Congress approves colossal Ariz. copper mine Rebekah L. Sanders, The Republic | azcentral A colossal copper mine that could pump billions into the Arizona economy is charging ahead, after nearly a decade of Washington roadblocks. In a rush of votes Friday, the Senate passed the measure 89-11 before the Christmas recess. The federal land swap paves the way for the mine to be built near Superior. It is expected to produce a quarter of the current annual demand for copper in the United States, though its output would be sold throughout the world. The bill was tucked into the must-pass Defense Department spending measure, along with a package of other public land bills, drawing criticism from lawmakers who wanted the unrelated provisions considered separately. Their efforts to derail the bill went nowhere. Supporters on both sides of the aisle, who have watched the mine legislation fail over five sessions of Congress, hailed its passage as a boon for the Arizona economy. The mine would tap the largest copper deposit ever discovered in North America. The company, Resolution Copper, estimates it could create 3,700 jobs near Superior and more than $61 billion in economic benefit to the state. This is a great victory for the state of Arizona, after years of hard work, said Arizona Republican Sens. John McCain and Jeff Flake in a joint statement. McCain, who is set to take over as Senate Armed Services Committee chairman, told The Arizona Republic that it was his strategy to get the long-stalled legislation added to the defense bill. I think it has a lot to do with national security, McCain said. This mine, when its fully operational, will supply 25 percent of Americas copper supply, and that is a national security issue. The legislation now heads to President Barack Obamas desk. RELATED: Defense spending in Ariz. falls sharply Native American tribes and environmentalists, joined by a handful of lawmakers, decried the bills inclusion in the National Defense Authorization Act as a backroom move to thwart opponents. Its amazing how we can take something as important as the Defense Authorization bill, the thing thats going to give our military leaders what they need to make the decisions to defend this country... and lard it up with things that dont need to be happening right now, said Sen. Tom Coburn, R-Okla. The projects history has included elements of a soap opera. Former Arizona congressman Rick Renzi was convicted of extortion for threatening to scuttle the project if mine executives didnt purchase land from a former business partner who owed him money. Former bitter campaign rivals, U.S. Reps. Ann Kirkpatrick, D-Ariz., and Paul Gosar, R-Ariz., in the past two years forged a friendly alliance to push for the bill. They co-introduced the House legislation last year but struggled to secure support for its passage. Arizona is just one momentous step from the finish line, said Kirkpatrick, who represents the 1st Congressional District where the mine sits, about 60 miles east of Phoenix. She and Gosar urged the president to quickly sign the legislation. Arizona can celebrate the holiday season with a copper Christmas, Gosar said. The mine sits below 2,400 acres owned by the federal government. The legislation allows Resolution Copper, a venture of two international corporations, to secure it by exchanging 5,300 acres that the company owns throughout Arizona with recreational, conservation and cultural significance. Opponents expressed deep disappointment. The San Carlos Apache tribe worries the mine will pollute water and damage land, including sacred areas such as Oak Flat campground and Apache Leap. Tribes across Arizona and the nation have joined forces to combat the mine. Environmentalists and outdoor enthusiasts warn additionally about damage to recreational areas, including rock-climbing destinations. However, a rock climbing group known as the Queen Creek Coalition and the environmental group Nature Conservancy support the project. San Carlos Apache representatives flew to Washington to lobby against the bill, but they had little chance of success due to the legislations speed and its passel of handouts, said Chairman Terry Rambler. Why couldnt this have gone through the normal process, rather than doing this behind closed doors at the last minute? They tried to rush it through so we couldnt gather up all the opposition around the country, Rambler said in an interview. Mine executives say their method of excavation will be less destructive than open-pit mining, and sensitive areas such as Apache Leap will be protected. But Rambler doesnt believe it. Theyre going to go a mile deep. ... Its just a matter of time before the whole thing caves in, he said. Rambler said the tribe would continue to try to stop the mine. Were still going to fight, he said. Members of Congress have not listened to their concerns, said Sandy Bahr, director of the Grand Canyon chapter of the Sierra Club. This has been a seven- or eight-year battle, she said. We have testified. We have sent letters to the members. ... There have been petitions and there have been protests. The list goes on. Arizona Democratic Rep. Raúl Grijalva has been the most vocal opponent in Congress. He has stymied the bill in previous sessions, working against his colleagues in the Arizona delegation. But he remained largely silent during the recent rush to pass the legislation. Grijalvas spokesman said Friday he was unavailable for comment and did not provide a statement. RELATED:House approves $1 trillion spending package Resolution Copper Project Director Andrew Taplin said the company has a lot of work to do. A full environmental review must be completed, along with public comment and consultation with tribes, as well as an appraisal of the copper deposits value. He said in a statement that Resolution Copper hopes to develop relationships with the tribes. Other provisions in the defense bill are important for Arizona. It delays for one year elimination of the A-10 fighter program. Eighty of the military jets, known as Warthogs are stationed at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Tucson, the primary training facility for its pilots. The Pentagon had proposed shutting down the A-10 program and using the money for the new F-35 fighter. The language in the defense bill does allow up to 36 A-10s to be placed on backup if a study shows the shift is needed to avoid delaying the roll-out of the F-35. McCain called the defense bill a victory. We got the Resolution Copper deal done and most of our defense stuff that we needed done, including Tomahawk missiles worth $82 million for (defense contractor) Raytheon, which has a hub in Arizona, McCain said. Weve got some helicopters manufactured out at Boeing. But most of all, this Resolution Copper will be just huge. Weve been working on it for 10 years. Bill Theobald and Dan Nowicki contributed to this story. azcentral/story/news/arizona/politics/2014/12/12/congress-clears-arizona-copper-mine/20327087/
Posted on: Sat, 13 Dec 2014 16:31:33 +0000
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