More time to comment on mine in Santa Ritas

Sunday, March 29, 2008
The Tucson Citizen
By Blake Morlock

The U.S. Forest Service announced Friday that it will extend the public comment process for a proposed copper mine southeast of Tucson.

The move was prompted by U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, D-Ariz., who told Forest Service administrators she was concerned that the public has no confidence in the agency’s impartiality related to the Rosemont Mine, which would be dug in the Santa Rita Mountains.

Giffords held a news conference at her Tucson office along with Forest Service officials to announce a more involved environmental impact survey.

The Forest Service will extend the deadline for the public to comment to July 11, an extra 90 days. It also will hold three open houses and three public hearings on the mine and establish a public working group to watch over the process. Dates and times for the added public meetings were still being worked out Friday, officials said.

“I want to make sure that there is a process that is seen as open,” Giffords said.

Jeanine Derby, supervisor of the Coronado National Forest, said she agreed to the steps even though “it’s not the normal way to go.” Canadian-based Augusta Resource Corp. owns the mining claim but needs to use Forest Service land for its operations.

The Forest Service can evaluate and restrict operations of the mine but can not deny Augusta the right to mine outright.
Forest Service spokeswoman Heidi Schewel said her agency can consider specific public complaints but not simply “pro” and “con” positions.

Augusta Resource will not contest the lengthening of the public review, even if it extends the two-year approval process.
“We have faith in the (public comment) process and encourage participation from all perspectives related to domestic mineral production,” said Jamie Sturgess, vice president of sustainable development at Rosemont.

The move will give environmentalists more of a chance to beat back the plan, said Gayle Hartmann, president of Save the Scenic Santa Ritas, which was established to fight the mine.

Hartmann wants Augusta’s proposal denied, which she says can be done high up in the executive branch. A new president could change the mine’s prospects, Hartmann said.

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