Living Desert Alliance

SAVE THE SANTA RITA MOUNTAINS

Arizona Department of Environmental Quality Open Pit Permit Review

The Arizona Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ) is currently reviewing a permit from Hudbay's Copper World mining complex. This project is for the construction and operation of an open-pit copper mine (three square miles) located in and around the pristine Santa Rita Mountains in Pima County, Arizona.

Update: 09/16/24

On September 11th, Pima County and the Pima County Department of Environmental Quality (PDEQ) submitted comments to the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality ADEQ) regarding the Hudbay/Copper World inc.'s Draft Air Quality Permit for the proposed Copper World mining project.

This 19-page document outlines critical objections to enforcement provisions, asks for revisions for clarity, and requests a robust dust mitigation plan for Santa Rita Road. Click Below to review the entire document.

As stated in their letter PDEQ's comments can be summarized as follows:

Questions concerning ADEQ' s authority and ability to enforce provisions of Pima County Code that are included in the draft permit.
Requests for revisions to certain permit section to provide more clarity and ensure compliance, and
Request that Copper World develop a dust mitigation plan for Santa Rita Road and the associated utility corridor in coordination with PDEQ since the road and utility corridor are outside of the Draft Permit area, and increased fugitive dust from increased Copper World traffic may contribute to exceedances of the National Ambient Air Quality Standards and lead to a nonattainment area designation.

Open Pit Mining

Open-pit mining, which is also known as open-cast or open-cut mining and in larger contexts known as mega-mining, is a surface mining technique of extracting rock or minerals from the earth from an open-air pit, sometimes known as a burrow or hole.

Open pit mining is different from extractive methods that are required to burrow a tunnel into the earth, such as long wall mining. These mines are used when deposits of commercially useful ore or rocks are found near the surface.

Most Dangerous Surface Mining Techniques

Open-pit mining has been discovered to be one of the most dangerous surface mining techniques in the mining industrial world. It causes significant impacts on the environment, as well as damage to the health of miners. Below are the impacts of open-pit mining on the environment.

Soil Erosion and Pollution
Species Extinction
Sinkhole Formation
Habitat Destruction
Noise and Light Pollution
Deforestation and Vegetation Loss
Water Pollution
Air Pollution.

What is the environmental impact of the mining Industry

Voice Your Concerns and Objections Directly to the ADEQ

While in-person public meetings are now closed, a written response period has been extended until September 15,2024. Make your voice heard. Send your concerns and objections directly to ADEQ by clicking on the lick below before the April 10th deadline.

ADEQ CommentPortal.

Learn More from Those Most Directly Impacted

The Save the Scenic Santa Rita Mountains Association represents citizens, flora and fauna, who call the area of the proposed mining site home. They are the ones most affected by this disastrous proposal. Click below to learn more and to help with this effort.

Save the Scenic Santa Rita Mountains Association

Contact Us

If you have any questions about our organization or want to learn more about how you can become involved, please contact us by clicking on the CONTACT US drop down menu above. We are always happy to hear from members of our community.