Pima County Residents Want The Jobs Rosemont Mine Will Create

For years, Pima County leadership has squandered valuable taxpayer dollars fighting the opening of the state-of-the-art Rosemont Mine. At the same time, our young residents are fleeing the area in search of high-paying jobs like those the mine would create.

Opposition to the Rosemont Mine has been primarily limited to a small faction of very vocal activists, some local area residents and various environmental organizations with deep pockets.

For years, Pima County leadership has squandered valuable taxpayer dollars fighting the opening of the state-of-the-art Rosemont Mine. At the same time, our young residents are fleeing the area in search of high-paying jobs like those the mine would create.

Opposition to the Rosemont mine has been primarily limited to a small faction of very vocal activists, some local area residents and various environmental organizations with deep pockets.

Yet, once again, the majority of my Pima County supervisors supported County Administrator Chuck Huckelberry’s request to reaffirm the 2007-15 resolution opposing the Rosemont Mine.

In a recent memo, Huckelberry said the US Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) decision to approve the Rosemont Copper Project was “a disappointment.” He may be disappointed, but even he acknowledged in his memo that “Pima County has a long history of mineral extraction, and the mining “industry remains an important component of our region’s economy and heritage.”

Mr. Huckelberry complains that the County has dedicated “many years of effort to encourage all parties to fully compensate for the adverse impacts of a new mine.”

According to the company, “A $25 million endowment will be established during operations to support a trust dedicated to conservation, recreation, cultural and environmental conservation projects.” On top of that, Rosemont is expected to “contribute $500,000 annually to local charities and schools through its corporate contributions and school grant programs.”

Over the last 12 years Rosemont has expended more than $100 million to achieve the approval of the various permits. Start up operations are estimated to cost $1.9 billion and the mine will generate $350 million in local tax revenues over the life of the mine according to an Arizona State University Study prepared in 2018.

With multiple state and federal agencies overseeing the project, and thousands of pages of regulations to which Rosemont must adhere, one must ask why are there still objections? Why the obstruction?

In his memo, Huckelberry complains of the lack of fairness in the process. He writes, “The most troubling aspect of this decision lies in the unequal application of standards or requirements imposed or sanctioned and encouraged by the Federal Government on local governments such as counties, cities and towns compared to private mining operations.”

Has Mr. Huckelberry forgotten that the government, with its seemingly unlimited resources taken from the pocket of taxpayers, is supposed to have higher standards? The highest standards, in fact.

Last week, investors pledged another $302 million to the Resolution Mine, located near Superior, Arizona. At the same time, Pima County lost another 800 call-center jobs and we are all familiar with the layoffs that occurred recently at World View funded on the backs of taxpayers.

I don’t know about you, but I know I am tired of hearing every excuse in the world as to why the residents of Pima County, who live in the fifth poorest metropolitan area in the country, should be denied the same opportunities as their neighbors to the north, south, east and west enjoy. Pima County residents deserve better. They deserve those good paying jobs that Rosemont Mine will provide.

That, Mr. Huckelberry is unfair.

Facts from Rosemont:

· The Mine is expected to cost $1.9 billion over a 2.5-year construction period and require over 2,500 workers during the peak of construction.

· The job creation, tax generation and overall economic impact of Rosemont will be significant for Arizona.

· Once construction is completed, Rosemont is expected to have a 19-year mine life.

·Employ over 500 full-time employees directly in mining and process operations and general administration during active mining operations. 1

· Provide annual wages to direct employees that average more than twice the current median annual income in Pima County.

· Create over 2,500 direct jobs and 4,060 total jobs during construction. 2

· Spend between $90 million and $158.1 million in direct purchases per year from local vendors during active mining operations. As a result, local-vendor purchases are expected to be between $127.1 million and $225.2 million annually over the life of the project. 2

· Generate an estimated $350 million in new local tax revenues over the life of the mine. 3

· Generate an estimated $107.6 million in total revenues for State and local governments from direct and indirect employees over the life of the mine. 3

1 NI 43-101 Report on the Rosemont Project dated March 30, 2017

2 Based on the Forest Service Final Environmental Impact Statement for the Rosemont Copper Project, 2013

3 Arizona State University Economic Impact Study, June 2018

About Ally Miller, Pima County Board of Supervisors District 1 (ret.) 11 Articles
Supervisor Ally Miller began serving her 2nd term as the Pima County District 1 Supervisor in January 2017. Miller was first elected in November 2012, and has strives to share important information with the residents of the county through the newspapers, social media, and policy focused public gatherings.