Rosemont opponents lawsuit dismissed
TUCSON, AZ (Feb. 2, 2012) – A federal judge in Tucson dismissed a lawsuit brought by environmental organizations and Farmers Investment Co. against the Coronado National Forest. The dismissal issued Monday is with prejudice, which means that these claims cannot be reasserted in a later lawsuit.
In their lawsuit, the groups claimed that the Forest Service violated the Freedom of Information Act and the Federal Advisory Committee Act in connection with their environmental review of the Rosemont Copper project.
“Our company has contended all along that the lawsuit lacked merit,” said Kathy Arnold, Rosemont Copper Vice President of Environmental and Regulatory Affairs. “This dismissal shows that there was no real basis to sue the Forest Service and attempt to disrupt approval of Rosemont’s project.”
Shortly after the lawsuit was filed last February, the plaintiffs asked the court to issue an injunction preventing the Forest Service’s release of the draft environmental impact statement concerning Rosemont’s proposed copper mine, located southeast of Tucson. In an order issued last June, Senior District Judge Frank R. Zapata denied the injunction, ruling that the plaintiffs failed to show that they were entitled to relief.
Following Judge Zapata’s ruling, the plaintiffs made little effort to pursue their claims. In November, the Forest Service filed a motion for summary judgment on the Freedom of Information Act claim, which ultimately resulted in an agreement to end the lawsuit. The Forest Service also agreed to pay the Center for Biological Diversity $6,000 to reimburse a portion of that group’s legal fees.
The Coronado National Forest released its draft environmental impact statement concerning Rosemont Copper’s proposed copper mine on October 18, 2011. The public comment period ended Tuesday, January 31. A decision approving Rosemont Copper’s mining plan is expected later this year.
ABOUT ROSEMONT COPPER COMPANY
The Rosemont Copper project is located in
Pima County, approximately 30 miles southeast of Tucson, Arizona, and contains
a world-class open-pit copper/molybdenum/silver deposit. Located in an existing mining district,
Rosemont Copper will set a high standard for sustainable mining practices,
including using solar power, consuming less than half the water as traditional
mines, and reclaiming the site from the start of operations as permanent open
space. Arizona, the copper state, produces 65 percent of the United States’
supply of copper on only a quarter of one percent of the state’s land. Rosemont
Copper is expected to provide more than 10 percent of the U.S. copper supply
while requiring less than half the land area of other Pima County mines. A recent study by Arizona State University
showed the region would benefit over the life of the mine, adding 406 direct
and 1700 indirect jobs, $3 billion in increased personal income, $404 million
in local taxes and $15 billion in local economic revenue. For more information,
visit the Rosemont Copper website at www.rosemontcopper.com.
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