As I began writing this blog post, headlines were proclaiming the triumphant rescue of the thirty three Chilean miners who were trapped in the San Jose mine for seventy days. While the men are sure to experience after-effects of their traumatic ordeal in the weeks and months to come, they are far luckier than the victims of other recent mine accidents, such as the twenty five killed in an coal mine explosion last April in West Virginia, or the unfortunate six men and their three rescuers in the Crandall Canyon, Utah accident in August of 2007. These tragedies remind us afresh that mining’s human costs, as well as its environmental costs, must not be forgotten as we struggle to emerge from a crippling recession and free ourselves from dependence on foreign fuels and manufacturing commodities.
Two years ago, High Country News ran an excellent, in-depth article by Jonathan Thompson chronicling the dilemmas faced by residents of Superior, Arizona, regarding a proposed new copper mine nearby. Like many towns in the West’s mountainous areas, Superior owes its existence to mining, and it has been particularly hard hit by the boom-and-bust cycles that such extractive industries experience, and, since the article first appeared, the additional burden of the recession. While some places like Telluride in Colorado and Bisbee in southern Arizona have mostly moved on from their mining heritage and attracted hip “amenity migrants” with rugged scenery and inexpensive, retro architecture, Superior has only been able to catch a tiny segment of that wave, consisting of rock and boulder climbers and a few retirees. For the most part, a drive down Main Street reveals the same depressing, crumbling, boarded up buildings Thompson described. The few active businesses line U.S. 60, which parallels Main for a stretch, and the abandoned smelter and slag heaps loom above it all, briefly distracting the eye from the sheer cliffs of the Apache Leap escarpment and the spectacular Queen Creek Canyon that cuts through it. It is an enigmatic region of stark contrasts, and one of my favorite areas in the state to visit as a result
Image of Apache Leap escarpment, where the Rio Tinto copper mine is proposed courtesy Flickr user skytruth.
Deep within these dramatic landscapes lies a huge quantity of copper ore. Resolution Copper, a division of international mining conglomerate Rio Tinto, has for several years been orchestrating a sophisticated, multi-pronged lobbying and PR campaign in its efforts to acquire the public lands surrounding the ore. Their efforts are impressive, and include concessions to nearly every interest group imaginable. Beyond the expected promises to provide good jobs and invest in local schools, charities, etc., they have offered to acquire and develop access to nearby wilderness sites for climbers, campers and other recreationists to replace the popular Oak Flat area (which, as a result of Resolution’s “panel caving” extraction method, may eventually “subside” – literally sink into the earth.) Likewise, they have offered some culturally and environmentally sensitive parcels of land in exchange for Oak Flat and its surroundings, including riparian areas and the Superior cemetery.
The swap must be approved by Congress, and it has some powerful political backers. Arizona Senators McCain and Kyl are co-sponsors and vocal proponents of the jobs Resolution will offer to the economically disadvantaged area. In a clever twist, Kyl has even “greenwashed” his jobs argument by pointing out how much copper is needed in hybrid engines and wind turbines. More recently, McCain has highlighted his support for the swap in his Senate campaign, visiting Superior often and touting his relationship with its mayor, Michael Hing, a mine supporter, in his Twitter posts. While the imprimatur of these Republicans might be unsurprising, even longtime opponents are beginning to come around. The Queen Creek Coalition, a group of climbers formerly opposed to the swap, have signed a letter of intent with Resolution, agreeing to support it if other designated parcels are provided and protected for recreational uses.
In times like these, it becomes increasingly difficult to maintain one’s green ethos in the face of economic hardships like those experienced by citizens of Superior. Scarred landscapes and polluted run-off have always been facts of life to these proud people, who have made vital if underappreciated contributions to Arizona’s history and culture. Although not all support the current proposal, they certainly deserve a share of the prosperity that comes from extracting minerals that the rest of the world refuses to do without, despite their high environmental costs. But McCain, Kyl, and other high-profile proponents would do well to heed the lessons from the recent mine disasters in Chile and elsewhere. Jobs are important, but mining jobs hold more risks than most. We should all ask ourselves whether this, combined with the ecological risks, make mining a justifiable enterprise for the 21st century West.
Jackie Wheeler teaches writing and environmental rhetoric at Arizona State University, where she is also the Associate Director of Writing Programs. Outside academia, she’s an avid rafter, kayaker, and horsewoman who also attempts to garden. When possible, she escapes the Phoenix metro area for an undisclosed location in Southeastern Utah.
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