. The ultimate goal of the plan is to increase the number of ocelots in both nations, protect their habitat and create connecting habitat corridors between Arizona and Sonora and between Texas and Tamaulipas. This unique endangered cat ranges as far south as Argentina, but in the U.S. is found only in two small areas of Arizona and Texas. Defenders of Wildlife 8/15/2016

 

Jaguar video sparked controversy that rages six months later

The way biologist Chris Bugbee sees it, if a picture is worth 1,000 words, a video is worth 1,000 pictures. But the move also cost him his volunteer status with the University of Arizona-run jaguar research project, through which he first put cameras in the Santa Ritas’ jaguar habitat. He previously had worked as a paid employee on the project for nearly three years. Arizona Daily Star 8/14/2016

 

Environmentalists say mine sludge cleanup plan may have flaws

Efforts to stop a toxic mess spilling from a mine in Santa Cruz County may soon be back to square one, and it’s all because of Mother Nature. Environmental advocates with the Patagonia Area Resource Alliance said due to Tuesday’s monsoon storms, several gabions were either displaced or overflowed. Gabions are similar to makeshift dams that were put in place by the U.S. Forest Service last year to filter any discharge of acid mine drainage at the Lead Queen Mine in the Patagonia Mountains. Tucson News Now 8/13/2016

 

Floods force evacuations in Patagonia

Although the creeks had considerably receded by Wednesday morning, the prospect of more Tropical Storm Javier-related rains throughout the day prompted Patagonia officials to keep the Red Cross shelter at the Patagonia Community Methodist Church open. Nogales International 8/10/2016

 

Local indie movie showcases Patagonia area

The anti-mining message of the movie is reflected in this description from the film’s website. “The natural beauty of the mountains, streams and wildlife along with its community of people is set against the short-term monetary gain of a mining company,” it says. Nogales International 8/5/2016

 

Council voids truck-weight limit, reviewing water sale

An article in theTown Code restricting overweight trucks from traveling on Patagonia roads was voided and the council decided to study bulk water sales during a packed meeting on Wednesday. The two issues were precipitated by Arizona Mining activity at the Hermosa mine southeast of Patagonia. Nogales International 7/29/2016

 

‘World-class’ mineral deposits evoke both optimism, concern

Part of a vibrant wildlife corridor, the oak-pine woodlands and scrub grasslands of the Patagonia Mountains are prized by hikers, rock climbers, bird watchers and community members for their wealth of natural beauty.

But some are looking for a different kind of treasure hidden deep below this land’s rusty-brown surface.

Tucked into the folds of this 15-mile sky island, Canadian mining company Arizona Mining, formerly Wildcat Silver Corporation, has accumulated thousands of acres of patented and unpatented land for its Hermosa mining project, where an ample deposit of zinc, lead and silver is currently being explored for a future multi-billion dollar mining operation, said Greg Lucero, the firm’s vice president of community and government affairs. Nogales International 7/29/2016

 

Unit of federal agency recommends denying key Rosemont Mine permit

A federal Clean Water Act permit should be denied to the proposed Rosemont Mine southeast of Tucson, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ Los Angeles regional office says. Arizona Daily Star 7/29/2016

 

Arizona appeals panel upholds Rosemont Mine air permit

The proposed Rosemont Mine won a big legal victory Tuesday when an Arizona Court of Appeals panel overturned a lower court ruling blocking the mine’s air-quality permit.  Arizona Daily Star 7/13/2016

 

Group sues to block mine, protect jaguar El Jefe’s habitat

A controversial plan to build a mine in the territory of El Jefe — the sole jaguar known to be roaming in the U.S. — has prompted the Tucson-based Center for Biological Diversity to sue the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Arizona Republic 6/29/2016

 

EPA won’t release some memos, documents on Rosemont Mine

The Environmental Protection Agency won’t release memos and other documents to another federal agency on the latest Rosemont Mine mitigation plan and on the mine’s general impacts. It’s citing a federal Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) exemption, to protect what it calls the integrity of the deliberative process. But the University of Arizona’s journalism school chief, David Cuillier, says the agency’s action raises questions about what it’s trying to hide. Arizona Daily Star 6/26/2016

 

Beefed-up Rosemont mitigation plan faces Corps decision soon

A beefed-up plan to compensate for damages to washes from the proposed Rosemont Mine faces an Army Corps of Engineers decision in the next few weeks, a Corps spokesman says. Arizona Daily Star 6/26/2016

 

Volunteers lay foundation for habitat restoration

Early last Saturday under already sweltering conditions, a half-dozen men and women heaved bread loaf-sized rocks into a large drainage on the outskirts of the Patagonia Mountains to create a “zuni bowl” – a rock structure designed to control erosion. Nogales International 6/24/2016

 

The Price We Pay For The Mining Game

A few years back Arizona Minerals, AKA Wildcat Silver, said they had discovered a great big silver deposit up in the Patagonia Mountains. They were going to recover over a million ounces of silver at a lower cost then any other silver mine in the country.

Suddenly there was talk from people associated with Arizona Minerals about a new and better discovery: lead and zinc with some silver.

I recommend that concerned citizens of Patagonia drive up Harshaw Road and view the destruction that has taken place as Arizona Mining mounts an expedited drilling program to try and prove their discovery. Patagonia Regional Times 6/2016

 

County Says No to the No-No’s on Harshaw

On April 12, these signs appeared along Harshaw Road in the area where it passes through land owned by Arizona Mining. Some were free standing, others attached to state road signs. The warnings seemed authoritative, implying that Arizona Mining had the right to prohibit people from taking photographs on a public road. Patagonia Regional Times 6/2016

 

A Leaky Water Conservation Plan?

This tanker truck was observed filling up many times with water from Patagonia’s town well last weekend. The water is being used regularly by mining construction personnel to keep dust down out on Harshaw Road where mining traffic has been heavy in the past weeks. Due to a significant leak in the bottom of the truck’s water tank, water pooled below the truck and sent a stream down Naugle Avenue. How precious is our water? Patagonia Regional Times 6/2016

 

Nation’s wild-cat hot spot is in Santa Rita Mountains

The Santa Rita mountain range, known globally for its birds and arduous hikes, now has another distinction — it’s the only place in the U.S. and Canada where four wild cat species are known to have lived. Arizona Daily Star 6/12/2016

 

Arizona jaguar ‘biologically insignificant,’ wildlife manager says

The male jaguar that roamed three years through the Santa Rita Mountains is “biologically insignificant,” an Arizona Game and Fish Department official says. Officials for Rosemont Copper, the company proposing to build the Rosemont Mine in the Santa Ritas, also downplay the significance of the jaguar and its habitat. Arizona Daily Star 6/12/2016

 

Mexican bird makes its U.S. debut in mountains near Tucson

The tiny, thin bird darted from oak to juniper trees in the Santa Rita Mountains, uttering soft “whip” calls, catching insects and occasionally flying over a birdwatcher’s head. That was the pine flycatcher’s public introduction to Arizona and the United States. The Mexican bird, very hard to identify, was recorded in this country for the first time at a remote, rarely visited spring area in a grove of lush woodlands in late May. Arizona Daily Star 6/6/2016

 

Randy Serraglio: Protect El Jefe, Tucson’s jaguar

With its final biological opinion on the proposed Rosemont open-pit copper mine in the Santa Rita Mountains just outside of Tucson, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has drawn up an eviction notice — and possibly a death sentence — for America’s only known jaguar. Arizona Daily Star 6/5/2016

 

Vigneto moves one step closer to approval in Benson

In under five minutes, the Benson City Council on Wednesday approved a 40-year development agreement with developer El Dorado Holdings, during a special meeting that didn’t allow for public comment. Arizona Daily Star 6/3/2016

 

Researchers: Santa Ritas jaguar not just visiting

An adult male jaguar — the only known wild jaguar in the United States — found a home in the Santa Rita Mountains and didn’t just visit from Mexico, a new study concludes. Arizona Daily Star 5/26/2016

 

Lawsuit Filed to Protect Wildlife and San Pedro River from Sprawling Development

A lawsuit against the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service was filed today in federal court in Arizona to protect the San Pedro River, and the wildlife and millions of migratory birds that depend on it. Sierra Club Press Release 5/25/2016

 

Wildlife service: Best known science drove Rosemont opinion

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service says it used the best available science to reach its biological opinion that the Rosemont Mine won’t jeopardize 12 endangered species living nearby. Arizona Daily Star 5/8/2016

 

US Fish & Wildlife: Jaguar El Jefe, Other Endangered Species in Santa Ritas Will Survive Despite Rosemont Copper Mine

On Tuesday the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service gave final biological approval to the proposed Rosemont copper mine, saying the only known jaguar in the United States, El Jefe—and other species living in the Santa Rita Mountains—will be able to coexist with the mine. Tucson Weekly 5/4/2016

 

Imperiled wildlife can live with Rosemont, US report says

A federal agency gave the proposed Rosemont Mine its final biological clearance Tuesday, saying the mine won’t jeopardize a dozen imperiled species living on or near its site or illegally destroy their habitat. Arizona Daily Star 5/4/2016

 

Report: Rosemont Mine won’t affect endangered species

The proposed Rosemont Mine will not jeopardize the existence or illegally destroy habitat for 12 imperiled species living in and around the mine site, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service said Tuesday. Arizona Daily Star 5/3/2016

 

Earthfest in Patagonia

The three-day event was sponsored by the Arizona Trail association, Borderlands Restoration, Mountain Empire Trail Association, Patagonia Area Resource Alliance, the Nature Conservancy, The Patagonia Museum and Tucson Audubon Paton Center. Nogales International 4/28/16

 

EPA keeping quiet as Rosemont Mine decision nears

In a recent interview, a top Environmental Protection Agency official gave no clues as to whether the EPA would refer the project for a higher-level review before the U.S. Forest Service makes its final decision on the mine, proposed for the Santa Rita Mountains southeast of Tucson. Arizona Daily Star 4/27/2016

 

Key Rosemont biological report given to Forest Service

A key document was turned over to the U.S. Forest Service on Friday, pushing the decade-old, $1.5 billion Rosemont Mine project one step closer to a final decision. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service sent its final biological opinion on the proposed mine to the Forest Service, ending a formal review of the mine’s impacts on imperiled species that’s lasted nearly two years. Arizona Daily Star 4/24/2016

 

Southern Arizona’s mining outlook bleak due to global copper prices

Little improvement is expected this year in the dismal state of Southern Arizona’s copper industry due to the continued slump in global copper prices. Arizona Daily Star 4/24/2016

 

Big CAP cuts coming as 3-state water agreement nears

Arizona, California and Nevada negotiators are moving toward a major agreement triggering cuts in Colorado River water deliveries to Southern and Central Arizona to avert much more severe cuts in the future. Arizona Daily Star 4/24/2016

 

Toxic legacy of mining difficult to clean up

Amid the rotten support beams, tangled mine cart tracks and deteriorating structures, small mountains of crushed rock and mine tailings packed with toxic heavy metals rise in the middle of the drainage. When heavy rains come, water washes that material down to Sonoita Creek, which in turn carries it on to Patagonia Lake, where much of it settles, according to Eli Curiel, an environmental engineer with the Coronado National Forest (CNF). Nogales International 4/22/2016

 

Patagonia considering dark skies rules

To make sure constellations remain clear inside city limits for generations to come, as Orion and others were Wednesday night, the town council is considering regulations that would govern lighting on new properties and those with major modifications. Nogales International 4/21/2016

 

Ocelot photographed on mine site’s doorstep

An endangered ocelot was photographed less than one-third of a mile from the site of the proposed Rosemont Mine, a federal agency says. Arizona Daily Star 3/21/2016

 

More repairs needed at mine site after winter rains

Winter rains are testing repairs to the Lead Queen Mine near Patagonia, which was sealed in November after heavy metals leached into a drainage above Harshaw Creek in 2014. Weekly Bulletin 3/16/2016

 

Low copper prices delay Rosemont Mine

The proposed Rosemont Mine faces potentially lengthy construction delays due to low copper prices, just as the project heads into what could be a final round of government permitting. Arizona Daily Star 2/6/2016

 

Rosemont Mine Put on Hold By Hudbay Minerals

Opponents of the proposed Rosemont Mine were cheering news that the open-pit project in the Santa Rita Mountains has been delayed indefinitely. Officials from Rosemont Copper’s Canadian parent company, Hudbay Minerals, announced on Feb. 24 that the project has been put on hold because of low copper prices and regulatory hurdles. But company officials added in a press release that they still plan to move forward with the Rosemont mine once copper prices rebound. The Range 2/1/2016

 

Arizona’s Only Jaguar Prowls a Difficult, But Hopeful, Path

On video, the United States’ only jaguar is a graceful presence. He pads through the forest of Arizona’s Santa Rita Mountains, sunlight dappling his spotted coat. The phrase “charismatic megafauna” never seemed so apt. Live Science 3/1/2016

 

Company anticipates delay in construction of Arizona mine

A Canadian mining company says it expects a delay in construction of a major project in southern Arizona but is proceeding with engineering and permitting work. HudBay Minerals Inc. says it remains committed to the Rosemont Mine in the Santa Rita Mountains southeast of Tucson. News 4 Tucson 2/29/2016

 

Jaguar Video Rekindles Debate over Santa Ritas Land Use

The recently-released video of a solitary male jaguar in the Santa Rita Mountain range south of Tucson has reignited the long-running debate about habitat preservation and mining. Arizona Public Media 2/26/2016

 

My Turn: America’s only known jaguar is under attack

The celebrity of El Jefe — America’s lone wild jaguar, roaming through streams and brush in the Santa Rita Mountains, south of Tucson — has gone viral with the recent release of a video from Conservation CATalyst and the Center for Biological Diversity. Arizona Republic 2/25/2016

 

Online database could help identify abandoned toxic mines

The state mine inspector estimates there are roughly 100,000 abandoned mines in Arizona. But environmental officials have no way of knowing how many of those mines are leaching toxic residues, metals or compounds into the environment. Tucson News Now 2/25/2016

 

$5.9M for Water Conservation Near Fort Huachuca

Local non-profit Arizona Land and Water Trust has been awarded $5.9 million from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to pay for land and water conservation work near Fort Huachuca. Arizona Public Media 2/22/2016

 

Steller: Arizona’s self-satisfaction on water must end

It’s hard not to enjoy this beautiful weather, but the balmy days also should serve as a reminder that the climate is warming and drying. As a result we have to change our way of dealing with water. We do need the reminder. Arizona, you see, is in a bit of a self-satisfied mood when it comes to discussing water management. Arizona Daily Star 2/20/2016

 

Climate change will reduce San Pedro recharge, study says

A new study offers an additional warning for the troubled San Pedro River: Recharge of rainfall runoff into its underlying aquifer will diminish over the next century due to climate change. Arizona Daily Star 2/19/2016

 

Freeport Sells Part Of Arizona Mine

Freeport-McMoRan Inc. on Monday said it reached a deal to sell part of its stake in an Arizona copper mine to one of the mine’s other owners, in an effort to pay down debt. NASDAQ 2/16/2016

 

A Conversation with Gary Paul Nabhan

30 Minutes spoke with Gary Paul Nabhan, Ph.D., about Tucson’s recent designation as a UNESCO World City of Gastronomy and what that means. He is the newly appointed director for Center for Regional Food Studies. Nabhan discussed the breadth of Tucson’s food cultures as well as the importance of food justice and food security for everyone in our community. KXCI 2/14/2016

 

Save the Scenic Santa Ritas: Survival of America’s only known wild jaguar seriously threatened by proposed Rosemont Mine

A trail camera video of America’s only known wild jaguar is attracting widespread media and focusing attention on the direct threat to the survival of this endangered predator by the proposed Rosemont Copper Mine. PR Newswire 2/8/2016

 

Watch: Jaguar prowls Santa Ritas south of Tucson in new video

Video of a rare solitary jaguar roaming the mountains just south of Tucson was released Wednesday. The big cat, dubbed “El Jefe” in a naming contest, is the only wild jaguar known to live in the United States. Tucson Sentinel 2/3/2016

 

Mining among unhappiest industries to work in — study

Energy, mining, and utilities workers across the world are the least happy in their jobs, a new study published this week shows. Mining.com 2/1/2016

 

Court Issues Order to Hold Biggest Polluters Accountable for Cleanup Costs

Today, the Court ordered the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to stop letting polluters off the hook for the contamination they cause. For 30 years, the EPA has failed to issue rules under CERCLA, the “Superfund” law, to hold industries accountable, up front, for cleanup costs. As a result, company after company has found a way to pass the cost of environmental disasters on to taxpayers. Today, the U.S. Court of Appeals issued a decision that will help to fix that. Earthworks 1/29/2016

 

Caterpillar sees no signs of mining improvement

With sales and operations at the ends of the earth, few companies are in a better position to take the pulse of the global economy and the resource sector in particular than Caterpillar. The world’s number one heavy equipment manufacturer has been hit hard by the decline in mining and construction – sales are down more than $20 billion from its peak just four years ago after a drop of over $8 billion last year. Caterpillar said in September it would cut as many as 10,000 jobs in a three-year restructuring program. Mining.com 1/28/2016

 

National Forest in Arizona Challenged to Protect Wildlife from Motorized Uses

Four conservation groups, represented by the Western Environmental Law Center, filed suit today against the Kaibab National Forest in Arizona, aiming to protect wildlife and cultural resources from motorized cross-country travel. At issue are decisions in Travel Management Plans to allow motor vehicles to travel up to one mile off of all open roads. Less than 10 percent of the forest remains free from motorized vehicles as a result of the decisions. Sierra Club 1/25/2016

 

Communities Announce Protest Against HudBay Minerals’ Constancia Project in Peru

After failed attempts to dialogue with HudBay Minerals, the Velille Defence Front, community presidents, community boards, the Chumbivilcas Defence Front and nearby districts have announced a preventative strike for 72 hours starting January 25, 2016 against the company’s Peruvian subsidiary HudBay Perú S.A.C. HudBay’s open-pit Constancia copper project is located within the districts of Velille, Chamaca and Livitaca, in the province of Chumbivilcas, department of Cusco, Peru. The community organizations of Velille are demanding that the company meet various economic, social and environmental demands. Mining Watch 1/25/2016

 

Residents accuse mining company of polluting town

Betty Amparano has been sounding the alarm about environmental pollution in her hometown of Hayden, Arizona for nearly 20 years. In November, the effort finally seemed to pay off, as ASARCO, the company that owns the copper smelter in Hayden, agreed to a settlement with the EPA that will cost the company more than $160-million in fines and smelter improvements that are meant to reduce pollution and its effects on the community. Tucson News Now 1/22/2016

 

President Vetoes Attempt to Void the Clean Water Rule

On June 29, 2015 the EPA and Department of Defense published a rule called the Clean Water Rule. The rule elaborated the definition of the term “waters of the United States” to include certain bodies of water under the regulatory authority of the EPA through the 1972 Clean Water Act. It was put into effect two months later on August 28, but states petitioned in court. On October 9 the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit suspended the rule until further notice. GovTrack 1/22/2016

 

Environment Canada issued warning to Mount Polley mine before disaster, FOIs reveal

The controversial Mount Polley mine received both millions of dollars in contracts and a written warning from Canada’s environment department prior to a massive breach of a dam with mining waste in 2014, according to a newly released federal memorandum. National Observer 1/18/2016

 

Brazil’s worst environmental disaster, in pictures

When the dams holding waste from a Brazilian iron ore mine collapsed in November, it triggered a huge, harmful mud wave that blanketed villages and polluted a major river flowing into the Atlantic. The torrent carried billions of gallons of mud and waste, killing at least 17 people, leaving hundreds of families homeless, wiping out wildlife and unleashing other devastation that, all together, the government considers to be Brazil’s worst environmental disaster ever. GlobalPost 1/17/2016

 

Hudbay expects to make key investment decision on Rosemont by midsummer

Hudbay Minerals is expected to make a crucial decision on the future of its Rosemont copper prospect by mid-summer when the Toronto-based miner completes an ongoing “definitive” feasibility study. Hudbay says it will spend $30 million completing the study that will provide the foundation for its decision on future investments in the massive open pit copper project that would be constructed in the Santa Rita Mountains on the Coronado National Forest southeast of Tucson. Rosemont Mine Truth 1/15/2016

 

This is what a mining, metals market meltdown looks like

A feeble attempt at a rally yesterday evaporated on Friday with the copper price hitting a fresh six-and-half year low of $1.9365 a pound ($4,270 a tonne) after falling nearly 2% in New York. Following a 26% decline in 2015, copper is already down 9% this year and worth less than half its peak as commodity investors choose to ignore fundamentals pointing to recovery. Mining.com 1/15/2016

 

Poll: Westerners support presidential land protection, oppose state takeovers

A new survey finds that most western voters support presidential authority to protect public lands under national monument status, and oppose state takeover attempts of national public lands. In the bipartisan poll, versions of which are sponsored annually by the Colorado College State of the Rockies project, 80 percent of voters in Arizona, Colorado, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming said they support future presidents using the Antiquities Act to protect national monuments. Wilderness Society 1/11/2016

 

Mining’s $1.4 Trillion Plunge Like Losing Apple, Google, Exxon

The $1.4 trillion lost in global mining stocks since 2011 exceeds the total market value of Apple Inc., Exxon Mobil Corp. and Google’s parent Alphabet Inc. When you’ve spent a decade building new mines from the Andean mountains to the West African jungle, it’s bad news when a downturn in China, your biggest customer, shows no signs of stopping. Investors have been unforgiving and concerns that it will only get worse pushed the Bloomberg World Mining Index to an 11-year low. Bloomberg 1/7/2016

 

Stop Talking: Five Actions To Secure Arizona’s Water Future

2015 was a big year for headlines and stories about water and, given the nearly 16-year drought, we can expect no less in 2016. That’s a good thing because it keeps the momentum going for necessary change. But words alone will not ensure a sustainable water supply for Arizona’s future. Here are five actions that leaders need to take in 2016 to help keep the state prosperous. Arizona Municipal Water Users Association 1/4/2016

 

Southern Arizona wineries expanding into whisky, vodka, rum and more

Visitors to Southern Arizona’s wine country in the mood for something stronger than a rich cabernet are in luck, with one craft distillery in operation and another set to launch by spring. Arizona Daily Star 1/1/2016

 

National Forest suggests road changes in Nogales District

With about 138 miles of unauthorized dirt roads and trails within its jurisdiction of the Coronado National Forest, the Nogales Ranger District is seeking a better transportation management plan. With 352,280 acres, the Coronado National Forest’s Nogales Ranger District covers about 35 to 40 percent of Santa Cruz County’s 792,320 acres, including the Atascosa, Pajarito, Santa Rita and Tumacacori mountains. It also extends into Pima County northwest of Sonoita and around Arivaca. Nogales International 6/30/2015

 

Paton on the Fly

My name is Sandy Marin and I am the summer 2015 intern for the Tucson Audubon Society. I had the opportunity to visit the Paton Center for Hummingbirds in Patagonia this past week and it’s definitely one of my new favorite places. The property is quaint, charming, and teeming with life. During the visit with the restoration crew, our goal was to landscape, remove invasive species, and conduct general repairs. I couldn’t say that I minded doing yard work when the context of the work entailed spending time in a hotspot for bird diversity. Tucson Audubon Blog 6/29/2015

 

Supreme Court won’t hear Renzi’s conviction appeal

Former Arizona Congressman Rick Renzi is going to remain in federal prison. Without comment, the U.S. Supreme Court on Monday upheld his conviction on charges of extortion, fraud, conspiracy and racketeering. He began serving his three-year prison term in February. Arizona Daily Star 6/29/2015

 

Mining exploration causing permanent damage in Ring of Fire, Wildlands League says

Photos released Monday by the Wildlands League are proof that mining activity is causing permanent damage in a fragile ecosystem in northern Ontario, according to the environmental group. CBC/Radio-Canada 6/29/2015

 

Grijalva Reintroduces Package of Bills that Preserve, Protect and Restore Arizona Public Land, Citing Economic and Cultural Benefits

Ranking Member Raúl M. Grijalva introduced a package of three Arizona public land bills yesterday – the Sonoran Desert Heritage Act, the Southern Arizona Public Lands Protection Act and the Santa Cruz Valley National Heritage Area Act – that mark the latest step in his ongoing efforts to preserve natural and cultural resources throughout the state. Grijalva will be in Arizona next week and available for media inquiries. Natural Resources Committee News Release 6/26/2015

 

Pronghorn antelope numbers on rise near Sonoita, Patagonia

After four years of comprehensive, science-based management efforts, biologists at the Arizona Game and Fish Department are encouraged by the birth of 84 pronghorn antelope fawns this year and increased pronghorn distribution throughout Game Management Units 34A, 34B and 35A in southeastern Arizona. In recent ground surveys conducted with the Arizona Antelope Foundation, the Arizona Game and Fish Department counted 48 bucks, 131 does and 84 fawns during a two-day (June 13-14) ground survey near Sonoita and Patagonia. Arizona Game and Fish News Release 6/24/2015

 

Land development seriously impacting San Pedro

A regional assessment of the Madrean Archipelago, released last week by the U.S. Bureau of Land Management, cites development and water use as key stressors that can alter the local ecology. Sierra Vista Herald 6/22/2015

 

Arizona tourism enjoying nice rebound, report says

Arizona tourism reached record levels last year amid an improving economy, creative marketing — and staying off “The Daily Show with Jon Stewart.” New figures Monday show 40.7 million people visited the state and stayed at least one night. That’s a 4.1 percent increase over 2013. And international tourism is up 6.3 percent, hitting 5.7 million people. Most of the travelers came from Mexico, though nearly 900,000 Canadians decided to visit the Grand Canyon State, too. All of that means money — lots of it. Arizona Daily Star 6/22/2015

 

Opponents renew fight against Superior copper mine

Opponents of a planned copper mine near Superior, slated to become one of the largest in North America, are renewing efforts to kill the project. U.S. Rep. Raúl Grijalva, with the support of fellow Arizona Democrat Rep. Ruben Gallego, introduced a bill Wednesday to block the federal land exchange sought by mining company Resolution Copper to open the mine. Arizona Republic 6/17/2015

 

Steller: Benson project reveals state’s weakness on water

“Without a doubt,” he [Gov Ducey] went on to say, “Arizona is a national leader — if not the nation’s leader — in proactive water conservation and management.” True enough, and yet a 45-minute drive southeast of Tucson shows how tenuous that title is — and how tempting short-term thinking about water remains. A 28,000-home development in Benson could add up to 70,000 more people to the town’s current population of around 5,000, all of them dependent on the pumping of groundwater. Arizona Daily Star 6/13/2015

 

Rich Californians balk at limits: ‘We’re not all equal when it comes to water’

Drought or no drought, Steve Yuhas resents the idea that it is somehow shameful to be a water hog. If you can pay for it, he argues, you should get your water. People “should not be forced to live on property with brown lawns, golf on brown courses or apologize for wanting their gardens to be beautiful,” Yuhas fumed recently on social media. “We pay significant property taxes based on where we live,” he added in an interview. “And, no, we’re not all equal when it comes to water.” Washington Post 6/13/2015

 

Arizona author shares love of ranch that prompted land preservation sale

On Friday, June 5, Lisa Greene Sharp was the guest speaker at a Central Arizona Land Trust event to highlight the importance of protecting Arizona’s natural resources. A gifted storyteller, Sharp shared with some 50 people the origins of the San Rafael Ranch, officially known as the San Rafael de la Zanja Land Grant. Her maternal grandfather, Col. William Greene purchased from a cattle baron in 1903. The Daily Courier 6/12/2015

 

‘Get Outdoors Day’ coming to Parker Canyon Lake

Parker Canyon Lake is once again the setting for a “National Get Outdoors Day” celebration. It’s set to run 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, June 13. Weekly Bulletin 6/10/2015

 

SC County joins interstate system for bikes

A national bike route is set to cut through the northeast corner of Santa Cruz County, connecting the local area with a route that stretches from Jacksonville, Fla. to San Diego. Weekly Bulletin 6/10/2015

 

“Miracle May” in Colorado boosts Lake Powell June runoff

An unexpected, late series of storms in Colorado gave a big boost to the spring-summer runoff leading into Lake Powell at the Utah border. While the extra burst of runoff in May and early June reduces the chance of shortages for the Central Arizona Project in 2016, it’s not enough to help the $4 billion water project avoid shortages the following year, a top CAP official said Monday. Arizona Daily Star 6/8/2015

 

How your neighbors may be turning you into an environmentalist

Recently, psychological and social science research has homed in on a number of factors that seem to predispose people to developing a “green” value system or world view. Washington Post 6/8/2015

 

Unions to end contract with Tucson-based Asarco

Unions representing about 2,000 hourly workers of Tucson-based copper producer Asarco LLC have put the company on 15-day notice that they intend to terminate their labor contract. “After two years of negotiations, including meetings this week, too many of Asarco/Grupo Mexico management’s unfair, discriminatory and one-sided proposals remain on too many issues to continue with the status quo,” the message to union members said. Arizona Daily Star 6/5/2015

 

Oak Flat Protesters Plan March on Washington to Protest Apache Land Grab

Now Native American protesters from around the country will gather there en masse in the third week of June to seek repeal of a law that a recent New York Times Op-Ed piece termed “a new low in congressional corruption.” Indian Country Today 6/4/2015

 

Wildcat Silver Changes Name to AZ Mining Inc.

Wildcat Silver Corporation (TSX: AZ) announces it has changed its name to AZ Mining Inc. The name change to AZ Mining Inc. reflects both the Company’s focus on its Hermosa property located near Patagonia in southern Arizona and the poly-metallic nature of the mineralization on the two current projects. The Company’s shares will commence trading under the symbol AZ on the Toronto Stock Exchange on Friday June 5, 2015. CNW 6/4/2015

 

Town explores its water rights

Water is once again on the mind of the Town of Patagonia, especially in regard to defending it. As a result, during the town council’s May 27 regular meeting, lawyer Steve Weatherspoon was invited to discuss the current status of Patagonia’s water rights. Weekly Bulletin 6/3/2015

 

Arizona-Mexico Border Patrol Bill And Mine Provoke Protests Against John McCain In Tucson

A small group of protesters took to the streets outside of Sen. John McCain’s Tucson, Arizona, office on Wednesday, banging drums and decrying two of the senator’s recent actions in Washington that affect the borderlands and Native American reservations. There were about 70 to 75 protesters, all members of environmental and tribal rights groups. International Business Times 6/3/2015

 

B.C. mine tailings ponds pose serious risk to water sources: report

Thousands of kilometres of salmon-rich waterways and the drinking water of hundreds of communities in central and Northern British Columbia are at risk of mining-related environmental disasters, a new report warns. Globe and Mail 6/3/2015

 

Arizona hopes for more control of its water as drought deepens in West

Arizona wants more control of its water resources as the ongoing drought in Western states brings the likelihood of further shortages to the region, a state official testified Tuesday. Tom Buschatzke, the director of the Arizona Department of Water Resources, also told a Senate committee that any solution to the region’s water woes should “benefit the entire Colorado River system rather than any one particular Colorado River water user.” Cronkite News 6/2/2015

 

Local washes stay regulated under new EPA rule

Dozens if not hundreds of tributaries of major rivers and streams in Southern Arizona and across the Southwest remain regulated and protected from damage by development under the federal Clean Water Act. That is probably the most important regional impact of new federal rules, approved last week, governing how the government will manage watersheds. Just the fact that “no change” is an important development demonstrates how controversial and hard-fought these new rules have been. Arizona Daily Star 5/31/2015

 

Selling Off Apache Holy Land

Despite protections, in December 2014, Congress promised to hand the title for Oak Flat over to a private, Australian-British mining concern. A fine-print rider trading away the Indian holy land was added at the last minute to the must-pass military spending bill, the National Defense Authorization Act. By doing this, Congress has handed over a sacred Native American site to a foreign-owned company for what may be the first time in our nation’s history. New York Times 5/29/2015

 

Alaska Supreme Court backs group fighting Pebble mine

In two unanimous decisions, the Alaska Supreme Court on Friday came down solidly on the side of a group fighting the proposed Pebble mine, backing efforts by two Alaska icons, former first lady Bella Hammond and state constitutional convention delegate Vic Fischer, to give the public a voice in mineral exploration. Alaska Dispatch News 5/29/2015

 

Restored Clean Water Act protections will benefit millions of Arizonans

Water is obviously a precious resource, essential to all those activities and more in Arizona. No economic activity could occur without it. We need to be protective of the limited amount of water we do have. That’s why the May 27 announcement by top federal officials at the Environmental Protection Agency and Army Corps of Engineers to restore Clean Water Act protections is such a big deal. Arizona Capitol Times 5/28/2015

 

Multiple wildfires break out in Eastern S.C. County

Firefighters were scrambling to deal with multiple wildland blazes that broke out across eastern Santa Cruz and Pima counties last week. Weekly Bulletin 5/27/2015

 

Obama administration issues rule to protect Arizona waterways from pollution

Today, top Obama administration officials announced a final rule to restore Clean Water Act safeguards to small streams and headwaters that have been vulnerable to development and pollution for nearly ten years. Loopholes created by Supreme Court decisions in 2001 and 2006 had left 94 percent of Arizona’s small streams, washes, headwaters, wetlands, and other waterways unprotected from pollution under the law. Environment Arizona News Release 5/27/2015

 

California looks to Australia for tips on surviving drought

California has turned to the world’s driest inhabited continent for solutions to its longest and sharpest drought on record. Australia, the land poet Dorothea Mackellar dubbed “a sunburnt country,” suffered a torturous drought from the late 1990s through 2012. Now Californians are facing their own “Big Dry,” and looking Down Under to see how they coped. Tucson News Now 5/26/2015

 

Kirkpatrick announces she’s running against McCain for Senate

Ann Kirkpatrick announced Tuesday morning she will challenge John McCain for a Senate seat in 2016. She kicked off her campaign with an email to supporters, a new website and a YouTube video, all using her boots as a branding icon. Kirkpatrick’s boots played a major role in her campaign for the U.S. House of Representatives last year. Kirkpatrick is serving her third term in Congress. She won in 2014 with about 53 percent of the votes in Arizona’s Congressional District 1, which includes Marana and Oro Valley. Arizona Daily Star 5/26/2015

 

Farm water to city taps: It won’t be cheap

To save the Colorado River and keep Western farming going at the same time, urban dwellers will have to pay. That’s the conclusion of an expert who helped lead a new federal study on what to do about the Colorado. The river, whose supply is threatened by drought and overuse, today serves most of Tucson’s drinking water and supplies water for a total of 35 million to 40 million people living in seven states. Arizona Daily Star 5/24/2015

 

Good News for the Nation’s Waterways

The Clean Water Act, one of the more successful of the landmark environmental statutes enacted under Presidents Lyndon Johnson and Richard Nixon, was for 30 years broadly interpreted by the courts and regulators as shielding virtually all the waters of the United States from pollution and unregulated development — seasonal streams and remote wetlands, as well as lakes and large navigable waters. The basic idea was that small waters have some hydrological connection to larger watersheds and should be protected against pollution that would inevitably find its way downstream, threatening ecosystems and drinking water. New York Times 5/22/2015

 

Fight Continues to Wrest Control of Sacred Site Back From Copper Mining Co.

This one appears headed for a 12-round title bout as the San Carlos Apache tribe continues its battle with Resolution Copper Co. over the issue of sacred land at Oak Flats. The mining company wants to get started on its $61.4 billion operation. Tribal opposition to prevent that from happening is gathering strength. Indian Country Today 5/21/2015

 

New Mexico ranchers, farmers sue over jaguar border habitat

The setting aside of critical habitat for the endangered jaguar in New Mexico was an “unlawful, arbitrary and capricious” action by federal authorities and needs to be overturned, a new lawsuit says. In court papers filed Wednesday in U.S. District Court in Albuquerque, the New Mexico Farm and Livestock Bureau, New Mexico Cattle Growers’ Association and New Mexico Federal Lands Council said the decision by U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to set aside public and private land for the cat would place unnecessary regulations on landowners. Arizona Daily Sun 5/21/2015

 

2,000-acre brush fire burning near Sonoita

A 2,000-acre brush fire was burning Wednesday night near Sonoita and closed part of Arizona 83, officials said. The Oak Tree fire was burning grass and brush near milepost 42. It was burning about 10 miles north of Sonoita. Arizona Daily Star 5/21/2015

 

Town of Patagonia Opens Center to Draw Tourists

The town of Patagonia has opened a visitor center that locals say is helping build tourism and the economy in the small Santa Cruz County community. The Patagonia Regional Information Center opened in March on the town’s main thoroughfare to assist tourists and encourage more visitors in Patagonia, Sonoita and Elgin. Arizona Public Media 5/20/2015

 

Park’s mariachi festival draws a big crowd

An estimated 1,300 people from Santa Cruz County and beyond descended on Lake Patagonia last Saturday for the state park’s annual Mariachi Festival. Park manager Colt Alford said more than 800 visitors came in on day-use permits and another 500 or so had camped overnight. Weekly Bulletin 5/20/2015

 

Game and Fish plans anti-vegetation stocking

The Arizona Game and Fish Department says it will stock approximately 600 eight-to-12-inch white amurs at Parker Canyon Lake this month to better manage aquatic vegetation there. White amurs are a species of carp that feeds exclusively on, and are highly effective at reducing, submerged aquatic vegetation, AZGFD said. Weekly Bulletin 5/20/2015

 

International Port Grows As Gateway for Mexican Produce

Most days, up to 1,600 trucks pass through the Mariposa Port of Entry in Nogales. Many are loaded with fresh produce grown in the fields of western Mexico, accounting for more than a third of all produce imports from the U.S.’s southern neighbor. “Some of the largest commodities we see by volume are going to be the watermelons, squashes, tomatoes, cucumbers,” said Anne Crowther, an agricultural specialist with Customs and Border Protection. It amounts to billions of pounds of produce each year and that number is growing. Arizona Public Media 5/18/2015

 

UA Poll: Arizonans Concerned About Global Warming

A large majority of Arizona residents believe the world’s temperature has been rising and that global warming will be a serious problem for the nation if nothing is done to curb it, according to a survey conducted by the University of Arizona’s Institute of the Environment and Stanford University. UA News 5/18/2015

 

Sightseeing at an open pit mine in Arizona copper country

The mines are still in business, yet towns that once flourished are now mostly gone. High Country News 5/17/2015

 

So far, Santa Cruz County escapes crushing drought

While California residents struggle through a record drought and Tucsonans fret over a drying Colorado River, migratory birds splash around the new wetlands in the Meadow Hills area and the area’s underground aquifers are flush with water. Nourished by the Santa Cruz River and recent heavy rains, Santa Cruz County residents are dodging the worst of the drought that spurred the state of California to issue water-use restrictions last week and the federal government to declare Pima and four other Arizona counties drought disaster areas in March. Nogales International 5/15/2015

 

Earth Movers

Republicans flunk Sierra Club’s report card, want to grab federal land to cut down trees and mine hillsides. The Grand Canyon chapter of the Sierra Club released its annual report card on the Arizona Legislature last week—and all but one of the GOP lawmakers flunked, meaning they voted the right way on two or fewer bills the Sierra Club was using for their rankings. (Republican Rep. Noel Campbell of Prescott got a D, along with Democrat Rep. Barbara McGuire.) All Southern Arizona Democrats got A grades, with the exception of state Rep. Bruce Wheeler, who got a B. Tucson Weekly 5/14/2015

 

Wildcat uncovers high-grade ore body

Wildcat Silver Corporation says it has found a significant high-grade ore body as the result of a drilling operation that the Canada-based mining company conducted in the Patagonia Mountains over the past five years. Wendy Russell, coordinator of the Patagonia Area Resource Alliance, maintains that the cumulative effect of the Wildcat Silver mine along with other proposed mines in the Patagonia Mountains will jeopardize Patagonia’s local water supply and wildlife. Weekly Bulletin 5/13/2015

 

Roadside birding area preened by DOC crew

While not forgotten by bird watchers, the Patagonia Roadside Rest Area has apparently fallen off the radar by those who are supposed to be keeping it clean. Located 3.5 miles south of the Patagonia town limits on State Route 82, the Patagonia Roadside Rest Area is a quarter-mile length of pavement that allows drivers to turn off the highway and park for a rest in a shaded area. While the once-nesting rose-throated becard has not been seen since 2006-07, the thick-billed kingbird still continues to be spotted amongst the willows and sycamores during the late spring and summer months. Weekly Bulletin 5/13/2015

 

SUPERFUND: Judges incredulous at EPA’s slow pace on cleanup regs

Federal judges today lost all patience with U.S. EPA when considering why it has taken more than 30 years to fulfill a congressional mandate requiring large industries like hardrock mining to assure the agency they can cover the cost of cleaning up their pollution. Greenwire 5/12/2015

 

Will restored creeks thrive if Rosemont gets OK?

Empire Gulch and Cienega Creek are environmental success stories, though their futures are uncertain if the Rosemont Mine is built. The gulch and creek are centerpieces of the 42,000-acre Las Cienegas National Conservation Area, a federally owned grasslands site that is both a working cattle ranch and home to eight endangered and threatened species. But the proposed Rosemont Mine could change all that — the Environmental Protection Agency, the Bureau of Land Management and Pima County have said the mine could dry up the creeks. Arizona Daily Star 5/10/2015

 

BLM: Rosemont Mine plans worrisome now, just like before

A top U.S. Bureau of Land Management official in Arizona said at a 2013 press conference that “a lot of progress” was being made to address the agency’s concerns about the proposed Rosemont Mine. But at the same time, memos obtained by the Arizona Daily Star show, his staff wrote a half-dozen memos and emails raising serious concerns about potential environmental damage from the mine. One BLM biologist went so far as to write that his boss’ public statement didn’t represent “our” position in the eight-year dispute over the mine project 30 miles southeast of Tucson. Arizona Daily Star 5/9/2015

 

Fractures, faults big issue in Rosemont dispute

A common theme in Bureau of Land Management memos about the Rosemont Mine is that the Forest Service didn’t do enough to understand the faults and fractures underneath the mine site. Bureau scientists warned in several memos that the fractures and faults could act as conduits, allowing groundwater to flow more rapidly than it would otherwise from Cienega Creek to the mine pit, and making it more likely that the creek could dry up. Arizona Daily Star 5/9/2015

 

EPA criticizes state’s latest approval of Rosemont Mine

The EPA took another shot at the Rosemont Mine — this time arguing that state regulators aren’t doing enough to protect neighboring streams from pollution. In a letter last month, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said a recent state certification that the mine will meet Arizona water quality standards is unlikely to provide enough protection for Cienega Creek and its tributaries. Arizona Daily Star 5/6/2015

 

Gov’t lays out plans to address mine sludge

Authorities plan to use polyurethane foam to stop more sludge from leaking from the former Lead Queen Mine near Patagonia, representatives from the U.S. Forest Service and the U.S. Geological Survey told the audience at a community meeting last week in Patagonia. Weekly Bulletin 5/6/2015

 

Social licence: easy to grant, hard to revoke

When a new pipeline or mine is proposed, promises are often made to communities and First Nations to win community approval. But as Yukon taxpayers and mine workers are learning, it’s hard to force companies to live up to their promises and obligations when they go bankrupt. Business Vancouver 5/5/2015

 

EPA cites concerns over Rosemont project plans

EPA officials have sent state and federal officials a letter citing concerns with the proposed Rosemont Copper Mine’s project, highlighting concerns with meeting standards of the federal Clean Water Act. In an April 14 letter, EPA notified the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers that ADEQ’s “certification is unlikely to provide sufficient measures to safeguard the water quality of the Cienega Creek watershed, including stream reaches” that, under Arizona law, are designated as outstanding waters and cannot be degraded. Tucson News Now 5/4/2015

 

Sierra Club Releases 2015 Environmental Report Card

Today, Sierra Club released its 2015 Environmental Report Card for the Arizona Legislature and Governor. The first regular session of the 52nd Legislature wrapped up quickly – in only 81 days – which was a good thing as the session was focused on taking Arizona backwards, one bill at a time. Sierra Club News Release 5/4/2015

 

Seed Saviors

My last seed library visit takes me to Patagonia, where librarian Abbie Zeltzer introduces me to Francesca Claverie…Borderlands Restoration and Native Seeds/SEARCH gave them seeds, and they became involved with Mariposa Community Health Center in Nogales and Rio Rico. “They’re doing community garden work,” Claverie says. “We wanted the first presentations and the library accessible to the entire community—a lot of the people in Patagonia are Spanish-speaking only.” Edible Baja Arizona 5/2015

 

Study Looks At Cattle Grazing on Contaminated Grasslands

Scientific concern about the effect on agricultural plants from heavy metals used for fertilizers and pesticides has risen in recent decades. This awareness has led to an emerging concern about the cattle that graze on contaminated land, including areas surrounding old mining sites. A study completed in 2012 by a University of Arizona graduate student, “Bio-accumulation of Heavy Metals from Soil to Plants in Areas Contaminated by Acid Mine Drainage in SE Arizona”, sought to address this concern as it applies to the practice of cattle grazing in and around Patagonia area mining sites. The study conducted a comprehensive analysis of the soil adjacent to old mining sites in the Patagonia Mountains to identify metal contaminants and established to what degree they exceeded the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ)’s guidelines for acceptable levels. Patagonia Regional Times 5/2015

 

Earthfest’s workshops, lectures, hikes and events help foster a greater awareness of our role as caretakers of our planet

Twelve community service organizations and eight local businesses participated in this year’s Earthfest, April 17 – 19. The activities were held in several locations: hazardous materials recycling was at Doc Mock park, the workshops were held at the town council chambers, and Cady Hall was the scene of youth art and other youth activities (“food alive” presentation and face painting), electronics recycling, community service organization booths, and the Friends of the Library auction. Carolyn Schafer, who organized the event, says that she was pleased to see increased participation from community organizations and a higher turnout than last year. One local resident remarked to her about the youth art on display, “Wow! Awesome stuff! So much talent and creativity on display. Patagonia is so lucky to have its future in the hands of such wonderful thinkers and artists.” Patagonia Regional Times 5/2015

 

April’s Lack Of Showers Brings Our Succulent Flowers

Here it comes folks. May is upon us and with it comes our yearly oven. Given the blessed relief of elevation we surely don’t suffer mercurial extremes as do Phoenix and Tucson. Still, hot is hot. Despite decent winter rains this year, soon the land will be mostly parched and desiccated. April was mostly dry as well, laying waste to my childhood maxim of “April showers bring May flowers.” This was a fitting paradigm on the East Coast, but certainly not here! Patagonia Regional Times 5/2015

 

Friends of Sonoita Creek Protectors of Our Fragile Watershed

The Friends of Sonoita Creek (FOSC) want more people to know about watersheds and riparian areas, especially what they mean for our local creek. FOSC is a nonprofit organization founded in 2004 and dedicated to protecting Sonoita Creek and its watershed. The group informs visitors and residents about the creek’s importance through presentations, hikes, trainings, written materials, and their website. They advocate with land owners and regulators on ways to preserve and restore the Creek. They also fund teacher education, citizen scientist training, stream monitoring, and projects led by other local conservation organizations that advance FOSC’s mission. Patagonia Regional Times 5/2015

 

NRC Ruling Gives Victory to Mine Opponents

Opponents of a proposed uranium mine claimed victory today, as the Nuclear Regulatory Commission’s Atomic Safety and Licensing Board (ASLB) ruled that proper procedures have not been followed to protect Native American cultural resources and that further action must be taken to protect water resources before the proposed mining project can go forward. The Dewey-Burdock mine is proposed for Fall River and Custer Counties in southwestern South Dakota. Indigenous Environmental Network 4/30/2015

 

Fears of drop in Arizona wine grapes after freeze

Flying Leap was one of at least four wineries on Elgin Road that took the brunt of sub-freezing overnight weather. The cold hovered over four vineyards on Elgin Road belonging to Dos Cabezas WineWorks, Callaghan Vineyards, Flying Leap and Kief-Joshua Vineyards. Arizona Republic 4/30/2015

 

Critics Call McCain’s Oak Flat Tactics a New Low

So what do you do with widely loathed legislation that would boost one of your big donors (According to OpenSecrets.org, McCain is perennially the top Congressional recipient of Rio Tinto campaign contributions) and screw an old adversary—in this case the San Carlos Apache Tribe, with whom the senator has reportedly shared a long, bitter relationship? Well, you do what Sen. McCain did (with help from Arizona’s other senator, Jeff Flake), which meant tacking the [Oak Flat] land exchange onto a mammoth defense-funding bill virtually assured of final passage in December. Tucson Weekly 4/30/2015

 

Length of Con Mine water treatment concerns environmentalist

This summer, the mine’s owner, Newmont Mining Corporation, will start treating contaminated water from the site’s surface and underground workings using a newly-constructed water treatment plant. The water will be treated to remove various metals, including arsenic, before being released into the environment. Newmont is currently scheduling 50 years of continuing water treatment, plus other monitoring activities. But a consultant to Newmont, Golder Associates, told the company in 2009 that getting rid of arsenic can take anywhere from 50 to 400 years. CBC News 4/30/2015

 

Shining a Light on Rosemont Copper’s “Good Citizen” Gambit

Sure, Rosemont Copper plans to dig a huge hole in the middle of the Sonoran Desert, extract copper for 20 years, then leave a big hole and close up shop, but that’s not what the company is really about. It’s about being a good citizen and giving back to the community. How do I know? Just ask Rosemont Copper. My advice to all those “partners” who Rosemont has given a helping hand. Don’t expect much more than a middle finger once the copper mine has its license to dig. The company has already told Pima County what it thinks of its commitment to preserve southern Arizona’s dark skies. Tucson Weekly 4/30/2015

 

Experts: Runoff From Abandoned Mines Is Killing Pa.’s Waterways

Pennsylvania is home to hundreds of abandoned coal mines, which fill with water in heavy rain and then leach or spill into our rivers and stream. They usually carry quantities of reddish-orange iron or a blue and white form of aluminum. All are deadly to waterways by coating the creek floor and clogging the gills of fish. The State Department of Environmental Protection estimated that more than 5,000 miles of streams have been polluted and or destroyed by acid mine drainage – posing the single largest threat to our drinking water, fish, wildlife and the natural beauty of our state. KDKA-TV 4/29/2015

 

Forest Service outlines plan to clean up toxic mine site

The Coronado National Forest, Sierra Vista Ranger District held a community meeting Tuesday to answer questions about clean up of a contaminated mine site and to update residents about a future drilling project set to take place in the area. Last October, Tucson News Now first showed you dramatic pictures of bright orange soil and water flowing in the Patagonia mountains, after we were alerted by environmental groups in the area. Since the discovery, the soil and water have been tested. Test results showed extremely high levels of concentrations of lead and arsenic in water, soil and waste rock samples at the Lead Queen site. High concentrations of zinc, copper and aluminum were also found. Tucson News Now 4/28/2015

 

County sues Rosemont, alleging outdoor light violation

Pima County has filed a lawsuit against Rosemont Copper Co. accusing the mining firm of violating the region’s lighting regulations. The lawsuit, filed in Pima County Superior Court, claims Rosemont was notified in September 2014 of the possible violations but did not come into compliance. “Any new outdoor lighting requires an approved lighting permit from Pima County demonstrating compliance with the lighting code prior to placement of lighting into service,” Pima County building officials wrote to Rosemont’s parent company, Canada-based Hudbay, in September. Rosemont countered in a written response to the county that it is not subject to the county’s outdoor lighting code. Arizona Daily Star 4/28/2015

 

CNF to hold community meeting in Patagonia

The Coronado National Forest will host a community meeting in Patagonia on Tuesday, April 28 to discuss issues related to mining and wildfires. The meeting is set for 6:30-8 p.m.at the Patagonia High School Cafeteria, 200 E. Naugle Ave. “The Lead Queen Mine cleanup and mitigation plan will be shared, as will updates on the Hermosa Project and outlook for fire season,” the CNF said in a news release. Weekly Bulletin 4/22/2015

 

In the Fight for Public Lands, the Outdoor Industry Is a Rising Force

From major manufacturers to local outfitters, the outdoor industry is coming into its own as a political force. Public lands, and all who love them, stand to benefit in a big way. Outside Magazine 4/22/2015

 

Earthfest celebrates community and environment

“It’s a wonderful blend,” said organizer Carolyn Schafer, referring to all the different organizations and activities at Patagonia’s Earthfest last Saturday. Shafer said she was happy with the change of venue this year to Cady Hall. “To combine the community organizations with the youth art was a wonderful mix,” she said. “There was a greater sense of community than at our previous events.” Weekly Bulletin 4/22/2015

 

A Copper Mine Near Superior Is Set to Destroy a Unique, Sacred Recreation Area — for Fleeting Benefits

Because of a land-swap law signed by President Obama in December, though, much of the Oak Flat area appears destined to be destroyed — as if hit by a meteor. The fun, beauty, and reverence for Oak Flat will cease long before then, when the mined-out honeycombed structure below it will make the surface too risky for visitors. After the Resolution Copper Mine company takes title, it plans to go deep underground to scoop out more than 1,000 feet of rich copper ore deposits buried beneath Oak Flat. When it’s done in few decades — or possibly before it’s done — the beautiful landscape, sacred to some, will turn into a circular, crater-like pile of rubble about a mile across and up to 1,000 feet deep. Phoenix New Times 4/22/2015

 

New telecomm tower going up on Red Mountain

The summit of Red Mountain near Patagonia is getting another communications tower. The 100-foot structure is being constructed by a crew working for GovNET Inc, a private telecommunications company based in Scottsdale that is building a statewide microwave and fiber network. Work began on April 13 and is expected to continue for another six weeks. Weekly Bulletin 4/22/2015

 

SSVEC asks state for exemption on solar rules

Members of Sulphur Springs Valley Electric Cooperative learned last week that the utility has applied to the Arizona Corporation Commission to change rules that encourage homeowners to invest in solar power generating systems. In a notice that was sent to customers the company said it is “pro-solar,” but needs to be exempt from the state’s net metering rules that require the utility to pay its members with solar installations for the electricity those systems generate. Weekly Bulletin 4/22/2015

 

Patagonia Trail Blazing Part 3

It is with mixed feelings that I submit this, my final blog entry marking the finish of the new trail linking the Tucson Audubon’s Paton Center and The Nature Conservancy’s Patagonia-Sonoita Creek Preserve. I think I speak for all the crew members in declaring no small amount of pride in having completed a job well done but an equal measure of regret that we will no longer be gathering each Wednesday morning as we have since last November to put our collective shoulders to the wheel in the service of these two wonderful organizations whose work not only protects our area’s unique flora and fauna but enhances our enjoyment of these precious assets in the process. Tucson Audubon Blog 4/20/2015

 

Science still developing on uranium’s environmental impact

Six miles south of Tusayan the 17-acre site of Canyon Uranium Mine has sat nearly unchanged for years. Development of the mine site began in 1986 but uranium price declines and legal battles have delayed the sinking of a shaft 1,500 feet below ground to access rich “pipes” of compact, high-grade uranium mineralization. After U.S. District Court Judge David Campbell ruled earlier this month that the Forest Service’s 30-year-old environmental reviews of the mine are still valid and that new tribal consultations are not needed, the mine sent official notice that it will resume operations in late June. But that action could be delayed further still with two impending appeals to the recent decision. The Havasupai Tribe filed a notice of appeal last week and the Grand Canyon Trust, another party in the lawsuit, plans to file an appeal as well and request an immediate injunction to halt the mine from moving forward, said Roger Clark, who heads the nonprofit’s Grand Canyon program. Arizona Daily Sun 4/20/2015

 

Experts: Outdoor recreation worth $646B a year to economy

Consumers spend $646 billion annually on outdoor recreation, say advocates, who are calling on the government to do a better job of tracking the worth of what they call an undervalued industry. Advocates with the Center for American Progress also say the numbers demonstrate the value of the nation’s parks and open spaces, which the outdoor industry depends on. “These are legitimate jobs,” said Interior Secretary Sally Jewell, adding that national parks saw more visitors last year than ever before. Arizona Daily Star 4/17/2015

 

Hummingbirds flashing their colors in Southern Arizona

Hummingbirds are adding splashes of avian color to deserts and woodlands of Southeastern Arizona this spring, with their whirring wings and fancy feathers attracting attention in backyard gardens, parks and scenic natural areas. “Spring and fall are definitely the heaviest hummingbird seasons because some species are migrating through the area at those times of year,” said Keith Ashley, coordinator for the Tucson Audubon Society’s Paton Center for Hummingbirds in Patagonia. Arizona Daily Star 4/17/2015

 

Unlikely allies: Mexican miners and farmers unite over toxic spill

CANANEA, Mexico — The pipes have gone silent. Gone is the hum of water flowing through them to the world’s second-largest copper mine, just south of the U.S. border. Instead, in the normally empty desert here, tents and buses line the highway. Dust and smoke from cooking fires fill the air while hundreds of people listen to speeches and discuss the day’s events. This plantón, or occupation, which began on March 18, has shut down most operations at the Cananea mine, which consumes huge quantities of water pumped from 49 wells across the desert in order to extract copper concentrate from crushed ore. Al Jazeera America 4/15/2015

 

Protect public lands: It’s what the people want

We all know that energy and land issues can be contentious – both inside and outside of the Beltway. But there may be glimmers of hope amidst the partisan discord. In twenty years of polling on public policy, last month was the first time we presented survey data to staffers from both sides of the aisle in the same meeting. The fact that this was our first ever bipartisan meeting surprised even the people in the room, but would be even more shocking to the voters we speak with every day. That’s because most voters – particularly voters in the western United States – generally agree on priorities for public lands, uses of those lands, and policies that govern them. The Hill 4/15/2015

 

Workshop assesses health of Sonoita Creek

Friends of Sonoita Creek participated last month in a rapid stream-riparian assessment workshop led by Peter Stacey, research professor at the University of New Mexico. It was Stacey’s second visit to Sonoita Creek to teach a field protocol to determine the health of riparian areas in the arid Southwest. Participants took data at two, 200-meter sites on Sonoita Creek: The Nature Conservancy Patagonia-Sonoita Preserve, and below Patagonia Dam on state trust land where damage from grazing, drought and flooding was evident. Weekly Bulletin 4/15/2015

 

Wildfire burns more than 100 acres near airport

A wildfire that burned approximately 111 acres of National Forest land at the west end of the Patagonia Mountains had been stopped and was close to being contained Monday. The Cumero Fire was first reported at 3 p.m. Sunday, at which point Patagonia Volunteer Fire and Rescue responded. Patagonia Fire Capt. Ike Isakson said the blaze started in the bottom of Cumero Canyon, and firefighters had to fight it in rocky and steep terrain. Weekly Bulletin 4/6/2015

 

Wildfire sparked in Patagonia Mountains

A wildfire sparked in the Patagonia Mountains Sunday afternoon. The fire has grown since then, charring 60 acres. Crews now have the fire 60% contained. Resources are on scene at the Cumero Fire. It is unclear if flames are threatening any homes or other structures. Tucson News Now 4/5/2015

 

Our Land, Up for Grabs

A battle is looming over America’s public lands. It’s difficult to understand why, given decades of consistent, strong support from voters of both parties for protecting land, water and the thousands of jobs and billions of dollars in economic benefits these resources make possible. New York Times 4/2/2015

 

An Update on Patagonia’s Water Strategies

Eureka . . . it’s raining! You probably have noticed more rain soaking our soils this winter than in the past few years. Last summer’s monsoon rains were pretty good, too. Wildflowers are blooming, and the cacti look plump. Is the drought over? Not exactly, but there are a variety of efforts coming together to support Mother Nature’s contribution, both when she is generous (like this year) or stingy (like most of the past 13 years). Many focus on collecting data and using it to inform decision-making and prioritize actions. Patagonia Regional Times 4/2015

 

Endangered Species in Southern AZ

Below is the Arizona Game and Fish Department’s list of Federally Threatened, Endangered and Sensitive Species in and around the Patagonia Mountains of the Coronado National Forest in southern Arizona (2013). Federally endangered species are those species in danger of extinction throughout all or a significant part of their range. Federally threatened species are those which are likely to become endangered within the foreseeable future throughout or in a significant part of their range. Sensitive species are identified with the goal of avoiding trends toward federal listing and maintaining their viability. “C” refers to candidates for status as endangered or threatened under the Endangered Species Act. Patagonia Regional Times 4/2015

 

April’s Bird Blitzkrieg: Mexican Specialties

April is finally upon us – a halcyon time for all things wild, especially birds. This is peak migration time for many species in our famed Sky Islands. Thus, a wide variety of neotropical migrants make their return to our local haunts, either for mating or as a way station along their routes to breeding grounds further north. A number of other resident birds become more vocal and/or visible in April as hormones and the associated reproductive imperative takes over. Among both groups are a number of species more characteristic of Mexico than of the rest of the United States. Commonly referred to as “Mexican specialties,” these birds help define the unique biodiversity of the Sky Islands. Patagonia Regional Times 4/2015

 

Mindful Waste Disposal

What do a malfunctioning computer, an old paint can, and a leftover bottle of prescription medication have in common? They are all items that should be disposed of carefully. Why? Because if these items are not disposed of properly they contaminate the water and the soil and ultimately poison the food and water we consume, resulting in disease and illness. Saturday, April 18 is an opportunity to dispose of some of these items during the sixth Annual EARTHfest Patagonia event. Patagonia Regional Times 4/2015

 

Meeting and Greeting Our Visitors

Some of the many visitors to our town are just passing through. Many are here because they have been drawn to this area’s beauty and its recreational activities. Either way, they have questions… about trails, the lake, restaurants, lodging, wineries, birds… Patagonia Regional Times 4/2015

 

EDITORIAL—Rosemont: Think before digging

So, what’s new in the world of Arizona copper mining? Our two senators have given away $150 billion worth of Forest Service land containing the Resolution copper ore deposit in a scandalous land exchange deal passed by the U.S. Congress. Two engineering firms implicated by Canadian authorities in the Mt. Polley tailings dam collapse contributed key engineering studies used by Rosemont Copper to authenticate a required mining permit. The Arizona Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ) just issued a Water Quality Certification for the proposed Rosemont mine. Hudbay Minerals, the new owner of Rosemont Copper, is starting a second round of drilling to further delineate the boundaries of that ore deposit. Rosemont’s Air Quality permit, granted by ADEQ, was rescinded by an Arizona Superior Court judge. And Asarco recently laid off 130 people from 3 of their Arizona mine sites (including the one near Green Valley). Green Valley News 3/31/2015

 

What severe drought in the Colorado River Basin looks like

Lake Powell, one of the nation’s largest reservoirs, is now below 45 percent of its capacity. Straddling the border between Utah and Arizona, the man-made reservoir is part of the Colorado Water Basin that supplies water to 40 million people. Lake Powell stores water from states in the upper Colorado basin — New Mexico, Utah, Colorado and Wyoming — for the states in the lower basin: Nevada, Arizona and California. Washington Post 3/30/2015

 

Expansion of Four Utah Uranium Mines Halted

In response to formal objections by Uranium Watch and other conservation groups, the Manti-La Sal National Forest on Tuesday halted plans to allow the uranium industry to expand the La Sal Mines Complex — a complex of four old uranium mines located in La Sal, Utah. Citing violations of the National Environmental Policy Act, Endangered Species Act and other laws and regulations, Uranium Watch and four other conservation groups objected to the Forest Service’s draft approval of the plan. The large-scale expansion would include drilling 3,800 new exploration holes, dewatering an estimated 50 springs and a surface disturbance of more than 200 acres. The mines threaten radiological and heavy metal pollution of groundwater, soil, and air, putting wildlife and people at risk. Grand Canyon Trust News Release 3/26/2015

 

Gold in faeces ‘is worth millions and could save the environment’

Fortunes could be saved from going down the drain by extracting gold and precious metals from poo, scientists suggest. Sewage sludge contains traces of gold, silver and platinum at levels that would be seen as commercially viable by traditional prospectors. “The gold we found was at the level of a minimal mineral deposit,” said Kathleen Smith, of the US Geological Survey. Smith and her colleagues argue that extracting metals from waste could also help limit the release of harmful metals, such as lead, into the environment in fertilizers and reduce the amount of toxic sewage that has to be buried or burnt. The Guardian 3/23/2015

 

Why wild animals need wildlife corridors

Species are disappearing at thousands of times the historical extinction rate, mainly due to habitat loss. But as the recent success of wildlife corridors suggests, a little connectivity can go a long way. Mother Nature Network 3/23/2015

 

Drought to continue in West, forecasters predict

The spring weather outlook for the West issued last week by federal forecasters has a familiar ring to it: continuing drought conditions leading to greater wildfire risk. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration forecast predicts drought will persist or worsen in Arizona, California, Nevada, Oregon and western Colorado through June. Arizona Republic 3/23/2015

 

Ocelot photographed on mine site’s doorstep

An endangered ocelot was photographed less than one-third of a mile from the site of the proposed Rosemont Mine, a federal agency says. Two photos were taken of the cat three-tenths of a mile from the site on May 21, 2014, newly released documents from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service show. That came two days before the U.S. Forest Service delayed its final decision on the $1.2 billion mine project, in part because of the ocelot. Arizona Daily Star 3/22/2015

 

More copper layoffs feared

More layoffs could be coming in the copper industry that’s entangled in a prolonged price slump, a leading mining economist says. If China’s economy keeps slipping and prices keep falling, more copper miners could face layoffs, said John Tilton of the Colorado School of Mines. Early this month, Asarco laid off 130 employees from three of its four Arizona copper facilities, including 35 at the Mission Mine south of Tucson near Sahuarita. The rest were from the company’s Ray Mine and its mill in nearby Hayden in Central Arizona. Arizona Daily Star 3/22/2015

 

New environmental rules for tailings ponds

VANCOUVER – The disastrous collapse of the Mount Polley mine tailings pond in B.C.’s Interior last year has spurred changes to provincial environmental requirements for new mines with similar dams. Developed in collaboration between the ministries of environment and mines, the new rules say mining firms must consider the possibility of a tailings disaster and evaluate the environmental, health, social and economic impacts of an accident. Canadian Press 3/20/2015

 

Local lakes lure anglers across county lines

While not all of them came for the fishing, 189,378 people visited Patagonia State Park in 2014, according to data provided by Ranger Colt Alford. When asked, 2.9 percent of anglers in the state said Patagonia Lake was the most recent body of water where they fished, making it the ninth most popular in the state, according to a 2013 state Fish and Game survey. Only 0.7 percent identified Peña Blanca Lake as their last angling destination, putting it in the middle of the pack of the nearly 100 fishing spots included in the study. Nogales International 3/19/2015

 

Obama administration must act to avoid mine waste disasters

A coalition of more than 40 environmental and community groups today sent letters to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Bureau of Land Management (BLM), and U.S. Forest Service (USFS) urging they take immediate action to investigate threats posed by mine waste dams and impoundments in the United States. In the wake of the August 2014 Mount Polley mine waste disaster in Canada which released roughly 24.4 million cubic meters of mine waste into the Fraser River watershed, a government-commissioned independent investigative panel determined that current global standard practice for mine waste disposal is fundamentally flawed and that future failures at other mines are simply a matter of time. To date, U.S. regulators have taken no action to assess the risks posed by mines in the U.S. Earthworks News Release 3/19/2015

 

Gogebic Taconite mine never made sense in Wisconsin

Don’t believe Bill Williams or Sen. Tom Tiffany. It wasn’t the EPA but the company’s lack of homework that killed this project. Sen. Tom Tiffany asserts that mining can be done in an environmentally-safe manner and blames the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for Gogebic Taconite, or GTac, pulling the plug on its proposed iron mine upstream from Lake Superior. This interpretation is misleading on several counts. Wisconsin Rapids Tribune 3/19/2015

 

Canadian Disaster Raises Alarm About Shaky U.S. Dams

One early morning last August, at the foot of the massive Mount Polley gold mine in British Columbia, Canada, a large dam broke. Water surged for four days, dumping some 6.6 billion gallons of arsenic-laced sludge into some of the most pristine lakes on the planet. It was one of the largest mining dam collapses in history, with cleanup costs totaling $200 million. Now the reverberations of that environmental catastrophe are spilling farther afield. The U.S. has more than 900 mining dams that could wreak havoc like Mount Polley’s did, threatening towns, streams, and people from coast to coast. That’s the message that three dozen environmental groups, including the Sierra Club and EarthWorks, are sending Thursday to the Environmental Protection Agency, Forest Service, and Bureau of Land Management. BuzzFeed News 3/18/2015

 

Patagonia Visitor Center hosts open house at new digs

With the bird migration in full tilt and the desert already beginning to bloom, this spring couldn’t be better timing for the opening of the new Patagonia Visitor Center. It’s now located at the corner of South Third and McKeown avenues with hours tentatively set for 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., seven days a week. Weekly Bulletin 3/18/2015

 

A growing success at Deep Dirt Farm

Kate Tirion, who is owner, teacher, and visionary-in-chief of Deep Dirt Farm Institute in Patagonia, spends every Friday morning with a group of 11 women who call themselves “Women Who Plant.” She teaches them how to best grow vegetables, flowers and herbs in her greenhouses and in outside planting beds at her facility in Stevens Canyon. Weekly Bulletin 3/18/2015

 

AZ Senate Advances “Land Grab” Bills

The Arizona Senate Committee on Rural Affairs and Environment recently advanced three bills and one memorial demanding that all federally owned public lands in Arizona be transferred to the state immediately. Phoenix New Times 3/18/2015

 

Battle Over Iron Mine Leaves Scars

In late 2011, Bill Williams stood on a ridge in the Penokee Hills, overlooking his company’s proposed site for a $1.5 billion iron ore mine. A reporter asked him about the environmental challenges posed by such a project. Williams, president of Gogebic Taconite, batted the concern away. If a problem should arise, he told the reporter, “we have to engineer our way out of it.” In late February, Williams announced that his company was dropping plans for the northern Wisconsin mine for now, saying the environmental challenges proved too great. That drew the mother of all “I told you sos” from Bob Jauch, a former Democratic state senator whose district included the mine site. Urban Milwaukee 3/18/2015

 

Miners woo communities with soccer fields, bull rings and guinea pigs to unlock US$25 billion in stalled projects

Schools and clinics. Soccer fields and bull rings. Even plump guinea pigs — to eat. From South America to Africa, mining companies are throwing all that and more at communities to quiet growing opposition to controversial projects. “There’s something like US$25 billion worth of projects tied up or stopped,” Mark Cutifani, chief executive officer of Anglo American Plc, said in an interview. “We have to get all those relationships right.” While opposition to mines is nothing new, the issue is a growing concern for miners like Anglo American and executives are increasingly speaking out. Billions of dollars are at stake, they say. Their opponents say the companies despoil the environment and often fail to benefit local economies, or at least not as much as they claim. Financial Post 3/17/2015

 

Uranium Mine near Grand Canyon could open within a year

Uranium mining has a long history in northern Arizona. For over a hundred years it’s created jobs, but has also caused cancer in miners who breathed it or the many Native Americans who drank it after their water became contaminated by it. “There’s still now over 3,000 valid existing claims within this area,” Salazar said in a 2011 press conference announcing his proposal for the ban, “So, those existing claims will be honored as is our requirement by the law.” That is how it is completely legal for a company called Energy Fuels to re-open and start mining uranium out of Canyon Mine, which was permitted to be mined in 1986. And the company is planning on doing just that after they got the go-ahead from the National Forest Service since the mine is inside the Kaibab National Forest. Arizona Republic 3/17/2015

 

Running to Save Oak Flat

When the Los Angeles Marathon 30th Edition kicked off today at 6:55 a.m. PDT, among the 25,000-plus runners were five Native Americans who are running to save an Apache sacred site from destruction by an international mining company. Indian Country Today 3/15/2015

 

Successes in Mexican wolf recovery

At Arizona Game and Fish Commission meetings, we frequently hear public comments about how the commission’s actions will lead to the “second extinction” of the Mexican wolf. But, with the recent announcement that the Arizona-New Mexico wolf population grew by 31 percent last year, isn’t it time for naysayers and everyone interested in Mexican wolf recovery to recognize the program’s success? Nogales International 3/13/2015

 

Public Lands May Be America’s Best Climate Defense

Willow and cottonwood trees, verdant with springtime foliage, draped over the shallow Aravaipa Creek in mid-February as if forsaking any notion of winter. The blooming trees and abundant plant life, along with rare species of desert wildlife, make the Aravaipa Canyon Wilderness so biologically diverse and sensitive to human intrusion that it is one of a handful of wilderness areas in the country that have a daily cap on the number of visitors. This wild slice of the Sonoran Desert is also potentially a major bulwark against the effects of climate change, as are many of the protected public lands across the country. Climate Central 3/12/2015

 

2 huge gold mines paying $591K in fines for Nevada pollution

RENO, Nev. — The world’s two largest gold-mining companies have agreed to pay nearly $600,000 in combined penalties in a deal with U.S. and Nevada environmental regulators that signals more stringent enforcement of pollution laws in the state that leads the nation in gold production. Washington Post 3/11/2015

 

Uranium mine outside Tusayan to re-open, lawsuit to move forward

Because of falling uranium prices and lawsuits from environmental groups and the Havasupai tribe, in 2012 Energy Fuels Inc. stopped operations at Canyon Mine. Within the next year, the operators plan to re-open the mine and commence operations. The Grand Canyon Trust was one of several groups that filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Forest Service opposing the opening of the mine. “Grand Canyon Trust and other plaintiffs (Grand Canyon Sierra Club, Center for Biological Diversity and the Havasupai Tribe) filed suit, for allowing this mine to reopen without renewing its environmental impact statement,” Clark said. “The original operating permit and environmental impact statement for Canyon Mine was done in the 1980s.” Grand Canyon News 3/10/2015

 

Arizona Lawmakers Try to Undermine the Endangered Species Act

In case all the ocelots, jaguars, and Mexican spotted owls are starting to feel too safe, the Arizona Committee on Military Affairs and Public Safety is stepping in, having passed a memorial to modify the rules and provisions of the Endangered Species Act. Phoenix New Times 3/9/2015

 

Maricopa judge overturns Rosemont mine’s air permit

A Maricopa County judge on Friday overturned a state air-quality permit issued to Rosemont Copper in January 2013 for its planned mine southeast of Tucson. Superior Court Judge Crane McClennen ruled that the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality’s action in granting the permit to Rosemont Copper was “contrary to law, was arbitrary and capricious, and was an abuse of discretion.” Arizona Daily Star 3/7/2015

 

Court Overturns Rosemont Air Pollution Permit

A Maricopa County (AZ) Superior Court today overturned a key air pollution permit for Toronto-based Hudbay Minerals’ proposed Rosemont copper mine. Judge Crane McClennen ruled the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ) acted “contrary to law” in its January 2013 decision to issue Rosemont the permit. In completely adopting the evidence and arguments presented by SSSR, the court found the state relied on flawed data provided by Rosemont that was designed to understate the air pollution impact of the proposed $1.5 billion open pit copper mine. Save the Scenic Santa Ritas News Release 3/6/2015

 

Mining geologist set to plead guilty in Western Alaska pollution case

A career mining geologist accused in an Alaska environmental crimes case involving the dormant Platinum Creek Mine is cooperating with authorities and will plead guilty on Wednesday to three federal charges, according to a plea agreement filed Monday in U.S. District Court in Anchorage. Robert Pate, 63, is one of five executives and managers with Australian-led XS Platinum Inc. accused of polluting Alaska salmon streams when they restarted the old platinum mine in Western Alaska at the edge of Kuskokwim Bay. It is the first federal case in Alaska charging a mining company with criminal violations of the Clean Water Act. Alaska Dispatch News 3/2/2015

 

Quakers Force PNC Bank to End Investment in Mountaintop Removal

Bowing to pressure from Quaker environmentalists, today PNC Bank announced that it will be restricting financing of mountaintop removal coal mining in Appalachia. The shift outlined in its 2015 Corporate Responsibility Report means PNC Bank will effectively cease its investment in this controversial practice. Earth Quaker Action Team News Release 3/2/2015

 

Clean Up of Lead Queen Mine to Begin

Last September when heavy rains flooded old mining tunnels and sent heavy metals into the local watershed, many government agencies assessed the damage, trying to determine how toxic the run off was, where it was coming from, and how to prevent it from happening again. Test results showed high concentrations of lead and arsenic in water, soil and waste rack samples at the Lead Queen Mine which is on land owned by the US Forest Service (USFS). At the time, the Sierra Vista Ranger Station told the PRT that they had no funds for emergency clean up, but that they were going to assess the situation and request the funds. Earlier this month the Forest Service issued a Time Critical Removal Action Approval Memorandum. This is a lengthy and detailed history of the mine, the September overflow, the heavy metals present in the area, the kind of harm those metals can do to humans and wildlife, and what needs to be done to correct the situation. Patagonia Regional Times 3/2015

 

Bluebird Project Is A Win-Win

When we hear about people transforming bird habitat, it’s often for the worse–but not in this case. In early February a troop of Tucson Audubon volunteers mounted nest boxes for Azure or Mexican Bluebirds on two of the Sonoita Wine Guild’s vineyards in an effort to strengthen this vulnerable population of the Eastern Bluebird subspecies, Sialia sialis fulva. At the same time, students from the University of Arizona, under the direction of bluebird researcher Dr. Renee Duckworth, mounted boxes at four more vineyards. In total about 50 new nesting cavities are now available to this tiny bluebird colony of southeast Arizona. The collaborative project is dubbed “Win–Win for Azure Bluebirds and Arizona Vineyards” to emphasize its reconciliation ecology dimension: a conservation project with potential economic benefits for wine growers and the region. Patagonia Regional Times 3/2015

 

Reflecting On What Has Been Achieved: The 3 Canyons Wildlife Corridor

It’s true—the property formerly known as 3 Canyons, with 200 houses and thin strips of land loosely defined as a ‘conservation easement,’ will not be developing as planned. It will, in fact, be protected as a wildlife corridor, with human and other animal activities negotiated through close collaboration with local communities. Up to 20 existing lots in the south end of the property may have to be sold over time in order to pay the enormous mortgage and insurance costs incurred by scores of family and friends, but these will not be exclusive or high-end sales. In fact, many who contributed to the effort emptied retirement or savings accounts to make this happen, and they continue to volunteer tirelessly. It’s imperative that we all understand these facts. And it is for those who have given, and for many others who continue to give and always will, that we at Borderlands Restoration will work harder than ever to make this effort work in every way possible, including opportunities to work on the land. Patagonia Regional Times 3/2015

 

New Information and Resource Center to Open

In a new collaborative effort, Patagonia Regional Times (PRT) and the Patagonia Area Business Association (PABA), which is in charge of the Visitor’s Center, have rented the space on the corner of Third and McKeown, owned by Ted Piper. Borderlands Restoration also shares space in the building. The Visitor’s Center will expand its role, and plans to offer information on businesses from Elgin to Nogales, as well as community resources, activities and events. The many uses to which this space might contribute are still being explored. Patagonia Regional Times 3/2015

 

Gogebic Taconite says Wisconsin mine isn’t feasible; cites wetlands, EPA

The company that promised a huge mine in northern Wisconsin announced Friday that it was dropping the controversial project because it is not feasible. “We don’t want to throw out false hope,” Gogebic Taconite president Bill Williams told the State Journal. “Our parent company felt there wasn’t enough certainty to it.” State Republicans crusaded for the mine starting in 2011, saying it would create thousands of jobs in an economically distressed area, but scientists warned of possible environmental degradation, and skeptics have cited falling iron prices to back up predictions that nothing would materialize. Wisconsin State Journal 2/28/2015

 

New Tactic Emerges in Occupy Oak Flat Movement

In the latest effort to foil the Southeast Arizona Land Exchange, activists are asking President Obama to designate Oak Flat a national monument. The area, which is part of Tonto National Forest, is a historically significant and sacred spot for many Native American tribes, as well as a well-known rock-climbing and recreation destination. Phoenix New Times 2/27/2015

 

Former US Rep. Rick Renzi reports to prison for 3-year term

Former Arizona Congressman Rick Renzi reported to a federal prison in West Virginia on Friday to begin serving a three-year sentence for corruption, money laundering and other convictions. Renzi, 56, was convicted of conspiring to use his congressional post to make companies [Resolution Copper] buy his ex-business associate’s land [for the Oak Flat Land Swap] so the associate could repay a debt to Renzi. AZFamily.com 2/27/2015

 

SSSR Releases Rosemont Mine Risk Report

Save the Scenic Santa Ritas today released a detailed report highlighting the social, environmental and financial risks facing investors and southern Arizona from Hudbay Mineral Inc.’s proposed Rosemont mine. The report can be accessed here: http://scenicsantaritas.org/rosemontriskreport. PR Newswire 2/25/2015

 

Occupy Oak Flat Refuses to Back Down in Protest Against Resolution Copper

Leaders of Occupy Oak Flat say they won’t give up until the U.S. government repeals the Southeast Arizona Land Exchange. The San Carlos Apache Tribe, leading a three-week protest at the Oak Flat Campground, vows to remain there until the federal government bends. The controversial exchange gave Australian-British mining company Resolution Copper (a subsidiary of the largest mining company in the world, Rio Tinto) access to a vast underground copper reserve under Oak Flat. The deal trades 2,400 acres of previously federally protected land for 5,300 acres of company property. The land exchange was attached to the 2015 United States National Defense Authorization Act as a midnight rider after it failed to pass as a stand-alone bill multiple times during the last decade. Phoenix New Times 2/24/2015

 

Mining towns evaluate future after layoffs announced

Mining is not just a job, but a lifeline for an entire community. Mining towns around Arizona have come and gone over time. Some thrive for years, but others are nothing but ghost towns. A large copper community in Pinal County is wondering about its own future, after its largest employer has announced a wave of layoffs. KVOA 2/23/2015

 

Tribe’s protest of mine plan near Superior is in 3rd week

For more than two weeks, protesters have made camp at Oak Flat, the site of a planned copper mine that will result in a massive crater on the sacred site’s surface. “We’re not moving,” said Wendsler Nosie, a former chairman of the San Carlos Apache Tribe and a vocal opponent of the mine. He is the organizer of the protest, which he describes as “Occupy Oak Flat.” Arizona Daily Star 2/21/2015

 

Layoffs coming to Asarco mining sites

One of Southern Arizona’s biggest employers has announced layoffs. Asarco will lay off workers at the Mission Mine near Sahuarita and the Hayden and Ray Operations in Pinal and Gila Counties. Final layoff numbers have not been determined, according to Asarco. Union leaders say it is about 160 people. United Steelworkers Sub-District Director Manuel Armenta said the announcement was a surprise. KVOA 2/20/2015

 

Recovery plan could bring Mexican wolf to SC County

A new plan by the federal government to increase the population and range of Mexican wolves in Arizona and New Mexico could bring the endangered gray wolf subspecies to Santa Cruz County. Nogales International 2/20/2015

 

The US government’s land grab from the Apaches

How did federally protected land, sacred to Apaches in Arizona, end up in the hands of one of the world’s largest mining conglomerates – and against the tribe’s wishes? The deal was slipped into a critical defense-spending bill, thus evading any public discussion. But the Apache tribe isn’t giving up. Adam May looks at how this sweetheart deal came to pass and the Apaches’ battle to win back their land. Al Jazeera America 2/19/2015

 

Forest Service calls for ‘time-critical’ cleanup

The U.S. Department of Agriculture and U.S. Forest Service say time is critical for cleaning up an abandoned mine near Patagonia that has been leaching heavy metals into nearby drainages. Weekly Bulletin 2/18/2015

 

Forest service authorizes clean up of toxic waste in Patagonia Mountains

The Southwestern Regional Office of the U.S. Forest Service issued an action memo for “time critical” clean-up of the abandoned Lead Queen Mine in the Patagonia Mountains on the Coronado National Forest, approximately six miles south of the town of Patagonia, Arizona. Tucson News Now 2/16/2015

 

It’s old industry vs. new in Arizona open-pit mine fight

The proposed Rosemont open-pit copper mine 30 miles southeast of Tucson is at the center of a battle among Toronto-based Hudbay Minerals Inc. and local environmentalists, businesses, governments, and tribes. If approved, a pit a mile in diameter and half-a-mile deep would be dug into the eastern slopes of the Santa Rita Mountains. On one side is the prospect of heaps of money from mining, an industry that helped build the state. On the other is the environment and a different direction for the local economy, emphasizing tourism and a budding wine industry. The company is still pursuing permits and it is unclear when the Forest Service will announce a decision on the project. Arizona Republic 2/14/2015

 

Forest Service Authorizes Urgent Clean Up of Abandoned Lead Queen Mine In Patagonia Mountains, Arizona

Yesterday, the Southwestern Regional Office of the US Forest Service issued an Action Memo for “Time Critical” clean up of the abandoned Lead Queen mine in the Patagonia Mountains on the Coronado National Forest, approximately 6 miles south of the town of Patagonia, Arizona. Members of the Patagonia Area Resource Alliance (PARA) discovered the abandoned mine over-flowing with toxic, orange sludge into a tributary of Harshaw Creek, last September. PARA documented the spill and notified authorities. The Harshaw Creek tributary eventually flows into the Town of Patagonia, Sonoita Creek and Patagonia Lake. Patagonia Area Resource Alliance News Release 2/13/2015

 

Grijalva bill wound end billions in mining giveaways, protect communities & scarce western water

House Natural Resources Committee Ranking Member Raul Grijalva (D-AZ-3) today introduced the Hardrock Mining Reform and Reclamation Act of 2015 that would rewrite the 19th century law governing the mining of gold, copper, uranium and other hardrock minerals on federally managed lands. Earthworks News Release 2/13/2015

 

Did the GOP Just Give Away $130 Billion of Public Property?

In December, two Republican senators, John McCain and Jeff Flake, pushed Congress and the president into giving away what could amount to over $130 billion in public property. In a land-swap deal, the Defense Authorization Act took four square miles of Tonto National Forest—public land in Pinal County, just outside Superior, Arizona—and gave it to Resolution Copper, so that Resolution Copper can build a copper mine on the site. The Nation 2/13/2015

 

Warming pushes Western U.S. toward driest period in 1,000 years: Unprecedented risk of drought in 21st century

During the second half of the 21st century, the US Southwest and Great Plains will face persistent drought worse than anything seen in times ancient or modern, with the drying conditions ‘driven primarily’ by human-induced global warming, a new study predicts. Science Daily 2/12/2015

 

Coronado Forest supervisor leaving for higher-ranking job

Coronado National Forest Supervisor Jim Upchurch, whose name has become synonymous with the protracted Rosemont Mine controversy, is leaving his job in two months for a higher-level post in Albuquerque. Upchurch will become a deputy to Regional Forester Calvin Joyner in the Forest Service regional forester’s office there, he said Wednesday. Arizona Daily Star 2/12/2015

 

Water quality certification issued to Rosemont

Rosemont Copper was given another nod of approval on Feb. 4 after the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ) issued a conditional water quality certification that will allow the company to move fill material into nearby canyons during the construction and operation of its proposed mine northwest of Sonoita. Weekly Bulletin 2/11/2015

 

Don’t Fence the Jaguar Out

Concerns about smuggling, trafficking and immigration have led to the construction by the United States of a fence along most of its border with Mexico. Absent from the debate about such fencing and other security measures has been its impact on the wildlife. Among the magnificent creatures that roam the area are jaguars, ocelots, Mexican wolves and ringtails, small carnivores of the raccoon family. New York Times 2/11/2015

 

Hundreds Gather at Oak Flat to Fight for Sacred Apache Land

Some 300 tribal members and supporters from across the country had gathered to protest the infringement of traditional Apache holy lands. There were Chippewa, Navajo, Lumbi, Pauite, Havasupai, and representatives of the National American Indian Movement and the National American Indian Veterans group, as well as non-indigenous supporters representing myriad concerns including those of environmentalists and other lovers of nature. All were furious at Congress’s sneaky transfer of sacred Apache land to a mining company and vowing to do what they could to see that it didn’t happen. Indian Country Today 2/9/2015

 

The outdoor economy is big. Its voice in Washington is not

The ski-industry closings are a small but representative setback for what a new report calls the outdoor economy — that is, “the stream of economic output that results from the protection and sustainable use of America’s lands and waters when they are preserved in a largely undeveloped state”. Outdoor recreation is a powerful economic force. It accounts for “more direct jobs than oil, natural gas and mining combined”, according to the report published by the Center for American Progress, a progressive think tank, in January. Guardian 2/6/2015

 

San Carlos Apache tribe begins 40-mile march to protest future copper mine

Dozens of people sang, danced and prayed outside of the San Carlos Apache tribe’s office on Thursday morning before heading out on a 44-mile journey in an attempt to protect their ancestral lands at Oak Flat campground. Cronkite News 2/5/2015

 

Rosemont gets another key state approval

It’s one more government approval down, two to go for the proposed Rosemont Mine. The Arizona Department of Environmental Quality announced Wednesday that it has issued a final certification — with lots of conditions attached — that the mine will meet state water quality standards. Arizona Daily Star 2/5/2015

 

Hundreds of mines around world at risk of catastrophic waste dam failure

In response to the findings of an investigation of the Mount Polley tailings dam failure in British Columbia, Canada, a coalition of environmental and community groups today called upon the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP) to investigate threats posed by similar mine waste dams in the U.S. and around the world, and to reassess existing mine proposals. “The most important finding of the Mount Polley investigation is that catastrophic mine waste dam failures can and will happen anywhere, unless we apply the lessons of Mount Polley and act to prevent them,” said Dr. David Chambers, president of the Center for Science in Public Participation. He continued, “Preventing these failures is critical to protecting the public from environmental and financial impacts, since there is no financial surety for catastrophic tailings dam accidents.” Earthworks News Release 2/4/2015

 

Obama wants to end the mining industry’s free ride on public land

For generations, everyone from individual miners to multinational corporations has been able to dig up natural resources on federal land without having to pay a royalty to the federal government. The Obama administration wants to change that. The agency in charge of the federal government’s vast land holdings, the U.S. Bureau of Land Management, has proposed a host of new fees for mining on public land as part of President Barack Obama’s 2016 budget. Center for Investigative Reporting 2/4/2015

 

Transfer of Arizona national forest to mining firm divides blighted town

Congress has approved the transfer of 2,400 acres of national forest to a subsidiary of two foreign mining companies. The transfer ended a nearly decade-long fight over access to the federally protected land and ignited a feud that has split families, ended lifelong friendships and turned miners and former miners against one another. LA Times 2/3/2015

 

FRONTLINE/CIR exposed how public lands are still ruled by 1872 mining law

As part of our new Lords of Yesterday series, I’ve been looking at 19th-century laws and policies that govern our natural resources and public lands today. Recently, I wrote about the environmental and economic impact of the 143-year-old law that governs mining for gold, copper, silver and other hardrock minerals. This isn’t the first time The Center for Investigative Reporting dug into this issue. In 1994, CIR producer Stephen Talbot and reporters Rick Young and Dan Noyes teamed up with FRONTLINE to look at how private companies make a profit off of public resources. Center for Investigative Reporting 2/2/2015

 

UN Confirms 2014 Was ‘Hottest Year on Record’

Not only was 2014 the hottest year ever recorded but 14 out of the 15 hottest years since 1850 have occurred in the 21st century, according to new data released today by the UN’s weather agency, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO). The WMO brought together the findings of the world’s three major climatic research units, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the UK’s Met Office, all of which said 2014 was the hottest year on record. EcoWatch 2/2/2015

 

Forest Service Withdraws Approval Of Sunnyside’s Drilling Project

The Sunnyside Drilling Project, proposed by Regal Resources,a Canadian company, was given the go ahead by two federal agencies back in September. This astonished local environmentalists as the area is rich in wildlife and there are several endangered species who live or pass through the area. Patagonia Regional Times 2/2015

 

Plans Afoot On The Arizona Trail

Patagonia LOVES the Arizona Trail. And the Arizona Trail LOVES Patagonia. What’s not to love? Having a national scenic trail that runs right through the town provides great recreational opportunities and brings in revenue from travelers from all over the world. Patagonia provides the trail and its users a safe and convenient location for shuttling vehicles and horse trailers, storing bikes, and getting supplies. Patagonia Regional Times 2/2015

 

Promoting Community Conservation and Partnership

In February 1966 The Nature Conservancy (TNC) purchased its first property in the state of Arizona – our own PatagoniaSonoita Creek Preserve. The deal included 312 acres of the former San Jose del Sonoita land grant along Sonoita Creek. Year round water on the property still supports an increasingly rare riparian cottonwood willow forest and numerous fish, plant, and bird species. Since the initial purchase, TNC has purchased other properties locally and today has protected over 800 acres around Patagonia (see map). Patagonia Regional Times 2/2015

 

Learning From Legos

Borderlands Restoration has been playing with the Legos of landscape restoration with a group called the Sky Island Restoration Cooperative (SIRC). SIRC is a coalition of restoration practitioners, land managers, scientists, and private citizens, whose work spans the Borderlands region. We are like a family that shares skills, expensive tools, and even shovels to achieve a common goal of restoring ecological processes and systems. Patagonia Regional Times 2/2015

 

New Native Seeds/SEARCH Director Speaks at Woman’s Club Meeting

The monthly meeting of the Patagonia Woman’s Club on January 8 featured two members of Native Seeds/SEARCH’s staff: Larrie Warren, newly named executive director and Lynda Prim, manager of the farm here in Patagonia. Both spoke to the importance of strengthening the world’s collection of ancient seed strains as climate change brings extreme conditions in which these heirloom seeds are more likely to thrive than the hybrids that are now commonly in use. Patagonia Regional Times 2/2015

 

February’s Ferocious Owls

Which state boasts the most owl species? Arizona! We boast an impressive 12, of all shapes, sizes, and habits. February is an excellent month in the Sky Islands to see several species that either leave our area in warmer months or that become less visible once trees and shrubs begin to leaf out in spring. Patagonia Regional Times 2/2015

 

What happens when streams dry up? The insect impact

In streams across the Southwest, water bugs that swim in rocky pools and glide across the surface of waterholes fill an important biological niche, serving as prey for birds and other animals. But researchers have found that when streams run dry during years of extreme drought, some of those water bugs abruptly vanish. Desert Sun 1/31/2015

 

Apache leader: Unite to fight proposed Arizona copper mine

Apache leader Wendsler Nosie on Friday issued a call for solidarity in the fight against the U.S. Congress’ recent decision to give sacred Native American land to a foreign mining company. Speaking to a crowd of about 75 gathered in South Tucson, Nosie invited people of of all races, religions and political affiliations to stand up against what he calls the “dirty” way in which legislators approved the land swap in December. He invited everyone to a spiritual gathering and protest at Oak Flat, about 100 miles north of Tucson, on Saturday, Feb. 7. Arizona Daily Star 1/31/2015

 

Design failure caused Mount Polley tailings breach, expert panel concludes

A panel of geotechnical experts appointed by the B.C. government to investigate the catastrophic collapse of a tailings dam at the Mount Polley copper/gold mine has concluded the accident occurred because of a design failure, and it happened so suddenly there was no warning. The Globe and Mail 1/30/2015

 

Wild cats, war chests, permits and pills: HudBay deal had it all

The takeover battle between HudBay Minerals Inc. and Augusta Resource Corp. had a bit of everything: a feud over permitting, an unprecedented regulatory decision on poison pills, a war-chest filled by an over-subscribed equity deal, and the surprise walk-on appearance of a cute wild cat. Financial Post 1/30/2015

 

Patagonia Trail Blazing

On Wednesday, January 7, some dozen able-bodied volunteers set about the task of building a hiking trail from Tucson Audubon’s Paton Center for Hummingbirds to The Nature Conservancy’s (TNC) Patagonia-Sonoita Creek Preserve. The single-use trail will be nearly a mile long and will allow hikers to walk from either of these two birding hotspots to the other while enjoying some great views of the surrounding landscape from elevated parts of the trail. Tucson Audubon Blog 1/29/2015

 

San Carlos Apache Leader: ‘What Was a Struggle to Protect Our Most Sacred Site Is Now a Battle’

Washington lawmakers may think their passage of a bill giving the San Carlos Apache Tribe’s sacred land to a giant international mining company is a done deal, but they may have to think again. The San Carlos Apache Tribe is organizing an all-out campaign to stop the transfer of Oak Flat, its 2,400-acre sacred ceremonial and burial site since time immemorial, to Resolution Copper, a subsidiary of the giant global mining corporation Rio Tinto. San Carlos wants to protect the land and water from the almost certain devastation of Resolution’s proposed massive underground copper mine, and preserve its natural state. Indian Country Today 1/27/2015

 

McCaul’s bill exacerbates the loss of freedom of border residents

H.R. 399, the Secure Our Border First Act of 2015, a militarization-only bill that in the words of its author, Rep. Michael McCaul (R-Texas), will allow the Department of Defense “to transfer assets from theatre of war and redeploy them to the Southwest border” passed the House Committee on Homeland Security late Wednesday and party leaders said they would take it to the floor this week for a vote. The “theatre of war” pledges to make the border a stage for militarism and threatens constitutional protections of all residents and communities living within 100 miles of a land or sea border – including all of San Diego County, and all the way to Disneyland in Orange County. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) already enjoy extraordinary authority to operate within this 100-mile zone with little accountability. In practice, CBP virtually ignores 4th amendment rights by subjecting residents to unjustified stops, searches and detentions as they go to work, attend school or run errands. H.R. 399, or what border residents are referring to as “McCaul’s Militarization Bill,” would codify this policy and practice of compromising civil and human rights to the detriment of tens of millions of people who call the border region home. The Hill 1/27/2015

 

Safety and water at Resolution Copper operation

There are many issues to the “land swap” that McCain and Flake managed to earmark recently. The “swap” was debated in the Senate several times and had not passed because of environmental issues. The transforming of a traditional Oak Grove, so significant that it had been protected by two U. S. presidents, into another “meteor crater” will bring innumerable changes to the region. My concerns are safety and water. Arizona Silver Belt 1/27/2015

 

Opponents say mine threatens Patagonia drinking water

A proposed, $834 million silver mine in the Patagonia Mountains could deplete the region’s dwindling groundwater supplies and is likely to worsen existing acidic runoff into streams, says a new report from two opposition groups. The report — blasted by the mining company but generally praised by the Patagonia town manager — says the mine could make a bleak local water situation due to drought worse. The proposed Hermosa Project would pump groundwater for a mine and processing plant for 18 years near Harshaw Creek and threaten the town’s water supply because the creek’s watershed supplies some of Patagonia’s drinking water, the report says. Arizona Daily Star 1/25/2015

 

Privatizing public lands for mine disgraceful

If there’s money to be made, nothing can safeguard Arizona’s lands from its own leaders. In December, U.S. Rep. Ann Kirkpatrick (with Paul Gosar and John McCain) attached a public lands bill onto an unrelated “must-pass” defense bill which quietly privatized a protected landscape in our district. This maneuver bypassed public opinion on 2,400 acres at Oak Flat, a free campground in the Tonto National Forest near Superior, and whether it should be given to British mining company Rio Tinto. Arizona Daily Sun 1/25/2015

 

$10 billion border bill unneeded, critics say

A $1 billion-a-year bill moving through Congress would add miles of roads and fences along the border and waive more than a dozen environmental laws within 100 miles of the border — even though top immigration officials say that’s not needed. Arizona Daily Star 1/25/2015

 

Foreign-owned mines operate royalty-free under outdated US law

Let’s say you own 245 million acres. And underneath that land are billions of dollars’ worth of minerals – gold, silver, copper, uranium and more. Would you let foreign companies in to tear up your land, put your water at risk and take those minerals without paying royalties? You already are. That’s the amount of public surface land controlled by the U.S. Bureau of Land Management, the federal government’s biggest landholder. And companies that mine these lands are exempt from federal royalty payments. Center for Investigative Reporting 1/21/2015

 

Grassroots Victory Stops Central Illinois Coal Mine

An eight-year battle against a central Illinois strip mine ends in victory for the community of Canton and Orion township. An arm of Springfield Coal Company asked the Department of Natural Resources to terminate their permit for the North Canton Mine before a court hearing challenging errors in permit approval. “The naysayers told us we couldn’t fight city hall and the mine. They have more money. But we stayed the course,” said Brenda Dilts, Chair of Canton Area Citizens for Environmental Issues. HuffPost Green 1/21/2015

 

Threatened wildlife puts drilling on hold

A number of endangered and threatened species, including the yellow-billed cuckoo, are holding up a mining operation in the Patagonia Mountains. In a letter dated Jan. 9, Mark Ruggiero, district ranger for the Coronado National Forest, said he was withdrawing his decision memorandum for the Sunnyside Exploratory Drilling Project owned by Canadian mining company Regal Resources, which has been planning to drill at a half dozen sites near Alum Gulch south of town in search of copper deposits. Weekly Bulletin 1/21/2015

 

Days free, retirees build and maintain county trails

As the sun burned the clouds off the Patagonia Mountains last Wednesday morning, the sound of steel striking rock filled the Nature Conservancy’s Patagonia-Sonoita Creek Preserve. A line of people, more than a dozen strong, were snaked out along a section of a new walking trail, swinging heavy-duty rakes, axes and other trail-building tools. While many trail crews in the country are staffed by young people with a taste for seasonal work, this particular all-volunteer crew is on the other end of the age spectrum. Made up mostly of retired men and a few couples, the “dirt bags,” as several members call themselves, have helped maintain and build trails in Santa Cruz County for about the last five years. Nogales International 1/20/2015

 

Threatened bird puts brakes on Coronado National Forest mine

Federal officials have pulled back approval for exploratory mine drilling in the Coronado National Forest after receiving what one official described as new information on a threatened bird in the area. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service extended threatened status to the yellow-billed cuckoo in October – more than a month after the U.S. Forest Service had given Regal Resources the go-ahead to drill for evidence of copper in the Patagonia area of the forest. Cronkite News 1/15/2015

 

Great Old Broads on a mission to save wilderness

Members of a group called the Great Old Broads for Wilderness will host an event in Tucson Wednesday to tell about their organization and invite others to join them in doing “serious work for Mother Earth.” The nonprofit group, founded 25 years ago, has 4,500 members nationwide, including about 200 in Arizona. It aims to engage the activism of elders and others to preserve and protect wild lands. Arizona Daily Star 1/13/2015

 

Regulators Take Action Against Delinquent Mines

Two weeks after NPR and Mine Safety and Health News reported nearly $70 million in delinquent mine safety penalties at more than 4,000 coal and mineral mines, federal regulators suddenly revived a rare approach to enforce mines to pay. KNAU Arizona Public Radio 1/12/2015

 

Western Australia’s mining boom ebbs along with China’s economy

With China’s slowing economic growth, one of the biggest mining booms in Australian history is over, leaving behind a trail of jobless workers and struggling local businesses in places such as Karratha, which thrived in recent years but is now at risk of becoming a ghost town. Close to a third of Karratha’s 35,000 residents are more or less temporary — fly-in, fly-out workers like Norton, or FIFOs, as they’re called here. They’ve come from all over the country, in many cases leaving behind families and more prestigious but less financially rewarding careers. LA Times 1/11/2015

 

Tucson a model for planning for drier future, author says

Internationally recognized food and farming activist Gary Paul Nabhan says Tucson gardeners do a good job recognizing the importance of harvesting rainwater to grow crops in the desert climate. But on the heels of Tucson’s warmest year on record, Nabhan feels more can be done. Arizona Daily Star 1/11/2015

 

Merger deal falls through for Pearce mine project

Commonwealth Silver and Gold Mining, Inc., and Delta Gold Corporation have come to a parting of the ways, after signing a merger agreement earlier last year. A group opposed to the project, known as “The CommonwealthMine.org Team,” posted Delta Gold’s Dec. 30 press release on its website, saying, “It’s official, we went by the Commonwealth Mine in Pearce, Ariz., today and confirmed that they are packing up operations and the ending of the story gets better…” Willcox Range News 1/7/2015

 

Mining Proposal Near Mt. St. Helens Defeated

In late December, the U.S. Bureau of Land Management, U.S. Forest Service, and Ascot Resources Limited voluntarily dismissed their appeals of a federal district court decision invalidating permits for a mining exploration project just northeast of the Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument. The project would have permitted exploratory drilling to locate deposits of copper, gold, and molybdenum and a potential mine, which could significantly harm threatened salmon and steelhead in the Green River—a proposed Wild and Scenic River and wild steelhead gene bank—and myriad recreation opportunities in the area. Gifford Pinchot Task Force Press Release 1/6/2015

 

Rosemont Mine, opponents clash over air permit

Opponents of the Rosemont Mine clashed with the mining company and a state agency Monday over whether the state can deny a permit to the mine if it’s shown to have the potential to violate clean-air standards. Arizona Daily Star 1/6/2015

 

Monday Hearing For Lawsuit Over Rosemont Copper Mine

A lawsuit challenging an air permit for Rosemont Copper Company will have opening arguments in state court Monday morning. The environmental group Save the Scenic Santa Ritas is challenging an air pollution permit issued by the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality for the proposed mine in the mountains southeast of Tucson. The lawsuit alleges Rosemont manipulated data to hide potential air pollution violations. Further hurdles remain beyond the air quality permit lawsuit for Rosemont copper mine. That includes recent photographic evidence of an endangered ocelot in the area. Arizona Public Media 1/2/2015

 

Audubon Has Big Plans For Paton’s

If you’ve been to Paton’s bird sanctuary lately, you will have noticed big changes under way. Most obvious is that it is now called Tucson Audubon’s Paton Center for Hummingbirds. This, as readers may remember, came about as the result of the property being purchased earlier this year under a joint agreement between Victor Emmanuel Nature Tours, the American Bird Conservancy, and Tucson Audubon. When all the necessary legal and financial papers were finalized, ownership passed to Tucson Audubon. The new center was dedicated the first weekend in December. Supporters from around the country came to Patagonia for a variety of presentations and events that started on Friday evening with dessert and coffee in a big tent on the property and went through to a Sunday morning birding trip. Patagonia Regional Times 1/2015

 

Birdwatching’s Boost to Local Economy

Recent studies show that bird watching is among the nation’s most popular recreational activities and growing. Why birding? Ask the more than 47 million bird watchers in America why they love birds, and you’ll probably get a range of replies as diverse as the birds themselves. With colors and songs that can stop you in your tracks, equally colorful and evocative names, and life stories full of amazing feats of speed and stamina, birds are an exciting gateway to the natural world, right outside your door! A recent economic impact analysis suggests that Arizonans now have a billion more reasons to appreciate birds and wildlife. Patagonia Regional Times 1/2015

 

Meeting Provides A Closer Look at Three Canyons Project

On December 16, Cady Hall was filled with people interested in learning about and influencing plans for the recently purchased Three Canyons property just outside Patagonia along Route 82. David Seibert and Ron Pulliam from Borderlands Restoration led the 2 1⁄2-hour discussion. The first half of the meeting included a presentation on what the property offers, the goals of the new owners, and how Wildlife Corridors purchased the land. For more detail on that, take a look at the article in the November edition of the PRT. The remainder of the meeting was a “listening session” to field questions and suggestions from the audience. There were several breaks for people to enjoy a nice spread provided by Borderlands. Patagonia Regional Times 1/2015

 

A Rainy Day for Bird Counting

This year’s Christmas bird count in Patagonia went on despite the horrible weather. My team of four people, including an eleven-year-old beginning birder from England, had the territory starting at the extreme west edge of the San Raphael Valley and then west and south along the road back to Patagonia. This included Corral Canyon which was the center of our territory. Patagonia Regional Times 1/2015

Patagonia Christmas count turns up unusual birds

Despite foul weather that lasted most of the day, the Patagonia Christmas Bird Count on Dec. 18 turned up a number of interesting species. “First of all the weather was awful,” said Tom Arny, compiler for the area. “It was cold and gray with on and off drizzle until late in the afternoon.” Despite the conditions and late window, Arny said the 45 people counting in the circle that extends from Washington Camp to a little north of town and out to the San Rafael Valley still managed to spot 132 species of birds. Weekly Bulletin 12/31/2014

 

Mineral Park copper mine laying off hundreds of workers

A copper mine in northwestern Arizona is shutting down production and laying of hundreds of workers in the wake of a Bankruptcy Court filing by its corporate owner. Mineral Park, an open pit mine located 15 miles northwest of Kingman, sent layoff notices to more than 350 workers on Monday, the Today’s News-Herald reported. ABC15 12/30/2014

 

Patagonia mines oozed high levels of iron, US says

Levels of iron that created orange runoff from two old Patagonia-area mines this fall were very high, “way above any standards,” says a federal geologist. The iron and other contaminants were flushed out of the Lead Queen and Trench mines into neighboring creeks in September and October, the U.S. Geological Survey has said. The iron gave the runoff a bright, orange-colored appearance that caught the attention of area residents and state and federal scientists. Arizona Daily Star 12/28/2014

 

Audubon’s Christmas Bird Count Turns 115: Why Does It Matter?

Birders, scientists, enthusiasts, and students are among the 71,000 observers who have participated in Audubon’s annual Christmas Bird Count, one of the largest, longest-running citizen science efforts in the world. The annual event provides important data about bird population trends and helps inform conservation efforts. National Geographic 12/27/2014

 

Congress’ Christmas Gift for the Rio Tinto Mining Company

The Rio Tinto Mining Company, owned by interests in the United Kingdom and Australia, is representative of the destructive and devouring process of colonization which results in the expropriation and exploitation of the territories of original nations and peoples. The Apache Nation is an example of an Original Nation, well known for fearless and famous leaders such as Cochise and Geronimo who fought to maintain Apache independence from the American empire of the United States. Indian Country Today 12/27/2014

 

American Indians Confront “Savage Anxieties”

Earlier this month, as part of the $585 billion defense bill for 2015, Congress passed a measure that would give lands sacred to American Indians in Arizona to a foreign company. The deal gives the Australian-English mining firm Rio Tinto 2,400 acres of the Tonto National Forest in exchange for several other parcels so it can mine a massive copper deposit. This week, Bill speaks with Robert A. Williams Jr., a professor specializing in American Indian law, about how deals such as the one with Rio Tinto are a part of American Indian’s tragic history of dispossession. “Very much like African-Americans, the history of America is taking away resources, whether it’s labor or whether it’s land from one racial group to give them to the dominate racial group,” Williams, who is of Lumbee Indian heritage, says. Moyers & Company 12/26/2014

 

Group plans new housing development at Three Canyons

A conservation group that recently established itself in Patagonia under the auspices of helping the local community and its environs is now planning a housing development. Ron Pulliam and David Seibert of the Borderlands Restoration Group made the announcement of its acquisition of the Three Canyons property during an open house at Cady Hall held on Dec. 16. Weekly Bulletin 12/24/2014

 

Mining company says it’s committed to Superior’s success

The mining company seeking to acquire a copper deposit just outside Superior wants to help the town prepare for life after the ore body is depleted and the mine shuts down. Arizona Daily Star 12/21/2014

 

Patagonia Could Become A Mining Town Again

Across Arizona, some small towns founded on mining have been reborn as quirky, artsy tourist destinations. Think Bisbee or Tombstone or Jerome. But in one remote spot, that switch may not be permanent. In the Southern Arizona town of Patagonia, residents are divided over whether it should become a mining community once more. KJZZ Phoenix 12/19/2014

 

What deluges? 11 trillion gallons of rain still needed to end California drought

About 11 trillion gallons of rain, or nearly 17 million Olympic swimming pools full. That’s how much water California needs to recover from its extreme drought despite downpours that cause flooding and mudslides this month, NASA said. This week, the space agency released a satellite data analysis of how much water the state’s reserves lack. CNN 12/18/2014

 

Leading Bird Conservation Group Calls for Expanded Yellow-billed Cuckoo Critical Habitat

American Bird Conservancy (ABC), one of the leading U.S. bird conservation groups, has asked the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) to significantly expand its proposed critical habitat designation for the western population of Yellow-billed Cuckoo, which was listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act in October. American Bird Conservancy News Release 12/17/2014

 

Senate passes defense bill, including mine land-swap in Superior

The U.S. Senate voted this afternoon to approve a national defense bill that gives 2,400 acres of national forest land in Superior to a foreign mining company. The legislation now goes to President Barack Obama’s desk for signature. Arizona Daily Star 12/12/2014

 

Senate advances Defense bill

The Senate on Thursday advanced the $585 billion Defense bill. The procedural vote was necessary because some GOP senators objected to the inclusion of an unrelated lands package in the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). Despite those objections, the Senate voted 85-14 to end debate on the motion to concur with the House on S. 3979, advancing the measure for a final vote expected no later than Friday. The Hill 12/11/2014

 

Audubon hosts event for contributors to Paton’s purchase

The Tucson Audubon Society recently hosted a weekend event for contributors who helped make the acquisition of the Paton’s House in Patagonia and its world-renowned backyard possible. Weekly Bulletin 12/10/2014

 

Arizona’s Paton Center: More than a Place to Build Your List

A dedication ceremony at the Paton Center for Hummingbirds was held this past weekend by Tucson Audubon Society (TAS). It was the culmination of a year’s quick work by ABC to purchase “Paton’s”—a premier birding and hummingbird spot in Patagonia, Arizona—with help from Victor Emanuel and TAS, and to transfer the property to TAS for long-term stewardship. American Bird Conservancy Blog 12/10/2014

 

Congressman’s Native American remark causes outcry

U.S. Rep. Paul Gosar’s reference to American Indians as “wards of the federal government” has struck a harsh chord with tribal members and legal experts in the days following a discussion about a controversial Arizona land deal that would make way for the country’s largest copper mine. Associated Press 12/10/2014

 

Planned Arizona copper mine would put a hole in Apache archaeology

Archaeologists and Native American tribes are protesting language in a Senate bill that would approve a controversial land exchange between the federal government and a copper mining company—a swap that may put Native American archaeological sites at risk. The bill is needed to fund the U.S. military and is considered likely to pass the Senate as early as today. Science Magazine 12/10/2014

 

Re: Raiding Native Sacred Places in a Defense Authorization: Everything Wrong with Congress

The San Carlos Apache Tribe has worked for the past decade to shine light on the Southeast Arizona Land Exchange that would transfer Oak Flat and nearby lands in the Tonto National Forest – lands held sacred by my Tribe and many other Native Americans – to a foreign-owned mining corporation for certain destruction. Sadly, this Land Exchange has been airdropped into the FY15 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) at the eleventh hour, as Congress prepares to bring the 113th Session to close. Indian Country Today 12/10/2014

 

San Carlos Apache Leader Seeks Senate Defeat of Copper Mine on Sacred Land

The leader of the San Carlos Apache Tribe is asking the Senate not to vote on the annual National Defense Authorization Act until a provision that would allow a massive copper mining project on sacred land is removed. Indian Country Today 12/8/2014

 

Mining proposal threatens Arizona town’s water supply

Just eighteen miles north of the Mexican border, the town of Patagonia, Arizona sits cradled by 4,000 foot high mountains– a high desert oasis of oak and piñon pines, home to the rare ocelot and jaguar. But scattered throughout those mountains are abandoned mine shafts and tailings from the town’s not-too-distant past. High Country News 12/5/2014

 

US House vote eases way for Superior mine

A controversial land-swap bill attached to national defense spending legislation passed the U.S. House of Representatives on Thursday, bringing a foreign mining company one step closer to a massive copper deposit near Superior. Arizona Daily Star 12/5/2014

 

Congress Raids Ancestral Native American Lands With Defense Bill

When Terry Rambler, the chairman of the San Carlos Apache Tribe, woke up Wednesday in Washington, D.C., it was to learn that Congress was deciding to give away a large part of his ancestral homeland to a foreign mining company. Huff Post Politics 12/3/2014

 

Bill could ease way for mine north of Tucson

A controversial bill to privatize national forest land in Arizona has been tucked into the national defense spending bill, to the dismay of those fighting a mining company’s efforts to buy the land. Arizona Daily Star 12/3/2014

 

Paddling to D.C. to oppose Northern Minnesota mining

The 100-day, 2,000-mile trek–which started in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness on Aug. 24 and moved across the Great Lakes, through Lake Champlain and down multiple rivers and canals along the East Coast–was aimed at drawing attention and opposition to proposed copper mine projects in the BWCAW watershed. St. Paul Pioneer 12/3/2014

 

Iran Uranium Partner Could Get Gift From Lame-Duck Congress

Congress may use must-pass legislation in the next two weeks to slip through a controversial land deal that would help a company that jointly owns a uranium mine with Iran, sources told HuffPost. The company, the international mining conglomerate Rio Tinto, has been trying for nearly a decade to acquire 2,400 acres of the federally protected Tonto National Forest in southeast Arizona — land that sits atop a massive copper deposit. Huff Post Politics 12/2/2014

 

Not So Sunny in Patagonia

The U.S. Forest Service recently gave the green light to the “Sunnyside ”mineral exploratory drilling project — a plan to drill 18 bore holes at six sites in the Patagonia Mountains in hopes of finding silver ore and creating larger mines. Despite the project’s deceivingly cheerful name, this exploratory drilling could have major impacts on both the mountains and the species that depend on this diverse “sky island” habitat for survival. And if mines are ever developed in this sensitive area, the outlook would not be so sunny for wildlife and water quality. Defenders of Wildlife Blog 12/1/2014

 

Report Projects Consequences of Hermosa Mine

Sometimes numbers speak louder than words. Pete Dronkers and the Patagonia Area Resource Alliance (PARA) have recently published a report about the potential impact of an open pit mine in the Patagonia Mountains, and some of the numbers used in reference to the mine’s proposed activities are staggering. Patagonia Regional Times 12/2014

 

Lawsuit Questions Forest Service Decision

The Sunnyside mineral exploration drilling project in the Alum Gulch area of the Patagonia Mountains was given the go-ahead by the US Forest Service back in September. In response to this decision, the Patagonia Area Resource Alliance and Defenders of Wildlife have asked federal court to hold the USFS and the US Fish and Wildlife Service accountable for their approval, saying that it violates environmental laws and poses a potential threat to endangered species and the safety of drinking water for local residents. Patagonia Regional Times 12/2014

 

New Ownership and New Role for Three Canyons

Patagonians have watched the adventures and misadventures of Three Canyons since 2005. The original development went under in 2008 and the property is currently held by the National Bank of Arizona. The late breaking news is that a newly formed company, Wildlife Corridors LLC, purchased the property in a deal that is due to close in early December. The new owners will have 1250 acres of land, including a critical corridor for wildlife movement among the Santa Rita, Huachuca, and Patagonia Mountains. Patagonia Regional Times 12/2014

 

Growing Native Plants for Ecosystem Health

Native plants play important ecological roles in the health of our Sonoita Creek watershed. Native grasses provide food for species such as the rare Baird’s sparrow, as it overwinters in the grasslands. Milkweeds are essential for monarch and queen butterfly caterpillars; these butterflies won’t lay eggs on any other plants. The seeds of our oak trees provide food for many creatures, including the black bear. Patagonia Regional Times 12/2014

 

Nature Journeys

One palpable joy of being a naturalist in southeastern Arizona is that our winters are so eclectic. The variability in December invertebrate activity here generally trumps that of many other places in North America. The presence of any number of ectothermic species in what often can be a rather frigid month owes much to our nearly subtropical latitudes, as well as warmer nooks in the landscape. Add enough moisture and rather balmy temperatures, and our December diversity is decidedly decent! Patagonia Regional Times 12/2014

 

So. AZ Paddlers Club Gathers For The Sake of The Lake

Every fall for 16 years—and again in the spring—The Southern Arizona Paddlers Club working in partnership with the park service circumnavigates Lake Patagonia’s shoreline in its “For the Sake of the Lake” shore clean up. Patagonia Regional Times 12/2014

 

11/28-29: Patagonia Art Walk

Thanksgiving weekend doesn’t have to peak with the feast. The next day, the family is still around and probably itching to get out and enjoy the weather instead of setting around the house and eating leftovers. A trip to southern Arizona could be just the ticket. Sneak in a little early Christmas shopping and stroll the streets of Patagonia at its annual Art Walk. Arizona Republic 11/27/2014

 

Miners ask court to lift ban on uranium mining near Grand Canyon

The American mining industry is asking a federal appeals court to overturn a ban on new uranium mining claims near the Grand Canyon in a legal battle with environmentalists over impacts on the premier U.S. park. Reuters 11/27/2014

 

Failed ‘green’ development poised for purchase

A local conservation organization is looking to buy a large property outside Patagonia that was once slated for a “green” development. Ron Pulliam, founder and science advisor for the Borderlands Restoration Group, said he couldn’t comment on the negotiations over Three Canyons Estates or what Borderlands might have planned for the property, other than to say the organization is “very close” to purchasing the property. Weekly Bulletin 11/26/2014

 

Mining can damage fish habitats far downstream, study shows

Anglers across the nation wondering why luck at their favorite fishing spot seems to have dried up may have a surprising culprit: a mine miles away, even in a different state. Scientists have taken a first broad look at the impacts of mines across the country and found that mining can damage fish habitats miles downstream, and even in streams not directly connected to the mines. Science Daily 11/25/2014

 

Canadian First Nations march to demand ban on uranium exploration in Quebec

A group of young members of the James Bay Cree Nation began an 800-kilometre trek from Mistissini to Montreal Sunday to demand a ban on uranium development in northern Quebec. They plan to arrive in Montreal on Dec. 15, the final day of hearings on uranium development by Quebec’s environmental watchdog, the Bureau d’audiences publiques sur l’environnement (BAPE). The march underlines the Crees’ opposition to uranium exploration and mining, which they say would invade their territory, pollute the environment and threaten their traditional way of life. Mining.com 11/24/2014

 

Spring thaw may threaten Mount Polley tailings-pond cleanup, minister warns

In a few months, the end of winter will bring millions of cubic metres of water flooding down into the Mount Polley mine site, threatening cleanup operations of the tailings-pond breach, B.C. Environment Minister Mary Polak warns. Globe and Mail 11/24/2014

 

Brutal repression of a determined protest against the Skouries mine, Greece

Once more a demonstration against Eldorado Gold’s Skouries mine in Halkidiki was met with tons of teargas by the riot police. More than 1.500 demonstrators marched to the location where Eldorado’s subsidiary, Hellas Gold, is developing a huge open-pit gold and copper mine right in the middle of what used to be a pristine forest. Approximately 180 hectares of forest have so far been cleared in order to make way for the mine, a processing plant and two monstrous tailings dams. For the past three years, the local people and the broader solidarity movement resisting the mine have faced extreme repression and penalization of their struggle. More than 300 residents of the area are facing criminal charges related to their efforts to preserve the mountain, the environment and the health of their communities. AntiGold Greece Blog 11/24/2014

 

DHS-funded jaguar study could be model for future predator rescues

As part of its broader effort to protect jaguars in the Southwest, the Fish and Wildlife Service is using more than $200,000 from the Department of Homeland Security to fund two opinion surveys — a novel approach to species recovery that FWS officials believe could help improve future programs aimed at conserving imperiled predators. E&E 11/21/2014

 

How another border crisis is putting American seafood at risk

The Keystone XL controversy may currently be consuming most of the U.S. government’s attention, but it’s not the only environmental crisis-in-the-making coming our way via Canada. A pro-development push north of the border is paving the way for large-scale mining projects located at key watersheds. Downstream in Alaska, commercial fishermen, conservation groups and others who fear for the mines’ potential to damage their homes and livelihoods can do nothing but watch. Salon 11/20/2014

 

Insane pictures of Russian potash mine disaster

Solikamsk-2 accident first implications: situation could worsen. After a statement made by one of the world’s largest potash producers and exporters Uralkali (MCX:URKA)(LON:URALL), first visual implications of Solikamsk-2 potash mine accident have been revealed. A sinkhole with a diameter of 30-40 meters has been detected to the east of the Solikamsk-2 production site, at the area packed with summer cottages. There were no casualties reported so far. Mining.com 11/20/2014

 

Cliffs’ massive closure costs at Bloom Lake stun analysts

Three weeks ago, Lourenco Goncalves warned that shutting down the Bloom Lake mine in Quebec would not be a simple task. “Going away from [Bloom Lake] is not deleting it on a computer. It’s a pretty complicated process,” the chief executive of Cliffs Natural Resources Inc. told the Financial Post. He wasn’t kidding. Cliffs announced on Wednesday that it plans to exit Bloom Lake. And if it can’t find a buyer, it expects to be on the hook for astounding closure costs of US$650-million to US$700-million during the next five years. The stock plunged US$2.04 or 20% to US$8.17 in New York on the news. Financial Post 11/19/2014

 

Delinquent Mine Fines: ‘Clearly Troubling … More Can Be Done’

A key House Republican called today for federal regulators to crack down on mine owners who don’t pay fines for safety violations, saying, “Clearly more can be done.” Rep. John Kline, R-Minn., the chairman of the House Committee on Education and the Workforce, was reacting to an investigation by NPR and Mine Safety and Health News, which documented nearly 4,000 injuries and 131,000 violations at more than 4,600 mines — all as they failed to pay nearly $70 million in safety fines. NPR 11/19/2014

 

Curis Mine: Water board blocks project

A state board on Friday blocked construction of a controversial copper leaching operation beneath Florence, at least in the form it was proposed. The Arizona Water Quality Appeals Board Friday accepted the findings of an administrative law judge who concluded that the permit issued to Curis Resources by the state Department of Environmental Quality to pump acid into the ground would not adequately protect water quality. Her report found a series of shortcomings. Casa Grande Dispatch 11/17/2014

 

Fines Don’t Appear To Deter Mine Safety Violations

An NPR investigation found that mine workers are at greater risk of injury in mines that are able to avoid paying safety fines. Changes in mine safety enforcement could make penalties more effective. NPR 11/16/2014

 

Fire official: Large explosions at Arizona copper mine

An industrial accident at the Freeport-McMoRan smelter led to several large explosions at a Miami, Ariz., mine, investigating authorities said. Tri-Cities Fire Chief A.J. Howell said molten copper came in contact with some water to cause the explosions. Arizona Republic 11/13/2014

 

Shell lawsuit against environmental groups ruled unconstitutional

Two years ago, in a preemptive move, Shell sued a host of environmental and advocacy groups to prevent them from suing Shell over its plans to drill for oil in the Arctic. On Wednesday, a federal appeals court called Shell’s legal strategy “novel” and ruled it unconstitutional. Los Angeles Times 11/13/2014

 

Europe’s cycling economy has created 650,000 jobs

Europe’s cycling industry now employs more people than mining and quarrying and almost twice as many as the steel industry, according to the first comprehensive study of the jobs created by the sector. Some 655,000 people work in the cycling economy – which includes bicycle production, tourism, retail, infrastructure and services – compared to 615,000 people in mining and quarrying, and just 350,000 workers directly employed in the steel sector. The Guardian 11/12/2014

 

Fairgrounds are SCC gem

Next year will mark the Santa Cruz County Fair and Rodeo Association’s centennial, and so on Saturday, organization leaders stuck themselves into the Patagonia Town Hall and did not emerge until they had a clear outline as to how to mark this important milestone. Nogales International 11/11/2014

 

Coal Mines Keep Operating Despite Injuries, Violations And Millions In Fines

NPR probes the regulatory loophole that allows mine owners to ignore government regulators and operate unsafe mines. For years, the owners have failed to pay penalties even as workers are injured. NPR 11/13/2014

 

A vast and troubling experiment

Writer Richard Louv has coined the term, “Nature Deficit Disorder,” to link the absence of nature in today’s Internet-wired generation of children to disturbing trends of childhood obesity, attention deficient disorders, diminished curiosity, and depression. Most of Liam’s generation are part of a vast and troubling experiment – the first generation to be raised without real contact with the natural world. Nogales International 11/7/2014

 

Good course, great people at 2014 Finis Tri

There’s no neutral way to report this: I won the 2014 Finis Sprint Triathlon at Lake Patagonia last Saturday. It’s not every day that you win an event you’re covering but, like a lot of wins, it’s one that needs to be qualified in a number of important ways. Nogales International 11/7/2014

 

Patagonia mining ventures under fire

Proposed mining in the Patagonia Mountains came under fire last week from several environmental groups concerned about impacts on local wildlife and water. In one action, the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) were named as defendants in a complaint filed on Oct. 29 by the Defenders of Wildlife and the Patagonia Area Resource Alliance (PARA). A day before the Sunnyside suit was filed, PARA, in collaboration with the non-profit Earthworks, issued a 40-page report criticizing the proposed Hermosa Mine project by Canadian company Wildcat Silver. The report said mining activity in the area will hurt both the quantity and quality of Patagonia’s water supply. Weekly Bulletin 11/5/2014

 

Arguments for erosion structures hold water

Following a year of powerful flood events in northeastern Santa Cruz County, there was no lack of interest in a recent field trip to the Babacomari Ranch where the Borderlands Restoration Group has been constructing hundreds of erosion-control structures. Weekly Bulletin 11/5/2014

 

The surprising reason abandoned US mines haven’t been cleaned up

Hundreds of thousands of abandoned mines litter the West: gold, silver, lead, copper. Some are left from the California gold rush; some were abandoned just a few decades ago. Today, acidic water and heavy metals from mines slowly leach into groundwater, lakes and streams. Corrosive water destroys aquatic ecosystems. Fish – the ones that don’t die – become loaded with arsenic or mercury. People swim in contaminated lakes. They hike over contaminated soil, breathing in dust laced with lead and arsenic. Center for Investigative Reporting 11/4/2014

 

Mining’s Legacy Hits Home

It’s been over a month since two streams in the Patagonia Mountains that feed into Harshaw and Sonoita Creeks were found to be flowing with orange water, but so far there are no clear answers as to the origin of the leaks, what metals and chemicals are in them or what can be done to mitigate the flows. Many agencies have become involved in assessing the problem, including the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ), the U.S. Forest Service (USFS), Arizona State Parks (ASP), U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the University of Arizona (U of A). Patagonia Regional Times 11/2014

 

New Report On Impact of Hermosa Mine On Patagonia’s Water Supply

Patagonia Area Resource Alliance (PARA) and Earthworks have released a new peer-reviewed report on the impact to Patagonia’s water supply from the proposed Hermosa mine, to be sited within the upper reaches of Harshaw Creek—a portion of Patagonia’s Municipal Supply Watershed. Earthworks is an established national environmental organization whose mission is to protect the environment from the impacts of irresponsible mineral and energy development. The primary focus of their study was the effect of the mine on our available water supply, acid mine drainage, heavy metals leaching, and groundwater contamination. Patagonia Regional Times 11/2014

 

Water Is Key to Arizona Mining Lawsuit

A mineral exploration project in a southern Arizona mountain range will destroy the creekside haunts of jaguars and ocelots and suck up the water supply of the small town of Patagonia, watchdog groups claim in Federal Court. Defenders of Wildlife and the Patagonia Area Resource Alliance sued the U.S. Forest Service and Fish and Wildlife on Wednesday. They claim the agencies ignored federal environmental laws in approving Vancouver-based Regal Resources’ “Sunnyside Project” in September. Courthouse News Service 10/31/2014

 

Arizona Mining Review

15:07: Interview with Floyd Gray, United States Geological Survey: September Rains and Orange Mine Runoff in the Patagonia Mountains, Southeastern Arizona Arizona Geological Survey 10/29/2014

 

Lawsuit filed over Patagonia Mountains mine project

Environmental groups filed suit Wednesday to block efforts by a Canadian mining firm from looking for copper in the Patagonia Mountains. Defenders of Wildlife and the Patagonia Area Resource Alliance are asking U.S. District Court Judge James Soto to void permission granted to Regal Resources Inc. by the U.S. Forest Service to drill exploratory bore holes up to 6,500 feet deep in the Alum Gulch area. The groups contend the federal agency violated federal laws and regulations by authorizing what has been called the Sunnyside Project. Arizona Daily Star 10/29/2014

 

Report claims new mine would hurt water levels in Patagonia

A new report from an organization opposing a potential mine in southern Arizona finds that the development would hurt Patagonia’s water supply. Patagonia Area Resource Alliance released the report Tuesday. Group coordinator Wendy Russell said it was important for the organization, collaborating with Earthworks, have the study peer reviewed by a hydrologist and a United States Geological Survey scientist to provide credibility. “We think the facts speak for themselves that this is not a good place for a mine,” said Russell. Tucson News Now 10/29/2014

 

Water wells drying up on Tucson’s fringes

Wells are drying up all around the fringes of Tucson — the Tortolita foothills on the north, the Santa Rita Mountain foothills on the south, the Tanque Verde Valley to the east, parts of the Tucson Mountain foothills on the west. Arizona Daily Star 10/25/2014

 

Stop hating on NIMBYs. They’re saving communities.

The term NIMBY – “not in my back yard”– has long been used to criticize people who oppose commercial or industrial development in their communities. Invariably pejorative, it casts citizens as selfish individualists who care only for themselves, hypocrites who want the benefits of modernity without paying its costs. Communities and individuals who oppose fracking, nuclear power, high voltage power lines, and diverse other forms of development have all been accused of NIMBYism. It’s time to rethink this term. Washington Post 10/23/2014

 

All eyes on town water and Patagonia Lake amid mine seepage

Authorities say the brightly colored water leaking from abandoned mine sites in the Patagonia Mountains is not impacting either Patagonia Lake or the town’s water supply, though a geologist who visited the sites says that iron-rich runoff had previously washed down Sonoita Creek and into the lake. Weekly Bulletin 10/22/2014

 

ADEQ: Patagonia mine wasn’t source of orange sludge

Contrary to what a federal official and environmentalists have said, an old Patagonia Mountains mine overseen by the state environmental agency didn’t spew orange sludge pollution into a neighboring stream last month, the agency said Tuesday. An Arizona Department of Environmental Quality official said the agency has no evidence that the orange muck came from the Trench Camp Mine lying six miles south of the town of Patagonia. It’s a statement that astonished environmentalist critics of the Patagonia area’s mining industry and contradicted a state inspection report. Arizona Daily Star 10/22/2014

 

The problem with America’s abandoned mines

A mine plans its death before its birth. The leftover waste from mines is so hazardous that mining companies must figure out what to do with it decades in advance, even before they start digging. That’s how it works today, at least. But in 1981, when the United States government began requiring mines to have rehabilitation plans, many operators simply up and left instead. The government has identified about 46,000 abandoned mines on public lands alone. Some of them are top-priority Superfund sites. Center for Investigative Reporting 10/21/2014

 

Some Patagonia residents concerned about orange colored water

Many residents in Patagonia are concerned about the water coming from the Trench Camp and Lead Queen Mines that overflowed last month because of heavy rainfall caused by Hurricane Odile. The Patagonia Area Resource Alliance said it is monitoring the water claiming the water had a PH level that was very acidic. KVOA 10/20/2014

 

Orange Sludge Oozes Into Arizona Waterways From Abandoned Mines

When record breaking rain from former Hurricane Norbert and Hurricane Odile moved into the Southwest last month, residents of Patagonia, Arizona, might have expected local waterways to flood, but they definitely didn’t expect them to turn orange. But that’s exactly what happened just outside the sleepy Santa Cruz County town after two local abandoned mines flooded and sent a surge of toxic substances into creeks in the area. Tuscon’s KMSB Fox 11 details how, Gooch Goodwin, a member of the local conservation group the Patagonia Area Resource Alliance (PARA), stumbled upon the orange flow while on a hike weeks ago. The Weather Channel 10/17/2014

 

Patagonia residents on alert after abandoned mines found leaking sludge

The town of Patagonia was on alert after The Arizona Department of Environmental quality issued a notice of violation to an Asarco trust that owned the Trench Camp mine near Patagonia. The area was a popular tourist attraction, and an environmental watchdog group in the area was concerned about possible water contamination resulting from the sludge, that was an orange-brown in color. Wendy Russell, coordinator of the Patagonia Area Resource Alliance (PARA) said the Trench Camp and Lead Queen mines overflowed late last month because of heavy rainfall caused by Hurricane Odile. Gooch Goodwin, a member of PARA accidentally discovered the sludge while hiking in the area a couple weeks ago. He was alarmed because the sludge was in the area creeks. “It’s dangerous and it’s getting in our waterways. This actually flows into Sonoita Creek which goes into Patagonia Lake,” said Goodwin. Tucson News Now 10/16/2014

 

Closed Patagonia mines send orange sludge into creeks

Authorities are struggling to deal with pollution that streamed from two old mines into Patagonia-area canyons during recent storms in the form of orange sludge and reddish-brown liquids with a milky coating. The heavy rains of mid-September washed out acids, minerals and possibly heavy metals into two canyons, both of which eventually drain into Harshaw Creek, said Floyd Gray, a U.S. Geological Survey official in Tucson who went to both sites and collected samples of the contamination. Harshaw Creek, whose watershed supplies part of Patagonia’s town water supply, is a tributary to Sonoita Creek, a stream that’s long been beloved by bird-watchers and other naturalists. Arizona Daily Star 10/15/2014

 

Orange Sludge Spills From Abandoned Arizona Mines, Threatening Popular Lake

A popular tourist attraction in southern Arizona is at risk of being contaminated with orange and brown sludge that spilled from two abandoned mines near Patagonia. The Trench Camp and Lead Queen mines overflowed late last month because of heavy rainfall caused by Hurricane Odile. HuffPost 10/15/2014

 

Mine cited for orange sludge in Arizona waterways

Patagonia residents were happy for rain last month, until they noticed orange sludge, bright red trickles and liquid the color of iced tea heading toward their waterways. Those September storms brought leaks from inactive mines in the mountains, potential danger to wildlife in Santa Cruz County and citations from the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality. Arizona Republic 10/14/2014

 

In Wisconsin, Dark Money Got a Mining Company What It Wanted

An accidentally released court filing reveals how one company secretly gave money to a nonprofit that helped get favorable mining legislation passed. ProPublica 10/14/2014

 

Mexican authorities pinpoint cause of mine spill

More than two months after a copper sulfate acid solution poured out of a containment pond and polluted the Bacanuchi and Sonora rivers, questions continue about the long-term environmental impact of the toxic mine spill. The toxic mine spill that polluted the Bacanuchi and Sonora rivers occurred because mine owner Grupo México was using installations that weren’t yet finished and did not have the necessary operating permits, in violation of several federal laws, said Arturo Rodríguez Abitia, deputy director for industrial inspection at Mexico’s Federal Department of Environmental Protection, Profepa. Arizona Daily Star 10/11/2014

 

Hayden, Miami smelters slated for upgrades

Owners of Arizona’s two copper smelters plan to spend hundreds of millions of dollars to reduce sulfur dioxide emissions that federal officials say have fouled the air in two Central Arizona communities. Arizona Daily Star 10/11/2014

 

Resolution Copper invests in mine despite obstacles

The project has cost $1.2 billion so far and will take perhaps five times that amount in additional preparation work before a single ounce of copper is retrieved from the depths. Despite the money invested, Resolution has a variety of obstacles to overcome that range from “minor” details like providing cool air to the steamy depths of a shaft to the difficult task of persuading Congress to allow access to the copper deposit. Arizona Republic 10/11/2014

 

Costs of Mexico copper mine spill climbs to almost $140 million

The estimated cost of environmental damage from the spill from a copper mine operated by Grupo Mexico (BMV:GMEXICOB) in Sonora State last August has been estimated in over $133.7 million, the Federal Attorney for Environmental Protection (Profepa) said. The figure, Radio Imagen (in Spanish) reports, is based on preliminary assessments of the damage caused to water, flora, fauna, and wildlife, as well as information on water quality from the Federal Commission for Protection Against Sanitary Risk (COFEPRIS) and the National Forest Commission (Conafor) on ecological effects. MINING.com 10/9/2014

 

Development at Any Cost: A False Premise

A new age of mining has dramatically expanded in recent years. Open pit, extensive, corporate, and multinational operations threaten the Mexican landscape. The prospect of ecological disasters looms across one of the world’s biodiversity hotspots. This shadow is darkest in the Sonoran Desert. Next Generation Sonoran Desert Researchers News Release 10/7/2014

Sen. John McCain visits Resolution mine, pledges support

Sen. John McCain went underground Tuesday to visit miners developing the Resolution Copper Project in Superior, telling them their industry is important to the state and that he will continue to push for legislation to help the mine. Arizona Republic 10/6/2014

 

Spill verified; Probably small compared to Rio Sonora spills

An undetermined amount of what looked like sulfuric acid metallic leach solution from the Grupo Mexico Buenavista Cananea, Sonora mine entered the north-flowing San Pedro River on the Sonoran side of the border between Sept. 17-20, following heavy rains on Sept. 17-18, in Cananea, according to both a local government and mining officials. Wilcox Range News 10/6/2014

 

Mexico’s toxic spill leaves fear, anger in wake

The makeshift town hall was packed by the time Mayor Vidal Vázquez arrived. The residents of this small town of a few hundred people, which shares the name with the nearby river where millions of gallons of toxic solution were dumped, had been waiting for him. Nearly two months after the Aug. 6 and 7 copper mine spill, which was followed by heavy rains brought by Hurricane Odile that further contaminated the land, residents are frustrated and feel as though they’ve been forgotten. Arizona Daily Star 10/6/2014

 

Leaking Historic Patagonia Arizona Mines

Toxic Mining Contaminants Threaten People and Wildlife in Arizona. Video and interviews with local experts on abandoned mine overflows in the Patagonia Mountains of southern Arizona in September, 2014. Producer: Frances Causey/Adhara Media LLC Cinematographer. Editor: Rogelio Garcia. 10/5/2014

 

Livelihoods washed away by toxic spill in Sonora

Between Aug. 6 and 7, about 11 million gallons of copper sulfate acid solution spilled from Cananea’s Buenavista del Cobre mine into the Bacanuchi River, a tributary of the Sonora River. The San Pedro River runs north from Cananea, about 25 miles from the Arizona border, while the Sonora River flows south. The spill contaminated the Bacanuchi and Sonora rivers and left more than 25,000 people in seven counties without water. Mexican officials called it their country’s worst mining spill in recent history. And then it got worse. More than a month after the spill, heavy rains from Hurricane Odile caused the dams to overflow and the river to swell, soaking nearby fields with toxic water. The crops are ruined and the people don’t know if they’ll be able to grow on their land again. Arizona Daily Star 10/5/2014

 

Arizona’s yellow-billed cuckoo gets federal protection

A white-bellied bird known for the “kowlp” call it sounds from mesquite trees and willow woodlands is Arizona’s newest threatened species. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced Thursday that it will list the western yellow-billed cuckoo under the Endangered Species Act. The cuckoo’s official protection starts Nov. 3. Arizona Republic 10/3/2014

 

Asarco’s Toxic Trail In Our Own Back Yard

On September 24, Patagonia resident Gooch Goodwin discovered a stream of bright orange water running into Harshaw Creek. The next day he found a similar situation at Alum Gulch. Goodwin notified U.S. Geologic Survey (USGS) officials of the situation, and they, in turn, notified the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ) and the Coronado National Forest. On September 26, USGS and ADEQ sent people to Patagonia to assess the streams. Patagonia Regional Times 10/2014

 

Forest Service Fast Tracks Mining Exploration in Patagonia Mountains

The Sierra Vista Ranger District of the U.S. Forest Service recently issued a “categorical exclusion” to foreign-owned Regal Resources for its proposed “Sunnyside” exploratory mineral drilling project in Humboldt Canyon of the Patagonia Mountains. A categorical exclusion is a policy short-cut that allows mineral, energy, or geophysical investigations on public lands that meet certain specifications to avoid undergoing a detailed environmental analysis and public process. There are questions as to whether the Sunnyside Project indeed meets all of the specifications required for a categorical exclusion. Vermilion Flycatcher October 2014

 

Hard Times Ahead for a Natural Oasis?

We like to think of the Paton Center for Hummingbirds in Patagonia as a safe space for birds and people alike, but life is rarely so simple. Both birds and people depend upon a much larger context for their survival than what is immediately obvious. Sadly we’ve learned that exploratory mineral drilling—and the disturbance of vital habitat—has now been sanctioned in the heart of the Patagonia Mountains, without appropriate environmental studies. Vermilion Flycatcher October 2014

 

Patagonia Mountains IBA and Our Special Azure Bluebird

The Arizona Important Bird Areas (IBA) Program has reached an exciting phase in its eleventh year and is perfectly situated to spring into its twelfth next year. One recent highlight was the highly anticipated addition of the Patagonia Mountains IBA to this network of Arizona sites recognized for their critical role as habitat for native birds. Vermilion Flycatcher October 2014

 

Court Upholds Grand Canyon Uranium Mining Ban

Arizona’s Havasupai Tribe and a coalition of conservation groups are praising Judge David Campbell’s decision today to uphold the U.S. Department of the Interior’s 20-year ban on new uranium mining claims across one million acres of public lands adjacent to Grand Canyon. The court ruled that the decision complied with federal environmental laws and that it was not too large, as plaintiffs had argued. At stake is protecting the aquifers and streams that feed the Colorado River and Grand Canyon from toxic uranium mining waste and depletion. Center for Biological Diversity News Release 9/30/2014

 

Environmental watchdog group concerned about discolored water in Patagonia Mountains

An environmental watchdog group is sounding the alarm after finding discolored water flowing through Southern Arizona streams and creeks. It is in an area rich in mining history, the Patagonia Mountains. Wendy Russell, the coordinator of the Patagonia Area Resource Alliance said there were about 130 abandoned mines dating to the 1800s in those mountains. Russell said last week’s heavy rains caused some of the abandoned mines to leach chemicals into the watershed. Tucson News Now 9/29/2014

 

Rosemont’s Cienega restoration plan goes nowhere

Rosemont Copper’s plan to compensate for the proposed mine’s impacts on nearby streams appears dead — again. The plan, discussed off and on for well over a year and already left for dead once, was for mine owner Hudbay Minerals Inc. to buy hundreds of acre-feet of water rights to Cienega Creek on the county’s far southeast side from owners of a nearby golf course. Arizona Daily Star 9/27/2014

 

IN MY VIEW: Rosemont and our growing Southwest water shortage

Our minds then turn to the proposed Rosemont Mine. Focusing just on the millions of gallons of water needed for this mining project leaves us shaking our heads. Why don’t people get it? We can’t afford the water usage over the next 20 years for the sake of a handful of jobs over that time period. How arrogant can these promoters be, to sacrifice what quality water may exist today strictly for the profit of a minuscule number of people and to the exclusion of millions of Americans now and in the future. But then, politicians and bureaucrats have been “kicking the can down the road” for decades, leaving the problems they create to future generations to solve. Green Valley News 9/27/2014

 

Toxic Mining Contaminants Threaten People and Wildlife in Arizona

Contaminants from a mine spill in Cananea, Sonora earlier this summer have likely reached the San Pedro River flowing into Arizona. And with recent storms, old copper and silver mine sites near Patagonia are leaking bright red contaminants into local streams. These toxic reminders of our mining history have the potential to wreak havoc on local water supplies and wildlife in the Coronado National Forest, one of the most biologically diverse areas in the world. Defenders of Wildlife/Patagonia Area Resource Alliance News Release 9/26/2014

 

Judge Tosses Out Pebble Mine Company’s Lawsuit Against Environmental Protection Agency

A judge today dismissed a case brought by the Pebble Limited Partnership and State of Alaska against the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for exercising its responsibilities under the Clean Water Act for a public review of a plan to protect some of the world’s greatest salmon runs, in Alaska’s Bristol Bay. Earthjustice News Release 9/26/2014

 

Mexico Mine Spill May Have Sent Contaminated Water To Arizona

Nobody is sure exactly what type of contaminants may have entered the San Pedro River in Mexico and Arizona. But Arizona environmental groups said there has been a history of spills containing dangerous heavy metals from mines in northern Mexico before. Sergio Avila is with the Sky Island Alliance in Tucson and he said mining mishaps aren’t always reported in Mexico. “The communities don’t dare to say or to denounce these affects because those mining companies are their employers. They feel threatened that if they speak about the quality of life, the diminished quality of life that these mining companies put in their communities, they will lose their jobs,” Avila said. Meanwhile, Mexico’s Civil Patrol is warning residents who live near the San Pedro south of the border not to drink the water or use it for their livestock or farming operations until further notice. KJZZ 91.5 9/23/2014

 

Mexico warns Arizona of waste spill into river

Authorities are testing water from the San Pedro River in southern Arizona that may be contaminated with toxic waste that traveled north after a massive copper mine spill in Mexico this summer. Mexican officials on Monday issued a binational alert that contaminated water had made its way into the San Pedro River, which runs north to Pinal County in Arizona. The contamination came from Buenavista del Cobre mine in Cananea, said Carlos Jesus Arias, director of the Sonora state civil protection agency. Officials have not said how much waste leaked, or what exactly was in the spill. Arizona Daily Star 9/23/2014

 

Public Floods EPA with Support for Protection of Bristol Bay from Mining

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) received approximately 700,000 comments in support of its plan to use its Clean Water Act authority to restrict mine waste disposal from the Pebble Mine proposed in Alaska’s Bristol Bay watershed. When combined with previous public input, over 1.5 million comments have been submitted in favor of Bristol Bay protection, including broad and diverse support from Alaska Native Tribes, commercial fishermen, hunters and anglers, businesses like CREDO Mobile, churches, conservation groups, restaurants, jewelers and investors. Earthworks News Release 9/22/2014

 

Rosemont owner drilling to confirm earlier copper estimates

Drill rigs are out on the proposed Rosemont Mine site, carrying out a four-month, $8 million effort by the project’s new owner to learn more about the copper reserves it hopes to mine. Hudbay Minerals Inc. says it’s drilling to try to confirm earlier estimates of copper reserves and resources on the mine site, which outside analysts have said is a world-class copper deposit — but whose very presence has stirred huge opposition among a wide range of interest groups and some government agencies. Arizona Daily Star 9/20/2014

 

Mexican authorities say mine still leaking acid

A Mexican copper mine which spewed millions of gallons of acid into a river last month is still causing pollution and the facility’s owners are blocking the work of investigators probing the accident, authorities said. The massive acid leak in August, involving some 40,000 cubic meters (10.6 million gallons) of sulfuric acid, was one of Mexico’s largest ever mining-related environmental disasters. Agence France‑Presse 9/20/2014

 

Mine spill devastates Mexican farmers

More than 140km away from where the incident happened, agriculture and cattle ranching has been paralysed in seven towns along the river. The affected municipalities of Bacanuchi, Banamichi, San Felipe de Jesus, Aconchi, Arizpe, Ures, and San Jose de Garcia are part of a region known as the historical spine of the state, and have thrived because of the river. The aftermath of the spill, however, has left 22,000 people along the Sonora river without a regular running water supply. Al Jazeera 9/17/2014

 

Mount Polley tailings spill effects could last for decades

Next spring, the sockeye eggs that are now being laid in spawning beds throughout the Fraser River system will hatch and the young fish – by the hundreds of millions – will migrate into lakes to rear. And that, at least in one lake, could be a disaster. Quesnel Lake, into which 24 million cubic metres of water and mine tailings flushed when the Mount Polley tailings dam burst, is one of the biggest and most important sockeye nurseries in the province. No matter how hard Imperial Metals works to clean up the tailings that escaped, the heavy metals that swept down into Quesnel Lake are still there, settling out on the bottom, where they will slowly be taken up into the food chain. Globe and Mail 9/14/2014

 

Grupo Mexico to spend $151m on toxic spill clean-up at Buenavista copper mine

Grupo Mexico and its subsidiaries have agreed to spend $151m to clean-up the toxic spill at its Buenavista del Cobre copper mine in Sonara last month. The decision is part of the agreement between Grupo Mexico and the Mexican Government, where the company has agreed to pay for any environmental and human damage caused by the spill at the mine. On 6 August, around 40,000m³ of copper sulfate acid solution from Buenavista mine reportedly spilled into the Bacanuchi River in north-west Mexico, killing fish and livestock, and leaving many residents without clean water. Mining Technology 9/12/2014

 

Recent Mining Disasters Underscore Significant Challenges Posed by Huge Open Pit Mining Projects

[Recent] mining disasters undoubtedly increase the concerns of southern Arizonans who have been warning for years about threats from the proposed mile-wide, and half-mile deep Rosemont open-pit copper mine. The mine would sit just miles south of Tucson, the state’s second largest city. In fact, the Arizona Game and Fish Department specifically warned that water from Rosemont could leach highly toxic metals from the dry stack tailings and contaminate downstream waterways for up to 500 years. HuffPost Green 9/9/2014

 

Mount Polley whistleblower lost job, then home

Larry Chambers warned Imperial Metals that its tailings pond was bound to fail – and he was fired for it, the Likely, BC resident told media in Vancouver earlier today. He and his wife, Lawna Bourassa-Keuster, have now lost their home on once-beautiful Quensnel Lake – too afraid to drink the cloudy and discoloured water, which they brought with them to Vancouver in a jar. Common Sense Canadian 9/8/2014

 

Farmers, miners and fishers can help re-wild Australia in a way that brings prosperity to all

Yes, there is indeed a way that Australia can ensure for itself food and fuel security and prosperity while reversing the tide of extinction that is now rolling over our native landscapes and wildlife, including the Great Barrier Reef. Furthermore, it will provide better incomes for both farmers and fishers, a healthier diet for consumers and an entirely new and perpetually-sustainable industry for miners. Canberra Times 9/8/2014

 

Catastrophe looms as mines are left in the dumps

Most South African gold mines are set to close in the next 25 years. Now a repeat of catastrophes playing out at Grootvlei in Springs and Blyvooruitzicht near Carletonville seems inevitable on a far bigger scale if government cannot find a solution. Gold mining, once the backbone of the economy, has fallen on dire times, and the legal framework is making it impossible to successfully close mines in the country. This has plunged communities living around those mines into economic, social and environmental crisis. Business Times 9/7/2014

 

Gogebic Taconite May Be Backing Off Mining Proposal

Faced with growing citizen opposition, Gogebic Taconite may be wavering in its plans to build one of the world’s biggest open pit iron ore mines in the pristine Penokee Mountains in Northern Wisconsin. Indian Country Today 9/5/2014

 

What If Your Small Town Suddenly Got Huge?

When thousands of oil-field workers descended on Watford City, North Dakota, they completely redefined its character and economy. Atlantic 9/4/2014

 

No Apology From Mining Tycoon German Larrea For Worst Ecological Disaster In Mexico’s History

Grupo Mexico, the mining giant owned by German Larrea Mota Velasco, Mexico’s second richest man, has been in the center of a political storm since one of its mines in northern Mexico caused the worst ecological disaster in Mexican history. According to Mexico’s federal environmental protection agency, Profepa, on August 6 Grupo Mexico’s subsidiary Buenavista del Cobre mine spilled 10 million gallons (40,000 cubic meters) of copper sulfate acid into the Sonora and Bacanuchi rivers, 25 miles south of the border with Arizona. Forbes 9/2/2014

 

Nogales vendors nix contamination fears, give imported produce all-clear

Less than a month after a massive chemical spill contaminated a Sonora, Mexico river–Nogales, Arizona vendors are giving imported produce the all-clear and nixing any contamination fears. According to the Fresh Produce Association of the Americas, the August 7 [mining] spill, which poured an estimated 10 million gallons of contaminated water into the Sonora River, will not affect produce imported from Mexico to the United States. KGUN9 9/2/2014

 

Mexico forces partial closure of mine responsible for massive toxic spill

Mexico’s environmental prosecutor Profepa has imposed a new partial order of closure on Grupo Mexico’s (BMV:GMEXICOB) Buenavista copper mine, which polluted waterways with highly toxic waste last month, forcing authorities to restrict water supply to about 800,000 people. The order, state’s news agency Notimex reports (in Spanish), comes as Grupo Mexico failed to abide by applicable rules, incurring in “highly risky activities,” according to Profepa. Mining.com 9/2/2014

 

Stewardship in the Southwest Borderlands

People here yearn to become better stewards of this land, to find a more stable way to inhabit this landscape. Conservationists like those at Borderlands Restoration are working with communities and ecosystems to realize this vision. Borderlands is an ecological restoration group based in rural Patagonia, Arizona that works to return natural processes and restore habitat in an effort to create an environment for people and all living things to reconnect and thrive. Landscapes Blog 9/1/2014

 

Mine Tales: Notable labor strikes in Arizona history

Relationships between mining companies and miners in Arizona history were at times challenging. Low wages, ethnic tension, profiteering, and a volatile metal market, coupled with foreign importation of metals, heightened conflict between labor and mine management. Arizona Daily Star 9/1/2014

 

Busy rainy month can’t erase deficit

August was a wet month across much of Southern Arizona, with the notable exception of Tucson International Airport. As a result, Tucson remains officially in a deficit for summer rain totals, even though few people in the area are disappointed. Arizona Daily Star 9/1/2014

 

Mining News

In June, Canadian-based transnational mining company HudBay Minerals reached an agreement to take over Augusta Resources and its Rosemont open-pit copper mine project. According to MiningWatch, a watchdog organization focused on mining activities in Canada, HudBay has demonstrated “a profound disrespect for the environments and communities where it operates.” HudBay is currently being sued for negligence in Canadian courts in connection with violent crimes at its former nickel project in eastern Guatemala, including the murder of an indigenous Mayan land rights activist by mine security guards. In Manitoba, the company has failed to adequately consult indigenous communities; operated a dirty smelter that was Canada’s largest point source of mercury and other toxic emissions until it closed in 2010; and failed to adequately rehabilitate closed mine sites. Patagonia Regional Times 9/2014

 

Restoring Nature’s Diversity

Late last winter Lynda Prim arrived in Patagonia to take over management of the Native Seeds/SEARCH (NS/S) conservation farm. An anthropologist, educator, farm advisor, and advocate in sustainable organic agriculture for over 30 years, she found a daunting situation. The man who ran and maintained the farm equipment had quit, and nearly every machine was in need of repair. Then the well pump broke down and had to be replaced. Her she was with a new job in an unfamiliar place, and her closest support system was in Tucson. Patagonia Regional Times 9/2014

 

The Nature Preserve Has a New Manager

Luke Reese is the newly appointed manager of the Patagonia-Sonoita Creek Preserve. Reese has a degree in forestry and worked part-time at the preserve in 2012 as a member of Ameri-Corps, a civil society program. Providing education and outreach, he worked with volunteers in stewardship activities such as managing trails and mapping the size and location of every Fremont cottonwood tree on the preserve. Patagonia Regional Times 9/2014

 

Through the Eyes of a Botanist

The abundance of life in the grasslands during monsoon season is such a treat! Come with me as I take a deeper look. Imagine we are walking around in the green abundance, hoping to avoid chiggers and looking for flowering plants. Patagonia Regional Times 9/2014

 

Lingering Lushness – Late Summer Wildflowers

We hit the monsoon jackpot this year, as evidenced by our rather ostentatious display of native flowers. While the Sky Islands and the adjoining Chihuahuan and Sonoran deserts are all rightly acclaimed for their spring floral fireworks, it is summer’s show that we can most depend upon each year. Patagonia Regional Times 9/2014

 

Seminars To Be Offered at Avalon EcoVillage

Avalon Organic Gardens and EcoVillage will host a four-day seminar on a broad number of topics related to sustainability beginning October 23, at their model community in Avalon. The community, developed over the past 25 years, was created as an experimental prototype and is the largest EcoVillage in the United States. Patagonia Regional Times 9/2014

 

Town Awarded $5000 for Trees

Under the stewardship of Patagonia’s Tree and Park Committee (Cornelia O’Connor, Ann Gosline, Andee Wood, Jason Botz, Barbara Ellis, Bethany Brandt, Caleb Weaver, German Quiroga, Harry Hower, Yunghi Choi, Susan Englebry, and Mary Mckay) Patagonia has achieved the status of a Tree City USA. This national program provides the framework for community forest management. Patagonia Regional Times 9/2014

 

Redefining Rural Economic Development

On August 7 and 8, I attended the Eighth Annual Rural Policy Forum in Globe to learn more about other Arizona rural communities. The sold-out conference was presented by the Arizona Rural Development Council and Local First Arizona. Attendance was evenly divided among government representatives, businesses, and nonprofit organizations. Patagonia Regional Times 9/2014

 

‘Megadrought’ risk up to 50 percent, scientists say

The odds of a potentially devastating Southwestern “megadrought” due to human-caused climate change are as high as 50 percent in this century, a new study finds. The chances of a megadrought lasting more than 35 years are 10 to 50 percent, says the study, in which University of Arizona researchers played key roles. The highest risks are in parts of Southeastern Arizona and in southwest Texas, they say. Arizona Daily Star 8/30/2014

 

Steller: Asarco’s gain is homeowners’ loss as taxes soar

Yet today’s more stable and responsible Asarco has delivered residents of the communities where it operates a clean financial slap. Somehow, the full-cash value of the company’s property in Gila County has dropped from almost $700 million for the 2012 tax year to just over $100 million for the 2014 tax year. Arizona Daily Star 8/30/2014

 

When the Levee Breaks

Mother Nature has a way of reminding us that humility is a trait that humans too often lack. Take, for instance, the engineering firm Knight Piesold, which stated that “modern dam design technologies are based on proven scientific/engineering principles and there is no basis for asserting that they will not stand the test of time.” Until they don’t. Earlier this month a tailings dam designed by Knight Piesold at the Mount Polley copper mine breached, dumping up to 10 million cubic meters of heavily contaminated water into surrounding streams, rivers and lakes in central British Columbia. HuffPost 8/28/2014

 

35-Year ‘Megadrought’ May Threaten Southwest Within Century, Study Finds

Thanks to the expected effects of climate change, there’s at least an 80 percent chance of a decade-long drought occurring in the Southwest over the next century, a new study has found. “This will be worse than anything seen during the last 2,000 years and would pose unprecedented challenges to water resources in the region,” Toby Ault, lead author of the study, said in a press release Wednesday. HuffPost 8/28/2014

 

Expert talks water woes with town

Water levels in one of the Town of Patagonia’s two wells, which both average the same depth, has declined 27 feet since 2008, leaving approximately 40 feet of water. That’s according to a presentation given during a special Town Council meeting on Aug. 14 by Alison Jones, a senior hydrologist with Clear Creek Associates. Weekly Bulletin 8/27/2014

 

Rosemont Explanatory Drilling in Santa Ritas Starts Next Month

The owner of the proposed Rosemont Copper mine plans to start explanatory drilling in the Santa Rita Mountains next month. Staring in September, Hudbay Minerals will spend the rest of the year trying to learn more about the site southeast of Tucson. The company will spend $8 million on exploratory drilling operations on private property already owned by the company. Arizona Public Media 8/27/2014

 

Mine Waste Pollutes More Rivers in Mexico

Mexico has been hit hard these past few weeks with two separate mine waste spills. One was a toxic mine spill that occurred two weeks ago in the state of Sonora, which I blogged about here. Here, 10 million gallons of sulfuric acid spilled from the Buenavista copper mine, contaminating two rivers and leaving thousands of people without access to water. Reports also found fish kills and cattle who drank the water dead. EARTHWORKS Blog 8/27/2014

 

A Wake-up Call for Canada’s Mining Industry

When a tailings pond broke at the Mount Polley gold and copper mine in south-central B.C., spilling millions of cubic metres of waste into a salmon-bearing stream, B.C. Energy and Mines Minister Bill Bennett called it an “extremely rare” occurrence, the first in 40 years for mines operating here. He failed to mention the 46 “dangerous or unusual occurrences” that B.C’s chief inspector of mines reported at tailings ponds in the province between 2000 and 2012, as well as breaches at non-operating mine sites. HuffPost BC 8/27/2014

 

Water Treatment in Perpetuity: Who is really to blame?

Last week I travelled to Albuquerque to attend an EPA-hosted national technical conference on “Mining Influenced Waters” – a toned-down phrase that describes water pollution caused by mining. The cases laid out were all severe enough to warrant multi-million dollar remedial actions and treatment operations, and at most of these sites, someone will be footing the bill forever. EARTHWORKS Blog 8/25/2014

 

Train carrying sulfuric acid derails near Santa Cruz River in Sonora

A train carrying sulfuric acid reportedly derailed near the north-flowing Santa Cruz River in Sonora on Sunday, but it did not appear that any of the corrosive spilled. The Hermosillo daily El Imparcial, citing Sonora state civil protection officials, reported that the derailment occurred at approximately 3:30 p.m. Sunday in the Ejido Miguel Aleman, a community in the municipality of Santa Cruz, approximately 25 miles southeast of Nogales, Sonora. Nogales International 8/25/2014

 

After Mount Polley, a Recipe for Better Mines

Could the Mount Polley disaster have been prevented? It’s a difficult question to answer, with an independent investigation of the tailings dam breach just getting underway. Certainly, concerns about the engineering of the tailings dam and the recent decline in mine inspections suggest the incident was not entirely unpredictable. But if we change the question — if we look ahead and ask how similar accidents can be avoided — answers are easier to come by. And they indicate it’s not only tailings ponds that need to be changed; it’s our whole approach to mining. Tyee 8/25/2014

 

Study: Conservation a Top Election Issue for Latinos

Clean air and water are top concerns for the majority of Hispanic voters, according to a new report. The research analyzed a series of recent Latino public opinion polls, said Maite Arce, president of the Hispanic Access Foundation. It’s important for political candidates to understand how to connect with Hispanic voters, she said, and on election issues, it isn’t just about immigration. The report shows that Hispanics prefer policies and candidates that actively promote a cleaner environment and preserving public lands. Public News Service 8/22/2014

 

How much money is a healthy ecosystem worth?

David Batker is the chief economist and co-founder of Tacoma-based think-tank, Earth Economics, which recently completed an appraisal of the Colorado River Basin, the largest of its kind. There is a real dollar value to healthy natural systems, he says. After all, “the pipes are useless with no water.” If you did value nature for the services it provides economies, how much would it cost? High Country News 8/21/2014

 

Cananea mine spill leaves residents fearful for 150 miles south

The Grupo Mexico Cananea Buena Vista mine spilled millions of gallons of sulfuric acid leach solution on Thursday, Aug. 7 containing huge amounts of copper and other metals and contaminants into the Rio Bacanuchi, continuing into the Rio Sonora south and east of Cananea, according to a mine and governmental officials. The contamination has resulted in many miles of a red-flowing river south at least 150 miles to Mazacahui, Sonora leaving dead fish, dead cattle who likely drank from the river and seven municipal-county areas receiving bottled water — prohibited for an indefinite period to drink from municipal and private potable wells, and a population wondering how long their lands and water would be polluted. Willcox Range News 8/21/2014

 

Farmers feel economic impact of Sonora River acid spill as milk is discarded

In terms of lost milk, the cost of the Sonora River mine spill has reached 1 million pesos as raw milk is being turned away by a pasteurization plant in Hermosillo, worsening the contamination crisis that began August 7. The area produces about 28,000 liters of milk daily, but it is not fit for human consumption due to the presence of heavy metals in high concentrations, says a local producer. Mexico News Daily 8/20/2014

 

Imperial Metals Mount Polley disaster could cost $500 million, but bonds only a fraction of this amount

Analysts say cleanup costs for Imperial Metals’ Mount Polley tailings disaster could cost anywhere from $50 million to $500 million, but the security bonds available today to help cover that are now a fraction of that. Documents from the Ministry of Energy and Mines on July 25, 2013 suggest that Mount Polley Mining Corporation (owned by Imperial Metals) was expected to pay security bonds of $38 million by 2023, and that it had deposited $14.5 million as of March 2014. Vancouver Observer 8/20/2014

 

Summer rains in a drought-plagued state

The monsoons have, undoubtedly, given the residents of drought-plagued New Mexico and Arizona some measure of emotional relief. But how much real drought relief have they delivered? High Country News 8/19/2014

 

Mine’s massive acid spill disrupts lives along Sonora river

A mining sulfuric acid spill into the Sonora River, south of the Bisbee-Naco border, has contaminated the drinking water supply for a string of towns and could be just the tip of the iceberg, according to residents in Mexico. Arizona Daily Star 8/19/2014

 

Top 10 wineries in Arizona

Our Explore Arizona team picks their favorite wineries in Arizona including Dos Cabezas Wineworks, Arizona Hops and Vines, Caduceus Cellars and more. Arizona Republic 8/18/2014

 

Aplazan vuelta clases en Sonora por derrame tóxico

Un total de 88 escuelas del norte de México no podrán iniciar las clases este lunes, como en el resto del país, ante el peligro de que puedan consumir agua contaminada con los 40.000 metros cúbicos de ácidos procedentes de una mina de cobre que se vertieron en dos ríos de la zona, dijeron autoridades. Arizona Daily Star 8/18/2014

 

Mining Spill Near U.S. Border Closes 88 Schools, Leaves Thousands Of Mexicans Without Water

An acid spill from a large copper mine in northern Mexico is keeping 88 schools closed starting Monday due to uncertainty over the safety of drinking water. The 12-day-old spill, which sent 10 million gallons (40,000 cubic meters) of toxic wastewater into portions of the Bacanuchi and Sonora rivers, may keep schools closed for over a week according to the Associated Press. The Buenavista copper mine, one of the largest copper mines in the world, is located in Cananea, Sonora, about 25 miles south of the U.S. border near Nogales, Arizona. The mine is operated by Grupo Mexico, one of the world’s largest copper producers. Grupo Mexico’s American subsidiary, Asarco, is nearing a deal to gain full ownership of the Silver Bell copper mine across the U.S. border in Marana, Arizona and has been subject to major environmental misconduct charges in the past relating to its mining operations. ThinkProgress
8/18/2014

 

Biologists who warned of harm to jaguar were overruled

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service biologists in Tucson warned more than a year ago that the proposed Rosemont Mine could kill or harm the nation’s only known wild jaguar, federal records show. They also said the mine would illegally destroy or modify the endangered cat’s critical habitat, records show. But those conclusions, contained in three preliminary drafts of a key biological opinion on the mine, were changed in the final draft. Arizona Daily Star 8/17/2014

 

US seeks to protect Southern Arizona cuckoo habitat

Two Southern Arizona streams already enmeshed in controversy have been proposed for federal habitat protection for the Western yellow-billed cuckoo. If Cienega Creek near Tucson and the San Pedro River near Sierra Vista make the cuckoo’s critical habitat list, that could put restrictions on the proposed Rosemont Mine in this area and on development in general in parts of Cochise County. Under federal law, destruction or significant damage — formally called “adverse modification” — to critical habitat is illegal. Arizona Daily Star 8/16/2014

 

Critical habitat proposal could hurt Arizona mine

The federal government has announced a proposal to designate an area near a proposed mine south of Tucson as a critical habitat for the yellow-billed cuckoo. Washington Times 8/15/2014

 

Emergencia ambiental en Durango por mina que derramó cianuro

En el municipio El Oro, Durango, ocurrió otra emergencia ambiental en una mina, ya que la presa de jales de la empresa Proyecto Magistral derramó alrededor de 2 mil metros cúbicos de agua con cianuro al arroyo La Cruz, informó la Procuraduría Federal de Protección al Ambiente (Profepa). La Journada 8/14/2014

 

Mexico mine spills 500,000 gallons of cyanide

A mine in northern Mexico spilled over a half-million gallons of a cyanide solution used in heap-leach gold mining, after heavy rains caused a retaining pond to overflow. The accident occurred at the Proyecto Magistral mine in the northern state of Durango. Business Standard 8/14/2014

 

First Nation Will Evict Mining Company After Massive Spill Contaminated Area Water

Earlier this month, hundreds of Canadians were unable to use their water after 1.3 billion gallons of slurry from an open pit mine in British Columbia spilled into nearby lakes, rivers and creeks. Now, a B.C. First Nation plans to evict the company, Imperial Metals Corp., over another project on their territory, CBC News reported. ThinkProgress 8/14/2014

 

Mining firm slow to alert gov’t of spill, Mexico says

A civil defense official says a private mine owned by Grupo Mexico in northern Mexico did not immediately report a massive acid spill, allowing it to flow into a river that supplies water to tens of thousands of people. Arizona Daily Star 8/13/2014

 

With ban lifted, residents refuse to drink water after Mount Polley mine disaster

Residents in Likely, B.C. are concerned about drinking water affected by Mount Polley mining waste even after a water use ban was lifted for areas downstream of Quesnel Lake. The ban was put into effect on August 5, 2014, one day after the tailings pond at Mount Polley mine breached, sending billions of litres of mining waste into Hazeltine Creek, which feeds Quesnel Lake and Quesnel River. Vancouver Observer 8/12/2014

 

Southwest braces as Lake Mead water levels drop

Once-teeming Lake Mead marinas are idle as a 14-year drought steadily drops water levels to historic lows. Officials from nearby Las Vegas are pushing conservation, but are also drilling a new pipeline to keep drawing water from the lake. Hundreds of miles away, farmers who receive water from the lake behind Hoover Dam are preparing for the worst. Arizona Daily Star 8/12/2014

 

Chemicals From A Mine In Mexico Contaminate Water Supply 25 Miles From U.S. Border

About 10 million gallons of contaminated wastewater have spilled into rivers from a mine in northern Mexico, and federal officials announced Sunday they are restricting water supply to cities and towns in the country’s north, including the Sonora state capital of Hermosillo. Fox News Latino 8/11/2014

 

Proposed Arizona copper mine may threaten ocelot and jaguar

A lone male ocelot has become a symbol of the conflict between conservationists and federal officials over a proposal to build an open-pit copper mine in the Santa Rita Mountains, just south of Tucson. The discovery of the ocelot in April prompted the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to reexamine its 2013 biological opinion that the Rosemont Copper mine would not unduly harm habitat for endangered species in the area, including the only known jaguar in the United States. Los Angeles Times 8/11/2014

 

Uranium mining on Navajo Reservation: How we did this

Uranium mining for America’s Cold War nuclear arms buildup has proved a lasting scourge on the nation’s largest American Indian reservation, and one that the same government that demanded the ore has been slow to address. As the last of the sickened Navajo miners are stricken with lung diseases, younger generations are coping with kidney disease and other ailments, wondering whether the radioactive wastes have also sickened them. Meanwhile, hundreds of abandoned mines remain hazards with a cleanup cost that will stretch into the billions of dollars. Arizona Republic 8/10/2014

Reports Of Skin Falling Off Salmon After Mount Polley Mine Spill

Reports of sickly salmon with skin that’s peeling off have prompted a First Nations fishing shutdown in British Columbia’s Cariboo region, which was hit by a mining waste spill this week. A dam holding back the tailings pond at the Mount Polley gold and copper mine in central B.C. failed on Monday, releasing 10 million cubic metres of water and 4.5 million cubic metres of silt into nearby creeks, rivers and lakes. Huffington Post B.C. 8/8/2014

 

Town wells show signs of recovery, others dry up

Town of Patagonia officials say wells have begun to recover somewhat, but residents along Harshaw Road are still seeing the effects of the recent dry spell. Water levels “have come up a couple of inches,” Town Manager Dave Teel said about the town’s two wells which have replenished over the last month after he said they became alarmingly low this spring. Weekly Bulletin 8/6/2014

 

Letter: Science, Not Politics, Should Steer Decision on Arizona Copper Mine, Endangered Species

The Center for Biological Diversity sent a letter today urging the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to again take an in-depth look at how the proposed Rosemont copper mine in southern Arizona will affect endangered species, including jaguars, ocelots and rare fish. Agency scientists, in earlier drafts of their “biological opinion” of the project, concluded the mine would not be compatible with endangered animals in the area, including the only jaguar known to be living in the United States. That conclusion was later reversed by a supervisor. The Service, though, announced earlier this year it would revisit that opinion in the face of new information. Center for Biological Diversity Press Release 8/5/2014

 

Nogales City Council candidate Greg Lucero will make creating jobs in Nogales a top priority

Building up local business will be job one for Greg Lucero if he is elected to the Nogales City Council, he said. Lucero is running for one of the three open seats on the council, setting him up to compete with five other candidates in the upcoming elections. Nogales International 8/5/2014

 

Residents calling it an environmental disaster: tailings pond breach at Mount Polley Mine near Likely, BC

Local residents are calling it an environmental disaster. A breach of the tailings pond on Mount Polley Mine sent five million cubic metres [4000 acre feet] of toxic waste into Hazeltine Creek, Quesnel Lake and Polley Lake, with fears it could spread far and wide in the coming days. Global News 8/4/2014

 

Ag Tourism Touted as Way to Boost Rural Economies

With its sweet fruit-flavored liqueurs, a working farm and eccentric cast of characters— including a dancing lemon — Bloomery Plantation Distillery has attracted tourists from every U.S. state and countries as far away as Laos and Iceland. The West Virginia mini-distillery is part of a growing agriculture tourism trend that advocates say can help revive struggling rural economies. Ag tourism refers to working farm enterprises geared to visitors, encompassing farm stands, pumpkin patches, barn dances, zip-line rides, pick-your-own berries, corn mazes and even weddings. Associated Press 8/4/2014

 

The Legacy of the World’s Fair Mine

Two scientists, Jessica Gwinn and Peter Reinthal, are studying and comparing Alum Creek and its surrounding watershed with Humbolt and Harshaw Creeks. Alum Creek is the site of the World’s Fair Mine, which was closed in 1940. They assess the health of the creeks by counting aquatic invertebrates. Patagonia Regional Times 8/1/2014

 

A Disaster Waiting to Happen

In December 2013, I travelled to Patagonia, Arizona, to meet the folks at the Patagonia Area Resource Alliance – a group working to protect their backyard mountain range from numerous mining exploration proposals. The most advanced of all these – Wildcat Silver’s Hermosa Project – appeared to be a disaster waiting to happen. Earthworks Journal 8/1/2014

 

National Parks Brought $774 Million to Arizona in 2013

A report released this month by the National Park Service shows that visitors to Arizona’s national parks in 2013 spent $773.9 million and supported nearly 12,000 jobs in the state. More than 10 million people visited national parks in Arizona last year, the report says. Nationwide, nearly 275 million people visited national parks in 2013, and those visits created a benefit of $26.5 billion to the U.S. economy. Arizona Highways 7/28/2014

 

Arizona, mining company reach settlement

Arizona environmental regulators have announced that a mining company will pay $40,000 in civil penalties under a settlement for twice illegally discharging water mixed with mill tailings into the Gila River in 2012. Associated Press 7/25/2014

 

Rosemont mine is lynchpin to Hudbay’s plan to construct massive industrial mining complex in southern Arizona

In the wake of taking control of Augusta Resource Corp. and its Rosemont Copper Company subsidiary, Toronto-based Hudbay Minerals is already looking to expand its planned industrial mining operations in the Santa Rita Mountains to other sites in Southern Arizona, Hudbay President and CEO David Garofalo told the Green Valley News & Sun editorial board this week. Rosemont Mine Truth 7/25/2014

 

First national study finds trees saving lives, reducing respiratory problems: Air pollution modeling reveals broad-scale impacts of pollution removal by trees

In the first broad-scale estimate of air pollution removal by trees nationwide, U.S. Forest Service scientists and collaborators calculated that trees are saving more than 850 human lives a year and preventing 670,000 incidences of acute respiratory symptoms. USFS News 7/25/2014

 

NASA Satellites Reveal Shocking Groundwater Loss In Colorado River Basin

Groundwater losses from the Colorado River basin appear massive enough to challenge long-term water supplies for the seven states and parts of Mexico that it serves, according to a new study released Thursday that used NASA satellites. Huff Post 7/24/2014

 

Victory For Navajo Grassroots Groups Over Uranium Mining

Concerned Diné Citizens, a coalition of Navajo grassroots organizations and residents opposed to uranium mining, applaud the Navajo Nation Council’s vote to close a loophole created by a previous uranium mining legislation Tuesday (7/22/14) which had authorized access over Navajo Trust Land to a uranium mining company Uranium Resources Incorporated (URI). Popular Resistance 7/24/2014

 

The Comeback Cat

Jaguars are returning to a portion of their historic range in the southwestern United States, having surmounted numerous obstacles along the increasingly militarized US-Mexico border. Yet whether this mysterious carnivore will be able to make a full comeback is in doubt as the animal faces continued hostility from many humans. Earth Island Journal 7/23/2014

 

Hudbay plans to seek more mining operations in area

Three days after taking over the proposed Rosemont Mine, Hudbay Minerals executives came to Green Valley and Sahuarita on Tuesday and said they are setting up an Arizona business unit to look for more mining opportunities in the state and region. Green Valley News 7/22/2014

 

Coming Soon: A New Standard for More Responsible Mining

Today the Initiative for Responsible Mining Assurance (IRMA) releases a new draft Standard for Responsible Mining in an effort to develop a global set of best practices for more responsible mining. Our goal is to launch a certification scheme in late 2015 based on independent, third-party verification of compliance around social and environmental performance at industrial-scale mine sites. To make the most effective Standard possible, we need your feedback. Earthworks Blog 7/22/2014

 

Introducing: Seven Saturdays in Patagonia

HIKE, LEARN, EAT. Starting this fall—one Saturday per month, October through April—Tucson Audubon’s Paton Center for Hummingbirds will offer three separate activities in Patagonia. Tucson Audubon Blog 7/22/2014

 

Visitors to Saguaro National Park boost local economy

Visiting a national park has more of an impact than one might think. A new economic impact report from the National Park Service says that 678,261 visitors to both districts of Tucson’s Saguaro National Park helped boost the local economy by more than $41 million last year. Arizona Daily Star 7/21/2014

 

EPA’s proposed limits pose roadblock for Alaska’s Bristol Bay mine

The Obama administration proposed mining restrictions in Alaska on Friday that would protect what the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency described as “one of the world’s most valuable salmon fisheries,” but which critics said could effectively halt development of one of the largest open pit mines on the planet. Los Angeles Times 7/18/2014

 

Project Hopes to Photograph Jaguars, Ocelots Near Tucson

Researchers from the U.S. Geologic Survey and the University of Arizona are taking part in a three-year project to photograph jaguars and ocelots living in the mountains surrounding Tucson. The scientists have camera traps set up at more than 200 places in the mountains. Once a month, the scientists hike into the mountains to check the cameras, change the batteries, swap out the memory cards and perform general maintenance. Arizona Public Media 7/18/2014

 

What We Must Not Accept

I just stepped out of a small roundtable discussion with, among others, Dan Ashe, Director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Director Ashe told the small group that he sees a “giant clash” between those who favor conservation and those who favor economic development and that he believes that conservationists “must accept a world with fewer wolves, salmon, and spotted owls.” The Director of the very agency most responsible for protecting the nation’s biodiversity went on to say that, in the name of compromise, we must accept “a world with less biodiversity.” Defenders of Wildlife Blog 7/17/2014

 

Federal Appeals Court Upholds EPA Efforts to Protect Appalachian Waters and Communities

Today, a federal appeals court sided with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and a large coalition of citizen groups in upholding an Obama administration policy to scrutinize pollution from severe mountaintop removal mining in Appalachia. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit ruled against the National Mining Association, the State of West Virginia, the Commonwealth of Kentucky, and other coal industry groups, who brought the case against the EPA and the Army Corps of Engineers. Earthjustice News Release 7/11/2014

 

Congressional initiative would end billions in public land and mineral giveaways, protect scarce water, create jobs

U.S. House of Representatives Natural Resources Committee Ranking Member Peter DeFazio (OR-4) and Subcommittee on Public Lands and Environmental Regulation Ranking Member Raul Grijalva today introduced a long-needed overhaul of the 142-year-old law governing mining of minerals such as gold, copper and uranium on federally-managed public lands. “This bill is a win-win for taxpayers and the environment,” said Lauren Pagel, policy director for Earthworks. “This outdated relic of a law costs Americans billions and puts our water at risk.” EARTHWORKS News Release 7/10/2014

 

Canadian Mining Watchdog Warns Arizonans of HudBay Minerals’ Poor Track Record on Pollution and Human Rights

In June, Canadian-based trans-national mining company HudBay Minerals reached an agreement to take over Augusta Resources and its controversial Rosemont open-pit copper mine project near Tucson. The newcomer to Arizona is no stranger to controversy. MiningWatch Canada – an Ottawa-based watchdog group – reports that HudBay has a troubling track record of contamination and human rights abuses in the Canadian province of Manitoba and the Central American country of Guatemala. MiningWatch Canada News Release 7/10/2014

 

Northern Mexican gartersnake listed as threatened species

A rare gartersnake subspecies that exists across Southern Arizona gained federal protection Monday. The northern Mexican gartersnake and the narrow headed gartersnake, which lives mainly in central Arizona’s Mogollon Rim and southwestern New Mexico, were listed as threatened species Monday by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Arizona Daily Star 7/7/2014

 

Another Important Step in Patagonia’s Ecotourism Efforts

How important an economic engine is eco-tourism? A 2011 study by the Arizona Game and Fish Department projected direct and indirect economic benefit for Patagonia’s home county, Santa Cruz, at 21.2 million dollars, including 6.7 million dollars in salaries and wages. Although Patagonia has only a small share of the county population, it has a large share of its eco-tourism. Vermilion Flycatcher Tucson Audubon July–September 2014 

 

Two New IBAs in Arizona

There are two new Important Bird Areas in Arizona, bringing the grand total up to 45. Patagonia Mountains IBA is an area that is great for birds and increasing in popularity as a birding destination since a Blue Jay was found during an IBA survey here. This is an excellent place for Eastern “Azure” Bluebirds, Montezuma Quail and, as it turns out, Elegant Trogons. Many years of volunteer effort have gone into this mountain range and I am proud to announce that this area is now an IBA. Vermilion Flycatcher Tucson Audubon July–September 2014

 

The Paton Center for Hummingbirds

Tucson Audubon’s Paton Center for Hummingbirds is the birding community’s gift to itself, to birders around the globe, and—of course—to the birds. Tucson Audubon knows the value of this jewel. While preserving the legacy of Wally and Marion Paton, we are investing in the Paton Center’s future. Here is a sneak-peek into our developing vision. Vermilion Flycatcher Tucson Audubon July–September 2014

 

Gayle Hartmann: 5 facts to keep in mind about the proposed Rosemont Mine

The U.S. Forest Service has announced the publication of the final Environmental Impact Statement and the Draft Record of Decision for the proposed Rosemont open-pit copper mine in the Santa Rita Mountains south of Tucson. In the face of this development, we, members of Save the Scenic Santa Ritas Association, offer five key facts: Arizona Daily Star 12/28/2013

 

Christmas count turns up low number of birds

This year’s record-low number of birds found during the Dec. 19 Patagonia Christmas count has tabulators scratching their heads as to what might be causing the reductions in Santa Cruz County. “Count numbers were the lowest they have been since I began compiling in 2005,” said bird count participant Tom Arny. “How much of that is due to drought? How much is due to fire in the Patagonia Mountains? That’s hard to say.” Weekly Bulletin 12/25/2013

 

The Coronado on Track One; EPA on Track Two

The Forest Service has a Proposed Final Environmental Impact Statement posted on their website and they’ve issued a draft record of decision (ROD) in favor of the “Barrel Alternative” for the Augusta Resource Rosemont mine on the grounds that they have no choice. Coronado Supervisor Jim Upchurch is frank that Cienega Creek and groundwater levels will be impacted, but the 1872 Mining Act and 20th century updates guides his hand. On January 1, a 45 day comment period on the EIS will be provided for those who commented on the earlier scoping and draft EIS documents. Wick Communications Environmental Blog 12/23/2013

 

Upchurch, other federal officials answer questions on the Rosemont Mine

Coronado National Forest Supervisor Jim Upchurch answered questions at a news conference about the Rosemont Mine. He spoke while sitting in front of a tall stack of documents that included the final environmental impact statement and the draft Rosemont decision. The decision tentatively approves the Barrel Alternative, a proposed layout for the mine that puts all mine tailings and waste rock in upper Barrel Canyon, a tributary to Davidson Canyon, and the lower end of Wasp Canyon, and forbids mine waste disposal in environmentally richer McCleary Canyon. He was flanked by a host of other officials seated at a rectangular-shaped table. Arizona Daily Star 12/22/2013

 

Adam Minter follows your garbage to China

Few writers get their start in the scrap-metal world. But early on, Adam Minter saw a great story in his family’s north Minneapolis scrap business. As a boy, he sorted materials, watched his father cut deals, and sat by his grandmother’s side as she monitored employees and interacted with people who came in to sell everything from dead cars to metal shavings to aluminum cans — sometimes weighted with hidden rocks. The recycling industry has a long and fascinating history, propelled by necessity and innovation, poverty and piles of money, and savvy characters understand exactly how much money is hidden in our trash. MinnPost 12/20/2013

 

White House council refereeing Rosemont Mine debate

A White House advisory body is now informally involved in the contentious Rosemont Copper Mine dispute. The White House’s Council on Environmental Quality is, in a sense, acting as a referee among various federal agencies that have taken different positions on the mine, Coronado National Forest Supervisor Jim Upchurch said. Arizona Daily Star 12/17/2013

 

Drive to mine uranium in Va. comes to quiet pause

A Virginia company is suspending its campaign to mine one of the world’s largest known deposits of uranium ore, concluding that Gov.-elect Terry McAuliffe’s opposition presents a significant challenge over the next four years. Richmond Times-Dispatch 12/16/2013

 

Forest Service: Rosemont will hurt air, reduce water flows but can’t be denied

The Rosemont Mine could worsen air quality in Saguaro National Park, disturb cultural resources — including human burial sites — and reduce water flows into Davidson Canyon and Cienega Creek, said the U.S. Forest Service. The “No Action” alternative is the environmentally best alternative among six proposals for the mine site currently before the Forest Service, the agency said Friday. Arizona Daily Star 12/14/2013

 

Forest Service will allow Rosemont, but mine is still not a sure thing

The U.S. Forest Service will issue a draft decision today approving the proposed Rosemont Mine in the Santa Rita Mountains southeast of Tucson. The decision is a huge step forward for the mine and Rosemont Copper, although it still doesn’t make the mine a sure thing. The decision comes with key issues unresolved about impacts to neighboring streams, water quality and environmental mitigation, and about the mine’s ability to meet the federal Clean Water Act. But Forest Service officials say its decision will at least enable the mine to meet federal and state environmental laws. Arizona Daily Star 12/13/2013

 

Paton’s Birder Haven to be sold

A residence in Patagonia — where bird-watchers have come for decades to spot species such as the sought-after violet-crowned hummingbird in the backyard — will be sold by the owners and managed by the Tucson Audubon Society. Arizona Daily Star 12/13/2013

 

Tech could change face of mining jobs at Resolution Copper

But those jobs are not likely to be the jobs that built Superior and other towns in Arizona’s historic Copper Corridor, where culture and economies are closely tied to the copper-mining industry. The generations of traditional mining experience in Superior may not be of much use as Resolution, like mines around the world, turns to robotics. TucsonSentinel.com 12/12/2013

 

Western governors show wildlife maps

Governors in 16 states unveiled a high-tech wildlife-habitat-mapping project Thursday that they hope will encourage economic development across the West while protecting the region’s environmental treasures. The ambitious effort is winning praise from conservationists and the energy industry. Arizona Daily Star 12/12/2013

 

Major tree clearing, timber sale planned for Rosemont Mine

Close to 300,000 trees, mostly junipers and oaks, would likely be cleared on public land in the Santa Rita Mountains if the proposed Rosemont Mine is built. Clearing those trees will be controversial, but at this moment, it’s not known what will happen to them afterward. The U.S. Forest Service will charge Rosemont Copper for any cut trees removed from the site, and those proceeds will go to the federal Treasury. The trees, which are common, aren’t legally protected. Arizona Daily Star 12/10/2013

 

Nature Report: Wildlife Value

Wildlife has a tremendous economic value and a recent report by the United States Fish and Wildlife service highlights the value of Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge to the economy of the Rio Grande Valley. Nearly, 30 million dollars in local economic benefits was generated by the refuge on a budget of $801,000 or roughly $37 for every $1 in budget expenditures. Nationwide the country’s 560 national wildlife refuges pump $2.4 billion into the economy and support more than 35,000 private-sector jobs. Valley Central 12/9/2013

 

Seeking copper, Canada’s PolyMet offers Minnesota jobs and water pollution

Project to mine world’s largest copper-nickel deposit promises at least 500 years of contamination, according to report. Al Jazeera America 12/6/2013

 

Beginning of the end, or end of the beginning for Rosemont Copper mine permit?

The U.S. Forest Service Dec. 16 is expected to release its draft decision on the Rosemont Copper mine, triggering a series of comment and response periods that may prove to be the end of more than eight years of regulatory review and the start of mining, or the start of a new phase of debate that will be conducted in front of a federal judge. Inside Tucson Business 12/5/2013

 

PARA Receives Non-Profit Status

The Patagonia Area Resource Alliance (PARA) has recently been granted 501(c)(3) status by the IRS, which allows PARA to directly receive tax deductible donations. This is another step in PARA’s on-going mission to protect the natural resources of the Patagonia area. Patagonia Regional Times 12/5/2013

 

Copper mining company poised to sue Arizona town for $403M

A Canadian mining company is poised to sue the Town of Florence for $403 million in the combative dispute over a proposed copper mine 60 miles southeast of Phoenix. Vancouver-based Curis Resources Ltd. and the town have been battling over the Florence Copper Project, a copper pumping project proposed by the Canadian company. Phoenix Business Journal 12/3/2013

 

“Women in Mining” event challenged by “Women resisting Mining”

An event in London this evening promoting women in the mining sector is being challenged by organisations and individuals highlighting inspirational women from around the world who are engaged in resisting the ecological and social devastation caused by mining projects. The event is part of the annual “Mines and Money” conference held in London. Press release: London Mining Network and Gaia Foundation 12/3/2013

 

Mountains of Faith? The Church Takes on Large-Scale Mining

Faith and large-scale mining have something in common: they both move mountains. On many occasions, the Church has been an obstacle to industry’s efforts to expand into Latin American countries. A growing movement links spirituality, environmental struggles, and resistance to large-scale mining. The first message Pope Francis gave minutes after arriving in Brazil some months ago was: “I don’t have silver or gold, but I bring with me the most precious gift: Jesus Christ!” NACLA 12/2/2013

 

Worst Raw-Material Slump Since ’08 Seen Deepening: Commodities

The commodity slump that spurred bear markets in everything from gold to corn to sugar this year will deepen by the end of December as prices head for their first annual loss since 2008, if history is any guide. Bloomberg 12/2/2013

 

Rosemont meets almost all environmental laws, final federal report says

The Forest Service laid much of the groundwork Friday for approval of the Rosemont Mine by releasing a final environmental report saying essentially that while the mine will cause negative impacts, it’s now clearly in line with nearly all environmental laws. But the final environmental impact statement also shows that legal uncertainties and significant differences of opinion among agencies remain in the way of the mine’s approval. Arizona Daily Star 11/30/2013

 

Rosemont final EIS – when?

It will be released on the Web on Friday, said Jim Upchurch, the Coronado National Forest supervisor. Upchurch said Tuesday that he has been negotiating with other agencies such as the Environmental Protection Agency in hopes of coming up with an agreement on some basic questions on how to resolve key issues, so the final Rosemont Mine environmental impact statement can be released. Wednesday, he said it will be posted on Friday. Arizona Daily Star 11/26/2013

 

Patagonia Mining

Greg Lucero, VP for Sustainable Development at Wildcat Silver; and Jenny Neely, staff member at Sky Islands Alliance; address issues with mining in the Patagonia community. AZ Illustrated 11/25/2013

 

EPA: Rosemont shouldn’t get federal permit to build mine

The Environmental Protection Agency — which has veto power over a key permit needed by the Rosemont Mine — is urging another federal agency not to approve that permit. EPA regional water chief Jane Diamond has written to the Army Corps of Engineers that Rosemont’s application for a federal Clean Water Act permit “based on the information currently available … does not appear to comply” with federal guidelines for approving such permits. Arizona Daily Star 11/23/2013

 

Patagonia Group Hopes to Restore Water Flow, Wildlife

Every Wednesday at 7 a.m., Patagonia’s local java joint, Gathering Grounds, becomes an open meeting room for the Borderlands Restoration group. Topics discussed over hot coffee and breakfast include native grasses and the local sparrow population. Arizona Public Media 11/22/2013

 

EPA and Grijalva Point Out the Obvious: “If Augusta has Better Data, Let’s See it”

US Congressman Raul Grijalva chimed in this morning with his own statement in support of SSSR and the EPA finding, and pointing out a story published last year in the Tucson Weekly. Grijalva has publicly agreed with Save the Scenic Santa Ritas, a local advocacy group, that not enough scientific analysis has been done to justify building the mine. The Tucson Weekly 11/21/2013

 

SSSR: EPA Recommends Against Federal Water Permit for Rosemont Mine

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has dealt a dramatic and potentially devastating blow to Augusta Resource Corporation’s proposal to build the Rosemont mine, a massive open-pit copper mine in the Santa Rita Mountains just south of Tucson. The Business Journals 11/20/2013

 

EPA: Rosemont plan would mean ‘significant degradation’

The Rosemont Copper mine would cause “significant degradation” of aquatic ecosytems in Southern Arizona that would be unacceptable under federal law, the Environmental Protection Agency told the Army Corps of Engineers in a Nov. 7 letter released Wednesday. Sahuarita Sun 11/20/2013

 

Augusta Resource’s cash reserves plummet to less than $1 million with $83 million loan repayment looming next July

Augusta Resource Corporation’s cash reserves fell to $749,000 at the end of September, forcing the parent company of Rosemont Copper Company to sell $10 million in bonds to its chairman and a major shareholder to provide working capital to the keep the company operating through the end of this year. Rosemont Mine Truth 11/15/2013

 

House vote on Resolution Copper mine put off indefinitely

Plans to build North America’s largest copper mine near Superior were dealt a major blow Wednesday when congressional supporters of the project canceled a vote on their bill after a strong lobbying effort against the mine by Native American tribes throughout the nation. Republic Washington Bureau 11/13/2013

 

BioteQ places its Bisbee plant on furlough indefinitely

BioteQ Environmental Technologies Inc. has placed its idled copper recovery facility in Bisbee, Ariz. on indefinite furlough because of poor financial returns. The Vancouver-based developer of industrial wastewater treatment technology and its 50/50 joint venture partner Freeport-McMoRan Copper & Gold have also agreed that the plant shall not restart under the existing operating arrangement. Business Information Group 11/11/2013

 

Rosemont, Game and Fish reach wildlife conservation agreement

The Arizona Game and Fish Department will get about $10 million over a decade from Rosemont Copper for land, water rights and wildlife projects to compensate for impacts of the proposed Rosemont Mine, the department announced Tuesday. Arizona Daily Star 10/30/2013

 

Steller: Rosemont’s benefits too short term

When Dennis Fischer started talking about more possible deposits of copper at Rosemont, my ears perked up. Maybe there was some way I could support this mine after all. Over the years, the proposed Rosemont Mine has become the most polarizing issue in Tucson. It seems few of us have remained in the middle, struggling as I have with contradictory desires for the burst of job creation promised by Rosemont on one hand and for preserving precious nearby wild places on the other. Arizona Daily Star 10/27/2013

 

Cuckoos need large, densely covered native trees, researchers say

Make the trees tall, thick and dense, let the water run free — and the cuckoos will come. That’s a big part of what the rare, potentially protected Western yellow-billed cuckoos needs in the way of living space, says a researcher who has studied the elusive birds for 20 years. Arizona Daily Star 10/19/2013

 

Streams near Rosemont Mine site home to rare cuckoos

A rare bird that could gain federal protected status lives and in some cases breeds along three streams and creeks near the proposed Rosemont Mine site, federal reports show. Particularly flush with cuckoos is Cienega Creek, source of a heated debate about possible impacts from the mine. More than 20 cuckoos total have been seen in the upper section of the creek inside the Las Cienegas National Conservation Area, and the lower section inside the Pima County Cienega Creek Natural Preserve. Arizona Daily Star 10/19/2013

 

Rosemont Mine still has plenty of obstacles in front of it

Opponents of the proposed Rosemont Mine will have more time to file formal objections under a new Forest Service timetable, but they say more action could occur in state or federal court or within the Army Corps of Engineers. The Forest Service in all likelihood won’t issue a Record of Decision until March after announcing recently that it won’t release its Final Environmental Impact Statement until November. Santa Cruz Valley Sun 10/16/2013

 

Asarco to pay $70,000 for Sahuarita dust violations

The mining giant Asarco will pay Pima County its second round of civil penalties and environmental reparations in three years over tailings dust blowing from its Mission Mine in Sahuarita into neighboring homes. Arizona Daily Star 10/6/2013

 

Federal shutdown takes its toll on Rosemont EIS

When it comes to the Coronado National Forest, the federal government shutdown isn’t just forcing closure of parking lots at Sabino and Madera Canyon and of campgrounds on Mount Lemmon. It’s also halting Forest Service work on the Rosemont Mine’s environmental impact statement. If the shutdown continues for an extended period — which is anybody’s guess at this moment — that means one more delay for an already long-delayed project. Arizona Daily Star 10/5/2013

 

Arizona Mine Inspector’s Office Tries To Climb Out Of Deep Financial Hole

Mining has been a staple of Arizona’s economy for the past century. But recent state and federal budget cuts have put the Arizona mine inspector’s office in a deep hole symbolic of the mine shafts it monitors. The financial challenges come at the same time many mining operations are expanding. KJZZ 10/4/2013

 

October 16 Deadline for Saving the Paton’s Legacy

Marion and Wally Paton have both passed away, but their legacy of welcoming bird enthusiasts to their backyard has informally continued for a number of years now while the family looked for a way to protect the property as a birding mecca. The good news is that the American Bird Conservancy (ABC) has contracted with the Paton heirs to purchase the property. Patagonia Regional Times 10/1/2013

 

Knowledge is Power

There seem to be two pre-dominant views when it comes to a renewal of mining in the Patagonia area. One view is that Patagonia has always been a mining town and that the less affluent population desperately needs jobs– which they believe the new mining operations will provide. The other view is that tourism has taken the place of mining as the sustaining industry in the Patagonia area, and mining will bring an end to tourism, will provide few long term jobs for local residents, and will devastate our environment. Patagonia Regional Times 10/1/2013

 

The Minefield

When you go to town or Forest Service meetings hereabouts, you don’t have to be Claude Levi-Strauss to notice broad differences between those who root for mining here and those who strongly don’t. Steering clear of inflammatory language like “class warfare,” let’s refer instead to “perceptible lifestyle differences.” Generalizations are both useful and dangerous, of course. But, please relax and take this little quiz. Patagonia Regional Times 10/1/2013

 

The Glory Bird

What the heck is a glory bird? If you are fortunate to find the unusual, out-of-place bird, lost and blown by storm or just one with a screw loose in its wee brain, then you will get up to 15 minutes of fame as a hotshot birder, and thus, the glory! A glory bird, the blue-footed boobie, normally found near salt water, was recently spotted at Patagonia Lake State Park, and, as of August 21, was still there, feeding off the lake’s fish. Patagonia Regional Times 10/1/2013

 

Paul Green: Long-lasting effects of Rosemont on waterways must be considered carefully

In southeast Arizona, waterways and surrounding lands, including seeps and springs, have a special and unique significance in our regional landscape. They contribute to our safe drinking water, provide places for our solace and recreation, and are home to a wide diversity of animals and plants. Because these “green ribbons of life” have such a high value, we make significant efforts to protect them. Arizona Daily Star 9/25/2013

 

Rosemont opponents get another shot

Opponents of the proposed Rosemont Mine will get another shot at stating their case after the Forest Service announced Monday that it won’t release its Final Environmental Impact Statement until November. Had the report been released before Sept. 27, it would have fallen under old federal regulations that would not have allowed more public scrutiny of the project. The new rules, which go into effect Sept. 27, allow people who have already weighed in against the copper mine to file an objection and have it reviewed by a higher-level Forest Service official, called a Reviewing Officer. Weekly Bulletin 9/18/2013

 

House approves bill to speed mining on US land

WASHINGTON — Republicans in the House pushed through a bill Wednesday to speed up government review of gold, copper, silver and uranium mining on federal land. The bill makes it harder for opponents to mount legal challenges against new ventures and sets a 30-month timeline for environmental reviews. The measure is expected to die in the Democratic-run Senate. Arizona Daily Star 9/18/2013

 

House votes to streamline mineral mining approval

The House on Wednesday passed legislation designed to speed up the federal approval process for mineral mining and exploration, which they said is necessary to ensure the U.S. has domestic sources of strategic minerals. Members passed H.R. 761, the National Strategic and Critical Minerals Production Act, in a 246-178 vote. House passage sends the bill to the Senate, but like in the last Congress, it seems unlikely that the Senate will consider the bill. The Hill 9/18/2013

 

In Light of Colorado Floods, New EPA Report Reveals Importance of Wetlands and Streams

Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released a report, Connectivity of Streams and Wetlands to Downstream Waters: A Review and Synthesis of the Scientific Evidence, detailing the impact that small bodies of water, such as streams and wetlands, have on larger waterways further downstream. The report looks at the effects of downstream pollution on drinking water and public health. EcoWatch 9/17/2013

 

Rosemont decision delayed

A final decision by the Coronado National Forest on the controversial Rosemont Mine will likely be delayed until March, the forest supervisor said Monday. Supervisor Jim Upchurch said the release of a final environmental impact statement for the proposed mine — in the Santa Rita Mountains southeast of Tucson — has been pushed back from Sept. 27 to sometime in November because of “ongoing resolution of issues.” Arizona Daily Star 9/17/2013

 

Town hammers out comment

With less than 24 hours to submit its comments to the Forest Service, the Patagonia Town Council hammered out a letter voicing its concerns about exploratory drilling in the Patagonia Mountains during a special meeting on Sept. 4. The letter, which was significantly shorter than an earlier draft, focused on issues ranging from the town’s water to its roads. Weekly Bulletin 9/11/2013

 

BLM challenges view of mine’s impact on streams

The U.S. Bureau of Land Management is intensifying the debate over the proposed Rosemont Mine’s impacts on neighboring streams by bluntly challenging the Forest Service view that the mine probably won’t do major, short-term environmental damage to Cienega Creek. Arizona Daily Star 9/10/2013

 

Massive mine proposed at Oak Flat, sacred tribal land

The planned Rosemont Copper Mine just south of Tucson isn’t the only mining controversy in Arizona. It isn’t even the biggest. About 100 miles north of Tucson, Resolution Copper Mining wants to build a mine in Superior, a town of 2,800 people, that could yield 1 billion pounds of copper a year. That’s more than four times the projected output for Rosemont Copper’s planned mine in the Santa Rita Mountains, which would produce an estimated 243 million pounds of copper annually. Arizona Daily Star 9/8/2013

 

Rosemont’s plans to restore waterways to make up for damage its mine causes

Mitigation plans for Cienega Creek and Sonoita Creek Ranch offer the promise of what company officials call “environmental lift.” Ideally, water freed up from commercial uses would restore landscapes that are now far less verdant than they could be. But both mitigation plans are controversial — so much so that Pima County, the Environmental Protection Agency and the Army Corps of Engineers are unwilling to endorse them. Arizona Daily Star 9/8/2013

 

Forest Service Introduces Wildcat’s Plan

Mining has been on everyone’s mind. People went to the FS information meeting on August 20 to learn that Wildcat Silver—the Canadian investment firm that is currently taking core samples from some historic mining sites in the Patagonia Mountains—has, as expected, submitted a plan of operations to the Forest Service. Patagonia Regional Times 9/6/2013

 

Water is Key Issue at Council Meeting

The out-of-town news media that attended Patagonia’s Town Council meeting on August 14 told their viewers to anticipate “a bruising, highly emotional debate” over whether the town should support Wildcat Silver Company. But that didn’t happen. In accordance with Vice Mayor Andrea Wood’s directive, the comments and audience response covering both sides of the issue were respectful and restrained. Patagonia Regional Times 9/6/2013

 

My Perspective

Following the Town Council meeting of August 14, at which the council heard comments as to whether or not the town should support Wildcat Silver Company’s Plan of Operation, Councilwoman Andrea Wood requested that PRT publish what she has written below. Patagonia Regional Times 9/6/2013

 

Town Plan Amended to Provide Comprehensive Water Study

The Town Council has adopted a recommendation by the Planning and Zoning Committee (P&Z) concerning the protection of the town watershed. It stipulates that the Forest Service request that a comprehensive water study be completed prior to use of the water from its watershed by any mining or other industrial operation. Patagonia Regional Times 9/6/2013

 

Is the US Forest Service Trying to Help a Cash-Strapped Canadian Mining Company?

The US Forest Service seems to have been unusually eager to help a Canadian mining company with a dubious track record and financial troubles set up an open pit copper mine in Arizona’s Coronado National Forest. The agency’s efforts, however, might be in vain. Earth Island Journal 9/4/2013

 

Freeport hit with violation over July dust cloud

Freeport-McMoRan’s Sierrita operation has been issued a Notice of Violation after a cloud of tailings dust rolled off the mine and across Green Valley on July 27. The notice from the Pima County Department of Environmental Quality, issued Aug. 27, says Freeport failed to take necessary measures to control the dust, which left a film on homes, patios and vehicles, and caused a brief but heavy spike in air quality measurements. Green Valley News 9/4/2013

 

Mayor trashes letter to USFS

The Patagonia Town Council is redrafting a letter to the forest officials after it was literally thrown out by Mayor Ike Isakson during the Aug. 28 regular meeting. The letter, a draft response to a U.S. Forest Service request for comments on the scoping notice for Arizona Minerals’ Hermosa Project, caused angst with the mayor because it had been circulated with his name on it. Weekly Bulletin 9/4/2013

 

Company unveils plan for proposed copper mine

While a final decision is still pending for Rosemont Copper, the company that wants to open a mine in the Santa Rita Mountains, unveiled their plan to conserve land and water in the area. Company officials say they are committed to making sure there is minimal impact to the environment, as they drill for copper in the scenic mountains. Tucson News Now 8/29/2013

 

CNF meets the public on proposed drilling project

After a similar plan was taken off the table last year, the Coronado National Forest and Wildcat Silver are now pitching even more extensive drilling in the Patagonia Mountains. As part of that push, representatives from the Coronado National Forest (CNF) provided an overview of Wildcat’s proposed Hermosa Drilling Project during a public meeting at the Patagonia School cafetorium on April 20. Weekly Bulletin 8/28/2013

 

Town moves to stiffen protection of watershed

The Town of Patagonia should team up with the U.S. Forest Service and lead a comprehensive groundwater study before any mining operation or other industrial enterprise begins using water from its watershed, according to a new amendment to the Town General Plan. “The study must contain a baseline metal determination and flow rate coming from both drainages. This study should be paid for by the proponents wanting to conduct the industrial activity and the contractor/hydrologist should be chosen by the town,” reads a resolution from the Planning and Zoning Committee that was adopted by the council at its Aug. 14 regular meeting. Weekly Bulletin 8/21/2013

 

State sued for OK’ing permit for future mine

A national conservation organization is suing the state Department of Environmental Quality over its approval of a groundwater permit for the controversial Rosemont Mine planned in southern Arizona. A complaint filed Friday in Maricopa County Superior Court by the Center for Biological Diversity and Save the Scenic Santa Ritas says state officials approved an aquifer-protection plan for the open-pit mine that could endanger streams and wildlife. Arizona Republic 8/21/2013

 

Rare bird spotted at Patagonia Lake

A rare bird known as the Blue-footed Booby that was spotted at Patagonia Lake on Aug. 15 is still giving folks a show. “We’ve been overwhelmed with birders,” said Candy Bowen, assistant manager at Patagonia Lake State Park, adding that the bird has made an appearance every day since the initial sighting. Weekly Bulletin 8/21/2013

 

Why was the Patagonia silver mine meeting so peaceful?

At last Wednesday night’s Patagonia Town Council meeting on Wildcat Silver Corp.’s proposed Hermosa drilling project, the discussion was so calm and civil that I first wondered if I was actually attending a meeting on pet dogs. Then, I wondered if maybe it had been the two rainbows — one very bright, another a bit faded — that had towered over the town late that afternoon before the meeting started. Arizona Daily Star 8/20/2013

 

Economic Analysis of Rosemont Mine’s Impact on Jaguar Fatally Biased

A review by a nationally recognized economist found, among other things, that the economic analysis commissioned by the US Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) for its critical habitat proposal for the jaguar relied “exclusively” on information provided by Rosemont that amounts to a “distorted public relations exercise.” Tucson Citizen 8/19/2013

 

Rosemont mine opponents file lawsuit challeging key water permit needed to begin construction of copper project

Opponents of the proposed Rosemont copper mine Friday filed a lawsuit challenging the issuance of a key state water permit needed to begin construction of the open-pit copper mine in the Santa Rita Mountains southeast of Tucson. The lawsuit, filed in Maricopa County Superior Court, challenges a decision by the Arizona Water Quality Appeals Board (AWQAB) to uphold the issuance of an Aquifer Protection Permit (APP) to the Rosemont Copper Company. Rosemont is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Vancouver, B.C.-based Augusta Resource Corporation. Rosemont Mine Truth 8/19/2013

 

Rosemont says construction financing near

Rosemont Copper has signed a letter with a dozen international banks that shows it is close to getting financing to build the $1.22 billion Rosemont Mine project, its Canadian parent company says. At the same time, in an action that illustrates the delicate balance between the mining company’s short- and long-term finances, the parent company Augusta Resource Corp. has reached agreement with two shareholders to issue a $10 million bond that amounts to the company taking out a loan. Arizona Daily Star 8/18/2013

 

Grijalva and Barber: There’s No Rush on Rosemont EIS

Representatives Ron Barber and Raul Grijalva sent a letter to the Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack yesterday urging the Forest Service to not release a final Environmental Impact Statement on the Rosemont Mine project without addressing several shortcoming.Tucson Weekly 8/16/2013

 

Patagonia mining project controversy brought to meeting

Controversy over a proposed mining project brought dozens of people out to the town council meeting in Patagonia Wednesday night. Wildcat Silver wants to dig about 48 exploratory holes in the Coronado National Forest, conducting environmental studies. It’s a big step to see if a proposed mine would harm the environment. Tucson News Now 8/14/2013

 

Silver-mine venture seeks to drill near Patagonia

Federal officials are reviewing drilling plans for a potential silver mine near Patagonia on public land that the mining company says contains one of the world’s 10 largest known, undeveloped silver deposits. A Canadian company wants federal permission to drill 46 exploratory holes in the Patagonia Mountains about 50 miles southeast of Tucson. Arizona Daily Star 8/11/2013

 

Public Interest Versus Private Greed

The refrain is all too common these days. The democratic and regulatory process circumvented in favor of big business interests at the expense of practically everything else. Think “Too Big To Fail Banks” — the big banks produced record profits last quarter and yet our banking system, regulated with a weak Dodds-Frank bill, has never been at greater risk of collapsing in a heap — with taxpayers picking up the tab if these behemoths fail. Closer to home, southern Arizonans are dealing with a Canadian mining company, Augusta Resource Corporation, that is using its investors’ money to buy political support to acquire permits that would allow it to blast a one-mile wide, half-mile deep, open-pit copper mine in the Santa Rita Mountains south of Tucson. HuffPost Biz 8/8/2013

 

Hermosa drilling project proposed in Patagonia Mountains

TUCSON – The Coronado National Forest, Sierra Vista Ranger District, is seeking written comments on a proposed minerals drilling project, the Hermosa Drilling Project, in Santa Cruz County, Ariz., approximately six miles southeast of the town of Patagonia. The Coronado will host a meeting on Tuesday, Aug. 20 from 6-8 p.m. in the Patagonia High School Cafeteria, 200 Naugle Avenue, Patagonia, AZ. The purpose of the meeting is to provide an overview of the proposed Hermosa Drilling Project including the environmental review process. Forest staff will be available to answer questions. Oral comments will not be solicited nor accepted at the meeting. Sierra Vista Herald 8/6/2013

 

Truth In Advertising

“We Dig Jobs” is a new bumper sticker seen around town. Yet recently released reports state that while employment has improved in Santa Cruz County, there remains a high unemployment rate—so let’s talk about jobs. Around 1960 the last mines closed. Jobs evaporated overnight. While ranching continued in eastern Santa Cruz County, the economy here was rebuilt around tourism. The region became known as a worldwide destination for birders and began to draw people from all over Arizona and the United States because of its significant biological diversity. Building on the strong economic base of ranching and tourism, other industries such as local food production, wineries (USA Today lists this region as one of the top 10 wine trails in the country), ecotourism and heritage tourism are contributing to the economic growth and employment opportunities. Patagonia Regional Times 8/6/2013

 

MINING UPDATE: Public Comment Period Re-Opened

The Forest Service has re-opened the public comment period for the Regal Resources Sunnyside mining exploration project in Humboldt Canyon. This is the same project that had an earlier scoping period back in November 2011. According to the scoping notice from the Coronado National Forest, Sierra Vista District Ranger Mark Ruggiero has “decided to offer another scoping period in conjunction with this formal comment period to ensure that public involvement is current and comprehensive.” Patagonia Regional Times 8/6/2013

 

Forum Proposed in Response to Division Over Mining Issue

At the Town Council’s meeting on July 10, Patagonia resident Carolyn Shafer informed the Council that Wildcat Silver had listed the Town of Patagonia on its website, as one of “Our Communities,” implying that it had received financial support from Wildcat. She said that she was not aware of any money having been accepted from the mining company by the Town of Patagonia and asked that the council tell Wildcat to remove the town from its website. Patagonia Regional Times 8/6/2013

 

Wildcat scratched from agenda, but citizens opine anyway

An item related to Wildcat Silver’s assertion that it financially supports the Town of Patagonia was scratched from the July 25 council meeting agenda. But that didn’t stop pro- and anti-mining advocates from packing the Town Hall anyway. Patagonia resident Carolyn Shafer told the Weekly Bulletin she requested the item be pulled before the meeting because it had rekindled a larger debate surrounding mining. That debate took the focus away from the specific issue she wanted discussed: the fact that Wildcat lists the Town of Patagonia in a community relations section of its website. Weekly Bulletin 7/31/2013

 

Rosemont ruling may miss Sept. deadline

Coronado National Forest Supervisor Jim Upchurch is walking a scheduling tightrope for the proposed Rosemont Mine. He wants to make his final decision on the mine by Sept. 27 – after a group of cooperating government agencies comment on his draft of the final Rosemont environmental-impact statement, and his staff reviews the comments. That day will usher in a new set of U.S. Forest Service rules governing how people can object to such projects – rules that would delay a Rosemont decision three to four months and maybe longer. Arizona Daily Star 7/28/2013

 

ADEQ won’t release secret Rosemont emails exchanged with Brewer’s office

The Arizona Department of Environmental Quality is refusing to release more than a dozen emails with the governor’s office concerning the issuance of the air pollution permit for the proposed Rosemont copper mine. InvestigativeMEDIA 7/19/2013

 

Resident protests town’s name appearing on Wildcat website

Wildcat Silver, currently operating in the Patagonia Mountains, has listed the Town of Patagonia in a community relations section of its website, and at least one citizen is upset about it.Weekly Bulletin 7/17/2013

 

US: Mine no overall threat to jaguars

The proposed Rosemont Mine is likely to kill, harm or harass this country’s only known wild jaguar, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service says. But that won’t matter much, the agency adds – at least not in terms of jeopardizing the jaguar as a species or destroying its prime habitat. Arizona Daily Star 7/17/2013

 

Report: Rosemont Mine won’t jeopardize endangered species

The proposed Rosemont Mine has cleared yet another procedural hoop, with a new draft federal opinion saying that the mine isn’t likely to jeopardize the existence of any of nine endangered species including the jaguar or destroy jaguar critical habitat. Arizona Daily Star 7/16/2013

 

Rosemont decision could be delayed by new procedure

If the U.S. Forest Service doesn’t deliver a decision on the proposed Rosemont Mine by Sept. 27, changes in how the agency reviews projects that are scheduled to go into effect could lead to further delays. Coronado Supervisor Jim Upchurch wants the final EIS and a Record of Decision on the mine issued by Sept. 27. That’s the day the Forest Service launches a new Project-Level Predecisional Administrative Review Process that requires more public input. Green Valley News 7/14/2013

 

Tourists, spending on the upswing in Arizona

Although the tourism sector of Tucson’s economy continues to struggle, there are strong indicators that visitors – and visitor spending – are up statewide. New figures from the Arizona Office of Tourism show more than 38.1 million people from elsewhere spent at least one night in Arizona and spent a cumulative $19.3 billion last year. Arizona Daily Star 7/13/2013

 

Birders Mean Business! Arizona’s Watchable Wildlife Worth $1.4billion

Recent studies show that birdwatching is among the nation’s most popular recreational activities, and growing. Why Birding? Ask the 47+ million birdwatchers in America why they love birds, and you’ll likely get a range of replies as diverse as the birds themselves. A new economic impact analysis suggests that Arizonans now have a billion more reasons to appreciate birds and wildlife. Tucson Citizen 7/9/2013

 

Forest Service proposes that Rosemont Mine be OK’d

The proposed Rosemont Mine meets all federal environmental laws, poses no jeopardy to endangered species and should be approved, the U.S. Forest Service said Monday. But that’s not a final conclusion because reports on endangered species issues, tribal cultural resources such as archaeological sites, and U.S. Clean Water Act compliance remain unfinished, cautioned a top service official, Jim Upchurch. In its long-awaited final draft of a crucial environmental impact statement, the Forest Service also continued to say it can’t legally stop the mine if it meets all environmental laws. Arizona Daily Star 7/2/2013

 

Could Jaguar scratch Rosemont Mine plan?

Environmentalists says the endangered cat roaming near the mine is reason enough to stop the project. The mine’s CEO says the cat should have no impact. Video by kgun9.com 6/27/2013

 

Mining May Burgeon in Southern AZ

The process toward mining on public lands is extensively regulated, and must be reviewed by the U.S. Forest Service. Arizona has a major mining industry. In addition to the Rosemont Copper Project, there are several proposals to mine in the Patagonia Mountains south of Tucson. AZ Illustrated Nature 6/27/2013

 

Jaguar roves near Rosemont mine site

A male jaguar has roamed the Santa Rita Mountains’ eastern flank for at least nine months, photos obtained from the federal government show. The remote cameras have photographed the big cat in five locations on seven occasions since October. Three times, the federally financed remote cameras photographed the jaguar immediately west of the proposed Rosemont Mine site in the mountains southeast of Tucson. Arizona Daily Star 6/27/2013

 

Mining sector courts danger if it forgets stakeholders during downturn

Life is definitely bad for the mining sector at the moment. Nearly every day there are announcements of layoffs, cutbacks, mining projects being dropped, and junior explorers that have been gobbled up or are teetering on the verge of bankruptcy. MineWeb.com 6/24/2013

 

Grijalva pushing for fees on mines

U.S. Rep. Raúl Grijalva of Tucson and two others are bringing back an oft-tried bill to overhaul the country’s 142-year-old hard-rock mining law and charge royalties for copper and other non-coal mining operations on public lands. The bill would also prevent mining on certain kinds of environmentally sensitive public lands and establish an abandoned mine cleanup fund, paid for by a separate fee on mining companies. Arizona Daily Star 6/23/2013

 

Questions Remain after meeting on mining projects

Although a Forest Service open house on mining issues held June 11 at the Patagonia High School did not end as abruptly as a similar meeting in March 2008, it was still marked by vehement and sometimes contentious opposition to four local mining projects from members of the approximately 200-person audience. Weekly Bulletin 6/20/2013

 

Copper mining economics questioned by Montana economist

Thomas Power, former chairman of the University of Montana’s economics department, warned Northland residents Tuesday to be careful in the rush into copper. At a Duluth lunch forum sponsored by the Friends of the Boundary Waters environmental group, the professor said mining’s economic costs are often overlooked in the luster of a promised boom time. He said many economic reports released around proposed mining projects are ripe with benefits but fail to address costs. That should cause economists, and the public, to bristle, he said. Duluth News Tribune 6/19/2013

 

Save the Scenic Santa Ritas: Augusta Resource Shareholders Meet, Future of Rosemont Mine Uncertain

Augusta Resource Corporation’s annual shareholder meeting in Vancouver, B.C. takes place tomorrow amid increasing regulatory and financial uncertainty regarding its only project, the proposed Rosemont Copper mine in Arizona. Augusta’s working capital is plummeting, its independent auditor has raised doubts about whether Augusta can continue as a “going concern”, and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency describes the company’s key water mitigation plan as scientifically flawed. MarketWatch 6/19/2013

 

Mining permits discussed at Patagonia public meeting

U.S. forest officials held a public meeting in the historic town of Patagonia Tuesday night to inform people about differing mining companies applying for permits to dig mines in the area. In addition to Rosemont Copper, at least four other mining companies, including Wildcat Silver out of Nogales, are hoping to start mining in the Patagonia Mountains. Tucson News Now 6/11/2013

 

Patagonia mining meeting draws a large crowd

The historic town of Patagonia is being tapped for its silver and minerals. Right now, multiple foreign mining companies are proposing open-pit mines. An informational meeting was held Tuesday night by the U.S Forest Service and town officials, updating locals on mining activity. KVOA.com 6/11/2013

 

Dry news from the water mines

Mike Conway of the Arizona Geological Survey started getting phone calls from realtors several months ago. With the Phoenix-area real estate market heating back up, they needed to know if their clients are looking at land run through with cracks that might open up and damage their homes, or worse. In 2008, a fissure known as the Y-crack became famous when it split open in the wake of heavy summer rains and swallowed a horse southeast of Phoenix. Gaping cracks and collapsing land are the legacies of a century of steadily mining water in Arizona. High Country News Goat Blog 6/9/2013

 

Mine still faces hurdles: Environmental impact, water are key issues

Seven years after Rosemont Copper decided it could make money mining its land in the Santa Rita Mountains, the company could be just weeks from a decision by federal regulators that would help make the plan a reality. But opponents of the open-pit mine, who met Wednesday in Quail Creek, said a decision by the U.S. Forest Service to green light Rosemont would lend urgency to its plan to target mine investors and tap fellow opponents for financial support in what could become a years-long court battle. Green Valley News 6/8/2013

 

When the flames die down, work begins for BAER team

The Soldier Basin area of the Patagonia Mountains is no stranger to wildfires, but roads, grazing areas, and endangered species need special care and all signs of the firefighting effort itself must be removed. That’s where the Burned Area Emergency Response (BAER) team comes in. Nogales International 6/7/2013

 

Escape the Valley heat with scenic road trip in Patagonia, Arizona

Four-thousand feet of relaxation and a community of smiles await you in Patagonia, Arizona. The once booming mining town has developed into an artist haven with galleries, little shops, and a watering hole for locals called the Wagon Wheel Saloon. ABC15 Phoenix 6/6/2013

 

Mexican Grizzly: Forgotten Sky Islands Carnivore, Part 2

Last month, I wrote about how the Mexican Grizzly Bear has become extinct. I imagine that you are thinking, “Good riddance *&%$# man-eating grizzly bear!” Or perhaps you are sad that you will never glimpse and experience the magnificent Mexican grizzly. Either way you’re likely to feel something strong, as such monster-sized carnivores rarely stray far from our primal thoughts. Patagonia Regional Times 6/5/2013

 

Fighting Fire With Fire

Driving by Nogales Airport, there is little remaining evidence of the encampment that not long ago was filled with semi trailers, trucks, tents, and equipment. Back in mid-May it served as the operations center for more than 200 Arizona firefighters who gathered to contain a fire in the Patagonia Mountains. Patagonia Regional Times 6/5/2013

 

Report: Focus on security overshadows economic, other border benefits

Rep. Raul Grijalva, D- Tucson, knows there are benefits to be had from a U.S.-Mexico relationship, but fears the possibilities have been endangered by the hostility that has become part of the immigration debate. “The border lines went from a unique American landscape of people, history, and land itself, to a threat … to something to be feared,” Grijalva said. “Making that transition has affected the border tremendously.” Cronkite News 5/24/2013

 

Crews set their own fires to slow 10,775-acre blaze near Patagonia

A wildfire in the Patagonia Mountains grew to 10,775 acres Thursday, as crews set fire to grass and brush to establish a perimeter around the blaze, southwest of Patagonia. Containment, the measure of how effectively that perimeter has been established, also grew, from 15 percent to 70 percent. “Most of that fire was ours,” said Michelle Fidler, spokeswoman for the team fighting the week-old Soldier Basin Fire. Arizona Daily Star 5/24/2013

 

Fire officials ready to scale back resources

Fire officials are ready to scale back resources now that the Soldier Basin fire is 70 percent contained. The human-caused fire has charred more than 10,000 acres, and tonight, fire officials met with residents. KOLD 5/23/2103

 

Burnout ignition begins on Soldier Basin Fire

Burnout operations are expected to continue throughout the week as crews work to contain the Soldier Basin Fire on the western slope of the Patagonia Mountains. A report from the U.S. Forest Service on Tuesday morning put the acreage of the wildfire at 3,800, with 8-percent containment.  Nogales International 5/21/2013

 

Wildfire burns more than 800 acres near airport

Crews are fighting a wildfire burning approximately five miles east of the Nogales International Airport in a mountainous area known as Soldier Basin. Heidi Schewel of the Coronado National Forest, which is managing the fire, said no structures are threatened and the fire has been assessed as “moderate.” Nogales International 5/18/2013

 

Keeping Track of Our Wildlife

Did you know that the Patagonia Mountains are the home to coati, grey fox, rabbit, deer, skunk, puma, bobcat, ringtail cats, black bear, coyote, turkey, cottontail, javelina and the elusive jaguar and ocelot? Last month, I had the privilege of attending a four-day Wildlife Tracking Workshop in the Patagonia Mountains. The Workshop was hosted by the Patagonia Area Resource Alliance and run by the extremely talented and knowledgeable staff of Sky Island Alliance: Jessica Lamberton-Moreno and Sergio Avila. Patagonia Regional Times 5/12/2013

 

Mexican Grizzly: Forgotten Sky Islands Carnivore

Grizzly. The mere mention of the name is likely to conjure such disparate images as “icon of the western wilderness” versus “bloodthirsty beast.” Patagonia Regional Times 5/12/2013

 

Acid mine drainage ‘enormous public liability’ in perpetuity—EARTHWORKS

A new study recently released by the Washington, D.C.-based environmental NGO Earthworks asserts an estimated 17 billion to 27 billion gallons of contaminated water will be generated by 40 U.S. hardrock mines annually in perpetuity. Forty-two percent of these mines are located on public lands. Mineweb 5/6/2013

 

Nature by the Numbers

Tucson-based Sky Island Alliance recently organized a bioblitz in the Patagonia Mountains, where scientists and volunteers turned out in full force. The data are still being tabulated, but alliance program coordinator Jessica Lamberton is very excited about some of the results. Arizona Public Media 5/1/2013

 

Government data shows mines will annually pollute up to 27 billion gallons of fresh water, forever

Washington D.C., May 1st – A new report released today shows existing U.S. hardrock mines (e.g. gold, copper, uranium) will pollute up to 27 billion gallons of fresh water per year, and cost as much as $67 billion per year to clean, in perpetuity. Based on government data, the report also reveals that four proposed mines could annually pollute an additional 16 billion gallons. Earthworks News Release 5/1/2013

 

Star 200: Southern Arizona’s big companies finding it hard to fill skilled jobs at Arizona mines

A second straight year of dropping copper prices has done little to slake Southern Arizona’s two biggest mining employers’ thirst for new workers.Asarco and Freeport-McMoRan Copper and Gold say that with copper prices still well above historic levels, they’re continuing to look out of state – and in Asarco’s case, out of the country – to fill vacancies for skilled positions. Daily Star 4/28/2013

 

Gosar bill would stop presidents from creating Arizona monuments

U.S. Rep. Paul Gosar of Prescott has joined a handful of House Republicans seeking to halt the power of the president to create national monuments in their states. Gosar introduced HR 1495, The Arizona Land Sovereignty Act, earlier this month. He tried the same bill in 2011. It would prevent presidents from expanding or creating national monuments through their existing authority under the Antiquities Act of 1906. Daily Courier 4/22/2013

 

Dust storm put Pima County over EPA air-quality limit

High winds that sent huge dust clouds swirling last week caused Pima County to exceed federal air-quality standards for the first time in nearly four years, county officials said. The worst dust pollution hit the Green Valley-Sahuarita area on April 9, causing levels of large dust particles at one monitor to average 450 parts per million over 24 hours, nearly three times the federal limit. Because two copper mines adjoin the suburbs of Green Valley and Sahuarita, Pima County Department of Environmental Quality officials are investigating how much, if at all, the mine tailings contributed to the dust problem in violation of county air-quality laws. Arizona Daily Star 4/19/2013

 

Sonora mine plan raises questions about water, air impacts

A planned open-pit copper/molybdenum mine and sulfuric acid plant near the Santa Cruz River, nine miles south of the border and 20 aerial miles southeast of Nogales, Sonora, has raised questions over potential water and air impacts on both sides of the border. The El Pilar Mine concessions belong to Vancouver, British Columbia-based Mercator Minerals Ltd. Mercator has most permits to construct and operate the facility, including approval from Mexican environmental regulator SEMARNAT. Nogales International 4/16/2013

 

Another low-runoff year may herald CAP shortage

Another year of very low precipitation and snowpack in the Rocky Mountains has spurred another year of low runoff on the Colorado River – the 10th such year out of the past 14. The low runoff means the Central Arizona Project – which provides Tucson drinking water – has a 35 percent chance of experiencing its first water shortage in history in 2016, U.S. Bureau of Reclamation officials say. Arizona Daily Star 4/16/2013

 

Massive landslide stops production at Bingham Canyon Mine

BINGHAM CANYON — What started as movement measuring only fractions of an inch at Kennecott Utah Copper’s Bingham Canyon Mine became the biggest slide Ted Himebaugh has seen in his 36 years with the company. The slide occurred around 9:30 p.m. in the northeast section of the mine, Kennecott spokesman Kyle Bennett said. No employees were injured, but roads, buildings and vehicles inside the pit have been damaged. Deseret News 4/11/2013

 

Honoring Our Earth, Building Alliances for a Thriving Patagonia Region

A group of over 60 people met at Cady Hall on Saturday, March 2 to attend a Super Citizen Advocacy Workshop about new mining proposals in the Patagonia Mountains. The workshop was hosted by the Patagonia Area Resource Alliance. Patagonia Regional Times 4/10/2013

 

John Davis Treks West

John Davis, a self-described adventurer and conservationist, visited Patagonia in early March. This was one of many stops on a journey that will take him by foot, sometimes bicycle, and even on horseback from Mexico to Canada. His mission is to raise awareness of the importance of wildlife corridors and to try to keep those that still exist intact. Patagonia Regional Times 4/10/2013

 

Vaudeville Comes to Patagonia

Patagonia had two free Vaudeville Shows on Wednesday, March 20. Hosted by local sword swallower Thom Sellectomy (aka Geoffrey Cobb,) the town was treated to an afternoon and evening of fun for all ages. The shows were organized and sponsored by Geoffrey Cobb along with the Patagonia Area Resource Alliance as a gift to the community. Patagonia Regional Times 4/10/2013

 

Canadian mining under fire at home and abroad

Canada’s mining sector failed to book a single IPO in the first quarter of 2013, financing for junior miners continues to dry up, and Canadian miners abroad are facing increasing local opposition. These are tough times for Canadian mining. Mining.com 4/3/2013

 

Audit raises red flag on Rosemont’s parent firm

An auditor for Rosemont Copper’s parent company has put up what outside experts call a red flag indicating significant financial issues that could jeopardize the company’s future.
Officials of the accounting firm Ernst & Young wrote last week that they have “substantial doubt” about Augusta Resource Corp.’s ability to continue as a going concern. Arizona Daily Star 3/31/2013

 

Vaudeville show packs the house in Patagonia

Presented by the Patagonia Area Resource Alliance (PARA) and Patagonia resident Geoffrey Cobb, whose day job is performing as a sword swallower, the show featured magic acts, whip and rope tricks, a ventriloquist, juggling, plate spinning and music. Weekly Bulletin 3/27/2013

 

Augusta Resource’s independent auditor warns there is “substantial doubt” over its “ability to continue as a going concern”

Augusta Resource Corporation’s independent auditing firm Monday alerted investors that the Vancouver-based speculative mining company that is seeking permits to build the Rosemont copper project faces “material uncertainty” about its ability to continue to operate. Rosemont Mine Truth 3/26/2013

 

As Arizona mining increases, mine-related toxic releases grow

Arizona’s metal mining and manufacturing industries produced about 84.5 million pounds of toxic chemicals in 2011, a nearly 34 million pound increase from just two years earlier, the Environmental Protection Agency reported. Arizona Capitol Times 3/21/2013

 

Southern Arizona’s Smoke and Mirror Mine

Vancouver, B.C.-based Augusta Resource Corporation and its supporters continue to play fast and loose with the facts in their desperate bid to obtain permits and investors for the proposed Rosemont Copper mine. Huffington Post 3/21/2013

 

Supreme Court: ESA Trumps 1872 Mining Act: Ruling Strikes Down U.S. Forest Service Approvals of Mining Projects Across the West

WASHINGTON, D.C. March 18, 2013 – Today the Supreme Court let stand a decision from the En Banc panel of 11 judges of the federal Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco that essentially establishes that the Endangered Species Act (ESA) trumps the 1872 Mining Act. Recreational mining groups had filed a petition with the Supreme Court asking that they overturn the lower court decision, but the petition was denied. YubaNet.com 3/18/2013

 

Mining Patagonia Featured in Film Festival’s National Tour

Mining Patagonia, the film by Michele Gisser that portrayed Wildcat Silver Company’s plan to mine in the Patagonia Mountains, was selected to be part of the 2013 Wild & Scenic Film Festival, which recently premiered in Nevada City, California. Patagonia Regional Times 3/15/2013

 

Trekker visits Patagonia to promote wildlife conservation

John Davis is not your ordinary visitor to Santa Cruz County. For one thing, he lives, when not seeking adventures in the wildlands of North America, in upstate New York. For another, he doesn’t plan to end his 5,000-mile trek, which he refers to as ‘”Trekwest,” until he reaches Frenie, British Columbia. Weekly Bulletin 3/13/2013

 

No more gold giveaways on our public lands

Since 1872, mining interests have made billions of dollars by removing and selling valuable minerals from our public lands without having to pay a cent to the American taxpayer. This is one of the biggest budget loopholes of the modern economy, and it needs to change — especially now — as Congress tries to address the deficit and balance budgets. High Country News 3/12/2013

 

Part of Ariz. Trail may be moved depending on Rosemont Mine

Rosemont Copper has agreed to pay for relocating a segment of the Arizona Trail to avoid impacts of its planned mine southeast of Tucson – but that would happen only if the mine plans win federal approval. The company announced that it would provide up to $650,000 to move a 10.6-mile segment of the 817-mile cross-state trail. The segment is in the Santa Rita Mountains west of Arizona 83 near the proposed mine site. Arizona Daily Star 3/12/2013

 

Outdoor recreation a $10 billion business in Arizona

Outdoor enthusiasts visiting Arizona sites such as the Grand Canyon and Lake Mead spend $10.6 billion in the state each year, according to the Outdoor Industry Association. Those billions of dollars spent in the state help support 103,700 Arizona jobs and generated $3.3 billion in wages and $787 million in state and local tax revenues… Phoenix Business Journal 3/11/2013

 

Environmentalists oppose Arizona copper mine

On a cold winter’s day, with white clouds scudding across the blue sky and patches of snow clearly visible, the rugged desert hills of south Arizona are a spectacular backdrop. And they are the battleground between industry and environmentalists. Al Jazeera 3/5/2013

 

Riva Gold To Be Acquired by Wildcat Silver

Riva Gold Corporation (TSX-V: RIV) (“Riva” or the “Company”) announces today that it has entered into a letter of intent with Wildcat Silver Corporation (“Wildcat”) providing for the acquisition by Wildcat of all of the outstanding common shares of Riva in consideration for 4.7 common shares of Riva for one common share of Wildcat. Tucson News Now 3/4/2013

 

BP roads draw a Congressional bill and much criticism

Environmental groups are up in arms about new roads being built for Border Patrol agents and a local Congressman is taking the fight to Washington, D.C. The Sierra Club recently released a video last week, titled “Too Many Tracks,” documenting the ecological damage caused by thousands of Border Patrol vehicles traversing Cabeza Prieta National Wildlife Refuge and Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument. Meanwhile, U.S. Rep. Raul Grijalva (D-Ariz.), whose district includes Nogales, introduced the Border Security and Responsibility Act on Feb. 6 to the House of Representatives. Nogales International 3/1/2013

 

It shouldn’t be this hard

Getting information from visiting federal officials shouldn’t be this hard. Standing on a corner on Tuesday next to one of the busiest ports of entry on the United States-Mexico border, dust blowing in my face, I waited for two hours in the midday sun for the powerful people in black SUVs to leave their super-duper secret meeting in the border security echo chamber. I say secret because they did not allow any press inside, outside, or within a few hundred yards of the meeting. Nogales International 2/26/2013

 

PA chief blasts McCain for ignoring CBP needs

Facilitating lawful travel and trade seemed to take a back seat when federal and Congressional leaders visited Nogales this week to see first-hand the Department of Homeland Security’s ongoing efforts to secure the border. Nogales International 2/22/2013

 

Superior Terminates Agreement With Resolution Copper

After years of unmitigated support, the Town of Superior voted on Feb. 21, 2013 to terminate its mutual benefits agreement with Resolution Copper Company and rescinded its unqualified support for the Southeast Arizona Land Exchange, the federal bill crucial to the Resolution Copper Project. CopperArea.com 2/21/2013

 

S.F. analyst offers rosy tidings for copper prices, Rosemont

“I think you’re going to see a lot more activity out of Arizona,” opines San Francisco-based metals analyst Kevin Pull, in an interview with the Investing.com website. He’s predicting continued high copper prices and is high on Rosemont Copper and on Redhawk Resources, Inc., another Vancouver,B.C.-based mining company that controls the Copper Creek deposit in the San Manuel area north of Tucson. Arizona Daily Star 2/21/2013

 

Coalition Opposes New “Southeast Arizona Land Exchange and Conservation Act of 2013”

Representatives Paul Gosar (R, AZ District 4) and Ann Kirkpatrick (D, AZ District 1) re-introduced the “Southeast Arizona Land Exchange and Conservation Act of 2013,” formerly H.R. 1904 in the 112th Congress. “It is outrageous that members of our Arizona Congressional delegation support a land swap that benefits a foreign mega-mining giant over what’s best for Arizona,” said Terry Rambler, Chairman, San Carlos Apache Tribe. PR Newswire 2/19/2013

 

Canadian mining races to the bottom

A new book provides a shocking analysis of environmental destruction and human rights abuses committed by Canadian mining companies abroad—and how we help them do it. FOCUSonline February 2013

 

Toxic releases by Arizona mines increasing

Activity at Arizona’s mines is surging, and so is the release of toxic materials. A new Environmental Protection Agency report shows that releases of mine tailings and other toxic emissions increased 22 percent in Arizona in 2011 – and that’s on top of a 31 percent increase in 2010. Arizona Daily Star 2/10/2013

 

The Great Gray Lady steps up Rosemont coverage

Twice in the past month, the New York Times’ Green blog has run stories discussing the Rosemont Mine, emphasizing that this endless issue is taking on national significance as a final decision date could be nearing. Arizona Daily Star 2/9/2013

 

Major jaguar biologist opposes plan

A wildlife biologist at the forefront of global jaguar conservation is one of the most outspoken critics of a federal proposal for critical habitat for the jaguar. Arizona Daily Star 2/9/2013

 

Point/counterpoint on jaguar critical habitat

In Saturday’s Star (2-9-2012), I had an article on noted jaguar biologist Alan Rabinowitz’s fierce opposition to the proposed jaguar critical habitat that would span 838,000 acres in Southern Arizona and Southwest New Mexico. Arizona Daily Star 2/8/2013

 

Do we need Rosemont’s copper? A look at production, recycling and our future

On a chilly southern Arizona morning, a white van bounces along a narrow dirt road bordered by prickly pear and mesquite. The Santa Rita Mountains slope upward a mile in the distance, curving gently inward to form an ancient amphitheater. Inside the van, geologist Jeff Cornoyer talks to a small tour group as he drives, struggling to be heard over the roar of the van’s heater. “Below this surface covering, there are 7 billion pounds of copper,” he says. Green Valley News 2/6/2013

 

Mine operators win Canyon fight

Conservationists and tribes challenging a uranium mine north of the Grand Canyon were rejected by a federal appeals court Monday, but their argument over mining plans that are decades old is expected to resurface as companies look to resume similar operations. Environmentalists and Native American groups had sued the U.S. Bureau of Land Management, saying the agency relied on an out of date and inadequate environmental analysis in allowing the Arizona 1 Mine to operate. Casa Grande Dispatch 2/5/2013

 

How to clean up abandoned mines — without landing in court

Peter Butler’s late October tour of abandoned hardrock mines began high on Red Mountain Pass near Silverton, Colo., off a highway so narrow that, in places, its shoulder crumbles off cliffs. Butler, a water wonk with springy silver curls, is the co-coordinator of the Animas River Stakeholders Group, a local watershed group, which has been cleaning up abandoned mines for 18 years. High Country News 2/4/2013

 

Arizona Mining Project Wins Crucial Permit

A Canadian mining company has come one step closer to building a mile-wide, half-mile-deep open-pit copper mine on public land 30 miles south of Tucson. On Thursday, Arizona’s Department of Environmental Quality granted Rosemont Copper, a subsidiary of Augusta Resource of Vancouver, a crucial air quality permit, saying emissions from the proposed mine would not violate federal standards for carbon monoxide, nitrogen and sulfur dioxide, or fine and large particles. New York Times 2/4/2013

 

No USFS Rosemont timetable yet

This week’s Arizona Department of Environmental Quality decision to grant Rosemont Copper an air quality permit is not going to be followed immediately with a U.S. Forest Service decision on the proposed mine’s environmental document.
Coronado National Forest Supervisor Jim Upchurch said Friday that the service is reviewing just-received computerized air quality modeling on the mine’s effects on visibility in national parks and wilderness areas. Arizona Daily Star 2/2/2013

 

Statement of Save the Scenic Santa Ritas on Rosemont Air Permit

Below is the statement of Gayle Hartmann, President of Save the Scenic Santa Ritas (SSSR) regarding the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality’s (ADEQ’s) decision to issue the air quality permit for the proposed Rosemont Copper mine. Save the Scenic Santa Ritas News Release 2/1/2013

 

Rosemont gets key air permit from state

Rosemont Copper now has one of the most hotly contested permits – although not the last needed – for it to operate a mine southeast of Tucson. The Arizona Department of Environmental Quality announced Thursday that it issued the company an air-quality permit. ADEQ said its review of Rosemont Copper’s computerized air pollution forecasts found the mine’s emissions would not violate any federal air standards for carbon monoxide, nitrogen and sulfur dioxide, or fine and large particles. Arizona Daily Star 2/1/2013

 

Bad Habitat: Critics call Arizona Game and Fish antiquated and anti-predator

In an era when life splashes spontaneously across YouTube, the Arizona Game and Fish Commission is still grappling with dot-matrix. Consider that the commission does not stockpile digital videos of its monthly meetings, where sweeping management decisions about Arizona’s wildlife are pondered. Tucson Weekly 1/31/2013

 

Choke Hold: AZ Grants Air Permit for a Noxious Mine Project

The Canadian investment company Augusta Resource Inc. announced today that it has received an air quality permit from the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality for a strip mine in the Santa Rita Mountains south of Tucson. Tucson Weekly 1/31/2013

 

Top potash producers pay $100m to settle antitrust claims

The big three North American potash producers – Agrium (NYSE:AGU), Potash Corp. of Saskatchewan (TSX:POT) and Mosaic Co. (NYSE:MOS) – have settled anti-trust claims in the US without admitting any wrongdoing. Potash Corp and Mosaic will each pay around $44 million, while Agrium agreed to a $10 million payment. Mining.com 1/31/2012

 

Mining concern to pay $60K fine for Marana spill

An Asarco mining operation has agreed to pay a $60,000 fine and take preventive steps valued at $50,000 to resolve water-quality violations caused by a June 2010 pipeline spill at the Silver Bell Copper Mine near Marana, state regulators said Tuesday. The consent judgment against Silver Bell Mining LLC follows a $170,000 fine the company paid in 2009 to settle similar charges at the same site. Arizona Daily Star 1/30/2013

 

“PAY NO ATTENTION TO THAT MAN BEHIND THE CURTAIN”

We have a new contender on the scene vying for the title of “the Great Wizard”. The new contender is none other than the new entrants into the mining industry. Their stock in trade is not production or product of any tangible asset but more in the area of control of our National and State public lands. They have found levers and cranks and wheels to turn to produce the magic show and dazzle the American citizens, politicians and businessmen. Tucson Citizen 1/29/2013

 

IN MY VIEW: Some good news on Rosemont

Those of us who oppose the big hole in the ground planned by Augusta Resource Corp. a.k.a Rosemont Copper, received a ray of hope in an article published in the recent Grand Canyon Chapter of the Sierra Club’s newsletter. The final approval by the U.S. Forest Service has again been delayed due to the accidental discovery of the endangered jaguar establishing a pattern of occupancy near the proposed mine site. Green Valley News 1/26/2013

 

Rosemont Copper mine’s fate may hinge on Jaguar

The appearance of the jaguar near the mine site has now given the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service a critical role in the ultimate fate of the copper project. The Service is in the process of establishing critical habitat for the endangered jaguar. Rosemont Mine Truth 1/24/2013

 

Hurdles Remain for Jaguar Habitat

Last fall, remote cameras in a rugged expanse of desert grasslands in Southern Arizona captured arresting images of a jaguar slinking through the underbrush, its yellow eyes fixed on some distant sight. The photos add to the dozen or so documented sightings of the endangered cat on American soil in the last century. New York Times 1/23/2013

 

Big Cat Makes A Comeback!

The good news? The big cat is back.Last month, research cameras revealed the presence of a healthy male jaguar less than forty miles south of Tucson, Arizona. Wildlife lovers celebrate his arrival. Developers, however, who are busily eyeing his habitat for the copper beneath, are not so thrilled. Having an endangered species nearby could delay their already controversial project. Defenders of Wildlife Blog 1/22/2013

 

Plants Adapt to Drought But Limits Are Looming, Study Finds

An international research team including UA rangeland ecologists has discovered that plants’ demand for water fluctuates depending on how much water is available. However, this resilience has a limit, and prolonged drought conditions threaten the survival of these plant communities. UANews 1/22/2013

 

EPA, Sen. Udall launch push to clean up West’s toxic mines

A recent tweak in federal environmental policy — done after years of prodding by U.S. Sen. Mark Udall — aims to break a legal impasse that for decades has let widespread contamination of watersheds continue. There are more than 100,000 old mines around the West poisoning headwaters of 40 percent of rivers. The Denver Post 1/20/2013

 

Regal Announces Underground Sampling Results

VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA-Regal Resources Inc. (the “Company” or “Regal”) (CNSX:RGR) is pleased to announce the completion of an underground sampling and geologic mapping program on the company’s 100% owned Sunnyside property in Santa Cruz county, Arizona. This initial phase of the work program focused on 17 historic open adits and 8 shaft dumps. Marketwire 1/17/2013

 

EPA Toxics Release Inventory Report provides Alaska residents with information on chemical releases

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has published the 2011 Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) National Analysis, providing information to communities about chemical releases to air, water and land across the nation. Due to extensive metal mining activity and the permitted disposal of large volumes of regulated mining waste, Alaska had the highest TRI releases in the nation and had a 25 percent increase in releases from the previous year. EPA News Release 1/16/2013

 

A “tail” of two kitties: jaguars and ocelots on the comeback trail

Many people are surprised to learn that both jaguars and elusive wild cats known as ocelots are native Arizonans, and still roam the U.S.-Mexico borderlands to this day.  They are even more intrigued to learn there is a breeding population of jaguars only 125 miles south of the border in the Sierra Madre of Mexico, and that ocelots have been recently documented in the Huachuca Mountains near Sierra Vista. The American Southwest is the original home of these two cats and protecting local habitat is vital to assuring they continue to be a part of our natural heritage. The Range: High Country News 1/15/2013

 

’63 jaguar killing echoes today in habitat debate

LAKESIDE: From 80 yards away, hunter Terry Penrod couldn’t tell what kind of cat he was shooting at.
It was around 7 p.m. in late September 1963, near Big Lake in the White Mountains. The sun was down and the shadows were deep, clouding the animal’s features. He saw no stripes, spots or colors. One shot from his .257 Winchester rifle cut the animal down. Arizona Daily Star 1/13/13

 

1872 Mining Law Is Obsolete and in Need of Reform

In 1872, President Ulysses S. Grant, hoping to spur development of the West, signed a law called the General Mining Act, which authorized prospecting and mining on public lands for precious “hard rock” metals including gold, copper, silver and platinum. Unlike the oil, coal, and natural gas industries that pay a 12.5 percent royalty on minerals they extract, the 1872 Act lets mining companies take “hard rock” metals from America’s public lands for free. Huffington Post Green 1/11/13

 

Wildcat drilling increases Manto Zone thickness in centre of proposed pit

VANCOUVER, Wildcat Silver Corporation (TSX: WS) (“Wildcat” or “the Company”) is pleased to announce the results for six drill holes completed on the Company’s Hermosa property located in Santa Cruz County, Arizona. These reverse circulation drill holes, located in the centre of the proposed open pit, were undertaken to validate certain historic results and upgrade the mineral resource estimate. PR Newswire 1/10/13

 

Explore My AZ: Mountain biking near Patagonia

A varied and somewhat eccentric group of mountain bikers from Green Valley and Tubac convenes weekly to explore new and interesting rides in Pima and Santa Cruz counties. Special for The Republic 1/7/2013

 

A positive step on cleanup of mines

Nearly lost in the year-end rush of news out of Washington was a morsel of good news regarding cleanup of abandoned mines that dot the landscape across much of the West. After years of leading the charge on the issue, Sen. Mark Udall, D-Colo., last month was able to tout progress. Denver Post 1/4/2013

2 ranchers illustrate border- plan split

NOGALES, Ariz. – When Dan Bell drives through his 35,000-acre cattle ranch, he speaks of the hurdles the Border Patrol faces in his rolling green hills of oak and mesquite trees – the hours it takes to drive to some places, the wilderness areas that are generally off-limits to motorized vehicles, the environmental reviews required to extend a dirt road.
John Ladd offers a different take from his 14,000-acre spread: the Border Patrol already has more than enough roads and its beefed-up presence has flooded his land and eroded the soil. Arizona Daily Star 12/27/12

 

Town council OKs vehicle restrictions, protecting water supply

Patagonia Town Council members voted to implement weight and noise restrictions on town streets as well as protect the town’s water supply from mining projects during a regular meeting on Dec. 12. Weekly Bulletin 12/26/12

 

UA, government agencies release 4 photos of jaguar in Santa Ritas

Four late-night photos of an adult male jaguar roaming the northern Santa Rita Mountains were released Thursday to the public by University of Arizona researchers and federal and state wildlife officials. Arizona Daily Star 12/21/12

 

Children and safe roads in mind 

Recently one of our community leaders in Patagonia wrote to the Bulletin of her belief that the worries over truck traffic on North 3rd Avenue were overblown and the agitation of one limited group (“Misdirected blame for traffic woe,” by Eloise Mendoza Walsh, Dec. 5). Her points were interesting and well-taken, but might have left the impression that only the Montessori Elementary School community was voicing concerns. Weekly Bulletin 12/19/12

 

Decision on new Rosemont study to come within 60 days

A decision on whether Rosemont Copper will be required to complete a new mine study should be made within 60 days, Pima County Supervisor Ray Carroll was told recently by a top official in Washington.
The supplemental Environmental Impact Statement for the proposed open pit copper mine, which is partly on U.S. Forest Service land in the Santa Rita Mountains, has been requested by environmentalists after Rosemont made changes to its mine proposal. Green Valley News 12/18/2012

 

New photos show entire jaguar

Ten photos of a male jaguar have been taken recently in the northern Santa Ritas, a federal official said. The photos, at least some of which show the jaguar’s entire body, were shot from Oct. 25 to Nov. 12, most near the proposed Rosemont Mine site, by four remote cameras. Arizona Daily Star 12/16/2012

 

Report: Mineral royalties untapped 

The dollar value of hard-rock minerals mined on federal land by companies is unknown because royalties from the sale of those minerals aren’t paid to the federal government, a new report said Wednesday. Arizona Daily Star 12/13/12

 

West is Best: How Public Lands in the West Create a Competitive Economic Advantage

This report finds that the West’s popular national parks, monuments, wilderness areas and other public lands offer its growing high-tech and services industries a competitive advantage, which is a major reason why the western economy has outperformed the rest of the U.S. economy in key measures of growth–employment, population, and personal income–during the last four decades. Headwaters Economics November 2012

 

Approval process for mine criticized

A new Washington, D.C.-based mining advocacy group is criticizing the U.S. Forest Service for its recent decision not to rule on the Rosemont Mine this month as previously planned. The group, Mined in America, said in a news release that Arizona workers are “paying a heavy price for this unreasonable postponement.” Arizona Daily Star 12/9/2012

 

Mining’s Circle of Death

Between the proposed Rosemont Copper mine in the Santa Rita mountains and Wildcat Silver’s Hermosa and Oz Exploration’s Providencia plan of operation in the Patagonia mountains, this area’s nearly 50,000 human inhabitants face the potential of a toxic siege from surface (open pit) mining. Patagonia Regional Times 12/5/2012

 

In Support of Mining

My overall take on mining is probably different from most folks around here and guaranteed to be objectionable to almost everyone. Extractive mining brings a host of complicated considerations not easily limited to either a “pro-mine” or “anti-mine” argument. Patagonia Regional Times 12/5/2012

 

Mine Plan of Operation Submitted for Hermosa Project

Wildcat Silver has submitted a Mine Plan of Operation to the Coronado National Forest for their Hermosa Project, located approximately 5 miles southeast of Patagonia. Patagonia Regional Times 12/5/2012

 

Third Ave. Neighbors Raise Road Traffic Issues

On November 14, several residents whose property surrounds Bowden’s equipment yard made an appearance at the Patagonia Town Council meeting, to voice their opinions on potential traffic and safety issues related to use of that area of Third Avenue by Wildcat Silver Company’s vehicles. Patagonia Regional Times 12/5/2012

 

Misdirected blame for traffic woe

Letter to the Editor by Eloise Mendoza Walsh of Patagonia Weekly Bulletin 12/5/2012

 

Mandatory Criteria Proposed for Mining Projects

The Patagonia Planning & Zoning Board (P&Z) has approved a resolution proposed by Michael Stabile, now awaiting review by the Town Council. the resolution seeks to ensure protection of the environment from the effects of mining operations, and reads as follows: Patagonia Regional Times 12/5/2012

 

Equipment Yard Cited for Permit Violations

In our November issue, PRT ran an article about Brent Bowden’s recent leasing of a storage shed in his Third Avenue equipment yard, and related permit issues. As we noted in that article, improvements may need to be made to the storage shed on that lot, which is to be used as an office by Wildcat Silver Company. Patagonia Regional Times 12/5/2012

 

Support Snafu –Many of Rosemont Copper’s ‘partners’ say they’re no such thing

In Rosemont Copper’s alternate reality, a nature-adoring mine has already become fact, and big-money jobs lurk just over the hill—in this case, in the Santa Rita Mountains south of town. Tucson Weekly 12/6/2012

 

Debate rages over Florence copper-mine project

FLORENCE — More than 300 people packed Florence High School’s gym Wednesday night to voice their displeasure with or support for a controversial, proposed, underground copper mine within the town limits. Arizona Republic 12/6/2012

 

Supervisor taking opposition to Rosemont to Washington

Pima County Supervisor Ray Carroll is taking his opposition to the proposed Rosemont Copper mine to Washington, D.C., where he will meet with congressional and Bureau of Land Management officials. Green Valley News 12/1/2012

 

ADEQ to hold meeting on proposed Florence mine

The Arizona Department of Environmental Quality will hold a public hearing in Florence on Wednesday regarding a controversial proposed copper mine. The hearing is scheduled to begin at 6 p.m. at Florence High School, 1000 S. Main St. Arizona Republic 11/30/2012

 

More business, better security

An interesting meeting Monday brought together politicians and business leaders committed to changing how commerce is handled on the Arizona border with Mexico. Organized by the Fresh Produce Association of the Americas, the gathering near Chandler focused on how the entire state, and this region in particular, can realize an economic benefit through improved relations with Mexico. Nogales International 11/30/12

 

Mine’s plan would protect riparian area

To compensate for the Rosemont Mine’s potential impacts to the jaguar and other imperiled species, Rosemont Copper is proposing to protect and restore wetlands, seasonal ponds, riparian areas and other open spaces on a 1,200-acre ranch near Patagonia in Santa Cruz County. Arizona Daily Star 11/25/2012

 

Jaguar photo taken near Rosemont

An endangered jaguar’s spotted tail was photographed this fall in the northern Santa Rita Mountains, not far from the proposed Rosemont mine site, according to public records and Forest Service officials. Arizona Daily Star 11/25/2012

 

Residents, school officials voice concerns about Wildcat-related truck traffic

Nearly a dozen Patagonia residents, including representatives of the local Montessori school, told town council members during their Nov. 14 regular meeting that they are unhappy about increased traffic between DM Engineering and Excavating and the new Wildcat Silver office on North Third Avenue. Weekly Bulletin 11/21/12

 

Is this the best future for our young people?

A recent op-ed piece suggested that proposed open-pit mines in the Santa Rita and Patagonia Mountains can “provide future opportunities to our community and our youth” (“Mining could be key to many youths’ future,” by Joel Kramer, Oct. 30.) It also stated that “some say” that this “would create jobs and money for Santa Cruz County.” What the article did not say is that “some” are providing an extremely biased picture. Who is behind these mining proposals? Nogales International 11/20/12

 

Rosemont decision put off yet again

The federal government won’t make a decision on the Rosemont Mine as expected next month and it’s not clear when it will, the Coronado National Forest’s chief said Friday in announcing the latest of many delays for the $1.23 billion project. Arizona Daily Star 11/17/11

 

SSSR: Augusta Resource’s Rosemont copper mine facing questions and mounting opposition

Two Arizona Congressmen and a southern Arizona county executive have raised serious questions about Rosemont Copper Company and its proposed copper mine near Tucson. They have asked the U.S. Forest Service to prepare a new Draft Environmental Impact Statement before allowing Rosemont and its Canadian parent company, Augusta Resource Corporation, to begin digging the mine. PR Newswire 11/15/2012

 

Wildcat Silver project will start on mine plan

Wildcat Silver is transitioning from more exploration drilling to developing a mine plan of operation, according to a company official who briefed the Arizona Mining Alliance on Friday. Arizona Geology Blog 11/11/2012

 

New Rosemont flap centers on power-line capacity

Opponents of the proposed mine have made an issue out of the power line’s size. It’s not because a less powerful line would be less obtrusive, but because Rosemont Copper also has mineral rights in other areas of the Santa Rita Mountains. If it later tries to mine those as well, it would need new approvals for more power if a smaller line were built originally. Arizona Daily Star 11/11/2012

 

Mines threaten our unique ‘sky islands’

Guest Opinion: After a long and thoughtful process, I feel compelled to share my own insights and opinions regarding the current mining proposals, threatening to forever alter the character and environments of our one-of-a-kind sky islands. I have heard the pro-mine arguments and I have narrowed them down to one basic element. Namely, that it will somehow create new jobs and thus boost the local economy. Allow me to poke a few holes in this flimsy premise. Nogales International 11/06/2012

 

Wildcat’s New Office May Face Permitting Problems

Wildcat Silver opened its new office in Patagonia with much fanfare on October 11 at 539 North Avenue, in a building recently constructed by Brent Bowden. The opening included a ribbon cutting and the delivery of a check to the Patagonia Volunteer Fire Department for $10,000. However, town building and health department records appear to reveal shortcomings in Bowden’s permitting process as it applies to the proposed office use by Wildcat. Patagonia Regional Times 11/03/2012

 

A Long List of Hurdles Face Rosemont Mine

A refrain that we often hear is “The mine is a done deal”.  Not so – this is an idea that mine proponents often trumpet, but reality is that Rosemont has yet to clear even one of the many regulatory hurdles that it must confront.  Let’s run down the list: Patagonia Regional Times 11/03/2012

 

The Rosemont Mine

Everyone has an opinion.  We have freedom of speech which allows us to share what we have to say.  Now, you may ask yourself what is your opinion on the Rosemont Cooper Mine. I am only in 7th grade, so I may not be aware of all of the things going on in my community, state, or country. Patagonia Regional Times 11/03/2012

 

Save the Patagonia’s (with Science!)

Right now, the diverse ecosystems that make the Patagonias a biodiversity hotspot, tourist destination and birder’s paradise are immediately threatened by mining explorations with plans for open-pit mines. Sky Island Alliance 10/30/2012

 

Mining could be key to many youths’ future

Guest Opinion: Recent advances in metal abstraction technologies make mining cost-effective and some say this would create jobs and money for Santa Cruz County. Nogales International 10/30/2012

 

New ranger station open house Nov. 3

The United States Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Sierra Vista Ranger District, announces the Grand Opening of their new Sierra Vista Ranger Station. The public is invited to attend the grand opening ceremony on Saturday, Nov. 3, from 1 to 3 p.m. Sierra Vista Herald 10/27/2012

 

Arizona Game and Fish comments on federal jaguar habitat proposal

Game and Fish has asked that the proposal be withdrawn because conservation of the species is entirely reliant on activities in the jaguar’s primary habitat of Central and South America to be successful. Lands in Arizona and New Mexico make up less than one percent of the species’ historic range and are not essential to the conservation of the species. AZGFD News Release 10/26/2012

 

Mine backers blast Barber on call for new impact study

The Tucson Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce held a news conference Thursday afternoon to slamU.S. Rep. Ron Barber for unnecessarily trying to delay the ongoing review of permits for the mine. The Rosemont mine is proposed for an area southeast of Tucson in the Santa Rita Mountains outside Sonoita. Arizona Daily Star 10/26/2012

 

Mining company wants railroad to help clean lead contamination

Hundreds of miles of railroad lines in three Missouri counties will continue to spread lead contamination, making a $70 million cleanup a waste of time and money, say lawyers for the mining company that footed the bill through a bankruptcy settlement. Arizona-based American Smelting and Refining Co. agreed in 2009 to pay nearly $1.8 billion to 19 states to settle pollution claims in the largest environmental bankruptcy case in U.S. history. St. Louis Post-Dispatch 10/26/2012

 

Cat Fight: Environmentalists and ranchers at odds over jaguar land

The Center for Biological Diversity is pressing the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to set aside millions of acres of land in Arizona and New Mexico for jaguars. The executive director of the New Mexico Cattle Grower’s Association calls the idea “ridiculous.” KVOA News 4 Tucson 10/24/2012

 

Mining Sky Islands

To learn more about this irreplaceable landscape and the threats it faces, staff attorney Greg Buppert and I traveled to Patagonia, Arizona, a town of fewer than 1,000 people located just over 10 miles from the Mexican border.  From there, we ventured out into the Patagonia Mountains, guided by our local partners from the Patagonia Area Resource Alliance and Ron Pulliam, ecologist and Defenders board member. Words and photos cannot fully convey the sense of awe one feels when hiking through these mountains. Defenders of Wildlife Blog 10/23/2012

 

Change in Rosemont’s plans may slow AZ permit process

The protracted debate over a proposed air quality permit for the Rosemont Mine could get longer. Rosemont Copper might need to revise its request for the permit, an Arizona Department of Environmental Quality official said. That’s because of changes to the mine plans recently announced by the company, said Trevor Baggiore, deputy director of ADEQ’s air quality division. Arizona Daily Star 10/21/2012

 

The Big Dump

“When the Clean Water Act was passed in 1972, it specifically prohibited mine waste from being disposed of in waterways, and the mining industry operated and permitted mines for years under those requirements,” says Bonnie Gestring of Earthworks, a nonprofit dedicated to protecting the environment from damage due to mineral and energy development. “Now, we have this new regulation that reverts responsible mine-waste disposal back to a century ago.” Vegas Seven 10/18/2012

 

Mine owners sue Arizona town over attempt to thwart project

The operators of a proposed copper mine in Florence want a federal judge to void a new town law that would effectively thwart the project. Attorneys for Curis Resources contend the ordinance limiting how much sulfuric acid anyone can have or use is aimed not at public safety, as town officials claim, but solely to make it impossible for the company to do the proposed leaching project. That makes it a special law which is illegal under the Arizona Constitution. Arizona Daily Star 10/18/2012

 

Wildcat mining inaugurates new facility

Wildcat Silver officially opened a new facility in Patagonia during a ceremony last Thursday at in which representatives for the mining company also presented a sizable check to the local fire department. In addition, Kathi Noaker, a chairperson for the Patagonia Area Resource Alliance, a group that opposes Wildcat’s operations, said, “We’re happy that Wildcat Silver gave the fire department $10,000, but the fire that was caused by Wildcat Silver was estimated to cost $300,000 and so where is the other $290,000?” Weekly Bulletin 10/17/2012

 

Agents find 1,000-year-old clay pot in Patagonia Mtns.

A 1,000-year old clay jar was discovered by Border Patrol agents in the Patagonia Mountains in what appeared to be a drug runner’s lookout camp. The intact jar is more than a foot in diameter and based on its design appears to have been made by the HoHoKam people around 1,000 AD, Coronado National Forest archeologist Bill Gillespie said after seeing it. A fragment of another vessel was found nearby. Weekly Bulletin 10/17/2012

 

Wildcat Silver will be a good neighbor

Wildcat Silver, as articulated as its core principals, is be committed to protecting the environment, maintaining safe and healthy business practices, supporting local governments and community organizations. Most importantly we will be a good neighbor. (Lucero is vice-president of sustainable development for Wildcat Silver.) Nogales International 10/16/2012

 

Canada should rein in its criminal mining companies

At the end of 2010, a woman from Guatemala sued a Canadian mining giant in Toronto, asking 12 million $ for the killing of her husband. A year before, the chief of security at HudBay’s Fenix mining project had beaten and killed community leader Adolfo Ich in an unprovoked attack witnessed by many. The killer remained employed for another year and was arrested only last week. EJOLT Blog 10/16/2012

 

Scientists: Camera captured jaguar SE of Tucson

Arizona Game and Fish Department officials say outside experts agree with state biologists that a hunter’s trail camera captured an image of a jaguar late last month. It was sighted southeast of Tucson on Sept. 23. Arizona Daily Star 10/12/2012

 

Copper Mining Company Allowed to Write Copper Mining Regulations

The New Mexico Environment Department’s upper management adopted Freeport McMoRan’s proposal in order to accommodate Freeport’s need to routinely pollute groundwater with acid rock drainage, metals and other contaminants in the course of its mining operations near Silver City, NM. In essence, it throws out protections for New Mexico groundwater. News Release NMELC  10/12/2012

 

Boom, Bust, Boom: Flagstaff Author Bill Carter Explores The Effects Of Copper Mining

Arizona currently supplies about half of the copper used in the U.S. But, mining doesn’t come without significant impact on the environment and the people who live and work in mining towns. KNAU Arizona News 10/11/2012 Note: Bill Carter will be at the Patagonia Library February, 2013.

 

Deep Dirt Farm Institute taking root in Patagonia

Kate Tirion looks at land differently than we mere mortals do. Standing on the hill that overlooks Tirion’s Deep Dirt Farm Institute, most of us would simply admire the view of the foothills rising up into the Santa Rita Mountains. But Tirion knows this land on a much more intimate level. Weekly Bulletin 10/10/2012

 

Filmmaker responds to CEO

Augusta Resource CEO Gil Clausen’s statement in response to InvestigativeMEDIA’s documentary “Cyanide Beach” is a clumsy attempt to deflect public attention from the truth. John Dougherty investigated Sargold Resource Corporation’s role in a Sardinia mine and produced the 24-minute documentary “Cyanide Beach.” The facts are simple as they are ugly. Weekly Bulletin 10/10/2012

 

China to cut copper consumption, consultant says

“Copper consumption in China will contract this year for the first time since 2008 as demand falters and inventories climb in the largest user, before rebounding in 2013, according to Simon Hunt Strategic Services. The drop in China’s consumption may hurt prices and cut profits at mining companies, including Phoenix-based Freeport-McMo-Ran Copper & Gold Inc.” Arizona Daily Star 10/10/2012

 

Border Patrol finds artifacts in Patagonia Mountains

Sonoita Border Patrol agents discovered several artifacts while they were patrolling in the rugged Patagonia Mountains last week. The agents found an intact ancient pot and a piece of another pot south of Patagonia. CBS 5 KPHO 10/09/2012

 

Four foreign-owned companies are proposing mining operations at sites within a 20-mile radius of Patagonia.

Here is a brief update on their status: Wildcat Silver Company (Canada); Oz Minerals Explorations (Australia); Regal Resources Inc. (Canada); North American Potash Developments, Inc. (Canada) Patagonia Regional Times 10/05/2012

 

 The Lessons of Cyanide Beach

Cyanide Beach, a documentary created by Investigative Media, was shown on September 29 and 30 at the Tin Shed Theater in Patagonia. Presented by Patagonia Area Resource Alliance (PARA), the movie portrays the outcome of an unsuccessful open pit gold mine operated by Sargold Resource Corporation…and details the related business history of five Sargold executive board members who are now a part of Augusta Copper Company. Augusta is the parent company of Rosemont Copper, and is also affiliated with Wildcat Silver Co. Patagonia Regional Times 10/05/2012

 

The Forest Service Explains Its Role to a Questioning Audience

Coronado National Forest Supervisor Jim Upchurch, appearing relaxed and personable, began his discussion by explaining the Forest Service’s role regarding mineral exploration and mining. While they are mandated by federal policy under the 1872 Mining Law to enable mineral explorations and mining, they are also the federally designated caretakers of our public lands, obligated to protect our environment. Patagonia Regional Times 10/05/2012

 

To Those Who Care About Our Land

When Coronado Forest Supervisor, Jim Upchurch, addressed the community of Patagonia on September 6, he made it plain that his job was to usher the mining corporations through the maze of Federal, State and local regulations, and to minimize any problems they may face from a public that is principally a nuisance to them. There was little indication that the Forest Service actually cared about the concerns quoted in the job description of Forest Chief, Tom Tidwell. Patagonia Regional Times 10/05/2012

 

Augusta CEO calls film a “hit piece”

Augusta Resource/Rosemont CEO Gil Clausen on Aug. 23 released the company’s official response to the documentary “Cyanide Beach,” which is published in its entirety below. Augusta declined a request from the Green Valley News for an interview about the documentary. Weekly Bulletin 10/03/2012

 

Game and Fish analyzing new photo of possible endangered cat sighted southeast of Tucson

The Arizona Game and Fish Department is currently analyzing a recent trail camera photo of either a jaguar or an ocelot sighted southeast of Tucson. The photo includes only the tail and a small portion of a hind quarter of the animal, making positive identification more difficult. AZ Game & Fish News 10/02/2012

 

An Amateur Rancher Brings the Wastelands of the Southwest Back to Life

What’s a Manhattan society girl to do when she finds herself living on acres of desiccated, left-for-dead earth in the Southwest? If she’s Valer Austin, she rolls up her sleeves and does the miraculous—bringing it all back to lush life. Oprah Magazine 9/2012

 

Guest Column: We must not trade away our birthright: the pristine Santa Rita Mtns.

Anyone who has ever driven the Scenic Byway that is Route 83 knows the birthright of natural beauty we have stretching out along those rolling miles. But very soon decisions will be made about construction of the Rosemont Copper Mine, a mile-wide open pit that will dramatically change that landscape. Arizona Daily Star 9/27/2012

 

Rosemont, and some big questions

Two years ago, John Dougherty knew absolutely zero about the proposed Rosemont Mine. Today, he could qualify as a leading expert. He’s also the mind behind “Cyanide Beach,” a new documentary that calls into question the business practices – perhaps even the character – of five men on the board of Augusta Resource, Rosemont’s parent company. Weekly Bulletin 09/26/2012

 

9th Circuit okays mining vehicle limits in Forest

The Forest Service has the authority to limit motor vehicles and mining activities in California’s Eldorado National Forest, the 9th Circuit ruled Wednesday. The federal appeals court in San Francisco rejected a challenge to a 2008 decision by seven miners and prospectors and the group Public Lands for the People. Courthouse News Service 09/26/2012

 

Modern mining nothing like the past

I read Manuel C. Coppola’s editorial (“Mines are good shot for working class,” Weekly Bulletin, Sept. 19) and was troubled by his nostalgic notion of mining. Modern mining is nothing like the mining of our area’s past. Nogales International 09/26/2012

 

Let’s keep it civil

Reaction to my editorial supporting mining (“Open minds to the mines,” NI, Sept. 18) brought forth ugly shades of intolerance. I must say most responses have been intelligent and well-meaning and have made me reflect more on my position. Nogales International 09/25/2012

 

We need sustainable development

I agree that the citizens and those we elect to govern our beautiful Santa Cruz County should work to create “decent jobs and an improved quality of life,” as Manuel C. Coppola wrote in “Open minds to the mines,” NI, Sept. 18. I strongly disagree that the mining industry is the answer. Nogales International 09/25/2012

 

Enough Rosemont

It’s not like area residents have never been exposed to the environmental hazards of copper mining. For years we have lived with air and water pollution issues not to mention the multi-colored mine tailings that have forever destroyed scenic mountain views to the west. Green Valley News 09/25/2012

 

In last act before recess, house passes broad assault on public health protection

Today the most anti-environmental U.S. House of Representatives in history passed a bill, H.R. 3409, that broadly guts many of our basic environmental and public health laws, including the Clean Air Act, the Clean Water Act, the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act, and the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act. EarthJustice 09/21/2012

 

Rescind alunite property option agreement

North American Potash Developments announces that in respect to the agreement entered into to acquire an interest in certain mineral rights located at the northern end of the Patagonia Mountains, Santa Cruz County, Arizona, the Company and the optionor [Sulfate Resources] have agreed to terminate the agreement by mutual consent. North American Potash Developments Press Release 09/21/2012

 

Open minds to the mines

As long as the mining companies are respectful of both the culture and the environment, I say, Bienvenidos. I say yes to the mines. Nogales International 09/18/2012

 

Jaguar Versus the Copper Mine

There’s an extraordinary 70,000-square-mile region that encompasses part of southeastern Arizona, southwestern New Mexico and northwestern Mexico. This area, called the Sky Islands, is characterized by forested mountain ranges divided by desert or grassland valleys. High Country News 09/17/2012

 

State Supreme Court: Arizona has no right for water on trust land

Settling a decades-old battle, the Arizona Supreme Court ruled Wednesday that millions of acres of state trust land in Arizona have no federally reserved water rights. Daily Courier 09/14/2012

 

Rosemont Deception of the Day: Dodging County Code

Rosemont Copper’s parent company, Augusta Resource, wants to deploy an array of lights to operate the proposed Rosemont open pit copper mine 24/7 on the Coronado National Forest south of Tucson. Augusta is now brazenly claiming the Rosemont mine is not subject to the lighting code. Rosemont Mine Truth 09/14/2012

 

The Absurdity of American Empire – Sacrifice Zones

What happens when you force communities, families and entire ecosystems to kneel before the dictates of the marketplace? You get what Chris Hedges, co-author with Joe Sacco of Days of Destruction, Days of Revolt, calls “sacrifice zones.” Common Dreams 09/12/2012

 

Balancing mining with forest care

With plenty of law enforcement in the shadows, representatives from the Coronado National Forest held what turned out to be a rather civil discussion about mining activity in the area. In addition to town officials like Mayor Ike Isakson, who was chosen to be the moderator, close to 100 people attended the meeting at the Patagonia Public Schools cafetorium. Nogales International 09/12/2012

 

Teck Resources admits polluting Columbia River for 100 years; Damage to be assessed

There used to be a beach in Washington state called Black Sand Beach. Only it wasn’t sand that lined the banks of the Columbia River. It was slag, a pebbly waste laden with arsenic, mercury, lead and an alphabet soup of other metals left over from processing zinc at a smelter upstream, across the border in British Columbia. HuffPost Business Canada 09/10/2012

 

Curis shares sink amid mine delay

Curis Resources is losing money, and its stock price has plummeted as the Canadian company has battled opponents the past two years over a proposed Florence copper mine. Arizona Republic 09/10/2012

 

Safety of acid-injection mining technique debated

Rising copper prices have changed the equation, prompting Curis Resources to embark on a plan to extract the copper by injecting sulfuric acid into formations more than 400 feet underground, where it would strip the fractured rock of copper. The mix of acid and minerals would be pumped back to the surface for processing. Arizona Republic 09/08/2012

 

Bitter debate over mining in small town Florence

The object of this debate is a unique type of mine that would inject millions of gallons of sulfuric-acid solution deep into the ground to leach out the copper. It is a cost-effective method of mining, but the community is less certain about its safety. Arizona Republic 09/08/2012

 

Rosemont says new plan cuts water use

More copper produced – yet less water sucked from the aquifer, less pollution, less juice needed to power the mine and mill, and fewer trucks on the road. Rosemont Copper now predicts that scenario for its proposed Rosemont Mine, due to recent changes in its plans to produce significantly more copper of one type and to cancel production of another. Arizona Daily Star 09/08/2012

 

Speculation gone bad: Augusta directors had Sardinian mine pollution experience

Augusta Resource has never operated a mine. Its proposed Rosemont copper mine southeast of Tucson is a speculative venture. It will succeed or fail based on the resources put into it, the economics of the industry, whether the project can comply with U.S. environmental and other laws, and the outcome of impending elections. However, six out of seven AR board members were speculating on another mine in Sardinia, Italy at the time that the Rosemont property was purchased. The company that they directed was called Sargold Resource, owners of 90 percent of the Sardinian Furtei SGM mine.
The Furtei mine is a cautionary tale of speculation gone bad that covers the period 2003-2008 and is still impacting many lives. Sargold Resource investors bought 90 percent of a closed and polluting mine; with the remaining 10 percent owned by the Region of Sardinia. The public-private company was called “SGM”. Willcox Range News 09/05/2012

 

Josh Brodesky: County’s challenges to mine well worth cost to taxpayers

Rosemont Copper supporters can’t stand that Chuck Huckelberry is putting up such a fight, but I’m OK with it. They say he is spending big with public money to kill jobs and thwart economic development. But since we all will have to live with the open-pit mine instead of scenic desert, spending $190,000 in public funds to make it (hopefully) more environmentally responsible seems like chump change. Arizona Daily Star 09/06/2012

Boise Headwater Mining Exploration put on hold because of water concerns

U.S. District Judge Edward J. Lodge found that the U.S. Forest Service’s actions were “arbitrary and capricious” when it approved the CuMo Exploration Project without examining potential effects to groundwater. He remanded the agency’s environmental document for further study and consideration. Idaho River Reflections Blog 08/30/2012

 

Guest Column by James Sturgess of Rosemont Copper – Center for Biological Diversity plays the bully by sounding the Jaguar alarm

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has released a notice soliciting comments on a proposal to designate critical habitat for the jaguar in New Mexico and Arizona. The request appears to be based as much on legal threats by the Center for Biological Diversity to sue if they don’t get their way as it is on science. Arizona Daily Star 08/31/2012

 

Lawsuit seeks to reinstate Pygmy Owl’s protected status

Conservation groups have sued to restore endangered status protection for small owls found in Southern Arizona. The Center for Biological Diversity and Defenders of Wildlife filed the lawsuit this week in federal court, saying that fewer than 50 cactus ferruginous pygmy owls exist in the state. Arizona Daily Star 08/24/2012

 

People Power Essential to saving Endangered Species

Now, a study published in the internationally acclaimed journal Science has found that citizen action on behalf of vanishing plants and animals is crucial in ensuring they get the protection they need to survive. HuffPost Green 08/22/2012

 

Kitty Corner: Jaguars win critical habitat in U.S.

In a  plan published yesterday, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service proposed designating 838,232 acres as critical jaguar habitat. That means federal agencies cannot fund or authorize any activities that might “adversely modify” the earmarked land, which covers four stretches of mountain in southeastern Arizona, a section of the Peloncillo Mountains on the Arizona–New Mexico border, and a tiny piece of New Mexico’s San Luis Mountains. Scientific American 08/21/2012

 

Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Designation of Critical Habitat for Jaguar

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), propose to designate critical habitat for the jaguar (Panthera onca) under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act). In total, we propose to designate as critical habitat approximately 339,220 hectares (838,232 acres) in Pima, Santa Cruz, and Cochise Counties, Arizona, and Hidalgo County, New Mexico. Federal Register 08/20/2012

Rosemont foes decry enviro plan as deficient

A draft environmental impact statement on the proposed Rosemont Mine is “clearly deficient” and needs major revisions, opponents of the mine said Tuesday. Coronado National Forest Supervisor Jim Upchurch, who met with the mine opponents, said plans for publishing a final impact statement in December remain in effect. Arizona Daily Star 08/22/2012

 

New Business offers pick your own produce

“I’m the plant nerd and she’s the plant artist,” said Mary McKay, describing herself and her sister Denise Purvis. The two women have joined forces to create a new pick-your-own vegetable business on State Route 83 in Sonoita that they have named Harris Heritage Growers in honor of their late father, Richard Harris. Nogales International 08/10/2012 

 

Gold, Silver and Copper are all heading lower: Elliot Wave Analyst
Yahoo Finance 08/21/2012

US Seeks to shield Jaguar Habitat
Arizona Daily Star 08/18/2012 

Feds: 1300 square miles of S. Arizona is Jaguar Habitat
Arizona Daily Star 08/17/2012

Arizona Mining: University Professors weigh in with concern for communities, wildlife and water
Earthworks Blog 08/17/2012

New Study: Citizens play crucial role in identifying species that need Endangered Species Act protection
Press Release, Center for Biodiversity 08/16/2012

Mark Ruggiero heads to USFS position in Sierra Vista, Arizona
NPS Digest 08/2012

Town of Florence, Arizona outlaws copper mining process
Phoenix Business Journal 08/08/2012

State take charge of Rosemont air permit
Arizona Daily Star 08/04/2012

Modern mining doesn’t contaminate the environment, except when it does. More than 100 sickened in toxic mining spill in Peru
SF Gate 08/03/2012

Sustained by effluent, The Santa Cruz River faces an uncertain future
Tucson Weekly 08/02/2012

Forest supervisor sites 4 key areas needing review on Rosemont Mine
Arizona Daily Star 08/01/2012

Cienega Creek, other Southeast AZ streams increasingly dry (Including Redrock Canyon)
Arizona Daily Star 07/29/2012

Hazmat truck traffic picks up on SR 82
Nogales International 07/27/2012

Rosemont will cost more, Augusta says
Canadian Mining Journal 07/25/2012

Canadian mining goliaths devastate Mexican indigenous communities and environment
Truthout 07/25/2012

Raven’s Way, Nature sanctuaries raise environmental awareness
Sierra Vista Herald 07/24/2012

Mexican town takes on world’s richest man
Latino Fox News 7/22/2012

Rare Arizona Snail One Step Closer to Endangered Species Act Protection
Press Release, Center for Biodiversity 7/23/2012

Light from the proposed Rosemont Mine could cause problems for southern Arizona observatories
Tucson Weekly 7/19/2012

Beyond the Politics of No
High Country News 7/18/2012

Ten Metals and Mining Stocks to Sell Now (Augusta is one of them.)
Investor Place 7/16/2012

Copper Demand, Prices Expected to Drop
Arizona Daily Star 7/15/2012

Texas Judge Rules Atmosphere, Air Deserve Protection
Arizona Daily Star 7/12/2012

Tourism spending in AZ approaching pre-recession levels
Arizona Daily Star 7/12/2012

House votes to streamline federal mining permit process
The Hill Blog 7/12/2012

House defeats all Dem amendments to GOP mining bill
The Hill Blog 7/12/2012

Underground mine in Catalina Mountains receives county OK
Arizona Daily Star 7/11/2012

House advances strategic mineral mining bill
The Hill Blog 7/11/2012

White House opposes House mining bill, but stops short of veto threat
The Hill Blog 7/10/2012

Rosemont decision may be in December
Arizona Daily Star 7/06/2012

Rosemont ramps up quest for CAP flow
Arizona Daily Star 7/05/2012

Regal Resources Files New Technical Report on Patagonia (Sunnyside) Property and Clarifies Information Regarding Squaw Peak Abandonment
Marketwire 7/03/2012

Rosemont facing “extreme scrutiny” for $404 million in construction loans as cash runs low
Rosemont Mine Truth 7/02/2012

Arizona copper-mining row pits economy against scenery
BBC News 6/29/2012

Lawsuit Filed to Protect Rare Orchid in Footprint of Proposed Rosemont Copper Mine
Press Release, Center for Biological Diversity 6/29/2012

Rosemont timetable as murky as ever
Arizona Daily Star 6/27/2012

Forest Service Approves Grand Canyon Uranium Mine Despite 26-year-old Environmental Review
Press Release, Center for Biological Diversity 6/26/2012

Regal Receives Final Draft of Sunnyside/Patagonia Project Technical Report
Marketwire 6/20/ 2012

Land Grab Masked as a national security measure passes US House of Representatives
Press Release, Wilderness Society 6/19/2012

House OK’s waiver of of enviro laws at border
Arizona Daily Star 6/19/2012

CEO of Augusta Resource, the parent company of Rosemont Copper, is under fire for “exceedingly poor decision-making”, “gross failures of judgment” and “serious conflicts of interest”
Rosemont Mine Truth 6/13/2012

A change in copper futures trading strategy could sink values to new lows and undermine the value of mining stocks
Seeking Alpha 6/7/2012

Gas company officials address residents’ concerns
KOLD 6/6/2012

Altar Valley pipeline plan fuels host of area concerns
Arizona Daily Star 6/5/2012

Update on Wildcat’s Proposed Drilling at Harshaw
Patagonia Regional Times 6/3/2012

Ninth Circuit Court Rules Against 1872 Mining Law
YubaNet 6/1/2012

Canadian firm boosts plans to seek silver near Patagonia
Arizona Daily Star 6/1/2012

Sun to Set on Commodities Super-Cycle: Morgan Stanley Strategist
CNBC 5/29/2012

Rosemont Power Line Approved by state but Corporation Commission Adds Hurdles to be Met
Arizona Daily Star 5/24/2012

Forest Service Withdraws Approval of Wildcat Plan
Weekly Bulletin 5/23/2012

Rosemont’s Entitlement
Rosemont Mine Truth 5/22/2012

Forest Service Awards one of largest ever Timber Contracts to Agency Insider
Center for Biodiversity Press Release 5/18/2012

Retirees Join Environmentalists in Fighting Arizona Copper Mine
High Country News 5/14/2012

Pima County to Appeal Aquifer Permit
Arizona Daily Star 5/9/2012

Landowner Wins Wetlands Stewardship Award
Nogales International 5/8/2012

Wildcat Silver Announces Departure of Chris Jones, the President and CEO
Wildcat Silver Press Release 5/7/2012

Arizona Corporation Commission: Foreign Corporate Failures Can Be Concealed
Save the Scenic Santa Ritas Press Release 5/2/2012

After Years of Struggle, Opponents Still Fighting Pinto Creek Mine
Green Valley News 5/2/2012 

Hydrologist Warns of Risk to Sonoita Plain
Weekly Bulletin 5/2/2012

Freeport-McMoRan will pay 6.8 Million Dollar Fine in Department of Justice Settlement for damages related to the Morenci Copper Mine
Eastern Arizona Courier 4/29/2012

WITHDRAWAL OF DECISION MEMORANDUM FOR THE HARDSHELL MINERALS EXPLORATION PROJECT
United States Forest Service 04/28/2012

Border Proposals Could Leave Parks Unprotected (H.R. 1505)
Epoch Times 4/26/2012

Sonoran Institute Comes Out Against Rosemont Mine
Sonoran Institute Western Dispatch 4/25/2012

Mining project permitting streamlining bill introduced in U.S. Congress, H.R. 4402
Congressman Mark Amodei (R-NV)  4/19/2012

Conservations Groups Further Challenge Hardshell (Wildcat Silver) Project in Court
PARA, Defenders of Wildlife, Sky Island Alliance press release 4/19/2012

An Unworthy Opponent
High Country News 4/12/2012 

Where’s the Beef?
Patagonia Regional Times 4/6/2012

A Few Words About Sodium Cyanide
Patagonia Regional Times 4/6/2012

Monitoring and Mining- How Can We Safeguard our Community?
Patagonia Regional Times 4/6/2012

Port of Guaymas set to expand
Arizona Daily Star 4/5/2012

Plan to Widen SR 83 Rejected
Weekly Bulletin 4/4/2012

Rosemont Copper CEO Admits Company Didn’t File Disclosures in Arizona
Save the Scenic Santa Ritas Press Release 4/2/2012

Arizona Bill Would Let Mining Firms Shroud Pollution
Arizona Republic 4/1/2012 – UPDATE: Gov. Jan Brewer signed this bill into law.

Court Upholds Public’s Democratic Right to Participate in Government
WildEarth Guardians Press Release 3/21/2012

Wildcat says precautions were necessary
Weekly Bulletin 3/7/12

A Closer Look at Wildcat’s Projections

Hike turns controversial
Weekly Bulletin 2/29/2012

VIDEO: Locals Voice Concerns Over AZ Mine Proposal
Defenders of Wildlife blog 2/9/2012

Potash Exploration Targeted for Red Mountain Area
Patagonia Regional Times 2/6/2012

Mining in Patagonia Draws Full House
Patagonia Regional Times 2/3/2012

Movie premier draws crowd
Weekly Bulletin 01/27/2012

’11 wildfire tied to mine site
Arizona Daily Star 1/16/2012

Block drilling in Patagonias, lawsuit urges
Arizona Daily Star 1/12/2012

Groups file suit to stop Hardshell Project
Weekly Bulletin 1/4/2012