Rosemont plan may be greener than feds'
But Forest Service maintains that its 'Barrel' option protects riparian areas
Tony Davis Arizona Daily Star | Posted: Friday, October 14, 2011 12:00 am
The Forest Service's preferred plan for the Rosemont Mine would preserve a major drainage that eventually feeds the important wildlife habitat of Davidson Canyon. But it would create more environmental impacts than the mining company's proposal on several other fronts - at least by the numbers.
Those include air quality, acres of wildlife habitat and recreation lands lost, visual impacts, and grazing land lost, the Forest Service's new draft environmental impact statement on the proposed mine shows.
In fact, the preferred plan would be more likely to cause federal air quality standards to be exceeded than the mining company's proposal, the new environmental report says.
But the preferred plan, known as the Barrel Alternative, would be environmentally friendlier than Rosemont Copper's proposed plan in its impacts on surface water supplies, stormwater runoff flows and soil productivity, the report adds.
The two proposals fare about the same in just as many effects as they differ, the report shows. Those include dark skies for astronomy, fuels and fire management, historic properties, groundwater supplies and quality, transportation, public health and safety, hazardous materials, socioeconomics and environmental justice.
Released late Wednesday, the new environmental impact statement analyzed the effects of five mining alternatives for the Rosemont site in the Santa Rita Mountains, lying about 30 miles southeast of Tucson.
It also analyzed a "no action" alternative, based on what would happen if no mine were built. But the Forest Service repeated in the report its oft-stated position that it can't say legally say "no" to a mine there, although it can legally reject a specific mine operating plan it finds inadequate.
The proposed plan from Rosemont Copper would place mine tailings atop McCleary Canyon, a major tributary to Barrel Canyon that in turn feeds Davidson. The service's Barrel Alternative would avoid McCleary Canyon, put mine tailings farther south and push the mine's stored waste rock farther east, close to Arizona 83.
McCleary Canyon was worth the other environmental tradeoffs because it contains most of the important riparian habitat in the overall mine project area that service officials are concerned about, said Jim Upchurch, the Coronado National Forest supervisor.
"The seeps and springs, the botany, the flora, that type of thing, is more prevalent in McCleary than other places in the project area," Upchurch said.
Although the preferred plan would destroy more total wildlife and recreation lands than the Rosemont Copper proposal, "you've got to look at where those lands are at. It's not just acres but where they occur," Upchurch said. "If you had 100 acres of effect in McCleary Canyon and 200 acres on a hillside, there is a difference there."
Save the Scenic Santa Ritas, the leading mine opposition group, said it finds both plans equally unacceptable.
Rosemont Copper officials said it is too early to comment on specific plans.
Some specifics on the two proposals' impacts:
Air quality
With the company's proposal, fine particle concentrations would rise by two times compared to natural background levels. Large particle concentrations would rise by more than three times. Federal air-quality standards wouldn't be exceeded, but large particles would reach 97 percent of the standard.
The Forest Service's preferred alternative would increase fine particles by more than eight times those of natural background levels and large particles by more than four times natural background. Federal air quality standards would be exceeded. The report doesn't explain why, but Forest Services will answer questions at a news conference today.
Biological resources
The company's proposal would cause direct loss or conversion of 6,380 to 6,461 acres of natural habitat. The service's preferred plan would cause similar effects to 7,017 to 7,095 acres. Both plans may indirectly impact up to 145,190 acres.
The effects on sensitive species would be generally similar except for possibly the rare Coleman's coral-root orchid that lives in McCleary Canyon would be less impacted by the Forest Service's Barrel plan.
RECREATION
The company's proposal would cause the loss of 6,211 acres of recreational lands, while the preferred proposal would cause a loss of 6,844 such acres.
Surface water supplies
The company's proposal would reduce stormwater flows into neighboring canyons by 46 percent and into Davidson Canyon by 10 percent. The preferred Barrel plan would reduce total stormwater flows by 34 percent and flows to Davidson by 5 percent.
What's next for Rosemont
• The Forest Service will take public comment on the proposed mine for 90 days, then issue a final environmental impact statement and a record of decision.
• The Army Corps of Engineers must decide whether to issue a permit for the mine under Section 404 of the Clean Water Act, for placement or discharge of fill material into rivers, streams, washes and adjacent wetlands that fall under the corps' legal jurisdiction.
• The Arizona Department of Environmental Quality must approve eight separate permits, including those covering ground water and surface water.
• The Pima County Department of Environmental Quality has already denied an air-quality permit that the mine needs to operate. Rosemont Copper will challenge the denial in court.
• The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will have to analyze the mine's impacts on up to nine endangered and threatened species if the Forest Service determines that the project may have an effect on them.
• The Arizona Corporation Commission would have to approve a Tucson Electric Power power line serving the mine.
• The U.S. Bureau of Land Management must approve a plan for the 15 acres of its land affected by the mine.
• The State Agriculture Department must approve a permit, which is usually routine, allowing the clearing of native vegetation for the project.
How to comment
To speak out on the mine's draft environmental impact statement:
• Come to one of the six public meetings on the mine report scheduled between late October and early next January. The first is Oct. 22, 1-5 p.m., at Desert Diamond Conference Center, 1100 W. Pima Mine Road, in Sahuarita.
• Make online written comments by going to www.fs.fed.us/r3/coronado/RosemontDEISmain.htm and following the link to "Commenting on the DEIS."
• Mail written comments to Rosemont Comments, P.O. Box 4207, Logan, UT 84323.
• Email comments to CoronadoNF@RosemontEIS.us, using the subject line "Rosemont Copper Project EIS."
• Fax comments to 1-435-750-8799, using the same subject line as for an email.
• Make brief spoken comments at 1-888-654-6666.
Coming this weekend
Rosemont Copper would take mitigating steps to reduce its environmental impacts. Read what the Forest Service reports about those.
Contact reporter Tony Davis at tdavis@azstarnet.com or 806-7746.
