August 10th, 2018
At Resolution Copper, we’re investing in our community, our state and our nation to create value for generations to come. The following is an update on how the project is progressing.
• Shaft Rehabilitation and Deepening. We are continuing to restore the historic No. 9 shaft, originally constructed in 1971. The project involves rehabilitating the existing 4,800 feet deep shaft, then extending it to approximately 7,000 feet below surface, and linking it with the No. 10 shaft. Connecting the two shafts will provide a second independent means of egress from underground along with improved infrastructure and ventilation. This four-year effort is creating economic opportunities for the region and the state. We are committed to local economic participation, so the No. 9 shaft project prioritizes local hiring, local workforce development and local procurement whenever feasible options are available.
• Safer and Cleaner Site. Reclamation at our West Plant site adjacent to Superior is moving forward. We are cleaning contaminated soil from the old site and that requires us to demolish the Magma Copper smelter complex. The smelter chimney stack is scheduled to be taken down in late October or early November, depending on weather conditions. Demolition of the smelter’s other buildings will be completed before the stack comes down. We will remove contaminated demolition debris in December, finish removing surrounding soils in the spring of 2019, and then reseed and reclaim the smelter site in the months that follow. Reclamation is a part of a voluntary consent decree administered by the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality to remedy and clean up environmental impacts from previous mining and smelting operations. When reclamation is complete, our West Plant site will be cleaner and safer.
• Preserving History. We have hired WestLand Resources to conduct archeological studies on the old smelter complex and surrounding mine property. WestLand’s team is producing a video documentary featuring interviews of people who worked at the smelter and mill facilities. We will make these oral histories and all collected historical materials available to the public. Meanwhile, we are working with the Town of Superior to identify other ways to memorialize Superior’s mining history and culture. The Town will submit three proposals for a major legacy project by the end of this year.
• Approval Process Steps. A comprehensive environmental and social review of the proposed mine and land exchange continues under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). Here are the major steps in the approval process:
Draft EIS. The U.S. Forest Service (USFS) expects to issue its draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) in May 2019. The draft EIS addresses comments received from the March to July 2016 public scoping period.
Final EIS. The EIS will then enters a public comment period. A Final EIS for the mine plan and land exchange is expected to be published in the summer of 2020.
Final Mine Plan. Authorization of a final mine plan of operations only happens after the NEPA analysis is completed, which includes mitigations and other conditions of approval that minimize adverse environmental impacts. NEPA also addresses concerns of communities, including Native American tribes. By law, the Secretary of Agriculture must conduct consultations with affected tribes to understand issues of concern. Resolution Copper is then required to work with the Secretary to find mutually acceptable measures to address those concerns.
As we go forward, we will continue to provide regular updates. We invite you to connect with us through our website and social media channels, and to visit our Mine Information Offices in Superior and Globe. back...
• Shaft Rehabilitation and Deepening. We are continuing to restore the historic No. 9 shaft, originally constructed in 1971. The project involves rehabilitating the existing 4,800 feet deep shaft, then extending it to approximately 7,000 feet below surface, and linking it with the No. 10 shaft. Connecting the two shafts will provide a second independent means of egress from underground along with improved infrastructure and ventilation. This four-year effort is creating economic opportunities for the region and the state. We are committed to local economic participation, so the No. 9 shaft project prioritizes local hiring, local workforce development and local procurement whenever feasible options are available.
• Safer and Cleaner Site. Reclamation at our West Plant site adjacent to Superior is moving forward. We are cleaning contaminated soil from the old site and that requires us to demolish the Magma Copper smelter complex. The smelter chimney stack is scheduled to be taken down in late October or early November, depending on weather conditions. Demolition of the smelter’s other buildings will be completed before the stack comes down. We will remove contaminated demolition debris in December, finish removing surrounding soils in the spring of 2019, and then reseed and reclaim the smelter site in the months that follow. Reclamation is a part of a voluntary consent decree administered by the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality to remedy and clean up environmental impacts from previous mining and smelting operations. When reclamation is complete, our West Plant site will be cleaner and safer.
• Preserving History. We have hired WestLand Resources to conduct archeological studies on the old smelter complex and surrounding mine property. WestLand’s team is producing a video documentary featuring interviews of people who worked at the smelter and mill facilities. We will make these oral histories and all collected historical materials available to the public. Meanwhile, we are working with the Town of Superior to identify other ways to memorialize Superior’s mining history and culture. The Town will submit three proposals for a major legacy project by the end of this year.
• Approval Process Steps. A comprehensive environmental and social review of the proposed mine and land exchange continues under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). Here are the major steps in the approval process:
Draft EIS. The U.S. Forest Service (USFS) expects to issue its draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) in May 2019. The draft EIS addresses comments received from the March to July 2016 public scoping period.
Final EIS. The EIS will then enters a public comment period. A Final EIS for the mine plan and land exchange is expected to be published in the summer of 2020.
Final Mine Plan. Authorization of a final mine plan of operations only happens after the NEPA analysis is completed, which includes mitigations and other conditions of approval that minimize adverse environmental impacts. NEPA also addresses concerns of communities, including Native American tribes. By law, the Secretary of Agriculture must conduct consultations with affected tribes to understand issues of concern. Resolution Copper is then required to work with the Secretary to find mutually acceptable measures to address those concerns.
As we go forward, we will continue to provide regular updates. We invite you to connect with us through our website and social media channels, and to visit our Mine Information Offices in Superior and Globe. back...
