TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) - The government has approved a key water permit for a mine in southern Arizona that environmentalists have been fighting against for years.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers issued the permit for the Rosemont Copper Mine on Friday.
Hudbay Minerals Inc., the company that plans on building the mine, said it has developed a mitigation plan that includes building a pipeline to bring water to the Sahuarita area and establishing an endowment fund to support conservation, cultural and recreational projects in southern Arizona. It says it will eventually create 500 jobs at the mine after spending $1.9 billion on construction.
David Steele, spokesman for Save the Scenic Santa Ritas, said the mine will “obliterate desert washes and streams” that eventually ends up in groundwater supplies used by the Tucson area.
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