I was pleased to read your article “Reluctant
Boomtown,” which focused on the multitude of problems connected
with the possible return of copper mining to the town of Superior,
Ariz. (HCN,
2/18/08). It seems that in Superior some residents favor
the mine and some oppose it.
You briefly mention another
proposal, on the oak and pine-studded slopes of the Santa Rita
Mountains near the city of Tucson, and note that “the locals …
are doing their best to stop it.” Yes, we are! We want to say
loudly and clearly that the mile-wide open-pit copper mine being
proposed has few supporters other than the mining company and its
investors. Virtually every elected official in southeastern Arizona
has stated his/her opposition to the mine, from city council
members to members of Congress. And there is huge public
opposition.
With the leadership of our representatives in
Congress, we will stop this mine, which has the potential to
seriously deplete our already diminishing groundwater supply, put
toxics into our drinking water, and damage the economies of nearby
small communities.
Open-pit mining, as presently
practiced, is an industry that belongs to the past, not the future.
To learn more about the status of mining proposals in southeastern
Arizona, contact www.scenicsantaritas.org.
Gayle
Hartmann, President,
Save the Scenic Santa
Ritas
Tucson, Arizona
This article appeared in the print edition of the magazine with the headline Block that mine.
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