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A federal judge dismissed a pair of lawsuits filed by three Native American tribes and a coalition of environmental groups over Rosemont Copper’s move to expand its mining operations on the western slopes of the Santa Rita Mountains south of Tucson.
In recent weeks, the Tohono O’odham Nation, Pascua Yaqui and Hopi tribes, along with the environmental groups led by the Tucson-based Center for Biological Diversity, challenged “Copper World,” a project to expand the controversial mining project to a nearby area across the western reaches of the Santa Ritas. In their filings, both groups argued Rosemont was violating the terms of a Section 404 permit granted under the Clean Water Act by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
However, lawyers for Hudbay Minerals, Inc. the Toronto-based company that owns Rosemont, said it voluntarily surrendered the permit, making the challenges moot. Company representatives welcomed the decision, which was released Tuesday.
In his 16-page ruling, U.S. District Judge James A. Soto agreed with Hudbay, ruling the two lawsuits were moot and “must be dismissed for lack of jurisdiction” because Rosemont has “surrendered the permit, avowed that it will not use it, and does not request that it be reissued.”
For the rest of this article: https://www.tucsonsentinel.com/local/report/052422_rosemont_challenges_dismissed/judge-challenges-new-arizona-copper-mine-moot-after-hudbay-abandons-rosemont-water-permit/