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A view of Resolution Copper’s Headframes.
Superior, AZ – Resolution Copper marks another significant milestone with today’s announcement by the United States Forest Service (USFS) that it has opened a 60-day public scoping period under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) for its proposed copper project located near Superior, AZ (http://1.usa.gov/1px3Wcg).
“We welcome the opening of the public comment period and the process to evaluate our Mine Plan of Operations and Land Exchange,” said Andrew Taplin, project director, Resolution Copper. “NEPA is entirely consistent with the way in which we develop state-of-the-art projects worldwide and it is an important process that allows stakeholders to identify potential environmental and cultural concerns so that they can be analyzed and mitigated,” said Taplin. “Our commitment is to people and the environment. Our values mandate that our project be open to public scrutiny and respectful of all views being expressed. As we move from project permitting to a mining operation, our pledge is to continually improve our performance. We know what technology and best-practices can deliver,” concluded Taplin.
The USFS is responsible for conducting an independent environmental review of the project. The announcement signals the start of the public engagement process and it provides information on the mine plan of operations, the land exchange, location and time of public scoping meetings, as well as instructions on how to submit comments to the public record. Input in to the NEPA scoping process will be collected by the USFS and used to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement. “The process requires an open and transparent interaction between the USFS and stakeholders and in a very real sense, that interaction will shape the future of the project and provide a pathway to move the project forward,” said Vicky Peacey, Sr. manager, permitting, Resolution Copper.
The Mine Plan of Operations and Land Exchange include the construction, operation and reclamation by Resolution Copper of a proposed large-scale mine and the exchange of land between Resolution Copper and the United States. Resolution Copper is one of the largest undeveloped copper deposits in the world, located in the historic Magma Copper Mine in the Pioneering Mining District. The Resolution copper deposit lies nearly 7,000 feet below the earth’s surface and it is believed to contain than 1.9 billion tons of copper ore. The Resolution Copper project would provide significant economic benefits to the local community and the people of Arizona including new state revenues to schools and local government and thousands of new job opportunities. Based on current estimates, the Resolution Copper Mine is expected to have an economic value of more than $60 billion over the projected life of the project, through direct and indirect project benefits. The project seeks to create mutually beneficial partnerships in such areas as land stewardship, direct-employment, job training as well as contracting and commercial opportunities for local and Native American-owned businesses.
The U.S. Forest News release invites the public to submit written comments on the Mine Plan of Operations and Land Exchange. Comments must be received to the U.S. Forest Service by May 17, 2016.
Comments may be sent in one of four ways to the USFS:
· U.S. Mail: US Forest Service, P.O. Box 34468, Phoenix, AZ 85067-4468, Attn: Resolution EIS
· Email: Comments@ResolutionMineEIS.us
· Web: ResolutionMineEIS.us
· Fax and Voice Mail: 1-866-546-5718
Comments may also be submitted during open houses that will be held by the USFS as follows:
· March 31, 2016, 5 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Queen Valley Recreation Center, 1478 E. Queen Valley Drive, Queen Valley, AZ.
· April 4, 2016, 5 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Superior Junior/Senior High School, Multi-purpose room, 100 Mary Drive, Superior, AZ.
· April 5, 2016, 5 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Elks Lodge, 1775 E. Maple St., Globe, AZ.
· April 6, 2016, 5 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Southwest Regional Library, 775 N. Greenfield Rd., Gilbert, AZ.
Individuals who use telecommunication devices for the deaf (TDD) may call the Federal Information Relay Service (FIRS) at 1-800-877-8339 between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m., Eastern Time, Monday through Friday.
Additional information concerning the NEPA Scoping Process should be directed to the U.S. Forest Service at (602) 225-5222.
About Resolution Copper
Resolution Copper Mining is a limited liability company working to develop the third largest undeveloped copper resource in the world near Superior, AZ. The project will mine ore using underground block-caving methods at depths of nearly 7,000 feet below surface. When in full production, the mine will employ 1,400 workers directly and generate an additional 2,300 indirect and induced jobs. The mine will be North America’s largest copper producer when in full production, capable of producing more than 25 percent of the nation’s demand based on today’s usage.
Contacts
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