The perfect-kept secret in Arizona is the upcoming mining disaster within the Patagonia Mountains. Touted by its Australian proprietor, South 32, as the biggest financial growth challenge in Santa Cruz County historical past, it will include big prices.
They would come with:
• De-watering the Patagonia Mountains at a price of over 6 million gallons of water per day would mobilize metallic air pollution alongside Harshaw Creek which feeds the Sonoita Creek aquifer — the one supply for the city’s ingesting water and yhe Nature Conservancy protect additional downstream.
• Harmful roads all through the higher Patagonia-Sonoita space as over 190 massive concentrate-laden vans would transfer every day up and down scenic roads SR82 and SR83 on their method north by way of the 4 corners in Sonoita after which to some unnamed terminal alongside the Interstate 10 hall east of Tucson.
• Erosion-prone scars throughout public Nationwide Forest land by new mine roads and tall, excessive voltage energy line corridors from the Santa Cruz River Valley close to Rio Rico as much as the mine, all alongside Flux Canyon south of city, which is a novel wildlife habitat.
Examine this type of “progress” with the brand new economic system that has been constructed assiduously within the higher Patagonia-Sonoita space over the previous 40-plus years following the final mining catastrophe the place a mining firm that went bankrupt within the Seventies left a hollowed-out native economic system in its wake. That “legacy” left huge poisonous waste piles and mine tailings that also leak harmful pollution each day into the native watersheds.
The water risk
As it’s, rainfall transports soils and sediments downstream by way of Harshaw Creek thereby leaching residual poisonous metallic compounds from any air-exposed, mineralized supplies. Add to that the “managed flood” that the Australia-based South 32 plans for Harshaw Creek with the intention to extract minerals from its deep-shaft mines.
Needless to say this intermittent creek joins the Sonoita Creek watershed and feeds the city’s ingesting water wells, Nature Conservancy protect, Patagonia Lake State Park, and finally, the Santa Cruz River watershed that flows north by way of Inexperienced Valley and Tucson, recharging the aquifers serving a whole lot of 1000’s of residents and companies.
The “metallic mobilization” phenomena on this space have been extensively studied by the U.S. Geological Survey for greater than 20 years and paperwork the buildup of poisonous metals in soils and vegetation throughout the Patagonia Mountains. South 32’s proposed man-made “flood” will very probably create a vigorous flush by way of a fragile waterway.
An aquifer safety allow already granted by the Arizona Division of Environmental High quality will enable South 32 so as to add to the metals that have already got entered the meals chain of dwelling species, as extensively reported in a 2012 thesis from a College of Arizona scholar, augmented by contributions from USGS scientists.
South 32 didn’t reference this publicly obtainable info as “web site particular elements” in its authentic allow utility with ADEQ. South 32 as a substitute offered modeling information by its exterior contractors. Whereas an enchantment to an administrative legislation decide for the state’s Water High quality Appeals Board confirmed issuance of the allow, that call is now on enchantment in Maricopa County Superior Court docket .
‘Goodbye’ to state scenic roads
To this point, South 32 has generated solely confusion relating to the route to move mining concentrates and associated course of chemical substances from and to its mine web site. Harshaw Highway, an “improved” grime highway, will carry the large vans from the Hermosa Mine to a brand new highway that cuts northwest throughout a brand new “park” to SR82. South 32 bought that land and satisfied Santa Cruz County supervisors to just accept it as a park with a 30-year easement again to South 32 to be used by all its truck visitors. The Arizona Division of Transportation now’s poised to rule on the ingress/egress request from South 32 on to SR82.
South 32’s concentrate-laden vans will transfer 24-7 alongside SR82 as much as the 4 corners of Sonoita adjoining to the Santa Cruz County Fairgrounds after which north on the SR83 previous the east facet of the Santa Rita Mountains to I-10. Beware those that will get caught behind sluggish transferring vans for tens of miles on these winding roads which have been designated by ADOT as “scenic” and “not really useful for vans” for good motive.
South 32 additionally guarantees building of a everlasting route south of the Patagonia Mountains by way of Flux Canyon. How will this civil engineering marvel be accomplished… and when? The place will the concentrate-laden vans go? Via the Port of Nogales to a switch port at Mexico’s Pacific coast or as much as Interstate 19 for a circuitous journey to Tucson?
How will explosive supplies, poisonous mine concentrates, and different hazardous supplies be transported in a protected method? The current Interstate 10 and nationwide railroad chemical spills have proven that lack of laws and enforcement, even on main regional transportation routes, can result in critical public well being disasters on an more and more frequent foundation.
Some fundamental mineral economics
South 32, by its personal public admission, is dashing to finalize its “pre-feasibility examine” this yr with the intention to elevate wanted billions in funding capital.
Take into account that in its 2023 Mineral Commodity Summaries, the USGS designated the US as a internet exporter of zinc ores and concentrates however trusted imports for 76 p.c of its refined zinc metallic.
This actuality outcomes from the huge manufacturing capability of the Canadian-owned Crimson Canine Mine in Alaska. This mine makes use of its personal smelter, positioned in Canada. It could be way more correct for South 32 to substantiate that there’s a scarcity of U.S. smelters relatively than ore-producing mines. FAST-41 company contributors ought to take explicit notice of this and notice that the wanted metals are and can stay obtainable from Canada courtesy of our North American Free Commerce Settlement.
The South 32-owned Hermosa Mine within the Patagonia Mountains is subsequently not solely redundant but additionally non-competitive on the economics. South 32 has not demonstrated that it’s as aggressive because the Crimson Canine Mine whose a lot larger grade ores come from an open pit relatively than from the deep tunnels on the Hermosa Mine web site. Crimson Canine additionally makes use of personal roads and ports for the transport of its poisonous concentrates.
Notice additionally that South 32 deftly has switched its focus to the extraction of manganese, claiming it produces battery-grade high quality manganese at a time when electrical batteries are heralded as a significant method to energy our method from fossil fuels.
In depth purification must happen earlier than battery-grade manganese, sometimes referred to as Excessive Purity Manganese Sulphate Monohydrate, is obtained. South 32 has now introduced it plans to start out HPMSM manufacturing “someplace” in Santa Cruz County including to the woes of chemical transports and depletion of already declining groundwater.
In recognition of the should be extra unbiased of China — a dominant producer of HPMSM — a number of new manufacturing services have been began the world over, particularly close to massive manganese mines which have the far preferable high-grade, carbonate ores, like these positioned in close by New Brunswick/Canada. Once more, with a free commerce settlement in place already for many years, there isn’t a want to start out a non-competitive mine anyplace within the U.S.
Final however not least, as Tesla has proven already with its adoption of manganese-free, iron phosphate-based lithium batteries, innovation proceeds at a really quick tempo and what’s wanted now will not be wanted tomorrow.
Then there’s that magical manganese
South 32 needs to make its mark with manganese … let this video do the speaking with regards to the well being results of manganese … and the outcomes on people. And for collateral studying, a Washington Publish article weighs in with the medical results.
A brand new path ahead
This new economic system that has been constructed — additionally referred to as the “Nature-Primarily based Restorative Financial system” — combines the work of ranchers, wine producers, and a wave of recent restaurant and lodging proprietors. It’s buttressed by the tourism {dollars} of hunters, chook watchers, path bikers, hikers and campers, artwork lovers, and retirees.
The College of Arizona has documented the advantages of this new economic system: $53.7 million per yr in GDP for Santa Cruz County; over 1,200 jobs; $121.7 million in enterprise gross sales; and virtually $5 million in state and native tax revenues. That is an economic system that does no hurt.
Holding authorities accountable
Don’t be dissuaded by assertions that the South 32 challenge is unstoppable as a result of it rests on so-called patented (personal) land.
Solely by way of heightened public consciousness and citizen stress can this huge and harmful challenge be thought of totally and within the gentle of day, notably because the FAST-41 course of proceeds with its expedited assessment course of.
Contact each federal and state elected officers now to compel their consideration and forthrightness. Use the total array of presidency instruments to think about and act within the public curiosity.