6/24/2008

Mountain Empire Action Alliance News  Mountain Empire Action Alliance Meeting--Thursday, June 26, 2008--6:30-8:30 p.m. Sonoita Justice Court Conference Room, 3147 Highway 83, Sonoita, across from the Fairgrounds. Agenda ·         Announcements ·         Report on Anti-Rosemont Mine Rally in Tucson on June 18, 2008 o         Synopsis of Comments - Cheryl Rennie ·         Update on motorcycle ride on June 22, 2008-Vince & Cheryl Rennie ·         Update on Group 1: Augusta mine site activities-Mark Williams; Jim Kramp ·         Update on Group 2: resource persons/organizations & contacts o        Summary of organizational meeting on June 16-Jimmy Pepper ·         Update on Group 3: scoping comments- Wade Bunting ·         Update on Group 4: activities-Alison Bunting o        Plan to encourage comments from Sonoita businesses o        Plan to gather signatures for Group 3 scoping comments o        Patagonia 4th of July parade activities ·         Status of Forest Plan Revisions for Coronado National Forest -Jimmy Pepper ·         Discussion of Alternatives to Augusta Mine (and "Exit Strategy" for Augusta ); formation of additional Working Group to begin exploration of exit strategies ·         Member Issues/Comments ·         Proposed date for next meeting: July  17th (following completion of scoping; discussion of tasks and strategies during next year; potential role of organization in participation in overview of EIS preparation    MEAA Scoping Comments Are Ready for Co-Signatures       The comprehensive scoping comments that will be submitted to the U.S. Forest Service on July 14, 2008 are ready for review.  If you'd like to co-sign stop by the Sonoita post office parking lot from 10-4 on Friday, June 27, Thursday, July 3, or Friday, July 11th.  The scoping document and signature forms will also be available at the Sonoita and Patagonia libraries and at the Save the Scenic Santa Rita booth in Patagonia on July 4th.  If you can help staff the MEAA table please contact Alison Bunting: abunting@sunncast.net or 455-4657   Water Issues Town Hall Meeting--Tuesday, July 1, 2008, 1-4 pm, Good Shepherd United Church of Christ, 17750 S. La Canada Drive, Sahuarita.   Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords is convening a Water Issues Town Hall to hear presentations and gather information from residents, business owners and water experts. She will be joined at the Town Hall by officials from the Bureau of Reclamation, Pima County, the Central Arizona Project (CAP), the Arizona Water Resources Research Center and the Arizona Water Institute.  If you plan to attend RSVP at the number listed on the meeting announcement: http://www.hiltonroad.com/documents/WaterIssuesTownHall6.12.08.pdf   Can You Help SSSR in Patagonia on July 4th?   Save the Scenic Santa Ritas will have a table and an entry in the parade on July 4th in Patagonia.  Volunteers are needed to participate in the parade (11-12) to staff the table from 12-4.  If you can help contact: Nancy McCoy: nancymccoy@hotmail.com or 394-2732.     Other Upcoming Meetings    Forest Service Public Hearing on the Proposed Rosemont Mine on Monday, June 30, 2008--6-9 p.m.-- Rincon High School, 421 N. Arcadia, Tucson, 6-9 pm.    Plan to attend and comment, even if you participated in other hearings.   6-24-2008

7/3/2008

7/14/2008

8/12/2008

Mountain Empire Action Alliance News   Important Upcoming Meeting   Monday, August 18, 2008; 10:00 a.m.--SPECIAL OPEN MEETING OF THE ARIZONA CORPORATION COMMISSION, Hearing Room 222, Arizona Corporation Commission, 400 West Congress Street, 2nd Floor, Tucson, Arizona 85701   The agenda includes a discussion of Tucson Electric Power Company's Application for a Certificate of Environmental Compatibility for the Vail Area 138kV Transmission Line and two substations (one located on the Bar V graze lands off old Sonoita Highway).  How much residential development is going to occur in the next 15 years in justify a 138KvA substation in and near a conservation area?  This could well be a way to supply electrical power to the proposed Rosemont Mine.  A map of the proposed line is available at: http://www.tep.com/company/news/Vail/docs/VailAreaMap.pdf    It's unusual for the Arizona Corporation Commission to schedule a meeting in Tucson, so please plan to attend if you possibly can.    Coronado National Forest Website Updates   The Forest Service has posted some new information about the proposed Rosemont Mine project.  Information on cooperating agencies that have been invited to participate can be found at: http://www.fs.fed.us/r3/coronado/rosemont/documents/correspondence/cooperating-agencies/index.shtml  The scoping comments are being added to: http://www.fs.fed.us/r3/coronado/rosemont/comments.shtml   Clean Water Restoration Act (H.R.2421)   Take a moment to write or email your congressional representative to urge them to vote for the Clean Water Restoration Act (H.R.2421).  A sample letter is reproduced below:   August XX, 2008  The Honorable_________    U.S. House of Representatives   Washington , DC 20515    Dear Representative_________:     Arizonans should be able to rely on our waterways for clean water to drink and safe places to swim, boat and fish.  We urge you to help protect and clean up our waters by supporting the Clean Water Restoration Act (H.R. 2421).  This bipartisan legislation reaffirms the original intent of the Clean Water Act to protect all waters in Arizona and across the U.S.     While we have made significant progress in improving water quality since Congress passed the Clean Water Act thirty-five years ago, there is more work to do.  Today, 36 percent of the assessed rivers in Arizona are still too polluted for swimming, fishing and other uses.  Our waterways continue to face numerous threats, including toxic pollution and sewage overflows.     Despite these current water pollution problems, important safeguards of the Clean Water Act are being undermined and waterways are losing decades old protections.  Recent court decisions and federal agency policies underscore the need for Congress to clarify that all waters in the U.S. are protected by the Clean Water Act. For example, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers recently suspended its designation of two reaches of the Santa Cruz River as traditionally navigable.  As a result, the tributary streams and related wetlands in the Santa Cruz watershed could lose Clean Water Act protections.     Tens of thousands of waterways across the country previously protected by the Clean Water Act now are at risk of unlimited pollution. In Arizona , 94 percent of the streams are seasonal streams, some of the waters most in danger of losing protection.  More than 810,000 Arizonans get their drinking water from public water supplies that are fed at least in part by the streams at risk.     The health of the Colorado River, Gila River and Santa Cruz River depends on the small streams and wetlands that feed and clean them.  As the source waters are polluted or destroyed, the downstream rivers and lakes they feed will be harmed by more pollution.     To safeguard the Colorado River and our other waters for future generations, all waterways in Arizona and around the country must continue to be protected by the Clean Water Act.  The bipartisan Clean Water Restoration Act will do just that.       Please support the Clean Water Restoration Act (H.R. 2421) to reaffirm the Clean Water Act's original intent of protecting all of the country's waters from pollution.    Sincerely,      Letters to our Senators asking them to co-sponsor the Senate version of this bill (S. 1870) are also needed.          8-12-2008

8/24/2008

Mountain Empire Action Alliance News   Important Water Meeting!--Tuesday, August 26, 2008--5:00 p.m. Green Valley Recreation West Center, 1111 South Villa Arco Iris, Green Valley 520-625-0288   The meeting is sponsored by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation and is a public scoping for preparation of an Environmental Assessment (EA) on the proposed Community Water Company of Green Valley (CWC) Central Arizona Project (CAP) Water Distribution System and Recharge Facility (Action by September 12, 2008).  For background information and more details of the meeting go to: http://www.usbr.gov/lc/phoenix/reports/capcwc/cwcscopimemo.pdf   Participate in an ADOT Survey about Highway 83   The Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT), in cooperation with the Arizona Office of Tourism,Arizona Highways Magazine and the Federal Highways Administration, is developing a statewide series of marketing brochures for  Arizona 's Scenic Byways. Studies have identified informational brochures as a useful supplement for byway visitors - both to get potential visitors interested in visiting a byway and also to enhance the experience of visiting the byway itself. The goal is to provide useful, accurate and understandable information to the  Arizona  traveler.    As part of this effort, ADOT wants your opinion! By participating in our survey, you can help determine which of the many attractions along  Arizona 's scenic byways we should highlight in the brochures. The survey is brief and takes only a few minutes to complete. Please click to complete the survey located online here: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=2CmOeY9jOEPyVZeOSMPXEg_3d_3d    Please complete the survey no later than Monday, Sept. 8, 2008.          8-24-2008

9/3/2008

Mountain Empire Action Alliance News   MEAA Meeting to Discuss the Coronado National Forest Plan Revision, Wednesday, September 10, 2008--6:30 p.m. Sonoita Justice Court Conference Room, 3147 Highway 83, Sonoita, Across from the Fairgrounds   Jennifer Ruyle of the USFS has accepted our inviation to review the process for the effort now underway to revise the Coronado National Forest plan, answer our questions about the plan revision, and hear our suggestions.  If your property adjoins the Coronado National Forest, or you use the Forest, this is an excellent opportunity for input.  This is NOT an opportunity to discuss the proposed Rosemont mine project, though questions about how mining in general will be addressed in the plan revision will be appropriate.           9-3-2008

9/22/2008

Mountain Empire Action Alliance News   Update on Forest Service Activity Concerning the Proposed Rosemont Mine Based on a recent conversation with John Able, Deputy Director, Office of Forest Communications, we can report the following: Over 11,000 scoping comments have been received A quantitative report concerning the comments (Scoping Report on Extent of Public Participation) should be available in September The scoping comments report (Scoping Report on the Theme of Comments) should be available in late Fall The Coronado National Forest will hire a nationally prominent consulting firm to manage the public oversight process Request for Assistance to Staff Save the Scenic Santa Ritas Tables   SSSR is requesting assistance at the events listed below. Please contact Kim Beck, Coordinator, SSSR if you are interested in helping (even for an hour!) We depend on folks like you to help inform and educate the community to the impacts that Rosemont Mine will bring to the Santa Ritas.     Please email ( coyotes@cox.net)or call (495-4339 or home 326-9587) Kim with your name, phone number, event dates and times you are available. Remember even an hour makes a difference. Thanks so much for sharing your valuable talents and time. Details and directions will be sent as needed.       SEPTEMBER 2008     Sat 27-Fiesta Sahuarita, 2-8 pm, Anamax Park , Need 2 volunteers    OCTOBER, 2008    Thurs-Sun 2-5-Santa Cruz County Fair, Need 12 volunteers, 10-5pm each day  Sat-Sun 11-12-Patagonia Fall Festival Tabling, Sat-Sun 10am-4, Need 8 volunteers  Sat-Sun 18-19-Anza Days and Fundraiser (Murray Bolesta Gallery, 241-1280), Need 6 volunteers, 10-4 each day (fundraiser on Saturday)  Fri-Sun 24-26-GV WHITE ELEPHANT COUNTRY FAIR, 9-5 each day, Need 10 volunteers  Sat  25-Livin La Vida Verde Fair 10-3, Need 1 volunteer    NOVEMBER 2008     Sat 1-Empire Ranch Roundup, 10-4, Need 2 volunteers Tues 11-Corona de Tucson AL POST#109 Veterans Day, 8am-3pm, Need 4 volunteers    DECEMBER 2008     Fri-Sun 12-14-4th Avenue Street Fair Tabling, 10-4 each day, Need 10 volunteers     MEAA Meeting to Discuss the Coronado National Forest Plan Revision   Jennifer Ruyle of the USFS met with MEAA members on Wednesday, September 10th to review the process for the effort now underway to revise the Coronado National Forest plan. The plan will set the direction for action, but does not make detailed recommendations about programs or activities.  The following priorities for the plan were identified during several sets of public input meetings in 2006: Ecosystem restoration Access and travel patterns Preservation of open space Safety and information Collaboration and partnership In November a series of open house meetings will be held to obtain public reaction to proposed land use zones.  A meeting on November 13th in Sierra Vista will focus on the Sierra Vista Ranger District, the November 17th meeting held in Rio Rico will focus on the Nogales Ranger District, a third meeting on November 22nd in Benson will focus on the entire Coronado National Forest.  The plan revision process is expected to be completed by June 2010.  For more information on the plan revision process visit the Coronado National Forest website: http://www.fs.fed.us/r3/coronado/plan-revision/index.shtml   Online Poll on Semi-Rural and Rural Issues   Elizabeth Webb, Vail/Cienega Corridor Volunteer, has developed a poll to obtain input for questions that will be asked at an upcoming non-partisan forum with Arizona Corporation Candidates, Legislative Candidates and Supervisorial Candidates addressing rural and semi-rural issues. The poll and information about the forum can be found at: http://rural30forum.blogspot.com/2008/09/cienega-santa-cruz-candidate-forum.html           9-22-2008

10/5/2008

Mountain Empire Action Alliance News   Endorsement of Save the Scenic Santa Ritas (SSSR)   Save the Scenic Santa Ritas (SSSR) has asked the Mountain Empire Action Alliance to join with other organizations in formally endorsing the work of SSSR.  The endorsement form contains the following statement: "We wish to support the efforts to prevent hardrock mining in the Rosemont Valley of the Santa Rita Mountains and in the Patagonia Mountains, Canelo Hills and San Rafael Valley."  We can then specify ways in which we would work with SSSR such as endorsing SSSR's efforts to prevent hard rock mining, including MEAA's name on the list of endorsers, hosting special events or speakers, and communicating with our members about mining issues.   We would normally vote on submitting the endorsement form at one of our meetings.  Since we don't have one scheduled we are requesting approval via this communication.  Please let us know, by replying to this email, if you have any objections to this action.  If we do not hear from you, we will assume you support listing MEAA as an SSSR endorsing organization.     Update from the Forest Service   A recent conversation with John Able has yielded the following information: Public working groups should be established within the next two weeks. Cooperating agencies should be determined within the next two weeks. Timeline changes should be announced within the next week. Plan to Attend the BBQ/Potluck on Sunday, October 19, 2008   The party hosted by our friends from Hilton Ranch Road starts at 2 p.m. and burgers will be served at 4 p.m. at the Kramp Compound, 15560 E. Hilton Ranch Rd.  Please bring a dish to pass and BYOB.  Mixes, hamburgers, pool table, ice and horseshoes will be provided.  If you want to swim bring a swimsuit; the pool should be warm enough.  Directions: Go approx. 1 mile East on Hilton Ranch Rd. off of SR 83. (Hilton Road is between mile markers 49 (north of) and 50 (south of).  Look for the address marker and drive on the right hand side. RSVP to hiltonroad@msn.com   Help Still Needed to Staff Save the Scenic Santa Ritas Tables   SSSR still needs assistance at the events listed below. Please contact Kim Beck, Coordinator, SSSR if you are interested in helping (even for an hour!) We depend on folks like you to help inform and educate the community to the impacts that Rosemont Mine will bring to the Santa Ritas.     Please email ( coyotes@cox.net)or call (495-4339 or home 326-9587) Kim with your name, phone number, event dates and times you are available. Remember even an hour makes a difference. Thanks so much for sharing your valuable talents and time. Details and directions will be sent as needed.         OCTOBER, 2008    Sat-Sun 11-12-Patagonia Fall Festival Tabling, Sat-Sun 10am-4, Need 8 volunteers  Sat-Sun 18-19-Anza Days and Fundraiser (Murray Bolesta Gallery, 241-1280), Need 6 volunteers, 10-4 each day (fundraiser on Saturday)  Fri-Sun 24-26-GV WHITE ELEPHANT COUNTRY FAIR, 9-5 each day, Need 10 volunteers  Sat  25-Livin La Vida Verde Fair 10-3, Need 1 volunteer    NOVEMBER 2008     Sat 1-Empire Ranch Roundup, 10-4, Need 2 volunteers Tues 11-Corona de Tucson AL POST#109 Veterans Day, 8am-3pm, Need 4 volunteers    DECEMBER 2008     Fri-Sun 12-14-4th Avenue Street Fair Tabling, 10-4 each day, Need 10 volunteers                   10-5-2008

10/19/2008

Mountain Empire Action Alliance News    MEAA Meeting with Carie Fox, Wednesday, October 29, 2008--6:30 p.m., Sonoita Justice Court Conference Room, 3147 Highway 83, Sonoita (across from the Fairgrounds)   Carie Fox, of Fox Mediation, Portland, Oregon, will meet with the MEAA membership on Wednesday, October 29th at 6:30 p.m. at the Sonoita Justice Court Conference Room.  Ms. Fox has been hired by the U.S. Institute for Environmental Conflict Resolution (U.S. Institute) to manage the process of convening and facilitating a citizen working group to contribute to the analysis of public comments that have been received by the U.S. Forest Service in response to the proposed Rosemont Mine.  The purpose of this meeting is to help Ms. Fox better understand how to structure the community input process as part of the citizen working group.  Please plan to join us for this important meeting.  For more information visit: http://www.fs.fed.us/r3/coronado/forest/news/2008/us-institute-news-release-working-groups.pdf    New Timeline for Development of the EIS Announced by the Forest Service   The Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the Forest Service and Rosemont Copper has been modified to extend the estimated timeline to develop the environmental impact statement (EIS). The Draft EIS, previously scheduled for March 2009, is now scheduled for November 2009. The Final EIS previously scheduled for October 2009 is now scheduled for July 2010.  A copy of the modification document is available at: http://www.fs.fed.us/r3/coronado/rosemont/documents/fs-rosemont-mou-mod-01-10072008.pdf   Endorsement of Save the Scenic Santa Ritas   Last week, MEAA submitted the endorsement form to become an official supporting organization of Save the Scenic Santa Ritas.  Our endorsement does not commit us to any financial contributions to SSSR which is left up to individual members.           10-19-2008

10/27/2008

Mountain Empire Action Alliance News    MEAA Meeting with Carie Fox, Wednesday, October 29, 2008--6:30 p.m., Sonoita Justice Court Conference Room, 3147 Highway 83, Sonoita (across from the Fairgrounds)   Carie Fox, of Fox Mediation, Portland, Oregon, will meet with the MEAA membership on Wednesday, October 29th at 6:30 p.m. at the Sonoita Justice Court Conference Room.  Ms. Fox has been hired by the U.S. Institute for Environmental Conflict Resolution (U.S. Institute) to manage the process of convening and facilitating a citizen working group to contribute to the analysis of public comments that have been received by the U.S. Forest Service in response to the proposed Rosemont Mine.  The purpose of this meeting is to help Ms. Fox better understand how to structure the community input process as part of the citizen working group.  Please plan to join us for this important meeting.  For more information visit: http://www.fs.fed.us/r3/coronado/forest/news/2008/us-institute-news-release-working-groups.pdf    Augusta Resource Corporation Stock Status   Augusta's stock has been in near free-fall - a drop of approximately 375% since July of this year (toward the end of the comment period), and is now at the same price as October 2005.  The July price per share was $6.69; today's (10/27) close is $1.05.   We plan to bring this to the Forest Service's attention, since it certainly raises questions of the financial viability of the company.  Information about Augusta's stock performance can be found at: http://finance.google.com/finance?q=AMEX%3AAZC                    10-27-2008

11/6/2008

Mountain Empire Action Alliance News      Summary of MEAA Meeting with Carie Fox on October 29, 2008   Carie Fox, of Fox Mediation, Portland , Oregon , met with fourteen MEAA members on Wednesday, October 29th.  The purpose of the meeting was to help Ms. Fox better understand how to structure the community input process as part of the proposed citizen working group process.  Ms. Fox explained that she is not trying to mediate a solution.  She is not here to sell a mine, or half a mine.  Her task is to enhance the NEPA process; to make the process more transparent.  The citizen working group effort will be a pioneering process which has the potential of affecting how future NEPA analyses are done.    After a lively discussion MEAA members generally supported the idea of a working group, but needed additional information on composition and responsibilities. We also agreed that the working group should not include Augusta Mining or the USFS as official members of the group, though it was acknowledged that the meetings will be open to the public.  It will be important for the working group to have access to an independent panel of experts.    After analyzing the information gleaned from the meetings Ms. Fox conducted with various groups during the week, she will propose a process for proceeding and will meet with all interested parties on Thursday, November 13th, 6:00 p.m. at Empire High School in Vail.    Important Meeting with Carie Fox, Thursday, November 13, 2008--6:00 p.m., Empire High School 10701 E. Maryann Cleveland Way, Vail   Plan to attend this important meeting to comment on Carie Fox's design ideas for the citizen working groups which will contribute to the analysis of public comments that have been received by the U.S. Forest Service in response to the proposed Rosemont Mine.  We have requested that Ms. Fox's proposal (a draft was issued on Monday, 11/3) be posted online and will send out the URL as soon as it is available.                    For directions to Empire High School go to: http://www.mapquest.com/maps?city=Tucson&state=AZ&address=10701+E.+Maryann+Cleveland+Way   Sulfuric Acid Spill in Clifton   The Morenci copper mine experienced a sulfuric acid spill on October 30th.  For media coverage go to: http://www.azstarnet.com/allheadlines/265185.php   Slide shows and videos of the clean-up underway can be found at: http://s482.photobucket.com/albums/rr189/VailCoronaAZ/Freeport%20McMoran%20Sulfuric%20Acid%20Spill/?albumview=slideshow   http://s388.photobucket.com/albums/oo325/NoMiningOff83/FMI%20Leak%20%2011-02-08/?albumview=slideshow   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QtWgA7f5nOU   Coronado National Forest Plan Meetings   The schedule of meetings for the public to review draft proposals for revisions to the Coronado National Forest Land and Resource Management Plan has been posted at: http://www.fs.fed.us/r3/coronado/documents/mediarelease_102008invitation_planrev.pdf   The meeting for the Nogales Ranger District (which includes the Santa Rita Mountains) will be held on Monday, November 17th from 4-7 p.m. at the Esplendor Resort, Sonoran Ballroom, 1069 Camino Caralampi, Rio Rico, AZ 85648   11-6-2008

11/21/2008

Mountain Empire Action Alliance News      Report on Meeting with Carie Fox, Thursday, November 13, 2008   Over 100 individuals attended the meeting with Carie Fox to comment on her design ideas for the citizen workinbg groups which will contribute to the analysis of public comments on the proposed Rosemont Mine.  At the meeting Carie announced that the U.S. Institute for Environmental Conflict Resolution of the Morris K. Udall Foundation has developed a website to serve as an information source for U. S. Institute-sponsored activities related to the proposed Rosemont Mine Collaborative Process. The link to the website is: http://rosemontmine.ecr.gov/   The document discussed at the November 13th meeting can be found at: http://rosemontmine.ecr.gov/pdf/Carie_Note_Nov_3.pdf  Individuals attending the meeting had a number of questions about the proposed process, and expressed concern that the timeline suggested in the document was unrealistic.  Carie agreed to get back to everyone with answers to the questions raised and proposed that we save Saturday, December 13th for a follow-up meeting.   TEP Rosemont 138-KV Transmission Line Project   A Project Fact Sheet, dated November 2008, for the proposed Tucson Electric Power Rosemont 138-KV transmission line project is available at: http://www.tucsonelectric.com/Company/News/Rosemont/Rosemont_138-kV_Fact_sheet_Nov08.pdf   According to the fact sheet, TEP is required to seek a Certificate of Environmental Compability from the Arizona Corporation Commission prior to construction of the line.  TEP will complete environmental studies and solicit public comment prior to seeking approval.  TEP plans to form a stakeholders group to participate in the planning, and will hold public open house meetings in the project area.  MEAA has been in contact with EPG, the environmental consulting firm working on this project, to request that Mountain Empire communities be informed of and be involved in this process.  We'll keep you posted as events develop.   Augusta Resource Corporation Financial Status   KOLD-13 reports that Augusta Resource Corporation has posted a third quarter loss of nearly $9.4 million.  The full story is available at: http://www.kold.com/Global/story.asp?s=9367395. Augusta's stock has declined dramatically closing at $0.83/share on Friday, November 21st, from a high of $6.76/share in July.         11-21-2008

11/26/2008

Mountain Empire Action Alliance News      Latest from Carie Fox, Thursday, November 25, 2008   Following is the text of an email received from Carie Fox yesterday:   With the public meeting on Nov 13th at Empire High School , I have concluded my assessment on behalf of the U.S. Institute for Environmental Conflict Resolution.      In determining whether to go forward with a NEPA*-bounded process, several questions were on my mind:    -- Given the high stakes about the outcome, would many people be willing to engage in something that focused only on the analysis?  -- Would this process leave people's legal rights intact?  -- Did I believe the Forest Service would be responsive to the working group's advice?    The answers to these questions were yes, yes, and yes.    There was one more question:  -- Would this system tend to hold a stable space for collaborative dialog?    And to this, my answer, reluctantly, is "no."   Therefore, I do not recommend that this process go forward.    As a whole, many of you who oppose the mine believe that a stronger NEPA process makes for a stronger fight against the mine.  The problem lies, I think, in the myriad smaller decisions that go into that whole: decisions about your own protocols, people you wish to have as speakers, timing, and so forth.  For these individual decisions, there could be a divergence--your focus on making a better NEPA process pulls you one way, and other tactical considerations can at times pull you another way or at least dominate your attention.  I don't feel I am creating a "stable space for collaborative dialog" when we are essentially having two conversations at one time, only one of which can be candidly surfaced.    In internal discussions with the Institute, they clearly would like to find another alternative that would be destined for success.  We are still carrying on that conversation.   Philip Murphy is continuing with the data assessment of the Scoping comments.  We still need to show whether database search technology could work to support a grass roots content analysis approach, if not for this project then for others.  Philip and I will be meeting together in the next weeks to test his work. Results will be posted at http://rosemontmine.ecr.gov/ in late December of this year.    I thank you for your generosity of spirit in teaching me about this situation.  You have borne witness to my struggle to evaluate the original approach. Coming to a "no" answer for this design was not easy, but I believe anything else would have been a disservice to you.    My thanks, too, to the U.S. Institute.  I have greatly appreciated the opportunity to work with them and learn and grow from that interaction.    Respectfully-  Carie Carie Fox  503 231 6557  http://foxmediation.com/   MEAA is closely following these events and we'll provide updates as we learn about the alternatives being proposed to the Carie Fox process.    Happy Thanksgiving to all!   11-26-2008

12/15/2008

Mountain Empire Action Alliance News   Letter to Jeanine Derby Concerning Public Involvement in Working Groups   Shortly after the announcement by Carie Fox that she did not feel her proposed process for a public working group should go forward a variety of concerned organizations, including MEAA, cosigned a letter to Jeannine Derby.  The letter, dated December 8, 2008, emphasizes that the groups "continue to believe that it is important to engage the public in a transparent, meaningful and feasible way in the analysis of the proposed Rosemont Mine Plan of Operations, " and makes some suggestions on possible next steps.  The full text of the letter is available at: (http://www.hiltonroad.com/correspondence.htm)    Conversations with the U.S. Institute for Environmental Conflict Resolution    Jimmy Pepper had a lengthy conversation with Larry Fisher of the U.S. Institute about the importance of continuing to explore a process for increased public involvement in the NEPA process, specifically preparation of the Environmental Impact Statement on the proposed Rosemont Mine.  Such involvement would include analysis of scoping comments, formulation and analysis of alternatives, as well as issue-specific impacts.  Jimmy has also prepared a draft document setting forth suggestions on a possible process for achieving these objectives.  We'll keep you posted as plans develop.     Comments on the Coronado National Forest Plan Revision Needed   At the November public meetings concerning revising the Coronado National Forest Plan a series of draft "Desired Conditions" statements and proposed land use zone maps were distributed for public comment.  We are especially concerned that there is virtually no commentary on the impact of mining in any of the documentation developed to date.  The Coronado National Forest website provides a great deal of information about the plan revision in an arragement that is not especially easy to navigate. ( http://www.fs.fed.us/r3/coronado/plan-revision/index.shtml).   Jim Kramp, of the Hilton Ranch Road Community Organization, has created an excellent webpage that links to all the FS documents in a straightforward manner and outlines areas of concern (http://www.hiltonroad.com/fsplanrevision.htm). We encourage you to visit the Hilton Road webpage to learn more and develop a list of concerns that MEAA should address.   MEAA will be submitting comments to the Forest Service (the deadline date for comments is not yet known) sometime in January.  If you have suggestions for items to include feel free to send them to abunting@sunncast.net.  Better yet, if you'd like to participate in developing the comments we welcome volunteers.  Send an email to abunting@sunncast.net specifying your availability and area of interest.     12-15-2008

12/31/2008

Mountain Empire Action Alliance News   Rosemont Mine Opponents Meeting, Tuesday, January 13, 2009, 7 p.m., Corona de Tucson Fire Station #1, 99 Tallahassee St. (One street south of Sahuarita Road, just east of Houghton Rd.)   Save the Scenic Santa Ritas has issued the following meeting announcement and agenda; please try to attend as the meeting will cover a number of topics important to the campaign to stop the Rosemont Mine and thus to the members of MEAA.    As you all know, the "mediation" process headed by Carie Fox, working with the Morris K. Udall Institute for Environmental Conflict Resolution, has been disbanded. Ms. Fox believed, correctly in our opinion, that there was little, if any, room for mediation. However, we believe there is a role for public involvement in the analysis of the scoping comments and we would like to see that involvement occur. To that end we co-authored a proposal to the Coronado National Forest (CNF) suggesting an alternative framework for public involvement, which has been sent to Jeanine Derby of the CNF.   We are holding a public meeting to discuss this proposal, strategies for working toward stopping the mine and to air concerns. All who have been involved in the effort to stop the proposed Rosemont Mine are invited.   We REALLY appreciate the hard work that so many have put in on this effort. Below is an agenda covering topics we think are important. Please let us know if you have any questions by emailing Kim Beck, SSSR Coordinator at mailto:kim@scenicsantaritas.org or call 520-495-4339. We continue to need your help in maintaining a unified front. We look forward to discussing our next steps at this meeting as well. With everyone providing ideas, time and expertise we WILL defeat this proposal! ROSEMONT MINE OPPONENTS MEETING AGENDA 1. Welcome and Introductions, Gayle Hartmann, SSSR Board President (5 min.) 2. Save the Scenic Santa Ritas' Activities- An Update, Gayle Hartmann (5 min) 3. Bonding and Freedom of Information Act Issues-Van Wolf, Senior Environmental Attorney, Snell and Wilmer, L.L.P. (15 min.) 4. Discussion of CAP Situation-Nan Walden, Vice President and Counsel, Farmers Investment Co, (FICO) (10 min.) 5. Review of Mediation Situation and Alternative Proposal- Dinah Bear, Former General Counsel of the Council on Environmental Quality (20 min.) 6. Discussion and questions, Alternative Mediation Proposal, Analysis of Public Comments, Improving Communication: Facilitated by Morris Farr, SSSR Vice President (45 min) (SSSR board members Roger Featherstone and Lainie Levick will also be available to answer questions) 7. Brief Remarks by Elected Officials -Representatives from the offices of Congress members Raul Grijalva and Gabrielle Giffords and Pima County Supervisors Richard Elias and Ray Carroll have been invited. (5 min.) 8. Upcoming events and a THANK YOU! (5 min.)   Davidson Canyon Floodplain Activity   In mid-December MEAA submitted two letters concerning the proposed Arizona/California Portland Cement Floodplain Use Permit for Davidson Canyon.  The first was sent to the Pima County Board of Supervisors requesting that the permit granted by Pima County to build a haul road in Davidson Canyon be revoked.  At their meeting on December 16th the  Supervisors did not vote to revoke the permit.  For a complete chronology of Pima County actions concerning mining in Davidson Canyon consult: http://www.pima.gov/Mining/default.html    The second letter was sent the to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers requesting that Cal Portland Cement be required to submit to the process of requesting an individual 404 permit for all of their proposed activities in Davidson Canyon .  The Army Corps of Engineers has determined that a 404 permint will be required.   Happy New Year to Everyone!

Mountain Empire Action Alliance News   Pima County Board of Supervisors meeting, Tuesday, Jan. 6, 2009, 9 a.m., 130 W. Congress, 1st floor, Tucson.  Plan to attend and show your support for two resolutions concerning protection of Davidson Canyon from the proposed AZ-Cal Portland limestone mine. Copies of the resolutions can be found at: http://www.pima.gov/cob/e-agenda/01062009/01062009AD.pdf   Rosemont Mine Opponents Meeting, Tuesday, January 13, 2009, 7 p.m., Corona de Tucson Fire Station #1, 99 Tallahassee St. (One street south of Sahuarita Road, just east of Houghton Rd.)  Please plan to attend this important meeting.   ROSEMONT MINE OPPONENTS MEETING AGENDA 1. Welcome and Introductions, Gayle Hartmann, SSSR Board President (5 min.) 2. Save the Scenic Santa Ritas' Activities- An Update, Gayle Hartmann (5 min) 3. Bonding and Freedom of Information Act Issues-Van Wolf, Senior Environmental Attorney, Snell and Wilmer, L.L.P. (15 min.) 4. Discussion of CAP Situation-Nan Walden, Vice President and Counsel, Farmers Investment Co, (FICO) (10 min.) 5. Review of Mediation Situation and Alternative Proposal- Dinah Bear, Former General Counsel of the Council on Environmental Quality (20 min.) 6. Discussion and questions, Alternative Mediation Proposal, Analysis of Public Comments, Improving Communication: Facilitated by Morris Farr, SSSR Vice President (45 min) (SSSR board members Roger Featherstone and Lainie Levick will also be available to answer questions) 7. Brief Remarks by Elected Officials -Representatives from the offices of Congress members Raul Grijalva and Gabrielle Giffords and Pima County Supervisors Richard Elias and Ray Carroll have been invited. (5 min.) 8. Upcoming events and a THANK YOU! (5 min.)   Request for Volunteer Assistance from SSSR   Save the Scenic Santa Ritas requests volunteer assistance and the following events:   Sat/Sun Jan. 10-11- Crossroads Gun Show at Pima County Fair Grounds, 9-5 Sat, 9-4 Sun (need 2 volunteers)   Tues. Jan. 13 -Rosemont Opponents Meeting, 7 p.m. . (need 1-2 volunteers for sign in table)   Sun. Feb. 1 -Help Keep Scenic Highway 83 Beautiful! (need 15-20 volunteers) Where: Meet at pullout on State Highway 83 -Approx. milepost 44, on the right (WEST SIDE OF SR83), headed south. Please carpool when possible. When:  Sun. Feb. 1, 2009 Meet at 9 am until highway is cleaned up (maybe 2-4hours) Why: This is a way to bring more awareness to this threatened area as a beautiful spot to enjoy nature and to enjoy the journey. How: Trash bags, safety vests and a waiver will be provided, as will water and snacks. Who: Sponsored by Save the Scenic Santa Ritas.   Sat. Feb. 21- Vail Pride Day at Pima County Fair Grounds, 9-5 (need 4 volunteers)   Sat. Feb. 28- Peace Fair at Reid Park , 10-4. (need 2 volunteers)   Call Kim Beck at 520-495-4339 or cell 730-7579 or email kim@scenicsantaritas.org if you can help.

1/4/2009

Mountain Empire Action Alliance News   Pima County Board of Supervisors meeting, Tuesday, Jan. 6, 2009, 9 a.m., 130 W. Congress, 1st floor, Tucson.  Plan to attend and show your support for two resolutions concerning protection of Davidson Canyon from the proposed AZ-Cal Portland limestone mine. Copies of the resolutions can be found at: http://www.pima.gov/cob/e-agenda/01062009/01062009AD.pdf   Rosemont Mine Opponents Meeting, Tuesday, January 13, 2009, 7 p.m., Corona de Tucson Fire Station #1, 99 Tallahassee St. (One street south of Sahuarita Road, just east of Houghton Rd.)  Please plan to attend this important meeting.   ROSEMONT MINE OPPONENTS MEETING AGENDA 1. Welcome and Introductions, Gayle Hartmann, SSSR Board President (5 min.) 2. Save the Scenic Santa Ritas' Activities- An Update, Gayle Hartmann (5 min) 3. Bonding and Freedom of Information Act Issues-Van Wolf, Senior Environmental Attorney, Snell and Wilmer, L.L.P. (15 min.) 4. Discussion of CAP Situation-Nan Walden, Vice President and Counsel, Farmers Investment Co, (FICO) (10 min.) 5. Review of Mediation Situation and Alternative Proposal- Dinah Bear, Former General Counsel of the Council on Environmental Quality (20 min.) 6. Discussion and questions, Alternative Mediation Proposal, Analysis of Public Comments, Improving Communication: Facilitated by Morris Farr, SSSR Vice President (45 min) (SSSR board members Roger Featherstone and Lainie Levick will also be available to answer questions) 7. Brief Remarks by Elected Officials -Representatives from the offices of Congress members Raul Grijalva and Gabrielle Giffords and Pima County Supervisors Richard Elias and Ray Carroll have been invited. (5 min.) 8. Upcoming events and a THANK YOU! (5 min.)   Request for Volunteer Assistance from SSSR   Save the Scenic Santa Ritas requests volunteer assistance and the following events:   Sat/Sun Jan. 10-11- Crossroads Gun Show at Pima County Fair Grounds, 9-5 Sat, 9-4 Sun (need 2 volunteers)   Tues. Jan. 13 -Rosemont Opponents Meeting, 7 p.m. . (need 1-2 volunteers for sign in table)   Sun. Feb. 1 -Help Keep Scenic Highway 83 Beautiful! (need 15-20 volunteers) Where: Meet at pullout on State Highway 83 -Approx. milepost 44, on the right (WEST SIDE OF SR83), headed south. Please carpool when possible. When:  Sun. Feb. 1, 2009 Meet at 9 am until highway is cleaned up (maybe 2-4hours) Why: This is a way to bring more awareness to this threatened area as a beautiful spot to enjoy nature and to enjoy the journey. How: Trash bags, safety vests and a waiver will be provided, as will water and snacks. Who: Sponsored by Save the Scenic Santa Ritas.   Sat. Feb. 21- Vail Pride Day at Pima County Fair Grounds, 9-5 (need 4 volunteers)   Sat. Feb. 28- Peace Fair at Reid Park , 10-4. (need 2 volunteers)   Call Kim Beck at 520-495-4339 or cell 730-7579 or email kim@scenicsantaritas.org if you can help.

3/11/2009

Mountain Empire Action Alliance News    Important Meeting Concerning the Draft Environmental Assessment on the Proposed Community Water Company of Green Valley Central Arizona Project Water Distribution System and Recharge Facility, Green Valley   A draft Environmental Assessment on the proposed Community Water Company of Green Valley (CWCGV) Central Arizona Project (CAP) Water Distribution System and Recharge Facility, Green Valley, Pima County, Arizona has been issued by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation.  A copy of the draft EA can be found at: http://www.usbr.gov/lc/phoenix/reports/capcwc/cwcdea.pdf.  You may also request a copy of the Draft EA by  contacting Sandra Eto, NEPA Compliance Specialist (Bureau of Reclamation) at the following email address:  seto@usbr.gov   A public meeting to review the adequacy of the draft EA will be held on March 26, 2009 from 7-9 p.m. at the American Legion Post 66, 1560 West Duval Mine Road, Green Valley, Arizona 85614.  Public comments will be taken at this meeting, and written comments on the draft EA are due by April 10, 2009.   This is an important meeting to attend. Augusta Resources (Rosemont Mine ) is paying for the Green Valley project in exchange for using CAP water for a number of years. thus there is a relationship between this CAP water project and the Rosemont Mine.  Unfortunately the Bureau of Reclamation has concluded that this relationship between the CAP project and the Rosemont Mine does not "link the projects" under the National Environmental Policy Act, thus the draft Environmental Assessment does not address the relationship between the Water project and the proposed Rosemont Mine.  Opponents of the proposed Rosemont Mine will need to speak loudly and clearly in their opposition to this position taken by the Bureau of Reclamation, as it provides Rosemont with a review-free "foot in the door" in terms of water for their proposed project.    Public Information Open Houses for the Proposed Tucson Electric Power Rosemont 138-kv Line   Tucson Electric Power (TEP) will hold two public information Open Houses about the proposed Rosemont 138-vk Line project on the following dates and locations:   March 24, 2009 5:30-7:30PM                    March 25, 2009 5:30-7:30PM   Acacia Middle School                                    Canoa Hills Social Center 12955 East Colossal Cave Road                 Palo Verde Room                   Vail, Arizona 85641                                       3660 South Camino del Sol                                                                            Green Valley, Arizona 85622      To find more about the proposed project and these meetings consult the project newsletter: http://www.tucsonelectric.com/Company/News/Rosemont/Rosemont_138-kV_Newsletter_March2009.pdf   Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) Workshops   In response to suggestions made at the Save the Scenic Santa Ritas (SSSR) meeting in January, a series of workshops will be sponsored by SSSR throughout the Southern AZ region to help concerned citizens learn how to be prepared for the draft environmental impact statement due from the Forest Service in November and to help spread the word that Southern Arizona doesn't want or need another open-pit mine.  MEAA plans to host one of these workshops later this year in the Sonoita/Patagonia area.  We'll keep you posted about the date and time for the workshop.    3-11-2009

3/24/2009

Mountain Empire Action Alliance News    Public Information Open Houses for the Proposed Tucson Electric Power Rosemont 138-kv Line   Tucson Electric Power (TEP) will hold two public information Open Houses about the proposed Rosemont 138-vk Line project on the following dates and locations:   March 24, 2009 5:30-7:30PM                    March 25, 2009 5:30-7:30PM   Acacia Middle School                                    Canoa Hills Social Center 12955 East Colossal Cave Road                 Palo Verde Room                   Vail, Arizona 85641                                       3660 South Camino del Sol                                                                            Green Valley, Arizona 85622      To find more about the proposed project and these meetings consult the project newsletter: http://www.tucsonelectric.com/Company/News/Rosemont/Rosemont_138-kV_Newsletter_March2009.pdf    Following is a list of issues about the project compiled by Marshall Magruder, who serves on the project's stakeholder's group, that can be raised at the open houses: Why not use a natural gas generator at the mine, with a pipe to the El Paso gas line along I-10?  [less air pollution, less water use, and no excess demand on Tucson Electric Power]  Why not just use a short line from Rosemont to the mine next door (Helevicia)?  Why do you want to cross the pristine, scientific U of A Experimental Station east of Sahuarita? [will ruin desert research that has gone on for 100 years]  Where is the power coming from for the mine? [TEP's is 95% from coal, thus where is more air going to be polluted to serve Rosemont?]  How much water will the electricity used by Rosemont use? [who is supplying that water?]  Why not require TEP to use only CAP water to be used for cooling instead of ground water at it's Irvington coal-power plant, if it is used to provide any electricity for Rosemont?  Don't you even think of coming in from the East to serve Rosemont mine with any transmission lines.  Will the 138 kv upgrade through Box Canyon to Greaterville use the same route? How will you reduce the visibility of these poles?  Has the Forest Service approved any routes to Greaterville and to the Rosemont Mine? Comments can also be submitted online at the TEP website using the following link: http://www.epgaz.com/SelectSurveyNET/TakeSurvey.aspx?SurveyID=72KJ6l2   March 26th Meeting Concerning the Draft Environmental Assessment on the Proposed Community Water Company of Green Valley Central Arizona Project Water Distribution System and Recharge Facility, Green Valley   Please plan to attend the public meeting to review the adequacy of the draft Environmental Assessment  on the proposed Community Water Company of Green Valley (CWCGV) Central Arizona Project (CAP) Water Distribution System and Recharge Facility, Green Valley, Pima County, Arizona.  The meeting will be held on March 26, 2009 from 7-9 p.m. at the American Legion Post 66, 1560 West Duval Mine Road, Green Valley, Arizona 85614.    The draft EA can be viewed at: http://www.usbr.gov/lc/phoenix/reports/capcwc/cwcdea.pdf.  Following are some points to be made at the hearing: Vigorously question the determination by the Bureau of Reclamation (pp. 6-7) that the CWCGV CAP project and the Rosemont Mine are not connected projects under NEPA. We believe there is need for a full Environmental Impact Statement (EIS), which should be part of the Coronado National Forest EIS on the whole mine-the pipeline is a "connected action".  Why has the Farmer's Investment Company-American Nevada Corporation (FICO-ANC) alternative project proposal (pp. 18-19) been eliminated? We understand that legal objections have been raised to CWCGV's plan to lease its CAP water allotment to the Rosemont Mine.  Have these objections been investigated and resolved?  If you are unable to attend the meeting to make public comments we urge you to send written comments by the April 10, 2009 deadline.  Next week we'll send out suggestions for points/questions to address in your written comments.     Forest Service Update   Recent communications with  Coronado National Forest (CNF) Service staff have yielded the following information: The final list of cooperating agencies should be finalized within the next few weeks.  FS staff are following up with agencies that have not responded and are finalizing agreements with those agencies that have indicated a willingness to participate. The initial analysis of all public comments by SWCA Environmental Consultants is almost completed and will be released on the CNF website in the near future. The automated analysis of public comments undertaken by a subcontractor of the U.S Institute for Environmental Conflict Resolution is close to being ready for release on the CNF website. The Draft Environmental Impact Report is still expected to be released for public comment in November 2009. Plans are underway to improve the existing website information about the Rosemont Project including providing search capabilities for comments and the ability to request automatic e-mail notifications when website updates take place. SSSR DEIS Workshop in Patagonia, Tuesday, April 21, 2009   Save the Scenic Santa Ritas will hold one of its workshops, designed prepare us to effectively  comment on the DEIS (Draft Environmental Impact Statement) for the Rosemont Copper project, on Tuesday, April 21st, 7pm, Cady Hall, 342 Duquesne Ave., Patagonia.   3-24-2009

4/1/2009

Mountain Empire Action Alliance News     Rosemont 138-kV Transmission Line Project Update   Following are some of the facts learned at the public information open houses for the Rosemont 138-kV Transmission Line Project: ·         TEP is legally required to undertake this study; as a result of Augusta mining's request that TEP supply power to the proposed Rosemont Mine.  If the transmission line project is approved by the Arizona Corporation Commission, no implementation of the project will be undertaken until the proposed Rosemont Mine has received full approval from the Forest Service. ·         Augusta Mining is paying for the study and will pay all costs to bring power to the proposed mine.  ·         Options for bringing power to Rosemont were not presented; this will be the next step in the process. ·         The most likely routes for the transmission lines are from the west or north, from either the South or Vail substations. See the project map at: http://www.tucsonelectric.com/Company/News/Rosemont/Rosemont_138-kV_Jurisdiction_and_Ownership.pdf ·         A possible alternative is to upgrade the existing 46-kV Fort Huachuca transmission line that runs through Box Canyon to Greaterville to the west side of the 82/83 crossroads. ·         Comments on the information presented to date are due by April 15, 2009.     Suggested comments: ·         Reinforce that TEP rate payers should not have to cover any of the costs of the study or construction of the electrical lines. ·         Emphasize that no construction should occur until the Rosemont Mine project is fully approved. ·         Request information on potential environmental effects of this project including air pollution and water use. ·         Request a public meeting in the Sonoita area, especially if the upgrade of the Fort Huachuca transmission line is under consideration.  We'll want to know the proposed route for extending the line from the Greaterville substation. ·         Suggest that they consider alternatives such as using a natural gas generator at the mine site.    Please take a moment to send in your comments via the online form: http://www.epgaz.com/SelectSurveyNET/TakeSurvey.aspx?SurveyID=72KJ6l2   It's important that TEP hears from those of us in the Mountain Empire area.       SSSR DEIS Workshop in Patagonia, Tuesday, April 21, 2009   Save the Scenic Santa Ritas will hold one of its workshops, designed prepare us to effectively  comment on the DEIS (Draft Environmental Impact Statement) for the Rosemont Copper project, on Tuesday, April 21st, 7pm, Cady Hall, 342 Duquesne Ave., Patagonia.   4-1-2009

4/10/2009

Mountain Empire Action Alliance News    Comments to Bureau of Reclamation Due April 24, 2009   The deadline for submitting comments to the Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation) regarding its Draft Environmental Assessment (DEA) for the Community Water Company of Green Valley's (CWC) Proposed Central Arizona Project (CAP) Water Distribution System and Recharge Facility is April 24, 2009. The DEA can be found at http://www.usbr.gov/lc/phoenix/ in the Phoenix Area Office News box.  Below are the primary topics on which the MEAA Steering Committee will be submitting comprehensive comments on behalf of our membership.  We believe the first two topics are the most serious deficiencies in the DEA.  We urge all of you to submit comments on any, all, or additional topics.  Feel free to paraphrase any of the material below or to copy portions verbatim if you wish.  Persuading Reclamation that this Proposed Project and ARC's Proposed Rosemont Copper Project are intimately connected and codependent will be a major victory in our efforts to stop the Rosemont Mine from becoming reality.    1.  Reclamation's Failure to Properly Determine that the Proposed CAP Water Delivery System/Recharge Facility and August Resource Corporation's (ARC) Proposed Rosemont Copper Project are "Connected Actions" Under NEPA:     Reclamation stated that "[it] recognizes that construction of the Proposed Project is proposed to be funded by Rosemont and that CWC plans to give priority for use of CWC's CAP water and available recharge storage capacity for the first 15 to 20 years of the systems operation unless needed by CWC.  However, .[Reclamation] has determined that the Proposed Project and the proposed Rosemont Mine are not connected actions under NEPA."  Reclamation further stated that this determination was made in part for the following reason:  ".use of the CWC water delivery system is not identified in Rosemont's mine plan of operation (MPO) under consideration by the CNF."  In fact, CWC's proposed CAP Water Delivery System/Recharge Facility plan was jointly developed by CWC and ARC and finalized a month before ARC submitted its Rosemont Mine Plan of Operation.  The CWC/ARC plan could easily have been identified by name in the MPO.  The only reasonable explanation is that ARC intentionally withheld identifying the CWC/ARC water delivery system/recharge facility in the MPO in order to avoid the unwanted consequences of a determination that the two proposed projects are "connected actions" triggering the initiation of a lengthy, expensive, and risky joint Environmental Impact Statement for both Proposed Projects with uncertain outcomes.  CWC's proposed CAP Water Delivery System/Recharge Facility and ARC's proposed Rosemont Copper Project are in fact "connected actions" under NEPA and should be reviewed jointly by Reclamation and the Coronado National Forest (CNF) as such.    2.  Reclamation's Failure to Provide Objective, Balanced, and Fair Analyses of Alternatives to the Proposed Project:    Reclamation failed to apply the same standards for review to the Proposed Project and an alternative proposal submitted by the Farmers Investment Company of Sahuarita, Arizona (FICO) and the American Nevada Company (ANC) of Henderson, Nevada, with the result that the FICO-ANC Alternative was rejected.  In rejecting the FICO-ANC Alternative, Reclamation stated:  "The cost, funding, and timing of phases II and III are not known at this time due to ongoing discussions with potential participants in those phases."  Despite the fact that the cost, funding, and timing of the Proposed Project are equally unclear, the Proposed Project was not rejected by Reclamation.    3.  Reclamation's Failure to Accurately Identify Project Applicants:    CWC and ARC are co-developers of the Proposed Project and are thus de facto "co-applicants".  Such identification would result in a much expanded review of the Proposed Project under the National Environmental Protection Act (NEPA) with unknown consequences.    4.  Reclamation's Failure to Identify the Proposed Project as a De facto Mitigation Measure for ARC's proposed Rosemont Copper Project:    The Proposed Water Distribution System/Recharge Facility is a de facto Mitigation Measure for the proposed Rosemont Copper Project.  The proposed CAP water distribution system and recharge facility are intended by ARC to mitigate significant harm to the Tucson Active Management Area groundwater basin and to local water users from the mine's ground water production.  Such identification would result in the inclusion of CWC's Proposed Project in the Environmental Impact Statement for ARC's proposed Rosemont Mine with unknown consequences.    5.  Conclusions and Recommendations:    Reclamation must (a) reverse its decision that the Proposed Project and ARC's Proposed Rosemont Copper Project are not connected actions, (b) incorporate the FICO-ANC proposed Alternative into the environmental analyses, (c) suspend the scoping period, (d) communicate its decision to the CNF that the Proposed Project and ARC's Proposed Rosemont Copper Project are connected actions under NEPA, (e) jointly with the CNF, expand/convert the environmental assessment to a full, combined environmental impact statement for both CWC's Proposed Project and ARC's Proposed Project, and (f) upon completion of the above, reopen and expand the scoping period to permit a full review and comment by the public, particularly in Green Valley and Sahuarita.    Mail, fax, or email your comments to:  Ms. Sandra Eto Environmental Resource Management Division Bureau of Reclamation U. S. Department of Interior Phoenix Area Office,   6150 West Thunderbird Road Glendale AZ 85306 Attention: PXAO-1500 (Ms. Sandra Eto) FAX:  623-773-6486 EMAIL:  seto@usbr.gov       SSSR DEIS Workshop in Patagonia, Tuesday, April 21, 2009   Save the Scenic Santa Ritas will hold one of its workshops, designed prepare us to effectively  comment on the DEIS (Draft Environmental Impact Statement) for the Rosemont Copper project, on Tuesday, April 21st, 7pm, Cady Hall, 342 Duquesne Ave., Patagonia.   4-10-2009

5/26/2009

Mountain Empire Action Alliance News    Show Your Support of Water Day, June 1, 2009   Overview & Activities Water Day 2009 is a collection of activities designed to focus public attention on the critical role that the Davidson Canyon / Las Cienegas watershed plays in our ecology. This fragile and indispensable network of streams, riparian zones, and canyons runs from the Rosemont area in the Santa Rita Mountains, through Davidson Canyon, and into Las CIenegas Preserve, eventually recharging the city of Tucson's water supply. With the proposed Rosemont Copper Mine (in the Santa Rita foothills) and the proposed limestone quarries on State Land spanning both sides of Davidson Canyon, this critical watershed is facing great peril. Water day organizers ask all citizens to take immediate action to protect this watershed.   Water Day: June 1st, 2009   Please consult www.empirefagan.org the latest schedule and directions.   8:00 am         Declaration of Water Day 2009                         Ray Carroll, Pima County Supervisor                         Pima County Building Plaza, Downtown   9:00 am         Free Water and Information to Travelers on Highway 83 to 11:00 am   Toxin-Free Water compliments of The Empire-Fagan Coalition                         and Save the Scenic Santa Ritas   12:00 noon     Press and Public Hiking Tour of Davidson Canyon                         Visit the springs that feed Las Cienegas and Tucson   3:00 pm         Free Water and Information to Travelers on Highway 83 to 5:00 pm     Toxin-Free Water compliments of The Empire-Fagan Coalition                         and Save the Scenic Santa Ritas   5:00 pm         The Water Parade (Open to the Public) to  6:00 pm    A Procession of Water Molecules, Water Nymphs, and                         All Things Watery Down the Old Sonoita Highway   6:00 pm         Rally to Save Davidson Canyon                         Old Sonoita Highway, Across from proposed mining sites     Several (6-10) volunteers are needed to man the water stations from 9-11 and 3-5 along Scenic Highway 83.  Please call Mike Carson at 762-9179 or Kim Beck at 326-9587 for details or to volunteer. 5-26-2009

6/10/2009

Mountain Empire Action Alliance News    Community Alert!  Urgent Need for Public Comments on the Rosemont Mine Reclamation Plan.  Please Contact the Arizona State Mine Inspector No Later than June 18, 2009   Background Information   In September 2008 Rosemont Copper submitted a Mined Land Reclamation Plan for the Rosemont Copper Project to the Arizona State Mine Inspector.  On May 15, 2009 Joe Hart, the Mine Inspector, notified Rosemont Copper via letter "that this plan has been found to meet the applicable requirements of the Mine Act Reclamation Act and Rules and the plan approval criteria under ARS, Title 27, Chapter 5, Section 27-973."    The letter also states that Arizona Statute requires a Public Notification Process so that any person who may be adversely affected by the plan can file a written objection to the plan within 15 days of the last publication (June 4, 2008) or request a public hearing.    We only learned about the public notification process this week and discovered that the Mine Inspector has made one copy of the complete Reclamation Plan available in Tucson at the Arizona Geological Survey, 416 W. Congress, #100, Tucson.  The "main pertinent pieces of the Rosemont Copper Project's Reclamation Plan" are also posted on the ASMI website:  http://www.asmi.az.gov/documents_forms/default.asp   What You Can Do   We urge you to contact the Mine Inspector, Joe Hart, to request a 30 day extension for public comments as well as scheduling a public hearing in Southern Arizona.  There is virtually no time to submit informed written comments on the plan by the June 18th deadline.  We feel strongly that this important issue deserves a hearing in our area.  Comments can be submitted online at: http://www.asmi.az.gov/contact.asp , faxed to 602-542-5335, or mailed to Joe Hart, ASMI, 1700 West Washington, 4th Floor; Phoenix, AZ  85007    Sample Text Requesting a Hearing   Following is a sample text requesting a hearing and additional comment time.  Be sure to also notify our elected State representatives of your request by sending a copy of your request to them  Email addresses for the members of the Arizona State Senate and House can be located at: http://www.azleg.gov/MemberRoster.asp?Body=S and http://www.azleg.gov/MemberRoster.asp?Body=H   Dear Mr. Hart,   In accordance with the provisions of Arizona Revised Statute (ARS), Title 27, Minerals, Oil, and Gas, Chapter 5, Section 27-929 I write to request that a public hearing on the Rosemont Copper Project reclamation plan be held in Southern Arizona, preferably in a community close to the proposed mine site.  As a resident of Sonoita who lives within 5 miles of the proposed mine it is critically important that we have an opportunity to comment on the reclamation plan and obtain information from your office on the analysis that led to the determination "that this plan has been found to meet the applicable requirements of the Mine Act Reclamation Act and Rules and the plan approval criteria under ARS, Title 27, Chapter 5, Section 27-973."  I also request a 30 day extension of the comment period so that I have adequate time to review the pertinent materials and to prepare an informed response.         6-10-2009

7/29/2009

Mountain Empire Action Alliance News    Current MEAA Activities   After the flurry of activity surrounding submission of scoping comments for the draft Environmental Impact Study (EIS) on the proposed Rosemont Mine project we've been in a relatively quiet period as we await the release of the Draft EIS, currently scheduled for November 2009.  We want to assure everyone, though, that the MEAA steering committee has been monitoring developments and meeting on a monthly basis to share information and take any needed action.  Steering committee members are: Jim Pepper (convener); Alison Bunting, Wade Bunting, Jim Kramp, JoAnne Meyer, Sherry Pepper, Joan Gillespie Williams, and Mark Williams.   Two members of the Steering Committee, Jim Pepper and Wade Bunting, are also participating in regular conference calls that include representatives from a number of opponents to the proposed Rosemont Mine.  The information and strategies shared during the calls are most helpful and serve to insure coordinated and cooperative action.   It is important to remember that the proposed Rosemont Copper mine is NOT a done deal.  Despite Augusta Mining's regular release of information about their plans to start mining in 2010 the regulatory and approval process underway will take years to complete.  All indications suggest that the Draft Environmental Impact Statement appears to be seriously behind schedule, and knowledgeable parties believe it will not be completed until Spring 2010 (although the Forest Service has yet to revise the current completion date of November 2009).  It is also increasingly likely that the decision will ultimately be made in Washington DC , thus further extending the decision schedule.  And in addition, a legal challenge will certainly be mounted regardless of the agency decision, pushing the matter into the Federal court system, resulting in a significantly lengthier process.  Finally, we have learned that national groups pressing for mining reform may be interested in using the Proposed Rosemont Copper Project as a "poster child" for mining reform.  If this is the case, national attention will be focused on our cause as well, likely strengthening our capacity to mount a successful campaign.     TEP 138kV Rosemont Transmission Line    Tucson Electric Power is planning for possible routes and transmission stations to extend a 138kV line to the proposed Rosemont Copper Mine site.  The initial list of possible routes for the line has been recently refined, and includes the option of bringing the line along Greaterville Road from the west side of the Santa Rita Mountains, and then going north to the Rosemont Mine site.  We understand from a member of the stakeholder's group advising TEP that a public hearing on the project has been scheduled for August 27, 2009 in Sahuarita, and that this is the only public hearing planned at this time.    We have been urging TEP to hold a hearing in the Sonoita area, but it seems that we need to renew our request.  Please go to the public comment section of the TEP website: http://www.epgaz.com/SelectSurveyNET/TakeSurvey.aspx?SurveyID=72KJ6l2 and request a hearing type meeting, with a transcriber, in the Sonoita area sometime after Labor Day.   Arizona State Mine Inspector Response   Thanks to everyone who took the time to contact the Arizona State Mine Inspector requesting a public hearing to discuss the September 2008 Rosemont Copper Mined Land Reclamation Plan. Unfortunately, Joe Hart, Arizona State Mine Inspector, has declined our requests to hold a public hearing.  His justification is that it was not shown that the Reclamation Plan is not satisfactory, that he believes the Plan was appropriate, and he is mandated by regulatory authority to approve the Plan.  MEAA will send a response to this decision, noting that we were not given adequate time to study the Plan and submit comments to document the many ways in which the Plan is not satisfactory.   New Forest Service Website for the Rosemont Copper EIS   The Coronado National Forest has released a new website for the proposed Rosemont Copper Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) (http://rosemonteis.us/).  To quote from the new website home page: RosemontEIS.us is being made available to the public in beta form because it offers significant improvements over the previous site, especially because it allows the public easier and more powerful access to documents through improved search capabilities.  In particular, the Scoping Comment Search provides a powerful way to locate comments by keyword or commenter name. We encourage you to explore the new website to test its searching capabilities and consult the cooperating agency section for an update on which agencies have agreed to work with the Forest Service in the development of the draft EIS.   Senate Hearings on Reformation of the 1872 Mining Act   The U.S. Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committe is considering two bills that would serve to reform the 1872 Hardrock Mining Act.  The bills are S. 796, the Mining and Reclamation Act of 2009 and S. 140, the Abandoned Mine Reclamation Act of 2009.  A recent article describing testimony by Dick and Nan Walden of Sahuarita can be found at: http://www.sahuaritasun.com/articles/2009/07/14/breaking_news/1amining%200715%20.txt   A copy of the text of the bills can be found at: http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bill.xpd?bill=s111-796 and http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bill.xpd?bill=s111-140.  MEAA is monitoring the progress of these bills and will request that you contact our Senators to support the legislation at a future date.     Scenic Highway 83    Rosemont recently commissioned a "Traffic Study" which is available on the Forest Service website (http://rosemonteis.us/node/207).  A recent conversation with a Professional Traffic Engineer suggests that the study used an inappropriate methodology, thus calling the conclusions of the study into serious question.  We are thus pursuing further evaluations of this study and the implications for the draft Environmental Impact Statement.    Jim Kramp, MEAA steering committee member, has been in touch with the Arizona Department of Transportation to arrange a meeting with ADOT representatives to discuss scenic Route 83.  Agenda topics will include: ADOT's role as a cooperating agency with the proposed Rosemont Copper Project; current and future regional transportation studies that will impact SR83; status of current or future ADOT projects impacting SR83; and status of SR83 designation as a National Scenic Byway.   Green Valley Community Water Company CAP Water Project Update   On June 10, 2009, The Green Valley Community Water Company (CWC) wrote the Bureau of Reclamation advising them that they plan to establish an alternative recharge site for their proposed project to provide the proposed Rosemont mine with a 20-year supply of CAP water.   They acknowledge that this decision will delay completion of the Draft Environmental Assessment (EA) by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation.    Recently the Bureau of Reclamation determined that the CWC project and the proposed Rosemont Copper Project are not "connected actions" under the National Environmental Policy Act, despite the fact that the project was jointly designed by CWC and Augusta and will be funded by Augusta .   This agency determination resulted in preparation of an Environmental Assessment (EA) for the proposed CWC project (in contrast to a more detailed and comprehensive Environmental Impact Statement) as well as avoiding an assessment of the environmental impacts of the proposed Rosemont Mine (which the project clearly serves).  The MEAA Steering Committee, as well as others, emphatically disagree with this agency determination, and have provided detailed comments on the Draft EA, presenting a compelling case that the two projects are, in fact, "connected actions."  Attorneys' for Farmers Investment Corporation (the Pecan growers in Green Valley - directly impacted by the proposed CWC project) have also prepared an equally compelling comment letter on the Draft EA, setting forth a detailed argument challenging Reclamation's position regarding "connected actions".  The matter is also being pursued with officials within the Bureau of Reclamation.  At present, Reclamation's work on the Draft EA has apparently been suspended, pending completion of CWC's proposed revision to the project.   Information regarding the status of this proposed project can be found in the reports section of the Bureau of Reclamation website: http://www.usbr.gov/lc/phoenix/reports/reports.html;   7-29-2009

8/16/2009

Mountain Empire Action Alliance News    Visit from Coronado National Forest   The MEAA Steering Committee will be hosting a visit from a number of Coronado National Forest (CNF) staff on August 22-23.  The visit will consist primarily of a driving tour of the area designed to document the extensive visibility of the proposed project and the corresponding visual impacts on public and private lands.  In addition, the visit will include short presentations discussing impacts of specific local concern, including adverse effects on the local economy, ranching, outdoor recreation, tourism, real estate, property values, and flora and fauna.   Tucson Electric Power Rosemont 138 kV Transmission Line Project   Tucson Electric Power has issued Project Newsletter #2 providing an update on planning for a new 138 Kilovolt transmission line for the proposed Rosemont copper mine.  The newsletter, which "identifies a number of preliminary transmission line segments, or links, that could be combined to form complete routes for the proposed transmission line" can be found at: http://www.tucsonelectric.com/Company/News/Rosemont/docs/Rosemont_Newsletter_Aug_09.pdf   TEP will hold a public information open house about the project on Thursday, August 27, 2009 at the Ranch Resort Clubhouse, 15900 South Rancho Resort Blvd, Sahuarita from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. MEAA is in negotiations with TEP's consulting firm to hold an informational meeting in Sonoita sometime in September.  We will let you know as soon as the details are finalized.   Crossroads Forum Community Email List   The Crossroads Forum is the process of developing a community e-mail system that can inform the public of events of interest and to express their thoughts on various subjects of concern. It is envisioned that this voluntary e-mail list will be used by others in the community to inform the public of other community interests that affect all of us to one extent or another.  The forum leadership expects to judiciously use the list for the good of the community, and not for commercial purposes.  If you are interested in being added to the community email list contact Bob Barnhill at: bobbarnhill@gmail.com       8-16-2009

8/24/2009

Mountain Empire Action Alliance News    SAVE THE DATE: Wednesday, September 9, 2009--Meeting in Sonoita with Tucson Electric Power to learn about the Rosemont 138 kV Transmission Line Project   Tucson Electric Power has agreed to come to Sonoita to answer any questions we may have about the planning underway for a new 138 Kilovolt transmission line for the proposed Rosemont copper mine.  The meeting will be held at 6:30 p.m. at the Sonoita Justice Court Conference Room, 3147 Highway 83, Sonoita, across from the Fairgrounds   A map of the preliminary transmission line segments, or links, that could be combined to form complete routes for the proposed transmission line can be found at: http://www.tucsonelectric.com/Company/News/Rosemont/docs/RosemontProjJurisPrelimTransLineMapAugust_09.pdf   Please plan to attend this important meeting.         8-24-2009

9/5/2009

Mountain Empire Action Alliance News    Meeting with Tucson Electric Power staff to learn about the Rosemont 138 kV Transmission Line Project, Wednesday, September 9, 2009, 6:30 p.m. at the Sonoita Justice Court Conference Room, 3147 Highway 83, Sonoita, across from the Fairgrounds   Please plan to attend this important meeting on September 9th to learn about the planning underway for a new 138 Kilovolt transmission line for the proposed Rosemont copper mine.  Ed Beck and Larry Lucero from TEP will provide a project overview and answer our questions.     A map of the preliminary transmission line segments, or links, that could be combined to form complete routes for the proposed transmission line can be found at: http://www.tucsonelectric.com/Company/News/Rosemont/docs/RosemontProjJurisPrelimTransLineMapAugust_09.pdf  Several of the links being considered run along and north of Greaterville Rd. in Sonoita, so this is an important opportunity to provide input on this proposal.   It is also important to note that the Coronado National Forest has declared this project to be a "connected action" to the proposed Rosemont Mine project.  As such the project will be evaluated in the Rosemont Copper Project Environmental Impact Statement (EIS).  Further information on this determination can be found at: http://rosemonteis.us/node/353   Comments Needed by September 11, 2009 on the Empire Mountains Limestone Quarries Project   The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has extended the comment period for the Section 404 permit request for the Empire Mountains Limestone Quarries Project (also known as the Cal-Portland Cement project) to Friday, September 11, 2009.  MEAA will be submitting a comment letter, noting our concerns about this project and requesting that a full EIS be required for the project, and that a public hearing be held.  We also ask that you send individual comments.  Some concerns to cover in your comments include : Degradation of water quality in Davidson Canyon, which has been designated an "Outstanding Arizona Waterway"  The safety of Highway 83 due to increased truck traffic, and the effect this traffic will have on tourism and our local economy The effect of the project on the important wildlife corridor link between the Santa Rita and the Rincon mountains that Davidson Canyon provides Air and noise pollution from the project The cumulative impacts of the proposed project, along with the proposed Rosemont Copper Project, as well as other mining activity in the area  Be sure to request that a full Environmental Impact Statement for the project be conducted and that a public hearing be held.  Background information on the project, including an online comment form, can be found at: http://empirefagan.wordpress.com/action/   Letters should be sent to:   Marjorie Blaine Senior Project Manager/Biologist U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Tucson Project Office, Regulatory Division 5205 E. Comanche Street Tucson, AZ 85707    Upcoming Save the Scenic Santa Ritas Events    Sunday, September 6, 2009, 10:00 a.m.--Los Primos Fun Run Event (proceeds will be donated to SSSR!) Harshaw (near Patagonia).  For more information download the event flyer at  http://www.scenicsantaritas.org/events.asp      Wednesday, September 16th 12:15 pm--Environmental Law Society Lunch Lecture Series - Mining laws and current mining issues in Southern Arizona, at the University of Arizona College of Law, room 168 This event is open to the public and is a great opportunity to learn a little bit more about current mining laws, the proposed Rosemont mine, the Southeast Arizona Land Exchange and Conservation Act of 2009 and what YOU can do to help protect our beautiful lands from destructive mining activities! It is the first in this year's speaker series hosed by the UofA Environmental Law Society devoted to current issues in environmental law.   SSSR also needs volunteers to help staff information tables at the following events.  If you can help contact lisa@scenicsantaritas.org    September 18-20 (Friday-Sunday) Santa Cruz County Fair   September 26th (Saturday) Fiesta Sahuarita   October 9-11 (Friday-Sunday) Patagonia Fall Festival   October 22-24 (Thursday-Saturday) Green Valley Annual County Fair Days at the Green Valley Mall   October 24 (Saturday) Empire Ranch Roundup and Open House   December 11-13 (Friday-Sunday) 4th Avenue Street Fair      9-5-2009

10/12/2009

Mountain Empire Action Alliance News    Grading at Rosemont   Anyone traveling on Highway 83 to/from Tucson will probably have noticed the very visible graded areas below Gunsight Pass , in the vicinity of the proposed Rosemont Mine.  When first noticed MEAA contacted Pima County Supervisor Ray Carroll's office to determine if Augusta Mining had obtained grading permits from Pima County .  The initial reply was that the grading was done for a University of Arizona reseeding project and that as a state entity the U of A is exempt from county codes.  We pursued the matter further, noting that we believed this characterization of the project and the conclusion of exemption are both incorrect.  In fact, the excavations are part of Rosemont's own reseeding project being performed under contract by the U of A at Rosemont's behest, at Rosemont's expense, on Rosemont's property, and for Rosemont's benefit.    A MEAA member has filed a possible code violation complaint with the County Zoning Department.  The complaint identifies a new excavation project on Rosemont's property in Hidden Valley south of the proposed mine site.  As of this writing it appears that the Pima County planning department interprets the County's hillside development ordinances as exempting mines from the regulations regarding clearing, and slope restrictions, and that the current activity qualifies as mining, even though neither sites are on lands that will be mined under their mining plan, and Rosemont's press release mentions these experiments as being used for things other than mining.    MEAA will continue to pursue this issue and keep you posted.  Save the Scenic Santa Ritas has issued a press release objecting to the grading (insert URL).    Meeting with ADOT    Several members of the MEAA Steering Committee met with Arizona Department of Transportation staff on September 27th.  The primary purpose of the meeting was to determine the status of ADOT's participation as a "Cooperating Agency" in the preparation of the Environmental Impact Study (EIS) for the proposed Rosemont Copper Mine, and outline Highway 83 safety and other concerns.  The meeting was very useful in establishing communication links and working relationships with key ADOT staff.  Following is a summary of information learned at the meeting:  The MOU between the Forest Service and the ADOT outlining their participation as a cooperating agency should be completed by October 2009.  ADOT will require an Encroachment permit for Rosemont to access SR83. ADOT responsibility is only SR83 and the I-10 Interchange. A Traffic Impact Analysis (TIA) report is the primary study that Rosemont will be required to complete for the ADOT.  Assumptions used in the TIA (e.g. car pooling), will need detailed plans to verify feasibility before they can be assumed.  The TIA should identify mitigating efforts for problem areas and will define improvements to SR83 that will be required before the ADOT will give them a permit.   ADOT will work with Rosemont to identify mitigation required for the encroachment permit.  The analysis will study from the mine entrance to I-10, including the I-10/SR83 interchange. The Federal Highway Administration (FHA) does not play a role except relating to the I-10/SR83 interchange.  SR83 is the sole responsibility of ADOT.  Scenic Designation affords no additional protections to SR 83.  It does provide protections in habitat replacement and slope requirements when changes to SR 83 are required.  The Marsh Station Railroad Bridge is slated for new construction including a new higher rail bridge, new tracks over the bridge, and after around 6 months of Railroad use of the new tracks, the old bridge will be removed.  This work should be completed 1st quarter of 2011.  This improvement will eliminate a majority of the oversized loads that are currently traveling SR83.  Once the new railroad bridge is completed the entire I-10 corridor from SR83 to Benson is scheduled for Interchange replacement and freeway widening.  This includes the SR83 / I-10 interchange.  This is part of the regional planning and has not been scheduled or funded yet. Any roadway improvements deemed necessary for the encroachment permit approval will be paid for by Rosemont.  Ongoing maintenance of SR 83 will be up to ADOT (the taxpayers).  Population growth and traffic growth are considered when the regional planning group is planning for the future, 5, 10, 20, and 30 years out.  The mine will make a difference in their future plans but does not currently play a role in the projects recommendations or priorities.   SR 83 should need to be chip sealed approximately every 10 years.  It is designed to handle the weight of the trucks and ADOT does not expect the Rosemont traffic to have a great amount of impact on roadway surface life.   Key Information on the Forest Service Rosemont Copper Project Website   There are now two summaries of the Scoping Process available on the Coronado National  Forest Rosemont Copper Project website.  The general website address is www.rosemonteis.us . Once you open the website, the scoping materials can be found as follows:   Click on "Getting Involved", the second heading on the top line of the page.  From the pull-down list of four choices--select the last one "scoping".  "Scoping" will in turn produce two choices--select "scoping reports".  A new page will open listing two reports in HTML and PDF formats.     Following are direct links to the two reports:  Scoping Summary #1: Extent of Public Participation: http://rosemonteis.us/node/340  (html format)  or http://rosemonteis.us/scoping/ScopingReport1.pdf (PDF format)  Scoping Summary #2: Themes of Scoping Comments http://rosemonteis.us/node/344  (html code)  or http://rosemonteis.us/scoping/ScopingReport2.pdf (pdf format) (Note: The actual comments are in the appendix of the html code version). Note that the scoping reports are a work in progress, and not all comments are fully incorporated into the second report.  Nonetheless, it is useful to browse through the documents to follow the progress of the Forest Service and the Environmental Consultants.  This is really cutting-edge public access that the Forest Service is providing, as previous documents produced under the National Environmental Policy Act have not provided this level of public access and scrutiny to the preparation of a Draft Environmental Impact Statement.    The Cooperating Agencies section of the website also has information that is well worth reviewing.  These documents provide a glimpse into information that may be included in the draft environmental impact statement (EIS).  Following are some areas to visit:  Cooperating Agencies Responses to Preliminary Alternatives includes responses from agencies to preliminary alternatives and potential mitigation of the proposed project (http://www.rosemonteis.us/node/390)  Minutes of the Cooperating Agencies meetings, including agendas, and meeting materials (http://www.rosemonteis.us/node/101)  We are most grateful that the Coronado National Forest is making this public access possible, as there is no regulation requiring that they do so.      10-12-2009

10/19/2009

Mountain Empire Action Alliance News     Plan to Attend an Important Meeting with the Under Secretary of Agriculture   Following is the text of an email letter from Representative Gabrielle Giffords inviting interested individuals to a meeting on October 24, 2009, with Jay Jensen, the Under Secretary of Agriculture:    Dear Friend,   I am pleased to announce that USDA Deputy Under Secretary Jay Jensen is coming to Southern Arizona on October 24 to listen to community input about the proposed Rosemont mine.  Mr. Jensen is responsible for Natural Resources and Environment and has direct oversight of the Forest Service.   Mr. Jensen's visit is a result of a request Congressman Grijalva and I made to USDA Secretary Vilsack.  We asked the Secretary to review the Forest Service opinion that it cannot consider a No Action alternative when it makes its decision on the mine plan of operation.   Mr. Jensen and I invite you to join us at one of two public meetings on Saturday, October 24. The meetings will be held as follows:    10:15 am - 11:45am Elgin Elementary School 23 Elgin Road Elgin, Arizona   2:15 pm - 3:45 pm Desert Hills Social Center 2980 S. Camino del Sol Green Valley, Arizona   If you plan to attend one of the meetings, please RSVP by Noon on October 23 to: 520. 881.3588 or to RSVPGiffords@mail.house.gov.    I look forward to seeing you on Saturday, October 24th.     Sincerely yours,   Gabrielle Giffords Member of Congress   Release of Draft Environmental Impact Report To Be Rescheduled     An October 18, 2009 press release from Augusta Mining Corporation notes:   "On October 16, 2009 the Forest Service NEPA contractor (SWCA) provided an initial draft Rosemont DEIS and schedule recommendation to complete the alternatives analysis of the DEIS in a manner suitable for publication and comment. Based on information available at that time, SWCA provided a revised project schedule that showed an approach to complete the Draft EIS within three months of the previously scheduled November 2009 DEIS."   The full text of the press release can be found at: http://www.augustaresource.com/upload/News_R/19_oct_2009_AZC_updates_permitting_schedule.pdf     10-19-2009

11/7/2009

Mountain Empire Action Alliance News     Thanks for Attending the October 24, 2009 Meetings with the Deputy Under Secretary of Agriculture!    We had an excellent turnout at the October 24th meeting at the Elgin School sponsored by Representative Gabrielle Giffords with Jay Jensen, the Deputy Under Secretary of Agriculture.  Thanks so much attending, and special thanks to those who made presentations and comments.   At the Green Valley meeting later in the day Tohono O'Odham Nation Chairman Ned Norris Jr. announced that  the Nation's Legislative council opposes the mine, noting that the land was home to ancestral burial grounds of the Tohono and of their ancestors, the HoHoKam.     Letter from Secretary of Agriculture Thomas Vislack Concerning the No Action Alternative   On October 23, 2009 Secretary of Agriculture, Thomas Vislack, sent a letter to Congresswoman Giffords responding to her concerns about a recent Forest Service interpretation of its ability to consider a no action altermative for the proposed Rosemont Mine.  The letter states in part (emphasis added):   "The Forest Service is reviewing the issues surrounding the Rosemont Project as part of its obligations under the National Environmental Policy Act.  As part of that review, the Forest Service is examining both the proposed mine and a no-action alternative in its environmental impact statement.  No decisions have been made with respect to issuing a record of decision for the proposed mine and none will be made until we have completed a thorough review of the proposed mine, the mine plan of operation and any required mitigation."   The full text of the letter can be found at: http://www.hiltonroad.com/documents/vilsacklettertogg.pdf   Save the Scenic Santa Ritas Fall Fundraiser, Thursday, November 12, 2009   Save the Scenic Santa Ritas is sponsoring a fundraising event on Thursday, November 12th at Old Town Artisans in Tucson.  For complete information on this event go to: http://www.scenicsantaritas.org/fallfundraiser.asp         11-7-2009

1/23/2010

Mountain Empire Action Alliance News     Happy New Year!   Happy New Year to all MEAA supporters!  As announced in our last update from 2009 the public release date for the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) has been delayed until April, 2010.  When released we will need lots of help analyzing and commenting on the study.  Until then, we recommend that you keep up to date with all the activity related to the preparation of the DEIS.  Following are a few suggestions of websites or reports to consult.    Forest Service EIS Rosemont Copper Project Website    By consulting the Forest Service's EIS Rosemont Copper Project website (http://rosemonteis.us/) you can follow the deliberations of the cooperating agencies and view the many reports that are being considered in the preparation of the DEIS.  It's not easy to find the material, but if you're an expert in or especially interested in a particular topic plan to search the site on a regular basis.  For example, a search with the word "groundwater" retrieves the Eastside Mine Site Hydrogeology and Groundwater Modeling report.   Rosemont Copper Website   The Rosemont Copper website (http://www.rosemontcopper.com/index.html) provides access to reports prepared by Rosemont or its contractors.  Click on the Studies tab in the upper right.  The AZ 83 Roadway Assessment Report prepared for Rosemont by Tetra Tech is of particular interest and has been recently analyzed by Jim Kramp of the Hilton Road community and member of the MEAA steering committee.  A copy of his summary and analysis is available on the Hilton Road website ( http://www.hiltonroad.com/rosemontsr83.htm)   HR 2944 Hearings in Washington, DC   On January 21, 2010 the House of Representative's Committee on Natural Resources, Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests And Public Lands held hearings on HR 2944--the Southern Arizona Public Lands Protection Act of 2009.  The bill, sponsored by Congressman Raul Grijalva proposes to withdraw from mining federal lands located in Pima and Santa Cruz counties.  The full text of the bill can be found at: http://thomas.loc.gov  Enter the bill number 2944 in the search box in the middle of the page.   Testimony was provided by Dr. Ned Norris, Jr., Chairman, Tohono O'odham Nation; Chuck Huckelberry, Pima County Administrator; Nan Stockholm Walden, J.D., Vice President and Counsel, Farmers Investment Co. (FICO)/The Green Valley Pecan Company; Morris Farr, Vice President, Save the Scenic Santa Ritas; and Many Armenta, United Steelworkers of America.   A video of the hearing can be viewed at: http://resourcescommittee.house.gov/index.php?option=com_frontpage&Itemid=83  The testimony on HR2944 begins approximately 15 minutes into the video.   1-23-2010

3/3/2010

Mountain Empire Action Alliance News     Plan to Attend the U.S. Forest Service Open House on Forest Service Plan Revisions, Tomorrow, March 4, 2010 from 4-7 p.m.   We have just learned that the Coronado National Forest is holding Forest Service Plan Revision Public Open Houses in March for Santa Catalina, Nogales, Sierra Vista, Douglas, and Safford Ranger Districts.   The NOGALES RANGER DISTRICT with its Santa Rita & Tumacacori Mountains will have its open house this Thursday, March 4 from 4:00 to 7:00 P.M. It will take place in Rio Rico at:   Esplendor Resort at Rio Rico Sonoran South Ballroom 1069 Camino Caralampi Rio Rico, AZ 85649   The presentation will be for one hour repeated each hour so people can come when most convenient. This is to review the initial "working draft" of the Revised Forest Plan for the Coronado National Forest Land and Resource Management Plan. The Forest Service will give an overview of the revised FS Plan which will provide "broad strategic guidance for the management of the Coronado National Forest for up to 15 years." Forest staff and resource specialists will be present to discuss the draft, receive ideas and input and respond to your questions.   We encourage your attendance to provide input about and to let the Forest Service know the public has interest. This is done every 15 years, and it is important that the Forest Service sees the public cares about being involved. The document includes direction of desired conditions, objectives, guidelines, standards, & suitable uses, and also has reports assessing areas for potential Wilderness designation.   For example, as shown in the map below the Forest Services proposes that the majority of the motorized recreation areas (in gray) in the entire Coronado National Forest be located in the Sonoita area:     For additional Plan information you can go to http://www.fs.fed.us/r3/coronado/plan-revision/ We also plan to request that the Forest Service schedule a meeting in the Sonoita/Patagonia area.   3-3-2010

Mountain Empire Action Alliance News     SAVE THE DATE for a meeting on the Coronado National Forest Plan Revision--Wednesday April 14, 6:30 p.m., Sonoita-Elgin Fire Station   The Forest Service has agreed to hold a meeting to review the proposed revision to the Coronado National Forest Plan in Sonoita.  Please save the date and plan to attend. Jennifer Ruyle will give an overview of the revised plan which will provide "broad strategic guidance for the management of the Coronado National Forest for up to 15 years." We expect that other staff and resource specialists will be present to discuss the draft, receive ideas and input and respond to your questions.   Of particular concern to Mountain Empire residents is the proposal that the majority of the Motorized Recreation areas (in gray on the map below) in the entire Coronado National Forest be located in the Sonoita area.  In the most recent Draft Forest Plan this area was designated as a Backcountry Recreation Land Use Zone. (see the following link) http://www.fs.fed.us/r3/coronado/plan-revision/graphics/maps/revisedplan/asritb.pdf .     To review the entire plan go to http://www.fs.fed.us/r3/coronado/plan-revision/   Letter Writing Campaign   You've no doubt noticed that Augusta Corporation has a very active publicity campaign about the benefits of the proposed Rosemont Mine.  To provide a balanced view of the issues, it is critical that our elected representatives, the press, and other citizens understand "the rest of the story."  There is an urgent need to write letters and/or Op Ed pieces on several pressing topics, including HB 2617 (see below).  MEAA will provide a list of points to cover in these letters to assist in the process. Please help; contact JoAnne Meyer at: rsannie@msn.   Arizona House Bill 2617   The Arizona House Bill HB 2617: mining amendments; water; permits; rules has passed the Natural Resources and Rural Affairs Committee.  This bill is of great concern because it weakens existing protections for Arizona water use, and decreases current restrictions on mining companies. Municipal water companies have intervened in the legislative process and are currently recommending significant changes to the bill.  All water users (including those on individual wells) should be alarmed at this proposed legislation. We'll keep you posted as to its status and request your assistance in contacting the state legislature now and in the future.  More information on the bill can be found at: www.azleg.gov.  Look for a follow-up message from MEAA with points to cover when writing to key legislators.   Help SSSR at Public Events   Save the Scenic Santa Ritas can use assistance at the following community events:   March 19-21 (Friday through Sunday, 10-6) - Spring 4th Ave Street Fair (Tucson) March 19-20 (Friday through Saturday, 9-4) - 46th Annual Spring Market (Green Valley Village Mall) March 27 (Saturday, 10-4) - 3rd Annual Santa Cruz County Energy Expo (Patagonia Union High School, Patagonia, AZ) April 17 (Saturday, 9-3) - 16th Annual Earth Day Festival in Reid Park (Reid Park, Tucson) April 24 (Saturday) - Patagonia Trails Day (Patagonia, AZ) May 1 (Saturday, 9-3) - 2nd Annual International Migratory Bird Day (Madera Canyon - White House Picnic Ramada)   If you are available to help on one of these days, please send an email to lisa@scenicsantaritas.org with the name of the event, day, and number of hours (in the morning or afternoon) you would like to help.   3-12-2010

Mountain Empire Action Alliance News     Please Write to Your Legislators re: Arizona House Bill 2617   As we mentioned in our last MEAA News issue, Arizona House Bill HB 2617: mining amendments; water; permits; is of great concern because it weakens existing protections for Arizona water use, and decreases current restrictions on mining companies. We have prepared a sample letter (below) which we urge you to adapt and send to your representatives as soon as possible.  The full text of the bill can be found at: www.azleg.gov.   March __, 2010 Representative _________ Arizona House of Representatives 1700 W. Washington Room ___ Phoenix, AZ 85007 Subject:  Arizona House Bill HB2617:  Mining Amendments; Water; Permits; Rules Dear Representative __________: We are writing as concerned citizens and constituents to express our strong opposition to Arizona House Bill HB2617.  If enacted, this bill will have far reaching negative impacts on Arizona laws and public policies that safeguard the quantity and quality of our most precious resource-our groundwater. This bill would prohibit the State of Arizona from making laws to regulate groundwater use, quantity, and quality under standards that are more stringent than federal regulations.  This would result in relaxation of state regulation of inter-basin groundwater transfers, cleanup of contaminated groundwater, filling large bodies of water, mitigation activities associated with mining, exemptions from federal Superfund requirements, and wholesale changes in state regulation of drilling groundwater wells.  It would also result in the elimination of many vital Arizona Department of Environmental Quality programs for which there are no federal counterparts including the Water Quality Assurance Revolving Fund and the Underground Storage Tank Program. Moreover, the citizens of Arizona cannot afford the significant deferred costs of addressing future water supply and quality problems that will surely arise from this proposed relaxation of critical regulatory standards. It would be morally irresponsible to leave such a legacy for our children and grandchildren. In rural Pima and Santa Cruz Counties-where we, our families, and neighbors live-groundwater is the only source of water to preserve our lives and our livelihoods.  Nothing can be more important than safeguarding this scarce and invaluable resource.  Arizona House Bill HB2617 is a terrible leap in the wrong direction. We urge you to vigorously oppose passage of this unwise and dangerous legislation. Sincerely,   Following are the names of  District 30 representatives (we assume that most MEAA members live in District 30), room numbers (to add to the address above), and their email addresses.   David Gowan, Room 117,   dgowan@azleg.gov Ted Vogt, Room 307, tvogt@azleg.gov   We strongly recommend also sending a letter to Frank Antenori, a co-sponsor of this bill, who was recently appointed to Jonathan Paton's vacant District 30 Senate seat. His address and email are:   Senate 1700 W. Washington Room 304 Phoenix, AZ 85007 fantenori@azleg.gov   A list of contact information for other members of the AZ House of Representatives can be found at: http://www.azleg.gov/MemberRoster.asp?Body=H   If you would like a Word version of this letter, please request it from alisbunting@gmail.com     3-20-2010

Mountain Empire Action Alliance News     Please Let KLPX and the Participating Artist Know How We Feel About Rosemont Copper's Sponsorship of the KLPX Fest   Rosemont Copper is sponsoring the KLPX Fest on Sunday, May 23, 2010 http://www.klpx.com/concerts.php.  We encourage you to contact KLPX and the participating artists to politely let them know why you won't be attending the concert.  Following is some suggested wording:   I'm sorry to report that my friends and I won't be attending your concert in Tucson because it is sponsored by the Rosemont Copper Company.  Rosemont, a Canadian company, wants to mine throughout the Santa Rita and Patagonia Mountains South of Tucson starting with a huge open pit mine that would require depositing over 3,600 acres of waste rock and mine tailings on public land situated in one of the most scenic and ecologically important mountain areas in Southern Arizona.  The proposed project is located 12 miles from the City of Tucson and within a watershed serving the City's water supply.  It is no surprise that the proposal has generated widespread opposition from the public and from virtually all local governments in the area.  To learn more visit: http://www.hiltonroad.com/rosemont.htm   KLPX and the artists all have Facebook pages where you can post comments if you become a fan (and you can cancel this status at any time).  If you are not a Facebook member you can also post comments at the KLPX and most of the artists websites.  Below are links that you can use:   KLPX: http://www.facebook.com/pages/961-FM-KLPX/100443263855  http://www.klpx.com/contact.php   Steve Miller Band:  http://www.facebook.com/pages/Steve-Miller-Band/9028478811?ref=ts  http://www.stevemillerband.com/   Peter Frampton:  http://www.facebook.com/?ref=home#!/PeterFrampton?ref=ts  http://www.frampton.com/   .38 Special: http://www.facebook.com/?ref=home#!/38Special?v=wall&ref=ts  http://www.38special.com/   RATT: http://www.facebook.com/therattpack  http://www.therattpack.com/   Starship, featuring Mickey Thomas:  http://www.mickeythomas.com/contact.html http://www.facebook.com/?ref=home#!/pages/Starship-featuring-Mickey-Thomas/91593086609    Edgar Winter:  http://www.edgarwinter.com/management.php http://www.facebook.com/pages/Edgar-Winter/23193688927?v=wall&ref=ts           4-1-10

Mountain Empire Action Alliance News      Status of Arizona House Bill 2617   Arizona House Bill HB 2617: mining amendments; water; permits; passed the AZ House of Representatives and is now being considered by the Senate Natural Resources and Rules Committees.  Thanks to all of you who wrote in response to our last call for action.  If you haven't written, please do so now.   Talking points for your communication should note that AZ 2617 will:  Have far reaching negative impacts on Arizona laws and public policies that safeguard the quantity and quality of our groundwater. Establishes a Mining Advisory Council composed exclusively of representatives of the mining industry with broad power over state agencies to adopt recommendations made by the Council. Prohibit the State of Arizona from making laws to regulate groundwater use, quantity, and quality under standards that are more stringent than federal regulations. Result in the elimination of many vital Arizona Department of Environmental Quality programs for which there are no federal counterparts including the Water Quality Assurance Revolving Fund and the Underground Storage Tank Program. The citizens of Arizona cannot afford the significant deferred costs of addressing future water supply and quality problems that will surely arise from this proposed relaxation of critical regulatory standards.  A word version of a sample letter is available from alisbunting@gmail.com.  The full text of the bill can be found at: www.azleg.gov.  Listed below is contact information for District 30 Senator Frank Antenori, a co-sponsor of the bill, committee members, and Governor Jan Brewer.   Frank Antenori Senate 1700 W. Washington Room 304 Phoenix, AZ 85007 fantenori@azleg.gov    The Honorable Jan Brewer Governor of Arizona 1700 West Washington Phoenix, Arizona 85007 http://www.governor.state.az.us/Contact.asp    Senate Natural Resources Committee   John Nelson, Chairman jnelson@azleg.gov Steve Pierce, Vice-chairman spierce@azleg.gov Amanda Aguirre aaguirre@azleg.gov Sylvia Allen sallen@azleg.gov Albert Hale ahale@azleg.gov Leah Landrum Taylor llandrumtaylor@azleg.gov Al Melvin amelvin@azleg.gov   Senate Rules Committee   Robert "Bob" Burns (R), Chairman rburns@azleg.gov Chuck Gray (R), Vice-chairman cgray@azleg.gov Jorge Luis Garcia (D) jgarcia@azleg.gov Barbara Leff (R) bleff@azleg.gov Debbie McCune Davis (D) dmccunedavis@azleg.gov Steve Pierce (R) rpearce@azleg.gov   Upcoming Meetings   Tuesday, April 13, 2010,  Tucson Electric Power (TEP) Public Information Open House, 5:30-8:30 p.m., Corona Foothills Middle School, 16705 South Houghton Road, Corona de Tucson   TEP has identified preliminary transmission line route alternatives for a 138kV transmission line to the proposed Rosemont Mine, should the mine be approved.  The public information open house will provide an opportunity to review and comment on the alternative routes.  You may attend any time between 5:30 and 8:30 p.m. A brief, formal presentation and question-and-answer session will be held from 6:30 to 7:00 p.m. each night. For more information, including maps of the proposed routes can be viewed at: http://www.tucsonelectric.com/Company/News/Rosemont/index.asp   Wednesday April 14, 2010, Coronado National Forest Plan Revision, 6:30 p.m., Sonoita-Elgin Fire Station, 3173 Highway 83, Sonoita   The Forest Service will come to Sonoita to review the proposed revision to the Coronado National Forest Plan.  Please plan to attend. Jennifer Ruyle will give an overview of the revised plan which will provide "broad strategic guidance for the management of the Coronado National Forest for up to 15 years." We expect that other staff and resource specialists will be present to discuss the draft, receive ideas and input and respond to your questions.   4-2-2010

Mountain Empire Action Alliance News      Please Plan to Attend the Forest Plan Meeting In Sonoita   Wednesday April 14, 2010, Coronado National Forest Plan Revision, 6:30 p.m., Sonoita-Elgin Fire Station, 3173 Highway 83, Sonoita  The Forest Service will come to Sonoita to review the proposed revision to the Coronado National Forest Plan.  Please plan to attend. Jennifer Ruyle will give an overview of the revised plan which will provide "broad strategic guidance for the management of the Coronado National Forest for up to 15 years." We expect that other staff and resource specialists will be present to discuss the draft, receive ideas and input and respond to your questions.   Of particular concern to Mountain Empire residents is the proposal that the majority of the Motorized Recreation areas (in gray on the map below) in the entire Coronado National Forest be located in the Sonoita area.  In the most recent Draft Forest Plan this area was designated as a Backcountry Recreation Land Use Zone. (see the following link) http://www.fs.fed.us/r3/coronado/plan-revision/graphics/maps/revisedplan/asritb.pdf .     Tucson Electric Power (TEP) Public Information Open House   Tuesday, April 13, 2010,  5:30-8:30 p.m., Corona Foothills Middle School, 16705 South Houghton Road, Corona de Tucson   TEP has identified preliminary transmission line route alternatives for a 138kV transmission line to the proposed Rosemont Mine, should the mine be approved.  The public information open house will provide an opportunity to review and comment on the alternative routes.  You may attend any time between 5:30 and 8:30 p.m. A brief, formal presentation and question-and-answer session will be held from 6:30 to 7:00 p.m. each night. For more information, including maps of the proposed routes can be viewed at: http://www.tucsonelectric.com/Company/News/Rosemont/index.asp    Recent MEAA Education Efforts   This past week MEAA hosted two visits from key staff of Senators John Kyl and John McCain.  The purpose of the visits was to provide information on MEAA's concerns about the proposed Rosemont mine.  Presentations during the visit discussed issues of specific local concern, including adverse effect on Highway 83 travel, the local economy, ranching, outdoor recreation, tourism, real estate, property values, and flora and fauna. The meetings resulted in some very useful exchanges of information that we trust will be helpful to our Senators.   4-11-2010