Stop Rosemont mobilization action: Thursday, August 1st

The Rosemont mine would be built above the Cienaga Creek that feeds into Tucson's aquifer 

UPDATE: August 1, 2019

 Federal judge bars Rosemont Mine construction
- Tony Davis Arizona Daily Star

U.S. District Judge James Soto heard oral arguments Tuesday on several cases related to the Rosemont Copper Mine, including a request by mine opponents for a preliminary injunction to halt construction until all other court cases challenging the mine are decided.

The main disagreement at the preliminary injunction hearing was whether the Army Corps of Engineers has the responsibility and authority to regulate downstream secondary and cumulative impacts from dredge and fill operations on the mine site.

Attorneys for tribes and environmental groups who oppose the mine argued that the agency has that authority. They argue that when the Army Corps of Engineers granted the mine's 404 permit under the Clean Water Act, it didn’t adequately analyze related impacts, including dewatering and polluting nearby water sources.

The attorney for the Army Corps of Engineers disputes that claim and says the Forest Service is the main regulatory agency for the mining project, and pointed to proposed mitigation for those impacts on Sonoita Creek.

Opponents also criticized Rosemont and the Army Corps of Engineers for insufficient public notice and financial guarantees on the mine project.

Save the Scenic Santa Ritas, the Center for Biological Diversity, the Arizona Mining Reform Coalition and the Sierra Club Grand Canyon Chapter have filed suit against the Army Corps of Engineers over that 404 permit. In April, the Pima County Board of Supervisors voted to back the lawsuit.

The Tohono O'odham, Pascua Yaqui and Hopi tribes oppose the project over concerns it would damage ancestral homelands, and have filed a lawsuit challenging the Forest Service decision to approve the final environmental impact statement for the mine.

The judge took all cases under advisement. He will make a decision on the injunction by Aug. 1.

More Information:

https://www.sustainablelivingtucson.com/2018/10/find-out-whats-up-with-proposed.html

Save the Alaskan Wilderness: Urge the Army Corps to Reject the Permit for Pebble Mine

We're closer than ever to stopping the Pebble Mine, the catastrophic gold and copper mega-mine that could destroy Alaska's Bristol Bay wilderness for decades to come.

As we reported a few weeks back, Canadian mining company First Quantum Minerals just walked away from its planned investment in the Pebble Mine, thanks to opposition from Bristol Bay leaders and hundreds of thousands of activists like you.

Northern Dynasty Minerals — the company behind the mega-mine — is now running low on cash and unable to prove the economic viability of its mine plan, yet it is barreling ahead with the permitting process. So, now we must mobilize as much public pressure as possible on the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to suspend — and ultimately reject — the project's permit, closing the door on this reckless scheme once and for all.

The Army Corps of Engineers is accepting public comments until June 29, so it's critical that they hear from you immediately.

Tell the Army Corps that you oppose the Pebble Mine — and urge them to suspend and reject the permit for this disastrous mega-mine.

The Pebble Mine could produce billions of tons of mining waste and completely devastate Alaska's Bristol Bay wilderness, its world-renowned salmon runs and wildlife, and its Native communities.

Despite the risks to the world's greatest wild salmon fishery, Northern Dynasty submitted an incomplete permit application that lacks either the scientific or economic support for its plans.

Worse, the company is now scheming to make the mine even bigger — without submitting any supporting documents to the Army Corps.

Tell the Army Corps to immediately suspend the mine's permitting process.
The agency is currently rushing to complete the permitting process in less time than any other large-scale development project in Alaska. And to make matters worse, they're not giving potentially impacted communities and businesses the opportunity to voice their concerns at public hearings as part of the process.

The Pebble Mine is the largest and most contentious mine ever proposed in Alaska.The Army Corps must take the time to properly assess the social, environmental, and economic impacts that this mega-mine could have on Alaskan communities and American businesses.

Tell the Army Corps to stop the Pebble Mine and save Alaska's Bristol Bay wilderness.

The Pebble Mine is opposed by 65 percent of Alaskans and 80 percent of people from Bristol Bay, including tribes, business leaders, commercial fishermen, and native village corporations.

And three of the largest mining companies in the world — Mitsubishi Corporation, Anglo American, and Rio Tinto — have already abandoned the project. Now First Quantum Minerals has joined that list.

So, it's time for the Army Corps to heed all of these voices — and reject the permit for the Pebble Mine.

Add your voice today: Submit your public comment to the Army Corps before June 29.

- Rhea Suh. President, NRDC

#SAVEBRISTOLBAY

Write the Amy Corp of Engineers: Reject the Atlantic Coast Pipeline

 The Atlantic Coast Pipeline will go through 430 acres of Forest Service land.

Dominion Resources and Duke Energy have plans to build a big new pipeline, called the Atlantic Coast Pipeline. It would run through three states and transport 1.5 billion cubic feet of natural gas per day for years, spelling out bad news for the climate and communities along the route.

The Atlantic Coast Pipeline first won approval from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. Now, the U.S. Forest Service recently approved the pipeline to be built right through national forests, even though the construction would disturb about 430 acres of Forest Service land and leave a permanent 21-mile, 50-foot wide right of way for the pipeline on these public lands.

But the project still needs approval from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and from the states the project runs through. This week, help fight new fossil fuel infrastructure by asking the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to reject the Atlantic Coast Pipeline’s permit requests. You can call 202-761-5903 or write by following the link below, and selecting “Regulatory (Permits)” from the drop-down menu under Recipient.

If you live in Virginia, West Virginia and North Carolina, please also contact your state officials and urge them to oppose this pipeline.

LINK TO ARMY CORP OF ENGINEERS CONTACT PAGE

Here is my message that I just posted. Please, personalize yours for even more impact.

Please, reject the Atlantic Coast Pipeline permit requests.

The Atlantic Coast Pipeline will go through three states transporting 1.5 billion cubic feet of natural gas per day for years. How can you even consider putting all those communities and waterways at risk after 5,000 barrels of oil recently gushed out of the Keystone Pipeline? Pipelines leak frequently. More than a million gallons leaked from a pipeline into the Kalamazoo River in Michigan in 2010, and 50,000 gallons of oil gushed into the Yellowstone River in Montana in 2015, contaminating drinking water there.

The pipeline will be built right through our national forests, even though the construction would disturb about 430 acres of Forest Service land and leave a permanent 21-mile, 50-foot wide right of way for the pipeline on these public lands.

Thank you for your consideration.

Jana Segal

#noatlanticcoastpipeline, #nopipeline, 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3rxqUXqPzog

Since 1986 there have been nearly 8,000 incidents (nearly 300 per year on average), resulting in more than 500 deaths (red dots on the video), more than 2,300 injuries (yellow dots on the video), and nearly $7 billion in damage. 

More information: 

Keystone Pipeline Leaks 210,000 Gallons of Oil in South Dakota, November 16, 2017

30 years of pipeline accidents mapped (up to 2016)

Wikipedia List of pipeline accidents in the United States in the 21st century (up to 2016)

Army Corps of Engineers to permit the construction of the Dakota Access Pipeline under Lake Oahe

Trump is bragging that no one called to protest his executive order to allow the Dakota Access Pipeline to be rushed through without proper investigation into the environmental impact.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers announced its intention to issue a permit for the construction of the Dakota Access Pipeline under Lake Oahe as soon as tomorrow. The Army Corps also stated that it would grant the easement without completing an environmental impact statement (EIS), a process that allows for public input.


Here's their contact information:

www.usa.gov/federal-agencies/u-s-army-corps-of-engineers

I just left a message.