Let Rosemont EIS Go Forward

To: Interested Parties

A publicly owned mineral development company owns the Rosemont copper deposit in Pima County, Arizona, and is in the process of evaluating the mineral deposit for responsible development. The evaluation process will include a two year public review process and Environmental Impact analysis.

Following the EIS process, over two dozen local, state, and federal environmental permits will need to be obtained, each with conditions and limitations to prevent and control impacts from the operations. Funds to reclaim the mine site will be financially guaranteed prior to breaking ground on the project. These funds will be held by state and federal agencies to assure that legal obligations are met.

The company has pledged to provide benefits to local communities and to address conflicts with other resource interests in the rural area of the mine, and to use sustainable development concepts in all aspects of planning the project. A perpetual environmental endowment fund has been offered to fund offsite environmental enhancement activities, along with annual payments throughout the operating life of the mine.

If developed, the Rosemont project would be one of only 25 domestic copper mines in the United States, and one of the 15 individual mines that supply 95\% of the nations copper. The total mine development, will be over a 20 year mine life and the land will be reclaimed during and following mining to ranch land open space.

Opposition to the project is based on well-meaning but arguable opinions that our nation does not need to develop its rare domestic natural mineral resources in the few places where they are economically viable, that the mine would present unsightly visual evidence of industrial activity, that environmental impacts cannot be mitigated, and that these notions preclude consideration of the project and justify denial of mineral development plans.

Opponents of the project compare the impacts of the project based on mining operations designed and built 30 to 50 years ago, ignoring the advances in reclamation technology, environmental regulations, and pollution prevention alternatives available today.

Supporters of the project realize that to maintain our way of life in a competitive world, we will need to develop domestic mineral resources, use sustainable technologies, and provide employment opportunities for our growing populations to come.

Whereas the benefits of the Rosemont Mine to the United States will be to supply over 5\% of the entire US national demand for copper for the next 20 years or more.

Whereas the use of copper is essential to power generation, transmission, utilization, and all forms of computer technology, and

Whereas a domestic supply of copper is more secure than imported copper, and

Whereas jobs at home are important to our national well being, and

Whereas commercially viable copper deposits are extremely rare, and

Whereas the Rosemont Copper deposit in Arizona is in the heart of a national mining district established over a hundred years ago, and

Whereas over 350 high paying direct jobs with benefits could result, with an additional 700 jobs in the supply support and service areas for over 20 years, and

Whereas the small business group, AMIGOS, that represents Arizona mining suppliers is fully in support of this project.

Whereas the Rosemont Copper deposit is on private lands surrounded by public land characterized as multiple-use land designations of federal agencies, and these land designations include mineral development,

Therefore, the undersigned wish to express their support of the notion that agency representatives and elected officials making decisions regarding this project should await the completion of the Public Review Process, completion of a comprehensive Plan of Operations, and completion of an Environmental Impact Statement before taking a position regarding the Rosemont mine.