Rosemont Support almost 3-1 in Tri-County Area
Rosemont Copper Company reports a majority of residents in Pima, Cochise and Santa Cruz Counties support a new copper mine planned for the east side of the Santa Rita Mountains.
At the beginning of the survey, respondents were asked about their initial response to the Rosemont Copper project and 54 percent were in favor, according to a survey conducted by Marketing Intelligence this month. When residents are informed about the review and approval process necessary for the Rosemont Copper project to begin operations, support for the project grew to 60 percent. When also considering the economic impact on the region as reported by Arizona State University, residents’ support reached 74 percent.
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“Our staff at Rosemont has been working hard to educate the community about our project through speaking engagements, public forums, and tours of the site,” said Rod Pace, Rosemont’s President and CEO. “The more people know about Rosemont’s plan of operations and the extensive federal, state and county permitting process to ensure compliance with all environmental regulations, the more they understand the significant benefit for our region.”
The telephone survey was statistically representative of residents from the tri-county area and had a sampling error of plus or minus 4.4 percent. In addition to questions regarding the Rosemont Copper project, survey participants were asked their opinion on the most important issue currently facing their families. The economy was by far the most critical issue facing respondents with 42.4 percent ranking it number one, followed by the border at 16.4 percent, education at 10.4 percent, government at 6 percent and healthcare at 5.2 percent rounding out the top five.
The Plan of Operations for the Rosemont Copper project is undergoing review by the US Forest Service (USFS) with a draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) expected for public review in December. The draft EIS is a detailed report compiled by federal agencies outlining the environmental and social aspects of the proposed mine plans and analyzes possible alternatives. It is a fulfillment of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), which requires federal agencies to integrate environmental, cultural and economic values into the decision-making processes.
More than 300 scientific studies and technical reports have been prepared for the USFS in the development of the DEIS, including hydrogeological, cultural, biological and botanical. In addition, Rosemont has funded a multi-year study by the University of Arizona, researching the most effective native plants and growth media for reclaiming the Rosemont site.
In addition, Rosemont will open the Rosemont Proving Grounds in December, a year-long $500,000 renewable energy project to evaluate five area companies’ solar energy systems. When complete, the proving ground will be used to provide power to the company’s administrative buildings. The renewable technologies are in keeping with Rosemont’s sustainable policies, will help reduce the environmental impact of the project and meet the qualifications of TEP’S Renewable Energy Credit Purchase Program (RECPP).
