The Mayor and city officials have been informed that the Copper Queen Mine tour is at risk of being shut down because elevated levels of radon have been detected. The city met with Freeport McMoran, the company which owns the retired mine, on Friday. According to Mayor Adriana Badal, Freeport-McMoran reported that they had detected potentially “unsafe” levels of radon.
The historic underground mine is a well-known icon in the Southern Arizona mining community and a powerful tourist attraction along with the adjacent “Lavender Pit.” It is one of the Southern Arizona tourist attractions that is on many “Bucket Lists”.
Reported by KVOA Tucson, Diannea Constock brought her two nieces from Louisville, Kentucky because her father brought her to the mine back in the 1970s, and it made a lasting impression.
“This is something totally different. They have never been to the desert before — where else are you going to go that you have copper, silver… and the desert?” Constock said.
Mayor Badal told News 4 Tucson. “It’s not a health concern, according to OSHA and according to Freeport, for our tourists. It could pose a potential problem for our employees, so we are very willing and anxious to mitigate and turn that around so we can re-open the mine,” Badal told News 4 Tucson.
The city is willing to add additional employees to limit exposure, install ventilation and explore other methods to mitigate safety concerns expressed by Freeport.
Badal said that Freeport indicated they plan to give the City of Bisbee a 60-day notice to shut down the tour operations. That notification has not happened yet.
However, Badal said that she hopes they can have a conversation and come up with a solution that allows the Copper Queen Mine to remain the hope for future generations to enjoy.
Freeport-McMoran has leased this portion of the Copper Queen Mine to the city since 1976, which is self-supporting, because the revenue is used to operate the tour. In 2012, more than 43,000 people visited the mine with revenue from tours and merchandise sales topping nearly $570,000.
If the copper Queen Mine is on your “Bucket List” a visit soon might be prudent.