Chair Grijalva Questions Army Corps Headquarters Decision to Issue Final Permit for Rosemont Mine in So. Arizona, Vows More Oversight

Washington, D.C. – Chair Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.) today questioned the Army Corp of Engineers headquarters decision to grant a final permit to the Rosemont Mine, which is expected to damage water resources and wildlife in Southern Arizona.

The proposed Rosemont Mine, a project outside Tucson, Ariz., being promoted by Hudbay Minerals Inc., is within the Cienega Creek watershed, home to the endangered Chiricahua leopard frog and other sensitive species. Grijalva for years has highlighted the proposed mine’s expected environmental impacts and fought for transparency in the approval process.

“The Rosemont Mine will be destructive to our water, wildlife and lands in ways that cannot be engineered away. This Committee is not finished with its oversight of how this mine’s approvals were handled,” Grijalva said today. “When a mine will critically impair federally protected habitats and threaten desert water resources, that mine shouldn’t get a rubber stamp. That’s what happened today, and that’s what this Committee is going to investigate before permanent damage is done.”

Today’s announcement, Grijalva said, shows the need for stricter environmental reviews for mining operations with potential federal implications.

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Media Contact: Adam Sarvana

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